Sacrifices Must be Made
My footsteps echoed hollowly in my head, although they didn't make a sound as I sped across the forest floor. Lucien's words replayed in my head, becoming more lifeless each time.
"There is a traitor that has been traced back to the Cheydinhal sanctuary. I am afraid that one of the family members may not be who they appear to be." Lucien paused, studying my expression. I didn't know what to think of at the time, although there was a dull feeling at the back of my mind that was gradually increasing. I couldn't pinpoint the feeling either. I continued to stand, looking into Lucien's eyes hoping he would give me further information, to give me some idea where he was taking this.
When I didn't reply he continued. "Have you heard of the term purification?"
"No." I replied.
"The traitor has tainted the Cheydinhal sanctuary beyond repair. To purify is to cleanse the sanctuary of any betrayal, doubt and or deceit. My eyes widened with growing horror, as I started to grasp what he was saying. The next sentence that came out of his mouth only confirmed my growing fears.
"You must kill every brother and sister in the Cheydinhal sanctuary! You must do this with haste and efficiency. The brotherhood will remain forever tainted if you don't."
His parting words left chills down my spine. "Don't let me down."
"Hello there!"
The guard's voice broke me out of my trance. I looked around me temporarily bewildered. I had reached Cheydinhal and was now standing at the entrance gates. The sun had disappeared behind the mountains, leaving a red glow cover the sky. It reminded me too much of blood for my liking so I quickly turned to the guard, who had his arms crossed, staring at me expectantly.
"Back again?" he asked. I nodded, feeling uneasy under his intense gaze. I forgot that guards had a tendency to ask one's business when entering or exiting a city, after dark. Then again, that generally was when the suspect folk would be active. There was an awkward silence as he continued to stare at me. I felt like he was staring straight through me, and for a second I believed he actually suspected what I was about to do.
With a loud sigh the guard uncrossed his arms and opened the metal door, which groaned in protest. I thanked him as I speedily walked through the door. The guard just grunted and closed the door behind me.
I tried to calm my frenzied heart as I walked away from the public eye and into the shadows created by the large houses. The dark provided some comfort for me, but still didn't cure my growing dread.
I continued to walk forward. As soon I caught sight of the Dark Brotherhood sanctuary well, I was reminded of the task I had to fulfill. My breath caught in my throat and I felt faint. I walked towards the well unsteadily and leant over looking down into the murky darkness.
Under normal circumstances the well entrance would seem inviting and friendly, but now it seemed foreboding. I felt like a traitor already, and that I was separated from my family by a supernatural force…which, come to think about it, that was exactly the case.
"What are you doing?" The sudden question made me freeze in place. I tried to think of a reply whilst at the same time, trying to figure out who it was. There was no light to create a shadow, so that was out of the question. The street lanterns were on, but they were too far away to be of any use. The person obviously didn't mean any harm straight away, so they might not be a foe. Could they be a friend? I tried to figure out what friends I had in Cheydinhal. The thinking didn't last long as a scaly hand lightly touched my shoulder. I jumped at the unexpected contact, and immediately crouched in defense mode, whirling around to face my attacker.
Teinaava stood there with a shocked expression on his face, his hands held out in front of him, yielding for me to calm.
"Evelyn, are you okay?" he asked, taking a step towards me. Upon recognition, I felt a little embarrassed and ashamed. I slowly straightened, still cautious incase it was a trick. But then I saw the look in his eyes- the concern. And it wasn't an act, it was genuine, more so, for my wellbeing. I decided then and there, that no traitor could deceive all their kin, yet still direct such feeling towards only one.
Teinaava wasn't the traitor.
Having made peace with myself on that term, I faced my brother without fear or regret.
He seemed agitated on not receiving an answer from me.
"I'm really sorry brother. I was just lost in thought, and you startled me. I wasn't expecting…company." I tried to make the end of my explanation comical, and successfully it seemed. Teinaava's mouth pulled into a toothy grin.
"They don't call us Shadowscale for nothing!" he laughed. Whether I was relieved or just plain nervous, I suddenly found myself laughing alongside him. Maybe it was both.
Our sudden bouts of laughter were short lived, as the sound of a guard approached. Becoming deathly quiet, we opened up the latch to the well and silently slipped in, disappearing into the murky darkness. The echoed click of the latch was the last thing heard before the streets were hushed into silence.