“Let me see, let me see.” The old assistant ran her finger along the many scrolls tucked away in the lattice shelves, never once casting her eyes to them in order to check if she had passed the text she looked for. Noah moved along behind her, feeling like a young child following their school teacher. Clasping his hands before him, his feet struggled to keep pace with the tall thin woman’s swift stride. “It has been some time since any scholar has come asking for old Berford’s historia.” He detected a mocking humor in her tone that he did not much care for, but knew his mission would not be helped by speaking up about such things. “Seems more than a bit of a waste of time, if you wish to learn the world’s history.”

  “It’s not for myself.” Said Noah. “My master wishes to find some details of something or other within its texts.” He waved his hands and tried to pass the words off as an uninteresting thing.

  “Oh, is he a scholar, your master?”

  “Em, rather a man interested in much research, I suppose.” The woman stopped, and looked over her shoulder, casting a narrow eye at Noah. He felt his posture shrink.

  “You’re master is aware that we do not just lend out our collection to just anyone. He must be of high birth, scholarly title, or a Magi. Though recently we have been thinking of rescinding the last exception.” Noah swallowed. “Do you care to tell me for whom you speak?” Thomas not only would not be a sufficient name for any place such as this. Even if it were, their mission was a secret one. Mentioning his name here, would without a doubt bring the eyes of the whole city down upon them. Noah’s mind became swallowed in a fog of panic, and the only name that managed to surface found itself spewing from between his lips.

  “Mrs. Rebbi, the daughter of Solomon, asked me to come fetch this text.” His heart skipped at hearing his own words echoing back into his ears. What was he thinking? The assistant turned to him, but kept her finger stopped on the scroll she had halted upon. Her sharp look never loosening one bit.

  “The Novid tribe? How interesting.” She pursed her lips. “I suppose the more religious types tend to enjoy these texts more than most. As do our own priests and elders. But I thought you said that your master was a man?” Noah looked down and shuffled a bit.

  “Well, I generally think of my master as Solomon himself. So, you’ll understand my slip when this time his own daughter sent me on her errand instead.” Her eyes never broke away from him. He felt a cold sweat peaking through the skin of his palms.

  “You speak of them so casually. Odd, for a servant.”

  “Oh, well they are much like family to me. The way of the tribe is much more close with its servants than how it is here.” He shocked himself with how smooth the lie came out. A touch of truth mixed in, and the words took effect. The assistant gave a slow nod.

  “I see. Well, before I give it to you, perhaps I could have your master’s confirmation?” Noah gave an understanding nod, and turned away to walk down the way they had come. Looking over his shoulder, he called back to the old woman.

  “Of course. I’ll go get them to give me their seal right now. Don’t worry, it shouldn’t take too long.”

  “Why do that?” She responded in the same cool tone as she had always been speaking. “The daughter of Solomon Novid is here within these walls.” Noah slowly came to a stop as the words made their way into his panicked brain. He turned around.

  “Hmm?”

  “She is here in the library with us. She stopped by this morning and has not left since. Come, let us go and find her.” He detected a smug triumph in the old bat’s words. He felt his own voice shake as he responded.

  “Oh, yes. That would save me so much time. Thank you, ma’am.” Noah’s head swam with panic as the assistant led him down another hall of scrolls. She never looked back at him, but he detected her posture and stood a little taller, if that was even possible. The area grew darker with each passing moment, and before he knew it, they were ascending a second set of stone steps. The old arch about them echoed their footsteps about them. Above, past the assistant, a pale light shone. Then they were out again.

  The third story floor was open and entirely devoid of shelves. Large peaked windows ran to the high ceiling, lighting the room with a yellow shade of early evening. At their bottom, a cushioned alcove where a reader might sit and look out to the city beyond. Spaced out, ten feet from each other, were large wooden tables, with tall dark oak chairs placed about them to match. The technicality of their decorations and carvings would have astounded anyone from the youth’s village. Around the edges of each table ran the visuals of a current flowing, rushing, then crashing at each corner. Here and there, the body of some great serpent revealed itself, the head coming up on the bottom right corner for each table. On top of the wooden slabs, the finely detailed mapping of the whole of Tovoran had been etched into the wood. Not in some loose memory of a carving, but in an exact replica of the four regions. Rivers and forests had been scaled to perfection and each town and city known within the mountains had not been forgotten. Any visitor to the great library of Windgrad, who found the name of a place they did not know within any of the available texts, could simply find their way to any of the fifty tables and point out directly where it was. All of this was lost on Noah.

  His eyes scanned the room, looking for the girl. Here and there people could be spotted at the tables or walking about reading to themselves silently. Not a single face replicated hers. Then he leaned over and looked beyond the woman. In the alcove of the window directly before them, she sat. Sideways, leaning her back against the window’s gray stone, and reading from the book she had shown him upon during their ascension of the cliffs. She had not noticed them approaching.

  “Pardon me ma’am.” The assistant spoke. Noah felt the voice to be far too loud for the place, and noticed several others present lifting their heads. Rebbi’s own gaze turned slowly, a disinterested look in her eyes. She looked the old woman up and down before returning to her book.

  “If my father has sent someone to fetch me, you can tell them I have found myself busy with research.” She said,

  “No, ma’am. Rather, it is you who has sent someone.”

  “What?” Rebbi turned to her again, looking visibly annoyed at having her attention from the book taken away. The assistant sidestepped, revealing Noah, a notable smirk on her lips. Rebbi looked at him with a squint of confusion, then her brow furrowed with recognition. Whatever hope Noah had in escaping the library with his scroll, ended with that look. The assistant, seemingly noticing this too, gave a subtle nod of understanding.

  “This man has told me that you sent him to retrieve this scroll from our collection. Of course, we have much respect for your people, your father being an honored guest of the king.” Noah looked over at the old woman and then back to Rebbi in surprise. The girl gave him a flash of her brows in response. “However, we must always have some form of confirmation, when a servant is sent in a person’s place.” She clasped her hands behind her back and looked down her nose at Noah before continuing. “Do you know this man?” It was all the boy could do to stop himself from dropping the scroll right there and running.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Yes, I do know him.” The hands holding the book grew white with pressure.

  “I see. And you were the one who sent him to retrieve the scroll?” The assistant looked to Noah like a snake ready to strike, only waiting for the words of confirmation. He saw Rebbi’s breathing quicken its pace. He readied himself for the final judgment, desiring greatly to close his eyes, as though he would indeed be struck at any moment.

  “I did.” Both Noah and the assistant looked at the young girl in shock. “Though, I did not expect him to have such trouble with getting it.”

  “I-” The assistant halted herself from speaking out of turn, and regained her composure. “It is simply regulation for our library here.” She looked at Noah again, contempt radiating from her. “My apologies for the inconveniences.” And, with that, she strutted off, boots echoing as she descended the stone staircase. Once she was out of sight, Noah slowly turned back to Rebbi, holding the scroll tightly against his chest. She had continued reading in her book.

  “Guest of the king?” He said. “That’s an impressive thing.” Rebbi flipped the page. He shuffled in place, and looked at the book in her hands a bit closer. An illustration of a person depicted them pointing to a tree and lighting striking it. He gave it a nod of recognition. “Still at it with that old tome. Very good. Made any progress?”

  “I have found no text within these walls that teaches the language of this book. So, no.” She did not look up at him, and the tone of frustration had not left her voice. “It would seem the Magi keep a tight hold on who is to be able to learn their methods.”

  “I see. Sorry to hear that.” She let out a mocking chuckle.

  “Of all the things you should be sorry about.” Noah lowered his head in shame at the memory of her kin being taken away at the gate. He wished he might tell her how his part in the matter amounted to nothing. However, such a statement too would amount to the same, in her opinion.

  “I am sorry for what we did. I don’t think it was a part of our plan.” Rebbi closed her eyes, and breathed heavily through her nose. After a few moments of this, she opened them again and responded.

  “It does not matter. My father has spoken to King Theo about it. After a simple interrogation, they will be set free.” She flipped to the next page. “It is all a formality, I have been told.” Noah nodded.

  “Then you’ll be off, I suppose?” Rebbi turned to look out the window to her left. The vast cityscape sprawled away before her, until it halted at the castle upon the hill. She watched it until her breath fogged the glass, then turned back to the book.

  “I don’t think so.” She said. Noah tilted his head to the side.

  “Oh. But, won’t you be late to see the thing you’re looking for?”

  “The Behemoth.” Rebbi corrected sharply. Noah gave a rushed nod.

  “Right, that. Won’t it have already made its way to the western sea soon? You’d have to travel much faster than you have been. You said you saw it leave the mountains when you got here?” Noah had not realized the growing look of despair and longing in the girl’s eyes. Her cheeks and nose began to flush, and a momentary tremble showed in her lower lip. “Are you alright?”

  “I have been waiting these nineteen years, and eight months to make this journey.” She said, “Dedicated my whole life to following our teachings and spreading our beliefs to those who would hear. Being thought of as other, and outsider. But I knew, it would all be worth it, just to see the sight of our god finding its great purpose. Now, because of a prince dying, I must watch my own father stray from our way, instead.” She looked at him. “No, I am not alright.”

  “What is your father planning to do?” Noah spoke the words boldly, and unintentionally commandingly. His mind swirled. He knew that he had stumbled upon something hidden, and that he needed to bring it to light before it had the chance to strike. Rebbi’s angry face softened and became one of guilt. This time it was her who apologized.

  “I am sorry.” A few tears sprang forth from her eyes. She brought a sleeved hand up to cover her mouth. Noah had never seen her like this. He took a step closer.

  “Rebbi, what is your father planning to do?” She tried to collect herself, and looked out the window once more.

  “I think it was the bodies that made him break like this.” She said, voice shaking. Noah lowered his head in understanding.

  “The Namreo tribe was still of your people, even if they did settle within the mountains. It must have been difficult to see.” She let out another sob, her body convulsing.

  “We have seen our people dead before. Our way of life leads us often to be hated by those of the cities and castles.” She began shaking her head. “Do you know what it's like to see the man you trusted with leading your life’s goal, suddenly turn from it himself? To show a color that should never belong to him?” Noah squeezed the scroll in his hands tighter, and found himself too looking through the window off to the lower city. After a moment, he shook himself from the line of thought and focused back to Rebbi.

  “Rebbi, what is it? What is wrong? Your people will be free, you told me this. If you wish to hate me and Thomas from this moment on, you have every right to do so.” Another sob, and then she slowly turned back to Noah. He took a step back when he saw the haunted look on her face.

  “Noah,” She said through tears. “I have not been fully honest with you. Please forgive me for my sin.” Noah took a step closer and kneeled down, bringing his face directly across from hers.

  “About what, Rebbi?”

  “The Namreo. We-” She started and sobbed again. “We only found the adults there.” Noah furrowed his brow in confusion. She continued. “The dead bodies, only those of adult age, were left. No children were to be found anywhere.” Noah shook his head.

  “What do you mean?”

  “We found tracks leading off to the south. Someone took them. All of them.” Her face fell into her hands fully releasing her sorrow. Noah could only blink at her. He struggled to understand what she could have meant, but slowly put the pieces together.

  “You think they are here?” She lifted her head.

  “My father has taken to seeking revenge. He has already given up hope in ever finding the lost ones. He says that the slave trades of the world move faster than any man can run. He has given up hope, and now seeks to kill any who might have been involved.” Noah slumped down onto his bottom, and searched about attempting to fully grasp the situation. Rebbi only sat shaking her head, despair holding an iron grip on her. While Noah had not the full skill of those such as Thomas or Giles, he knew one thing was for certain, a game was still to be played. Only, this time, here away from his companion, he would attempt to start a game of his own.

  “With the prince’s death,” He said, “war is near to breaking out among all of Tovoran. Thomas and I came here in hopes to find the man who hired the assassin and bring him before the royals of Windgrad. We hope this might end things before they begin.” He shook his head. “But now, I have heard talk of ancient gods and demons, and now here I am learning about slave traders and stolen children. I feel like ever since I left my home, I have been cast into deeper and deeper water without ever learning how to swim.”

  “Then we can drown together.” Rebbi said. Noah looked deeply at her, and then abruptly took hold of her hand.

  “Or swim.” He took a deep breath. “Rebbi, we are in a very big world that would love to have us simply go along with its current. Thomas would cast aside a life without hesitation if it meant serving the greater good. He is a great man, and a man who could find who we are looking for. But, I don’t want him leading my current anymore. I suspect you feel something similar towards your father.” She hesitated, then broke eye contact with him. “Then, if you will help me find my man, I will help you look for the children.” A moment passed without any type of response from her. Then, bringing her other hand about to grab his, she gave a firm squeeze. “I have to bring this scroll to Thomas. Meet me here tomorrow morning. Before the sun rises. We have much work to do.”