Hearts Return - Part 6

After leaving her less than appealing meal behind, Zandrianna mounts the stairs, reaches the landing for the third floor, and heads down the dimly lit hall, rubbing the front of her head. As she approaches the doorway, she fishes into her pouch for the tarnished brass key to the room, and struggles briefly to turn it in the lock. Finally, with a dull click, the lock relents and, breathing a sigh of relief at the thought of silence, she enters the room. Tossing the key onto the small, scratched dresser, she moves towards the bed - only to stop as she sees a shadow move in the corner. She jumps back with a gasp.

The shadow pulls back a hood and she sees familiar features dimly illumined by the moonlight. He gestures for her not to light the sconce.

"Ceolfred," she shakes her head at the man, but her lip quirks up in a smile.

Ceolfred gives a faint shrug. "Old habits," he says, as his only explanation; then, pulling the cowl back over his head, moves to sit in a chair that faces window and door. He gestures Zandrianna towards the other. "Emrabeth tipped me off tha' you were here. Good head on 'er shoulders, when she stops t' use it. She still downstairs?"

Zandrianna brushes past Ceolfred and settles into the other chair, the wood creaking beneath her slender form. "She is, I left her eating supper," Zandrianna grimaces. "Tell me though, how is Rastellion? Is he well?"

Ceolfred lifts one shoulder. "Well as can be 'spected. Lad's a bit stir crazy; keeps asking why we can't just sneak 'er out. Been listenin' to too many bards' tales, as have got more fantasy than common sense in 'em." The corner of his mouth curves upward slightly. "No offense meant...."

Zandrianna's laughs, the melodious sound filling the room. "None taken, indeed. As a bard, I know most of the songs and tales I recount are greatly exaggerated at the best - if not downright falsehoods. But," her forehead creases and her laughter fades, "He'll listen to you, won't he?"

Ceolfred brushes this concern away with a motion of one hand. "Oh, don't fret. He's a sensible lad. Can't blame him for bein' impatient, though... th' uncertainty 'bout that girl's been eatin' away at him ever since she disappeared. But we're here now, an' even got the start of a plan." He leans forward a bit. I met tha' girl, today. The friend that Immalaine said'd help us.”

"Oh!" Zandrianna's eyes widen as she leans forward to listen. "Did she say if Immalaine is well? What is the plan? And ... do you think it will work?"

Ceolfred glances about the empty room, then lowers his voice. "Immalaine's as well as can be 'spected, I suppose. We - tha's Marybelle, th' girl, an' me -- only had a brief time t' speak. That Sallastin bastard's got her ankles chained t'gether, constantly, an' she's always got at least one guard t’ follower her 'bout the place. An', from her description, place is even more closely guarded than I'd thought." He shakes his head. “Was tough enough t' slip in on my own; it’d be all but impossible t' get 'er out." His jaw sets, frustrated. "So we've got t' wait until th' wedding itself. That'll be when we can get in t' the compound, 'mid th' confusion of th' wedding, and it'll be a rare chance t' get to Immalaine she's unguarded, an' even unchained. I don’ like how it’s at th’ last minute, so t’ speak, but seems tha’s th’ best minute to try.”

Zandrianna bites her lower lip as she listens, the news more dire than she'd hoped to hear. "Alright then," she said with a brief nod. "Then we'll have to make it work. I only wish I could see her for myself. From what I've heard ..." Zandrianna turns away to stare out the window, blinking her eyes.

Ceolfred nods sympathetically. "As I said on th' way here, we get one shot. Gotta pick th’ right time. Here's how th’ girl sets it out. Theres t' be a wedding dinner, an' she an' this Sallastin'll be at the head table. Then there's a dance, then the declaration o' vows an' the signing. So b'fore th' dance, Marybelle's supposed t' take Immalaine into a side room t' get a gown on. Guard wont' be inside then. An' the chains'll be off too, then, for th' dancing. That'll be the best time t' get to her, an' with all the extra people 'bout the place, best chance t' get 'er out, too."

Zandrianna steadies herself and presses her head against the cool glass as she stares out at the sky. "And in the meantime, what will we do? Emrabeth and I have discovered there's a fair bit of competition for bards. It may not be as easy as we thought to secure a place inside." Zandrianna smiles wryly for a moment. "Though I must admit I was rather surprised by that girl's ability to sing. Rarely have I heard such a natural voice. And she says she's never even trained!" She turns back to Ceolfred. "If I'd not heard it myself …"

Ceolfred rubs his chin in thought. "See, tha's the part we got t' confer on. This Mary girl, well, she can tell us when and where t' find Immalaine that night. Mebbe even lead us partway out. But the gettin' there, and the gettin' out ... well, tha’s on us." He stares abstractedly out the window toward the half-full moon that skulks behind scudding clouds. "I can get m'self in that night, easily enough. Lead Rastellion in too, but th' more of us there are..."

He turns to Zandrianna again. "I jus’ hope you two are good enough t' get inside. Didn't reckon on this when we planned. An' we'll need a way out. An' mebbe a distraction while Immalaine's away, t' give us more time t' slip away..." He trails off again, thinking through possibilities.

Zandrianna watches Ceolfred as he mutters a few thoughts to himself, the smile fading away as her pulse jumps. With the realization she'd been staring, she turns quickly to watch the clouds chase each other across the night sky, her face hot despite the breeze from the open window. "I'm hoping ... well no sense hoping ... we have to be good enough to get in." Zandrianna falls silent and reaches up to rub her neck beneath her long hair.

Ceolfreds' encouraging grin flashes. "I'm sure you'll manage. I've heard some of the local 'talent', an' I've known cats gettin' their tails stepped on as have put on a more melodious performance. B'sides ... well, your playin's quite fine. Dare say you'll have no trouble."

Zandrianna turns to ask Ceolfred when he'd ever heard her play and pauses at the grin that makes him appear younger, almost boyish. "Thank you," she whispers, her fingers smoothing the folds of her dress.

Ceolfred's attention wanders back to the window. "Well, find out more about this barding competition. I'm t' meet Marybelle again in t’morrow. I didn't mention you or Emrabeth to 'er t'day, but she seems sound. So I'll fill 'er in on what we come up with." He shakes his head, thoughtful. "She's takin' an awful big risk 'erself, this Mary, helpin' Immalaine out. But that girl o' Rastellion's is a sweet one. I'm not surprised she gained herself an ally. An', by the looks of it, this other girl suffers too."

"Then we'll help them both get out." Zandrianna replies, but tilts her head as she looks at Ceolfred. “We are getting them both out?"

Ceolfred nods. "That's the plan. An' the girl wants us t' fetch her mother, too, after we're away. Mother apparently lives not too far away, an' she's worried Sallastin will kill the mother if Mary's part in this comes out." He frowns. "She wouldn't tell me which village, though, just that it was on th' way back to Bree. But I can't blame 'er fer being cautious.” He leans back in the chair. “Anyway, there's th' plan, such as it is, so far."

The two sit in companionable silence for a few moments, watching the shadows from the various trees bend and sway below. Zandrianna turns and takes a deep breath. "Ceolfred ..." she starts, but the sound of someone pounding on the door interrupts her and she turns to glare at it.

Ceolfred rises in a quick, fluid motion and fades back into the shadows along the room's edge. "I should get back to Rastellion," he murmurs and, without another word, slips out the open window and vanishes among the village's moon-dappled rooftops.