Sigrid sat looking out over the city. At her back sat the huge imperial palace its massive walls sunk deeply into the foundation of Palace Hill. It dominated the skyline if she looked to the west. She had heard that the palace had ninety-four towers, one for each duchy in the Empire. She would not be surprised if that was the truth. There were only about twenty-five visible from her perch atop the western tower of the mansion. To the north and south the city sprawled away. Thousands of streets, squares, gardens were in an impossible maze that needed a genius or a very detailed map to navigate. Beyond them were a few more hills that she didn't know the name of. To the east lay Merchant Hill. The sparkling lights of the West End mansions of Merchant Hill looked like the stars in the night sky itself.
Autumn was here and with it a welcome cooling evening breeze. If Sigrid closed her eyes, she could almost imagine that she was sitting atop a pile of garbage outside Citadel of Daggers on a warm summer day. She breathed in deeply. And froze. There it was again. The scent. She recognized it. Her heart started pounding. She calmed herself with a quick trance. Got up off the floor and headed out the window. As quietly as she could she scaled the roof up to the ridge, just letting her eyes peek over the top. She scanned from right to left. There. On the eastern wing this time. A dark figure. She headed around the west tower and jumped the gap over to the east tower to save time. Around the outside. She pressed herself to the rough stone and then quickly glanced around the corner. The figure was still there. Why wasn't it making itself invisible already? She could see its dark cloak fluttering in the wind. She drew two throwing daggers and moved quietly along the small ledge on the outside of the east tower. Twenty paces. Fifteen. The figure jerked and looked straight at her.
Damn!
Sigrid threw both daggers. Before they were halfway towards their target the figure disappeared. She turned her gaze to the right and defocused her eyes. Everything went blurry. But there it was. She could see the figure moving along the edge of the roof. Not fast. It seemed to be walking. Sigrid stood still. She drew two more daggers and threw them at the ghost at the edge of her vision. There was a hiss from the figure as one of the daggers found home. The figure started running. Sigrid tried to follow with her eyes but got dizzy as she had to move her head. She blinked. And the figure was gone.
But I got you, she thought smiling widely.
She could feel Tora at the edge of her consciousness. The dagger had been part of her since her initiation into the Sisters of Infinite Mercy, and she could feel its presence within several miles. It was heading east. And it was stuck in a bone. Perfect.
The streets of Merchant Hill were dimly lit this early in the morning. As soon as she had collected the three errant daggers she set out after the mysterious figure. There was no high way on Merchant Hill. The West End was all large mansions and the top of the hill held all the guild squares, as they continued east the houses got even bigger, the highest ones were six or seven stories, but there lived hundreds of merchant families in each house.
Sigrid used the same way as she usually did when going to the College. The dagger was still showing the way clearly east. She was running, leather clad feet feeling every crack in the cobblestones. Closing in on the mysterious figure. Tora was getting closer. Her other daggers felt it too. She hesitated a moment as she passed from Merchant to College. The dagger was still indicating east. Straight for the College. She hurried on. She was close now.
The College was completely empty this time of night. The towers had struck three bells a few drops before she had smelled the scent. It must be close to four bells now. Not a living soul shared the paths with her. Sigrid quickly stepped on. Closing her eyes to focus on where the dagger was, when she found it, she froze. Opening her eyes, she looked up at Jarl's dormitory. There were no lights in any of the windows. She closed her eyes again and reached out for the dagger. It was moving up now. To the left. And then ... and then it was gone. As if someone had reached into Sigrid's chest and taken a piece of her heart. She gasped, clutching at her throat. It ... it couldn't be. It couldn't be gone. She sprinted forward, in through the large oaken door that led to the hallway. Up the stairs. It was all dark. There was no-one there. She closed her eyes again and reached out. Nothing. Wait. There was something. Very faint. Eyes shut tight she slowly walked forward. And ran her head right into a door. She opened her eyes. A huge ebony door was right before her. Dark as night. She felt its smooth surface for a handle. There was none. She could feel Tora. She was on the other side.
***
"So, you're telling me that a strange figure was climbing around on the mansion roof and then ran back to the dormitory after you had hit it with a dagger and disappeared into one of the suites on the floor above us?" Jarl said turning around and studying her intently.
Sigrid kept a steady gaze leveled at him. Then she nodded.
"You must agree that it does sound a bit ... farfetched. As far as I have heard there is no-one living in this house except for me. All the other rooms are also intended for royalty from the outer kingdoms. And they only come once every three generations or so. There is a reason why the building is called The Lost Princes you know?"
Jarl threw himself down onto one of the sofas he so liked. Sigrid despised laying around doing nothing. It was an affront to the gods. Wasting the time that they had given you on this earth.
"Now. Let's talk about my problems instead."
Sigrid sighed. As Jarl's mouth started moving, she put herself into a trance. She needed her strength this night if the wraith, as she had decided on calling it, came back. Now she just needed to find a way to get past the ebony door. She had tried breaking it down last night, but it had been impossible. She still wore the bruises on her shoulders as a reminder. She was yanked out of her trance by a knock at the door. She blinked. Jarl waved at her to go open it. Sigrid's mind slowly returned to the here and now and as she opened the door it was almost back. She blinked.
"Hi there," said Mirja and smiled at her. "May I come in?"
Sigrid nodded and stepped aside. The dark-haired woman slid past her and went over to place a kiss on Jarl's cheek. The young prince stood up and threw his arms around Mirja.
"Oh, by the gods, how I have missed you," he said lifting her up.
It almost looked like she was flying. Focus. Sigrid blinked again and everything went back to normal. Mirja turned her head towards Sigrid and smiled. Sigrid just stared back.
"Where have you been?" Jarl said putting Mirja down.
Mirja shrugged.
"It's been six weeks. You've got to do better than a shrug," Jarl said leaning his head to one side.
"A lady never kisses and tells," Mirja said smiling.
Then she walked towards Sigrid and to Sigrid's big surprise Mirja threw her arms around her and hugged her tight. Sigrid just stood there paralyzed.
"I've missed you," Mirja said giving her a light kiss on the cheek.
Sigrid looked at Mirja carefully as she went back to studying with Jarl. It was like the last month and a half hadn't happened. And most importantly, that the moment that had passed between her and Mirja hadn't happened.
"How did you learn all this?" Mirja said leaning in towards Jarl.
"Master Cerdic has been giving me private lessons. Every day since after the break."
Mirja sat up and stared at Jarl for a moment. Sigrid moved a bit closer and sat down on the windowsill.
"You are kidding me. A Master tutoring a first-year student?"
Jarl nodded. Mirja replied with a shake of her head.
"That ... that simply does not happen."
"How do you know? You're a first-year as well as I."
Mirja huffed. Sigrid could see her point. Mirja had basically had the run-down of the entire College after two weeks. Now that four months had passed Sigrid would assume that she knew the intricate secrets of everyone within a five-mile radius.
"It is not done," Mirja said leaning her head forward. "He must do it for a reason."
"Maybe I'm just that brilliant," Jarl said putting one of those horribly lecherous smiles on. "Lorelee and Varja certainly seems to think so."
Mirja huffed again. Sigrid smiled. She had forgotten how much she liked the woman. As the two went back to studying again Sigrid revisited last night's events. She needed to get better at seeing the invisible. She needed a way to train. Her eyes landed on Mirja. It was either her or Aelric. She hadn't been with Aelric for over a week and she wasn't sure he was a good candidate. Mirja would be better.
"I am bored now," Jarl said standing up. "Now, let's see that body of yours. Sigrid. You know what to do."
Sigrid hesitated for a moment. Mirja looked at her and gave her a minute nod and a smile. Sigrid moved towards her and slowly unbuttoned her dress looking her straight in the eyes. She helped Mirja out of all of her clothes and when the dark-haired Kelivese woman stood stark naked in front of her she grabbed her arms and twisted them around her back and forced her to her knees.
"Well, well," Jarl said raising an eyebrow at Sigrid. "Someone clearly has some things she needs to work out."
Sigrid ignored him and got to her knees behind Mirja pushing herself up against the woman's naked back twisting her arm up further until she squirmed, but Mirja still did not make a sound. Jarl stepped up to Mirja and as Mirja's arms were behind her back he undid his own pants and put his growing member against Mirja's lips. She parted them for him and let him into her mouth. Sigrid put her mouth close to Mirja's ear.
"Is this how you like it," she whispered and twisted Mirja's wrist a little further.
She could feel the woman's skin resist her grip, but she was far from doing any permanent damage. If there was one thing that Sigrid knew well it was how to hurt someone. She thought Mirja gave a small nod as Jarl forced his growing flesh further down her throat. Sigrid let go of one of Mirja's arms and instead grabbed the woman's hair in a firm grip and started moving her head back and forth on Jarl's stiff member.
"Yes," Jarl panted. "Just like that."
Sigrid used Mirja's head moving it forcefully back and forth. The Kelivese woman did not resist and after using her mouth for a while Jarl started grunting and soon he came. Sigrid pushed Mirja down on Jarl's cock as he came. Mirja squirmed a little but nothing more.
"By the gods!" Jarl exclaimed smiling widely. "That was amazing," he said stumbling backwards and falling on top of one of the sofas.
Sigrid let go of Mirja. A shiver went through the dark-haired woman's body as she was let go. She turned her face towards Sigrid and before Sigrid could react, she had planted a kiss on her lips. Sigrid did not know why but she parted her lips slightly to let Mirja's tongue in. Her lips tasted salty from Jarl's seed and Sigrid could not help but feel her body tingle. She quickly broke off the kiss, stood up and took a step back. She looked over at Jarl. He did not seem to have noticed. Mirja stood up in front of her.
"Thank you," she whispered and let one finger trace down the side of Sigrid's face.
Sigrid had to control her entire body not to react to the woman's touch.
***
Mirja and Jarl spent another hour studying before Jarl's next class. As Jarl left the room Sigrid stayed behind shortly and stepped over to Mirja.
"Can you meet me here at five bells. While Jarl is with the Mistresses," she said in a low voice.
