Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2022 13:26:17 GMT -5
Partway through a sentence, Ber lowered his voice at Woodwick’s bidding and cast another glance around the room, as if suspecting a potential eavesdropper to suddenly appear. He could hardly argue with the Lieutenant’s concern, however, given that the man’s words abruptly clarified the lingering ease that had continued to prickle at the back of his mind, even after finding Long dead: if someone had killed a man to find a potion, been forced to leave without finding it, what was the likelihood they would still be around, waiting for the soldier and the officer to leave before resuming their search? It was what Ber would have done.
But he had assumed the killer would be in this room, which had clearly not housed any occupants for a while. If not in here, then where? Woodwick seemed to have an idea, for he quietly drew the young man’s attention toward the bookshelf on the far wall. Ber’s hand fell to his sword as he listened to the Lieutenant’s theory, running over the words with what they already knew to be true and searching for any flaws in the logic. The soldier himself had previously considered the idea that the keys had been stolen from the front desk, and running out of time was as good an interruption as any. “Still doesn’t explain how he could eat with Long right there,” Ber muttered, wrinkling his nose, but he had no better theories.
The soldier stayed still and quiet while he watched the Lieutenant peer behind the bookshelf, and anticipation settled over him at Woodwick’s confirmation of a second hole. He licked his lips, preparing to make his way toward the door, when the silence was broken by the rattling of the doorknob and retreating footsteps. Ber froze; with a curse, Woodwick rushed to the door and broke it open, only to be accosted by the broom and chair that evidently had been tasked with keeping them in the room. He followed the Lieutenant out the door and down the hall, ducking around some confused patrons walking through the sitting room to reach the horses outside.
Or rather, the horse outside, and the knotted and short length of reins hanging from the fence post. Ber turned just in time to see a figure on horseback disappearing around the corner of the street.