Bk. 2, Chapter 19: Creaky Old Manor

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17HMQRtslxmy_nKyHJnby9GQp3NlUOwXDircpwWmBdj0/edit?usp=sharing

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"It should be doable. Not easy, but doable."

Cayden rubbed the back of his head as he looked down at the map Elise had folded carefully across the table in front of them, centering the area that was essential to their upcoming plans. Before pulling it from one of her borrowed spacial pouches, she'd thoroughly wiped down the table to ensure there were no liquids or anything else that could damage it. It had been a gift from her mentor, and an expensive one at that; [Cartogropher] existed as a class, which made detailed and accurate maps much more accessible than they normally would be in a medieval-aged society, but accurate maps that covered as wide of a range as Elise's were still a rare commodity.

Jeremy and Tiana joined Cayden and Elise in their huddle around the map, and Cayden was once again depending on Jeremy for his [Share Senses] skill. It was regretful, but he didn't want his mind compromised for any of the upcoming decisions, which meant he needed [Opened Mind] active in his [Borrowed Power] slot.

"I'm not really worried about the timing," Cayden said. "It won't be pleasant, but I've already done it once; I can do it again. What I'm worried about is getting lost."

"You've got the river as a backstop on the way there," Elise replied, tracing out the thin blue line on the map. "And on the way back you'll have the road. The only issue would be if you hit the river and you're not sure which way to go from there, but for that you can just shoot more directly north, and then follow the river west the rest of the way."

"I suppose that'll work..." Cayden responded. But that wasn't truly what he was worried about, and he glanced nervously at Jeremy.

"...I'm gonna want something good in exchange," Jeremy said, understanding the unspoken request, and Cayden sighed with relief.

Even if he'd been willing to swap out [Opened Mind] for [Share Senses], he needed someone with him to use [Share Senses], and he could only carry one person on his back at a time. Elise and Tiana didn't have the physical stats to make the trip from the wagons to Delphia's barony and back, at least not in the time frame they had, and on the off-chance Delphia could be convinced to return with them, he would need his harness empty – which left Jeremy as the only potential option who might be able and willing to make the run with Cayden.

"Of course! What do you want?" Elise asked, and Jeremy shrugged.

"Not sure. Let's just call it a favor owed," he said, and Tiana frowned.

"Sounds good," Cayden said before she could speak. He was just glad he hadn't had to work to persuade his friend. While Jeremy had seemed to get along with Delphia during the semester, Cayden wasn't sure if he would call the two of them 'friends' – and the run was an awfully big ask for someone who was only an acquaintance.

Because it wouldn't be a pleasant run. Cayden was already baffled by the concept of people who 'ran for fun'. Sure, he exercised daily more than all but the most hardcore athletes on Earth, but that wasn't necessarily because it was 'fun'. It had certainly grown on him, but that was more appreciation for the regularly scheduled break in his day than it was the activity itself, giving him the chance to zone out and just be as he worked his muscles – closer to meditation than it was anything else. He'd certainly never felt any sort of 'runner's high' that others claimed to experience.

And this run would be even longer than the previous. Close to forty-five miles on the way there, and then an additional thirty-five on the way back. Regardless of his friendship with Delphia, Cayden didn't think he'd be particularly well received if he showed up there in the middle of the night. But they were lucky – the road the expedition was taking somewhat curved around where Delphia was supposed to live, passing through a town in the neighboring barony where the expedition would lodge overnight. Cutting directly across the land would hopefully get them there before it was too late, while still giving them plenty of time to reunite with the expedition on the following day.

"Just make sure you're not late," Elise declared, looking between Cayden and Jeremy. "Instructor Mynar has been accommodating so far, but I don't think she'll be willing to wait around for more than a few minutes."

With those final words, they split apart for the night, Cayden taking the time to stretch his sore legs. If he was going to run another couple of ultra-marathons, he needed to be prepared.

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Delphia flitted from shadow to shadow, [Into the Background] and [One with the Darkness] ensuring she was nothing but a flicker in the corners of the eyes of any watchers-on. Not that it was necessary; she was the only one walking the empty hallways, but habits were difficult to break.

They'd had a visitor that afternoon, an unusual occurrence for their small household. A few years earlier, Delphia would've been in her room, taking advantage of the distraction to get some uninterrupted sleep at a more reasonable time of night. But at seventeen, she was used to staying up into the wee hours of the morning, waiting until she was sure her father was unconscious before getting her own rest.

Her time at the academy had been pleasant, in that way. As little as she got along with Velic, she never feared that her roommate would barge into her room unannounced or without permission. Having a space that was entirely hers, a space where she could retreat to with a guarantee that no one would bother her, was a treat she had never before experienced.

Looking back, the entirety of her semester at the academy felt like that – like a dream she only barely woken from. Unexpected in its joys and trials, it was so much better than she had ever expected or dared to hope. Yet it had to end. She'd always known that it was temporary, that she would eventually be forced back home and leave behind those she met. But she had dared hope.

Delphia shook her head. She didn't regret her choices, nor the experiences that they led to. But she couldn't keep dwelling on them, either. As had always been the plan, her time at the academy concluded after a single semester, fulfilling the obligation of any noble family hoping to maintain the respect of its peers. Spending all day reminiscing on a past that could not return was doing nothing but torturing herself.

So instead, she stalked silently through the halls of the manor, her steps not leaving tracks in the dust that gathered at the edges of the hallways. She glanced at the familiar faded tapestries and paintings that adorned the walls, displaying her family's 'storied' history. Walked into the courtyard, past the brown remains of what had once been vibrant green gardens. Trailed her fingers along the edge of a dry fountain.

It was just the three of them at the manor, nowadays. Herself, her father, and their last footman, Henderson – not nearly enough to support a manor of their size. Only the reception chamber, main entrance, and hallways around them were properly maintained, those areas most likely to be seen by visitors, and even those were showing their decline. Henderson made only a half-hearted effort to keep the manor presentable, and Delphia often wondered why he was still around. Most everything truly valuable that could be hawked had already been sold, and she didn't know – though she had her suspicions – where her father found the money to pay him; the rest of the staff had departed years ago.

Delphia obviously didn't know the details of their finances, but the remedials class at the academy had taught her enough about economic management for average noble households for her to know their barony did not produce enough to support both their home and her father's vices. A decade prior they had already been one of the smallest and economically weakest baronies in the kingdom, and the last ten years of slow stagnation had done nothing to help their situation.

Although she supposed some things were too important to her father's pride to sacrifice – the manor itself, for example. A noble house without a manor or a single attendant to manage it was no noble house at all. And Delphia supposed she shouldn't resent it; if not for her father's pride, she would be without one of the few joys of her home.

A tiny smile raised the corners of her lips, invisible in the shadows of her hood even if anyone had been there to see it, as she turned her wandering steps toward the rickety building they called a stable. It was a bit risky, since it was right by the entrance to the manor and their visitor would have to pass by it when they left, but it was still early in the evening. Her father and his visitor would likely be talking for a few hours yet.

But as Delphia stalked across the courtyard, staying in the shadows cast by the glowstones on either side of the opened manor gate, she heard voices. And she paused.

"...it's so soft, though."

"You've already been 'catching your breath' for five minutes. How much longer do you need?"

"Just a minute more. Or an hour, if you can spare it. Actually, a day or two would be nice."

"Whiner. Try doing it with a person on your back, then you can complain."

"You keep bragging about how far you carried Elise, yet you refuse to carry me every time I've asked. I feel like I should be offended by that."

"Get offended all you like, you're not getting into this harness. Now – even if you don't sit up, will you please at least open your eyes? I want to make sure we're in the right place, but I need your sight to do it."

"Fiiiinneee..." the second voice responded, followed by a long, drawn-out groan. "Where else would we be, though? A home this big along the river; what else could it be but the baron's manor?"

"That's what I thought, but doesn't it seem kinda...I don't know. Abandoned? The gate's lit up and open, but we haven't seen anyone. We've been out here five minutes already and haven't exactly been quiet – wouldn't a noble manor have a guard or a gatekeeper or something? Especially with everything that's been going on with the queen, recently."

"I suppose. But then I've never been to a noble's manor before."

"...neither have I."

"Well, what do we do, then? Knock? Or just go in?"

Delphia came back to herself, heart racing as she realized that, unless she did something soon, she was about to be face-to-face with her old roommate and one of his friends, and she instinctively shrunk back into the shadows. Part of her was overjoyed – more than overjoyed – to hear voices she thought she'd never hear again. Yet she wasn't ready.

At the academy, she'd had time – minutes, or sometimes even hours, to prepare and gather herself before any interactions. She had a defined and regular schedule of classes and training sessions, times when she could mentally prepare herself to interact with her classmates and teachers. And after she'd gotten closer with Cayden and Elise, when she started to talk with them outside of her defined schedule, she always had her skills to fall back on, giving her precious seconds to catch her breath in the solitude of her darkness before engaging.

So, naturally, she fell back on that now. Cayden's skills and perception stat weren't nearly good enough to find her when she didn't want to be found, and she didn't think Jeremy's were either. She could retreat back into the shadows, take a few minutes to gather herself, and then properly greet her classmates after she'd gained control of her roiling emotions.

Yet as she listened to the two boys knock on the large wooden doors several times, chatting back and forth for a few more seconds before deciding to walk inside, she looked out over the courtyard. And for what felt like the first time, she thought she might have been able to relate to her father.

Though a cursory effort had been made to make the entryway presentable, to anyone with an eye for detail, the neglect was obvious. Dirt and detritus had only been partially swept clear of the main walkway, with large branches lying under the trees where they had fallen after the most recent storm. The cobblestones forming the path were chipped and broken, and only two thin lines of glowstones on either side of the entrance were lit, leaving the rest of the manor shrouded in darkness.

Perhaps they wouldn't notice. Perhaps they would simply follow the lit path, unknowing and uncaring of the rotting manor beyond their immediate surroundings. But if they did dare to explore...

Delphia had never particularly enjoyed the manor or its dilapidated state, but neither did she typically care. It was simply the way things were, and not something she could change, even if she were to try. But now, with two of her classmates about to enter her home, she felt for the first time...shame.

She couldn't allow them to wander freely.

So as they cautiously stepped forward through the gates, Delphia stepped forward to meet them, abandoning her shadows in favor of the light.

"Cayden, Jeremy – welcome."

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