Aresan Clan pt 61

Mill bolstered his determination as an unendurably long wait transpired; he encouraged himself, insisted to himself that the feat that was so difficult to perform before, would now be easy, that he would simply need to slip the blade into its place in Lipmon’s stomach and flee, and then it would be all over. He imagined the scenario in his mind again and again, as he listened for the sound of Lipmon and Roderick passing on the road.

But instead, he heard a surprising and disconcerting sound in the distance coming from the square. It was Roderick speaking with his driver as he stepped into the cab and helped Lipmon enter behind him. Mill peaked out from behind his hiding place and saw it clearly: They’d already arrived at the carriage and were boarding it as he watched them. They must have approached by a different road than he’d expected and had managed, by pure accident, to avoid the trap laid for them.

Mill cursed, and quickly hid away the blade, as he determined to run for the carriage. The carriage was a four-wheeler, with a large seat, ample enough for three in the back, and a small seat up front for the driver. The top was open, with a canvas awning that protected the passengers from the sun. Baggage was carried on a wide shelf on the back, which was now bearing the trunk that Roderick had brought. Mill aimed for this little shelf, discreetly running towards the carriage.

Whether anyone in the town square noticed his approach, he couldn’t tell, but none of the persons aboard the carriage took any notice when he hopped on top of the trunk and stretched his body lengthwise just as the horses were being whipped into motion. Apparently the clattering of the horse’s hooves and the rattling of the wheels on the stone street was enough to conceal the sound of Mill moving into place and putting his body and small bag into a comfortable and manageable position.

From his position he watched the streets retreat behind him and the buildings on either side retreat into the distance. He thought about how each step took him further and further away from his love and began to drift out of consciousness as the jostling of the road rocked him to sleep.


From the shadows, Noone sat, her frail body hunched over as she watched the door to Jule’s room, staring down the dark, starlit hallway. She waited for movement, any movement that might wake her from this tiresome and tedious task. She could see also the courtyard obliquely through a gap in the wall, in case Jule were to depart through his window and across the courtyard.

Almost noiseless footsteps approached from behind, and Noone turned to see Amida gingerly walking towards her. The tight, black curls of Amida’s hair were splayed in all directions like the branches of a bush, and, as she briefly ran her fingers through her hair, the hand only temporarily flattened it, before it sprang up again.

“Nothing?” Amida quietly asked. Noone silently shook her head and began to rise, ready to head to the too long delayed sleep that her body ached for, while Amida simultaneously began to sit down in her place.

Just then, both sets of eyes were drawn in the direction of Jule’s room, where the sound of a door opening could be heard. Both women immediately flattened themselves against the wall and remained still, concealed in the shadows. They saw Jule emerge, his large hands gripping the door and quietly closing it. After he looked in all directions to make sure that no one saw him, he began to walk down the hall away from Noone and Amida. They silently followed behind him, until he exited into the courtyard and began climbing the exterior wall.

“We’ll go around,” Noone say, pointing her and Amida towards the gallery. They exited through the main entrance, passing by two sentries who looked at the two sages and were about to speak before Noone gestured for them to remain silent.

By the time Noone and Amida had circled around the exterior of the cloisters, they saw the large form of Jule dropping from the wall. He walked down hill, and they watched him shrink into the distance towards what unmistakably appeared to be an itinerant raider standing up from a place of concealment.

<-- Go to Part 60         Go to Part 62 -->

You can see what's been written so far collected here.

Mill bolstered his determination as an unendurably long wait transpired; he encouraged himself, insisted to himself that the feat that was so difficult to perform before, would now be easy, that he would simply need to slip the blade into its place in Lipmon’s stomach and flee, and then it would be all over. He imagined the scenario in his mind again and again, as he listened for the sound of Lipmon and Roderick passing on the road.

But instead, he heard a surprising and disconcerting sound in the distance coming from the square. It was Roderick speaking with his driver as he stepped into the cab and helped Lipmon enter behind him. Mill peaked out from behind his hiding place and saw it clearly: They’d already arrived at the carriage and were boarding it as he watched them. They must have approached by a different road than he’d expected and had managed, by pure accident, to avoid the trap laid for them.

Mill cursed, and quickly hid away the blade, as he determined to run for the carriage. The carriage was a four-wheeler, with a large seat, ample enough for three in the back, and a small seat up front for the driver. The top was open, with a canvas awning that protected the passengers from the sun. Baggage was carried on a wide shelf on the back, which was now bearing the trunk that Roderick had brought. Mill aimed for this little shelf, discreetly running towards the carriage.

Whether anyone in the town square noticed his approach, he couldn’t tell, but none of the persons aboard the carriage took any notice when he hopped on top of the trunk and stretched his body lengthwise just as the horses were being whipped into motion. Apparently the clattering of the horse’s hooves and the rattling of the wheels on the stone street was enough to conceal the sound of Mill moving into place and putting his body and small bag into a comfortable and manageable position.

From his position he watched the streets retreat behind him and the buildings on either side retreat into the distance. He thought about how each step took him further and further away from his love and began to drift out of consciousness as the jostling of the road rocked him to sleep.


From the shadows, Noone sat, her frail body hunched over as she watched the door to Jule’s room, staring down the dark, starlit hallway. She waited for movement, any movement that might wake her from this tiresome and tedious task. She could see also the courtyard obliquely through a gap in the wall, in case Jule were to depart through his window and across the courtyard.

Almost noiseless footsteps approached from behind, and Noone turned to see Amida gingerly walking towards her. The tight, black curls of Amida’s hair were splayed in all directions like the branches of a bush, and, as she briefly ran her fingers through her hair, the hand only temporarily flattened it, before it sprang up again.

“Nothing?” Amida quietly asked. Noone silently shook her head and began to rise, ready to head to the too long delayed sleep that her body ached for, while Amida simultaneously began to sit down in her place.

Just then, both sets of eyes were drawn in the direction of Jule’s room, where the sound of a door opening could be heard. Both women immediately flattened themselves against the wall and remained still, concealed in the shadows. They saw Jule emerge, his large hands gripping the door and quietly closing it. After he looked in all directions to make sure that no one saw him, he began to walk down the hall away from Noone and Amida. They silently followed behind him, until he exited into the courtyard and began climbing the exterior wall.

“We’ll go around,” Noone say, pointing her and Amida towards the gallery. They exited through the main entrance, passing by two sentries who looked at the two sages and were about to speak before Noone gestured for them to remain silent.

By the time Noone and Amida had circled around the exterior of the cloisters, they saw the large form of Jule dropping from the wall. He walked down hill, and they watched him shrink into the distance towards what unmistakably appeared to be an itinerant raider standing up from a place of concealment.

<-- Go to Part 60         Go to Part 62 -->

You can see what's been written so far collected here.

Aresan Clan pt 61