Authors Note: This is the first chapter of a new story I have been working on. Beyond Frozen Souls is still very much my main project, but with only nine chapters left I wanted to get this one out into the testing field and see if people like it. Please rate and review, I love your feedback as it can help me quite a lot, and please enjoy the first chapter of, The Queen and The Sparrowhawk.
The sky was clear and dark as the new moon slowly rose high into the sky. All across the great capital of the northern kingdom of Arendelle, workers wandered the streets and lit the oil lamps to cast their eerie glow across the long abandoned cobbles and the doubled guard continued their rounds.
The city seemed at peace, a strange concept to the figure in the molted gray oiled leathers perched high up in the bell tower of a small church. It had been little over a week since the coronation of the young Queen Elsa, and already there had been so much unneeded excitement thrust upon the city. Delays in shipments had left the city to grow hungry and trade partners to grow angry. There had been several small scale riots that the guards had made quick work of, and a string of thefts. None of that could compare to the events of the coronation itself, which the figure in the tower had seen from the rafters of the royal cathedral. Not one, but two men armed with crudely fashioned swords had rushed the podium with the intent of slaying the soon to be queen, an attempt that had been quashed by the knights that stood at the young woman's side.
The bell tolled out its call, marking the hour as the figure stood. Ten o'clock, time for the nightly changing of the guard, and that meant it was time to get to work. With all the grace of a bird, the figure dropped from the tower to the roof below and began to make their way to the castle wall, keeping to the shadows as much as they could.
It was that horrible failure that the thugs had dared to call an assassination attempt that called for the figures presence in the city that night, and the reason they were now rushing towards the castle wall. They were known as The Sparrowhawk, the most feared assassin in the North, if not all of Europa. They wore fur trimmed stained leather armour and bracers that came out over their hands in savage looking claws, and the hood of the tunic beneath the armour draped down and cast a shadow over their face. The lower half of the Sparrowhawk's face was hidden by a mask made of leather similar to that of the armour, a beak of gold and ebony glinted dully on the masks center, the last thing their marks ever saw was that beautiful beak, it was ironic when they thought about it.
The wall loomed before them now and they slowed to a halt. Everything had to be perfect for them to get past the guards. Quickly, they detached a small collapsed crossbow from its holster on the back of the belt they wore. It unfolded and loaded easy enough and soon an oddly shaped bolt was soaring up to the top of the wall, towing with it a thin, yet strong rope. A quiet clink of the bolt and a tug of the rope was all it took to anchor it to the wall before the Sparrowhawk began to climb. Hand over Hand, coiling the rope as they went, they hauled themselves up and onto the wall.
They were in luck, the guard of the section of wall on which they now stood hadn't made rounds yet, they couldn't even hear the gentle chiming of their armour.
"Third window on the West side, over the courtyard" they muttered to themselves as they went over the blueprints that they had committed to memory after taking the job. The assassin pulled the clawed portion of the bracers down over their fingers, flexing them to test the fit before taking a running leap off the ramparts and letting out a small squeak of fear when the claws almost failed to grip the stone of the wall they had landed on. Being ever mindful of the placement of the claws, they moved silently across the wall before ascending up to the window. "Third window" they grunted out after pulling themselves up to rest on the wide ledge. A quick test proved the window to be locked. "of course its locked" the assassin groaned, fishing around through a pouch on their belt and producing a flat bit of metal with a small hook on one end. Carefully, they slid the metal though the crack where the two shutters met and began to move it slowly up. "What kind of fool Queen would leave their window open after someone tries to kill them?" a smirk spread beneath the mask as the hook found the latch. With a light tap, the latch ticked open and the window soon followed, granting the Sparrowhawk entrance.
The queen's chambers were dimly lit by a scattering of candles and much to the displeasure of the Sparrowhawk, lacking any sign of the queen. They had been hoping for a quick in and out job but obviously the queen had other plans. They couldn't very well leave now, they had already made it this far and deep rooted determination demanded the job completed now, right now. "I guess I'll just have to wait it out" they sighed, scanning the room for a place to conceal themselves. A near impossible task given how barren the room was. The massive bed set against the wall would have been the easiest choice, but the assassin was above hiding under beds like some folklore monster. But aside from the bed there was almost nothing, a vanity mirror, a set of high back chair in front of the fireplace and a wardrobe set off in the far corner. The Sparrowhawk tugged at their hood in frustration "Aren't royals supposed to be spoiled? "They mumbled angrily "I've seen more furnished rooms in a common whore house." The tally of their hiding options was down to two "Window curtain across from their door" they groaned "or wardrobe" after a moments debate they chose the wardrobe and carefully hide themselves amongst the hangers of oddly plain dresses, leaving the door open a crack so that they could see into the room.
Once the assassin was as comfortable as a paid killer could be hiding in a wardrobe waiting for their mark to walk into their death, the Sparrowhawk thought back to the day they took the job, desperately trying to remember why they had even bothered with the job in the first place.
Four Days Ago
The Sparrowhawk pushed open the door to the trading post and pushed back their hood to shake free their strawberry blonde braids, checking to make sure none of the feathers that they had woven in had been dislodged by their morning of riding.
"Yoo-hoo" they turned their bright teal eyes towards the front counter to find the source of the voice and smiled "Good day Mister Oaken, how is the Post these days?" they chimed while approaching the counter.
Mister Oaken was a mammoth of a man with great burly arms and thick blond hair. He would have been intimidating if it weren't for the colourful, woolen sweaters he wore, despite the warm weather of summer. He wiggled his fat fingers in another greeting "Hello, Little Sparrow. I have had better days, but given the chaos going on in the capital, it is to be expected." He laughed lightly "Only business I've had is you dear and your brothers" he shrugged "But I get by"
The assassin frowned "that's unfortunate. I'm sorry to hear that you have fallen on hard times." They were genuine in their concern. The trader's family had been supplying the assassins for longer than anyone could remember and the Sparrowhawk had come to see the current owner as a close friend.
"Don't worry for me, Dear. These things happen all the time in my business" his smile turned sly as he leaned across the counter "And a business it still is, so tell me, what can I do for the Sparrowhawk? You are wanting supplies, ja?" he pulled out a small piece of parchment and an ink pen.
The redhead grinned slightly "All business now, are we? Yeah, the Grandmaster wanted me to put in a few orders on my way back. We need more iron, cloth, hay, fruits" the Sparrowhawk continued to rattle off the long lift of supplies that she had been instructed to order from the mountain trader and just as quickly as they spoke, Oaken jotted the items down. "And two crates of salt cod" the redhead finished with a hmmf.
"That will be all this order, ja?" Oaken looked over the list, sounding hopeful.
After a moment of thought, the Sparrowhawk nodded "Yeah, that's all the Grandmaster wanted this order."
He nodded and tucked the parchment into an envelope and setting it aside "You have the half with you, or will you be coming back later?" he asked, smiling broadly when the assassin before him set a small pouch of coin on the counter "Good good, I'll said word up to the valley once I start collecting. Keep in mind, the usual price may have to go up. Supply and demand you know." When the Sparrowhawk started to leave he held out a hand and called out "One more thing!" he tented his fingers together "The courier made his way up here not long before you, dear."
"The courier?" The Sparrowhawk spun around "How many?" they bounced on the balls of their feet, eyes twinkling with excitement.
After rooting around under the counter, Oaken produced a small pouch crafted of a fine red leather "Not as many as I know you and your Master would hope, but I snuck a peek at one of the wax seals. A gilded lily, must have come from the south, seemed very official. Should be plenty of coin in that for you, at least" he held it out "Tell Pabbie I say hello."
"I will, thank you, Oaken" with that the assassin hurried out into the early morning light, pulling their hood back into place as they went. After testing the straps that held her small wagon, laden with meats and pelts, to her reindeer before climbing onto her back "Let's get home girl" she whispered in the beast's ear before she bolted off into the woods.
It wasn't long before the reindeer slowed to a near stop as the Sparrowhawk steered them through the narrow cavern and opened up into the Valley of living Stones, their home.
They left the wagon and deer in the stables and took off through the village towards the large manner that stood alone on the hill.
"Pabbie!" they called breathlessly "Pabbie we have Marks!"
"No sense hiding any longer. I know you're in there" A stern voice startled the hidden assassin from their thoughts and it took all they had not to jump with fright. They hadn't heard anyone enter the room. "You insult my intelligence. Step out from my wardrobe, assassin" the last word was spat "I would wish to look upon the face of the one who would think to kill me."
A moment passed before the Sparrowhawk pushed open the doors to the wardrobe with a light creak before stepping out lightly to stand before the Queen. The blush of shame and embarrassment that burned across their face was thankfully hidden by the mask. To think that it had been them to be surprised in this chamber, and by their mark no less.
Queen Elsa stood almost a full head taller than the assassin, though she did not stand to her full height, but much slimmer at the same time. She wore an oddly simple high necked gown of deep blue and a pair long gloves, her hair, such a pale blonde it was almost white, was pulled up in a tight bun with her tiara helping to pin her bangs in place. Her icy blue eyes scanned over the assassin. She narrowed her eyes at the gleaming metal clasps that's bore the black mockery of the crocus sigil of Arendelle that marked the assassin as one from her kingdom. Her eyes raised up and she peered into the shadow of the hood, her breath catching in her throat when she noticed the mask, the gilded beak of the mask stood out from the shadow cast by the hood. She had to be sure though, she could hope against hope that it was not who she feared in front of her but she had to ask "What is your name?" gods, she could barely keep her voice from shaking, her heart was hammering in her chest.
Though their voice was slightly muffled by the mask, their answer was still clear "Sparrowhawk is what I am called."
Elsa drew a step back, drawing her hands up to her chest. She had feared that this would happen, that with the first botched attempt that a proper assassin would be sent for her, but she had dared to hope that it wouldn't be- "The infamous Sparrowhawk" she breathed. She had hoped for a lesser assassin, someone she could reason with, bargain with, maybe even defend against without doing something drastic, but the Sparrowhawk was another story. Elsa had heard the stories, read the reports of assassinations that had been brought to her over the years. The Sparrowhawk was said to be a brutal killer with no mercy, and yet, she still lived. The Sparrowhawk could have, if rumours served true, killed her four times over by now, and yet she still lived. Gathering both her courage and her self-control, the Queen stood taller and looked down at the Sparrowhawk.
"Coward" she let the word out as a hiss "Hiding your face from a dead woman. Remove your mask" this time it was the assassin that flinched back "That is a royal order."
A royal order, the assassin scoffed at that. Still, what little sense of honour and loyalty the assassin possessed flared up at this and they pushed back their hood, freeing their long braided hair and revealing bright teal eyes, before gently untying the thin leather straps that kept the mask in place. The mask was lowered to show a slightly rounded face with a heavy dusting of freckles across the bridge of their nose. The queen gasped and the assassin snorted a laugh making a show of bowing at the waist with a flourish of the mask held in their grasp. They straightened and levelled their gaze on the taller blonde, teal eyes staring into arctic blues "Am I not what you were expecting, your majesty?"
"I would have thought that the Sparrowhawk would be-"
"Be what? A man?" the redhead snipped.
"Older" the queen finished. Now that she could see the face of her killer, Elsa felt oddly calmer and she took a step closer "Your eyes" she reached out before thinking better of it and curling her hands back close to her chest "They aren't the eyes of a killer."
"And how would you know?" the redheaded assassin drew a dagger from her bracer and leveled it towards Elsa "I am the Sparrowhawk, the most ruthless assassin the north has ever seen!"
The room seemed to grow colder and the candles flickered as the queen replied "I have lived in thiscastle for many years, been to courts with my father. I have seen into the eyes of guards, soldiers and killers. Men who have killed far less than the lives to your title. Their eyes were all dark, clouded by what they had down, they frightened me" she paused, steeling herself "But I look at you, see into your eyes and I see no ghosts. I see kindness, and compassion" the distinct clanging of armour echoed from out in the hall "And I hope I am not putting my faith in the wrong person because I fear I have no other choice" her voice was strained and hurried.
The Sparrowhawk's face screwed up in confusion as she lowered her knife a degree. She tilted her head slightly "Faith? In me? What the hell are you going on about?"
"A trap" Elsa stated "That's what this is. Whoever is paying you to kill me wants us both gone for one reason or another and I can no longer tell how many of my court I can trust. Me for my throne and you, maybe because you're feared." She gestured towards the door "If you kill me now, you won't make it past the gardens before they catch you, and then they will take your head" she was shaking now, her nerve failing her as she tilted her head back "But if it is still your wish, if you wish to test you speed and luck, then do it, slit my throat, stab my heart, feed me your poisons and fulfill your contract" her voice quivered "Just kill me with dignity because I do not wish to live to see how cruel their next attempt on my life will be" she closed her eyes tightly and waited.
But the sting of the blade didn't come and Elsa opened her eyes to see that the Sparrowhawk was now pacing, the dagger held in a loose grip. They looked thoroughly insulted.
"Poison" the redhead breathed "Poison is a true coward's weapon. Only those who can't bear to face the death they bring, or lack the full confidence in their blade rely on poison." The Sparrowhawk groaned as she raked the fingers of her free hand through their bangs. "Damn it all. What am I supposed to do now? Can't kill you, not after a speech like that, and I can't in good conscience leave you here can I?" she spun the dagger in her hand and turned to glare at the queen, looking for answers, for guidance "what do I do?"
"A contract" Elsa replied, hoping her voice stayed strong "Not for a kill, but to escort me" the assassin looked intrigued so she continued "I need out of the castle for starters, and then I need to flee the kingdom." She paused a moment to think "France" she nodded.
"France?" Her would be killer questioned.
"Yes, I have allies, no, I have friends in France. They can hide me, aid me in my time of need."
"Why can't you just send a letter asking for their help? Save me the trouble?"
"I can't trust a letter to get that far without it being intercepted." The blonde shook her head "No I have to go there myself." Her eyes were pleading "Please, help me and I will owe you a life debt."
There is a pounding on the heavy oak doors to the room and both women jumped at the sound, and the Sparrowhawk began tying on her mask. "Your Majesty!" the door strains inward before bursting open allowing over a dozen armed guards to spill into the room.
With a huff the redhead pulled the queen close and held the dagger to her throat "You drive a hard bargain your majesty but it would appear that we have a deal" she grinned under her mask. "Your queen is now property of the Arendelle Assassins!" she yelled to the room "One more step and I cut her to the bone!" she pressed the dagger closer, drawing a thin line of blood. That got their attention and the guards stopped their advance as she pulled the queen towards the window.
In one swift motion she sheathed her dagger and scooped the queen up in one arm and leapt onto the ledge of the still open window, dug one of her hooked bolts into the sill and swung out with a shriek from Elsa. With the Queen tucked safely against her front the two swung fast towards the ramparts, the Sparrowhawk pushing off the wall as they went. A heart stopping leap and they were a top the rampart and the assassin was running. The tolling of bells rang loudly as the alarm was raised.
They made it to the corner tower and down the stairs, the Sparrowhawk now pulling the queen along by her hand. "The fjord? We're heading to the fjord!?" Elsa snapped.
"I have a boat!" the Sparrowhawk snapped right back as they skidded along the pebble beach towards a raft of branches with a paddle "Okay so I have a raft, but it's a narrow crossing" she said as she settled on the raft and pushed off. The shouting of the guards echoed through the night as they exited the tower only to see the two woman paddling across to the forest. An arrow flew past and plunked into the water, and then other hit the raft before someone got smart and berated the archer. "The Queen is on that!" they could make out as the raft made land and they were running again.
Safe in the trees the Sparrowhawk lead them deeper into the woods and towards a large reindeer hidden amongst the branches. She knelt down and helped the queen up onto her back before getting on behind the queen and taking the reins "Come on girl, take us home" The reindeer snorted once before taking off into the forest. Neither woman seemed to notice the prickling trail of frost that grew and melted behind them, nor that the air in the woods had taken on an unseasonal chill.