Spesavia was in some dank corner of the manor Aureum had never seen before. Unlike the other buildings that looked pleasant, it had thicker walls and a darker roof, alongside long stains on the walls. It wasn't rundown. It was relatively well kept. Just old, and none too cheery.
Aureum had asked for directions constantly to find it, and even after all that, she was almost not allowed in.
"If you can't let me see Spesavia," Aureum said to the guards, "the least you could do is let me see Gemmo!"
Nobody wanted to be in between a mother and child, but still they hesitated.
"You can wait out here—
"Can't you bring him to me at least?" Aureum said. "Then I would be out of your face. Something."
She took a step, and they crossed their spears. The door behind them opened with a bang.
"Let her in you fools," Spesavia said. "What harm could my student do besides?"
The two men looked at each other. The spears were lowered and Aureum stepped through. There was a little hallway she followed Spesavia through.
"Keep your head, girl," Spesavia said, before entering one of the many side doors. "Get the boy and go."
Inside, Aureum's breath caught as she followed.
There was Spesavia, and there was Gemmo. A concerning amount of old tools cluttered into junk around them. And there, in a dim corner, was Mors.
Aureum swallowed before trying her best to slowly go to Gemmo's side. She felt Mors' gaze burning into her.
"Memmo," Gemmo said.
Aureum patted his head.
"Don't look at her," Spesavia said. "Why don't you get back to harassing old women, instead of children and girls, hmmm?"
"You've become very confident under Lord Maledic's protection," Mors observed, his eyes looking back up to Spesavia.
"Why wouldn't I be? You've yet to find anything."
"The fact that I have not found it should be of great concern to you," Mors said.
The wet edge of a knife across a sharpening stone. That's what his words felt like. Aureum lifted Gemmo up.
She nodded at Spesavia and took a step to leave.
"Let me look at him," Mors said.
Aureum froze. Even worse, Spesavia froze.
"You want to harass her yet again?!" Spesavia covered it up with bluster inflamed by real indignation. "Haven't you done enough?"
Mors ignored this, looking anyway. He took a few fingers and stroked Gemmo's head. Aureum felt her heart freeze.
But his words were worse.
"I didn't realize until he was next to his mother… but he seems to have gotten quite big."
Aureum's grip around Gemmo started to tighten. She felt him quivering, but it was she who was shaking.
"That's just how children are, you old fool," Spesavia said. "They grow up before you notice."
Is this… fear?
Aureum's insides felt white. Maybe fear was a part of it, but what was quickly overwhelming her was—
It's rage.
"I think even children don't grow this fast—
A slap rang out.
She'd done it. It had been so shocking for him that he hadn't even turned away from it.
"ENOUGH!" Aureum shouted. "THAT IS ENOUGH! Either kill me and end this or let me leave!"
Then, after her outburst, there was silence.
When Mors looked back at her, it wasn't with outrage, just cold indifference. That terrified her more than the strength of his mana she felt.
Spesavia moved herself to Aureum's side, placing herself between the two. The crone held the hand that Mors had touched Gemmo with.
"Go, Aureum," she said.
Aureum ran out with Gemmo. Mors just watched her.
Yet, the situation between Spesavia and Mors remained.
"So, am I to see all this and think nothing of it?" Mors said.
"What's more natural than a mother protecting her child?" Spesavia said.
"That might be so, but not for you, Spesavia, not for you," Mors said. "The child isn't yours so what's your reason for protecting him? It isn't the kindness of your heart, now?"
Spesavia found her words a moment too late.
"I can also protect those I teach!"
"No," Mors said. "There must be something else to do with that boy. Tell me. I have looked through everything and found nothing. Asked questions politely to you for weeks, and nothing. This is to do with Aeternitus' very future. I must find something."
He broke his arm from the old woman's hold.
"I like to observe him," Spesavia said. "He's odd. Something to do with his mana. But he has nothing to do with what you're looking for, and you're a fool for looking for anwers from a child."
Another half-truth. Mors scoffed. He grasped Spesavia by the front of her ragged dress.
"Shall I believe anything you say? I'll believe what I see for myself. You like to write things down. Show me what you have on the boy."
"Why would I obey you?" Spesavia spat.
"Because the simplest solution is to kill them both," Mors murmured.
Spesavia's face twisted.
She would do it, and he knew she would do it too. She would play for time as much as possible, she would try to trick Mors where she could, but in the end she would have to give him some semblance of what he wanted.
And anything she gave to him would end up going to Maledic.
"Fine, you fool," she said. "You've won."
Considering the consequences for it about as much I did, the old woman thought.
———————————————————
Stupid! Foolish! Cowardly!
Aureum berated herself as she carried Gemmo.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"
Gemmo was crying.
Aureum paid little attention to it. She tore through the pathways with no care how any servant or guard would see her.
Without full secrecy, she would go completely into speed.
"Mendax—
She burst into the room. Hiems wasn't there. She froze, unsure.
Her eyes darted around the room. It didn't look like disaster had struck, but he might not have fought if they took him.
"Ahu, ahhhhh—
"Shhhhh. It's fine, Gemmo."
I'm getting ahead of myself. He said something about 'tonight' so I'm just too early.
Too early. Too early!
I'm too late! It's all wrong!
She stepped towards the window, as if confirming the sinking sun in the sky would bring him out.
Where is he?
Do I wait?
No.
There's a few things I need to sort first.
Then, if he still hadn't returned, she could go mad searching for him or just run.
It again felt like death was breathing down her neck. It wasn't a new sensation at all, but it was closer than she could remember in these past months. She had wanted to tell Spesavia something before she'd left, but for now it was best to just go.
Will she be all right?
Aureum gathered her things. Most things could be shoved into her ring, which had eventually been returned.
Food was the biggest problem. Dumping a bunch of kitchen supplies into the ring last minute would call all sorts of attention. She wasn't that worried about it. Truthfully, she would worry about it if she got out.
The clothes were just clothes. She still had hers and Gemmo's. She stripped the beds for a few blankets.
But…
The spear…
She held it, and then she looked at Gemmo on the floor. He was toddling around, but that was almost worse. It just meant he was heavier to carry.
"Ah? Auru?"
He looked up at her in response to her gaze.
It felt like the bones of her soul died.
I can't.
By herself, she couldn't both carry the boy and defend against the guards well enough to have any chance.
Maybe I can shove Gemmo into the ring?
It would kill him. She was thinking delusional nonsense.
If I'm still here when Mors tells his suspicions to Maledic, we'll both be dead!
"You're here," Hiems said. "Hello, Gemmo."
"Buuhhh!"
With his entrance Aureum could already feel herself begin to breathe again. Just having one more person to help eased the logistics considerably.
"Here! You can carry the spear," Aureum said.
Hiems looked at her for a moment.
"We can say hi later! We need to go now."
"Of course, but I'll carry Gemmo, not the spear."
"Wouldn't you do better—
"No."
As he spoke, he lifted Gemmo onto his hip. It looked awkward.
"Are you sure?"
"It will work," Hiems said, stepping towards the door.
They didn't have hours to spend debating the issue.
"Just don't drop him," Aureum said.
They heard a clatter.
Aureum picked up her spear and swiveled back to the door. Hiems caught her hand before she opened it. He whispered in her ear.
"They already know we're going. Be ready to run."
She stepped back. Hiems opened the door with force.
There was only one figure, a woman. She had flung open the door on their right and was running down the hall.
That's—
As Aureum thought, Hiems reached down with his empty hand. As soon as he touched the floor with a finger, a thin sheet of ice shot towards them.
It widened beneath their feet.
The figure slipped, but nothing more.
Yet, Hiems wasn't done. The moment they readjusted their footing, he had already flung a dagger of ice.
It hit. They fell.
A moment is all it took.
Of course he'll be okay with just one hand…
Hiems went ahead with Gemmo still in his arms. The boy wasn't even crying now, but did cling to Hiems like a small animal.
Let's hope Gemmo remains ignorant throughout this.
Aureum gripped her spear and stepped forward.
"Were they in that room the whole time we were here?" Aureum said.
"Probably," Hiems replied. "We've bought a bit of time by catching them."
The two stepped past the fallen woman. Outside into the courtyard was just a door away, but then there was the labyrinth of pathways, the inner wall, the town, and the outer wall to get through if they wanted to leave.
Aureum felt like choking. But there wasn't any pause in a single one of Hiems' steps.
It was too late to stop.
At least the sun had finally sunk beneath the horizon. When they felt the fresh air on their faces, they didn't have to see everything cut out clearly under sunlight.
"The cloak won't work for the wall, but I'll make a path."
"All right."
It was the start of a very long night.
A straight path to the first wall would have been convenient, but a straight path didn't exist in the Hidden Manor. A winding and bent pathway was their quickest option, but it wasn't quick at all.
If Hiems and Aureum drew the entire Manor's guards upon them, they wouldn't have the time to get out before they were swarmed. Even as complete secrecy was no longer an option, they desperately avoided every sound of footsteps other than their own.
The time came when they couldn't avoid two pairs of footsteps. A narrow way hemmed between two buildings stopped them from ducking to either side. It was too far to go back.
Hiems paused.
He could make a step of ice to catapult them up onto a roof, but that would leave a pillar of ice.
They came around the bend. He got the first one.
"What in the—
Then Aureum stepped up and stabbed the second in the throat.
It was simple. Just as she had always practiced. One step and a lunge with her whole body behind it.
Unlike her practice, she added a thin layer of mana to the spear tip so that it would break through a sorcerer's natural defenses.
Also, unlike her practice, the resistance of stabbing a real body was different than any straw or wooden dummy.
A sickening sound Aureum felt resounded as he slid off the spear's tip.
Is he dead?
That had been her intent. Hiems went, and she hesitated.
"Emmo?" Gemmo said.
"Gemmo, I'm here," Aureum responded immediately so he wouldn't panic.
She felt her eyes prick. Hiems turned to her and reached out to help her step over it. But she didn't notice it with her blurred view. She blinked rapidly and stepped over it herself.
I can cry later.
Fury was the closest emotion to grasp at to keep the tears back. Fury at Maledic, at the stupid guard, at the Manor's bent pathways, at Nivis, at Hiems, and at her father. Even the farthest slights she found herself incited by.
"Ha!"
She took a sharp breath, and Hiems grabbed her hand and squeezed. There wasn't enough time for words or long discussions. What was done was done.
Together, they started forward again.
No matter the price, she wouldn't stay here.