Blood And Stone

Chapter 12: The Beginning

Neri watched the young girl leave through the back door and slowly begin to walk away from the Inn. She leaned against the doorframe of her office downstairs, watching the girl disappear in the distance before she decided to move. She stood up abruptly and signaled to the boy behind the bar that she was leaving the inn for a spell. He nodded as she passed. She gave a hearty laugh and some happy greetings to her regulars at the bar, relayed the menu for the night's meal to a few new customers, and gave one young man a sharp smack to the back of his head before exiting the building.

She moved quickly, sliding between buildings to avoid catching the attention of the many people littering the packed roads. Taking an alley, she slipped behind the local barber's shop and moved swiftly towards the woods. She kept her head down as she reached the treeline. As soon as she had passed the first group of trees, she lifted her head, cut to the left, and worked her way around the edge of the city.

Her mind was running a million miles a minute, the contents of the letter echoing through all the empty spaces left in her skull. This girl was going to be in massive trouble. Sigil was a tough man but Rissa was terrifying. She was fast, strong, tall, and unstoppable but even she would be nothing against the Winged Council.

The Winged Council was a group of the strongest sorcerers, swordsmen, and fate readers in the land. They were seeking some special individuals, powerful offspring of the Gods and their children. Exceptional human beings that needed training and careful looking after so that their abilities did not become a danger to them or others. Something was unique about this girl and Val had known it. Neri needed no full explanation to tell her this girl was special. Her defeating Sigil the Ruthless without a moment of sword training said more than enough.

Neri made her way around quietly and stopped just outside the pigeon and owl house. The man inside kept his birds well-fed and trained, having a vast knowledge of the surrounding villages and cities. They were reasonably priced but for what she was looking for, Neri was about to spend quite a bit of gold. She slid through the alley and stepped quietly into the shop.

The owner heard her enter through the back door and gave a slightly louder command, "To the left!" as she entered. She slipped through the door and waited, her eyes looking over the various birds. Owls turned their heads irritated to look at her, annoyed that she disturbed their slumber. A couple of pigeons cooed at her from a comfortable-looking cage but it was the hawks she was after. One Harris hawk stared at her intently, cocking his head to one side in interest at her.

Neri waited patiently for the owner who soon stepped through the door and smiled down at her. "Miss Thorkill! How are you?!" He asked in a cheery voice. His face was light snd happy until he realized she hadn't answered him. "What is going on?"

"I need a hawk. Your best to deliver a very important message." She said quickly.

"Where will it be going?" He asked as he began to open the cage to the nearest hawk.

"The Hallowed Mountains." She said quietly.

The man stopped, his hands nearly having the cage open and ready. He stared at the bird within before closing the cage and turning to her. "Hallowed....Mountains."

"Yes. It is time." Neri said.

The man sighed before going to the cage of the inquisitive bird she made eye contact with when entering. He slid his hand into the cage and waited patiently for the hawk to step onto his hand. He pulled the bird free and held it out to Neri. She tied a piece of parchment around the bird's leg and stepped back.

"Xandra, The Hallowed Mountains." He said to the bird. She tilted her head once more before letting out a small squawk and giving her head a nod. With that, the man offered her a treat, opened the window and let the bird fly away. As he turned back to Neri, she placed a small purse of gold in his palm. "So it begins. Are you ready for this?"

"No. No one is but, things have been set in motion and we have to prepare as much as possible."

"So, the girl...." He began.

"I believe so. I can sense it. She needs more rest but she is an important girl. She will need training. Extensive training." She said nodding quietly.

"Do you mean to send her to Sitharu?" The man asked.

"I do. With Rissa after her, Sigil dead, it won't be long before The Winged Council is aware of her. The training will help her and the Sithaurians are the best at warfare. They will be able to train her in more than just sword play."

"I agree. But why send the letter to The Council?" He asked her, leaning against the wall, his eyes watching the hawk as it grew smaller and smaller in the distance.

"I believe they will agree with me about sending her to Sitharu. If I can keep them off of her, she can hide while she trains with the Sithaurians. Then, when she is ready, she can be taken to the Council so that they may test her and find her place in the world. Meanwhile, we will have to prepare. War is coming. We need to gather forces and discuss plans. I feel as though the wrath of the sister cities is rushing towards us without hindrance." Neri stares after the bird as well, judging its speed as it shrank into a tiny dot on the horizon. It would arrive in about a week if it never stopped. That was unrealistic to believe. The bird was like any human messenger, it needed rest and sustenance.

"The Council will help with that." He said.

"Aye. I will return to the Inn. She is likely to be here for a few days at least just for rest. We will wait for the Council's response before we leave but, I would prepare all the same." Neri told him as the bird finally disappeared.

"And so we shall. Tis the beginning of the end, my friend." The man said as he stood straight again.

"The end of oppression and tyranny." She mumbled to him.

"The end of life." The man muttered in a disheartening tone.

"For many, yes but, the beginning of a new day on the horizon." The pair of them stood in silence for a while, contemplating what was to come, what they needed to prepare and do.

The future began to shine in Neri's mind. Though there was darkness heading for them, that darkness also brought the possibility of light. The secrets of the land were about to be brought to light. The past that everyone tried to hide was going to come to light. The truth of the Sister Cities would unfold in a bloody battle before them. The creatures of darkness would soon flood the lands in search for one, young woman. A peasant whose skill with a sword would not go unheard. The prophecy was going to come to light on the tip of her sword and it was Neri's responsibility to ready her. The world as they knew it was about to crumble. All that mattered was what lay beyond the veil they lived in.

With a heavy sigh, Neri left the Post and headed back through the woods, toward her Inn. She let the anxiety of what was to come run through her, feeling the dread and fear associated with it before she wiped her face of emotion and stepped into her building. Smile and cheery disposition back in its rightful place, she waited, watching the doors for the girl's return.