The council members flocked out of the meeting room in the early hours of the morning, when the first rays of sunlight slowly came out, they had discussed throughout the night about the murder case in Silva and everyone was weary and tired, most especially Sara who hadn't been able to sleep at all, since her coming back to Silva, memories, feelings of nostalgia and trying to piece together the current events kept her awake at night.

After the last member left, which unsurprisingly happened to be Oscar, because of his penchant for delaying things, Sara turned to face Selene, there were a number of things she had wanted to say, but couldn't because of the council's presence, now that it was just her, Selene and Astrid, she wasn't going to hold back anymore.

"I don't understand why you keep sending spies to guard the market square, whilst being aware that they'd get attacked by the killer. Do their lives mean nothing to you!?" Sara cried out, frustration evident in her tone. She had gone speechless after Astrid's story, the fact that this killer was cunning as well as knowledgeable was enough to put fear in anyone yet Selene still shamelessly displayed her haughty confidence.

"There's no other way to protect the brotherhood, besides the killer won't kill them, I can bet on that." said Selene as a matter of fact, then she gave Astrid a brief look, "Astrid wouldn't be alive otherwise."

"You sound so sure for someone who has done nothing but bring trouble since becoming the leader." her lips turned down in deep annoyance, Sara hated Selene, hated her haughty confidence, that was always accompanied with an air of superiority. Selene didn't reply, she only rolled her eyes, crossing her arms and leaning back on her chair. "You're playing the killer's game," Sara continued, "a killer whose method isn't known, you don't know his true intentions, how can you be so sure, one of the spies wouldn't turn up dead one night."

"Sacrifices have to be made." A pause, "you know that, every brotherhood member knows that. And I'm very sure I know the killer's intentions." Selene got to her feet, then walked to the door, an indication that the discussion was over, suddenly stopping in her tracks, she turned around and cast her condescending gaze on Sara, "you have a long day ahead of you, I suggest you get some rest." With that, she turned around and left the meeting room.

Sara sighed as Astrid came to touch her shoulders, she looked up at her and smiled, she had missed Astrid terribly every day for the past five years, it had been hard to part with her childhood friend, she could remember the adventures they had as children, and Alexander–ever the diligent one– running after them to keep them in check. She couldn't help but smile wistfully. There were good days and there were bad, but the latter always seemed to overpower the former in her mind.

"Asti–"

"We'll catch up soon Sara, but you need rest, you look every bit like grumpy Agatha." interrupted Astrid, a serious look on her face, but her left eye kept twitching.

"Ha! You dare." Sara placed her hands on her chest in mock hurt, it didn't take long for the charade to drop and they both burst into fits of laughter, Astrid doubled over, not being able to contain her laughter.

Grumpy Agatha was one of the good memories Sara had of Silva, their adventures had led them to the house of Agatha, the oldest maiden in Silva, and the owner of the cottage she had lived, in the middle of the forest. No one knew why Agatha remained unmarried till her old age, but they knew she had grown into a grumpy old lady as a result of it, her face constantly turned down in a deep frown, her temper was not one to cross, hence the name, mothers had used her to scare their daughters into marriage, when Sara and Astrid had heard of her, they made her their subject of fun, at the woman's expense.

From stealing her chickens, to raiding her farm, and throwing rocks at her window, there was no sort of mischief they didn't carry out with grumpy Agatha, the woman's annoyance and retaliation had only fueled them to do more, slowly though she had warmed up to them, even going as far as to invite them for tea. Though grumpy Agatha had lived in the lower regions and was a hard woman, she became Sara's closest confidante well until she died, one quiet morning. Teasing her had been fun, but finding her dead? Not so much.

Astrid must have sensed the change in Sara's mood, for she too stopped laughing, letting out a breath, she took Sara's hand pulling her to her feet, Sara didn't bother to resist, she was exhausted.

"Come on, you need rest, there's a spare room above Tom's tools, it's not exactly comfortable, but it'll do."

With Astrid dragging her, they left the meeting room and walked down the passageway till they got to the back of the shelve, Astrid muttered something about damn weapons shelve, as she pulled it aside, everything was a haze after that, the fatigue crawled slowly to her bones, she thought she could hear Kanye asking if she was okay, and Astrid giving him a reply but she wasn't so sure.

Everything was a blur, she hadn't realized how tired she was, soon she found herself climbing stairs, though she wasn't sure how they got there, a door was opened and she was led into what seemed to her like a room, she didn't notice anything that could have been present in the room, aside from the bed by the wall, trudging slowly to it, she landed on the bed with a thump and was out like light.

*""**"

"Mother, I'll train harder than anyone here. You'll be proud." Sara said beaming up at her mother, her eyes lit with admiration and wonder as she stood in the middle of the brotherhood's training room well hidden in the walls of Tom's tools, her heart could almost burst in joy, finally, oh finally, she could shine in her mother's eyes and protect her mother's first love–the brotherhood.

Celestine looked down at her daughter with a passive stare, "Don't get too excited, this is just a trial." she said in her brittle, impartial voice.

Sara only nodded, the smile on her face growing wider, finally after rigorous trainings for the six years, she was finally going to take a trial to be recruited as a brotherhood member, if she passed, no! When she passed, she would become an official member.

Celestine's eyes roamed around her face, like she was searching for something, Sara didn't know what, she only pursed her lips staring back at her mother. After a while, her hand reached up to squeeze Sara's shoulder, she seemed to have found what she was looking for, because she nodded and then left the room.

Her mother was not one to display her emotions, it had always bothered her, how she could never tell what her mother was thinking, maybe it was because she was the brotherhood's leader, would she be like that too when she becomes leader? She shuddered thinking of it, she didn't want to become a passive, unemotional person. But, she thought, if she trained hard and became a strong leader like her mother, then maybe she would see her mother's affection for her in her eyes.

With that, her resolve thickened and she vowed to pass this trial, the first step in making her mother proud. Looking round the empty room, she distinctly remembered her mother telling her, that there were five other training rooms aside the one she was in. And there the other five possible future members were, to take their trials also.

The brotherhood only recruited six people per year, the all knowing guild of Silva, spend six months monitoring all sixteen year olds in Silva till they select six of them from their observations, Sara didn't know what happens after that, the process was only known by the council and the leader, her mother said it helped to maintain the secrecy, so no one outside the brotherhood knows its members. She didn't understand it, but somehow it worked as no member was ever discovered to be a member. And she could say, almost half of Silva's population were members.

Suddenly the door opened, and a masked figure entered the training room, Sara guessed the person to be male form his build, standing straighter, she took deep breaths to calm her racing heart, it was time for the trial.

The man's face was covered save for his eyes which had a surly look to it, she had the passing thought that she could know this person, she wasn't unfamiliar with the members, but then again they were too many to recognize easily, that too with a mask on.

"Are you ready, Sara." the man's gruff voice confirmed her earlier suspicious of the gender.

Taking another deep breath, she nodded her head, then seeing he wasn't looking at her anymore, she said, "Yes, I am."

Sara woke up with a start, her brows furrowed in confusion as to how she got on a bed, then she remembered Astrid asking or rather demanding she rest, and dragging her up the stairs to the room.

"Nightmare?"

"A memory more like." she replied hazily.

Sara suddenly turned to the other side of the room, realizing she had answered a voice, Astrid's face came into view, she was no longer wearing her pants and boots, instead she was adorned with an ankle length tunic,, a soft green in colour, her dark hair was let down, cascading like waves down to her waist, her face bare of powder, Astrid could never be bothered with propriety.

"You still clean up nice."

"My many thanks." Astrid replied with an awkward curtsy.

Laughing, she turned away, then back again, "Have you been sitting there watching me sleep."

Astrid only shrugged, smirking.

"Creepy." Sara muttered to herself but Astrid heard her.

"I'd creep you, till you drop dead."

They both chuckled, Sara shook her head at her silliness. Astrid then stood up, grabbing a gown Sara hadn't noticed from the small table in the little room. Now that Sara's head had cleared, she could notice the room, aside from the bed, there was a chair and a table, with a vase filled with flowers on it, a small wardrobe stood by the side of the bed, and at the other side of the wall, various weapons were hung. The small window brought in a small stream of sunlight and she could faintly hear the voices of people from outside. The room was cozy, in an odd sort of way.

"Have you forgotten we're going to the palace. You have to get dressed." she said clicking her tongue in disgust at her outfit, which had a lot of dirt.

She had actually forgotten, swinging her legs, she got off from the bed fixing her eyes on the gown. It was an orange tunic with long sleeves that puffed up from the elbow, the edges of the dress were embroidered with pink flowers. Sara curled her lips in distaste, her expression gone sour.

"I know, I know. Not exactly your taste, but you have nothing else to wear, at least nothing that's presentable to those upper fellows. And Alanna insisted you wear it." Astrid then retrieved a bowl filled with water and a damp cloth, "wash your face and feet, you'll get a proper bath once at the palace."

Sara didn't say anything, she didn't want Astrid to know she was actually nervous about going to the Palace, she wasn't sure what her uncle's reaction would be. Instead she grabbed the cloth, soaked it in the water and began to dab at her face, cleaning the dirt and grime. And her mind kept going back to the memory she had dreamt of, it wasn't long after then, that it happened.

Astrid slowly lowered herself to the bed, placing the gown on it, she silently looked at Sara for a while, then, "Do you really believe the council killed your mother?"

––––———————————————

Astrid is definitely curious.

Do you think the council really killed her mother?