”Mitch McHale and Emily McHale –" she answers as the other girl in the cell asks her and her brothers name. "
We’re the typical inseparable siblings that everyone talks about; we were both dragged through the worst of times their whole lives. Mom had passed giving birth to me, and dad wasn’t around much, leaving Korvosa to fight in the Goblinblood Wars with a regiment of his order.” Emm sighs slightly as she talks with one of the other children, passing the time. “
When he came back, he was too caught up in his old war stories and alcoholism. He wasn’t the same. Something had happened to him, but we never could figure it out. He was always such an honorable man -” she pauses a moment, “
– he was a Hellknight after all…” she smiles as proudly as the circumstances would allow her. Her smile begins to fade slightly, a frown growing on her lips “
He wouldn’t talk to us about it. I think he’s sad that mom’s gone…” she heavily sighs again. “
He was gone when I was born – he didn’t know that I even existed until he got back.”
A handler approached their blighted holding area, glaring at the two teenagers as if to tell them to ‘shut the hell up’. After a while, the handler disappeared again and Emm continues recanting her story to the other girl.
“Mitch had to handle everything from then on, after dad left. He was thirteen when he left to go fight in the war, and I was just a little baby in mommy’s tummy.”. Emm stretches slightly, yawning as the night starts to grow deeper. “Dad had taught him how to fight before he had left – leaving Mitch with an over sized sword and shield to practice with. I think Mitch really misses those days.. At least he did before I was taken.”
The two girls continued talking until the slumber that was overcoming them took. Somewhere, Mitch was waiting for his father to be released from prison. “Mr. McHale, this is the third time this moon that you've been held for being disorderly at the inn. You're lucky your son is capable of getting your sorry hide out of here.” Mitch couldn’t help but smirk slightly at the praise from the guardsman, but at the same time anger overflowed him. “Maybe you’ll spend less time hunting down old drunken men for crimes that don't truly matter, and put a stop to the other problems this city faces… Like finding my sister!” The guard raises his hand signifying ‘it’s out of my hands’. “Woah there kiddo, there idn’t much I can do to help yo--–“
Mitch quickly interjects, “She’s been missing for over a year! What in the hells CAN you do?” The guard holds his mouth open as he was trying to finish his statement, but instead he gives up shaking his head at the boy. “Kiddo, you’re lucky it’s late or I’d slap you in irons. Git ‘yer dad outa here before I change my mind.”
Mitch scowls at the man, but knows better. He helps his father home in silence. First chance the old man gets he goes for the booze. “Old buffoon…” Mitch mumbles under his breath with a frown. He thinks to himself “Not a bad idea though…” and heads out for the Leftover’s Tavern. A drink would hit the spot.
As Mitch was leaving for the local bar, a note slipped underneath his door. He opened the parchment carefully, as it had nothing addressed on the outside.
"Mr. Mitch McHale -
as your father has proven worthless to our demands, we instead push this responsibility upon you. Your sister, Emily, is within our holding. You have a short amount of time to meet our demands. A specific ancient armor exists within the lands of Sargava -- you are to retrieve this armor and bring it back to us. We expect frequent check-in's of progress, otherwise your sister dies.
All checkin's should be sent to the Bank here in Korvosa, addressed to 'V12B123'. Failure to check in results in your sister dying. She's only alive, still, because of your fathers frailty. You're her last hope - do not test us any further.
You will have board upon a ship called 'Jenivere' which will get you there."
Mitch's eyes widen. He looks to his old man laying in his drunken stupor, yelling obscenities at him in disgust. The old man just rolls over, not hearing a single word his son had for him. 'Forget becoming a Hellknight' he thinks to himself. 'I'll be a better man than any of them ever have been'
Mitch gathered all of his belongings and departed at once for the docks.
