Zvenelka's Iron Adventure: The Missing Ones

The first thing Zvenelka saw that night was a shadow behind the tree.

It moved like a cat. Fluid and quick, but it seemed to understand that if it wanted to be quiet then it had to move carefully.

Zvenelka raised her hand and spoke in a low tone. "Vodi", she said. The thief froze mid-step, and then slowly turned around, keeping his hands raised above his head.

"I'm not going for my sword," Zvenelka said, as Vodi stood up from behind the tree. He was dressed in furs, with a leather bracer on his left forearm and a studded belt around his waist that held two daggers. "But you should know better than to sneak up on someone."

"You don't have your sword?" Vodi said, confusedly looking down at the belt around his waist. "Why not?"

"I'm not carrying my sword because I didn't think I'd need it," she replied. "I thought this spot was secure."

"Not anymore," Lexa grumbled as he walked out of the darkness and toward them, scowling as he passed by Zvenelka and Vodi without acknowledging their presence or making eye contact with either of them.

The next day was the beginning of Samhuinn, the end of summer, and the start of Wintertide. It marked the celebration of Belenos on the Celtic calendar, which was when all three of them were supposed to meet for the night's festivities at La Pierre Piquante: The Pointed Stone, a megalithic site situated along a stream just outside Burgundy. La Pierre Piquante wasn't considered sacred by any of the Celts - not even considering some of its more recent history - but it was still considered good luck to visit it during Samhuinn. It was also convenient because Lexa had a friend who owned a small cottage nearby along with a boat they could use to travel upstream to La Pierre Piquante through one of its many tributaries that fed into the larger stream that ran through town.

That morning, as they ate breakfast before heading out for Burgundy, Zvenelka told Lexa about what happened last night when she noticed him staring at her while she cooked fish over an open flame: Eyes full of both apprehension and anger; eyes so intense they made her heart miss a beat every time they met hers for longer than just a few seconds at a time; eyes that pulled her in until she forgot what she was doing; eyes so beautiful they made her want to look away... But she couldn't bring herself to do so.

Zvenelka had been watching Lexa for weeks now; maybe longer than that - she wasn't really sure anymore due to how long she'd been on this mission - but ever since he visited Tomhet at Barenton Castle where he used to work as an alchemist's assistant after moving back from London several months ago (which was where he left Barenton Castle). She knew he used to live in London because another one of Barenton's former servants used to live there as well: Her sister Janika, whom she hadn't spoken with in over six years... Janika was Lexa's ex-girlfriend who fell out of favor when she tried to seduce Barenton into giving them more rights for free slaves living under his domain... But Zvenelka never blamed her sister for what happened because Janika always disliked Master Barenton... And now it seems Lexa doesn't hold any fondness towards Master Barenton either given how he left Barenton Castle shortly after arriving back in Burgundy (which is something Zvenelka needs to confirm) after he got into an argument with Tomhet during one of their conversations about alchemy... The conversation ended when Tomhet told Lexa he needed him back home immediately because there was something important he needed him for... Which is why Zvenelka decided follow him here instead of waiting until tomorrow or Monday when she would've gotten permission from her master (who also happens to be Master Barenton's brother) before following Lexa here... She knew if her master found out then he would have asked me why I followed him here instead of waiting until Monday like I said I would... And then I would've had to tell him about my suspicions about Lexa being involved with Janika's disappearance; which would lead into telling him about all those rumors floating around involving Nadia or Nadja: Mistress Nadia or Mistress Nadja (depending on which rumor you believed), who are both close friends with Lexa's mother from what people say, who are also rumored to be lovers and/or sisters by most people who claim to know them... There were also rumors about how Mistress Nadia or Mistress Nadja were behind Janika's disappearance; but that wasn't true either because neither woman were anywhere near Burgundy during that time according To Janika's family members who were still alive at that time... And anyway it doesn't matter because neither woman are around anymore either way thanks to Master Barenton killing Mistress Nadia or Mistress Nadja two years ago after hearing about everything his brother did in London including how he killed everyone in London except for Lexa before killing himself later on down the road leading up the road toward the sea... Which brings us back full circle: Back to why I decided follow him here instead of waiting until Monday like I said I would... Because no matter what rumors people say or believe about my sister's disappearance or anything else happening between Lexa and Nadia/Nadja - including everything going on between Master Barenton and both women since they returned from London last year - none of it matters now because neither woman exist anymore thanks to Master Barenton... So no matter why people think my sister disappeared or why people think there might've been some sort of relationship between Lexa and Nadia/Nadja... None of that matters now because anyone who knows anything about them is dead now thanks to Master Barenton; which means only one person knows everything there is to know about all three women: My mother; whom traveled with Master Barenton back from London last year after helping him kill Nadia/Nadja... And then later on died for whatever reason after moving back away from London six years ago (but nobody knows exactly what happened).

"Something wrong?", Vodi asked as he took a seat next to her while they waited for their food next morning before heading out toward Burgundy. "You haven't said much since we started eating."