Swift and Silent

He moved from shadow to shadow in the garden and made his way from the outer wall surrounding the mansion, to the actual building itself.

No light was shining through the windows, and there wasn't a voice to be heard. Aoric silently listened as he hid beneath the cover of plants, and only when a few minutes passed in silence did he move. The ornate carvings on the wall gave him all the foothold he needed, and soon he was standing on the windowsill of one of the second floor windows.

Before even attempting to pick the lock, he peeked through the foggy window, trying to see what awaited him inside.

He spied bookshelves and a pair of couches, one facing the window, and the other one facing away from it. It's back was leaning against the wall beneath the window, giving Aoric a nice, silent way in. Satisfied with his findings, he carefully picked the lock on the window. The steel framed window opened with a creek, sending shivers down his spine. He waited for a while again, listening for footsteps or voices.

Once again, all he heard was silence. He gulped, and carefully crawled inside. The cushions of the couch allowed him a silent, albeit somewhat slower entry. He made sure not to step on it with his boots – it wouldn't do to leave a dirty footprint on the red velvet couch.

He took a silent breath once he was standing inside and looked around properly.

The room was a fairly small one, and the only window was the one he had just used. The hardwood floors seemed old and somewhat battered. He could see scratches and markings all over the place, almost as if someone had pushed something around periodically.

The walls were lined with bookshelves, and the shelves were filled to the brim. A thick layer of dust covered most of the books, save for a single pile by the only door leading out of the room. Aoric tucked his lockpick in his pocket and approached the door with quick but silent steps. The oaken door had a steel frame, which struck him as somewhat odd.

His gaze wandered about as he searched for a box like the one that woman clad in black described, but there was nothing but old, dusty books in this room.

While it would have been incredibly lucky if he happened to break in right where they store the box, of course that hadn't happened. He slowly reached for the steel framed door and pulled it open. He was pleasantly surprised by the lack of a lock, but seeing the narrow, dusty, and humid hallway made his faint smile shatter.

His shoulders dropped as he felt his body tense up. He carefully took a step forward, searching for the floorboards that won't creak. There were several doors on both sides of the hallway. Aoric bit his lower lip. How large was this mansion? It didn't seem so large when he looked at from the outside. Though the size of the rooms was much smaller than what he expected from the mansion of a rich person.

Without knowing anything about the people who lived here, or the whereabouts of the box, he couldn't really guess which rooms to search for. With a quiet sigh, he approached the first door on his right and pushed the steel handle down.

The door slowly swung open, revealing a small guest room. A double bed, a wardrobe and a nightstand were crammed in this small room, not leaving much place to move in. He frowned and closed the door, the box probably wasn't in there, and he could feel time ticking away. Not knowing when the gathering in the cathedral was going to end was a constant source of worry.

He tried the next door, only to notice it was locked. He knelt by the lock and picked it after a few seconds of struggling. The old fashioned rusty lock was not helping him right now. He pushed the door open, only to be startled by the loud creak of the rusty iron hinges.

"Damn rich people." He cursed. What kind of a person would leave such loud doors unattended?

He peeked inside, and the smell of blood filled his nostrils. He heaved and quickly stepped back. He quickly looked away and took a few short, shallow breaths.

"What the hell is that…?" he whispered as he questioned his choices that led him here. What kind of a noblemen's house would have a room reeking blood? It was disgusting.

Yet, there was a good chance the box he was looking for was in there. He gritted his teeth and took a deep breath in the hallway before he stepped inside the room.

This room had no windows, and the door he stepped though was the only way in or out. Aoric couldn't help but feel anxious as he slowly walked forward. A carpet lined the floor. A crimson carpet. Or so he hoped, because he feared the thick smell of blood was coming from the very ground he was stepping on.

The more he looked around, the less he wanted to remain in here. The grey walls had red splatters all over them. There was a single table in the room, but he couldn't see what was on it because it's contents were covered with a thick black velvet cloth. He gulped, what if that was a body?

He had to swallow his anxiousness as he carefully stepped closer to the velvet covered table and touched the end of the cloth. He lifted the dust covered cloth with a quick motion, and immediately drew a sharp breath.

There it was! The box lay on the table, almost as if it were waiting to be taken! If it wasn't for this thick stench of dried blood, he would be smiling right now.

He reached for the silver lock with lockpick in hand. It would be best to check if everything was in there before taking it. As his finger touched the wooden box, a deafening gong sounded. Aoric nearly dropped the lockpick as he covered his ears.

The bells of the cathedral were tolling.