Hall was dimly lit, reminding her of the night she came here bringing Gero the note that had started this all.
In the foyer, Ell stood at his usual post by a tall wooden counter. As the Secretary of the City, he was Gero’s right-hand man, handling all the city’s affairs.
Ell nodded to Sylvia and Ven but said nothing. His eyes trailed to his left where Gero and Flint stood by a newly lit fire in the Common Room. Flint stood tall, not a hint of exhaustion in his demeanor. He looked rested and ready to get back home, but Sylvia saw him briefly raise a hand to his chest after chuckling at something Gero said.
“Sylvia, Ven, good morning,” Gero started as they entered the room. “Is there anything you still need for the journey?”
Sylvia glanced around the wide room, but found it entirely empty. It was far too early for anyone else to be here. Ell would be the only one who knew they were here, and he wouldn’t tell a soul.
“No, thank you Gero, I’m all set,” Sylvia said, already eager to get on the trail. She glanced at Ven and Flint, wondering how well they were prepared.
“Is that tea I smell?” Ven said, looking around the wide room.
“Sure is, let me get you some and we can talk,” Gero said, moving to a sideboard and pouring two steaming cups. Flint moved to sit back down on a bench, his cup of tea already at the side table, not a hint of steam rising from it. Had they been here long, talking about the attack?
Sylvia sat down opposite Flint, who had claimed her favorite bench. Gero handed her the polished wooden cup, its warmth reaching her hands. She took a sip of the warm liquid, which immediately soothed her nerves. And then she realized that she had nerves to soothe—an uncommon feeling for her. Journeys were usually exciting, sometimes even boring, but she hadn’t been nervous for one in a long time.
Gero gestured to a plate of sandwiches on the table, and Sylvia took one, the tea in her stomach suddenly making her ravenous. As she and Ven began to eat, Gero started talking.
The plan was to get into Riftcity to find out whether they were still under duress (a word that Sylvia had to stop Gero and ask what it meant), find out the status of the Riftcity government, and to get out safely. If Riftcity was still occupied by Skycity, they had to be very careful getting in and out undetected. It was very important that Skycity not know what they were up to.
“Well that’s it, really,” Gero said, with some finality to it. He stood, clearly eager for them to start their journey. “Ven, Flint, why don’t you go talk to Ell about any last minute prep? Make sure you two are fully stocked for the journey.”
The two looked at each other and then meandered back to the foyer, through the many chairs and tables throughout the room. Ven looked back and raised an eyebrow at Sylvia, clearly knowing Gero was getting rid of them.
Sylvia sat, her legs crossed at the ankle in front of her. She picked up another sandwich from the table as Gero began, “Sylvia, you need to be careful.”
She almost rolled her eyes, knowing full well how dangerous the woods were, but she knew Gero meant well. She merely raised her eyebrows at him, waiting.
“I’m talking about Flint,” he said, to her surprise. “He thinks he’s going on a rescue mission. This trip is to find out information only—seriously, his family, his whole life is there, he might do something rash. You need to keep an eye on him.”
“He could put you all in danger,” Gero continued, looking her right in the eye.
A soft chuckle came from where Ven, Flint and Ell were standing, talking about who knows what. Sylvia nodded at Gero but said nothing.
So, not only would she be shepherding two citizens through the wild, one of them was a stranger, whom she couldn’t trust to not get them killed in some rescue attempt . She wasn’t heartless—of course he would want to help
In the foyer, Ell stood at his usual post by a tall wooden counter. As the Secretary of the City, he was Gero’s right-hand man, handling all the city’s affairs.
Ell nodded to Sylvia and Ven but said nothing. His eyes trailed to his left where Gero and Flint stood by a newly lit fire in the Common Room. Flint stood tall, not a hint of exhaustion in his demeanor. He looked rested and ready to get back home, but Sylvia saw him briefly raise a hand to his chest after chuckling at something Gero said.
“Sylvia, Ven, good morning,” Gero started as they entered the room. “Is there anything you still need for the journey?”
Sylvia glanced around the wide room, but found it entirely empty. It was far too early for anyone else to be here. Ell would be the only one who knew they were here, and he wouldn’t tell a soul.
“No, thank you Gero, I’m all set,” Sylvia said, already eager to get on the trail. She glanced at Ven and Flint, wondering how well they were prepared.
“Is that tea I smell?” Ven said, looking around the wide room.
“Sure is, let me get you some and we can talk,” Gero said, moving to a sideboard and pouring two steaming cups. Flint moved to sit back down on a bench, his cup of tea already at the side table, not a hint of steam rising from it. Had they been here long, talking about the attack?
Sylvia sat down opposite Flint, who had claimed her favorite bench. Gero handed her the polished wooden cup, its warmth reaching her hands. She took a sip of the warm liquid, which immediately soothed her nerves. And then she realized that she had nerves to soothe—an uncommon feeling for her. Journeys were usually exciting, sometimes even boring, but she hadn’t been nervous for one in a long time.
Gero gestured to a plate of sandwiches on the table, and Sylvia took one, the tea in her stomach suddenly making her ravenous. As she and Ven began to eat, Gero started talking.
The plan was to get into Riftcity to find out whether they were still under duress (a word that Sylvia had to stop Gero and ask what it meant), find out the status of the Riftcity government, and to get out safely. If Riftcity was still occupied by Skycity, they had to be very careful getting in and out undetected. It was very important that Skycity not know what they were up to.
“Well that’s it, really,” Gero said, with some finality to it. He stood, clearly eager for them to start their journey. “Ven, Flint, why don’t you go talk to Ell about any last minute prep? Make sure you two are fully stocked for the journey.”
The two looked at each other and then meandered back to the foyer, through the many chairs and tables throughout the room. Ven looked back and raised an eyebrow at Sylvia, clearly knowing Gero was getting rid of them.
Sylvia sat, her legs crossed at the ankle in front of her. She picked up another sandwich from the table as Gero began, “Sylvia, you need to be careful.”
She almost rolled her eyes, knowing full well how dangerous the woods were, but she knew Gero meant well. She merely raised her eyebrows at him, waiting.
“I’m talking about Flint,” he said, to her surprise. “He thinks he’s going on a rescue mission. This trip is to find out information only—seriously, his family, his whole life is there, he might do something rash. You need to keep an eye on him.”
“He could put you all in danger,” Gero continued, looking her right in the eye.
A soft chuckle came from where Ven, Flint and Ell were standing, talking about who knows what. Sylvia nodded at Gero but said nothing.
So, not only would she be shepherding two citizens through the wild, one of them was a stranger, whom she couldn’t trust to not get them killed in some rescue attempt . She wasn’t heartless—of course he would want to help
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