Raising herself up on the tips of her toes, the small brunette pranced across the floor of the chamber, and with a twirl and a flourish of her arms, she took a seat in the chair by her vanity. As she looked through the glass, she saw another woman reflected in it standing not too far off behind her, and her lips curled up into a grin.
"It's over," the newcomer spoke.
"One of them has been slain? Are you sure about this?" she asked the other woman as she began to play with her hair, combing her fingers through its long, dark tresses.
"There's no evidence that proves otherwise," the other woman replied.
"Good. Although, I really did enjoy the game while it lasted," she said, pouting. "It had to end, though. They were getting too close, and I couldn't let them figure it out," she answered.
"Of course."
"I'm done with you now...run along. I'm bored of you already," she said nonchalantly with a dismissive wave of her hand as she redirected her gaze on herself in the mirror.
-A-
Over the next few weeks, Kurt prodded Noah for answers and anything that might clue him in about what they were dealing with. But to his dismay, Noah really didn't know much more than the information he had already provided. So, if he wanted real results, he only had one more option: Kurt would have to infiltrate Blaine's brotherhood. It wasn't a smart idea, in fact, it was a suicide mission, but it was his last hope.
Overall, Blaine was attempting to keep a low profile, but, because he still had a farm to upkeep, he spent the day at work. Blaine had been outside feeding the chickens and tending to his horse when Kurt walked up beside him.
"This isn't going to be easy, but I need to ask you for something that may or may not be the determining factor that ends this whole tired game," Kurt said.
"What is it?" Blaine asked, a bit wary of Kurt's tone.
"Where's the location of your brotherhood's base?" he asked.
"Kurt - I can't tell you. I can't let you walk into something like that. I know them better than any other, and they are ruthless. You walk in, and you won't come out," Blaine said as he ran his hand down the animal's mane, trying to distract himself from the issue at hand. He knew that fighting this was futile because Kurt was stubborn and would get it out of him one way or another - and he'd rather not have to find out what that "another" way might be.
"I need to do it. We'll never tackle this if I don't," Kurt insisted more forcefully now.
"If you're positive that there's no other way, then I - I'll tell you," Blaine said, sighing heavily. He turned now to face Kurt as he brushed his hands off on his pants.
"Good. I hope you don't doubt my abilities. I know how to handle my own," Kurt replied, placing his hand firmly on Blaine's shoulder.
Kurt followed Blaine back into the shack and stood with his arms crossed, watching Blaine as he grudgingly made his way around the room in search of the information Kurt had requested. He didn't want to be responsible for any harm that may befall Kurt, and it bothered him even further that he couldn't be of any true assistance in the matter.
Blaine opened up a drawer, pulled out a crude map, and reluctantly handed it to Kurt.
"Do you really think Santana is just going to give you information? How exactly do you think you're going to do that?" Blaine questioned.
"That's for me to know. I have my ways. How many assassins can I expect to encounter if I go, let's say, tonight?" Kurt asked quickly, shrugging off Blaine's concerns as he studied the map.
"Santana is always there. You'll probably run into Sam and perhaps Mike - but there's also the possibility that you'll get Santana alone," Blaine explained.
"That would be very convenient," Kurt said as his gaze became distant as if formulating the plan in his head.
"Kurt - "
"I'm not going to kill anyone. Don't worry."
"No - I mean, good, but you can't get in without this," Blaine said as he pulled out a small, smooth, stone with something carved into it that resembled the crest Blaine also sported on his robes.
"Oh - thank you." Kurt held his hand out, and Blaine dropped the stone into his palm. He closed his fingers tightly around it. Kurt swallowed hard. This was it.
"Now go, before I change my mind," Blaine said flatly.
-A-
Santana didn't know what hit her. First, she was enjoying a generous goblet of wine while going over the latest contracts, and the next thing she knew, she was gagged, blindfolded, and tied up in the same chair. Her head ached fiercely, and she blinked hard beneath the material covering her eyes. She pulled up against the ropes, but her wrists were securely tethered. Santana groaned behind the gag in annoyance.
"Oh - you're awake," came a voice that sounded male but was in a higher register than she was used to. She couldn't respond, so she just growled and rolled her eyes.
"I guess it would benefit both of us to take that out of your mouth - although, I must say, I quite liked having you completely at my mercy," Kurt said. He reached over and pulled the gag from out of her mouth.
"Fuck off," Santana spat as soon as her tongue was free. "Who do you think you are coming in here - who the fuck are you and how did you even get in?"
"Oh, darling, it's my turn to ask questions. This is an interrogation, and, in case you haven't noticed, you're the one tied up," Kurt grabbed Santana's face with his one hand and squeezed her cheeks lightly in a mocking manner.
"Don't touch me, you snake." She spat in Kurt's direction but missed.
"Well, aren't you nasty. I might regret allowing you to speak with that dirty little mouth of yours. But, you're not so tough. And now, if you'd be so kind, you'll tell me what I need to know, and I'll be on my way," Kurt said.
"I'm not telling you a damned thing," Santana said through clenched teeth as she struggled against the ropes again.
"Oh, but you will. You don't want to make things more difficult - " Santana felt cool metal brush across her cheek, "than they have to be. Besides, I have no intention of hurting you," Kurt spoke softly by her ear.
"You made a huge mistake coming in here. My men will be back any second now, and you'll be outnumbered. Hope you don't mind hanging from a hook as we spit on your mangled body," Santana growled, both completely enraged and panicked at the newly heightened sense of danger.
"That's where you're wrong. You see, I have intelligence that leads me to believe that - Sam - that's his name, right? Is out on a job, and Mike - yes, that sounds familiar too - hasn't stopped by at all. Looks like it's just you and me, dear...and my knife," Kurt said. "Now - tell me where your recent contracts have been coming from," he demanded.
"I don't know anything, you -"
"You're lying," Kurt interjected coolly. "You know who your client is. Now tell me."
"Never -" Kurt slapped Santana across the face. "Fuck you," she gasped as her head snapped back to face forward again. Santana muttered something that was barely audible as her chest heaved from anxiety.
"Excuse me, I didn't hear what you said."
"Ber - Berry," she breathed.
"Berry?"
"The bitch's name is Berry - that's all I know," Santana responded.
"Oh, I'm sure that's not all you know, but I have a name, and I can work with that," Kurt said. "Now, another reliable source has informed me that this - Berry - lives at the residence of the emperor," he prodded on hoping for a confirmation.
"It's possible," Santana scoffed.
"You know it's true, don't you?"
"Yes -" she admitted.
"Good. That wasn't so difficult, was it? Now I'll be on my way - thanks for the lovely chat," Kurt said smugly, patting Santana on the shoulder. She shuddered at the touch.
"This isn't over. I will find you."
"Looking forward to it," Kurt replied flippantly, and he turned on his heel to exit the base, leaving Santana tied up and blindfolded as she screamed out curses after him.
-A-
"It feels so strange to suit up again," Blaine said as he pulled on his boots and reached for his mask. He fixed his mask in place, pulled his hood up, slid his hands into his gloves, and then turned toward Kurt who had been inspecting his bow and had his arrows laid out across the bed. Kurt half-listened to Blaine as he gathered everything up, flung the quiver over his chest and shoulder, and strapped it to himself along with his knife, satchel, and otherwise. He wasn't sure what they were about to run headfirst into, but he was ready to face it.
"Well, this is familiar," Kurt said, finally looking up. He exhaled heavily. They stood there looking at each other in full disguise, then Kurt chuckled and Blaine quickly joined in.
Blaine glanced down at the crest on his robes, the emblem made up of a raven and a dagger, and he wondered how they could take something so free as a bird and pervert it in such a way to symbolize something so warped and limited.
"I hope I never have to put these on again," Blaine said.
"Me too," Kurt replied, but he could sense that something else was bothering Blaine. "Blaine...?
Blaine looked up to meet Kurt's eyes.
"Blaine, we're going to make it through this...we'll find this Berry woman, kill her, then escape from all of this wretchedness together. We may live out our days with a target on our backs, but at least we'll be living."
Blaine smiled weakly and nodded. But as Kurt turned to leave, he reached out and grabbed his shoulder.
"Kurt, before we go, there's something I have to say. I never want to say goodbye to you again. I know that goodbyes are inevitable, but I'm selfish, and I want to remain by your side...in whatever time we have."
"Don't be ridiculous, Blaine. I know I shouldn't make any promises, but I'm going to anyway. We possess skills that few could even dream of, and if we face it now as one, as a team, we're an even greater force to reckon with." Then Kurt suddenly grabbed his hand.
"But there's another bond between us that makes us even stronger, unstoppable, even," he continued as he laced their fingers together. "With that said, I promise that we're going to clean up this mess, and, from this day forward, we will never look back."
"I know, but -"
"But nothing. You need to get it together now. Your life - our lives depend on it. It's alright to feel afraid, but I have faith in us, and, maybe...maybe it's not so bad to believe in a greater purpose - or even something as inane as love. C'mon, Blaine. I'm not letting you go."
-A-
Blaine slid the bridle onto his horse and positioned the reins to rest on its back.
Kurt watched, suddenly nervous about the trip: he had never ridden a horse in his life. Blaine looked to Kurt and noticed the obvious reservation in his eyes.
"What's wrong?" Blaine asked. "You look like you're about to mess yourself."
"It's nothing," Kurt scoffed as he shot Blaine a pointed glare. Blaine laughed, and Kurt put his foot down heavily and huffed. He crossed his arms and turned his head to the side, now pissed off at Blaine for the comment. It wasn't that absurd, Kurt thought, that he was a bit hesitant about mounting an animal that was ten times his size and could crush him if it so chose, right?
"Oh," Blaine said, realizing the issue. "Artemis is really sweet. She's completely harmless," he said, patting her on the neck. The black-haired beast threw her head back in appreciation and let out a soft whinny.
"How do you even -?" Kurt pointed toward the horse's back which was nearly the same height from the ground as Blaine's shoulders. He narrowed his eyes as they darted from Blaine to the horse and back to Blaine again. The imagined attempts of the small man before him mounting the creature were humorous, and Kurt nearly laughed aloud.
"Like this." Blaine grasped the reins with one hand and her mane with the other and jumped up, swinging his right leg over Artemis's back. Now securely atop the horse, he sat up and looked toward Kurt. "Easy enough? Now let's stop wasting time. We need to be on our way."
Kurt's mouth had been hanging slightly open beneath his mask, so he closed it, clenching his jaw as he approached the horse.
"Grab onto me," Blaine explained, reaching his hand out, "then just - climb up. I know you can do it. I've seen you leap across rooftops, so this should be easy."
"That's not the problem," Kurt retorted. Then, grabbing Blaine's arm, he hoisted himself up onto its back and fidgeted for a moment to find his balance before settling in behind Blaine. Kurt slid his arms under Blaine's and around his torso, grabbing hold of the reins. He pressed his fists tightly against Blaine's abdomen.
"Hold on to me, don't move around too much, and lean into me, and you should be fine," Blaine explained. Kurt was a bit uncomfortable now that he realized the height he was sitting off the ground, but he listened and moved in, pressing his chest up against Blaine's back. Then, without much more of a warning, Blaine yanked the reins, led them onto the road, and then they were off, racing along just as the sun fell below the horizon.
The horse galloped along, and it took Kurt a few minutes to be able to open his eyes, but he leaned his head on Blaine's shoulder and tried to relax. The wind stung his eyes, causing them to water profusely, which began to irritate him.
"I don't know how you do this. I can hardly keep my eyes open against this wind," Kurt shouted by Blaine's ear, squinting as they took a turn off the road and into the woods.
"The mask helps, but you get used to it. When you do a lot of travel for work, it really becomes convenient," Blaine shouted, turning his head in hopes Kurt could hear him. "That last job we pulled off -?"
"Yeah?"
"That was the first time I had traveled on foot in a while. I will never take my horse for granted ever again," Blaine said with a laugh. Then Blaine urged Artemis on through the trees as a few small branches and leaves brushed against their bodies.
"You might want to duck in this part," Blaine said, "the branches are much lower." He lowered his body and pressed his chest flat against the horse's neck, wrapping his arms around as well. Kurt mimicked his movement and leaned forward, pulling himself flat against Blaine's back again. He closed his eyes, but this time he sank into the warmth of Blaine's body.
They rode along the rest of the way in silence. When they reached the outskirts of the imperial city, Blaine pulled up on the reins and brought Artemis to a stop. Once they dismounted, Blaine found a tree and began racking-up.
"Artemis will be fine right here," Blaine explained. "She's used to waiting by now. Good girl," he said, patting the horse's forehead. He pulled an apple out of his bag, and she took it graciously, stomping her foot in thanks.
"I could actually get used to riding a horse," Kurt said. "It wasn't so bad - although my thighs are sore," he added, stretching and massaging his legs with his hands. Blaine laughed.
"We only have a few hours. Let's get this over with," Blaine said, and they took off in the direction of the city.
-A-
The castle loomed above them perched high on a hill to the northernmost region of the city. They didn't have a concrete plan, but they weren't stupid enough to go barreling in either. It was fairly common knowledge that the system of tunnels that ran underneath the city led right up into the jails off the left wing of the emperor's residence. However, it was also well-known that there was an entire fleet of guards that roamed the tunnels in order to keep out "rats" like themselves.
They soon came to terms with the fact that this was an all or nothing mission: they would kill if they had to, but the plan was to keep casualties as few as possible. Kurt brought along with him extra rope and strips of fabric just in case their progress got a little tied up.
They reached a somewhat secluded entrance to a tunnel that was overgrown with foliage. With his knife, Kurt cut away at some vines and ripped them away from the grate. When it was cleared away, Blaine pulled the grating open, leaped down into the passageway, and then signaled for Kurt to follow. Once they were both down in the tunnel, they swiftly began their descent.
Blaine pressed his body flat up against the wall, and Kurt soon followed. They stepped cautiously through the passageway, careful to remain in the shadows.
Before long, they came to an intersection where the tunnel split off in three directions. They ducked down, keeping alert, and peered around the corners in each direction. But then Kurt froze dead still as he heard footsteps echoing down the hall to the right.
He pushed Blaine behind him against the wall, and slowly poked his head around the corner. There was a guard making his rounds, and he was headed in their direction. They waited with bated breath until the guard entered the intersection. Kurt leaped out and knocked him to the ground while Blaine went to work gagging the man. Kurt tied up his wrists and ankles. They propped him up against a nearby wall behind a pillar so that he'd be less likely to be found, thus alerting the rest of the guards of their presence.
They listened quietly for a moment, and when they believed the coast was clear, Blaine signaled for Kurt to follow him as he continued in the direction from which the guard had come. But a few moments later, Kurt stopped again, and Blaine whipped around to see what was the matter.
"Kurt," Blaine hissed, "Let's go."
Kurt didn't respond, but he gave Blaine a warning look and proceeded to take his knife out. He touched the point to the wall and then appeared to be carving a symbol of some sort into the stone. Blaine looked on with a puzzled expression.
"I'm just...I'm marking our progress," Kurt finally responded. When he finished, he stowed his knife away again. "Alright. Now we can go."
"This way," Blaine said, pointing down the hall, and they crept along again until they heard voices nearby. Kurt pressed his body up against the wall again, but this time, he drew his knife. One guard they could easily incapacitate, but there were at least two guards approaching, and an encounter could become dangerous very quickly.
As the pair of guards drew nearer, Kurt tackled one into the wall, grabbed his shoulders, and slammed his head repeatedly against the stone until he lost consciousness. The other guard quickly drew his sword but was caught off guard by a punch to the gut from Blaine. Enraged, the man swung his sword, but Blaine nimbly dodged out of the way of its trajectory.
Kurt had gone to work quickly tying up the other guard as the tussle went on between Blaine and the guard. When he turned around to help, he could do nothing but watch as the guard's sword came down on Blaine's leg. Blaine yelled out in pain and collapsed to the floor. The guard then turned toward Kurt but was taken by surprise by an arrow in the chest. He stumbled in shock for a moment as Kurt took aim and shot another through his stomach. Kurt was seething, and he glared menacingly at the man as he pulled back on his bow one final time and shot another arrow clear through the man's eye. He fell forward onto his knees and then hit the stone ground with a resounding thud.
Kurt stared down at the mass on the floor, his chest heaving. He heard a whimper, which snapped him out of his rage, and he rushed to Blaine's side, suddenly terrified of what he might find. Blaine was on the ground clutching his leg.
"I'll be alright," Blaine said, but his breath was coming out ragged. He winced as another stinging pain shot through his body. "It's not that deep," he said, but Kurt knew better.
He gently dragged Blaine and sat him up against the wall. Then he rummaged in his satchel and pulled out strips of linen that he carried for situations such as this.
"Try to relax," Kurt said as he pulled Blaine's hands away from the wound. It looked really bad, and Kurt's stomach turned at the sight. After wiping away some of the excess blood, Kurt found that Blaine was right; it appeared to be more of a surface cut which was a bit of a relief. The next item Kurt pulled out of his bag was a small bottle of alcohol, and he looked sympathetically at Blaine.
"Here," he said, handing Blaine another piece of bunched up fabric. "Bite down on this...you're not going to like this part."
"Just do it," Blaine nearly growled as he stuffed the fabric between his teeth and clenched his jaw, biting down around it. His eyes began to water as he watched Kurt peel back the tattered fabric of his pants, uncork the bottle, and begin to pour the alcohol over the wound. Blaine's groans were muffled by the fabric as he turned his head to the side and squeezed his eyes shut tight. Kurt dabbed at the wound with the linen and tore off another piece to wrap around Blaine's leg. He pulled it tight and tied it securely in place, applying pressure to stem the bleeding. Then he wrapped one more piece around the outside before gathering up his supplies and putting them back in his bag.
Blaine finally opened his eyes and turned back to look at Kurt. He watched as Kurt removed the fabric from his mouth and gazed at Blaine with mournful eyes.
"Thank you," Blaine said quietly.
"You're going to be okay," Kurt said. "This is just going to make things a little more difficult."
"I can keep going. It's fine," Blaine said as he unsuccessfully tried to stand up on the leg, but he nearly fell over again. Kurt caught him and helped him up onto his feet. Blaine swayed for a moment as his body fought off the pain, but then endorphins kicked in, and Blaine insisted on continuing on.
Blaine limped along beside Kurt, occasionally leaning on him for support, but they were soon forced to duck into a small depression in the wall as they heard hurried footsteps coming their way.
"Wait here," Kurt said.
"But, Kurt - "
"I'll take care of this," he said, and he turned around, leaving Blaine behind. Blaine listened carefully as he heard a commotion arise from a short distance down the passage. He heard the crash of metal on stone, some shouting, and then the pounding of feet coming down the corridor back in his direction.
Blaine's heart began to race, and he pulled his dagger out, still unaware of what was happening. Then he saw Kurt bounding down the tunnel. And just as Kurt turned his head around to glimpse the guard who was gaining on him, he lost his footing, stumbled, and fell hard to the ground.
The guard was only feet away, his weapon drawn. Kurt hastily twisted onto his back, his eyes wide with fear. All he could hear was the pounding of his heart as the guard lifted his sword above his head.
At that moment, Blaine pushed himself up from the ground and lunged at the guard, wrapping his arms around his midsection. He brought him down heavily, and the guard's sword clattered to the ground. Blaine climbed atop the fallen guard, and his fist made impact with the man's face with a loud crack. Then he came back at him with another blow, and another, until the man lost consciousness. Blaine looked down at the man's face, and he suddenly had a flashback to that day in his shop.
He stood up on shaky legs, blinking his eyes rapidly. Then he turned to finally look at Kurt who was still on the ground, seemingly unharmed, but with a look of pure amazement and admiration in his eyes. Blaine couldn't help but smile weakly at Kurt, but then his leg gave out and he collapsed again.
"Blaine!" Kurt said, rushing to his side, his expression now turning worried. "You shouldn't have put so much pressure on your leg. That was - it was great though. It was hot," Kurt breathed.
"Are you alright? It looked like you hit your head when you fell," Blaine asked.
"I did, but I'm just a bit dizzy. It'll pass," Kurt replied. "I've had much closer calls. I can't believe I was so clumsy, though."
Blaine managed to stand back up on his own and pulled Kurt back up with him.
"Maybe if you hadn't been so cocky," Blaine joked. "You shouldn't have tried to take on two men on your own." They both paused, looked at each other, and laughed.
"I'm glad you find my misfortune amusing. Now, let's go. We need to do something about these two before they wake up," Kurt said, gesturing to the man beside them and to the one sprawled out down the passageway.
They made quick work of binding their limbs, and, as an extra precaution, - and because Kurt found humor in it - tied the two together and shoved them into the alcove in the wall.
The rest of the way was clear as they rounded a few more corners and eventually came to a ladder leading up through what appeared to be a trapdoor.
"You think you can handle the climb?" Kurt asked.
"Yeah, I'll be okay," Blaine said.
"Alright, but you head up first, and I'll make sure you don't fall."
"Fair enough," Blaine said and then grabbed hold of the rung and hoisted himself up, careful with his footing as he climbed upward. He reached the door and pushed up on the wood until it budged. It slid open fairly easily, and he pushed himself up through the hole.
To his surprise, what lay beyond the door was not the dungeons. Blaine glanced around at the dark room. It appeared to be a storage room: shelves lined the walls filled with odds and ends, there were wooden crates, and even a few barrels, all covered in cobwebs and dust.
As soon as Blaine gained his footing, Kurt emerged through the hole and pulled himself up into the room. Kurt scanned the shelves until his eyes fell upon a bolt of fabric. Knowing that it could become useful, he pulled it down from the shelf and began tearing strips off, rolling it up around his hand, and stuffed it inside his bag. Then he reached into a crate and pulled out some rope which he also stowed away. Blaine watched him with a questioning expression.
"We'll need it," Kurt explained. "There's no point in leaving it here. It looks like no one has been in this room for ages." He ran his finger over one of the shelves, lifting it to display caked on dust.
"We should continue along now," Blaine said. "The sooner we finish this, the better."
Kurt nodded, and they made their way to the door which led out into the castle. He slowly pushed it open and looked round the hall before him. It appeared deserted, and, although it was night, the castle was eerily quiet. Out of the corner of his eye, Kurt saw something move, he signaled quickly to Blaine to duck down out of sight. Two guards passed by, and, as soon as they had vanished down another hall, Kurt and Blaine stepped carefully in the direction of the guards' departure.
The hall opened out into a grand entranceway filled with statues, stone vases, and carved wooden furniture embellished with gold. They heard the footsteps echoing back down the hall, returning to their origin, and Blaine took refuge behind a statue. He drew his dagger and waited.
Kurt ducked down behind a vase and drew his knife. They were so close now that there was no time to risk their lives for the sake of fewer casualties.
The guards came around the corner, and, having not seen Kurt or Blaine, walked right by their locations. Kurt quickly lunged forward and sliced into the closest guard's Achilles tendon. He yelled out in agony, but Kurt silenced him by snapping his neck. The other guard turned towards Kurt and began to advance on him when Blaine thrusted his dagger into his back, pushing it up under his ribcage and twisting it to the left. He collapsed to the floor in a bloody heap.
Kurt loomed over the two fallen guards and nudged the one with his foot to make sure the deed was done. He leaned down and cleaned his knife off on the fabric of the one guard's uniform before sliding it back into its casing.
"There's one more place to go," Kurt whispered. "Up," he added, nodding his head in the direction of the staircase.
-A-
Rachel heard a crash outside her chamber door, and she turned in her chair, listening quietly in attempt to figure out the source of the commotion. Then she heard a click as the doors swung open. She stood up and spun around to greet her visitors, but what she saw was completely unexpected: not one, but two assassins entered the room, weapons drawn, and both looking like they had just come back from war, tattered garb, bloody weapons, and all.
Kurt and Blaine glanced around the room before locking eyes with the only occupant.
A petite woman stood before them, and, although she appeared relatively harmless, the maniacal gleam in her eyes and the way she flashed a big, toothy grin at them made them believe otherwise.
After a moment, Kurt realized that he had seen that grin before. At his inn. His brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of it, attempting to piece together vague memories and how everything could have possibly led up to this woman. But, at a loss, all he could utter was:
"You?"