Chapter 3
He was a part of the night. His clothes melded imperfectly, but enough for his purpose, with the darkness. Too perfect, would lead to suspicion, a single man walking in black would if noticed draw little attention in these crowded streets. He was little known here in Skullport, nor was he known better in the town above. That was unusual for him as his trademark mask and manner of business had gained him a formidable reputation in his own territories. He no longer thought of anywhere as home and thought of few as friends. No one here in this foreign place at least. He crept along the outside of the small building; he did not look up for the small grime covered sign that he knew must hang over the door. He knew this was the right place and he was rarely wrong. Only a fool would say he was never wrong.
He heard the footsteps counted them as they disappeared into the distance and reappeared constant as the tide. He waited counting his own heartbeats then slipped through the side door. Just as he entered the door across from him that he assumed led into the common room, banged shut. One person was still in the back room trying to move a large dirt covered keg. He did not even pause to consider his victim or plan his approach. With a simple movement his feet as light as a fox's and he was behind the man. A terribly easy thing killing. It took very little time; flesh parting easily and blood seeping away. Even as people died they also lost the strength to resist or call for aid. Killing it was so simple, so very easy. The man fell guided by his hands to land gently on the floor. He pulled the man's shirt up so it would absorb most of the blood and quickly shifted him to where he would not immediately be seen, the alleyway from which he had himself come. Dead bodies in alleyways would attract no attention in Skullport. Even if they were looked over it was only to check if they had been carrying any loose change. Even if someone from the inn discovered him, the assassin had had enough time in this town to know they would do nothing. There were no authorities in Skullport, people kept themselves out of trouble with those stronger than themselves.
He did not hesitate however, after leaving the body he swiftly ascended the stairs at the back of the establishment. He knew the person who would lead him to his mark was here. She was, he had heard, a retired assassin, and he thought he could guess her mind. Assassins were made to kill and almost always proved much less able to save life than they had been at taking it. Indeed he was almost in haste to see what had caused this particular to take up the defence of his true mark. He was on the top floor now. Silence greeted him with a momentary embrace. He loved the quiet and learned to leave her undisturbed as often as possible. She was a close friend indeed to any one in his line of work and to chase her away was the equivalent of death.
Knowing the kill would not be quick he stepped into several rooms around the room he had chosen only one of these others was occupied and that next door to the one holding his targets. The man was half drunk but he made the mumbling sound of awakening from alcohol-induced slumber before the knife went through his throat ending any further sound in the following gurgle. She may have heard that, but little matter if she was prepared he had not been paid so high a price for nothing. She would not prevent him from his target and he need not kill her. He smiled quietly to himself, if they thought he would waste his time killing someone for whom he would not be paid they were grievously mistaken. As he approached the door he didn't even think of the two lives his blade had already claimed, after all they weren't really even people.
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pArilyn's head snapped up at the sound. It had been slight, but with Danilo still weak from touching her moonblade he slept quietly. She had worn the role of assassin too long to shed her wariness now. She eased herself to her feet calmly and silently drawing her moonblade out of its sheath. There was no light in the still, shadow filled room and little without. Skullport at night was no lighter or darker than in the day she found. It seemed trapped in a deep underworld like murk that nothing could pierce. She disliked it. Indeed it made her long for the forest of Tethir. To see Swanmay's glade and to run beneath the trees again, with Foxfire. The thought had come unbidden, but it was powerfully visual. It was easy to see her friend running like the wind through the woods he loved. It surprised Arilyn just how easily she had inserted herself into that peaceful bright scene. She had imagined herself running freely even laughing with her friend. But that would never be, for she was only summoned to the forest when swords and knives were needed. A charge to war not a carefree run was all she would share with that wood elf. That and the continuing, endless, sense of danger/p
pHer sword let off a distinct blue glow warning her of coming danger, she half felt half saw the warning. Her sword was up and ready in a moment. She placed herself back to the wall were she could be seen, neither from the door nor shuttered window. Her sword would not warn her of a danger if it were not present, so she had no need to warn her adversary, but could strike without restraint. The moonblade was the judge and would judge rightly, the moonblade always chose rightly. The door opened and she turned and struck. Her sword moving faster than was possible in her two handed grip. The magical enhancements of the blade making it glow for just a moment. All she hit was air but her eyes were elven enough to see what she had missed. In the corridor beyond stood a man/p
pHe was dressed in black, as did many in Skullport and indeed in Waterdeep as a whole. His black had the look of silk but it did not shine like silk, even black silk, usually would. He wore soft boots, she could tell because he appeared to be balancing on his toes ready to spring one way or another. He wore a sword with a sheath bound up with black leather and hilt also covered in the same style. Indeed his whole attire was that of a man who wished to become part of the night, not simply walk in it. His belt was as non descript as the rest of him, its colour as black as the rest. The thing that struck Arilyn the most however, was his mask. It covered his whole head and appeared to be made simply of cloth. It had a flat V-shaped slit around where she assumed his eyes were. It folded down around his whole head and ended in two points one on either side of his neck almost touching his shoulders. ./p
pThe man did not move or draw any weapon and despite the warning of her blade Arilyn was loath to kill a man for doing nothing but open her door. "Who are you?" she asked bluntly. /p
p "Shadowfast," said the stranger, his voice a little deep, but almost a whisper in volume. /p
pAs he spoke the word he had drawn out of seemingly thin air a dagger. The dagger was long with a flat blade that was shockingly white, against the black of its surroundings. The blade was straight but half way up it jagged back on itself and then continued up to a wicked point. These made the blade look like a small white bolt of lightning and it moved almost as fast. He slipped it forward and back and if not for her blade's magical quick strike Arilyn may well have found herself dead. The moonblade came up however and knocked the blade to one side so that it simply scratched across her shoulder. /p
pArilyn knew well enough how to fight assassins and viciously pressed her own attack. To her surprise the assassin did not give way. In her experience, and she had had much experience with the blades of the night, assassins attacked and then disappeared. At least all the successful and still living ones did. Most of the assassin's work was stealth and the hit was only the final part of it. Nevertheless leave he would not. Even worse he seemed to be matching her blow for blow. Arilyn knew her own skills and knew herself the equal of most any assassin, but this man held her blow for blow with a dagger against her moonblade. /p
pShe increased the tempo of her blows raining them down with a speed few could match even with a sword of feather-like weight. Nevertheless the man in black with his jagged dagger caught and returned every blow. Arilyn gritted her teeth under her closed lips and tried once more to back this enemy away from her doorway but he would not shift. She had already decided in her mind it was a human. The build dictated it as did his manner of fighting. At six feet tall and well enough muscled she doubted she could force an exit by forcing their blades to lock. He bent supply as a snake to catch a blow she had reversed at the last moment and sent towards his ankles instead of his arms. She couldn't quite see how this would end, for though she had found no opening in his defence or sign of fatigue in his fighting style, she was sure she would win. Simply a matter of experience and better weaponry, she decided. So the battle continued neither moving much more than a pace in any direction. Whenever he stepped away he always managed to return forcing her to fight him through the doorway. Finally she decided even if Danilo was asleep she must take him into the room where her longer blade could be put to its full use. /p
pJust then it struck her that Danilo would probably find it amusing that he had slept though the whole attack. Yes, he would be amused and lightly annoyed as well. Well, he had only himself to blame. Arilyn then tucked her sword in close and executed a perfect tumble into a backwards roll away from her opponent. He drew his dark bladed sword from its black sheath and though she could not see it she could have sworn he had smiled. No sooner had she charged him however than she knew the rules had changed. He retreated from her, his footwork immaculate and swift. Only an elf could have moved with equal grace. He now moved liberally and though he continued to hold his dagger in his right hand he now only used his grey bladed sword. She noted soon enough that his target was not she, nor ever had been. She gave a warning shout, "Danilo, wake up! Mystra take you, wake up!" /p
pThe warning saved Danilo's life. The white bladed dagger that had been descending toward Danilo's sleeping body, stopped dead in the air. The man in black suddenly turned his full attention to Arilyn and she felt for the first time as if he was taking her seriously. The swords rang together but he still did not use his dagger again. Indeed he flicked his wrist and it disappeared to be replaced with a small mirror. "Reveal!" he commanded in the same deep whisper he had used before. Suddenly her moonblade blazed to life each of the runes on it glowing with blinding magical brilliance. Danilo's person glowed as well as many of his possessions thrown in a heap at the end of his bed. /p
pDespite this the man seemed displeased. Arilyn couldn't help noticing that his sword did not glow but that his mask did, as did his boots. He was fighting her with a mundane weapon and holding. Who was he? /p
p"Where is she?" he asked at the same moment she demanded again, "Who are you?" /p
pTheir blades clashed her two-handed slash clashing against his left-handed block. He couldn't hold against that amount of force and he rolled her blade aside and by skipping back avoided being sliced by the whistling silver blade. /p
p"Who do I seek?" asked the man dancing away from Arilyn's blade. "I seek your ward of course, but I can see she is not here. Where is she? Where is Azariah Craulnober?" /p
p"Not here," replied Arilyn. "You still haven't answered my question either!" /p
pShe snapped her blade forward she could feel and hear the silent humming of danger all around her precious weapon. Even though the moment of brilliance was now long past the sigils on her blade representing her danger warnings was still alight, glowing a deep rich blue. ./p
p"I am Mask," replied the man in black. Then he ducked allowing her to pass by him and murmuring, "Shadowfast," under his breath the jagged dagger once more flashed by her. ./p
pIt left a cut in her sleeve but had not drawn blood. The moonblade whipped back but inexplicably he was gone. There had been no flash or even a muttered incantation. He was simply no longer there. Nor was he simply invisible either, for Arilyn saw the blue light and humming of her blade was no more. She was as safe as she ever was. Yet the assassin had hinted at his target and deepened the mystery of Khelben's charge to her. /p
p Well, she had always won out before, even when the enemy had been hidden within herself. If she could catch the elfshadow she could catch this, 'Mask', as he called himself. /p
pArilyn turned to see Danilo still sleeping quietly and peacefully. How was it that she should love one who would ever be at peace, whereas she never would? /p
p With a shrug she reminded herself that whereas she needed Danilo to remind her that not everyone was a dangerous enemy, she was with him to remind him that some people were. /p
