In the stuffy darkness, something dragged across the dusty uneven floor. A ghastly voice hummed in a low, almost inaudible tone:

‘Fly, fly little fly!

Where shall my hand land?’

As the words died out completely, silence crept in. Then a child’s whisper followed the strange chant.

“It feels like… a bottle! Like many dusty bottles!”

“Very well, Anuk! You are getting better.”

Lorelei leaned her back against the wall and tried to systemize their findings, while still firmly holding the girl’s hand.

They were in a medium-sized room – ten paces long and eight paces broad, no windows, and a single sturdy door. In the far end across the door, there were some buckets and baskets, a bunch of dusty bottles, and several big barrels. Judging by the rancid stench coming out, at least one of them was full of old cooking oil. The nose piercing fumes lingering above another indicated unmistakably the presence of vinegar. To add to the picture, on one of the walls hung a string of roundish, slightly moldy objects that exuded a strong onion smell. Not far from it, they found three large lumps of something that proved to be ham. Just below lay two big millstone-like cheese wheels. Some feathery carcasses dangling from a nearby iron hook could only belong to slightly rotting pheasants, especially judging by the sweet odor spreading trough the air.

Taking all this together with the scarce information she had on the occupation of sister Simone and her thugs, Lorelei was almost certain that their current location was the storage space of a mid-tire tavern. Or even more likely – the brothel where Danika had been kept and murdered. Unfortunately, this discovery had no influence on their desperate situation. A brothel’s cellar or a dungeon, it did not matter. There was still no way out.

The young woman supported her head on the rough stone wall and closed her eyes, mainly out of habit. It was not like there was any light to blind her. Clenching her teeth, she fought the tears and panic and told herself to stay calm, while her knees were traitorously shaking. Was there really nothing she could do to escape? Did she miss something? Was there a way out she simply could not see?

As she was racking her brains in desperation, Lorelei felt the little hand in her grasp shivering. Anuk’s body pressed tightly against her.

“Are you cold, little one?” asked Lorelei under her breath and cursed herself for being so neglectful.

“Mhm.”

“Wait a second, I’ll get you warm.” She squatted down. “Good thing we still have my cloak.”

Lorelei lifted her free hand to unclasp the pin of the mantle. Her fingers touched its smooth and familiar surface, and for a second her thoughts trailed off to her master.

She got this pin from him as a present for her twelfth birthday. It was a simple thing, a piece of twisted steel that had its ends curling up to form a heart. Despite that, it was one of her most prized possessions. When Saya had tried to convince her that the duchess of Norden should wear something more dignified, she had refused to give it up even for the finest gem-adorned silver broaches. It was her good-luck charm after all.

This nostalgic memory called a bitter smile on Lorelei’s lips as she removed her cloak and draped it around the little girl’s shoulders. Well, it had brought her one hell of luck, no doubt about it. At least she wasn’t dead… yet.

As the young woman was about to pin the ends of the cloak in place, her hands froze. An involuntary gasp escaped her lips, followed by a low giggle.

“Lady shimshi? Why do you laugh?” There was obvious confusion in Anuks voice.

“Just wait a moment and you’ll see,” chuckled Lorelei, managing to suppress her wish to perform a little triumphant dance. She got it! Her fingers squeezed tightly the heart-shaped pin. It was indeed her good-luck charm! If nothing else, she had found a solution to one of their many problems. If her idea worked, of course.

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Roughly acquainted with the layout of their prison, Lorelei guided Anuk to the cellar’s door with a confident step. Arriving at their destination, she unbound her red binshi sash and stuffed it as best as she could in the thin gap between the wood and the rough floor. After this, she jumped up immediately and almost dragged the child back across the room to the place where the barrels and bottles were stored. Lorelei carefully picked a bottle and, wrapping its body with the trailing end of the cloak, smashed its neck open in the wall. As the dull clang of broken pottery died out, she held her breath and listened carefully for any signs of movement outside the cellar. All was peaceful! With a sigh of relief, Lorelei licked her lips and hurriedly emptied the content of the bottle, which turned out to be watered-down spiced wine. No matter how thirsty she was, she did not need any alcohol to muddle her head even further.

Empty bottle in hand, the young woman then inched towards the oil barrel. Carefully scooping some of its contents, she put it near the wall and went on with the second part of her plan. Rummaging a bit in her clothes, she tore a long piece from her undershirt and twisted it between her fingers. Dipping this crude wick in the oil-filled bottle, Lorelei was ready to try her luck. After all, a fire-striker was nothing more than a piece of steel anyway.

However, striking her pin against the rough wall turned out to be more arduous than she had imagined. Her hand slipped a couple of times, painfully scraping her already hurting fingers on the stone. Every couple of strokes she had to stop and strain her ears to check for steps coming from the outside. Despite that, she continued to hit the small pin with hope and desperation fighting for dominance in her heart. Finally, a few small sparks caught on the wick and soon a flickering yellowish flame illuminated the darkness.

A low yell came from Anuk, before the child quickly gagged her mouth with her palms. Her blue eyes sparkled with delight at the dancing flame. Beside her, the young woman felt her own eyes tearing up, but it was not only due to the sudden presence of light. This was a victory! As small as it might seem, it boosted her courage.

Lorelei pressed the heart-shaped pin to her lips, as the tears poured out. Her bloodied fingers caressed its cold surface. Then suddenly, a tiny smile bloomed on her face. Her master had come to her aid one final time! The woman rubbed her eyes and carefully hid the pin in her bosom, close to her heart. She would be damned to lose her precious charm! Luck was the only thing she could hope for in this situation. That, and her master’s teachings.

After suppressing her chaotic feelings, Lorelei stood up, and for the first time gave some attention to her hands. In the unstable light of the lamp, the sight was not very pleasant. The fresh burn blisters had ruptured and the skin on her knuckles had been scraped by the rough stones. Blood and ichor were oozing out, mixing in a sticky mess over her fingers. Well, it could have been worse. At least the burns didn’t impede the movement of her fingers. As for the rest, she was not a refined lady, so she had never put any importance on pearl-white skin anyway. Nevertheless, not treating her wounds was a bad idea.

Contemplating shortly, Lorelei tore another piece of her undershirt and went again to the very helpful barrels in the back of the cellar. This time, she dipped her improvised bandage in the vinegar cask and wrapped it around her bleeding knuckles. A loud hiss escaped her lips as her scrapes and blisters came in contact with the acid. Still, it was better than having them infected, and besides, vinegar was good for her burns.

After this crude treatment, Lorelei went back to Anuk, who was giving her curious, and slightly worried, looks.

“Now then, dear,” she lifted her makeshift lamp and the weak light illuminated their prison, “let’s look for a way out, shall we?”

Just as she was about to make the first step, an overwhelming pain enveloped her whole body. Her heart was gripped by inexplicable fear and blinding rage that threatened to overwhelm her. Lorelei swayed and had to lean on the wall as to not fall over. Her hand desperately clenched around their only source of light, while in the meantime her head was trying to understand what was going on. It was so strange. The sudden pain seemed so alien. She hadn’t sustained any injuries heavy enough to warrant such a reaction. Besides, the pain and fear had come all of a sudden and without warning. True, the sensation lasted for less than two minutes but it felt like an eternity to her.

Slowly, Lorelei regained her bearing and felt Anuk’s hand stroking her back in a desperate attempt to comfort her.

“L-lady, a-are you hurt?” Her words quaked as tears ran down in dirty streams over her cheeks. “Y-you just f-froze…”

“N-no, no! I am fine, dear. I just thought I heard something from the other side of the wall and wanted to listen!” Lorelei hurriedly replied, thinking that she was getting better at lying every time she opened her mouth.

She tried to ignore the terribly bitter taste on her tongue as well as the small lingering ache that remained in the back of her head. She had no idea what this attack meant and there was currently no point to dwell on it. Of one she was sure though – she had to hurry. Who knew when this painful seizure would come back and, if it did, whether she would be able to remain conscious? She had to get them out before that.

Unbeknownst to her, hidden by her clothes, the little twin-drop around her neck had started glowing bright red.