Sess'ka

"It's one of those mornings again. Don't really feel like getting up yet. Actually feel like staying in bed all day. But my bladder's pressure urges me to get up." I slowly moved a leg out of my bed and down on the ground. Then, supporting myself against the bed, I moved myself upwards. Too fast, though. Dizziness overwhelmed me. I stumbled and fell face down on the floor.

Few minutes later, after I could open my eyes again, I looked around, wondering where I'd woken this time. Seems it's a room in my fav inn, The Delirious Dhole. I remembered something about a wolf, or was that the previous night? I checked myself, finding out I was lying naked on the floor. So I was able to undress when I went to bed, whenever that was! Guess surprising things do happen. Seems I'll have to undertake a quest for finding my clothes now, though. So I made a valiant attempt at raising myself from the floor, slowly this time. Just when I was halfway, somebody of course had to knock on the door. I didn't answer, hoping they would go away. But whoever it was knocked again, more urgent this time. So I called out in croaking voice (was that really my voice?): "What!?" Then the door opened (reminds me I'll have to lock the door for once), and there stood a red wolf, my beloved stepfather cq. teacher. At first, he didn't say anything, just stared at me with large eyes. Then he seemed to notice that I wasn't really wearing something, and he looked away, saying: "Look at you! Look at what has become of you! How could you do this!?" That croaking voice again: "Maybe if you wouldn't just barge into my room like that next time, you might find me in a more 'decent' state." He turned his head and looked right at me again. "You know what I mean! You could have lived a normal and ... decent life. Instead, you live the life of a criminal with those lousy friends of yours. If only you would've stayed with me, it would've been so much better."
"What? Like father like daughter? No way. Find yourself another pet daughter to do with what you like."
For a moment it seemed he was going to explode, but then he turned around and paced away. By now I had gotten up from the floor, and I quickly closed the door after him.

My stepfather's a nice guy really... to other people that is. Hadn't seen him in, what, two years or so. Thought he'd have given up his notion of his adopted daughter following in his footsteps. One would've thought that running away from home would send out a clear message to him that I don't give a damn about his wishes for my 'future'. Oh well, maybe he's right after all. I'm not living the happiest life I could think of. How long have I been here, and how many mornings like this have I been through? Could it be 4 days? Or did I sleep through I don't know how many days? All I know is that my money from my last assignment is going to run out soon. Plus-point of that is of course that I'll finally be sober again. Now what was I doing again... oh yeah, my clothes. So I looked at my bed, finding not only my clothes but also a handsome wolf curled up and sleeping on it.

The wolf was a decent sort of guy, unlike some others. Told me that he's a marine of the Bisclavrets' navy. Today was his first working day again after some time off. Gave me his address so that I could visit him once he was off-duty again. They all did of course. While my head still felt like a rhinoceros was standing on it, I went down the stairs to meet the innkeeper. We two were probably the only dholes around here. Most others were wolves of course. Despite the name of the inn, the keeper was almost always sober. I bet he never would've thought that he would've gotten a real delirious dhole as one of his regular customers. When I came to the bar, he stared at me with a wide grin. I said grumpily: "Keep your comments to yourself!"
"I didn't say anything", he said, and continued grinning while making me some breakfast and his special anti-hangover brew.
"Have a new assignment for you by the way. That is, if you can finish it in time, unlike the last one", he casually said while I was eating. For not only was he an innkeeper, he was one of the masters in the Invisible Guild as well.
"Hey, you said it was a low-risk assignment. Took me days through the forest to get rid of those assassins!"
"People like you should really be prepared for such things anytime."
"Still, I think it was unfair to lower my fee that much."
"You were late, after all."
Sometimes I wondered if they deliberately gave me assignments that I couldn't possibly finished in time, resulting in lower fee and thereby causing me to be broke and sober just when they have a new assignment for now. I must say I didn't even disapprove of that tactic even though I didn't like it either. He continued, grinning sardonically, "So you'll decline this assignment?"
"You asshole! Of course I'll take it."
"Thought so."

The innkeeper's a nice guy really... when he's not doing business that is. So now I have a new assignment, together with a down payment for transport. "Deliver this small package to this address in Triskellian". Of course, low risk factor again. Wonder what I'll get myself into this time. Oh well, at least I'm on the road again.

Quick history of Sess'ka, the dhole bitch:

• Parents were traders, but she lost them in a robbery.
• After a small time of being an urchin in Thanon, she was adopted by a scribe for the local government in Thanon.
• At a higher age, she was told that he planned for her to follow in his footsteps, but she refused and ran away from home.
• After a life on the street close to starvation, she was recruited into the Invisible Guild by the innkeeper of The Delirious Dhole who provided her with food and drink.
• Her stepfather kept bothering from time to time after he found out where she ended up. She always kept refusing him.
• Due to good performance she was soon promoted to journeyman. However, now that was actually getting some money from her assignments, she always spent it all on booze, with the occasional admonishment of the guild when she was too drunk for an assignment.