Light of Elliana: Book One—Of Tears & Darkness

Chapter Thirty-Three: On The Mend

It had been almost twenty-three weeks after the Meer’s failed attempt to assassinate Prince Donovan. Far from being defeated, Reka’et merely took the setback in stride, seeking to recover from his wounds to complete the contract. The assassin had awakened the following morning, and upon looking out the cavern’s narrow opening, he had seen it was daybreak. The first hurdle in any recovery was to survive till morning; afterward, the process of healing was gradual.

Thus, he started his slow and painful recovery. Reka’et survived off the small game in the area, which he took silently. A cold spring welled up from under a rock face, less than a stone throws from his hide-out, which provided him with fresh water. The stream the spring-fed supplied him with fish, which aided his recovery immensely. The Meer worked on stretching and toughening himself, for his recovery had made him soft and weak. Slowly, he regained his strength and flexibility.

Twelve weeks ago, during the evening, a messenger had chosen to stop and refill his waterskin. From the dark shadows, Reka’et had silently slipped up behind his unsuspecting victim and slit his throat. The Meer lowered the dying man to the ground. After removing his victim’s leather satchel bag and rifling the clothing for anything useful, he dragged the corpse to the river and watched it float out of sight.

With the addition of the horse, Reka’et’s mobility increased substantially. After a great deal of observing the enemy from a distance with his spyglasses, the Meer had decided to kill Prince Donovan outside of Kandalare. The enemy had increased the number of guards, altered their times for the changing of the guards, and their routes of travel. This change in routine had effectively destroyed all his carefully made plans.

Reka’et kept an ever-watchful eye out for Prince Donovan, waiting for the perfect time. During the evenings, the Meer would meditate, seeking balance by becoming one with the silent stone roots of the mountains. Assassinations of any sort were a game of patiently waiting for the right time and place to coincide. After weeks of observing the Watch Tower Gates of Kandalare, the subject of his contract finally appeared, and the assassin followed him.

Prince Donovan was at the head of a patrol, riding beside the same girl who had wounded him. She was Princess Morgan, as his niteswift had delivered a note, detailing her mysterious escape, description, and an offer of five hundred gold for her head. As the patrol rode down the dirt road, which led South-West, the Meer traveled the high bluff above. He kept to the trees, taking great care to never be out in the open. Patiently, the assassin pursued his quarry, knowing if he played his part well, the prince’s life was in his hands.

After ten days of shadowing his quarry, the killer sat upon his mount, on a bluff overlooking a large wooden bridge. Reka’et watched as the patrol Prince Donovan was leading, crossed the immense structure, and subsequently fell prey to an ambush. The attackers were many and had a Giant; there was no way the patrol would survive if they continued. Their patrol was trapped and had no choice but to retreat across the bridge. The Meer saw his chance to complete his contract and took it. He guided his mount down the bluff through the forest toward a wooded knoll that overlooked the river, far below. In front of him, thirty-yards away, stood the South end of the bridge. There, Reka’et dismounted and tied his horse to a tree, back in the shadows.

The Meer retrieved his laminated blackheart and bone war-bow and quiver of black-thorn arrows and advanced to a shadowed area beneath a tree. The assassin now had a clear shot of anyone coming across the bridge. Silently, Reka’et watched the battle unfold and was surprised the Manbeast’s were doing as well as they were. The killer, however, still believed the prince had no choice but to retreat from the overwhelming force.

As if in agreement with Reka’et’s thoughts on the matter, the patrol withdrew rapidly. Prince Donovan was now heading back across the bridge, straight into his trap. The Meer drew a black-thorn arrow from his quiver and placed it upon his bowstring, after dipping the arrowhead in a small earthenware jug containing a deadly poison. A little bit closer, the assassin urged, while drawing his bowstring back. The killer calmed his breathing and focused on the shot, as the prince approached. His quarry’s attention centered on escaping the clutches of his pursuers when Reka’et released the bowstring.

In a matter of moments, the assassin’s contract to kill the prince would be complete. Abruptly, the Giant charged the retreating form of the prince. In disbelief, the Meer watched as the hulking beast swung at Prince Donovan with a great war hammer. Reka’et heard the impact of the great weapon when it struck the wood bridge. He watched as his quarry was swept off his mount and hurled through the air, over the timbers of the side of the bridge.

Almost immediately, the Giant bellowed and pulled the Meer’s arrow from his right lower leg. The assassin watched as the prince fell toward the river far below. Upon the bridge, Prince Donovan’s mount was galloping away. Behind the fleeing creature, the attacking Giant collapsed onto his left knee and fell onto its side and lay there unmoving.

Quickly, Reka’et stowed his bow and quiver away and mounted his horse. Carefully, the Meer urged his horse, to descend the mount toward the river below. Twice now, his attempts to kill Prince Donovan had failed. The assassin could sense powerful forces were at work here. As always, a certain amount of luck played its part, but this was way beyond a fluke of fate.

“Soon, Prince Donovan, it will be the two of us, and you will breathe your last, and I will collect my fee.” With grim determination, Reka’et continued down the hill, determined to end the chase as quickly as possible.