You had the information from Henry, but since you were inside the concert hall with a performance starting, the ushers wouldn’t let you out. You couldn’t find another way to get past the ushers without using violence, so you decided to stay and make you way out later. The performance started, and you were surprised to see that it was Henry again, holding a violin and standing in front of an orchestra. The music began, and you were spellbound. You hadn’t heard anything like it before. It was a happy theme, but over it was Henry’s violin melody, which was sad.

You found yourself remembering a time when it wasn’t all secrets and fighting, but instead laughter and games. You were happy now, as a Rogue, of course, but sometimes you wished you could just be a kid again and be held in your mother’s arms. Your mother was gone now, and you missed her. While you were remembering, the orchestra and Henry played on, the same soaring harmony with a weeping melody. Your eyes started to water and impatiently you dashed them away. You were on an assignment.

This was no time for tears.

Henry and the orchestra were on to the second piece when it happened. Gunshots. Then screaming. Henry slumped to the floor, one arm curled protectively around his violin while you desperately tried to make your way to him thought the chaos. Who was the shooter firing at? Then you saw the answer. You got close enough to see the red stains on Henry’s clothing, a totally different color than yesterday’s paintballs, and then you stopped. You realized that whoever shot Henry would probably be looking for you too. You had to make a choice. Go to Henry, and try to save him before the gunman got to you and the information in the violin case or leave Henry and take the precious information back to Court.

As if he knew what was going through your mind, Henry suddenly mustered the energy to raise his head and look for you in the crowd. He met your eyes, understood the choice you had to make, and mouthed, “Go. Leave me.”

He made your choice for you. So you left your old friend and fled with tears running down your face, taking the violin case with you. As you ran, Henry’s eyes closed, and his hands became cold, never to play that beautiful and melancholy music ever again.

You looked back only once, but couldn’t see Henry. All you saw was his violin, slowly getting drenched in its owner’s crimson blood. 

Good evening, Reader. I do hope you are enjoying the story. Many, many thanks for the comments- I was not aware that many people read the story on winglin! Yes, I killed Henry, and I'm not happy about it. Unfortunately, this is how the story unfolds. I shall only be posting a few chapters at a time, for I have edited the story since its beginning. Continue reading, continue commenting, and... Constant Vigilance! ^^