Patrol 2: Lost & Found

Chapter 5

Vania grimaced and opened her eyes, instantly closing them against the light piercing the room from under the door. The pounding on her door persisted. Not a dream, then. What time is it? With a groan, she sat up and dangled her legs over the side of her bed, then pushed herself to her feet. Two weeks since that strange surge of power... Two weeks since we failed to find Lineia in time to save her life. How long is this headache going to last? And how long is my heart going to hurt? She trudged to the doorway and leaned against the frame.

"Who is it? What is it?"

"Vania! Please open up! It's Cianna!"

"Cianna?" Vania yanked open her door and ushered the girl in, swiftly shutting the door against anyone else in the street. "What is it? Has something happened to your parents? Your brother?"

"No," the strawberry-colored haired head shook. "Da sent me to find you. Said you better go get your friend Bergin and get to the Thankless Tankard."

"Why? What's happening? Why not just send to the station for enforcers, if they're needed?" Vania grabbed at her uniform and, turning her back to the child, swiftly began changing.

Cianna shrugged; "Dunno. Others said they ought to just send for someone. He said getting you two would make things get done faster. And ensure results." Cianna wandered over to the shelf, set down her lantern, and reached for one of the rusty canisters. "Can I have some cocoa milk before I go home?"

Vania grasped the girl's hand; "Another time. If whatever is out there makes the people here want enforcers, it must be pretty important. We better move. I'll walk you home. Come on."

The girl looked up at Vania, eyes finding the silver emblem on her chest, over her heart, and stared.

Vania sighed; "Come on." She clasped Cianna's small hand in her own. "Don't forget your lantern, now. Derry'll be mighty upset if you lose it. Lanterns that bright aren't easy to come by." They walked together outside, Vania pausing to lock the door, and headed down the street.

A crowd of people stood huddled in the early pre-dawn light. The sign for the Thankless Tankard shone brightly in the spotlight of the angled lantern light. More voices came from the alley beside the tavern.

Taking a deep breath and carefully smoothing the edges of her cloak to keep from clutching it over her uniform, Vania strode forward to the crowd; "Excuse me. Excuse me." She wove through the crowd, people quickly backing away as their eyes fell upon the silver emblem on her chest. Several people stood over a corpse in the alleyway, flies buzzing in the hush that fell as she joined the circle.

"Who asked for you people?" one man demanded, spitting. "We don't need ya."

"I just want to know what happened here," Vania replied calmly.

"He's dead." The man toed the body with a boot. "What else ya need to know?"

Vania bit back a sigh, instead turning to the crowd still hanging at her back; "You. Yes, you. You're a message runner, right?" The young boy quickly glanced up at his mother beside him and then stepped forward, nodding. "Go to the Lower Quarter Station. Tell the doorman to send Enforcer Eddin Bucktin to the Thankless Tankard immediately." She quickly dug through her pockets, finding a few coins in her purse, and held the coins out to the youth. "The doorman will pay the rest of the runner's fee after you've delivered your message. Go quickly."

As the boy took off running, Vania surveyed the crowd, asking, "Does anyone know what happened here? Was it a tavern brawl? Mugging? Someone must know something?"

People looked away from her gaze. Murmurs ran through the crowd. Down the street, a rooster crowed as the first rays of dawn fell upon the rooftops. The crowd dwindled and walked away, people speaking in hushed tones, and craning their faces for one last look at the body.