Camilla felt the faint stirring of panic as the footsteps came closer. She worked the small set of lock picks against the door, feeling for the tumblers in the dark with the small wire implements, the first one engaged with a small click and she fought hard to resit the urge to push too hard. It really ought to be Ricardo doing this, it had been years since she had worked on anything more complicated than a jewelery box, but there was no time for them to switch places now. Indeed, her old friend was stepping back and drawing his small crossbow from his bag in case she was too slow. A dead body wasn't the end of the world but it would complicate things and there was no assurance that Ricardo could take whoever it was down quietly. Worse yet what if it was a child out to get a glass of milk in the middle of the night. It didn't bare thinking about.

The final tumblr clicked into place and the door swung open. Camilla steeped through the doorway a moment head of her two companions and then closed the door as quietly as she could, resisting the urge to let out a breath of relief. Hurriedly she turned and surveyed the darkened room. Large bookshelves lined the walls and strange artefacts stood on carved stone pedestals. It was too dark for Camilla to recognize the items as more than indistinct masses however. At the end of the room stood a large table on which sat a mass of scrolls, a quill and an ink pot.

"Ucellina, he is slowing," Ricardo hissed and as he said it she realized that the unknown man out in the hallway was slowing his footsteps. That meant that he was coming here. Desperately she cast her eyes around. There was a large bench in one of the reading alcoves and she grabbed Cydric's hand and pulled him towards it pushing him down behind the bench before laying beside him. She couldn't see where Ricardo went but she knew he too was finding concealment. 

The rattle of keys could be heard outside and the sound of voices. The door handle turned but didn't open. Camilla held her breath hoping however it was didn't find it odd that his door was unlocked. The key clicked again and the door swung open.

"I told you it is unnecessary," a strangely accented voice said as it moved down the center of the room.

"And I still say it is prudent. No questions will be asked if three bodies turn up floating in a canal."

"You dont thing that Riarao will be a little suspicious if her boy toy turns up with an acute case of stabbing? The woman can hold a grudge like no one else." The voices faded to a muted rumble and Camilla heard the clink of glassware, she presumed they were pouring drinks. She lay as quietly as she could beside Cydric as a light sprang into being at the head of the room, presumably a lamp on the table.

The conversation continued for several minutes, much of it unintelligible from here and then the light was extinguished and the two men departed, the key rattling as it locked the door behind them. Camilla breathed a sigh of relief but remained still for several more minutes. At last she stood slowly, stretching her muscles before helping Cydric to her feet.

Ricardo was already at the table evidently having decided the coast was clear a minute before she had. He was going through the papers and Camilla joined him while Cydric stood guard. The risked lighting a small lantern which they could shutter at need. It was more light than Camilla wanted to use but she didn't see any help for it. Ricardo picked up a particularly ornate looking document with a strange wax seal.

"It's Brettonian, do you read it?" Ricardo asked. Camilla smiled in the near darkness.

"Dosen't everybody?" she asked.

"We didn't all get the fancy school Ucellina," Ricado said with a roll of his eyes. She red the document.

"It is a note asking for the acquisition of a particular piece, the Scarab of Lahaima? It offers... something, something the agreed upon previously in exchange and it is signed by someone calling herself Lady Miroria? The Lady of Mirrors maybe?" She asked, her Brettonian not quite equal to the challenge afterall. There were directions to deliever the item to an estate out of town.

The sudden sound of hands clapping was as shocking as gunfire. Camilla spun around her dagger coming to her hands in an instant. A gentle mocking laughter filled the room. In the corner, where a moment ago Camilla would have bet her life no one was sitting, sat the beautiful blond woman in a pale blue dress. She was beyond lovely in the low light, artists would have wept to capture such a thing on canvas.

"Very well done my dear, I can see the Mistress was right about you," the woman said coming slowly to her feet. Camilla cast a side long glance at Cydric and Ricardo. Ricardo had his hand in his satchel though he hadn't actually drawn the little crossbow. She licked her nervous lips as the woman seemed to glide forward towards them.

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