Chapter 20, An Apology

(Trisha)

Trisha strode from the front of the church into the courtyard of the church. The walls of the church blocked off site of the streets. She could already see students grouped up all over the courtyard, gathering for something. She walked right past all the milling civilians and approached the gate.

The gate was partially opened, but a guard held up a hand, anyway.

" What is your business in the city?" asked one of the armoured guards. Trisha halted in her tracks. She hadn't expected the guards at the gate to stop her from leaving. Calming her racing heart, Trisha straightened up, pulling out her light blue amulet.

" I am on assignment from her ladyship the bishop." said Trisha. The guard touched the amulet. His eyes bulged in their sockets as he sway on his feet. The other guards pointed their spears at her.

" Halt, she is clear. I did not realize the Lady Bishop got an apprentice." Said the guard, breathing ragged breaths.

" Let her through, she is on assignment from her ladyship." said the guard stepping aside.

Trisha strode down the busy street, searching for the sign leading to expedition plaza. After the bustle of excitement at the gate, she was even less certain about the day.

She spotted a large building across the way, through the bustle of the morning rush. She could see the street sign with two arrows pointing in different directions. Expedition route, and Expedition plaza written in dark colours. Trisha breathed deeply, taking in the scent of sweat and dung permeating the air. The smell of the city still caught her off guard, lacking the overpowering scent of human waste in the streets.

Trisha pushed her way through a packed section of the crowd into the calmer side street of expedition plaza. She strode across the open yard towards the building that covered two blocks of its own. The building had an enormous banner of a well-dressed man on a horse. The man had a brown satchel trailing in the wind and dust and mud flying into the air behind him.

Trisha smiled for a moment. Well, that was new. Maybe these messengers were not that bad? How could she go about an apology? If they liked to be upfront and straight forward maybe she could do that? It could work. Trisha knew one thing about politicians. That was, they loved to dance around a subject. Never actually approaching the problem head on. It was actually rather refreshing to have the lady Bishop and Noah be so upfront with her.

Trisha shook her head. She needed to stay vigilant. They may dress well, but the church could be filled with rats and assassins. Just like her last guild had been. Trisha paused in front of the closed doors to the guildhall, the trickle of the crowd passing around her. Drawing in a shaky breath, Trisha knocked on the front door before opening it slowly.

She peered inside. The front room mostly empty besides a desk with a straight-backed receptionist and a line of ten people. Trisha walked over to the back of the line, waiting for her turn. If she wanted to show her sincerity, she would need to be humble and courteous. Trishas turn came after a few minutes of waiting inline. The line behind her had grown over her, waiting. She caught quick glances as people were eying her curiously, the blue medallion shimmering on her chest.

The woman behind the desk scowled at her and shuffled her papers. Trisha stood in front of the desk as the woman waved her to the side. Trisha waited beside the desk, standing there as the woman helped another twenty people. Trisha gritted her teeth at the insult, but forced a smile. If she showed her anger, her apology would be meaningless. After what felt like nearly an hour of snickering and sidelong glances. The woman behind the desk turned back to her.

" Oh, I forgot you were there. Please accept my apology." said the woman smiling like a rat.

" Of course, it was no trouble. I barely noticed." replied Trisha, gritting her teeth. The woman stood from her desk, straightening her red uniform and smoothing the hem of her jacket. The Receptionist ambled across the room and entered a side room. Trisha heard the woman say something before the woman returned and sat in her desk.

" Please, wait to the side while the guard fetches the guild master and the staff. He is a busy man, I'm sure you understand?" said the woman. Trisha gritted her teeth at the blatant insult. The woman was being downright insulting, but all Trisha could do was smile and take it.

" Of course, it is no trouble. I apologize for the inconvenience." replied Trisha.

Trisha waited and waited. Shifting on her feet, and grumbled. Her boot knife chafed uncomfortably, and her legs were cramping from standing in one place for so long. The far door opened and two men walked out, One short and portly while the other was tall and athletic. Trisha bowed her head to them. She would normally nod her head, but these two were the heads of the guild and so required respect.

Both men halted, and the portly mans brows furrowed. The short, pudgy man stroked his oiled beard and eyed Trisha's chest. Trisha flushed with anger and disgust. Until she realized the man was looking at her medallion, not her neck line.

" I dint know the lady Bishop had an apprentice." asked the Portly man.

" Of course, sir. Her ladyship wanted to show her respect and so sent me, her apprentice." replied Trisha standing straight, her hands clutched behind her back to hide the slight trembling. Pull yourself together, she thought. It was just a damned apology.

" I am Trisha, and I'm deeply saddened that one of our members could attack on of yours without just cause." said Trisha, delivering the line with as much sincerity as she could muster.

" Of course, the Messengers guild will listen to the apprentice of the Lady Bishop." said the Portly man loudly. Trisha glanced around the room, noticing every eye was on her. Now was her chance. She couldn't screw this up. Breathing deeply, Trisha faced all the people in the hall as more entered from the side room. She swallowed. Had they all been waiting for this? Trisha cleared her throat, wetting her dry mouth.

" Her ladyship the Bishop, sends her deepest apologies to the messengers guild. She regrets to inform the guild that she cannot pass judgement on the accused Kelvin. The Failed inquisitor was killed in the battle for Drent in defence of the church." said Trisha, the tension leaving her chest as some in the room smiled at her proclamation.

" A sound apology, apprentice Trisha. This is Hank, he is the man who was attacked and would be imprisoned if we had not rescued him." said the Porty man.

" Again I apologize. If there is anything the church can do to make amends, I'm at your disposal." said Trisha, hoping they might take her offer. The bishop had offered no such thing. It was up to Trisha how to solve this problem. The tall, muscular man in a tightly fitting red uniform eyed her and nodded his head.

" I accept you apology and your assistants." replied Hank.

" Please come with me and the guild master, I wish to discuss something with you?" said Hank. Trisha sighed in relief, as the hostile glares in the room lessened. Well mostly. Besides the receptionist, of course. Trisha wonders what in Laurentia the church had done to deserve that woman's ire?

They entered a room with chairs surrounding an oval wooden table. The dark wooden desk polished to a shine.

" Please take a seat, this is a pressing matter." said the Guild master, slumping hard into his cushioned chair.

" What can I help you with?" asked Trisha, hairs raising on her neck.

" Something bizarre has been happening lately. At night we are still at work." the Portly man turned to the front door and rubbed his face, the bags under his eyes now more clear.

" One of our messengers went missing, while another was attacked last week." said Hank, his face falling.

" Why don't you report it to the guard? If it was a thief, they can fix the problem." said Trisha cocking her Head curiously.

" We have tried, but they found nothing. The messenger who escaped swears he saw it. A Demon." whispered the Portly man, lowering his voice.

" A demon? Are you sure, in the dark people usually see what's not there." said Trisha dubiously. Her heart skipped a beat as she tried to hide the shock from her face. Demons were here? How were they in the city? The lady Bishop needed to hear about this. But wouldn't she lock Trisha away if the Bishop found out?" said a nagging thought in the back of her mind. What if she solved it by herself? The bishop would have to give her some respect? If she showed, she was competent.

" I will help you. What time have the attacks happened?" asked Trisha.

" In the darkest part of the night, from one in the morning to four when the city is mostly asleep." replied Hank.

" I will report to the bishop and return tonight. We will find whoever or whatever has been attacking your messengers." said Trisha confidently. Her chest welled with excitement, the thought of a fight instead of politics making her bounce in her seat.