The Second Day: Ignorance

A Close Encounter
God, it was cold. Incredibly cold. Conor almost turned back home to grab his forgotten coat, but made himself carry on. If he turned back now, he'd be late for school. He'd just have to brave the weather. It was nearly Christmas at Lumbridge, and not everyone was happy about it. For the people who lived on the north side, the richer side, it was a happy occasion full of Christmas feasts and presents. For the poorer citizens of the south side, it meant cold and starvation. Many of the South-siders turned to crime. As Conor was about to find out.

A rough hand grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, dragged him into an ally and pinned him against a wall. A gruff man, clothes in tatters and unshaven, waved a bronze dagger in front of Conor's face.

"Listen, youn'un, gi'me som' m'oney or I'll drive 'is pretty e're sword down your throat!"

"Excuse me sir" said Conor, with a calm politeness, "That's a dagger"

"Eh?"

"It's not a sword. It's a dagger. A sword has-"

"Wha' sit matter? Istill sharp! Could still kill ya!"

"And anyway, sir, I have no money"

"Noha coin?"

"No, not a coin"

"Then gimme' your clo'es! I can sell 'em"

"Sir, if this is an attempt at robbery, it's not going to succeed"

"Wha?"

With that, Conor drove his knee with all his might between the man's legs. In a second he was rolling around the floor, clutching himself for dear life. Without a second thought, Conor pulled his foot back and battered the mans face with it. As Conor tidied himself up and walked out of the alleyway, he felt sorry for the man. Uneducated, he thought crime was the only way he could feed himself. Hopefully, his experience would show him that there were better ways to make money. Still, beating the crap out of him had been fun.

As he walked back up the street, through the crowd of busy people commuting here and there, he saw something that stuck out. Or rather, someone: A barbarian. Rough looking, he had a distinctly barbarian helmet, and his body was draped in some furs, from what Conor had read about the Barbarians, it was probably Elk fur. A massive sword, which looked thick and heavy, was by his side, in what looked like an elk fur scabbard. He had a strange weapon (which Conor deduced from what he had read was an ax) slung over his shoulder. He gripped the axe tightly in his hand, and knocked on a doorway with the other. Conor saw an elderly man answer. Though he was some distance away, the Barbarian shouted loud enough for people in Varrock to hear him.

"Conor! Aqua! Evan!"

The man was startled, and the frame of his glasses slipped off his face. They bounced slightly on the floor, and the elderly man bent down slowly to pick them up. As quick as a flash, the Barbarian's boot crashed down upon them with a crack. He grabbed the old man by his neck, and brought him up to his eye level

"Tell me now! Conor! Aqua! Evan!"

The terrified old man squeaked with fear. "Not here! No one by that name-"

The Barbarian had heard enough. With a powerful shove, the man was sent careering back into his own home. The Barbarian slammed the door shut, and went to the next house to repeat the process.

Conor took a deep breath: He'd been holding it without realising. That man was looking for him and his friends. Well, Conor knew there was a chance that it was a different Conor, Aqua and Evan the Barbarian was looking for. After all, why would a Barbarian want them? Still, Aqua was an uncommon name... Conor decided not to stick around. He ran the rest of the way the school.

A Meeting
"Really! That does sound like something" exclaimed Evan, once Conor had recounted the events.

Aqua frowned. "But why would he be worried about us? What did we ever do to him?"

"I dunno..." said Conor, frowning as well. "It doesn't make a lot of sense. Suppose he wasn't talking about us?"

Evan gave him a look. "How many other Conors, Evans or Aquas do you know?"

"Actually" Conor began "I know four Evans, and I know another Conor. But I haven't heard of - By Saradomin!"

Conor grabbed them by the hand and tugged them behind the corner.

"What the hell's wrong!?" Evan spluttered.

"The Barbarian is just around that corner! He's talking to Willchester!"

Willchester was a boy in school, who sometimes talked to the three friends. But they all had different social circles, so they didn't hang out much.

"What? Let me see-" Aqua shoved Conor out of the way and stuck her head round the corner. Just three doors down, a clearly Barbarian man was having a conversation with Willchester - and he was smiling. Had Willechester told him something?

Conor crept round the corner, beckoning for them to follow him. Slowly, they sneaked behind the Barbarian, just a few meters behind, where Wilchester could see them. Conor shriveled his nose-he could smell the Barbarian's stench from here. He could also hear him,

"Where do they live?" his dull voice had gained a hungry sound.

"Ah, erm, well, er, Conor, er, lives in-"

Conor leaped into the air, shaking his head and waving his arms. Willchester smiled, oblivious to the message.

"They're right there" he smiled, and pointed.

Damn. They were sunk.

The Chase
"RUN!!!!" Aqua screamed, and sprinted down the street, Conor and Even hot on her heels. When he looked back, he could see the Barbarian in full pursuit. For a man as big as he was, he moved incredibly quickly. They came to a crowd of people, and Conor expected Aqua to spider her way through them. In fact, she did the opposite. She shouldered one full-force in the back, sending him careering through it, making a gap for Aqua to run through. Conor and Evan followed, and they heard yelling. They turned their heads and saw the Barbarian plowing through people like a wrecking ball. The boys sped up, leveling with Aqua.

"Where to?" said Evan, panting as he ran.

"Erm, there!" Aqua cried, pointing to an open window, which lead to the sitting room of some middle class couple Conor knew but couldn't remember the name or. She dove in head first. Evan leapt in after her, but as Conor swung his feet in, a powerful barbarian hand grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.

He tried to drag him from the house, but Conor gripped the window pane tightly. A second hand joined the struggle, and Conor knew he couldn't hold on much longer.

"Evan! Aqua! Help!"

Nearly before he finished the sentence, Evan grabbed a flaming coal from the fireplace, and threw it over Conor's head, hitting the Barbarian square in the nose. The hands let Conor go, and he quickly slipped inside. He was in a sitting room, and Evan darted out of it.

Conor followed him, taking a left down the short corridor to the back door. Aqua was outside, waiting for them. She let them go, then slammed the door shut. They ran down the street to the edge of the river Lum (which Lumbridge is named after). Aqua got hold of their hands and counted:

"One, two, three-"

Conor pulled his hand away, "We're not jumping in, are we?"

Aqua looked exasperated. "Do you have any better idea? Come on, he'll come out soon!"

Conor took a look around. Behind him was the fast flowing River Lum. To his left, the street of houses from which they had just come. To his right, a market street: heavily, heavily sloped, with an assortment of carts selling hundreds of souvenirs, food, jewelry. An idea formed in Conor's mind. He turned to his friends, saying:

"Stay here, keep him stalled".

With this, Conor turned on his heels and as fast as he could up the street. The nearest cart was a good twenty meters away. It sported an advertising sign, which told the literate what the cart sold: Crayfish, raw (teach yourself cooking!) cooked (a feast fit for a king!) and burned (ward of evil spirits!). The cart was on wheels, and the only thing that kept it from rolling down the hill was a brick. That had to go.

Quickly, Conor kicked the brick from underneath the car and leapt on top of it, dislodging the lying sign and sever tiny fish. Conor's momentum slowly tipped the cart forward, and it began to roll steadily down the hill. Conor gripped the edges tightly with his hands, the bumpy road knocking him this way and that.

It suddenly occurred to him how stupid this plan was. Fear gripped him, he had almost no control of the car, he could fall and break his neck. This was seriously bad. Conor swung one leg of the cart, bringing it closer to the ground, so he could slip off. They could still run. He made to shift off.

He looked up, and saw the Barbarian, sword raised, advancing in his friends. Conor swung his leg back up and leaned forward to pick up speed. He leaned left, and the cart swerved. It was picking up speed, faster then Conor had anticipated. It cleared the twenty meters left to the Barbarian in ten seconds.

Conor slipped off the cart as it rammed into the Barbarian. He was sent flying, headfirst, into the River Lum. For a moment, Conor just sat there. Then, from behind him, he heard the crayfish seller cry

"MY CART!!!!!!".

Conor leaped to his feet, and cried "Quick! To the tree!"

And with that, three friends sprinted off into the thick of Lumbridge.

The Tree
"So what happened while I was up the hill?" Conor asked.

Aqua took another lick of her ice cream before answering, seemingly unbothered by the ordeal. Aqua was funny like that. Strong. Never scared.

"He said 'I have you now, witch', and then Evan took a step in front of me"

"I looked him right in the eye" Evan continued "And he stared right back with his cold face, and drew his sword. He was waving it about when you smashed into him-"

The three friends chuckled at the memory.

Conor's broad grin, however, soon became a frown. He looked down from his friends to the pond below, to see his brooding reflection. "What did he want with us?"

That killed the conversation. But kids can't stop talking, and Evan picked it up again; "So when's the fair?"

"Five days" said Aqua. "It's....I...ergh!" she grunted in pain.

Conor leaned over to her, and was about to ask her what was wrong, when she suddenly stood up. "I....I feel....my head....ergh!" She lost her balance, and slipped headfirst off the branch.

Conor grabbed her hand tight.

She swung limply underneath him, her feet just inches from the water. "Evan, help me!" Conor grunted. With an effort, they heaved Aqua's unconscious body into Conor's arms. Feeling like a tightrope walker, he balanced carefully and walked to the grass. He lay her gently by the pool.

The two boys looked down at her. Should they get help? Conor was about to pick her up and bring her into Lumbridge, when, at his touch, she sat bolt upright, breathing heavily. She stood up and ran away without a word. Conor grabbed her hand and pulled her back;

"Who who! Slow down"

She spun around and started at him, looking exasperated. She took her free hand and held Conor's "Please, I have to go!"

She spun around again, but Conor tugged her back. "What's wrong?" he asked. "We can help".

She shook her head sadly. "Tomorrow. I'll tell you guys tomorrow" She ran back to Lumbridge, leaving the two boys standing. Standing with their backs to the sunset.

This episode of As The Sun Sets is preceded by The First Day: Innocence. The story of the three friends is continued in The Third Day: Absence.