"What are we going to be doing?” Aizen asked.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsNJCuwMot
Murdia, the woman in charge of the servants, looked at them critically. “Hm. What can you do?”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQ8bHMfChy
“We can chop things,” Aizen said.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvd2lUWt7W
“As well as clean horse stalls and the horses,” Akun said, although Aizen gave him a scowl. Akun noticed that Aizen scowled quite often. If he did it any more often, it might ruin his face permanently.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJpwt11ZNp
“We can run errands. I’m a fast runner.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbgCnXoDAF
“Or we can clean things.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0bp3wk00s
Murdia raised her eyebrows and looked at Luda, who shrugged. “You said you needed help,” he said.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIblfEngEb
“Not boys. They’ll probably cause a bigger mess.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7nVJKT8ot
“Just let them try.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAuZ0ywkyw
She glared at Aizen and Akun. “You can help the cleaning staff. You are to make sure the entire mansion is cleaned and not a single layer of dust is found in any corner. Everything is to look presentable at all times.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡMveYRtDfKi
“Great.” Akun moved from side to side with a grin. “Where do we start?”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqpNl9yfhW
She eyed their clothing. “First, you’re not going to clean anything of the mansion before you get out of those rags and burn them.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5xd4xMASl
Murdia walked off and left them with Luda. “She is like that with everyone, lads. I have to get back to work. I’ll see you two at supper.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6FQlDIPhYz
“The clothes aren’t that bad, are they?” Akun looked down on himself.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoZZcl8LAq
“Just go,” Aizen said.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkvfyAMkaE
Aizen peered around the corner to make sure no one was near. They were in the shed just three hours after beginning their roles as the cleaning boys. Satisfied that they were still alone, he faced Akun.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhkwCXfrfd
“Did you find anything?”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OC0OPlXAW
“No one strikes me as a spy. They’re all lowly paid servants. I thought they knew better than to pay servants such a low income. It gives them more reason to accept bribes,” Akun said. “Although their magic user makes my leg twitch.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡnigTxOtk9E
“That old fart can’t even cast a proper light spell,” Aizen snapped out.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡYOVilxgAYw
“Oh? Are you jealous that someone can use magic and you can’t?”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZkpZ8fl6P
“I don’t need magic. You shouldn’t have magic,” Aizen said. “Magic users attract one another’s attention, which is one reason for why you shouldn’t be my partner on errands.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡht7ymFnQZw
“Oh, don’t you worry,” Akun said quietly. “I hide my presence very carefully. He may sense me, but he has no idea what it is he is looking for. Besides, I won’t be a human all the time to let him get a good grip on me. I’m going back to being a rat at night to do some actual sniffing around.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYlphGXygV
Aizen rolled his eyes. “Anything else?”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43VotVxIgD
“What, didn’t you hear anything?” Akun said. This caused Aizen to glare at him.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡyy7G7ulukl
“Don’t forget that this is my errand, and you’re just helping me. So don’t you go and start acting all bossy. I was stuck cleaning the room for a guest that’s arriving tomorrow.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PkmfB2c9i
Akun nodded. “The guest is Leal, the Duke’s son. He’s a cousin.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dm3CQYayf
“Leal? Duke?” Aizen frowned in puzzlement. “That sounds familiar.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7OVNVq9qL
“You might have heard of him.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrAPNPqQ1A
“Maybe.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8aNvdqlcBU
“It probably doesn’t matter. The thing is that I haven’t seen a single one of the nobles yet.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡsp1glPcLYC
“You’ll see them soon. Keep looking around.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡxt47iSXJIZ
Akun shrugged. “That’s what I plan to do. Oh, and look out for the servant named Murdia. Something’s suspicious about her.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡjR97mnyIz9
“We’ll see.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡC2zDiUtvGr
They went their separate ways, with Akun entering the cool shadows of the house to rub away a stubborn stain in the hall. Then he slowly made his way to the stairs. It was amazing how much dirt could gather in a mansion.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7dVcle5jYN
“Are you a new servant?” He looked up and saw a young woman at the top of the stairs. One look at her told him that she was the daughter of the lord and lady.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡihFsp2PYKp
He bowed. “I am, my lady.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7mrH0KCtfi
“Welcome,” she said and walked down. “I’d love to stop and talk, but I need to be elsewhere.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnwRzS5Ec3
“Of course,” Akun replied and bowed again, and stayed with his back horizontal until she was out of sight. He cocked his head and twitched his nose and sniffed. Arala Vanson, the daughter of Lord and Lady Vanson. Now for the rest of the family to appear, he thought with false cheerfulness. If they’re all as absentminded as her, they wouldn’t know if we told them that there was a spy in the household.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡsul8XLaMJV
He made sure to note down all the exits he found and observed the servants that he passed. He even managed to strike up a conversation with another boy who helped with the cleaning of the mansion.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRiDzjnbMD
“You don’t want to cross her,” he said when Akun asked about Murdia.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡuI01AzTFe5
“Why? Is she that mean?”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHA5PyR0lB
“Just don’t. She is such a sneaky woman. Before you know it, you will be dismissed from the household. We’ve always suspected that she is the one who reports false accusations if she doesn’t like us. She has total control over the servants,” the boy said and sloshed more water on the marble floor of the great hall.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxtdb2wzdj
Akun knelt down with his own cloth. “That sounds scary. Why do people put up with her?”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡcH2cJCMCi1
“We don’t,” he said. “We do little things that tick her off, but we have to be careful. Everyone hates her. She's always going on about how the Guards aren’t doing their duty and about how they are not actually catching the criminals ‘n all.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2Jj7ySZzd
Akun narrowed his eyes in disagreement. “I see the Enzla Guards working whenever they're on the streets,” he said. “They are certainly doing their best to catch the criminals. Didn’t you hear of the kidnapper they managed to find after a few weeks? They also found all the little ones the kidnapper stole.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvL3JW5fwj
“Yes! I’ve been following that too,” the boy said with a grin.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡzI1CVKfInx
They continued to talk of crime even as Akun thought that Murdia was starting to sound like a very unlikable person.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6ztpH2hGB
Meanwhile, Aizen was on the second floor walking along the corridor. He tried the knob of every door. Most were locked. For the ones that weren’t, he was able to enter and had the excuse of cleaning the room while he looked for any clues.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡvh6gkPcq5J
“Why do they need so many rooms? Only two on this floor looked used. The rest are just filling up space to be rat nests.” He shook his head and left the room.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFrLinvx6S
And almost collided with Murdia.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QYEkommG3
“Watch it, boy, or I’ll have you spanked,” she scolded.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbk5sFVF51
“Just cleaning,” Aizen said meekly.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPHQBZd6wk
“Then you better hurry and get on with it, not stand around day dreaming,” she snapped out and went down the stairs.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBbXgvlCS2
Well, wasn’t she in a hurry. He followed.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRd0XFFSkL
She was going into the kitchen, but he continued to follow her for another minute. She abruptly turned into another corridor so quickly that Aizen has to run to see where she went next. He caught sight of her apron and ran after her.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJBBzcANi7
He could hear the chirping of birds and could see sunlight streaming out of open windows to the inner courtyard. He stayed hidden in the shadows and pressed himself flat against the wall.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7hJjfZPBCH
Murdia had a rolled up piece of paper in one hand and a pigeon in the other. The paper was a pale orange, different from the ones he found all over the mansion. There was also something about the seal and string that bothered him. Aizen left after he saw her release the bird.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡDizRiwwYpR
Maybe it was time to clean the library.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjAlVaxvXQ
“You took your time,” Akun said when Aizen joined him and Luda at their table.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡD58monldYY
“The library was bigger than I thought it would be,” he replied and set his tray of food down. He gobbled the cheese and bread. Then drank the soup.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCguty10wr
“If I just met you, I would think that you haven’t eaten anything since dawn,” Luda said in dismay.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡRgKsCGDabA
“I haven’t,” Aizen said and plucked another piece of bread from the bowl set on the table.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PF9b4wxhv
Luda clucked and shook his head. “You have to eat! Anyway, you shouldn’t be dusting in the library unless it’s morning. The lord and his family go to the library often at night to do their studies. They are always in the library and don’t like to be bothered.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡvc7LHAkJAR
“How come they don’t just get someone to fetch their books?” Akun asked as he ate his meal at a more reasonable pace.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡas8VVKByUN
Luda laughed as though Akun had told a joke. “Servants can barely read or write. What would be the point of sending one of us to the library to pick up a book if we cannot read the title of the book they want?”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VCO4OSBla
“Right,” Akun said and nodded.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RneC4PXOq
Aizen smacked Akun's head.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡOYTXUOHvnC
“What the—?” Akun glared at Aizen. Aizen continued to eat. His other finger was tapping on his thigh as if he was in a hurry to leave the mess hall. Akun suspected that he may have found something so he quickened his pace as well.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwxVlBJed5
“Is there anything else for us to do? We’re tired from our work and travel,” Aizen said to Luda.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkWMyzRowF
“No, go right ahead. There’s an early start tomorrow. You’ll need your rest. You know where we sleep. I’ll enjoy my meal a steady pace, unlike you lads. Always in a hurry. Pah.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlEHiyw04U
Aizen and Akun were the only ones in the servants’ sleeping quarters.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnqajML21Z
Aizen began in a soft whisper. “I found out that Murdia is sending messages to someone using an Ician seal. Going by that, the blue string is probably part of the message. We don’t trade with Icians, so there is no way she could have found paper dyed orange in a market.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qj4cSE4gb
“That’s one of the colours from the code that Icians used.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5wnNPWkQ0
“Orange,” Aizen said. “Orange is for “report”. White is for urgent, and blue for special details that might change plans.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡetoFDHrpKt
“She’s our messenger,” Akun said. “I’ll look for their letters tonight.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡoSTHX6zBaQ
“At this rate, we might finish before the day after,” Aizen remarked and prepared his spot on the floor to sleep.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUWjiJ9e3Z
Later that night when all the servants were asleep, Akun sat up and sniffed.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡfitDX6kpv5
Aizen listened for any footsteps before he asked, “So how does your…thing work?”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡSUXMCVTcx4
“I just transform. I’ve done it enough times to be used to it but it’s still easier to revert back to my original form than to turn into a human. Do you know how many bones your species has?”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kZYEhINvM
“Forget it,” Aizen whispered.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡNK4gn2nIrT
“Don’t even get me started on the organs and cells—”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡNkNL7qH0Ce
“I won’t.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Fz4Ddlm0R
Aizen made the mistake of watching Akun shift back to a mouse. Akun's head slowly collapsed in on itself and sprouted fur. His nose elongated and disappeared under whiskers. The soft clothing Akun the human had worn fell quietly to the warm blanket, with Rooster wiggling out of the shirt.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OBd5ZfsIH
“Ugh!” Aizen said quietly. “At least warn me first…that’s gross.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡlw19i8zZ9b
Rooster looked up at Aizen blankly. “I live to gross you out.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeQNju0ER1
Aizen glared and fell back to his bed roll. He heard the quiet clicking of a mouse’s nails against stone. Then it was gone.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0P7dU7tmQ
Rooster found his way to Murdia’s small chamber. As the head servant, she was allowed her own room. Must easier if she’s alone, Rooster thought. He scurried to the side of the bed and listened to Murdia’s breathing for a minute to get the rhythm. Then he searched for the documents. It was fairly easy with the room flooded with light from the moon.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡaImbSEkrEt
They were beneath a floorboard behind the door. He would have never been able to pry it open if it wasn’t always used. Thanks, Murdia, he thought as he looked at the papers hidden in the small gap. Many were curled from being rolled tightly into a tube. Others were folded and unfolded countless times, showing that Murdia had seen each and every one of them more than once. He began to take them all out, but paused. If she sent a message today, she was probably expecting a reply tomorrow.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSIuF1YGGQ
With his keen hearing, he heard Aizen's foodsteps just outside of the room. Rooster made himself known and stared at Aizen with his beady eyes.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡHcQxk4rsxO
“The documents are over here. Do you have any replacements that we can use to fool her for a while?”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIxETpjeQX
“Who do you take me for? Of course I do.” Aizen reached into his sleeve and pulled out multiple blank pieces of paper. “These are copy papers. I’ll use them.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuPqYvsXc9
Rooster went to drag the papers out to the hall where there was less of a chance to wake Murdia. The copy papers in Aizen's hands still had the faint smell of magic. It was strange, but Rooster found that he could only smell magic in his animal form.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡNTmErHIS9f
Aizen knelt by the papers. He examined each and every one of them quickly and used his knife to cut down the copy papers to the similar sizes of the originals. Then he placed the copy papers over them.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrYe6RDp6t
Slowly, Rooster saw text float to the surface of the copy paper. Within minutes, they had a replica for each message in their hands. Everything was then replaced the way Rooster found it.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOYcfWIHTV
“What are you doing?” Aizen asked after he eased the door closed. He looked at his right shoulder where Rooster sat.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHPdlgU384
“It’s faster this way.” Rooster thumped his small tail against Aizen’s shoulder. “Besides, I’m not so annoyed at you anymore.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPvh3C9H1f
“Huh,” Aizen said with a frown. “I still don’t want to work with you after this.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡbo39Bi5k0Z
“Such bluntness.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡfRH452l06t
“Yes, and I will continue to say so! You cause me too much trouble. I never would have had to go through all this if I were doing this alone.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4pjAHncQ5d
“But it wouldn’t have been done this quickly,” Rooster countered.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gCapdtvyu
Aizen snorted and shook his head. They re-entered the servants’ sleeping quarters. Rooster hoped off Aizen’s shoulder and into his cot.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡvOmcSredrl
“Oh, ancestors above and below. Don’t shift in front of me again.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwK16spiju
“I wasn’t going to.” Rooster rolled his eyes inwardly and shifted into his human form under the blankets. Aizen waited until he was sure that Rooster was done before speaking.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡwpL8Aam4GU
“I’ve met a few human…shifters before.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡybIUnBmCPO
“Uh huh.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxkIzqbZJu
“They don’t sleep in the shape they shift into.”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡufUfnupKy6
“Do you see them being surrounded by people who would wonder why a mouse is sleeping where Akun should be?”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7ho1FZoiP
“That’s not the point,” Aizen whispered. “They can’t hold onto the shape when they sleep. They have no control over it, so they revert back to their original form, or they shift to something else they dream up. Don’t you have that problem?”copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfnwYWX9WG
Akun scoffed quietly.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqVyFj253B
Aizen left the matter drop when someone stirred. He still wanted to know how Akun got that leg injury and how he became a shifter.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIIt6K868q
Seeing as how they weren't on good terms and Aizen just told Rooster that he didn't want to ever work with him again, he was probably never going to know.copyright protection403ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlGjSFgPPc
ns3.236.15.142da2
