Part XX: The Runaways

As the sun ascended the sky and noon slowly dawned on the Great City of Hatlynshire, Anna found herself listening to the sound of her chair creaking as she rocked it back and forth whilst guiding a floating broom around the empty café with her finger, her mind wishing she could do quite literally anything else. She hadn’t left the walls of the Anatoli Café in nearly two days, for Bon had refused to let her leave after she had decided to tell him what she had heard in Mr. Howard’s house, a story he did not appreciate and a decision she now sorely regretted. However, despite her slightly miffed feelings, she wasn’t mad at him, for he had made it clear that her self-inflicted punishment was a necessary precaution.

“It is likely that Howards’ men are looking for whoever broke into his house. For all they know you just overheard him talking to a traitor, lass!” He scolded whilst bandaging her bleeding thigh.

“But they don’t know what I look like! I swear on the Moor that none of them saw my face!” Anna protested and reassured.

“Perhaps, but it doesn’t matter.” Bon sighed. “You said that silly hatted stranger knew about your sister, about her business with Howards. I doubt there are many in Anatoli who know that.”

Anna nodded before her eyes widened as she realized what Bon was implying. “You don’t think he’s going to go after Caroline over this, do you?” she gasped worryingly.

Bon replied with an unsure frown. “I don’t know, lass. What I do know that whoever that man is, he now has Howards in a delicate position. And given an outlaw’s reputation, it would be reasonable to assume that he blames Caroline for his predicament.”

Anna took a deep breath as her hands began to tremble. “But she doesn’t know any of this! We need to warn her! She could be in danger the moment she enters the Hamlet! She could…she could…” she gasped, breathing rapidly as her mind became overwhelmed by panic. Bon then swiftly grabbed both of her shoulders and held her steady as she breathed.

“Don’t worry, lass. We both know that Howards is too inept to ever get to Caroline, and I’ll find a way to warn her. But for now, I need you to stay here and tell no one else what you saw, understood?”

Anna took a deep breath and calmed herself, she then looked directly into Bon’s eyes, and nodded.

However, now that two days had gone by, Anna’s willingness to adhere to her surrogate guardian’s instructions was beginning to waver, for, much to her displeasure, Bon had taken this situation as an opportunity to burden her with petty chores she would otherwise cunningly avoid. She hummed the melody of a Street-Singer’s song as she swept the dust off the floorboards and onto a floating wooden dustpan, which she controlled with her other hand. She had been doing this for well over an hour, determined not to miss a single spot, for she knew that if she did, Bon could use it to both annoy her and prolong her suffering.

Finally, she directed the dustpan through the air and emptied it into a small bin next to the counter. Once she was done, she whisked the broom and the dustpan off to a shadowy corner. She then put her hands together and breathed a sigh of relief as she marveled at her incredibly mundane achievement, saddened by the knowledge that no patron would ever get to admire it, for the café was closed and its shelves were empty, and so far, it seemed likely to stay that way for some time. She then turned towards Bon, who had been sitting behind the counter this entire time, his feet lying on the shiny countertop, his back leaning against his chair and his attention thoroughly occupied as he stared down at a book he was reading whilst wearing his reading glasses.

“All done!” she shouted with a smile, feeling quite proud of herself.

Bon looked up from his book and silently examined the floor around Anna whilst she waited patiently for his praise and an opportunity to excuse herself so she could go and do something more enjoyable.

“Good job, lass.” He complimented nonchalantly. However, just as Anna’s face lit up with joy at the idea that her boredom had finally come to an end, Bon looked up at the ceiling above her and grinned.

“You know, there seems to be a few nasty cobwebs here and there, I don’t suppose you can do me a favor and remove them for me?” he asked innocently whilst trying to hide his amusement.

Anna’s face soured faster than milk which had been poured straight into lemon juice. “Oh, come now! You cannot be serious!” she protested angrily.

“I’m as serious as a man can be, lass!”

Anna rolled her eyes and groaned, she then got up from her chair and marched over to the counter before tilting her head and leaning over towards Bon with the most wide-eyed, desperate and innocent look she could muster. “Surely there has to be something I can do!” she pleaded whilst looking directly at his eyes.

Bon gave her a brief glance before his eyes returned to his book, his mind unaffected by her adorable expression. Anna then frowned, for the tactic she had just employed was a rather old one, and seeing Bon’s reaction made her accept that it had lost its effectiveness. She then turned her attention to the backdoor of the café, which she could just barely see from the counter. Next to it was a small pile of wooden boxes which had arrived to the Hamlet the day before, each filled with bottles of alcohol.

“Don’t you have wine deliveries to make today?” she asked, sensing an opportunity. “You told me the people would be buying by the boxload!”

“Oh, they have. I’ll have you know, every single drop in my stock has already been reserved.” Bon answered calmly, his voice carrying a proud undertone. “And don’t fret, I have until dusk to hand them out. That is, if the patrons don’t get impatient and take them themselves.” He laughed.

Anna chuckled along with him. “Or perhaps I could make some of the deliveries for you now?” she suggested casually whilst trying to conceal her inner restlessness. “I doubt your customers would complain about getting their orders early, they might even pay you more for it!”

Bon laughed even harder before shaking his head, which Anna took as a bad sign. “Yes, I would very much like to send a wee lass like you out onto the street with enough strong water to last a passing drunkard for days!” he exclaimed.

“Oh please! Don’t act like you think I can’t do it!” Anna argued, feeling insulted. “You trusted me enough to give me a gun and let me go looking for my sister!”

“And your sister tells me you almost got yourself killed!” Bon snapped, raising his voice. “Not to mention that she gave me quite the lambasting afterwards!”

He then took a deep breath and turned to the next page of his book whilst Anna too simmered down and looked off to the side. A moment of awkward silence then followed.

“I trust her to protect you more than I trust you to protect yourself, lass.” Bon then admitted with a sigh. Anna held in her lips and didn’t reply, as she didn’t want to talk about that anymore. She then took a deep breath turned back towards Bon, acting as though the last few minutes of their conversation had never happened.

“Look, I’ll be honest with you.” she asserted as she prepared to employ a new plan of persuasion. “I’m tired and being here all-day bores me, I crave the outside! Even a few minutes would suffice, just please let me go! I swear on the Moor I’ll do anything you ask! Please!”

Bon initially replied with a look of indifference, which made Anna think her dramatic begging was a little too dramatic, despite that fact that she had meant almost every word. However, she wasn’t going to back down, and after a few seconds of intense staring, he finally cracked.

“Alright!” he exhaled, resting his head against his chair, his lips grinning slightly. However, as Anna smiled victoriously, he raised his finger in air, ready to spoil her fun.

“However!” he began. “It’ll just be to get a newspaper from the square.”

He then took one his hands off the book, rummaged through one of the pockets of his black waistcoat and pulled out a dime which he then placed on the bar counter. “Shouldn’t take you more than ten minutes, lest Howards’ men get to you, and if they do, then Moor help you.”

Anna huffed, displeased by the reward her complaining had gotten her, yet she knew it was the best that she could hope to get from Bon, and, knowing his lenient nature, she knew the ten minutes were less of a command and more of a suggestion. She swiped the coin off the desk and wrapped her fist around. “Thank you, good sir. Your generosity knows no bounds.” She then praised sarcastically.

Bon’s grin grew wider. “Indeed, now off to the sun you go, lass!”

Anna gave him a nod before running off towards the side door, she held her hand out at the air and summoned both her coat and her sunhat, both of which she swiftly put on before rushing out the door into the open road. With the dime stuffed in her pocket, she walked slowly through the cobbled stone path with great inefficiency, hoping to enjoy every second she had whilst still keeping her eye out for any tall men in ridiculously indiscreet uniforms.

Strangely, despite the looming threats of war and instability, the people of Anatoli Hamlet appeared livelier than usual. For, once the initial panic had cleared, it seemed as though they had all collectively decided to distract themselves with joy and color rather than wallow in fear and misery. Ropes covered in colorful banners hung between the gaps of buildings and most of the people Anna walked past had faces bearing smiles. Music filled the air as Street-Singers played their fiddles and accordions near every street corner, there songs all beginning with the same verse.

“O do you seek sweet merriment, On these shiny stony roads? Well you shan’t go far to find some joy, Amongst these bars and fine abodes!”

Anna continued to walk and skip through the street until she finally reached the square, and almost immediately she spotted a newspaper boy standing a few feet away from the large fountain that marked the center of the square. He waved his hands around in the air, making  several newspapers float  around him whilst he yelled the headlines to the passing crowd.

“Look here, ladies and gents! Rumors of war still linger, Lesser Table to gather in coming days! Interim Mayor of Hatlynshire to debut at Williamsburg Rally! Great Houses silent as fate of House Everton remains a mystery! Read it all now in the Trumpeter!” he bellowed with a showman’s smile, his energetic performance yielding him a fair amount of customers as people continued to toss him dimes and grab his floating papers. Anna approached him with her coin in hand, and the boy immediately turned his attention towards her.

“Greetings, fair lady!” he said with a bow. The boy appeared to be about her age, he wore a worn dark grey waistcoat and wore a brown satchel over his shoulder. “Care for a paper?”

Anna rolled her eyes and smiled graciously. “Indeed, I do!” she replied dramatically for the sake of the act.

He then reached into his satchel and took out another copy of the Trumpeter, which he then handed to Anna. “That’ll be a dime, madam.”

Anna handed the dime to the boy and smiled. “Thank you, good sir!” she exclaimed, however, instead of simply turning around and walking away, she flipped open the nearly forty-page paper and began to read the titles, for she was in no hurry to return to the Café. However, she was met with disappointment when she realized that the contents of the newspaper articles were far from exciting or even mildly interesting.

“Why anyone bothers reading this hogwash I shall never understand.” She sighed with a look of uninterest as she lazily skipping through entire paragraphs.

“Well, if you think it’s hogwash then why did you buy it?” the newspaper boy then replied casually and out of the blue as he continued to hand out his stock.

Anna turned to the boy and frowned, for she wasn’t going to tolerate such a jab from a stranger. “I’ll have you know; I didn’t buy it for myself!” Anna defended. “I bought it for a friend.”

The boy gave her a momentary glance and tittered.  “I can tell.”

Anna raised her eyebrow, for despite his smile and sincere tone she could sense the tease in his words. “What is that supposed to mean?” she inquired; her voice and expression even angrier than before.

“Nothing!” the boy shrugged as he handed out the last of his papers and collected the last of his dimes. He then let out a deep breath as he sat down on the base of the fountain. “It’s just that you don’t exactly look like the keenest news reader.”

Anna’s jaw dropped at the sheer audacity of such an observation, for even though it wasn’t a particularly harsh comment and even though it wasn’t entirely false, her pride would not let it stand. “How dare you make such assumptions!” she bellowed. “You know nothing about me!”

“Indeed, I do not.” he admitted as he reached into his satchel and pulled out a small pewter flask. “But I recognize that look, it’s the same one my uncle used to make every time he laid eyes on a paper.”

He then unscrewed the flask’s lid before taking a large gulp of whatever was inside of the worn and scratched vessel. Anna raised her eyebrow, unsure of whether she should still be angry at the boy. Part of her was somewhat intrigued as to where this conversation was heading, whilst the other part of her was simply enjoying to the experience of conversing with someone close to her age. “So, you’re telling me your uncle didn’t read newspapers?”

“Oh, he did, he just wasn’t keen about it.” The boy replied as he leaned back and dipped his flask in the fountain stream. “He was convinced they were out to get him and slander his name.”

“So, they wrote about him?” Anna inquired further as both her curiosity and skepticism grew. “Sounds like he was someone of note.”

The boy chuckled. “He wasn’t nearly as noteworthy as he thought he was, the old loon.”

His smile then faded slightly as he stared off into the perpetually flowing fountain stream and sighed. “If only he had lived long enough to see me be a paper-runner, he would’ve lost his rocker.”

“Sounds like someone I know.” Anna huffed almost impulsively as she listened to the boy’s story. The boy then paused and turned away from the fountain towards Anna before smiling sympathetically.

“I see, had your fair share of difficult family, have you?”

Anna sighed, she then sat down on the base of the fountain right next to the boy, her concerns regarding time having completely left her. For, while she wasn’t certain about the boy’s honesty, his tone and expressions looked genuine to her, which made her feel like she could trust him.

 “Well, I wouldn’t call them difficult, they’re more…eccentric.”

“Eccentric, huh? I’d wager they’re interesting. People with peculiarities are always interesting.”

Anna smiled as she stared down at her lap whilst swinging her legs back and forth, for she agreed that both Bon and Caroline were for more interesting compared to most normal folk. Though she doubted whether the boy would be so fond of their ‘peculiarities’ if he knew their true nature. “Certainly, though they can be quite a pain sometimes.”

“I can understand that.” The boy replied, his voice now sounding almost sad. “My uncle wasn’t the tolerable sort himself.”

The subtle yet noticeable shift in his tone was enough for Anna to decide not to pry any further. Instead, she decided to change the subject. “I must say, you speak quite well…for a newspaper boy.”

“And you speak even better for a twit who doesn’t read.” The boy retorted jokingly. To which Anna replied by playfully shoving him by the shoulder as they both laughed. Then followed a brief moment of silence as they both sat next to each other, with both of them seemingly unable to figure out what to say next.

“What’s your name?” the boy then asked suddenly.

“What?” Anna asked back, caught off guard by the unfamiliar question.

The boy rolled his eyes. “If I may, would you care to tell me your name, O fair madam?” he asked sarcastically in his showman’s voice, one which Anna could not help but find amusing. She then took a deep breath and suppressed her inner laughter before answering.

“It’s Anna, Anna Dawton.”

The boy paused for a moment and raised his eyebrow, for a moment he appeared as though he was familiar with that name, but Anna didn’t let him ponder. “And you, good sir?” she then asked swiftly. Which made the boy immediately coil back in a hesitation.

“Oh…umm… It’s Lawrence, Lawrence Jr., but my friends call me Lori.”

“Lawrence Jr., huh? How posh!” Anna exclaimed with a smile and nod. To which Lawrence shook his head and waved his hand in denial.

“Please, call me Lori.” He insisted.

They both smiled at each other. For Anna, she had not felt this happy in days. She then held out her hand towards Lawrence, intent on cementing their acquaintanceship. “Nice to meet you, Lori.”

Lawrence replied with a nod before turning towards her and shaking her hand. “You too, A…” he began before stopping mid-sentence. Anna then noticed his eyes widen and his hand stiffen as he stared over her shoulder.

“Is something…wrong?” she asked, confused. Lawrence opened his mouth to answer, however only nonsensical muttering came out as he let go of her hand. Finally, she turned around and stared at the crowd behind her, only to see something that made her own skin go pale. For, amidst the vibrant gowns and dull coats she could see glimpses of brown cloaks.

She tried her best not to panic as she watched the soldiers slowly and discreetly get closer and closer. The sight of them made her want to run away as fast as possible, but she knew doing so would not be wise. She then remembered Lawrence and the fearful expression he made after seemingly seeing the same thing she did, which then began to fill her head with many questions.

She then turned back around to face Lawrence, only to realize that he was gone. In the few seconds it had taken her to see the approaching soldiers, he had vanished.  However, his disappearing act was not perfect, for as Anna looked into the crowd, she swiftly spotted him running in the opposite direction as the soldiers with his satchel in hand.

“HEY, WAIT!” she shouted as she got up on her feet and bolted after him, her hand still holding the newspaper he had sold her. She glanced back at the soldiers and saw that they had quickened their pace. She did not know if they were after her or Lawrence, and she wasn’t willing to find out. She ducked and weaved through the seemingly endless sea of unsuspecting bystanders as she exited the square, determined not to lose sight of her newly found and apparently somewhat mysterious friend. She slowly managed to inch closer towards him, until she saw him turn and run into a narrow alleyway next to a general store, which she too then entered.

The moment she turned the corner she caught glimpse of Lawrence diving behind a tall pile of crates and barrels. She then ran up to the pile and looked over it, only to find him huddled next to the barrels, his arms wrapped around his satchel and his face riddled with anxiety.

“What is going on here?” she asked, now incredibly curious as to what was unfolding before her. Lawrence shook as Anna’s voice startled him. He then looked up and saw her gazing down at him.

“You!” he shouted as he stood up hastily. “What are you doing here? Did you follow me?”

Anna did not appreciate his rude tone or his refusal to answer her questions. “Why did you run? Are you hiding from the soldiers?”

“You shouldn’t be here! They…they’ll come after you!” Lawrence answered vaguely took a step closer to Anna, his panic seemingly growing by the moment.

Anna took his words as a partial confirmation of her assumptions, yet she still grumbled in annoyance as Lawrence continued to urge her to leave. She briefly considered slapping him across the face with her newspaper, but she decided not to. At that moment, from the corner of her eye, she saw a soldier appear at the entrance of the alley, followed by several others. Both she and Lawrence immediately took a step back as the soldiers, eyeing both of them, blocked the alley entrance and began approaching them.

“Oh no.” Lawrence muttered before turning to Anna. “We need to run!”

He then grabbed her wrist as he sprinted further into the alleyway. Seeing this, the soldiers immediately began pursuing them. However, Lawrence swiftly looked back and quickly waved his hand in the air, immediately afterwards the pile of crates that he had previous hid behind tipped over and spilled into the path just before the soldiers could pass. Hearing boxes crashing against the ground, Anna turned back as she ran, only to see the soldier leading the enemy charge be buried under a several boxes of spilled produce whilst his men tried their best to go around him.

She held in a laugh as she watched the soldier struggle to get back on his feet. However, her smile was quickly wiped away when the soldier held out his arms and made the produce rise off the ground and float before sending them hurdling through the air in their direction as soft projectiles. With fruits and vegetables flying past her head, Anna faced forward and ran with all her strength as she and Lawrence made their way to the other side of the alley and exited onto a larger, more crowded street.

“Where are we going?” she asked as she pulled her arm away from Lawrence.

“Worry not!” Lawrence exclaimed confidently. “I know a safe place!”

Anna wasn’t sure whether she believed him, but she also knew she had no other options given that she did not wish to lead a company of soldiers to Bon’s door, so she did not try to argue with him. Together they made their way through the crowds, trying their best to hide amongst the usual rustle and bustle. However, no matter what they tried, the soldiers appeared to always have them in their sights. It wasn’t long before Anna started to become tired, and her feet began to ache. Ahead, she could see top of the hamlet square fountain peeking above the crowd. Realizing that they couldn’t run in circles inside the hamlet for eternity, she began to think and look around for ways to break free of the soldier’s pursuit. Then, near the entrance to the square, she spotted a bell tied to a rope hanging next to a bakery, and the sight of it gave her an idea.

She abrupted stopped moving, leaving Lawrence to run by himself, though he only managed to make it a few feet before he too stopped and turned around.

“What are you doing?” he asked frantically with a perplexed expression.

“I have a plan!” Anna replied before turning and running towards the bell. She gestured Lawrence to follow, and, despite his hesitant expression, he obliged. Once they both reached the bell Anna swiftly and impolitely reached into Lawrence’s satchel and look out his flask.

“On my signal, I want you to throw this through that window!” she instructed as she pointed to one of the windows of the bakery.

“What? Are you insane?” Lawrence asked, his mouth open in disbelief.

“Just do it!” Anna hissed, before looking back at the road and seeing the soldiers get closer and closer. Lawrence, seemingly seeing the same thing and realizing that he didn’t have any better idea, nodded reluctantly.

Once they were both in position Anna grabbed the rope that was tied to bell, she then took a deep breath before giving a Lawrence a nod. Lawrence hastily nodded back before throwing the flask at the window with as much strength as he could muster. The sound of glass shattering then echoed through the street, attracting the attention of the nearby crowd as they watched, startled and bewilderment. At that moment, Anna pulled on the rope and rang the bell.

“THE HUNTERS ARE COMING!” she screamed with all the air in her lungs. “EVERYONE RUN! THE HUNTERS ARE COMING!”

Luckily, her sudden shouting, coupled with the glass breaking, was just enough to send the crowd into disarray as many of the ordinary Circulion bystanders went into a panic. The entire street then descended into chaos as the people began to bolt in every direction without any regard for their fellow peers, nearly trampling each other in the process. The soldiers too were engulfed by the frenzy as they tried desperate to break through the crowd. Seeing their pursuit grind to a near halt, Anna, alongside Lawrence, followed the crowd into the square.

“Which way?” she asked, to which Lawrence responded by pointing to one of the many of roads that led out of the square. Together they both exited the square once against, whilst evading and bumping into several of their spooked kin. The frenzy was so intense that Anna had to hold on to her sunhat so that she wouldn’t lose it and the sound was so loud it felt like torture. Finally, she heard the sound of a nearby gunshot followed by more screaming as the crowd began to run evacuate the square, she had assumed the guards had fired into the air but luckily, by then they had already gotten away.

 After running for what felt like an unimaginable distance, the street finally began to clear, and the noise began to fade. Once their exhaustion finally compelled them to stop, they both turned back and were relieved when they saw that no one was chasing them.

“That was… absolutely incredible!” Lawrence complimented, taking deep breaths whilst leaning against the wall of another building.

“Thank you very much.” Anna expressed graciously. “Though I’d wager those men won’t take the embarrassment lightly.”

“Maybe, but they can’t keep looking for us forever, so they will have to get over it eventually. We should just hide out until then, and I know the perfect place!”

He then straightened himself and gestured Anna to follow him as they both went down the road. Anna was not familiar with this route; however, she noticed that on either side of them were a large assortment of tanners, weavers and carpenters. The air around them smelled like paint and varnish whilst the buildings looked less fancy and more practical. This made her realize that they had entered Anatoli’s theater district, a section dedicated to supplying Everton’s Borough’s entertainment industry. She knew that every hamlet in Everton had one, with many of them having the Baron Everton’s own company as their main customer.

They both trotted until they arrived as a road with a sign labelled Alton’s Avenue, and there they were met with two tightly packed rows of large houses, a small pocket of grandeur in otherwise dull and industrial area.

“This is where all the big stage merchants live!” Lawrence explained, seemingly noticing Anna’s mouth drop the moment she laid eyes on this hidden paradise. Though even the impressiveness of the houses paled in comparison to all the questions Anna had circulating in her mind. She glanced at Lawrence, who’s ragged, worn clothing and messy appearance looked completely out of place in such a clean and proper neighborhood. However, she kept her doubts to herself whilst she followed Lawrence as he strolled leisurely down the avenue. Finally, he stopped in front of the steps that led do a large red brick house. Anna looked up at the front door and saw the words Dolsy House written above it.

“Here we are!” Lawrence sighed as he cheerfully skipped up the steps.

“Do you…live here?” Anna asked, staying one step behind him, her mind still finding it difficult to rationalize what she was seeing.

“Indeed, I do.” Lawrence answered proudly before taking out a key from his waistcoat and opening the front door. The door led into a hallway with a staircase and a doorway leading into a large living room. Several things caught Anna’s attention as she stepped into the dimly lit interior, most of the furniture was covered by large white cloth sheets whilst the floors were covered in dust. Several cobwebs hung from the corners where the walls met the ceiling, whilst the walls themselves appeared faded and unmaintained. The house appeared almost haunted, which made Anna feel anxious, yet Lawrence appeared unphased by the dreary atmosphere as he casually walked into the living room.

“Come in and sit down!” he urged. Anna nodded before taking a deep breath and burying her feelings of apprehension. Lawrence swiftly raised his hand in the air, making three of the cloth sheets rise to reveal a lavish sofa, chair and table. Anna sat down on the sofa whilst Lawrence lifted the sheet off what appeared to be a set of drawers. He then opened the topmost drawer and took out a lighter before walking across the room to a fireplace which was situated next to a pile of firewood, a coal bin and a bottle of kerosene. Anna noticed a portrait of two people hanging above the fireplace mantle, one of them was a brown-haired man in a black suit whilst the other was a blonde-haired lady in a grey coat with a golden pin.

“Who are they?” she asked, placing her newspaper on the desk. Lawrence glanced back at her saw her staring at the portrait whilst he reached put coal and wood into the fireplace before pouring the kerosene over it. He then looked up at the portrait and smiled.

“They were my parents.” He replied solemnly. “This was their house, now it’s mine.”

“So, they’re not here anymore?” Anna inquired. Lawrence sighed as he switched on the lighter and brought it close to the kerosene-soaked wood. Within moments a fire erupted and filled the room with a warmth.

“Nope, they were taken by Hunters before I was even old enough to walk.” He answered with a sorrowful tone as he stared at the fire. Anna could understand that feeling, for she knew it very well.

“Would you like some tea?” he then asked, turning towards Anna.

Anna nodded, Lawrence then walked out of the living room and into the hallway before returning with two teacups, saucers and a kettle floating above his hand. He directed the teacups towards the table and made the kettle float above the fire as he took a seat.

“So, you live here by yourself?” she asked, looking down at her empty cup.

“Nope, I can’t possibly live here all by myself.” Lawrence chuckled. “I have a friend, or I suppose partner is more accurate, living with me. Gosh, he will love you when he hears what you did!”

Anna raised her eyebrows and laughed, surprised and intrigued by how familiar that sounded. “I suppose you and I have a lot in common.”

“What do you mean?”

Anna hesitated for a moment; she wasn’t used to telling her past to a someone she barely knew. Yet she knew it wouldn’t be fair to keep it a secret given how much Lawrence had revealed about himself. “I too live with a…friend. The Hunters, they took my parents as well.”

Though her words barely changed Lawrence’s expression, she could tell he understood.

“I see, my condolences.” He said with an empathetic smile. “Is this the same friend who asked you to get that newspaper?”

Anna nodded tepidly whilst looking off to the side, which made Lawrence titter. “Hmm, imagine it must be quite boring.”

“What makes you say that?” Anna asked, raising her eyebrow, perplexed at such an assumption.

“Well judging by the way you sound, your ‘friend’ doesn’t seem all that fun.”

Anna pursed her lips with guilt, realizing how brazen she was with her opinions of Bon. She sighed, for she knew denying it was futile. “I admit, he can be quite dull. But that’s good, I get all the excitement I need from my big sister.”

“How so? Does she do something interesting?” asked Lawrence curiously as he stared directly at Anna’s eyes. He then glanced back at the kettle which was still floating over the fire. Anna balled her fists nervously, unsure of how to properly describe Caroline and her occupation.

“Umm… she told me never to reveal her work to anyone! It’s a sworn secret! All I can say is that she works with the Nobleman Howards himself!” she explained in a boastful manner, hoping her vagueness would be overshadowed by the implication of an important role, and that alone would be enough to satisfy Lawrence. However, to her surprise, Lawrence frowned with disappointment.

“I see, so she’s a regular old lackey like the rest of them.” He scoffed. Anna raised her eyebrow, she knew Howards was generally well-regarded by the Hamlet’s common populace, so the sight of Lawrence’s contempt was new to her, and it only made her respect him more.

Just then, the kettle began to whistle, and Lawrence moved it away from the fire and above the table.

“Well, at least you have a sister, that makes you are more fortunate that me.” He sighed as tilted the kettle and they both watched as the steaming tea fell into the cups.

“Oh, come now, surely you must have some family left!” Anna pointed out. “Anyone who lives in a place like this has got to have cartloads of relatives!”

Lawrence laughed. “You may be right, alas I doubt I’ll ever find them, my uncle wasn’t very fond of them, so he refused to tell me any of their names before he died, that old wretch.”

Anna gulped as Lawrence expression turned into a sulky one. She could see that her path of discussion was leading towards a negative shift in the mood and the possible death of their conversation. And she found Lawrence too interesting to allow that to happen.

“You know, you never really answered me when I asked you why you were running from those soldiers.” She said, shifting the conversation into a new direction, a shift that was sudden enough to make Lawrence forget his grudge against his late uncle and make his gloomy expression disappear.

“I could ask you the same thing.” He retorted whilst blowing on his tea. “Soldiers don’t usually go after common folk, much less wee girls who have family working for the Nobleman. So why did you run?”

Anna held in her lips, for she didn’t have a convincing explanation to such a question. An awkward silence then enveloped the room as both of them refrained from answering each other’s questions. Luckily, their standoff was broken by the sudden sound of someone turning the lock on the front door. Lawrence’s face immediately lit up with joy as he swiftly stood up and turned towards the entrance hall.

“He’s here!” he exclaimed as he ran to the door and swung it open. Anna leaned over the desk whilst sipping her tea, which she found to be quite bland, yet she was too polite to say it out loud. The door slowly swung open and from behind it emerged a boy who appeared around the same age as Lawrence. He was thin and had perhaps the messiest dark blonde hair Anna had ever seen. But what drew her attention the most the weathered violin case he held in his hand.

“Tommy!” Lawrence greeted ecstatically, his arms raised as he invited his friend to a hug, an invitation Tommy accepted the moment he saw him.

“Oh Lori, thank the Moor, you made it! I thought for sure they’d get you!” Tommy exclaimed, sighing in relief as he put down his violin case and embraced his friend.

Lawrence gave him a look of both concern and confusion as they both let go of each other. “What are you talking about?”

“The outside, it’s complete pandemonium! There are Brown-Cloaks running around everywhere, I was worried they might have gotten to you amidst all the chaos! They’re saying some nitwit told everyone that the Hamlet is under attack and got them running around trampling each other like horde of headless chickens!”

Anna leaned closer to her teacup and Lawrence’s eyes widened as he suddenly went quiet, he stared off to the side, avoiding looking directly at Tommy, which was enough of sign to make Tommy pause and narrow his eyes with suspicion.

“What did you do, Lori?” he asked, his voice sounding concerned and upset. Lawrence opened his mouth to respond but stuttered as he tried to find a proper explanation.

“We…may have been the nitwits.” He answered nervously as he placed his hand on the back of his head. Tommy blinked several times, seemingly too shocked to respond immediately.

“We?” he then asked, his voice sounding leagues more panicky. Lawrence looked over his shoulder towards the entrance of the living room but didn’t answer. Anna, who had been listening thus far, took this as the appropriate time to introduce herself. She hastily finished her tea and put down her cup whilst loudly pushed her chair back as she stood up. She then walked into the entrance lobby. Tommy’s eyes immediately fixed onto her as he stared at her with his mouth slightly open.

“And who are you?” he asked, tilting his head and raising his eyebrow.

“This is Anna.” Lawrence replied, glancing at her with nervous smile before looking off to the side and shrugging. “She helped me escape the soldiers by causing all that commotion.”

“So that was all her doing?”

“Don’t worry, he helped quite a bit.” Anna huffed with her arms crossed.  

Tommy took a deep breath, calming himself whilst his mind processed everything he had just heard. Finally, after a few seconds, he sighed and smiled. “Well, I suppose I can’t complain about you saving this clueless pigeon!” he chuckled as he nudged Lawrence’s shoulder. He then turned to Anna and held out his hand.

“I’m Tommy Fritz-Parsons. Pleasure to meet you.”

 “Anna Dawton, pleasure to meet you too.” Anna said whilst shaking his hand. “So, you’re Lori’s partner then?”

“Yes, I suppose you could say ‘incredibly close and utterly irreplaceable friend’ is more accurate.” Tommy replied sarcastically, to which Lawrence rolled his eyes, seemingly out of embarrassment. Anna fought her desires not to comment on such a title as she then looked down at the violin case  on the floor.

“And you’re a fiddler, like the ones in the Street-Singer bands?”

“Indeed, I am!” Tommy proclaimed with great pride. “Though I urge you not to compare me with those amateurs, for unlike them I don’t need accompaniment!”

“Is that so.” Anna replied, not sure what to make of such boasts, though even from such a brief introduction she could tell that both Lawrence and Tommy’s friendship was nothing short of destiny.

“How about we all sit down and continued this over tea? I already brewed a kettleful and I’d hate for it to go waste!” Lawrence suggested.

“Alright, but first, I think there’s something Lori and I should discuss.” he insisted, his voice sounding less lighthearted. He then turned to Anna with a distrustful look, his demeanor having changed almost entirely. “In private.”

“What? What are you…” asked Lawrence as he looked at Tommy with a confused expression, one which he politely ignored as he grabbed Lawrence’s arm pulled him closer to him before he could even finish his sentence.

“I think it’s best if we took this upstairs!” he continued vaguely as he walked in front of Lawrence and grabbed the banister with his other hand. He then pushed Lawrence towards the stair and, Lawrence, despite his utterly lost expression, did not resist in any way. Anna, confused by the sudden need for secrecy, raised her hand and opened her mouth to say something, but Tommy glanced back at her and spoke before she could even say a word.

“I’d appreciate it if you stayed here.” He requested vaguely as he nudged Lawrence up the stairs. “There’s a toffee box on the mantle, feel free to help yourself!”

They both then disappeared into the second floor of the house, leaving Anna by herself as she turned around and went back into the living room. She then sat in the nearest chair she could find, without even bothering to removing cloth cover. She looked up towards the mantle above the fireplace and saw the toffee box. She then held out her hand and made the box fly into her palm. She could hear the toffee pieces rattling inside as she examined the box, it’s emerald-green exterior seemingly hand painted with scenes of people in places that looked strangely familiar. She then opened the lid, reached inside the box and took out a disc shaped piece of toffee wrapped in thin paper.

Yet even as her body moved, she still found herself distracted by her own thoughts, for without the distractions of conversation she was free to think about the true nature and absurdity of her situation, and how far she had really gone without ever thinking about it too much. She began to question why she was even still inside this house, and whether she should simply leave. She thought about Bon, and how worried he likely was given her disappearance. Perhaps he was out there searching for at that very moment. However, she knew she couldn’t make her way back to him lest she risk bringing the wrath of the soldiers down onto both of them. Moreover, she had not even considered how Caroline might feel about all of this, and whether she had compromised her delicate standing with Mr. Howards.

Disappointed and frustrated, she placed the toffee back into the box. However, just as she was about to close the box and place it back where it belonged, she noticed something. On the inside of the box’s lid was what appeared to be a thin sheet of gold and etched into the gold she saw what looked to be letters. Intrigued, she held the inscription up to the light of a nearby window and looked at it closely, the words then appeared to her, clear as day.

Anna’s jaw dropped the moment she read the inscription, for it was at that moment she realized that she had stumbled upon something much deeper than she had initially expected. She shut the lid and threw the box back to the mantle, her mind now beginning to question everything she had just learned. She then got up, summoned her newspaper into her hand and rushed into the entrance hall. She glanced at the front door, contemplating whether she should simply leave. But instead, she decided she couldn’t leave without getting some answers. She then ran up the stairs and into the second floor. There she was greeted by a dimly lit and dusty hallway with doors on all sides. At first, she was unsure of which door to take, and she knew that going through them all blindly would only make her look suspicious. Luckily, once she stopped moving, she heard the faint and indistinguishable sounds echoing through the walls. She then slowly followed them towards one side of the room before pressing her ear against the wooden doors until she found the one the sounds were originating from. The closer she got to the source, the louder the sounds became, and soon she was able to distinguish the sound of voices from the sound of what she thought were heavy objects moving about. Finally, once she found the right door, instead of barging in, she leaned down and looked through the keyhole.

Inside she could see the two shapes of Lawrence and Tommy moving around, but though their voices were loud, Anna still could only make out a few disconnected words. Deciding to listen further, she took her eye away from the keyhole and placed her hand on the round doorknob. She then slowly turned the knob and opened the door just wide enough for her to peek inside and listen to their conversation.

“How do you know she’s even trustworthy, huh Lori? Don’t you think this whole thing smells fishy? For all we know she could be working for them!” Tommy rambled as he stuffed clothes into what looked like a brown suitcase whilst Lawrence sat on the lower part of a two-story bunkbed with his satchel, which seemed to be filled to the brim with various things, on his lap.

“Since when were you this paranoid?” Lawrence asked, appearing genuinely concerned. “Jack would never use some commoner as a spy, he’s not nearly that sophisticated! Besides, if that were the case she would’ve handed me over to the soldiers instead of helping me!”

“Well, why do you think she helped you, hmm? Inciting mass panic is a grave offense, so why would she take such a risk for a stranger that she just met? Especially when her own sister is one of them?”

Lawrence paused, and Anna, though she was starting to feel enraged and insulted by Tommy’s accusations, realized that from his perspective, Tommy was right. She had said too much, and it now made her look suspicious and untrustworthy. She cursed herself under her breath as she watched on. However, despite how compelling Tommy’s argument appeared, Lawrence did not appear convinced.

“She likely has her reasons; you know family isn’t as strong a bond as people pretend it is. And if it is something like that, I’d be a hypocrite to judge.”

Anna nearly let out a gasp, for she could not fathom why Lawrence was defending her. Perhaps he had understood something about her even though she hadn’t explicitly told him anything or perhaps he felt as though he owed her for what she did. Either way, Tommy frowned and sighed as he seemingly realized that his words were having little effect.

“You put too much faith in people you don’t know.” He uttered as he turned around and continued stuffing everything his arms could reach inside the suitcase. “Perhaps that’s something every silver spoon brat has in common.”

“Oh, how dare you! Need I remind you that I did the same for you! And it was the best decision I ever made!” Lawrence argued as he pushed his satchel aside and stood up.

“Yes, you did, but just because you got lucky with me doesn’t mean you can take the same chance with everyone you happen to cross paths with!”

Lawrence took a breath and composed himself his anger got the better of him. “So, what do you suggest we do?”

“I say we tell her to leave, simple as that! You told me she already has a house of her own, I’d wager here sister and whoever else she lives with it are worried sick about her by now!”

“But what about the soldiers? They saw her, and if they find her, she could be trouble, you know they aren’t above locking up children!”

“That is assuming she isn’t one of them.” Tommy retorted. “Besides, we can’t take her with us, she doesn’t even have any of her things! And Bruce is not too fond of you as is, so I doubt he’d let us into the station if we came with another one.”

Lawrence glanced off to the side and clenched his teeth out of embarrassment and it made Anna wonder what kind of story lurked beneath such shame.

 “I’m sure Bruce can be bargained with! You and I have certainly earned enough to pay for one more person! As for her things, I’m sure we can come up with something! We must try at the very least!”

It was at that moment that Tommy seemed to accept his defeat, for he then let out a groan as he closed his suitcase and locked its latches. He then turned and faced Lawrence whilst wiping his forehead with his palm.

“Alright, Lori.” He conceded before pointing his finger up at the ceiling. “But on the condition that you alone pay for her, agreed?”

“Agreed.” Lawrence replied swiftly with a nod.

“Good, now are all your things packed? Because we need to get out of here before the end of the hour!”

“Yes, everything I have is accounted for! Although there’s still one more thing I need to get.”

“Well, I suggest you go on and get it then, but be quick about it, I’ll be out in a few minutes. Then we can figure out how we’re going to explain all this to miss whatshername.”

“It’s Anna, and you leave that part to me!”

Lawrence then turned and walked towards the door. Anna immediately let go of the door and took a few steps back as she tried her best to be quiet. She looked around frantically, looking for a place to hide, however she wasn’t fast enough, for Lawrence swung back the open door and walked into the hallway before she could even collect her thoughts. His eyes immediately fixed onto her whilst his body stilled, his hand still holding the door half-open. Anna did not say a word as they both stared at each other for what felt like a few excruciatingly long seconds.

Anna expected Lawrence to get angry and reveal her presence to Tommy, since, in her mind, she had once again proven Tommy right. She even considered striking him with her newspaper. However, to her surprise, he placed his finger over his lips before closing the door behind him without saying a word. He then let go of the door before walking a few steps towards her whilst she took a few steps back.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice lowered as to not alert Tommy.

“I… I.” Anna stuttered, her composure wavering under the weight of Lawrence’s confused gaze. She couldn’t remember why she had come upstairs to begin with, and worse still she found it difficult to express what she did remember into a single cohesive sentence.

“Were you listening in on us?” Lawrence then pressed further, his demeanor getting increasingly more nervous and hostile. “What did you hear?”

Anna gulped, for at that moment only a few words came to her mind. “I’m not one of them.” She blurted out. Yet even that hasty response seemed to give Lawrence all the answers he needed.

“I know.” He sighed with a slight smile as he looked off into the distance. “If you were, you would’ve dashed for the door the moment you saw me coming. So, the fact that you’re still here proves otherwise.”

“Your partner seems pretty convinced of the opposite.” Anna said nervously with an uneasy smile, feeling a little more comfortable knowing that Lawrence was not angry with her.

“Well, if you knew him as well I did you wouldn’t blame him for it!” Lawrence snapped defensively before returning to a calmer tone. “You don’t have to worry about him. He can be quite the softy once you get to know him.”

Anna gave him a look of skepticism, which appeared to only amuse him. He then swiftly turned away from her towards one of the other doors. “Come with me, I have something to show you!”

“Wait, hold on!” Anna urged, the questions she had had previously suddenly coming back to her as her fear and anxiety disappeared. However, Lawrence ignored her and continued to walk away whilst gesturing her to follow. Anna groaned, but seeing as she had no other choice, she reluctantly obliged.

They then made their way to a door at the end of the hallway, with Anna staying one step behind Lawrence as he opened the door and went inside. The room they entered was yet another bedroom, however unlike the previous room, this one was bigger and large four poster bed. Small rays of light shone through the gaps between crimson curtains and onto a white rug that Lawrence walked over as he made his towards a dust covered dresser whilst Anna slowly lagged behind, her attention taken by the room’s many objects.

“This was my parents’ room.” He said as he opened the topmost shelf of dresser and took out a red velvet box. “Come closer!”

“So, this really is your house.” Anna muttered to herself in a volume low enough to avoid attracting Lawrence’s ear. The memory of the inscription she had read on the lid of the toffee box still lingered in her mind as he suspicion deepened, but even if she did not trust Lawrence entirely, she still felt that the way he talked of his family was genuine.

She then walked up to the dresser and looked over Lawrence’s shoulder as he opened the box, revealing a pin made in the shape of a bee, its body composed of pure gold and its eyes made of rubies. Anna’s eyes lit up in awe at the sight of something so extravagant.

“This used to be my mother’s. She wears it in nearly every painting I’ve seen of her.” Lawrence explained, his voice carrying an undertone of longing as he took the pin out of the box. Hearing this, Anna remembered the portrait that hung above the living room fireplace and realized that Lawrence’s mother was wearing the same pin in that one.

“It must’ve meant a lot to her.” She remarked. Lawrence gave her nod as he attached the pin to his own waistcoat. “Might as well take it with me, seeing as I won’t be back here for a long while.”

Anna glanced back at the box and noticed something peculiar, the pin had been stored in an indentation made in one side of the box’s floor, and on the other side was yet another indentation in a completely different shape with no pin to fill it.

“Was there something else in this box?” she asked curiously, gesturing towards the empty indentation.

“I don’t know.” Lawrence shrugged as he closed the box and slowly put it back into the drawer, his gaze lingering, his eyes full of regret. “I tried to find it once, but I’ve seen neither my father nor my mother wearing anything that could fit that shape in any of their paintings.”

He gazed down at the box for a few more second before taking a deep breath and shutting the drawer. “There’s no point lamenting over it. Besides, I’d wager the end of the hour is near. We better get you downstairs before Tommy sees you up here!”

They both then made their way out the bedroom before tiptoeing their way to the stairs and down into the entrance hall. However, it was only after reaching the front door that Anna began to grasp the true nature of Lawrence and Tommy’s plan. She had not given idea of running away much thought, but now that she was faced with the decision of whether or not she was going to follow her newfound peers, her mind began to fill with doubts.

“So where are you heading off to exactly?” she asked nervously as Lawrence leaned down and picked up Tommy’s violin case.

“Shorewater Station!” Lawrence exclaimed enthusiastically. “There’s a hole in the Hamlet walls big enough for us to crawl through in the abandoned corner of Whitegrove Row about two streets from here, once we’re through we follow the canals to the station. Tommy has some friends there we can hide with!”

“I see…” Anna replied, nodding along. “And how long do you plan on staying there?”

Lawrence tilted his head slightly as he looked at Anna with an unsure expression. “I don’t know, it’ll be a while before they stop looking for us. But worry not, we likely won’t be staying there the whole time, perhaps we’ll run on over to the next Hamlet, or a take a train to the next Borough and find new lives there! Or maybe leave the city entirely!”

“I see…” Anna hesitated, her feelings of confliction growing by the second. However, Lawrence’s words had also confirmed one of her suspicions. “So, this isn’t just about the soldiers, is it?”

Lawrence’s expression darkened slightly as he tightened his grip on the violin case. “What do you mean?” he asked as he turned and faced the front door.

“I assume there’s something deeper afoot, is there not?” Anna asked in a more confrontational tone. “No one in their right mind would go that far and leave all this behind over a mere stunt! I refuse to believe that!”

“Believe what you want!” Lawrence snapped back angrily; his face laced with sorrow. “I just want to escape this place, alright? And if I do return some day, it’ll be the day no one remembers me!”

Anna went silent, for she did not know what to make of such a statement, and Lawrence did not give her time to ponder. “Why do you ask such things of me? Do you not want to come with us?”

Anna opened her mouth to answer, however at that moment, she heard footsteps behind her, and when she looked back, she saw Tommy come down the stairs carrying with him his suitcase, Lawrence’s satchel and another bag. His face wore a smile, though Anna wasn’t sure whether he meant it.

“All set then are we, Lori?” he asked as he handed Lawrence his satchel followed by Lawrence handing him his violin case, which made Anna realize that he hadn’t heard their conversation. However, Lawrence’s expression was enough of a hint for him to realize that all was not cheerful.

“What’s wrong?” he asked looking back and forth between the both of them. “Did you tell her about Shorewater?”

“I did, but it appears Anna doesn’t want to come.” Lawrence answered angrily whilst Anna refused to look him in the eye. Tommy then turned to Anna, looking surprised though not entirely dismayed.

“Oh well, perhaps it is for the best, it would be unwise to worry your family and I doubt Bruce would’ve let you in any...” He sighed, shrugging with his elbow.

“I didn’t say that!” Anna chimed in suddenly, cutting Tommy off before he could end his sentence whilst staring directly at Lawrence. “I am not going to get my family in trouble by going back, but I’m unsure about whether or not I can trust you.”

“And why is that?” asked Lawrence, outraged. “What have I done to make you think such things of me?”

“Well, you haven’t exactly been very honest with me, have you?” Anna replied, crossing her arms.

“About what? I’ve told you everything there is to tell about me!”

“Yet you haven’t even told me who youare!”

Lawrence’s anger vanished and was replaced by a look of shock and disbelief as he exchanged glances with Tommy.

“Wha…what are you talking about? Have you gone daft?” he stuttered. “You already know who I am!”

Realizing that now was her best moment to get her questions answered. She swiftly turned around and marched towards the living room without saying a word. She then looked through the doorway into the room and stretched out her hand towards the mantle, making the toffee box fly into her hand once more. She then swiftly turned around and threw the box into his hands.

“I mean who you really are.”

Lawrence looked down at the toffee box blankly as he rubbed his thumbs against its surface, seemingly aware of what it contained. Tommy then placed his palm on his face and sighed with regret as he watched his partner open the box and read the golden inscription.

To my sweetest brother Freddy, your sister, Alexandra Howards.

“Care to explain?” Anna asked, feeling as though she had backed Lawrence into an irrefutable corner, and Lawrence seemingly felt the same, for he then took a deep breath.

“My uncle…he’s not really dead…He…” he began, however, before he could say another word he was interrupted by the sound of a knock on the door, which made all three of them flinch.

“What was that?” asked Anna, frightened. However, neither Tommy nor Lawrence answered him, for they too seemed to be caught off guard. Seconds later, another, much louder, knock echoed through the entrance hall. Tommy then hastily dropped both his suitcase and violin on the floor before running into the living room, pulling apart the curtains and looking out the window whilst both Lawrence and Anna peeked their head through the doorway, watching anxiously. Tommy peered through the glass and his body suddenly stiffened. He then took a step back, his face pale and his hands shivering as he turned around.

“They’re here.” He uttered with grim seriousness. Anna realized almost immediately what he meant. Suddenly, all three of them were startled as a loud thud came from beyond the door, as though something large and heavy had struck it head on. The sound was followed by a worrying silence, which lasted for a few seconds before being succeeded by the voice.

“Lawrence!” it called, sounding neither harsh nor malicious. “I know you can hear me, lad! Don’t put up a fight, we’re not here to hurt you!”

Anna glanced at Lawrence, who placed his finger over his lips and gestured her to be quiet as Tommy joined them once more.

“I shall give you one minute for you and your fellow associates to surrender yourselves, lad. After that you leave me no choice!” the voice uttered once again before going completely silent. After which all three of them began to panic.

“Don’t listen to him!” Lawrence urged, in an attempt to calm everyone. “That lock cannot be breached by their powers, and it’ll be a while before they break it down!”

“What do we do?” Anna asked, yet it seemed neither of them could answer such a question. Lawrence covered his mouth with his hand and took a deep breath whilst Tommy paced back and forth around the room frantically. Anna herself started thinking as hard as she could, yet no ideas came to her.

“I know!” Lawrence suddenly exclaimed. “The attic! We can escape through the rooves!”

“What? Are you mad? Who do you think you are, a chimney sweep?” Anna questioned, thoroughly rejecting the idea of jumping between four story buildings.

“Well do you have a better idea?” Lawrence retorted, to which Anna opened and then closed her mouth, realizing that she had no real answer.

Just then, they heard another sound, this time it was the sound of a key sliding into a keyhole. Seconds later, the mechanism turned, and the door lock opened, which made all of them take a step back. The doorknob then turned and the door slowly creeped open, flooding the entrance hall with the light of the afternoon sun, a light that was then blotted by the silhouette of brown cloaks. 

“Get to the attic! NOW!” Lawrence shouted as the shadows of soldiers loomed over all of them. Anna and Tommy did not hesitate and bolted up the stairs. The soldiers reached out their arms in an attempt to grab them, yet they only managed to get ahold of Lawrence, who fought and struggled frantically as they held down his wrists and pulled him further and further away from the stairs.

“LORI!” Tommy screamed, stopping at the top of the staircase and looking down. However, whilst one soldier held back Lawrence, the others began running up in the stairs in pursuit of Anna and Tommy. Seeing this, Anna grabbed Tommy’s arm and pulled him along as she made her way to the next set of stairs, only letting go once Lawrence was out of view. Tommy wiped tears off his face as they climbed up to the third floor. Anna knew that they couldn’t outrun the soldiers forever, she thought about throwing her newspaper at them as a distraction, but she knew it wouldn’t be enough to stop them, she needed something hard and heavy.

Once they were up on the third floor, Anna began looking around frantically. “Where’s the entrance to the attic?”

“Up here!” Tommy answered, pointing to a latch on the ceiling. He reached his hand out towards it and twisted his wrist, which undid the latch and made the ceiling panel it was attached to fall and reveal a ladder, which then unfolded and reached down onto the floor.

“Come on! Hurry!” he urged. However, Anna stood still whilst the soldiers appeared at the bottom of the stairs. She searched her surrounding for anything she could use, until she spotted a small table with a large painted vase on top. Her heart racing, she reached out her hand and focused on the vase, which made it float above the table. She then pulled her hand forward, sending the vase hurdling down the stairs towards the soldiers. Though she did not stay long enough to see the vase strike her foes, for once it was in the air she swiftly turned and ran to the ladder, the only thing she heard was the sound of heavy things tumbling to the ground in the floor below.

Once Anna reached the top of the ladder, she was met with a large inornate space filled to the brim with a seemingly uncountable quantity of various items along with more cobwebs and dust than all the other floors combined, its only source of light being a large circular window situated at its very front. She watched as Tommy ran to the window and desperately tried to undo its lock; however, she was quick to notice that the lock was putting up some resistance towards his efforts.

“What’s going on?” she asked whilst standing next to the ladder and looking down to make sure the soldiers weren’t catching up.

“It…It’s rusted!” Tommy shouted. “It won’t open!”

Anna cursed their circumstances under her breath as she kept her on the ladder. She could hear the rumbling of footsteps and before long, the shadows of the soldiers appeared at the base of the ladder. Thinking fast, Anna grabbed the ladder and tried to pull it up before the soldiers could reach it but before she could pull it all the way, one of the soldiers reached out his hand and use his power to pull against her. The ladder then came to a near halt as Anna struggled to make move it even with all her might. Once the soldier’s reached the ladder, they all grabbed it’s base and began pulling back down.

Meanwhile, Tommy continued to try and unjam the window latch. He thought about shattering the window all together, but he knew that broken glass would only hinder their escape. He tried to use his own power but even that wasn’t strong enough. In sheer desperation, he balled his fist and began striking the handle of the rusted mechanism like a hammer. Finally, just as his little finger began to ache, he managed to break through the rust and dislodge the mechanism. Feeling a sense of relief wash over him, he unlocked the latch and pushed the window open.

“I got it!” he exclaimed whilst placing his foot on the windowsill before turning back and looking at Anna. “Come on! We need to go!”

Anna took a deep breath and then let go of ladder, letting it fall into the hands of the soldiers as she got up and began running to the window. Tommy climbed out onto the roof before turning around and reaching his hand out towards Anna, who grabbed it before placing her foot on the windowsill. But just before Tommy could hoist her onto the roof a voice roared from behind her.

“Stop where you are!” it commanded. Anna was about to ignore it before she heard a familiar sound that made both her and Tommy freeze instantly, the sound of a hammer being pulled back.

Her hand still clutching Tommy’s, Anna slowly turned her head back, she was met with the sight of soldier, his body was only halfway into the attic, pointing his revolver directly at her. He glared at her with fierce contempt as he slowly continued to ascend the ladder. At that moment, Anna realized that there was no escape as she tried her best to appear perfectly calm.

“What do we do now?” asked Tommy, leaning down and whispering into her ear. Anna gave Tommy an uncertain sideways glance. She knew they still had a chance of escaping, yet the mere sight of the gun barrel staring at her made her not want to move at all, she was simply too afraid. However, she knew that Tommy was already outside the window, all he had to do was run.

“You have to go without me.” She whispered. To which Tommy replied with a look of shock and disbelief.

“What? No! I can’t leave you! None of this is your fault!”

Anna sighed, she then let go of his hand and took her foot off the windowsill. She then turned to the soldier and raised her arms in the air in a way that covered Tommy as much as possible.

“Leave, now! Trust me!” she urged, facing the soldier head on. The soldier soon reached the top of the ladder and slowly began to approach them whilst his peers followed shortly behind. Yet Tommy did not move, his body shaking, and his face riddled with conflict.

“GO!” Anna screamed once more, which seemed to finally make Tommy accept his circumstances. For he the looked at her one last time, before reluctantly running to the side and away from the window.

“No!” the soldier shouted as he began running towards them the moment Tommy vanished from sight. He shoved Anna aside before poking his head out the window and looked around frantically whilst his associates caught up to him. He then banged his fist on the windowsill in frustration, which made Anna move away from him anxiously.

“Do you see the boy?” one of his associates asked.

“No, the brat got away at the last moment.”

“Do we go after him?”

“It’d be a waste to do so, now that he’s outside the house there’s no telling where he might’ve run off to.” The soldier sighed as he put away his gun. He then looked down at Anna with a tired frown. “Take this one downstairs to the Commander.”

His associates obliged as one of them grabbed Anna’s arm and pulled her back to into the house. Anna understood that there was nothing she could do now, so she did not put up a fight. They took her all the way back to the first floor before shoving her into the living room, there she saw Lawrence sitting on a chair, staring blankly at a bearded old man who sat across the room from him, flanked by yet another soldier. The man had a teacup and saucer in one hand and a wooden cane in the other. She also saw the kettle Lawrence had prepared earlier floating above the fire once more.

Both the man and Lawrence turned to Anna the moment she walked into the living room. “Ah, I see one of your friends has come to join us!” he exclaimed whilst smiling at Lawrence. Yet despite the man’s calm, almost kind demeanor, Lawrence looked at Anna with a worried and frightened expression.

“I assume the other got away.” He then uttered whilst looking at the soldiers who had brought her downstairs, to which they replied with a hesitant and embarrassed, nod.

“Shame.” The man sighed as he turned back to Lawrence. “I was hoping I’d get to have another chat with Mr. Fritz-Parsons.”

“Listen, Jack!” Lawrence pleaded. “She’s got nothing to do with any of this! You…”

“Don’t you ‘Jack’ me, lad!” the man scolded, cutting Lawrence off as his mood suddenly shifted to one of anger. “I say with all you’ve done up till now, you and I aren’t on the best of terms.”

Lawrence took a deep breath and leaned back on his chair whilst Jack turned back to Anna.

“Why don’t come here and have a seat, lass?” he asked, his voice sounding warm once again. He then pointed to one of the empty chairs. “Would you like some tea?”

“Umm… n…no thank you, sir.” Anna declined politely. Seeing no other path forwards, she then nodded reluctantly and walked to a chair situated next to Lawrence. There she sat with a stiff yet straight posture, holding her arms tightly together as she felt overwhelmed by feelings of grave anxiety.

“So then, what’s your name?” Jack inquired, leaning towards her with a look of intrigue.

“It’s Anna, sir. Anna Dawton.” She answered timidly.

Jack raised his eyebrows, as though he had heard that name before. His look made Anna feel the cold touch of dread reach into her and strangle her heart as she kept her head down and avoided looking the old man in the eye. She had thought about lying at first, yet she had concluded that playing games with soldiers would be too risky.

“I see, quite a lovely name you have indeed.” Jack praised whilst Anna tried her best to smile and pretend that she was flattered. Just then, the kettle whistled once more. Jack glanced at the soldier standing next to him, which then made the soldier raised his hand and make the kettle move away from the fire and towards Jack’s cup. The soldier then grabbed the kettle and poured its contents into the cup. This entire display made Anna feel oddly intimidated, for she had never witnessed the soldiers act so strict and obedient.

“So, tell me Anna, do you know who I am?” he asked after taking his first sip, to which Anna simply shook her head.

“Well then, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jack Porter, and I am the Commander of his Hamlet.”

He then shifted his gaze towards Lawrence and pointed his finger in his direction. “I am also the man assigned to watch over this rowdy little delinquent. And by Moor, what an assignment he has made it out to be.”

 Lawrence groaned and rolled his eyes, which made Jack’s eyebrow twitch. “Running away from home! Spending your days as lowly newspaper boy! Living like a vagrant in your parent’s house and committing offences against the Circulion Code like a petty criminal! All…”

“What offenses?” Lawrence interrupted loudly with a look of genuine confusion, talking to Jack as though he was beneath him. “I have committed no offenses, nor have I broken the Code! Unless of course my uncle considers it a crime to live as a commoner!”

“No, he does not, Lawrence.” Jack sighed, seemingly annoyed by the boy’s comments. “But both he and the Circulion Code do consider housebreaking and inciting panic among the masses as such!”

“Housebreaking? What are you talking about? This house belonged to my parents, now it belongs to me, and one cannot break into one’s own house!”

“Sound reasoning indeed, lad. But it wasn’t your house you broke into, was it? It was your uncle’s, no more than a few days ago.” Jack retorted, now grinning with amusement whilst Lawrence’s bewilderment only continued to grow, all while Anna watched on, her mind beginning to worry that she might know the truth behind what Jack was talking about.

“I did not break into my uncle’s house.” He expressed sternly, staring directly into Jack’s eyes. “There is nothing there that I value.”

Those words made Jack’s face darken and turned his grin into a frown. “Whether that is true or not doesn’t matter, for our tolerance has expired. Your little game of pretend ends now! However, despite what you’d like to believe, your uncle harbors no ill will towards you, even after what you put him through today he still offers you forgiveness.”

Lawrence said nothing, he simply rolled his eyes once more and kept his arms crossed. However, Jack wasn’t done, for he then moved his finger and pointed it at Anna whilst keeping his eyes fixed on Lawrence.

“Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for her.”

Both Anna and Lawrence paused and glanced at each other as his words made Anna gulp and made her skin go pale. “Jack, what are you talking about? She hasn’t done anything!”

“Oh, quite the contrary, lad!” Jack replied, his grin returning. “For, according to my men, she is your direct accomplice, was she not? She helped you cause a pandemonium that nearly engulfed this entire Hamlet, and that alone is a grave offense.”

“No! You got it all wrong! She had nothing to do with it! It was all my fault! I swear on the Moor!” Lawrence pleaded, which surprised Anna given that they had known each other for less than a few hours and the fact that they had argued not too long ago.

“Again, it doesn’t matter whether that is true or not, because right now I trust my men more than I trust you!” Jack answered coldly, shaking his head as he began to lift himself back onto his feet. “And unfortunately, no amount of begging will save your friend this time.”

“Then what must I do, huh?” Lawrence asked bitterly. “I’ll do anything you ask!”

Jack paused and looked down at Lawrence before seating back down on his chair. “Alright.” He replied softly. “I shall have these offenses erased from both your names on one condition.”

“And that is?” Lawrence asked, sounding utterly defeated.

“You go back home.” Jack replied sternly. “Go back and stay there.”

Lawrence began to sniffle, his face seemingly struggling to hold back feelings of sadness and anger. Yet Jack simply ignored his expressions of suffering as he reached his hand out towards him.

“Now do I have your word, sworn and sacred?”

Lawrence took a deep breath and wiped the slowly emerging tears away from his eyes using his sleeve before reluctantly extending his own hand, however before their two hands met and cemented his fate, Anna chimed in.

“He’s lying.” She uttered, even though part of her begged herself not to do so.

“What?” Jack asked as both he, Lawrence and even some of the surrounding soldiers turned their eyes towards Anna.

“He’s lying.” Anna repeated, trying her best to appear bold and unwavering. “The pandemonium was my idea. If anything, Lawrence was my accomplice.”

Lawrence looked at her with a stunned look and an open jaw, and even Jack appeared somewhat surprised. A moment of silence then followed as everyone in the room seemed to be at a loss for words, until finally, Jack began to nod.

“Hmm, is that so?” He replied calmly. “So, you’re willing to give yourself up for his sake, how noble.”

“I won’t stand for being used as blackmail!” Anna huffed, mustering up as much courage as she could in the face of a far more dangerous opponent. “And moreover, a friend once told me that there was no honor in letting friends pay for your own follies. I have no doubt that you, as a man of company, already know that.”

Jack raised his eyebrow, appearing almost impressed whilst Lawrence appeared completely dumbfounded. Anna wasn’t sure whether she should be worried or relieved. Frankly, she didn’t know what she was doing in the slightest, for though her words were all genuine, she had expressed them without thinking of a clear plan or strategy, and now she was left to face the consequences of her impulsive decisions.

“So, you regard Lawrence as a true friend, eh? One worth sacrificing yourself over?” Jack asked to which Anna nodded adamantly whilst looking him in the eye. This, in turn, made Jack lean closer to her. “Even though he hasn’t told you who he is?”

“I already know who he is!”

“I meant who he really is, lass.”

At that moment, Anna hesitated, she gulped and looked away from Jack’s face without even a retort. Yet her silence was all that Jack needed to hear.

“I see, so you really do know.” He stated as he leaned back towards his chair. “Or at least you have a guess, given that I doubt this boy would ever willingly reveal it himself.”

Anna sighed, and then spoke with an increasingly mocking voice. “It wasn’t particularly hard to deduce, his uncle is Mr. Howards, he’s the nephew of the Nobleman. That’s why, even with all these men, you’re trying to negotiate with him instead of arresting us both! It’s because you can’t touch him, can you? Because you’re beneath him!”

She saw Lawrence look down at the ground, and take a deep breath whilst Jack took his teacup and drank all its contents in a single sip before handing both the cup and its saucer to his subordinate. He then turned to Lawrence and grinned.

“Well lad you’ve certainly found yourself a bright one.” He joked in a playful manner, unbefitting of the current atmosphere. “She’s certainly brighter than Mr. Fritz-Parsons, I practically had to spell it out for him last time.”

He then got up from his seat and leaned on his cane as he stood with a slightly crooked pose. “Then again, I wouldn’t have to have explain it all if you’d stop treating your upbringing as something to feel ashamed of.” He lectured as his straightened his clothes with his other hands.

Lawrence didn’t respond as he simply stared at the ground whilst Jack gazed down at him. Despite his harsh words and his callous behavior, Anna could see glimmers of pity riddled across Jack’s face, which made her realize that, beneath his hardened exterior, he truly cared for Lawrence, even though at no point did he ever show it.

“Now then, I think it’s time we conclude our little talk. Since your friend here has confessed to the offense of inciting panic among the masses, I have no choice but to apprehend her and let you go free so that you may do as you wish.” He stated before turning to his men and gesturing towards Anna. “Take her.”

Several of the soldiers gave Jack a nod before walking towards Anna, who immediately began to instinctively panic. She got up from her seat and moved to the other side of the room, yet she didn’t make it far before she was confronted by the fireplace and the wall it was attached to. She had no way of escaping, and her only weapon was her newspaper. But just as the soldiers came within a few feet of her, Lawrence reached up and grabbed Jack’s cloak.

“Stop.” He muttered weakly as he turned, looked at Anna and frowned. “If you let her go, I’ll come with you.”

Jack paused before lifting his palm in the air, which made his men stop moving. “Really?”

Lawrence gulped as he let go of the old man’s cloak before grabbing his hand and holding it as tightly as he could.

“You have my word, sworn and scared! Just grant me this one request!” he pleaded desperately whilst glancing towards Anna, who was so overwhelmed by a mixture of both relief and shock that she could not bring herself to even utter a single word.

Jack let out a deep breath, and, seeing as he was just offered what he wanted, he relented to Lawrence’s pleas. “So be it.”

He turned back to Anna. “Leave her be.” He commanded, which then made his men turn around and walk away from her. He then looked to his other soldiers. “And escort this one back to where he belongs.”

Lawrence held his head down as Jack’s came and nudged him towards the door. However, just before he walked through the living room entrance, he looked over his shoulder towards Anna, who was still standing next to fireplace with her hands gripping her newspaper. “I apologize for all the trouble.” He expressed before turning away and disappearing into the entrance hall with the rest of Jack’s men behind him.

“He’s a good lad, wouldn’t you agree.” He said a few moments later with a sympathetic look on his face, his words seemingly directed at Anna even though he did not face her. “He reminds me of another young man I used to know. Good folk like them ways find themselves loyal allies.”

Then, to Anna’s surprise, he turned and stared directly at her. “If I may ask, how is Brutus these days? I imagine he must be doing quite well.”

Anna blinked several times, her mind slowly coming to a realization that she could have never predicted. “You know Bon? You’ve known about me all this time?”

Jack chuckled. “Dawton is indeed a lovely name, one worth keeping an eye on knowing who carries it. Thank the Moor that boy gave himself up when he did, I would’ve hated to make good on my bluff and put you in chains, oh what a mess that would’ve been.”

“Hold on!” Anna gasped with a baffled look. “You weren’t going to arrest me? That was all a fib?”

Jack shook his head as he walked towards the living room exit. “We live in turbulent times, lass. And so, I doubt incurring the wrath of a dangerous flock of crows over the arrest a wee child would be in the Hamlet’s best interest at this current point in time. Fortunately, I know Lawrence enough to know that he would never have let me go that far.”

He then took a deep breath before continuing. “So then, now that you know that you need not fear me, could you please tell me how Brutus is these days? He and I were once colleagues, so I’d like to know.”

“Umm… He’s doing well.” Anna stuttered, unsure of how to properly respond to such a question. Yet even her vague and undescriptive answer seemed to satisfy Jack.

“Good, good.” He muttered whilst nodding his head. He then turned towards the entrance hall and left the living room whilst waving his hand at Anna. “Be sure to give him my regards!” he said before walking out of view, leaving Anna alone in the living room, her face looking puzzled and her mind a complete mess of thoughts.

It was long before she too was then escorted outside the house, yet by the time she got there Lawrence was gone. The soldiers then shoved over onto the sidewalk as they closed the front door. She did not bother staying around, seeing as she had nothing left to stay for. Even the soldiers ignored her presence, so she turned around and began walking away, her hands still holding the newspaper that had this entire escapade.

With the light of the afternoon sun bearing down on her, she walked all the way back to the square, her body now feeling incredibly exhausted. She kept thinking about Lawrence, Tommy and everything she had just been through, and how she did not know what to think about any of it. She was so lost in her thoughts that she nearly bumped into several strangers, all of whom gave her dirty looks in response. It wasn’t until the square was in sight that she heard a familiar voice.

“ANNA!” Bon’s voice called in the distance. Hearing this, Anna instantly began running into the square, there she spotted Bon near the fountain, wearing a coat and walking aimlessly, his face riddled with worry. “ANNA!”

Feeling an immense sense of relief, Anna ran over to Bon and hugged him without saying word. Her sudden embrace made Bon let out a startled shudder as he looked and saw who had really grabbed, he then let out a relieved sigh.

“Anna! You’re alive!” he exclaimed as he gently took her hands off his body before kneeling until his eyes were on the same as hers and wiping what appeared to be sweat off his face with his hand. “Oh, thank the Moor! I was beginning to think I’d never be able to face your sister again!”

He then grabbed her shoulders and held them tightly as his relief turned to anger. “Where have you been, lass! Everything here falls into chaos, and you just up and vanish instead of running home? I’ve been looking for you for ages! I thought for sure you had gotten yourself hurt!”

“Oh, don’t worry! As you can see, I’m perfectly alright!” Anna assured with a smile as she gently waved away Bon’s hands. “I think I’m owed a bit of trust; don’t you think? After all, I couldn’t go back without getting you this!”

She then presented the newspaper to Bon, who looked at his with a perplexed expression as he took into his hands. He then cracked a smile and let out a chuckle. “You’re telling me you spent all this time looking for a dime paper?”

“Indeed!” Anna nodded. “The boy who selling them gave me a bit of trouble, he was very annoying, and I had to endure quite the hassle just to get my hands on it.”

Bon continued to chuckle whilst he got back on his feet. He then patted Anna’s back with a look of amusement. “Well seeing as you are here now and your hands aren’t bloody, I take you made a new friend?”

Anna tilted her head and gave Bon, for she wasn’t exactly flattered by his comment. She then thought about what he had just said and smiled. “Yes, I suppose I did.”

“Well good on you, lass!” Bon exclaimed proudly before looking towards the direction leading back to the Café. “Now then, what’s say we head back home, eh? And you can tell me all about this little adventure you had. Gosh, you look exhausted! And your clothes have certainly seen better days!”

Anna gave him a nod before he could critique her appearance even more. She then held his hand as they both made their way back to the Café. She looked up Bon, and for a moment, remembered Jack, and how he had spoken of him.

“Oh, and one more thing!” Bon brought up suddenly, which made Anna snap back to reality before she could get too lost in her own thoughts. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell your sister about any of this.”

Anna smirked, sensing an opportunity. “Alright, but only if you give me a plate of jam biscuits as payment for my silence.”

Her offer made Bon nearly laugh out loud. “Fine, so be it, now do I have your word?” he asked, reaching his other hand towards her. Anna wore a smile of victory as she grabbed Bon’s hand and shook it firmly.

“You have my word, sworn and scared.”

 

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