Engines & Demons - The Undestined

Chapter 27ii

It was not right. Dak knew that it was a terribly bad thing to do. She could justify it perfectly logically in her head, but her instincts continued to fight the logic, and though she had finally made the decision to do what she was doing, her insides were screwed up in ominous guilt. The feeling tightened still further as she made her way down through the steep alleyways of the Workshops.

She knew there was no substantial reason for her apprehension. Her father had said that she could go. Twice he had given his permission. Once, on the previous night, with a great amount of enthusiasm, and again that morning, though with a good deal less vigour. The assent that came from beneath his bed covers had barely been a grunt, and Dak was feeling that it should not really be counted. She was also feeling that maybe she should not have taken his first agreement so readily either, when consideration was taken of the state he had been in after his return from the recess feast.

She paused halfway down a steep stepped alleyway and wondered if she should go back and wait for her father to wake properly so that she could receive his full, untarnished, permission. She could not. To do such a thing would take hours, and by then the riding-contests would be over.

She continued down the stairs. She could not be late. The note had been very specific about the time.

MADDOCK INVOLVED IN RIDING-CONTESTS.

RIDING-GROUNDS, TOMORROW AFTER FORTAK'S HOUR.

YOUR ATTENDANCE IS BEING REQUESTED.

She assumed that it had originated from Maddock, though it was written in Forge-guard hand. When she first read it, she'd had some inkling that the message would be causing trouble, and it seemed that the trouble was about to be further compounded.

"Good morning to you," said the Senior Forge-guard, as she approached the tall gate to the barbican-fort.

"Good morning, Rosov," she replied.

"There is someone waiting for you outside," said Rosov.

The large Forge-guard adjusted his great axe-pike and shrugged his shoulders to settle his heavy tunic more comfortably.

Dak peered around him cautiously, into the darkness of the fort's tunnel.

"Who?" she asked.

"It is that little Order girl who is always trying to sneak in here. She is hiding out in the grass, behind a stack of beam tree wood where she thinks she cannot be seen."

"How do you know?"

"Engineer Moresh sent us word. He thought her presence important enough to warn us up here."

The younger Forge-guard grunted derisively.

"Do not be dismissive of our good Signal-engineer, Evlon. We are facing invasion by a small child, and we must remain ever vigilant."

"Moresh should have better things to be doing with his time."

Forge-guard Rosov bent down to address Dak.

"Between the two of us, your little friend has been the cause of much vexation for Signal-engineer Moresh. She has become something of a tuba-spine in his side, and it is probably better for her not to be lurking about."

"Okay," said Dak, still peering into the dark of the tunnel. "I had better go and see what she is wanting."

"I would do that. She has been waiting for some time, I think."