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Mirk Diminoth
Mirk looked around warily, surveying this new city. He would not blend in here at all, everyone was short, pasty, and bland looking. Mirk stood almost a foot taller than most people in the city, more than a foot
over some. They looked at him as he rode by on his stolen horse. He stood out mainly for his height, but his dark tan didn't do much to hide him either. Having just arrived, he had no idea where he was going. All he wanted to do was to sleep, and
start his hunt in the morning.
The trip had been rather uneventful. He stole a horse from Mayene, and rode it hard to Cairhein, taking him just over three weeks. He encountered several travelers in his travels, some rich, some poor, most going to Cairhein, some going beyond. He
tried not to talk to many of them, as people ask a lot of questions when they meet a man on the road, mostly out of boredom. At one point Mirk was suffering from a bad case of that himself. Weeks alone on the road had made him wish he'd asked one
of the Kits to come along, even made him consider turning back, but every time these thoughts came to mind, he though of the goal, which snapped him out of the crazy state.
But weeks in a saddle and sleeping on hard, rocky ground with nothing but his bag of gear as a pillow didn't do a great deal of good for Mirk, and as it was getting later in the night, he was in search of a good Inn. Any would do, but he had a lot
of money, so he wanted the best for his first night in a bed in three weeks. He found an inn that he figured would do. The name described him perfectly; "The Sleepy Traveler." Mirk was very sleepy, and he was a traveler, so he figured it must have
been fate.
He entered the small establishment and made a quick pass over the room. A few tables littered the floor, with no patrons. Surprising, as it was around dinner time, he was guessing. Having not had a normal schedule, his concept of time was slightly
skewed. No matter, he wasn't hungry. All he wanted was some sleep in a warm bed.
He approached the innkeeper, a short man, of course, wearing a black apron over a white shirt. He looked as though he hadn't had any excitement in his life in the past three decades. His eyes lit up slightly at Mirk's arrival, as he could obviously
tell Mirk was a foreigner, and would need a place to sleep.
"Why hello there young sir, what can I do for you?" he asked as Mirk leaned on the counter. It was a phony display of enthusiasm, but with a hint to get right to the point.
"Well, I have just arrived, and I'm looking for a place to rest. I'd like a room of the higher class, as I haven't slept on anything but the ground or in my saddle for the past few weeks. Could you help me find one?" The smile on the man's face
widened.
"Of course I can. I'll need a name first."
"Oh of course. My name is Firyn Kelordol." His standard fake whenever he was outside of the city.
"Well master Kelordol, you came to the right place. This is the finest inn in the entire city. We have rooms ranging in size and price, but I'll show you to the royal suite." Mirk smiled and nodded.
"Thank you very much."
Mirk followed him up the stairs to the room, which was on the top floor, five stories up. He was led to the end of a hall, and into a large room, larger than any inn room Mirk had ever seen. A large four post bed sat in the corner of one room, with
sheets which appeared to be made of silk. There was an adjoining room for washing and other such things, and a grand balcony which overlooked a large portion of the city. It would do very nicely for Mirk's search.
After the tour Mirk pulled out several gold coins and handed them to the man.
"I'll have fried ham with two eggs, boiled brought to me for breakfast. I also want to be awakened at nine o'clock tomorrow morning, with said breakfast, if it isn't to much trouble." The innkeeper smiled greasily.
"Oh, it shant be a problem sir. I bid you farewell, and I'll have your order sent up in the morning. Is there anything else I can do for you?" Mirk looked at his bag, which was currently full of dirty clothes he'd worn since leaving. He hefted it
into the man's arms, and gave him a few more coins.
"I'd like for everything in that bag to be washed and dried in time for my departure tomorrow after breakfast." The man nodded and put the gold into a pouch on his apron.
"Of course, it shall be done for you. If you don't mind my asking, how long shall you be staying with us?" Mirk put a hand on the man's shoulder and led him to the door.
"Well, I should say five or six days at least. We'll see how it goes." The man bowed from outside the door.
"Excellent sir. I bid you farewell, and I'll have all of your requests done by morning." Mirk smiled at him and nodded his head, and the man was off, carrying Mirk's clothes with him. Mirk closed the door and walked through the bedroom and onto the
balcony. There were still quite a few people out, as it was barely past dinner time. But Mirk was tired from the long journey, and wanted nothing more than to curl up in the silk sheets covering the large bed in the middle of the room. Luckily for
him, that was exactly what he did.
"Yes, I know the Lady Hether. Well, I know her as much as anyone else does I guess. I met her about two years ago, and I still don't know a thing about her. She's very secretive very mysterious." Mirk smiled at the
man, a servant in the fine lady's house. Mirk had located it very easily, and was currently interviewing each of older servants, the important ones who would know her personally.
"Yes, that she is. Listen, if you see her, tell her an old friend from home has come by, and is looking for her. Can you do that for me?" The servant nodded.
"Yes of course I can. But I will be needing your name."
"Oh, that won't be necessary, she'll know without it." The servant smiled and bowed. As Mirk was well dressed, he was obviously thought to be a noble. Mirk left the man to do his work, and went searching for more serving people to question. It was
hard to find them, as he couldn't get inside her gates by day. There were a few who hadn't been as accommodating. Mirk had grown used to the civility in Mayene, well, in his neighborhood, where people seemed less rushed. Those people had simply
brushed him off, saying they had work to do. So far he'd not gotten much information, and the information he had wasn't very useful.
So far, he found out that she came here from Tear nearly five years ago, just after she'd tried to kill him, and that she had a lot of money. She claimed to be the only heir to the Cinni house, and since the actual Cinni, who she claimed to be her
father, had just died, she was entitled to his manor and estate. Fortunately for Auds, it was actually true, all except the first name. She had told him of her wealthy father from the north, but he had no idea he was that wealthy. He also found out
that she was very well guarded, and had a guard force the size of a small army. Not a problem, as Mirk could find a way around that. Other than that, "Hether Cinni" kept to herself, not telling people much of anything. She had quite a few
visitors though, and left on occasion, indicating to Mirk that she was still practicing assassinery.
He asked about her habits, and wasn't given much. Most of the servants knew better than to expose that kind of thing, but there were a small few that slipped up. She spent her time alone in her study, but sometimes went for rides through town, and
even hunted on occasion, in the forests to the east. That was all he was able to find out. This might be trickier than he first thought.
He walked around the outside of her estate, looking for usable targets, when he caught sight of her. She was riding a tall, sleek black horse, looking every bit as noble as he did himself. As for her looks, she looked much the same, only older,
which was to be expected. Her light hair was longer, down to the middle of her back, blowing slightly in the breeze. She was flanked by two mean looking guards, each with swords ready on their backs, and full armor, including a full helmet, face
mask and all.. Mirk saw the man he just spoke to running up to her, obviously to tell her of their conversation earlier. To avoid being seen Mirk quickly ducked off into an alley.
'Now this is my lucky day. If I can get into one of those suits of armor, she'd never know it was me. You slipped up Auds, you left me an in.'
"I'm going for a ride, so summon two of the guards. Tell them to meet me in the stables in five or so minutes," she told the young servant, new to her manor.
"Yes, Lady Hether," he said, bowing, then running off. Auds looked at herself in the full length mirror mounted on her wall. Even in the rown riding cloak she looked beautiful. She had considered tying her hair back, as there was a breeze
today, but she left it down. Not enough to warrant the effort. She pulled on the partner to a long, thin leather glove, long enough to nearly reach her elbow, and did up one of the clasps on her cloak. It was warm, but she didn't want her cloak to
be flying about. She would be doing reconnaissance for her latest job from Tear. The Black Spiders were still sending her jobs. They were enthusiastic about her leaving, as it would allow them to expand their business to Cairhein. Apparently it was
going well for them, as she was getting quite a few jobs. She'd even considered looking for some mercenaries to work for her, but not yet. She was still getting better established with the nobles. She rubbed the tattoo on her hand under her glove,
a part of her body rarely exposed, only to her most trusted servants. They didn't ask questions about her past. She gave herself one last look in the mirror, and left the room, heading for the stables.
When she arrived, her two armed guards were ready, and they bowed as she entered. She really did not need them, but only used them for appearance. It was not proper for a lady like her to go unescorted. She'd developed a large profile, marking her
as the young Hether Cinni, a paranoid noblewoman from Tear, still suffering from her father's passing. Truth be told, she couldn't care less, as she barely knew the man. She'd left home when she was twelve, and her memories of her father were far
from fond, as he had drove her mother to suicide. At least he hadn't remarried, or else she wouldn't have all of what she had.
One of the men helped her onto her horse, a black Tarien bloodstock, very fast, and extremely well trained. After they mounted, she kicked her horse into motion and rode it out the door into the sun. As soon as she was outside, the breeze caught
her hair, causing it to ripple with the wind. She smiled as she rode foreword, down the path leading to the front of her property, which held the gate. She looked around at all of her servants, busy at their tasks. She often wondered how many of
them were actually working, or just pretending to work while she was around. No matter, they got their work done eventually, and that was what counted.
The two gate guards bowed at her as she passed through, and she smiled and waved at them, grateful of the security they provided. She rode on, and was distracted by the shouts from one of her servants, who was jogging up to her. He must have been
on a lunch break, or one of the many servants she had do her shopping, as he was coming from a place outside her gates. She reined her horse to a stop as the man approached.
"Lady Hether, Lady Hether, I have a message for you," he said between breaths. "I was told to tell you that an old friend of yours has come to town, and is looking for you." She looked at him puzzled. 'An old friend, probably from Tear. Could it
be a member of the Spiders? Yes, that must be it.'
"Was that all? Did he leave a name?" The servant shook his head. "No, he said you'd know who he was." Auds was thinking more, about who it could be.
"Well, what did he look like?"
"See for yourself, he's right over..." he trailed off as his eyes searched the crowd behind him, finger poised to point him out. "I swear he was right there just a moment ago. Well, he is about... twenty two, maybe a little older. Definitely not
from here. He's very tanned, and tall. Taller than anyone I've ever seen. Two hands taller than me I'd say. He was thin, but not overly so. Probably about... one hundred and seventy five pounds. Looked rich."
"What about his hands?" she asked impatiently, "Was there a marking on his hand? A spider?" The servant shook his head immediately.
"No, and that I would have remembered. I saw his hands clearly. The one thing that stood out other than his height and skin were his eyes. Black as oil, and sharp looking, like they caught everything. And he had a faint scar on his face, down his
cheek. That's all I can remember." Auds' eyes widened briefly, and she was unable to speak for a moment. When she was able to, she thanked the servant, who bowed and walked away. She kicked her horse back into motion mindlessly, thinking about the
information she'd just received.
'I wonder who it could be. He's not with the Spiders, but he is from the south. If I didn't know better I'd say it was Mirk, but that would be impossible, he's dead, I killed him.' Years ago, almost five, right before she'd arrived here, she
had killed him, unintentionally, sort of. She never meant for him to die, which he did on the boat to Illian from the blow to the head. It broke her heart that she'd actually killed him, which was why she was forced to move north. Luckily the
Spiders didn't know about her initial plan to let him live, and let her live, and still hired her. But now she was confused, as she hadn't left many friends back in Tear when she left, and if this visitor wasn't a guild member, then who was it. She
turned to one of her guards.
"I want you to find that man, or any matching his description. He's close by, and shouldn't be hard to locate. Meet us back here at noon." The man nodded and rode off a road to the right of them. Auds really wasn't worried about having one less
guard, she'd been out a lot without them, but always in disguise. She needed to keep up her appearance.
Right now she couldn't be distracted by the visitor from out of town, she had to do some reconnaissance on her latest mark. This would be her final time out, one last check before she did the job later that night. Just a final overview, making sure
she didn't miss anything. And besides, on a day like this one, who could resist going for a nice ride.
She scanned the rooftop from which she would shoot the mark. It was free of any hindrance, and easy to accend and descend. She looked at the ladder up to it on the wall inside and alley when she caught sight of someone who was staring at her. She
passed over him once, and continued before she realized he had been staring at her, but when she looked back, he was gone. 'It's just your mind playing tricks on you. Nothing to worry yourself over.' she thought to herself reassuringly. She
rode on, past the place from which she'd fire, and headed into the heart of the city, to enjoy all the hustle and bustle of normal life, a life she missed on occasion.
The rest of her ride was rather uneventful, without any more visions of staring men, or anything else exciting, just another ride through town. Her other guard was waiting patiently for her at the gate as she rode up.
"So, did you find anything?" she asked as soon as they were within talking range.
"Aye, m'Lady. I found him. He's staying in the Sleepy Traveler inn, it's near the center of town, quite large. I followed him inside, but couldn't get much closer, because he went to his room, and I felt it would be unusual to follow a man to his
room. I asked the innkeeper his name, and he said it was Firyn Kelordol. Do you know him?"
That name sent a strange tingling through Auds' body, yet she didn't know why. She knew the name, it rang through her head like a bell, but she couldn't place it. It would bother her until she found out who this man was. She smiled at the guard.
"Well, when you get the chance, have a message sent to him, inviting him to the house, telling him I'd greatly like to know who he is.." The man nodded.
"I'll deliver it myself right away." Auds smiled at the man.
"Thank you. But first, let us go inside, I'm rather hungry." The gates swung open, and she rode her horse inside and up the path towards the stables.
Mirk sat in his room, on the silk sheets of the bed, thinking how he was going to go about completing the task. He'd probably need to get his hands on the suits of armor her guards wore, and sneak in, finding her
at her most vulnerable. That would be best, but how could he go about doing it? How would he get it without causing a disturbance? It would take some careful planning. Mirk tried his best to stay void of emotions for this job, but it was more
difficult than he first thought. When he saw her, he immediately wanted to rush foreword, kill her guards, and fillet her alive. It would be the most satisfying, but the most irrational. No, that wouldn't do at all. He'd have to infiltrate her
manor, and find her at her most vulnerable. He wanted her to know what had happened before she died. It would provide a lot of closure.
Mirk was about to head to the balcony to look out on the town and think more when there was a knock on the door. Mirk walked slowly towards it, and opened it a crack, to see the innkeepers face.
"Master Kelordol, there is a man here with a message for you. Shall I send him in?" Mirk smiled and opened the door fully, exposing a guard in full armor, holding a full face helmet under one arm. 'What is he doing here?' Mirk thought
frantically. 'Does she know it's me? No, she couldn't. She thinks I'm dead. No, she must have had me tracked down from the servants description. Yes, that's it, that's the only possible way.'
"Of course, of course, come in." The man spoke, his voice deep and gruff sounding.
"Oh, there's no need for me to stay, I was just told to...." Mirk cut him off by pressing on his invitation.
"No, I insist. Please." The seriousness in his voice signaled there was no way around it. The man nodded and the innkeeper bowed himself out. Mirk brought the guard into his room and closed and locked the door. This would be a perfect opportunity
to get the armor from him. Mirk smiled at the man's back, when the cold hard facts hit him in the face. Mirk was at least a hand taller than the man, who was tall for people here. The armor would never fit him. He silently cursed himself while he
approached the man.
"Please, sit, and we can talk." The man shifted uncomfortably. It was obvious he wasn't expecting a talk, or even to stay for more than the time he needed to deliver his message.
"Well, there's not much to say really. I was just sent to deliver a message." Mirk looked at him curiously.
"From who, and what?"
"From the Lady Hether Cinni. The message is that you are to be invited to her house, as she would greatly like to know who you are. You confused her a great deal you see. She didn't know who her servant was talking about, so she had me look for
you, after he described you." The man, in his nervous state, had said to much. He didn't realize it. He was probably just out of the army, and didn't yet know the subtleties that came with nobility, something Mirk was doing his best to master.
'I could just go with him, but then she'd see me, and order me dead. No, I cannot go just yet. I'll have to postpone the meeting. Or...' Mirk smiled at his own cruelty, 'I'll go with him, and leave before
she sees me, just to mess with her head.' It was genius.
"Well, I am grateful for the invitation. I am pleased to inform your lady that I am able to meet her, now if you'd like. Would that be okay with you?"
"Yes, it is excellent. Milady will be please." Mirk pulled his jacket off the coat hook on the wall next to the door and threw it on.
"Lead the way."
Mirk followed the man through the streets for quite some time. He had considered going with him through the gates, then leaving, but he'd be spotted quickly if he were to do that. He decided to take it right up close
to the gate, then disappear, which is just what he did. The guard wasn't paying much attention, so Mirk was able to slip away silently, letting the man continue down the road by himself. Mirk chuckled quietly as he made his way back to the inn
through alleys, avoiding the searching eye of the guard, that is if he'd noticed yet. Best not to take chances though. Mirk took a series of alleyways until he found a street he recognized, and followed that back to the inn. The innkeep was
slightly confused at seeing him back so soon, but Mirk just smiled at him and returned to his room.
Mirk spent most of his time in his room that night, contemplating, planning, and remembering the past. He'd trusted her, with his life, with his thoughts, completely and utterly. He didn't understand how she could just betray him like that, without
any notice or care. Oh well, he wasn't to bad for it. In fact, he'd come out of it better than he'd gone into it. For a moment he though he should thank her for all she'd done for him, and let her go, but he couldn't do that. She had indeed tried
to kill him, and as far as she knew, succeeded. She needed to pay for what she did to him, and to Hether. They had a good life there, and she's taken it all away, she had to pay.
Mirk got up and walked out to the balcony for some fresh air. He hadn't realized how much time had passed, as it was dark, and the streets deserted. Deserted, except for one person moving far below. Mirk wasn't sure, but it appeared to be a woman.
She paused, and moved into the moonlight. When she turned and faced him, Mirk saw that it was Auds. Instantly he grabbed his bow and quiver from under the bed, hid them under his cloak, and ran out the door.
It took him a while to find her, as he had to descend several floors before he was able to start the chase on the streets. She was cloaked in black, and was unguarded. She had a bow strapped to her back, which could only mean one thing. She was out
to kill someone, probably her latest mark. The thought of killing her crossed Mirk's mind immediately, but a more devilish thought crossed him mind.
He stalked her from the shadows, and when she turned off into an alley, he stopped on the other side of the road. She began climbing a wall mounted ladder, and Mirk knew she was going to be shooting soon. He quickly found a way up the building
across the street from where she was, a box underneath a windowsill, which was close to a balcony. He used them all to climb to the roof, where he snuck to the edge. The moon was at his back, so even if she did see him, she would only see a
silhouette. He put his bow and quiver on the roof next to him, and watched Auds closely, waiting for signs of her seeing her mark.
Those came when he saw a man walked into the streets to his left. She perked up, and grabbed her bow. Mirk knew this was it. He grabbed his and nocked an arrow. When she did the same, he drew his and took aim. He watched her movement out of the
corner of one eye, and just as she drew, he let his loose, sinking an arrow deep into the man's chest, piercing his heart, killing him nearly instantly. Auds stopped moving for a second, and Mirk smiled widely. He wished he could see the look at
her face more closely, as he was sure it was priceless. After several seconds, she looked up at him, to see only a silhouette. Mirk couldn't stop smiling, and in his gleeful state, waved to her. He even began to laugh a little as he quickly ran
from the edge, and looked for a way down on the opposite side of the building. He knew he had to be quick, as she'd soon be over her shock, and be looking for him.
He dropped down onto the balcony, but paused there, watching her come down the ladder. He had to time this right, or else he'd be caught, and be forced to end this game sooner than he'd like. When she was down, she headed across the road towards
him. He sprawled across the wooden floorboards to stay hidden from sight. When she moved underneath him and around the corner, obviously in an attempt to cut him off, he jumped down to the ground, and ran as hard as he could while staying quiet,
into the alley across the street, and behind a pile of garbage. He watched her look around where he'd come from, and up and down the streets. She continued to search for several minutes, while Mirk giggle quietly behind his shield of garbage. The
only drawback to hiding behind a pile of garbage was the fact that it stuck worse than a pig yard. All for the good of the game.
Eventually she gave up searching, and began heading home. Mirk followed her cautiously, as she was sure to check whether or not she was being followed. Luckily Mirk had been taught everything that she had, so he was able to detect it. Five tries,
and none of them caught him. He smiled to himself for his ability to predict her so well after all this time. Just as he expected, she led him right where he wanted to go. He followed her to a small door behind her house, hidden from view by trees
and vines and such. Mirk was willing to bet that even the guards weren't aware of that door. It was completely unguarded, and Mirk slipped in after Auds, and stayed close. He followed her into the
house, and hid behind a statue as she was approached by a servant, an older woman, whom Auds must have trusted deeply. She didn't seem surprised at all when she saw the bow strung over her back.
"I assume it all went well?" asked that aging woman.
"Yes, there was a slight bump in the plans, but all is well now." The elderly woman smiled in a motherly fashion.
"Well, that's good, I'm glad to hear it. Now come on, it's late. You need to get to bed."
"That it is. Oh, and do you think you can get my hunting stuff ready. I feel like getting out of town for a few days." The woman obviously picked up the stress in her voice.
"Hether, is everything okay? You don't seem yourself." Auds put on a fake smile.
"No, I'm fine, just tired I guess. All I need is some sleep. I'll be fine in the morning." The elderly woman smiled warily.
"Okay, have a good night. I'll have your stuff ready for you by the morning." Auds smiled and thanked her. She was walking off when there was a large, frantic clicking and scraping noise coming from a nearby hallway. Mirk looked to see a large
black dog running towards Auds. It was obviously older, by the gray fur around its stomach and throat. It ran up to Auds and began jumping excitedly by her return.
"Shall Mandarin be coming with you on your hunt?" Auds smiled again, genuinely.
"Of course he will. I wouldn't leave my puppy here without me for that long." She beamed as she left, but the dog didn't follow her. He was staring at the unknown source of the smell coming from the corner.
"Don't remember me, don't remember me, don't remember me," Mirk muttered under his breath. If the dog remember him, it would come running, ruining everything. Luckily for him, the two women walked out of the room before that happened. After they
left Mirk called him over with a quiet whistle. The dog came bounding at him, and as soon as it caught sight of him, was happily wagging his tale. Mirk wondered if he actually remembered him, or if he was just happy to see someone.
Mirk hugged his old dog. He must have been about seven years old by now. Yes, as Mirk got him on his first job, when he was fifteen. Mirk gave him a quick look over. He was in excellent condition, well groomed, and well fed. This had been the last
thing Mirk had expected. For the first time in years, a small tear welled up in the corner of Mirk's eye. He quickly brushed it aside and continued petting the dog. No, it couldn't have forgotten him, there's not way it could have forgotten him.
Another tear leaked from Mirk's eye and he sat with his old dog, the only thing left from his old life, the only left other than memories and scars.
The sun was setting as Auds and her guards set up camp. Two days travel on horseback from the city, and they were at a nice little forest where she could hunt, and get away from the city life. Mandarin was running
after something in the forest, excited to be out of the city as well. He ran off, out of sight, and Auds continued to gather wood for her fire. The guard were slightly put off by her doing all her own work, but she didn't care. The four of them
were setting up bed rolls, and get fire wood, just as she was. They had started a small fire, and it was beginning to grow. She wanted to keep it small,, so not to scare the animals away, more than Mandarin would. He was well trained, and knew to
stay close to the camp, and not to chase the animals. She dumped the firewood in the pile next to the fire, and took a seat on the dry ground. She pulled her cloak tighter. Without the heat from the bright sun, the forest was rather cold.
She looked around the dark forest, watching for signs of her dog's return. He was usually back within minutes of the sun going down, but for some reason he was delayed. 'Probably just a squirrel or something.' she though as she lied
down on her bed roll, 'Just a squirrel.'
She drifted off to sleep quickly, as she had a long day of traveling. Her sleep had been troubled since the news of the arrival of the mysterious man from Tear. Her dreams were all of a faceless man following her, yet she could never see him. The
same went for tonight.
Auds rode through the trees, riding as fast as she could, riding away from the faceless man. She turned over her shoulder, and saw nothing. But she kept riding, as she knew he was there, gaining on her. The branches whipped her face as she rode,
but she didn't slow down. He was gaining on her, she could hear his breathing, hear the pounding of his footsteps right behind her. She looked again, to see nothing, and when she looked back, she was no longer in the forest, but she was in Tar
Valon, with Mirk. She was still panicked from her run though the woods, but all seemed safe now. Mirk was smiling at her, for no apparent reason. She smiled back at him, glad to see him again. She turned away and began walking down the street.
Out of nowhere, a man jumped onto the streets, a young man, well built, blonde, probably around seventeen, with a large knife wound on his chest. She knew him, his name was Firyn, Firyn Kelordol. She had killed him years before, she had killed him
with Mirk's help. Something occurred to her. Firyn was the same man staying in the inn who had been asking for her...
Auds jolted straight up, breathing heavily. 'No, it's not possible, nobody knew it was me, and I killed him.' she thought frantically. "We have to go, right now, we have to get back to town," she said loudly. There was no response. She
looked around, looking for her guards, who were nowhere in sight. All of their stuff was where they'd left it, and the fire still burned quietly next to her, but she was alone. Not even Mandarin was there. 'Don't panic Auds, just don't panic.'
she thought as she drew her short sword from her bag. She got up from her bed roll, and crept foreword, slowly making her way to where the horses were. If she could reach the horses, she could get back to town. It was dark, the moon half hidden
by the clouds that had formed overhead while she was sleeping.
She reached the horses, who were still where they had been left, but they were spooked. Something bad was going to happen very soon, and Auds didn't want to be part of it. She cut the ties holding them, and as they tried to run, she mounted her's
bareback, and rode it hard. She was riding straight home, as fast as she could, when she heard a loud thud. The horse screamed and reared up, launching Auds off of the back it. The beast fell, with an arrow deep in its flank, nearly missing Auds.
She got up, not feeling the pain of the fall. Adrenaline surged through her body as she ran into the night, into the forest where she could hide. She couldn't even feel the branches that whipped against her face as she ran from the unknown man. She
looked over her shoulder, to see no one, but she kept running.
She ran blindly, until she hit something semi solid. It knocked her back, and she looked up to see one of her guards, throat cut, hanging from a tree. She screamed as she got up and ran the other way. She tripped over something and fell flat of her
face. She looked back at what had caused her to fall. A foot, which was attached to the leg and body of another one of her guards, who had an arrow sticking out of his forehead. She was willing to bet that the other two guards were dead. She
confirmed her theory about one as she crawled foreword, sword still in one hand, her free hand landing on a bloodied arm. Her eyes traveled up the arm, to see it was her third guard, dead. She got up, looked around the forest. She had regained her
calm now, gone into the state of mind she always found so useful while working. She raised her sword, ready for any attack that might come. She walked farther into the forest, looking for the remaining guard, or... his body, if that was the
case.
She was startled when she heard his shouts. They were slightly muffled, but audible from that range. She tracked him down and found him, gagged and tied to a tree, arms at his sides. He was unharmed, but looked dazed.
"What happened?" she asked him frantically, pulling the gag out of his mouth.
"I'm sorry, milady, I'm sorry," he said, tears leaking down his rough face. He couldn't say much more, as a flash of silver flew past Auds' head and into the throat of the man. Auds turned, ready to face whatever was coming, but before she was all
the way around a fist struck her in the face like a cannon ball. She collapsed, dazed, sword thrown somewhere out of reach. She watched as the huge silhouette advanced on her. When it was in range, she aimed a kick for its groin. Skilled, as it
trapped the kick between it's legs. With one hand it grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off the ground. She was slammed against a tree, and was held there. The assailant was not squeezing hard enough to choke her, only enough to trouble her
breathing and cause her to panic.
As luck would have it, at that moment a beam of moonlight cut through the clouds. Her eyes went wide and she let out a scream as it illuminated the tanned, scarred face and jet black eyes of none other than Mirk Diminoth. Mirk Diminoth, a man she
had killed over four years before, was holding her by her throat against a tree. His face was twisted into a snarl showing nothing but rage. In a dazzling flash he produced a knife from his belt, and held it inches from her left eye. She stopped
screaming, and was focused on the knife. He spoke to her, voice disturbingly void of emotion.
"Hello Auds, How've you been?" He pressed harder on her throat, constricting her breath even more. Both of her hands went to his wrist, trying to break his grip. He was toying with her, she knew it. He could have killed her so easily, but he wanted
to toy with her. She choked out a squeak of a response.
"Mirk, you're... alive." Her world was beginning to grow fuzzy and her lungs screamed for more oxygen, but there was nothing she could do.
"What a brilliant observation. Next time you try to kill a person, do it yourself, don't leave it to some low life pirates. Honestly, did you really think a couple of pirate would do it?" 'Pirates? What in the light is he talking about. I did
kill him, or.. I thought I did.'
"Mirk, what are you talking about? What pirates? I did it, I had no choice." His face, his gaze, faltered slightly. Suddenly he dropped her, sending her into a crumpled heap on the forest floor. She coughed, and breathed in the sweet air her lungs
craved.
"What do you mean, you had no choice?" She looked up at him as he loomed over her. He'd grown since she'd last seen him, he was taller, and much stronger.
"Mirk, they had my family. If I didn't do it, they'd kill them all, and me. But I didn't mean for you to die. I just wanted you out of the country, then they told me you died, and I didn't know what to think, so I came up here. That's the honest
truth, you've got to believe me." Tears rolled down her face, tears of fear. She knew that Mirk was a ruthless killer, and was obviously set on killing her.
"So you didn't want me to die?" he yelled, "Then why the hell did you put me on a ship with bloody pirates, with orders to kill me in the middle of the ocean?!?!" More and more tears rolled down her face.
"I.. I didn't. He... he told me he was sending you to another country, so they'd think you were dead. He... told me you'd be safe. I don't know anything about any bloody pirates!" She was crying full out, and yelling right back at him.
"Who Audrey, who!?"
"The Black Spiders. They forced me to do it." Mirk smiled at her.
"Well then, we have work to do don't we. Get your stuff, we're going back to town."
Mirk rode along side Auds quietly. His rage had all but dissipated. Well... all of his rage towards her. It's a cut throat business, and she didn't want to do it. He had to respect that. She had explained the
situation she had been put in, and Mirk understood. Now he had a new target, the Black Spider guild in Tear. They'd betrayed him, and he wasn't going to let that go. He kept his eyes trained on the far away city as they rode fast towards it. They'd
located one of the spooked horses that ran off, which Auds rode, and Mirk rode the stolen horse from Mayene. The sounds of the wind whistling and the pounding of hooves on the ground drowned out any conversation she tried to provoke. Mirk was not
sad about that at all. He had work to do, he had to figure out how to do it. He had to make the Spiders pay.
They rode hard until the horses could no longer keep up the pace they were setting. They'd rode hard for hours, and made up a lot of distance between them and the city. They reined the horses to a stop, and dismounted. Mirk was glad to be out of
the saddle for a little while, as he'd spent a lot of time riding since his departure from Mayene. Auds walked up beside him, and decided now would be a good time to start a conversation.
"I mourned for you," she said quietly. Mirk scowled at her. He did not want to hear any of this.
"Well, that's wonderful. You shouldn't have, as I wasn't actually dead." He sat down on the ground and spread out, making himself as comfortable as he could given his bedding.
"Well, I didn't know that. So, what are you going to do when we get back? Are you going back to Illian?" Mirk looked at her, confused.
"Illian? Why would I go back to Illian? I haven't been there in... three and a half years at least. No, I'm not going back to Illian. In fact, I'm going back to Tear. I've got some business to take care of." She looked at him skeptically.
"You're going to try to take down the Spiders aren't you?" Mirk gave her no response. "Listen Mirk, you're good, but you're not that good. The Spiders are huge, and the man at the top, Hamal, is one of the best protected men in the country. Trust
me, there's no way you can do it alone." He looked at her and smiled.
"That is precisely why I'm not going alone." He smiled at her when he eyes went wide and she started shaking her head.
"No, you can't bring me into this. And even if you did have me, we couldn't even do it." Mirk shook his head. She just didn't know his plans. When he didn't say anything, and she saw the little smile on his face, she caught on.
"You have a plan don't you? You do!. Mirk, what have you been up to these past year? What have you been doing?" 'I guess there's no real harm in telling her. She'll need to know if she's going to come with me, which she is.' he thought to
himself.
"Okay, I'll fill you in on everything that's happened in the past few years. After you clubbed me on the head, I woke up in Illian. I started working for some rich noble named Neveah. I worked for her for a grand totally of five months before I was
fired. For the past four and a half years I have been training a thieves guild in Mayene, where I live, and just recently, have started the only assassin's guild in the entire country. I have trained these kids every day for four years, and let me
tell you, they are exceptional. They keep me at my best, keep me sharp. I don't know how many people I've killed, or how many hours I've practiced with them, but I'm pretty sure we've got some skill working in my little guild." Auds looked at him,
taking in every word.
"And I figure that with the three of them, myself, and you, oh, you will be helping, we should be able to do some damage to the guild." Mirk lied back, and started and the sky. It was daytime now, and the sun was climbing towards its peak in the
sky. It was much cooler up here than what Mirk had become used to in Mayene. Fortunately the sun was providing a lot of heat on the black cloak he was wearing.
"Mirk, where's the dog?" she asked, completely out of the blue.
"I sent him home last night. He didn't need to see what I was going to do."
"I'm sorry I took him. I figured he needed a home."
"That's okay," Mirk said sleepily, "That's okay."
He and Auds sat quietly for some time, long enough for a little bit of sleep to be had, and for the horses to recover. They were back on the run before sundown, running their horses towards the city. It would be easily reached before midnight at
the pace they had set, if the horses could keep it up. Mirk desperately wanted to get back so he could send word to Mayene, telling the Kits to meet him in Tear, and to bring their gear. They'd need it, they'd need everything they could get for
this job. It would be the hardest job they'd ever have to do. But if they were successful, well, that would be considered another time.
They reached her house and rode slowly through the front gates. The guards standing there eyed Mirk as he rode past them with her. They obviously noticed the absence of her other guards, and figured out what had happened. Or at least thought they
had. Mirk didn't pay them any attention, but focused on Auds. She would be an asset to this mission, and he needed her to pull it off. He wondered if she still had the skill she had before, or if she'd gotten softer with the noble life.
She led him inside, and was greeted by the same old woman Mirk had seen before they left.
"Hether, you're back early. Did something go wrong?" She looked at Mirk, and then back to Auds. "Who is this?" Auds smiled at her.
"This is a friend of mine from Tear. His name is Firyn Kelordol. He's in town for a few days and decided to come find me." The older woman smiled at him.
"Hello, master Kelordol. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Mirk smiled back and bowed slightly. It would be best to seem civil so not to arouse suspicion.
"Umm... Elsa, listen," Auds said to the woman, "I'm going to be going away for a little while, I have some business matters to take care of in Tear. Do you think you could take care of the place while I'm away?" The old woman, Elsa, nodded to her,
and whispered something Mirk couldn't hear. Auds nodded her head, and the woman looked at Mirk gravely. Obviously she knew about what was going on. When she left the alone Auds walked down the hallway. Mirk followed her closely.
"I'm going to need to send a message to Mayene, and I need it to get there in time for my people to get ready and get to Tear when we do. Can you do that?" he asked her. Without looking back at him, she responded.
"Yes, I'll have someone send a pigeon right away." Mirk nodded.
"Okay. how long do you think it will take for us to get there?" They rounded a corner in a hallway and began climbing stairs.
"Three days. I can get a sea folk ship to take us, it won't take any time at all. The pigeon should arrive there in a day. I don't know how fast your people move, but I know it doesn't take long for get from Mayene to Tear, so they should get there
quickly. We'll be almost even with them." Mirk nodded, following her up the stairs, and into another hallway, which led into a large bedroom, obviously her's.
It was large, with every luxury a person could ask for. But it was drab, lacking the color Mirk loved. The four poster bed was engraved and carved with intricate designs, as were the chairs, and the desk, and the washstand. Yes, she was rich. She
went straight for the wardrobe and began taking out clothes.
"Help me pack. Then we can go to your inn, get your stuff, and we can leave." Mirk nodded and began putting stuff into a chest next to the bed. No dresses now, all working clothes. He paused to admire a sword, finely crafted, with a large ruby in
the hilt. He only looked it over briefly before putting it in the chest. They were soon done, and ready to go. She called for two large men to carry her chest to a carriage.
"Okay, all we need to do is send you message. I'll bring you some paper." Mirk sat down in one of her ornately engraved chairs and waited for pen and paper. When they arrived, he scribbled his note on the small piece of paper, squeezing as much
onto it as he could.
Hey kids, I hope you had fun without me. It's time to get back to work. Z, H, A, get your gear, everything you'd need for the biggest job of all time, and be on the next boat to Tear. When you arrive, get a room at the first inn you see near the
Cairhein harbor. I'll find you. Be ready. Mirk.
He rolled it up, addressed it, and gave it to Auds, who gave it to a servant, who left running.
"Okay, let's go to your inn, and get your stuff. We'll be gone within the hour."
Mirk had gained some ability in moving about a rocking deck on the days aboard the ship, but he longed for solid ground beneath his feet. He didn't get sick though, like a lot of passengers did. He was actually
rather proud of that fact. Auds hadn't been much better, spending a lot of her time sitting in her cabin, or lying in bed. Mirk preferred the open air to calm his stomach.
He moved to the front, or the bow, of the ship, and watched as the city of Tear came closer and closer. It was his first time back since leaving at seventeen. He was twenty two now, but his memories were still vivid. Within the hour they'd be
pulling into the port of his old home city, the city where he grew up, where he grew up to quickly for his own good. Mirk heard the wobbly footsteps of Auds approaching behind him.
"Been a while?" she asked. Mirk gazed at the city, steadily growing closer.
"Yes, yes it has. It has been years since I've seen this place. I doubt it has changed much since I left though." Auds leaned on the rail and looked into the river below.
"It hasn't. I haven't been here in forever either, but I'm always getting news from the guild." She looked at him. "You realize that if we fail, we're all going to die. You do realize that, right?" Mirk nodded.
"Yes, I realize that. That is the exact reason we cannot fail." He loved saying distantly deep things like that, mostly just to confuse.
"And even if we do take them out, some of your people will die." Mirk nodded.
"There are always casualties in war, and that is exactly what this is. It's a war, and people always die in war." He kept his eyes trained on the city, thinking about what he would have to do. He had informants in Tear, people he could rely on to
get information for him. He would need to use them, all of them, in order to find out the thing he would need to know to pull this job off. If this Hamal was as well protected as Mirk thought, they'd have to hit fast and hard, and be as quiet as
they could for as long as they could. Luckily Mirk had already been to the guild headquarters, and still had a vague memory of the place. Going into the headquarters would be a suicide mission, he knew that, but it might be the only way to get to
him. If that was the case, Mirk would go it alone, and do his best to take out the head man. He didn't want to lose any of the Kits, or even Auds, on this mission.
They watched the city come closer and closer, and Mirk began humming a tune extremely loudly, simply to annoy Auds. It worked, but they arrived before she lost it. Two of the men she brought with her unloaded the stuff from the boat. Mirk looked at
all the inns nearby. Unfortunately for him, he had not specified which one to go to, so they'd have to search them, one by one.
"I say we just go from what's closest, what do you say?" she asked him. Her plan made enough sense, too much sense to disagree for the sheer fun of it. So that's what they did. They went into the closest inn to the harbor, and as luck would have
it, there sat the Kits, eating, and talking loudly, as teenagers often did. When Mirk approached they all looked, and Aralyn jumped out of her seat at him.
"Mirk, I missed you so much." Her arms were wrapped around him, and squeezing almost uncomfortably tight. It felt wonderful to be with her again after the weeks apart. He noticed Auds looking at them in amusement. She shook her head and turned away
as they started kissing. It didn't last long, as there was a lot to be said. He sat with them, and Auds sat down next to him, on the opposite side of Aralyn.
"Okay kids, I've got a lot to say. First of all, this is Auds. She's a professional from up north. I used to work with her." None of them knew exactly what had happened to him, so none of them had any reason to be angry with her. "She's going to
help us on this one. And trust me, we're going to need all the help we can get." All of their eyes were shimmering with excitement.
"What's that job?" Hashi asked eagerly.
"Well, have I ever told you about the Black Spiders guild?" They all nodded. "Well, as it turns out, I have some unfinished business with them. They tried to kill me, they almost succeeded too, and now... I feel like paying them a visit." Their
eyes were wide, either with excitement, wonder, or disbelief.
"So, what are we going to do exactly?" Zain asked quietly. "Are we going to kill all their assassins, or what? Because that would be impossible." Mirk shook his head.
"No, nothing that easy. What we are going to do, is take out the highest ranking officials in the guild, and take over possession of power, and then they'll work for us. Now, I'm not going to kid you, this is going to be one of the hardest things
I'll ever ask you to do. There is a high likelihood that one or more of us will get hurt, maybe even killed. If any of you don't want to do it, just say so, and go home. I won't think any less of you." People looked at him thoughtfully, as if
pondering how to say no, how to back out. Zain looked around angrily.
"Sure, he might not think any less of you, but I sure as hell will." They all looked at him in surprise. "Listen, we owe him this. He's been there for us for four bloody years, helping us out, helping us become who we are today, what we are today.
Without him, we were nothing, without him, we'd still be nothing. We owe him everything, so if you back out, what does that show him? It shows him that you don't care about all the stuff he's done for you. He's given us so much, and I think it's
high time to pay him back." Zain held his hand over of the table. Hashi looked at it for a second before speaking.
"I don't know about any of you guys, but he's saved my ass more times than I can count. There's no way I'd miss something like this." He put his hand on top of Zain's. "I'm in." Mirk nodded at him. Aralyn put her hand in without even saying a word.
She just looked at Mirk, face completely serious. Auds was sitting there, looking at the people at the table around her, at the hands in the middle.
"I owe him a lot more than any of you. I owe him a life. I owe him his life. That might not make sense right now, but he and I both know what I mean." She put her hand in the middle. "I wouldn't miss this for the world. And plus, I couldn't just
sit by and watch you go to your death without at least trying to help you." Mirk smiled at them and placed his hand on the top of the stack.
"You guys don't know how much this means to me. These people took away my life, and now, it's time to take it back, with a lot of interest." Mirk's energy was being absorbed by the Kits, who were starting to get more and more excited.
"We're going to show those bastards who they're messing with. Let's do it!" Hashi started to cheer and bang on the table. The cheers spread, and soon all of them, even Auds, were cheering. People eyed them as they walked by, but obviously just took
them for a bunch of immature kids and left. If only they knew of the incredible feat they were about to undertake. They wouldn't be so judgmental then.
The enthusiasm was carried on as they got up and went to the room the Kits had rented, and they sat down. Mirk and Auds' stuff was brought in by her servant, who left promptly afterwards. Aralyn had all of her herbs and things spread out on the
table, vials of prepared concoctions rested near them. They all sat around a large table in the center of the room. Mirk spoke first.
"Okay, we'll make this inn our home base. It isn't far form the guild headquarters, and it seems safe enough. This room will be the planning room. We'll need more rooms for sleeping, because this will take several days to complete, probably over a
week. We'll meet here every morning for breakfast, and check in at noon and at sundown. We need to make sure everybody checks in, or else we'll have to search for that person, and if it turns out they just forgot to check in, they'll have to answer
to me. We need all of our concentration on this job. First things first, we'll need a detailed map of the city. Hashi, you're on that. We're also going to need to find information on these people. Zain, contact our underground here, tell them we
need this information, high priority. Aralyn, search this building for exits, ladders, roof access, anything that will help us escape if we need to get out quickly. Auds, you work for them, so you should be able to get us inside information. You're
our mole right now. I want you to get inside, and take in the layout of the place, try to remember everything you can. I want some sort of a map. I'll coordinate from here, and right now, have a nap." They all laughed at his joke, a vain attempt to
relax them. "No, actually I'm going to find out as much as I can about the guild building. The usual things, from the exterior. We have about five hours of sunlight left here people. Let's get to work." They all got up and headed to the door. Zain
stopped at him.
"Mirk, what kind of things do you want them to find out?"
"Everything. I want to know who runs the guild, where they live, what their families are like, how they can be exploited, where they're vulnerable, everything." Zain nodded and left the room. Mirk pulled on a simple brown coat and followed the
train out of the room.
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