Post by Aura on Dec 1, 2007 15:20:04 GMT -5
Chapter Three -- The First Crime
WAIT UNTIL THE SIGNAL HAS COME
You shall know what it is.
Don't dare to close the gate until it comes.
It may be a long wait, keep yourselves amused but keep watch.
Do not let any in or out.
Ghadi Keyes
One of them said something disdainfully and they looked hopelessly at the gate, then too Lilytha's relief, they sat down and began to open the bottle of wine that Kirri had also left them, by the scribbled part about the long wait that they would have to endure waiting there. The three of them drank heavily after a while, obviously realizing that they would have to wait a while. They sat there, then one began to sing tunelessly, an effect of the strongly alcoholic drink that Kirri had found. It also had a sleeping effect in it, as Kirri had mixed many of the supplies that his father, Ghadi had. Kirri could be very useful sometimes, with his endless supply of... just about everything, really, because of his father's wealthiness and power over Asbidant. The guards didn't doubt the letter either, as Kirri had become adequate in his own father's signature, too.
Lilytha and Kirri waited there for a while, then Lilytha looked to Kirri and nodded. They silently swapped places, Lilytha taking the rope and Kirri taking his bow. He had amazing aim, and although both Lilytha and Amber were skilled with the weapon, Kirri had the best aim, and so knelt there for a while perfecting it before he let the arrow fly.
It soared perfectly, hitting a tree with a gentle thunking sound. One of the guards looked up, but the drink had made him too tired and although he called to his friends, they did nothing, dazed by the drink. The stable hand boy just stood there, knowing that he would get a beating if he interfered with the actions of any of the men. It was just the way it was, so he carried on holding the horses without a word, not questioning his duty.
Lilytha looked over the low wall, to see Amber on the other side doing the same. She nodded once, and nudged Kirri, who had been watching the guards sitting or lying where they had once stood sleepily, one humming a silly little tune under his breath, all having the same dazed, lazy look in their faces. Kirri knocked his bow once more and let an arrow fly, this time down towards the forest. This wasn't a signal for the guards, it was a signal for Errie, who was waiting there with her donkey, Mush.
Lilytha couldn't help laughing as Mush trotted into the clearing with Errie astride her back, dressed in full armour. It wasn't real, it was just a training set to prepare young warriors for the full weight of the metal, but the effect was still humorous. Errie, usually in her baggie hippyish clothing with flowers in her hair and a bird or two on her shoulder, now looked very upright and formal, and just plain weird. Errie opened her mouth and boomed down at the guards:
Honestly, you guards! I leave you for five minutes and you lay there like sleeping dogs!
She shouted with all the disdain she could muster, and the guards jumped, the ones that had been sleeping jerking awake suddenly to look at her. In normal consciousness they would have recognized an intruder at once, and her steed to be a large donkey not a warhorse, but right now they did not notice a thing and thought it was one of their superiors telling them off.
I've told you time and time again, but still you do not heed me! Now get out of my sight, I shall have to finish the job myself. Tell Jirapa that the job is finished, I shall deal out your punishments later.
Though drunken and tired, the guards understood the words 'punishment', and decided this was time to leave. They scattered, taking their horses from the poor stable boy, who was looking in a confused way up at Errie. They mounted their horses with difficulty, having to have several attempts, one man not bothering and just running away with his mount's reins in one hand, and at last they were gone.
Lilytha, Amber and Kirri fell about laughing, leaving the large doors' ropes hanging. Errie gave a grin and dismounted Mush, peeling off the armour to reveal her usual clothing underneath.
You know, Amber gasped when she could laugh no more Why couldn't we just shoot them down? Fight them? Threaten, blackmail, scare the pants of them? The usual plans? Why did we have to go through all that, we almost gave away everything by laughing at you, Errie, you idiot.
Blackmail? Threatening? Fighting?
Errie asked as though the words were alien to her.
Why do that and miss an opportunity to dress up?
Why indeed.
Kirri muttered, but was smiling all the same.
Lilytha stood up and jumped over the small wall, leaving the doors hanging. No one would come here any more, there was no point, so it was safe just to leave them. She peered out with a smile - they had just secured the passage into Jirapa. Without it, the life in the village would soon crumble, but now all would be well and Asbidant would be none the wiser. They would just think that the travelers had heard the tidings they came with before the gate had closed and stayed in some of the outer settlements to rest. Prince Asbidant would never expect that his master plan had failed - that was the one good thing about him, his arrogance.
The four of them made to leave, taking with them the wine and the note. Lilytha lingered a little, looking out of the gate, through the many other outer gates that were always left open and that the guards were supposed to have closed, when something appeared and lurched through the doors and collapsed on the floor.
Lilytha gave a start and ran forward, to see a boy, about her own age, lying there in rags, a cloth stained red with blood wrapped around his arm. Before she could do anything but kneel there, he grasped at her arm and spoke in a whisper.
Irony Cause. They took my She'Lokei - they took it all. Irony Cause. I did wrong but I never knew... Irony Cause. I am Taslo.
And with that, he closed his eyes.[/center]
Lilytha dashed towards the low wall they had been hiding behind, that she knew she only had moments to get too. The guards had been more prompt than she had thought - much more infact, even early, and so their plan had to be rushed, and all travel left without trace and to the shadows, never to be seen and never to be heard. It was a hard job, but somehow they had managed it, as they were well used to secrecy. Lilytha now jumped over the wall, narrowly missing Kirri who was hid behind it too, holding one of the ropes that was attached to the outer wall. They had tied the end of the rope to a tree, but Kirri was still holding it in a queer manner so as not to make the rope appear from the outside that it was tightened. It usually just hang loose, wrapped around a peg in the outer wall whose gate it guarded, so Kirri was trying to make it imitate the natural loops of how it usually hang, and Amber, behind the other wall, was doing the same.
Lilytha crouched down as soon as her bare feet hit the ground, to the sound of horses cantering their way towards the grand outer gate that separated Asbidant from the world. There was the sounds of a small escort of about three guards laughing and talking between one and other. Then there was a shout as the road widened to make a large circular clearing, which the gate was positioned in, the giant wall that wound all the way around Asbidant's borders stretching away on either side. the distance was always obscured with it as it wound it's way around the border.
The guards dismounted and left their mounts with a little stable hand boy of about 10 or 11. All were expected to do their part from a young age in Asbidant, and no one was an exception. Lilytha watched with pity for him as a chestnut mare tossed her head, and the little boy could hardly hold on through lack of height and strength. It snorted in what seemed to be amusement and almost made him jump out of his skin with fright. Poor boy. He was obviously very tense, not wanting to fail the guards that had now become his masters.
Lilytha watched as one of them read the little note they had left for them. It read -
Guards,Lilytha crouched down as soon as her bare feet hit the ground, to the sound of horses cantering their way towards the grand outer gate that separated Asbidant from the world. There was the sounds of a small escort of about three guards laughing and talking between one and other. Then there was a shout as the road widened to make a large circular clearing, which the gate was positioned in, the giant wall that wound all the way around Asbidant's borders stretching away on either side. the distance was always obscured with it as it wound it's way around the border.
The guards dismounted and left their mounts with a little stable hand boy of about 10 or 11. All were expected to do their part from a young age in Asbidant, and no one was an exception. Lilytha watched with pity for him as a chestnut mare tossed her head, and the little boy could hardly hold on through lack of height and strength. It snorted in what seemed to be amusement and almost made him jump out of his skin with fright. Poor boy. He was obviously very tense, not wanting to fail the guards that had now become his masters.
Lilytha watched as one of them read the little note they had left for them. It read -
WAIT UNTIL THE SIGNAL HAS COME
You shall know what it is.
Don't dare to close the gate until it comes.
It may be a long wait, keep yourselves amused but keep watch.
Do not let any in or out.
Ghadi Keyes
One of them said something disdainfully and they looked hopelessly at the gate, then too Lilytha's relief, they sat down and began to open the bottle of wine that Kirri had also left them, by the scribbled part about the long wait that they would have to endure waiting there. The three of them drank heavily after a while, obviously realizing that they would have to wait a while. They sat there, then one began to sing tunelessly, an effect of the strongly alcoholic drink that Kirri had found. It also had a sleeping effect in it, as Kirri had mixed many of the supplies that his father, Ghadi had. Kirri could be very useful sometimes, with his endless supply of... just about everything, really, because of his father's wealthiness and power over Asbidant. The guards didn't doubt the letter either, as Kirri had become adequate in his own father's signature, too.
Lilytha and Kirri waited there for a while, then Lilytha looked to Kirri and nodded. They silently swapped places, Lilytha taking the rope and Kirri taking his bow. He had amazing aim, and although both Lilytha and Amber were skilled with the weapon, Kirri had the best aim, and so knelt there for a while perfecting it before he let the arrow fly.
It soared perfectly, hitting a tree with a gentle thunking sound. One of the guards looked up, but the drink had made him too tired and although he called to his friends, they did nothing, dazed by the drink. The stable hand boy just stood there, knowing that he would get a beating if he interfered with the actions of any of the men. It was just the way it was, so he carried on holding the horses without a word, not questioning his duty.
Lilytha looked over the low wall, to see Amber on the other side doing the same. She nodded once, and nudged Kirri, who had been watching the guards sitting or lying where they had once stood sleepily, one humming a silly little tune under his breath, all having the same dazed, lazy look in their faces. Kirri knocked his bow once more and let an arrow fly, this time down towards the forest. This wasn't a signal for the guards, it was a signal for Errie, who was waiting there with her donkey, Mush.
Lilytha couldn't help laughing as Mush trotted into the clearing with Errie astride her back, dressed in full armour. It wasn't real, it was just a training set to prepare young warriors for the full weight of the metal, but the effect was still humorous. Errie, usually in her baggie hippyish clothing with flowers in her hair and a bird or two on her shoulder, now looked very upright and formal, and just plain weird. Errie opened her mouth and boomed down at the guards:
Honestly, you guards! I leave you for five minutes and you lay there like sleeping dogs!
She shouted with all the disdain she could muster, and the guards jumped, the ones that had been sleeping jerking awake suddenly to look at her. In normal consciousness they would have recognized an intruder at once, and her steed to be a large donkey not a warhorse, but right now they did not notice a thing and thought it was one of their superiors telling them off.
I've told you time and time again, but still you do not heed me! Now get out of my sight, I shall have to finish the job myself. Tell Jirapa that the job is finished, I shall deal out your punishments later.
Though drunken and tired, the guards understood the words 'punishment', and decided this was time to leave. They scattered, taking their horses from the poor stable boy, who was looking in a confused way up at Errie. They mounted their horses with difficulty, having to have several attempts, one man not bothering and just running away with his mount's reins in one hand, and at last they were gone.
Lilytha, Amber and Kirri fell about laughing, leaving the large doors' ropes hanging. Errie gave a grin and dismounted Mush, peeling off the armour to reveal her usual clothing underneath.
You know, Amber gasped when she could laugh no more Why couldn't we just shoot them down? Fight them? Threaten, blackmail, scare the pants of them? The usual plans? Why did we have to go through all that, we almost gave away everything by laughing at you, Errie, you idiot.
Blackmail? Threatening? Fighting?
Errie asked as though the words were alien to her.
Why do that and miss an opportunity to dress up?
Why indeed.
Kirri muttered, but was smiling all the same.
Lilytha stood up and jumped over the small wall, leaving the doors hanging. No one would come here any more, there was no point, so it was safe just to leave them. She peered out with a smile - they had just secured the passage into Jirapa. Without it, the life in the village would soon crumble, but now all would be well and Asbidant would be none the wiser. They would just think that the travelers had heard the tidings they came with before the gate had closed and stayed in some of the outer settlements to rest. Prince Asbidant would never expect that his master plan had failed - that was the one good thing about him, his arrogance.
The four of them made to leave, taking with them the wine and the note. Lilytha lingered a little, looking out of the gate, through the many other outer gates that were always left open and that the guards were supposed to have closed, when something appeared and lurched through the doors and collapsed on the floor.
Lilytha gave a start and ran forward, to see a boy, about her own age, lying there in rags, a cloth stained red with blood wrapped around his arm. Before she could do anything but kneel there, he grasped at her arm and spoke in a whisper.
Irony Cause. They took my She'Lokei - they took it all. Irony Cause. I did wrong but I never knew... Irony Cause. I am Taslo.
And with that, he closed his eyes.