Hallow Hood was a man of few words; he only spoke to chastise Valyn when he failed, which was often. Two months had passed, not that Valyn was aware of the passage of time. Since their first encounter, he had been thrown into a regime of training so vigorous and challenging that it made the Legion look pathetic in comparison. He had been trained on how to use the shadows to move silently, how to properly use a dagger to deliver a killing blow and the ways of the bow. He’d used the long range weapon during his days in the Legion and he’d been an averagely good shot back then. Hallow Hood, however, was a master. Some of the shots he’d demonstrated were almost impossible to believe. He’d only stopped to rest, eat and sleep. During those times Hallow Hood would disappear only to return with new supplies of food and water. One night the man had returned his black tunic covered in darker blood. On his hip rattled a coin purse bursting with Delfins.
“Too slow, old man,” Hallow Hood snapped as he delivered another blow to Valyn’s already battered torso. Today they were training with short wooden swords and sweat was pouring into his eyes.
Both men were standing on a narrow wooden beam that stood several meters above the hard stone of the chamber floor. It was a test of balance, patience, and speed. Valyn had tried to match the assassin’s movements, but the killer was impossibly quick. He licked his lips and adjusted his stance. Hallow Hood stood composed, no sweat was on his forehead, no sign of exertion was even evident.
Valyn had tried to ask the man more about who he was and what the shadow had been, Hallow Hood had ignored him, instead choosing to punish him with arduous manual labour for talking too much. A pile of broken masonry stood several feet high as a testament to the assassins' favoured punishment. Valyn darted forward with a feint, but Hallow Hood stepped to the side nimbly, leaping from one wooden platform to another, several meters away. Then with an incredible speed, he dashed forward leaping into a flip that took him over Valyn’s head. He spun; sword held in a protective position. Hallow Hood landed, ducked low and swept Valyn’s legs out from underneath him. With a pained shout, he lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground. He winced as he felt his shoulder dislocate.
“The pain your body feels is nothing compared to the pain in your heart. Use that pain and push through the other. It will save your miserable life.”
Valyn rolled onto his stomach groaning, the agony in his shoulder made his eyes water. Slowly he got to his feet, his thoughts focused on his children and the men he would kill. To his surprise, the pain faded. The heartache overwhelmed it. He picked up his fallen practice sword and climbed back up to the platform. Hallow Hood nodded in appreciation at his courage. He stepped forward and before Valyn could argue grabbed his wounded arm. With a violent jolt and loud click, the shoulder was reset. Valyn cried out but quickly swallowed it, instead he savoured the white hot pain.
“Come. We’re going to the surface,” Hallow Hood said gruffly. Valyn knew better than to ask any questions. Gingerly he rotated his shoulder and grunted at the pain. It hurt but was usable. He followed his strange mentor, picking up his cloak and putting it on as they went. Hallow Hood stopped next to a rusty iron rung ladder and gestured for Valyn to climb it. The metal was slippery. Reaching the top, he pushed upwards to lift the drainage cover. He clambered out savouring the fresh air of the world above. He squinted, even the flickering candles of the streetlights were dazzling after all the time spent underground. It was night and the city was quiet. Valyn felt disoriented, he had no clue what time it was but judging by the waning of the two moons it was sometime early in the morning. Hallow Hood climbed out behind him and without a word swept down a side street forcing Valyn to hurry to keep up. Several twists and turns in the Warrens would make even the most experienced denizen of the area confused, but the assassin seemed to know every nook and cranny like the back of his hand. By the time they reached their destination Valyn was utterly lost. They were now in a narrow courtyard with two walled areas on either side. Standing in the doorway of the one on the right was a shady character wearing all black. His face was cast in shadow by the wide brimmed hat he wore. There was no greeting between Hallow Hood and the man. He handed the assassin a slip of paper.
“This is your new apprentice?” the man said. His deep voice, soft but menacing.
“None of your concern, Wake. I trust the payment for this job will be placed at the usual location?”
The man called Wake glared at Valyn before a cruel smile split his lips.
“You’d best heed this bastards’ lessons friend. There’s no one better at taking lives than this wretch. Perhaps when you’re ready you could come work for me.”
Hallow Hood stepped in front of Valyn, his hand moving ominously to the hilt of the dagger sheathed at his hip.
“You speak to me. This one, she sent him.”
Wake paled at the words and his eyes widened in fear. He held his hands up and slowly backed away.
“Forget I said anything then, eh? I meant no disrespect. Oh, and to answer your question, yes, the usual place.”
Hallow Hood nodded and watched silently as Wake turned and fled down the alleyway, his running footsteps echoing amongst the confined dark buildings. He held a hand up.
“No questions. Come, we have a job to do.”
Valyn closed his mouth. The whole exchange between the two men had made him nervous. Who was this lady he kept hearing about?
The assassin strode back up the alley and through the maze of backstreets. They reached a small ramshackle shed located at the side of one of Kingsford's main thoroughfares and Hallow Hood took out a heavy iron key from his cloak. With a squeak, the ancient looking door slowly opened. Inside was a medium sized room cast in darkness. Hallow Hood crossed the room and lit a lantern. What the light revealed caused Valyn to gasp. Wooden Stands and glass cases containing a plethora of different weapons filled the room. At the far end was a mannequin adorned in black leather armour.
“Put that on,” Hallow Hood ordered.
Valyn did as he was told and after a good twenty minutes of struggle, he was dressed in his new attire. The numerous straps and buckles had been tricky to do up alone but now that the armour was on, he could feel its quality. It was incredibly lightweight allowing him to move easily. Next, Hallow Hood told him to choose from the wide selection of weapons.
“Our target is a wealthy man and a well-protected one. The sun will be up soon so we will rest here during the day and do some reconnaissance when night falls.”
They spent the daylight hours sleeping on two cots located in a small room at the rear of the building. Thick woollen curtains blocked out the sunlight and the sounds of the waking world were muted by a thick cloth covering the filthy windows. When night fell Valyn was awakened by Hallow Hood. They ate a simple meal of roasted pork and vegetables before gearing up.
“Show me what you’ve learned. Choose the weapons you think will be most useful.”
Valyn hesitated. He had no idea where their target was nor who they were. Despite that, he knew he was being tested. He opted for a short sword, twin daggers, and short bow. Hallow Hood nodded at his choice.
“Prepared for both close and long range combat. A good choice. An Assassin must always be ready for both. However-’ he said sheathing a short sword of his own ‘- it’s always best to never be seen in the first place. Best to let the authorities think a person’s death was the result of a tragic accident or carried out by another.” He walked over to a table in the centre of the room and opened its drawer. He placed a small pot of black ink and a quill on its surface. Then he placed a brown leather bound book.
“These are your greatest weapons. Ink and parchment. With them, you will write down all you know of your prey. They will allow you to kill undetected. Forget all thoughts of leaping from rooftops and cutting men down by the dozen. That is not a good assassin, that’s a terrible assassin and someone who’ll end up dead quicker than you can spit.”
Valyn picked up the ink and quill and tucked them into the pouch on his belt before asking, “How many have you killed?”
“Enough to know that I am damned. Taking a person’s life for money is very different from taking life in service to a lord or cause. It is- more personal. Come.”
The assassin walked to the building’s front door and pulled it open. He peeked out into the empty dark street before stepping outside. The two men then made their way through the Warren until they reached Kingsford’s western gate. Two bored looking city guards stood on watch. Near the gate was a stable that Hallow Hood made for. The sound and smell of horses wafted on the cool night air. At their approach, a tired young boy came to greet them.
“Evening Sirs. How can I be of assistance?” the lad asked with a wide yawn.
“HH requires two mounts,” Hallow Hood said, tossing a silver Delfin to the boy. The child’s eyes widened in recognition.
“Of course, sir! I shall return post haste with two of our best horses.”
He darted off inside the stable building. Within moments he returned with the reigns of two horses in his hands. Carefully he led the animals into the stable courtyard and passed them over to Valyn and Hallow Hood. They mounted and trotted off toward the gatehouse. The two guards looked up as they got closer but neither challenged them. Instead, they seemed to shy away from the two hooded and heavily armed men. Valyn assumed that the assassin had some sort of agreement in place with the Watch. It was a badly kept secret that most of its members were corrupt and taking backhanders from the various criminal gangs that operated in the city. The Fleet Foots especially were rumoured to even have the Watch captain or their books.
As soon as they were through the city gate they spurred on their mounts and galloped away into the countryside. Hallow Hood led the way and Valyn had difficulty keeping pace. It was hard to keep sight of a man dressed in black riding a black mount in the middle of the night. They rode until the city was nothing but a distant barely visible speck on the horizon. The glow of Esperia’s two moons cast the farmland and woods in a soft glow. Valyn swore he saw eyes watching them from the trees but before he could say anything in warning they’d vanished. Going out into the country always filled Valyn with trepidation. It was there that the Fell Beasts of the Void stalked. He knew that none had been sighted this close to the city in a generation but his time in the far flung corners of the land with the Legion had taught him just how dangerous they were. They passed one of the Rune stones that dotted Delfinnia’s landscape. The ancient magic within making the runes engraved upon its surface shine in the moonlight. He had no idea why or how, but the stones provided safety from the Fell Beasts, they were the only things that made travel and living in the wilderness possible. Finally, they reached a narrow creek that flowed down a steep wooded hillside. Below was a wide valley and in the centre a large complex of buildings.
“We’re here. Dismount and hitch the horses. We go on foot the rest of the way,” Hallow Hood ordered. Valyn did as commanded, and the two men made their way down the hillside. They moved slowly and kept to the trees in case anyone was watching. He doubted anyone would be able to see them in the dark, but his mentor wasn’t taking any chances. He winced as a twig snapped loudly under his boot and he could feel Hallow Hood glaring at him.
“Remember what I taught you. Moving stealthily through terrain like this may save your life one day or help end a target.”
They pressed on until they found a low hillock that overlooked the compound in the valley. The buildings were darkened but from the flickering light emanating from the walls, there were guards on patrol.
“We settle in here and watch. Never approach a target uninformed. We study the compound, the movements of the inhabitants and their routines,” explained Hallow Hood as he moved onto his belly and settled in. He pulled some branches over himself to obscure him from any observers and gestured for Valyn to do the same. He lay on his stomach, Hallow Hood took a spyglass from his belt and passed it to him.
“Use this, watch and learn.”
For three days they watched and waited. Like predators with infinite patience, they learned all they could of their prey. On the eve of the second day, a squall had blown through the valley soaking them both. Valyn was thoroughly miserable but Hallow Hood didn’t mutter a word of complaint. They had only moved to piss and feed and water the horses. Even when eating, their eyes had been fixed on the buildings below. The sun was high in the sky when Hallow Hood suddenly sat back on his haunches.
“That should do,” he muttered. “Tell me, apprentice. What did you learn?”
Valyn sat back too and sighed as he stretched his cramped legs. He picked up the piece of parchment he’d used to scribble notes on.
“Before sunrise, the servants arrive for work, but each is thoroughly searched by the guards before being allowed inside. After that the estate receives a delivery of supplies via wagon at dawn every day it seems. The gates are opened, and three guards inspect it. Two of which had previously been patrolling the walls. Could be a good time to get in and over them or perhaps we could hijack the wagon.”
Hallow Hood shook his head.
“No. The guards know the driver. On both mornings they were laughing and joking together. Going over the wall may be a possibility. Continue.”
Valyn looked back at his notes.
“Around midday a man and woman exit the compound with their three dogs and walk them in the fields nearby. Six guards accompany them, so I assume they’re the owners.”
“Correct. The fat man is our target. A wealthy merchant who plies his trade in Kingsford and Bison to the west.”
“We could take him from range?” Valyn offered.
“No. This must be done discreetly. My- our, employer wants this done with no repercussions.”
“In the evening, the guards change shifts and patrol patterns alter. Two more man the walls, which will make things tricky. However, the servants who do not live on site depart for the evening around eight. Again, they are searched.”
Hallow Hood stroked his chin in thought.
“The successive days of supply deliveries intrigues me. Both times the wagon was laden with goods.”
“Perhaps the merchant is planning on hosting a feast. Such deliveries would make sense,” Valyn suggested.
“We need more information. Did you bring a spare set of clothing as I suggested?”
“I did.”
“Good. Get changed. You’re going to the village nearby, that’s where the servants are from. Find out what the Merchant is planning. I’ll meet you there at midnight.”
Valyn walked over to his pack and began undressing.
“What will you do?”
“I’m going to keep watch and see if any other opportunities arise.”
Valyn changed into his worn tunic and trousers and carefully made his way back up the hillside and to the horses. Climbing into the saddle he set off down the narrow stone path towards the village.