A/N: Reboot of Winter Lightning- I hit a brick wall covered in spikes with that story, and I can tell that my muse for it packed up and left. So, taking what I think were my best ideas from the previous story, may I present to you:

Steel and Shadows

Chapter 1: The arrival of the Night Sky

I arrived in Arendelle on a trader's ship, soaked to the bone from the gale we went through. Unlike the others who were soaked, I was not one who had been working on the deck or in the rigging; no, I had been on the ship in a more… clandestine fashion.

Ah, well, I was a stowaway. Not the usual type, I would say. I didn't hide out in the cargo hold or inside a crate (although I've done both)- I had anchored myself to the hull, just below the waterline, and had ridden the boat like a barnacle for days. People would say I'm crazy; they are most likely correct, considering my line of work, and what I was coming to Arendelle for.

Let me shed some light on this situation, hmm? My name is Noctis Caelum, sorcerer and world renowned assassin, at your service. Most would jump to the conclusion that I was in Arendelle for a contract- to kill someone. They would be half wrong. I was indeed here for a contract, but not a usual one; in fact, it was a very odd request, and a posthumous one at that.

Steel and Shadows

Three months ago, I was a stowaway on another merchant ship, much like this one. That time, though, the trip was in weeks, and even my constitution couldn't go that long without food or drink. That time, I had simply hidden in a crate filled with clothing- easy to move, semi-comfortable, and I could stack the clothes atop myself so the crate looked full. Food wasn't a problem- I am very hard to see if I feel like it, and this cargo ship had some influential passengers onboard- so much so that the galley was stocked for months, not two weeks. It was about halfway through the trip when the ship shuddered, pulling me from my half-sleep. At first I thought it a storm, but then the sound repeated itself- cannonfire.

I'm an assassin, not a sailor, but I can curse if I feel like it and right then I let out a stream of invective. Pirates could easily take this ship- the guardsmen posted here, while numerous, were not used to sea combat and would fall quickly. And with the VIP's onboard, all cargo would be gone through to see if any surprises were about.

Like me.

At this point, I had two choices, and I liked neither. First, I could hide in the crate until the pirates won and try to parlay with them- probably end up with me overboard. Second, I could use my not-inconsiderable skills to repel them, and likely end up arrested for either witchcraft or my job- I was well known for my style of fighting, and I was currently in my 'work clothes'.

After thinking a moment, I decided the second option was the one to go with; at worst, I lived longer and had a chance to escape. At best, I could be let go for offering assistance.

Option two it is. Time to get moving. Standing up and dislodging the piles of clothing atop myself, I give my gear a once-over to make sure I had everything. Wrist-bow? Check, twenty small bolts, ten specials. Flash powder? Check, fifty caps. Two rolls of copper monofilament wire? Check. Armored vest and cloak? Check, sitting nicely on my back and buckled on. Throwing knives? Check, six on each arm under the sleeves and four on each leg, more in storage pouch in my armored vest. Sword? No, had to leave it at home- too long to keep in the crate. Dagger? Double check, grabbed two to compensate for the lack of a proper sword.

Mask?

Well, check, but I was considering not wearing it. My identity was precious; despite the best efforts of entire kingdoms, I was still just the Black Wraith- named for my garb and tendency to simply vanish when I wished, so this was a big thing. I could be seen as just a well-armed stowaway if I was very lucky and left the mask off, but if I kept it on and fought? Well, my rep is big, and that's not ego-stroking.

With a sigh, I make my decision and place the mask on my face with difficulty. It clips to small metallic rings inside the hood of my cloak with hidden catches; nobodies gonna grab it off my face- it's worth the pain it is to put on. It's a matte black featureless mask- not even eyeholes are visible. The glass used is a volcanic oddity that lets light in but not out, and so I could see out but they can't see my eyes, just a blank killing machine. Great for intimidation.

Suitably presentable, I brace myself and listen for the sounds of on-deck fighting to begin. If I go out now, before boarders arrive, I could be shot on sight, being a shadowy figure and all. I don't have to wait long; five minutes and four cannon impacts later, the boson's bellow of "REPEL BOARDERS!" hits my ears, and I kick the door open, dagger in my right hand.

Showtime.

Steel and Shadows

I held my wife close as the pirates swung aboard from their ship, while others climbed grapple lines thrown even as I watched. I felt helpless- I could fight, but I was unused to the sway of the deck and I was years out of practice- ruling a kingdom would do that to you. I watched as the encroaching brutes cut through the lines of guardsmen like a scythe through wheat, and I knew we were lost; they had near our numbers, and for every one the guard took down, the pirated butchered three. It was no contest. In no time, they breached the line and a brute of a man stood over me, scowling. I opened my mouth to beg parlay, not that it would amount to much, but as I saw his eyes widen in recognition, I knew it was a lost cause.

He knew who I was, and who my wife was by extension. This meant that this raid was planned;

It meant I was about to die.

His sword swung towards me in slow motion, my mind speeding franticly to find a way out of this, to no avail. All I could do was angle myself to better cover my wife, in the hopes that they might let her live. I closed my eyes, fully expecting to feel cold steel slicing a deadly path through my chest.

Instead, I felt a rush of air and heard a loud clang as something blocked the attack. Opening my eyes, I saw the one figure I never wanted to see until then- the Wraith.

With a twist of his short blade, he made the pirate overextend, and as he stumbled forwards the black-cloaked figure reached around, grabbed his neck and twisted, an ugly crack sounding as he broke the man's neck. Dropping the twitching body, he turned to me. I felt my heart stop- was he here for me, and just stopped the pirate from stealing his contract?

It seemed not; he simply gave me a nod and sprinted off, tossing a dagger here and there into the chaos, each one a deathblow to the neck or heart. I watched him… work... in amazement. He was, single handedly, stopping a pirate attack.

Steel and Shadows

I felt a bit better about my chances after saving the king's life like that; it had probably earned me a bit of leniency. Still, the hard part was still to come- the pirates still numbered in the dozens, and in moving across the deck I used all my throwing knives. Despite being out of that readily accessible option, I allowed myself a small smirk- all twenty had struck home; I wasn't losing my touch. Fending off a pair of pirates swinging gaffing hooks, I grab one and break his arm before slamming his head into his fellows, dazing them both and tossing them over the side. Reassessing the situation, I heave a sigh. I would have to use my powers, no two ways about it. The guards and friendly sailors were fighting back, yes, but they were falling too fast for me to be able to kill off the pirates while they defended the royals.

Sheathing my daggers, I pull my power to the surface of my mind, wrapping myself in blackness as I sink into the shadow of the mainmast.

Being one with the shadows around you is a unique and disorienting experience until you get used to it; luckily I was. Every flickering patch of shadow was a window to see out, every silhouette a doorway. I sat there, my power feeding me the sensations and vision from the ship. I wasn't going to blip from shadow to shadow; that would exhaust me quickly and allow too many openings to counterattack.

No, I was planning something I hadn't done in a LONG time; a mass assassination. My method of fighting was to hit and run, dashing from room to room, rafter to rafter in silence, kill the target silently, and leave.

This was showy, loud and slow- the opposite of my usual MO, but that made it all the more unexpected. It would nearly exhaust me, but it would end the threat in one swoop. Focusing, I isolate the shadows of the pirates, holding them in my mind's eye as I pulled power form my core, the icy heat of my magic a river through my veins. With a snap, my hidden eyes open and all hell breaks loose.

Steel and Shadows

I watched the Wraith toss two men overboard, worried. Even with his help, and I was still not convinced that it was help at all, we were losing badly. We needed a miracle! Oh, if only she was here, her power could-

Wait, did he just TURN TO SHADOW AND SINK INTO THE SHIP!?

I admit, I froze up at that. It's not every day that you see someone perform magic, even if your daughter could do magic as well. Plus hers was as different from his as night and day.

I also admit, and freely, that I screamed- and loudly- at what happened next.

The shadows of every pirate stood up, became three-dimensional. Fighting stopped- the pirates in shock, confusion and fear, and the guards stopped too, thinking it was a final trick of the pirate's.

The pirates were right; they should have been afraid. The shadow-men moved, and began to swing their swords, cutting flesh like real steel would. Dozens of pirates dropped in seconds, and the rest fell quickly as well, even if they retaliated. I watched one pirate ignore his shadow for a moment and swing at his neighbors, slicing clean through the hips, neatly bisecting it- it dropped flat to the ground, back to normal.

The man it was attached to, though, wasn't; a look of horror was plastered across his face as he hit the deck in two parts, a wound identical to his shadow's appearing instantly.

With this happening, the attack ended in only a few scant minutes of fighting, the pirates killed to a man, with the exception of those still on the enemy ship- they just disengaged and shot out of there like a bat out of hell. I honestly didn't blame them. Looking around to see if the Wraith had shown up again, I was surprised when I saw him emerge from behind the main mast where he had disappeared. He was hunched over, seemingly out of breath and seemed unsteady. After a few moments, though, he seemed to recover and strode over to me. The surviving guards saw him, and rapidly moved to block him from reaching us. He let out a small sound of annoyance, and disappeared. Just like that! In the space between moments, he was gone, no trace.

Steel and Shadows

When I emerged from the shadow-world, I was exhausted. Manipulating shadows like that was a real pain, and I could feel my migraine building already. Risking a few moments to catch my breath, I straighten, feeling a bit better. I glance around, meeting the king's gaze. Well, might as well face the music. I make my way over to him, walking at an unhurried pace so as not to invite panic.

Well, the guards seemed to think it was scary enough, for before I made it ten feet closer to the monarchs, I was faced with a wall of bristling steel. A small scoff of derision escaped me as I simply pulled my power to me, the world appearing to stretch a bit as I used my magic to bend space. To them, I disappeared. To me, I jumped forward the remaining distance to the rigging just above the monarchs, gripping the ropes as I appeared. I watch the guards look about in a panic, probably thinking I was going to murder them all or something. I shook my head and spoke in a conversational tone to the king and queen, startling them something fierce.

"Well, I hope that saving all of our hides doesn't mean I have to hide the rest of the trip, now."

The leader of the guards heard me- a giant of a man, a good head taller than me, and that was saying something as I stood a respectable 6' 6"- fairly tall. He swiveled in place ad froze, seeing as I was right above those he was supposed to protect. Before he could yell or demand that I surrender, the king spoke.

"W-well, I guess I must thank you for rescuing us, but circumstances are odd after all. Please, are you really this… Wraith person?"

All eyes are on me now, and I can tell ya- that's a new thing for a guy used to living in shadows his whole life. Composing myself as best I could, I nod and address them.

"Yes. Don't worry; I'm not here for a contract. I must admit to stowing away aboard, though. I was in a crate in the hold when we were attacked, and I felt the need to assist- looks like I made the right call."

The guard captain broke in at this. "Yeah, thanks for all that, but it still don't let you off the hook. Come down from there, you're under arrest for assassination charges! I don't have the list, but fill it in for yourself; you know what you've done."

I shake my head. "I hope I don't really have to. I would much rather we all finish this journey peaceably, and I just leave when we arrive in port. You couldn't hold me, anyway- no prison could. Your only options are to kill me- not a good option, as you saw what I did to the pirates- or ignore me. I prefer the second option."

I admit, I enjoyed his face going white at the reminder of the pirates. Before he could offer a rejoinder, the king broke in with some unexpected, but welcome words.

"Captain, please let the man be in peace. I know his reputation, but I know something you don't about him- he has a strict sense of honor." Turning to me, he holds his hand out. "Wraith, I offer you passage to our next port of call if you give me your word that you mean us no harm."

He had certainly done his research better than his guard captain. I had a history of never breaking a deal, and honoring my word even if breaking it would have saved me trouble. I also had a reputation of killing- brutally, I might add- those who double crossed me, and I could see the king knew that, too. This was a major olive branch from him; I had to accept. Clasping his hand, I respond in kind. "You have my word, my King. Additionally, I offer you this; for as long as I live, I will accept no contract on you and your line, as thanks for offering me the safe passage."

This was a big deal. Assassins made their money- their livelihood- on high-profile killings. By cutting the Arendelle royal family out of my potential pool of targets, I had significantly curtailed my possible cash-flow. It may not have sounded like much, but it was a big deal.

The king's eyes went wide, and I could see that he understood. I glimpsed a glimmer of something else, but it was gone swiftly as we shook on it. Hopping down from the rigging, I strode through the guards and up to the fore-deck, ignoring the bodies lying about. Seating myself of a large crate lashed in place, I took a lotus position and focused on locking my body in place for the moment. Satisfied that nothing short of the crate being thrown overboard could move me, I allowed my exhaustion to take over, and I promptly fell asleep.

Steel and Shadows

I awoke feeling better, if only a bit. My mental clock said I had gotten a bit over three hour's rest, and I opened my eyes to see what had triggered my awakening instinct. A curious sailor was hanging, upside down, from the rigging and seemed to be trying to see through my mask. His buddies were egging him on, and the volume was loud enough that I deduced that they had been at this for a while. They were trying to get him to grab my mask- that's what triggered my wakefulness. Being able to set triggers in your mind to wake you at certain phrases was a helpful thing. I sat there, waiting to see what he would do. I hadn't moved, so they didn't know I was awake now. Slowly, he reached over to my face, approaching my mask. When his fingers were about a half inch away, I pulled my shadows across myself and sunk into the deck, reappearing in the rigging above him. The crowd below gasped- they saw where I had reappeared. The grabby guy? He was in for a surprise.

"Oh god- where did he go?! Oh my god, he's gonna kill me!"

Unable to resist, I lean down and speak, just behind his head.

"No, I'm not."

He shrieked like a small child, to my and the other sailor's great amusement. Pulling my power into a 'blink'- a short jump in space- I reappear next to my crate and walk to the main area of the ship, my stomach demanding I eat something. The cook gave me an odd look, but served me up a good helping of everything, no complaints. Now, my only problem was in finding a place to eat without showing my face.

My answer to that came in the form of the king walking in for food himself.

"Ah, Mister Wraith! I was hoping you would be aware around now. Would you care to dine with my wife and I? With your promise, I hope you would trust us with your face."

Normally, I still wouldn't, but something told me this was important and that I should.

The last time I ignored that feeling was the first, and only time I failed a contract- it was also the closest I have ever come to dying. So, nodding my head in acceptance and ignoring his look of half startlement and half excitement, I followed him below decks.

We arrived at their cabin, the king entering and gesturing me ahead. I see the queen is already seated, and she favors me with a small, nervous smile. Placing our plates on the small table, I begin the laborious task of detaching my mask. Five minutes of clicking later, it comes off and the looks from the royals are worth it.

I'm young. Very young for a profession like being an assassin, let alone one with as large a reputation as mine. I'm around twenty to twenty-three years of age, I don't know exactly- my childhood was… not the most stable.

Laying my mask aside, I give them a smile. "Well, now that that chore is out of the way, may I ask what brought on this invitation to dinner? Not that I'm not grateful, I must say. I wasn't looking forward to finding a hiding spot on this small a ship just to eat!"

This elicits a chuckle from both royals. The queen speaks next, the first time I've heard her talk. Her voice is soft and melodious, perfect for singing. "Well, we were hoping to talk something over with you. A business proposal of sorts."

This made me raise an eyebrow. I was not expecting a contract offer from these royals at all- I wonder who could make them mad enough to consider such a dark thing like hiring me. Before I could ask, the king continues the queen's line of thought, and he clarifies my questions handily.

"Well, not like your usual ones. In fact, I wouldn't even be considering this at all if I hadn't seen you use magic out there. I, and my wife, would like you to come to Arendelle and help teach a young lady to control her powers."

My mind ground to a halt as I put two and two together. Arendelle had closed itself off for years; the royals wanted a tutor to help someone with hard to control magic…

"Your eldest daughter, I presume? Oh, don't give me those startled looks; I just put the facts together. I would love to take a job other than my normal one. I was going to retire, in fact. Too many contracts are being taken out on MY life lately, and I have enough saved to live my life in moderate comfort. This takes me at the perfect time. Just give me a couple of days to get my affairs in order at the next port of call, and I'll be right there with you when you return to Arendelle."

The delight on their faces is almost blinding, and I find myself swept away in the tide of positive emotion- not much of that in my line- well, my old line of work. I smile as we laugh at something the king said. Things were looking up. As we finished dinner and I reaffixed the mask, the king rummages through his trunk and hands me a piece of paper, folded over and sealed with the official seal of Arendelle royalty.

"We took the opportunity of drawing up a letter to our majordomo in case you get delayed in getting your affairs in order. It describes what your job is to be in detail, as well as pay and quarters. It's all quite generous, so we aren't worried about you turning down our offer. Take it, just in case."

I do, tucking it into a sealed, waterproof pouch inside my cloak for safekeeping. "I can't thank you enough, your highnesses. I promise, I won't let you down."

I head off to the main deck, planning on sleeping there again. Opening up the hatch to the main deck, I'm swamped with a deluge of water and nearly trampled by the ship's Captain barging through. He comes across the royals and delivers a brusque message.

"Highnesses, we've just hit a major squall. Nowhere to go but through, and it's gonna get nasty. Might want to strap in."

After delivering that news he was off, back onto the deck and bellowing orders before he even was out of the hall.

I looked over at the king and queen, who were taking his advice. I changed my direction to the cargo hold, deciding to see if I could recover my gear cache from the crate before everything was tied down. I was just in time, grabbing my sealed leather bag just before they moved the crate. Suddenly, the ship lurched and I lost my balance, cracking my skull on the crate.

Everything went black.

I awoke to bobbing seas and a jabbering, panicked sailor who was pulling me into a wildly tipping lifeboat. The pounding in my head was making it hard to think, but I forced my brain into gear and looked around.

I was greeted by a sobering sight. Only one other lifeboat was about, and while it had the king and queen in it, I could see that they were no more. My heart was heavy with sadness; even though I had known them for less than a day, I had come to genuinely like them. They had been wonderful people, and would be greatly missed. Hardening my heart and pushing my greif to the back of my mind to process later, I look around and take stock of the situation. Two lifeboats, six survivors, four in a boat meant for three, the other two sharing their's with the royals… Gah. I look around and spot my bag floating along nearby. Reaching out, I snag it by the handle, pulling it in. I have water and food in there, enough to last me two weeks, so three days with minimal rations for us all. Oh, they rescued a water cask- we've got around a week then.

Settling in and giving in to my headache, I pass out again, only to be woken when cold steel is slapped around my wrists. Jerking upright, I see that I'm on a new ship- we must have had an escort following behind us by a day or so. Gathering my thoughts, I grab hold of my bag and sink into the shadows, leaving the manacles on the deck. Although it's a mental strain, I manage to maintain the state for the week it takes us to get to out next port of call, eating and drinking in the realm of darkness, and only leaving in the dead of night to relieve myself. We arrive, and I set about fixing my affairs up for my trip to Arendelle. I was honor bound to help the princess. Not just as a job, but as what might well have been the king and queen's last request. After packing all I needed and setting my accounts straight, I set off for Arendelle.

Steel and Shadows

Pulling myself up the docks, I find a small abandoned shack nearby and change into my town clothes, stowing my wet assassin's gear in my second oilcloth bag. Taking a deep, bracing breath, I head up the road to the castle gates, ominously closed in the distance, the townsfolk scurrying around to get out of the rain. As I walked, I held onto the pouch containing the letter from the king like a lifeline, because it really was. It was more than just a job offer, a paycheck, and somehow- even at that time- I knew it was a door to much, much more.

It was a door into a life I never knew, a life of new beginnings, adventure, magic- and maybe, just maybe, love.

A/N: What the chapter title refers to is my OC's name- Noctis Caelum translates to 'Night Sky' in latin, and it has more connotations to it than are apparent now. Please review!