Sera took her time getting dressed. The prospect of meeting another person after the strangeness of today was not very appealing to her. Even once she was fully dressed she took advantage of the time she had to steady herself. It was only once she felt waiting any longer would be rude did she finally approach the exit.
The wind whipped with fury as Sera opened the carriage door. The door collided with a bell which rolled off the top, ringing loudly before the wind caught it and caused it to stream out towards the back of the carriage.
The scenery shot past her on either side in a constantly changing array of trees. Clutching to the interior wall of the carriage, Sera leaned out to look towards where Anjelica had disappeared. Sera reasoned that there had to be some method of climbing near there.
Sera looked at the outside of the carriage for the first time. Its red exterior paint had sunken into the purple wood giving the walls a deep maroon color. Though covered in ornate filigree, the copper paint which had once adorned the decorations had flaked or rusted to a dull green color. The sturdy iron bell she had heard hung from the roof on an iron chain. Just to the left of the door beside her were a series of metal pipes laying horizontally on the exterior forming a makeshift ladder to the driver's seat.
While the first rung was not too far, it still required a leap to reach.
Is she just seeing if I can make the jump? Sera thought while breathing deeply, She could have just had her friend stop the carriage if she wanted to.
Letting her frustration fill her lungs and embolden her legs, Sera leapt forward with outstretched hands. Her fingers collided with the heat of the metal bars as she caught hold of them and pulled herself haphazardly onto the ladder. As her weight landed on the bottom rung she felt the step underfoot descend just slightly and the door to the carriage swung shut of its own accord in concert.
This magic trick of machinery was not something Sera could ponder deeply, however, as the heat on her hands gave her urgency to climb. Having sat on the side of a carriage in the sun, the rungs had retained a great amount of heat. Sera scrambled up the side of the carriage and pulled herself up and onto the small platform on the top of the vehicle.
The first thing that came into view was the driving bench. It was itself something to be remarked upon as it varied so wildly from the rest of the carriage. The maroonish paint had soaked into every crack of the vehicle but the bench sat pristine and unblemished. Its wood was of a deep purple hue and it had been simply constructed. Long boards of wood lay along both the back and bottom of the chair held by heavy metal rivets. The edges of the boards had not been cleanly cut nor polished after their harvest. Sera could tell that this bench, meager as it may have been, had been cared for quite well as layer upon layer of finishing oil had been used to give the wood a magnificent sheen.
As Sera reached her hand up onto the bench she expected to feel the rough edge of the board but instead felt a well worn layer of lacquer. She climbed up and onto the bench and found it smoothly comfortable. Turning her attention towards the forms sitting next to her, she found her attention stolen by the scenery they were overlooking.
The forest on the left side of the trail had opened up. Sera could see far away until the darkness of the hills shielded her view once more. In the valley they were descending down into was a town slightly bigger than Tumville. The town had been built along the edge of a small lake upon which the shadows of several fishing boats could be seen. The water was serene and it reflected and casted the sheen of the sunset as it descended over the faraway hills. The deep pinks and reds and oranges of the early sunset caused the water to come alight with the palette of the coming night. The scene looked like a painting with the deep shadow of the buildings and the blinding brilliance of the lake. Amazed by this Sera looked over and saw Anjelica and, she assumed, Hound curled up on the opposite end of the seat.
Hound was a large man but the bench, which Sera now realized must have been built for him, was wide enough that it allowed him to lean back. His strands of gray hair danced in the wind as the carriage surged forwards. The large collar of his jacket had been undone to reveal the mail and black undershirt beneath. Even with the cuff that normally covered the bottom half of his face undone, Sera saw that he still wore a cloth mask up the bottom of his eyes. His eyes were of a brilliant red color and they shone like ruby stones as Sera looked at them.
A variety of levers, buttons, and dials sat across from him on a console towards the outer edge of the driver’s box and Hound rested upon the wheel in the console’s center. Pink, glittering steam poured out from either side of the box and a glass pane in the front showed an array of complex clockwork unlike anything Sera had ever seen before. Further amazement filled her as she looked over to see that the carriage they were riding on had no horses leading it. Though they moved slower than a horse might, the wheels spun of their own accord as they dragged the party across the countryside. Never before had Sera seen a carriage with no need for a horse
Sera’s questioning mind led her back to the driver of the contraption.
The wide sleeve of Hound’s red jacket hung off his wrist, robelike, far below. His other arm was thoroughly occupied by its entanglement with Anjelica’s.
Anjelica had rested her head upon Hound’s shoulder and weaved her arm around Hound’s. Their fingers sat loosely intertwined in a casual manner. Her eyes were shut but her smile and expression were both filled with contentment. So content that her usually-fidgeting-self laid comfortable and still against Hound’s hulking form.
Sera’s eyes met Hound’s and she saw that he had an inquisitive eyebrow raised at her. Sera gave a small and meager wave which produced a chuckle from Hound. He shook his arm a bit causing Anjelica to stir. With a great yawn she raised her arm and stretched. Anjelica fell back onto Hound without opening her eyes.
“That bed in the carriage is just so uncomfortable. I needed that nap!” Anjelica spoke the words slowly in between yawns.
“Our guest is here, darling. Perhaps you should introduce us?” Hound said. Sera noticed that his voice was deep and gravelly but with a tone of honeyed hope.
“Oh!” Anjelica uttered with a gasp. Anjelica turned and quickly divested her hand away from Hound’s. Sera could see a blush blooming on Anjelica’s face.
“Very sorry my dear! As promised, I would like you to meet your other traveling companion Hound,” Anjelica said with some excitement.
“The name is Hundrick but everyone just calls me Hound,” he said with a low grumble. He reached across with his newly freed hand and extended it towards Sera.
“My name is Seraphina but everyone just calls me Sera,” Sera chirped back a bit bemusedly and reached to shake his hand. Her hands were worn from farm work but she had never felt anything like Hound’s hand. Deep scars and calluses dotted the rough skin of his palm as if it were itself a battlefield. Presenting a friendly grin, Sera saw that it was mirrored in the lines around Hound’s eyes that were turned up in a smile.
“I hear from Anjelica that you decided to join our strange little entourage?” Hound asked while retracting his arm. He seemed to expect the light elbow Anjelica gave him for snide comment.
“I suppose so,” Sera said with amusement, “Is that what people call it?”
“No!” Anjelica interjected, “That is just what HE calls our great civic responsibility.”
“If it was a purely ‘civic’ responsibility then we could go from town to town officiating weddings like Father Moulder.” Hound said mockingly.
“Father Moulder neglects important elements of his duties!” Anjelica sounded dejected as she said it, “Besides the fact that we have been to four bloody weddings this year!”
“Well, perhaps with some luck we will make it five?” Hound asked hopefully.
Anjelica turned and looked at Hound. His hopeful gaze was met by her disapproving smolder. Anjelica did not take her eyes off of Hound when next she spoke.
“Sera, please understand that we do not just travel the countryside going from wedding to wedding,” Anjelica said with a scolding sharpness on her tongue, “We are servants of the state and our duties are many and varied.”
“Like officiating weddings,” Hound chimed in. That earned him another, harder elbow to the ribs.
“You work as judges and tax collectors too, right?” Sera asked with a smile, “I saw some Gavels once coming to ask Annika about her taxes.”
“I wish I could forget tax season. If the people are unfriendly most of the time then they treat us like outright villains during tax season,” Anjelica moaned dejectedly. Rolling her eyes, Anjelica turned back towards Sera and collapsed back into her resting place against Hound.
“Not many weddings during tax season. We do get our bonuses afterwards though,” Hound added chipperly.
“I do like money,” Anjelica admitted stubbornly.
“When will I start earning money?” Sera asked as innocently as she could manage, “I am essentially an apprentice of yours now right?”
At this Anjelica craned her neck to look up at Hound again. For a time it seemed that there was a conversation happening in an unspoken language between them. Their words were constructed of eye movements, nods, and tiny expressions. After a bit of this back and forth Anjelica turned to Sera once more.
“You will start being paid when you start being an asset. I imagine you will need a tad bit of training before that happens. Most people train for years before they kill a demon,” Anjelica spoke curtly.
“It seems that I am already ahead of the curve then. What if I just continue to exceed your expectations?” Sera replied with a cocky grin.
“You may get your chance soon, kid,” Hound said with some amusement, “We are coming off the mountain and into Portillo now. Usually the Field Minister will give us some work after we hand in our reports.”
“Oh shit,” Anjelica said with a start, “I forgot to write our bloody field report! I hate paperwork!” At this she bounded up from her comfortable seat. Excusing herself, she slid past Sera and disappeared over the side of the carriage. The sound of Anjelica’s boots hitting the ladder rungs echoed out before the swinging of the door and the ringing bell signaled Anjelica’s safe entry to the interior.
“Does she do that often?” Sera asked with chipper amusement.
“Oh all of the time,” Hound responded with similar mirth, “It is just easier usually to remind her rather than scrambling around at the last minute. I have gotten pretty good at guessing when we will get into town based on this contraption’s speed.”
Hound then ran his fingertips along the bottom of the control panel with a loving caress.
“Yeah, what is this thing exactly? I have never seen a cart move without horses pulling it. Is it some kind of Gavel magic?” Sera inquired.
Hound chuckled before responding.
“You could say that. Our friend Pierro has an inventive mind and he made this carriage to try to change the way that people move in our country. When he finished the prototype he asked us if we would test it and put it through its rigors knowing the kind of field work that we do. It is slower than a horse by a fair bit but driving it is one of the best perks that this job has had in years.”
“I thought my horse would have been up here leading the cart,” Sera lamented, “Did something happen to him?”
A sound came to Sera’s ears over the din of the machinery and its turning wheels. It was the sound of a single horses’ hooves hitting dirt. Without hesitation Sera bolted to the other side of the driver’s box to look over the edge.
Buck was running alongside the carriage and making even time with it. Though the carriage was moving quite quickly Buck’s stamina was on full display. He had not been tied to the side of the carriage but was running freely next to them.
“Buck!” Sera called out with joy and surprise. The horse immediately let out an excited, prolonged winnie at her appearance.
The carriage began to slow as Hound pulled on one of the levers. Buck took a few more long strides before beginning to slow himself. Eventually they were going at a slow enough speed that Buck dropped into a trot next to them.
“You said Buck? Is that his name?” Hound asked. A bit of excitement came into his eyes.
“Oh yes,” Sera said as she turned to face Hound, “Anjelica said that you had found him but I did not realize he had followed us!”
“Mostly of his own accord,” Hound said as tenderly as his gravelly voice could muster, “Once he saw you get put into the carriage he was basically locked at the hip with it. Sometimes he falls behind but a few minutes later he always catches up to us. A horse as dedicated as him must have been well cared for.”
“Buck was my only friend for a long time. He might be the only one who really knows me,” Sera said sweetly before turning to look at Buck once more.
“I know the feeling,” Hound said a bit wistfully before continuing, “Well maybe we can get to know each other?”
“I think I would like that!” Sera chimed.
“Well then I have to ask: are you here by chance or by choice?” Hound inquired. He raised an eyebrow at Sera as he asked the question.
“What do you mean?” Sera questioned, confused.
“Those are the only paths that lead people into the Gavels. You are either hoping to gain something for your suffering by taking on a clot or you found yourself in the possession of a clot and came to the Order to try to learn how to cope with it. You have a clot, so was it something that you chose to take on or was it something that happened to you?”
“Well it’s definitely something that is happening to me if those are my only choices,” Sera began with a dejected tone, “I never even knew about my clot until a couple days ago. What about you?”
“I chose my path,” Hound grumbled, “The church has access to things that a child could only dream of. This technological wonder of a carriage included.”
Hound paused and looked over at Sera. Her face was a twisted mix of emotions but overwhelming them all was a sense of resignation. His eyes darted over her features before he gave a long sigh.
“You still have a choice, Sera.”
“Not much of one. Anjelica said that if I tried to leave you would hunt me down.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
“True, that would happen. That was not what I was talking about though. Many people come through the Order with situations like yours or Anjelica’s but there is a big difference between them. Some of them see their clot as a curse or a parasite slowly eating away at them and some of them see it as a blessing and a chance to have meaning and purpose. Whether you decide that you are going to love or hate it you will decide eventually. It is better that you think about it now instead of ten years down the line. Whether it is anger or gratitude that drives you, one of them is required. Otherwise you will never really know what your clot is capable of.”
“Well I…,” Sera began before being cut off by Hound shushing her.
“It is not for me, Sera,” Hound insisted, “You should think about it and then come and talk to me about it if you need to. Besides, we are here.”
It was then that they came upon the outskirts of Portillo. The outer fence of the town was composed of trees bound together with their roughly honed ends poking into the sky. As they reached the gates there was a bit of conversation between Hound and the two guards before they nodded at Hound with familiarity. The gates opened and they wheeled themselves inside.
The town was beginning to slow down as the night drew near. A few fish hockers were still shouting to the mostly abandoned town square in an attempt to sell their last wares as the carriage made its way through the city square. The homes here were made from a blackened wood which twisted from the humidity of the lake. The people, sun-tanned and scarred, looked to be a hardy folk. They gaped and gawked at the autonomous vehicle as it made its way past them.
“The outpost is not too far,” Hound grumbled as they entered the town square. With a practiced precision Hound began to weave them through the streets of the city before they arrived in front of a stone Church building.
The outpost they came upon looked quite grim. Made of imported granite stone it stood in stark contrast to the dark wood of the surrounding homes. It had a rectangular construction with a grand, arched roof. A smaller arch was also held up by pillars above the stairs and entry door. Braziers of fire hung on chains next to the door offering illumination to the large, bronze seal of the Gavels which hung above. It had all of the decorum and stiffness it needed to be seen as a place of official business.
Where most buildings melded to the hills and paths they were built onto, church buildings were always stacked upon leveled ground. The artificiality of the Church’s buildings always felt unnatural and uniquely eerie to Sera.
“Raven!” Hound’s voice growled loudly, “We have arrived!”
As if on cue, the door flung open with a bell chime. Anjelica’s voice echoed up over the side of the carriage.
“I will need you both to accompany me!”
The words sounded like an order and the pair in the driver’s box certainly took it as one. They both stood and began to make their way down the ladder towards her.
Anjelica had changed attire sometime in the interim. Her blue shirt had been traded out for a red one whose color matched that of Hound’s jacket. A golden cast of the seal with its myriad spokes of arms sat pinned to the strap of her cuirass. A bandolier sat across her chest holding large bullets traced down to the gunbelt which held two huge looking pistols. The weight of the guns caused them to lean out and away from Anjelica’s hips. In loops coming off the bottom of the holsters were held two sheaths with rapier handles projecting from them. On top of all of this Anjelica had donned a deep black cloak of fine material. Though her elbows held the heavy folds of the cloak at bay it seemed to Sera that it would swallow Anjelica whole if she relented.
“Full regalia?” Hound inquired as he saw Anjelica.
“I would rather not be chastised about the audacity of wearing a color besides red,” Anjelica replied, “Besides, you never know who may be watching. Seraphina?” Anjelica looked to ensure she had Sera’s attention, “You may come with us but you must keep to yourself. We will get you some equipment and some clean clothes once we are done giving our report but understand that you are a guest. You are nothing more than a stranger once we enter those doors. That being the case, it is imperative that you not mention your clot while inside or it may prove rather complicated for us. If the Church discovers it and decides to take you into custody there will be little we could do for you. Understand?”
“Would it not be better for me to stay in the carriage?” Sera offered hopefully.
“So that you can rummage around in my papers and equipment? I think not,” Anjelica said with a dismissive tone, “We are only making a brief stop here. I promise that we will expedite things as much as possible alright?”
“Fine. Could we at least find somewhere for Buck to go while we are inside?” Sera asked.
“Your friend has done just fine for himself,” The gravel of Hound’s voice ground across his vocal cords. He pointed over to the side of the building where several horses were tied in front of a pair of troughs full of grain and water. Standing amongst the crowd of horses Buck had made already made himself comfortable as he sat munching on oats.
“There! Sorted. Now come along. I want to get this done quickly. The cotton they use in our official garments is incredibly itchy!” Anjelica sounded frustrated as she said it. The dark cloak was let down covering her entire form as she began to walk.
Hound looked at Sera and gestured with a nod towards the building. With a few strides Sera caught up with Anjelica and matched pace with her. Sera, walking beside her, could hear Anjelica itching and scratching herself underneath the privacy of the cloak which belied none of her movements.
As they began climbing the steps Sera looked up at the large emblem above her. Written in the circle was the oath of their station: “For the prosperity of the people.” Hound moved ahead of the group and pushed open the huge double doors with a slight grunt.
Entering into the building led them to be cloaked in candlelight with deep shadows trailing behind them. The ceilings were vaulted and held huge candelabras that glowed with the light of forty or more candles. Dark chains held them aloft and made intricate trails across the ceiling like a spider’s web.
Stretching in front of the party was a room separated by an archway. They walked through to see that the room contained three doors, three windows like one would see at a bakery, and three signs which read “Records”, “Armory”, and “Field Command”. Anjelica then turned to Sera.
“We have to do our official reporting which means that you will stay in the visitor’s lounge,” Anjelica commanded. Anjelica tightened her eyebrows leaving angry creases on her forehead as she pointed towards a set of double doors further back in the hallway.
“Why do I have to leave? I cannot learn anything if you are going to keep me away,” Sera said with a pleading tone.
“You are not an actual ward of the church and, until you are, you have no reason to be in the back offices. Now tut tut!” Anjelica turned as she finished speaking and began walking towards the Records room.
Sera looked up to Hound with a pleading face. To her grave disappointment he simply gave her an understanding, compassionate look before following Anjelica. With a frustrated moan Sera accepted her fate and turned towards the double doors.
As she strode forward and cracked open the doors she was immediately struck by the smell of pipe smoke oozing out of the place. Once Sera’s eyes had adjusted to the burning she peered around to see a lavish lounge area. A fireplace was roaring to combat the chill of the night. Paintings covered the walls with scenes of great battles and beautiful, faraway places encroached by unworldly black soot. Several couches adorned with frayed, red-dyed wool sat around a dark wooden table bearing crystal ashtrays with piles of paper and ashed leaves filling them. Across from the fireplace Sera saw a table upon which a large platter of food had been set. Dry cheeses, crackers, cured meats, grapes, and small desserts with spiraled frosting sat on immaculate silver trays. Glass goblets sat next to uncorked bottles of both red and white wine. Like a fly drawn to honey Sera found herself quickly fluttering across the room towards the food.
With bated breath and drool amassing Sera took a plate and began to fill it. By the time that she was satisfied almost none of the shining plate she held could be seen except for the rim. After pouring herself a glass of red wine she sat down upon one of the couches. She tried to form sandwiches with the ingredients before her but her impatience soon overtook her and she started jamming the food in her mouth directly. Sera was so consumed by her hunger that she had failed to notice the seats by the back window nor the man sitting in one of them.
A loud, deep clearing of the throat came from the back corner of the room and Sera froze. Heavy booted footsteps came a few strides closer to her and Sera looked up to see the face of a stranger.
The man that had approached her was long in all the ways that counted with a long face, long limbs, long bags underneath his eyes, and a long pistol at his side. He was wearing black robes with a bit of red ornamentation in scrolling. The skin of his face and hands were rough and had deep lines in them from where the work and dust had carved into them. He had a mustache and goatee but they had begun to blend in with the rest of his facial hair the longer it went untrimmed. To all that looked at him he would be a hard worker on any number of farms or construction sites except for his eyes. His eyes were of a deeply yellow amber color that shone out from beneath his wide brow and whatever light was in the room gathered and glowed from them. He had a pipe which he inhaled from just as he stepped into view giving his eyes an orange glow.
“Who might you be, young lady?” The man asked with a bit of amusement while looking down at Sera, “Not often do we have people of such a young age stopping by at our field offices. I would recognize you if you were a recruit so the question remains: who are you?”
Sera looked up and was frozen by the intimidating force above her. WIth a great gulp she swallowed the mouthful of food that had been blocking her ability to speak. With a great inhale she began to speak.
“I am not a lady by any means and I am almost of age, thank you. I am traveling with some Gavels until we reach the capital,” Sera said with a bit of finality. She hoped that this explanation would be sufficient.
Instead the man sat on the couch next to her without taking his gaze from her.
“Pray tell who these Gavels might be?” Where Hound’s voice had character and texture this man’s voice was the frozen surface of an icy lake.
“The Raven and the Hound, sir.”
“You become more of a puzzlement every moment,” he said with a choking chuckle.
“There is nothing that mysterious about trying to get something to eat.”
“You are right! It is not the eating that is interesting but HOW you are eating is! You came right in and sat down with a plate which would signify a great hunger. Not much food on the farm where you got those callouses?”
Sera had been trying to avoid his gaze but her eyes snapped to him. He was looking down at her hands. Upon realizing this Sera immediately put her hands into her lap and gave the man a defiant stare.
“Where I come from is none of your concern!” Sera stated chidingly.
A loud crash came from the table causing Sera to leap. The man’s pipe had been slammed down into one of the ashtrays. As he lifted it he left a large pile of ash and cinder behind.
“Oh I am very sorry. If I scared you then it was truly unintentional,” the man chimed. His expectant look and devious grin made it obvious to Sera that his words meant quite the opposite.
“Unfortunately, my dear,” The man began with a grimness, “It is exactly my business. As a member of the Internals Bureau it is my job to make sure that I am aware of every Gavel’s activities. Your hosts are no exceptions to that. So…” He led off with excitement. With a pinch he filled his pipe with tobacco before shoving the strands down with his thumb. “Why exactly are you traveling to the capital?”
This time Sera did freeze.
This is exactly the kind of thing they were trying to avoid by sending me here, she thought. A whole lot of good that did. I better come up with something quickly.
Sera shifted in her seat and heard the distinct crinkle of paper in her pocket.
The letter is a solid piece of evidence but what could it be evidence for? It is definitely old and very final. Maybe it was a goodbye letter? The last thing that she ever gave me? At least then I would only be telling half a lie. So my mom died, she gave me this letter, and Hound and Anjelica are taking me to the capital for…what exactly? I mean they are helping me but why would my mom’s death mean that I need a Gavel’s help? It would definitely have to be something important, legal, and far away…
“They are helping me to collect my inheritance,” Sera said with as much mustered conviction as she could. Knowing that she had already taken too long to answer she did everything to deliver the answer quickly without seeming to just blurt it out.
“Interesting. If your inheritance is in the capitol then why are you in need of an escort?”
At this Sera reached into her pack retrieving the letter from her mother. Presenting it to him she began to speak again.
“This letter was found in a blighted zone. They found the letter, found me, and then decided to try to at least help one of those affected by the tragedies that damned the place.”
The man read the letter over with sharp eyes. Once he had finished he nodded and handed the letter back.
“Angel did always have a soft spot in her heart for orphans,” The man spoke while locking eyes with Sera, “That said, she has also never given one a tour across the country. You must be a very special farmhand. Unique even. What exactly did you do to impress a woman like that?”
Sera felt a bead of sweat travel down her back.
The heavy double doors behind them flung open as Hound and Anjelica walked in. Hound had his arms full with a large chest that had several swords with their scabbards balanced on top while Anjelica carried enough clothes to fill a small wardrobe. They both had expressions of relief on their faces as they entered which quickly soured as they saw Sera and her conversation partner.
“Anjelica!” the man exclaimed as he bounded up to his feet, “It has been so very long since I have seen you in the flesh! I was just conversing with your very…interesting new ward!”
“I can see that Crownley. Though I worry that our dear friend's lung may have blackened simply due to your company,” Anjelica snapped.
Crownley laughed in a full chested manner that eventually led to a phlegmatic crackle overtaking his throat. As he coughed he moved towards Anjelica.
“You always had a sharp tongue. You have to admit that it is at least a bit peculiar that you managed to pick up a passenger with your very specific orders. Though it is very kind of you to help this girl…what was it that you were helping her with again?” His face cocked into a look of stupified wonder as he looked at Anjelica. There was a quiet few seconds of pause and silence as the two stared at each other
“It will be in our next report,” Hound cut in, “We found her on the last leg of our journey so we did not have time to give a detailed account. If you are interested then perhaps you could check the archives after we do the formal write up?”
“I always look forward to reading about your escapades, Hound,” Crownley spoke while a wicked grin etched into his face, “I expect a very thorough and powerful report from you two on this matter. Perhaps I could even expedite some of the inheritance proceedings if you were to send word along. I know that you have a very important assignment so I will not keep you any longer. Truth be with you both.” Crownley walked with purpose towards the doors, turning with a smile to grab the handles and pull them shut behind him.
Left in the room, the party was silent for a moment. There was nothing but the sound of the crackling fire as they all looked at the doors.
Anjelica was the first to turn. She looked at Sera with a panicked expression before looking towards Hound. They stood there staring for a few seconds before Hound nodded. Anjelica then threw the clothes that she was carrying including a couple pairs of boots onto the couch opposite of Sera. She then came and sat next to Sera on the couch.
“Sera,” Anjelica began with a shaky voice, “What exactly did you say to him?”
“I told him that I am traveling with you to the capitol for…,” Sera trailed off. She had noticed that Anjelica was looking at her. Not in the normal way but in a searching way. Anjelica was not just paying attention to Sera, Anjelica was scrutinizing her and Sera could feel it. After the friendly interactions earlier it felt like Sera had met two entirely different Anjelicas.
“Sera!” Anjelica prodded forcefully, “What else?”
“Well I told him that...uh…that you found my letter in the blighted town and came to find me. I am traveling with you to try to claim my inheritance in the capitol.” Sera spoke with a nervous fervor. As Sera searched over Anjelica’s face for any sign of approval there was nothing but the gray slate of Anjelica’s eyes.
“Did he believe you?” Anjelica questioned.
“How am I supposed to…?” Sera was cut off as she spoke.
“Do you think that he believed you?” Anjelica hissed the words putting emphasis on each of them individually.
“I think that he did?” Sera spoke shakily, “Did I do something wrong?”
A single, involuntary tear streaked down Sera’s cheek. Anjelica saw it and her expression softened. Shaking her head, Anjelica took a deep breath. Leaning back in the chair she reached up and pinched her nose.
“No, Sera. I apologize if I made you feel that way. You have done nothing wrong. In actuality you did quite well. You had some very quick thinking with the letter.”
Anjelica leaned forward resting her elbows on her knees.
“This changes things but only just a little,” Anjelica said to Hound before addressing Sera once more, “Those clothes over there are all yours.”
“You got me clothes?” Sera asked confusedly due to her mixed emotions.
“Of course! Every single stitch is yours which means that you get to carry it!” Anjelica exclaimed.
“Oh, how exciting,” Sera said with sarcastic enthusiasm.
“Yes! Very exciting! Now go get dressed because we are going out on assignment!” Anjelica spoke as if she was presenting a child with a sweet.
Anjelica stood and began to walk out of the room. As she went she yelled back towards them.
“I need to send a letter ahead of us! I will meet you all in the carriage and brief you. We are leaving shortly!”
The doors flung open and Anjelica strode off with the sound of her heels echoing off the vaulted halls.
Sera knew that she should have moved but the still mostly full plate beckoned to her. She began to slowly and quietly pick at the food while watching for Hound’s reaction. To her amusement, Hound spent a good long while watching Anjelica leave before turning and noticing her eating.
“Come on, snack time is over,” Hound stated, trying to sound imperious.
“Any time is snack time if you have good food to enjoy!” Sera said specifically to evoke the annoyed response on Hound’s face. Slapping her hands together to dust them, she stood to go grab the clothes from the couch.
The pair then made their way back out onto the street and back to the carriage.
In the distance, a cloud roared with a crash of thunder.