Out of Hiding

(Originally posted Mar 4, 2009, thought it was still appropriate, so I'm importing it)

For Bill Slade, the winter had been a long one. As his Court's namesake grew stronger, the further Slade had gone into hiding. He rarely left the apartment building that he managed, going out maybe once or twice a month to pick up more supplies, ranging from food and drink to caulk and tools, all the better for making the repairs his tenants demanded of him. No, Slade did not leave very often, but he didn't mind. The longer he stayed inside, head down, nose to the grindstone, the Fae would not find him. He had as normal a life a Changeling in hiding could get; his new identity was so airtight that he abandoned his old name altogether. To his tenants, and to himself, the man once called Robert Marsh was now the Wizened Mr. Slade.

But being inside and hiding for so long took its toll on a man. As spring slowly but surely approached, Slade found he was getting restless. He was still dedicated to his Court's methods, but he could still walk around the city and be hidden, right? He could talk to other changelings, maybe make some friends, or ones would understand what he'd been through at any rate. With his skills as a smith and repairman, he could maybe even set up shop and help out some of fellow Lost. Yes, it was time to come out of hiding, out of hibernation, and get back into the (reasonably) fresh air of the city. Besides, he had unfinished business to attend to, and staying inside for months on end would not get that done.

It was time to live again.