Clearing the Air
Matthias sits there on the floor in remorseful silence, wondering how badly he just fucked up, if there is any way of fixing it, or if everything will spiral out of control from here and out. He cannot really blame Berwald for walking out, but it still hurts.
There is no knowing where Berwald just went off to and what he is planning to do with the information he just received, and it is turning Matthias into a nervous wreck not knowing.
It might be that Berwald wants to take steps to stop the black powder plan, no longer trusting anything Matthias suggested, but considering how far they have come it is not all that likely. They are running out of time to come up with a different strategy and the black powder is already on the move. The city rebels will not take it lightly if they suddenly have to change the plan they risked so much for on what would seem like a whim.
The most likely scenario Matthias can come up with, is that Berwald demands he stay out of the action from here on out. It might be hard to explain to all the rebels why one of their key players steps away so sudden and it might discourage them which is dangerous, but if Berwald thinks that is the best solution, then Matthias will respect that. If he is not going to be allowed to help with the black powder plan, then he will come up with something else he can do to help anyways, but he will not step on Berwald toes in the process.
Until Berwald comes back, it is all just guesswork on Matthias' part. He will just have to wait, and pray that Berwald will return calm enough so Matthias can explain himself further and maybe convince him. There are still so many details missing, and Berwald does not know the extent of the help Lukas has given them. If he did, then maybe he could accept that Lukas is truly on their side.
The waiting time is going to be simple agony.
There are soft footsteps coming up the stairs, and Matthias looks up from the floor to see Leah peering into the room from the doorway moments after. Her face is carefully neutral and Matthias can only assume that she is curious as hells as to find out what has happened, but also worried the situation might be volatile and her presence unwanted. Berwald did not exactly leave quietly. She is holding a mug of tea cradled in her hands and Matthias knows the kind of tea when the stench reaches him from across the room.
"Is there a reason why Berwald just ran off?" she asks carefully.
"We had and argument," Matthias replies simply.
"I figured that much when he slammed my door hard enough to make the glass rattle. Would you care to elaborate further?" she pushes, still keeping her tone even.
Matthias just shakes his head. There is no explaining to her what he just told Berwald.
"He will be back," she says. Her face and voice is still carefully neutral as she believes her words completely, stating facts rather than just wishful thinking. "We have all been under a lot of pressure lately. Temper had to flare up eventually, I did almost expect it sooner." She gives him a long look. "It is not necessarily a bad thing that he decided to leave, you know. He left rather than having a screaming match and that tells me he wants things to work out. I am a healer, and I dare say I am pretty good at reading people. Don't worry too much, it will not lead anywhere good." She steps further into the room, offering up the dreaded cup of tea. "It is growing late. You should take this."
"I don't really feel like I should be sleeping when he is out there alone," Matthias says darkly.
"He will be careful," Leah says. "He is angry not stupid, and we do not need both of you out there after an argument. It just leads to a higher chance of either you ending up in trouble." Her voice is softer than he has heard so far, it is almost comforting. "I know it is not what you want to hear. Nobody likes the truth, but it does need to be said sometimes."
Matthias does not reply, he does not have to. He knows that she is right, but he still wants to take up chase and make another attempt at explaining himself. Some part of his brain is trying to convince him that Berwald will just have to trust him if Matthias can make him listen long enough.
Leah sighs. "I was going to tell the both of you this later, and hopefully under better circumstances, but maybe it will ease your mind to know that your other friend should wake up tomorrow?" She gives a pointed glance towards the bed and Matthias follows her eyes until they rest on Vilje.
The sudden hope that blooms in his chest must surely show on his face, because Leah begins smiling then. "I stopped giving her the herbs that have kept her asleep this long. Her throat looks like it has healed enough that it should be safe. She is a strong girl, and she will heal better when she is awake and able to eat a proper meal and move about on her own." She offers Matthias the tea again. "Give Berwald some time to cool off on his own. You should get some rest while you can."
Matthias still hesitates, but he does take the cup from Leah's hands, grimacing at the unappealing contents. She does make a fair point for argument. Berwald is perfectly capable of looking after himself and he will not risk messing up their plan just because he is angry. Matthias also knows that if he does not drink the damned tea, then his chances of getting sleep will be close to zero.
"I will wake you up if something happens," Leah says encouragingly. "The tea will make you sleep easier, but it is not strong enough to keep you asleep if somebody tries to wake you. When Berwald returns I will give him a piece of my mind as well," she smirks. "He will not be getting off easy either."
Matthias downs the contents of the cup before he has the time to consider too long. After cursing and shuddering at the taste, he hands the cup back to her.
Leah accepts it, and she also pick up the half-finished bottles of moonshine from the floor. "I think I will take these ones with me," she says. "I believe there has been enough excitement for one day."
"Ha, ha," Mathias replies dryly, but he does understand her wish to take the possibility of a bad decision away from him. Alcohol is a seemingly easy solution to many problems and he would not be the first or the last to attempt at finding solace in a bottle if he did give in to temptation.
"Get some rest," she repeats mildly. "Everything will be better in the morning, you will see."
She leaves, and Matthias is left alone in the quiet to stew in his own regret. He sheds his armor, not wanting to sleep in uncomfortable layers of leather, chainmail and plate. Thankfully the tea is strong and it does not have to do so for long before his eyes grow heavy and reality slips away to blessed peace.
He sleeps uninterrupted, but he still feels tired when he wakes several hours later. His body is rested even though his mind is not, but he prefers it to waking up while screaming his lungs off in terror. There is pale light of early morning streaming in through the window, and he instantly feels more alert, shooting up to sit and notices the tall figure staring out into the back alley with his back to him.
"Ber? You back?" Matthias mutters tiredly. It is a stupid question, but he still asks it in lack of anything else to break the silence.
There is a hum in response, short and sharp and telling. Berwald is furious and not hiding it, but Matthias is eternally grateful that he is back, and even more to see him still in one piece after a night probably wandering through the city. "I'm glad to see you back."
"I'm still mad," Berwald says, firmly keeping his eyes on the window. He has shed his own armor at some point but have kept the darker under-layers from the guard uniform. The color matches his apparent mood.
"You have every right to be," Matthias says, slowly moving to get up from the floor, ignoring the protest from his aching muscles after another night on a hard floor.
"What the hell came over you? Trusting an enemy and Trollbunden none the less? Have you forgotten how many of our people he has killed? He led armies against us!"
"I didn't know who he was at first," Matthias says weakly. He has already resigned himself to answer every question Berwald might have, no matter how uncomfortable. "I didn't trust him either, but in the following weeks, he never led me wrong. He gave me advice on how we should move forward and when to be careful. He told me where the armies where going to attack next, and if he hadn't then we could have spent months never finding the soldiers as they burned down the north." He takes a few breaths before he continues. "Then he told me who he was working for, and I swear I almost killed him myself, just to make sure he could not trick us somehow. I just couldn't do it. This man saved my life and helped us at the risk of his own life. Why would he do any of that if he wasn't on our side? Please, just think about it."
Finally, Berwald turns around to face him. "What does he gain from helping us? Nobody risks their life for nothing."
"Freedom," Matthias replies quickly. "He is trapped under a spell that forces him to do as the King commands. He want's out."
"A spell. Really Matt? You actually believe that?"
Matthias should have predicted that reaction, he realizes that. They have seen a few displays of magic since the start of the rebellion, but none of them have a proper grasp of how magic works. Matthias just happens to have seen a little more than most of the rebels.
"Yes, I do," he returns. "Because I have seen the evidence. Magic like that leaves behind a mark."
There is a look of annoyance flashing across Berwald's face and he crosses his arms angrily. "Really?" he says dryly, clearly not believing a single word. "How would you even know something like that?"
"He has several magical symbols on his chest, arms and neck and they look almost like tattoos, but they're not. I know that they are magic, because they sometimes change in between the times I've met him." When Berwald still does not look convinced, Matthias prepares to show him. "The reason I know markings like that are real is because I accidentally ended up with one of my own!" He pushes up the sleeve of his left arm to show off the red markings on his left arm.
If this does not convince Berwald, then nothing will.
That does make a difference.
Berwald grabs his arm, staring at the brand in horror. "What the hell!"
Matthias immediately wants to pull his arm back. He does not like the feeling of anybody else touching the physical evidence of his bond to Lukas, but he forces himself to suffer through it for the greater good. "Before you ask, this is not the same kind of spell that binds him to do the King's bidding. This is different. It connected me to Trollbunden because I wanted to save him. I still have my own free will and he can't force me to do anything I don't want to."
Berwald is struck silent, mouth opening and closing, making him look like a fish on dry land.
"He is also not the one that gave me this mark," Matthias continues. "I accidentally said some things, and somehow managed to activate some old kind of magic." He points at the markings, bright red and almost glowing across his skin. "This binds me to him. I know where he is some of the time and I feel some of what he feels."
Berwald let go of Matthias arms and drags a hand through his hair instead, utterly shocked. "But, how?"
"I have no idea how to even begin to explain any of it," Matthias sighs. I don't understand it either."
Berwald still looks conflicted, but his earlier rage has diminished significantly since Matthias first woke up this morning. It is probably for the best that he walked out of their conversation last night, taking some time to calm down and digest the shock some. It seems to have made it easier for him to listen to Matthias' story today without exploding in fury at every turn.
"This is so messed up, Matt." Berwald is still tugging at his hair, not knowing what to do with himself.
He looks like he has something he wants to say in argument, but the sound of rustling fabric distracts them both and they freeze, going silent in an instant as they turn towards the source.
The voice that speaks to them is barely above a whisper, sounding raspy and weak, but still so achingly familiar. Matthias almost break down in tears as the fear that he would never hear that particular voice again finally evaporates. The uncomfortable conversation is all but forgotten for the time being.
"Why are you so loud?" Vilje rasps in complaint. Her face is drawn in a grimace and she is struggling to force her eyes open, her hands moving sluggishly towards her face to wipe sleep from her eyes, clearly still affected by the numerous herbs Leah has been feeding her. "Can't a girl get sleep without you dumbasses making a racket." She sighs tiredly.
Matthias practically throws himself down beside her bed, grabbing for her hand, grinning like an idiot. "Vilje." Her name is punched out of his lungs. "How are you feeling? Are you alright?"
"My throat hurts," she rasps. "It's so hard to breathe. What happened?"
"I'll go get Leah," Berwald says quickly, and immediately he is gone.
"We'll get you help Vilje, just try to stay calm." Matthias attempts to keep his voice calm and soothing to not panic Vilje into a panic where she will struggle for air and possibly hurt herself again. "You're just fine."
She really is fine.
She looks tired and confused, but she is awake and hums in response to him.
Leah storms in shortly after, her professional face on. She makes a sharp shooing noise and chases Matthias towards the door. "Leave the room, give us some privacy." There is no room for discussion or protest and the door slams shut in his face.
He trudges downstairs to wait and finds Berwald pacing in the main room. Leah has not opened her shop yet and so the curtains are still drawn shut, leaving the room mostly in dim lighting. There is an awkward silence and Berwald's expression is still stormy.
"Are we good?" Matthias asks carefully.
"Fuck, I don't know matt," Berwald says sharply. "This is just a lot, and every time you talk there is just more madness. You believe him, that much is clear, you trust him even. I really want to trust everything you're saying Matt, but there is a spell branded into your fucking arm!" He gestures wildly in direction of the offending arm, still with the edges of the markings visible where his sleeve still has not rolled down properly. "You said, you're connected to Trollbunden in some way, how can I be sure you can't be can't be controlled like him?"
"I swear he can't control me, Ber, but I can't prove that beyond my word." It is getting harder to talk as he fights back his emotions. "I am doing everything I can to help the rebels. I know that there is a chance I might not be able to save Trollbunden. He is bound to the King and that makes him dangerous. He is hard to kill and powerful, we've seen that but," he chokes on his next words, not wanting to speak them. "Part of the information he has helped me with is instructions on how to stop creatures like him. The book I told you about before we started carrying ashes around. He is the one that gave it to me." Just imagining hurting Lukas or allowing anyone else to do it makes him feel sick to his stomach.
Berwald turns really quiet then, but Matthias sees how his hand reaches for the ashes no longer at his hip since the rats stole them.
"I wasn't lying about those ashes," Matthias says. "I did use them against him, and they do work, but this is probably going to be more effective." He pulls out the flowers he tucked so carefully into his pocket and places them on Leah's workbench.
"Foxglove," Berwald mutters. "That is foxglove, right? Where the hell did you get those?"
Matthias nods weakly. "This is the reason I went up to the castle yesterday," he admits. "I went searching for something to help us against the King, but the Rat King ambushed me just as I found a room that looked something like a workshop. He had all my papers and figured out what Trollbunden is and how to kill him. He wanted all of those things for himself so he could get rid of his largest threat and rule the underworld unchallenged in case the rebels should lose the war. That room had so many weird things and ingredients, among them the foxglove. The rats found it, and I was so sure the Rat King was going to kill me then. He didn't have use of me anymore." He chokes on his breath as the memories flashes across his mind and the Rat King's laughter echoes in his ear.
"How did you get out?" Berwald asks carefully. There is no anger left in him.
"The magic that keeps me connected to Trollbunden let him know that I was in danger. He is the one that killed all the rats, not me. He then let me walk out of that room with everything that is dangerous to him." Matthias begins pulling more items out from his pockets and places them on the table. First the stolen pouch of ashes, then the iron shackles which earns an eyebrow. "I just recently learned that most magical creatures have a weakness against iron. This is why one keys is bronze and one iron. He can't actually touch the iron one." The two keys chime softly as they hit the table.
Then last he pulls up the rumpled sheet of paper picturing the foxglove. "This should explain how to make use of that," he points at the plant with a grimace. "I can't read it, but Leah should be able to make sense of it.
Berwald gestures at the table. "This can kill him?"
"Well," Matthias says tiredly. "It will certainly help."
Matthias specifically does not mention how killing Lukas will most likely end up with him dead as well. They do not need any more conflicted rebels losing sight of the real goal. Matthias does not want to die, neither does he want Lukas to die, but the lives of thousands come before his own selfish wishes. With access to all of these tools, maybe Berwald will be able to do what Matthias knows he will not.
"We should ask Leah about this foxglove then?" Berwald says hesitantly.
"Probably," Matthias replies simply. He feels exhausted.
"Is there anything else I should know?" Berwald asks.
"Trollbunden is just a title that translates to 'spellbound," Matthias says. "His actual name is Lukas." A name instead of just a title makes Lukas seem a little more human and a little more relatable.
Berwald's mouth is moving as he is speaking, but he cannot seem to find any actual words to reply.
There are some awkward few minutes after that, until Leah finally comes back down the stairs. She gives them an unimpressed raised eyebrow. "Damn guys," she snarks. "If you are about to fight, you move that shit outside."
The two of them give each other a look.
"We are not," Berwald replies evenly after a few tense seconds. He glances towards the table and the stolen supplies. He raises an eyebrow in question and Matthias nods reluctantly.
Berwald then picks up the foxglove and the single sheet of instructions, holding them out in Leah's direction.
At the sight, Leah's face turns a disturbing shade of pale green and she gasps. "Where did you get this?"
"It does not matter," Matthias is quick to say. "You're better off not knowing either. The paper should hold some instructions, do you think you can do something with it?"
She is still looking rather shocked, but she accept the piece of paper, looking it over thoroughly when her hands stop shaking enough to keep the paper straight. "This describes how to make an oil from foxglove," she says thoughtfully, "but it does not say for what purpose. I do not even know why foxglove is even outlawed. It is poisonous, that much I know, but so are many other things that are poisonous are perfectly legal. Some of them are even sold on the open market and used for medicinal purpose."
"Can the oil be applied to a weapon?" Berwald asks.
"It is herbal oil, not magic," she snorts. "Yes, you can, but I think the weapon will do most of the damage, so I do not really see the point of that."
"There is a point," Matthias says, probably sounding far too eager, because Leah has no idea just how wrong she is. "Can you make it?"
She returns him a long and suspicious look until she finally shakes her head. "Give me a few hours and I should have something for you, but are you sure we do not have any more pressing matters? We might have possession of that black powder and know where to hide it, but we still need to get word to those trapped in the main square. They need to know that the people on the outside will be on their side."
Mathias is about to come up with a reply when the front door tears open and a haggard-looking merchant comes storming in. "You have to come and see this. They are holding an announcement at the marked the next section over." He takes a few deep gasps of air. "Word is going around the entire district and I bet it is the same in the other rings since the main square is busy. Nobody knows what it is about but I bet it must be important."
"You two go," Leah sighs. "Vilje is feeling better, but I would prefer to be close by, and if she is anything like the rest of you, it will be a struggle to keep her from storming out of here to se that announcement for herself. I will tell her what I can of what has happened in the time she was sleeping."
They nod in a silent agreement. Matthias clears some of the items off Leah's table, leaving the paper and the foxglove behind for Leah. The chains he tucks away into a corner so he will not have to bring them out among common folk, and she stares at him the entire time.
Berwald takes the opportunity to swipe up one of the keys, the iron one he notices. He also takes one of the pouches of ashes and ties it to his belt, easily accessible. It proves that he must trust Matthias to some extent, at least enough to put some faith in a pouch of ashes. Matthias takes the other key for himself.
The air is tense once they step out on the street. They cannot see the castle from here, but the shadows of the walls seem darker than before. The people that walk past them seem nervous about what kind of announcement the King might want to make, and with good reason after the sound of warning bells was heard yesterday.
The market is already full by the time they arrive. It is not a space meant for an announcement in the same way the main square is. There is no platform and a few stalls in the way, and so it is difficult to see the guards that are standing at one end of the space to hold their speech. There is something hidden underneath a tarp behind them, and it looks like it has to be something big and tall. Whatever it is, is standing at least two heads taller than the guard that have taken to pacing back and forth in front of the audience with a large scroll, just waiting impatiently for the square to be ready.
Matthias and Berwald push their way a little forward so they can see better, but making sure to keep a number of bodies between themselves and the guards, just in case they might actually keep an eye on the crowd and remember them from the wanted posters. The guards look tired and annoyed, and it certainly looks they have spent the past day in a state of high alert searching for rats and rebels in the guard district rather than getting any sleep.
It is almost half an hour where they have to wait, and by that point the merchants district inhabitants are packed tighter than herring in a barrel to fit into the small space. There are nervous murmurs among the crowd until one of the guards raises his hands in a signal to quiet down. The one with the scroll begins unrolling his piece of paper and the crowd is dead silent in an instant.
"We come with tidings from the King," the guard yells, his voice grave and angry. "Last night there was an attack withing the heart of our great city!"
There is a collective gasp of shock, and people immediately begin whispering, until another guard demands silence once more. "These infiltrators made their way into the castle somehow, and we suspect their goal was an assassination of our beloved King."
Matthias barely holds back a snort of disgust and Berwald elbows him in the side, a firm reminder to at least pretend like he is paying attention.
"Thanks to our commander, they never got that far, and we are proud to announce that the infiltrators have been caught and dealt with. One of the men involved were none other than the leader of the criminal scourge our city has suffered under. Ove Kolbekk, or better known as The Rat King."
Another gasp from the audience.
It would seem Rat King is a very familiar name to most of them. There is more than one merchant looking far too relieved from the news. Matthias doubts that a single citizen is relieved to hear of a thwarted assassination attempt on the King, but the actual murder of the Rat King might be a relief to many. It is not unlikely that he had blackmail on a few merchants, leaving them in their own personal hell under his reign of terror, much like he did to the rebels. He is not likely to be missed.
The guard at the front drones on. "Anyone attempting to threaten our peace will suffer the same fate as the Rat King and his men. Let this be a warning to all." He gives a nod to one of the other guards who march up to the large tarp and tears it away.
Beneath it stands a pole with a crossbar, and on it hangs a body. One that Matthias finds himself very familiar with. It is one of the rats that Lukas killed the previous night, the one with a severed spine, not that everybody can see that. They only see the amount of blood soaking through the front of the man's shirt, but Matthias knows, because he heard and saw it.
The crowd is uneasy, shocked, and horrified.
Matthias no longer cares what the guards have to say. He makes a careful look around, searching for any black-clad figures hiding in the shadows. The news about the Rat King are sure to travel quickly to the slums of Mudtown. He leans in close to Berwald, keeping his voice low. "We might have to keep our eyes open for the rats. If they find out that I got their boss killed, they might be out for revenge."
"That is if they are not crippled by the lack of a leader," Berwald replies quietly. "He did rule with fear rather than respect. For all we know they are happy to be rid of him."
"We can only hope," Matthias mutters darkly.
"This should weaken them in any case," Berwald says. "I doubt they'll be all that organized and dangerous without their leader. It should be easier to focus our attention on the right thing from now on at least without having to worry about following through on his demands."
"When we're done with the damned king, we should clean up Mud Town," Matthias mutters, mostly to himself. "The rats can burn for all I care, but there are so many people down there that don't deserve to live like that." It is a dream, but one worth considering.
The guard at the front has moved on to talk about duty, safety, and the importance of vigilance in these trying times and that any suspicious activities should be reported to the guard immediately.
"What a load of bullshit," Matthias mutters.
"They might actually believe everything they are saying," Berwald replies thoughtfully. "From the way they are speaking, it seems they believe they caught all the intruders yesterday. They believe the rats were there alone and that means Trollbunden," he grimaces at the name. "Lukas did not sell you out to the King."
Matthias gives his friend a glance. Berwald's face is stony and unreadable, but his words suggest that he might have a more open mind about trusting Lukas. Matthias already knows that the only way Lukas would sell him out, is if the King managed to phrase his orders in such a way that Lukas would be unable to lie and keep a secret, but Berwald has no way of knowing for sure, he can only go on faith.
"He would not sell me out," Matthias says, not wanting to talk anymore on that subject. "I don't know about you, but I've heard enough of this. Let's get out of here."
Berwald is kind enough to let it go and the two of them push their way out of the crowd, going slow and letting other people fill in the vacuum behind them and make their way to the edge of the market. They do not feel much pity for the rats, but rather for the hundreds of people that have to stand here in the square and watch how criminals are put on a display for everybody just to scare them al from acting out.
"Crap," Matthias mutters. "I hope this does not scare people from wanting to fight the king."
"They are already terrified," Berwald replies evenly. "It is part of the reason people decided to join in the first place, and it's not like we need new people to join. We just have to lay low for a while until Tino returns with news and keep our plan a secret."
"So sit around and do almost nothing," Matthias laughs nervously. I don't know if I'm even capable of that anymore."
They make their way back to Leah's shop, and the very first thing Matthias takes notice of through the windows, is Vilje moving around on the shop floor, and in an instant it is as if a heavy weight is lifted from his shoulders. She is moving a bit slow, that is true, and the few days unconscious has made her drop in weight, but she is alive and awake, and in that moment, it is all that matters.
Her entire face brightens at the sight of them. She smiles, looking so hopeful and happy, and like she can barely hold herself back from throwing herself at them. "Berwald, Matthias!" Her voice is still hoarse, but already steadier than this morning.
She steps towards them, but she does not get more than three steps before Matthias has her enveloped in a hug and she clings right back, laughing against his chest. When they let go ,she immediately goes for Berwald to give him the same treatment.
"I have been bringing her up to speed best as I can," Leah comments dryly from her workstation. "She has also been helping me with that little project of yours."
Now that she mentions it, Matthias does take notice of the strange floral smell to the air, one that he has not noticed before. Carefully balanced in a strange metal contraption, a small glass beaker hangs at a careful distance from the glowing embers of the fireplace, bubbling almost merrily.
"It still needs a few hours before it is ready," she says. "Are you going to tell me what it is for now?"
Matthias shakes his head, making a grimace. "I'd rather not. I don't know if it is going to work, so I'd rather not get people's hope up, especially when we don't have enough to go around."
"Fair enough," she replies, but she does not look happy. "Then take a seat, tell us what those soldiers had to say instead."
Matthias and Berwald repeat everything from the square, and after much prodding, Matthias tells them a modified story of what happened in the castle and Berwald goes along with everything.
He tells them he was followed by rats without him noticing, but then they were the ones go get ambushed by Trollbunden while he avoided discovery. He tells them that he stole the foxglove and papers in the chaos while the skirmish went on.
Vilje stares at him in amazement the entire while and Leah is shocked to a point that she fishes out one of the bottles of moonshine to take several large gulps before she curses up a storm and calls him a lucky, crazy bastard.
They quickly make a decision as a group to lay low for the next few days and do the last few errands they have planned to prepare. The city cannot take much more sudden explosions and assassination attempts before the rebel army appears or they fear the King might lose what little sanity he has left and begin murdering common people just to make sure none of them are rats or rebels plotting against him.
Leah sends them to a smith she thinks will be sympathetic to their cause to acquire some proper weapons. He is old and grouchy and turns out to also be quite paranoid. It takes a few bottles of moonshine and a few clever words, but eventually they are able to talk him into handing over a few swords that he has stashed away, 'just in case he needs them'. They are not great, but it will help them blend in with the guards in the future when they have to take up position on the wall to watch what the King and his soldiers believe will be a massacre.
The remaining time they spend trying to further their network of city rebels, working hard to find a brave soul that is willing to volunteer to join the army in the main square. It takes quite some time, but eventually they find someone willing to take the chance, and they have all the pieces in place.
It takes three days after the incident in the castle, and then a messenger storms into Leah's workshop late in the evening. He is heaving for breath and sweaty after running, and after a few deep gasps he finally manages to form the words: "Tino is back!"