A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews I honestly wasn't expecting it! Again sorry that it is so long but hopefully you enjoy it anyway.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the character's in this fic apart from Kelsea.
After about an hour spent strolling through the street of Skull's Bay Kelsea found that there was absolutely nothing to do in this shit hole of a town. She'd wandered down to the docks earlier to watch the ocean and now found herself sitting on the dock with her feet dangling over the side bored to death.
Sighing to herself she thought of ways she could entertain herself. She could go to her room that Rolfe had set up for her and continue her sketch of the fortress, but the idea of being shut up in a stuffy room by herself wasn't very appealing. She could go talk to Rolfe about the slaves, but she still didn't have a solid plan of action and she wasn't just going to approach him and demand for him to release his slaves. That would cause a lot of trouble that she didn't really feel inclined to deal with right now. Or she could go find Celaena Sardothien and rile her up again because Gods that was the most fun she'd had on this trip.
With stiff legs from sitting in the same position for too long Kelsea stood and checked her watch. Frowning as she saw the direction the little hands pointed to. Kelsea had little under and hour until she was to attend a dinner with the Pirate Lord and she was still wearing the clothes that she arrived in. Opting to look clean and presentable she started her trek back to her own room. Sardothien and her companion Sam Cortland were attending the dinner as well which Kelsea's was glad of. She could rile Sardothien up during dinner. She was still itching for a fight and Sardothien was quickly becoming the best choice for her opponent.
Approaching the door to her rooms Kelsea placed her hand on the doorknob and twisted, stepping into her room. Scowling at the room Kelsea quickly checked the room for any holes for spying eyes, when she found none she started to take off all her layers and proceed toward the bathing room to start cleaning herself up and preparing for dinner. "The two best room's my ass!" Kelsea mumbled to herself repeating Rolfe's words form earlier. The room was tiny and slightly dirty looking and the bed looked horrible and was without a doubt uncomfortable and lumpy. Well at least it's not the worst place she'd ever slept. Usually Kelsea never let her mind wander back to those day's where she'd lost everything. Shuddering, Kelsea pushed the thoughts out of her mind and her pain deep, deep down so she couldn't feel it anymore.
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The dinner was unsurprisingly boring, as was everything else in the town. The food looked good but thanks to the necessity of the stupid mask she couldn't eat any of it. Although she took pleasure in the fact that Sardothien couldn't eat anything herself either due to her mask.
About half way through the meal Rolfe addressed them both, asking if they were hungry and that if they would take of their mask it would be easier for them to eat, unless their faces were to ghastly and it would make the men lose their appetites. Kelsea was in fact hungry but she'd gone longer without eating food and could quite easily last a night without any so she kept quiet and let Rolfe listen to himself speak. Perhaps she'd go down to the kitchens later and get some food. Sardothien however was not pleased and responded with "If you keep talking like that I might give you a reason to wear a mask." Kelsea couldn't help herself and let out a low laugh. Sardothien's head snapped towards her to which Kelsea just gave her a small nod and to Kelsea's surprise received one back.
Rolfe and Sardothien continued talking, the topic being how she became Arobynn Hamels protégé. It was rather boring – she trained. What a surprise. The conversation did take an interesting turn when Rolfe started talking about the magical map on his hands. Kelsea mainly kept quiet until Sardothien declared herself the world's greatest assassin and let out snort that had everyone at the table turning to look at her but Kelsea however was looking at Sardothien.
Sardothien was the first to speak, "You disagree?"
"Immensely." Kelsea replied swirling the water in her glass around disinterestedly. Everyone at the table surveyed the two assassins wearily as they stared each other down.
"Mistress Barrow, why don't you tell us how you became the infamous Assassin of the South." Rolfe spoke a little hurriedly, no doubt trying to diffuse the tension between the two assassins.
"I trained." Kelsea stated easily mocking Sardothien's words from earlier and in return received a snarl to which Kelsea just laughed at. The tension between the two assassins was increasing with dizzying speed until Sardothien's companion – Sam – coughed loudly and asked Rolfe how he became the Pirate lord. When the attention moved from the pair to Rolfe, Kelsea crossed her arms and leant back in her chair waiting patiently until the end of the dinner.
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As expected Kelsea slept horribly due to the terrible mattress in her room. She woke up at dawn and was extremely hungry so she wandered down to the kitchens to find something to eat. She ate in her room and then out of boredom went up to the roof and contemplated her best approach with the slaves. She'd been up here for about an hour and a half and she was starting get hot in all her layers. Kelsea was about to start making her way off the roof when she saw Celaena Sardothien walk out of the inn alone.
Where was she going? For all the times that she'd seen Sardothien she'd always been with Sam but now she's alone. Why? Knowing that she shouldn't but doing it anyway Kelsea followed her.
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Kelsea went from rooftop to rooftop as she followed Sardothien and Rolfe. What were they talking about? Kelsea didn't know what she was expecting Sardothien to do but it certainly wasn't a meeting with Rolfe. After following them for two blocks Kelsea finally dropped down onto the streets and slid in and out of the shadows until she was at a good distance to hear the pair's conversation.
"…I have another shipment of slaves being inspected at the holding facility tonight. Why don't you join me? That way, you can have something to compare them to tomorrow." Slaves. Figures. It sounded like Rolfe had a shipment of slaves already and one coming tomorrow.
"Fine, fine. Send someone for me when it's time. And after Arobynn's slaves are inspected?" Of course, they'd be Arobynn Hamel's slaves. Kelsea's heard a lot about Arobynn Hamel and it wasn't anything nice. She actually met him when she was eight after he saved her from dying and then left her to find her own way in the world. Suddenly an idea came to her about how she was going to approach Rolfe about the slaves. Before she could even reconsider her feet moved at their own accord and now Kelsea was only a few paces behind.
"Excuse me," both heads turned towards Kelsea as she spoke and she could physically see Sardothien tense beneath her black cloak. "I couldn't help but overhear you talking about the slaves just now and I was wondering if I could join you later tonight when you inspect the slaves." Kelsea said it casually trying not to sound even a little suspicious.
"Why." Sardothien demanded and it made Kelsea clench her teeth.
"Because," Kelsea drawled, "I was thinking about investing and I wanted to see how things work." Rolfe raised his eyebrows. Kelsea focused all her attention on Rolfe as she awaited his reply. "Well?" she pushed.
"Of course, of course." He turned towards Sardothien, "If that's okay with you?"
"Perfectly." Her voice sounded strained which made Kelsea raise a single brow beneath her mask.
"Excellent!" Kelsea said easily, "I suppose I'll see you both later tonight." She waved a hand and turned on her heel and strode back towards her room. Now she's started her plan, Kelsea just needs to work out how to finish it.
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Kelsea walked beside Sardothien and Cortland as Rolfe escorted them to the holding facility where the slaves were. Kelsea hated the holding facility. It was an enormous wooden warehouse that made her blood run cold. The inside of the warehouse was horrid. The smell of unwashed bodies was like a brick to the face when Kelsea stepped inside.
There was so many people in the cells clinging to the bars or cowering against the walls. There were even children in the cells held by their parents. There were so many people in the cells, from kingdoms all over the continent. People stolen from their homes because they refused the rule of a tyrant king or just poor luck.
Two of Rolfe's captains presented a slave in front of them, apparently, he had fought back. One of the captains continued speaking about how he could be profited from. Everything around Kelsea seemed to be drowned out. Somewhere that seemed very far away Cortland started speaking. Kelsea tried to listen but all she could think of was the fact that children were being taken. Children were being sold for profit. It was absolutely disgusting, there wasn't a chance in hell that she was going to let this happen.
Kelsea snapped back into the present just as she heard Sardothien ask "When will these slaves be sent out?"
"This lot? We'll divvy them up, and they'll be loaded onto a new ship tomorrow, probably. They'll sail around the same time you do, I bet. We need assembled crews." One of the captains replied, Kelsea didn't care which one she'd heard enough already. Suddenly Sardothien turned on her heel and strode out of the warehouse, Cortland rushing to catch up to her. Outraged at Sardothien for allowing her master to do this she stormed after her determined to confront her about how she could tolerate such monstrosities.
Kelsea followed her until she reached the empty beach and spoke up letting all her outrage spill into her voice, "Do this make you feel proud of your master?" Kelsea gestured back towards the warehouse. "Are you proud of him for seeking profit from the destruction of people's lives and the lives of their families?" As soon as the first word left Kelsea's mouth Sardothien whipped around to faced her, aggression rolling of her in waves.
"You know nothing of how I feel about this!" She spat at Kelsea who was still storming towards her.
"Why would you feel anything about it? It's just more money for you and your pathetic master anyway!"
"You don't know anything about me!" She screamed at Kelsea storming towards her. Suddenly all the anger that had been building up inside of Kelsea for the past weak ripped free as she launched herself at Celaena Sardothien.
Kelsea threw the first punch, all her anger poured into it, which Sardothien dodged and swung at Kelsea. Kelsea flung her arm up to block the punch and took the force of it on her forearm. Sardothien flung her knee up to attempt to kick Kelsea in the stomach but Kelsea quickly slammed her arm down on Sardothien's knee to block the move and brought the elbow of her other arm up to slam into Sardothien's face. She stumbled back and Kelsea quickly swept her foot and knocked off her feet. Without wasting anytime Kelsea flung herself on top of Sardothien pinning her to the ground her mask and hood disheveled from the fight to reveal a golden braid much like her own beneath. Sardothien was thrashing beneath her grip but Kelsea held firm her knee on Sardothien's chest. Kelsea pulled out a blade that was hidden up her sleeve and pushed it against Sardothien's neck so she stopped thrashing.
"I'm not giving Arobynn those slaves you idiot!" She snarled into Kelsea's face.
"You'd take them for your own profit! Ever the perfect protégé!" She spat back pulling her arm back to punch Sardothien in the face.
"Nobody's getting those slaves!"
"I don't believe you!" Kelsea said pushing the blade into her neck harder. "Give me one reason that I shouldn't kill you right now." She whispered.
"Because I'm going to free the slaves or die trying! The other's and Arobynn's and I don't care if I do it alone because it needs to be done!" Sardothien shouted up at Kelsea.
"You won't be doing it alone," Kelsea said quietly, "because I'm going to help you." Kelsea swung her upraised arm down ripping the mask straight off her face.
Kelsea looked down at the face of Celaena Sardothien and found eyes of turquoise with a ring of gold – the same as Kelsea's eyes staring back up at her. Kelsea's heart stopped dead as she took in the rest of the details of the assassin face. It was like looking in a mirror. Kelsea quickly scrambled away from the assassin lying in the sand.
"Aelin…" Kelsea mouthed to herself.
I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. If you have any suggestion or (constructive) criticism please tell. I also need a name for Kelsea before she became and assassin so if you have any suggestions I'm all ears.