Chapter 3
1206 Words
Mary Shaw was walking on the beach barefooted. The gentle wind was sweet and caws of the seagulls were assuredly soothing.
She looked as the seawater washed into her feet, cold and peaceful, kissing them with a gift of life. The water runs off the beach, erasing her footprints from the sand.
This is the life that she always wanted. Peaceful life in a beach house. Like the sea washed away the prints, she wished her past away. She wanted a new life and a new beginning.
She wanted this reality, this heaven, this dream that will never go away. This must be her innermost desire, what she wanted most in this fleeting life.
"Oi! Wake up!"
Mary felt something catch her back and in the pain cried out. She rolled over on the tiled floor and open her eye in silts.
She was no longer in the rain but in a lit hall, surrounded by a circle of Horse guards, all wands drawn.
In the gaps, she could see Sir Deacon, Lord of the House of Horse, sitting calmly. He rubbed his moustache, as he observed, watching his minions torment the girl thief.
She had heard many sinister stories about the Horse Master and now she wished they were just stories. Lords often circulate wild stories about themselves to breed their reputation.
This might be the case. She never heard anything about him directly from Sir Piper, maybe he's not that terrible.
But she can't dispute their correctness though, gentle or aggressive, a snake is still a snake. Come close to it and it will sink its teeth in your heel. Besides, no one will be friendly with a thief snooping around their house.
At the sway of his hands, the guards backed off, creating a direct line of sight between the Lord and the thief. For a while he stares daggers at her, matching her every gaze.
She tried to keep up starring daggers herself, but if he was observant he could see her body tremble under her thumping heart. This however is not the time to quake.
No matter what they do to her, no matter how hard they torture her, she will not tell on Sir Piper. The order and innocence of the House of Leaf were in her hands now, she will protect it with her life if need be.
Finally, after minutes of silent psychological warfare, Sir Deacon broke the ice.
"Well, well, look Sir Piper sent a girl to do a man's job, what a jolly good story"
There was a little laughter. Why would they laugh, these bloody sexist!
"I've always told him to do things properly. You should have rejected coming here, girl. Now that you are in my net, what do you have to say for yourself?"
"What are you talking about?" Mary said. Where she got that courage, she couldn't explain.
"What am I talking about?"
"Yes, you keep mentioning Sir Piper as if I know the Lord or work for him. What in the world are you talking about?"
The crowd burst into another round of laughter. Sir Deacon look genuinely stunned and that was amusing in its own right. Mary knew her little charade was not working, but there was no option but to keep up.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we've got a thief and a liar! You are quite impossible, aren't you? How can you deny the obvious? You are a thief working for the Lord of the Leaf, denying it only makes you stupid"
"But I swear by magic, that I don't know what you are talking about"
"Enough!"
Sir Deacon's wand hand twitched and an invisible force gripped Mary, lifted her, and struck her hard on the unforgiven floor. Blood gushed out of her nose, as a sharp pain gripped her side.
The amusement on the Lord's face has vanished and even his subjects flinch in horror.
"Never lie...to a Lord" he whispered.
At that, five bodies fell one after the other. Mary didn't need to look any further than the colour of their attire to know that they were. These were part of the entourage that she came with.
They looked lifeless and still, could they be dead? Mary scurried up to the closest body, anticipation and fear writing all over her.
She ground her teeth when she discovered they were dead. The Horse house had murdered Leaf Wandfantry in cold blood. This surely spells trouble, she had failed Sir Piper woefully.
"What did you..."
"It was necessary, I am afraid" Someone said in the crowd.
Mary looked up and her eyes met a familiar pair of eyes. This was when she finally connected the dots.
Seven people had set out from the leaf lands days ago to bring gifts to the House lands and steal the scroll. Five lay dead on her side and here she was half dead. Where is the seventh person?
Here he was standing next to the Horse lord, wand drawn. His face shown in the oily light and his hair set on his head like a cute hat. He had neither cuts nor bruises, his cloth was not even dirty.
A few days ago, he was in the service of the Leaf. Now, he is riding with the horses. Lo' and behold, believe if you dare, it is the bloody Marshall.
It all makes perfect sense now. This was why their plan failed, why the garrulous kettle knew about their plan. The was no all-seeing eye or an all-hearing ear.
Marshall was the eye and the ear, the little mole that was creating tunnels through the underbelly of the Leaf.
"You!"
"Don't look at me like that. I've got a really good deal here and I took it, see you would not understand"
"A good deal? You are b...b...b...betraying Sir Piper for gold?"
"Didn't I say, you won't understand? What is happening here is beyond us, Mary, I am sad, you got involved with this.
I was glad when the Leaf council tried to remove you from this party, but you stubborn bastard wiggled your way back in.
I did truly like you, but in a choice of me against you, I chose me. I am sorry that it has to end this way. Goodbye Mary Shaw"
"Wait!"
"What?"
"You have killed everyone else. I am the only one left. If you kill me now, how will you send your message of war to the Leaf?"
"You are truly a sneaky one, Miss Shaw, I give you that. I see what you are trying to do there, but I am afraid, your manoeuvre won't work this time"
At that, the Marshall's wand zapped to life.
"Wai..."
"Terminux!"
From the crypts of death, red magic sparkled. It floated ever so fast ever so dreadful, singing a funeral song in its wake. One touch and it's the other side of the river when ghosts wander and darkness roam.
Quick, she brought out her most secret weapon! With wicked precision, she pulled out the cloak from her boots. In one clean sweep, she was under it and saying the magical words.
Fire from hell consumed the heart of the cloak and she disappeared into fragments of oblivion.
- Writer
