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No Time to Die

Part 1

Claudio watched the girl sashaying down the corridor with a tired smile. They both knew that the flirting was a joke, that he wouldn't touch her. His clinic was a safe place; not even the masters had much say here. Unless they wanted the apprentice to suffer or die, of course. But with the precious senior apprentices, it didn't happen often. Too much time, effort, and, in the case of pretty teens like this one, money, to waste it on a whim. Hurting them, yes. Hurting, humiliating, dehumanizing, all was good – but you had to stop just short of killing them. It was more likely the kids would end it themselves. At this age – the early teens, when the physical abuse was extended with sex training, which in many cases simply meant repeated raping, and their first missions where they had to hurt or kill people – was when it happened most often.

There had been times when it troubled him (ah, who was he kidding – it still did) so much he couldn't sleep at night. He hated himself for not being able to save their lives – but did he have the right to condemn them to this existence? Reassure them, encourage them, convince them to endure it, to live on – and eventually the abuse would be over, once they were unable to feel anything anymore except a brief thrill when they killed someone or got drunk or drugged and had wild sex, mostly with whores who would make them forget their misery for a moment? Watch them turn into impassive monsters who would eventually abuse other apprentices the same way, continuing the vicious spiral of suffering?

oOo

Korlys tipped a wink at the good-looking redhead walking toward him. A look of surprise flitted on and off her face, and Korlys' mind skipped through recent events in search of an explanation. Ah yes, he remembered Carlos' boasting about his latest protégé. The girl was a senior apprentice, but only just; she'd passed her test a couple of months ago. She stopped and bowed towards him, and he inclined his head slightly but continued heading towards Claudio's clinic, where the girl had been coming from.

The healer was standing in his doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed. Unlike the girl, Claudio was quite good at concealing his emotions, especially for someone not raised as a Crow. But Korlys could read the man's troubled thoughts in his eyes, and not just because of his training. He'd known him ever since his own days as a senior apprentice. Despite his advice, Claudio had never managed to rid himself of the emotions so dangerous to survival.

"Keeping busy, I see," Korlys said as he strode up to the healer. It was ambiguous enough that Claudio could take it as mild teasing about the redhead or an innocuous observation that his work was never done.

"Sí," Claudio replied with a little smile that could be interpreted however Korlys wanted. He still remembered when Korlys had been like that girl, young and bright, convinced he would beat the system and become the best Crow ever – even though his heart was still warm, pulsing with feelings and dreams like the hearts of other people, if only in secret, or in rare unguarded moments. It was always a pleasure chatting with him when he stopped by, and for a while it seemed they might have been...

But that was long ago. Now, when even the rats whispered that Korlys would be the next one Nico promoted to master level, he was as detached and unreadable as any of them. And… so was he. There wasn't much left of the young healer who had come to Nico's house full of hopes to make the world a better place. That naive fool died together with the first apprentice – a little thing no more than six – he had to let die of festering whip wounds.

"How can I help you?" he asked, trying to keep his voice neutral.

"I am being sent to Ferelden, and as it will be a longer mission than usual, I will need some extra supplies."

"Sure. What do you need? Any special antidotes?" Claudio headed to his cabinet filled with potions and ingredients. "It's about a three month trip, sí? Unless you want to join the Wardens, too," he teased with a little wink.

Korlys wrinkled his nose in mock disgust. "No thanks. I've heard that darkspawn are nasty creatures; the Antivan nobility are quite enough for me." The assassin followed Claudio, watching as the healer rummaged through his stash. He leaned against a counter and crossed his arms. "We will need the standard kit, I think, just in greater quantities since the mission will be so long. And include remedies for common shipboard maladies. As for antidotes, we have some for every poison we're taking with us. I doubt the mark or his household guards are the sort to employ poison, and we do not expect to be detected in any case, but perhaps some common ingredients for the most versatile antidotes would be wise."

"A three month cruise... If you do it quickly, you can still have nice weather on the way back… I envy you, I do! I never leave this miserable place." Claudio kept his voice light, but he was only half joking. Skilled and well-trained healers were too rare to risk on missions. Unless absolutely necessary, they stayed at headquarters – and if it was necessary, it was inevitably dreadful and dangerous. "Va bene. I will make a package for you by this evening."

"Perfect," Korlys replied, passing over the bitterness he could sense in the other man. There was no real help for that, except perhaps to forget for a time. "Why don't we go out tonight and paint the town red? The ship isn't set to sail for a few more days, but we can have a pre-going away party. I've heard Ferelden is dreadfully dull and the people smell of dog; best get my fill of Antivan beauties while I can, sí?"

"You should also stock up on brandy and wine. From what I heard, the chances you'll get a decent drink are next to zero," Claudio noted lightly.

He'd been too careless – Korlys was Nico's favourite, even the Tirano affair hadn't seemed to shake his position. It was quite likely this Fereldan quest was the one that would get him promoted to master level. It was dangerous to show his true feelings in front of him. He didn't think Korlys would use it against him… but he hadn't thought Korlys would whip his lover so viciously it had almost turned Tirano's back to pulp.

But he also needed a drink. And a woman. A willing adult woman who would clear away the images of the bruised teen body from his mind.

"Sounds good," he said. "See you at ten at the piazza?"

"Ten it is," the assassin agreed, knowing which one Claudio meant. It was the place they always met when they went out together. But, he still had much to do before then. He said goodbye and left the clinic, already looking forward to this evening.

oOo

Finally, the day was over! Dante dragged his feet, trying not to think about how hungry he was. There was no chance to eat anything before breakfast, so it was best to get to his mat and try to sleep.

"Hey, boy!"

"Ser!" Dante stopped and stood at attention, his head bowed and hands behind his back.

"I want you to deliver a package." Dante recognized the voice as Ser Salvatore's. "Take this and bring it to the girl named Rosie at The Pussycat Club. Let her know I won't be able to make it tonight after all."

Dante lifted his head enough to see that Ser Salvatore was holding out an exquisitely wrapped gift with a small folded note tucked underneath the ribbon tied around the package.

"Sí, ser," he said, sighing inwardly as he took the package. There went his sleep. He bowed curtly, then bolted for the gates. He knew where the club was, he'd been there on a similar task before, and it was forty minutes there and back – thirty, if he ran the whole way. And for what? Just because Ser Salvatore had decided he wanted to fuck someone else? But it could've been worse, he decided as he ran through the dark streets, his bare feet tapping on cobblestones still warm from the heat of the day. When a full Crow called for you, there was no saying what he'd want – or if you'd survive it.

The club was a favourite of the Crows, and he wasn't surprised to find several of them there – and even their healer, Claudio. He was sitting in the same booth as Korlys, Master Nico's top Crow. Each had a giggling woman in his lap and another on each side. They seemed to be having a good time, but the Crow still discreetly checked when he entered. As expected from Master Nico's best! One day, he would be in that position – maybe with Korlys as the master. And Anastasio would be second best.

He headed to the bar. "Excuse me, ser?" he asked the barman. "I have a message for Rosie. Could you tell me where I could find her?"

oOo

Korlys casually glanced at the door as it opened, but it was just a runner. Not that he was expecting anyone in particular to walk in, but a nightclub, as entertaining as it was, was no place to get distracted. Especially this one, as it was frequented by Crows, and not just ones from his own cell.

He took another swallow of his drink as the scantily-clad girl in his lap wriggled and then giggled. Korlys laughed at her antics and nuzzled her ear as the girls on either side of him stroked his arms and the tops of his thighs playfully. Although he was enjoying himself, the assassin stayed acutely aware of where their hands were at all times, lest they stray too close to his daggers. It was unlikely, but not impossible, that one of them could be a danger to him. They came and went with regularity, and one face blurred into another so that he hardly recalled them after they were gone. The fury of a woman scorned would put the wrath of the worst Crow master to shame, and it was a threat Korlys did not take lightly.

oOo

Dante found Rosie in one of the booths, sitting alone with a smug look on her face as she kept an eye on the doors. She wasn't happy to hear his message – now she'd have to go and serve random customers like any other girl. Tough luck. But his luck would be tougher tomorrow if he did badly at training due to lack of sleep. His score at dueling was just slightly above average; he couldn't afford for it to drop further.

Rosie didn't want to send any message to Ser Salvatore – at least not a deliverable one – and he was heading for the door when it opened. In came a man in his forties, slightly drunk and with an air of desperation about him. Unlike most of the patrons here, he was dressed in working-class clothes, his hands calloused, his complexion one of a man used to hard manual labor under the sun. Perhaps a carpenter or lumberjack?

"Bianca!" he yelled. "Bianca, where are you? Did you see my Bianca?" he asked the men nearest the door. "Give her back!"

Dante cursed inwardly as all the men in the club turned their heads. Why was everything going so wrong tonight? He had to find a way out of here before glasses and chairs started to fly.

Bianca, it turned out, was the pretty blonde sitting on Claudio's lap. She gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "Oh no, that is my father!"

Her exclamation drew the man's attention, and his brows drew together in fury. As he headed over to Master Korlys' and Claudio's table, Dante hesitated. He should hurry back and get some rest, but… ah, fuck that. He wanted to watch! He stopped near a post, waiting eagerly to see the healer's reaction.

"Bianca!" the man shouted. "Come here! We're going home!"

"Father, I am a grown woman now," the blonde said, crossing her arms and pouting, looking for all the world like a spoiled kid. Korlys chuckled at that.

"Grown, are you? You're only seventeen!"

The girl wanted to protest again, but, to Dante's surprise, the healer cut in. "You're not of age yet?" he asked sharply, pushing her off his lap. She landed on the floor below the table, which obscured her from Dante's view, and he quickly took a step to the side to see what was going on.

"I am old enough to know what I want!" the girl yelled, glaring up at him.

"No, you're not. You're a silly child dreaming of easy money," Claudio snapped.

"You didn't think I was so silly a moment ago when you had your hand up my dress!" she retorted.

This drew a howl of rage from the father, and Korlys shooed the girls away from him. An enraged father was almost as dangerous as a cuckolded husband, and he might need to intervene. Claudio had done nothing wrong, the girl certainly looked old enough, but the man wouldn't care about that.

Claudio rolled his eyes. "Go back home with your daddy," he said dryly.

Just then the madam of the house arrived on the scene, a look of faux-indignation on her face. "You told me you were eighteen!" she said, hands on her hips. "Shame on you for lying to me!" She then turned to the father. "Ser, believe me, we would never have let her in had we known. This is a respectable place. Why, Ser Gambino himself visits us on occasion, and everyone knows he only frequents the classiest establishments."

Claudio suppressed a snort. This was one of the better places, and he'd chosen it because they didn't offer the 'services' of kids or other twisted practices. But that was certainly not thanks to Nico. Few men Claudio had met were as sick and twisted as that man. This girl didn't know how lucky she was that she wasn't under the gentle care of one such as Nico or this bitch of a madam. And that she had someone willing to risk his head for her sake. Old enough to know what she wanted! She'd gotten a second chance, and instead of showing some gratitude and common sense, here she was pouting on the floor like a kicked puppy.

"Get lost," he told her. "Shoo. Or I'll kick your ass out of here myself. You've caused enough trouble for your father."

It was clear the man wanted to blame Claudio and defend his daughter, but the fact that the healer was clearly angry at the deception, coupled with the matron's shrewd reminder that her place was a favourite of the Crows, tempered the man's fury enough that he just snatched the girl up from the floor by her arm and hurried her out of the place, muttering curses all the way.

"Ah, don't worry about it; you did not know." Korlys said, guessing the apprentice Claudio had treated earlier today was still on his mind. He shrugged. "Besides, she's seventeen. That is not really a child anymore. And I doubt this is her first night, regardless of what the madam says. Don't let it get to you."

"Sí." Claudio took a deep breath. "I was thinking about her father," he said after a moment. "What a foolish thing to do, coming here like that. Risking his life to get her back." I wouldn't have the balls to do it. "And for what? She won't appreciate it – not for the next couple of years, while she's still fresh and young. I bet she'll be back in another bordello by the end of the week. Her father risked his life, but he's doomed to end with a broken heart."

"Probably," Korlys agreed. "But of course a father wants to protect his daughter," the assassin added, Olivia coming to his mind unbidden. But although he had fathered her, he wasn't her father, strictly speaking. She had a mother and father, a normal family. He'd seen to that much, at least. With any luck, she'd never know her birth parents were Crows. But it had been a long time since he'd thought of her, and he quickly pulled his attention back to the present moment. "Do not let it ruin your night. There's nothing you can do about it, and it's none of your concern."

"You're right. It's none of my concern." It never is, is it? That's how I've survived this long. But he'd embarrassed himself enough for tonight, putting his emotions on display like this. He reached for the carafe of wine, but it had somehow been knocked over, the wine spilling across the table and onto the floor. He sighed. "There goes a full gold," he muttered.

"Not a problem." Korlys signaled a barmaid over and ordered another carafe of their finest wine, which appeared post haste. "See?" he said with a grin when the girl, after first changing the tablecloth, produced two clean glasses and filled them. "Life is good," the assassin said, lifting his glass to Claudio. "Enjoy it while you can."

Claudio lifted his glass too. "Life is good," he repeated. Or at least survivable. Maybe that was all that mattered.

oOo

It must've been close to midnight when Dante finally entered the yard again. He'd been tired before his errand, now he was barely able to keep his eyes open. Maker, please let there be no one outside with another task… He froze as he spotted a figure limping across the yard towards Claudio's clinic. Another Crow? Or an injured apprentice? Maybe he should hide… But then the figure moved closer to a lamppost and he gasped as he recognised Anastasio – with two black eyes, a busted lip, limping on his left leg and holding his arm.

He sprinted toward the other boy. "Hey," he whispered. "Are you okay?"

"I'll survive," Anastasio replied grimly.

"What happened?"

"Ser Tirano asked me to take care of some things for him." Even in an empty courtyard at midnight Anastasio didn't dare speak disrespectfully – you never knew who might overhear, no matter how deserted an area seemed – but the bitterness in his voice was hard to conceal. "He was returning from a job, and since he has no senior apprentices, he needed my help getting cleaned up and ready for tomorrow. Unfortunately, my incompetence forced him to discipline me."

"Sí, how unfortunate," Dante muttered, balling his fists. Anastasio was not incompetent. Anastasio was the second ranked. Tirano just needed a scapegoat to vent his frustration – maybe a lover had left him, or the mission had gone wrong. Oh, if only it was the latter! Then the masters might punish the bastard for his incompetence tomorrow! But that wouldn't help Anastasio. "The healer is in the bordello with Master Korlys," he said. "Let's go back to the flophouse – you can clean your wounds there and get a few hours of sleep, at least."

Anastasio's shoulders slumped as he turned to follow Dante, the only hint of his dejection. Apprentices would be lined up well before sunrise, hoping to catch the healer before their training started. He would have to wake up early enough to be first in line, since those still waiting when training started would just have to show up as they were, without treatment. They were allowed to see the healer, but only on their own time, and only if they could get there on their own. No allenatore would waste their precious time helping a lowly apprentice.

"Did you get laid while you were there at least?" It was a joke, but the deadpan tone and lack of curiosity in Anastasio's voice made it fall flat.

Dante pretended not to notice. "Of course," he replied haughtily. "When Rosie heard Ser Salvatore wouldn't be coming, she was more than willing. Said I was the best she ever had when I was done with her."

Anastasio rolled his eyes, but a small grin appeared on his face.

When they reached the flophouse, Dante stopped. "Go get your soap, I'll draw the water." Only the best few apprentices would get a bit of soap and a towel. He and Anastasio were both in the top three and had their own, of course, carefully locked away from the greedy, sticky hands of other apprentices in their footlockers.

Behind the flophouse was a small yard with the latrines, and a well. He was drawing out the second bucket when Anastasio limped over to him.

"Maybe I should just stay up and make sure to be first in line at the clinic," Anastasio said as he dipped his towel in one of the buckets of water with his left hand. In his right hand was his soap, but as that was his injured wrist, he had to transfer it to his left.

Dante frowned. Anastasio was right-handed, and if his wrist was injured, tomorrow would be big trouble. He discreetly looked around, but there was no one. "Let me help," he said, taking the soap from Anastasio's hand. "Sí, you can't hope to score well on the test tomorrow with your wrist like that. You must get treatment."

"Thanks," he said. Anastasio felt no embarrassment as Dante cleaned his wounds. It was a sign of weakness to need help, yes, but no one else would know about it, and he didn't think Dante would try to use it against him. It did mean he now owed him, though. Anastasio made up his mind to repay the favor as soon as possible. It was a dangerous thing to remain in someone's debt, no matter who they were.

oOo

There was already a long line of apprentices waiting for the healer when Anastasio arrived. Most of them were younger than he was, and therefore easy to intimidate without a fight. The rest were in his year, which meant they were in fierce competition with each other to be the next ones chosen to be seniors, and not as easily cowed.

But they were all as seriously injured as he was – no apprentice would waste precious sleep time otherwise – and he was able to fight his way to the front of the line with little trouble.

He was grateful to see no seniors had shown up. Yet. Hopefully none of them would, or at least not until he'd had a chance to be seen. If only Claudio would arrive!

Ah, there he was!

oOo

Claudio suppressed a yawn. The few hours of sleep he'd gotten were much less than he'd like, but there would be time to rest later. Once the training started, there would be only a handful of senior apprentices and Crows to deal with, and unless Nico summoned him to assist during a torture session to make sure the victim didn't die too soon, all that would be left to do would be to prepare fresh healing potions and poultices. The flock of kids with tired eyes waiting for him outside wouldn't be so lucky.

"Buon giorno," he said lightly as he unlocked the door, giving them a quick once-over. There were about a dozen, mostly bruises and whip wounds. No fractures today, thank the Maker. "Anyone here who needs only a potion?" he asked.

Two of the last ones raised their hands, more likely because they knew they wouldn't get treated in time. "Get inside and strip," he said to the first in line, a tall, handsome kid. Faster this way – asking questions then waiting until they took off their shirt or pants to show him the injury would take precious minutes that might decide the next kid's fate.

Anastasio hurried in and got undressed without a word. As the healer walked in, he casually tried to cover himself with his hands without looking like he cared about being naked in front of the man.

Claudio grabbed a couple of potions from the shelf. They were supposed to be the weakest, but being the only healer around had its perks. In the Circle they'd be considered strong, but Nico didn't have to know that. It still wouldn't be enough if the injury was bad, but it would increase the kids' chances for survival today. He owed them that much, at least.

He handed them to the apprentices, who drank them so fast they almost choked, as if afraid he'd change his mind, and then quickly ran out.

"Va bene." He turned to the boy, who was already waiting for him, trying hard to hide his embarrassment. Good; that meant they hadn't touched him yet. The kid had two black eyes, but that was survivable. The bad swelling on his right wrist and ugly bruise on his left leg were much worse. The wrist would normally need at least a couple of days of rest, but a poultice would have to do.

"Any other injuries besides your wrist and leg?" he asked, just to be sure. When the boy shook his head, he motioned for him to sit on a bed while he went to get the poultices. "What kind of training do you have today? You don't have any tests, do you?"

"We have trials today." They were the most grueling and important kinds of tests. All the apprentices who were close to being ready for their senior apprentice testing were tested on everything, but especially fighting and subterfuge. Many times senior Crows would be observing, deciding who they might want to choose as an apprentice. Being picked by the most influential and powerful Crow would give him a head start in climbing the ladder to becoming a master himself one day, and he never knew whether or not this might be the last chance to impress them.

Claudio gently felt the wrist. The bone wasn't cracked, but it was badly bruised, and would swell soon. He wrapped a poultice around the wrist, then put a bandage over it. "This should help with the swelling. I'll also give you potions for when it hurts too much. But it would be best not to put much weight on it, and if you can, try to fight with your left hand. Come here during lunch break and I'll change the poultice."

The leg was just a deep bruise, nothing broken. Claudio poured some healing magic into it, then handed the boy the vials. "Drink this one now and keep the smaller two for later. Try not to exhaust yourself too much. There will be other trials." It always made him feel guilty to see the kids so determined and excited about these trials, honestly believing their life and future depended on them – when in truth, many Crows and masters watched them only for sport, making bets on the kids like they would bet on fighting dogs.

"Yes, ser," Anastasio said, although he didn't mean it one bit. He hurriedly took the potions and got dressed, then rushed out. It was too late to get breakfast. He'd best get out to the training area to make sure he wasn't late for that too!

oOo

Why, why did he have to be teamed up with this cretin? Why not partner him with Anastasio – they had always been a good team, got top scores when they were together, so why had the allenatores changed it now? Pietro was a pretty good fighter, but where Anastasio was sharp and resourceful, he was just mean and cunning – and didn't even understand the difference.

And today's test would be difficult. They were supposed to find 'secret treasure' hidden somewhere in town and bring it back to the allenatore. There were six teams and six treasures, but the problem was, to pass the test you'd have to bring one of the treasures back to the compound within the hour and without having been discovered. Those who failed would be punished.

If he had been paired with Anastasio, he wouldn't have had to worry about failing, but with this guy? He'd be lucky not to be cleaning latrines for a week.

Lorenzo, the top-ranked apprentice in their year, swaggered by him with a smirk. "Let's see how well you do now," he said in a low voice.

Dante sniffed and looked around. "Did you fart?" he asked Pietro quietly. "Something stinks around here."

Pietro chuckled and Lorenzo scowled. "You won't be joking at the end of the day, squirt," he said, then stalked off to join his partner, who was busy checking his supplies one last time, not wasting it rattling other apprentices' cages.

oOo

Sophia, who'd been paired with Anastasio, looked up as he finished reading through the list of supplies the allenatore had given them. Each team would be allowed to take four things with them out of the list of items. They would also be given a folded piece of paper with some sort of information on it. All they had been told about it was that it was a clue to start them off, and it was the same for everyone.

"Well, the health potion for sure," she said, still crouched near the simple backpack they'd been allowed to have. They could bring anything of their own they wanted as well, but as mere apprentices, they didn't have much, certainly not enough to organize. But maybe it made her feel better to have something to do.

"No, I have one already," Anastasio replied. "I got it from the healer this morning." No need for her to know about the other one. Sophia might be his partner, but that was only temporary.

"Fantastic! Okay, then, definitely the rope. And the charcoal stick – we can use that to help us conceal ourselves. Since it's already daylight, even the shadows can't completely hide us. Plus, we can use it to write things down if we need to."

"Good thinking," Anastasio said with admiration. "So that's two items. We get two more." The girl stood up and they put their heads together and studied the list. There were a few odd items, one of which was an empty bottle. "It's possible we could use the bottle as a distraction, if needed."

Sophia thought for a moment, then agreed. Suddenly an allenatore started counting down from ten. Time was running out for them to decide! "What else? The leather?" she said, sounding a little nervous.

Anastasio scanned the list a final time. "It's as good as anything," he decided as the allenatore got to 'one'.

oOo

Anastasio left the allenatores with a thoughtful expression that made Dante curious about his choices. Anastasio was one of the few who was both a good fighter and smart – that's what made competing against him so much fun. And knowing him, he'd try to use this chance to get to the top, but too bad – he'd fall into the third rank instead.

Dante grinned and stepped forward.

"We will take the rope," he said, keeping his voice down so only the allenatore and Pietro could hear. "If I may ask, ser, how long is it?"

The allenatore arched her brow as she handed it to him. "Five yards," she finally said. "What else?"

"The healing potion, the pencil, and the wire, ser," he said. Pietro looked confused, but wisely kept his mouth shut until they stepped aside to let another team choose.

"What's the wire for?" he asked, once they were far enough that they could talk without being overheard.

"I don't know yet," Dante admitted. "We'll have to improvise. For starters, let's mark the rope at the yard marks."

"Good idea, but a pencil mark won't be visible enough, we need something... give me that." Pietro grabbed the wire and pricked his finger. "Already useful," he said with a grin. "Cover me." He folded the rope into five equal parts, then rubbed a drop of blood to mark the yards. It wouldn't be perfectly exact, but enough to estimate distance, if they had to.

Maybe he wasn't completely hopeless, Dante decided as he discreetly shielded him from the view of the other apprentices, although most were still choosing their items or discussing their strategies.

Finally the last team chose. As they hastily packed their items, the allenatore clapped once. No time for them to think things over – such was the price for being last. "The test starts when the clock strikes seven and lasts until eight. If you're not back here by then you fail, whether you have the treasure or not. You may read your clues now."

Dante had it unfolded almost before she finished. Pietro stepped closer and peeked over his shoulder to read it together. There wasn't much. It said,

And to him, Beauty revealed a grand plan:

"Open the gates.

And when you stand before me,

I shall give you designs."

"Isn't that from the Chant?" Pietro muttered. "Well, at least we can use the paper for something."

"No," Dante said slowly. "Think about it. Beauty will give you designs, if you open the gates to it. Beauty behind the gates… and it's somewhere the likes of us can get in…"

oOo

Sophia and Anastasio carefully read through the note.

And to him, Beauty revealed a grand plan:

"Open the gates.

And when you stand before me,

I shall give you designs."

"Beauty is capitalized," Anastasio said. "That makes me think of the statue in front of the National Museum. Didn't we learn that it represents beauty personified? Plus, there are gates to go through to get to the courtyard where she stands. Perhaps that could be it?"

Sophia frowned, chewing her lip, then nodded. "Let's go." They slipped into the shadows.

Surely at least some of the other apprentices would have trouble figuring out the clues, finding one of the treasures, and getting back in one hour. Not everyone was good at solving puzzles. Which meant the only way they could win is if they took another team's prize by force. And that meant he and Sophia had to be on guard. Anastasio was glad they'd had time to use a bit of the charcoal for camouflage while the rest of the teams chose their items. He and Sophia were already the best at moving unseen through the shadows. With the charcoal, they should be undetectable. By the other apprentices, at least.

oOo

Dante could see Pietro was annoyed with him, but he didn't care. They both knew how things were – Pietro was the muscle and Dante was the brains.

Yes, the clue could lead to several places – the national museum, or the public park. But the first was too obvious and the second too easy. And when did their allenatores ever give them an easy test? The way the clue was worded, with Beauty capitalised and the word 'designs', made him think of the Gallery. Pietro had argued it was the normal wording of the Chant, but their allenatores were training them to be Crows who didn't believe in coincidences and paid attention to every detail. The only problem was, they'd need money to get into the gallery, and they had none. But he'd figure out how to solve that problem once they were there.

oOo

As Sophia and Anastasio stood in front of the statue, they realized a flaw in their plan; using the charcoal meant it would be impossible to pass for students going to the museum for educational reasons or just sightseeing. Luckily, there weren't many people around yet, and they could stand in the shadow cast by the statue, but that would only last so long. After a brief debate, they decided to keep their camouflage on for now, reasoning that they had to be back at the compound in an hour anyway – less now – and it still played to their strengths.

Anastasio scanned their surroundings, simultaneously looking for anyone who might wander too close while searching for any clues that might be in the general area instead of on the statue itself. Behind him, Sophia scrutinized the statue.

"It says she'll give us 'designs'. That could mean plans, like a blueprint or a map, although I don't see anything on or near her."

He turned around and studied the statue. It was of a beautiful woman in a long flowing gown cinched at the waist. Her hair cascaded down her back in soft waves, but her expression was that of a fierce warrior. She had her bow in hand, arrow drawn, as if she was but a moment away from letting it fly. She seemed both formidable and fascinating, someone he would much rather have on his side than as an opponent.

The woman's gaze followed along the shaft of the arrow, and Anastasio's followed along after it. "Maybe it means she'll point us in the right direction instead," he said thoughtfully, as he turned to see where she was aiming. It appeared to be the base of a tree several yards away. Sophia spotted it almost simultaneously, and they started towards it without discussion.

At the base of the tree was a small hollow filled with leaves, the kind of space small animals might nest in. Or possibly snakes. He and Sophia crouched, and Sophia picked up a long, thin stick and poked the leaves in several places. When nothing moved, they brushed them aside and found a very small bottle with what appeared to be a note inside. Anastasio uncorked it and shook the tiny slip of paper into his hand. They both stood as he carefully unrolled it. But before they had a chance to see what was written there, he noticed two other apprentices standing by the statute. He nudged Sophia and they both stepped into the shadows and hid themselves behind nearby trees, out of the other apprentices' line of sight.

Anastasio's heart pounded at the sound of approaching footsteps, and he took pains to breathe as quietly as possible. He wasn't sure if they had been spotted or the others were just following the same clues. The footsteps stopped very near to him, and a moment later he heard the sound of Lorenzo's soft curses as the pair realized they'd been beaten to this particular clue. He and Sophia hadn't bothered to cover their tracks, and the leaves had been obviously disturbed. Anastasio was profoundly grateful for that as the two started moving away, discussing other places the clue could have pointed to. Otherwise, they may have stayed in the area longer, searching.

Once he was sure they were gone, he stepped over to Sophia. "We should stay in the shadows in case another team comes by." Sophia agreed, and they put their heads together and read the note:

"Being like water, resist not."

"That's it?" Sophia asked, although it obviously was, there was nothing written on the other side of the paper, and that was all that had been in the bottle. "What could it mean?"

"Well, it sounds a lot like what our allenatores tell us – be like water – but it's oddly worded." It was an important principle in all their training. In a fight, it meant do not resist a stronger or bigger opponent's attack, but rather sidestep it and use your enemy's momentum against himself. When the task was infiltration or moving through an area undetected, it meant to use whatever the surroundings offered, not sticking stubbornly to your original plan if the situation changed, but adapting and using it to your advantage instead. "It has to mean more than that, it must be a code of some kind. Maybe an anagram?"

"Maybe," his partner said uncertainly.

"Well, it's too vague to point us to any particular body of water, so..." Unable to think of an alternative, the pair moved off to a more secluded area and sat down to think, both glad they had something to write with. Anastasio fished out the note with the original clue and turned it over to the blank side. Trying to figure this out in their heads would have been a nightmare.

oOo

Dante and Pietro stopped at the gate to the grounds of the gallery, catching their breath as they discreetly looked around. The gate was already open, and a poster on a big wooden stand placed just outside of it announced the showing of Artemisia Gentileschi, currently the most famous artist in Antiva. Even the apprentices knew of her, though they'd never had the chance to admire her work. It was quite a bit frustrating to be here on the day of a showing and not have a chance to as much as see a glimpse of it.

Dante forced himself to focus on the task again. After a brief check to make sure they hadn't been followed, he straightened his clothes and hair. "It took us fifteen minutes to get here; we won't have time to search for other places. Keep your eyes open," he said to Pietro.

Pietro nodded. "Perhaps our 'treasure' will be on display," he said as they entered the grounds.

"Perhaps," Dante said, not letting his hopes up. "We need to find the next clue. We're looking for a 'beauty' that will give us another clue. Most likely a statue, or something of sorts..."

The carefully manicured lawn was greener than seemed natural for grass, and paths of smooth white stone meandered through it, making beautiful abstract art of the landscape. But that was just the backdrop. The real magnificence of the gardens lay in its grand sculptures, each of which had been carved from a single block of white marble. They were scattered across the grounds with such lavish extravagance that it seemed impossible to see them all in one day, much less one hour. In the middle of all this was a fountain so large it was almost a body of water in its own right, with a jet of water yards high spraying drops that glittered as they rained back down, like tiny diamonds falling from the sky.

Pietro grinned. "I bet you wish we'd followed the 'obvious' clue now."

"Don't be ridiculous." Dante rolled his eyes. In truth, he didn't feel as certain about the clue as before, but it wouldn't do to allow Pietro to disrespect him. He was the third ranked apprentice, and Pietro only tenth after all. A single mistake could change it, though, and cost Dante not just a rank, but his life. If he wanted to survive, he couldn't afford to start doubting himself now.

"This is the Gallery of Antiva," he said. "There are more than a few beautiful statues here. This whole place is a beauty."

His partner scanned the area, then paused. "Perhaps the clue points us to a person instead of a thing? I doubt they would have recruited a civilian for this, but another Crow they might," he said as he gave a slight jerk of his head, unobtrusively pointing out to Dante the woman who had caught his eye.

"People…" Dante discreetly checked the lady. She was pretty enough to pass for the one mentioned in the clue, but… He chewed his bottom lip as he looked around at the other options. There weren't that many – in the afternoon the garden would be full of students, young couples, and all other kinds of visitors, but at this time of the day, there were but four.

"That one," he said, looking at an old lady sitting on a bench.

Pietro followed his gaze. "The old hag?! How is she a 'beauty'? Are you just going for the 'least obvious' again?"

Dante shook his head. "Look more closely," he said. "The lady you pointed out is beautiful, but she's obviously waiting for someone. Her lover, I'd guess – look at how excited she is, looking at the gates every few moments. Then there's the man near the rose bushes at four o'clock, and theoretically he could be our guy – being a gardener and taking care of beautiful flowers, but that would be a bit of a stretch, don't you think? Then there's the guy at twelve o'clock, but he's neither handsome nor doing anything interesting – looks like a student or maybe a servant avoiding his duties. But the old lady-"

"She's drawing," Pietro said, understanding dawning on his face.

"She's creating art," Dante corrected him with a little smile. "And what else is art, if not beauty? Now, let's go get our second clue."

A/N:

Hey, look! Another one-shot, and only two months after the last one! We're on a roll!

We swear we ARE still working on book two... it's just that these stories keep popping up, and you know how Antivans are – they need attention the way a plant needs the sun. xD

Many thanks to the fabulous Bloodsong 13T for beta reading. We'll be sending part two shortly. :-)