III.
Exhaustion had gotten the best of Louise and she passed the entire night in a deep, unbroken sleep. She awoke the following morning around nine to the sound of someone moving about in the kitchen below. It took her a few moments to remember where she was, and how the events of the night had brought her to Grimaud's home. She lay in the unfamiliar bed for a few minutes, piecing together everything that had happened. One of her enemies had clearly learned her location at the hotel, the attack was too directed and pinpoint to be the result of a sweeping search. As it stood she could not continue staying at that particular residence. She would have to return today, collect what of her belongings weren't stolen or destroyed and once again commence the search for a new place to stay.
-"Master, I sense you are awake."- Louise was still adjusting to having Rider speak to her with the shared telepathic link. She was especially thrown off for him to do it so suddenly after she had only just awoken.
-"Yes, Rider, I am awake. Is something the matter?"- Louise was immediately tired again, the concern that it could be another enemy attack already draining her of the energy she had only just started to regain.
-"Nothing at all. It is just the Monsieur Grimaud has almost finished preparing breakfast, but seems insistent on not waking you. I would hate for you to come down to a cold breakfast and simply thought I would inform you myself."-
Louise smiled to herself. It felt like there was still some sort of distance between them, but she could feel the gap closing slowly. -"I appreciate the courtesy, Rider. I shall be down shortly."-
Louise dressed quickly before heading down the stairs at a much more conservative pace, lest she seem too uncouth in her eagerness to eat. As she arrived at the lower suite Louise saw Rider already seated at the dining table sipping a glass of red wine. She was curious what possible reason he might be able to offer for his self-indulgence. "Servants need no sleep, but a glass of wine in the early morning is something you simply must have?"
"Needing something, and desiring the joy it brings, with all its nostalgic wonder, are two very different things Master." Rider raised the glass in a mocking salute to Louise as he spoke. "When I was alive I think I must have drank more wine than water. I'd forgotten the delightful taste and calming feeling that came with imbibing this wonderful beverage."
"So you were a day drunk, in other words." Grimaud launched his verbal assault on Rider from over his shoulder as he cooked, treating the insult as a cursory observation.
"Good morning Monsieur. I wanted to thank you again for allowing me to stay here last night. I also apologize for being so late to wake today." Louise ignored Rider's taken aback manner as she offered her host the morning greeting.
"No need for the second thanks or for the apology." Grimaud turned around to face Louise as he responded, the finished breakfast in his hands, the smell of the spinach, comte, and ham quiche immediately reminding Louise just how hungry she was. "I have only just now finished breakfast, and here you are right on time. As to your staying here, there is something I would like to discuss in that regard. But first, eat! I'm sure you have a busy day ahead of you."
Louise shook hands with the auto-dealer as they finished signing all the paperwork for her purchase. With the keys in hand, she waited out in the main lot for her new motor scooter to be brought up to her. Rider, in spirit form, had accompanied her on the errand, and was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the vehicle. Though a Servant was brought into an era with all the knowledge they would need to operate competently, he still had no personal experience with motor bikes yet, and was excited that Louise might allow him some time with it.
"I can't even see you, but I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no." Louise grinned as she chastised her companion. Along with learning to trust one another, Louise was attempting to develop a more positive rapport with her Servant.
-"Well that's hardly fair. I am a Rider after all, I would take excellent care of your new vehicle if you were to allow me its use. What do you need it for anyway?"-
"If I am to face other Masters in combat throughout Paris I will need to rely less on taxis, public transit, and the goodwill of Grimaud. Having my own means of transportation is crucial. And considering I need only transport myself I thought a car might be too large and inconvenient. A motor scooter is smaller, more maneuverable, and easier to take care of." Rider was impressed with how much thought Louise had put into the decision. He had initially written her off as a poor planner, but was starting to become more confident in her abilities.
-"A sound plan Master. Bravo. Speaking of the goodwill of Grimaud..."-
"I think a bite to eat after this purchase sounds lovely. Won't you join me for it Rider?" Louise cut her Servant off before he could finish his inquiry, wanting to be more comfortable before she had such an important conversation with him.
A clerk rounded the corner with Louise's new bike, a Vespa Primavera 150 MY18. The gloss white paint, so new and untarnished, perfectly reflected Louise's excited face back at her. As much as she tried to down play her own emotions, it was difficult to not get excited at the prospect of her new purchase. The scooter was small and unassuming, which Louise preferred. Ali's Renault Vel Satis was indeed luxurious, but that also meant it caught the eye easily and was just as easy to recognize on later encounters. Louise figured the Holy Grail War was just as much about stealth and subterfuge as it was about combat, and she was not going to take any unnecessary risks.
"Thank you very much Monsieur. I think I can take it from here." Louise stuffed her long braid underneath her jacket before donning her new helmet, goggles, and gloves. She was a natural on the swift vehicle, and despite its somewhat squirrely controls she had no problem driving it off the lot for the first time. Rider kept pace easily enough in spirit form, satisfied that his Master was just as much of a natural rider as himself. Aside from considering what hers and Rider's next move should be, Louise used the calm solitude of the ride to mull over everything that had happened that morning. Things were complicated enough with Grimaud, but what had happened when they had gone to retrieve her belongings from the hotel was eating at her almost as much.
Louise had been hoping to avoid any complications, and was sure that there was likely to be very little she could salvage, it being likely the enemy had raided as much of her resources as they were able. Unfortunately those hopes were not to pass. The moment she walked out Grimaud's door she was aware of the police presence outside the hotel. A few steps and she was next to one of the official vehicles parked in the narrow street, its blue lights flashing in the daylight lending an uncomfortable air to the whole scene. A few more steps and she could clearly see the investigators who were busily examining the window Rider had destroyed when he had made his impromptu exit. Just a few steps more and she had beheld the least welcome sight, Madame Juge d'Instruction Maria Badeaux. The Juge had the same exhausted look on her face Louise recognized from their last meeting. Maria, in her distinctive black coat, was without her coffee this time, but was instead taking long stressed drags on a cigarette which, judging by the pile of expended butts at her feet, was far from the first one.
As Louise approached, her movement caught Maria's attention. The perpetually tired city official rounded on Louise when she recognized her, and was face to face with the young mage faster than seemed natural. "You seem to have a real knack for trouble, Madame Saint-Hermine."
"Begging your pardon, Madame Juge, but I'm not sure I know what you mean." Louise decided it would be safest to play dumb for now. She doubted that, despite Maria's investigative profession, the Juge was particularly good at reading her.
"What do I mean? Do you mean to tell me you were NOT in your hotel room between the hours of eleven o'clock at night and seven in the morning?" Maria was surprised at the idea that the proper little privileged daughter would deign to be out during what people of her upbringing would consider 'scandalous' hours.
"I apologize Madame, but I had a meeting that ran rather late and, given the hour, stayed with one of my associates at their own hotel."
"Well it looks like you picked a pretty good night to do so." Maria dropped the cigarette from her mouth and ground it into the pavement with her boot before instantly lighting another one.
"Has something happened?" Louise wanted to know what the police had figured out themselves. While they were too simple and ignorant to have picked up on any of the magical elements, it would be easiest to formulate her own story around their information.
"Looks like some sort of struggle occurred. We're still piecing together the details, but the one thing that is clear is that the altercation centered around your hotel room."
"I'm sorry, Madame Badeaux, but I don't understand." Louise did her best to produce a genuine looking shocked expression. Judging by the satisfied look on the Juge's face it had been convincing enough.
Maria was always entertained to see bluebloods try to comprehend the idea that something bad could happen to them. "Well the entire door to your room was knocked off its hinges and laying in the hallway with several bullet-holes in it." It was not difficult for Louise to look genuinely surprised at the more explicit details of the combat as she had been absent for it. "There were also several bullet holes throughout the hallway, as well as the destroyed window behind you." Maria pointed to the smashed frame and broken glass as she spoke. "Still not sure what any of this means, but we're working on it. I'm glad you're here actually, I'd like you to come upstairs and take inventory of your belongings. That way we can find out if it was perhaps theft-motivated."
"I'd be happy to be of whatever assistance I can, Madame." Louise was always entertained watching self-assured people like Maria talk as though they have perfect understanding of a situation.
"Excellent. Follow me then." Maria Badeaux let out a heavy sigh as she discarded her current cigarette and led Louise inside, ducking under several cordons of police tape as they went.
Louise had been unlucky with the presence of the authorities, but was fortunate to find that none of her belongings had been taken. It was also fortunate that she had taken more of her more conspicuously magical items with her when she had fled the night before, so there was no need to explain bones, gems, or a spellbook to the Juge.
Once the inventory was finished, Maria led Louise back outside. The moment they emerged back on the street a cigarette was in Maria's mouth once again. She puffed aggressively while leaning on her car's open door as she spoke to Louise. "I'm going to need the name of the hotel you stayed at with your associate. And I suppose you will want to once again find new accommodations. Try to call me immediately this time, yeah?"
"I apologize Madame, as I am not familiar with Paris I cannot quite recall the name of the hotel my friend is staying at. However, given recent events I think I shall contact them for its info and stay there myself. Having someone familiar nearby should make me feel more comfortable given these past few incidents. I will be sure to call you with that info as soon as I arrive." Louise was realistically flustered from having to come up with excuses for her excuses, which served her well playing the part of the scared and bewildered girl from the countryside. Overall she considered it a fitting conclusion to what she felt had been a rather entertaining bout of leading the Juge on.
"See that you do. Do umm... do be careful Madame Saint-Hermine. Paris seems to have its worst set on you."
Louise had quickly departed from the Rue Servandoni after that, wanting to put as much distance between herself and the suspicious Juge as possible. Though Louise was sure she had Maria fooled enough, she couldn't shake the feeling of those focused, shadowed eyes staring into her. It was as though, even if the Juge couldn't decipher the truth, she could still sense the lie. It was rare for Louise to be impressed by someone in the Juge's position. After thinking on for a bit, Louise disregarded it as a fluke, and was right back to having nothing but feelings of amusement at Maria's expense. A few more minutes traveling and she had arrived at the Vespa dealership and completed her purchase.
Worrying about the Juge wasn't going to accomplish much, and Louise knew that her and Rider had a far more important conversation they needed to have. -"Rider, I'm going to pull over and have lunch. Care to join me?"-
-"Lunch sounds like a fantastic idea Master."- Rider was satisfied with the idea, if only because it meant Louise was done avoiding talking to him about Grimaud.
Louise parked her new scooter on the side of the street, and leaving the vehicle behind, walked a block until she reached a promising cafe, The Golden Pestle. There were only two small wooden tables seated on the exterior of the quaint brick building, and both were already quite crowded with people. Louise entered and found the interior nearly empty by comparison. An energetic maitre' d welcomed her and quickly showed Louise to a table at the back of the restaurant. As the friendly woman left, Rider unceremoniously materialized in his casual clothing and took the seat opposite his Master.
The duo sat in silence for a few minutes as they contemplated the menu. Eventually the maitre' d came by and they ordered coffee and some pastries to accompany it. As they awaited the arrival of the food, Rider was the one to finally break the quiet. "I would ask if you are considering his offer, but I get the distinct feeling you have already chosen to accept."
"And what matter is it if I have?" Louise had picked up a newspaper from a nearby wire rack and was using the publication as an excuse to avoid making eye-contact with Rider as they spoke. As her eyes passed over the pages she noted another attack similar to the one her and Camille had weathered. Between that, the revelation about Ali, and last night's battle, she was starting to feel cornered, and a touch desperate.
"I would have hoped you would want to discuss the pros and cons with me before arriving at your decision. This is not something to consider lightly."
"Well we are discussing it now, and frankly I think it is in our best interest." Louise paused momentarily as the coffee arrived, liking little to let other people be privy to the details of their conversation. "Grimaud has offered to let us stay with him as long as we are here in Paris."
"And you do not consider accepting that offer to be a precarious proposal that may pose some possible problems for us pending our present predicament?"
Louise was frozen for a moment, the bewildering comment forcing her to finally make eye-contact, albeit confused eye-contact, with her agitated Servant.
"Now that I have your attention," Rider fiddled with one of the creamer packets as he spoke, "I too appreciate when a terribly convenient opportunity falls in my lap, but I still like to consider the possible negatives. What if, for example, one of our enemies finds Grimaud's home. Now our beloved benefactor has become a liability in the ensuing fight." Rider finally opened the creamer, but instead of pouring it directly into his beverage decided to take a sip from the small plastic cup. Louise could tell that, judging by the disgusted face he made right afterword, he was not impressed.
"I admit that if we are attacked in our garrison we may be putting Grimaud in harm's way, but that is why I want to propose an idea to you." Louise had grown to care for the old man, and despite him being of a lower station, cared too much to want to see him hurt.
"Oho?" Rider stroked his chin in anticipation of Louise's next words. He liked that she was slowly becoming more ardent as a Master.
"We adopt a fully offensive strategy. We take the fight immediately and completely to any enemy the moment we locate them, or even as soon as we have an idea of where they may be operating." Louise was developing some other ideas, but wanted to build up to them.
"Aggressive. I support that. But tell me Master, what leads you to this decision? And what leads you to believe it will work?" Rider was impressed, but still ever cautious. He wanted to be sure Louise was making an informed choice and not a compulsive one.
"I have considered several elements of our situation. One: you are a Rider. Despite who you are and the multiple talents you possess, you are first and foremost in this war a cavalryman. Your skill set is best fit to fighting on the move. We need to monopolize our advantages. My magical specialties are mostly in self-amplification so I too am able to sustain a more mobile combat style." Louise paused once more as the food was brought over. She thanked the waitress and then continued. "Two: we do not know Paris that well." Rider raised his hand to object, but Louise cut him off. "Neither of us knows modern Paris that well. While I'm sure there are some extremely advantageous locations for a Master and Servant duo to establish their base, we are not informed enough to utilize any of those. Instead we should set up a position of convenience as quickly as possible and start our search for the others before they can get too established."
Rider couldn't resist a quiet clap as a form of applauding Louise's plan. "Very good Master. I daresay you'll live up to your own lofty impression yet. Anything else that should convince me of staying with Grimaud?" Rider already approved of staying with Grimaud at this point, but Louise was close to what he considered a breakthrough as his Master, he wanted to see her close it out for herself.
Louise was feeling burgeoned by Rider's support, and enthusiastically laid out her final point. "Grimaud knows who we are and what we are doing, and while I trust him to be true to his word about staying silent, there is always the possibility that he may say or do something that could compromise us. It is easier to keep an eye on him this way." Excited or not, Louise was still hungry and couldn't stop herself from nibbling on a mill-feuille as she spoke. "Also, though I said that not knowing Paris is our greatest liability, we at least have a minor understanding of the Luxembourg neighborhood. If we operate out of Grimaud's home, it will be the closest thing we have to an advantage if the fight comes closer to us." Having concluded her points, Louise retrieved her discarded paper and glanced at it as she ate and Rider spoke.
"Very well, I yield to you Master. You have proved the point quite completely. I will agree to staying with Grimaud. With that said though, if we are to launch a swift attack on our enemies, we will need to locate one quickly. Any ideas?" Rider began to partake of his own food while he waited for Louise's response. At this point he was completely comfortable letting Louise decide their plan of attack, which she was surely doing as her eyes darted between her phone and the paper.
Louise was both worried and excited by what she read in the paper. It seemed like too much of a coincidence, but at the same time the details fit too perfectly. "I think I found our first lead." Louise slapped the paper down on the center of the table. Her hand firmly pointing to an article about a disfigured and mutilated body that had been discovered in an alleyway just south of the Luxembourg.
"A grisly murder means what, exactly?"
"This is very close to the area that I was attacked by that pair I told you about." Louise was hoping Rider had actually been paying attention.
"Of course. You were far too lucky to survive that, especially if the Servant was the Berserker as you suspect. What of it?" Rider was still unsure what Louise was getting at.
"The article Rider. This is thought to be part of a series of murders. And they all are happening in a relatively small area. She's here Rider. Our first enemy is operating right here in our own territory."