In the Meantime - A Fade Retelling of Red Queen

Chapter 4

The Sun Shooting, part II

The itch was there, but he didn't give in. Shade knew better than being reckless; that had kept him alive. At the Choke, but also before, during his whole life in the Stilts. He watched and considered and made the right moves. Even with the Silver officer who had inquired for a Red who could read, Shade had volunteered to become his aide for no other reason, no deeper scheme.

Of course, he'd still joined the Scarlet Guard. But that was also calculation, if you wanted to call the fight for equality and justice that. It was a need. Shade took on the tasks the rebels gave him in the same manner – wondering, researching, staying as safe as possible, doubting his superiors. He suspected the Guard would label him as disloyal for it, so he hesitated to voice every thought of his.

At first. Because when he'd dared to correct Captain Farley instead of only teasing her with inconsequential banter, she'd listened. She still did, and Shade understood she wasn't hurt by being proved wrong. Because unlike every Silver who ordered him around, Farley sincerely wanted him to trust her.

To be honest, he did already, yet it was nice to know she tried her best for his sake. It was the reason why he was obeying now, despite his urge to jump after Farley and her team. He saw her reasoning, realized he'd be the irresponsible one if he followed without plan or information, or even explored the Hall of the Sun on his own. He only wished to be more than one of two back-up operatives and to put his skills to use.

He'd been training his most special "skill" for a while now, in secrecy and whenever he found the time and place. He jumped with precision and was close to figuring out how intent worked to bring him to specific locations. Bit by bit, he tried out the variables, the distances, heights, how to enter buildings or cross walls, what he was able to carry. Farley was actually the first person he'd carried along, but after he'd jumped with animals, he was sure it would work. Although her bad reaction stunned him. Teleporting only brought him elation, like a good run, joy, peace of mind, the freedom he wished to have for real. Technically, jumping was like sport, even if it was tiring. As long as it was just him, exhaustion took long to reach him, but it crawled closer the more he carried or the more complicated the jump was. Usually, specifying the location was harder on him than distances, and he still had to determine how to combine both the best way. He felt in his guts he'd need to learn this soon.

Shade evaded several watchmen in the tunnels as they weren't the most focused lot. Either the Silvers weren't generally alert, or the royals didn't want everyone aware of the rebel threat, or the watchmen were merely unmotivated – that seemed common among Silvers without prospective positions, in Summerton as well as in the army.

That didn't mean the waiting wasn't leaving him anxious. He wished a little he was a shadow, like his name and designation claimed. The tunnels were dark, but not dark enough should someone look in the right direction. He could teleport if necessary, but he was unsure where to, in these tight and labyrinthine tunnels he hardly knew anything about. Where would he end up?

The other option was to dispatch the watch person that found him. He was able to do that, and jumping into someone's back for a fatal blow seemed simple and safe enough. He carried a pistol and the knife the Scarlet Guard had pilfered and equipped him with, and it wouldn't be his first time to kill.

He closed his eyes. He wouldn't enjoy that; he remembered the Lakelander soldiers he'd shot at the Choke with dread. Sweat ran down his neck, and his heartbeat accelerated. Nobody had commented on it back then while Shade had wished to talk with his brothers about it so badly, assuming they'd know how it was, how to cope. He'd never felt so alone in his life.