ANDREW BLACK

Chapter 19

Audria Highmore

Audria love the Salior's Stop like this; calm and quiet. It was a complete constrast from the castle especially now that rumors were escalating about her cousin and Nathaniel Hogan's death. All the king advisors were doing what they could to minimize the damage to Merlissa's reputation and that of those related to her. In fact today Audria slipped out more easily than she had in months simply because she wasn't a priority during this period and she was happy for that.

A happy and relaxed sigh escaped her lips as her eyes travelled the empty tarvern and she leaned across the counter dropping her weight on it. The duster in her hand dangled on the other side of the counter.

"Lovely isn't it?" She heard Santi say from behind her. "Sometimes the quiet is just-"

"Perfect." Audria concluded for her.

"Nothing beats getting paid for doing nothing," Sam said coming from the inner kitchen.
"How's the castle?" He asked.

"What about it?" Audria asked feigning igonorance.

"That's right I was going to ask same, but I thought i'd let you settle in first," Santi admitted now that they were on the topic. "So how is it like? I hear they think the lady Merlissa killed him," Santi went on. Audria's lips drew into a thin line. She knew she couldn't let out the anger she felt if not she'd give too much away. So instead she did what she expected any normal civilian will do, seem too interested.

"Ohh really?" She asked.

"Come on Audy, you should be the one telling me." Santi whined.

"Heard she may have hired assassins," Sam said.

"Assassins?" Both she and Santi gasped.

"You don't know of the assassins in Wruning?" Ben said coming in with a barrel. "Wow it is dead in here," he noted as they created space for him to drop the barrel of beer unto the counter.

"You were saying," Audria said genuinely interested. She couldn't believe her ears. She knew they existed but in foriegn lands of course. Wruning was too peaceful for such ... or did she just ignored the signs? The latter was more pausible.

"Yes. The assassins. I have heard of death parties at night. People being killed by the hundred." Ben said.

"Exactly that rich merchant that died with his limbs scattered apart or the another lord Lord Reel that own's the corn farm," Sam added.

"The Grand view corn farm?" Santi interrupted to ask.

"Yes Mr Dudley's just by Bencour lane. He was killed with his head ripped off its roots and his horse too," Sam said.

"How do you know all this?" Audria asked and they all turned to look at her with incredulity written in their features.

"She is from here right?" Ben asked Sam once their daze wore off.

"Those killings," Santi began as they ignored Audria's question "I thought they  were raids from foreign killers?" Santi questioned.

"Everyone thought so too, but you see, you did not hear it from me," Ben began inching closer to them and they all leaned in "but while all these happened someone said not me of course that the gates, both North and South were sealed shut and with no signs of forced entry or even the slightest sign of a fight at the gate."

"And?" Audria questioned this time.

"It could only mean it came from within Wruning," Ben replied.

"From killers within Wruning." Sam added.

"Hired killers paid to kill their fellow men," Ben continued.