Ouroboros: A The Ascendance Series Fanfiction

Part Two

Carrill's POV

There are not many facts in my life.

One fact is that I am a leader. I'm also a criminal. I have a brother and a cousin. As a matter of fact, I also have many enemies.

I had just made another one.

The captain of the guard was a fool. I called him much worse things than that as I wandered in the castle- such comments as would be impolite to repeat on the page. When I ran out of breath to curse him with, I went out into the courtyard.

All of my wagons were here. My entire life- minus the horses, which were in stable by now. I sighed. I had wanted to talk to my brother, but he loved the horses more than his own life, and would certainly be seeing to their comfort right now.

I rubbed my arm out of habit. On it were two marks- one dark red and scarred, and the other a black birthmark. From the first, a little pain, and the second, a tingling sensation. I was jolted out of my reverie by knuckles on my scalp.

"You little-!" I ducked and wrapped my brother in a headlock.

"Hey, Carrill!" My younger brother, Kadin, was an avid horseman and a lover of tricks. He actually compares the two sometimes, saying it's a trick to get a disobedient mount to go where you want it to go. I disagree. However, life as one of the Border Wolves would be considerably worse without Kadin's inventions- as much as I tease him about them. I released him from my headlock, and he rubbed his neck.

"Whatcha doing?" I sighed and surveyed the caravan again. As soon as I saw the cart I needed, I started towards it.

Hay bales. Innocent looking things. What the soldiers who searched us didn't know was that each bale concealed a wooden chest, an arm's span wide and half that tall. It was another one of Kadin's inventions, and no outsiders had discovered it yet. I pulled out the heaviest one, and carefully set it free from its hay wrapping.

The key for the lock went in with a little jiggle, same as ever. The lid was heavy, as I remembered. I hadn't opened this box since Carchar, a port city in Avenia. The briny tang of the ocean overwhelmed my nose.

My personal items were wrapped in sheep's wool to muffle any clinking. I pulled out two changes of clothes and a cloth pouch that clinked lightly in my hand before finding what I needed.

It was a glass vial with sloshing liquid stored inside. When the cap was released, it would turn into an odorless gas that made the inhaler's night miserable- and the latrine smell like sewage.

I had plans for this little bottle. I pulled off a small tuft of wool from the wrapping and carefully stored all of my items back in their chest. When it was concealed as well as ever, I stood up again, smiling grimly at Kadin.

"The captain is going to regret insulting me."

I woke up early the next morning.

I would not have slept well in the lavish bed I was given, so I had switched to the floor. My quarters were in the guest hall, right above the kitchens, so the chopping of knives pulled me into consciousness. It reminded me of the old times, so many years ago- when my parents were alive, and Amarinda lived with me, and I didn't have a care in the world...

No chance of that now.

I pulled myself out of the tangled sheets that I had pulled onto the floor. My servant had pulled me a hot bath, but I ran a comb through my hair instead. I needed time this morning; enough time to survey the entire palace.

The armory was my first stop. I hoped to find the knife that I had left behind last night. The night shift was sound asleep, and I guessed that I didn't have much time before new guards came to relieve them. I pulled the heavy door open silently.

It was a marvel of weaponry. Bows and crossbows were hung against the wall, swords leaned against sturdy racks and bags of powder. I tested the weight of a sword in my hand, and it was incredibly well made- no flaws in the entire makeup of it. I heard someone behind me, clearing their throat as if to make a point. I turned after replacing the sword.

That idiot captain had struck again.

He was, surprisingly, looking better than I had expected. Only the black circles under his eyes attested to his long night.

I put my hands on my hips. He would not see a guilty look on my face, especially as I had done nothing wrong.

"I did not expect to see you here," he said. Not news to me, and I said so.

"I don't believe I caught your name." I nodded and relaxed my posture.

"I go by Carrill Lupus. Avenians often call me much worse, although not to my face." He laughed a little.

"Roden Harlowe. I am the captain of the guard here. I trust you find our weapons satisfactory?" I snorted. Wise words from someone about a year older than me, if that.

"I was only leading myself on a tour of the palace grounds. I thought I might find my knife here, but perhaps I was mistaken. Would you know where it is?" I was examining my fingernails, making a point- or, at least, I hoped. As a rule, it is much easier to act casual if you have something to hide, rather than nothing.

"Of course." He pulled my blade out of his belt, and I flipped it in the air before returning it to my own. I sidestepped him, trying to get away, but he followed when I opened the door.

Halfway down the hall, when I turned around, he was gone.