(Old) Side Chapter 10. Intruders

The sun was already setting by the time I made it back at the inn. I had tried to look for someone, ANYONE, who was associated

The sun was already setting by the time I made it back at the inn.

I had tried to look for someone, ANYONE, who was associated with the Grey Market, but it had been impossible. At every corner, a guard was posted and even trying to ask that type of question was hopeless.

I entered the picturesque auberge. A few guests were already dining and I only then realised that in my panic, I failed to grab the meal I had headed out for.

The Innkeeper, noticing me, called out.

“Had any success making travel arrangements?”

I shook my head.

“I don’t know if there’ll be any any time soon…”

They pursed the corner of their mouth.

“Shame that the other guests are also in a similar situation.”

The innkeeper said as they pointed to a table of miserable looking Feykindreds.

I sympathise with them, but at the same time, my own issues were much more on my mind. How was I supposed to proceed? Should I head back south and then to Evergreen? Should I just wait out the situation?

I sighed audibly and the Innkeeper opinionated.

“Don’t worry too much, I’m sure more carriages will be made available soon enough. Why don’t you grab a bite for now? There’s still some dinner left.”

Discouraged, but still hungry I accepted the offer and sat beside a window looking into the city. As the sun went down and the food filled my stomach, the windows slowly became illuminated with warm glows. I could still see people walking and laughing outside after dark. As though to mock my own circumstances… Still, it meant this place was a nice place to live in even at the toughest of times. I’m surprised, considering the search, that no couvre-feux had been enforced.

I looked down at the meal I had been absent-mindedly eating. It was a chicken meat-pie.

Now that I thought about it, it was the first time I ate chicken in… Almost 15 years. 

And yet I didn’t feel anything. No excitement, no feeling of freedom. My mind was focused on the time I had wasted here. I could be in Evergreen right now. I could be with Silika. And here I am wasting my time…

I had to repress the urge to throw the food to the floor.

What am I doing? Why does this stupid stamp matter?

I should have listened to Merilia. I should have just left the estate, gone straight to Silika and disappeared into Norland.

Why was I wasting my time with this..? What would it bring? Money? Power? No. It would only bring more pain.

I shook my head roughly, trying to clear my thoughts.

No that’s not why. It’s her right. It’s for her to decide. Who am I to decide to erase what is rightfully hers?

After my meal, I slowly made my way to my room. The food had had little effect on the uncomfortable weight in my chest, but fatigue on the other hand was taking its toll.

I closed my room door and I dropped myself unto the bed.

“Oomf..”

I heard a muted gasp.

I froze.

Someone else was in the room. Fear made me unable to react. Should I run to the door? Should I scream for help? I couldn’t even breath as the thoughts raced in my mind.

I slowly sat up on my bed. They hadn’t come out yet, so maybe they didn’t realise that I heard them? I slowly spun myself to the side of the bed and placed my feet on the ground. Still no reaction. Maybe if I acted naturally enough, they wouldn’t notice? I slowly got to my feet, but just as I made a beeline for the door…

“Wait!”
“Don’t!”

Two voices called out to me and almost as quickly a hand wrapped around my wrist.

I spun around, my heart beating so fast I though it would explode and prepared to scream at the top of my lungs, but just as quickly, another set of hands wrapped around my mouth.

“Wait wait wait! DOn’t scream! Pleeaaase don’t scream!”

A man’s voice pleaded from behind me as I tried to shake the intruders off me. I continued struggling regardless, hoping someone would hear me from the corridor.

“You better stop struggling or else!”

In the darkness I saw the silver glint of metal making the blood in my veins turn to ice.

“Solomon’s sake, Hersia! Stop flashing steel on this poor girl. What’s wrong with you?!”

“I’m just trying to get her to keep still!”

“You know, this reasoning is EXACTLY what got us here in the first place! Can’t you THINK before you act a little more?”

The woman before me sheathed the sword once more with a grumble.

“Look, lady. We’re not going to hurt you. Let’s just… Talk?”

The man tried to ask. My eyes having gotten adjusted to the darkness, I was finally able to see the woman in front of me. Despite the darkness, I could tell her hair was blond, and the weak reflection of the light in her eyes told me they were blue. I couldn’t see him, but I simply assumed the man behind me must have had silver-haired… They were the fugitives that were being hunted down in town… Just my luck.

Hesitantly I nodded my head. I had a passing thought to start screaming as soon as he released his hand, but I was worried the woman would actually use her sword despite the man’s reassuring words.

The hand left my lips. My body and my mind were screaming such contradicting things that I remained frozen in place for a moment as the two fugitives looked me up and down. I could see them tense-up as they remained quiet. Obviously, they hadn’t planned for this to happen. The silence went on for so long that I started to relax from the initial shock and felt somewhat impatient.

“So… What now?”

I finally asked, breaking the silence.

“Uh well…”

The woman began as she trailed off.

“...I guess you could take a seat…?”

The man finished with uncertainty. 

After the adrenaline had left my body, I did feel just about ready to collapse. I promptly walked to the bed and let myself fall onto my back. I had a passing worry that they’d do something to me, but at this point, I didn’t really care.

I let out a deep sigh, releasing the tension in my chest.

The two criminals continued observing me in silence. This must be the most awkward hostage situation in the history of hostage situations…

“So. How long are you guys planning on keeping me here?”

I asked.

They exchanged looks for a moment before the woman turned to me.

“As soon as we can safely make our way out of town.”

“Well, I guess we got time to get to know each other then.”

I said with a scoff.

“Why do you say that?”

The man asked innocently.

I hesitated to reply for a moment, wondering if giving criminals that type of information would make me complicit, but then again, I didn’t care anymore.

“They have the whole city on lockdown. The stables and coach stations are under surveillance, so you won’t find a horse easily”

I heard the woman swear under her breath.

Hmf! Teach them right for causing this much…

Wait…

Isn’t it basically those two’s fault that the Grey Market merchant got nabbed?!

“Haaaaaaaaaa…”

I let out an exasperated sigh.

“Hum… Could you maybe keep it down a little?”

“You’re still our hostage, you know?”

The man asked meekly before being followed by the woman’s more perplexed tone.

I glared at them both, which eluded a stifled expression on their part. Was I that intimidating to them or were they that incompetent? 

I was honestly getting the feeling I could walk out of here and they wouldn’t be able to actually lift a finger… But then the memory of the man’s arm around my neck and the glint of the woman’s blade made those ideas leave quickly.

“Haaa… You guys really screwed things up for me… What are you wanted for anyway.”

I asked between annoyance and curiosity.

“Theft.”

The woman said as she shrugged.

“Theft? Really?”

I said incredulously. 

Wasn’t the guards’ reaction a bit too extreme for mere thieves?

“What in the name of Istifh did you steal? The king’s crown jewels?”

“No no… Well I mean, it was Holloway’s C…”

“For Diid’s sake, Galvian! Would you shut your trap?!”

The woman interrupted him

“What? It’s not like THEY don’t know what we stole.”

He said with a shrug.

I looked at them with wide eyes.

“Wait. You mean you actually stole Holloway’s Cane? Isn’t that a major Aleniakin artifact?”

I asked.

“I guess it is, uh?”

The woman shrugged, but you could tell from the rest of her posture she knew the gravity of what she’d done.

No surprise the city guard are in complete havoc.

“...Can I see it?”

I don’t know why I asked.

Maybe because I figured they just might very well show me and it’s not every day you get to see a saint’s artifact.

“Uhm…”

“No.”

The woman interrupted.

“Why not?”

I questioned, completely desentisized to the whole situation.

“It’s not something…”

“...We lost it!”

They spoke over each other. The woman, now glaring dagger at the man.

“You LOST Holloway’s Cane?”

I asked them, incredulous.

“Well technically we kinda used…”

“Yes we lost it.”

The woman said decidedly, placing herself in front of her partner.

“Wow.”

I let myself drop on the bed once more.

“I can’t believe this is really how everything falls apart...”

I lamented as I hid my face with my hands.

“It’s not that bad, we’ll let you go as soon as we can escape.”

The man tried to reassure me while the woman rolled her eyes.

“So dramatic…”

She muttered to herself.

“THE HELL DO YOU…!”

I began roaring out as I sat up, but just as quickly, two blades appeared in front of my face, shutting me up instantly. I looked up from the shining metal to the two faces, barely visible under the soft moonlight. The woman’s face was steeled, unwavering, ready to strike, while the man wore something similar, but with a slight stupor in his expression, as though he hadn’t even realised what he almost did. 

A sort of ‘oh sorry, did I just do that?’, but with no guilt behind.

My blood ran cold, their pathetic demeanor had made me too comfortable. 

The woman sighed and sheathed her blade first with a sigh.

“Alright, what got you so worked up?”

She asked with disingenuous interest as the man followed suit in putting away his blade.

Oh so now we’re on speaking terms again? I almost spat out, but thought better of it.

For a moment, I considered just not saying anything, but after this little interaction, I felt as though I should just do as they say instead of acting rashly.

“I was–”

I hesitated. What I was trying to do here WAS considered a crime. Those two were criminals of course, but a stamp could be worth a small fortune on the black market especially if they had the information I had in my bag… I needed to lie, or at least, hide the truth enough that they wouldn’t try to rob me too.

“I was meeting with a member of the grey market in town, but he got hauled off by the town guards before I got to him.”

“The grey market you said?”

The woman noted with a slight crack in her voice. 

I nodded. Something about what I said was making her uneasy and she looked at her partner.

“By any chance, do you mean… Harrold?”

The man asked. Obviously letting on much more on how the news was affecting them.

“Uhm… I don`t know their names. Does Harrold have green hair and 4 fingers?”

The woman swore loudly, startling me. She turned away, pushing her stunned accomplice on her way toward the window as she rubbed her temples. Obviously, this news was not the one they had hoped for.

“Was he who you were doing a job for…?”

The man turned to the woman for a moment, probably looking from some kind of sign coming from her, but she continued staring out into the dead of night. He turned back to me with an uncomfortable smile.

“Well something like that… He was our way out of this mess anyway…”

“Uh.”

I uttered almost in spite of myself. It felt like a strange dose of irony. They screwed the Aleniakins, they screwed themselves, they screwed me, and now, they screwed themselves. Downright impressive.

“Sorry to hear that.”

I tried to say in a tone that I hope didn’t come across as sarcastic.

The man replied a nervous laugh before turning to his companion. He tried to whisper to her.

“Hersia, what do we do?”

She shrugged.

“Hersia…”

He repeated.

“Hersia!”

“Shut up! I’m thinking!”

She nearly screamed out as she turned back to us. She glanced down at me for a moment as she chewed her lower lip. 

Her expression froze and a muted smile appeared on her lips.

“Well as I see it, we’re all screwed.”

She said with a hint of theatrics in her tone.

“Uh, yeah. That’s the thing, yes.”

Her partner replied, confused.

“We’re screwed, Harrold screwed, our friend…?”

She said motioning to me for my name.

“Jace. And it's you guys who screwed me.”

She waved my comment off and continued.

“...Our new friend Jace is screwed! So I think it’s fair to say that we are all. Decidedly. Screwed.”

What in the name of gods is that woman getting to? I wondered as she paused dramatically.

She raised a single finger in a decisive manner.

“And so, in light of the current circumstance, I suggest we help each other out.”

She turned to me expectantly to which I returned a scowl.

“And why would I help you…?”

I asked hesitantly, glancing down at the sword at her side.

“Well, I think we can offer something that would turn this situation into a ‘win-win’ scenario. You need to get in touch with the grey market, right? Well, we happen to be p r e t t y well connected to that bunch…”

“Hersia! You can’t…”

“Oh yes I can!”

“So what do you say?”

I shrugged.

“Getting in touch with the grey market is easy. I don’t need help for that. What I need is to get in touch with Harrold. I travelled almost a month to get here.”

“And why, may I ask, does it need to be Harrold?”

She asked, a bit irritated.

“He has a skill set.. Or at least access to a skill set that I need.”

She sighed.

“Well I’m sure our four fingered friend isn’t the only man in this kingdom with this ‘skill set’. I swear upon the Twin Foxes that I will find you a replacement.”

I looked at her dubiously. The point of coming here was discretion. If they hooked me up with the first back alley authenticator, it would all be nothing.

“I can’t get anyone. This isn’t something anyone can see…”

I caught myself, but it was too late.

These two were thieves. If they get their hands on the stamp, who knows what they’ll do.

The man raised an eyebrow.

“What is it then?”

He asked nonchalantly.

What could I tell them? I could lie, certainly, but I already said too much. At this point, the best course of action would be to pretend to accept to help them and slip away at the first opportunity… But a part of me was curious if these two could actually help me.

Practically speaking, I currently have the upper hand. They can’t get out of here without my help from the sounds of it. So… If they do know someone that could do it… Should I…?

“It’s a… Mh… A stamp… For a dead child. I need it authenticated.”

A wave of emotions. ran across their faces.

Obviously they looked curious, but the mention of a dead child seemed to disturb them.

“Why in the name would you…”

“No. No question. You know what I want. So tell me. Can you find me an authenticator who won’t alert half the kingdom?”

The man shrugged, surprisingly, he didn’t find the request that difficult. He turned to his companion. The woman was looking at me intensely.

“Did you kill them?”

She asked me, her arms crossed, an intense expression on her face.

“What? Who?”

“The child.”

I recoiled at the accusation. How dared she! But, I forced myself to remain calm. I chose not to elaborate, so it’s not a strange conclusion.

I shook my head.

“It’s just something  I need to do.”

She looked at me intensely. Her gaze almost piercing holes through my skull. After a few agonizing seconds she nodded.

“Alright. We can find you someone who won’t speak. In Evergreen.”

“Do you swear?”

I asked her seriously.

She nodded.

I reflected for a few moments, but my mind was made. I extended my hand which she grasped. I took a deep breath and composed myself.

“Your name?”

She seemed startled by the question, but then understood what I was doing and she cleared her throat.

“Hersia Okavlon of Archberry.”

“And the witness?”

“Galvian Duree of Twinburgh”

I nodded and began the blessing of agreement. It was a simple blessing really and its effect rather weak, but breaking it would force one into confession to the church as to the nature of breaking the agreement. I would have liked to form a contract, but reciting it all without my scripture and without writing down every word, the likelihood of success was low. Regardless, considering the severity of these two’s crimes, they weren’t likely to want to confess what happened to a kinsmann.

“I, Lady Jace Miller of Nevrastead, swear to do my utmost to help Hersia Okavlon of Archberry and Galvian Duree of Twinburgh to leave Sunvale defined as follow: free from the bound of justice; outside of the jurisdiction of Sunvale; and Unharmed from the sworn’s fault”

I took another deep breath and continued

“In exchange Hersia Okavlon of Archbrerry, and for witness Galvian Duree of Twinburgh, swear to lead Lady Jace Miller of Nevrastead to an authenticator within the following criteria: qualified to conduct an authentication, willing and able to perform the authentication, will not share his findings, his discreet.”

Without realising, I had closed my eyes at some point as I focused on the blessing`s power welling in my throat. I opened them once more and looked at the woman, Hersia.

“Do you agree to these terms.”

She nodded.

I do.