After they found a place away from prying eyes Els told Arthur her plan. During the feast the gates to the University would be open and under the guised of revellers they would sneak in. Arthur didn't like it, they wouldn't have the funds to bribe their way to freedom if they were caught. He had heard grim tales of mercenaries hired to steal secrets from the great libraries of Faset, getting caught and tortured.

"Arthur, this opportunity is happening now we have no time to waste."

"Alright Els we do this but not together, you can get in with ease, get the arm of one of the students and sweetly ask for a tour and you're in."

"Well what about you, how will you get in."

"I'll slip in before dawn and hide on the grounds until you make your move."

Els didn't look sure with his revisions.

Probably hates the idea of seducing someone thought Arthur.

"Are you sure it'll work," said Els.

"You were confident in it before."

"That was before you had to break in alone and I had to get invited in," said Els.

"I'll be fine and with the right dress you'll have more invites than you know what to do with. This isn't my first choice of plan either but as you said its happening now and we need it now."

Els stood a bit more confidently her head held higher. Arthur noticed her eyes peer past him.

"Arthur there's someone watching us."

He tried not to stiffen up when Els nodded over his shoulder. "Are they looking directly at you."

"I think so."

"Come on," he said pushing past her walking further down alley they were hiding in.

"Was it the same men we saw by the markets," said Arthur quickly turning the corner.

"No these looked different, they were dressed in different colours with dark cloaks covering their bodies."

"Lets hope they weren't looking for us," said Arthur.

"I'm not sure about that," said Els nudging him to look back.

The two cloaked men were stood behind them. Arthur started to move quicker down the alley before two more figure stepped to block their way. He couldn't see any weapons in their hands but that didn't mean there weren't any hidden under their clothing.

"Looks like we are going to have to fight our way out," Arthur pulling out his sabre.

Els followed suit. "I'll take the two at the back."

"Did you load your pistol when you left."

"No."

"Take this, then you'll only have one to deal with," Arthur cocked the firearm and stepped forward sword raised. The two assailants pulled out two long daggers and charged forward with eerie synchronization. Arthur found himself on the backfoot immediately, four blades against one were hard to defend against. His ears rang when the blast of Els' pistol blew away one of her attackers. Arthur cut the hand off the an assassin that over extended a thrust.

One down thought Arthur as he returned to the frenzied parrying.

He winced as a blade cut through his upper arm, during his lapse on concentration they both dived forward. Arthur skewered one through the chest with his sword and quickly grasped for one of the dead mans daggers. He pulled it out of his stiff fingers and swung to block his twin from bringing his two down on his neck. Arthur stopped them both mid-swing, his arms burned from the effort of keeping the blades at bay.

He's freakishly strong.

Arthur felt the pressure lift when Els stabbed the tip of her sword through his neck. Arthur stood up and looked at the carnage they left in the alley. All four of their would be killers lay crumpled on the ground leaking faint black smoke.

"The witches' men," said Arthur pulling the hood off one corpse and looking into their vacant eyes.

"They found us so quickly, were those other men hers," asked Els.

"No they weren't cloaked, it would have been obvious something was wrong with them."

Arthur sheathed his sword and plucked his pistol from where it lay on the ground. "This changes nothing, we still go along with the plan. We can't go back to the Orphanage it won't be safe there."

"So where do we go now," asked Els.

"Somewhere I know you will hate," said Arthur scooping up the fallen daggers.

They stopped outside a crumbling two story tavern in the old town. Painted ladies leaned out of the upper windows naked from the waist up trying to attract customers.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"This can't be the place," asked Els her face screwed up like she swallowed a wasp.

"I'm afraid it is," said Arthur as he stepped through the front door. He had to push through a thick crowd to find the bar. Solid wood stopped him from pushing any further forward and a familiar face greeted him with a smile.

"Arthur!" the round man bellowed.

"Gaston," said Arthur shaking the mans hand.

"Couldn't stay away eh, the Scarlet Wench always has a place for a lost soul like you," he laughed turning to grab two mugs and thrusted one into Arthurs' hand.

"Thanks Gas but I'm here for lodgings," Arthur felt someone push past him to get to the bar.

"We shouldn't be here Arthur," said Els.

"Who's this pretty one," bellowed Gaston.

"A partner," said Arthur taking a sip from the mug.

"Your working again, last I heard you had some cushy job at Heartford," said Gaston pouring another mug for Els. He felt slaps on his back as old acquaintances made their presence known.

"Well you know how that goes Gas," said Arthur.

His throaty laughter cut through the general chatter of the Inn. "This is why a told you to invest in a business, they have better returns."

Arthur nodded while taking a swig from his beer.

"Should you be drinking," said Els.

"It's only polite," said Arthur.

"Mistress Sabina would love to talk to that one," said Gaston nudging Arthur.

"She's not that kind of customer Gas, we just need a room for the night."

"And the room is yours, only if you stay here and drink with me."

"Well if you insist," Arthur cracked a rare smile.

"What are you doing," said Els the disapproval plain on her face.

"Getting us that room."

"Here's the key missy, I won't keep him long," said Gaston with a wink.

It was hours later before Arthur stumbled up to his room and he was drunk.

Drunk again, how longs it been since I've been drunk twice in as many weeks thought Arthur as he struggled to navigate the stairs.

It was only back in the early years of his career, when all he did was fight overseas and come back to Maven for a new contract and a few nights of fun before getting back onto the boats. He heard lecherous noises coming from the closed doors. He wondered how many of the patrons would be boarding those familiar boats the next morning. The door to his own room lay shimmering in front of him. It took him a few minutes to realise it was locked and a few more to realise he didn't have the key. Gently knocking and loudly whispering through the small cracks in the door paid diffidence when a red faced Els swung open the door.

"I thought I was the one who had been drinking all night," slurred Arthur.

"I haven't been drinking," she screeched and Arthur looked past her and spotted Mistress Sabine and a few other working girls.

"Arthur nice to see you again," Sabine smiled politely.

"Likewise," said Arthur before collapsing into bed. He heard them whispering and giggling above his head, a hard finger poked into his back as a voice which sounded like Els' spoke harshly into his ear.

Arthur fell asleep grumbling incoherently.

It was still dark out when he was woken up, he reached out for the mug of water he knew would be there.

"Holy Dove my heads pounding, I don't know how you can do it Art," whispered Gaston. The water spread cool relief through Arthurs body, "I don't how you can wake up so... precisely."

He pulled himself out of bed and looked down at his body, someone had stripped him down to his undergarments.

"Careful man, don't want to wake her" Gaston pointed at a small lump laying on a mattress on the floor.

Arthur gingerly stepped over her and found his clothes neatly piled on a dusty cabinet. He stepped out of the room to dress.

"You never did tell me why you wanted to be up so early," yawned Gaston.

"And I still won't. Make sure my partner gets up in time for the feast."

"You don't have to worry about that, I heard Sabine and the girls have plans for her," said Gaston.

Arthur nodded and stepped out into the dark morning.

Dim lamps illuminated the grim streets, drunks and homeless wretches stalked the uneven cobbles looking for easy prey. Arthur kept his hands close to his weapons as he hurried past those night crawlers. His hat was dipped low on his face covering his brow from prying eyes. His heavy boots made no sound as he glided across the open square toward the high walls of the University. Smooth walls and iron spikes this won't be easy he fingered the rope he taken from Gaston.

He won't miss it I'm sure.

The next hour was spent following the wall searching for any building which hugged close to the wall. He only found one. It was a tall building with a heavily sloped roof but it was his best chance. Hoisting himself up to the roof using the jutting window frames was taxing on Arthurs' muscles and he was breathing heavily when he was clinging to the damp tiles. Carefully, he shimmed along the roof and unwrapped the rope from his torso flexed it into a U. It took three attempts to hook the rope around one of the protruding iron spikes. Affixing the other end onto the roof he pulled it as tight as possible. Iron spikes brushed past Arthurs' back as he climbed along the rope and pulled himself over the spikes. When he was perched facing the inside of the University grounds he pulled one of the long daggers he took from the assassin and cut through the rope. He took one side in his hand and pulled hard, the knot tied on the roof came loose and Arthur dragged half the rope up the wall. He used what remained to rappel down to the ground.

That went smoother than I thought it would.

Arthur pulled the rope down and stuffed it into a bush. In the distance the black sky was turning light.

Arthur spent the next few hours dashing from bush to tree to shadowy corner. The University guards were complacent in their patrols. They stuck to rigid patterns and swapped the guard at precisely same time every hour. Arthur noticed a sharp drop off in their presence when it approached midday.

Festival must have begun.

He needed to get a better look at the front gate.

If Els is doing her part she should be getting inside soon, with some milkling student on her arm.

He found a low wall with a good view of the entrance courtyard. The festival was in full swing, men and women were dressed in their finest clothes, makeuped faces danced with massive grins as barrels of ale and wine were passed from table to table. Acrobats dressed as the Chancellor cartwheeled through rings of fire as children cheered them on. Arthur scanned the crowds and saw no sign of Els.

Where is she?

She noticed a couple with linked arms heading directly for the gate.

That can't be her.

Els was almost unrecognisable, she wore a puffy green dress with a thin lace hat perched upon a massive bun of hair. Her face was thick with white makeup and rose red cheeks.

Sabines work.

She looked happy as the baby faced student leaned over to whisper into her ear. When she giggled she look downright feminine. Arthur slowly followed them into the University gardens. The small bush maze was the perfect spot to liberate Els from her suitor and she recognised the potential and steered him in that direction. Arthur crept close up behind them and slid his arm around the mans neck and pulled him to the ground. The student put up even less of a fight than he expected. The unconscious form slipped to the ground and Els' happy façade dropped.

"What took you so long." she hissed.

"I needed a safe place to take him down," Arthur bent down and pulled the dark gown off the body and wrapped around his shoulders.

Els straightened his new clothing and adjusted his hat. "Now you look the part."

"So do you."

"It was those harpies at your shady Inn, they said I'd never get a man looking the way I did," said Els.

"And they did a good job, now come on we have some books to find."