Servitude: The Hydrangea Chapters

Chp 60: When Aid Breeds Doubt - Part 1

Thanks to the winnings from Beggar's Gambit and the extra Natalia managed to skim from those idiots, the twins have been able to hole up in their room with plenty of food and paid the owner a fair maintenance fee to keep anyone from intruding and bothering them as long as they stay quiet and tidy. They also procured a spyglass and a stand to watch the Sullivan mansion more effectively.

As much as Mordecai frowns upon theft, and they do their best to honestly earn their cut when in Englias, something becomes second nature when you spend most of your life stealing. If they didn't, the three of them would have long since starved in the Urushian Wilds. And for the situation at hand, it's to help Marlina and Elek.

During the day, they stay off the streets to avoid getting the law on their backs. To be fair, theft in the slums is beyond ordinary, survival of the fittest, they say—every man for himself. But even the law could figure out that the kind of money they managed would get some good use in the middle ring if they were still in town, and further in the guilds if they were travelers.

What works in their favor is that Natalia is the least recognizable, especially from half-drunk men who treated her as invisible. Out of everyone, Reuben would be able to give the most accurate description of her, but his memory might still be a bit foggy. It happens with a couple of kicks to the head from Neterion. Mordecai kept forgetting where he had put his pipe for a few days at one time.

For Neterion, he doesn't leave the room. According to the inn's logbook, he doesn't exist. As much as he hates it, he's too recognizable, which is why Natalia is in charge of grocery runs. He asked for a small sketchpad and high-quality pencils so he could at least draw the city landscape if he had to stare at it all day while on watch.

To stave off boredom while they're both holed up in their room, they either rotate naps or make up stories for each other about passersby outside the window, with the stories becoming more elaborate for those they see often. They also maintain their daily exercise to some extent. No laps or wrestling into locks, of course, mostly crunches, squats, and push-ups without showing off. That doesn't mean the urge isn't there at times.

Since last evening, Natalia has snuck out of town to watch the main road leading to the Marishva Glades, hiding in the many trees that line the path. She has been waiting for the postal carrier.

The Colonial postal service is quite efficient since the carriage couriers are almost always on the move, with rotating carriage drivers transporting mail from early morning until well past sunset. Late at night is really the only time they aren't working, because they're sleeping.

So far, no one has arrived. Although the Marishva Glades borders the Varenford Plains to the south, Povari is near the Wall to the west, while Levaeil is much farther east of it.

When the twins gave Marlina those business names for her application, they are all located within Levaeil, so the responses to the Sullivans should be grouped together. During their boredom, the two of them made their own letters, praising Marlina's work, to replace the real ones that would be filled with doubt and confusion about this 'Marina Sandoval'.

To make them appear as different people, Neterion wrote most of the letters, utilizing his artistic skills to alter the handwriting; most of the business owners are male. Natalia did a few, especially for those more likely to be written by a woman to respond, like the lead of the cleanup staff who'd know the former employees better. To fool a Mage Family, and if Marlina has been doing a good job, they hope it's enough.

At least, Natalia has significantly more patience than Neterion does, especially when it comes to waiting. She is the hunter, the eagle-eyed sharpshooter, while Neterion and Mordecai are the brute force on the front lines.

Mordecai indeed taught her to fire a crossbow, but his aim isn't as precise due to his lack of depth perception. While his crossbow is meant to deal heavy damage, her smaller, arm-mounted crossbow isn't—a more effective weapon for pinpoint targeting.

Though Natalia is listening for any sounds of carriages, she takes a moment to admire the sunset. Not the sun itself, but the violet shades that the sky is dyed with, with lazily shaped overcast clouds reflecting warm oranges and pinks.

In Englias, there aren't many clouds, so the skies here have a bit more depth to their sunsets. But at least the view for sunrises from her perch at dawn, Neterion's favorite time of day for watching the sky, offers an unobstructed view of the soothing shades of blue that fade into rich oranges and yellows on the horizon.

This brief moment of respite is certainly needed. Ever since Ervin attacked, Natalia had already realized that things would become chaotic. Even if Marlina succeeds, things won't return to the way they were.

It was nice while it lasted.

It's a little after sunset before the sounds of the carriage can be heard. Natalia silently positions herself to have a clear view of the road, but with plenty of concealment from the leaves blocking the moonlight.

Taking a moment to ensure no other carriages are approaching, she carefully loads a dart. Its tip is coated with Alvohala Crimson oil to induce sleep and a tiny dab of dralzi toxin to muddle the memory. After assessing the speed of the carriage and seeing the horse-drawn vehicle coming into view, she raises her crossbow and steadies her breath. When she notices the rigging of the horse's hitch, she exhales fully and waits.

With a gentle pull of the trigger, the dart glides with a quiet swish and sinks into the neck of the carriage driver. In response, he groans and pulls back on the reins, confusing the horse with the sudden pull, causing it to stop.

"What was..." It's only a few moments before his body slumps back and he becomes unconscious.

As Natalia slowly climbs down to avoid startling the horse, she cautiously emerges from the treeline, double-checking that no carriages are nearby before pulling an apple from her knapsack to give the horse a treat and keep it calm. It accepts the bribe, and she gently pets the horse on the nose, then calmly approaches the driver.

In case anyone stops by, she takes control and clicks her tongue at the horse to make it walk, guiding it and the carriage through the trees to make it look like the driver needed to take a break. With some effort, Natalia manages to sling the man over her shoulder and carry him to the back of the carriage with the mail.

Several large sacks of envelopes line the walls and shelves of the carriage. Natalia lays the man down, quickly removing the dart and applying pressure to the puncture to prevent bleeding and the formation of a visible scab. She takes out a bottle of whiskey, sits him up, and very slowly and carefully pours sips of the drink down his throat to make it appear as if he was sleeping off the alcohol if anyone were to discover him, using one of the sacks as a makeshift headrest.

One by one, she checks the sacks for any address for Povari. Some are, but they all seem to be common letters. As her eyes follow the carriage, she notices small cabinets labeled with Mage Family surnames: Maul, Oloroso, Sullivan, each with a keyhole.

Checking the man, she finds a keyring and opens the slot for the Sullivans. It's difficult to open the door, as it requires a hard jerk before it will budge. Checking the letters, each establishment providing a reply, Natalia arranges the fake letters in the same order as the others were stacked before putting them back in and tucking the real ones into her sack. By giving the man a few more sips of whiskey and leaving the bottle, she finds food for the horse and leaves it so the poor thing doesn't suffer while waiting for the driver to come to.