The World this is set in belongs to Mercedes Lackey, also a few of the Characters, but the story is mine.

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The Nature of the beast

Ch 1 On the Road

Lysander reined in his horse and cast his mind ahead. He had the feeling he wasn't alone. He had learned from a young age to listen to his feelings; even before he left home for his apprenticeship with the guild, his brothers and cousins could never sneak up on him.

Since he had left the Empire he had honed these abilities further. Failed assassins usually didn't live long, the guild made sure of that. Only his father's blood , the love of his master and the chaos left over from the mage storms had given him the chance to escape. But it was his own abilities that had kept him alive thus far.

He stiffened slightly as he felt minds ahead, he could also feel those creeping to the side, ready to enclose him. Bandits he thought to himself. He only counted ten. Not enough to harm someone as well trained as he was.

He decided to use their own trap against them. He sat his horse silent and waiting as they continued to circle his position. He felt their uneasy thoughts at his lack of movement.

Finally the rustle of brush was joined by the sound of sticks breaking as the bandits rushed the road where he waited. He had already decided not to kill. He wasn't familiar with the laws of Hardorn and it was better to avoid trouble if he could.

He would have let these fools in peace if they had held off their attack, it seemed stupid to him for the bandits to attack a lone and well-armed horseman. The rewards wouldn't be worth the trouble.

Then he had no more time to think any thoughts other than those of the fight. When the first two of the bandits reached him he swung his horse around, knocking them to the ground.

He jumped to the ground and sent his horse galloping down the road. He knew he could call him back after the fight was over. And he was too well trained to be caught by any other than his master.

Then he drew his two short swords and knocked the men with the flat of his blades as they struggled to get up. This time they stayed where they lay. He fell into the dance, laying about him with the flat of his blades. In a surprisingly short time all ten of the bandits lay on and around the roadway, out cold.

Before they could awaken he disarmed them and stacked their arms in a pile to one side, then he piled them all together where he could keep an eye on them until they awoke.

If he was to be inconvenienced he might as well use his circumstances to his advantage. They owed him at least some information about these lands.He called his horse back and waited.

It was some time before the first of the men began to stir. Lysander was chewing on some of his travel bread when one of the men groaned and turned over.

The man opened his eyes and stared blankly at him. It was the sight of the bread he held that grabbed the man's attention and brought awareness to his eyes. He licked his lips and stared hungrily at the bread.

On impulse, he tossed the bread to the man lying on the road. He grabbed it quickly, eating as fast as he could.

Lysander was taken aback. But now as he thought about it, the men in the heap at his feet were rather thin.

Maybe this would be easier than he had thought. Food for information, and while he had the upper hand if they felt kindly towards him they might not pass on information about him to anyone else.

Luckily he had always been good with languages and those trained in the guild were taught many, being that you never know where they might send you.

He even knew Valdemarian and Rethwellen. When he thought about it, he was glad, the farther he went from the Empire the safer he would be. An Assassin with a conscience was a dangerous thing, and he had completed his training showing great promise.

He had only failed the final test, refusing to kill his target. An innocent child. It didn't matter to his masters who the target was; to refuse to obey his orders and to think too much made him a dangerous liability, the order went out for his death. If it hadn't been his first assignment and he had been a full guildmember it might have been different.

The man finished his bread and some of the others had begun to stir. Some sat up holding their heads and groaning. Others just lay where they were watching him with fear and hunger in their eyes.

The man he had given his bread sat up and looked around him, he saw the pile of arms and the rest of the men. "You didn't kill any of us"he said flatly.

"No, there was no need" he replied. "Besides you have something I want"

The man shook his head "we have nothing"

Lysander smiled "you have information, this near the Valdemarian border you must know what to expect there. I'll even trade for it. Food for what lies ahead".

The other men looked eager but the first man who appeared to be their leader looked suspicious.

"You can't be carrying enough food for all of us" he said.

"No, but I know how to get it"Lysander replied.

"Do we have a deal" He kept his mind open, looking for deception from the men. But there was none. It appeared that he had knocked the fight from them and the chance of a meal was not something they would turn down.