’Sierra,’ Opal’s voice rang out in her mind.
She looked down, as Opal slithered onto her palm. She looked over to Steven for a mont, then back at Sierra.
’I can sll the faint scent of Cair off him,’ she hissed telepathically.
It was common knowledge that snakes had a keen sense of sll. It allowed them to sll things that normal humans and even certain animals are unable to.
’Are you certain?’ She asked through their mind link.
’Absolutely.’
Not wanting to raise any alarms, Sierra calmly dismissed Steven, asking him to return to his guard duties around the estate. Once the door closed behind him, it was back down to the three won.
"Perhaps Bunty had simply returned without a letter? That in itself is concerning..." Roxine theorized.
"Never. Bunty is trained to wait on a return letter, without fail. It’s impossible."
Sierra turned to Ida. She could see the look on her maid’s face. It was a look of doubt. She must be trying to recall sothing. Perhaps details that they needed. Sierra. Placed her hands on Ida’s shoulders.
"Ida I need your help. Think back to what Steven said to you when you saw him when you returned. What were his exact words?"
Ida squinted her eyes closed, losing herself deep in concentration in hopes of finding the answer they needed. She had been so flustered upon hearing the gossip that her mind could not focus.
But after taking a few deep breaths, things were beginning to clear up.
"He... he said..."
"He said..." Ida looked up at Sierra, "He said you sent him out to deliver a letter."
Sierra looked through Ida. A million different thoughts ran through her mind. He lied. A strange sense of calm washed over her. She needed her head to be clear, she needed ti to think.
Closing her eyes, Sierra replayed everything in her mind. She replayed how the morning had gone. She replayed each interaction she’s ever had with Steven.
"He said it was sent to protect by Alistair..." she whispered, "But Alistair had never once raised this to personally..."
"Did you say he’s sent to protect you? By Alistair?" Roxine asked. She furrowed her eyebrows.
"Yes, that’s what Steven said when he first arrived," Ida added.
Roxine took a step back. She placed her hand on her lips. Sierra noticed her actions and imdiately sensed sothing was amiss. Could the feeling in her gut be right all along?
"Sierra, he couldn’t have been sent by Alistair," she explained to Sierra, "He would never send soone new, especially when it ca to your protection."
"Besides, the shadow guards are already tasked with your protection. There would have never been a need for a guard on your grounds unless..."
Roxine looked up at Sierra. The look in her eyes said it all. Both of them had the sa theory in their minds.
"Unless soone is using the opportunity to spy on , or cause trouble," Sierra seethed in anger
The grip on her swords tightened. She had to keep her calm. She had to.
"Bunty had a letter from Cair. It is likely Steven took it."
"How are you so certain?" Roxine asked.
She knew the clues pointed to him being suspicious, but so far they did not have any concrete evidence that he had taken the letter. Sierra quickly explained that Opal was the one who sensed it.
It was not common knowledge that snakes had a keen sense of sll, but it was also even rarer for a snake to be able to talk. Roxine was stunned when Sierra told her. She could hardly believe it. For a mont, she thought perhaps Sierra had gone mad.
After all, only she could hear Opal, none of them could. But the movents of the snake, coupled with her interactions with Sierra, proved otherwise.
Either way, Steven was the least of her worries now. The issue still remained, how was she going to get back to Cair?
"Is there any way I can convince you to stay?" Roxine said as she bit her lip.
She knew the dangers of entering Cair at present.
"I’m afraid not. But could you do a favor?" Sierra added as she looked up at her.
"Anything. If it’s within my powers, I will do so," she promised as she placed her hand over her heart.
The words were at the tip of her tongue. But Sierra simply could not say any of it. She shook her head and left it at that, leaving Roxine to wonder just what she had wanted to say.
Refocusing on the matter at hand, Sierra needed a way to get out of Vinedra Estate. Preferably one without being seen. The ground was covered, but not the sky. Ida insisted on traveling with Sierra back to Cair, but she refused.
"I could be entering a war zone, Ida. I can’t bring you into that, it’s too dangerous," Sierra explained.
Ida bit her lip, for the first ti in a while, she persisted, "But you need all the support you can get, Your Grace. Please, Sierra, let help you."
Sierra was about to protest again but Ida ca up with a way to help, "I can set Midnight and Macadamia out of their stables as a distraction, which would allow you to escape more easily. I can then take the horses and et you on the road towards Cair. You can’t fly all the way after all, can you?"
That was all she needed to convince Sierra. Everything was set into motion imdiately. Roxine left the estate shortly after.
Sierra nervously bid her ti, watching the hands on the clock face tick. Patience had never been her strong suit. But for this plan to work, it was key. Ida left the estate first, she went into the gardens, and headed towards the stables.
When she was there, she gave Sierra the signal they had agreed upon.
Ida started a fire using smokenashe, a unique plant that when burnt produced large amounts of smoke. As soon as she got it going, she quickly opened the stable doors, allowing Midnight and Macadamia to roam free.
"That’s my signal," Sierra whispered to herself as she climbed out of the window.
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