Soldier of fire

Chapter 2

What The Pigeon Had To Say

Chandeliers shook and curtains swayed as Echo thundered down the perfectly gloomy hall. She made her way to the kitchens, hoping to clear her mood of distress.
"You again?" the cook greeted in his usual jolly voice once she had arrived. "How much food do yeh need this time?"
"I just need an Earl Grey for-"
"Alright, alright. And all we have is a pot of Roasted barley tea." he snapped.
"I will take whatever you have," Echo huffed. Pulling out the divider in the back, he receded from view. There was some swearing, clashing, shouts, and an infuriated groan.
Echo decided not to comment.
    The cook came back with a steaming mug.
    "New servant's been drivin' me up the wall. Says he'll tell Balthaige if he sees another rat in the kitchen. I woulda given 'im the pink slip right there on the spot if we weren't so understaffed. I think he has a grudge or somethin', I don't know. He talks like he has a stick up his-"
    "Understaffed, you say?" Echo asked, leaning across the countertop in earnesty.
    "Hmph. Balthaige has some problems with trustin' folks. It's gotten out of hand, I say. But don't ask me where he got that bloke from. Must have needed anyone he could get."
"What is he like?"
"Eh, just preachin' about how it's like on his homeland. Says how I run the kitchen is... how did he put it? "Unacceptable". I reckon he comes from Traelvalar. They're all like 'im over there. Acts like he runs the manor. O' course, Lord Balthaige can't be bothered. Oh, no. He's too busy sittin' on his shiny throne," he growled. Echo could not respond in turn, for she thought the same.
"Have yeh seen him doin' anythin' for us lot?" he continued. "Yer fortunate enough to be close to him. At least yeh get benefits," he concluded, somewhat spitefully.
"If you could call it that," she murmured. He grumbled and nodded at the mug.
"Yeh better take it, or else it'll get cold," he said. She heeded the cook's advice and left, and wished him luck with his new servant. His mood seemed to have brightened up tremendously. He waved her goodbye with a grin that made him look twice as young.

The wind blew Echo's hair into her face as she sipped the warm tea. The fall weather had a certain calming effect that eased the unrelenting voices. It was easily her favorite time of the year.
She always looked forward to the occasions she would have alone in the courtyard. Without servants, without Balthaige's constant needs.
Just Echo and her thoughts.
Somewhere off in the distance, a bird cried harshly.
She sipped her tea again and enjoyed the scenery. The maids had planted sugar maple trees to fit the season, and the sweet scent filled the courtyard. They swayed where the breeze went, dropping scarlet leaves.
Standing from the rotting bench, Echo swept over to the part of the courtyard where a little garden was blocked off with bricks. The groundskeepers were generous enough to secretly give it to her to make her own. In the center of the jungled mess resided a small bush of peppermint leaves. There was a one-legged table with a pair of scissors and a pouch for various leaves and herbs.
A pigeon landed on a branch and squawked. Echo smiled and reached for the other side of the plant, as not to hurt the bird. It hopped onto her arm and bared its leg, which had a piece of rolled parchment on it. It squawked again, more urgently this time. She put the scissors down and detached it. She assumed it was a homing bird originating somewhere outside the manor, although she wondered why it did not go directly to the messenger boy.
"I didn't bring any payment with me," Echo told the bird, expecting it to understand. The pigeon cocked its head and gazed up with sharp, knowledgeable eyes. Then it flew off.
    Curiosity got the best of her, and she tore off the seal to scan the inside. She read it excitedly and ran back to the manor, peppermint leaves forgotten.

To: Echo Bluebottle
Meet me behind the big oak tree when the bell tolls midnight.
It is important.
Be there. 
-VF

                        ***

    Echo could hardly keep still as she read the letter over and over again. Seeming to be in good graces with the cook, she ordered tea after tea to try and soothe her nerves, but the voices wouldn't shut up long enough to get any peace. After she downed her seventh cup, he raised a questioning eyebrow.
    "Do yeh need somethin' stronger than tea?" he asked.
    "No, thank you," she said, though she craved anything that would let her drift for a while, but he couldn't know that. The cook handed her another cup.
    "Bah, you wouldn't know. Whiskey can take the edge off of anythin'." To prove his point, the cook brought out a clear bottle full of brown liquid. "Wanna try some?"
    "Thank you for the offer, but I am quite alright," she said, her nose scrunching up in disgust at the potent smell wafting from the lid.
    "Suit yourself. Why are yeh actin' jumpy today, anyways?" Echo froze mid-drink.
    "Can't I have tea if I wish?" she countered.
    "Nobody drinks that much, not unless there's somethin' wrong."
    "There's always something wrong when it comes to me."
    "I might be old, but I ain't stupid. There's been a lot of folks over the years that came through with problems. I know when there's one."
    "I don't need anything fixed," she said. "I'm just... anxious." The cook furrowed his eyebrows.
    "What's there to be anxious about? It's a hell-hole in here." She snorted.
    "Can you keep a secret?" Echo whispered, gesturing him to come closer.
    "Aye."
    "Are you sure? I can't have you making it the talk of the manor. You know rumors travels fast here."
    "I give yeh me word, or my name ain't Felix Alistar Percival," he vowed, putting up his right hand to emphasize his point. Echo resisted the urge to laugh and impatiently tugged him down to ear level. "Alright. I found a note telling me to come out at midnight and meet someone at the big oak tree." Felix pulled back and eyed her.
    "Yer not gonna go, are yeh?" he said.
    "Why wouldn't I go?" she retorted with her own question.
    "How're yeh gonna go at midnight? There're guards everywhere at that time of night. They'll send yeh straight to the dungeons if yer found," he shot back, crossing his arms with a stern look. Like a disappointed father.
    "You'll help me, then?" she blurted. His mouth formed a disbelieving O. "This is a very important matter. Things have happened to me, Sir. Abnormal things. I might find closure for all of this if I meet this person." He combed his aged beard in fatigue, an expression of distress very visible on his face.
    "What's in it for me?" he asked finally.
    "I have a feeling I'll find something close to... magical after all of this. Perhaps I can use it to escape, and you will have the opportunity to leave this all behind," said Echo. He still looked distressed, though more agreeable.
"I must be goin' mental, with all this talk about magic. Bah, to hell with it! Who says I'm too old for one more adventure?" he chuckled, which came out like wheezes after not laughing for so long. 
    "Well, you are getting old," said Echo matter-of-factly.
    "No time for doubts now, Lady Bluebottle. If yer serious about gettin' out, yeh gotta use that pretty little brain of yers."
    "What if I stay out from dusk to midnight?" she added in hopefully. Felix shook his head with vigor. Evidently, it was a horrible plan.
    "Guards do sweeps durin' that time. Yeh'll get caught and'll be sent back to yer room."
    "What do you suppose I do? You're the sane one." Felix didn't hear her. He was too busy thinking.
    "The guard duty changes every once in awhile... I reckon it's around ten or eleven when that happens. They'll leave the manor unwatched for a few minutes, so you'll have to make a run for it."
He had that same, dangerous glint in his eyes again. Only this time, it was from a good kind of adrenaline that he harbored. Echo just gave him what he yearned for his whole life; a chance to rebel.
"What if I don't make it?"
"I'll distract 'em. After all, I'm just a senile cook," he replied with a sad half-smile. "Anyways, I have a good idea." She put her hands on her chin as she listened to Felix's plan.