A Doll and a Copper Coin

Chapter 6: Infiltrating the Duke's Palace Part 1

Two days later, early in the morning.

Gorin was looking out the window in his room when suddenly an arrow flew in an was nailed into the wall. He closed the windows and went to the arrow. He removed it from the wooden walls. On it there was a note tied to it.

He untied the note and the arrow flew out of his hands and out the window to the direction it came from before. Gorin looked at the hole in the window.

' I have to pay for the damage.' He thought

He unrolled the paper and read through it. After he had finished reading it, he burnt the paper with the flames from his hand and the ashes fell to the ground.

He came out of the room and walked to Ashli's room. He knocked on the door and the door was immediately opened by Ashli.

" Good morning." Ashli said.

" Morning." Gorin said.

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Gorin, Huga, the Ashiromi pup and Ashli all sat round a table in Ashli's room.

" So the Black Assassins were the ones that actually did it." Ashli said.

" Hmmm." Gorin replied.

" So did they say who hired them?" Ashli asked.

" Hmmm. It was the duke." Gorin said.

" Huh! Are they sure, they might be wrong." Ashli said in disbelief.

" Their information is right." Gorin said.

" Why would the duke do this. Am I sure I can trust you?" Ashli said.

" Ashli we've been through this together so far, why would I lie to you. What benefits would I get from doing that. You know that I too want to kill this person." Gorin said.

" Big brother Gorin, why did the duke do this. My family didn't do anything to him. Why'd he kill them. Why!" Huga said angrily with tears forming in his eyes.

The young Ashiromi was awaken from his sleep by the sudden change in Huga. She was sleeping on Huga's legs. It bit Huga's cloth and a little bit of his hand for waking it up. Then left Huga's leg to sleep on Ashli's bed.

" Ow, why'd you bite me." Huga said to the pup.

" Your hand is bleeding, bring it over let me bandage it up for you or it could get infected." Gorin said as Huga came nearer to him.

He brought out a box from his storage ring. Upon opening the box one could see a bunch of medical equipment and materials like a first aid kit. He brought out a roll of bandage and after stopping the bleeding he wrapped the injury in bandage.

" All done." Gorin said.

" Thank you." Huga said.

" Why don't you go to your room and rest a little." Gorin suggested.

" No, I want to listen to what you guys are saying. I want to know why my parents died." Huga said going back to where he sat before.

" But if it is really the duke who did this and he his with Icilan it wouldn't be easy to get him back or avenge Huga's parents." Ashli said.

" I've come up with a plan for getting Icilan back." Gorin said.

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In the cold night, the Duke's palace, Nurei city.

Ashli zoomed in and out of some rooms, searching each rooms very fast. He came out of the last room.

" Gorin you were wrong, these rooms are empty." Ashli said sighing.

FLASHBACK

" This is a map of the Duke's  castle, I got it from my friend. These buildings are far off at the edge, they are rarely in use now."

" They might be a base where they're keeping Icilan." Gorin said.

" You know that infiltrating the Duke's palace is a crime. If we're caught we might be killed." Ashli said.

" Then we've to try our best not to get captured." Gorin said.

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On top of a roof on the Duke's palace walls.

" Gorin if he isn't there then..." Ashli said.

" Then we have to still check the entire place." Gorin said.

" How are you so sure, he isn't dead?" Ashli asked.

" They won't kill him yet, I'm sure of that." Gorin said.

" Let's just hope you're right." Ashli said leaving.

END OF FLASHBACK

" Don't let the intruder near the lord and the young lady." A man said.

" Yes." Some group of guards said.

Gorin was running on the roof of the building in the Duke's compound, while being chased by guards.

" Stop right there." The guards said.

Then there was a boom in front. Something had hit ahead of Gorin making him to stop. Out of the smoke came out a big man with a giant black stone mallet in hand.

" Where do you think you're going?" The man said.

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A man dressed in a dark blue robe was walking with a lantern in hand. Two female guards stood at the front of a building. The man walked towards them.

" Make sure no one enters." The man said.

" Yes sir." They said in unison.

' What's he up to?' Ashli thought.

He walked to the window of the room he could barely make out a shadow. He raised the wooden window a little discovering that it wasn't locked.

' They must have forgotten to lock it.' Ashli thought.

There was a bed at a corner the man entered under the bed and didn't come out.

' Why hasn't he come out yet.' Ashli wondered.

He carefully opened the window and slipped in, then closed the window carefully.

He walked to the bed and bent down to look under it. There was a hatch, he opened it and entered the hatchway.

It led to a spacious underground library, there where many shelves with books in them and a desk and a table at corner.

" What the..." Ashli said.

" Where is he?" Ashli said after realizing the man wasn't there.

' But he came down here. There must be another secret room.' Ashli thought.

After searching for a while he finally found a hatch near a box. He opened it and walked down.

It led to a underground pathway. He walked through the narrow path that was only enough for one person to pass. Then entered a much more spacious path after like five minutes.

There were some rooms which were furnished with basic furnitures. He walked for a while and searched the rooms.

" What are you doing here?" The man said as Ashli looked at him retreating a few steps.