I asked the Grandmaster why I was not receiving any jobs. All he could tell me was that it was too expensive to ask for my services. My talents were too perfect. After the Savin mission, I had taken a job every few months at first.

As I perfected technique and style to make something my own, I began taking a few per week, then a day. People took notice. Travel had to be taken to lands the Guild never did business before. Then missions that were deemed untouchable were given to me.

Missions so vile that no other assassin would do it. Anything from killing the old to killing the young. By the age of twenty-one I was the most feared and hated in the mountain. So much so I was called to the Grand master and told I was no longer welcome. "If we see you again, it will be your head. Understood?"

I was sitting in his office, seated in a rather nice leather seat. The Grand Master was seated behind a desk in the office we occupied. He stood and motioned for me to leave. "Very well Grand Master. But you know as well as I, come after me and every one of you will be dead." My eyes locked his and I knew he understood.

I stood and left without another word. Leaving the mountain was different this time. No nods of acceptance or looks of fear, sometimes respect. Nothing at all. I left with the clothes on my back and the blades on my hip. The road was the hardest I ever thought I would walk.

As the miles slowly passed beneath me, my mind wandered to the options available to me. My skills meant I wouldn't go hungry. I could always join a thieves guild as a cleaner. Maybe start my own guild. Or if I felt really enterprising I could go straight and find a honest job to work, like a farmer or blacksmith.

Knowledge of the poisons meant I could become an herbalist or alchemist. It was safe to say I wasn't too concerned. When I finally decided to rest for the night I was able to find a small inn on the side of the road I traveled. It was rather cozy, named The Cunning Duck, and entered to see it with only a few patrons.

I walked up to the bar and gave a grin. It felt like my face was cracking. I had never made the gesture in quite a while, felt alien. It dropped from my face as quick as it formed. "Greetings stranger. What can I get you today?" The innkeeper gave a friendly enough smile. He was cleaning a glass, and offered a small menu.

"I will have the stew and bread with a pint of ale." I placed the coins on the bar and went to a table in the back of the inn. Pulling the hood of my cloak over my head I tucked myself into my corner and waited for my meal. The few patrons came and went without anyone concerned about me. I was resting my eyes when the sound of food steps approached my table.

Lifting my eyes, the bowl and plate was left with my glass and the waitress left without a word. The stew was as good as any you find at a roadside inn. The meat was seasoned strong and the broth warm to heat a weary body. The bread crust was crunchy and flaky but moist inner bread that melted in the mouth.

A bit of butter rounded it all together to make the meal enjoyable. I was scooping up the last of my stew with the last bite of bread when the inn door opened with a bang. From the light outside it was dark and the men were laughing and rowdy. The group spread around the open tables and began barking orders to the innkeeper.

I got a refill to my ale and decided to nurse the drink and stay up a bit longer. The men were loud and grabbed at the waitress. The innkeeper tried to get order to the patrons. The waitress was forced into a lap and as she fought, the men laughed. Lewd comments about sharing her were shouted. The men seemed to ignore the patrons and myself. I was about to just leave when a splash of purple caught my sight. It felt like my body was struck by a bolt of lightning. The men continued pulling at the waitress.

Her purple hair standing out in the crowd of men holding on to her. My body reacted on its own. I moved through the men silently and grabbed the one holding her. It was fast and nobody reacted as the man fell to the floor in a broken chair, the girl tucked safely into my arms. My hood still over my face, obscuring the details of my features. She let out a heavy breath and looked at me and then the man.

"Listen here buddy. You might be new to these parts. We just having our fun. She don't mind. We payed for it after all." This came from a man with a barrel chest and thick arms like the neck of an ox. Easing the woman to stand by me I positioned myself in front of her. My hands moved fast. In the blink of an eye one of my many daggers buried itself into the shoulder of Ox.

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He swung at the force of the blow and stumbled over his fallen companion. As I was reaching for another dagger, the woman grabbed my hand. "No more fighting. Please. I don't want anyone getting hurt and the inn doesn't need to be damaged." I kept my hand on the dagger but didn't move to attack again. I looked at everyone and they looked at me.

The rowdy group were nothing but muscle men. By looks I wouldn't be surprised if they were bandits. "Funs over. Get out." It was quiet after I spoke. The girl stayed behind me and the men before me. The innkeeper came out and looked at everyone.

"Wha's the mean'n of all this?" The innkeeper walked the room and the men seemed to deflate at the sight of him.

"Ai'it who stabbed Donald?" The men pointed at me and I was rather confused at the turn of events.

"They were harassing the girl." Even to my own ears it felt like a poor excuse. The innkeeper just began laughing,

"Harassing her? They treat this girl like family. These guys are regulars and they love annoying the hell out of her by making her uncomfortable."

My hands wanted to strangle the closest man to me. Taking a few calming breaths I looked at the girl. "This true?" She looked up at me and the moment I saw her gold eyes I knew it was her.

"Yeah, sorry about the mixup. I tried to tell you." She moved away from me and went to help the two men I attacked. The innkeeper went back to the bar and the men took their seats. They were much more tame now and talked quietly among themselves.

The one in the chair managed a new seat and Ox returned from the back of the Inn after twenty minutes. It appeared a healer made residence here. A few moments later Blin entered the room again. She was cleaning her hands on a cloth and walking back to the guys.

"Sorry about that everyone. I don't know this guy and no idea why he thought to save me." The guys grumbled and decided to leave it at that. They talked and slowly life circled back into the room. Food served, drinks had, and everything seemed to be forgiven.

As I was about to head to my room, Blin took my hand and led me to the back room. "What was that all about? Who are you?" Blin turned on me and her eyes bore into mine like a hot knife. Her eyes used to shine with mischief and good humor, she was happy with a smile all the time but now.

Now she looked like a shadow of herself. Her eyes didn't have a shine. She did not smile, or laugh. Her face looked like she hadn't felt happy in some time.

"You know who I am." My hands went to my hood and lowered it to show her my face. She looked at me without recognition at first, but a few moments and a gasp escaped her lips.

"Ven? Is that really you?" She looked like she wasn't sure if she wanted to hit me or hug me. "Yes it is me. How are you?" There were a few moments of silence between us. She was inspecting me before she decided to speak.

"What happened? You just up and disappeared. My father died and nobody found that assassin."

"You don't say. That is a shame." I looked at her for any hint or clue as to her knowing it was me. She shifted her weight from one foot to another. She was waiting for something.

"It is good to see you again Blin. I am sorry they didn't find the assassin. You seem to be doing well. Why are you here?" Blin moved away and turned her back to me. She held herself before speaking,

"I am working here just to earn enough to move on. I am a priestess now. I have to do a circuit for my temple to bring healing to our followers." She looked back at me and she was breathtaking. She may of looked sad but it was like something about her pulled at me.

I nodded and shifted weight myself. It was strange for me. I never felt this self-conscious before. We spoke shortly over the next few minutes. She didn't lighten up in the slightest. When she went back to work as a waitress any laugh she gave was hollow.

No smile reached her eyes. It bothered me. I kept an eye on her the rest of the night. I kept to myself in the back corner of the inn. The men were wary now but still had an air of enjoyment about them. Blin came and went serving the tables and cleaning. When the last patron left or turned in for the night, I rose to do the same. Blin was taking back dishes and I decided to help.

Taking half her load I carried them to the trough in the back room where the cooking is done. Blin wiped down tables and I filled the trough from a well out back. We worked without words, only getting things done.

As the last plate dried and table clean we turned in. She slept in a small spare room by the bar and I went to my room upstairs. The night was quiet enough. Sleep found me moments after resting my head on the pillow. It felt I was only asleep for seconds when something brought me back.

Nothing obvious, a soft sound that rang out of place in the still night. A nicker of a horse or the soft whistle of the wind were the only things to disturb the air. So what woke me? I kept my breathing in the same rhythm as one of a sleeping person.

A soft click came. A tap on the other side of the room. Silence. A rasp of moving air. Then it came louder then the rest. The sound of a sigh. Somebody was in the room with me. I kept very still.

My hand went under my pillow that held a dagger. I was about to make my move when I froze and my nose flared. I removed my hand from my dagger and relaxed. A moment later a weight was put on my bed. A hand touched my back.