by Jane Glatt
she said without turning around.
She pushed the panel aside and he followed her into the sitting room.
“You could tell me how you knew,” Kane said.
“I just knew, that’s all,” Brenna said. “Like most things with old steel, I can’t explain it.” She brushed past him and into the hallway.
Kane heard her feet race up the stairs and he sighed. Leaving Kingsreach with Brenna was what he needed to do. She’d learn to trust him on their journey. She had to. But by leaving Kingsreach with her he would be breaking his oath to his King. He would not break one oath and then not fulfill his older, earlier oath to the Brotherhood. Brenna had to learn to trust him. She had to.
Brenna sipped her tea slowly. Before dinner Kane told her he wanted to talk to her in private. He’d been very pleasant during the meal but she didn’t think she could delay him anymore. After his questions this afternoon she thought she knew what he wanted to talk about.
She hadn’t meant to reveal the information about the blood but Master Innis had seemed so nice - and so excited to do important work for the Brotherhood - that she’d wanted to help him.
Brenna liked the Brothers she’d met. They’d been very generous to her, especially Feiren and Kane - she truly hoped they succeeded in whatever they needed to do. But she didn’t want to lead. Just because she had two of the bloodlines didn’t mean she was the one they were looking for. She refused to believe it. She swallowed the last of her tea and put her empty cup down. She couldn’t put this off any more.
“Ok, let’s talk,” Brenna said.
Kane pulled her chair out and she followed him to the sitting room. Once there she nervously paced the room.
“Please, sit,” Kane said. He gestured to one of two cushioned chairs pulled up by the fireplace.
She sat down and Kane took the chair across from her. He leaned back and smiled at her and Brenna clenched her hands. What was wrong with her? It was Kane. All he wanted to do was talk to her.
“There’s no reason to be nervous. I’m perfectly harmless, really,” Kane said.
“I doubt that,” Brenna said. He smiled and she relaxed a little. “This all seems so formal. You requested my time hours ago and didn’t invite Feiren.” The fact that Kane was leaving his uncle out of this threw her off balance a little.
“I’ve already spoken to Uncle Feiren about some of what I want to discuss with you,” Kane said. “But this needs to be a private conversation.” He hesitated. “My uncle is not privy to everything I do. Whatever we discuss, whatever we decide, he’ll know only what we both feel he must know. It’s to protect him as well as us.”
Brenna nodded. That made sense. She was going to sneak out of Kingsreach. The fewer who knew exactly when and how, the safer she’d be. Maybe that’s all Kane wanted to talk about?
“So,” Kane leaned towards her. “We need to plan your next steps. You agree that you can’t remain here any longer.”
“Not and remain sane,” she said. “Never in my life have I spent so much time inside. If it wasn’t for weapons training and … well, getting out at night, I would have left long ago.”
“One day I hope to know exactly what you’ve been doing at night.”
Brenna looked down at her hands. She hoped that he never learned. It was her business, not his, not the Brotherhood’s, hers.
“I’ve been using your own network to try to find out, you know,” Kane said. When she looked up, startled, he laughed. “Don’t worry. Even Eryl doesn’t suspect it’s you he’s been asking about. I simply asked him to look out for anything unusual happening around the Collegium, most especially the library. He’s had a couple of small incidents to report. One involved the theft of some laundry, but that could be anyone, couldn’t it?”
“Anyone who wanted clean clothing,” she replied. “We agree I need to move on. Do you have some more ideas?” She was tired of the Brotherhood trying to run her life. Anything they suggested she would reject. She’d go back to the Quarter if she had to. Eryl would help her hide. Kane couldn’t have bought Eryl off to the point he’d betray her, could he?
“Actually I was hoping you’d given it some thought,” Kane said.
Surprised, she looked at him. He seemed sincere, but could she trust him?
“It’s your life,” Kane said. “You don’t have to tell me what your plans are but it would help with provisioning. If you haven’t decided yet I suggest you figure it out very soon. We leave in five days.”
“Five days? You can’t mean that. I can’t be ready to leave in so short a time.” There wasn’t enough time to properly explore Duke Thorold’s estate. She had to retrieve her mother’s knife. She would not allow that murderer to keep it. “And what do you mean we? I really don’t need you to supervise me. I’m not a child.”
“I’ve told you before,” Kane said. “My duty is to ensure your safety. I’ve spoken to my uncle and I’ll be resigning my captaincy in the next few days. Leave the travel preparations to me. I’ll have everything ready in five days. I suggest you make some time to practice riding before then. Uncle Feiren will help.”
“You expect me to ride a horse?” As a child she’d lived above a stable full of horses, but she’d never been allowed to ride them. “I can’t. I won’t!” Riding. And traveling with Kane? She did not want this. She wanted to get away from the Brotherhood.
“I can help you leave Kingsreach,” Kane said. “I can keep you safe. Spend some time learning to ride. We leave in five days.”
Five days. That wasn’t enough time. She had to get her mother’s knife.
Brenna breathed out in disgust. She’d just entered the secret passage that led to Duke Thorold’s estate and despite her need to focus on the task at hand, she couldn’t stop thinking about her conversation with Kane. She’d changed her mind about learning to ride. It was a useful skill - one she would need once she was out of Kingsreach. She drew her black breeches from her pack and jammed her feet into the legs. That would show him. She’d learn how to ride and then she’d lose him along the trail. She pulled the black shirt over her head, bunched up the student disguise and shoved it into the pack. With a shake of her head she willed thoughts of Kane away. She could not afford to be distracted, not tonight.
She whispered the spell to hide her pack and slung it onto her back before she set off down the tunnel. A few minutes later she was outside the servants’ hallway.
This time when she felt for old steel she was prepared for the wail of her mother’s knife. She counted a total of ten pieces in and around the house. Seven of them, including her mother’s knife, were bunched together and Brenna didn’t think they were being used by anyone. They seemed stationary and lifeless, but the distress of her mother’s knife made it hard for her to be sure.
She closed her eyes and concentrated. Yes, the weapons were in a room that was on the plans. The corridor that led to that room was on the other side of the dining room, which should be at the end of this servant’s hallway.
She searched for old steel again. The three other pieces felt like they had owners. One piece was in a room above – a bedroom most likely. The other two seemed to be outside the house. She looked at those two more closely. Definitely swords, and they were moving. Guards then. She would keep track of those two.
Her right hand tapped her knife hilt nervously as the sounds of servants finishing their chores drifted to her.
When the house had been quiet for over an hour it was time to go. She pushed the panel door open and stepped into the hallway. She wasn’t as prepared as she’d wanted to be - she only had the one exit, and it was a long way from where her mother’s knife lay - but she was out of time.
It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the near dark of the house. She was in luck. The door to the kitchen was closed. She passed it and paused at the entrance of room at the end of the hall. This was the room she had to go through. She settled her back against the wall and searched the shadows for any signs of movement and
checked to make sure the old steel hadn’t moved before she slid into the room. Carefully she maneuvered around the furniture until she reached the opposite door. It was open and Brenna peered into the hallway. She’d need to turn right, and then left.
She stepped lightly into the hallway. Just along, here, yes this should be it. She ducked into a narrow corridor and headed in the direction of her mother’s knife. Here. This was the room. The door was open and Brenna stepped in. Now that she was so close, the knife pulled at her. She moved slowly towards a large desk. That’s where the knife was. She knelt down and gently tried the bottom drawer.
To her surprise the drawer opened smoothly. She felt inside but didn’t uncover the knife. A false bottom, then. Brenna checked for the usual release mechanisms and finally heard a soft snick. She lifted the drawer bottom up and grabbed the knife. She shoved it over her shoulder and into her pack. Time to get out. She heard a noise and froze.
By the Brothers, in her haste to get her mother’s knife she’d forgotten to check for the guards. She ducked under the desk and looked for old steel. Two pieces were still outside on the grounds, but the one that was in the house had moved, was still moving. And it was headed her way. Had she made some noise and given herself away or was he doing his usual rounds?
Brenna kept as still as possible and concentrated on the sounds
