45. Raven Part 2

Raven was released, but two of her daggers were confiscated as evidence of her crime. The Lord Peter Errama also made her admit what she did on a recording stone. Leverage. She still did it, because what choice did she have? Then, Lord Peter Errama gave her a simple cloth shirt and expected her to find her way back herself. When she got back to her room, she was very relieved to realize no one seemed to have noticed she was away for almost the entire night and morning.

"Everything went well?" Raven's heart almost dropped when she saw Kiara standing at her door. "Looking at things, I think not?"

"It- it could've been worse." Raven admitted. "But I wasn't caught."

Kiara nodded. "Good."

"Why are you awake?" Raven asked, curious at why the knight was also awake at this hour.

"I- I couldn't sleep." Kiara admitted. In truth, she was feeling some sexual frustration and took the solitude of the night to relieve herself. Wearing the armor the whole day made her entire body feel strangely tingly. Then she heard Raven return.

"I see." Raven sighed. "I- I'll need a good nap. I was out for the whole night, and I think I won't be able to join whatever Aman has planned."

"I'll let him know. Need a sleeping draught?"

Raven wanted to say no, but after what she been through, she sighed. "I guess- yeah. That'll be a great help."

"Alright, I'll get it for you." Kiara said and walked downstairs to the inn. The inn was closed at this time, but there was a magically enchanted cabinet where some of these sleeping draughts were kept. They charged a bomb for it, but adventurers were usually more than happy to pay for it. The recovery boosts they provide meant they performed better the next day.

"Thanks." Raven downed the slightly sourish drink.

Kiara nodded. "Sleep well. I'll go back to sleep too."

Raven rested in her room alone. She could afford that, at least. The Lord didn't take her money, and most of her money was kept in a safe in the inn anyway. She needed to have a story to tell the hero.

But as the sleeping draught kicked in, she drifted off to sleep.

***

When she woke up the next day, the sun was bright in the sky, and she found a letter slipped into her room. It came from the Lord of Errama's aide. She felt a lot better after that long, sleeping-draught assisted sleep.

A story had been concocted. "Tutoring." Raven read the letter. She knew what it meant, since the time and location lined up to what the Lord said yesterday. The cover story was that she would tutor one of the Lord's close friends on the art of physical combat and also help him with archery. It would be at the tower, and the Lord ensured that the location would be private and properly warded.

There was also a payment, and also a promise at the end that dangled a carrot for Raven to go through with the story.

An audience with the Lord. Something the hero wanted. She gulped. Whoever this friend was, he had connections, and paid well.

She took the letter,and went downstairs.

"Raven, you're awake!" Aman smiled at her.

"Eh?" Raven was surprised to see the hero there. "Why are you guys here?"

"Oh. We did some scouting, then came back. You've been asleep for really long. You feel better?"

"I was?" Raven looked at the sun outside again, still a little disoriented in terms of time. "Oh. Oooh. Yeah. I met someone last night, and uh, he can get us an audience with the Lord."

The entire party went 'Whoa.'.

Aman smiled brightly. "Amazing work, Raven. So, what's the catch?"

Raven's heart skipped a beat, it was a lie, and at this point, she had to go through with it. She placed the letter for all to see. "I need to tutor this Lord's friend in the ways of archery and close combat. Like a personal trainer for a week. But so as to not disturb our scouting activities, it'll happen at night."

Aman nodded. "I bet you'll be a great trainer."

Raven could only smile sheepishly, her heart in turmoil. She may not be a virgin, but she still admired the hero and wanted to have him as her husband. She needed to keep this a secret. She remembered a saying from her master long ago. "Sometimes, one must break a few twigs to climb the tree."

Kiara looked at the archer, and inwardly felt strange. Like a certain instinct in her kicked in. She wasn't sure what it was.

"When will you start?"

"Tonight." Raven answered with a faked confidence.