A Curse so Twisted And Cruel.

The Maid's Dress.

Gnarl.

The knot in his chest wound tight once again, the knowledge he recently acquired playing repeatedly in his mind since he informed the others of it.
He heared a soft sigh and looked up to meet Lira's intense blue gaze. She looks otherworldly in the flickering embers of the fire they were situated around, the dancing flames reflecting in her icy eyes.

Then again, they all did, the brightness of the flames bringing their features into light, but it's shadow concealing what lay hidden beneath them. The stuffy cave was sombre, each of them working through the turmoil in their minds.

Vin was haunched in on himself, his thick eyebrows drawn together in a frown on his otherwise smooth face. Lira sat cross-legged in the corner, absent mindedly flicking a rock between her long fingers, and even from here, Gnarl knew that she was anxious. He was too, but he wasn't sure how to get rid of it, so he pushed it to the back of his mind, instead trying to think of a way out of this predicament.

"So, um," he began, surprised at how gravelly his voice sounded. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Any ideas on how to get Jass out of there?" There being the impenetrable dungeon, deep underground, where she was inevitably held.

Vin let out a deep breath, and Lira ran a hand through her short brown hair. The top half of it was already seeping into black, the cheap dye they had used beginning to come off. And since they had all done it together, he knew Jass's would be the same, making her easily recognisable.

Lira cut off his worrying thoughts by clearing her throat. "We'd have to sneak in somehow." She says quietly. "I could be a maid and you two could be guards, or something." "Bu' we don' know the castle." Vin voices exactly what's running through Gnarl's head.

"If you manage to find the dungeons, as well as where the keys to it stay, maybe we could slip in and help you get to her." He says to Lira. She stiffens ever so slightly, but nods. "I think I could do that." She says slowly, her voice a whisper in the shadows.

"No. I's too dangerous." Vin folds his arms against his chest. "Wha' if she also ge's caugh'? Then wha' do we do?" He shakes his head swiftly, as if trying to get the thought out of his mind.

Gnarl sighs. He knows it's beyond dangerous, and it's the last thing he ever wanted to do, but it seemed to be their only option. "Okay. Get some sleep, and we'll see if we can come up with something else tomorrow."

The other two nod in agreement and retreat to their nest of blankets. Gnarl picked up their scattered leaf cups, still halfway full of milk, and took it with him to the low entrance of the cave, where he settled, gazing up at the clusters of brightly lit stars against the black velvet of the sky.

•{§∆§}•

Lira.

Lira awoke with a start, the distinct feeling of unease nagging at her. She slipped from the warm comfort of the blankets, stumbling her way to the cave entrance, where only a sliver of light can be seen.
She trips and falls through it, narrowly missing Gnarl, who was curled up like a cat and snoring softly.

She walks through the long grass just outside the cave, the sparkling droplets of dew dampening her legs and the bottom of her frayed dress. She reaches the stooping willow overlooking a babbling brook, and lays her head against the trunk, breathing deeply.

Eventually, the feeling subsides, but Lira knew it would come back the second she stepped back into that small, stuffy cave. She didn't like small spaces, but she didn't have a choice in the matter. It was either; sleep in there, or sleep in the grass with mosquitos and god knows what else.

When the sun finally penetrated the thick fog at the edges of the meadow, Lira washed her face with the cold brook water, and ran her fingers through the tangles in her hair. Then, going back to the cave entrance, she shook Gnarl awake, (to no avail,) before heading to the market, where the first signs of life were stirring.

She nicked some fresh buns from the baker, the scent emanating from it enough to make her mouth water. Then she headed further downtown for some sugar and jam, but ended up stopping infront of the dressmakers. She bit her lip, running her fingers across the smooth edges of the coins in her pocket.

She eyed her reflection in the dusty window, the dress she had been wearing for the past two weeks in tatters from ploughing through the fields every day. It wouldn't last much longer, and she doubted she would be able to steal another one without getting caught.

So she stepped inside the worn down shop with a resigned sigh. She knew Gnarl wouldn't approve of this, but she was tired of going around looking like she was homeless, and the dress was quite literally falling apart.
Maybe he wouldn't mind. Just this once.

Lira glanced around at her options, which weren't looking too good. Finally, her gaze landed on a light blue dress, and she took it off the rack for a closer look. It was a maids dress, she realised with a gulp. She ran her finger along the lace trim of the apron, wondering why this particular dress had been the one to catch her interest. It wasn't something special.

Still, it would be useful if they decided to carry out their precarious plan. Lira didn't know how successful it would be, but the one thing she did know, was that she- all of them, really- needed Jass back. They weren't stealthy like her, nor as weary. They felt lost without her. Not to mention that Lira didn't like Magen. She would happily substitute the golden fields and blue skies for her bed in the cellar of the fort.

She wanted-needed to do this. For better, for worse. She went to the front, handed the chubby dressmaker some coins, and left the shop, pocket lighter, but determination weighing heavily on her shoulders.