Wolf Tower stands on the northwestern corner of the Keep. It is the tallest tower in the Keep.

Lek suspected that he was not supposed to go up the towers- the stairs were rather crumbly and it was easy to lose one's footing- but he was desperate to find Millie. He hoped if he got high enough he could spot her.

Lek half-climbed, half-crawled up the spiraling staircase to the top of the tower.

Ila was having a bad time of it. While crossing the inner bailey to the tower she was confronted by several offended men and women, she was spat at, one woman even slapped her. Another man offered her coin.

Ila felt sick to her stomach as she ascended the spiral stairs.

Questa got into the tower she checked her weighted sock.

She could not remember the last time she got to sap so many people at once. She enjoyed the sound it made smacking skulls and flesh, but she was worried that Ila might do something stupid over so many people being after her. Questa was used to having people after her, she grew up on the street and survived by stealing. Questa had fled Guards, merchants and even people who knew they could get away with abusing a streetkid because she had no one to care about her nearly her entire life. But this Ila sounded like she came from a soft life, despite having been a Crimson Dove prostitute.

Questa climbed the stairs and caught up with Ila. "'Ave a looks, yor gonna cop some tough scars." Questa nodded to the scratches on Ila's arm.

Ila had forgotten about the scratches Mrs Cort had given her. It looked like they were still bleeding. Mrs Cort must have had long arms to gouge such deep scratches. Ila knew she should get them cleaned so they would not get infected, but she did not care. All she cared about that her life as a respectable woman was over, again. Tirto had followed through on his threat, now she'd have every man in the keep after her. She couldn't fight them all off. Her cheek still stung from the slap.

"I never should have gone into the kitchen." Ila said softly, she loved working there. She had reached the top of the tower and looked down. The tower was so high she could see tree tops.

"Don't be daft, right, there's a bit of food in the bleedin' kitchen. Why don't yer get oray from that ledge before yer splatter on the chuffin' ground?" Questa did not like how close Ila was to the opening.

Ila stayed where she was. "There must be something else you need to do more than watching me."

"Not right." Questa said. She grabbed Ila by the back of her shirt and yanked her away from the opening and forced her to sit on the floor. "Now I told yer ter get oray from that before yer fall! I'm bloody well not gonna let yer do sumfink stewpid like jump out of a tower because some bints slapped yer 'round and a bunch of dirty blokes want ter have their way wiv yer." Questa said angrily.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:27, Sat 30 July 2016.

"I was not going to jump." Ila said, though she was thinking about it.

"Yeah, right." Questa said sarcastically, then she heard footsteps on the stairs. "Oh wonderful, right, 'oo is that now?" Questa grumbled, drawing her shiv.

"These stairs don't look safe- look at that one! It's almost crumbled to dust!"

"They're safe enough. You're just looking for an excuse because you're afraid of your wife." The second voice made a whipping sound. "If you're wimping out I'll have her to myself."

"I'm not wimping out!"

Ila edged towards the window.

"Get oray from that window, yer git. And get ready ter fight." Questa said in a low voice to Ila. "Pick up one of them rocks or sumfink."

Ila shook her head. "They'll just beat me and make me do what they want anyways... I can't do that again."

Two men came onto the landing from the crumbling stairs. They were vaguely familiar, hairy and smelled bad. They resembled each other, probably brothers.

"Hello." The taller of the two leered, a couple coins clinked in his hand. "I don't know if you remember us, you were tied up at the time."

Ila felt sick. She backed away until her foot touched the ledge.

Questa quickly planned out what she would do. She would stab and sap those blokes, and with backup from Ila she would easily send them falling back down the stairs. But out of the corner of her eye she saw that Ila was not going to fight, Ila was going to go out the window.

"Oh goose and duck!" Questa swore She did not have time to plot out a plan B, Ila was about to kill herself. She had to stop her. Questa dropped her shiv so she would not stab Ila and tackled her, slamming her to the floor. "Yer stewpid idiot! Struth! This is the last time I'm bloody well pullin' yer from that damned window. Cor blimey... Now yer fight or I'll give yer a world of 'urt! Then I'll frow yer out the chuffin' bloody window!"

Questa picked up a brick and forced Ila's fingers around it. "It's not that 'ard. Just 'it them bastards until they put the mockers on tryin' ter hurt yer."

Questa heard a scraping sound and turned her head to see one of the filthy blokes picking up her shiv. Both of them had stepped away from the stairs, it was going to be a lot harder to fight them off now. Questa was so angry she was tempted to punch Ila, but now was a bad time. She got off the other girl and dragged her to her feet. Questa twirled her weighted sock.

"Are you for hire too?" The man with the shiv asked. "Is that all dirt?"

"None of us are for 'ire. Go ter hell or we'll kill yer." Questa growled.

The brick was heavy. Ila was not sure if she could do anything with it, but she held onto it. Questa was furious, and Ila already felt bruised from being tackled like that.

"I don't do that anymore. Just leave me alone." Ila said.

"What do you think you're going to do with that rock?" The man who held Questa's knife laughed. "People like you don't quit. Either you give or we'll take."

Xavier was taking a leisurely stroll around the keep, making certain everyone was settled in their beds or at least their rooms for the night. He still had so much to explore and find. Xavier found himself in one of the towers. He turned, about to leave, when he heard the sounds of a struggle. He drew his sword and ran up the stairs, a few of which crumbled at each step. It wasn't safe for man or mouse in here. "What goes on up there?"

"Just some filthy blokes tryin' ter do Ila dirty." Questa swung her weighted sock at the hand holding her shiv and was pleased to hear something in the hand crunch and the bloke dropped her shiv. Questa grabbed her shiv, ignoring the man's screams and curses. "Get dahn them stairs before I gut yer and push yer dahn!"

Ila stiffened, recognizing Xavier's voice. He probably already knew, but in the off chance Tirto's rumors had not reached him yet she did not want him to know. Ila awkwardly swung her brick at the second man.

"Stop that! We were going to pay you, you crazy whores!" He backed off, looking disgusted.

Xavier came up behind the men. "I would be returning to your wives and family, if I were you. None of the ladies in this keep are for hire. Not a one. Now go or you can spend the night in a cell in the dungeon."

"That dark one broke my hand! She has a knife! Is she going to get away with that?" He whined, cradling his hand.

Questly deftly sheathed her shiv and stuffed her sock in her pocket. "Clumsy oaf, I don't know wot 'e's goin' on about." She said innocently.

"We were not doing anyone any harm." The other man said. "We were going to pay her even more than we paid last time." He nodded towards Ila. "We were just going to have a little harm, not hurting anyone."

Ila looked at the floor, wishing she could melt into it. She dropped the brick to cover the tattoo on her arm, but she was pretty sure Xavier had already seen it.

"The ladies have every right to protect themselves. I don't care what you offered, the women in this keep and village are to be treated with the utmost respect. None of these women are for sale, no matter what you might think. Now go be with your families. I'm sure your wives could use some attentions from you."

"C'mon, you're a man, you know how it is. Can't get what you need at home but for a few coins you can find a willing woman. I'd hired her before and she never complained about it, we both did." He cajoled. "You're not married, right? You must hire these women all the time."

Ila glanced at the window, it was beginning to look good again.

Questa slipped between Ila and the window and nudged her away from it.

Anger filled Xavier but he didn't let it show. "If the only way you can get it is by spending coin, maybe it's time to look at what you're doing wrong. And no, I don't pay for it. Now, this rebuilding is a new start for everyone. The past is over. No one, and I mean no one here is to be considered for paid sex.

"So you just take it?" He brightened.

Ila winced.

Xavier began to think most of the villagers were idiots or criminals. No wonder Shawn wanted to retire. "No, no you are not. You are expected to act civilized and be with your wives. If I hear one word about unwanted advances, you will be in the dungeon faster than you can say how much."

"So is this whore supposed to just be out of a job then?" He said, trying to sound benevolent. "Whores need to make a living too."

"I-I was working in the kitchen." Ila said, not wanting Xavier to think she wanted to be a whore. "I liked working in the kitchen."

"Whore don't belong in kitchens, touching the food we eat." He scoffed.

"And decent people don't deserve to have to eat with beef-witted fools. You are welcome to dine in Portside. Miss Ila wishes to work in the kitchen and she has permission from your lord. I would not cross him if I were you."

"That is madness!" He exclaimed in disgust. "Does he know she's a whore?"

Ila considered the window or the stairs.

"She is no longer a whore. And Lord Thornblade believes in new starts. This is a fresh start for all. Grow up."

"That's disgusting. I'm getting my family out of this cesspit." He angrily stormed down the stairs.

Ila was flushed with shame. She forced herself to look up at Xavier.

"Miss Ila, I'm very sorry you've had to put up with such hatred. Such actions will not be tolerated by Lord Thornblade, I can assure you. When ever you have a problem, please find myself or Lord Thornblade." Xavier gave her a kind smile.

Ila looked back down. "I'm sorry to have caused a problem."

"It is not you who caused any problems, lass," Xavier assured her.

"A bunch of coves want ter shag 'er. A bunch of bints want ter tear 'er face off. She wants ter pitch 'erself out this window." Questa said, deciding to make Ila Xavier's problem. She did not mind protecting Ila from filthy blokes, but did not like trying to keep her from killing herself.

"The word will need to be spread that such behavior will not be tolerated by Lord Thornblade. Miss Ila, I promise we'll find a way to fix it."

"Thank you." Ila looked down, blushing. She did not think there was any way to fix it.

"The sooner these people realize this a  new start for every one, the better they'll be. And they'll find themselves banished if they can't fall into line."

Ila could feel her eyes getting warm with tears. She felt like men only wanted to use her ever since the Crimson Dove branded her. Xavier was the first one to see the brand and not treat her like a whore. She nodded, her throat feeling tight.

Difyr was nearly run over by two men hurrying down the stairs. One looked like he had a broken hand and she would have asked to look at it, but she heard him muttering about 'that whore' and decided his hand wasn't important. Difyr hurried up the tower until she found Questa, Xavier and Ila.

"What happened?" Difyr asked, going over to Ila. She could see that her sleeve was gone and she had angry looking scratches on her arm.

"Everyone found out." Ila said in a small voice.

"Come along, we'll get those scratches cleaned up and then we'll see how soon Millie can fix your blouse." Difyr glanced at Xavier, then frowned at Questa. "Juniper wants to see you, what is this about you cutting off ears?"

"They needed their ears cut off. Wouldn't leave Ila alone." Questa shrugged and headed down the stairs.

Ila winced, feeling guilty. "They were very angry to find out someone like me was working in the kitchen... I think Questa just wanted to protect me."

Difyr sighed and slipped an arm around Ila. "Let's get you fixed up... Xavier, might I have a word with you after?"

"Of course. I'm doing the evening walk through, but I should be near the healing rooms and kitchen area fairly soon."

"This shouldn't take long." Difyr said, leading Ila down the stairs.