Chapter 45

"Of all weapons, be wise when you censure to elect Revenge as your arms. It is a two-edged sword, scarring its own wielder in battle."

~

The Untenanted Cottage of Jehu,

Town of Hazenvale,

Kingdom of Tristendyre,

The first Phrinight of the Second month,

XXI Year of Regency

Jaycob Israel watched in suffocation whilst the women warred in the fits of their personal rage.

Missus Xavier could not believe her eyes as she spoke in hesitance and dismay. "Ingrid, I could never have conceived such a preposterous idea that you would breathe us harm", said the old lady.

Ingrid Luna-ward hissed in spite, "I expected you would be all the family that my sister and I would have after I would marry in, but you betrayed me by wrenching away who was promised!"

"If this is about Melvyn, you know he is dead", said the woman, almost frenzied.

"I cried for months after the news you bid me to believe", shrilled the girl, hatred painting its finesse over the creased chisel of her visage. "But you've lied to ward me off!"

The mother stared, dumbfounded. There was an expression in her face that looked like she felt sympathy towards the damsel for having lost her wits.

Jaycob watched passively, although he felt fervently that there was something sinister that was underlying.

"What makes you think they would lie about something as grave as their son's death?" asked Lady Minerva, stroking the dark blue hair of the young boy beside her.

"I was sent to another kingdom to tail a person's shadow and saw Melvyn there with a companion", said Ingrid, looking down like she was fighting back tears.

Missus Xavier looked like she had seen and heard far too much in a single day. The befuddlement on her very face was one Jaycob had not seen even when the woman had first encountered him that night.

"Are you certain it was Melvyn?" asked the mother, her voice minced to whispers in disbelief.

The constrained assassin nodded, glaring at the lady like she would not forgive.

"I'm sorry you had to see that", whispered the woman, like she was at a loss for words.

"You cannot be definite that he has, indeed married another. In circumstance, what if your sister was in the stead of this child you advanced to shed the blood of? Would you have killed her? And further, that grants you no license to venge against these innocent lives", Jaycob interrupted.

"My warrant to murder them comes from higher authority", said the damsel and the Archer leaned forward, for this was conversation he had desired.

He was aware that the anonymous source of these harms was one, the Arch Eccleissor. However, he required to ascertain whether the hand of the Regent held stake in the offense against him.

"And what were your orders?" asked he and the damsel seemed like she would not oblige to answer and engage in divulging a certain secret information.

Jaycob sighed. "There're pockets at the sleeves and waist of her cloak. Kindly look for any smuggled objects", said he to Missus Xavier. The Archer, who was in possession of Mister Joab's dark cloak, was well aware of its construction.

The woman given commands nodded before moving close and rummaging through them against the hit-woman's will.

After deep search, she produced a thing composed of metal that was in the shape of a slender metal ebony-coloured stick with rings at its head bearing an opal that looked like the eye of a dragon.

Two curves of metal intertwined with the body of the line leading to the bottom thereof, wherefrom a bunch of raw-looking crystals protruded. There were initials graven against the make in a messy font that spelt 'ZR'.

Missus Xavier handed it to Jaycob and said, "It appears to be the key I've seen in Joab's chiffonier."

The Archer nodded and took it from her, pocketing it. "And you were to hand this to?" asked he, but the damsel did not respond. There seemed to be no means of extracting the truth from her.

"Alright then; you lend me no choice but to take you to the Regent", said he, rising to his feet.

There was tension called to the expression of her face when such words were mentioned and she restlessly twitched against the knots of the ropes that held her down.

"Take me to the Chief Eccleissor", she asked and Jaycob decided to pay her plea no heed.

However, the hesitation answered his unsettled suspicions: that the Regent, despite being the apex of the Dark Organisation, was not involved in attempting his death by means of Joab Xavier and therefore, the arson was neither his doing.

It was evident that this Ingrid was elected by the Arch Eccleissor to claim the breath of Joab Xavier's family in exchange for his failure to murder the Archer.

He proceed to the door and called, "We're clearing, let's move."

The women in the house began arranging the place, washing cups and setting garments and furniture back to its original order before their sojourn. Jaycob bid Aldric to bring the royal carriage thither.

The company waited for the lapse of about a half hour before the lad returned with the called for.

The Archer took Ingrid, who was fettered and ordered the coachman to assist. Shifting her into his hold, Jaycob required the man to mount her in a section of the wagon that was not used by common passengers.

As Lady Minerva and Aldric left to climb their ride, the Archer needed to hold quiet conversation with the Xaviers and closed the door to make speech.

The woman had taken her daughter in her arms and awaited his approach.

The man squatted down beside them and spoke under his breath:

"I would take care to see your safety, but for now I have urgent business elsewhere.

Flee to the hills as your husband had instructed you; there is a house by the slope betwixt this Kingdom and Hyll-Decanta. A feeble old lady lives there, providing shelter and ration to the destitute. You may find solace there until I do find your husband and bring him to your embrace."

It was the elderly and kind lady that had taken care of Nathan Jehu when he was a destitute child.

Missus Xavier seemed moved to tears as she thanked him from her very heart. Jaycob Oreius smiled, feeling warmed, for there truly was a heartful serenity in using skills to save those that needed the help.

The door groaned open and a shaft of light broke through to warn the inmates of the chamber that there was a person's approach.

Jaycob turned to see Lady Minerva standing there at the threshold, holding a reticule.

She handed such pouch (potentially of gold or silvers) to Missus Xavier and the women spoke, of various emotions and gratitude.

After collecting his large cape that was overlaid with fur and coated with a grand amount of blood, Jaycob granted them their privacy and walked out into the street, where the carriage was parked, standing tall and proud.

The coachman waited by the horses respectfully and the Royal Archer charged him to take the cloaked figure and produce her before the Regent.

At request, a paper and quill were provided to him and Jaycob composed a writ that mentioned such person (Ingrid Luna-ward) being a hired and unauthorised killer. He completed the draft with the signature of his name.

Lady Minerva emerged out of the dusky house that was bereft of possession. "Has she taken flight?" asked the masked man and the woman nodded, "From the tail of the cottage."

The Archer courteously helped the Chief Physician to her place in the carriage and she settled comfortably.

"Would you not that we take your company to the Imperial Castle, son?", offered the distinguished Lady.

Jaycob paused for a moment, considering his courses that spread ahead into the heart of the night.

"Thank you for the escort", he obliged before making alternations that would reconcile his plans with their route.

"I would like to disembark at Shillingston, en route the Imperial Castle", said he, before boarding the portage.

"Thank you", he heaved to Lady Minerva whose face assumed a serious expression and Jaycob felt uncertain.

"I am glad you indulged in this trip", said she pressing the cresses of her black skirt from off her lap. "There is much I have to ask of you."

The Archer clasped his hands tight and leaned forward, seeming nonchalant as per his countenance, but on the inside, he wished to hurl himself off the moving carriage.

~