I was still very young, but I remember well. While making my usual rounds about the city, I noticed how light the crowd was for a normally busy day around the market. This was very upsetting for an ambitious entrepreneur such as myself. I dashed from street to street searching almost desperately for someone needing help with their heavy purses. Finding no potential customers, I quickly ducked into a dark alleyway to count this day's wages. A measly silver! I stared at the various coins for a bit as discouragement started to settle in. With a heavy sigh, I pulled myself to my feet and prepared to make another run at it. One silver was hardly enough to satisfy my ambitions, or my hunger for that matter.

My hunger . . . As I thought of food my stomach began to complain. I put my hand on my stomach as if to give reassurance that food was on its way, and I then heard what sounded like a wolf howling far off in the distance. I've known my stomach to growl, groan, and sometimes gurgle, but I've never known it to howl. I grew still and perked my ears straining to hear the sound again. I shivered and turned to leave.

I made my way back down the dark alley, and to my surprise I spied a curious, dark stranger standing just outside the entrance. I quickly evaluated the man. My keen eyes only glanced over his midnight black cloak and clearly Elothean build, but shortly came to rest on his overstuffed coin purse. By the size of the bulges, they were all platinum. Those must be heavy, I thought to myself with a grin. After another moment of sizing up him and his purse I quickly began my approach. As soon as I was near enough, I craftily reached up and opened the purse. I peered into the pouch and I saw the faint glint of reflected sunlight. I smiled to myself and twitched my fingers, preparing for a quick grab.

"You'd better take another look," said he. "This time with a little light?" With a flick of his fingers a ball of white light appeared in his hand and, without turning around, he held it over his opened purse. My curiosity took over as I blinked at him and peered down into the purse. There within was the meanest-looking shrew I have ever seen. Its eyes were wide, its teeth and claws were thrashing, and its mouth was foaming. I quickly jerked my hand away from the opening and closed the purse, tying it securely. He slowly turned to face me, his cloak's hood hiding his features.

"I... I was making sure your purse was secure. Lots of thieves around this area you know," I nodded to him matter-of-factly, trying my best to sound sincere. He merely nodded back.

"What did you see within the mysterious darkness of the purse before it was lit?" he asked calmly.

"I thought I saw a glint of reflected light and assumed it was coins," I replied in an almost dreamy way. I cleared my throat and quickly regained my cautious composure.

"And with the light?" he asked. I shuddered as I thought back to the hideous shrew hissing up at me.

"An awfully vicious looking shrew--I thought it might take my finger!" I shrieked as he nodded his hooded head.

Moving unnervingly silently, he walked around to my side. I eyed him suspiciously and tensed my body, preparing to run at any moment.

He leaned forward and whispered in my ear, "If light be truth and darkness be mystery, what would one be without the other?" I cocked my head and gazed into the distance for a bit thinking on it. With a flutter of his cloak the man turned and headed into the alley. I turned to ask him more of him but, peering through the dark alley, I saw no trace of him or his cloak. I sat down against the nearest building and must have run the question through my head a thousand times. In fact, I don't believe I did another thing that day but think. I still ponder over it to this day.