Triss made it into Far Madding just as the noonday bell was being wrung. She had another six hours to get to Caemlyn before she was to find out about the guy she was supposed to kill. Triss didn't even know her employer. Someone told him about Trisscar and how good of an assassin she was and he decided to employ her to his services. All she knew about him was that he was going to meet her in one of the alleyways near the Royal Sun Palace of Cairhien.
The tough part was to get through the city of Far Madding unnoticed. The people here remembered that she was an assassin and would call the Guard Watch on her. So pulling up her hood as she dismounted, Triss strode through the unwatched gates leading Swallow.
Once in the city's town square, Triss leapt back on Swallow and raced her to the other side of town. It was starting to get later in the day and her employer had promised a big reward. She HAD to get there earlier than expected. Surprise is always on my side, Triss thought, but my ambition will get me blade in my back someday. Ambition makes you look like an amateur when you might really be quite experienced at the art of killing.
Triss got out of Far Madding without having to do the peace binding on her weapons because the guards on both sides of the city were shifting their watch. Luck was another thing the girl had. She had gotten in and out within just a few minutes and never had to sign her name in the records. She'd never had to and never wanted to. That's one way to find yourself in a dungeon somewhere underneath the city.
Trisscar continued along the North Road toward Caemlyn. There was a lot more talk of a war in Caemlyn...I don't want to go into the midst of that! I'll skirt the road and go straight to Aringill. And from Aringill I can take the Cairhien Road to Cairhien. That should work better for me and it'll be a lot quicker than going through Caemlyn.
So Triss rode Swallow off the road and into the Kantara Hills. Within two hours, Triss and Swallow were at Aringill. Aringill was a minor city, but at least it was on the map and on the way to Cairhien.
Triss' stomach made a rumbling sound and she realized she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast so she stopped at the nearest inn, The Two Willows. There was a picture of two willow trees and a river in the background on a plaque hanging above the Inn's door. Stopping to take Swallow into the stable, she gave her horse to a groom as she took off her cloak and walked inside. The inn smelled of cooked meat and wine. Amazingly there were few people around and most of the tables were empty so she sat down at one close by the fire. Even for the middle of the day, it was freezing cold outside and it wasn't going to get any warmer. Anyways, Triss like the warmth on her back after riding so long. The warmth was a luxury she could most definitely afford.
The innkeeper, a thin woman with white hair pulled into a bun at the nape of her neck, sharp blue eyes and a sour expression on her face walked up to the table where Triss was sitting. "What can I get you today Miss..."
"Ms. Faile. Um...the chicken you're cooking in the kitchens would be nice. And could you also bring me some bread and cheese, enough for two days' meal?" Triss gave her agenuine smile and the Innkeeper's expression softened somewhat.
"Sure, Ms. Faile. Bradley!" she yelled at a young serving man who jumped in surprise," Get this young woman here a warm glass of spiced wine and a roasted bird. Also, pack up bread and cheese enough for three days while you're at it." She turned back to Triss. "I'm sorry, my name's Adella Flinn. I'm the Innkeeper at this Tavern or Inn. Whatever you wish to call it. I noticed the marriage knife around your neck. You look to be much too young to be wearing a thing like that. Tell me girl, how old are you?" Mistress Flinn made it seem a demand but Triss answered it anyway.
"I'm 19 years of age Mistress Flinn. My husband and children died six months ago when an assassin came to my house. He left me for dead but I never died. So here I am, hunting down an assassin. I need to leave for Cairhien as soon as I can if you don't mind."
"Why are you in such a rush to go to Cairhien?" The Innkeeper asked quizzically.
"Someone there is going to give me information as to where I can find this man," lied Triss with a straight face. She didn't want to lie to this nice innkeeper, but she had too.
"I know a lie when I see one girl and I hope you do not take me for stupid. Tell me the real reason why you are in such a hurry to make it to Cairhien."
Sighing Triss told the Innkeeper the truth. "I am going there to take care of a person for someone. It's my job. I had to become an assassin to earn a living. I didn't take you for stupid and I didn't want to lie to you either."
Mistress Flinn sat down in the chair on the opposite side of the table. "I can understand that. I'm not going to go tell the guard, but I want you to take me with you in return for keeping your secret. I'm passing the care of the Inn to my daughter tonight. You see I used to be an assassin as well." There was a murderous look in her eyes. "My family was a team of assassins and I wish to take up the skill again before I die. And call me Adella. So what's your first name?"
"Uh...Trisscar, but you can call me Triss. I'm just confused though. I dislike having to kill but I only do it to earn a living. Why would you want to go back to that awful past?" Triss shuddered at the thought of wanting to kill again.
"I don't enjoy killing but I wanted to remember what it was like being a legend. I used to be loved and feared at the same time and it was a quite enjoyable thing. Please take me with you. I'll keep up and I have my own horse." Mistre- Adella seemed to be pleading now. Quite a remarkable thing for a woman ofsixty to be doing.
"Sure. It's the least I can do in return. But I'll need to leave as soon as I eat and pack up the bread and cheese."
"Bradley! Get three more days worth of bread and cheese from the pantry and pack it up with the rest. Then go tie it all to Ms. Faile's horse packs. And tell the cook to bring out the bird while you're at it." Adella turned back to Triss. "Your bird and spiced wine'll be right out. Let me go tell my daughter and the rest of the serving men and women." With that she left Triss to her own confusion.
A portly woman in an apron came out of the kitchens with a covered platter and a serving maid followed behind with a goblet of what smelled to be wine. "There ya go Ms. Faile. Adella doesn't usually take kindly to many foreigners. You're a lucky one, you are!" She lifted the cover on the tray and a whole roasted bird was displayed on a field of greens. Triss' stomach rumbled again, but louder this time. The serving maid set down the goblet of spiced wine with a smile.
"I'm Elise, Mistress Flinn's daughter. She told me she was going with you and I was to run the Inn. It's very exciting to have a job like this. People coming in and out all the time and there's never a dull moment. I need to go see to my duties now. Even Innkeepers have duties that they must see to." She left Triss alone with a smile. The cook had gone back to her kitchens while they were talking.
Triss ate the bird and all the greens in record time and was sipping on her spiced wine when Adella came down from upstairs with two packhorse bags. Gulping down the last of her wine, Triss put down the goblet and handed a gold Tar Valon mark to a passing serving man who just stares at her in awe before Adella shooed him back to his duties.
"Ah, I'm going to miss this place so much. But it's in good hands." Adella starts walking toward the stable and stops, motioning for Triss to follow. So she does.
Two horses had been brought out of the stable, Swallow and a reddish-brown mare. "That mare there is Peachblossom. She's my horse...she's not war horse trained like yours, but she does well."
"This is Swallow. I was walking along one morning and found her lying among some ferns with a broken leg. I wouldn't kill such a beautiful horse for that, so I cared for her 'til she healed. Now we are bonded friends. She has a swallow brand on her rump, so I decided that that was to be her name." Triss tucked a little figurine in one of the packs on the saddle. It was a figure of a hawk with its wings spread in flight. It was going to help her find her employer.
"We need to get going now. I want to make it there in two hours. To do that, we must ride hard. I hope your horse can make it." Triss mounted Swallow and led her to a slow walk around the stable yard until Adella was ready.
Together they made their way out of Aringill and onto the Cairhien Road. It took them the two hours Triss had expected to arrive at Cairhien. All the banners of all the High Lords and Ladies were waving in the breeze as Triss and Adella entered the city on horseback.
Upon reaching the town square, Triss pulled out the copper figurine of the hawk out of her bag and held it in her open hand. All that was left to do was wait.
After a little while, she saw a movement at the corner of her eye and saw a woman duck into a narrow alley. That woman must be her employer. Motioning for Adella to follow, she rode her horse into the alley...