Waiting

Part Five

                 

"I'm tired

of

their stories,

lets write

our own."

—   Atticus

Vasilisa pulls the door closed and looks at me with a stricken expression. I see that the realization has dawned on her. "We've just abducted a palace guard."

I stand outside of a house that sits on the outskirts of the slums, arms crossed over my chest. I've been staring at the dark stone walls that capture the kingdom in their rigidness and imagining how this will all play out. Perhaps we will be hanged. Maybe guillotined. With thought, I have come to the conclusion that I'd rather become victim to the latter; a quick death is preferable, following that of no death at all.

Bastian had only watched with a vaguely horrified expression while Vee tied his hands behind his back with the stalk of a dead pole bean plant and kept his sword to his neck during the journey back to the kingdom. I followed closely behind, calling out to Vee every few minutes: "We are abducting him right now, you realize?" She replied in barely-comforting phrases, saying It will be all right and Calm yourself, Tal. When we reached the gate from which we had come, Vee turned sharply to the left, toward the slums, and promptly found an abandoned home in which to lock the soldier away.

My eyebrows arched. "Really? We have?" I say in fake astonishment. "I hadn't noticed."

Vasilisa rolls her eyes in my direction before she begins to pace, wringing her hands before her. The cogs in her head are turning rapidly once again. "Well, all right. We can ask him who sent him to follow you, what they want from you..."

I blink. "That's all well and fine, but have you stopped to consider what to do when we have the information we want? He'll go straight to his general and tell him that two women held him captive for their own enjoyment, hunting for some useless information. We'll be hanged for threatening a soldier, Vee."

But Vasilisa is determined. "We won't ask for useless information, then." At my questioning gaze, she continues, smirk gracing her lips. "We'll ask for only the most dire information, concerning the inner workings of the palace and the future of the kingdom. Then, the real planning will begin!"

I stare. "The real planning for... what?"

"For taking the kingdom of Spring for ourselves."

The sun is beginning to sink below the topmost branches of the trees, and I remember that I must return to my neighbor in order to feed my family tonight. The air is still and unnervingly silent. Vasilisa's words choke me.

"People tried to usurp the kingdom when Angra ruled. You've heard the stories- flaying, plagues created from Decay magic..."

She waves her hand in a dismissive motion. "Yes, I know the stories. They've become dreadfully dull." Her gaze meets mine and she flashes a wicked grin. "Let's write our own."

It is dark now, and I have not budged an inch. Vasilisa glares at me.

"We can do it."

I bark a laugh. "Who do you think we are, Vee? A dumpster girl and the blacksmith's daughter, that's who."

She sets her hands on her hips. "We are women with strong minds and hearts that know that this kingdom deserves better. All revolutions start with a single moment, Tal. Let this one begin with right now."

I sigh, giving in to her pleading, prideful eyes just enough to consider her outrageous offer. "What is your plan once we have the information? How are we going to do this?"