Mina Nightlake of the Brotherhood
The mixture of smells, lights, and noise made the Bosmer's head hurt. She didn't care for festivals, or any kind of group celebration really. The idea of so many people together trying out-smile and out-laugh the one another irritated her.
So much pointless banter between pointless people. They all shared stories of the lower class, and how perfect their lives were. How much better they were because of their wealth, or because of how much land they owned, or because they knew more people of high station than anyone else.
The dress that she wore was making her self-conscious. It so far removed from anything she would ever wear of her own free will. But it was shoved into her arms and she was told to wear it. In spite of all her protesting and swearing. She hated it. The material was itchy, the pale green color was disgusting, and it drew too much attention to her breasts. Her body was not something to be showed off. Even though she knew of many men who would disagree with her.
She leaned against one of the decorative posts around the square. It was adorned with lattice work and some type of flower she didn't recognize. There was a small stream that encircled the party area around the square, meant mostly for decoration, no more than a decorative gutter. There were also three stone brazers scattered around the area that some manner of sage or potpourri must have been sprinkled into. The stench of that, plus the flowers was sickening to her. At the centerpiece of the festivity was a large ornate ancient tree, the Gildergreen, that dominated the party. The purpose of this particular festival had something to do with this tree, though she wasn't sure what and she didn't care. And she doubted that any of the other party goers did either.
She had crossed her arms in front of her chest, doing her best to look like she was comfortable and a part of the crowed. She was failing on both counts. She knew she probably looked awkward and out of place, but it couldn't be helped. She was told to meet him here in the square at nightfall. She had been waiting near an hour now, with no sign of her partner. She didn't like the idea of blending in or hiding in plain sight. Some of her fellow compatriots enjoyed it, and were quite skilled at it. She wasn't as gifted at subterfuge, and certainly didn't care for it. She was much happier in the trees or tucked away in the shadows.
"This job had better be worth it," she muttered. "Damn it Talon, where are you?"
She let out a deep sigh as she decided maybe she should actually go look for him in the crowd, instead of just hoping he would find her. She slowly began to make her way through the throng of people. It was impossible to make her way around with out brushing and bumping up against other people and drawing their attention. Most just moved aside and offered some sort of mild acknowledgment. She hated crowds.
As she made her way to the stairway that lead down to the lower square, where the market place was, she noticed something. There was a large group of young Nords gathered in a circle. They were being louder and more obnoxious than the rest, which was a notable achievement for this crowd. They were clearly drunk. These Nords did love their mead.
She waited for a few moments to see if the group would move on but after a while she realized that wasn't going to happen. She was going to have to try and inch her way past them. At the center of the group there was a young Nord nobleman, laughing loudly and stumbling back and forth. He clutched a large flagon of mead in one of his hands, the fluid sloshing out as he staggered about.
She kept making her way forward, placing her hand on the arm of an older middle-aged imperial woman. She pushed her to the right side hoping to keep the woman between her and the rowdy group of young Nords. It was working as she began to make her way past them.
'Please don't spot me, please don't spot me,' she hoped as the lady turned and walked the opposite direction.
Almost on cue the drunken Nord, shoved by one of the other annoyed party goers, stumbled over and fell into her. The resulting collision and her very restrictive attire didn't leave her much choice but to brace for the fall. She landed, rump first, into the stream.
She was wet, angry and in pain. He first instinct was jump to her feet and rip the clumsy Nord's throat out. But she quickly remembered she was supposed to be undercover and dismissed the idea. She hastily got to her feet and out of the water. She could make out the scattered laughter of a few of the guests but for the most part not many people had noticed.
"Oh sorry about that milady. I must have taken a bad step," the young nobleman slurred to her.
"Take several more in the other direction," she grumbled back as she tried wring out the excess water from the hem of her dress.
"Oh don't be like that, come speak with me for a moment," he called out as she began to move away. "You won't find a more handsome man here than me. Don't play hard to get wi-" he ended his sentence with a belch.
"Is this fool serious?" she breathed out as she noticed him making his way through the crowd after her. If she was expected to keep a low profile, having this drunken, over privileged, over confident idiot following her around trying to flirt with her wouldn't do.
"What do you want?" she asked as he shuffled up to her.
"Just to speak with you for a moment," he responded as he downed the last bit of mead.
"Well you have spoken to me. Farewell, have a nice evening," she said as she turned to leave, only to find find herself surrounded by the nobleman's friends, or possibly bodyguards.
"Its not often I get to speak with a wood elf, especially one as attractive as yourself," he said as a mischievous grin spread across his face.
'Oh by Sithis!' "You are drunk, Nord. Leave me be."
"I don't even have your name yet," he said, never losing his cocky attitude. "Mine is Joric War-Tongue."
"Well, Joric War-Tongue, you don't need to know my name. Please, leave me be."
"But it's odd not to know the name of the woman I am courting."
"You are not 'courting' me," she snapped back. "What's wrong with you?"
"I'm just enjoying my time at the festival. Why aren't you little elf?" He paused for a moment as he looked her over. "Actually," he said in a more serious and inquisitive tone. "You are quite tall for a wood elf. Near as tall as I."
"And?" She was becoming more and more irritated.
"That is very unusual. Most of your kinfolk are meek in stature. Very strange," he mumbled out with another belch.
"Yes, I am unusual and strange, thank you," she said with disgust. "Is this how you impress the wenches at the brothels?"
The Nord let out a deep belly laugh, joined soon after by the collection of his friends around them. "I am sorry, I just find it odd."
'Why has he latched on to this? Why is my height so important to him?' She let out a sigh and decided that maybe if she just gave him an answer he would drop it. "My father was an Altmer. That's why I am so tall for my race."
At this the Nord let out another laugh, followed once again by the surrounding crowd. "Well if it's possible for a high elf to bed a wood elf than it should be easy for a Nord to do it too," he lunged toward her as if to grab her around the waist.
She quickly took a few steps back while pushing one of his hands out of the way. The resulting movement caused him to stumble and once again collapse to the ground. She saw this as her chance, and as quickly as she could, without making an even bigger scene, made her way away from him and the group of people that now laughed and mocked his clumsiness.
She was less concerned with bumping into people as she moved through the crowd this time, willingly shoving men and women to the side as she moved. The recent events had made her feel a bit exposed and embarrassed, and more than a little pissed off. She wanted to get away from that group as soon as possible.
But sure enough, she heard him making his way after her. She was going to put an end to this now. She quickly ducked in between two houses, being sure that he saw her. As he came around the corner she prepared herself for another drunken advance. But she was surprised to find him noticeably angry.
"Now you listen to me you stupid little elf. I am not playing games with you anymore. You and I are going to share the evening together. Feel honored that your first time being penetrated will be by nobility." He reached into one of his layers of clothing and produced a dagger. "I will not take your rejections anymore," he growled out as he reached up to place the blade against her neck.
She could have done this unarmed but since he was kind enough to provide her with a blade, it would be rude not to use it. She quickly grabbed his outstretched arm with one hand while her other hand reached up and dislocated his elbow. He cried out in pain as she took the dagger from him as she quickly got behind him to strike the back of his knees with a quick kick. He was down in a kneeling position as she grabbed his head and reached around and placed the point of the blade to his throat.
"Now you listen to me you stupid little Nord. I am not playing games with you anymore. You and I will part ways now. I will go find my friend and you...you will go to Sovngarde. Feel honored that the last time you were penetrated will be by the Dark Brotherhood." She prepared to pierce his throat with his own blade when she heard a familiar voice behind her.
"Don't kill him Mina," Talon's voice was almost a whisper.
She shot her partner a glare briefly before slamming the hilt of the dagger into the back of the defeated Nord's head.
"Where have you been Talon?" she demanded.
"Not here sister. Let us get away from the eyes of this festival." he said, again in his oddly quiet voice. "I have us a room at the local inn."
As they made their way into the small room it took Mina everything she had not to plant a fist into the young Breton's face. Why had he stopped her? That Nord needed to be taught a lesson.
"Why did you stop me Talon?!" She seethed at him angrily.
The Breton calmly closed the door to the room of the inn. "You can not kill someone just because they were getting on your nerves," he spoke quietly, removing the satchel he was carrying on his back.
"He planed to rape me!"
"We both know that you would have never allowed that to happen. You let your emotions get the better of you. That's becoming more and more of a problem with you lately," he said as he sat down at the small table near the wall.
She stood there a moment, doing her best to think of a way to justify her actions. After a moment she simply gave up and joined him at the table. "I...am sorry brother. I was distracted. I do not care for crowds or parties."
"Yes I am aware. That's one of the reasons the speaker made you the one to be at the festival instead of me," a small smile crept across his lips.
Mina stared at her partner for a moment before simply uttering out "why?"
"The speaker thought it would be good to challenge you. To see how you would react in a situation you were not comfortable with. It was in an effort to make you better yourself."
"It was a test?"
"Indeed," Talon said as he removed something from his satchel. "Everyday of your life is a test. Everyday of your life should be spent trying to better yourself," he said plainly. "Plus, the speaker and I both agreed, that it would be fun to watch you squirm a little bit too." He chuckled lightly as he offered her a folded set of clothes. "Your working attire."
Talon was a Breton. He and Mina were both accepted into the Dark Brotherhood at about the same time. Over the years they had become close friends. Though she would never admit it to him, she trusted him more than anyone else. She knew him better than her own family back in Valenwood. She sometimes wondered if he felt the same way. But even if he didn't it wouldn't change their working relationship.
Talon wasn't his real name of course. But no one seemed to know it. Not even Mina, who had known him the longest, knew what his real name was. Talon was a handle that was given to him by one of the other Brotherhood members long ago. They all had their theories as to how it came about. But the most wildly accepted one was that, in his youth, he preferred to pounce on his marks from high up. Like from tree or a balcony. People say that he would resemble a bird swooping down to attack with his talons. It was a dumb story but, sadly, was the most believable.
"So whats the grand plan this time?" She asked as she walked over to the table and opended the bag.
"Well I have had to change some things."
"Oh, wasn't complicated enough? I swear, each time you come up with a more elaborate and convoluted plan. What we do doesn't always need to be that intricate," she mumbled.
"Well this should make you happy. It's not going to be that complicated this time. At least not anymore, it's going to be simple tonight," Talon answered.
"So no fake names? No made up stories about us being poor newlyweds this time?" She said half joking, half fearful that he would actually do that again.
"No not this time," he spoke with a small amount of disappointment in his voice. She knew he enjoyed making up his little ruses. "We are going to keep it basic tonight. And it wasn't that bad being married to me was it?" He said jokingly.
"Well, if I had to be married to anyone it may as well be you. You are the only man I have met that I can tolerate," she gave him a halfhearted smile before returning her attention to her belongings.
"Hmm, likewise."
"Who is our mark?" she asked as she began to sort through her things.
"A person who has annoyed one too many people. Apparently the client is from the Imperial city but the mark lives here in Whiterun."
"Is that why we are handling it instead of the local chapter?" she asked as she began inspecting her personal set of enchanted daggers.
"Yes exactly," Talon responded quickly. "And not to mention the local chapter here conducts themselves very disgracefully. They don't even follow the five tenets."
"Is Astrid even concerned with the fact that her chapter is a disgrace? Is she even aware of anything that happens outside of Skyrim?"
"Unlikely. This contract will be carried out right under her nose," Talon mused.
"So this poor soul, our mark, they have done enough to earn the attention of the night mother?"
"Well enough for someone to want to preform the Black Sacrament, yes."
"Do you mind?" She motioned for him to turn and face the door. He did as he was instructed as she began to change into garb she was much more at home in. "So does Astrid does not know of our involvement? She would be quite upset if we were to operate in her territory without informing her."
"Yes, she is unaware of our presence here." She touched his shoulder to let him know she was done. "The initial plan was for you to make contact with the mark during the party and let him get..." Talon paused for a moment, trying his best to chose his next words carefully. "Let him get acquainted with you." He waited for the inevitable hot headed response from her.
"...What?!" She said with an expected amount of anger in her voice. "Was I suppose to seduce this person!?"
The Breton just shrugged in response
"I am not doing that!" She pointed at him accusingly. "This better have not been your idea! I swear, tenets be damned, I will kill you!"
"Calm yourself," he said as always in his soft voice. "That was the plan but things have changed. We are going to have to do this the old way now."
"You're damn right the plans have changed! I don't use my body for that!"
"The plans have changed because the target is now aware that we are here. Thanks to your actions tonight."
"How? I may have looked like an awkward traveler far from home but I did not betray the Brotherhood!" she denied. "The only person I even talked to was...oh no..." She suddenly realized who the mark was.
"Yes. We are here to kill Joric War-Tongue." The amusement in his voice unmistakeable.
"Then why in the name of Sithis did you stop me from killing him earlier?!"
Talon looked at her incredulously. "You were going to murder him in some ally in one of the most populated holds in Skyrim? That's something an initiate would attempt to do. Have you forgotten all your training? The client wants it to look like someone close to him did it. If his body is found dead in the streets that will not work."
Mina felt somewhat embarrassed by all the mistakes she had made this evening. He was right, she was not conducting herself in the manner of a veteran member of the Dark Brotherhood. She took a few deep breaths to try and calm herself down.
"Okay," she continued calmly. "What do we do now?"
"Well, as I said, its a little more basic now. Simplicity. We simply sneak into our mark's domicile, find him, preferably asleep, and end him." Talon walked over to the window and looked out at Dragonsreach. "It just so happens that our mark's domicile is a massive, heavily guarded keep."
"Yes, simple," she said mockingly.
They had decided to leave the city walls and circle around to the northeast side of the keep. It didn't take them long to make their way up the rocky hill that surrounded the far side of Dragonsreach. They were not slowed by the sheer wall that lead up to the great porch either. Within moments they were inside the living quarters of the keep.
They were both masters of sneaking and the few guards that patrolled the halls were of little threat to them. But still they took their time and did not get careless. This was the type of contract Mina excelled at. Hiding among a crowd of people could never be as effective, or as fun as it was to rely on your own skill at avoiding detection.
It took them some time but they found the nobleman's bed chamber. Outside stood a lone guard. Probably posted due to her attack earlier at the festival. He appeared to be bored and fighting off sleep. After all, who would attack from within the keep?
Mina raised her bow and notched an arrow. She drew back the string quietly and exhaled slightly. She loosed the arrow. It struck true, embedding itself squarely between the guards sleeping eyes. As his body fell Talon was ready with a telekinesis spell and grabbed his body, slowing its decent so it lay quietly on the floor.
Once they were in Joric's room they found him laying propped up on a number of pillows. A large bandage was wrapped around one of his arms. This brought a grin to Mina's face for a moment. She was going to get the last laugh after all.
As she drew her blades and gently climbed on top of him. She slowly drew one of her blades up the inside of his thigh. As his eyes flew open it didn't take him any time at all to recognize the woman straddling him.
She leaned in close to him and placed a light kiss on his lips. "Greetings my love." She then thrusted the dagger up between his legs. The expression of pain and terror exploded across his face. But his scream was a meek, breathless whimper. "The last time you are penetrated, is by the Dark Brotherhood." Her remaining dagger was plunged through the top of his skull. She felt a rush of pleasure as the life faded from his eyes.
"We must go," Talon spoke softly. "The Speaker is waiting for our report."
Her horse was a local breed. Large, heavy, and blanked in thick hair. Like so many animals in this northern land, it was built to survive the cold. It wasn't as nimble or as quick as some of it's Cyrodilic cousins, but it served it's purpose.
Talon's stead on the other hand was quite different, it was sleek and powerful. She had an ink black coat and her eyes glowed a deep red. Shadowmere.
"Where are we going?" Mina asked as they set out.
"The Speaker is waiting for us not far from here."
"She is in Skyrim as well?"
"Yes, and I was given very specific instructions for us to report to her as soon as we took care of War-Tongue."
They increased their pace to a gallop and within a few minutes they stood in front of an unassuming wooden shack. Inside sat a lone figure at a table. The person was clearly female, dressed in a black robe. She stood to greet them as she removed her hood to reveal her dull gray and scaly skin. Deekla, the Speaker of their chapter.
"Welcome brother. Welcome sister," the Argonian said in her raspy voice.
"Greetings, Sister," they spoke in unison as they bowed.
Mina knew where this was headed. The speaker wanted a report not so much on the job, but more on her own performance. It would explain the unusual plan Talon had come up with. She quickly went over the events of the evening in her head. Trying to find the best way to word it so she didn't appear as incompetent as she acted.
"Tell me, Miss Nightlake, how was the festival?"
She did her best to recount the events of the night to the speaker, trying to trim out the parts that made her seem brash and reckless. She hoped that Talon wouldn't butt in and point out her missteps to Deekla.
"You followed him back to Drangonsreach?" Deekla stopped her. "This is because you attacked your mark in the square and did not kill him?"
"Yes," she responded. Deekla eyes narrowed at her.
"This was partially my fault," Talon added. "I had not made contact with her yet. She was unaware of the full plan Speaker."
"Understandable. But your foolishness and your carelessness, lead to you compromiseing your mission. Not only did you attempt to murder what you believed to be just a drunken citizen, but you also announced to him that you were a member of the Dark Brotherhood."
"I was not thinking speaker. I apologize." Mina did her best to maintain a respectful tone in her voice. "But the mark was taken care of. We did our job."
"Aye, but you did not complete the task as you were intended."
"Talon had not informed me of the plan yet. I was unaware that Joric War-Tongue was in fact our mark." She rushed to defend her actions. It was true what Deekla had said, she did act carelessly. But she knew she could still redeem herself if she tried. "The only instructions I had were given to me by Talon last night. He instructed me to wear some horrible dress," she cringed once again at the thought of the disgusting rag, "and to meet him next to the Gildergreen. He said he would give me further instructions then."
"She was resistant of that idea. Just as we thought she would be." Talon spoke up once more.
She shoot a glare at him "Talon was going to have me seduce him! The same person that attempted to rape me!"
"Seduce does not mean sleep with," Talon responded in his typical hushed voice.
"I will not degrade myself in that way. Especially to some drunken highborn!"
"We all must use what gifts and tools we have been given in service of the Night Mother."
"Gifts and tools?" she said incredulously. "My keen eyes are a gift Talon. My bow is a tool. My breasts are not!"
"No, no, I am not referring to your bosom, calm yourself," Talon clarified. "I am speaking of your entire figure."
Mina clinched her fist as she took a deep breath, trying hold back her anger. "Never the less, we got the job done."
"Did you?" Deekla asked. "Aye, you did in fact kill the correct person but not in the correct manner. The client wished for it to look as if he was killed by a party goer. A resident of the city of Whiterun."
"Why?" Mina asked
"Reasons as to why the client wanted it this way is not important. The motives of politicians and nobles are not our concern. What is our concern is carrying out the contract as it was meant to be carried out."
"I already explained why we had to proceed as we did! He had-"
Deekla raised her hand to halt her. "I heard you. But all of that would have been completely unnecessary if you had simply stayed calm. Stayed calm, and not attempted to kill someone in the middle of the street, during a town festival!"
"We were in an alleyway."
"Silence!" Deekla hissed at her. "Do not attempt to use that sharp tongue of yours on me child! Flick it at me again and I will slice it off!"
"Forgive me sister," Mina responded quickly.
Deekla sighed. "Do not think as though I do not understand child. I was a hatchling once, long ago. And I did foolish, impulsive things in my youth. My children are evidence of that. But I always learned from my mistakes. You, however, do not."
"Sister?"
Deekla walked over and stood next to them. "If this Nord was drunk, and attempting to make amorous advances towards you. It would have made your mission so much easier. But instead of remaining calm and waiting to speak to Talon as you were instructed, you attempted to murder him. And not only that, you announced that you were a member of the Dark Brotherhood." She turned her gaze to the Breton. "Talon, what is the second tenet?"
"Never betray the Dark Brotherhood or its secrets. To do so is to invoke the wrath of Sithis," he answered as he glared at Mina.
"Indeed. And the third tenet?"
"Never disobey or refuse to carry out an order from a Dark Brotherhood superior. To do so is to invoke the wrath of Sithis."
"Yes. Mina Nightlake, you are a very valuable member to the Brotherhood. You are an incredibly gifted assassin and a master archer. But you are reckless and impulsive. And you only follow the tenets at your convenience. We can not have you operating this way."
"I have never broken any of the tenets!"
"No? Tonight you announced yourself as a member of the Brotherhood to your mark. Causing him to retreat to Dragonsreach where you and Talon had to infiltrate and potentially risk further exposure. You have broken the second tenet."
"We were not seen," Mina stated quietly.
"You left a dead guard in your wake. The contract was for the nobleman not a guard," Deekla snapped back at her. "And you tried to refuse to carry out the mission as it was presented to you. You have broken the third tenet."
"You are referring to the dress?"
"Yes. Talon may have been the one to come up with the plan but I approved it." Deekla placed her hand on Mina's shoulder. She clenched her hand letting her claws dig into Mina's flesh as she winced in pain. "I know you view Talon as your equal, but I am not."
Deekla released her grip as Mina placed her hand over the fresh wounds on her shoulder. "I still don't understand. The contract was completed. I killed our mark."
"Again with this," Deekla let out another exasperated sigh. "It is not in just who you kill but how you kill as well. If you slaughter your target, but still failed to adhere to the set parameters of the contract, then you fail the contract."
"But we-"
"Enough," Deekla cut her off. "Your future in the Brotherhood is uncertain. Your fate must be decided." Deekla made her way to the door of the single room shack. "I am taking my leave now. Talon," she gave a brief nod before exiting.
After a few moments Talon finally spoke. "That could have gone a little better."
"I didn't expect her to be that unreasonable," Mina said, her attention still fixed on the door.
"Well, given what has happened, I am not that surprised by her attitude."
"Really?"
"She has forgiven you of a lot of things. Thanks, in large part, to your efficiency. But after tonight, her patience is wearing thin."
"Do you think she will banish me from the Brotherhood?"
"Or worse," the tension in his voice was noticeable. "If Sithis and the Night Mother have wished for your death as payment."
"The Night Mother. An archaic concept. The idea that some corpse tells us what to do is absurd. The fact that we even still use the terms 'Listener' and 'Speakers' is foolish enough. But the night mother? And, on top of all that, the fool Cicero stole away her sarcophagus. No one knows where they went."
"And now you are breaking the first tenet. You are dishonoring the Night Mother. Be lucky that Deekla did not hear you say that."
"Will the Speaker will send other assassins after me?" Mina asked, Talon's observation going unnoticed.
"Not likely. The ruling body of the Black Hand has ways of dealing with such things."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, the Black Hand consists of one Listener and four Speakers. A thumb and four fingers, if you like."
"Yes, I am aware. What are you getting at Talon?"
"Well, every Speaker has their own personal assassin that they can deploy as they see fit. It is usually the most skilled member of the chapter," Talon explained.
"I have heard the rumors," Mina looked at her friend somberly. "The Silencers."
"The Silencers are to remain a secret to the members of their chapter. Not even the other Speakers are aware of who one another's Silencers are. If Deekla wishes you dead, that is who will do it," Talon tried to look as comforting as he could.
"Silencers. Every finger must have a nail."
"Yes a nail...or talon, if you prefer," he said as he drew his blade from its scabbard.
Mina's eyes grew wide. "Talon?"
"I am sorry my sister, my friend." He summoned a ball of flames in his left palm. "Sithis demands this."
In an instant she dove out the door of the shack as the ball of flames exploded where she was standing just a second earlier. She scrambled over to where she left her horse. Only to watch the poor animal be struck dead by another spell from the Breton.
"I am sorry Mina. I can not let you leave."
In one fluid motion she readied her bow, notched an arrow, drew back and loosed her shot. Talon quickly lunged to the right as the arrow narrowly missed him. She set off in a dead run towards the treeline. Knowing that in the branches lay her only hope.
She was flying on pure adrenaline. Explosions of fire and electricity erupted around her. She did her best to dart from right to left as she ran. Running in a straight line would make far too easy of a target. If she were her chapter's greatest marksman with a bow, then Talon was certainly the most accurate with spells.
As she finally made it to the trees she felt the slightest bit of relief, she was at least in her element now. The Wood Elf began to scramble up the first tree she reached at a pace that impressed even her. She quickly hid herself in the branches and needles of the pine tree.
As she concealed herself she felt a sensation she was largely unfamiliar with. Fear. She was afraid for her life. Talon wasn't just her friend, he had helped her train in close quarters combat. She would not win in a stand up fight with him. And the natural born resistance to magic that Bretons had, meant that her limited knowledge of spells probably wouldn't help her much either. She would have to rely on her archery.
She slowly started to move through the branches, doing her best not to disturb them too much. She scanned the forest ground as she moved, looking for Talon. If only she could get the drop on him, find him before he found her. She might have a chance.
Her heart was racing as she moved from branch to branch. Her trembling hands were making it hard to grasp the prickly twigs. And her sore shoulder wasn't helping any either. She did her best to calm her breathing. She was sure her panting was loud enough to be heard by the hunter now stalking her.
She quickly jumped from the branches of one tree to another. She hugged the trunk of the tree as soon as she got across. She feared that her jump would have been noticed, so she remained still for a moment. She drew her bow once more and readied an arrow. She slowly peered around the trunk of the tree and began searching for Talon again. A huge spike of ice slammed into the trunk directly in front of her. Causing her to slip and lose her balance.
As she fell she instinctively dropped her bow and positioned her arms and legs to catch herself as she fell. Being able to survive falling out of a tree was something that a small child learns when they are raised in a forest. She was able to grasp onto another branch without much effort.
But this one too was immediately severed by another weaponized icicle hurled from her attacker. This second decent was far less controlled. She crashed through and bounced off of branched as she fell. She slammed down hard onto the forest floor with a loud thud.
She quickly rolled over and got to her feet, ignoring the pain, as she began to frantically search for her lost weapon. It laid not far from her, atop a stump. She rushed over and inspected it hoping it was not damaged in the fall. The blow that struck the back of her head knocked her to the ground.
"Stop this Mina," Talon growled out. He stood over her, pointing his sword at her menacingly. "We do not have to fight. I can make this easy. You will not feel a thing. It is the best way."
"Best way for who?" she asked as she grabbed the back of her head.
"Do not think for a moment that I wanted this. Deekla wished this. Tonight was your final chance. If you failed, I was to send you to the void."
"And you agreed to this?!"
"I am the silencer. I am the one to do this. I knew it when Deekla made me her 'Talon' all those years ago."
Mina couldn't believe what she was hearing. This whole time, all night, he knew he may have to kill her. "You are my friend Talon."
"And you, mine. I am sorry my sister."
Mina gathered her thoughts. "What did you mean by making it easy?"
Talon lowered his sword. "I can strike you down in a way that you will not feel any pain."
Mina contemplated this for a moment before finally yielding. "Very well Brother. What must I do?"
"Kneel down, facing away from me," he said softly. She did as she was instructed. Talon stood behind her and raised his blade high in the air. Aiming to plunge it precisely into the base of her skull. "May your deeds be forever honored by the Dread Father and the Night Mother for all eternity."
As Talon brought his blade down Mina lunged out of the way as she embedded an arrow into his thigh with her hand. This brought the Breton to his knees as Mina quickly drew her own dagger and plunged it into his throat.
"Forgive me brother," she whispered as tears ran down her cheek. "I do not wish to die tonight." She embraced him as his final death rattles drowned out her quiet weeping.
The End
A/N: Mina will return