Night's Cold Embrace

Chapter 2

After leaving the tavern, Garrett immediately set off to get Basso his scripture. He still had a few hours of darkness to use to his advantage. It was a cool, foggy night too; the perfect night for a thief.

Garrett followed the main road heading towards the Baron's Keep. The Northingtons were well acquainted with the Northcrests and naturally lived in the nicer area of the City; anyone who was on good terms with Elias Northcrest typically benefited from being loyal to him. That is, as long as the person was of the more affluent.

Loyal, Garrett thought. More like too superior to help the poor or too scared to speak out against the Baron.

Garrett continued padding quietly down the cobblestone road, ducking behind crates every so often whenever a couple of Watch officers passed by. It was risky being out in the open road, which was lit profusely by torches and lampposts, but Garrett enjoyed the challenge and thrill of being in constant danger and reveled in knowing that he might get caught any second. Keeping himself on his toes was what kept him alive.

He continued down the road until eventually he approached the aristocratic residential area. The Baron insisted that the gate he had built around the area was simply decorative, but everyone knew it was to keep everyone who wasn't rich out. After briefly searching for the barely noticeable aperture in the stone wall, Garrett slipped through.

The contrast between the higher class' residence and the rest of the City was startling. Not only were the houses lavishly decorated, but the whole area was cleaner and emptier. It was almost unbelievable that just outside of the gate people were starving to death everyday.

Within minutes, he found himself at the Northingtons' estate. The large house exuded an air of elegance and boasted of wealth. Its inhabitants clearly took pride in their high standing in society. A few guards appeared to circle the whole perimeter of the house regularly; entering would not be easy. But then again, Garrett never liked an easy task.

Taking care to keep within the shadows, Garrett slowly made his way towards the back of the house. There were few light sources, but the guards carried torches and appeared to be vigilant in their watch. A couple of times he had to retreat as they approached, but eventually he reached a set of pipes which led straight to an open window. He scaled a straight pipe, then jumped with some difficulty to a higher horizontal one to his left. Garrett paused when he saw a light approaching and waited a few seconds before continuing. The window on the second floor was cracked open an inch, allowing Garrett to pry it up with his bare hands.

Despite the fact that the room he entered was darkened, Garrett could see the abundant riches contained in the numerous cabinets and drawers lining the room. He quickly relieved the Albrights of the treasures, taking care to close whatever he opened. He preferred not to leave a trail which others could trace back to him.

After a quick sweep of the room, Garrett decided to move on; the scripture must have been elsewhere. He instinctively reached for the lock picks fastened to his wrists as he approached the door. The lock was fairly simple and took mere seconds to pick. Garrett glanced through the keyhole to check for any signs of danger, then quietly opened the door when he saw that the hallway was empty. He crouched down as he exited the room and shut the door behind him. The corridor was dimly lit by several candles on the few tables standing against the walls. Garrett padded quietly towards the next door he saw. The lock on it was more intricate. This must have been where the scripture was kept.

It took a bit longer to unlock the door, but he was still able to open it fairly quickly. The first thing he noticed when he entered was an ornate painting hanging on the wall. A desk made of polished, carved wood was placed under it, various documents and paperwork scattered across its surface. A matching chair was tucked under the table and several tall bookcases lined the other walls.

Garrett walked into the office and up to the painting. He touched the frame gently, then moved his slim fingers behind the cool metal as he slid his hands along the frame in search of switches.

Once he found and pulled all the switches, Garrett popped open the door concealed by the painting. In the safe there were several trinkets and unique looking pieces of jewelry, all of which Garrett took after careful examination, as well as an old, well-used book. The thick tome was bound in worn leather and looked as though it hadn't been touched in a long time. Garrett skimmed through the yellowed pages but didn't bother to read the writing. It was written in Latin, which he couldn't understand, anyway.

The soft, muffled sounds of footsteps outside the door snapped Garrett out of his thoughts. He heard the door handle being slowly pushed down and immediately closed the safe and darted into a dark corner of the room just as the door opened. A young woman tentatively stepped in, clad only in a white, ruffled nightgown. "Father," she said. She spoke timidly, her voice soft and silvery. "I was just-" She paused mid-sentence as she scanned the room. Garrett was puzzled at first by her reaction, but then he understood. The door must have only been unlocked when someone was in the room.

He carefully made his way towards the door, avoiding the light streaming in from the hallway. He waited for the woman to move, but she appeared to be trying to make sense of the situation. After a moment's pause, she finally walked back into the hall. Garrett peeked around the corner and saw her walking away. He waited until she turned a corner before stepping back into the corridor.

He was halfway to the door from which he first entered when he heard a shrill scream. Garrett turned around and saw that the woman had returned with a candle in hand. He was in full view of her, exposed by the light.

Garrett moved quickly, running up to her to cover her mouth with his hand - even though she had already stopped screaming - and wrap an arm around her waist. She was catatonic with shock when he pulled her into the nearest room, her muscles tensed and breathing hitched.

He shut the door quietly and strained to listen for any movement outside, checking if anyone heard her scream and came to investigate.

Once the shock passed, she started to struggle, kicking and clawing desperately at his limbs. The woman was surprisingly strong considering her small stature and Garrett wasn't sure how long he could hold her. He considered knocking her out, but harming innocent girls would be crossing a line even for him.

"I'm not here to hurt you," he said quietly into her ear in an attempt to calm her.

Garrett waited until she stopped fighting him, which luckily didn't take long, then gently released her. She whipped around to face him, both apprehension and confusion clearly written on her face, and backed away from him.

A booming voice startled them both.

"Isabella? Where are you? Are you all right? I heard screaming."

As the voice drew closer, Garrett searched for an escape. There were a few windows in the room, but they were small and didn't look like they opened. The only way out was through the door. Finding an escape route wasn't his main concern, though. The trembling person two feet away from him, however, was. There was no guarantee she wouldn't scream, and Garrett knew that she would definitely do so if he tried to approach her.

She was looking at him with trepidation mostly, but for a moment her eyes flashed with concern and curiosity. Garrett gazed at her interestedly; he was accustomed to seeing looks of loathing or fear in other people's faces.

The moment didn't last for long. The thunderous voice called out for the woman again, rousing her from her daze. As if she had just realized that there was a thief in her house, her eyes widened and she let out another ear-piercing scream. The door flew open with a loud bang and a man, who Garrett surmised was Thomas Northington, burst into the room.

The burly man stalked towards Garrett the second he laid eyes on him.

"Thief! Get out of my house!" He called out as he lunged for him.

"With pleasure," Garrett replied dryly as he nimbly dodged the older man's attack and swept past him out through the door.

"The Watch will see you hanged once they catch you!" Came the angry voice, already far away.

"I'd like to see them try." Garrett retorted under his breath.

With the scripture tied securely at his waist, he jumped through a nearby window and quickly rappelled the wall. Garrett slipped into the shadows, melding with the darkness as he left the chaotic scene behind him.