Children of the Lake 9
Aleh shoulder tackled her chest, grunting. He tried to drag her back to no success.
"Holly, you n-need to hide n-now!" His voice quaked with effort. "Keep far from the windows! Don't let it see you!"
"W-what?" She crawled what little space she had gained back. "What's going on? S-shouldn't we—"
7He whirled towards Blades, already gripping the first steps of the cabin's ladder, and hissed. "Come down this instant, are you insane?! Harlots and lords, do you realize if you frighten it you will be dead before you can blink? Or worse?!"
"Lilly has been recognized." Gone was the fear, Blade's expression was as placid as the surface of a pond. "I can't allow her to bear this alone, I—"
A boulder struck the Oke full on. For a moment, the purple lights turned red and vicious, prickling at her Will with rasping thorns before calming down. Trembling arms locked around her waist, steel and iron in strength despite only gently guiding her to the corner. The symphony of Furfu's whimpers and the slow, heavy steps above bloated the tension inside to a boiling point, and Holly would have gladly torn off the hinges of the back door to flee if the unknown voice didn't continue.
"You are Yanna, from Wheatbarony's Archival and Gathering Section, correct?" Loud, youthful, crushing. The kind of unpleasant tone better fit ro a looming lad than the definitely high pitched voice it belonged to. "I recognize you. Where you not supposed to have died along your master?"
Aleh's fingers rooted deep into his dipping collar, then his pockets. With fingers that rattled with almost the same intensity as Furfu, he knocked the baton against the Oke's ceiling with a deafening clink. The one way window opened a second later, giving them a small hole into the chaos outside.
Tall and gaunt, even under the bulk of stained dark leathers and a savaged chainlink vest soaked in dark liquid, they were now closer than a hop from Rosen and Almalilly, both bowed at the waist with fists touching the middle of their chests. They had a strange, ungainly way of moving, with their limp left kept back, while their right held a double headed axe towards the two of her comrades the same way Blades held her sword. One of the heads was steel, pointed down, but the other was black, opaque, and made her shiver.
They wore no ashic cowl, no shadowed hoods, only a loose veil of cloths wrapped round and round their head. From this angle, Holly couldn't see them well, but she didn't need to to know who they were, or rather, what.
"You as well." The Faceless turned to Rosen. "We have met before."
"M-ma'am!" Almalilly yelled. "We are very grateful you remembered us! A-as for that incident, well—"
"Impertinent face, does it look like I gave you the word?"
Almalilly paled. Her eyes locked onto Holly's through the window, but drifted away.
"No, your circumstances are far from the most pertinent question here." Something dropped from the Faceless' Mark and hit the Oke's roof with a weak thud, flipping out of sight. "Neither of you show in the Receptacle. What have you done to your Sigils?"
Holly didn't know what that meant. From the impenetrable silence that descended upon her comrades, she learned.
Aleh rushed like the mad, pushing Blades off the cabin's ladder with all the weight of his body. A one armed shove and he was thrown on his back, nearly hitting Furfu on the crook of the knee. A blink, and he was scrambling to his feet.
"We've been compromised already!" Blades said. "I'm going!"
"Don't make matters worse! You might murder all of us, or ruin the mission!"
"Fuck the mission!"
"Trust him!" Aleh lunged, blocking the ladder with his own body, "I despite that cockhole at the best of times, but trust him!"
"Ma'am!" Rosen shouted, bowing deeper. "I apologize for being unable to dispel the misunderstanding, but we are under strict orders to maintain the secrecy of our operation, as it requires extreme caution and—"
A stomp quietened him. "Have you grown complacent in your rebellion, faces? Do you truly believe such thoughtless schemes would fool me?"
"I-it is the utmost truth, Ma'am!" Rosen retreated a step.
"Where are your handlers, then, that unprepared faces emerged first to greet me? No, who sent you on this operation and presumes to act as a higher authority than our council and Eligor II, who to the best of my knowledge maintains to this very Season that the Sigil is one of the utmost tools of communication among our units and for upkeeping the secrecy of the Mission?"
"I-if desertion was out objective, why would we come unarmed and unarmored, ma'am?!" Almalilly said. "We have no means of fighting back or running, we—"
The axe's steel head came to rest on her neck. "Presume to have the word again. You never had those means, Yanna, even the worst of your ilk would know."
A thin shriek echoed inside the Oke, followed by a glint resting at the bob of Aleh's throat. The blade was slender as a serpent, and as deadly a graceful beauty. The air around his body blurred with the sway nearly imperceptible waves, spikes and viscous smooth bodies now twisting between both.
"Out," Blades whispered.
"I have sacrificed too much to let you ruin mine objectives. If you so need to perish, go through mine corpse or fall onto your blade!" Aleh said.
"G-guys!" Moving Furfu wasn't a challenge anymore, she felt as soft under her hands, clinging rather than holding. "S-stop! We just need to tell her the truth, right?! That Marquise sent us on a mission to Skawla!"
No answer. Not a glance her way.
"May my masters forgive me, then, I swear on my given name to tell you everything, ma'am," Hands still at his chest, Rosen's voice reached them as he raised his back straight. "We are aid to the Greenroses Unit, sent by the Region Commander Moar II himself with the task of retrieving Heir remains from the current war effort in Awin, under the guise of merchants bringing the Empire's good to its wayward child, Bellfort."
"We were caught unaware by your... maneuver, ma'am. Our responsible faceless is away on recon, but he should be here soon!" Almalilly smiled, but the weapon didn't budge.
"You don't understand, do you? It doesn't matter." The Faceless shook her head. "I commend your access to information, you obviously know enough about the current situation, but you lack details. Or do you simply pretend not to know? There are no Heir bodies to bring back. We have far more important goals than planning these petty logistics."
"O-of course there are!" Lilly's eyes widened, but the axe was retreating, finally!"T-the bodies of our enemies make for very important research, a-and advancements to the Mission, w-we would never allow such valuable resources go—"
"Again, doesn't matter. All these excuses mean nothing when you repeatedly dodge the core of the issue, not that I imagine you would have satisfying answers anyway. Ah, but this is quite fortuitous, to imagine that the ones I stopped would be traitors, this shall quite please our superiors."
"S-she should be our ally, right?" Holly's voice rang hollow even to her ears. She couldn't look away.
Rosen stiffened. "We have proof, if only you allow us the time to find it."
"I had hoped to find more convenient enemies, but you should do just as well."
The weapon rose, high above Lilly's head. She close her eyes, a bead of sweat descending her brow. Aleh flew again, so slow he might as well be gliding. It was an oddly serene moment.
Agare was powerful. Agare moved with the certainty of falling stone and twice as much weight. but at that moment, he slid into view like a shadow at dusk, twisting the wrist of the Faceless at the peak of her swing while thrusting a thick, black, horn shaped instrument towards her chin.
The axe disappeared. Lilly fell to her knees like a dropped ragdoll. Blades froze, then heaved a sigh deeper than a body should muster.
"Who dares—!"
"Shut it!" Agare twisted the horn in so far blood poured. "I am Belia III, responsible for this operation, and you, scout, will speak only when spoken to. Now, why are you interfering in an operation organized by sir Moar I himself?"
"You are—"
"Think your answer carefully."
A pause. "... Sorry, sir, the weeks have been rough."
"Identify yourself. Name, unit, role." Agare let go of her arm, but the horn stayed pressed against her throat.
"Foroca II, light executioner and recon from the Brownthorns unit, tasked with aiding in the recovery efforts, as you may already know."
"I do. And you thought the targed was being merrily carried away by Oke."
"It was a possibility brought during briefing, but I admit that was not my main purpose, sir." Foroca said. "I intended to take Nourishment."
Aleh gasped, and from the way both Rosen and Almalilly flinched, she thought they might have too. Agare kept stoic. "Every agent on field is given their own supply of Mush. I want to assume you had good reason for undertaking such a moronic, loud plan over something you should already have."
Another pause. Her head lowered a fraction, immediately flying back when the horn twisted again. "Unit Brownthorn is no more, sir. We were ambushed on the field and massacred like a bunch of novices, over a single night. Since then... my resources dwindled during recovery, I needed more."
The black horn fell away, and Agare stepped in between her and their comrades. "Ambushed and massacred? Explain yourself. By the Bellfort Royal Corps? A Len? Were you compromised?"
"Neither, I don't think, but it was difficult to tell during battle. If I may ask, sir, your faces, they are—"
"You may not. The answer is beyond your rank, regardless of question. Are you alone? Were there no other survivors?"
"There were— Are!" Foroca jolted. " There are more of us, waiting for my return."
"Then why are you alone? You know taking Nourishment for yourself and neglecting fellow faceless, to not supposed a superior, is against our laws." Agare gestured, and both their other comrades retreated toward the ladder. "What am I to suppose from this?"
"Suppose? I didn't suppose I would be finding comrades openly taking to the enemy's roads, why not travel our Tunnels as most—"
Agare advanced, chest to chest with Foroca. "Did this ambush render you deaf? Half-witted? It's above your rank! None of your business! Refuse to answer me again, and I will dish punishment accordingly, understood?"
Silence. With Aleh carefully tracking their movements, she saw the moment Agare cornered their attacker, leaving her with nowhere to run but away. Holly cheered in her heart. Drive this scary stranger off! Don't let her hurt anyone!
But she stopped, firm, tense. "It wasn't just once."
"What wasn't?" Agare said.
"We were ambushed twice. The second time a two nights after the first, springing from under us when least expected." She said. "I was blinded, disarmed, and forced to void my Mark before I knew what happened! I don't know how long I spent in captivity, but I managed to escape last night, at which point there were no further signs of my captors."
"A faceless blinded, forced to completely void themselves, and yet capable of digging this trap by their lonesome in less than a day?"
"This may sound dishonest, sir, but it's the truth. I did not create this pit, the camp where the... container I found myself in was is close by, I merely recognized the opportunity while exploring and waited nearby."
"... Who captured you?"
"My apologies, sir, I was blinded. We know there are methods."
"And the axe? You said you were disarmed."
"I found it on the camp."
The Oke had grown oppressive with a cacophony of panting, whimpers, bated panic. But Agare had to be unaware of it, the way he turned his back to Foroca and wandered out of view. The woman who nearly killed their comrade in cold blood sagged in relief.
Holly followed the sound of his footsteps to above the cabin. She recognized Lilly's dress, her feet on different steps as she descended, but she stopped as he neared. She heard a hushed, rushed conversation between both, but it ended before she could think to approach. The shook, pallid Almalilly nearly slipped on her way down, where Blades waited to hold her steady.
Something hit the roof of the Oke hard, loudly sliding over the back. "Foroca II! Do you remember your unit's meeting points?"
S-sir, I— Yes! The exact positions still elude me, but I know their directions, and the landmarks between them, so it shouldn't take me long to find them."
"I have cast off my weapon as a sign of trust." Agare stepped back into view. "You will take me to your comrades as a sign of your."
"... Sir? You believe me?" Foroca said.
"You're a fool, and your actions will have consequences, but I know desperation breeds regret," he said, and Holly gasped. What had gotten into him? Could he not smell the foulness?! "You needed supplies for the journey, I have more than enough Mush to last me the journey, sharing half is no issue."
"I'm grateful, but should i not bring it to my comrades myself? This region is perilous, and while I have no doubt you and I could defend ourselves, if your subordinates are found alone—"
"Then they will handle themselves just as well. I must investigate these ambushes myself if my orders are to be fulfilled, and I want to hear your comrade's perspectives with my own ears. Now hurry! I want to be back as soon as possible!"
Holly had no gods anymore. Ever since her sickness and seclusion, Elder Seneschal had kept her mostly separate from the worship of the Father Celestial, soon to descend into the gloom of twilight from the little light that pierced the Floodlands.
But she learned how to pray, watching the Lesser's villagers prostrating over dirt and wet mud from the dark of shrubbery. It had never granted her a single blessing, a single day of reprieve, but here and now she wanted to try again. Give her once savior back his sense! Don't let him make this mistake when they needed him most!
That unspoken prayer went unheard, and Foroca nodded after a few seconds of quiet ponder. She turned and cleared the pit in a single easy leap, rocking the Oke side to side. Agare followed suit, with a jump that barely had the weight of a step, disappearing into the tall trees.
She wanted to scream for him to come back, to blow the cover the others had just risked their lives to maintain, but would he listen to her?
The collective relief as Foroca left was palpable. Only Holly, feeling an omen in the pit of her stomach, didn't share it. Half a dozen conversations broke free at once, crushing one another through sheer volume as Furfu slowly extricated herself from their hug.
"H-hihihi, I-I think you s-shouu-should take a bath soon Holly." She was shaking so much Holly felt herself vibrate. She only noticed how tight she had held her back when she realized her nails had dug into her leathers. "I-I can feel, I mean, I think I can... S-she's gone for good, right?"
"For now, I would hazard we are safe." Aleh won the shouting match. "For now. Few are the faceless allowed to act on their lonesome, and we would know if we had encountered one of those, so chances are that if there was one..."
"T-there might be more." Lilly sighed. "You guys heard everything?"
"For certain we did! What a fucking shit show, what's one of those doing—"
"Aleh!" Blades' shout froze everyone. She was still holding onto Almalilly's shoulder like she was about to collapse "Shut! Lilly, he gave you orders, didn't he?"
She nodded, but looked Holly square in the eyes instead of answering. "H-hey, how are you doing?"
"M-me?" suddenly the center of attention, she felt like a small animal tugged from it's den. "I-I'm fine, I mean, s-shouldn't we be asking that to you? T-that lady nearly— she nearly, oh no, she was—"
"I'm alright! We're alright, look!" Lilly's smile looked crooked. "Sorry if I looked frightened for a bit there, I got caught by surprise and forgot Agare was with us."
"I-I'm so glad. I thought you were going to be killed! B-but why did another faceless attack us? A-aren't we all on the same side?"
Almalilly gently took Blades' hand off her shoulder, than extended her own towards Holly. "I know you're having a lot of doubts right now, but we're going to need your help, okay? I promise I will tell you as much as I can later."
Finally, she had a name for that shapeless fear. Familiarity. Again, she was being pushed blindly towards certain death, about to bear a burden she couldn't even set leaning, and being told to trust the ones who would carry her there.
And again she would step through that threshold, reaching back and resting the smooth of a nail on Lilly's hand.
If it was coming want it or not, then maybe she could protect everyone this time.