My Mate Can't be a Bird! (I swear I'm not into that kind of stuff)

13: The barrows

Warning: this chapter contains cute creatures. Prepare your hearts!

Celaena

The cool, pre-dawn breeze wafted past Celaena and she pressed herself to the wall to avoid being scented. When the pair of patrol officers moved upwind, she turned and casually began to walk towards her destination: the gates of Mistward.

As long as they didn't scent her, they'd have to have a benefit of doubt about who it was they saw. If she acted like she belonged there, they'd assume she was just another inhabitant on some important work. She even held a bucket of water in her hands to look busy.

Slowly, the gates of Mistward slipped into view. It was time for the changing of the guard. Perfect timing. Upon seeing a new pair of sentries approaching, the guards stationed at the top of the watchtower yelled out a greeting.

"Bas! Fancy seein' you there this time of the night!"

"Eh, Edan," The heavyset man, presumably Bas, called back. "The hell's that 'spposed to mean? Didn't get this far up the-hic-hierarchy just by lazing 'round all the -hic- all the time."

It seemed this Bas fellow preferred wine over coffee first thing in the morning. All the better for her. Celaena clutched her little bucket of water a bit more securely.

"Yeah," the female demi fae next to Bas agreed. "Sometimes, you have to wake up early as birds and show people you're not a lazy higher-up!"

Bas raised a half empty bottle of booze to the tower. "Or jus' party all night and pretend you've done that."

Excellent, Celaena smirked to herself, this man's been drinking all night, he'll be too tired to pay much attention or fight.

The two drunk replacements staggered up through the stairs into the tower, all four of them still chattering away.

When their voices faded a little as they reached the top floor, Celaena know it was time to make her move. She creeped in through the door and up the first few stairs.

"I dunno how you do it Bas," Edan's teasing voice rang down through the steps. "Drinkin' through the night at'cher age."

"Shaddap, rascal! You're only three years-hic- behind me!"

These guards were so annoying. Celaena carefully spilled the water onto the smoothed stone stairs. That was her backup. Ought to buy some time. She really hoped one of these irritating people slipped and fell here.

Now it was time for the next step. Celaena carefully made her way to the kennel. There weren't many dogs there but there was a small litter of puppies.

They were fluffy, cute little things, sleeping soundly in the dawn. With gold and white fur, and pretty blue eyes, they had utterly charmed her when she first saw them. They also reminded her of Fleetfoot and Adarlan, but she tried not to think about that.

She gently picked up the two most docile, innocent little dogs she could find.

"Keep quiet, ladies" She whispered softly, "and I'll bring back a treat for you." The puppies blinked sleepily, nuzzling into her warm torso as she carried them out.

Outside, the guards at the watchtower were still bantering away.

"Shut up Edan!"

"Watch your mouth, woman, no one tells off my brudder but me!"

"Yeah shaddup Birgitt!"

"Nah, both you younglings shut up!"

Irritating, but...Celaena held back a snicker. As a child she hadn't been in the position to play pranks, but this did come pretty close. And all this banter was so very advantageous too-for her, that is.