I watched as Mary, Rogdan, Milo, and Brooke left their inn to go to the dance. Any day now, I was going to send Jeremy in to spy. Before I did that, they needed a warning. The squire, Drake was still in there. I waited for a while after everyone left before moving in. They would have their warning.
I climbed the side of the building with ease, making it up to where their window should have been. There wasn't one. Steeling myself, I climbed to a neighboring window and creeped through. There was a lady inside, getting ready for the dance. She didn't notice me at first, but soon she saw me out of the corner of her eye. She gasped and staggered away from me, getting ready to scream. One swift move later, she was unconscious on the floor. I stood over her, debating. She was innocent. I did not want to kill her. On the other hand, She would cause a panic when she woke, alerting the very people I wanted to avoid. I left her there, alive, wishing that I wasn't going to regret that later.
In the quintet's room, I stood at the squire's back. Moving forward silently, I decided it would be best if he didn't see me. I slid my hand over his mouth, restraining him with my other arm. He let out a muffled scream and began struggling.
"Stay calm," I ordered. He froze. The boy had good instincts. He knew something important was about to happen. "You must remember what I say, for it is for the well-being of your company. Within days, there will be a spy amongst you. You must be careful, for he will seem more innocent than most. Should he discover your desired destination, all will be lost. Heed my warning. Tell the others."
With that, I clubbed him over the head, ensuring as I did that I hit a point which would render him unconscious. My deed was done. I left the way I came in.
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It wasn't long before I got word that my warning had been heard. I stood at the edge of the woods when Milo opened the portal and stepped through.
"You shouldn't be here," he stated.
"Neither should you. I gave you my warning. I have nothing more to say."
His mouth hardened into a flat line, his teeth clenched. "Not to the others."
I nodded. He wished to hear of his mother.
"First you must understand that she wishes for no reconciliation. She views you as a disappointment and a traitor. If anything, she wishes you dead."
I didn't want to say it so bluntly. I knew he wouldn't take the news well. On the other hand, he had come looking for the truth. It was my role to provide it for him.
I was right. He didn't take it well. His face darkened, as though a shadow had passed over it, though there was none.
"And how much does she know?"
His voice was rough and strangled.
"She knows that you have Mary and Rogdan with you. She knows that the Masked Warrior is in your midst, though she thinks that it is Rogdan. She's sent me to spy, though she understands that I cannot do so on my own, so she's sent me with another. She may soon become aware of my true intentions, unless I prove my loyalty in some way."
"And how do you plan on doing that?"
"By providing her any information you should let slip."
He nodded. "In that case, you may tell her that we have no solid plan as of yet, but that we appear to be somewhat crippled."
"Is this true?"
He gave me a hard look. "You tell me."
For the first time in our conversation, I noticed the shake in his hand, and the beads of sweat on his forehead. There was a sickness about him that wasn't quite natural.
YOU ARE READING
The DragonOrb
AdventureA year after The Dark Princess ends (That's the first book), war has taken over Colland. All around the castle, there are battles going on. Mary has been looking for a solution to ending the war all year, and she's finally found it. The answer lies...