Ma’am.” His hand rubbing the back of his neck in apprehension, the thick winter-lining of his plated mail seemed tight and stuffy in the closed office with no windows open.
She tilted her head a few inches. “I can see that Captain.” After another pause that felt like a century she spoke again, her voice lowered despite her claims of confidence in the room’s soundproofing. “Allow me to clarify then, if you do not wish to say this yourself.”
He nodded, as words failed him.
“We have a traitor in the Caelites Reiner and I’m sure you suspect as much. That’s how the enchantments were dispelled and no doubt information leaked on our layout and resources. It was wise to not mention it before the others just yet.”
“Oh yes, of course.” He breathed an inward sigh of relief. “I wasn’t sure if I was just being paranoid or not, but it’s too convenient. Too organised.”
“I agree. Do you have any suspicions?”
He paused despite himself. “You don’t suspect me?”
“Should I?”
“Well no. Yes. But I’m not the traitor.”
“I appreciate thoroughness. It’s not you, you know it, I know it. You’ve got too much to lose, too much pride in your work and from what I can observe you just don’t have it in you. You’re an honest sort.” She crossed her arms with a wry grin. “It also helps that you are accounted for at all times, haven’t been near the mortuary in days, and as Olivia so emphatically explained she checked them yesterday.”
Reiner felt an odd mixture of pride, happiness and respect for his commander mixed with healthy doses of fear, nervousness and confusion. It was a lot of things to feel all at once and Reiner always tried to keep his own thoughts and feeling simple and compartmentalised and was woefully unprepared. Taking pity on him, Amelia changed the subject.
“I have my suspicions who it is but I’d like to hear it from your thoughts without my influence. Please, in your own time.”
He nodded and stared into space for a few seconds, his embarrassment forgotten.
“If Olivia checked the seals yesterday that means it’s either Carmine or Falkner’s turn today. It could be Carmine, perhaps his undead allies turned on him but I doubt it. He doesn’t seem the type either. Falkner’s been with us longer than I have, he’s more experienced and he knows all about our methods, or defences. He’s nowhere to be found either which is suspicious.”
“Precisely. Perhaps the most pertinent fact is he’s the only one with both the knowledge, experience and a possible motive. We didn’t always see eye-to-eye on matters I understand that but this last year he’s been distant and uninvolved. That unpleasantness in overseas didn’t help either.”
Reiner listen with interest, he’d heard rumours and half-truths but never been given a full-account and Falkner had never spoken about it in detail. He had all of the pieces but putting it all together would take time.
“Captain I’m going to send you to Kriegsfeld to investigate. Find out about Valdgeirr, find Falkner and see what you can find about Haures, though he won’t make that easy. Take people you trust and keep your numbers small. We’ll play this one quiet until we know for sure. It won’t be an easy task, if you don’t wish to I can ask anoth—”
“—I can do it, Ma’am.” He replied with a snappy salute. “You can trust me.”
“I do. We’ll discuss the finer details later. I have a few other things to take care of but I will require your assistance later.”
“Of course, commander.” He saluted again and turned towards the door. His hand clasping the cold metal door-knob.
“One last thing, Captain?”
“Yes, ma’am?” He asked looking over his shoulder.
“A grave matter?” She raised her eyebrow. “That was almost a joke from you.”
As ever his face betrayed him and flushed red. “It was an accident ma’am. Won’t happen again.”
Her shoulders sagged. “Of course it
She tilted her head a few inches. “I can see that Captain.” After another pause that felt like a century she spoke again, her voice lowered despite her claims of confidence in the room’s soundproofing. “Allow me to clarify then, if you do not wish to say this yourself.”
He nodded, as words failed him.
“We have a traitor in the Caelites Reiner and I’m sure you suspect as much. That’s how the enchantments were dispelled and no doubt information leaked on our layout and resources. It was wise to not mention it before the others just yet.”
“Oh yes, of course.” He breathed an inward sigh of relief. “I wasn’t sure if I was just being paranoid or not, but it’s too convenient. Too organised.”
“I agree. Do you have any suspicions?”
He paused despite himself. “You don’t suspect me?”
“Should I?”
“Well no. Yes. But I’m not the traitor.”
“I appreciate thoroughness. It’s not you, you know it, I know it. You’ve got too much to lose, too much pride in your work and from what I can observe you just don’t have it in you. You’re an honest sort.” She crossed her arms with a wry grin. “It also helps that you are accounted for at all times, haven’t been near the mortuary in days, and as Olivia so emphatically explained she checked them yesterday.”
Reiner felt an odd mixture of pride, happiness and respect for his commander mixed with healthy doses of fear, nervousness and confusion. It was a lot of things to feel all at once and Reiner always tried to keep his own thoughts and feeling simple and compartmentalised and was woefully unprepared. Taking pity on him, Amelia changed the subject.
“I have my suspicions who it is but I’d like to hear it from your thoughts without my influence. Please, in your own time.”
He nodded and stared into space for a few seconds, his embarrassment forgotten.
“If Olivia checked the seals yesterday that means it’s either Carmine or Falkner’s turn today. It could be Carmine, perhaps his undead allies turned on him but I doubt it. He doesn’t seem the type either. Falkner’s been with us longer than I have, he’s more experienced and he knows all about our methods, or defences. He’s nowhere to be found either which is suspicious.”
“Precisely. Perhaps the most pertinent fact is he’s the only one with both the knowledge, experience and a possible motive. We didn’t always see eye-to-eye on matters I understand that but this last year he’s been distant and uninvolved. That unpleasantness in overseas didn’t help either.”
Reiner listen with interest, he’d heard rumours and half-truths but never been given a full-account and Falkner had never spoken about it in detail. He had all of the pieces but putting it all together would take time.
“Captain I’m going to send you to Kriegsfeld to investigate. Find out about Valdgeirr, find Falkner and see what you can find about Haures, though he won’t make that easy. Take people you trust and keep your numbers small. We’ll play this one quiet until we know for sure. It won’t be an easy task, if you don’t wish to I can ask anoth—”
“—I can do it, Ma’am.” He replied with a snappy salute. “You can trust me.”
“I do. We’ll discuss the finer details later. I have a few other things to take care of but I will require your assistance later.”
“Of course, commander.” He saluted again and turned towards the door. His hand clasping the cold metal door-knob.
“One last thing, Captain?”
“Yes, ma’am?” He asked looking over his shoulder.
“A grave matter?” She raised her eyebrow. “That was almost a joke from you.”
As ever his face betrayed him and flushed red. “It was an accident ma’am. Won’t happen again.”
Her shoulders sagged. “Of course it
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