PROLOGUE
Alianne of Pirates Swoop, wife to Nawat Crow, and Spymaster to the new half-raka queen of the Copper Isles ran down a thin alleyway on the opposite end of the island from the castle. She wasn't supposed to be out. She was the Spymaster of the Copper Isles. She knew too much to be allowed to be on missions unless she was the only one capable of completing the mission. That hadn't happened since putting a twice-royal girl on the throne was just a hope, and an underground rebellion.
There weren't many knives left in her sash. Her breaths were short and choppy. She was getting a stitch. Tendrils of hair clung to her face, while most of the hair mass flew out behind. Her arms were cut and bleeding, and there was a trail of dried blood coming out of her mouth from a good right hook earlier. Her grip tightened on the one knife she held in her right hand.
Aly took a sharp left turn, trying to throw off her pursuers. It didn't work. It was a dead end. Aly slid to a stop. She turned around, but it was too late. There were already to large body masses blocking her way of escape. Aly's left hand went to her sash, looking for another knife. Aly's mask cracked, fear broke through. There were no more knives.
Aly wasn't completely defenseless, but that realization brought reality crashing don on her. She wasn't training. This was real, and if she couldn't get to her other weapons it was strictly hand to hand from there. Aly attempted to reassemble her expressionless mask, but it was too late. The effect had been ruined.
The body masses started to approach. Aly backed up. She didn't get far when she backed into the wall behind her. Quickly and smoothly, Aly reached down, picked up the hem of her sash with her left and cut it in half with the knife in her right. He grabbed the chain that was hidden in the hem and left the cut fabric fall away.
Aly coiled the chain around her left wrist. Although she wasn't left handed, she could slap people with it pretty well. Aly took a step forward and the fight began. Aly got some good shots in, but it was over when the wall behind her opened and a very tall and very thick man came out with a wooden plank. Aly was about to hit him when he slapped the back of her head with the board, and she collapsed.
Aly's first to attackers were panting heavily. One had a black eye, the other a swollen jaw, both had broken fingers and the one with the black eye had its arm broken. Numerous small cuts were all over both of the behemoths. Aly had no broken bones, but had long gashes down her legs and arms. At her right temple and the back of her head were wounds that bled profusely. Blood was dripping from the wooden plank.
"Take all of her weapons. Check her thoroughly." The deep voice of the last man echoed around the walls of the tunnel as he threw the words over his shoulder. He was already on his way back to whence he came.
-A/N- This is my first ever story, so please don't try to burn me alive at the stake. If you feel the need to later, then be my guest. Just don't criticize the plot. 'Cuz I ain't changin' that one very easily. Constructive criticism is always welcome. If you catch any grammatical error or whatnot, join the party. And of course positive feed back such as: 'Good Job!' or 'Wow!' Anyway, thank you for reading my crummy author's note. Baibai!! –Piroko Hatake--