Only a Whisper


The mission at Orchard Farms is a little galling, because it reminds her of the last time she was there, but it's the first time she has a chance to actually work alongside Farmboy. She hasn't done that since the bandits back at the academy. He fights others with a surprising ferocity, and shows absolutely no mercy. He's not so good about remembering his teammates, either, but Whisper's fine with that, she can look out for herself.

It quickly devolves into a contest as to who can kill more Hobbes, and the outcome, predictably, is Farmboy. It's the last straw for Whisper and from that moment on she deliberately avoids him and the Guild, where people are beginning to talk about what a great fighter he is. Her familiarity with Knothole Glade lands her a few missions there, and she manages to take down quite a few bandit raids, and more than a few Balverines.

Eventually she gets a really important mission—the Assassins' Guild. It's a fairly new problem, but none the less serious for that. Apparently, it was started by some apprentice who the Guild rejected, a fellow named Hood. Over the years he's been gathering different Assassins to form some kind of murder-for-profit business. Maze described it as a sort of "Anti-Heroes-Guild: They take quests to kill and steal."

To Whisper this sounds a little odd—she's seen more than her fair share of "questionable" quests in her time—but she takes the mission regardless. There are rumors that Hood has ties to the bandit king Twinblade, and to all appearances Maze is preparing some kind of attack on them. It's the talk of the Guild, and Whisper wants to be in on it.

It takes some digging and several interrogations in taverns, but finally Whisper has the information on Hood. He has a cave in Darkwood, near the Chapel of Skorm. She makes her way there without too much difficulty and quickly gets things going.

The cave is well defended. Hood definitely has some kind of alliance with Twinblade, there are plenty of his elites running around the place. And none of the Assassins are exactly easy either. But she loves a challenge, and after a year or so of battling Balverines, she's used to fast attacks. After a great deal of difficulty and more health potions than she likes to use, she finally confronts Hood.

To her astonishment, she realizes she knows him. Not personally of course—she never bothered to talk to the arrogant apprentice who claimed he was the fastest in the Guild—but she'd be a fool if she didn't recognize Farmboy's racing rival. He was several years older than them, of course, but was held back due to his grades in Will. He was even worse than Farmboy, which is saying quite a bit.

But now that she thinks about it, she remembers why he was kicked out. A bar fight, wasn't it? With another apprentice, named Sabre, who was always arguing with him. Apparently the argument went out of hand and became a fight, and the fight went out of hand and became a dead Sabre.

She remembers it mostly because Farmboy was depressed at Hood leaving before he could beat his record. Even when he left, Hood was still the fastest in the Guild.

He remembers her too and greets her with a smile. "So, the Guild sent Thunder's sister, did they?" He studies his fingernails. "I'd say I was flattered, if I didn't feel insulted that they sent the wannabe instead of the genuine article."

After all these years, they still compare her to her brother. She ignores his insult and charges forward.

Hood's speed has increased with his arrogance. It's nearly impossible to get a hit to connect, though when you do it's sure to hurt—apparently Hood never bothered to learn how to block. Whisper wastes a lot of time flailing around at nothing before she pulls out a new trick she's learned, called the Battle Charge. It doesn't actually land on him very often, but it catches him off guard and gives her an advantage.

Within a few moments, he's lying at her feet. He barely even gets the chance to beg for mercy before she drives the spear into his eye and kills him. She regrets that decision a moment later—after all, Maze probably could have used whatever info Hood had on Twinblade—but pushes the thought away. A moments searching procures her an Assassin's seal, which she considers a suitable Trophy, and then it's back to the Guild.

She steps in the front of door to find a whirlwind of activity. Apprentices are rushing everywhere and frenzied exclamations are all in the air. "Just one man?" "Snuck in there as bold as brass." "Heard he had to kill a whole troop of 'em just to get in the camp." "Oh sure, he's dead. Head lopped clean off."

It's a bit much for Whisper to understand all at once, and she stops a passing apprentice. "Excuse me, what is going on?"

"Haven't you heard?" He asks, and Whisper shakes her head. "Oh, it's Pilgrim! Charged right into the bandit camp and slew Twinblade. All his guard, too! Say it was a real bloodbath." He quirks an eyebrow at her. "Say, where have you been, anyway?"

Whisper sighs. "It doesn't matter."

Not anymore.


A/N: Review! The most wonderful thing about reviews is that reviews are wonderful things! They bring the light to darkness! They turn winter to spring! And anyone, since you've slaved through this chapter, you might as well make it worthwhile by telling me how much you liked it (or didn't) My hearty thanks to almostinsane, who has consistently reviewed each chapter. It makes the world of difference.

So. This part is completely my own invention, since Whisper doesn't appear again until you reach the arena (we'll be getting to that next time). But I thought this a good place to point out the rivalry between the two again. Twinblade is your first really major mission, and it's fitting that Whisper should hear about it like this.

That's a good title, too. I like that title.