Avenging Death

The light was dim in the dusty room, and Efina squinted as her eyes roamed past the shelves. On each shelf were dozens of books, volumes, and scrolls, more than she had seen in her entire life. But she was looking for one in particular, a hard, leather-bound book, with simple black writing. How would she possibly find it amidst all the others? And her not even being a great reader, how would she decipher the difficult words?1

Slowing making her way down the closest aisle, Efina's bare feet made the wood floor squeak, and she warily stopped and listened for signs of intrusion. Hearing none, she continued on, holding her diminishing candle to the book's spines, and shaking her head each time she was unsuccessful. She swiped her forearm across her face, cleaning it of sweat and grime, grimacing as she wiped her arm down the length of her grungy, old house-dress. She'd been smart to not wear her newer, although warmer clothes tonight, although it was for vain reasons only. She would hate to ruin respectable clothes.2

"Oh, Efina, hurry," she rushed herself in an inaudible whisper. "Goddess, help me through this," Efina said louder, her voice slightly echoing through the vast chamber. 3

One moment later, Efina found herself clutching the shelves as the library door flew open and crashed against the hard cold wall. Was this the end? Had she been found out, regardless of her precautions?4

"Here," grunted a voice that echoed throughout the entire floor, startling the birds above the rafters into a flurry of feathers and squawking. They flew out the window they had come in, the one Efina had come in, their intelligent eyes sparkling with mirth. She wanted to call them back, her precious little friends, but she couldn't do so without revealing her cover. As it was, Efina had already snuffed out the candle.5

"She's around!" the man shouted. "Somewhere! Search the shelves, men!"6

Efina heard the pounding of feet, and she wracked her mind for a plan. But she couldn't make herself move, she was so terrified. Oh, why had she gotten herself into this? At this moment she could be home, with her mother and father, listening to the crackle of the fire, and laughing over the days events. But now, Efina was in the library of King Fulton lll, and she was about to be discovered by the very men that had killed her Lord; her Lord, that her family had served faithfully for twenty years. And she was avenging his death, for reasons that hadn't even imagined would come to truth. The promises she had made, how could she turn her back on them now? She couldn't. She just couldn't.7

The book. Where was it? It held the one most important secret of them all. If she knew where is was, she would uncover the secret, and things would be alright.8

Efina had to tell herself that. Death was approaching, and she couldn't stop it from coming closer.9