Chapter 3: False Note

I woke with Dragon rubbing my face and turned to look at Jasmine sleeping beside me. I never expected Silver’s daughter to become a permanent part of my life but she had. I nodded to Dragon and she leaped into the air. I slipped out of bed and crossed to the table against the wall. I looked at the tiny scroll a small jeweled hawk had delivered.

There was no sign of magic on the scroll so I unrolled it.

Sinclair, I need you to steal a scroll for me. It will be found in the royal library in the guarded section. It is in a sealed case with several traps to guard it. It will have three wax seals that must not be broken. There will be a royal ribbon around it and you must remove this with out untying it. This scroll was to be removed and sold but it must never be read so I ask for your help.

Silver

I burned the note and looked at Jasmine and sighed before moving to get dressed. She had been here several times and had awaken with me gone a few of those times. I slipped out and moved through the quiet early morning streets. I glanced up a couple of times to see Dragon, Griffin or the drakes flitting from cover to cover.

The royal library was very large and only open during the day. It was simple to pick the lock and slip in. I quietly moved along the bookshelves and stopped to glance around the last one. I smiled when I saw the old watchman sitting in a chair and leaning against the wall. I silently moved to the door beside him and checked it before using a small oil bulb.

I squirted a tiny bit of lamp oil on the hinges and picked the lock. I looked at the sleeping guard once more before slowly opening the door. The room was large with three high windows. Tall bookshelves lined each wall and glass cases dotted the center of the room. One look and I walked to the only glass case with wavy strands of magic in and around it.

I slowly walked around the case before pulling out a small wrapped skin. I opened it and pulled out a tiny vial and a small wooden dowel. I opened the vial and poured a tiny bit of the clear liquid onto the case before careful standing the dowel up in the liquid. While I waited I moved to the wall with the windows and climbed up and opened one.

I climbed down as Dragon flew in and settled on my shoulder. I stopped climbing when I saw an interesting book and absently slipped it into my shirt. I went back to the case and pulled out a small metal rod. On one end was a tiny metal bulb and on the other was a diamond. I carefully used the diamond end to scratch a large circle around the wooden dowel.

I held the dowel and used the other end of the rod to tap around the scratch. I lifted the piece of glass out with the dowel and set it down on the floor. I looked inside the case carefully before reaching in. I turned the scroll to look at it before pulling my hand out. Out of a small kit I pulled another small rod with a tiny blade on one end.

I put everything else away before reaching into the case with the new rod. I turned the scroll over and carefully sliced the ribbon on the back side. I was extremely careful not to cut the scroll and used the rod to slip the cut ribbon off. I lifted the scroll out and put everything I had brought away except the dowel.

I slipped the scroll into my shirt and climbed up to the window. Dragon cocked her head and I looked at her. She shook her head as she looked at me and I frowned. I looked at the window carefully and saw very faint almost hair thin strands of magic. I pulled the scroll and held it out, “Wait for me to come out.”

Dragon leaped and her hind legs snatched the scroll as she flew through the window. I climbed down and moved to the door. I peeked out to see the guard missing. I slipped out and moved to the opposite side of the library than the door I had come in at. I had a bad feeling and pulled the other book out and slipped it onto a shelf, I also put my thieves kit on the shelf.

I moved to a door and slipped out, I had gone barely a dozen feet before men appeared. A smug looking mage walked behind them, “I told you he would do it.”

I glanced at him and then at the city guards, “Do what?”

They snarled and reached for me only to draw back as I drew my dagger, “Tell me my crime.”

The mage started to gesture and I grinned and threw salt in his face. He screamed as he was bathed in flames and several guards threw him down and rolled him on the ground. I looked at the guards, “What have I done?”

A sergeant cleared his throat, “We were told you were going to steal a scroll.”

I shook my head and sheathed my dagger before stripping. I turned around and shook out my clothes, “No scroll, no book, nothing.”