p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Chapter 1/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"The soldier hadn't lasted nearly as long as she had expected. Not even an hour into the questioning, he willingly gave up the locations of his soldiers and fellow rebels. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" She killed him anyways./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" Lost in her bloodlust, she had drained him of his lifeblood, using only her voice and the lyrics of her ancestors. She would be punished for the quick death she had granted the traitor, but the strength she now felt would be worth every lash of the cold tipped whip./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" The image of the rebel's final breath was still ingrained in her mind; the way his dark green eyes had peacefully closed behind the black hair matted to his forehead. The way that his screams had stopped as soon as she started singing. The song she sang to take a person's lifeblood did not usually cause pain, as her ministrations did, but it also did not usually induce a sense of peace. She did not know why it did this time./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" But the thing she still felt most from him was his life. The life that she had tricked out of his very veins and transferred to her own. The life that had tasted of honey and felt like fire as it coursed through her veins and towards her heart. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" The taste was still in her mouth these hours later as she walked towards the King's throne room./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" She was late, not by much, but still five minutes past what the messenger had specified. This would not improve the King's mood, nor would it ease the beating she was sure to receive./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She shrugged off the thought as she reached the tall brass doors that lead into the throne room. She would not let the anticipation of pain, nor the King, dim the joy that had come with taking the rebel's life./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" Stopping in front of the door, she motioned for the servants to open them. The large slabs of metal swung smoothly on their hinges, making no noise. The dimly lit interior held nothing against the throne room at Atlantis, but it was one of the finer throne rooms of the land castles./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" Seated in a large silver throne sat the king. His fur cloak draped across the arm of the chair and onto the floor while his heavily ringed fingers drummed impatiently next to it. His whole demeanor commanded fear and obedience./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" She strode up to the base of the dais and knelt, bowing her head and crossing her arm across her chest. She waited for him to speak./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" "Rise, Arielain," he said. She rose to her feet and looked him in the eye. His face held no emotion except for a hint of distain marked by the crease in his forehead. "Report."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" "My king, I have finished questioning the rebel. He spoke of his brethren hiding in the villages of Sora and Alatri, both on the western coast of Malda. He gave me these locations." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a crinkled piece of paper. There was blood staining the corners. She handed it to the king and continued. "It seems we can't trust Lord Durgan after all."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" The king massaged his temples as he unfolded the piece of paper and read the list of cities and businesses that either harbored or sympathized with the rebels' cause. It went on a good two and a half pages, but she would soon take care of that./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" The King shook his head. "You're sure this is accurate information?" He handed her back the note./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" "No, Your Highness," she replied honestly. "I cannot guarantee that the traitor did not lie, but acome dawns first light, /aspan class="MsoCommentReference"span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 11.413333892822266px;"a id="_anchor_1" class="msocomanchor" name="_msoanchor_1"/a[LT1] /span/spanspan class="MsoCommentReference"span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 11.413333892822266px;"a id="_anchor_2" class="msocomanchor" name="_msoanchor_2"/a[LT2] /span/spanI will personally check the information." She fully intended on keeping to her promise, she already had a mental map of the towns and lords she would visit as well as emhow/em, exactly, she would confirm the information./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" "Good." He nodded his head. "And I assume you drained the soldier," he said as he examined his rings./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" "Yes, Majesty." She lowered her head in submission and clasped her hands in front of her, waiting for the order to fetch him the whip. It never came./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" He sighed. "Very well," he said as he looked back up at her, his gaze a cold thing that seemed to suck the warmth and sunlight out of the room. "Consider your lack of punishment a birthday gift from me."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" She didn't let the shock of his lack of bloodlust show, for she feared it might upset his delicately good mood and just murmured her thanks./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" "Yes, father." And she turned and left the room./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" She ate dinner in the confines of her quarters. The food was bland, and the only company she kept was the crackling fire. Who had lit the blasted thing in the first place? She did not require, nor desire, heat, and even if she were a mere mortal, the temperature outside was comfortable enough that any extra heat made it unbearable. The warmth from the fire enveloped the entire room, nearly suffocating her in its embrace and the room seemed even smaller in this temperature. Sweat was starting to bead against her forehead as she stared at the letter, which she planned on giving to a page to give to her father the next morning, detailing where she would be for the next three and a half weeks, checking the information and emtaking care of it/em accordingly. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She sighed and pushed her plate aside, standing from the table in one smooth motion. She strode over to the large window in front of her balcony and pushed aside the curtains, opening the doors. She relished the sweet relief the chilly night breeze brought her, but she longed to feel the frigid waters of the Balric sea against her skin. She only had one fortnight until Imbolc, one fortnight until she would be banned from the ocean, but she did not have time to enjoy the sea. She had a job to do. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She stepped out and leaned against the railing, inhaling the salty air. She could hear the waves breaking against the rocks at the base of the cliff hundreds of feet below her and the city. She imagined she could almost feel the salty spray caressing her skin, the cool dark waters and the sandy seabed. The thought of what she would soon be missing made her itch. For the four months of the year after Imbolc, she was cursed to not go into the sea in her preferred form. For four months, her broken soul ached for the water and everything that came with it. And for four months, she had to endure the ache she had to swim and sing and to just embe/em. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"These times were the worst, when she was at her lowest. Not that the rest of the time she was a saint, but the angst she felt intensified her bloodlust, and all of her nerves were very short. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She left her thoughts behind and gazed out at the city, actually enjoying the loneliness and solitude the empty streets offered. She was still painfully bored, but the view took off some of that edge. She had never quite seen why people enjoyed the company of others so. The silence was kind to her. It offered her better hearing, it soothed her nerves, and it did not bother her to go days on end without seeing a human face. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"Her eyes swept across the city, but they stopped when they landed on a group of four dark clad figures moving swiftly through a street running parallel to the palace. Had she been in any other room on any lower floor, she would not have been able to see them, but from this height, the wall surrounding the castle was not too tall, and she could see every brick of every house down every cobblestone street. She could see every move they made, and something about the way that they stuck to the shadows made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. The alley did not lead anywhere, and they weren't coming towards the castle, but— /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"A memory surfaced. Of her trainer pointing to the wall of rocks on the northern side of the city and saying she couldn't come inside the castle until she found a secret entrance and navigated through the labyrinth of caves until she found a way in. She had looked for two days and had spent another three trapped in the caves until by some miracle she had found her way out. But that was where they were going, she was sure of it. The small crevice in the rock cliffs had been almost impossible to see, and most everyone had forgotten about its existence, but it led to tunnels that could get you into the castle unseen. If she was right and this was where they were going…/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"They could even be trying to break out that rebel she had captured off the coast. The one she had drained. The one she had killed. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;""Shit," she murmured. She walked into her rooms and over to her armoire, where she had her leather boots and a black cloak waiting for her, along with weapons. She chose her samphire-encrusted silver hunting knives. If it came down to a fight, she would easily beat the group with her finely made daggers, but if she was wrong and they weren't trying to sneak into the palace, the knives fit easily into her waistband and were not so bulky as to be noticeable. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She strapped the hunting knives to the outside of her thighs and added two more smaller daggers to her boot. That would be more than enough, but she did not want to be unprepared. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"Fastening her unmarked cloak around her shoulders and gazing longingly at the crossbow on the wall that she could not take with her if she were to remain inconspicuous, she walked over to the balcony. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"And leapt./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"The cool night air rushing past her sang sweet, terrible songs into her ears. Stray strands of braided hair whipped at her face as she fell, fell, fell. The roof loomed up before her and before she knew it, she was on top of the palace ballroom. The impact was forceful, nothing she hadn't felt before, and it was completely and utterly silent. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She could not see where the group was now, but she knew of the street. Last she had seen, they had been a half mile from the entrance to the cave, and she a quarter from them. A small, wicked smile tugged at the corner of her lips. This should be easy./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"And so the hunt began. She began on the roofs of the buildings closest to the palace, and when she reached the twenty-foot-high wall that encompassed the palace, she climbed it. Her fingers dug into the small grooved between bricks, and her feet propelled her upwards. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"Once at the top, she surveyed the city once more. She could just barely make out the moving figures above the tops of the buildings. They were closer to the entrance now, but not close enough that they would beat her there. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She started running. Her supple leather boots made almost no sound against the worn cobblestones as she caught up to them. She knew this city the by heart, and she knew where all of the shortcuts were. Passing through alleys and backyards and streets, she made it in half the time it would have taken to stick to main roads. She stayed about twenty feet behind the group, blending into the shadows. It had to be certain that they were actually aiming for the tunnel before she struck. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"The leader of the group slowed their pace from a run to a brisk walk. They were nearing the entrance. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;""Sir," one of the men in black said to the leader. His voice sounded jarringly loud in the silence of the night. "Sir," he repeated in a sightly lower tone. "Are you sure this plan will work? All we are going off of is the word of some common thief, and who knows if she told the truth. What if, well, what if emhe/em isnt here anymore, or—" The insubordinate member was silenced as the leader held up a hand, not even deigning to turn around and acknowledge the man. He slowed the pace even more until they were standing still. Arielain was still trailing behind them, although she had closed the distance slightly. She was now a mere ten feet behind the last man. If she could just take out him and his closest companion without them all noticing, she could easily keep this quiet. In fact, her father may not even have to know. She would be leaving in the morning, after all, and who would notice these missing men?/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"Arielain ached to taste the lifeblood of these men, to taste emthem,/em but she waited. She was almost positive of their intentions, but she did have to make absolutely certain that she was not wrong. If she attacked them and it wasn't what she thought, then she would definitely have to explain this to the King and postpone her trip another day. She could not wait that long. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"The leader looked behind him and Arielain ducked into the shadows. His eyes swept right over where she hid, and his nostrils flared as though he was smelling something. Then he turned and faced forwards again. They resumed their course. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"After some time, they slowed their pace again. And sure enough, it was right at the entrance to the path that led to the cave. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She was sure now. They were trying to rescue (or kidnap) this mysterious "he" from the castle, and they were going to get in by way of the caverns. She had to strike now, before they went up the steep cliff path that led to the entrance. She had barely been able to maneuver herself on that ledge, as the scar on the inside of her left knee reminded, and she was certain that someone would shoot her with an arrow before she had taken out even three of the five men. No. She would have to do it here and now./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She swiftly closed the gap between her and the last man. She stood silently five feet behind him in the shadows of a building as she palmed her daggers and adjusted her grip. They made no noise coming out of their metal sheaths. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She took a step, and another, and then she was right behind him. She lunged to stab the blade through his heart—/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She was thrown back as a blinding pain tore through her abdomen and she stumbled. The man turned to look at her, relief in his face, and she looked down at her stomach. At the feathered shaft of an arrow sticking out of her side. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She dropped to her knees and her vision blurred as she clamped her hand around the wound. Thick red blood leaked from between her fingers and onto the streets, staining the cobblestones. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"The men had gathered a few feet away and were watching her, waiting for her to pass out from the blood loss or die. She couldn't let that happen. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She wrapped her palm around the shaft of the arrow, intending to pull it out of her, but she screamed as the flesh on her hand burned. The contact between it and the arrow had scorched her skin and there were blisters and welts in a line where they had made contact. The shaft must be covered in poison, but she did not know of any poison that actually affected her. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"Her head felt heavy, and her eyelids drooped. Her vision was completely distorted, although she could hear one of the men start to walk towards her. She tried to get up and flee, but her muscles had stopped responding to her commands. The man said something that became muddled in her head, but his voice was familiar. She did not know where she knew it from. A new body came into view as brown leather boots stopped in front of her. She doubled over in pain as the arrow moved in her body. As it kept moving, as though it was swirling around her insides. The pain was too much, she couldn't hold on much longer—/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"No. She had to get up. She had to move. She had to emkill them. /emNo one, emno one, /emtreated her like this, and no one emever/em beat her. She would not allow it. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"Her hand flashed out and grabbed the man's knee. His dull scream cut through the night as she crushed his kneecap. She relished his pain. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"Slowly, she pushed up onto her feet. Her muscles were shaking. This sort of wound shouldn't be keeping her down, even if it did have poison on the arrow. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She pushed the man aside and he fell to the ground. Tears streamed from her eyes as she tried to blink away some of the fog. She reached for her second dagger and palmed it. Her fingers felt weak. The knife felt unbearably heavy. She stalked over to the group of men and they started running away. All except one. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"Her vision was still blurry, and her steps were heavy, but she made it to within five feet of him before he lifted a finger as a signal and more pain flashed through her, this time coming from her back. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She collapsed to the ground; her fingers still wrapped around the dagger that was aimed towards the leader. Her breaths were coming in shallow bursts and her head was getting foggier by the second. She blinked back the blurriness. And blinked some more at the man that knelt before her. He should be dead. She killed him. She watched him die…/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"For above her were painfully beautiful green eyes framed by night-black hair. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"The soldier hadn't lasted nearly as long as she had expected. Not even an hour into the questioning, he willingly gave up the locations of his soldiers and fellow rebels. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" She killed him anyways./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" Lost in her bloodlust, she had drained him of his lifeblood, using only her voice and the lyrics of her ancestors. She would be punished for the quick death she had granted the traitor, but the strength she now felt would be worth every lash of the cold tipped whip./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" The image of the rebel's final breath was still ingrained in her mind; the way his dark green eyes had peacefully closed behind the black hair matted to his forehead. The way that his screams had stopped as soon as she started singing. The song she sang to take a person's lifeblood did not usually cause pain, as her ministrations did, but it also did not usually induce a sense of peace. She did not know why it did this time./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" But the thing she still felt most from him was his life. The life that she had tricked out of his very veins and transferred to her own. The life that had tasted of honey and felt like fire as it coursed through her veins and towards her heart. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" The taste was still in her mouth these hours later as she walked towards the King's throne room./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" She was late, not by much, but still five minutes past what the messenger had specified. This would not improve the King's mood, nor would it ease the beating she was sure to receive./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She shrugged off the thought as she reached the tall brass doors that lead into the throne room. She would not let the anticipation of pain, nor the King, dim the joy that had come with taking the rebel's life./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" Stopping in front of the door, she motioned for the servants to open them. The large slabs of metal swung smoothly on their hinges, making no noise. The dimly lit interior held nothing against the throne room at Atlantis, but it was one of the finer throne rooms of the land castles./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" Seated in a large silver throne sat the king. His fur cloak draped across the arm of the chair and onto the floor while his heavily ringed fingers drummed impatiently next to it. His whole demeanor commanded fear and obedience./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" She strode up to the base of the dais and knelt, bowing her head and crossing her arm across her chest. She waited for him to speak./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" "Rise, Arielain," he said. She rose to her feet and looked him in the eye. His face held no emotion except for a hint of distain marked by the crease in his forehead. "Report."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" "My king, I have finished questioning the rebel. He spoke of his brethren hiding in the villages of Sora and Alatri, both on the western coast of Malda. He gave me these locations." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a crinkled piece of paper. There was blood staining the corners. She handed it to the king and continued. "It seems we can't trust Lord Durgan after all."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" The king massaged his temples as he unfolded the piece of paper and read the list of cities and businesses that either harbored or sympathized with the rebels' cause. It went on a good two and a half pages, but she would soon take care of that./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" The King shook his head. "You're sure this is accurate information?" He handed her back the note./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" "No, Your Highness," she replied honestly. "I cannot guarantee that the traitor did not lie, but acome dawns first light, /aspan class="MsoCommentReference"span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 11.413333892822266px;"a id="_anchor_1" class="msocomanchor" name="_msoanchor_1"/a[LT1] /span/spanspan class="MsoCommentReference"span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 11.413333892822266px;"a id="_anchor_2" class="msocomanchor" name="_msoanchor_2"/a[LT2] /span/spanI will personally check the information." She fully intended on keeping to her promise, she already had a mental map of the towns and lords she would visit as well as emhow/em, exactly, she would confirm the information./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" "Good." He nodded his head. "And I assume you drained the soldier," he said as he examined his rings./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" "Yes, Majesty." She lowered her head in submission and clasped her hands in front of her, waiting for the order to fetch him the whip. It never came./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" He sighed. "Very well," he said as he looked back up at her, his gaze a cold thing that seemed to suck the warmth and sunlight out of the room. "Consider your lack of punishment a birthday gift from me."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" She didn't let the shock of his lack of bloodlust show, for she feared it might upset his delicately good mood and just murmured her thanks./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" "Yes, father." And she turned and left the room./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" She ate dinner in the confines of her quarters. The food was bland, and the only company she kept was the crackling fire. Who had lit the blasted thing in the first place? She did not require, nor desire, heat, and even if she were a mere mortal, the temperature outside was comfortable enough that any extra heat made it unbearable. The warmth from the fire enveloped the entire room, nearly suffocating her in its embrace and the room seemed even smaller in this temperature. Sweat was starting to bead against her forehead as she stared at the letter, which she planned on giving to a page to give to her father the next morning, detailing where she would be for the next three and a half weeks, checking the information and emtaking care of it/em accordingly. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She sighed and pushed her plate aside, standing from the table in one smooth motion. She strode over to the large window in front of her balcony and pushed aside the curtains, opening the doors. She relished the sweet relief the chilly night breeze brought her, but she longed to feel the frigid waters of the Balric sea against her skin. She only had one fortnight until Imbolc, one fortnight until she would be banned from the ocean, but she did not have time to enjoy the sea. She had a job to do. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She stepped out and leaned against the railing, inhaling the salty air. She could hear the waves breaking against the rocks at the base of the cliff hundreds of feet below her and the city. She imagined she could almost feel the salty spray caressing her skin, the cool dark waters and the sandy seabed. The thought of what she would soon be missing made her itch. For the four months of the year after Imbolc, she was cursed to not go into the sea in her preferred form. For four months, her broken soul ached for the water and everything that came with it. And for four months, she had to endure the ache she had to swim and sing and to just embe/em. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"These times were the worst, when she was at her lowest. Not that the rest of the time she was a saint, but the angst she felt intensified her bloodlust, and all of her nerves were very short. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She left her thoughts behind and gazed out at the city, actually enjoying the loneliness and solitude the empty streets offered. She was still painfully bored, but the view took off some of that edge. She had never quite seen why people enjoyed the company of others so. The silence was kind to her. It offered her better hearing, it soothed her nerves, and it did not bother her to go days on end without seeing a human face. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"Her eyes swept across the city, but they stopped when they landed on a group of four dark clad figures moving swiftly through a street running parallel to the palace. Had she been in any other room on any lower floor, she would not have been able to see them, but from this height, the wall surrounding the castle was not too tall, and she could see every brick of every house down every cobblestone street. She could see every move they made, and something about the way that they stuck to the shadows made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. The alley did not lead anywhere, and they weren't coming towards the castle, but— /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"A memory surfaced. Of her trainer pointing to the wall of rocks on the northern side of the city and saying she couldn't come inside the castle until she found a secret entrance and navigated through the labyrinth of caves until she found a way in. She had looked for two days and had spent another three trapped in the caves until by some miracle she had found her way out. But that was where they were going, she was sure of it. The small crevice in the rock cliffs had been almost impossible to see, and most everyone had forgotten about its existence, but it led to tunnels that could get you into the castle unseen. If she was right and this was where they were going…/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"They could even be trying to break out that rebel she had captured off the coast. The one she had drained. The one she had killed. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;""Shit," she murmured. She walked into her rooms and over to her armoire, where she had her leather boots and a black cloak waiting for her, along with weapons. She chose her samphire-encrusted silver hunting knives. If it came down to a fight, she would easily beat the group with her finely made daggers, but if she was wrong and they weren't trying to sneak into the palace, the knives fit easily into her waistband and were not so bulky as to be noticeable. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She strapped the hunting knives to the outside of her thighs and added two more smaller daggers to her boot. That would be more than enough, but she did not want to be unprepared. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"Fastening her unmarked cloak around her shoulders and gazing longingly at the crossbow on the wall that she could not take with her if she were to remain inconspicuous, she walked over to the balcony. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"And leapt./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"The cool night air rushing past her sang sweet, terrible songs into her ears. Stray strands of braided hair whipped at her face as she fell, fell, fell. The roof loomed up before her and before she knew it, she was on top of the palace ballroom. The impact was forceful, nothing she hadn't felt before, and it was completely and utterly silent. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She could not see where the group was now, but she knew of the street. Last she had seen, they had been a half mile from the entrance to the cave, and she a quarter from them. A small, wicked smile tugged at the corner of her lips. This should be easy./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"And so the hunt began. She began on the roofs of the buildings closest to the palace, and when she reached the twenty-foot-high wall that encompassed the palace, she climbed it. Her fingers dug into the small grooved between bricks, and her feet propelled her upwards. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"Once at the top, she surveyed the city once more. She could just barely make out the moving figures above the tops of the buildings. They were closer to the entrance now, but not close enough that they would beat her there. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She started running. Her supple leather boots made almost no sound against the worn cobblestones as she caught up to them. She knew this city the by heart, and she knew where all of the shortcuts were. Passing through alleys and backyards and streets, she made it in half the time it would have taken to stick to main roads. She stayed about twenty feet behind the group, blending into the shadows. It had to be certain that they were actually aiming for the tunnel before she struck. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"The leader of the group slowed their pace from a run to a brisk walk. They were nearing the entrance. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;""Sir," one of the men in black said to the leader. His voice sounded jarringly loud in the silence of the night. "Sir," he repeated in a sightly lower tone. "Are you sure this plan will work? All we are going off of is the word of some common thief, and who knows if she told the truth. What if, well, what if emhe/em isnt here anymore, or—" The insubordinate member was silenced as the leader held up a hand, not even deigning to turn around and acknowledge the man. He slowed the pace even more until they were standing still. Arielain was still trailing behind them, although she had closed the distance slightly. She was now a mere ten feet behind the last man. If she could just take out him and his closest companion without them all noticing, she could easily keep this quiet. In fact, her father may not even have to know. She would be leaving in the morning, after all, and who would notice these missing men?/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"Arielain ached to taste the lifeblood of these men, to taste emthem,/em but she waited. She was almost positive of their intentions, but she did have to make absolutely certain that she was not wrong. If she attacked them and it wasn't what she thought, then she would definitely have to explain this to the King and postpone her trip another day. She could not wait that long. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"The leader looked behind him and Arielain ducked into the shadows. His eyes swept right over where she hid, and his nostrils flared as though he was smelling something. Then he turned and faced forwards again. They resumed their course. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"After some time, they slowed their pace again. And sure enough, it was right at the entrance to the path that led to the cave. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She was sure now. They were trying to rescue (or kidnap) this mysterious "he" from the castle, and they were going to get in by way of the caverns. She had to strike now, before they went up the steep cliff path that led to the entrance. She had barely been able to maneuver herself on that ledge, as the scar on the inside of her left knee reminded, and she was certain that someone would shoot her with an arrow before she had taken out even three of the five men. No. She would have to do it here and now./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She swiftly closed the gap between her and the last man. She stood silently five feet behind him in the shadows of a building as she palmed her daggers and adjusted her grip. They made no noise coming out of their metal sheaths. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She took a step, and another, and then she was right behind him. She lunged to stab the blade through his heart—/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She was thrown back as a blinding pain tore through her abdomen and she stumbled. The man turned to look at her, relief in his face, and she looked down at her stomach. At the feathered shaft of an arrow sticking out of her side. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She dropped to her knees and her vision blurred as she clamped her hand around the wound. Thick red blood leaked from between her fingers and onto the streets, staining the cobblestones. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"The men had gathered a few feet away and were watching her, waiting for her to pass out from the blood loss or die. She couldn't let that happen. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She wrapped her palm around the shaft of the arrow, intending to pull it out of her, but she screamed as the flesh on her hand burned. The contact between it and the arrow had scorched her skin and there were blisters and welts in a line where they had made contact. The shaft must be covered in poison, but she did not know of any poison that actually affected her. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"Her head felt heavy, and her eyelids drooped. Her vision was completely distorted, although she could hear one of the men start to walk towards her. She tried to get up and flee, but her muscles had stopped responding to her commands. The man said something that became muddled in her head, but his voice was familiar. She did not know where she knew it from. A new body came into view as brown leather boots stopped in front of her. She doubled over in pain as the arrow moved in her body. As it kept moving, as though it was swirling around her insides. The pain was too much, she couldn't hold on much longer—/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"No. She had to get up. She had to move. She had to emkill them. /emNo one, emno one, /emtreated her like this, and no one emever/em beat her. She would not allow it. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"Her hand flashed out and grabbed the man's knee. His dull scream cut through the night as she crushed his kneecap. She relished his pain. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"Slowly, she pushed up onto her feet. Her muscles were shaking. This sort of wound shouldn't be keeping her down, even if it did have poison on the arrow. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She pushed the man aside and he fell to the ground. Tears streamed from her eyes as she tried to blink away some of the fog. She reached for her second dagger and palmed it. Her fingers felt weak. The knife felt unbearably heavy. She stalked over to the group of men and they started running away. All except one. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"Her vision was still blurry, and her steps were heavy, but she made it to within five feet of him before he lifted a finger as a signal and more pain flashed through her, this time coming from her back. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"She collapsed to the ground; her fingers still wrapped around the dagger that was aimed towards the leader. Her breaths were coming in shallow bursts and her head was getting foggier by the second. She blinked back the blurriness. And blinked some more at the man that knelt before her. He should be dead. She killed him. She watched him die…/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"For above her were painfully beautiful green eyes framed by night-black hair. /p