AN: Prompts will be displayed at the bottom to avoid them potentially giving away things.
~ WARNINGS: Detailed death and blood. ~
nothing is true; everything is permitted
AlwaysPadfoot
Rowena was perched atop a church in a relaxed crouch, surveying the village she had travelled to.
Salazar was at her side, his arms folded across his chest, brooding. He was particularly unhappy about being put on a recruitment run, and even more unhappy that he'd been passed over for a promotion within the Brotherhood.
"How is Godric a more skilled assassin than me?" he said for the seventeenth time since they'd left their previous mission in Edinburgh.
"Stop acting like such a child," Rowena said in response, her eyes focused on mapping the landscape. "Honestly, you have been the worst travelling companion these last few days."
Salazar huffed. "You were passed over too. Think of what we could do together."
"I recognise the good work Godric does for the Brotherhood." Rowena spoke matter-of-factly, focussing her eagle vision and listening for conflict in the area before she continued. "He was the most worthy candidate for a council position. I suggest you take the area south of our current position; I will take the north."
She could tell that Salazar was most perturbed by her not entertaining his jealousy because he huffed. "I will meet you back here at dusk."
Not looking up, Rowena listened to him descend from the church roof and take to the streets below. Without the grumbling of her colleague, she could map out the path she intended to take to find new recruits in the village. So far the pair had not had any luck, so Rowena was determined to make an excellent find. New assassins were integral to the cause — integral to stopping the Templar Order.
Deciding to stick to the rooftops, Rowena started making her way to the far corner of the village, where she planned to begin her search for new candidates.
She never made it that far.
Rowena was suddenly distracted by the distinctive sound of swords clashing together.
"Get out of my house you brute!"
The voice was female, lightly accented, with fear evident in the tone of her angry shout. Rowena slid off the roof of the building, swinging through a first story window. The fight was happening the floor below. Keeping her footsteps light, Rowena headed for the stairs and was greeted by quite the sight upon reaching the bottom of them.
The blonde woman, who Rowena assumed was the one who had shouted before, was fighting a man much larger than she was.
What impressed her more though, were the five bodies that already laid, bleeding out or dead, on the floor.
Just in case, Rowena readied her assassin's blades, but eventually, the blonde sliced her sword across the man's fat neck. He made a horrible gurgling noise, dropped to his knees with a thud, and then fell forward lifelessly. Rowena was about to speak up when two more armed men entered. The woman growled at them to leave, but they drew their swords in unison.
This time Rowena wasn't able to stay out of it as one of the men caught the woman's face, cutting into her cheek.
She ran forward, leapt towards one of the men, puncturing a hole in his neck with one of her hidden blades before swiftly kicking the other in the chest. It stunned him long enough for the woman to sink her sword into his stomach. Both men fell to the floor.
Rowena turned to look at the other occupant of the room. Her chest was heaving slightly from the fight.
"Did you kill all these men?"
The woman took a quick look around to make sure the coast was clear, and then sheathed her weapon.
"I did," she responded.
She strode to the open door and bolted it, clearly not convinced that they weren't going to be descended on by another group of men.
"Who are you? What are you doing in my house?"
"I came through your upstairs window upon hearing the ruckus," Rowena explained, pulling her hood down so to alleviate some suspicion. "If I may say, your swordsmanship is excellent."
"Thank you." The woman blushed slightly and looked around at the bodies in her house before running her hand through her hair. "My cleaning skills are subpar in comparison. I'm Helga."
Rowena extended her hand. "It's an honour to meet you, Helga. I am Rowena; I am visiting your settlement on business."
"I'm sorry I can't be a more gracious host."
"With your permission," Rowena began, "I have some allies here that will clean up your home."
Helga's eyes widened in surprise at the offer of aid but gratefully accepted it. Using a messenger, Rowena contacted the allied den in the village. Their leader sent six men over to clean up Helga's house and dispose of the bodies. Rowena was surprised to see that Helga went out of her way to talk to them, offering them warm beverages and home-baked bread once they had finished.
When the two women were alone once more, Rowena decided it would be better to get a feel for whether the woman was a good fit with the Brotherhood's cause.
"What happened to warrant an attack on you, Helga?"
"My father was the village leader, up until a few weeks ago when he disappeared," Helga explained. "All the evidence suggested he was overthrown by his deputy; his brutes have been here four times since. I have a feeling they want me to disappear too."
Just watching how highly skilled she was in self-defence, it was clear she must have been underestimated at first, and now they were sending more people, it was becoming a massacre. Seven men had died in this room today; that was a lot to send for an assassination attempt.
"I've been writing a lot of articles for the local bulletin boards, but considering most people can't read here, it's somewhat useless," Helga sighed, dropping onto a stool beside where Rowena was stood.
"Writing is the hardest way to earn a living, with the possible exception of wrestling alligators," Rowena commented. "May I suggest a change of career?"
Helga looked up at her with a frown. "Why? Are you offering me a job?"
Rowena reached into her pocket, pulling out a pendant they gave to potential recruits. "I'm offering you a way of life. I think you have what it takes. At least, I haven't seen someone fight like you in a long time. Take this, and if you wish to, travel to the capital. This will help you find our Brotherhood."
Rowena handed it to her. Helga's hands were soft and Rowena lingered before turning to leave. She had to make haste, and look for other potential recruits.
"But wait," Helga said, standing to follow, "I know nothing of this Brotherhood."
Rowena smiled to herself. "Where other men blindly follow the truth, remember, nothing is true. Where other men are limited by morality and law, remember, everything is permitted. We work in the dark to serve the light; we are assassins."
Helga opened her mouth and then closed it again. Rowena stepped out into the fresh air and she was well aware of Helga watching as she took to the rooftops once more.
If there was one thing Rowena was certain of, it was that Helga would seek out the Brotherhood. She knew Helga's type: hardworking, patient, and most of all, fiercely loyal to the people that helped and protected them. Rowena had seen the twinkle of curiosity in her eyes when Helga looked at her during the two hours they had spent together.
Yes. They would meet again.
Comp/Challenge & Prompts:
Femslash February: 4. Rowena/Helga
Assignment #3, Arts and Crafts: Task #4, Scrapbooking: Write about someone collecting something important.
Serpent Challenge: 43. Cat-eyed night snake- (character) Salazar Slytherin
Fanfiction Resolutions: 10. Write a Crossover
Insane House Challenge: 91. Pairing - Rowena/Helga
365 Prompts Challenge: 17. AU - Assassin!AU
Fanfiction Resolutions: 12. Write a fic set in Founders era
Writing Club [Character Appreciation]: (trait) Reliable (12)
Writing Club [Book Club]: Stuart Redman: (word) self defense, (plot point) assassination attempt, (word) leader
Writing Club [Showtime]: 11. Defying Gravity - (dialogue) "Think of what we could do together."
Writing Club [CYB]: 4. (pairing) Rowena/Helga
Writing Club [Liza's Loves]: 10. Southside - Write about a gang
Writing Club [Jenny's Jovial Quotes]: 18. "Writing is the hardest way to earn a living, with the possible exception of wrestling alligators."
Word Count: 1239 — not inc. notes, titles, or ANs.