Chapter 236

Albedo sat in the temple confessional, finding the right time to meet the right priest was easy for one of the three geniuses. He made no secret of taking his place, settling in on the cheap wooden stool, he cleared his throat and said, "I'm sorry I'm late… I hope I haven't kept you. I speak for the Principle Movement now, and there are often questions after."

"The what?" Albedo asked, raising a brow he couldn't have seen through the little wicker screen that divided them.

"Principle Movement… we're trying to purge the corruption and criminal elements within the city by exposing it to the authorities, helping the crackdown and the royal investigators. I began it some time ago and it has taken flight since." He said with a hint of pride in his voice, "It's all thanks to one curious visitor who warned me and opened my eyes…" He was briefly wistful, then chuckled a bit and sighed. "Never mind, please, how can I counsel you? Will this be a confession? Should I just listen… what would you have of your priest?"

"We met before, Priest." Albedo said as she filed his words away in the back of her mind. "Only briefly, perhaps you recognize my voice?" She asked, he gasped from the other side.

"Good, you do. The man of whom I spoke, I had my first kiss with him, he accepted it," Albedo lovingly caressed her lips and suppressed the moan of desire she wanted to let free, "but he wouldn't take it further… I think he is close, but he is also different from the man who I once knew." Albedo could feel his quiet uncertainty, and she searched for words that would hold meaning for him, 'He is human… and change is a very human thing, isn't it?' She asked rhetorically, and when he cleared his throat to speak, she fell quiet.

"I understand, I think. The way you described him, between before and now, I admit, he sounds inexperienced with women, afraid he might hurt you, perhaps as much, if not more, than he already has. He must care for you very deeply, to be his own obstacle to happiness within reach." The priest said with a pitying sigh. "Nothing I can tell you is a magic spell, but you love this man who cared for you after your father vanished… Yes, even though it has been so long, I have not forgotten your story… It moved me. If I had a sure answer, I would give it. But what I can say is… you would have loved him no matter what, am I wrong?"

"No, you're not." Albedo instantly shot back, she inched closer to the screen that divided her from the priest, her breath quickened, but she kept it quiet.

"Make that clear to him, show him that what he did, in the end, did nothing. If others care for him as deeply, as must be the case, show that you're different only in how you want to express it." The priest advised in an almost forlorn voice, his hand touched the wicker as if to reach through to offer her comfort, his palm flat against it, he added, "If there is no more… I wish you the luck of the gods, and blessings to fall on a happy union."

Albedo thought over what he said, 'The man has a point… every one of us loves our Lord, any one of us would give our bodies, hearts, anything to him… I'm no child anymore… if I ever was. Perhaps… a slight change is in order.'

Then she rose to her feet. "You've performed a great service to me, Priest." She said with an imperious look down at the divide between he and she. "My Lord's will is to give evil for evil, and good for good. We will not meet again, but all debts are repaid by his will."

The priest was rocked to the core by the power of the woman's voice who washed over him, stunned to silence by its perfection, he heard her leave the booth, and part of him craved to do the same and have a look at her. 'No… this works because we are never known to each other… I must stay true to my vows.' He clamped down on his impulse with iron resolve, and waited out the rest of his shift in patience.

When Albedo departed the booth, she made her way out of the temple, the design of the interior was nothing significant, mostly empty, wasted space, long benches for sitting and an old stone altar on which the small statues of their gods waited for veneration. 'Fools. Venerating dead stone while a living god walks our world.' She thought and restrained the urge to spit or smash the false idols, and forced herself to walk outside again.

The day was coming to a close, 'By now my Lord has mated with that human female.' She almost had to laugh at that, 'If she knew of all that has led to this moment… oh, the beautiful irony. But still, she is at least a useful pet for My Lord. And perhaps that helped bring down his barriers.' Albedo stood at the top of the temple steps and looked over the quickly dying light of the city, Hoburns was a bustling place in spite of everything. People passed by on horseback, in carriages and even more on foot.

Most seemed anxious, hurrying on small steps, eager to get where they were going as if fearing some danger was near. 'With two invasions, I'm not surprised.' She thought and the smile spread out across her face, remaining there as she chose to walk to her destination.

The darkness fully set in over the city when she reached the inn she'd been staying at, then stopped when she saw guards moving in and out of the entrance and milling around in idle chatter nearby.

'Did they really catch on that fast? I didn't expect a deduction about where to look until we were gone…' Albedo thought, slightly impressed, 'They must have a few competent people in this pit.' She made a mental note to find out the source of the deduction, and then approached to speak to a guard, 'Let's see what I can learn.' She decided, and approached one of the guards in a way men were born to notice, with a sultry roll of her hips with every step and a most inviting smile.

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Illyana couldn't count the hours hidden in the barrel. The minutes blurred together, and she huddled against herself, her arms wrapped around her knees, her head resting in the space between, struggling to keep her silence. Her struggle was only partially successful. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" She whispered the words of apology to the dead, while marveling at it at the same moment. 'How many were there? Twenty? Thirty? More? She fought them all to let me run… I should have stayed with you… her… should have stayed…'

Words of that sort came out in whispers, whimpers, thoughts, and tears without stopping until she detected the change in temperature. The cooling night, it was followed by an even greater deepening darkness.

With this, Illyana silenced herself, listened for anyone nearby, and sensing nothing, punched the top of the half rotted old barrel and popped it off. It clattered to the stone and unwashed muck of the alley, but at that moment the noise was no problem. Illyana put her hands to the top, pulled herself out and landed on the damp cold stone, she crouched, listened, tilted her nose up to sniff the air, her ears flicking around, she grew quiet. 'You can't undo this… but maybe my Mistress can!' Illyana encouraged herself and wiped her nose and face on the back of her cloak's sleeve. She covered her head with a hood to hide her ears and dashed out of the alley.

There was only one thing she needed. She made her way through the streets as casually as she could, the bustling city still had people either working or leaving their work, drinking or lazing about. It was a very 'living' place, but nobody paid any mind to one hooded woman out of many.

Indifference and neglect was her ally, and Illyana exploited both to their fullest, pausing periodically to let her sense of smell guide her, she wandered into the commercial district and searched until her eyes spied what she needed. Like most buildings, it was made of a mix of wooden boards and stone, and not really built to stand the test of time.

This one though, was finer than the others, a reflection of the cost of its goods as it had an actual large glass window, and the sign hanging over the door was finely painted and multicolored, not just a crude black drawing of an anvil or other nonsense.

It was a portrait of a series of scrolls sitting upright in a cauldron. A magic shop. More importantly, Illyana could see that the lantern outside was snuffed out, and it was dark inside.

Fear thudded through her heart as she walked the area several times, the bustling of people made it easy for her to go back and forth. She had to stop every now and then, rest against a wall, wait for those who saw her, pass by, and then go the other direction while nobody realized she was watching the place or its neighbors.

The few other shops shut down one by one, their owners blowing out their lantern lights and locking their doors.

The buildings were all close together, but every few shops or so, a small alley ran between them to allow passage for pedestrians to cross from one street to the other without taking the long way around. This offered her the opportunity she needed.

Illyana walked into one of the narrow passages and looked to her right, the rear of the shops were visible, some with private entrances, many with rubbish bins outside. She put her hands around herself, hugging her body and clenched her eyes tight shut. 'Skana… if you can see me… if you can help… please… one more time… I need you…' She prayed that the spirit of her companion would offer her aid, and then she began to dart from building to building in the back; it was narrow, barely enough for someone her size to even manage. But each building offered concealment from stray eyes on the main street.

Her nose guided her to the shop that would have potions and scrolls, the faint odor of on site work was far thicker in her nostrils than it would have been in those of a human. She crinkled her nose in disgust at the odor, but carried on until she reached the back.

Breaking in proved far easier than she expected, it had a rear entrance, but the door was old, and the latch for the lock was half rotted. She took out her dagger, jammed it into the little gap, and pulled like a lever until the old wood splintered, and she could pull the door open. 'Mind the window.' Illyana told herself, her breathing was shallow and as quiet as possible, but her pounding pulse and racing heart told her it had the noise of a hurricane.

She dropped to a crawl that kept her behind the counter and then set her back to it. On the wall was a long series of small cubby holes, each filled with scrolls, each with a little wooden name plate to identify what was where.

Illyana's keen elven senses had no problem reading the names in the dark, and she quickly found the scroll she sought.

She rose to a crouch, darted her hand up, snagged the single, costly roll of paper in that particular cubby, and pulled it down as fast as she could. She dragged herself on her belly over the rough wooden floor, 'Stay calm, you're almost out, almost… just get back to the street…' She told herself again and again, and then… before she knew it, she was.

In the little used byway between the two main city streets, she was just another person, one of many. A smile of sheer pride was on her face when she tucked the scroll away into her pouch, and she wore that smile all the way to the nearest isolated alcove she could.

Then she yanked out the message scroll, used it, and reached out to Albedo. 'Mistress…!' She cried out in desperation, the emotions of the day boiling over, 'Something terrible has happened!'

'Calm yourself, Illyana, I am at the inn now, the guards just informed me of their raid.' Albedo's voice came back with the same strength and confidence that brought Illyana such constant reassurance.

'I understand, My Lady… I am safe but Skana… our… my… she…' Illyana struggled to keep from bawling as she relayed the story, and when it was over, Albedo answered her.

'Then there is only one thing left to do, and our work is done. We will recover her body, but I will leave that to some of our other tools. Your work here is done, meet me behind the great temple of the city, and I will take you away from here.' Albedo gave the order, and then the connection died as it was cut.

With her Mistress' orders received, Illyana began to walk.