Winter 18th, 512 AV – Shrine of Tanroa
The messenger had been an oxymoronic occurrence, an expected surprise despite the fact that such a thing seemed ridiculously foolish. She had found her mind taking many pointless fancies in her time at the Spires, she was becoming softer in her idleness – though she planned on correcting that. Still, there was a truth to her fancy this time. She had expected a message for two season now, her link to the world outside of the trees determined by missive alone. The last message had held promise but had never been followed. Now there was more than a message – there was a rider. She had been informed within a bell of his arrival, her own meager network of contacts able enough to do that at least.
We will see if he know enough to find me, if not then he is no rider of mine… she thought to herself as she stared at the star-filled heavens. The thought that he was not here for her advancement had crossed her mind many times now – she had suspicions.
She had chosen a place that was well suited to clandestine matters, a much needed criteria was silence and another was solitude. It would be even more useful if she had to kill the man, if he was but a pawn in a larger game. She did not know if her father knew she was alive but she suspected garret was not fully honest with her, he had his own agenda and if he worked for her enemy some of his actions made more sense to her. She knew he did not suspect her suspecting though, he was too dull-witted for that, he had always thought himself superior.
“And I can use that, at least” she muttered to herself as she sat, still as a stone and wrapped head to toe in her black robes. She would be all but impossible to see with human eyes.
‘We meet where the third meets the second, to contemplate our time together’ had been her message, and she now awaited the arrival between the third and second levels of Tanroa’s pyramid.
A pleasant enough structure to her, she had been intentionally cryptic. A fool would not figure it out, so by passing the first test they would prove themselves smart, after a fashion, and dangerous. She could not help but feel as if there were a knife to her ribs, waiting for the time to strike out at her. Something did not feel right to her about the messenger. She had told garret to send missives only, unless something of prime importance occurred. Still, she was troubled. She turned the puzzle around in her mind, trying to make the pieces fit – the lack of news, the cryptic and confusing messages, the newly arrived messenger. She hoped for a pleasant outcome, but it mainly pointed to betrayal.
The real question is whether they plan to kill me, or lure me into a trap? she tried to figure it out as her single eye glinted in the night.
She stopped her musings, covering her mouth and her steaming breath with a fold of her robe, as she spied a figure silhouetted against the starry horizon. It moved craftily, graceful and purposeful. A dangerous figure indeed, if she was any judge of the art of prowling. She stayed where she was, seeing if it would pass or stay – it stayed. Now, all she did was count for three chimes, the allotted time. He would speak the words afterwards, confirming his intent.
“I would speak with the night” came the deep, bass voice.
Damn she thought, knowing that he was either true to her cause or someone had talked.
She sat there, considering her options for a few moments. The decision could change her life, shape the future in ways she could not foretell. It was apt indeed that they met under Tanroa’s neutral gaze.
