Chapter Two
6-10 (title pending)
I darted rapidly to crouch in the shadows beside a tapestry, as soon as I heard a noise from down the hall. Warily I ducked lower into the dark, my clothes blending into the black, as a young man, wobbled groggily towards me. Right towards me. Too late, I noticed that my hiding place was too close to a door for safety. Faster than I thought possible, I ran through all the possible courses of action, I could simply kill the man when he walked by but, as fore-mentioned I have killed only twice and have no intention, of making it an odd number! I ended up, with no answer and the young man at most, two meters away. On an instantaneous, spur of the moment, rather idiotic, decision, I jumped from the shadows.
Taking full advantage of the element of surprise, I prepared to tackle him. Just as I was about launch myself at the sleepy man, he realized I was female.
"My fair lady! Have you lost your way?" Right, I've got a gentleman on my hands. O joy. Instead of responding to his infuriatingly superior tone of voice, I pulled a dagger from its sheath hidden on my forearm. The look on his face was priceless! A mixture between annoyance, shock, fear and disbelief all melded together, testing my will, which, at this moment, was not in it's best form. Thus I broke out in giggles, while the recent victim of my 'The Shadow', frowned at me. I expected that it was because I was laughing at his misfortunes, silly me, I should have known he was more of a pompous arse than that. "My good women, it is out of the question that you, a girl!Are holding a weapon in your hands! It is also implausible that you are dressed as no honorable Lady would!" I stopped giggling so fast that I thought I would swallow my tongue.
Oh! I was ready to kill, not literally of course. But I was going to give him a lesson he wouldn't soon forget!
"Here." I tossed him a sword from the suit of armor nearby and returned the dagger to its sheath while drawing my own sword. "Now guard!" I hissed through my teeth, while the boy looked in astonishment, at the sword in his hands.
"Fight?" he asked incredulously "With a woman? But that's not fair! I will win! I must decline, in the hope of a fair fight!" That made my blood boil! I was already settled into the guard stance, customary for the beginning of a sword fight, but hearing that I jumped, changing stances and twisted the sword slightly, jolting his weapon from his loose hands. I leaned down picking it up from the floor,
"Here. Now will you fight with a girl?" I tossed his blade back to him; He nodded wordlessly while settling himself for a fight. I saw the cocky look that passed through his eyes as he whispered
"Guard." Not scared to fight a girl? Good. I'll make him scared.
He swung his blade to meet mine, throwing all his strength into the pass. I could tell he intended to simply press my sword out of my hand by shear force, as he pushed down on me. I gritted my teeth and pushed back, my muscles shrieking in protest. It was going to take more then street brawlers trick to beat the Shadow! His eyes widened in surprise, showing, in a more obvious manner, that he had been, again, underestimating me. Someone in the household must of heard the clash of metal on metal and come to investigate because, I all of the sudden saw the light of a torch creeping around the corner.
You must remember that although I still retain a few of my morals, I am still a member of the Court of Miscreants first and fore most, and thus, have the license to choose whether or not, to pay attention to the theory of honor. Using my left hand, I pulled my dagger from its wrist sheath, catching him off guard, smacking his wrist smartly with the butt of my dagger, while his sword was still engaged with mine. He did, however, manage to keep a hold of his weapon and decided to fight dirty also, as he slashed my back as I ran to the window. I stumbled knocking my knee hard on the stone floor. I breathed out slowly and tried to stand up. My knee though not broken probably sustained a very nasty bruise and felt as though it were on fire. Turning as fast as I could I grabbed a rock out the pouch full I carried for my sling, and threw it at his hand. Almost before his blade touched the ground, I was up and out the window silently pleading with any God who might be listening, to slow that torch around the corner. I jumped from the second floor balcony into the river Lithang below, just as I heard a distinctly female voice cry out
"You're Highness!"
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I took the stage shortly after dinner had been served. I had spent at least an hour, contemplating my surroundings. It was quaint here. And quiet, peaceful in fact, with a roaring fire and well dressed people, it was quite like home. All of the sudden I was struck with a multitude of memories.
I was back home again, before Helen, I was sitting quietly in the corner watching as my Father and his noble friends, slowly got louder and more obnoxious, with each glass of ale they consumed. I turned back to my embroidery after watching as the Varen's son threw up into the roast beef stew; suddenly my father shouted loudly from the head of the table, "Lianne! Come here and sing!" I'd head to the head of the table and start to sing, which ever song I had been told to practice the previous week, it was always the same, I sang my Father acted, well, fatherly and the men surrounding made drunken comments and laughed obnoxiously.
I started to sing the last song I had sung at home, it was a short, happy song, about women sewing their husbands a new tunic. After that I sang a long, sad ballad, about a dying soldier's last thoughts, of his lover, after a couple more songs, I curtsied and all of the sudden noticed that the inn had been filled, since I had started singing. After I had gotten of the stage the inn keeper approached me grinning ear from ear, with a glass of water in hand.
"Miss Lianne, was it? I am extremely gratified to offer you Miss, a permanent position at the Sugared Plum Inn." Now, I may not know what gratified meant, but I was pretty sure this was an offer any sane young woman, who is running from her family and home country with a price on her head, would accept. So I did. I just hope I can keep this under wraps.
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Damn. Damn it. Damn that ridiculous prince to hell. He just had to get away from it all! Oh yes, the adoring populous of an entire country throwing themselves at your feet is so strenuous! And I had to let him! Now I have to cover for him, and his multiple bruises! Which, by the way, he refuses to explain! I am, at the present, multitasking; insulting his Highness, while thinking up an elaborate excuse for his injuries, that the King won't inquire about, while trying to find and eat, some sort of nutritious object for the first time, in at least forty-eight hours! This is not the idea I had in mind when I got into international espionage!
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Rianc had scaled the roof of the Sugared Plum Inn, a special quarter for the city's thieves, trying desperately to avoid me. Unfortunately, it seems the world has taken a distinct dislike of her tonight; waiting for her in her bed room, was none other than myself. "You thick skulled twit; do you not hear me when I speak, or do you just ignore it?" I was, obviously, mad
"I don't know what you're talking about." Of course, she doesn't know!
"I'm talking about, how you went and raided the Royal river house! And then come back empty handed! Is the Shadow losing her touch?" That was pure cruelty and I knew it. She stood up straighter, perhaps in order to yell at me more easily, and almost fainted. I had been so preoccupied by getting at Ria, that I didn't think she might be tired or, Gods forbid, hurt! She sat down heavily on the floor dazedly gazing at me. I sighed and lifted her carrying her bridal style, to her bed in the corner. When I set her down on the bed, I noticed something red on my hand, it was blood! Not mine but Ria's! I quickly checked her body for any sign of wounds and noticed that the back of her black shirt was completely blood soaked. Praying desperately that the wound wasn't too bad I lifted the hem of her shirt and saw a deep but short cut that wasn't at all too hard to heal. That was not what I was worried about; it was the blood loss that could take my friend to the Dark Gods Realm!
"Healer! I need a Healer up here!" Ratiath I hope she lives!
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I was going to find that girl if it was the last thing I did! Can you believe it! A girl who had had the… audacity, to call herself the Shadow! Had beaten me! The crown prince of Berikan, future leader of a nation! It wasn't fair! I was supposed to be the best! The best! It's only right… I had to show her, that you couldn't take down the crown prince of Berikan and leave unscathed! I'm going to find that little chit and show her who is in the right…My father wouldn't have let this happen…Sacred Mother! The lowliest of pages wouldn't have let this happen! So why did I? I'm going to find her, NOW. As fast as I could, I gathered my cape and sword, which I had stolen off that set of armor in the river house, and ran out the door. Within the hour, I had reached the city's center (on foot!), choosing the shadiest bar possible, I entered, keeping a wary eye out for any hand chasing after my purse. Moving towards the bar I surveyed the crowd, trying to find someone drunk enough, to tell me who that girl might have been. I spotted a rather giggly, balding man, sitting alone in the corner and went in for the kill. I walked over, balancing a tray of three beers, just incase he needed a little, persuasion, "Excuse me? Do you mind if I take this seat? The others are all full." I was blatantly lying, the bar was abnormally empty, but I suspected that this particular man couldn't tell if the whole country was emptied of its inhabitants.
"Naaaah. I don' min'"
"Would you like a drink" I offered, while waving the beer tantalizingly under his nose "My friends, friend has just informed me that they have been held up so I have extra."
"Yaw kiddin' mae'? Thees 'ear bar 'ells 'e worse 'eer in 'e city"(you kidding me? This here bar sells the worse beer in the city) the man slurred, as he pulled flask from his ratty coat and started to drink deeply.
"Oh well…I was wondering whether you could tell me where I could find a girl who calls herself the Shadow?" I held my breath in anticipation for his emanate answer, when suddenly the man started coughing up, what I was sure was three crescent gin.
"Are you alright?" I said patting his back as good I could, without getting his filth on me.
"I migh' be drunk but I'm steel 'ucid 'nough ta now tha' I couldna bae tellin' yer noble ass tha'!" (I might be drunk but I'm still lucid enough to know that I couldn't be telling your noble ass that!) I was speechless! He knew I was a noble! How? Before I could ask that particular question, the man feinted, rather comically, on to the table. From behind me someone calmly stated
"We couldn't have helped over hearing your conversation…We know where to find this girl."
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