The Raven's Blade

The Raven & The Warlock

For the third time this week, Ilsa navigated her way through the cold, yet familiar dungeon. She makes her way past the burn mark on the floor, through the stone arch, until she reached the cell. Many sorcerers, or people accused of such things were held here, and the girl currently inside was no different. Ilsa pressed a finger to her lips, the universal sign for don't you dare say a damn word. The girl peered through the bars, she wasn't much younger than Ilsa. Ilsa slipped a hand up into her hair, pulled out a couple of pins, and twisted them into the right shape. Slipping them into the lock, Ilsa twisted and prodded until she heard the telling click, the door opening with a slight creak.

Alarmed, she glanced over to where she last saw the guard, and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw that he was still scrambling for where she 'accidentally' dropped his necklace. When she turned back, the girl had slipped out of the cell and was looking at Ilsa, scared but relieved. Fair enough, Ilsa thought. She waved for the girl to follow her out of the dungeon, opening the large, wooden doors into the main part of the castle. Thankfully it was night, so no one was around. Ilsa pulled the girl through the corridor after her. She turned the corner into a foyer, they were almost at Ilsa's room. But the girl was no longer beside Ilsa. She began to turn, confused. Had the girl run off?

"Ah Madam Dreher!"

Her heart skipped a beat, she turned to see Viscount Domínguez greet her. What he was doing up at this hour, Ilsa didn't know. Rather, she didn't want to know. She gave a small glance behind her to see the girl was completely out of view. The girl had probably heard the Viscount approaching.

"It is Doctor Dreher actually," Ilsa said, as she curtsied politely.

She'd worked hard enough to get an education and she knew damn well she deserved to be called by her proper title.

The Viscount hummed and tilted his head in acknowledgement, "My apologies. We should have tea sometime, it has been far too long since we have caught up."

Ilsa gave a tight-lipped smile, and nodded quickly, hopefully the Viscount would hurry up so she could get the girl out of harm's way.

"Indeed it has."

Viscount Domínguez patted her arm,"Yes but it much too late for catch-ups now. A young lady like you should be back in your room."

"I was actually going that way-"

"Well then! I shall have to find you another time. I would love you to meet my son, Theodore, he has an interest in plants that I'm sure a scholarly person like yourself would know a lot about. He's a knight, you know."

After she agreed to meet Theodore, Viscount Domínguez smiled and wished her a good night. The Viscount was nice enough and was always up for thought-provoking conversation, but she didn't have time right now to discuss the intricacies of knighting rituals. Once Ilsa heard the Viscount get far enough away, she turned around as the girl appeared.

"Good job," Ilsa said with a smile.

"Thank you?" Came the reply, "May I ask where we are going?"

"Of course," Ilsa began walking through the corridor, "to my room. The guards will be looking for you and I doubt they'll check a random scholar's bedroom."

The girl followed quickly, they approached a set of stairs that they went up. The girl, actually, Ilsa could not keep calling her 'the girl'.

"Do you mind if I ask what your name is?"

"Rosina, and yours is...?"

"Ilsa. Ilsa Dreher," Ilsa realised Rosina hadn't mentioned a last name. "Forgive me if I'm wrong but that's an Aprirsan name isn't it?"