Chapter Two
Ombra
When they arrived at the gate of Ombra there were no guards actually there really wasn't anyone. The streets were bare, the market was silent other then the black banners that hung from the merchant stands in the market swaying in the wind, the air outside had been inviting and calm, but in Ombra it was frozen, like an endless pit. The sight of it was disheartening and the Castle of Sighs hung the same banners from the window panes. There were no sounds of clinking hammers of the blacksmiths, of merchants trying to sell their goods to passing crowds, no children playing in the streets and the alleys, nothing.
Mo, Meggie and Resa walked silently looking at all the ruin that the city had come to. The fight against the Adderhead's men that Cosimo had so foolishly led had taken its toll on Ombra. Meggie wondered how Violante felt after the recent events that had unfolded. Her husbands death, again, and the death of most of the men of Ombra, what was she to do. Jacopo was still too young to rule and his advisors, if there were any left, were not in any position to delegate authority over the people which left this responsibility solely on the shoulders of Violante.
"We should make for the castle and see if Fenoglio and Farid have arrived yet, and also see if we can find somewhere to stay." Resa finally spoke.
No one else spoke, they just nodded still dazed by the sight of Ombra, and although Meggie had told Mo and Resa about the fight they were still shocked to see such a depressing sight. Mo had never seen Ombra before either, in a peaceful time, and now to have to see it like this, so deserted, was not the most welcoming of places to be. They stopped at the front of the castle gate and peered inside the inner courtyard. There were no guards and the statue of Cosimo that had once shone in the afternoon light now was hidden with withered vines and cracks in the stone. As they walked forward the dead leaves and branches crackled under their feet and the smell of a raging fire and black soot drifted to them on the wind. Farid was playing with the fire behind the trees dancing with torches like Dustfinger once had. It was good to see that Farid was in a better mood.
As Farid finished, he jumped, startled to see Meggie clapping and blushed under his dark skin.
"We didn't expect that you'd be hear yet." he muttered, "Fenoglio is waiting inside with Cheeseface and Violante."
He picked up the torches, chucked them into the bag and picked up Jink and put him on his shoulder, then he beckoned them forward and showed them to where Fenoglio was waiting for them.
"A hello, we weren't expecting you for a couple hours but your hear now..." Fenoglio struggled at a loss of words, "Which is good, I guess."
"Allow me to introduce to you to Lady Violante, the ruler of this castle."
"It's a pleasure to meet you." she said awkwardly,
"Fenoglio tells me of your most unfortunate experience in Argenta and the Castle of Night. I'm incredibly sorry, if I had known I might have been able to prevent such a misfortune but my word has no effect on my father and his decisions. He hates me as much as I hate him." she chuckled in a nervous way.
Mo looked confused and then all of the sudden contorted his face at the feeling of a sharp pain in his chest. Resa quickly lowered him on the bed and pulled up a chair beside him and rubbed his forehead gently.
"I'm fine, it's gone now." Mo sighed, "Now tell me what in earth you are talking about!"
They went on into a long conversation, as she explained about being the daughter of the Adderhead, their time in the Castle of Night and the book that had granted the Adderhead immortality which greatly surprised Violante. Throughout the conversation Meggie slipped away to go see Farid and they sat outside of the steps and talked. Farid loved the sound of her voice; how she laughed….he loved her. He longed to be with her and yet he had another duty, a duty to Dustfinger.
Orpheus had ventured upstairs to the room that Balbulus worked and into the library. He was fascinated by the books in the castle and had been in there for hours reading and had told Farid not to bother him at all which was perfectly fine with Farid, the less time with Cheeseface, the better.