Author's Note: I want to apologize for the missing chapter last Saturday. Anna's Creed did not post due to technical difficulties, but we are back on with things in full force! Thank you so much for your patience and support. I hope you enjoy!

Long Live Imagination

~ Michael

Chapter: 16 The Lady of the Night

All of my life, I've always talked the talk. Don't get me wrong, I will try and walk that walk until my heels ache. But whether it was bragging about how much chocolate I could eat...or telling Kristoff how simple my reconnaissance mission was going to be, I typically bit off more than I could chew. The grimy-faced, scowl-ridden guards ready their weapons and keep us surrounded. Us...the last thing I had expected was for my mission to become a team effort. I stand back to back with Eugene and wonder how long he's kept his identity a secret from Rapunzel. I suppose none of that will matter if we're both killed.

While I steady my sword, I notice Eugene only sways his hidden blade. He remains light on his feet while we wonder who will strike first. Recalling my training, I keep my sword raised to parry as it appears our foes are also wielding blades. I glance at the discarded musket from Eugene's kill and step over it. The last thing either of us needs is one of these thugs getting a clever idea with it.

"Take them!" a guard growls and they all charge at once.

It doesn't matter how prepared I am, my heart still races. I've never had so many foes run towards me. My eyes widen as I realize no matter which way I block, one of them is bound to land a hit. I try adjusting my blade for counters, but there are too many. My foes are closing in as I death-grip my hilt. In those moments, I'm both surprised and grateful when Eugene suddenly snags me by the cloak.

"Hey!" I yelp as he flings me into the air. I spin over incoming swords and block those that jab towards me. Eugene's toss sees me tumbling across the adjacent end of the rooftop and forces the circle of foes to disperse. "What was that for?" I groan.

"Diversion!" Eugene hollers. He dodges an incoming sword strike and drives his hidden blade into the man's neck. I watch as the foe's body lands atop a collection of Eugene's kills.

I'm utterly astonished as to how he's managed to down so many enemies so quickly. "How did you-"

"Come on, newbie!" he teases while kneeing a man in the chest. He then disarms and impales him with his own sword. "Pick up the pace!"

I'm more appalled than impressed by the fact that he's nonchalantly making wisecracks while obliterating people. Any thoughts I have are short-lived when a guard lunges towards me. He brings his blade sailing down as I raise mine to block. Our swords clang and I hurriedly kick him away. Infuriated by my hit, he growls and returns with twice the ferocity. I prepare to parry when another guard swoops in from behind. I sincerely appreciate them screaming like crazed idiots to give away their position before attacking. As my sneak attacker closes in, I spin around and slash his shin. This causes him to stumble straight into my other attacker's blade. Flesh tears and I flinch at the sight of "Sneaky" clasping his bloodied throat. The remaining guard is shocked at his mistake but directs all rage towards me. I dodge his first swing before our blades lock and grind at each other. The blood of his comrade drips from his weapon and stains my sleeve as he presses harder.

I glance rightward after hearing Eugene's grunts. One of the guards has him in a headlock while another advances to deal a killing blow. He furiously elbows his relentless attacker, but any effort to break free is futile. Eugene accidentally discharges the rope from his gauntlet and its hooked end clamors by my feet. My enemy snarls and tries to overwhelm me with brute strength. While he looms over me, I shift Eugene's grappling hook with my boot. I position it so it's between his boots and yell, "Eu-" I stops myself from saying his name. "Friend! Retract!"

"A little busy!" he croaks while his assailant chokes him out. His foe makes the error of shifting his forearm closer and Eugene bites down on it. Once free, he kicks away his would-be executioner and retracts his rope. The grappling hook snags on my enemy and drags him towards Eugene. I hop on his dragging, flailing body and ride him over. Using that momentum, I spring forward and kick Eugene's attacker off of the rooftop. He spins and finishes my foe with a thrust of his hidden blade.

"Very...creative, newbie," he huffs through his cowl. "Not bad."

"How could you possibly know I'm new?" I scoff. He simply glares at me and I sigh. "That obvious, huh?" His glare continues and I roll my eyes. "Now you're just being a jerk." Eugene squints and leans closer to me. "Woah there," I assert. "I'm engaged to someone, sir."

Only then do I realize he's actually looking behind me. "Get down!" Eugene warns and tackles me to the floor. One of the surviving guards has recovered the musket and fires it. The musket ball ricochets against a smokestack while Eugene and I roll over the rooftop. We clasp the ledge and steady ourselves. "Nice save," I pant but brace for another shot. My body tightens and my fingers tremble, but the blast never comes. "Why isn't he firing?" I query.

Eugene peeks over the ledge to get a better look. "I...think he's still reloading."

"Still?" I blurt and have to see for myself.

"Yep," Eugene confirms.

The guard is hastily pouring powder down his rifle's barrel and preparing another cartridge. "Oh," I realize. "Then...should we-"

"Yep," Eugene swiftly answers and we climb back up to the roof. We rush the guard while he hurries to reload. My heart sinks when I hear a click and he takes aim. By the time his finger nestles against the musket's trigger, Eugene is already forcing the rifle upward. He fires towards the starry sky and stumbles backward. The ensuing spark lets me see his frightened expression for a moment before Eugene pries the weapon from his hands. I roll forward and sweep the foe's legs while Eugene knocks him out with the rifle's butt.

An eerie silence ensues and he examines the battered firearm. "These damn things'll run the world someday," Eugene murmurs before tossing it aside.

"You want to tell me what you're doing here?" I inquire.

"A bold question for a foreigner to be asking," Eugene quips while rolling bodies out of his way. "I was tailing you."

"Oh?"

"There was something up about you," he says. "I couldn't quite place it from the start, but I certainly didn't expect you to be one of us."

"So there are other assassins in Corona?" I query. "Do you have a brotherhood?"

Eugene pulls me close and whispers sharply. "You wanna talk any louder and ask any other dangerous questions, rookie?" He shifts a body and finds a hatch leading in beneath it. "Yes, there are others here," he replies while we descend into the warehouse. "But their names and locations should be unimportant to you. Just as no one should know about your relationship."

"I'm sorry," I admit. "It just kinda slipped."

"And that's all it takes," Eugene admits. "Just one slip to the wrong set of ears puts everyone and everything you care about at risk. They'll put the pieces together behind your secret identity. They'll take those you love and weaponize them against you." Eugene sighs. "I've seen it before."

"My mistake," I scoff.

"Just learn from it before it costs you," Eugene intones. "Now, you want to tell me what you're doing here?" I toss him the trading company's badge and he curiously analyzes it. "Where did you get this?"

"Off one of my would-be killers back in Arendelle," I tell him. "I've got a conspiracy on my hands back home and the clues have led me to your kingdom."

"So you just thought you'd come sneak around under the guise of diplomacy?" Eugene jeers. "Gutsy, but also reckless. You practically had 'suspicious' written on your forehead just showing up here."

"But something tells me you're working another angle here," I retort. "You just follow me and decided to help? What if I'm a criminal and the men we just defeated were innocent?"

Eugene scours the catwalk we stand on for a means to descend. "I'd been casing this place for several nights. A member of our brotherhood intercepted one of the trading company's couriers. He had a message dictating to 'proceed as planned' and that 'The Shadow' was prepared."

My brows furrow as I recall Hans paying off the ice harvesters. "The Shadow," I reiterate. "It is all connected. This Shadow links Arendelle to Corona. He...or she is an unseen being at work in Hans' plan."

"And what plan is that?" Eugene asks me.

"I'm not sure yet."

"Then I don't even have to know who Hans is to tell you this information's no good. We need more. I need to know what exactly's going on in that winter wonderland of yours."

"You'll know what you need to know," I assert while he frustradely vaults over the catwalk.

I follow him down and he scoffs at me. "You're making it very difficult to work together," he grumbles. I'm about to refute when he pulls me into the shadows.

A series of heavy stomps has me tensing up as two guards jog by. "Any word from the roof?" One of them asks.

"Nothing," another laments. "It's too quiet." Eugene's eyes sway towards the guards and I catch his drift. We remain light on our feet and inch closer from the darkness. "The patrol should've come back by now. We need to get the boat out of here. At least until this close call blows over." Eugene and I are about take the pair out when more guards arrive on the scene. We hurriedly slip back into the dark, but Eugene's heel scrapes on a brick.

One of the guards turns with a sneer and brandishes his sword. "What is it?" his cohort inquires.

Eugene holds his breath and grits his teeth. I remain crouched but am ready to pounce if our cover's blown. The man cautiously lowers his weapon and huffs. "Nothing," he murmurs. "I'm jumping at shadows."

Eugene and I regroup behind a stack of crates and observe the panicking men. They appear to be smuggling barrels and netted supplies onto a sturdy vessel. "Take these down to the coast," a strident voice brays.

"Is that who I think it is?" Eugene whispers and leaves me with more questions.

"Who?" I ask and peek over his shoulder. A glowering brigand stands atop a set of barrels. Her slender arms twitch with each command she barks. Moonlight from a cracked window illuminates her wavy, auburn hair. That lunar glow makes the skull and rose tattoo on her arm all the more haunting.

Eugene's eyes widen as he utters the woman's name. "Lady Caine. One of Corona's many...degenerates. Looks like she's running with a new crowd these days."

Caine scowls when one of her men trips with supplies. She furiously recovers it and cares not if he stumbles on his face. "Honestly," she mumbles. "Where did they find you fools?"

"Lady Caine," a henchman beckons. He's nearly out of breath by the time he reaches her. "They're dead," he huffs. "They're all dead." Her eyes dart to the roof as we realize who he's referring to. "Do you think it's the royal guard?"

Caine scoffs at her henchman. "Without a grandiose entrance?" she proposes. "Sneaking about and making short work of my people? Not a chance. It could be the brotherhood we were warned about. Get us on the water...now."

"Whatever information you're looking for, Lady Caine's bound to have it," Eugene deduces.

"It's just a matter of getting to her," I gripe. "At least we still have the element of surprise on our side." As soon as I say that, two men lift our crates for the boat and reveal our location. I immediately wince and can feel the weight of Eugene's glare on me.

"You just had to say something, didn't you?" he jeers.

"They're here!" one of the men shouts and drops his crate with a thud. Eugene kicks that same crate forward to knock his foe to the floor. My attacker lunges at me as I swipe my arm across his torso. My hidden blade is simultaneously emerging and slashing across his ribcage in the process. He crashes into the box and reveals an orderly set of packed muskets within.

The sight of so much fresh weaponry has my heart sinking, especially when I realize how many crates have already been loaded. "We need to stop that boat!" I shout and we bolt for the dock.

Caine and her men rush to untether their vessel while other men head for us. There isn't time to engage, so I kick off the nearest wall and leap over them. Eugene downs a foe and I catch a glimpse of him running up the adjacent dockside. We each flank the boat just as it begins to set sail. I throw caution to the nightly wind and launch myself off of the docks. The ocean waves skim my heels as I reach for the very utensil my love has given me. Kristoff's pickaxe digs into part of the boat's gunwale. I cling off its aft while Eugene launches his grappling hook from the adjacent side. He's completely gone for a swim and is slowly reeling himself towards the boat. I'd find the sight comical if shadow wasn't looming over me.

I peer up as the silhouette unsheathes a sword. "Well well," Lady Caine says. She perches atop the aft like a savage bird of prey. "Creative, aren't we?"

"So I'm told," I quip as she kicks at my pickaxe. She raises one of her thin brows when she realizes how deeply embedded it is. Rather then focus on it, Caine swings her blade to slice my hands. I'm forced to abandon the pickaxe and shimmy across the gunwale. She angrily swings at me again and I nearly lose my grip. Caine capitalizes on my fumble and uses her momentum to stomp on my hand. The raw sting of her heel on my fingers has me growling with pain. While she keeps my hand pinned beneath her foot, she raises her blade to attempt dismemberment. I try to ignore the stinging sensation in my hand and try to pry myself free. She's putting so much pressure on me that any attempt to pull back would lead to further injury.

Caine flashes an insidious smirk and swings her sword downward. I brace as it strikes my forearm and makes a bizarre, crackling sound. "What?" Caine blurts. I slightly rotate my wrist to see that my hidden blade's vambrace has absorbed the blow. While I'm lucky to have been spared a dismemberment, my stomach drops when I realize she's managed to break my hidden blade. Infuriated by the hindrance, Caine is about to strike again when she hears a commotion behind her. She glances back to see that Eugene has made it aboard and is battling her men. I take advantage of the brief distraction and scavenge a broken shard of my hidden blade. I pluck it out of my dented vambrace and drive it into Caine's foot.

The brigand screeches and staggers away from the gunwale. Feeling returns to my hand as I gingerly pull myself over the side. Lady Caine is savagely ripping the shard out of her foot and glaring at me. I've only started to catch my breath when she goes as far as to throw the bloodied shard back at me. I gasp and roll under the projectile as it splinters the planks behind me.

"Not bad, you little pest," she jeers. "What are you, like seventeen?"

Not even close, I think while drawing my sword.

"That's cute," Caine scoffs at my stance. She expertly flourishes her sword and points it towards me. She notices me glancing at the wound on her foot and smirks. "Come here," she taunts. "I'll give you a real cut."

Whether she possesses fencing skill or not, Caine twirls her blade like a master. The glint of her steel in the moonlight is disorienting as I try to put some distance between us. It isn't long before I realize she's boxing me in against the gunwale and I'm forced to duel her. Our blades meet and she ferociously strikes mine twice. The clangs are deafening and I race to keep up with her. My right hand is still numb and throbbing from where she stepped on it and I'm forced to use my left. I try shifting this to my advantage and formulate a counterattack.

While Caine locks swords with me, I lunge forward with my hidden blade...only to remember that it's broken. The useless vambrace simply pats against her torso and she elbows it away. The slightest impact continues to agitate my hand and I remain on the defensive. She shoves me back to the gunwale and I reach for my pickaxe. While using momentum to launch myself forward, I'm able to dislodge it from its wooden entrapment. Caine spins as I attack with both sword and pickaxe in hand. I cross them against her sword and our faces meet in the center. Just when I think I'm finally on the offensive, Caine's glare darkens. She thrusts her head between the spaces until it meets mine.

My world spins after such a tremendous, disorienting headbutt. While I'm able to dizzily parry her sword, it doesn't stop Caine from unsheathing a hidden dagger from her boot. She drives it across my shoulder as I hear fabric tearing in my ringing ears. My aching head hangs forward and I notice blood dripping down my sleeve. I don't even have time to wonder how grievous my wound is as Caine delivers a swift punch across my cheek. Her sharp knuckles are like dull blades of their own and I tumble across the deck. What's most chilling is that this woman isn't even breaking a sweat. This is fun for her. Caine's got an unwavering smirk engraved across her magenta lips as she closes in for the kill. She won't be denied a thing as I haplessly try and parry her jab. Our swords barely meet before she kicks me back down. My world is spinning as the sea, shore, and starry sky all mold into one. I notice Eugene dispatching Caine's henchmen from atop the mast I hear Caine's voice.

"Look at me," she commands. I rebelliously peer away and can feel her fury intensify. "I said look at me!" She pulls me up by the hood and squeezes my dazed face. I try swinging my sword upward, but Caine blocks and shoves it back down. Her strength combined with my lightheadedness makes me drop the sword and pickaxe. "Do you have the slightest idea who you're messing with?" I wince as she squeezes my swollen cheek and holds up her sword. "Here's what happens to amateurs, kid." She brings the blade to my throat as I hear Eugene's grappling hook zip from above.

It strikes the deck by Caine's feet and I desperately stomp where I'd stabbed her earlier. I grind my heel into her boot and Cain lets out an agonizing grunt. She staggers and Eugene's hook snags on her buckled boot. He pulls from the mast and she's dragged up like a freshly-captured fish. Caine doesn't go down...or up without a fight and swipes her sword in retaliation. I catch the glint of her blade amidst our grapple and suddenly feel a sharp sting against my face. There's a itching, burning sensation coming from my cheek as I hunch forward. I slowly bring my fingers up and discover a small cut in my skin. The amount of blood has me worried as I dampen my cheek with part of my hood. The longer the wound settles, the greater its pain sears while my other aches become minor problems. I catch my breath and assess my injuries while Eugene hangs Lady Caine upside down from the mast.

"You alright?" Eugene asks me.

I try to stand up straight and clutch my aching shoulder. "Fine," I groan.

"Who are you amateurs kidding?" Caine jeers from her entrapment. Her dark tresses dangle like the tentacles of a sinister octopus. "You think this stops anything? Stops me?" Eugene is about to interrogate her but instead backs down. "Great. One's a weakling, the other's a coward. Same difference."

Eugene comes over and whispers in my ear. "Caine knows me," he says. "She'll recognize my voice."

"I'll deal with this," I huff and endure my wounds.

"Can you even see straight?" Caine taunts as I hobble forward.

I have to be smart. There's no denying it. No amount of academy training can stop me from being the rookie that I am. Work in the dark to serve the light, I recall our creed. If I'm going to defeat Lady Caine, I need to outsmart her. It might cost me something, but I may have more to gain.

"It's nice when all of the pieces come together," I falsely boast. Caine raises a brow as I approach her. "What's that saying? Honor among thieves? Seems that's on the way out."

"Look, kid. I don't know if it's your wounds or the blood rushing to my head, but I don't know what the hell you're saying."

I clench a fist to quell my rising anger. "I'm saying it was only a matter of time before the brotherhood found you. Hans gave you up." Caine's brows relax as I step closer. "Arendellian authorities took him into custody and he sang like a bird. Cowards like him often do to save their own hide." I conceal a smile while watching Caine's eyes dart back and forth. "But if he's going down, he's taking all of you with him. He gave us locations, names..."

Eugene dares to step in and deepens his voice to obscure it. "He gave us a lot of names. Many of which never could've been involved in his plan. Sound familiar?" Caine's eye twitches as if she's recalling something horrid. "Unless you want more families torn apart and the wrong people hauled away, you'll tell us what you know."

Clearly Eugene knows something about her past that I don't. I can only hope it works in our favor as Caine lets out a frustrated sigh. "No coin is worth the wrong people getting jailed, but if I spill...you have to set me free."

"No way-" I retort until Eugene holds up a hand.

"Deal," he says and I shoot him a glare. "We've got bigger issues on our hands," he whispers to me. "Caine can always be dealt with."

"I don't know how many names Prince High-and-Mighty gave you-" she says. "-but he's probably covering his tracks. Classic misdirection. That's what I would do." My heart races as she completely buys into my lie. "The majority of those names are likely false. I'm just a supplier. He wanted these armaments for some attack. I wasn't told where and frankly, I didn't care as long as I got paid. These weapons were to go to the main force on some sovereign territory." Caine grits her teeth and groans. "What the hell was it called? Weaselberg? Weaseltown?"

"Weselton," I hiss.

"I guess I didn't knock all of the sense out of you," Caine chuckles. "Yeah, that's the place. Its Duke shares a similar gripe that the prince does. I don't know what Arendelle did to these petty men, but if Hans gave you the Duke...he's as guilty as they come. That's all I know. Now cut me down."

"Not yet," I intone. "Hans almost gave us everything. He never revealed who the Shadow was, but the person seemed pretty sacred to him."

Caine scoffs. "Well if Hans didn't tell you, why would I?"

I walked right into that one, I scold myself.

"Kid, the Shadow lives up to that title. I don't know if they're a middleman or middlewoman but they're untraceable."

"No one is untraceable," Eugene asserts.

Caine chuckles. "Gimme a break. If that was true, you would've nabbed this Shadow by now. Your guess is as good as mine in regards to who they are. Hell, one of you could be the Shadow for all I know."

Whether she means it or not, Lady Caine's final jab rattles my inner foundation. My eyes widen and I take the Shadow's elusiveness into consideration. Nothing is stopping this person from being an Assassin. Mouse, who we all trusted to be one us...turned out to be a Templar. I feel new and dreadful questions boiling up within me. Who is the Shadow and do I know them? Are they already walking among me?

Our interrogation is cut short when several lanterns shine towards our boat. I peer out across the harbor to see royal knights on reinforced skiffs. The celestial symbol of their kingdom is brandished across each vessel as they flank ours. The mustachioed captain of the guard holds his lantern up for a closer look. When he does so, I can faintly make out the short-haired woman at his side. "Cassandra?" I utter. Her handmaiden gowns have been replaced by a far more versatile tunic.

"Oh no," Eugene whispers.

I can only infer we've made enough noise to wake up half the kingdom by now. It was only a matter of time before someone called for the authorities, I had just hoped we'd be gone by then. Now, all the royal guards see is two hooded criminals stringing up a third while the corpses of henchmen decorate a boat filled with smuggled weapons. You know...casual stuff.

"By order of the Kingdom of Corona," the captain bellows. "You are all under arrest!"

Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading this week's installment of "Anna's Creed." We'll see you in two weeks for the exciting continuation!

Long Live Imagination!

~Michael