Chapter Two

Nicholas looked down into his oatmeal breakfast. Across from him was Lorenz, who was digging into his food. There was a dead silence between the two. Lorenz looked up and noticed that Nicholas wasn't touching his food.

"Hey c'mon kid, I made that oatmeal special to thank you for yesterday, you could at least try it."

Nicholas took notice of his words, grabbed his spoon, and simply started to stir his oatmeal around. There were about several moments of silence until Nicholas finally asked the question that was on his mind.

"Lorenz?"

"Yeah kid?"

"Why did you kill that man?"

Lorenz stopped the spoon full of oatmeal that was about to enter his mouth, and put the spoon into his bowl. He gave a sigh, then a response.

"Alright kid, do you want the truth? As in, the whole truth, no bullshit?"

Nicholas was taken aback by the strong language, but he still nodded his head. Lorenz gave another sigh, then told the truth.

"Alright then, the truth is...I'm an assassin."

The kitchen was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Nicholas just didn't know what say, all he could do was have a look of shock on his face.

"So that's why you killed that man yesterday."

Lorenz seemed to actually be surprised himself.

"Huh, so you know what an assassin is?"

"Well, yes, I used to read about them in story books. I just never-"

"You just never thought you would meet one in real life?"

Nicholas just remained silent at that question and brought his head down.

"Oh, that reminds me you able to escape alright from the scene?"

The question brought Nicholas's attention back to Lorenz.

"Erm, yes. I was a bit confused after you...killed him. But I was able to run and get out of there."

"Hm, were you followed back here?"

"Well, I...I don't think so."

Lorenz had a moment of contemplation.

"Well, if you were followed, either the military police or someone else would be knocking down our door, so I think you're alright."

Nicholas hung his head down to stare at his oatmeal on the table, still trying to process what happened yesterday.

"In any case, I better get going."

Lorenz got up from the table, taking his oatmeal with him, scarfing down his breakfast in huge bites. He put the dirty bowl and spoon in the sink, then proceeded to walk toward the front door, leaving Nicholas alone at the table.

"Oh before I forget, I should tell you a few things."

Nicholas raised his head in attention.

"Now then, let's address the obvious, it would be in both of our best interest if you didn't tell the authorities about the fact that I'm an assassin. Not only would I be sent to the gallows, but you would lose your place to stay, and I think you would prefer some place like this for a week then the streets. Right?"

Nicholas nodded in agreement.

"Alright then, we're clear. Now the other things to mention. Since you're going to be staying here for an entire week rather than three days, I should tell you some other things. First, I suggest you buy some new clothes, you've been wearing the same rags since yesterday."

Nicholas looked down at himself and noticed he was right, but to be fair, Lorenz was wearing the same outfit as yesterday too.

"I'm not good at picking out clothes for other people, so if you ever want to go clothes shopping just let me know. Also, if you ever want to bathe, there's an indoor bath in the backyard behind the curtain. But then again, you are a kid, so taking a bath would probably be the least of your concerns. But besides that, all the same rules that I told you still apply and haven't changed."

With that, Lorenz went through the door and shut it behind him. Nicholas was all alone in the kitchen once more. He looked at his oatmeal again, and actually made an effort to eat it this time. After scraping the last remaining contents of the bowl into his mouth, he put the empty bowl into the sink along with Lorenz's. It was then that the boy started to explore the house. He stepped right up to the pantry door and opened it up to see inside. While the pantry wasn't deep, it was wide. This allowed it to have longer shelves, as Nicholas could see the canned and packaged foods that were stacked right in front of the other. The top of the pantry consisted of everything a household could have. Eggs, milk, cheese, fruits, vegetables, juice, meats, bread, flour, sugar, butter, honey, syrup, and plenty of spices. All were covered, preserved, and separated. On the floor and bottom shelf, lay the cookware and utensils. This included plates, bowls, mugs, glasses, silverware, cutting knives, cloth napkins, pots, pans, and cutting boards. The pantry ended at the back door, and opposite of it, was the door to the bathroom. Nicholas opened the door to the backyard, and went outside. Outside in the backyard, the grass was very unkempt and wild and covered all of the ground around the house. There was a tree to the left of the house in the backyard, while the hole in the rock wall was also in the behind the house. The river that it fed into curved around the left side of the house. Also in the backyard was the curtain that Lorenz mentioned, a dark red one. Nicholas examined his surroundings for a few moments more and went back to the house. Inside once again, Nicholas decided to go upstairs. The stairs led to a corridor that opened up to the right. There were two doors at the end of the hallway, one in front and one to the right. Nicholas opened the door in front, and inside was merely a closet with bed sheets and bath cloths along with a few bars of soap. He tried the door on the right, but it was locked. After going back downstairs, he tried looking for something else to do. He looked at the out-of-place rectangular room and tried the door, but it was locked as well. He then Lorenz's words.

"There is a certain room you are never allowed to go in, under any circumstances."

For one reason or another, Nicholas started to get this feeling that this was the mentioned forbidden room. With the thoughts of what an assassin would to him if he broke said rule, he quickly walked away. Nicholas looked at his surroundings again.

"Hmm, there's no books or toys for me to play with."

Looking around, Nicholas started to notice the griminess of the place that he was in. It wasn't disgusting, but the walls could do with a good dusting.

"Well, I guess I should just start cleaning. It will keep me from being bored, and at least I'm good at it."

Nicholas set about looking for cleaning material, finding them under the stairs behind the door that led to a little hiding space. There were the common necessities that a household would need for cleaning, such as rags, towels, buckets, a broom, and a container of oil. There were even candles, matches, firewood, towels, and a step stool. He took out the tools he would need and got to work. He first set about cleaning the dishes from the day's breakfast. He got a rag from under the stairs, the step stool so that he would be tall enough to stand over the sink, and started to pump water. The boy then set about cleaning the spoons, bowls, and pot. After a vigorous amount of scrubbing, he got a towel and put it to the right on the free surface. He then put the bowls, pot, and silverware on top to let them dry. Nicholas then proceeded to clear the place of dirt and filth. He got a bucket, filled it at the sink, got another two rags, wet one while keeping the other dry, then started to wipe down the floor and walls. It was a constant cycle. Wipe the walls and floor, dry them with the dry rag, wet the damp rag when it got too dry, wring it out, and start all over again. He did this all over the entire house, except for the bathroom, of course. He even gave the windows a good shine. But, with all that, he still only managed to knock out a hour and a half. Nicholas, again, was stuck with only boredom. Then his eyes started to wander to the out of place room.

"No, I shouldn't go into that room, it's probably the one that Lorenz didn't want me to go into. Besides, he's an assassin. Who knows what could be down there. It could be his own personal torture chamber."

After a moments of silence, Nicholas eyes then focused on the keys that were on the coat rack. After another few moments of hesitation, he got the step stool and placed it right next to the rack and took down the metal ring. After acquiring the keys he made a straight shot to the room with them in hand.

"Well, one little peek won't hurt. I'll just look, not touch anything, and be out before Lorenz comes back."

Nicholas tried one key, but it didn't work. He tried another, and this time, he was able to fit it in and turn it. He heard the lock click open and cautiously opened the door. What he found were not hanging decayed bodies or anything of that grotesque nature, but instead, a set of stairs leading down and to the left, with a dim light that seemed to emit from the bottom and bounce off the walls. Nicholas put the keys into his right pocket and gingerly started to proceed down. The stairs descended sharply, but even then a grown man would have to duck to avoid hitting his head. Another curious feature to it was that it had the tightest of turns. A person would walk down, turn left, walk down a couple more steps, then turn left again. This is what Nicholas did, until he reached the bottom. What he found there was like something out of a fairy tale. The room was lit by low burning lanterns that were fixed to the ceiling, and the room itself was quite large. In fact, it was about as large as the first floor of the house, but much more spacious. What was amazing, though, is what the room held. Nicholas gazed at the countless treasures. There was a weapons rack to the left of him. It had swords, daggers, axes, spears, muskets, pistols, crossbows, and bows. Each of these weapons had intricate carvings on them and were even etched with gold and silver. Next to the weapons rack was a full suit of armor, However, it wasn't like the armor Nicholas imagined when he read books about knights. The armor was a smooth, cold, pitch black. It had gloves and boots made out of the same metal, with ridges of metal that overlaid one another. But the most curious thing about it was the fact that the helmet was shaped like some sort of berserk hellhound. Nicholas got a feeling of unease inside him and moved away. At the foremost wall was a large liquor cabinet that housed all kinds of drink from whiskey to wine. Nicholas grabbed one of the wine bottles that was the closest to him and looked at the label. The bottle was caked in dust, and the label was yellow and fraying at the edges. But what really stood out to Nicholas was the date on said bottle.

"What? This is over one hundred years old," Nicholas thought.

He placed the bottle back and went to the bookshelf that was right next to the the liquor cabinet. There were two bookshelves that touched each other, and they were both filled to the brim with texts. Nicholas grabbed the nearest book that he could, and started to study it. The book itself was quite old, the pages a lemon yellow, and the brown leather cover was cracked like dry earth. He gently opened one of the pages, not wanting to tear it and began to read.

"Dear diary, I have just returned from my first time seeing the sea. It was a marvel that no one can describe. The feel of the salty sea air on my face, the spray of the ocean, the sound of the gulls that circled overhead, all of it was an overload for the senses. I met a fisherman on my way back, selling some of the strangest sea life I have ever seen. There were fish that had noses like swords and fins like sails, slimy round creatures that had eight...things, and he even offered me soup made out of this creature he called a 'shark'. It was actually quite delicious. In any case, I can't wait for tomorrow, and the adventures that await for me."

The boy could hardly make sense out of anything that was written in the journal.

"What the heck is this guy talking about? The sea, fish with swords for noses, sharks? What even are these things?"

Nicholas looked at the date of the entry, and again, he was taken aback.

"This is dated back about one hundred years ago too?"

He looked around at all the things that surrounded him and thought, "just what is this place?"

Putting the book back where he found it, Nicholas then went to the giant chest that was located against the right corner of the room. It was a simple one of wood and metal, with a curved top and a box bottom that reached up to the boy's eyebrows. Surprisingly, there was no lock. The boy opened the chest with both hands, and was confounded at what he found. The chest was filled with a single large pouch, but strewn loosely about it were random valuables. They took all kinds of shapes, from gold goblets, to pearl necklaces, to even gold crowns with jewels fixed on them. Nicholas opened the pouch and found nothing but coins inside. His hand started to reach for the treasure, but he stopped himself.

"No, no. It wouldn't be smart to steal from an assassin."

Nicholas tentatively closed the chest, and quickly moved on so that he wasn't tempted any further. The final item that drew attention was a wooden clothes rack filled with some of the most exquisite clothing he's ever seen. All of them were for males, of course, but they seemed like the kind of things that royalty would wear. There were suits that were laced with silk, velvet, and fur. Some even had a gold trim, and the colors they ranged in were expansive, from the brightest of reds to the darkest of purples. There were even some silver masks and some pure white fur pieces. Seeing all that the room had to offer, he started to head back up the stairs. But before leaving, he glanced back at all the things inside the room.

"Well, I could spend a few more minutes in here."

Nicholas spent a very large amount of time going from activity to activity. He tried to lift some of the weapons off the rack, but even the regular swords were a bit too heavy for him. The weapons he found easiest to use were the daggers, and for a while, he simply spent the time swinging them around and trying to do some simple tricks.

"Hmm...I wonder if these are still sharp."

He put his thumb against the edge to test it, and shortly cut himself. After yelling out in pain, he started to suck his thumb and put them back. He looked at the black armor again, and still wouldn't go near it. Going to the liquor cabinet, he grabbed one of the already opened bottles and put it to his lips, giving it a taste. Quickly gagging, Nicholas put it back. He then went to the bookshelf and started to pull out random texts to see which ones caught his fancy. The boy even tried some of the clothes on to see what they felt like. Of course, it didn't help that they were much too big for him. For a long period of time, Nicholas just busied himself with the weapons, books, and clothes. He did this until his stomach began to growl. After putting everything back in its proper place, he started to climb the stairs again until he got to the top. He closed and locked the door behind him and set about preparing lunch for himself. Looking inside the pantry, and after a moment of thinking, he got out a pot and started to fill it with water. He then got a few matches from the closet under the stairs, put a few logs in the stove, and started a cooking fire. Nicholas then retrieved the stool from the coat rack and put it in front of the place where the dishes were dried. The boy then set about putting all the dishes away in order to free up space. He then got meat, potatoes, carrots, and broth from the pantry. He also got a cutting board and knife. Nicholas checked the heat from the stove and decided to put the pot on. He then set about cutting up the meat, potatoes and carrots, being careful not to cut himself. The pot was beginning to simmer, and noticing this, Nicholas added the broth bit by bit until he put all of it in. Putting the container aside, he then added the meat, potatoes, and carrots. Nicholas then got a wooden spoon from a pantry, and after some stirring, he tasted his work. He gave it a bit of thought, and went back into the pantry to get some spices. The small jars weren't labeled, so Nicholas opened them one by one and set about smelling them. After some consideration, he chose a select few and put the rest back. He added certain amounts of each to the stew while stirring with a new spoon, along with the mandatory salt and pepper. Getting a lid from the pantry, he covered the pot and just let it be. Nicholas got a bowl, a spoon, a mug, and a napkin out for himself and set a place at the table. With that, Nicholas looked at the pot and started to think.

"Hmm, I've still got a few minutes before the stew is ready."

Nicholas climbed the stairs to the top floor of the room, and went back to the closed door on the right. He tried the handle again, but it was still locked. Reaching into his right pocket, he pulled out the metal ring of keys, and tried them one by one until the right one fit into the lock and turned it. He opened the door leading into a room, Lorenz's room. There was a plain bed in the upper left corner under a window, which had a dark red blanket and a single pillow. Nicholas peeked through the window and simply saw what was in front of the house. What was of notable interest was that opposite the bed in the right corner was not a simple wooden dresser, that was opposite the window with a wicker hamper on the right side of it in the corner, but a wooden desk. There was a single long drawer in the center and three to the right that were taller and stacked on top of each other. There was a feather pen in an inkwell in the right corner, a used candle in the left, and a few pieces of blank paper on top. Nicholas went over to the desk and started opening drawers. In the center one, he found a letter opener, blank envelopes and paper, used sealing wax, and a box of matches. He also found a miniature flintlock pistol, thus prompting him to close the drawer. The first drawer to the right contained pieces of paper that were separated by the red string that was tied around them. Some bundles were larger than others. Nicholas took one out, being careful not to unravel the red string, and couldn't make sense of what he read on the top paper.

"This is nothing but numbers and people's names who I don't know."

He put the bundle back, and closed the drawer. He opened the drawer under that one, but all he saw were the same pieces of paper tied together with red string. Nicholas opened the drawer at the bottom and found nothing more than a large spool of red string and a pair of scissors. Suddenly, he heard a door open, and a familiar voice call out.

"Hey kid! You here?"

Nicholas quickly shut the drawer and left the room. He closed the door behind him and hurried downstairs to meet Lorenz who was just entering through the front door.

"Oh, hey Lorenz, how are you doing?"

"Fine, thanks."

"What are you doing here?"

"Eh, I just decided to eat here today instead of a tavern. Sorry if I'm disturbing your peace."

"Oh no, don't worry about it, I'm just going to eat here after I take care of some business upstairs."

"Uh, of course, no problem."

Lorenz walked up the stairs, while Nicholas went back to the kitchen. He got on his step stool again and proceeded to remove the lid from the pot. He stirred the stew and gave it another taste. After giving a look of satisfaction, he put the spoon near the sink.

"Hm, maybe Lorenz will want some."

Nicholas went back into the pantry, brought out a bowl, a spoon, a mug, and a napkin, and set a place for him at the table. He also got a piece of bread and a knife and cut a few slice for Lorenz and himself. Then he heard the yell.

"Kid! Get over here!"

"Oh no."

Nicholas headed for the stairs and saw Lorenz coming down. He did not look happy. Nicholas met him after Lorenz reached the bottom.

"Kid, you went into the room I told you not to go into did you?"

"L-look, I didn't break any of the weapons alright?"

Lorenz had the most confused of expressions, "huh?"

"Downstairs, I didn't break any of the weapons, I didn't mess with the suit of armor, I didn't open any of the bottles of liquor, I didn't tear any pages of the books, or dirtied the clothes, and I didn't steal anything from the chest."

Lorenz still had the same expression, "huh?"

"The room downstairs, in the basement, that's the forbidden room you're talking about right?"

"Wha-no of course not! I meant my room."

This time, it was Nicholas who had the confused expression, "huh?"

"MY room! That is the room you're never supposed to go in."

"Bu-but why?"

"Are you kidding me?! Do you know how much evidence is in there. Not only can the documents in there send me to the gallows ten times over, but it could incriminate a great number of powerful people. People who would want to see me tortured in every sense of the word before serving my head on a silver platter if those files ever got out."

"But, but I thought you would be upset that I played with anything down there, especially the weapons."

"I don't care about that. A single paper in my desk up there is way more dangerous to me than any weapon down there."

Nicholas's cheeks started to become a bit flushed, "well, if you didn't want me to go into your room, then why did you leave me the keys?"

"What?"

"Yeah, you left me a key to every single locked door in this house on THIS metal ring," Nicholas got the keys from his pocket and held it right up to Lorenz.

"So if you didn't want me to go into this room I'm never supposed to go in, then why did you leave the keys for it?"

"Um...well…"

After a moment of silence between the two, Lorenz gave his answer.

"Because it was a test!"

"What?"

"Yes, it was a test! A test to see if I could trust you...and unfortunately you failed."

"Pfft, yeah right."

Lorenz could tell by the look on Nicholas's face that he didn't believe it for a second. He gave a sigh, "look kid, it may not seem a big deal to you but-"

Before Lorenz could finish he gave a sniff of the air, then he gave a series of sniffs almost like a bloodhound, and began to head towards the kitchen. Nicholas was honestly confused.

"Wait, Lorenz, where are you-"

Nicholas saw him go to the pot on the stove. Lorenz put a finger in the stew and gave it a taste. He made the sound a person makes when they are pleasantly surprised.

"Hey kid, did you make this?"

"Err, yes."

"Hm."

He went into the pantry, brought out a wooden ladle, a container of milk, got his bowl from the table, and began serving himself. He poured himself a drink, sat down, and simply began to eat. Nicholas, seeing his chance, just quietly maneuvered around Lorenz and started to serve him the same meal of stew and bread with milk to drink. He sat down at the table, and began eating.

"Oh, by the way kid, making a delicious stew doesn't get you out of trouble."

"Drat, so close."

"Look, I'm willing to overlook it this time, just never go in my room again. Understood?"

"Understood...as long as you don't try to convince me that leaving your key behind is the equivalent of a test."

"Huh, didn't fool ya, did I?"

"I'm a kid, not stupid."

"Ehh, point taken."