1

Misty Night

A thick mist covered the dew-ridden ground. Stars struggled to be seen through the thick, black mass of clouds. Eerie noises of far off animals and insects blended harmoniously with the midnight air.

It was an ideal night for what Kettali had planned. The thin, dark haired girl had crept quietly through the grounds of this particular house without arousing any suspicion, or making the faintest sound. She had been assigned to scout this house for any problems with the treatment of slaves here. If she found any such problem she would inform her superior, and they would find a way to confiscate the owner’s slaves. If they were lucky, there was a possibility of taking the owner’s right to own a slave ever again as well. This was a slow, but effective method in which the Lady Queen Elladryll planned to rid the land of slavery. Kettali was part of the Queens plan, as were many other individuals who frowned upon slavery. They had banded together to form a something of a secret society known as the Tevran.

The house itself was three stories high, and made of brick. The walls and windows were spotless, as were the gardens. Kettali could just imagine all the backbreaking work that had gone into such a grand house. Of course all the work would have been done by the slaves. She began to suspect that her suspicions about this house were correct. She walked up to the back of the house and looked about for a way in.

As she was searching, she cast an apprehensive glance over her shoulder. Being as quiet as she could, she still wasn’t sure if anyone was awake in the house. Breathing deeply to calm her nerves, Kettali took hold of the top of a small hole that served as a basement window. It was just big enough for her to slip through. Hoisting herself up, Kettali gently swung her legs through.

Good, she was right in her assumption that it was big enough. She slid the rest of her body through. She landed on her feet with a small smile of accomplishment.

The room she had entered was thankfully empty and dark. Wooden walls and floor boards didn’t offer much comfort or protection from the cold. With no furnishings in site, Kettali wondered what this room was even here for.

Focus on the mission at hand here. She scolded herself.

She tied her long black hair into a knot to keep it out of her face, and moved on. The dust in this place was almost suffocating, and Kettali had to fight not to choke or sneeze. Rags and unwashed clothes lay about in random places, and everything stunk of mold and mothballs.

Not the most sanitary place. Kettali mused. Hopefully none of the slaves were sick from this mess. Kettali knew she would be.

As she rounded a corner Kettali found herself in the middle of the slaves sleeping-and most likely living quarters. On each side of the long, narrow room were small cubicles. With no door, privacy, or space they didn’t seem very comfortable of homely. Kettali was astounded with the numbers of sleeping people that occupied each of these enclosures. More of the rags and laundry that she had seen earlier acted as bedding, and clothes.

Kettali kept to the shadows to prevent detection in the event that someone woke up. Despite the fact that she was here to help them, slaves had been known to turn in their potential rescuers. Whether it was due to fear, duty, or something else, Kettali wasn’t ready to put her freedom in the hands of strangers.

A brown mouse raced across her path, nearly causing her to yell, or trip. She slowed her breathing by a force of will, and kept an eye out for anymore surprises.

She needed to find a trustworthy slave to manage the escape for this group. She had found reason enough to take these people, and intended to do so.

A large man with graying hair slept soundly in the corner of the far room. He had a large rag for a pillow, and a ratted blanket for a bed. Most of the other slaves couldn’t boast this comfort, so Kettali assumed that he held some sort of respect or power. Kettali decided that this was the man she was looking for. Hopefully he could help her.

She made her way to the corner he lay in, being careful not to wake or touch any of the others. Positioning herself directly behind him, she placed her hand gently over his mouth and whispered in his ear. “Quiet.” She didn’t want anyone to wake up before they had to. The man was awake, and thankfully quiet.

“Can I trust you to keep quiet?” She asked carefully. The man nodded, holding in the fear and confusion he must have been feeling.

“Good.” She removed her hand from his mouth, and allowed him to take a few gulps of air before continuing. “Now listen. I’m here to help. I’m with a group called the Tevran.” She kept her voice down to a low whisper. “I need someone to coordinate these people as we make our way out.”

The man blinked as understanding came to him. “You mean…You’re helping us get out of here?”

“Yes, now I need your help.”

“You have it my lady.” The man replied exuberantly.

“Good, is everyone here loyal? Would they follow you?” Kettali looked anxiously at the door. Time was short.

“I believe they would.” The man stroked his pale beard.

“I need you to wake everyone up, and get them ready to leave.”

“Understood. You needn’t worry miss, everyone here is safe.”

“Alright, may I ask your name?” Kettali asked.

“It’s Ambrose Miss.”

“Ambrose? My name’s Kettali. Now are there anymore slaves Ambrose?”

He looked down at his hands for a moment. “Unfortunately yes. There is a boy.”

“A boy? Where?”

Ambrose pointed to the door on the other end of the room. “Through there and to the right.”

Kettali nodded and got to her feet. “Please have everyone ready by the time I get back. And don’t make any noise.”

Ambrose nodded, and began to wake up the people around him.

Kettali wondered about the man’s strange behavior as she followed his directions. Who was the boy that had made him looked so…what was that expression? Had he been sad? Or was it more like guilt? Her curiosity thoroughly aroused, Kettali walked up to the first closed door she came across. It was made of sturdy oak, and unlike everything else, had seen a lot of use. She wrapped her fingers around the wooden handle, and pulled it open.