A/N: Thanks heaps to all the great people who reviewed! Oh yeah, thanks also to the people who either suggested names for Aly's Spy Network or told me which one they liked.

The start of this chapter focuses around the assassin more than Aly. Sorry about that but I had to introduce his character and his master's into the story and that was the easiest way to do it. I made this chapter longer…to even it out…does that count?

Disclaimer: The world and the characters you recognise all belong to Tamora Pierce…with the exception of Heishi and his master, they're all mine. Yay!

Chapter 3: The Work of a Spymaster

The assassin sat slumped on the stone floor of the room. Aly watched him curiously; he seemed to be aware of nothing around him. She opened the door triggering the wards that bound his gift. He seemed to barely register the subtle change in the atmosphere of his surroundings. As Aly approached warily he looked up slowly, his eyes filled with hate. She heard surprised murmurings behind her before the door closed again. It was the first reaction anyone had seen from him since he woke.

Assassin's POV:

"You," I spat.

She stood easily before me the one who had caused me to fail…twice; the one who had brought my master's wrath down on me. Then I let the rage seep out of me as I had been taught. I was stone, immovable implacable. That, and I was worse than dead already. I was worse than dead when I failed to kill her. My anger would do nothing for me; nothing could be done for me. I let my body slump again. There was no point in anything, I was already condemned. Her voice lilting she stated,

"So you're finally awake."

I did not reply. I stared at the ground before me, nothing I said or did would change anything. That was a hard learned fact, I knew all too well. Everything about me was insignificant.

She sighed,

"Are you going to make my job harder? Or are you going to make things easier on you and me?"

I felt the magic in the room swamp me compelling me to reply. Well what difference did it make?

"It doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore. Whatever I do now I am worse than dead. Take my advice and don't bother. Nothing you or your people can do or say will change that fact."

Now I would see. Was she as clever as she was made out to be? This female; The one who supposedly was the Cunning One from the raka prophecy, who at the age of seventeen had become the Copper Isles' spymaster, was rumoured to have brought about the fall of Topabaw and caused a wedge to be driven between the former regents. She looked at me properly for the first time. Her eyes held mine then she nodded. She made some hand signals and the sound of people moving followed. She turned back to me,

"Now that they're gone how about we have a proper conversation? Let's start with something easy. Who are you? Don't bother trying to lie. Either say something or nothing."

I wasn't stupid; I knew the Raka Queen's Spymaster had the Sight. What kind of assassin did she think I was?

Despite the phrasing her words were not a request. She pulled up the sole stool in the room and sat on it. It went against my instinct and training, to tell her anything at all. But what did it matter now?

"My name is Heishi Masunaga; I'm a Yamani assassin by trade known as Uindo - the wind. Or at least I was, was until I was "hired" by my current master to do his work. And now I've failed; Twice. He doesn't permit failure. I will be punished…painfully and eventually fatally. I cannot escape. I have tried many times. There is no escaping my master's grip…even through death."

End of Heishi's POV.

Heishi's voice was cold and monotonous; his eyes were dead and haunted as he said those last words. His eyes where those of a man without a shred of hope left in him, one resigned to the fate he knew he would have. It made Aly want to shiver uncontrollably. Never had she seen anyone so devoid of hope, of want. He was right. What could you offer a person like that? Someone who didn't want money or power, they didn't want anything. Didn't care if you killed them, the guy would probably welcome it as a release from living. And even then if you offered them life what was that to them, their nonsensical existence was nothing. They might as well be alive as dead it didn't matter. Aly sighed then said,

"So you say. But I believe the other day when you were captured you asked us to kill you. Then you screamed and fainted. Why have you changed you're mind if nothing matters? What do you mean you can't escape, even through death?"

"I asked you to kill me when I didn't know any better, when I didn't know the extent of my master's powers." He sighed. "He told me it was hopeless, gave me 'a little demonstration' of what he would do to me when he could find the time. Just because I'm in the Black God's domain doesn't mean I'm safe. Not from him. He has the power to do something like that. He has more than enough power."

This could get interesting, Aly thought.

Heishi's eyes looked at the far wall as though it wasn't there. He paled. Swallowing he continued.

"If you don't believe me that's fine, I didn't believe him either-" his voice faded as he relived a horror only he could see. "He proved it…then I realised it didn't matter if I lived or died, he would find me and then punish me anyway…" He swallowed again. "When he could find the time."

"When he can find the time?" Aly asked, curious.

"When he can find the time, he has many plans to carry out. Plans within plans, or I'd try to stop him. But I don't know what his goal is."

"Oh yes, you might want to know; I killed one of your agents a couple of days ago on my masters orders, when you had that storm. She carried news of him, his rising power and influence. She found out purely by accident you see. And I killed a thief as well. He saw me kill you're agent though I didn't notice him at the time. He tried to sell the information. It was a bad idea."

This time Aly did shiver. The cold detachedness Heishi showed as he spoke of taking another person's life as though he talked about… a rise in the price of grain. Then again to an assassin it was a rise in the price of grain, it was business. Now she new what had happened to the part-blood raka woman, she'd have to call in the agent she'd sent to look for her. Then a thought occurred to her. For some reason the voice sounded like her Da's.

If he doesn't want anything, make him want something…it's human nature to want, to hope. Use it.

Simple enough a theory once you thought of it…but how to actually do it? She mused. This would require thought. With a groan she stood.

"Well, it was nice talking to you…Heishi Masunaga-"

"Please, do not say my name while you're near me again. I don't need anymore of my master's attention than I have already."

Aly nodded.

"For now Uindo it is then, I'm sure you and I can have another one of these lovely chats again," she said with a leer. Then turned and walked out the door.

So, Heishi thought. She is ancient in treachery after all.

Dove stood in front of Aly's desk her face livid with rage.

"…and because I'm attacked once Fesgao and Taybur think that I should call off my trip! Attacked once! I'm the rebel queen for the god's sake! What do they expect!"

"I assume they would expect there to be a possibility of you being attacked…but before you've even left-"

Dove's eyes flashed angrily.

"Who's side are you on anyway!"

"Your's Your Majest-"

"And what did I tell you calling me Your Majesty!"

Aly ignored her.

"As I was saying, your's. But they do have a valid reason to be worrying…but they don't know that."

"Really?" said Dove archly.

"As a matter of fact yes, I was talking to Heishi-the assassin this morning. What ever information he has it's interesting."

Dove raised an eyebrow. "So what you're really saying is that, he told you something that makes you worried but you want to check it before you act on it or tell anyone. If you're worried, I'm worried."

"Bright eyes is worried," remarked a voice from the door way. "That usually means we should be adopting the fetal position as a last resort."

Both Dove and Aly groaned. They turned to see Fesgao standing there. A second figure joined his, it was Taybur.

"And what's this wonderful piece of news that we don't know but gives us a valid reason to be worried?"

Aly winced. "Well…Heishi-the assassin-"

"Oh, and while we're on the subject of said assassin would you like to explain why you sent away the guard while you were inside?"

"As I was saying, I thought he might say something more if-"

Fesgao cleared his throat loudly.

Aly sighed, she should know better than to try and fool these two.

"Look, it might not be anything. I've just…have you talked to the guy?"

Taybur and Fesgao nodded slowly.

"We did plenty of talking, he seemed oblivious to most of it."

"That's my point, he was angry when I came in. Who wouldn't be, I caused him to 'fail' twice. But then, suddenly he was emotionless." She shivered.

"Yamani are known for hiding their emotions, that's not what this guy is like. Heishi, well to put it simply he's lost all hope. He doesn't want anything. He says he failed his master, that his master will punish him. He says he can't escape, that not even death will make him safe. Threatening to kill him doesn't mean anything to him. Letting him live doesn't mean anything to him. He might as well be alive as dead. Don't you see? You can't offer him anything because he doesn't care about anything."

"Hang on, you said he said not even death will make him safe? That doesn't make sense." Accused Dove.

"I asked him about that to. He said his master has the power, more than enough power to reach him…even in the Black God's domain-"

"And you believed him!" Snapped Fesgao eyes flashing.

"He wasn't lying, Fesgao. Even without my sight, the look on his face…" Aly shuddered again.

Hundreds of kilometres away a figure sat in front of a large fire staring intently at the image in the flames. As he watched his enemies talking, he concentrated, enlarging the image focusing it on the face of the young spymaster. There was worried frown on her face.

He had plans for her. He laughed softly; there was no warmth or happiness in the sound. Let her worry.

As cunning and treacherous as she was, she should be terrified.

Turning away he failed to notice the steely look in the spymaster's eyes as she turned to look directly at him. Her eyes seemed to pierce the distance between them, distanceand reality. She did not break her stare even as the image was slowly swallowed back into the flames.

A/N: Dundundah…enter the ever confident, deranged (but cunning); evil villain…Yay! I couldn't resist adding that last bit, I'm still in evil mode…that's probably not a good thing for the next person I see…Anyway what did you think of this chapter! Was it good? Or did I do something I could improve/fix next time. I can't change it if you don't tell me about it! So once again, please LEAVE A REVIEW!