on the nerves. There had been some comfort in entering a room no one was likely to look into. Now the game began again.
Serdra went first and went about as they had been doing. They crept into a wing for the serving staff. There they searched for doors to small rooms.
They were about to try out a promising one when a baby’s cries suddenly emanated from it. They hid in a corner and waited for it to fall silent. They heard shushing and soft humming from a grown woman and time seemed to crawl by as the little one cried and cried.
Finally it seemed to fall asleep. They waited a bit longer to be fairly sure the woman had herself fallen asleep and then continued.
They found another interesting room abutting from a dining room, right next to a large fireplace in which embers glowed.
Serdra took a candle lamp off a shelf and a rag off a table and pointed at the door.
Katja grasped the handle and opened it slightly. The hinges squeaked a bit, but no more than normal. She held her breath, tightened her grip on the knife and opened more.
The crib was indeed small. A small bed could be glimpsed by the stone wall and small chests on either side of it. A lamp stood on one of them and a water carafe on the floor. The darkness hid all else.
Katja stood still and listened and heard a slow, deep breath from the bed. The resident hadn’t been disturbed.
Few possessions , Katja thought. No spouse or child. As would be expected for a new servant, who perhaps isn’t planning to stay for long.
Circumstances matched up to their expectations but didn’t suffice as evidence by themselves. Katja moved further in with great care and silently asked the person not to wake.
She knelt by the headboard. As far as she could tell this was a woman beneath the blanket, facing Katja.
She looked back and saw Serdra enter with the lamp in her hand. She knelt close to her pupil and gave her a questioning look. Katja could only shrug and look at the lamp.
Serdra glanced at the person on the bed, perhaps to assure herself they were fast asleep. Then she lifted the rag off the lamp, just enough to let a bit of glow on the bed.
Katja stared. She remembered this face. It was strange seeing it relaxed in sleep. Defenceless and innocent.
But then how do I myself look? Katja suddenly thought.
Serdra covered the lamp again and Katja nodded to her. This was the right woman.
Serdra nodded back and lifted the rag enough to blow out the candle. Then she crept back out and motioned for Katja to follow.
She looked at this sleeping enemy of hers and suddenly remembered she was still holding the knife. She didn’t particularly want to stab a sleeping person, but it still felt funny to let an enemy out of her grasp like this. She hadn’t looked so innocent in the vision. There she had shown her true face, not the one she presumably showed the people of the council hall.
Well. Perhaps we’ll meet again later , she thought with some savagery and snuck to the doorway.
Serdra was placing the lamp back on the exact spot when Katja exited. Katja closed the door as carefully as she’d opened it. And so this mission was done for now.
They went back up to the fourth floor and out on the balcony. Serdra fastened the rope and when the coast was clear Katja let it slide down in two strands and climbed down both of them. Serdra pulled it back up while the guards passed. Then she went down herself and pulled on one strand to loose n the knot up on the balcony.
They then crossed to and over the wall. Katja finally relaxed once she again stood on cobblestones. She had broken in the council hall and made it back outside. Another threshold was behind her.
6.
They spent the rest of the night beneath the bridge. They crawled out from under it as dawn broke and split up in search of Frank. It was Katja who found him and reported the night’s events. She described the Brotherhood woman in detail, as well as her dwelling. He would then report to the Shades living in
Serdra went first and went about as they had been doing. They crept into a wing for the serving staff. There they searched for doors to small rooms.
They were about to try out a promising one when a baby’s cries suddenly emanated from it. They hid in a corner and waited for it to fall silent. They heard shushing and soft humming from a grown woman and time seemed to crawl by as the little one cried and cried.
Finally it seemed to fall asleep. They waited a bit longer to be fairly sure the woman had herself fallen asleep and then continued.
They found another interesting room abutting from a dining room, right next to a large fireplace in which embers glowed.
Serdra took a candle lamp off a shelf and a rag off a table and pointed at the door.
Katja grasped the handle and opened it slightly. The hinges squeaked a bit, but no more than normal. She held her breath, tightened her grip on the knife and opened more.
The crib was indeed small. A small bed could be glimpsed by the stone wall and small chests on either side of it. A lamp stood on one of them and a water carafe on the floor. The darkness hid all else.
Katja stood still and listened and heard a slow, deep breath from the bed. The resident hadn’t been disturbed.
Few possessions , Katja thought. No spouse or child. As would be expected for a new servant, who perhaps isn’t planning to stay for long.
Circumstances matched up to their expectations but didn’t suffice as evidence by themselves. Katja moved further in with great care and silently asked the person not to wake.
She knelt by the headboard. As far as she could tell this was a woman beneath the blanket, facing Katja.
She looked back and saw Serdra enter with the lamp in her hand. She knelt close to her pupil and gave her a questioning look. Katja could only shrug and look at the lamp.
Serdra glanced at the person on the bed, perhaps to assure herself they were fast asleep. Then she lifted the rag off the lamp, just enough to let a bit of glow on the bed.
Katja stared. She remembered this face. It was strange seeing it relaxed in sleep. Defenceless and innocent.
But then how do I myself look? Katja suddenly thought.
Serdra covered the lamp again and Katja nodded to her. This was the right woman.
Serdra nodded back and lifted the rag enough to blow out the candle. Then she crept back out and motioned for Katja to follow.
She looked at this sleeping enemy of hers and suddenly remembered she was still holding the knife. She didn’t particularly want to stab a sleeping person, but it still felt funny to let an enemy out of her grasp like this. She hadn’t looked so innocent in the vision. There she had shown her true face, not the one she presumably showed the people of the council hall.
Well. Perhaps we’ll meet again later , she thought with some savagery and snuck to the doorway.
Serdra was placing the lamp back on the exact spot when Katja exited. Katja closed the door as carefully as she’d opened it. And so this mission was done for now.
They went back up to the fourth floor and out on the balcony. Serdra fastened the rope and when the coast was clear Katja let it slide down in two strands and climbed down both of them. Serdra pulled it back up while the guards passed. Then she went down herself and pulled on one strand to loose n the knot up on the balcony.
They then crossed to and over the wall. Katja finally relaxed once she again stood on cobblestones. She had broken in the council hall and made it back outside. Another threshold was behind her.
6.
They spent the rest of the night beneath the bridge. They crawled out from under it as dawn broke and split up in search of Frank. It was Katja who found him and reported the night’s events. She described the Brotherhood woman in detail, as well as her dwelling. He would then report to the Shades living in
Similar Books
