The Urbem (Completed)

Chapter Thirty One: The Old Me

(Nephele)

I didn't sleep well at all that night, and so the next morning was a welcome relief. Imara was warned to not even mention last night and for the few hours I'd been up, there had been no sign of Lexio at all, so for now I could pretend yesterday was a dream.

Lyra came to me early morning and handed me the list she promised. It was short, but the things on it were not simple to acquire. She needed me to discover the warriors patrolling hours, where the labourer camps where, where the best places to infiltrate in the future would be, and also just a general idea of how they work. I sighed; I would definitely be in there longer than the week I had planned. A knock sounded at my door and Lyra peaked her head around the corner.

"It's almost time, so you should get ready." I nodded to her, and she left me alone without saying much else.

My room was decorated much the same as it was back in Russia, although this was considerably bigger, allowing me a double bed and an extra storage space... Oh, and a bigger rug for Imara to curl up on, which, when he wasn't sleeping by Rya's side, he seemed to enjoy. Wandering over to my bed, I bent down and dug my fingers into the slightly-rotten wooden floorboard I had purposely left weak to ensure I could get under it easily. Without so much as a protest, the board came away in my fingers, revealing the same Uxor outfit I was caught in all that time ago and the small letter Stella had been given before I caught her.

I didn't want to be reminded of what it said, so I grabbed my outfit quickly and popped the floorboard back into place, covering up the evidence.

I dressed without thinking, trying not to allow the memories that wearing this outfit brought back, although I couldn't help but list their functions in my head... It was built into me. Tight jeans to ensure that no enemies could grab hold of any loose clothing and drag me down, corset with a zip-up front to ensure I could pull it off quickly if need be, the belt that wrapped round my body to hold all the different weapons a Uxor warrior would require... Da, it was all coming back to me now.

Normally, a warrior would pull their hair back off their face to make sure they had clear eyesight at all times, but I had to look beaten and worn. I grabbed the knife from my table, the one I always kept on my person, and cut verious holes and tares into my clothes, always making sure it was where I had one of my many bruises. I then cautiously brought the knife down to old wounds such as my cuts from Lexio's fight and my encounter with the Uxors... It hurt, but it had to be done.

Now bleeding and sore, I ruffled up my hair and felt ready to face the Insurgos who, were no doubt, waiting for me outside. There wasnt many Insurgo awake yet, just the few that were coming with us to make it believeable, so the stares were there, but they weren't that bad. 

Torus and his deer animus gave me a respectful nod as I walked up to Lyra and Dolosus. I noticed to my left Kassandra and Romeus stood with a few from her camp and to my right I felt Lexio's eyes burning into me. All in all there were seven Insurgo confident enough in their abilities to lie and my ability to remain faithful to them... I also noticed Felix was not here.  Imara joined my side and rubbed his entire body lovingly against mine.

'Just remember: I'm out here waiting, Nephele.'

I could hear how upset he was at the thought of losing me for so long. I knew I'd miss him like I'd never missed anyone or anything else before, so to try and mask his worries, I grabbed his huge and heavy head in my hands and pulled it down so the towering cat was looking straight into my eyes. His beautiful, sunset-coloured cat eyes bore into mine and I pushed my forehead against his.

'I'll come back,' I promised, 'you big kitten, you.'  His jaw upturned at the corners slightly, signalling a smile. I smiled back and kissed his nose, before rubbing my hands through his fur one more time.  Noticing how everyone had averted their eyes and how heavy the atmosphere had become around me, I cut short the intimate moment and approached Lyra with my hands held out. She raised an eyebrow.