The Oreans

Chapter 2

Chapter 2
What Erin Overheard

Erin's candlelight got dimmer once more, intensifying the fear she felt ever since she had left her room. This was one place of their house she had not been to yet, and she might get lost and had someone come looking for her. Though the secret passage from her room had always tempted her curiosity, she had not dared explore it so as not to arouse her father and stepmothers displeasure. That might just happen this time. It was already very late, and someone might come to check on her any moment. It would be all right if it was Pasha. The other servants were not so lenient. She had to find Tamia now and get back to her room at once.

"Tamia," she called on softly. "Tamia, come out now please."

An angry hiss and a squeak, followed by scampering sounds made her squint. A tiny white furry creature materialized out of the darkness before her. With a breath of relief, Erin knelt and scooped her beloved friend in time before an ugly gray cat could close its sharp claws on her. Erin stood at once and put the hamster out of reach as she aimed a kick at the cat, which shortly fell against the wall, spitting before it turned and scurried off.

"No more nighttime wanderings, Tamia, okay?" she admonished gently as she brought her friend to light. "Don't you know youre killing me in fright with your antics?"

The hamster piped up a noncommittal reply, then rested her head on her palm.

"There! It's so like you to go to sleep whenever I tell you off."

But Tamia only stirred fractionally.

The rush of fondness for her friend made Erin forget her situation, but she was abruptly brought back to reality as another light illuminated the passage. Panicking at the thought that someone had already learned of her escapade, she blew at her candle, held Tamia close to her, and waited.

There were approaching footsteps, but they did not seem to be coming her way. Then, she saw the lights source. There was a large crack on the wall to her right, and the light was shining through it, coming from a room on the other side. Her heart still beating rapidly, she went to peer and was surprised with what she saw. It was not an underground dungeon as she had expected, but a well-furnished sitting room, complete with wall hangings and decors. A rough-looking man was bending over a mantelpiece, lit the fire and rose, looking as if he was waiting for someone. His eyes were on the direction of the door to the left. More footsteps, lighter than the first, were coming from it, and Erin was half expecting it would be her father. Who else would receive a visitor in so late an houra male visitor at that? But she was wrong. The company was a woman. More to her surprise, the woman was Clartea, her stepmother.

She knew she should leave by now. It was wrong to spy on somebody. Pasha would not have approved of it. Besides, this person was her father's new wife. But fear of being discovered by the least bit of noise rooted her to the spot.

"How is the plan going?" asked her stepmother as she sat opposite the man.

"Fine, my Lady," replied the man respectfully. "I recruited thirty men for the job as you said."

"And do you think they're really up to it?" her stepmother cut short.

"Remember, Baron, the person were going to deal with is no ordinary one."

"I know, my Lady. That's why I have made them undergo a series of tests--to make sure."

"What sort of tests?"

"You won't want to hear about them, my Lady. But I assure you those men are really up to the job."

"And how about the weapons?"

"I'm still looking for really good ones, but my Lord mentioned one whom he thought can make the best swords in the kingdom. I'll pay him a visit one of these days."

"Just make sure he can be trusted with our secret."

"He doesn't need to know where to we're going to use his craft."

"You're right about that. I never thought you really use your brains, Baron."

"I'll forget your jest, my Lady," said the man in a lower voice. "To prove that I really use my brains, I tell you that I convinced one of our target's trusted men to become one with us and--'

"And--"

"And he told me when's our man the weakest."

Her stepmother's face was slightly turned to her direction so Erin could see the wicked smile that had appeared on her face at those words.

"When's that?" she asked.

"It's when he's whats that?"

Erin stepped back in alarm. The man's eyes had flickered to her direction, and she thought she had finally been discovered. She thought of running back to her room, but her legs would not obey her still. She was doomed.
Just a signal from my servant, Baron...

"That means my husband is already here," her stepmother said, and Erin breathed a sigh of relief. Obviously, she had been too engrossed in the conversation to hear anything else.
Then, her stepmother stood up. Come back when youre ready to execute the plan.

"Won't His Grace be pleased to learn about it?"

"Of course he will, and this will certainly be a surprise for him."

There it is again.

This time, Erin heard the soft tinkling of a bell. That must be the signal.

"I better go. Till next time, Baron..."

The passage was long bathed in darkness before Erin managed to gather her wits. Even if her stepmother had always told her she was stupid, she knew what the conversation meant. Clartea and that man were plotting to get rid of someone. If she had not heard of it firsthand, she would not have believed that the woman her father had married was capable of iteven if she had made her life a hell. But now that Erin knew what she could do, could she pluck enough courage to tell her father about it?

But what if her father had something to do with it? She did not want to think of it. Her father could not be a bad person. But then, she could not forget what her stepmother said before she lefthis father would be pleased with the plan! Erins head was beginning to pound in pain. But this was nothing to what she felt deep inside.

There was her stepmothers target, too. He must know about the plot against him. From what Erin deduced, he must be a really powerful person, for why else would her stepmother and her accomplice go into so much trouble in planning their moves? He could be someone from the Circle of Ministers. But who exactly was he? And what did her stepmother have against him?

If only her best friend, Miel, were in the city, she could tell her this. Miels father could have helped her save the man. But it would also mean risking her fathers reputation. She could not reveal about the plot without exposing who were behind it. Her stepmother would drag her fathers name to shame. What a painful dilemma!

For the second time that night, Erin was startled by a light. This time it was moving from the direction of her room. Someone had already found about her disappearance. She waited tensely for the bearer to come into view. When it did, however, the light dazzled her.

"My Lady, what are you doing here?" The voice belonged to Pasha. It was filled with concern just like the bonneted round countenance illuminated by the candlelight.
In her relief, she rushed to her personal maid and let the woman hugged her.

"I was so worried when I couldn't find you in bed. Your fathers already here, and he might come to check on you unexpectedly. Come, let's go back now.
Erin let Pasha steer her back. Her maid needed not know what she had just overheard, but she knew this would really keep her from sleeping peacefully in the days to come.