The rogue assassin

I need a break

Months flew by after the first assignment. My team was getting stronger but also more reckless. Sometimes it felt like they actually went rogue during an attack. They would shut themselves down and attack within the beast mode, ripping everything and everyone apart. This causes our league to be feared and famous among other packs in the area. This concerned me a bit as our cover was now completely blown. Packs were always on the lookout which made it harder to stay within the shadows. We just finished our eight assignments, making me sigh in frustration. This time, we had to round up all the children and parents just like they did to us years ago. Some speculate that the death count of the other rogues has been rising which is why they required recruits. It made me sad to give these kids the same experience I had in the past but I knew I had no other choice. I secretly killed 2 kids so they would never have to deal with this. Weirdly, this brought my mind at ease. We chained the others with silver handcuffs and made them walk into a long line, before setting their village on fire. The fights were long and exhausting but we got used to it eventually. The people we captured were delivered at the castle-like mansion of the elders. They welcomed us with open arms every time we came back with new victims. This gave me, even more, the creeps. We never went inside the mansion. We just stayed outside until the doors were fully closed. Only then, did we made our way back to our little shed. We never changed the location of our so-called 'home' as nobody would even dare to come close to us. We walked through the treeline straight to the campfire spot. Someone made a fire while others were just sitting around it, laughing, and making jokes. I could not join their little moment of peace. My mind was still panicking from what I did back there. It seems that I was the only one still affected by the assignments. I took place on a self-made bench and grabbed a damp log of wood before placing it in the fire. The water in the wood created small clouds in the air. The sun began to rise above the horizon and I felt exhaustion taking over my body. I took my leave with a small nod to some of the rogues before heading to my favorite tree. I closed my eyes for a second, enjoying the darkness while it lasted. I opened them again only to see the sun high up in the sky. s**t, I must have fallen asleep. It had been my shift to stand guard. I walked around to the shed to see everyone fast asleep. My eyes went over their faces only to find one empty bed. I closed the door with a frown and walked to the treeline when a grumpy voice interrupted my thoughts. “It seemed that you needed some rest so I took your shift. You can take mine.” My head turned up to see Sander sitting on the roof of the shed. I pushed a hand through my hair and mumbled thanks before walking further away from the shed. The forest itself was calming and soothing for my mind. I enjoyed every second of it. Unfortunately, my minute of peace was interrupted by another message from the elder woman. I could practically feel her creepy smile through our mind link and it made me very uncomfortable. “Enjoying the forest my daughter? Good, good. I have another assignment for you. It’s about the daisy moon pack. I want them dead. Well, at least the alphas, betas, and most of the warriors. The other warriors may be imprisoned. Leave the villagers unharmed and do it by tomorrow night”. With that, the link broke. How did she know my whereabouts? And why did she wanted the villagers unharmed? This was a first. Were they planning on taking over the daisy moon pack or something? I felt my wolf become restless within me as if she knew something bad was bound to happen once we attacked the daisy moon pack. I shook it off before heading back to the shed. Sander had disappeared from the roof. He probably took some rest himself knowing I was here to watch the perimeter. Good. I waited a couple of hours which I spent on training, bathing, and eating some leftovers. I then grabbed a small knife from my belt to shorten my hair. Long hair could enlarge the risk of getting caught by something or someone. I threw the cut pieces of hair in the river and took in my appearance. It was not too bad I guess. My sand-colored hair stopped just underneath my ear. It was a bit uneven but I ignored it. I pushed my knife back into my belt and made my way back to the campfire. By this time, the rogues woke up from their sleep. Some would go for a morning run while others warmed up at the small fire. The sun was blocked by dark clouds, enhancing my already darker mood. Elijah ran in wolf form into the clearing with a small boar on his shoulder. In times like this, he really looked like the kid he actually was. He stopped before the fire with a smile on his snout. Well, I guess it was a smile. Can wolves even smile? He shook his shoulders to throw the boar close to the fire. I counted the heads and was relieved to see everyone back and awake. With the attendance complete, I started another briefing, explaining the task ahead. After we ate, I send some scouts ahead to do some research about the pack. Who were the targets? How big was the pack in general? How many warriors were there? And are there any weak spots within their defenses?  I benched the scouts as soon as they got back. They looked exhausted and that would've got them killed in an instant. The rogues and I got up immediately after the debriefing of the situation. Just to get it over with. The longer we waited, the more opportunities the enemy would get to sharpen their defenses. We ran through the tree canopies again which normally would feel like a thrill to me but not this time. Every step I took made me feel more restless like I knew this would be my last battle. Little did I know that, in some way, it actually was...