The Tale of the Ice Princess

The Halcyon Days - Chapter 14

 "There!" 

I saw the Count's manor up ahead . 

I had been traveling for 3 days non-stop in an effort to catch up to the kidnappers , only resting whenever my horse was tired . The whole time i was worried sick about Callie .  

I did not see any sign of the kidnappers on my journey here , that either meant that they took another slower route or that Callie was already in the Count's manor .

I shuddered to think of what might happen or be happening to her . 

My plan was to sneak into the manor , check for Callie , if she was there , save her . If she wasn't, i planned to intercept the kidnappers heading towards the manor . 

I left my horse at a stable near the town, heading the rest of the way on foot . 

In such a large town as Valence town , the lord's manor would be located further north .

Like the towns , the manors of ruling lords had walls , though the walls were shorter than the town walls . The manor was located somewhere near the town , as it needed protection of the town wall . 

I donned a dark colored cloak and scarf , ensuring that both covered my face , with the exception of my eyes .

Sword, throwing knives , check . 

I headed to the roof top of the stable i was currently in , giving myself a higher vantage point .Running across rooftops , i arrived at the Valence Manor wall in no time . 

I looked around.

Seems like there is not much people around . 

I jumped down from the wall , landing in the , what i presume , is the courtyard . 

If they kidnapped her , where would they be holding her hostage . 

I crept in through a window , quietly shutting it behind me . The inside of the manor was empty , not a servant in sight.

Maybe they don't frequent this wing of the manor . 

I walked straight down the hallway , checking for signs of people before making each turn . 

Finally , i saw someone. A maid by the looks of it, she was wearing a navy blue uniform with an apron tied around it . 

I crept up to the maid from her back , holding my hunting knife in my right hand , throwing knives in the other . 

In a swift movement , i restrained her , using my left arm to wrap around her waist , keeping her in place,  while using my right to bring my knife towards the maid's throat . 

"Don't make a fuss. Surrender quietly or there will be consequences . " I whispered into the maid's ear from the back .

The maid froze up . 

Now i could get a better look at her , she was slightly taller than me , however , she was skinny to the bone . 

An apprentice maid perhaps  . She must be around 10 to 12 years old . Well , not my place to barge in on people's life. 

"Y-yes ." She stuttered, eyes beginning to water . 

I released my left arm , however , keeping my right  at her throat .

" Move ."  

She gave a slight nod , hyperaware of the knife near her throat . I gently dragged her to a corner , hidden from the main corridor by the looks of it. 

"W-what d-do you want with me ?" She said , tears streaming down her sunken face . 

I could tell that she was once beautiful , but as of now  , she looked starved and hollow, not a beautiful sight to behold . 

Perhaps i should take her with me . It seems that the meals provided here is not that substantial . 

" Information. " I said , trying to keep my voice neutral to make it harder to identify my gender . 

"Where does the girls that are taken from their homes brought ? " I asked . 

" T-to t-the warehouse out back"

"Bring me there . If for any second i determine you are going to turn on me....." I left the words handing in the air . 

She seems shrewd , i'm sure she knows the implications . 

I used my free hand to throw a knife towards the closest wall, the knife landing in the eye of someone in a portrait that was hung. 

Better safe than sorry . 

She visibly gulped . I proceeded to release the knife at her throat . 

"Bring me there , i will be following close behind "

The maid didn't turn around , she just started to stiffly walk ahead . I promptly followed her , trailing a few meters behind , trying best to hide incase another servant walked by . 

----------

We soon arrived at a underground(?) building . The building , the warehouse , was half above half below ground , made out of stone . There were holes at the part above ground , i assumed for airflow . 

Please , if there's a god out there , please , make sure Callie is safe . I prayed .

"Stay here and make sure no one goes in . If you are unable to bar their entry , warn me ."I said . The maid turned around to see me for the first time . I could see shock register in her expression. 

Figures , i'm just as old as or even younger than her  . 

She nodded . 

I pushed open the door , closing it behind me . I couldn't see a thing . 

"Glow" A glowing ball of mana appeared in front of me , emitting a white glow . 

There were stairs in front of me, not many by the looks of it . I crept down the stairs , making sure to be quiet , who knew what lurked in this creepy place . 

It seemed that the mana light i had created , had caused a stir. I could her shuffling and feint voices coming from the end of the stairway. 

I concentrated , manipulating my mana to create a thin layer of mana around me. This layer of mana , my mana sense as i called it , allowed me to detect traces of mana , or basically see all around without any physical obstacles getting in the way . 

The principle behind it was the fact that even commoners possessed mana. Like bats that i read about that used sound to detect obstacles , my mana sense allowed me to detect people. 

1 , 2 ........ 10 total , i think . 

I could feel 10 weak mana signatures further ahead . Safe with the knowledge that the lord was not here , i hastened my trek down . 

When i reached the landing , a putrid odor assaulted me, making my eyes water and stomach churn . It was truly repulsive . 

I tightened the scarf that was covering my mouth and nose , hoping that it would filter out some of the fetid smell .

"F.........food ?" I heard someone whisper, almost too soft to be heard, as I stepped into the main area of the warehouse.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N : I really wanted to make this chapter longer and end Part one on chapter 15 but.........i'm lazy to to write more . The writing itch has worn off , so here we are . 

I would update whenever the writing itch hits me again . 

I not gonna steamroll ahead and write it because i want it to be spectacular , not a half hearted one .