Mara woke to Maylo's hand upon her shoulder. "Wake up," he hissed. "The Hunt is upon us."
Her eyes widened as terror swept through her for a moment and then narrowed again. "We're _Exalted_, Maylo. We can take them."
"Don't be a fool. You were right last night. Life _is_ sweet, but we are outnumbered and they are much better prepared than us. Remember, the Wyld Hunt are trained to kill people like us."
"Then what do you suggest? Stay here, Like rats in a trap?"
"No," Maylo shook his head. "We run. For now. We need to hide our auras. I know it's possible, they mentioned it at school."
She gazed at him and then concentrated on the veil of silvery light around her. If faded gently until only the mark on her forehead remained. She could feel it burning coldly. "I can't hide this though."
His aura had faded too, leaving the sunburst on his forehead. "Nor can I. We'll need scarfs to cover them then." He looked at their ragged clothes. "And fresh clothes as well, these are too conspicuous."
"I don't have any other clothes," she pointed out. "I'm a... I _was_ a slave, remember."
He eyed her appraisingly and she flushed under his eyes. "My sisters have plenty," he said suddenly. "We have to hurry."
Mara turned to follow him and then stopped to look at the still unconcious figure under the wrecked wine-rack. "What about him? He could wake up." She took a step towards Jarek
Maylo shook his head. "Don't. He's still my brother."
"Do you think that matters to him?"
"It matters to _me_."
* * *
Maylo crouched on the balcony of Eloho's suite. She'd been called down to gather with the rest of the family in the main chamber where the Immaculates could examine them while their guards swept the rest of the Manse. There were dozens of children though - brothers, sisters and cousins of various degrees. He didn't expect he'd be missed just yet. Jarek on the other hand, would be expected to aid the Immaculates.
Behind him, Mara finished bundling a handful of his sister's garments together. There was a ripping sound as she used the tiny scissors his sister kept for trimming her nails to open one of the seams on Eloho's favorite frock, just in case she had to run in it.
"I'm done. Where now?" she asked softly, coming up behind him.
"My room - it's the next floor up."
"I think they'll have guards on the stairwells, Maylo."
He grinned. "I know. There's another way." He opened the wardrobe that Mara had closed fastidiously and tugged the topshelf sideways. It slid easily and he pulled himself through the narrow gap into the bottom of another wardrobe above. Reaching back, he caught mara's bundle and then helped her up. "This is my wardrobe."
"Convenient," she said in surprise. Then her eyes narrowed. "How did you know it was there?"
He flushed. "It was left a little open by whoever used it before I used this room. I heard Eloho down there with one of the stable-boys and when I looked for the chink in the bottom of the wardrobe..."
"Who had the room before you?"
"Jarek." He hesitated. "She was very fond of Jarek when we were younger. Before he joined the Legions."
She nodded quietly. "What do you need?"
Maylo closed the bottom of his wardrobe and stripped off, pulling clean clothes from the hangers. "My bow is in the next cupboard," he said. "There should be a quiver with it."
She opened the cupbaord and passed the items to him silently. As he donned the fresh hunting clothes and bundled two more outfits into a bag, she prowled the room restlessly. Spotting a long dagger on the desk she tucked it beneath her own belt. "Hurry up. We can't have much longer before the search reaches us."
He nodded, buckling the quiver's baldric across his chest. "I'm ready."
The two left the room and sped along a passage towards the end of the manse. They were almost at the end when Maylo halted outside an ornate door. "This way."
"What? That's your father's study!"
"It overlooks the stables. Come _on_." He pushed at the door. When it resisted he stroked it gently and then tapped it harshly with one knuckle. The bolt snapped back audibly and the door swung open slowly, on silent hinges.
"How did you do that," Mara asked, latching the door after them.
"I... don't know," Maylo mumbled. "It just came to me."
She gave an understanding nod and went to the window. "Right, there are the stables."
"I'll go first," he said. "If anyone is there they will be less suspicious of me than they will of you in my sister's clothes. Bind this around your forehead though." He passed her a broad ribbon of crimson silk. He had another and tied it around his head, covering the glowing brand on his forehead. Looking closely, Mara could still make out the slightest glow, but at a distance it should be invisible.
Maylo climbed out the open window and onto the stable roof while she bound her forehead, and then down to the ground, vanishing into the stables themselves. For a moment she watched the yard, waiting for him, and then her eyes wandered around the sumptuous chamber. Her eyes settled on a locked cabinet and she pulled at the door idly. It resisted and she drew her dagger, prying at the latch.
Just as it gave way, she heard voices from outside the window.
* * *
Maylo had saddled his father's best riding horse and was opening the stall to Jarek's favorite when the door to the Manse opened, catching him in the open.
His father was the first out and his jaw dropped as he saw Maylo in the stables. "MAYLO!" he bellowed. "What are you _doing_!? And where's Jarek!?"
Maylo's mind raced. "He sent me to saddle Lancer for him, father. He said..."
The man who followed Tepet Arjav into the cobbled yard was tall and wore armour beneath his Immaculate robes. "Why do you cover your forehead, boy?" he interrupted, an intense look on his blue-tinged face. "What are you hiding?"
"What in the name of the Scarlet Empress are you suggesting?" Maylo's father demanded. "He's young and foolish but he's a mere boy, no Anathema."
The gaze of Peleps Deled didn't waver and a fang of legionaires poured down the steps to spread around the two Dragon-Blooded. Arjav's half-sister, Flavia, followed them, her own Immaculate robes billowing in a wind that touched only her.
Maylo cursed inwardly and pulled an arrow from his quiver. "I'm sorry, father. You're wrong," he said loudly, hoping Mara would be able to escape while the Hunt focused on him. He nocked the arrow and raised the tip swiftly towards the smug sneer Deled's face. "I'm the one you're looking for."
Her eyes widened as terror swept through her for a moment and then narrowed again. "We're _Exalted_, Maylo. We can take them."
"Don't be a fool. You were right last night. Life _is_ sweet, but we are outnumbered and they are much better prepared than us. Remember, the Wyld Hunt are trained to kill people like us."
"Then what do you suggest? Stay here, Like rats in a trap?"
"No," Maylo shook his head. "We run. For now. We need to hide our auras. I know it's possible, they mentioned it at school."
She gazed at him and then concentrated on the veil of silvery light around her. If faded gently until only the mark on her forehead remained. She could feel it burning coldly. "I can't hide this though."
His aura had faded too, leaving the sunburst on his forehead. "Nor can I. We'll need scarfs to cover them then." He looked at their ragged clothes. "And fresh clothes as well, these are too conspicuous."
"I don't have any other clothes," she pointed out. "I'm a... I _was_ a slave, remember."
He eyed her appraisingly and she flushed under his eyes. "My sisters have plenty," he said suddenly. "We have to hurry."
Mara turned to follow him and then stopped to look at the still unconcious figure under the wrecked wine-rack. "What about him? He could wake up." She took a step towards Jarek
Maylo shook his head. "Don't. He's still my brother."
"Do you think that matters to him?"
"It matters to _me_."
* * *
Maylo crouched on the balcony of Eloho's suite. She'd been called down to gather with the rest of the family in the main chamber where the Immaculates could examine them while their guards swept the rest of the Manse. There were dozens of children though - brothers, sisters and cousins of various degrees. He didn't expect he'd be missed just yet. Jarek on the other hand, would be expected to aid the Immaculates.
Behind him, Mara finished bundling a handful of his sister's garments together. There was a ripping sound as she used the tiny scissors his sister kept for trimming her nails to open one of the seams on Eloho's favorite frock, just in case she had to run in it.
"I'm done. Where now?" she asked softly, coming up behind him.
"My room - it's the next floor up."
"I think they'll have guards on the stairwells, Maylo."
He grinned. "I know. There's another way." He opened the wardrobe that Mara had closed fastidiously and tugged the topshelf sideways. It slid easily and he pulled himself through the narrow gap into the bottom of another wardrobe above. Reaching back, he caught mara's bundle and then helped her up. "This is my wardrobe."
"Convenient," she said in surprise. Then her eyes narrowed. "How did you know it was there?"
He flushed. "It was left a little open by whoever used it before I used this room. I heard Eloho down there with one of the stable-boys and when I looked for the chink in the bottom of the wardrobe..."
"Who had the room before you?"
"Jarek." He hesitated. "She was very fond of Jarek when we were younger. Before he joined the Legions."
She nodded quietly. "What do you need?"
Maylo closed the bottom of his wardrobe and stripped off, pulling clean clothes from the hangers. "My bow is in the next cupboard," he said. "There should be a quiver with it."
She opened the cupbaord and passed the items to him silently. As he donned the fresh hunting clothes and bundled two more outfits into a bag, she prowled the room restlessly. Spotting a long dagger on the desk she tucked it beneath her own belt. "Hurry up. We can't have much longer before the search reaches us."
He nodded, buckling the quiver's baldric across his chest. "I'm ready."
The two left the room and sped along a passage towards the end of the manse. They were almost at the end when Maylo halted outside an ornate door. "This way."
"What? That's your father's study!"
"It overlooks the stables. Come _on_." He pushed at the door. When it resisted he stroked it gently and then tapped it harshly with one knuckle. The bolt snapped back audibly and the door swung open slowly, on silent hinges.
"How did you do that," Mara asked, latching the door after them.
"I... don't know," Maylo mumbled. "It just came to me."
She gave an understanding nod and went to the window. "Right, there are the stables."
"I'll go first," he said. "If anyone is there they will be less suspicious of me than they will of you in my sister's clothes. Bind this around your forehead though." He passed her a broad ribbon of crimson silk. He had another and tied it around his head, covering the glowing brand on his forehead. Looking closely, Mara could still make out the slightest glow, but at a distance it should be invisible.
Maylo climbed out the open window and onto the stable roof while she bound her forehead, and then down to the ground, vanishing into the stables themselves. For a moment she watched the yard, waiting for him, and then her eyes wandered around the sumptuous chamber. Her eyes settled on a locked cabinet and she pulled at the door idly. It resisted and she drew her dagger, prying at the latch.
Just as it gave way, she heard voices from outside the window.
* * *
Maylo had saddled his father's best riding horse and was opening the stall to Jarek's favorite when the door to the Manse opened, catching him in the open.
His father was the first out and his jaw dropped as he saw Maylo in the stables. "MAYLO!" he bellowed. "What are you _doing_!? And where's Jarek!?"
Maylo's mind raced. "He sent me to saddle Lancer for him, father. He said..."
The man who followed Tepet Arjav into the cobbled yard was tall and wore armour beneath his Immaculate robes. "Why do you cover your forehead, boy?" he interrupted, an intense look on his blue-tinged face. "What are you hiding?"
"What in the name of the Scarlet Empress are you suggesting?" Maylo's father demanded. "He's young and foolish but he's a mere boy, no Anathema."
The gaze of Peleps Deled didn't waver and a fang of legionaires poured down the steps to spread around the two Dragon-Blooded. Arjav's half-sister, Flavia, followed them, her own Immaculate robes billowing in a wind that touched only her.
Maylo cursed inwardly and pulled an arrow from his quiver. "I'm sorry, father. You're wrong," he said loudly, hoping Mara would be able to escape while the Hunt focused on him. He nocked the arrow and raised the tip swiftly towards the smug sneer Deled's face. "I'm the one you're looking for."