Shadow of the Unicorn

Chapter 7

Caire did not return to his room as he probably should have, something held him in the hall, some inexplicable sense of things about to happen; he knew his curiosity was getting the better of him and prayed desperately for the strength to resist it and return to his chamber, but he found himself crouching in the shadows a few doors down, watching Griff's door intently. He heard someone moving about and some muffled words, then the door opened slowly, a figure emerged and fled silently down the hall. Intrigued, Caire waited until the fugitive had disappeared around the corner and then entered the room. He was not surprised to find the strange Student dead in his bed; he smiled eagerly, wondering if the enigmatic figure would soon rouse again from the grave. But he lay there as still and silent as death, much to Caire's disappointment.

His more sensible side suddenly reminded him of a certain promise he had given to One he dared not defy; he shivered in dread, offered up a chagrined prayer for forgiveness, and turned to go, but froze in terror to find the door blocked by a man in the uniform of the Brethren. The stranger's eyes quickly scanned the room, taking in the unmoving form in the bed and the anxious apprentice wishing that the floor might open up and swallow him.

Adan stepped fully into the room, closing the door behind him. He found a candle and lit it, silently studying the awkward apprentice further as he did so. Setting the candle down, he sat in the room's sole chair, met Caire's discomfited gaze, and said with a grim smile, "do you mind telling me what is going on around here?"

Horrified, Caire glanced about desperately, looking for some escape or hiding place, but there was nowhere to go, nothing to do, but confess. Adan took pity on him and motioned towards the empty bed, that he might sit and speak as a confidant, rather than as a condemned man before the magistrate. With a sigh of relief and a grateful glance, Caire sat and began his strange tale, "it has been a most unusual day. Word came from Umboria that the Prince had been murdered upon the orders of a certain great lord, but a terrified soldier also arrived at the gates this morning claiming that his master, another great lord of Umboria, had had the same Prince killed, which is quite odd, as I am, or rather was, the only Prince of Umboria.

How is it that two different people can think that they have had me killed when I have not left the castle during the whole fiasco?" He turned grim eyes to the silent figure in the other bed, "but that is not the strangest thing I have seen this day." He paused, wondering if he could proceed, knowing protocol demanded that he obey this man, but also knowing if he violated his vow, it might have dire consequences. Said he quietly, "I do not know how much more I can tell, the Master Himself has bound me to secrecy upon this matter."

Adan raised an eyebrow, "bound you to secrecy and also forbid you from looking deeper into the matter. How is it you are here when you should not be?"

Caire looked at him with wide eyes, "you know?!"

Adan smiled slightly, "let us just say I am in on the secret, you may tell me all you have seen with no fear of breaking your promise." He grew grave, "but what of your presence here?"

Caire hung his head, "I initially came to this room at the behest of some of the Students who had been wakened by a ruckus in this chamber. I entered to find one of the boys wounded and abed and the other antagonizing him. I cautioned them about the noise and then withdrew, but something kept me from returning to my own chambers. A few minutes later the door opened and the second boy fled, so I decided to look further into the matter. And so did you find me."

Adan shook his head, "what is it that restrained you from going back to bed? Your own curiosity or something else?"

The boy frowned, "I am not sure. I was certainly curious, but I don't think that was the reason I lingered." He sighed heavily, "I cannot keep this up. I will have to resign from the Brethren and withdraw to some distant corner of the world and live a hermit, else I will further betray my vow."