Bet with Destiny

Thanks to all my reviewers! And no, no WAY will Kel end up with Dash. Nu-uh. I am NOT setting her up with an OC.

Important: In a day, I will be changing my penname to Tuathail.

)O(

She was a shadow; a shade of darkness 'black' didn't begin to describe.

She was swift, darting through the alleyways, able to make use of both ground and rooftop.

She was graceful, flawed enough to be considered perfect.

She was alone.

And she felt only a whisper of regret as the blue-glinting knife was plunged into a man's heart.

Calmly, she wiped the blood off the knife, careful not to leave a single stain on it. Her job for the night was done.

Taking a different route from the one she used to get there, the girl stole her way back home. She wasn't worried about being followed. Years and experience had taught her the much-needed skill of knowing immediately when she was followed.

She made her way home without any disturbances, glad to finally finish her day. She liked her job, but it never failed to leave a sour taste in her mouth. Coming upon the front entrance of her home, she decided against the front door and chose instead to enter the inn through a more discreet way.

She crept to the back of the inn, her padded feet making no noise in the night. Perhaps a little clumsily, the girl hoisted herself onto a four feet tall wall next to the building. She reached up, found a thick branch of a tree, and pulled herself onto it. Crawling along the branch, she eventually reached her open window and launched herself at the windowsill without a second thought.

She landed on the windowsill – maybe a little awkwardly – hopped off, and rolled to her feet. A sudden rush of air alerted her of another presence, but a knife was pressed to her throat before she could react.

"Dodgy, Kel." The knife relaxed a little, but still did not give her room for movement. "I could of sensed you comin' had I been deaf and blind."

She relaxed a little and smiled, knowing he was exaggerating but still slightly embarrassed. "How long have you been watching me?"

"Since you climbed that wall. Torches do cast shadows, you know." His voice was lazily amused, touched with a note of reprimand.

She cursed, her throat rubbing dangerously against the sharp edge of the knife. "I forgot about the torches on the side of the wall," she admitted sheepishly.

"You should have been more careful. You usually are." Blue eyes glinted in the dark.

"I know, Dash. T'was my room, but I guess I shouldn't have dropped my guard." She replied, a little defensive. "Speaking of, why are you in my room?"

"Lookin' for you." The answer was apparently obvious.

"Oh," she blinked. "Can we lose the knife? It's startin' to hurt."

The silver edge disappeared from her throat and she moved to light candles. It illuminated the face of Dashiel, her mentor and one of her best friends. Candles lit, she sat down on her small but comfortable cot.

"How was tonight?" He asked hesitantly.

"Same-same," she replied, narrowing her eyes in confusion. "You know I don't want to talk 'bout it."

"I know. Sorry. G'night." He closed the door lightly behind him, leaving her alone in her room.

As usual, she double-checked her three escape routes and made sure her window was locked properly. The second story of the Dancing Dove was about the safest place in the world, but she took no chances. Taking chances had gotten her trouble already that night.

That done, Keladry sat down on her bed to puzzle over Dash's sudden interest in her job. Her mouth curved into a smile as she remembered his face when she first expressed interest in being an assassin. Thieves and assassins did not sit well with each other, and in recent years assassins had declared themselves not part of the Rogue at all. His disbelief had turned slowly into reluctance, then acceptance. He taught her the lore of assassins, and trained her harder than she'd think possible.

She was always ready, and she never let anything get in the way of what she had to do.

Sleep came easily that night; she was tired, though why was beyond her. Her sleep was dreamless and peaceful, a striking contrast to her everyday life. She slept, and was content.

)O(

Here. A little cute pointless chapter. I had a long chapter, actually, and cut it in half, explaining this chappie's shortness and pointlessness.