A/N: YAY! First chapter of my new story! I have paused Magelet and Mage for a week (read latest A/N there for reasons) so I decided to write this. It's been nagging me for a while.
Numair Salmalin looked up as a stack of papers was thrown onto the document he was signing. Standing there, in all her serpentine glory, was his best operative. The Snake Queen Mira Kareem did not look happy, and in her hand was the reason why. A bag hung from right hand, a bloody bag. "I take it there were no problems?"
"I am a spy, not an assassin! The assassins you hired were all killed so I had to do the dirty work myself. It's in my contract that I don't have to kill, but it wouldn't have been done any other way." Mira threw the blood soaked bag onto her boss's desk and turned to leave.
"Their Highnesses have requested our attendance. Go get changed, I think there is more to it than just a congratulations on a job well done."
Mira shook her head and left, walking straight to her rooms. Her clothes were covered in gore and grime, and it was caked onto her face and in her hair. A nice shower was in order before any meeting with the King and Queen. Once she was clean she pulled her hair up into a simple twisting bun with unadorned, unseen, black pins. Then she went to her extensive closet and picked the first early spring dress she saw, light blue with pink trim.
Outside the reception chamber, Numair and Mira met up again. Spy watched spy until they were admitted. Both bowed low, Mira didn't curtsey, and looked at their monarchs. "How may we be of service, Highness?" Numair asked quietly.
"We have received disturbing reports of spying and assassinations coming from Galla. Three of our best tax collectors have been killed and all of them had the same symbol cut into their arms, a rearing horse surrounded by thorns. We need this solved before it goes too far."
"That should be simple enough; there are only hundreds of spies in Galla with the ability to carve a symbol into a person's skin. We should be able to figure that out in minutes." Mira pulled a piece of parchment out of her pouch while she spoke. "Could anyone draw it, of have none of us here seen it?"
"I'm sorry Mira; none of us have seen it." Thayet was not surprised by her duchess's sarcasm; Mira had been raised that way. She was cynical, cold, and sarcastic. But she was also the perfect spy.
"Well, I suppose one of us will have to go to the scene then." Turning to the Snake Queen, Numair added. "We would probably do better to handle this together. George can do the spy work here for a while we solve this."
"Agreed." King Jon waved a hand at them. "You lave today, it isn't even noon yet." His spies bowed and walked out of the room to pack.
After an uneventful week on the road, Numair and Mira were more than ready to solve the bit of spy work they had. It was a small village, Yirilath, and no one had any clue why the tax collectors had been there. None of them were assigned to this area, so the assassin must have moved them post-mortem
When they were led to the body, the spy pair inspected the marks and reconfirmed that the cause of death was poison. Whoever this was, they knew their stuff.
"I think that this is the symbol of the Wildmage of Galla." Mira looked at Numair, puzzled. How could he know that?
"Are you sure? It could be someone impersonating her. So far she is very peaceful, hating to kill. Why would she so suddenly change her mind?"
"Because the king told her to. You hate to kill, yet you do if need be."
"That's different, this is murder!"
"And the ones you kill have people who think you brutally murdered them." Mira shook her head and unpacked her bags. They would be in Yirilath for a while, so she may as well get comfortable.
The next morning the Whisper Man and his apprentice examined Yirilath for spells and questioned everyone. By the end of the day they were forced to admit they were at a dead end without more to go on. But they would wait it out and see who would turn up dead next.