Betrayal

Chapter 3

Her hands shook as they clung to her velvet covered knees. Were they being attacked by bandits?

She nearly dared to peak out again but shied away at the thought of discovery. There were soft padded footsteps that came closer and closer making the girl shiver in anticipation. There was a familiar clack of steel and it was instantly obvious the man was armed. She thought of the unprotected man lying on the bed beside her and found she could not sit still and allow an innocent man be slaughtered.

"Hello!" She popped out from her hiding spot using the element of surprise. The assailant visibly startled by her appearance. The dagger in his hand caught Cecilia's attention the most.

She could only see the eyes of the masked man while the rest of him was hidden under dark clothing. It was almost impossible to guess who the person was if she ever saw him again.

"Get away from us or I shall scream,"She threatened in her usual fashion. The man, realizing she wasn't much of a threat, disregarded her entirely. He swiftly crossed the tent to reach them but he was not fast enough to stifle Cecilia's practiced screaming. It was the only weapon she had but it was an effective one. She could hear guards rouse from their slumber outside.

"Stop," She took off her shoe and threw it at the man's fast retreating back but missed as the man rolled away into oblivion. As soon as the man disappeared Barrings entered along with the guards.

"There was an intruder in here,"Cecilia explained taking deep breaths. She had had done enough screaming today. Her throat was already feeling sore.

"The only intruder I see here is you.Look you've even managed to wake up the nearly dead," Barrings spat, gesturing towards the bed.

Her green eyes met the stranger's brown ones as she was dragged away and out of the medical tent.

"There was an intruder in the tent,"The girl hastily explained again as a crowd gathered outside the tent. Their camp was large but not enough to keep anything hidden. 

"Are you certain? Maybe you were hazy from the sleep," Russell asked with his usual curtness.

"Most of his face was covered. I could not even tell if it was a man or a woman but he was there."

"Tell the guards to check the perimeters," Russell ordered looking alert as if it was not the middle of the night. Cecilia often wondered whether the man just sat himself in his large wardrobe waiting for dawn to appear instead of losing his strictly starched self to mere sleep.

"It's probably nothing," Lord Fanning whined like a two year old looking as unkempt as one.

"I am not lying! I clearly saw a figure as real as you or me."

"Why do we have this woman following us everywhere? Being a nuisance. Not only do we have to put up with this inconvenience but of her strays as well?" A less notable researcher groused from within the crowd of men gathered around them.Cecilia glared at him even though he was well hidden since only a few torches lit the area.