Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.

"Will you stop that, you're making me nervous." The velvety voice of the dark haired girl, sitting beside her, with skin so fair; Sara was sure she had men knocking on her doorsteps all day long, floated through her ears interrupting her scattered thoughts.

"If it bothers you, then leave." Sara replied coldly not bothering to look at the girl. Tap, tap, tap ...

The scraping of the chair and stomping of feet together with the banging of the door was an indication the girl took her word for it and quite annoyed at that. Finally she was alone, the only sound in the large sitting room coming from the cracking of the wood in the fireplace.

Sara sighed, she hadn't meant to snap at the dark haired beauty, who was called Daya, but something about being back in Silva put her on edge, brought back memories she had tried so hard to suppress, together with the fact that another dead body was found on the night of her arrival, and exactly as Alexander had told her. The mouth of the young boy was stitched shut and the boy's heart had been carved out, it was such a gruesome thing, to see a gaping hole in the boy's chest. Who was this person and what did he want? And why would he stitch their mouth and carve out their hearts? The murder had caused another chill to fall over the people of Silva, both in the upper and lower regions, everyone talking about how barbaric this person was.

Sara had spent the next day in the market, trying to get information about the body, she had not been able to get a close look, but it seemed no one knew about the replica heirloom or the note, her only guess could be that they had been taken by the brotherhood before anyone could notice them, or the killer decided not to drop those items on the body, it was probably the former. She felt pity for the mother of the poor boy, her son was snatched from her so coldly by what could only be called a mad person.

If you feel so sorry, then why haven't you gone to see the brotherhood, so the killer would be found? Why have you been hesitant? The same nagging voice said at the back of her mind.

She continued her tapping on the table, louder this time.

"If you're hoping to block out your thoughts by tapping so loudly, then I'm afraid to say you'll be sorely disappointed." Sara stiffened, she recognized that voice.

Swiftly, she turned around and met a familiar face, "Alexander?" She was so deep in thought that she didn't realize someone had entered the room.

"The one and only." Alexander replied with a smile playing on his face, he walked towards her with a determined stride, a dark cloak was draped over his shoulders, his aura screamed authority. He was not the type of person to go unnoticed.

"I'm very sure the captain doesn't know you."

Sara suddenly remembered what the guard had said, he had referred to Alexander as captain. Of course how could she have forgotten, Alexander was now a captain, she was immediately overcome with immense pride, of how much he had achieved, she made a mental note to ask him about it.

There were more important things at hand now.

Of course there are, like the matter of you hiding away. Mrs nagging voice decided to chip in.

"How-"

"-did I know you were here?" Sara nodded in answer to him, Charles couldn't have told him, he smiled even wider and went to sit beside her.

"I've known you were here since the first day you walked through those gates."

"Oh."

She had known he would find out sooner or later but she hadn't been expecting the former.

"Oh indeed." He paused looking intently at her, the warmness of his icy blue eyes were like a contradiction. "It makes me wonder, why you've been hiding in Charles home for the past week."

Sara stiffened unable to meet his eyes any longer, she hated the knowing look in his eyes, it still unnerved her at how he could easily have a read on her.

"I wasn't hiding, I was...just taking my time." She said folding her hands across her chest.

"Hm, of course you were." He reached out, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ears, her eyes moved up to his face, the look in his eyes, it made her feel warm all over, her heart beat gently increasing its pace.

Suddenly, he stood up and straightened his cloak, "No matter, I'm here now. And the brotherhood knows you're here, and no, I'm not responsible for that."

Sara stood and shook her head removing every thought of Alexander's hand on her hair.

"If the brotherhood was easily made aware of my arrival, I wonder why finding a murder culprit is so hard for them." She scoffed.

Alexander looked at her like one would when reprimanding a child. "All your questions will be answered soon, since they are waiting for you. So shall we." He said gesturing to the door.

Sara sighed deeply, she had dreaded this day, meeting the brotherhood was not something she wanted to do, not because she was scared of them, oh no far from that. She was afraid of what she might say or do once she saw the faces of her mother's traitors.

She didn't realize she had fisted her hands in anger, until Alexander took her hands in his, carefully unclenching them. He held on as they looked at each other. She could read the silent message in his eyes.

"You won't be alone, I'll be there."

She nodded, somehow that small gesture gave her the strength, however little, that she needed. He squeezed her hands tightly before letting go.

Sara was about to grab her cloak and leave, when the front door opened revealing Daya with a basket of various fruits in her hand. Sara wondered where the girl had gotten fruits at that time of the night.

"Alexander, I was wondering if you would like some-"

Daya paused mid sentence, looking at Sara and Alexander with a questioning gaze. "You're leaving?" She asked, her question directed at Alexander.

"Yes Daya, Sara and I have somewhere to be." 

Alexander, ever the gentleman, took the basket of fruits from her and dropped it on the table. The girl flushed a crimson red and Sara found herself raising an eyebrow at her reaction, she picked a grape from the basket plopping it to her mouth.

"You'll be back then?" She asked still facing Alexander. It didn't escape Sara's notice that Daya's sole focus was on him.

"I highly doubt that."

"Oh. I had thought you'd spend the night."

"Now, now Daya, I didn't think you'd be this aggressive." They all turned to see Charles at the door, a knowing smirk on his face.

"Papa!" 

Sara didn't think a person could turn as red as Daya did at her father's words. Sara chuckled quietly and draped her cloak across her shoulders.

"Charles." Sara called.

Charles nodded at her, no words needed to be spoken between them again, they had both reached an understanding and Charles knew he couldn't persuade her to return back to her forest cottage.

She ignored the looks of hatred and mistrust that passed between Charles and Alexander, they had never gotten along even after all these years, and she could see Alexander was eager to leave his home. She sighed, it seemed some things never changed, ignoring them, she turned to see Daya peering up at Alexander with a child like wonder.

"Daya, I apologize for snapping at you earlier, could you please watch over Cece for me." She said breaking the girl from her reverie.

Sara knew she couldn't bring Cece with her, but she trusted that Daya would take good care of her, as Cece had taken a liking to her. Daya's face lit up like she had been given the task to watch over the king's most precious treasure.

"Sure, I will." Daya rushed to hug her, with a solemn look removing every trace of happiness she felt earlier, and Sara wondered if the girl thought she was going of to war.

*"*"*"*"

"Did Charles tell you, how he became a guard?"

Sara pursed her lips and nodded, just thinking of what Charles said made her angry.

"And, don't you think it has something to do with these murders?"

Sara turned sharply at his words, looking at him quizzically. Alexander was not a thinker, for him to ask her that, it only meant there was something he knew.

She didn't answer him immediately taking time to think through her words, they had both stopped walking, as he waited patiently for her to say something.

"Why do you think so?"

"There was an assassination attempt on the king, and then barely a month after, the murders started." He folded his hands behind him as he always did whenever he had a thought brewing in his mind which rarely ever happened.

"So?"

"So, what if the assassination attempt was only a means to an end?"

"What do you mean?" Sara didn't know where he was going with this, it wasn't exactly unusual for someone to try assassinating the king, he wasn't exactly liked by his people, but what did that have to do with a serial murder?

Alexander sighed, looking around cautiously, the street wasn't exactly packed with people but it wasn't empty either, she could understand his apprehension. This wasn't something they should talk about in the open.

Sara took his hand and dragged him off to a hidden corner, where the moonlight barely reached. It wasn't exactly private but it was a much safer place to talk than out in the street.

"Now talk." She demanded already impatient.

"Do you remember the girl who tried to assassinate the king."

Sara was even more confused, why would he bring that up? " Yes I do, she wasn't even able to get close to the king's room before she was discovered."

"Exactly, but then this time, this man who no one recognized when he was caught, happened to get as close to be able to murder the king. And Charles just so happened to be there to save His Majesty."

"Where are you going with this?" Sara was tired of the twists and turns, she just needed him to go straight to the point.

"Don't you find it odd that Charles who has no relation to the king whatsoever, and a hunter, was there just in time to save the king and become a part of the investigation force the king formed?"

"He was there for business, Alexander."

"Was that what he told you?" Alexander scoffed running his hand through his dark hair.

"I know you have your differences with Charles but-"

"This is not about that, this-"

Alexander wasn't able to complete his words before..

"Oy, what.. you lots d-doing t-there." A voice drawled from behind them.

They both turned sharply to see a stout man, with a bottle of gin in one hand, he staggered to where they stood, smelling of rotten fish and alcohol.

Alexander took her hand, dragging her back to the street and away from the man. She wanted to ask him to finish what he was going to say, but with the speed at which they were walking, it wasn't possible. She wondered what all that was about, did he think Charles was responsible for the assassination attempt? No it wasn't possible, this was Charles.

Sara shook her head, even if he was responsible, how was it connected to the murders now? Her thoughts came to a halt, when Alexander suddenly stopped dragging her along. She was about to ask him why, but stopped when she saw they were now in front of a building.

The sign on the wall of the building read;

Tom's Tools

A basic enough sign that no one, not even a keen observer would guess was the brotherhood's location. She clearly remembered this place, she had regarded this place as home, but not anymore. It now looked foreign to her.

There was nothing special about the building, it was like every other building in Silva that sold hunting tools. Rectangular, grey walls with lights peeking out from the window.

Alexander pushed the door open and they both entered to meet an empty room, with an assortment of hunting tools hanging on walls and shelves.

"That's odd, this room is never empty." Alexander wondered out loud whilst looking around the room.

Sara didn't answer for her mind had started to conjure up her last memories of walking into Tom's Tools; the location of the brotherhood. She shook her head ridding herself of the unwanted thoughts that came with unwanted emotions.

Alexander oblivious to her plight, moved to a large shelve with what Sara guessed to be books on hunting, on the wall, it came down to the ground covering that part of the wall, could the brotherhood be any more obvious, shifting it aside, a hidden door came into view which he pushed open to reveal a long passageway.

Sara was sorely disappointed, she had thought the brotherhood would have become more conspicuous, it was a wonder they were still a secret.

Alexander turned and gestured for her to go in first, she hesitated for a while then went in, Alexander entered after her, then shut the door, leaving them in darkness with only the candles hung on each side of the wall for light.

They both walked through the long passageway, the clatter of their boots, the only sound that could be heard.

After a while, they got to the end of the long passageway, where another door stood, Sara knew the members of the brotherhood were waiting behind that door.

Alexander gently touched her shoulder, "Sara, promise me you'd control your temper." He pinned her with a look that screamed, I know you too well and your temper.

She looked up at him, then nodded, but deep down she knew it was inevitable, this was the brotherhood they were talking about. They had the uncanny ability to rile her up.

Alexander gave her a last knowing look then pushed open the door-

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Another chapter done. This one was finished quite later than I expected. My apologies if I kept you waiting.

So tell me, what do you think? I know I said her meeting with the brotherhood would be in this chapter but I just couldn't resist pushing it back to next chapter.

And what do you think of Daya? I feel like Daya is such a promising character, there'll more of her to come.

Please vote and comment, I'd love to hear from you.