Chapter Nineteen

"The Assassin"

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Hiding behind the stable walls, Minerva watched in utter confusion as the servant escorted Inquisitor Stowton towards the manor. 

"What happened?" he asked in a frantic tone.

"I don't know, sir!" she replied, equally frantic. "The High Inquisitor, he was in his room getting ready for the morning, and then we heard him scream. When we went to take a look, we found him on the ground, stabbed in the back!"

Minerva couldn't quite believe what she heard. Stabbed? By who?

Stowton looked stunned by the news. His pace quickened as they approached the manor.

"And is he alive?" he asked, his voice tinged with fear. 

The servant nodded. "Last I saw him, yes. One of the servant girls is fetching a doctor now."

"And the assailant? What of him?" Stowton demanded.

The servant didn't respond.

"Well?!" Stowton repeated.

"W-We don't know, sir. He escaped. Out the window, we think."

Stowton cursed under his breath and stormed towards the manor, when the servant called out to him.

"Sir! That's not all..."

Stowton glared daggers at her, "Out with it then!"

The servant's eyes were glued to the ground as she said, "When we found the Inquisitor, he wrote a message on the floor, in his own blood..."

Stowton's eyes widened, "A message? Well, what did it say?"

"I-It believe it said... 'Ian Ford'."

"Ian Ford?" Stowton repeated, confused. The name didn't seem to ring a bell. "You're sure that's what it said? That's what he wrote?"

"I-I think so, sir. My readin' ain't the best, but I've been practicing," The servant said. "Do you know who that is?

Stowton remained silent for a moment, thinking. 

"I'm not sure," he eventually said. "I shall look into it." He then disappeared into the manor with the servant following closely behind. 

Once she was certain the coast was clear, Minerva made a run for it.  

* * * * * * * * * * *

[Minerva's Log: I ran into an alleyway. I think I'm in the clear.]

I stopped in the middle of the road as I reached the last of Minerva's entries. I breathed a sigh of relief. She's safe. 

But quickly my mind shifted gears and ran through the scenario that had just played out.

Why in the world would somebody try to kill Inquisitor Hawkthorne? And who's "Ian Ford"?

The name sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it.

I have to meet with Minerva and figure this out.

Using the log entries, I tracked Minerva's movements back to the inn. It was a good sign that her first instinct was to reconvene. 

I ran back to the inn with haste to find her standing outside, waiting for me. "You're back soon," she said, slightly suspicious.

I told her she was right, that the butcher's shop was a dead-end and so I doubled-back. 

Minerva seemed to accept the explanation. She then peered into the window of the inn, saw that the common room had started to fill up with diners. 

"Let's go somewhere else," she said, gesturing to me to follow her.

The inn was located on the edge of the town limits, where it was surrounded by a forested region. I followed Minerva behind the inn and into the woods. We moved deeper until we could barely see the town through the wall of trees.

Minerva proceeded to tell me everything that happened, the attempt on Hawkthorne's life and the "Ian ford" message, but she left out the lavender tincture.

She's still hiding things.

"I don't know anybody in this town with the name 'Ian Ford' though," Minerva said. "Could it be a nickname?"

I said it over and over again, and even searched my log entries for the name. Nothing came up. Yet, I couldn't help but think it sounded familiar.

Ian Ford... Ian Ford...

Then, a memory started to resurface, like a worm wriggling its way out of the dirt. It was something the butcher said, but I couldn't quite figure out how it was related. 

As I racked my brain, I heard the snap of a twig. I immediately grabbed Quill and pointed it towards the sound. Minerva did the same with her hunting knife. 

We exchanged glances. Both of us agreed. There was something hiding in the bushes. Something large.

Another demon?

I steadied my heart, then charged at the creature with Quill, letting out a roar—

"Wait!" Minerva shouted. 

I stopped in my tracks and stared at her with bewildered eyes. Minerva moved a branch out of the way, revealing... 

... A horse, brown with white socks, munching lazily on the grassy forest bed. 

"It's Inquisitor Hawkthorne's horse." Minerva said. "But what's it doing out here?"

I watched as the horse munched lazily on the grass. It didn't even seem to notice we were there.

Then it clicked. The pieces all fit together neatly.

I grabbed the horse's reins and handed them to Minerva. "Take the horse back to the manor. It doesn't have to be all the way to the stable. Just close enough that the horse will know the way back on its own. Then meet me back at the inn around sunset."

Minerva narrowed her eyes at me, "Why? What do you have planned?"

"Just trust me," I said as I walked back towards the town. "I know who tried to kill the High Inquisitor."

* * * * * * * * * * *

I sat in the inn's common room, gazing out the window. There was a bowl of potato soup sitting before me. Because I couldn't taste it, I left the soup mostly untouched, only eating a spoonful when Baumont glanced in my direction. It seemed the polite thing to do.

As the sun began to set, the light bathed the room in a warm reddish hue. Right on cue, Minerva entered through the front entrance. She peered into the common room, saw me sitting by the window, then took a seat across from me. 

"So who is it?" she asked, wasting no time.

"Hold on," I said. "Just answer something for me first."

Minerva's eyes narrowed, suspicious. "Go on."

There was tension in the air and she could sense it. Minerva's body weight shifted ever-so-slightly. I saw Minerva's hand inching towards the hunting knife strapped to her leg. 

I looked Minerva square in the eyes and said, "Lavender. That's the hidden condition for your trait, right?"

Minerva cocked her head in confusion. That's not what she expected me to say. But then her expression turned dark. "How do you know about the lavender?"

She set her hand on the hunting knife. She didn't bother to hide it. She wanted me to see. The message was clear—"tread carefully". 

I continued, "Just tell me... That lavender scent is how you mark your target, right? As long as you can smell lavender, you can use Prison Cell on them?"

Minerva looked at me with calculating eyes, like a predator unsure if its target carried venom. 

"Why do you want to know?" she asked.

I spoke softly, barely louder than a whisper, "Because the person that attacked the High Inquisitor is in the room right above us and I need you to imprison them."

Her eyes flickered upwards, then back at me. "What in the world are you talking about? Why would—"

"The servant girl. At the stable. She took the horse."

Minerva nodded, understanding. "But... why is she upstairs? How do you know—"

"I just do," I said.  "But we don't have much time. She's probably scared and preparing to run. We have to act now."

Minerva looked conflicted. "And you're sure?"

I nodded again, confident. 

Minerva's brow furrowed as she contemplated her options. She cursed under her breath, some of them directed at me.

Eventually, through gritted teeth, "Fine... But it has to be nighttime. The sun has to set completely."

We waited in silence. The sun's red glow slowly died down, and all that was left was the light from the hearth. We looked out the window and saw it was dark outside.

It was time. 

I rose to my feet and Minerva followed suit. As we approached the stairwell, I heard movement from upstairs. The sound of items being shoved into bags and frantic footsteps running back and forth.

I took a step onto the stairwell. A loud creak echoed through the inn and the frantic sounds above stopped. 

She knew. 

I glanced at Minerva, gestured for her to go outside. She nodded in agreement, then ran off. 

I gave her a moment to get in position, counting down from ten...

... Then I dashed up the stairs, threw my entire body at the door, bursting it wide open, only for me to find the room was empty and the window open.

I ran to the window and saw nobody outside.

What? Where did they go?

Then, under the shroud of darkness, reality seemed to warp ever-so-slightly. From that disturbance in the air, Minerva stepped out, seemingly out of nowhere.

I climbed out the window, then leaped to the ground, landing beside her.

"You got her?" I asked.

Minerva nodded, her expression dark. "She's inside."

I sighed. "Well, let's go talk to her."

Minerva sighed, then pressed her palm against the air. A crease made of light suddenly formed in the shape of a door. 

Minerva gestured for me to go first. I awkwardly stepped past her and into the door-shaped surface, passing through an invisible barrier...

... into a light-wrapped rectangular space. Minerva's prison cell. And in the corner, on the ground, cradling her legs, sat Lenore.