by Jeff Gunzel
* * *
Running across the rooftops, the assassin never broke stride, easily dealing with the slippery surface. He leapt over chimneys and oddly placed furniture items that folks stored on their roofs. As his lungs burned for air and his heart pounded relentlessly, the assassin ran on at full speed through the driving rain, spurred on by calls of “he’s up there” and “shoot him.” Crossbow bolts whizzed past his face and torso as the shouts became louder and more frequent.
The next rooftop was a good fifteen-foot jump. The assassin picked up more and more speed then leaped with everything he had. As if all of the world stood still for one moment, the assassin floated across the sky, standing out like a white rabbit in dark grass as his shadow crossed the moon. A collective gasp could be heard from all those below who were watching the bringer of death drift across the sky. Lightning flashed as he finally landed on the other rooftop, rolled into a somersault just to gain footing, and continued on at full speed. He could see the open gate off in the distance. Leaping to the ground and rolling twice, he gained his footing once again as he began to sprint like a deer.
The assassin could hear the calls behind him to close the gate. The soldiers heard the call and looked to see the assassin running down the street. They each ran to opposite wooden wheels and began turning as fast as they could. They had just opened it minutes ago, getting ready for the morning traffic.
Heart pounding in his ears, watching it lower before his eyes, the cloaked figure used a last burst of speed. At the last second, he did a sideways roll, just clearing the bottom before the gate slammed shut. One final roll brought the assassin to his feet as he kept running down the path and into the trees. His white mare was hidden, tied up just where he had left her. Untying her quickly, he jumped on her back and sped off into the safety of the forest.