CHAPTER 5

They walked in the shadows on the streets of Niran. Even this late at night, the streets were busy, either by drunks or people who simply choose to work late at night.

Supply wagons she knew were filled with fabrics and the most high quality of foods. All headed to the castle. Truly, Prince Adonis was exploiting everything and everyone just for one evening.

An evening that will likely go on till dawn.

They were a few steps from Moreals Tavern when Kyler nudged ever so slightly. She looked at him from the shadows of her hood. It covered her face but not entirely. She didn’t care if they saw her, but her hair…

That she needed to cover up. Too many people knew that part, so she tucked it into the hood of her cloak. Even if it slipped back, they would see black hair and nothing more.

Kyler pointed at his eyes. A silent reminder. She closed her eyes for a moment. And when she opened them, she looked in the reflection of a window of the shop they passed.

Black. Best keep the eyes out of attention as well.

Not that she cared if they knew, but if there were ever to be a spy amongst them, they couldn’t outright tell it was her and mark her a traitor.

No, that would simply ruin everything. Everything she had planned. For nothing.

She looked up as the Tavern came to view. She knew this place. If only because of the tattoo parlor a few minutes away. One she visited when she was fifteen.

She had gotten it for the hell of it, had even considered making it prominent but that was too big of a scandal, she supposed.

So she simply got it on the left side of her abdomen.

Vivamus moriendum est

They made their way into the tavern nodding at the barkeeper, who nodded back, pointing to the rooms upstairs. They made their way up, to the end of the hall and the room there.

Could be a regular closet. But Kyler reached for the latch in the corner hidden between two shelves. The shelves moved, a staircase leading down, the path lit up by the fires burning on the wall.

“After you,” he said with an exaggerated flourish of his hand.

—

Usually, regular meetings were never so crowded. Such as this one. No more than twenty people were here, only to discuss the newest shipment of supplies they needed.

“They come in three weeks' time. From the keitha forest.” Farren looked up at her after he had finished. Only he knew her, solely because he was the viscount's youngest son, five years older than her. Now out of the four sons the viscount had, he paid little attention to the youngest. As did everyone else.

Fools. Had they, they would know how sharp-minded he truly is. How he stumbled upon the rebels, she didn’t know. But she and Ky were the ones that got more…confidential information than everyone here needed.

“How many?” she asked.

“Twelve wagons full. Half of them are armor. The rest are weapons.”

“Is it worth the risk?” another one here asked. Elwood.

“They come straight from Arcelia,” she said, trailing a finger over the neighboring kingdom on the map before them. Relations with them had always been neutral.

Arcelia had the main source of many natural resources that although not by any means scarce here, their blacksmith, however….

They make masterpieces. They could take the weakest of metals and make it into the most steadfast sword or armor out there. She herself owned a dagger made by one of the best blacksmiths there.

Albeit she was five when she went there with her family, she had almost begged her father to take her. And the old man there, a kind gentleman despite himself, had handed her this…this beautiful masterpiece.

Lightweight, sharpened to perfection, the black stone polished enough to see herself in. And the seath. Beauty.

And her father, without her knowing, had seen her admiring the dagger in her tiny hands as the man handed it to her. And had ordered twin swords which he gave to her years later. And taught her how to use them.

There were more he ordered. But those hadn’t been for her, though he had given them to her anyway.

The person who would have….Their dagger was strapped on her other thigh. Similar to hers but different design. But the jewels on them have the same sapphire.

“I don’t know. Are they really as good as-”

He was cut off when by the dagger she aimed at the table, buried to the hilt. Fast as lightning. One of the people gathered around the round table bent down to look under the table.

His eyes widening told her enough. It made it through the wood with the bare minimum of force used.

She moved to withdraw the dagger before returning it to its seath on her thigh. The barest of a line remained in its wake.

“Does that answer your question, Elwood?” He swallowed, nodding.

She nodded at Farren. “Get them ready. Strongest fighters first. Have another group behind ready. Either to run or to get the supplies back.”

She looked at everyone assembled here. Then the room. Whether it was a basement or a cavern, it mattered less. It was a good place for holding meetings. And the endless routes leading to heavens know where could be a good hideout if it ever came to it.

Hopefully, it never does.

She raised a brow.“Anything else?” They nodded.

—

They made it back after three. Meaning they got a limited amount of sleep that night, not that it would be the first.

They took a wrong turn at some point, mostly because she was lost in thought and ended up in the servant's quarters. Kyler went the opposite way to the guard's quarters.

The nearest door led to the kitchen and not expecting anyone to be awake at this time, she went through.

And stopped.

“Cathan?”

Her brother looked up, panicked. But relaxed seeing that it was her. She looked at his hands-

Sweets. Actually, the chocolate she was sure Lyra had put in the kitchen to hide from him.

He followed her gaze, then looked up, a sheepish smile on his face. “I was hungry.”

She smiled, grabbing a little basket from the shelf as she made her way to him.

“It’s late.” She crouched down to his level, holding the basket out to him. He dumped the chocolate into it before she handed them to him.

“I know, but I woke up hungry and wanted milk. So I came here but then I found the chocolate-”

“You realize those are Lyras, don’t you?” she teased, poking his little nose playfully.

He nodded quickly. Then whispered, “But Verena, I’m helping her. Mother said she isn’t supposed to be eating too much because of the ball next week so she can fit into her dress.”

A small laugh escaped her lips. At least mother paid little attention to her. Not that she needed that sort of bickering from mother. She didn’t sit around all day drinking tea and starving, only to have corsets making it impossible for her to breathe.

“Make sure to hide them properly. You know what happened last time she caught you.” She stood up, holding a hand out for him. He took it, the basket in the other hand as they made their way upstairs to their rooms.

“But I’m helping in a way if you think about it,” he said, taking out one and handing it to her. She smiled and took it.

“Still.”

He sighed as if the idea of hiding chocolate was a big task. Wait till you grow up. “But wherever I hide it, she’ll find them.”

“Want me to help you?” she offered and he nodded, tugging her into her room across from their parents' room. And hers was at the end of the hall.