L'expression de Meryn s'est transformée de prudent à effrayant comme Spook a expliqué pleinement la situation – et les risques. Elle regarda depuis les félidraques dans les cages, jusqu'à celui qu'Alex transportait, et enfin jusqu'au petit diable entre ses mains. Si ce que Spook a dit était vrai (et c'était un grand si, selon Meryn – elle ne faisait toujours pas confiance au voyageur une lèche) alors ces créatures étaient un peu plus que des bombes à retardement. Son esprit est passé par les gens d'Enn. Des visages familiers sont apparus derrière ses yeux, des gens que Meryn n'avait jamais été proche – et certains qui avaient été moins que gentils avec elle – mais toujours des fils indéniables dans le tissu de sa vie. Elle pensait à ces gens, gentils, cruels, mères, fils, amis... étaient-ils vraiment en danger?
Elle a été arrachée de ses pensées quand Spook a poussé un papier dans sa main. Un sigil, circulaire et précis, y était dessiné. Meryn a levé un sourcil à Spook pour le voir donner des papiers similaires à Alex et Lily. Et bien sûr, aucune explication n'a été donnée à leur sujet.
"Utilisez-les en cas d'urgence," a-t-il dit. Meryn n'a pas pu aider l'air exaspéré qui l'a échappée. Rien sur ce qu'ils ont fait ou ce qui comptait comme une urgence. Elle a roulé les yeux et a glissé le papier dans son sac. Mais il y avait un courant sous-jacent de nervosité – ou d'excitation – sous son ennui.
Meryn regarda Lily et Alex avant d'avancer, après Spook.
Name: Meryn
Abstract: The quiet, roof-hopping delivery girl.
Detail:
Meryn is a twig of a girl. Short, thin, and physically unimpressive in almost every way, people can often mistake her for a young boy, rather than a full-grown woman. She has sandy brown skin, long, straight black hair that she often keeps in a braid, and pale green eyes. Meryn also wears a small wooden pin with her name engraved on it, stuck to her jacket.
She was born without the ability to speak, but she rarely has any trouble getting her point across. Though she carries herself with a subtle confidence, she's acutely aware of what she is and isn't capable of, and is constantly trying to push that boundary. Independent, fearless, and just a little bit spiteful, telling her she can't or shouldn't do something is usually the quickest way to get her to do it. Although she seems aloof and closed off, Meryn is more soft-hearted than she first appears. If someone comes to her asking for help, she can't help but comply – even if she does roll her eyes and drag her feet along the way. It's easy for her heart to override her head, and her naivety can sometimes get her into trouble.
Though she grew up as a street urchin, and was generally looked down on by the majority of society in the first few years of her life, it wasn't long until she discovered a hidden talent: if she wanted to get somewhere, there was very little that could stand in her way. She could scale walls, leap from rooftop to rooftop, slip between bars. Soon enough, the entire town became one big playground to her. Eventually, the townspeople recognized her skill at getting from one point to another quicker than anyone should rightly be able to, and she began delivering notes and parcels for change. Today, Meryn is the most trusted delivery system in town for all sorts of letters and goods (that aren't too big for her to carry). When she's not swinging around the town like a monkey, she enjoys all sorts of music, and has recently started picking up different instruments from her customers and experimenting, with varying degrees of success.