Awake

Chapter Two: Mother's Lost Child

Chapter 2: Mother's Lost Child

"A...retrieval?" Nazir repeated, in nothing less than a befuddled tone.

Tressa sighed.

"Okay, look," she said, "I know I'M the Listener, but you lot need to start doing some listening too. I'm tired of repeating myself."

Nazir put his forehead down into his palm, and from his sigh, it was painfully obvious he was trying to be patient with the supposedly high ranking sister.

"Just...," he lifted his face back up, speaking nearly too firm, "Just tell us what you mean by retrieval. No dramatic pauses. No pranks. No witty backtalk...Please. My Listener."

Tressa flung her hand up in a motion that, if one could actually see her face, the expression accompanying that hand would have said, "Whatever do you mean?"

However, she relieved Nazir of any further antics. She straightened in her chair and cleared her throat for serious discussion.

"Our Mother has tasked us for the finding and retrieving-alive, I add-of a Breton woman by the name of Sybil Jullamont. Her last known location being just outside of Evermore, in High Rock. However, it's possible she's moved on further in-"

"She's not an invoker?" Nazir interrupted.

Tressa slunked back into her chair, folding her arms in aggravation.

"Gods, Nazir," she grumbled, "You ask me to explain straightaway and then you go and interrupt me..."

She slunked forward, and making a noise that must have been her blowing air through her lips, before straightening back up and speaking impatiently.

"No, it's not a normal request to speak to an invoker! Listen to the Listener. Listen. Mother is asking us to retrieve this woman and bring her here. By any force necessary-except death. She wants her alive, and lucky for Sybil, Mother wants her in one piece. But, as fun for us, she most certainly wants her no matter who we have to cut through. That's 'bout the only elaboration Mother gave. She tends to be cryptic like that. I'm using context clues here to guess that this Sybil is probably well guarded, but---Wait, Cicero?"

The jester's deep listening stare snapped awareness upon being called.

"Yes, Listener?" he asked.

"You're old..-" Tressa stated out of nowhere, which Cicero scoffed at, before the girl fully clarified.

"Old to the Brotherhood, I mean," she corrected, but quickly once again, "I mean! You've been among the Brotherhood longer than we-amongst the Night Mother longer...Uuugh...Sybil Jullamont...Does she ring a bell? An old runaway, or enemy, or something of the like...?"

Cicero seemed to think for a moment.

"Cicero's never heard that name, no," he said shaking his head. Then he nodded.

"But whatever the reason," he added, "it doesn't matter. If Mother asked for this woman, then we must go get this woman."

"I know, I know," Tressa nodded as well, "I'm just curious. Dear Mother really didn't elaborate much at all, and I wonder just how dangerous this Breton is..."

Cicero reached over and placed a hand on Tressa's shoulder.

"Cicero will be more than glad to accompany and protect you, Listener," the jester offered with an air of poking fun, "... if you're that scared."

Tressa twitched her shoulder out from under his hand and fast.

"Oh, shut up," the girl retorted, but she grabbed his arm as he started to pull away.