Why no longer scope the Taefo with the
daylight we have left and simply see if it's even
possible to do a rescue?"
"The Taefo has multiplied since our last
attempt," Dean said.
"It has expanded, but I cannot say so for the
security and the staff," Faebrin said.
"How many kids did you see?" Mageia
said.
"At least three little ones bounded through chains,"
he said.
"Did yuh hear how many teens they already
have inside," Dean said in pure annoyance.
"No, however I can find out," he said.
"No. I do not favor yuh going again there," Dean
said.
"But the patrollers are familiar with me. They
think I'm some Strange with household inside," he
said.
"He's right, Dean. Faebrin's been keeping an
eye on the place, so he'd comprehend what to look
for," Mageia said.
"I promise to be careful," Faebrin said. The
light from the solar made his blonde curls shiny
as they bounced from his assuring nod.
Dean flexed his jaw aspect to aspect and placed his arms on his waist. "We need to vote," he
said.
Mageia sucked her teeth, hating the want to
vote.
Am I not the Chief? She desired to say.
"Hands raised for these who suppose this rescue
is a true idea," Dean said.
"We do not even have Gavin and Liivel here,"
Mageia said.
"Still, raise yer hands," Dean said.
Five of the eight before them raised their
hands, receiving a scoff from her young
redheaded friend. He did now not want to ask the
opposing question.
"Fine, but let's format some of it now," Dean said
glaring at Mageia who gave him a guilty but
appreciative smile.
~*~*~
The nighttime sun hung like a golden flame in
the sky through the time they finished planning.
Everyone dispersed to do their given tasks,
hearts and minds set on doing what was
right. Rescuing youth used to be constantly the
priority of the Lost Ones, mainly when the
Law authorised executions of teens five
years ago. Some unease settled in her gut
realizing how atypical the Priesthood and the
Crown decided to defy the Laws. And the fact they saved this a secret until now, solely boiled
her blood with fury.
Did the High Priest sincerely have a dream from
the gods?
She packed the valuables wanted to do a
fair exchange with a correct buddy and prepared
to leave. She headed westward lower back into
the Old Forest to an abandoned well. A
heart-wrenching screech within the treetops
brought her to slam into a tree trunk. She
pressed her again against it, eyes scanning
above for the darkish predator.
Cravers. The bloody bat-like creatures the
size of three men ought to select up a person
like a pillow and fly them away to their nest
for dinner. They had been dangerous, sneaky,
and swift like a thief. Unable to see the
mystical creature that had located its way
from the deeper eastside of the Dauntless,
she shortly ran the relaxation of the way to the
well. She climbed in and persisted into
the underground of the Old Forest and the
Hillside.
Under Ardania were historical tunnels and sewers
forgotten by means of officers but regarded by way of anyone
who wished to get around except raising
suspicion. Mageia went her normal route that
took no greater than two hours into Midlaan,
waving buzzing flies from her face, and
scrunching her nose at scurrying rats and the
putrid stench. Humming her father's favorite
song, she determined her exit and ascended the ladder she had mounted months ago. She
ignored some thing moist substance draining into
the iron grate and peeked to make positive no
one was around earlier than hiking out.
This grate sat in a lone alley with crates
that had been purposely stacked round it
to ensure no one would notice. She fixed
her hood and crossed into an adjoined alley
behind Grinner Street. Known for its many
rows of fooderies and handmade accessory
shops, their top degrees had been houses to the
owners. An owner burst out the backdoor
of his shop, engulfing her with the delicious
aroma of cooking seafood. She bent her
hood lower, however the chef cared much less about her
presence and dumped a faded of fish grind into
his trash bin.
Mageia slowed her pace, ready for the
man to return inner before slipping into the
backdoor of a bakery shop. For a minute she
sucked in the extraordinary smells of pastries,
breads, jams, and candies causing her
mouth to water and a smile to sweep across
her face. The bell above the door rang, however she
didn't have to wait to be acknowledged.
She handed the steamy warm kitchens and went
to one of three rows of tables, setting her bag
down. Her hungry eyes eyed the multiple trays
of meals still steaming warm from the ovens.
Quickly, she washed her hands in the water
pump's basin and plucked one into her mouth.
She moaned with pleasure as the candy cream
oozed down her throat.
"You could've greeted first, Mageia," a young
cheery voice stated exiting the door to the
kitchens.
"Forgive me, little Zane," she grinned at the
boy with his long black hair tied back, and his
apron greased and stained with work.
"I'm no longer a little boy anymore," he said, crossing
his puffed-out chest. "Papa stated I'm a man
now."
"Oh? I must've ignored the new regulation stating
how ten-year-old's are adults now."
The boy made a stupid face at her as a
bellowing snigger erupted about the room.
"Look who we have here," the proprietor said,
turning to lock the door main into the dining
area now busy with customers.
"Hala Ser Trekon," she stated with a moderate bow.
"Don't be chivalrous, come and provide me a
hug," he said, and she did, unable to end from
sniffing his buttery scent.
"You've been at it again," Trekon said, waving
an accusing chubby finger in her face.
"What're you speaking about?"
"The Purple Thief was at the Dais Grounds.
I was petrified," he stated mocking a proper
woman he must've overheard. His son
laughed aloud, promising to sound exactly like his father's in the future.
"It was hectic, however necessary, Trek," she said
plopping into a chair and eyeing a row of
buttered biscuits.
"And dangerous. You do recognize you needn't
steal when you have me to assist," he said
plopping into his red armchair massive adequate to
hold his large form.
"You have a household to care for. I don't favor you
caring for another," she said.
"You have to nevertheless reconsider this stealing
lifestyle," Trek said. "You Elders are getting old
enough to work small jobs that might not ask too
many questions. And like I said, I can assist you
and your household more."
Mageia frowned and pursed her lips to
restrain her frustration and annoyance over
this topic.
The baker and former knight of the Royal
Guard gave a frown too and gestured to his
son. "Zane. Go help your mother."
The boy's shoulders drooped alongside with his
face. "Yes papa," he said, and obeyed. Once
the door shut in the back of the boy, Trekon leaned
forward on the chair's arms.
"When my daughter and that lug of a husband
she has wants me, I pitch in, do I not?"
"Yes, Trek..."
"And when this handsome lad grows into a
fine young man and have his own family, I will
continue to pitch in, will I not?"
"You would."
"And when a good man made me promise to
take care of his family if anything happened to
him, was I supposed to say no?"
Mageia felt the side of her neck and her hand
habitually rubbed across the lumpy birthmark.
She remembered sitting on her father's lap
and feeling his own mark at the back of his
neck. It lied beneath his collar, drenched of
sweat from wearing his knight's armor for
so many hours. The image of his smiling
face still weaved into her thoughts from time
to time. Even his hazel eyes that popped
off his dark skin like the chocolates he'd
bring home from the palace would resonate
from the bloom. She was six when he was
assassinated and didn't know him as much as
she did her fierce mother, but she loved him,
nonetheless.
Even after his death, she remembered how
her mom continued to hide her from the
world, fearful that one day she'd be taken and
executed for her purple eyes. Sadly, that did
not last long.
"No," she said. "I hate that I don't know
anything about him except that he was a
knight." "Not simply a knight, my girl. He was once Ser Leon
Holt, Commander of the King's Army," he said
in admiration. "He fled Gorana at some stage in the Gold
Madness up north with many others. Found
refuge here and one way or the other pleased King
Thadd and worked his way up the ranks in
just a few years. Divines know, he outshines
the pathetic one we have now. The man was
not an awful lot of a talker so do not ask me how he
done it. Our friendship only grew over stuffing
our bellies in the kitchens."
"If you two have been so close, why did he now not tell
you his actual name or my mom's real name?"
Trekon's smile misplaced some of its strength and
he shrugged. "Everyone has their secrets. You
know that higher than all of us else."
"My mom never told me their actual names," she
said. "To this day, I do not comprehend why or what to
do about it."
"Obey your mother and father mainly if they forbid
you to ever speak their truth."
"But it is so weird and I experience misplaced sometimes..."
she said trailing off.
"Look Mageia. Whatever Leon and Vale were
up to, no doubt it had some thing to do with
your eyes." He held up a hand to silence her.
"I only favor to do what's proper and care for
you and your family. I do not desire to know
anything. The less I comprehend the safer we are
under this roof."