Chapter 15

As the women were led upstairs, Gareth Brizton watched them go. His mind was racing with questions and he didn’t have any answers. This Aco looked very much like Umi, but her face was a thing of beauty, not the acid-scarred wreck he had heard about. The mention of Claw sent his guts twisting with a touch of fear. He had heard the rumors and stories of the Thieves Guild enforcer but had always heard she stayed further east. Again, questions with no ready answers. The other woman, Robin was an even bigger mystery. She was an orphan, or so she claimed. Seeing her the first time nearly caused him to call out, thinking it was Giena Hassert returned to him. He had stopped himself though. He was certain of one important fact, Giena had to be many long years dead or he would have had some word of her since. She had left without any warning late spring that same year. The main building of the Hotel was nearing completion and things were starting to get busy for them with guests and contacts within the city. She was to head up the entertainment and services crews for the guest. He couldn’t understand her reason for leaving. Now he looked at the painting, thinking of Robin. Could she be his daughter? He had suspected Giena had been with a child from the way she had acted just before she had left. Robin had never known her mother as a child, having been raised in various homes as she grew. The girl also seemed to have inherited musical talents and other skills from her parents. ‘Could Robin be that child,’ he thought wonderingly. He snapped out of his thoughts and looked around, seeing a number of the staff just standing around doing nothing. “Ok, if you have time to be standing around, you time to be cleaning the brass people.” Bodies vanished faster than ice in a boiling pot of water.

Aco and Robin woke the first morning in their new world, both had to wonder if this was all a dream. They looked at each other and smiled, knowing that at least this much was not a dream. They shared a long kiss then worked to climb out from under the heavy blankets. “Brrr,” said Robin, “It’s cold in here.” She looked and noted that the fireplace along one wall, “We forgot to light a fire to warm it up in here.”

Aco shivered and walked across the room to the fireplace. It didn’t have any grates to hold firewood though. What she saw was a series of pipes that wound back and forth across the bottom. One end had a handle that had an arrow pointing to the right with the word, “ON” and “OFF” printed to the left. She felt the pipe below the handle and jerked her hand back, shaking it from the heat that had nearly burned her hand in the brief contact. She gingerly touched the handle in case it was burning hot as well. It was warm to the touch, but not painfully so. She pushed the handle towards the on position and heard a gurgling sound of water flowing through the pipes. After a minute, the noise settled down and heat began to radiate from the pipes in the fireplace. She checked to see if she could open the chimney flu but didn’t find one. The fireplace was decorative only, the pipes supplied the heat to the rooms. As she stood to go to the bathroom to ease her complaining bladder, she heard a sudden swoosh from more water running down a hole quickly. She walked to the restroom and saw Robin staring at a cut stone waste hole.

“I don’t know how we missed this last night Aco, but this is great,” said Robin, pointing at the seat. She went on, “After I finished, I couldn’t see how to push the crap down the hole. That,” she pointed at a wood box made from a solid chunk of some sort of dark hardwood, “It must be a tank to hold water. I pulled the cord hanging down from the side and water poured into the bowl and everything got washed down.” She turned the nobs that started the water in the shower then paused, looking down and to the side of the stone bowl. She saw it was a low bowl with a nozzle pointing up. It had a lever on the wall above it, so she pulled it down and warm water shot up a few feet into the air to splash back down into the low bowl. When she let the lever go, it sprang back to its original position and the water stopped. She smiled at Aco, “I think I know what this is for,” she said quietly in awe at the thought. Robin turned the water in the shower off and stepped over the bowl, a foot on each side. Squatting down facing the wall, she pulled the lever again. The water shot up her front as she had not stepped far enough towards the wall. She grunted and shuffled her feet until she was centered over the spray. She rocked forwards and back, then side to side until the water running down was clean-looking. She let the handle go and stepped into the body dryer and closed the door to let it work its magic on her.

Aco sat on the cold stone seat and emptied herself out. The stone encouraged one to finish as quickly as one could. She then repeated what Robin had done over the rinse bowl and enjoyed the feeling of being properly clean down there. Robin stepped out of the dryer, her hair once again a wind-blown disaster and Aco stepped in to get fully dry. She found that once the hot air was going, she could let the handles go. She spread her labia and the hot breeze soon had her too dry. She started to get itchy so let her neither labia close and her body took care and re-moistened the complaining body parts.

When she stepped out of the dryer, Robin handed her the hair comb. Aco saw the mirror on the back of the door and checked herself over. Her hair was all over the place. It was also much longer than she normally liked to keep it. She figured on cutting it back later. Both women giggled when both of their stomachs sounded off about needing to be fed. They set out clean clothing on the bed and began dressing. They had decided to dress nice rather than looking like something that had just crawled in from the road. Robin had her brown pants and tunic out. This suit was colored like the pattern of the male robin bird. Brown with orange patterning on the shoulders. Aco pulled out her gold show suit and slid into it. She didn’t put any under or foundation garments on to hide her body. She did however slip the Dragon and Rage mask’s into the sleeve pockets. She felt that being armed would upset their host, but she was not really concerned about it. She pulled on the leather straps up her arms and secured the two lethal weapons in place. She pulled the sleeves back down and for the first time in a long time, she felt whole. She went through her pack and found a smiling mask from those she had been gifted. She pulled the cowl over her head and slipped the mask in place.

Robin watched her in silence as she prepared for the day. When the mask went on, Robin shivered as a cold chill ran up her spine. “Aco, do you really need that?” she asked.

Aco spun and did something she hadn’t done in months, she quickly changed her face. Now the angry face was looking at Robin, “And why shouldn’t I be who I have been most of my life,” she said. Then she froze in place, her hand reached up to grab the mask away from her skin but froze as an argument raged in her mind.

Robin waited for the internal battle to subside, then thought she could help when she saw Aco start to slump a little bit. She stepped around the bed and reached to pull the mask away. As she did, Aco jerked away from her. She could hear Aco talking quietly to herself. One voice was the lover she knew, the other a cold and harsh voice that she feared. Aco was losing to the Claw at that instant, the cold voice was getting louder as Aco faded. Robin snatched the mask away from Aco’s face, then pulled the two from up her sleeves. She shoved them down into the pack so Aco couldn’t see them, then waited to see what would happen.

“No, you impudent winch,” growled the cold voice of the Claw. “Give me my face back,” it demanded.

“No Claw. Now is not the time for you to return. You will know when, but until then, don’t try to take over,” Robin was in Aco’s face snarling back at the evil side of her friend. Aco sagged and inhaled a deep breath. “Thanks, Robin. She caught me off guard that time.”

“No mask’s for you Aco, no masks at all.” Robin closed in and kissed Aco long and deep. “Besides, if you have them on, I can’t do that to you whenever I want.” She let Aco go and went to collect a few items she wanted to carry with her, namely her Lute. She had seen something in the painting and wanted to check it out again. They soon found that walking down so many flights of stairs was almost as hard as going up. They stopped and sat on the steps less than halfway down when their legs began to hurt. They sat and talked about what they wanted to do while here.

“Robin, I think I could set up a performance and do several shows a week if he wants me to.” She stretched her legs and flexed them to ease a small cramp in the upper thighs. “Now I know that there isn’t anybody that could take me much further in my combat skills, and my gymnastics and flexing are at or near the best they will ever be.” She stood and bent over, pulling the muscles in her back that had stiffened from the steps. I just need to practice something I saw while we were in the Crossing.”

“The pole dancers?” asked Robin.

“Yeah, the pole dancers. I visited them and they taught me some of the moves, but I need to build up the strength in muscle groups that aren’t used during my regular performances.” They both started moving again and in a few more minutes they reached the lobby. A waiting servant spotted them on the way down and a maid with three butlers was standing by waiting for them when they reached the bottom step.

The senior butler bowed and asked, “How may we be of service this morning ladies?” Aco and Robin looked at each other, at the team waiting for them, back at each other, both shrugged and Aco took the lead. “Someplace we could obtain breakfast would be a good start if you would be so kind.” He nodded at the others and they scattered to other duties. “If you follow me, I will show you the smaller dining room for morning and midday meals.” He pointed in the direction they needed to go and led them to a set of finely crafted double doors that were blocked open. They followed him in and he seated them at a table off to one side that gave them a clear view of the chamber but kept them out of direct view of the doors. Once they were seated a waitress in a black skirt, white shirt and fine-looking shoes appeared and asked them what they would like as she handed them menus. Her hair was kept tightly bound under a lace scarf and prevented them from telling her age easily. The butler vanished while they were distracted by this. “Would you ladies care for something to drink while you wait for your order?”

Robin looked up at her, “Some wine cut water if you please.”

The waitress didn’t even blink, “Red or white Madame?”

Robin attempted to maintain the same air, but failed as a smile cracked her face, “A mild white will do nicely, thank you.”

“Your drinks will arrive in a moment, have you decided on what you would like to order?” she asked. The waitress was mildly confused over this pair. The boss had been adamant that these two be treated like royalty, and no bill would be proffered to them. Rather than argue, the staff head just nodded and sent the word down the chain of command as the boss liked to call it. Even having them refer to him as the boss rather than by name drove some of those with long family histories of being in service to the edge of distraction at times.

“Aco, I think we are so far in over our heads that all we can do is swim and try not to get caught in the intrigues we will encounter here,” said Robin. She gestured at the menu, “Look at this, eggs in about two dozen different ways, several types of bacon. Potatoes fried, boiled, or in any way you can think of.” Both decided on fried eggs, fried potatoes, sausage, and fresh bread with butter and honey. Neither spoke as they ate, several of the staff hovered nearby in case they needed or wanted anything else. When they went to a washroom, they found the public rooms were nowhere near as nice as the ones in the rooms they had been given. They were still nicer than most they had encountered while traveling but still didn’t come close to the upstairs.

Back in the lobby, Aco stopped and looked at the portrait of her parents. She could see how the years had worn them down since this had been made. Robin on the other hand was giving the portrait of the woman, Giena a close examination. The Lute in the painting had the same markings that hers had on the frame. The painting also had several bars of musical notes on it. Robin studied them and played them. It took several tries before she had them worked out. On the seventh play-through, something seemed to click from inside the body of the Lute. She studied the outside but found nothing. It was when she looked up inside around the strings she spotted something out of place. She shook the lute enough so a small scrap of paper dropped out of the instrument. She also heard a faint clinking from inside, like metal on the wood. She tilted the instrument so the light showed up inside the chamber. She saw what looked like a key hanging inside the body. She turned it over so the hole was down and gently shook the lute again. The key dropped free and fell out to land on the floor by her feet. She stooped down and picked it up, hoping nobody noticed her doing this. As she studied it, she could see it looked like a room key. It had 102 engraved on it.

Robin went over to what had to be a reading table. In the well-lit corner, she read what was faintly printed letters and numbers. “Robin read them out quietly, RM102, BR2, S7, FItN, pg150.” Aco had joined her and was listening to her friend.

“I think that whatever this is referring to is well hidden. Rm? Room maybe?” said Aco.

“Could be, what about BR.” After a second she said, “Bedroom 2? The S7 though, no idea.”

“The last must refer to a book, so the S7 is a shelf,” said a man’s voice from behind them. Both women jumped and glared at Gareth Brizton who had managed to sneak upon them. “The FItN must refer to a book title.” He gestured to follow him. “I know what she was saying in that little message. She left it for me to find it someday. As to 102, that is a staff room. It isn’t used since the keys are missing for it. It was her room, so I have left it undisturbed in her memory.”

“In who’s memory Gareth?” asked Aco. “My wife’s,” he replied quietly.

Gareth led them back behind the front desk and into a series of corridors with rooms marked by the 100 series of rooms. When they reached room 102 Robin handed him the key. The door opened with a loud squeaking from sticking hinges. Gareth entered the dark room first. He called for the ligths and the old lanterns lit as if they were freshly enchanted.

Closer examination showed it had not been occupied in many years from the amount of dust that had settled on every flat surface. “She took her keys, including the backup master key for the room with her when she left Robin. All the other keys went missing at the same time, so I am sure she sealed this room to keep folks out.” He stared around in thought, “Why is it I never had this room opened?” He went to the bedroom on the right with a two over the door. As he turned the knob, a series of musical notes came faintly from inside the room. Robin heard them and stopped Gareth from opening the door. The tune had sounded familiar to her ears. It took a few minutes for her to place them. It was a song one of her mothers had sung to her as a very young child, a bedtime song to help her sleep. She pulled her lute up and played the simple tune, but nothing happened in response. She motioned and Gareth opened the door. It squeaked and resisted being moved. “I own this place and never thought about how this room was not being used, what is going on here?” he asked. He looked around the darkroom and called for the lights to come on. The glow stones did as they were commanded and they could see a room that was most certainly not used as a bedroom. Tables were lined up along the back wall. They had battle packs neatly stacked on them from one end to the other. In the center of the room, a small round table stood and a two-foot-wide glass globe resting on a gold stand. Gareth approached the globe, but nothing happened. He slowly reached out to touch it, as one finger brushed across the dusty surface, the glass glowed and the dust flew off the surface in a faint cloud. “This has to be some of Minda’s work. I knew she was good, but...” He froze when the image of Giena appeared in front of him. Her long black hair tied in her tight bun was frazzled and dark eyes stared out of the globe at him. She looked sad, knowing that she about to hurt the one man that loved her more than life itself. He stared wide-eyed at the image he remembered so well, then it spoke to him with her voice, the image matching the words.

“Gareth, my beloved. If you are watching this, then one of those with a key has arrived. Minda, Lorna, and I have taken measures to ensure this room will be undisturbed until that time. I am leaving you this message so you will understand why I left you. I carry your child, my love. I knew the fate of our daughter before she was born. The creature that destroyed the company has visited my dreams and has told me that it was not its plan to destroy us. It was compelled by something evil beyond anything we could understand.” She looked around for a second as if listening to somebody and nodded, “I haven’t much time left, I will do what I can to set our girl on the right path to one day come home to you. Once she comes, be ready for others, for the final battle over the gems is coming, and it will be up to you to prepare the New Journeyers for the war that is their fate to fight. Goodbye, my love.” The image of his wife vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Gareth touched the globe again to try to make the image return, but the globe remained dark and empty. Tears began to burn his eyes as he looked ahead, not seeing anything clearly as his heart burned with the pain of the second loss of his beloved wife left him more hurt than ever. Robin had moved to stand next to him to see and hear the message clearly. She touched his arm and asked, “Could she have been my mother? He looked at Robin, “Possibly child.” He shivered as another of the wracking sobs escaped him, “You look so much like her.”

Robin took a chance and touched the globe. It lit up again, and now another woman was standing in front of her. “If the daughter of Gareth and Giena touches this device of my making, a message will be released. You match the blood of the named ones.” The woman vanished and Giena re-appeared. “My daughter, by whatever name you have chosen, understand that I didn’t have a choice in letting you go when you were born. At the time I am making this, you are still many months from being born. Please, my daughter, be kind to the old man, your father should he still live, he will be able to assist you in your goals in life and allow you to rise to a new level of greatness. You will be part of the coming war, so prepare well.” She looked to the side and nodded, “As each of the children of the Merc’s come home, a message will be waiting.” The image vanished and Robin looked up at Gareth.

“I guess that makes it pretty official, Father,” said Robin. She looked up at the man that had so much hurt and pain in his eyes. “I will try to be a good daughter, but I have never had a real family before either.” He just nodded, not able to speak yet from the choking he felt in his throat.

Now Aco stepped in and touched the globe. It lit and Umi now stood before them. “To the child of my blood that has reached this place, prepare well. We will have hopefully been able to train you as far as possible in the ways. Our friend, Gareth will know several that will be able to teach you further, for you will be sent to those that trained your father and I. May the Goddess look favorably on you in this.” The image closed.

When Gareth was finally able to speak, “I never knew about any of this. It is like I was kept away from this room, never noticing it in passing. Minda must have done something that kept people from seeing the door until you arrived Robin.” He looked at her with new eyes, here standing next to him was a daughter he never knew about. They would have much to talk about he hoped. He wanted to know what sort of life she had been living. But as for Aco, here was a woman that was death to mess with. ‘Claw?’ he thought, ‘Here stands a creature that has every chapter of the Thieves and Death temple shuddering in fear. I will deal with that issue later.’ “Ok ladies, let’s find the book in question.

One wall of the room was covered in shelves of books. Each shelf had a number so seven was easy to find. The titles were faded but could be made out. Aco spotted the book, ‘Fires in the Night’. “That must be it,” she said, pointing to it. Gareth pulled it from the spot it had been in for decades. A small cloud of dust sprang up from it as he moved it. He gently opened the pages and immediately noted the book was a handwritten journal. He couldn’t tell right off who had written it, but it seemed to cover the night Merc’s died as a company. He turned pages until he reached 125. A note was placed between the pages. He carefully pulled it free and unfolded it. He studied it carefully and frowned.

“These are family account numbers with the royal bank. You are not listed by name of course, but according to this, any child of the family will be able to access the account and the funds within.” He watched Aco and Robin, seeing how they would react to this news. Robin seemed to relax, were as Aco seemed to tense up a bit. “A problem My Lady Aco?” he asked. He said it that way to get a response. He got one, she fainted and sagged to the floor.

Robin was able to catch Aco so she wouldn’t be hurt in the fall. “Call me that and I will have to sing really off-key at you,” Robin said as she lowered Aco down. Aco was opening her eyes even as Robin was lowering her down safely. She blinked a few times then put her hands down to push herself back to sitting. “What did he call me?” she asked in disbelief.

Robin frowned, she wasn’t happy with where this seemed to be leading either. “He called you, My Lady. As in royalty type, Lady.” She looked at Gareth, “Am I part of the peerage too?” He nodded in the affirmative. “For now, let it go, we are not royalty, at least not in our minds.” She helped Aco back to her feet then looked at the papers. Several more pages of banknotes and accounts had fallen from the book. Each showing numbers, names, and dates.

Gareth was reading them and frowning ever more deeply as he did so. He muttered about a thief he would have a long talk with about things if the chance ever came about. “I know where all this came from girls. Merc’s kept several separate accounts at different banks for funding missions. Anson Sizemore was a royal bastard back then, and still most likely is since he’s running the Thieves out in Planes Guard.” The last sheet had a short note to him that told him what was going on with the money and why it had to stay hidden.

Merc’s had gained many enemies over the years. When word got out that they had been obliterated in battle, many would come seeking the money and resources the company had built up over the years. All the books on the shelf had mission logs and after-action inventories. All the boxes and bags held enough treasure to buy the kingdom outright. “Come on ladies, now I know why this room has never been investigated. In fact, we will have a hard time remembering it once we leave it.” Back in the front room, he continued to explain, “Minda Fireham is an enchantress that had no equal in her time. She always downplayed her abilities to play it safe. She joined Merc’s after we took down the bandit group she had been hanging around with. That was about two years before that creature hammered us into the ground.”