"Kiah! Kiah, what in the world are you doing back here?"
The girl jumped and almost tipped backwards in her chair, dropping her book on the table with a start. She sighed to see that it was just the librarian, a friend whom she often helped with cataloging and taking care of the library's history books. She was usually the only person reading them anyway.
"Don't worry Mr. Valle, I'll get back to organizing the new shelves again in a minute. Just taking a little break." She held up the book she had been reading as if the title explained it all: 'Before the Barrier; Great Generals and Tacticians of Our Past'. "I couldn't resist, you know me." She grinned sheepishly, but the librarian seemed more upset than calmed.
"Organizing shelves! Kiah, girl, you shouldn't even be here today! Don't you have something else to be doing? -Besides. that book was supposed to be an eighteenth birthday present. You shouldn't be reading it yet."
Kiah's eyes widened for a second as she gasped, and then she was up and running for the exit, orange-blonde hair trailing back in her wake. "Thanks Mr. Valle!", she managed to yell back before throwing open the door and disappearing
The librarian shook his head, smiling sadly. "Not a day has gone by that she hasn't looked forward to this, and at the last minute she gets wrapped up in one of the tactician books." He kindly took the book to put aside, knowing Kiah would want to finish reading when she got back, but sighing a little as he looked at it. "Of course it's exciting that she's moving up, but... she'll be missed here."
Kiah, meanwhile, was running for all she was worth through over the cobblestones of the cultural district to get to the museum, dodging around trees in planters and frustratingly calm people taking leisure walks in the nice weather. To their credit, most of them tried to helpfully get out of the way. A few recognized her and waved or smiled as she streaked by.
"Don't let me be late, blast it, of all the days to get a new book in!" she panted, dodging around another decorative lavender flowered shrub.
It was with much relief that she stopped in front of the museum's slab marble steps, seeing that the group she was supposed to be meeting hadn't arrived yet. She leaned back against a wall that she could watch the huge carved and polished wooden front doors from, catching her breath. By the time her group came through the doors Kiah had thought she was calm again, but the sight of the supervisor leading the small cloud of kids down the steps, more than a dozen bright little minds, got her heart pumping with excitement again.
Most of them are probably bored by now, as they've just gotten out of the history education walk part in the museum. A ten or eleven year old just isn't made for that kind of thing. But a few of them, just a few, are going to be chomping at the bit to find out more. Kiah smiled encouragingly at the kids as they approached, wanting to let them know she was friendly so they wouldn't be afraid to ask questions. The supervisor was still at the top of the stairs, finishing his evaluation of the last tour guide and talking to them as he made his final notes on a clipboard.
The kids were less understanding than Kiah of the grading business, and she knew that bored kids held standing around for no reason became bored to the point of internal suffering rather quickly.
"Sir, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to run the kids on ahead to the Wall to give them a stretch and a change of scenery. We'll meet you there when you're ready," Kiah called up the stairs to the supervisor, who looked at her with the puzzled expression of someone who only half heard what someone else said and needs a minute to put it together.
The kids gave a collective sigh of relief.
"You mean we can go?"
"Race you there lady!"
Kiah smiled at the little challenger. "Tell you what. You guys beat me there, and I'll try to make a detour by the stables to see the horses."
The kids took off like a shot, and Kiah stayed behind far enough that she could keep an eye on them all and make sure nobody strayed. Even our little ones know exactly where the castle is, she thought with some pride. And now the supervisor will have to let me take them by the stables. Honestly, I don't know why they aren't including that stop in the standard tour anymore.
Back on the museum stairs the supervisor finally put together the bit of what he heard Kiah say and the direction the group was running in and started after them in a huff, cursing under his breath that they were already out of earshot.
"Haha! Beat you here lady!" One after another, all of the kids slapped or grabbed onto the entrance gate of the Castle District wall, a great curling fence of white wrought iron vines and spade leaves that made an artful circle around the entire area. What had started out as just the castle and whatever workshops and people were needed to keep it supplied had developed and expanded into it's own city.
Kiah smiled at them as she caught up, bending over and panting as if she had really run as fast as she could. "When did you guys all get so fast? Are you hiding wheels under those shoes?" She paused a moment to let them chuckle proudly. "So listen, my name is Kiah, I'm going to show you guys the Castle District now. If you want to ask me anything you should, okay?" Their dozen or so pairs of bright violet eyes turned to her, shining with excitement.
Looks like they've heard the stories about how this is the best tour... which is why I worked so hard to get the guide spot for it.
With a look back the way they had come to make sure the supervisor was catching up, Kiah took a deep breath, swelling with excitement as she led the kids over to the main gate and reached to open-
Stunned pause.
"Warren! Kiah Warren!" The supervisor finally caught up, waving his clipboard to get the girl's attention and looking none too happy. Kiah very stiffly turned to look back at him, eyes blank.
"Miss Warren, I'm Mr. Kalder, I'm here to supervise your segment of the tour and you should not have run ahead, there's been a change of-"
"...Mr. Kalder, this gate is locked"
"Miss Warren, have you been home to check your message box today?"
"Which home?"
"The residential one. They were supposed to let you know..." He looked away to one side and cleared his throat uncomfortably. The kids were quickly falling still and silent, instinct telling them that whenever grownups acted like this it meant nothing good and that they should edge away quietly while still able.
Kiah's voice became a hiss, only partly because she was whispering. "Mr. Kalder, this gate has not been locked for decades. What the he-"
"Miss Warren, I would advise you to remember that despite the exceptions so often made in your case, this is nonetheless a test that will affect when and how you are allowed to begin work in the castle system, and that you would do well to mind your tone."
"....Why, sir, is there a lock on the gate that our country has always prided itself on being able to keep open to it's people without fear?"
They looked sideways at the small herd of kids, who seemed to have decided that they were right about a government field trip being boring after all and had wandered away to play on a couple of trees growing on the lawn nearby. Even so, Kalder motioned for Kiah to follow him another step away to get out of their hearing.
"It's a shame that you have to find out like this. I had hoped, well, the letter was supposed to make it around to you in time, I didn't expect..."
"Find out? What in blazes am I finding out?"
"There was another attack. This morning."
Kiah's eyes widened as if she'd been punched in the stomach. "The victim?"
"This time a young man. He is... not doing well. There's still no connection to be found between the victims."
Her mouth pressed into a line. "How dare they, how dare some cowardly bas-"
"Your tone, Miss Warren."
"An intruder from outside the barrier is getting in and attacking people for the first time since the wall went up and you think I care about my bloody tone? Besides, you can't grade me on this now. The procedure has been disrupted without my being notified beforehand. It changes the subject of my evaluation."
"That is not public information!"
"I'm aware of that."
But now she'd gone too far, and Mr. Kalder's face started to take on a red glow. "Young lady, if you are abusing your privileges to be unfairly prepared for your trials-"
"'Let the law one serves be to them as their only lantern'. Enderton. You know me better than to call me dishonest for being well informed."
"Know you better? We have never met before today."
"All the same."
Mr. Kalder frowned in annoyance. Kiah was right, after all, she did have a reputation for being honest and helpful, if a bit... more enthusiastic than he thought someone without an official position and room in the castle had a place to be.
"So the intruder," Kiah prodded Kalder, "It's the same scar faced devil from before with the strange eyes? Is that still all we have on them?"
"Those seem to be the only things witnesses notice before they panic and lose credibility. We aren't even sure whether it's a man or a woman."
"Da-"
"There are children nearby, Miss Warren."
"Right. I meant darn. And the eye color?"
"It seems certain that the eyes aren't purple, but beyond that, none of the witnesses agree on what color they actually are."
"But not any shade of purple. That's enough to prove that he shouldn't be inside the barrier."
Kiah sighed and rubbed a hand over her face tiredly, turning back to the now destinationless group of kids who were playing with a shaggy gray dog that someone had happened to walk by with, it's owner standing to one side to keep an eye on their pet. "All right, so do you want me to walk them home? I didn't have any other plans for today anyway." That wasn't entirely true, but it could wait.
"You would see them home? I thought for certain you would quote the second half of the disrupted trials law at me, that the supervisor is responsible for taking care of loose ends if something goes wrong."
"I could. But someone with an actual position has more valuable time than mine and shouldn't be wasting it on babysitting. Besides, I know where they all live without having to ask."
Mr. Kalder nodded thoughtfully. "Why don't we consider getting them home a part of your trial, since your scheduled section is... canceled indefinitely." Kiah's stomach jerked with anger at the person causing this, but she let it simmer to be handled later and nodded silently, turning to get the kids.
"Change of plans guys, I'm really sorry. Looks like I have to take you all home."
Groans and sighs all about.
"Believe me, I agree with you. Come on, come on. Hey, tell you what, I'll manage to teach you all something anyway while we walk."
Louder groans and sighs from the group.
"Yeah, I know, but look, it's from back in history when we had wars, it's interesting, I swear. We'll march and everything. It's called a wedge formation. C'mon my little soldiers, lets have a look at you. Start a line, you here, now you stand over here...."
-----------------------------
By the time Kiah had finished taking all the kids home it was getting late and chilly. The sun was on it's way down, and the bright violet of the sky was dimming into a dusky indigo. Also, some fourteen kids knew more about battle formations than they had when the sun rose in a purple blaze that morning, and the young man injured in the earlier attack had slowly faded away and died.
She didn't bother going to her residential home to check the message box for the official letter on the morning's attack- she had much better sources of information. Kiah made her way to one of the side gates through the castle district fence, almost identical to the main gate, but less showy.
Not only was the gate closed, but there was a guard standing beside it. Armed with a sword and shield. The simmer of anger she had been holding onto flared again at the sight.
"You want to adjust your grip on that, Markin? Someone could disarm you with a stick if you hold it that way."
The young man jumped, pale lavender eyes wide, then smiled when he saw who it was. "Oh, Kiah, it's you. Don't sneak up on a guy like that." He self consciously fidgeted with the shield's position.
"Sorry about that. So... what's the news?"
"Leena, Devver and I overheard enough to put things together." He dug a folded piece of paper out of a pocket and handed it to Kiah with a sigh. Kiah read it quickly, re-folded it and put it into the little bag she always kept hanging from one hip.
"So much for never needing the combat training, hey Mark?"
"You know nobody expected anything like this to happen." He stood aside and held the gate open for her to pass, and she patted him on shoulder in answer before going through. For some reason the air before the gate seemed colder after she had walked through it, and when Markin picked his shield back up after locking back up behind her, he held it correctly.
Kiah passed silently through each ring of the district; houses, businesses, and finally the small armory buildings and training grounds. Unlike the gates this area was often locked up, mostly to prevent people from getting into weaponry they didn't know how to use and hurting themselves. Kiah had long ago been given a key to these locks, and she unfastened it's chain from around her neck to use it now. Shields, weapons, and a few scarce sets of armor were kept together in the small building. Kiah noted grimly on the way to pick up her small bow and quiver that about a quarter of the inventory had been taken out of the building for use. She made sure to re-lock the door behind herself on the way out and turned straight for the archery range.
Five targets of six rings and a bull's eye stood in a row, each with a purple glass ball next to it for light in case someone wanted to practice after dark. Kiah ran a hand over one to wake it up and backed away to a range of about twenty paces. Pulled an arrow from her quiver, loaded it, aimed, and let fly.
No sound in the world is more beautiful music for thinking than the sound of an arrow flying and hitting a target.
Swish-thunk! It hit the third ring away from the center.
So. Someone is getting in and out of the mage barrier, and we have no idea how.
Swish-thunk! Second ring from the center target.
They've attacked three people in a week and left each one to die. Which each one has.
Swish-thunk! Fourth ring.
Gods, nobody has ever gotten inside the barrier before. This is unprecedented. This is history.
Swishthunk! Third ring.
And I have the worst luck at archery ever despite practicing almost daily.
Swish-thunk! Second ring.
"Might as well be firing blind with consistency like that," suggested a dry voice. Kiah didn't bother squinting into the dark to see who it was. Only Leena could get away with scathing sarcasm done so lightly that it seemed impossible to take offense. Kiah shrugged helplessly and slung the bow over her free shoulder, trotted up to the target to pull the arrows out and refill her quiver. Leena was already leaning nonchalantly against the target, one easily pulled out arrow balancing on her fingers.
It was worth noticing that the young woman had a dagger strapped to her waist, looking awkward and out of place on the otherwise delicate clothing.
"You're kidding me. They've got you armed too? But you're just a librarian!"
"Hey, that's Official Librarian to you, Civilian." Kiah would have glared at anyone else for that, but as it was she just snatched the arrow from Leena's hand and went on to pull the rest out herself.
"I'd think you would be more excited, Kiah. Yours might be the first generation in ages to actually see combat. Or did you finally get tired of trying to find ways to die for your country and adjust to the idea of only being able to contribute one more scholarly mind?"
"You know I'll be proud to do anything I'm assigned to."
"If you ever get an assignment, now that test procedure's being tipped on it's ear." Leena smirked, and Kiah wondered for the hundredth time how it was that her attitude never upset anyone enough to get her into trouble.
"Then I'll find something to contribute myself. So help me, I'll march myself out to battle alone if it comes to that, heavens forbid."
"'Heavens forbid' she says. Well which is it? Are you patriotically suicidal or not?"
Kiah held her last arrow by the shaft and pointed the tip at Leena emphatically. "It's not me that I'm tied in a knot about, you overstuffed book watching troublemaking twit. It's the fact that our peace is being threatened and the children of our generation might have to grow up in fear."
"'Overstuffed book watcher' was a good one, but you loose a point for the 'troublemaker'. You should know I'd take that as a compliment."
"So sue me, I'm a little emotional at the moment, what with wanting to hunt this killer down and shoot him through the heart and all."
"Better stick to wanting to break his neck. Your aim's not good enough for the heart. Now take this and then quit bothering me." Leena smiled mischievously and picked a backpack up from the ground next to her feet.
Kiah took it, skeptically raising an eyebrow when she felt the weight. "What is it?"
"No idea. Never seen that bag or the stuff in it in my life, nope, you sure didn't get it from me." Leena flipped Kiah a mock salute and headed off for home through the thickening dark.
Kiah eagerly unzipped the bag and held it close to the still glowing purple light orb to peer inside, tore open some brown packing paper with one hand, revealing a thick, hard bound tome with fancy gilding on the letters. Her jaw dropped- Leena was crazy to sneak something like this out, even temporarily! Kiah flipped excitedly through the pages, starting to grin. This was a real tactical book! Historical firsthand accounts, charts of actual battles, quotes, analysis of tactics- and a scribbled note on cheap paper stuck between the cover and first page.
'Study up, Civilian. We might need you.'
Leena, I could kiss you Kiah thought as she carefully re-wrapped the book and shuffled her bow and quiver about until she could put the backpack on. As sick as she still felt about the possible future of the land she loved, maybe today wasn't completely horrible. She turned and jogged toward the armory building to hurry and put her bow and arrows away, eager to get home and have a look at the book.
She bent to use her key to unlock the door, twisted the knob-
-and a second later there was a strange noise and the door hung open dark and empty. The grass was still bent from where Kiah's boots had pressed her footsteps into it, but Kiah herself was gone.