Council of the Heir

Chapter Sixteen - spilling the beans

"Can I hold the pickaxe?"

"No." Notch gave her a harsh look, pausing at the corner. "I'm not giving you a weapon."

"I don't know how to use it," Lydia protested, leaning around to make sure there was no one waiting around the bend. "I just wanted to hang onto it."

"Didn't Null say you attacked him?" Notch asked flatly.

"Not very well, obviously! Besides, now my dominant hand is hurt." Lydia lifted her right hand, showing off her bruised fingers. "I just think Valor and Steven will be less likely to immediately freak out if I come in holding it." She was not about to tell him that there was a ghost bound to the pickaxe that she could only see while she was holding it.

"No." Notch turned away again, stepping forward and beckoning her with him. "It belongs to Valor anyway." Lydia pouted, but followed.

True to Notch's word, Null's exhaustion spell had worn off after a few minutes, and the two of them had made their way off towards the prison where Valor and Steven were being kept. Lydia had a sinking feeling that Null would be able to tell that she was still alive, but she was hoping that they would make it to Valor at the prison before that became an issue.

"...hey, um," she murmured as they hurried down the tunnel. "Thanks for not murdering me." Notch glanced at her, then away.

"It's like you said," he muttered. "I'm not a killer." Lydia just nodded quietly. "We're almost there," he went on. "Keep quiet." Lydia hummed, then fell silent again.

Notch led her down through a narrow passage, and into a slightly more structured tunnel that was propped up by stone pillars. Lydia remained quiet until she spied lantern light, and moment later several jail cells came into view- two of which were occupied.

"Lydia??" Steven exclaimed as soon as he saw her. "How did you- what are you doing here??" His gaze shifted to Notch, and his eyes narrowed.

"Keep quiet," Notch rebuked him. "Null does not know that she and I are here, and I would like to keep it that way."

"Hey guys," Lydia whispered loudly. "You won't believe the day I've had."

"Can it be any worse than ours?" Valor's sour voice came from the other cell, and Lydia glanced over to see him scowling in her direction, blindfolded. "I hope you don't expect us to be happy to see either of you."

"What did I do??" Lydia hissed indignantly.

"Other than telling the sorcerer my identity and origins?" Valor asked flatly. "Apparently you told him that you knew the future, and that you deliberately kept it from us so that we would be imprisoned." Lydia was quiet for a few moments.

"That's fair," she said at last. "I do need to confess some stuff to you."

"Before you get to that," Notch cut in. "I have a question for the two of you." He looked to Valor, blindfolded, then Steven. "How is it that you tracked down Null here? And why? I had assumed that Herobrine wished to settle the same score as my employer, but now that no longer seems to be the case." Valor lifted his chin.

"We followed a string of clues from the town of Hadleigh," he told him. "While investigating the murders there." Lydia gave Notch a pointed look, and he frowned, rubbing at his beard.

"I see." Notch sighed heavily. "Aether, what have I been doing."

"I know what you can do now," Lydia cut in. "Let them out."

"Null has the keys on his person."

"Well you have a pickaxe." Lydia pointed out the glittering weapon. "And I'm pretty sure you know how to use it." Notch lifted the pickaxe, then looked to the locks on the cell doors.