And so our story continues…
Day 62: ‘But I am glad I did it,’ she decided. Anna sighed. ‘So gathering groceries are out today.’
‘But I am glad I did it,’ she decided. Anna sighed. ‘So gathering groceries are out today.’ As the fruit stall was situated so that she had to either pass by or go inside, Anna knew her normal shopping ventures would not be a good idea.
‘And if he is now looking for food vendors there is the possibility he can contact others.’
Anna made herself another cup of tea and settled herself. While she didn’t have much in the way of fresh food, she still had plenty of travel rations so she would not starve, even if she had to wait a bit longer to stock up on supplies.
It was a limited waiting game though. She could wait until they stopped looking at the food stalls for only so long before she would run out of food. She could run out of magic supplies and simply not do magic for a while. She could not simply stop eating.
‘Which means I need a plan.’
Anna suspected that even if they stopped actively searching for her then those like Madam Bennet who knew there was a profit to be made following her, would continue to do so. ‘Which means it will never be safe to go back.’
Anna slumped. She let herself wallow for a moment as she drank her tea. After all of her efforts to be caught by her need to eat seemed outrageous. By the time she was halfway through her cup, Anna felt the beginnings of an idea begin to stir. No one knew she had the information from the lost archives and while she needed a safe place to study it, she could study anywhere.
‘As long a I can get food.’
Anna knew she had the ability to conceal the fact that she had the archival material with he. She also knew before she left she would need to visit her safe houses to gather all of the information she worked on while she was gone. She split the information concealing it in several locations so it wouldn’t be lost.
‘And unlike the market where I would have to be visible to purchase items, I don’t need to be seen to visit the safe houses.’
“So I gather my information, then what?” she asked herself. She stared into the rapidly cooling tea. Anna knew she could leave the city. She could use the same secret exit she used to go to the lost city and then circle around the outside of the city to one of the major roads and take them to one of the other cities.
‘But Marcus is searching them and I don’t know who is still loyal to me enough to not tell him anything if he asked.’ She could imagine Marcus making arrangements like the one she just watched Christopher set up with Madam Bennet.
‘If he does then those cities would no longer be safe. But if I go back to the capitol before he has a chance to set up those networks then if I decide to leave the capitol again I should be able to.’
Anna thought there was always the possibility that she could be thrown into prison and be unable to escape. But with the document, Anna felt there was the possibility they would try to at least pretend for a little while that everything was resolved, even if they later reneged on the pardon.
‘And I escaped last time, and have more skills now.’
It was a dangerous possibility, bit one Anna thought it might be worth taking. She would have to gather anything she wished to take with her and secure it against observation.
Ten til Midnight 