Peerless

33: Stick to the Plan?

As Peregrine stepped into the misty garden he saw Bak Hayoon seated at a floating table at work on a jigsaw puzzle. She looked at him with a nod.

"Peregrine, they have come to see you."

Peregrine turned and saw a line of ministers, their robes stained with blood. His heart sickened and his legs gave way.

"Peregrine!" They moved toward him. "Why did you let us die?"

Peregrine opened his eyes. One of the dogs was barking at something. He  heard Faida awake downstairs. When he joined her she was surprised to see him up early on a holiday. As she made him tea, he scribbled on the notepad on the kitchen table.

"We need to go over the plans."

"We've been over the plans."

"We cannot do it enough. There is no room for error."

Faida sat and blew at the steam rising from her cup. "I do not plan on making any mistakes. I must make up for letting that spy run loose for so long."

"Faida, this is the Royal City, civilians will be there, royalty; people that cannot defend themselves."

"Peregrine, it is our job to defend." She set her cup down. "You've had one of those dreams again. You always become this way when you've had one of those dreams."

"I'm fine."

Faida looked at him knowingly. "If you say so, husband."

Banging on the front door made them both stop.

"Who could that be at this hour?" Faida went to answer it, encouraging Peregrine to drink all his tea as she did. When she opened the door Naomi stood there in a panic. She held up her slate which Faida brought into the light. The words made her heart sink to the pit of her stomach.

"Peregrine," she said as she came back into the kitchen. "Hoopoe is in trouble. They need our help." She took the big pot from under the sink and sent Naomi to get towels. "You should wake Teddy, she will want him nearby."

Peregrine went to do so. It took a while to get Teddy to stir but when he learned what was happening he was up and ready. When Peregrine came back into the kitchen, Naomi had returned with the towels and Faida had old sheets.

"Come when you're ready. We will go ahead." She hurried out the door with Naomi close behind. Faint traces of sunrise dusted the horizon as birds rustled in the trees. Buddy in Max trailed them all the way to the back porch stopping at the door. "Adolph?"

"We're in here."

Faida entered the kitchen. To Adolph his mother just as well be a warrior dressed in a coat of mail with sword and shield rather than someone in a housecoat bearing a kitchen pot and bedsheets.

"Please help." He sat against the cupboards holding Hoopoe against him still in his night clothes. "It has never been this bad before."

Hoopoe's apron was a crimson mess. She leaned on Adolph squeezing his hand. "I went out to collect eggs for breakfast and everything started falling away."

"You're going to be all right, Hoopoe," Faida said, checking the water on the stove. When she glanced at her son she noticed blood trickling from his nose."Adi, perhaps you should go."

"I don't want to leave her."

Faida rolled up her sleeves. "I think it is best if you went." She turned to Naomi who stared at the blood traveling across the floor. "Take the judge out and watch for the minister."