Lucky or Unlucky

Noble's hand flew to her blushing cheek. She felt the [Fraudulent Facade], and her heart slowed its wild beating. She dismissed the Memory.

"Do you recognize me now?" she asked tentatively. 

The stranger dropped to his knees. "Lady Brenna, it is you! Do you not know my face? Am I so different from when you last saw me?" 

This was a moment Noble had dreaded since the beginning of the Nightmare. She had taken someone's place...someone who had a life and experiences that Noble could not remember. 

But Noble had managed to put the pieces together well enough not to be challenged in her role as Lady Brenna. Until now. 

"The greater offense is not recognizing me." Noble blustered. Her harsh gaze softened "But it has been a while I suppose."

"It is me, Derik. I was Lord Byzas's closest friend and the second in command in our trek into the mountains years ago." The man lowered his head, seeming to present his neck for the woman to chop. 

"Lord Byzas—My father! You went on the quest to slay the Lord of the Mountains. But I thought they all died except Counsel." Noble looked at Derik. 

His clothing was ragged, but he was most definitely living. 

"I should not be alive," the man admitted. "I fell deathly ill just before we were to make the final leg of our journey. I could not walk, no less fight. We found a cave and the group tried to wait for me to recover. But it was no use. I was going to die, so I made them leave me to go on. Lord Byzas couldn't bear the thought of abandoning me and swore he would return as soon as the battle was won. I said my goodbyes anyway." 

Noble could picture the scene in her mind's eye. The parting must have been particularly difficult given both men never expected to see the other alive again. "But you did not end up dying." 

"Alone in the cave, I had extensive time to meditate. I found a way to circulate my essence and through an excruciating process, I formed my core. That was what I needed to survive. My body took some time to heal, and by the time I was well enough to travel, my friend–my whole cohort–was dead." 

'He is suffering from survivor's guilt. I can relate…'

"It is not your fault that they are gone," Noble sent comfort in earnest.

But the feeling was thoroughly rejected.

"I should be dead with them!" Derik screamed.

"Hush," Noble shut her eyes to sense if any of the people in the surrounding buildings had stirred after the loud noise. "I do not think you want to be found here any more than I do."

"Let them find me…" Derik hung his head. "I will only get what I deserve. But for your sake, I will not cry out again. Woe to me if I only came to bring more harm to you!"

"Why did you come? This is not the first time you have visited me." Noble tried to direct the man to a more productive discourse. Had he simply come to unburden his conscience or was there more?

"I have been trying to find time to speak with you. I am ashamed to admit I am the one who sent you the letter that lured you into the wilderness to meet. But I did not make it before you were discovered and put under house arrest. Since then, you are never alone. Your Counsel must not see me. He would tell the Queen that I live and she would label me a deserter. In a way, I suppose I am…"

'So that is why Brenna was outside the city!' Noble had wondered what was so important for the young lady to defy the Queen's orders to stay within Crestfall's walls. A note with information about her parents would have been enough to draw her out. 

Had all her attempts to leave been to meet this man or only the last? Noble would probably never know. 

"You must want to speak with me very badly to keep coming back," she said slowly. 

Derik paused and looked down at his hands.

"If you release me, I will show you why I came."

Noble felt no animosity coming from him. Only grief. Still, she needed to be careful. 

"Do not try anything foolish," Noble warned. 

"Too late for that..." the man responded joylessly. 

"Fair point." Noble released the chains from the [Staff of Sages] and quietly dismissed it. If Derik noticed the strange disappearance of her weapon, he did not comment on it. 

The tension between them lifted, replaced with tentative peace. 

"When Lord Byzas left me in the cave, his promise to return was not empty. He gave me a pledge to give extra weight to his words. He also gave me these that I was to keep until we met again." 

Derik reached into his frayed cloak and pulled out two metal rings. 

"Your Father gave me two of your family's treasures from his own wrists. I knew when he did not come back for them–come back for me–he had died in battle. I did go looking for him! I was lucky to escape with my life. Or unlucky..." 

Noble took the golden bands and held them in her hands. They looked exactly like the bracelets that Emira wore! 

Which meant that the queen's were family heirlooms as well. 

'No wonder she was so upset when I took one from her. Emira probably thought I was disrespecting her by tossing it to the floor.' 

That was a conversation she would have to save for another day.

"Thank you for returning my father's possessions. I know he would be very grateful to you for this." Noble dipped her head and slipped the bands into her armor. 

"He would be upset that I took so long to complete the task and that you had to track me down for it to happen." The man spit out the words of self-condemnation. 

"You value living. I will not judge you for that." 

After Derik had basically wished for death, it was good to see he still had a desire to preserve his life.

"If the Queen finds out, she will execute me on the spot." He traced the scar under his eye and then made the same motion across his neck.

"I will not tell her," Noble raised one hand in promise before lowering it awkwardly. How did people in this time make a promise?

"Please do not tell your Counsel either." Derik pleaded.

"I will not utter your name." The woman nodded.

Derik allowed a small smile. "Your father was worried that you would be made a pawn. I am glad to see you seem to be forging your own path."

"What do you mean? Whose pawn?" Noble furrowed her brow.

"I think you know." Derik let out a ragged breath. "Farewell, Lady Brenna. I will follow you no longer and find my own way. Be well."

"Whose pawn?" Noble repeated, but the man was already opening the shutters of the window.

Derik slipped into the street, evading Noble's reflexive attempt to lift his body from the ground.

She chased Derik out into the alley just in time to see his form cut between two buildings.

'Not again…'

She looked up at the sky and her stomach tightened. While not yet light, a hint of twilight was threatening to turn the dark sky into a shade of dawn.

Noble needed to get back to the palace immediately!

'Too bad you can't keep a map in your head, Noble…'

Even if she had tried, Derik had taken her on quite the walkabout. He had doubled back so many times that her head spun.

Thankfully she had taken this into account. Bringing out the [Bread Crumbs] Memory, Noble clutched the stone in her hands allowing her trail of invisible crumbs to glow. 

Noble's triumphant smile faded. 

Sure she had marked her path…but even from her limited view, that path crossed at least a dozen times. By the time she untangled the knot, it would be the middle of the day! 

There was only one thing to do.

Noble spoke the crude verse to lessen the light around her while summoning the [Fraudulent Facade].

Then she flew up over the city.

Spotting the palace, Noble flew at full speed, only stopping as she drew near the garden wall.

There were guards posted, but she timed her entry to make it past them without being noticed.

That is where her luck ended.