Sarien set the steaming dish on the table and joined her family around it. Eriq to her left, tousle-headed and only four. Seraa, her beautiful daughter on her right, almost ten. Last, across the table, Kerj, her husband, grin still roguish despite reaching into middle years. She smiled and pulled away the lid, revealing a lightly browned turkey.
"Smells wonderful, dear," Kerj said, lifting a knife and beginning to carve.
Almost no time later, silence descended while the family fell upon their meal. Finishing, Sarien wiped a drop of sauce from Eriq's chin. He glowered fiercely, and she smiled, tousling his hair.
"Can you clear the plates?" she asked her husband. "I'll take the kids for a walk. Eriq said he wanted to see the castle again."
Kerj groaned, but said, "For you, dear," and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
She gathered Eriq and Seraa and went into the evening, a small hand in each of hers. She wove through streets, sky above fading from yellows and oranges to reds and purples. Eriq and Seraa bickered, and Sarien sighed in mock exasperation, but spoke only once, when Seraa thought they were going away from the castle.
"Nonsense, sweetie," Sarien said. "The way just looks different since it's almost dark."
Minutes later, they entered a dark alley where a city guard stopped them.
"I'm sorry," he said, "There's suspicious --"
He fell silent when a dagger flashed in Sarien's hand, sliding across his neck. Seraa screamed, tried to run, but Sarien caught her, a hand over her mouth, and dragged both children down the alley. Stopping at a door marked in red, she knocked. It cracked, and a face poked out, black hood hiding features. Recognizing her, the cloaked figure allowed her in.
"Them's the sacrifice? They does look good."
Eriq squirmed, but Sarien held tight. Ignoring the question, she said, "There's a guard dead back there. They suspect, and now they'll know. Quickly, make everything ready."
"Yes, mistress, but others, they ain't here yet."
23-Sep-2011 16:09:09
