A Twist of the Sands

by P R Glazier

  ~

  The assassin was sure that no one stirred, getting into the camp was easy. The mage they sent to escort her had dealt with the ward on the entrance. Once inside a knife had slit the throat of the unsuspecting guard. Now getting into the right building was even easier. If the information was correctly given she now stood above the intended victim. She would need to be swift, she wanted a clean kill, it would be a mistake to wound the victim so that they could cry out and alert the others sleeping here, that would certainly foil her plans and she didn’t want that, she wanted to prove herself, she had promised success, persuaded her master that she was right for the task. He had been reticent about sending her, this was her first real task, but she had persuaded him and now the guild entrusted her with it. She needed to make this work, her reputation, the reputation of her guild, even her own life depended upon a successful outcome.

  The assassin breathed slowly, chose a particularly lethal curved dagger from within her robes, one which she knew had a fast-acting poison that would render the victim paralysed within a few seconds. She raised the dagger, she could not see the exact place where the heart would be, that is why she chose the poisoned blade. At least then if the blade itself did not kill swiftly then the poison would act rendering the victim helpless. Then she would have the chance to find the right place into which to plunge the killing blade. The assassin hesitated for a few seconds; she had to get this right. Then she brought the blade downwards towards the sleeping form. Her arm stopped suddenly with a bone jarring jolt. She cursed for there she could see another blade had intercepted hers. She saw the blade, it was T’Iea, the hand that held it had a bracer at the wrist that glowed slightly. The assassin cursed under her breath, this was not how she planned the attack. She quickly withdrew and turning swiftly, momentarily looked into the eyes of another. Another blade slid from the folds of the assassin’s robes, a longer heavier design, one which could match the short sword of her opponent. She danced sideways spinning as she went. Careful not to tread on any others lying upon the floor, one opponent was easily dealt with and although she did not fear others, she did not want to reduce her odds of success any further for the sake of a moments clumsiness. The second blade was swung upwards in an arch aimed at penetrating below the ribs of her new opponent. To her surprise and anger a second blade stopped this one in mid-flight. Realisation filled her mind. So, a worthy opponent then, another T’Iea by the look of the eyes and one armed with ancient weapons, the weapons of a ranger. Well she would take them as a prize once the she had killed this interfering T’Iea.