Assassin's Fall

New path

“Yes… No! I know you, but…”

“How did you keep up?” Dale pressed. “It’s impossible to follow horses even if you’re fast on foot.”

“I am a good runner,” the woman said. As she backpedaled, she felt a cold edge of sharp steel pressing against her neck.

“And what is your business here?” Tamaia asked from behind.

“I… I didn’t know anywhere else to go. I am a target of the guild now, and I thought that… I’d join you.”

Tamaia shared a glance with Dale.

“Do as you see fit with her,” Dale said. “She is no threat to either of us, so I don’t see the significance of killing her.”

Tamaia contemplated for a short while, then she withdrew her dagger.

“You can only accompany us for as far as the next village,” Tamaia said. “After that, you are on your own. If you keep following us after then, I will have no choice but to kill you.”

Dale found genuine mirth in Tamaia’s pretense. All bark and no bite. He allowed it to slip for the sake of time, otherwise, he could have attempted some sort of payback for making him scrub her back. He checked his thoughts, startled at what his mind was thinking.

“We should leave,” Dale advised.

“What is your name?” Tamaia asked.

The woman staggered on her feet, looking dazed.

“It’s…”

The woman fell on her face, but Tamaia caught her in time. The woman was unconscious, but she was alive.

“Must be hunger and exhaustion,” Tamaia observed. “We should get her to the village as soon as possible. She’ll need some warm broth.”

Dale wondered how Tamaia had passed all assassin tests when her heart was so tender and caring. She had obviously cheated at some point, but the guild had found a fitting position to utilize her intellect. Upon reaching the horses, Dale placed the unconscious woman on Tamaia’s horse and they rode out of the valley. The spy raven followed them at a distance, but its ability to see was no longer reliable.

They reached the village soon after sunset. The place looked crude, with a lot of ramshackle buildings that looked as if they would fall anytime. Not many people could be seen outdoors, and the streets were silent. There was only one village inn. Tamaia seemed to know everything and everyone, and she took them to the inn and paid for their lodging without any trouble.

What they got was a small room upstairs, with sheets that smelled of a lot of bodily fluids. Dale laid the small woman there, and Tamaia went downstairs to find some broth. Dale was hard-pressed to call what she returned with some broth, but it served its purpose. Thereafter, Tamaia soaked some bread in wine and fed it to the woman.

“My name is Celia,” the woman spoke after a while. “And thank you for saving me.”

“Think nothing of it,” Tamaia said.

“I know it’s selfish of me to ask, but please take me with you. I am not a very good fighter, but I am resourceful. I used illusions to conceal myself from you and your watch raven. It’s not much, but I can use it to hide you from searching eyes.”

“And what would you require in return?” Tamaia asked.

“I will follow you wherever you go. I just want to live.”

Dale folded his arms. “Why do you want to live so badly?”

“That’s the point,” Celia replied. “I don’t know yet. I want to find my true purpose; only then shall I accept death.”

“I am afraid I cannot grant you that wish, Celia,” Tamaia said regretfully. “Where we go the road is too dangerous. You are a fourth rank target at the most, and the guild will not chase after you for the time being. You can use that chance to escape, but if you come with us, you will have a target on your back all the time till the day you die.”

“I understand,” Celia said, and she did not press the matter.

That night, Tamaia shared the bed with Celia and Dale stood watch till morning. When it was time to leave, Tamaia gave Celia a small leather pouch that was filled with silver coins and bade her farewell. The sun was just rising when they set off once more, following Mariele’s trail.

The two had barely left when they heard some screaming coming from the inn. Tamaia halted and dismounted from her horse with haste. She ran back to the inn and found Celia struggling against a group of men. By the looks of it, they did not just want her gold.

“Leave her alone,” Tamaia demanded. She drew four needles from her belt. One of the men confronted her, axe in hand.

“You’re welcome to join us, sweetheart,” the man said. He charged, and the instant he did, a needle caught him in the throat. He lurched off balance and tripped onto one of the tables. Another man followed, and another, until she was all out of needles. A muscular oaf caught her off guard and landed a meaty fist in her stomach. The blow made her knees buckle. She spat out some blood. Her vision dimmed. Celia cried out for help. Tamaia cursed herself for being so weak. How could she protect her brother from assassins if she could not even fight these untrained brutes?

Another fist came, and this one was aimed at her face. She saw it coming, but her body refused to get out of the way. As she braced herself for the blow, something strange happened. It started raining blood. Blood rained everywhere, on the tables, the chairs, and the walls. The fist that had been directed towards her flew away on a detached arm. Dale stood by the entrance and wiped blood from his sword with the innkeeper’s dish towel.

“We should be leaving," he said. "Something is definitely on our trail. I have a feeling it's something that we won't be able to handle so easily."

Tamaia went to check on Celia, who was buried under a mass of corpses.

“Do not blame me if things get worse from here,” Tamaia said, pulling the girl up to her feet.

Celia stood up, horrified by what she saw. Dale was a killer. His skill made her feel unworthy of being called an assassin. She was just dead weight, but that did not quench her longing to see brighter days. She had a good chance of living. If she followed him, she’d survive. She walked forward, ready to face her new life. She was going to find her purpose, and her life she would place in the hands of the assassin who fell.