10. Midnight Visitor

A very energetic pounding on his door woke Bruno up.

- I need your help! - A familiar voice coming out from outside reached his ears.

- Viki? - he asked, a bit surprised, and quickly picked himself up from his bedding.

- Please!

It wasn't easy to move in darkness, and he didn't really want to bump into anything, since there was a bit of fragile alchemical equipment stored there, so he took his time, but eventually reached the door and opened it for her, removing the staple.

The night was dark, but with the little bit of starlight, he was able to see tears on Viki's face. She was gasping for air, as she probably ran to him from somewhere.

- What happened?

- Tom, he got caught by the guards. We were stealing the items you wanted and... He got caught making sure I would escape.

Her lips were trembling as she spoke.

- Get inside - said Bruno, and made some space for her.

Then he peeked outside to make sure nobody followed her to his place. He didn't close the door and used the very limited light reaching the interior to pick up some tinder and hay to create a bit of fire, and light up the candle, sitting on the table, alongside glass bottles of different shapes. Then he turned back to finally close the door.

The fire threw some light on the vicinity of the table. Two stools, and many more glass and clay containers on the ground. The rest of the shack's inside was covered by darkness.

Viki was looking at him with intent, waiting for him to say something, but he kept his silence all this time.

- Guard caught him? - was his first question.

- Y-yes.

- Do you know where he took him?

- Probably to the city dungeon. It was too late to punish him on the spot...

- Do you have any idea how many guards are usually on duty at this hour in the dungeon?

- I'm not sure... Maybe three?

- Hm... - Bruno became silent for a moment.

Viki on the other hand couldn't contain herself, her legs were shaking. She had to sit down, so she pulled a stool for herself, and sat on it, not letting her eyes even for a moment go of the boy's face, illuminated by the light of the candle.

- I have an idea, but it involves you getting caught - he said bluntly, looking her in the eyes.

- Me?

- Yes. You need to get inside with a lockpick. Tom will free you both as long as he has one.

- What about the guards?

- I think I have something that might help, but I need a moment. Do you have a lockpick on you?

- No... But I can get one pretty fast.

- Then what are you waiting for? Go and get it.

She nodded and ran out of his shack knocking down the stool she was sitting on. Bruno on the other hand calmly went to get the book with notes he had made from the place he hid it. Then he went through several pages looking at what kind of poison he could make with the ingredients he already possessed.

There wasn't much since the things he stole or picked up were very limited because he just started doing so, but there were few options. He went with something deadly, to be sure the guards would die, so they wouldn't later recognize the faces of Viki and Tom.

He had to make some fire in the heater, boil few plants then kill a couple of toads he was keeping outside in a wooden cage, made out of the material he managed to scavenge in the city.

It was kinda annoying, so he sighed and went to work.

When Viki finally returned with a piece of stiff wire, heavy panting because of all the running she has done, Bruno was already waiting for her, sitting on the stool outside his shack, with a small bottle of rum mixed with the poison.

- You will take this, and hide it, so they won't find it on you - he showed her the bottle. - Don't drink it, but make sure other prisoners would see it. They will want you to share, and you have to refuse, so they will make enough ruckus for guards to show up, and confiscate it. If there won't be any prisoners, make sure guards will notice it instead. Lockpick hide in your hair. They won't check there for sure. After they drink it, they should fall asleep. Then you can give the lockpick to Tom, and he will free you. Make sure, too let the other prisoners go as well. Do you understand?

She nodded.

- You sure this will work?

- No. As a matter of fact, this plan has a high chance of not working but that's the best thing I can do right now. You might end up like your brother, so I'm actually advising you to not go.

- They will cut his hand, Bruno!

- I know. That's why I won't stop you, but if the plan won't work, they might even hang you for what you are going to do.

She took a deep breath, then took the bottle from his hand, and vanished in the darkness. Bruno sighed, and went back inside, taking the stool with him. He didn't really care about Tom, but Viki was different. She was useful, she was loyal, she was a friend.

This meant he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep.

Inside of his shack was now quite bright, as not only the candle was giving the light, but also the fireplace. There was an extraordinary mess everywhere. The place was always dirty, but making poison in the middle of the night in a rush made it way bigger.

He started cleaning up. Throwing out the remains of butchered toads into the fire, was the first thing he did. Then he picked up all the glass he used and took out some of those, that needed washing.

There was no way he would bring the water in the middle of the night, so it had to wait for the morning.