Tera swore to herself as she stormed into her room via the never-locked window. Damn Thaire! And damn those elves. She was enraged beyond any reasonable extent. How dare they? Who did they think they were?
But most of all, she raged at herself.
How could she not have double-checked the bar? It was a fool's mistake, and she had ceased to be a fool long ago. Hooded figures with finely made cloaks were conspicuous, and Tera had eyes honed from constant darkness. Was she so distracted by the triumph of a job well done?
No, she knew as she snatched dry clothes from her wardrobe, ignoring the quickly stopping bleeding of her arms and legs, she had ceased being distracted by such a thing as that as well. She had absolutely no excuse for this lapse of attention.
Tera snarled as she strode into the bathing room, barely giving the luxury of her home a second's glance.
Her home was not one of an assassin's, nor one of a thief's. In fact, upon seeing her house, there were few who could be brought to believe she was either. In truth, she had no more need for money, and indeed had enough to live in extravagance for the rest of her life.
But what fun was that? Tera was not a thief out of necessity. She was a thief out of want. And so in many ways, she was a worst type of rogue.
It wasn't that she had no morals, she thought as she poured steaming water into an oaken tub, it was that her morals were, to put mildly, a little out of sorts. Murdering men in cold blood to save animals? Rejecting gold and harboring gemstones? What did that make her.
Something, she thought with a grim little smile, she did not want to know.
Tera stared at the steam rising from the tub after she'd lowered herself in, wondering at the recent events. Even though she had left in a hurry, Thaire's words had not gone unheeded.
". . . they're offering you a job. A high paying job."
Elves? Wanting to hire an assassin? Now that was interesting. What for? Not for one of their own, certainly; no more tales of their goodness were needed to convince Tera against that idea.
And elves didn't bother themselves with the lives of humans, or, if there still were any, dwarves. Which made the only other option. . .
Orcs? Goblins?
Oh, Tera had no fear of any man or elf, and would not hesitate to assassinate either. But she'd never seen an orc or, for that matter, a goblin. . .
That would be interesting, she though, sliding tongue absentmindedly over teeth, that would be very interesting.
A second thought came, unbidden.
Would orcs horde jewels?
Tera snorted down laughter as she shook her head into her hand. Oh gods, she was hopeless.
And she was actually considering this job.
Enough. She shook her head. Her main priority right now was to get clean. Get clean and dry and dressed before the water cooled and her stomach started complaining.
And maybe, just maybe, find the concern to do something about her cuts. Then again, she didn't usually do anything about 'just a cut'.
Tera strode out of the bathing room some fifteen minutes later, dressed a dry set of clothing, hair damp and knotted at the nape of her neck, the cuts, even if not dressed, clean and washed. Her blade, as always, hung from a scabbard tide loosely to her waist. She just had to drop by her room to snatch her purse before. . .
What?
She leaped onto the table even as her head swiveled round, blade drawn and ready, heart hammering in her throat. How had anyone known where she lived?
Her brain took a while longer to work, and it was only when Tera took her fighter's crouch when she recognized the intruder.
How the hell did an elf get here?
Tera swore inwardly, and very vehemently at that. There were few people who knew where she lived. If she learned that any of them had given that secret away. . .
"Thaire was extremely lax with his information. He had, in his own words, 'done his research'. I assume he means your home, and your friends, and very possibly your family."
"Then I'd hate to disappoint him, being that I have no friend nor family," she snarled, blade still drawn and ready, glaring at the elleth lounging on her couch with a probably feigned casualness. Seemingly relaxed, but nonetheless, she warned herself, very, very dangerous.
The elf gave a nod, before freezing. Tera saw his gaze lock to her blade and tightened her grip over it. When he spoke his voice was chilling and cold, and far cry from his former musical tone.
"And what are you doing with a blade by the dark elves?"
Tera stared at her weapon, surprised. She'd known, of course, that there was magic infused into her arms, but of the elves?
"My blade is mine by right. I can assure you that I have never killed any of your kindred before."
Glorfindel inclined his head towards her, hands outstretched and turned upwards.
"And I assure you, I have no weapon with me. You can put down your dagger; by my word you will come to no harm."
Tera gave an obviously false smile.
"If it's all the same to you, I'll keep it out," she replied, voice kept low and smooth.
With assassin trained eyes, she noted the slight hesitation as the elf tried to find a reply to this. Good, she thought, keep him off balance. See what he wants, but on your own terms.
"So, what brings you here uninvited?" she allowed a deeper hiss to enter her words.
"You, ah, departed before any words could be exchanged, I fear, so I decided that it would be more. . . comfortable for you in a familiar place."
"To put mildly," she muttered, feeling the corners of her lips quirk upwards, and quickly hiding them with a scowl.
"So talk. And quickly," she snapped, "and then, if you please, get out."
Glordindel seemed quite taken aback by her rudeness, but hid his reaction quickly and, she hated to admit, with a smoothness she could envy.
"So. Shall we be blunt? I want someone dead, and you can do it."
Ha, she thought, somewhat surprised with his words. An elf, being blunt. Who would have thought? Nevertheless, her reply was as dark and amused as she would have wished.
"So I gathered. Now, tell me, who? The orc, or the goblin."
Now she'd caught him off guard.
"The orc," he replied without thinking, before pausing as if thinking over what he had just said. Then he gave a true, albeit reluctant, laugh.
"Enough, lady. I concede defeat. Now, if you would please, stop with these word games. We have much to discuss, and, if you do intend to throw me out, very little time."
Tera fought in vain to stop a small grin from appearing.
"Very well, elf-"
"-Glorfindel"
"Glorfindel," she corrected, "you would have me kill –assassinate –an orc, presumably a leader of the clan I've heard so much about, so the orcs will disperse, making it easy for your people to pick them off in your leisure."
"You impress me, lady, but it is not a clan we speak of. It is an army, unnaturally well coordinated, sent, we believe, by Sauron himself.
"Then one we would have you assassinate is, yes, their leader. But he carries a pendant around his neck, potent with magic. We believe that it is through this pendant that he has such control over his troops, for we have thus far seen no fight occur between them, and this is in itself highly unusual. The orcs themselves have no taste for blood, and indeed wander as if in a daze."
"And you think that if the pendant is shattered, the orcs will be released form this spell, and probably be stunned and so be easy to kill. Interesting," she said, thinking it over.
"It's an interesting offer, and one I will be sure to think over," she leaped lightly back onto the floor, heading towards the window.
Even as she saw that it was locked, Glorfindel snaked towards her, locking an iron grip over both her hands. He lowered his head until his mouth brushed her ear, and his murmur could be heard by her and her alone.
"We ask only for a moment of your life, lady. You are skilled at killing men. Have you never wondered how you would fare against orcs? We offer you riches such that you cannot imagine. Will you refuse the adventure, the treasure?"
"Who are you to say if I will or will not refuse, elf?" Eyes narrowed, she snarled her reply at the elleth.
"It is Glorfindel, lady," his voice roughened with just a hint of annoyance, his grip tightening, "and yours is?"
Tera tried in vain to jerk away, her voice tight with anger to keep out held-down panic.
"My name is my own," she hissed with her voice a tide of warning, "as is my life."
In reply, the elf released her, watching her as she leaped back and raised her blade.
"Kill me if you wish, lady, but please give an answer."
Tera gave a glare of dark fury. But she couldn't stay the excitement kindled within her.
Riches, and adventure beyond her wildest dreams.
Just imagine.
And despite winning the little battle of words, Tera knew that she had lost the war.
She lowered her blade reluctantly.
"When do we leave?"
