Hey y'all, Lavender here. I really want to thank those of you who wrote reviews for my story! Love y'all!! Anyway, sorry about my story being so gloomy so far, I'll try to make it a tad less so when the time is right… ;)
Arianna's hands were filthy, covered in soil and plant matter, but she didn't care. At least she was outside. Even if it was just in the high-walled garden behind the house. The sun felt good against her pale skin. It shone off her long amber hair, which she now wore loose. The small breeze caressed her face and ruffled the leaves of the trees and hedges. She loved it.
"Ari? Where are you?"
"In the hedges by the fountain Kitty!"
Arianna heard footsteps approaching and Kitty dashed behind the tall hedges, out of sight of the house.
"Do you need something?" asked Arianna. Her eyes were on Kitty, but her hands remained busy pulling weeds.
"No, I just wanted to get out of there for awhile. Cook's on a freaking rampage and the Master will be home soon. I wanted to unwind out here where no one can see me before I have to face him."
Arianna's gut wrenched. They both full well knew that tonight he was going to be stoned. More than usual. He had been out all morning, and it was getting late. That always meant he was at taverns, drinking more than the average person should.
"Are you sure you're going to be okay? I don't like the idea of it. You're still not completely healed up from two weeks ago."
On Kitty's arms were still the painful reminders of the bruises he had given her that night. Though she was almost healed physically, she still suffered emotionally from it. Occasionally she would cry about it. It angered Arianna how he treated her, but she didn't know anything she could do about it. She was powerless, and she wasn't sure if she even had the courage to do anything at all.
"Oh, Ari." She pronounced it like 'Ah-reee.' It drove Arianna insane when she did that, which is exactly why she did it. "Forget that. These things happen when you have a life like ours. It could be worse. We could be beggars."
"Actually… I would like a beggar's life much better than this one. Freedom's more valuable than a roof over my head. Even if it means living like a rat. Besides, you actually have a chance to live and to create a better life for yourself. Unlike us, who are stuck here for all eternity."
"Suit yourself." Smiled Kitty "I'm getting used to this life, I think I can bear it. Now shut up, Cook is coming this way."
Arianna turned abruptly back to the weeding as the footsteps approached. Kitty jumped back into a hedge so that she could hardly be seen.
The red-faced woman came bustling out from behind the bushes, her hair wild, wooden spoon gripped in one hand. "Have you seen that damn girl? I sent her upstairs to do laundry and she never came back. I thought she might have come out here."
"No ma'am, I haven't seen her all afternoon."
"Well if you see her, tell her that when I find her I will tan her sorry hide to make a new pair of shoes." And Cook stomped off back to the kitchen.
Arianna closed her eyes and grinned, waiting, waiting…
She heard the door close behind Cook.
3, 2, 1…
"YEEEOW!!!" howled Kitty, jumping out of the bushes.
Arianna laughed. Kitty had jumped right into the spot in the hedge where a rosebush took up residence. It started on the other side, but had wound its way through the hedge.
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE THORNS?!" Kitty wailed in a very self-pitying manner.
"I didn't have time! Now keep your voice down! You heard Cook's say what she would do with you!"
Dozens of tiny pricks of blood covered Kitty's arms and back of her neck. She wiped them off, very much annoyed at her own carelessness.
Arianna sighed. "You'd better get inside."
"Why should I?"
"Because you must! It's as simple as that!"
Kitty rolled her eyes and turned to go inside via the other door. "You know Ari, have you ever considered that maybe there is a choice other than to obey for our entire lives?"
To that question, Arianna had no answer, and simply sat in the dirt and dead weeds watching Kitty leave.
The loud bang of the door told Arianna the Berwick was back. She was in the corridor going between the kitchen and the dining room, but she heard everything.
"Would you like me to help you upstairs sir?" Kitty's polite voice came, muffled by the door.
She couldn't make out what Berwick said, it was slurred together. It sounded harsh though, and she heard Kitty take in her breath sharply before saying "Yes sir."
Then came a crash. Arianna jumped up, her feet moving of their own accord. She didn't care. All that mattered now was Kitty.
What am I doing? Normally I wouldn't dare burst in on him like this!
Who cares? Kitty may be in trouble!
When Arianna entered the room, she saw Kitty standing by Berwick, frozen, face pale. She wasn't hurt, thank Akatosh for that. Berwick was swaying on his feet, one hand around Kitty's wrist. He had only broken a vase, but Arianna feared he would do more than that.
His brow furrowed when he saw Arianna. Dropping Kitty's arm, he started towards her.
"Damn gurrrl. Yerr 'sposed to be outta sight! I'll teach yooo…"
He seized her by one arm and jerked roughly. Arianna gasped in pain and she swore she felt her shoulder come out of the socket a little ways. Even with the handicap of being completely drunk, he was a Nord, and a big one at that. His strength was far greater than any she had in her.
"Arianna!" Kitty cried as Berwick dragged a struggling Arianna across the room. She couldn't get twisted around to effectively hit him without searing pain burning through her arm and back. He only released her when he shoved her into a wine storage room. She bounded forward, in a vain attempt to get past him, but was met by his fist. He punched her in the jaw, not enough to break it, but enough to send her falling backwards, stunned.
"Don't hurt her!" Kitty cried, frantic. She picked up a book and threw it at Berwick. It struck him upside the head, but with no effect other than angering him.
Arianna was on her feet again, but he had locked the door. She could only see through the small window set up in the door.
Berwick once again grabbed Kitty and dragged her up the stairs, the whole time cursing. Arianna heard the upstairs door slam behind him.
She beat against the door, screaming, until her fists hurt. They were even bleeding from the abuse. At that point, she searched frantically for something… anything… that she could pry the door open with.
Suddenly, she stopped her futile search.
Maybe…
She glanced at the lock. It didn't look to hard to open with the right tools.
Or magic.
She squeezed her eyes shut. Akatosh, Azura, or whoever is listening! Help me now, your servant in my time of need!
Pressing her hand against the lock, she pulled together every scrap of magic she had and focused it on the lock.
Please
Please
Magic flowed through her fingers, pulsing through her veins. The metal warmed, she felt the mechanisms inside the lock moving.
YES!
Arianna slammed her weight against the door, but it would not budge. She jumped to look out the window, and much to her dismay, he had blocked it with a chair.
There were shouts coming from upstairs.
"Hold on Kitty!" Arianna screamed, frantic.
Searching wildly, she felt along every crevice in the room to find something she could use. All she found was the kegs and the stone wall.
Wait a minute.
One of the stones felt different. Several of them did. She traced it quickly with her fingers until…
There was a knob on it! A door!
She turned it, and it came open with no resistance. In the dim light she could see a black passageway ahead, flooded with darkness, but she paid no mind. Darkness was more comfortable to her than light. She wasted no time rushing forward.
As Arianna hurtled through the black, she only tripped a few times. In her frantic state, she was surprisingly agile. If her foot hit a stone, she simply altered her stride and continued forward at the same pace. Where this passage went, she had no idea. But she followed it anyway one hand touching the wall so that she wouldn't run into anything.
Eventually, after what seemed like hours of running full speed through the dark, she came upon some light. The room ahead was familiar…
The cellar!
This complex passage led right to the cellar?
I'll figure it out later, when Kitty's safe. She thought as she weaved her way around enormous kegs and supplies. If we both live through this, I'm taking her far away from here. Forget any contracts, we're leaving.
Arianna threw the door open and bounded up the winding stairs into the kitchen. She soon found herself in the front hall, where she froze in her tracks. The front door was wide open. Blood was smeared on the handle, and there were footprints on the floor, spotted with the crimson liquid.
The house was completely silent.
Arianna raced up the stairs.
Please, Kitty, hold on a few seconds!
She burst through the door to the master bedroom and-
Her blood ran cold.
As her eyes adjusted to the light, a horrific scene exposed itself right before her.
The room was in shambles, obviously there had been a struggle. One window was broken, the one looking over the back garden. Blood covered the windowsill and the rug in front of it. She looked frenetically around the room for Kitty.
"Kitty? Kitty!" she called
Neither Berwick nor Kitty was in the room.
He must have been the one who ran out the door. But why would he be in such a hurry? And where is Kitty?
She felt the cold breeze on her back, and her eyes fell back to the blood on the windowsill, the broken window.
No. NO!
She flew to the window and looked down at the garden. She couldn't see well through the dark of the night, but she could make out one thing; a motionless figure lying beneath the window.
It only took a matter of seconds for Arianna to dash out to the garden. She'd never moved so fast in all her life.
Sure enough, there was somebody there. Sprawled across the fountain, blood tainting the water.
"Kitty?"
As she neared, she saw it all. She was bloody and covered with numerous gashes. One arm hung at an odd angle, and her neck twisted, probably broken. The worst of all was the face, look of terror still frozen, eyes wide, mouth hanging open.
"Kitty!"
In an instant she was at her friend's side.
No, she can't be dead! Not Kitty!
She listened for a heartbeat, a pulse, anything to indicate her friend was still hanging on.
Nothing.
All she heard was the sound of death;
Silence.
Something happened to her in that moment as she stood up.
Something had snapped within her. Something that had been building up.
She did not cry. She was empty. She felt nothing.
It was in that instant her heart turned black.
"You were right Kitty."
Arianna kneeled down beside Kitty's mangled body.
"To obey all our lives can only lead to one thing."
She pressed her hand against Kitty's face.
"We do have a choice."
Her fingers lightly brushed Kitty's brown eyes closed.
"No more shall I suffer in silence."
Her eyes narrowed as she stood up.
"It is my turn. Vengeance will be sweet. Farewell, sweet Kitty. Maybe we will meet again."
And turning on her heels, she climbed the rock wall and disappeared into the darkness once again.
Beware this beautiful shadow
This dangerous enigma
In all his deadly splendor
In the darkness he stays hidden
A/N: Wow, I thought I'd never finish that. ;) Sorry for making this so dark. (But after all, it is about an assassin.)
But you obviously weren't coming here for something happy and uplifting if you clicked on something called "Deadly Shadows." So it's your fault. Nah nah nah nah nah.
Lol jk, anyways, please review my story! I would love to hear your feedback, both positive and negative!
And it may be a while before I update, my life is kinda chaotic right now :P
But I am about to start a new story. One that isn't quite as… depressing.