PreCursive

  It was early enough in the m that the green period hadn’t ended yet. Once again, I left Azarus’s house not from the entrao the side road, but through the forest with Thorn Cloak active. Even though I was heading toward the wall again, I didn’t io go far outside of it. I was angling for the servant’s entrao the manor, which was along the opposite side of the manor from Azarus’s pce. There was no ve eg stretch of forest that I could slink through to reach it, so I’d have to briefly go outside the wall in order to bypass the guards along the back gate.

  Before long, I’d reached the wall. Swiftly getting out my climbing tools, I scaled the wall much quicker than I had the first time, Thorn Cloak still running. I’d had plenty of time to practice climbing this wall during my trips out to see Silvia. Dropping down to the other side as quietly as I could, I started making my way along the outer wall as swiftly as I dared. Before long, I’d reached the clearing where Magnus’s hunts occurred and the back gate stood. Even from my position, I could hear the creaking of the guard’s armor as they shifted in pce before their post. Taking a breath to settle my nerves, I crept my way out far enough into the clearing to minimize whatever uional noise I would make. Slowly, I navigated my way across the clearing until I was oher side, scious of all the little stealth tricks Silvia had taught me.

  Once I was safely ensced withiree line of the clearing, I caught myself before I could let out a relieved sigh. No unnecessary noise, fool. Shaking it off, I slunk my way back to the wall at an angle, making sure to arrive far from the guards. Briefly peaking through the tiny gaps in the logs of the walls, I was able to firm that there was forest on the side. Taking out my climbing cws again, I scaled the wall again before dropping down to the other side. All right, now to get to the servant's entrance.

  It didn’t take me long to find it, as it was close to the back of the manor, but thankfully out of sight of any guards. Okay, now it was time for the part of our pn.

  Silvia had firmed for me that the manor’s ti of sves didn’t actually live ihe manor. Every m, the sves would trudge up the pathway along this side of the manor aer this door. Supposedly, they would be put to work onside. Silvia had suggested that I find a way to slip in with that group of sves in order to get inside. Ohere, it was my job to think on my feet in order to do my reaissand find both the ste and the Ward Stone.

  Getting my first close-up look at the door, I noticed that there was a row e bushes oher side of the pathway that extended out in front of the servant’s entrance. Making a split-sed decision, I darted my way out of the tree line and into the foremost bush that still teically stood on the main path. Onside, I crouched down in it as low as I could in order to minimize my profile and prayed Thorn Cloak would keep me hidden. It should, though. My impression of the skill is that it was meant for hiding in foliage.

  The green period began to end not long after that, and dowh, I could see movement. Before long, I sahazard group of dispirited sves trudging their way down the small dirt road. I hat they didn’t have a guard esc them, which I could only be thankful for. That would have plicated matters. I couldn’t help but hold my breath in anticipation. Ohe front of the group had reached my position, the sve that had been leading them turned around and gave the group a weak smile, but didn’t say anything. Turning back around, he walked up the path to the door and ope. As the group of sves were walking past my position, I waited for my moment. The mihat the st person in the group passed me, I instantaneously celed Thorn Cloak and slid out of the bushes to walk behind him. I mentally wi the slight rustling noise my exit had caused, but the sve in front of me didn’t eve. O was my time to enter inside, my eyes met those of the lead sve who was holding the door open for the group. Giving him a weak smile, I was internally relieved when he didn’t hesitate to return it. Looks like I’d mao avoid raising any suspiong the other sves, at least. The lead sve closed the door behind me.

  Discreetly looking around, I noticed that we had entered peared to be a kit that was currently empty. That didn’t st long though, as with a bang one of the servant dwarves of the manor barged through the door on the far wall, causing the group of sves to jump. Actually, looking closer at the servant, I think this was the same ohat had visited Van’s shop the other day.

  He didn’t waste a minute. “You!” He barked, pointing at a sve. “You, and you! ing!” He poio a different sve. “You! Cooking!” This tinued on until he poi me. Thankfully, thanks to the FAT I wasn’t reized. “You! Dishwashing!”

  Shit. How was I going to case the manor if I was stu the kit doing dishes?

  Still, I did as I was told and walked over to the primitive dishwashing station. I didn’t want to raise any suspi by pissing off the servant dwarf. Thankfully, even if it was meant for sves, it looked like they had still shilled out for a familiar handful of small metallic discs at the sink. I think there was a ing solution of some kind that I was supposed to use as well. There was a wooden bucket full of what looked like small white pellets. The sink was full of dirty dishes already, so I filled it with water by pressing one entment disd theed it up with aaking a handful of the pellets and a nearby rag, I got to work on the dishes.

  The servant dwarf finished giving out assigs to the sves and bustled out of the kit, leaving us sves to our work. I guess that uptight asshole had his own duties to look after. Thank God he didn’t feel the o hover over us.

  As the kit sve got to work on their cooking, I heless kept ready. I was going to have to wait for my ce, and if one didn’t e?

  I would make it.

  ………………………………………

  I think I’d figured out how I was going to do my snooping.

  Ohe kit sves had fiheir cooking for breakfast, one of them had wheeled out a cart that arently meant to be delivered around the mansion. Ohe fancy ptes of food had been loaded up on it, the ey of the kit staff had stood around for a few moments in dead silehe leader from earlier stepped up then and volunteered to deliver the food with a shaky smile.

  I’m guessing that delivery service wasn’t a very pleasant task in a manor filled with uppity nobles.

  It took the delivery man maybe twenty mio return to the kit after finishing. When he did, his face was bloodless from fear and stress. Nobody asked him what he went through, because I suppose this group knew what it was like. I could take a guess, myself.

  Still, the important part was that the kit staff apparently took turns delivering meals. As unpleasant of a task as it seemed, that was the perfect e to do my searg. I would just have to wait for the meal to go out and then volunteer. It wouldn’t be long I think, because the kit staff immediately started cooking again ohe leader returned.

  I was right. A few hours of work ter, I got my ce. The staff had finished lunch for the nobles of the manor and were loading up the cart again. Drying off my hands on a nearby rag, I focused on the group gathering. Walking over to them, I spoke up before anyone else could.

  “I’ll do it,” I said, trying not to sound too eager.

  Five different pairs of eyes swiveled my way instantly. Some were filled with relief, and others pity. The leader from earlier spoke up. “Are…you sure? You look…new.” He said hesitantly. “You don’t know what they’re like up there.”

  I gave him a weak smile. “Well…I’ve got to learn somehow, yeah?” I took a not-altogether fake breath to steady my nerves. “I’m sure. I’ll do it.”

  “Okay.” The leader answered, ashamed relief in his eyes. “If you’re sure. Take the cart and wait outside. Mr. Pignolo will be by in a bit to lead you around. You…really don’t want to make him wait.”

  I him and did as he asked. Taking the cart, I wheeled it out of the kit doors to wait in the hall beyond. Sure enough, the servant dwarf from earlier in the day came bustling down the corridor shortly thereafter. That must be ‘Mr. Pignolo’.

  He didn’t bother with any ies, not for a sve. “You!” He barked at me. “Follow!” He didn’t even wait for a response before turning back around to impatiently hold open the door at the end of the hall.

  I did as he asked, making sure my head was suffitly lowered. I didn’t want to make eye tact with Mr. Piggy. Well, that and I didn’t want him to see the brief smirk that fshed ay face.

  I had to resist the urge to say ‘I’m in’ like I was some kind of spy from bae.

  Once I had ehe manor proper, I was unsurprised to find that it was almost unspeakably gaudy. Uhe more tasteful usage of gold I’d seen ba Rhoscara, this pce was almost eye-searing in parison.

  Gold paint, gold deliers, gold orion. The only thing that kept it from being visually indistinguishable from all the gold was the occasional smidgeon of green on the carpet or drapes.

  I’d say gag me with a spoon, but I didn’t want any of this gold in my mouth.

  Over the few minutes, Mr. Piggy led me around to various funaries and fops that were lingering around the manor. Whenever we’d reach a destination, I would wheel the cart into the room, and then Piggy would do the actual serving. I guess these pricks didn’t want grubby little sve fingers anywhere heir food. Never mind the fact it was sves that made it in the first pce. Whatever, it’s not like nobles were known for rationality.

  So far, I hadn’t suffered anything more than a few sneers from these assholes. I hadn’t experienced anythihat would at for the fear o delivery guy's face. But I robably going to find out, shortly.

  The st delivery arently going to the head honchos.

  The Seneschal, Orinbar. And…

  Magnus.

  Mr. Piggy led me up to the sed floor, near where I estimated that one of the rooms Silvia had pointed out to me was. Sure enough, once we’d reached a more opulent than normal wooden door covered in golden orion, Mr. Piggy stopped us. I could vaguely hear versation drifting out of it from the distance I stood. Straightening his clothes, Piggy turned around to give me the evil eye. “Stand up straighter, maggot.” He hissed to me. “I will not have you embarrass me.”

  Fuck you too, buddy. I did as he asked though, and stood up as straight as I could.

  With a quiet huff, Piggy turned back around and rapped smartly on the door, causing the sound of versation to cease. Smoothly, the servant opehe door and impatiently waved me inside.

  Magnus and whom I could only assume was Orinbar were ihe Seneschal wasn’t quite what I was expeg. -shaven like all the other non-noble dwarves I’d seen, he had a sharp look to him. He had the same blond hair that Van did, but his was slicked back heavily, exposing a promi widow's peak. I only caught a brief glimpse of his eyes, but they were a hard, unfiving steel grey. Luckily, her he nnus were paying much attention to me. In fact, Magnus wasn’t paying much attention to anything, I noticed. He was gl in the rge padded chair he was sitting in, and hadn’t even looked over his shoulder at us as Piggy and I ehe room. I only had a few minutes before I was asked to leave though, so I had to hurry up. trating, I took in the office as discreetly as I could.

  It was visibly different from the rest of the manor. For o wasn’t even a tenth as gaudy. Gold orion was kept to a minimum, in favor of more earth tones. Green was still a on color, but so were browns and greys. Rather than being painted in gold, the wooden furniture was unadorned except for carvings of snakes spiraling up and down their surfaces. The rgest piece was the absolutely massive desk that Orinbar was sitting behind, and Magnus in front of. There were a few bookcases, and what looked like a rge metal safe along the back wall. I didn’t eveo wonder if the ste was in there, because I could see it clear as day.

  The trol ste was on the desk, sitting just to the right of Orinbar.

  Orinbar’s eyes flicked up from the dot he was iing to look at Mr. Piggy, only briefly lingering on me. “Giancarlo.” He said evenly, in a surprisingly deep voice. “I assume that is lunch?”

  “As you say, my lord,” Piggy answered him, bowiravagantly. Even though ‘Giancarlo’ wasn’t able to see it, I was able to. Orin wasn’t impressed by the grandstanding, distaste flickering across his face briefly. It was gone by the time Mr. Piggy straightened back up. In a fshy movement, Piggy took the st two ptes, still hot from the ented cover over the top of them. “For you, Lord Magnus.” He said, setting it in front of the bastard.

  He didn’t aowledge either Piggy or the food.

  Piggy’s smile faltered, if only briefly. Walking around to the other side of the desk, he sat the other pte in front of the Seneschal. “And for you, Lord Orinbar.” At the very least, Piggy got a slight nod from Orinbar.

  Walking back over to me, Piggy jerked his head at the detting the hint, I wheeled the cart back around and out the door. Before he shut the door behind us, Piggy turned around. “Have a good day, my lords.” He said simperingly. He didn’t get a response before he shut it.

  When Mr. Piggy turned back around to face me, he had a scowl on his face. “You will wait right here.” He hissed, leaning forward. “Wait for the lords to be finished with their meals, and then collect the ptes when Lord Orinbar signals for it. Afterward, take it back down to the kit. If you don’t, I swear to the gods I’ll have to you whipped to death, do you uand me?”

  I bowed my head. “I uand, master,” I muttered.

  “You had better.” Piggy narrowed his eyes at me. He didn’t bother with anything else, he just turned around a down the hallway in a huff.

  I hope you get gored by a real pig one day, you bastard.

  Calming down, I ositioning myself o the door when I heard versation start back up in the room. The door was leaking a surprising amount of of it. Risking a look up and down the corridor I was standing in front of, I saw that there was nobody else around. I leaned in closer to the door in order to better eavesdrop.

  I might as well get something out of this if I was going to stand out here.