Disclaimer: I own none of this, but I did make a bit of stuff up.
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After arranging to meet the two mages early the next morning Numair yawned and said loudly how tired he was.
"I'm going to check on my horse. Goodnight, boys." She said coyly. Numair winked and Cosmo went red.
Nerolie shivered as she stepped into the cold night air. Listening for anything out of the ordinary, as was habit, she moved silently and stealthily up the path towards the stables.
A little upset that the door wasn't locked- you could never be too careful with your horses- Nerolie let herself into Darcie's stall. Just as Nerolie fed Darcie an apple, she heard voices.
"Now's our chance, boss. They're all asleep- none of 'em even know we're 'ere."
"Patience, Rat." Someone said in soft, silky tones. "If we execute this job correctly not only will we be able to kill the mages and the girl but we may be able to rob this pace as well."
Nerolie stiffened. These people had to be talking about Numair and Cosmo! Who did they mean by "the girl"? Surely not herself?
"What would they gain by killing me?" Nerolie whispered to herself.
"After we've done the job and done a bit of ransacking we'll set the inn on fire. They'll be so busy trying to put it out that they'll completely miss us." And the third person laughed. Nerolie gasped involuntarily.
"What was that? Who's there?" cried the first person.
In that moment Nerolie made a decision. She had to make sure that these thugs didn't hurt her new friends, no matter what it took. She opened the stall door and stepped out.
"Only me." She said in a low voice. Her objective was to distract them long enough to hurt them. There were three men standing in the hallway looking at her. One was short and skinny with a scar running the length of his face and a mop of dirty brown hair. Another was tall and fat with pale, sweaty skin and the last was handsome and elegant with hair the colour of her own. She made slow steps towards them. She was trying to stall for time. She could try to seduce them. no, that would backfire. She had never seduced anyone her whole life and was not about to start now. But how to stall? She wondered.
She would act innocent and naive.
"And what would a fine young lady such as yourself be doing in a stable at this time of night?" said the blonde man snidely. The three men started moving towards her and spreading out so they could surround her.
"I was just checking on my horse," she said innocently.
The blonde man- Nerolie guessed he was the leader- reached out and grabbed her wrist.
"How dare you? Let me go at once!" she cried in indignation. Let me go or you'll regret it, she thought.
"Oh ho, what is this?" the blonde man had seen her tattoo. He talks like a noble, Nerolie thought.
"Let me go!" she yelled, suddenly worried. This could be more trouble than it was worth if he was a noble.
"Or what?" sneered the fat man.
"Yeah, what're ye goin'ta do, girlie?" jeered the short one.
"SHANG! She's a Shang!" Yelled the leader suddenly, scrambling backwards.
"Huh?" said the other two in unison.
"Too bad for you." Said Nerolie as she rammed the short man's nose with the heel of her hand and heard the sickening crunch.
"My nose!" and he backed away cursing. In a flash, Nerolie kneed the big man where no man wants to be kneed.
"Ow," he squeaked and fell over, writhing.
Out of the corner of her eye, Nerolie saw the blonde man rush at her brandishing a knife. She threw him over hip as though he weighed as little as a feather. By the time the blonde man had come to a rest, the other two had risen and stood on either side of her. Fortunately, Nerolie was ready for that.
With a Shang war cry, she leapt into the air and kicked out with both legs simultaneously. She hit the big one in the chest but the little one was dead- She'd hit him in the neck and had crushed his windpipe.
The big one was momentarily stunned and Nerolie took full advantage of his condition- she hit him over the head with the shovel used for mucking out the stalls. With the big one unconscious, Nerolie turned to face the leader. He had lost his knife and was leaning against the wall panting.
"Between you and me, Kitten." He said. Nerolie pushed her desire to know how he could read ancient Shang deep into her subconscious for the moment. "My name is Denzil. We shall meet again- in hell. Now prepare to die!" He attacked, launching himself at her. They matched each other almost blow for blow except for the occasional blow that Nerolie landed.
Nerolie heard the door open and close, breaking her concentration. She turned her head in the sound of the noise for a moment and Denzil hit her in the jaw with enough force to send her flying across the room. Dazed, she watched Denzil run out of the stables. The fat man had gone.
She shook her head to clear it and followed the two. When she arrived once again in the cold night air she saw a horrific sight. The Inn was on fire.
After arranging to meet the two mages early the next morning Numair yawned and said loudly how tired he was.
"I'm going to check on my horse. Goodnight, boys." She said coyly. Numair winked and Cosmo went red.
Nerolie shivered as she stepped into the cold night air. Listening for anything out of the ordinary, as was habit, she moved silently and stealthily up the path towards the stables.
A little upset that the door wasn't locked- you could never be too careful with your horses- Nerolie let herself into Darcie's stall. Just as Nerolie fed Darcie an apple, she heard voices.
"Now's our chance, boss. They're all asleep- none of 'em even know we're 'ere."
"Patience, Rat." Someone said in soft, silky tones. "If we execute this job correctly not only will we be able to kill the mages and the girl but we may be able to rob this pace as well."
Nerolie stiffened. These people had to be talking about Numair and Cosmo! Who did they mean by "the girl"? Surely not herself?
"What would they gain by killing me?" Nerolie whispered to herself.
"After we've done the job and done a bit of ransacking we'll set the inn on fire. They'll be so busy trying to put it out that they'll completely miss us." And the third person laughed. Nerolie gasped involuntarily.
"What was that? Who's there?" cried the first person.
In that moment Nerolie made a decision. She had to make sure that these thugs didn't hurt her new friends, no matter what it took. She opened the stall door and stepped out.
"Only me." She said in a low voice. Her objective was to distract them long enough to hurt them. There were three men standing in the hallway looking at her. One was short and skinny with a scar running the length of his face and a mop of dirty brown hair. Another was tall and fat with pale, sweaty skin and the last was handsome and elegant with hair the colour of her own. She made slow steps towards them. She was trying to stall for time. She could try to seduce them. no, that would backfire. She had never seduced anyone her whole life and was not about to start now. But how to stall? She wondered.
She would act innocent and naive.
"And what would a fine young lady such as yourself be doing in a stable at this time of night?" said the blonde man snidely. The three men started moving towards her and spreading out so they could surround her.
"I was just checking on my horse," she said innocently.
The blonde man- Nerolie guessed he was the leader- reached out and grabbed her wrist.
"How dare you? Let me go at once!" she cried in indignation. Let me go or you'll regret it, she thought.
"Oh ho, what is this?" the blonde man had seen her tattoo. He talks like a noble, Nerolie thought.
"Let me go!" she yelled, suddenly worried. This could be more trouble than it was worth if he was a noble.
"Or what?" sneered the fat man.
"Yeah, what're ye goin'ta do, girlie?" jeered the short one.
"SHANG! She's a Shang!" Yelled the leader suddenly, scrambling backwards.
"Huh?" said the other two in unison.
"Too bad for you." Said Nerolie as she rammed the short man's nose with the heel of her hand and heard the sickening crunch.
"My nose!" and he backed away cursing. In a flash, Nerolie kneed the big man where no man wants to be kneed.
"Ow," he squeaked and fell over, writhing.
Out of the corner of her eye, Nerolie saw the blonde man rush at her brandishing a knife. She threw him over hip as though he weighed as little as a feather. By the time the blonde man had come to a rest, the other two had risen and stood on either side of her. Fortunately, Nerolie was ready for that.
With a Shang war cry, she leapt into the air and kicked out with both legs simultaneously. She hit the big one in the chest but the little one was dead- She'd hit him in the neck and had crushed his windpipe.
The big one was momentarily stunned and Nerolie took full advantage of his condition- she hit him over the head with the shovel used for mucking out the stalls. With the big one unconscious, Nerolie turned to face the leader. He had lost his knife and was leaning against the wall panting.
"Between you and me, Kitten." He said. Nerolie pushed her desire to know how he could read ancient Shang deep into her subconscious for the moment. "My name is Denzil. We shall meet again- in hell. Now prepare to die!" He attacked, launching himself at her. They matched each other almost blow for blow except for the occasional blow that Nerolie landed.
Nerolie heard the door open and close, breaking her concentration. She turned her head in the sound of the noise for a moment and Denzil hit her in the jaw with enough force to send her flying across the room. Dazed, she watched Denzil run out of the stables. The fat man had gone.
She shook her head to clear it and followed the two. When she arrived once again in the cold night air she saw a horrific sight. The Inn was on fire.
