Saviour of Neither

24 - Terror

As usual, I am early at breakfast. It's quite nice being the first one downstairs, able to have first pick (usually just bread and butter with a cup of coffee for me, but that's besides the point) and watch everyone else stumble downstairs, muddled by tiredness in varying degrees. It's also the only time everyone's in the same place, as breakfast closes at ten and attendance at lunch and dinner is more haphazard.

However, it is certainly a surprise when the Chief arrived to the hall - I have previously been under the impression that he took his meals alone.

Certainly it causes a stir: Eric and Flynn both join his table immediately, Camael falls silent for once, and Molly Flachstone, whom I believe is a knight based in Applewick, drops her cutlery in shock. Zantham - who arrived yesterday - widens his eyes slightly, then glares at me as if to remind me to behave.

Duly noted.

Should I glean what Solomon's here for? No; that would invade his privacy.

Theodore and Ethan, who sit at the other side of our round table, fall to whispering. I shouldn't invade their privacy either - people whisper for a reason.

Instead, despite knowing that something ominous is approaching, I relax and expand my senses, feeling the emotional state of everyone in the dining hall. Unsurprisingly, everyone is now slightly on edge, the Chief most tentative of all; so I expand further, reaching out to the ones still asleep, relaxed in their slumber; bustling servants going about their chores; and-

There. The source of the unrest. A rapidly moving soul, burning indigo out of anxiety, clearly exhausted -

A bearer of bad news. I do not bother to glean his mind to work out what the trouble is. I doubt I want to know. He's going to be here in four - three - two - one -

"Your Highness!"

The door to the Dining Hall flies open, revealing a scrawny, ragged messenger, worse for wear after the panicked journey he must have undertaken, in a maroon cloak -

Isn't that Zantham's insignia on the breast?

"Paladin Cavendish-"

"What's happened that is so desperate that you must interrupt my breakfast!?"

What way is that to treat a messenger that has just travelled a day and night for you?

"Hilsbury needs you immediately! The Lady - Daniella - she's been taken! And-"

Zantham bolts upright at the mere mention of Daniella's name, and yells for quiet.

Kidnapped! Who else? Is Ruby okay? What about Matthew?

"I shall be riding back this afternoon!" he declares, after a few seconds of coldest silence. "I must discuss things with the Chief first. Now get out of my sight!"

The messenger nods frantically, but is stopped by one of the chefs, bringing in an urn of herbal tea.

"Oh, you poor thing!" she begins fussing over him immediately. "It's been pouring all night. Sit down and have a meal."

I half expect the messenger to decline in a stammer under Zantham's death glare; however, his instincts must have seized him at once, as he sinks into a seat and nods in agreement.

"We need to talk." Zantham hisses to Solomon under his breath, which still isn't particularly quiet. "C'mon."

I watch them get up and leave.

I do not follow. I do not follow. I do not follow-

Oh. It seems that Minnie and two of her friends are on an espionage mission. Well, they'd better not get caught. Wait!...