44 Chapter 43
"Are the shadows wicked for veiling the horror of dangers lurking in their lakes?
If the darkness that deals great and horrible secrets had a voice of its own, would it warn the innocent and unassuming of the attacks dormant in the deep or would it silently watch the stabs to the naive?"
~
The Untenanted Cottage of Jehu,
Town of Hazenvale,
Kingdom of Tristendyre,
The first Phrinight of the Second month,
XXI Year of Regency
Jaycob noticed that Aldric had been far too affected by the fiery catastrophe that had consumed the Lyrishveilian village. Lady Minerva stepped close behind the lad and placed a calming hand on his shoulder.
The boy stuttered in a frenzied nervousness, but the touch of the Chief Physician's palm seemed to soothe his tension.
"He must stay here to watch over the Xaviers whilst we complete our respective purposes", said she.
Jaycob had descried that Aldric did not observe the highest demands of royal propriety. The child oft went mute and irresponsive when faced with trauma and needed to bring his senses to situation by sometimes conducting himself in mannerisms that were fairly uncommon.
Jaycob nodded to the Physician who seemed to have interceded on the behalf of the child. It appeared as though some untoward event may have afflicted his past and rendered him so.
"May we proceed?" asked the Archer, collecting the shoddy doll he had forged into the shape of Elise Xavier.
"Of course", was the answer he received from Lady Minerva.
"There is a feigned cupboard in the bedroom where there is a door. I will leave there-through and set the clay sculpture at the ruins of the Xaviers' house. You shall make means through the main door and collect your endowments by royal carriage and begin your donations as you please. Fret not to align your deeds with mine, I will adjust pace accordingly. And kindly do enter herein after it has been concluded", said Jaycob, bringing dusky cloaks out of Jehu's possession.
"Agreed", said the Chief Physician, departing towards the call of her good feats.
Jaycob turned to the young boy and Missus Xavier who had taken to disposing the cups used.
He unfastened and shrugged off the coats and vest of his regalia till only a shirt composed the top. The Archer needed to feel light and flexible in order to accomplish his task.
Donning the dark coloured cloak of the exiled vigilante whose house he had imposed his way into, Jaycob Israel covered his olive hair with the cowl thereof to blend into the dark of the night.
Aldric stood by him, as if awaiting orders and he realised that there may be a few arrangements more that was needed. His voice was hushed as he instructed the boy to hide himself and the ladies in his care until Jaycob or Lady Minerva had returned.
It was not potential that danger would make its way into the abandoned house, but in any case, it would reward to be safe, for the situation was tensile and prone to disaster.
Once the conscious and unconscious persons of the house had taken cover, Jaycob withdrew himself through the backdoor and left to plant the clay doll.
Little did he know that a dark cloaked person stood in the shadows across the street, laying wait, eyes watching vigilantly.
~
The Village of Lyrishveil,
Kingdom of Tristendyre,
The first Phrinight of the Second month,
XXI Year of Regency
A great deal of time had passed and Lady Minerva's heart was greatly content at the sight of various needy persons gladly and desperately receiving the garments and gifts she had brought them. The coachman of their carriage waited beside her, in prompt service to take her back to the Imperial Castle.
"The times are dire and I have left little Aldric to the nursing. Kindly do wait by the street, Sir; I will make haste with my return", she said and the man respectfully inclined.
The avenue where she stood was the journey of about twenty minutes from Jehu's former residence and the woman decided to commence her tread thereto.
En route, she looked up to find a tall man sustaining a dark hooded cape approach her steadily.
As much as she endeavoured to speed away from his chase, the person approached quicker. Before Lady Minerva could raise her voice to her advantage, the hood was taken and she saw Jaycob's masked face beneath the shadows.
A laugh escaped the elder's lips as she settled.
"Has your deed been accomplished, son?" asked she and the familiar Archer nodded.
"Now, what reason that you wished her counterfeit death to be dressed?" asked the Lady.
Jaycob raked a hand through his olive hair, eyes trained on the road ahead as he spoke:
"The fire could have been incarnated from without the house. However, if the person was as specific as to break into the house before setting it ablaze, it is likely that they entered in order to retrieve something. I could not find much there within, for there was nothing past burnt crisp. Now the child must inevitably have witnessed the person's identity and what they robbed or whatsoever they were doing. That was what has invoked the intended murder, prior to the arson."
His reasoning was notional; but even though it was not entirely based on testimony, it was greatly probable that his intuition was a reflection of reality.
"But any person that flings an object at another would hesitate before committing it; especially in the case of a child. What brings you to believe the vase mayn't have been an accident?", asked Lady Minerva.
"Demeanour, M'lady", replied he. "The haste of their escape bore the impulse of a murderer. Further, they did not hesitate to hurl the lattice of their window at me before making escape."
She had heard all that the wife of Mister Joab Xavier had spoken to him, though only faintly and at intervals (for her concentration had barely strayed from her subject). It seemed as an apology towards an assassination attempt against Jaycob.
Further, she wondered of how frightful it may be if she would, one day, wake to news that Jaycob Oreius was passively dead and such news was the soil that buried the reality of his deliberate murder.
"Do you suspect there is a prize against your breath?" the lady placed her hunch in enquiry.
"That is certain. A portion of this odd and secretive organisation seems to attempt my assassination, but I am unclear on the details thereof. I assume they would be remunerated if my death was conquered", said he.
"And what would you suspect is the needed object?", asked she.
"I do not know; we must find out. Further, we must discern the identity of the assassin. They appeared to be of the organisation as well, but if they are recognised, I can trace their whereabouts and stay safe of their approach", said the Archer, although Lady Minerva could tell he was concerned about more than he was giving.
"And what is your immediate bother regarding the identity of the assassin? What is your perception of the incident?" the Physician asked.
"The old man Joab Xavier was forced to bring my murder at the cost of his own family. They've set the house afire to kill the mother and remaining child. Fearing that such would come to pass, based on threats, the man appears to have fore-warned his family to make escape in case he had not returned from assassinating me successfully.
It must have been a frightful shock for the family when I had returned instead, as both a confirmation that the husband had failed and that I may have come to claim my revenge.
Now, I had required leaving a pseudo make of the child to convince the murderer that a one victim out of two was claimed. It will be necessary to prevent Missus Xavier's encounter of them. I must decipher where the assassin moves and find their colleagues and bureau", the man responded and Lady Minerva nodded.
She could discern that he wished to dive into the very core, but with reckoned and measured tread.
"We cannot take such a sought-after family to the Imperial Castle; that would be like leading them into the open jaws of death. Must we leave the family to stay the night at the house of Jehu?" asked the Chief Physician.
"Even the shadows have eyes, the women cannot wait therein. It may be perilous." Jaycob said, pensively. His pace grew faster as they neared their destination. "There is no guarantee they will not return for the head of Mister Joab Xavier's wife."
Lady Minerva nodded, for the man truly had a fair premise.
Before she could begin to ask him of the things in her mind, she looked up to find shock the prime and evident emotion on his face, for his brows were knitted in a frown and he was hastening towards the deserted house.
She followed straight behind him. But before approaching quite closer, he held the Chief Physician back and whispered to her, over his shoulder, "The door seems to have been forced open."
~
