Sentinel

Chapter 21 - The library

Dedicated to AlexThomas. Your comments are amazing <3

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Chapter 21 - The library

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Unable to resist another look, Tayne pulled the folder off his desk.

The mid-morning sun filtered through the window on to the puzzling report sitting on his lap. Quite simply, he didn’t know what to make of it. It was either a huge security risk, or a stroke of luck for the demons. Knowing Donovan would demand an entire report and expect a conclusion that Tayne probably couldn’t give, he read the words for a fourth time, trying to draw some new insight from them.

Anything to keep the Silverborn from patrol duty. Deities take me if we’re forced to guard walls while that Sentinel ravages the land, Tayne thought fiercely. He clucked his tongue in annoyance. You’d think the Captain of the Guard sits on his arse all day with the amount of work we do. It’s like no one else gives a damn what happens outside the walls until they’re forced to acknowledge it.

Sighing, he skimmed over the report again, trying to single out vital details.

“Breach at Ward 11, four hours before dawn. Six dead, four injured and another two missing. Five imps found within the perimetre, slain by the night watch guard patrol,” he said to himself quietly. Tayne scanned the page a moment longer before dragging his eyes away.  “But how did they get in?” he asked the ceiling.

He decided to try a different angle. He’d always been decent at imagining scenarios, piecing together the information he was given to form an entire picture. He closed his eyes and ran through the facts in his mind.

According to the report, a small group of imps had managed to make it inside Alguarde’s wall. They’d entered two homes, slaying or maiming the occupants before the night watch was alerted and put a stop to their havoc. Tayne knew Ward 11 was in one of the middle districts where a number of trade shops were located. Among them was Karrosh, the blacksmith that repaired the Silverborn armour.

Still, that didn’t make a great deal of sense. How had Ward 11 become weaker than the rest? Why had they struck in that district? Was there something there? More demons were spotted lurking outside the ward, so it hadn’t weakened to the point of failing completely. Minor demons or not however, they still posed a serious threat to unarmed civilians.

Tayne remained like that for several minutes. Head back, one arm behind him supporting his weight and the other on the paper, running the pads of his fingers along the edge. He came up with various ideas and potential scenarios before he realised he’d need additional information to confirm any of them. The report didn’t cover as much as he’d like.

With a sigh, Tayne walked away from the desk and stretched the cramps from his limbs. He was headed for the door when a knock sounded from the other side. 

 “Enter!”

The door swung open with ease. A blonde head appeared in the space. “Uh, hello Sir,” said Jesse.

Tayne raised an eyebrow at him.  Jesse stared back at him with wide eyes, sensing he’d done something wrong. He shifted his gaze around the room before it clicked.

“Oh! I mean, hello Tayne.”

Tayne shook his head and smiled. “Hello, Jesse. Glad you remembered.” Tayne stooped to recover the bracer he’d dropped. Standing up, he fixed it around his wrist securely. “Now, what brings you to my quarters at this early hour?” he asked.

Jesse moved over, holding out a folder. Tayne groaned. “Another one? What’s this one about?” He opened the pages, flicking through the paper without waiting for the knight’s response. Why did politicians think everything could be solved with paper?