Role

Chapter 17

The night was dark, and Oirwn used it to her advantage. The moon was barely
a sliver of light, and the stars struggled to peek through the low clouds
overhead that heralded the coming of a storm. Oirwn hoisted herself up to
the top of the stone wall that held Horatia Felport captive. As she teetered
precariously, she took a moment to scout the whereabouts of the estate's
night watch. One guard was stationed at the gate, and another watched the
path to the house with a keen eye. If the distance was just right, they'd
be no trouble at all. Oirwn shrugged off her heavy cloak and set it atop the
wall. Underneath it all, Oirwn was barely clothed at all. She'd fashioned
the costume after something she'd seen one of the poor slave girls wearing
when she was just a little girl. With a deft leap, Oirwn landed on the grass
and strode into the light. The guards took no time in noticing her, and as
they approached to apprehend her, Oirwn sang the lullabye her guild taught.
The men hit the ground without so much as a word of protest.

"Now here's the hard part," she whispered to herself. Oirwn had no idea who
might still be awake in the house, or what she might have to do to subdue
them. Her research had told her the master of this pitiful tract of land
kept several women slaves. Oirwn hoped that her outfit would allow her to
walk through his home with little notice.

With her lockpicks, she made short work of the front door, slipped inside,
and held her breath. The house was silent and dark. No one awake, she
assumed, and began her search. It didn't take long for Oirwn to find them.
Three girls, Horatia Felport included, were confined to one tiny attic room.
They looked up at her in surprise when she entered, and all three gave a
dejected sigh.