A Dragon for Aurelija

Chapter 12 Abduction

Relly was sitting in the library at the desk writing when James the dour doorman approached and cleared his throat. "Yes James," Relly said as she smiled at him.

"There is a young person waiting in the foyer, he says he has a message that he can only give to you. Shall I send him away?"

No I'll come. Send the boy to the kitchen and have Marta give him something to eat. Relly walked to the kitchen and was surprised and intrigued that a small boy would deliver her a message. The note was wrinkled and dirty from being clutched in the boys very dirty hands. "I was told to deliver this to you Lady Aurelija and no one else," he handed her the crumpled the note and wiped his nose on his sleeve. He stuffed two apples into his cavernous pockets and hungrily ate the cheese and thick slice of bread Marta gave him. She had also given a cup of hot coco which he seem to really enjoy.

"Who sent the note?" Relly asked as she accepted the note and looked at the boy, she thought he must be about seven or eight years old and a chimney sweeps boy, she smiled at him. She also sipped a cup of coco as she sat with him.

"Some gentry cove, said you'd reward me good he did." Relly opened the note and it was about Nick and apparently from Todd. The only coin she had was a gold sovereign so she handed it to the boy who received it looking shocked. He bit into the coin and smiling at her bobbed his head and ran off. She tore open the note and read and her heart nearly stopped: "The Colonel has been injured come at once." The address was given and no other information, the note did suggest that she wear her new lite gray cape that Nick had given her and cautioned her about telling any one and to come alone. Relly quickly rolled her long hair into a bun and fastened it with two of her long pins and put on her cape. She took some pound notes and coins and at the last minute snatched up her colorful dragon fan. She had no idea where the address was but hailed a hackney. The driver gave her a dubious look when she gave him the address but they were off.

Relly became quite anxious as they traveled through rough looking neighborhoods. The trip seem to be taking an eternity as she fidgeted with her tessen. The neighborhoods looked dilapidated with poorly dressed people leaning against the houses, sitting on steps and children seemingly everywhere picking through the garbage. Men apparently drunk were laying in the alleys and she could make out bits of yelled conversations and arguing. She had drawn the curtain of the coach so she was hidden but still what she saw had shaken her. They finally reached a group of warehouses near the docks. She could see the masts of ships sticking up behind the row of warehouses and was repulsed by the smell of the river. The driver got down and extended the steps. He helped her down. "Shall I wait here for you Lady? I didn't get your name." he asked looking at her as if she was insane for coming to the warehouses.

"Yes please...and thank you." Relly passed the driver enough for the round trip then pulled the cape tighter, grasped her tessen and covered her head with the hood then started walking around the building looking for a back door. There was a lot of foot traffic on the road and traffic from lorries and carriages were plentiful. The sight of a well dressed lady alone was the source of curiosity. Three men approached her and one seized her arm spun her around and pulled back her hood.

"It's her! You're coming with us little dove," he said as he pulled her almost knocking her off her feet. She struggled and he laughed. He started dragged her with him as the other men laughed and others on the street watched. Relly pulled the long hair pin from her hair and drove it deep into his groin and left it there.The man let go of her howling. The second man pulled out a knife. Relly snapped open her tessen and blocked the attempt to stab her then drove the blades of her tessen into his neck with all her might and slashed splattering an enormous quantity of hot blood all over her face and clothing. The man made a gurgling sound and collapsed spurting blood from his throat torn open by the tessen. Not pausing in her response Relly wheeled around and jammed her elbow into the thirds mans face and struck his head with her now closed fan. Two of the men ran off one was down.

Relly just stood unable to speak and was shaking. A crowd of bystanders began to gather and Relly was aware of the buzz of multiple conversations. She pulled the cloak tight, hugged herself and waited. A Constable had been called and there was nothing to do but wait. She heard loud speculation that she had used a knife, others were saying she was a hired assassin. Others argued that the men had attacked her. Relly just stood quietly. She was numb and totally unaware of the large amount of splattered blood on her face, in her hair and staining her cloak.

The Constable arrived and was at first speechless as he beheld her. Her face and hair were streaked with blood, the bodice of her dress and cape soaking in blood. Relly was simply standing and looked like she was in shock. "Are you hurt?" the Constable asked softly. She did not respond. He needed to ask her two more times before she even acknowledged his presence. She finally replied by shaking her head. Seeing all the blood the Constable look at her dubiously. She and several witnesses were taken to the Constable's office to sort things out and the body of the dead man removed. The Constable began asking questions and was given a number of conflicting stories but the hackney drivers story more closely matched the evidence and Relly was able to give her account. Relly was given some brandy which she sipped and she felt it burn as she swallowed it but it did bring welcome warmth to the cold that had engulfed her since the attack. "I will accompany you home. Lady?"

"Aurelija, I'm Lady Aurelija Petrova." Relly was able to give the address and the Constable used the same hackney she had come in to return her. Relly had recovered most of her senses on the trip home and it was by now early evening. She almost laughed at the startled face of the doorman, she had never witnessed any response from the man. He was always so implacable, but the shrill scream from Molly, one of the young maids made her aware that she must have looked a sight. Relly was escorted to her room by Edith and Grandmother listened to the Constable's report. Marta also rushed to her as she and Edith helped her remove the cloak. It was then that Relly saw all the blood staining the cloak and on her dress. She gasped at the sight of her face and hair and all the blood as she looked into her mirror.

"Your new cloak and pretty dress are ruined Little Bird," Marta said, "but you're safe at home." Both women helped her out of her blood stained clothes. Marta held her as Relly began to sob, her entire body was shaking as she stood naked wrapped in a blanket. Edith and Marta both held her soothing her with a gently rubbing on her back while the hip bath was brought in and filled with hot water. Then they helped her into the tub.

Grandmother was furious that her family was linked to this latest scandal. That the neighbors had witnessed the return of a blood spattered Relly by a low born Constable. It would have simply be better if she had simply disappeared and the newspapers, who knew what they would make of Aurelija's latest misadventure.

The next day Relly read the newspaper account and surprised by how lurid the account was. She was even pictured fighting off her attackers with a large knife in an advanced state of undress. The article speculated that she and the dragon girl Aurelija were one and the same. Relly worried that this speculation would only be another in the list of her many scandals she had brought on the Loughtey family since her arrival. Nick also read the account days later and decided he had done enough in Holland and need to return home. Someone was obviously targeting Relly.