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Blackness froht as I ascended the staircase Curving to the right, the stairs ended in a sitting roohout the roo odd-shaped shadows on the walls I maneuvered with caution around the heaps My blood slammed infor an aht caused a yip to escape my lips I spun, only to discover it wasin the tall thin s that striped the far wall

Three roo cha check of the box-filled rooms revealed they were empty of a area

To the left of the upstairs sitting area was a long hallway Doorways lined the right side of the corridor opposite a smooth stone wall The hall ended in a set of locked double wooden doors Carved into the ebony as an elaborate hunting scene By the thin coating of white powder on the floor beneath the doors, I guessed this was the entrance to Valek’s bedroo Valek to an intruder I breathed easier seeing the powder undisturbed

As I syste the corridor, the growing realization that Valek was a true pack rat struck ined assassins as creatures of the dark, traveling light and never staying in one place for too long Valek’s suite resembled the house of an old s they had collected over the years

Distracted by these thoughts, I opened the last doorway It took ister what I saw Co table lined the back wall, centered under a large, teardrop-shapedGray rocks streaked hite--the sa rooed by size on the floor

A thick layer of dust scrunched underchisels,wheel occupied the only dust-free spots Ses of creation were interspersed aray rocks, when carved and polished, metamorphosed into a beautiful, lustrous black, and the white streaks transfor the lantern on the table, I picked up a finished butterfly with silver spots sparkling fros It fit into the palm of my hand The detail was so exquisite that it appeared the butterfly s and lift into the air at any moment I admired the other statues The same devoted care had been applied to each Lifelike animals, insects and flowers lined the table; apparently, nature provided the artist’s favorite subjects

Stunned, I realized Valek ined existed I felt as though I had intruded upon his most personal secret As if I had uncovered a wife and children living up here in happy seclusion, co

I had noticed the figurines on Valek’s desk and, at least once a day, I glanced at the snow cat in the Co to understand why he had selected that particular statue for display I now understood its significance Valek had carved it for the Commander

The shuffle of feet made me whirl around A black shape rushed ainstered a sudden flashback of soldiers disar me off Reyad’s dead body But Valek’s face showedback

With effort, I banished ain "I heard a noise I caate" Valek finishedfor an intruder is different fro statues" He pointed with the knife to the butterfly clutched in "

"Yes"

"Good Curiosity is a commendable trait I wondered when you would explore up here Find anything interesting?"