34. Of Kin and Mann

“What do you mean you can’t say?” I lashed out at the garrison captain.

“My apologies, Baron Ashbrook, I cannot currently deny or confirm that this was a garrison intervention. This garrison only deals with district affairs. If this was at a hig…”

“I don’t care about that!” I cut him dryly.

“Right now, there’s a five-year-old out there who was taken in broad daylight! I need you to either tell me what garrison took this girl or I need you to get off your ass and find who impersonated YOUR men!” I screamed angrily as I jammed a menacing finger against his chest

After leaving the orphanage, we had rushed to the stalls at the church where Coleen had said Silika had been taken. The Kinsmanns had already alerted the authorities, while I had my driver alert my men at the estate to go patrol the streets. To my annoyance, the local barracks only dispatched a single guard who simply took a few statements and refused to answer any questions before wordlessly heading back to his post.

Frustrated by this, I headed for the garrison by myself, while Delian and Coleen gathered as much information as they could and waited for words from the people of my estate.

“A report has been drawn up, and my team is investigating the matter. All there is for you to do is wait. We will find her in due time.” The captain repeated.

I bit my lips. Something was deeply wrong with this conversation. The captain’s voice was too stiff and detached. His tone had too much certainty. It wasn’t confidence or lassitude. It was knowledge… This man knew something and simply refused to share it… Or couldn't share it.

I relented, I had already wasted too much time here.

“Then please send word to the Ashbrook household as soon as there’s any development,” I said before turning my back to the man and heading out of the building. 

I made my way through the crowd back to the church. I spotted Delian and Coleen, now joined by what looked like a panicked cotton ball.

“What do you mean ‘They took Silika’?!”

I heard the woman scream out as I approached them. I recognised her. She was the Fey Kinsmann from yesterday.

“Felicia! I’m sorry, but please focus. Did you hear anything about guards arresting or taking someone away during the festival? Did they let you know about it in advance or anything at all?” Delian asked her softly as he held her shoulder in place.

I saw her tremble at these words; obviously, she was quite shaken by the news. She stuttered for a few seconds before throwing her hands up in frustration.

“I don’t know! I heard a few people got escorted out for being too rowdy, but no kids being kidnapped in broad daylight! Who do you take me for?!”

I cut in before the conversation devolved any further.

“I just came back from the garrison. I think a gag order has been issued; they wouldn’t tell me a thing.”

“A g-g-gag order?”It was the young girl, Coleen, asking. 

She had insisted on coming along, claiming she could be useful as a witness.

“It's just jargon. It means an order to keep silent about a specific individual or event.” I explained quickly. 

Although Delian nodded knowingly, I could tell from his expression that this was new knowledge to him as well.

“So what do you suggest we do now, my lord?” Delian asked.

It was a difficult situation. We could try waiting it out, and in all likelihood, the situation would be cleared up and Silika returned, but that would also be risky. Having been part of the kingdom’s military, I was all too aware of the treatment of prisoners. Even more so if the crime they were suspected of would warrant a gag order… She was a child, so they would very likely go easy on her, but it wasn’t something I was willing to gamble on. 

We needed to find her and fast.

“Kinsmann Felicia, Director Blaine, you seem troubled.” A monotone voice said from behind me. 

I turned around and was surprised at the sudden arrival of a tall Kinsmann. The man had short, dark hair and golden eyes. He wore a long, dark robe with an embroidered mantle. He was a Scorn Kinsmann, that much was obvious.

“Bishop Feldor!” Felicia exclaimed.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you again, Your Excellency.” Delian exclaimed before bowing to the man, followed by Coleen. 

An action which I also quickly copied. 

Bishops were one of the highest forms of authority of the church. They had supreme religious authority over the domain to which they were assigned to and would even lead armies against the heretics in times of strife. They were people of immense knowledge and talent in the way of theology…

The capital city housed many churches, but when a Septenary was erected, it was far from unusual for higher members of the clergy to make it their parish. After all, the opportunity to cooperate with Kinsmann of other heritage was a rare privilege. Bishops were men and women worthy of anyone's respect, regardless of their patron god, and yet this one simply waved aside our greetings with a single nod. 

“We’re looking for a missing child, Your Excellency, but there are some complications.” I started explaining.

“A missing child? One of yours, I imagine?” He asked while turning to Delian, who nodded gravely.

“It’s Silika, I'm afraid. She was taken.”

The Bishop, Feldor, did not show any emotion on his face at this news, but somehow I could tell he was perturbed in the quick movements of his eyes. 

So he knew Silika… 

“And you speak of complications?” He inquired.

Delian nodded at the question and turned the question to me.

I cleared my throat and recounted my trip to the garrison and what I had learned. When I finished my explanation, he looked pensive for a moment before looking up again.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch your name, sir…?”

“Baron. Baron Marshall Ashbrook. Son of Count Ashbrook of Clotop.” I answered.

“Mmh.. Yes, I’ve met your father while he visited the Septenary Church. I believe, some 8 or 9 years ago? At the time you were…”

“Leading troops against the Heillhs empire,” I confirmed.

“Yes, it all comes together. Your presence here must mean your father still lives, and you remain only his heir?”

“Correct.” I answered before continuing. “But I think we have a more important topic to discuss, don’t we?” I tried to stir back the conversation to the issue at hand, but he simply shook his head and carried on.

“What we need right now is information from someone within the garrison chain of command. Had you been in your father's shoes, we could have petitioned directly to the king, but that will not be possible today. I don’t suppose you have any military commander in your entourage?”

I shook my head.

“After the war, my focus has been… Elsewhere.” 

He nodded and glanced at Felicia for a moment, who simply tilted her head with a smile.

I couldn’t tell what their silent conversation was, but he simply nodded again and moved on.

“Then I have no choice but to elevate the matter. Kinsmann Felicia, would you be so kind as to fetch a carriage?”

She nodded and quickly headed back to the churchyard.

“I’m sorry, Your Excellency, but can I ask where you’re going?” Delian asked him. 

The orphanage director was obviously a bit put off by the strange turn of the conversation, as was I.

“We are going to the Scorn Cathedral of the inner districts.”

“We?” I asked, but my question remained unanswered.

Momentarily, Felicia came back with a carriage and driver. She had to stay at the church as she was in charge of the festival, and so Delian made arrangements for her to go take care of the orphanage if he was too late getting back, while Bishop Feldor went and fetched some things from his office.

Seeing that the young girl still accompanying us was getting restless on her feet while all the adults were busy, I helped her onto the carriage and took a seat as well.

Although she had remained quiet for most of this time, I knew we couldn’t just send her back to the orphanage quite yet. She was our only witness and the only person who could identify the kidnappers with any ounce of certainty.

Sitting in the dark cabin, she stared at the empty seat in front of her for a moment. A sad and guilty expression on her face. 

I wanted to tell her it wasn’t her fault or something else that would bring her some level of comfort, but before I could say anything, she started sobbing uncontrollably.

Some instinct took over me, and I crouched to the floor of the carriage in front of her.

“Hey! Hey! It’s okay! It’s okay! We’ll find Silika, don't worry.” I said in a hushed voice.

“I-I-I-I… I-It’s m-m-m-m-y f-f-f-fault! I-It’s a-a-a-all m-m-m-my f-f-f…”

“It’s not your fault. You did all you could!” I said, trying to soothe her.

“I-I-I-I sh-sh-should ha-ha-ave s-s-s-s-stayed. I-I-I sh-sh-sh-sh… I Sh-should hav-v-ve pr-pr-pr-pr-pr…”

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

“I sh-should h-have pr-protected her.”

I could tell that there were a lot of things she meant to say. Hateful things. Mostly aimed at herself. 

After all, I knew that feeling very well. 

Every now and then, when I closed my eyes, I could see Lilica’s face. Tears were streaming down from her gorgeous silver eyes. Her confused and pained expression as she looked up at me helplessly as I held her. The blood staining the sheets where we sat as it dawned on us that our daughter was no more. I could remember her skin turning pale, her eyes growing weak as she stared at me, begging me to save our child, to save her. I remember her last breath on my cheek as she told me one last time that she loved me…

I opened my eyes again. But this moment wasn't about me. It was about the girl in front of me. Coleen. An eighth-year-old girl whose friend was just kidnapped in front of her eyes and would probably blame herself for the rest of her days if we weren't successful in saving Silika.

“Coleen.” I said with a steady voice.

At the mention of her name, she looked up. It was probably a surprise to her that I had even memorised it. She probably only saw me as another austere and proud nobleman.

“You did EXACTLY what you had to do.” I told her.

It's true that I am not versed in childcare, but I am versed in the art of war.

I put my hand on her shoulder like I had done to many of my men before.

“You were outnumbered and outmatched. If you had stayed and fought, you would also have been taken, and we would never have known what happened to you girls. You didn’t run away. You retreated and called for reinforcement.”

I then put my other hand on my chest.

“We are the reinforcement, and I give you my word that you, I, Uncle and everyone else will bring Silika back home safely.”

She rubbed her eyes strongly, trying to tame down her tears, before putting her hands down, closing her eyes and taking a long breath, before opening her eyes again and exhaling  slowly. Having managed to calm herself, she looked up at me again.

“O-Okay.” She simply said.

I smiled.

“Okay.” I responded with a smile.

I pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her so she could wipe her face. It was starting to become a habit, giving a handkerchief and all, but then again, I didn’t normally have a habit of making young girls cry until yesterday either.

Delian and Bishop Feldor finally arrived just as Coleen calmed down.

The carriage departed for the upper district in silence. After all, we were almost all complete strangers. Only acquainted due to circumstances, so I tried to initiate some conversation.

“Your excellency, pardon my curiosity, but how exactly do you know Silika?”

Although it was meant to be an icebreaker, I was legitimately curious, and to my surprise, a slight smile cracked at the corner of the bishop’s lips.

“During the Septenary Baptism this year, she was the only child who came to me to receive the Iron Maiden’s blessing.” He said with a certain amount of pride.

This came as much of a surprise to me,  it's true that Scorn was not a very popular baptismal choice, especially for children, but to have only a single child amongst hundreds was nothing short of disastrous for a god’s following. 

“Pardon me if this sounds rude, but isn’t the Church of Scorn worried about such a small number of newly baptised children?” I asked him, to which he shrugged.

“Firsland does not have a particularly strong Scorn followership, but if you head east to Morrow or even Avlir, you will find a much greater presence. Furthermore, many of our followers are converts who have reached adolescence or adulthood. Our goddess’ teaching allows the confused and lost to redirect their emotion in a more constructive manner, this is rarely necessary for a child of baptism age.” He simply explained. 

I had only once travelled outside of Firsland in my life, so I couldn’t tell if what he said was true, but I had heard that other kingdoms were vastly different from what we might imagine… But his last comment caught my ear even more.

“If it’s rare for a child to request a baptism from Scorn, then do you know why Silika decided to?”

“Oh! I k-kn-know!” Coleen exclaimed. 

We turned to her, surprised. She still looked chagrined, but her expression was better. Her stuttering also seemed less pronounced. Perhaps it was tied to her mood?

“Sh-Sh-she t-told m-me that b-b-bishop F-f-feld-dor r-rem-m-mind-ded h-er o-o-o… O-of A-alkie a-and G-g-g-gold-die”

“Children’s minds are truly curious.” Feldor commented, yet he didn’t look fazed by the fact that his goddess was chosen because he reminded Silika of someone.

“Alkie and Goldie? Who are they?” I asked Coleen.

“A-Alkie i-is h-her b-b-bunny p-p-pl-pl-plush! Sh-sh-she a-a-always c-c-carries it w-with her.”

I did remember her carrying a stuffed animal with yellow and black colours. Now that I thought about it the similarity with the bishop was quite funny, but I kept myself from chuckling.

“And Goldie?” I asked her.

“I-I-I-I d-don’t r-r-re-rea-really k-know. S-s-someone f-fr-from b-before t-the o-orph-phanage. Sh-she d-d-doesn’t l-like t-t-talking about it, b-but s-sometime sh-she talks ab-bout G-Goldie.”

She looked downward as she said that, as if she was hiding something, but I didn’t want to make her upset again, so I didn’t press on.

“Speaking of Silika, Ashbrook, I would like to redirect that question to you. How do you know her? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate your help in the matter, but I don't see why it was warranted.” Bishop Feldor asked.

I instinctively glanced at Delian, but this one simply stared back at me. His attention was fully on me. I didn’t know where the line was drawn, but lying to a man of god, even if not my god, felt wrong.

“I am planning on adopting her as my daughter.”

There was a shocked silence in the carriage.

“W...W-Why..?” Coleen asked.

Her question hung in the air, reflecting everyone else's thoughts apparently.