In the first breath of a new dawn, as the heavy black night turns into a pale gray against the scattering of clouds, soundless footfalls stalk quietly down a dark corridor. The figure moves as quietly as the whisper of the early morning breeze, dancing wistfully through the red and gold autumn leaves. Outside the crisp morning air was complimented by a fine mist hovering lazily upon the ground, it's transparent wisps swirling in tempo with the wind. Fine green grass was slowly dying, fading away into yellows and browns, giving way for the beautifully destructive force of winter. Though for now, it was only the autumn winds and the changing of the lands florescent colors, signaling the coming of autumn showers. Though every season was a season for rainstorms, the symphonic pitter-patters of raindrops hold a sense of dread, as do overcast skies.

Fortunate enough, the day looked to be as clear and bright as any, yet within the halls of the manor the essence of night still lingered, the veil of shadow not yet lifted by the early morning light, and the sconces lining the hallways burning out hours before. Sianna had waited for this moment, watching vigilantly throughout the night, waiting for the house to slumber. She had sat perched upon a branch, glad in her armor of night, hues of black and gray, with a copper undertone to blend easily with the veiled trees. She sat cross-legged upon the branch, her breathing even and her body still. Yet she did not find boredom as she watched the house, there was something exciting about the waiting. Perhaps it was the conversation she was holding in her head at the time.

”I'd say about now he's bedding some young harlot, he seems the king of man that would take to a common whore, and keep her about his manor.” Ebb said, his voice but a whisper in her head.

“You judge too openly for his crimes Ebb, he was once a man of honor.” She thought back.

”Ah, but corruption does bring a lack of conviction, wouldn't you say?” Ebb replied.

“Perhaps you are right, but he seems worrisome. I'd wager he's fretting over his plight right now, pacing back and forth in his room, trying to ascertain whether he should keep watch for assassins. He has doubled his guard you know.” She said, watching as the servant's lights went out.

”A wager it is then, I see the servants have been sent off to bed.” Ebb pointed out, the servants quarters attached to the side of the house had indeed grown dim.

Now Sianna found herself deep within the manor, on the upper floor. The guards hadn't even noticed her presence, despite the fact that many of them were dozing, waiting earnestly for shift change. Still, she quietly snuck in through the servant quarters, through a small window only someone her size could squeeze through. She had made her way up the servants stairs, a narrow passage way the skirted the main corridors of the house and led to the second floor, a mere door down from the master bedroom. Sianna crouched before the door, pressing her ear to it and listening.

”You win.” Ebb replied solemnly, he hated losing bets.

Inside the room, quiet footfalls upon lavish carpet could be heard, traveling from one end of the room to the other, back and forth. She looked through the keyhole of the door just as a figure glad in a bright red robe, adorned with embroideries of golden leaves, and the edges worked in bright golden thread, crossed her small viewing point, and waited. The man seemed highly paranoid, and he was right to be so. There he was worrying on his life, when an assassin sat patiently outside his door. The guard at the end of the hallway, sitting in a chair upon the top of the stairs nodded his head upright, if only for a moment, before slowly setting it back upon his chest.
”Must be hard to find good help these days,” Ebb's voice whispered with a chuckle.

Sianna didn't reply, the man inside the room had stopped his pacing and stood looking out the window, facing the sunrise. The lantern in his room gave off a pitiful amount of light, which was quite unfortunate for the man inside as the morning rays hadn't yet reached into his room. The pools of shadow gathered in the corners, heavy and dense, were all that Sianna needed, that and the need to see where it was she was going. She sank quietly into the murky shadows of the dark hallway, entering into a world of darkness.

A breath later she crouched inside the far corner of the room, coming out of the wall in a crouch. She drew her daggers, Shade and Shadow, as she stalked around the massive bed, complete with it's carved posts and sheer silk canopy. Sianna could feel the adrenaline surging through her, she felt Ebb watching her contently, the sport much to easy for his amusement. The man froze for a second, his paranoia getting the better of him. A moment before he turned around, Sianna stood, so that when he turned he did so to face her.

”Evian Chryier, sentanced to death for an assumption, hah, mortals.” Ebb said mockingly.

“What do you want?” Evan said, careful to keep his voice low, he didn't want to risk provking the assassin. Perhaps he could talk his way out of it, yes, he always managed to talk his way out of it. In response Sianna raised her left hand, pointing her blade directly at him. He flinched in response, falling back against the windowsill. “P-please, I have a fam-” His voice was cut off as Sianna flashed forward, crossing her blades before her in an X before slitting Evian's throat from both sides. His gurgles cries fell on death ears as he collapsed to the carpet, his blood staining the finely woven carpet, the crimson a bright contrast to the soft creamy tones. He looked at her with wide eyes as he died, wide, accusatory eyes. Sianna barely cared.

“Assumption? Please. Those thugs admitted to him hiring them.” Sianna remarked, her anger reflecting in her thoughts.

”They could have lied,” Ebb said, playfully, for a demon.

“It's harder to lie with a blade to your throat.” She replied, “Especially since he watched his friend die.”

”But you killed the rest of them anyways,” He whispered in mock horror.

“So?” Sianna watched as the first rays of light encroached upon the manor grounds, the gray slowly giving way to a growing crescent of bright yellow. She unlocked the window, pushing it open and stepping out onto the gently sloped, beveled rooftop. She stalked quietly down the red clay shingles of the first floor, stealthily dropping to the ground using a terrace growing bright pink flowers on thick, interweaving vines. Moments later she was exiting the manor grounds, unseen and unheard, as if anyone would suspect her of being an assassin anyways.

As the sun rose into the sky, casting it's full golden glory upon the island of Arkarell, Sianna was making her way from the stables to her quarters. She walked upon the cobbled paths of the courtyard, still green and in full bloom thanks to a little elf's magic. Though she did not mind, as the area surrounding the castle itself was quite pretty to look at, if only marred by the massive behemoth of stone and lumber looming high into the sky from the garden's center. It's gray stone, wooden windowsills, and a roof adorned in bright red shingles gave the castle a simplistic beauty, which somehow fit the gardens and parks surrounding it. The pathway curved towards the front of the castle, bringing her to a large fountain set in front of the looming wooden doors the lead to the main hall. The fountain was not composed of angels or animals, as many were, it was a simple carved piece, each of the three tiers resembling that of an opening flower. She could feel the tingle of magic in the air, perhaps the little elf had been by early.

The guards stationed at the great double doors, clad head to toe in fine steel armor, their tabards outlined in the colors of the golden sun, filled with crimson red, and crested with an icon resembling such. As the sun reigns over us, so does the king, and the king's crest reflects that, or so the people would preach. The guardsmen pulled a door slightly ajar for her, a subtle hint at what he thought of her probably, for most people the door would be swung wide, but not for little Sianna. She nodded politely as she walked past, pretending not to here the audible “tsk” the guard let out. Her name did not even have the power to have him hung for such disrespect, but her older brother was an imbecile.

She strode gracefully down the marbled walkway, lined by rows of columns leading up to a throne composed almost entirely of gold, and adorned with varying sizes of gems. It was extravagant, but the king did have expensive taste. For all the good it did him now, bedridden for such a time that Sianna had actually forgotten. Though that was just a rumor, technically it hadn't been officially announced. The last person trying to stir up trouble about it had been put down like a lame horse by one of the noble families, in such a way as the crime could never come back to them. Even so, justifying treason is hardly a punishable crime.

She changed her course, altering towards the left exit. She had rooms in the low left wing of the castle, which suited her just fine. She did not have a high window, looking out upon the sprawling city, but she did have a section of garden to look at, and she was content with that. A servant passes as Sianna reaches the door to her room, “Might you bring me some breakfast? Perhaps it would serve to put some color in my cheeks,” Sianna said sweetly. The servant smiled with a soft giggle, Sianna often shared jokes with the servants, and they never laughed in a rude demeanor. At least not her servants, and those that are often found in the left wing.

”No doubt news of the murder is going to spread fast, I give it until afternoon.” Ebb said, obviously that was a wager.

Sianna opened her door, her long white gown flowing in behind her, “Tsk, I give it until breakfast. There's nothing these snakes love more than a good murder, and to gossip about it,” She thought back. It would be a few hours yet before the kitchen set out the breakfast feast in the dining hall, Sianna knew the servant would procure a few smaller items, perhaps fruit or the like, and set it on her vanity. She wasn't sure if she wanted to sleep through breakfast or not, did she really want to dine with the others of her kind. Not really, but it would be good for appearances.

“Wake me at breakfast? I'm not sure if I want to go yet,” Sianna asked Ebb, not waiting for an answer as her head met the soft velvety pillow. In another moment she was asleep.

Early morning light streamed through the tiny crack between the drapes, in the small window of a small house. The house, if it could even be called that, was the house of one of the few local healers in Olnesse. Dried herbs and various mixtures and poultices lined the many shelves hanging alone the walls in the living room and kitchen, giving the rooms a pleasant smell, if a bit strong for those not used to it. Through a small door leading out from the main room was the bedroom, furnished with little more than a bed, a cupboard and a shelf filled from top to bottom with books, ranging from the epic stories of heroes of old to the idle romance stories. Most of the books, however, were of medicine in some way; be it a book about rare or common herbs, how to set a bone after it's been broken or how one should go about treating an infection of the lungs.

Even did one not know who lived here, a single step inside and a quick glance would let anyone in on the fact that this was the home of a Healer.

Said healer, a young—and peculiar—woman by the name of Evelina reluctantly opened her eyes and sat up in bed, the light passing though the small window above her bed having woken her up much to her chagrin. The thick blanket fell away as she stretched, revealing a chest larger than even some of the most well-endowed concubines. The fact that the young woman was slim and had a toned body did nothing to hide them, rather it made them all the more noticeable.

"What am I going to do with you?" She asked herself, glancing down at herself. She sighed, reaching for the crumbled roll of old bandages on her cupboard and went about tying it around her chest. It was a work that took only a few minutes, but the results were undeniable. At least now she only look like she had an average bosom. With that done the last of the blankets were shed, revealing the most startling of her peculiarity. From the waist and down she looked not quite human, having instead digitigrade legs covered in short, brown fur, and ending in a pair of large paws complete with a set of retractable claws as sharp as any predator's. A long and agile tail extended from just above her rear as well as a pair of feline ears atop her head completed the most startling differences, though the green, slitted eyes and elongated canines also bears mentioning.

Several minutes passed during which her long, fiery hair was brushed into a state of decency, and a simple gown was adorned; legless clothing worn so as to hide her lower body. T'is true that the city of Olnesse had primarily gotten used to her odd appearance, but that did not keep her from trying to appear as normal as possible. She counted herself lucky that healers were in short supply, and with the size of Olnesse that meant that some were forced to go to her in times of need, even if they felt uncomfortable with her... peculiarities. Money is money.

Breakfast consisted of a small loaf of bread, some cheese and cold milk which had been standing outside during the night. In hindsight it probably wasn't the best of ideas to drink milk which wasn't fresh, if only because letting it stand outside during the night could very well invite some smaller Voidling or other to poison it. Luckily for her, however, nothing happened and it tasted just like milk should.

---

About an hour had passed since she had finished her breakfast and work had gone to her work room: A small shack, would be the best way to describe it, in which she kept most of her dried herbs and poultices. Her living room looked positive bereft of mixtures compared to how much hung from the ceiling and stood on the shelves in here.

She had started grinding a few choice herbs in hope of replenishing her store of of a certain disinfectant she was running low on. Only problem was that one of the herbs she needed for it was almost out of stock as well. She grumbled something about that herb being one of the few she had trouble growing in her own private garden. It wasn't like the forest outside of Olnesse were incredibly dangerous, as what few predators there were, were of little challenge when faced by her and her sword.

She let out a sigh, grinding the last of the herbs she had for that disinfectant. She scrunched up her nose at the sight of it; enough for five patients at most. She needed more, which meant she needed to either go to Aelholt to see if anyone sold it, or go gather it herself in the nearby woods.

"I need to hire someone to go gather for me," she grumbled, well knowing that no one would bother regardless of what she paid them... almost, at least. She wasn't poor by any means, and actually lived quite comfortably, but that didn't meant she was about to strew around her with money.

Her musings were interrupted by a series of rapid knocks on the door. It wasn't a frantic knocking, but it was quick and sharp. She turned from her work desk and carefully strode towards the door, her paws giving little in the way of sound as she walked across the wooden floor. Opening the door she peered outside through the crack, then opened it fully when she noticed who it was.

"Cormack?" She asked, taking a step back away from him, though not as an invitation to enter. "What're you doing here?" Her tone was low and cold. She had yet to forget what he did, and likely never would.

"Sorry," he muttered, dragging a hand through his unruly hair. He had seen better days, that much was for sure, and though he was reaching his fortieth year he looked somehow older; haunted, even, as he looked her in the eyes. "But there are news, something you may want to know. I just met him earlier today and he talked about a rebellion. He... He briefly mentioned something along the lines of revenge, as well."

Evelina looked up at him, her face a mask of perplexion. "What? Who?" She pressed. "Who are you talking about? Revenge for what?"

Cormack took a deep breath and let his hand fall to his side. He held the breath for several long moments before he let it go. "Have you heard of the rumours rising seemingly out of nowhere during the past few weeks?"

Evelina shook her head, tail swishing agitatedly behind her. Won't he just get on with it? "I haven't. The wolf attacks have been steadily increasing lately, and I've been busy treating patient after patient. Running low on disinfectant, too. Doesn't make it any easier that some of the patients comes from Stoneshire. One would think they'd go to Aelholt instead."

"Perhaps they were travelling to Olnes—"

"I know that's a possibility," she said, cutting off Cormack. "But why did you come? You were telling me about someone."

He looked suitably embarrassed at her comment, obviously having forgotten what he was about to say for a moment. "Right. Sorry. A young man, around your age, has been garnering support lately here in Olnesse. He's trying to start a rebellion against the king to grab the throne. He has hair like yours, and the same colour eyes. And... he also briefly spoke about a sister he had lost." He stopped then, awaiting a reply, or any kind of response.

Silence reigned for the longest time, Evelina's eyes wide and body tense. He tail had simply stopped moving, hanging limp behind her. "What?" Her voice was quiet, almost at a whisper. She gulped, almost afraid to speak herself. "Did he say who he was?"

"The bastard son of the king, and half-brother to the prince," he replied; short and to the point.

"Where?" She didn't so much say the word as she breathed it out.

Cormack shook his head. "I don't know. I met him a couple hours ago and he said that he was about to leave for one of the smaller cities to recruit. I think he's left by now."

"I..." Evelina moved away from the door, sitting down on a small stool near the work desk, hands in her hand and hair covering her face. "He's alive," she whispered. "I have to meet him." She looked up, a determined fire in her eyes. "Cormack, go find out where he is. I have to meet him. Ask around or what not. I don't care. Find him." She had barely finished her sentence before Cormack nodded and left, knowing well enough that making Evelina angry was a bad idea. Especially after their first encounter years past. She breathed out a relieved sigh, anxiety and joy welling up inside her. "Now... I—"

"Excuse me? Are you Evelina?" The voice came from the door and belonged for a young woman, a girl—somewhere around the age of five, Evelina guessed—in her arms.

"I am." She put on a smile, waving them inside. "What can I help you with?"

"Adam here got bit by a rat yesterday, and his hand has been swelling. Can you help?"

Evelina nodded and started fishing out bandages and a few mixtures. "Of course, now if you'll just..."

A hooded silhouette sat alone under a tall Oak tree in the shadowy Mystwood forest. Branches rustled lightly from above, but the figure did not stir. Eventually a small creature, obviously the source of the previous disturbance, scurried down the tree trunk to rest upon the shoulder of a man staring emptily into the distance. Still he did not stir from his contemplations. Absentmindedly he raised his left hand to stroke the monkey’s white mustache as the creature nuzzled its head against his companion’s gloved finger. Suddenly the sound of cracked branches in the distance echoed through the trees, disturbing the mournful silence of the empty forest. “Astren, hide.” The little monkey leapt forward, landing easily on the forest floor, and darted up a nearby tree. Still… The shrouded man did not stir.

The rustling grew louder as its source drew closer and closer. The man cleared his mind, observing nothing but the rise of his chest as his lungs filled with air. Exhaling sharply, he leapt to his feet in a single, swift motion, his hood falling back to reveal a rugged and worn face, covered in dark grey stubble. His eyes too were cold and grey, and a long faded scar stretched across his face. Through the trees, both hunter and prey caught sight of one another. Suddenly the beast charged, a forest troll with only one ear. The greyed warrior easily rolled left, immediately regaining his footing and pivoted round to face the troll’s back. Pulling his blade off his back, he drew his heavy bastard sword, discarding its sheath. The beast regained its balance and turned back to the grizzled man, who met its gaze with unwavering confidence. It was then that the monster finally realized who the true hunter really was, and which one of them was the prey.

Hancone let out a furious roar as he charged the beast himself. It attempted to stand its ground, but he sidestepped a heavy right hook, darting past the overextended troll, cutting deep into its exposed right flank as he did so. Pivoting again behind the troll, Hancone swung his sword again, feinting with an over head strike, but swiftly shifting his attack into a powerful uppercut, leaving a deep gash in the beast’s abdomen. The troll moved to knock him down with a sweeping blow, a hit that Hancone couldn’t afford to take. Deftly leaping backwards, the agile swordsman managed to dodge the monster once again. Wounded and enraged, the beast let out a ferocious roar as the two combatants ran at each other. The bulky monstrosity tried another hook, but Hancone had already leapt high in the air with his enchanted boots, performing a front flip over the beast’s head. He hit the ground running and made a dash for the Oak tree he had been resting against mere minutes ago as the troll whirled around, charging after him. The beast was easily gaining on him, building powerful momentum. Hancone felt the rush of pure adrenaline wash over his entire body. Now was the time. Leaping forward, towards the tree, the acrobat threw his feet over his head, while spinning midair. As his feet made contact with the tree, he found himself positioned facing the charging monstrosity. Pushing off the sturdy trunk, Hancone used the force of his enhanced jump to rocket forward, thrusting his sword into the beast’s thick skull, its own momentum driving the blade down to the hilt.

The two savage fighters tumbled down to the ground; the troll landing with a hard thump as Hancone stumbled backwards, struggling to keep his footing. Clinging to the last strands of it’s own pitiful existence, the beast tried to move, weakly clawing at its own face, trying to pull out the huge sword that impaled the lower half of its skull and throat. Kicking the monster’s hands away haphazardly, the hunter took hold of his prey, lifting its head and placing a foot on its shoulder. The beast howled as Hancone pulled his blade from the troll’s shattered maw and in one powerful swing, severed the monster’s head clear from its shoulders.

---

“Keeper! Wake up!” A voice called out, dragging Hancone reluctantly back to the earth. “Please, there’s been an owl for you. The plague in Sylwynn has grown out of control, the city has requested your help.”

As he opened his eyes, a dirty farm boy appeared in his cloudy vision. When the monster hunter had first arrived, the boy had looked at him with admiration and envy, but now all he saw was a dirty mess, laid out in the hay barn. The rough and weathered old man finally managed to prop himself up, dismissing the boy with a series of grunts. Looking down at himself he discovered a bottle still clutched in his hand, and the upper half of his armor still on. He tried to remember what was going on, vague memories surfacing in some sort of random order. As far as he could gather, he had stayed the night on his client’s farm after bringing back the head of the forest troll that had stolen several cows in the past week. The farmer had offered him a room in the house, but the hunter had refused it in favor of the barn.

Standing up and shaking the booze out of his head, Hancone reached down to put on the rest of his black leather armor. He found his saddlebags and took out a sharpening stone, as well as his sword that had been laid out next to where he had been sleeping. Stepping outside, the greyed man sat himself down on the farmer’s wood-chopping block and went to work. After a few minutes passed the farmer’s eldest daughter emerged from the farmhouse carrying a plate of eggs and potatoes. “My father wanted me to thank you again for killing that nasty troll, Keeper.” She smiled, blushing as she handed over the plate. She leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek, and whispered in his ear, “And I wanted to thank you again too…” As more of his memories suddenly returned, Hancone immediately realized what she meant. He was only in his early 30’s, but still, she couldn’t be a day over 22… What had he just done?

“I am glad I could help.” He replied in his low, even voice. “Would you tell your father to send the owl back to Commander Thorne?”

“Of course, what is it all about?” She asked, hoping to learn more of this strange man.

The Keeper looked up to the sky, it was almost midday. “Let him know that I ride for Sylwynn.”

---

After he had finished eating, Hancone clicked his tongue softly, signaling for Astren to come. He fed the little monkey a few slices of potato before tapping his shoulder twice, prompting the little creature to climb up his leg and hang to his neck. The hunter loaded up his saddlebags and readied his horse, easily swinging up into the saddle. Just before he left, the farmer ran out, “Wait, Keeper, I never paid you for your services. We don’t have much, but please, take this gold for your troubles.” He said.

Hancone turned back for only a moment. In the doorway stood the man’s two daughters and his son. “The troll has taken enough.” He answered, flicking his reins. The horse began to trot, soon carrying the lone hunter out of sight. Within a few hours, the whole family had gone back to their typical routines. Once again, it was as if he had never been there at all.

---

By the time he had arrived in Sylwynn, night had fallen. Hounded by the rain, The Keeper finally reached the city gates, “Hey! Turn back, you fool!” Called a guard from inside the gatehouse, “I can’t let you into the city so late. Why are you even here? Haven’t you heard about the plague?” Without answering, Hancone rode up to the gatehouse. “Are you deaf? There is a deadly plague in the city, and horrible creatures wander the streets of Sylwynn at night!”

“I know.” The hunter answered simply, still hidden underneath his cloak, and sitting atop his horse.

“What? What’s your name? And why are you here?”

“I have come to put an end to this blight.”

“Are you out of your mind? These are voidling demons, we’ve no use for a doctor here!”

“Take me to Thorne.”
“Didn’t you hear me? I said we don’t need your help, healer!” The guard started to yell, growing impatient standing out in the pouring rain.

“This man is no healer, Johnson…” Called a voice from within the gatehouse. “This cold-blooded son of a bitch has killed more voidlings than our whole unit combined!” From within the house emerged a second guard, laughing to himself.

“It is good to see you again, Captain Garell.” Hancone said, “How bad are things within the city walls?”

“Real bad. When gate duty is a reward, well you know things are messed up. I’d rather be back fighting that voidwurm over down by the coast, at least the men that thing killed stayed it…” Garell answered, shaking his head. “Well, there’s no use standing out here I suppose. Let’s get your horse taken care of and I’ll bring you to Thorne, I’m sure he’ll want to talk to you. The barracks aren’t in the safe zone so we got the guard and the militia set up in old Neran’s Inn.”

---

“Sianna!” Ebb's voice ripped through her sleepy mind, loudly cutting away the scraps and flutters dreamland memories.

“Nugh..eeuuugghh..,” She replied back, stretching her body before rolling her legs out of bed, the rest of her seemed to be having trouble moving, weighed down by the heavy chains of broken slumber.

“Get up you lazy ass!” Ebb said, almost sternly, “We've already missed breakfast!”

Sianna looked around the room, noticing the rays of afternoon sun shooting over the castle walls and lighting up the brilliantly colored courtyard. It almost seemed like spring instead of autumn, but the heavy scent of magic drifting through her open window told her otherwise. The hunger clawing at her stomach prompted Sianna to move a bit more briskly, pressing her feet into a pair of slippers to fight off the chill of the floor, as she tore her white gown over her head.

“It's about time, You could sleep through the shattering itself!” Ebb said, the disappointment in his voice told Sianna that they were unlikely to find out who the winner of their latest bet was.

She walked across her room, the chill in the air gripping her body in its icy grip, causing her to shiver slightly in her nakedness. She quickly scampered past the open window, though it did have long red curtains that spanned the entire length between floor and ceiling, they wear sheer and it was plausible that she could be seen through them, or the gap between them that let the light into her quarters. Adjacent to her bedroom was a small living area, adorned with red and gold couches, dark tables polished to perfect, and an array of rugs garnered from all corners of the island. On the small table between two plush couches, their blue pillows with golden tassels looking as inviting her her pillows, there was a small basket full of fruits from the kitchens. No doubt one of her servants had the order passed along to them. She reached down, grabbing a hard purple fruit with a bland peel that offered nothing but a solid crunch as she bit her way into the juicy pink insides, the sweet tangy juice brought a smile to her face as she scampered back across her room.

She stopped for just a moment, appreciating the figure looking back at her in a large mirror, standing tall in the corner between her vanity and wardrobe. Some stayed away from her because they felt her appearance too childish, and not womanly like the other noblewomen. Some were put off by the hand size horns that crowned her head, often joking that they wouldn't risk being impaled to bed such a creature, though Sianna was used to animal jokes. She sized herself up, with her face puckered slightly in thought and a light pink flush layered over her skin due to the chill; she deciding she wasn't as bad as they made her seem, perhaps a bit peculiar in comparison.

“Put some clothes on you harlot,” Ebb said jokingly, his impatience coming full through his voice.

“Pfht, blood sucker.” She retorted, reaching into the wardrobe and drawing out an armful of apparel.

They shot playful insults at each other as Sianna dressed. She wore a thing gold chain draped around her horns, attaching to the two farthest with small golden bands, and creating swaying hoops in between each of them. She dusted her eyes with a light golden powder, as many of the ladies of the court do, matching the soft golden hue of her eyes. Her pale, rose petal pink lips she matched with another item of gold, a soft silk choker, woven thickly, and inset with soft pink gemstones. It wasn't a terribly expensive item that would show off her wealth, but her brother Toremor, the eldest child, said it matched beautifully with her face.

She offset the whole color scheme with a dark, ocean colored gown, worked with little gold vines and leaves at the edges of its openings. Worked carefully into each of the flowers, worked in golden thread onto the vine embroidery, the same kind of pink stones shimmered delicately, as on her choker. Her feet remained hidden beneath the gown, and that's were her delicate appearance ended. Underneath she hid a pair of tracker's boots, tough and sturdy and the color of the earth. A softer color wouldn't be noticed, even if someone was foolish enough to lift her gown up. Bold cream colored pants, and a matching milk colored tunic also were hidden underneath. The tunic was more the kind that the river women wore, when boating along the rivers. It had short shoulders sleeves, that reached only along the biceps, everything from the middle of her breasts and up was bear, and therefore wouldn't show through the deep neck of the gown. She had seen some concubines with the river women shirt, and had promptly bought it from them. Though being concubines, it was a bit sexier than Sianna would have went for herself, as they had cut the shirt across the midriff, leaving the lower half of her torso exposed.

Still, she could hide it comfortably underneath her court clothes, as she and Ebb referred to them, and the soft woven cloth didn't create suspicious lumps or folds. Normally if she had been traveling her daggers Shade and Shadow would have been in her stiff leather belt, but since she was dressing for the nobles courts today she had each strapped to the inside of her thighs, underneath her slacks so that they wouldn't make protrusions through her gown, or impede her movement.

She licked the pink juices from her fingers as she grabbed another piece of the purple fruit. The other three doors remained shut and locked, branching out from the small living area. They were for her brothers, though they were hardly ever visited. Alpheratz practically lived in the Merchant's Guild, and Thaddeus was a Knight Captain, and it was even rarer to find him at the castle. Toremor was head of the Merchant Guild, and he was usually traveling, though she did see him more often than the others. She smiled sadly to herself, heading out in the brilliant marble hallway, its glow causing Sianna's eyes to dilate for a moment as she adjusted to the brightness of the day. Large windows up and down the hall had been thrown open, their red silk curtains swept aside for the light to spill inside. Sianna peered out a window, only to catch Mia'Veshan working her druidism on a flower which appeared to have been stepped on. Mia looked up and smiled sweetly at Sianna, who in turn waved back. There were few people Sianna liked in the court, and even fewer that Mia liked, but they had become friends somehow, perhaps the discrimination against them brought them together.

Sianna made her way through the side entrances, out onto the garden pathway. The scent of magic hung heavy and sweet in the air, and caused Sianna to sneeze, something akin to a pitiful mew. Mia looked up from the flower, which was whole and leaning towards Mia fondly, as she giggled. Sianna was about Mia's age, or at least they looked similar in age. Mia was an elf and had been alive far longer than Sianna.

“Hello Little Elf!” Sianna said playfully, standing next to Mia with her hands held behind her back, giving her somewhat of a timid stance.

“Hello Even Littler Fawn!” Mia retorted, just as playfully. Mia had once joked that Sianna looked like one of the horned stags taking human form, and had been calling her by the nickname since they had become friends.

“Being as it's just passed noon, I'd have to suppose you've just awoken from your hibernation Little Fawn, yet it is not even winter!” Mia exclaimed mockingly, leaning against Sianna as she should to nudge her, “Did you hear about Evian Chryier?” She asked, moving to brighten up another flower's day with her magic.

“A creature as beautiful as I requires much more sleep than the ageless elves,” Sianna stated factually, before joining Mia in their giggling. An opaque tendril of green energy, littered with bright little sparkles, like stars from the night sky, snaked out of Mia's hand, flowing into the soil around the flower.

“He was assassinated last night, Word came in just a bit ago--”Mia started.

“HAH! I win!” Ebb shouted gleefully. Most people weren't even aware a being such as Ebb could feel glee.

“--He was killed in his manor last night, a few leagues outside the city. Nobody saw a thing, nobody even knows why,” Mia finished, her magic reaching out towards a hedge of bushes, which proceeded to bloom with flowers every color of the rainbow, each with a slight popping noise, as if the flower was just bursting into existence.

“I wager he angered somebody in private, still, killing him isn't of any use to the game, unless the crime penned on somebody.” Sianna thought out loud, feigning both indifference and only slight curiosity. Even Mia did not know about her alter ego, or her magic. Nobody knew as far as she was concerned, The king, nor her family. It was quite a well kept secret, at least to Sianna.

“There's be no word of a prosecution, or even an investigation. Frankly I heard there was nothing to go on, no picked locks, nothing but a clean cut along his neck. The Earnheart girl is raving something about a curse, blah blah, the usual.” Mia said, standing and dusting off the hem of her bright, forest colored gown, hemmed with a light white lace.
Sianna looked at her thoughtfully, taking in her full purple hued eyes, like the fruit she had forgotten she was holding. Mia smiled at her, taking Sianna by the hand, and swiftly bringing it up to her mouth, biting into the fruit Sianna had still been holding. “Thanks,” she said, with a mouthful of purple peel and pink fruit. Sianna opened her mouth to speak, just a tad too slowly.

“I think it was a move against your family. I heard Toremor was making an arrangement of some sort, Evian was supposed to supply your family's wagon trains with horses from the ranch behind his manor you know?” Mia said, causing Sianna to nod in response.

“Hah! The little snake was going to him the oldest and weakest horses, and not only profit gold from it, but no doubt he was trying to discern the kind of traps around the warehouses too!” Ebb said, causing Sianna to nod again without realizing Mia wasn't talking.

Mia looked at her curiously, flicking Sianna's forehead lightly. “You're doing that thing again, Little Dreamer.” Another nickname Mia had for her, thinking Sianna was lost in daydreams for the better part of her day, rather than knowing that truly she was listening to Ebb. “Anyways, I have duties to attend to, I still have injured to see too, seems a pair of trolls got the best of one of the hunting parties, goodbye Little Fawn.” Mia said, sharing an embrace with her.

Sianna hugged her back, “Goodbye Little Elf.” Mia looked into Sianna's eyes for a moment, her long delicate hands holding Sianna at shoulder length, “We should really see if you have druidism, or healing in you some day.” Mia said. The impression around the courts was that Sianna did not have any specific magical aptitude, and thus people would always try to offer to help her learn what it was. It was a form of alliance making, mentor-student, but Sianna never took them up for their offer. Mia didn't mean anything by offering, she hardly played the game, but Sianna always turned her down.
“You'll change your mind someday Little Fawn,” Mia said, kissing Sianna on the cheek before briskly walking off.

That part had always confused Sianna. Perhaps it was an Elf thing.

“Sianna!” a deep voice called out to her, she turned to see Toremor leaning out of a window, a smirk played on his face.

---

“We are no such thing you bully!” Sianna said defiantly, hitting her brother's arm lightly.

“You looked like lovers to me, is all I'm saying,” He said, brushing a lock of bleach white hair from his eyes.

“To think I would bed another woman! You're going to start rumors and then what would the nobles think?” Sianna exclaimed, her heart fluttering in a mixture of anger and stubbornness.

“Who cares?” He replied casually. That was always his problem, he was so casual about it all he hardly ever played the game correctly. “Anyways, listen, I can't stay long. Evian has been murdered and I'm meeting with his son to discuss horses for my caravan.”

Sianna frowned, “Why don't you ever make time to stay a bit big brother?” She pouted, truthfully it didn't bother her that much that he didn't stay long, but everything was a role, and emotion that had to be played.

“No matter this time Sianna, I want you to come with me. I think having a beautiful, unwed woman at my side would help negotiations. Once I get the horses, I'll be heading down towards Sylwynn, they are in need of supplies. We'll swing through Olnesse too, I hear there is a man there trying to start a rebellion, while I have no interest in Anarchy, I do have an interest in selling him as much as I can, discretely of course.” Toremor spoke as they headed back towards her quarters, where a servant was finishing packing the third bag of Sianna's things. Toremor had a bag of his own leaning against the wall, no doubt the carriage was already prepped for travel.

“Quite careful, I hope brother, this man could get you into a lot of trouble.” Sianna said warily, watching the servant stuff another bag full of undergarments of bright colors, precious jewelry some of which she hardly wore, and other things like pearl colored combs and clips, flowers carved from jewels to adorn her hair.

“Yes I know, though if you have reservations about coming,-” He said, leaning close to her ear, “You're little lover is coming too.”

Sianna's face turned red as she punched at his chest, “She is not!!” She whispered back to his taunting, loud enough for the servant to look up for just a moment. “But, why?” Sianna questioned.

“Long journeys need a healer, and since Tul and I get along quite famously, transporting his kills around for cheap, he agreed. He said she needed to experience the world, and would never do so behind castle walls.” Toremor grabbed his bag, shouldering it over his fur lined cloak. “You know you want to come, Little Fawn” He said the last bit teasingly, having over heard some of their conversation obviously.

Sianna's face went red again, “Fine, but only because it's not often The Great and Profitable Toremor asks for my company,” She jested.

He smiled in return, “The Great and Profitable... I could get used to that.”

He laughed as he left the room, “I'll be waiting!” He called back.

Sianna's spirits lifted considerably, at least Mia would be coming along.

“I think your brother is on to you and your lover!” Ebb said, breaking his silence.

“We are not!”

The morning sun didn't stay for long, quickly migrating across the sky on its eternal quest to meet the opposite horizon. Hours passed in the blink of an eye for Evelina, costumers coming and going. The boy with the rat bite hadn't been an actual infection, but just a collection of blood beneath the skin. While it was difficult not to shake her head at the woman for thinking it was an infection, she also knew that healer's lore and knowledge wasn't as widespread as one would think. For reasons indiscernible there weren't all that many who knew anything of what a healer did. Mostly they just blindly trusted anyone who called themselves healers, hoping that they knew what they were doing whenever they had something that needed to be treated.

She sighed, picking up an apple from the tray on the table beside her, cutting a line along the length of it with her nail. Boredom currently permeated every part of her mind, with no costumers having visited for the past hour. She had also already ground what she could, stopping only after she had run dry of the one needed for the disinfectant.

She brought the apple to her lips, long canines piercing the fruit and aiding in tearing a large chunk out of it. She had to admit, the elongated canines had their uses. Not only did they allow her to scare off annoying brats who tried to bully her for being different, but they also made tearing meat apart much easier. That thought brought a sidelong smirk to her lips as she chewed. Chewy beefs were no longer a problem, even if they were a relatively rare commodity—She tried to save up as much money for herself as she could, after all.

Finishing off the apple in a few more bites, she glanced out the window past a bushel of dried, blue flowers for aiding sleep. The sun was nearing its highest on the sky, and she should probably head off into the forest if she wanted to make sure she had time to gather enough before it got dark.

"Might as well be off," she muttered, standing up and heading for the door, but not before grabbing her cloak and draping it over her shoulders, and donning the hood to keep her face hidden. She spent another few minutes grabbing whatever else she needed, including a large leather pouch for the herbs themselves.

A small "Healer Not Present" hung on her door a few moments later.

---

Brittle things on ground crushing.

Not-brittle things on stiff things rustling.

Smells strange. No cracking from stiff things breaking.

A tall shape stood between taller unmoveable things. Very little sound. Very strange smell. Stood still. Not dangerous, but not scared.

Prey. Not discovered yet. No fangs. No claws.

Creep closer. No cracking, rustling, crushing. Close now. Mustn't be seen.

Hungry. Kill. Hungry. Close now.

Clo—Prey gone! Prey not there!

Light! Pain! Can't move. Prey there! Prey large cla—

---

Evelina wiped her the blood off her sword in the wolf's pelt, grimacing slightly at the almost decapitated head. She had meant to deliver a killing blow immediately, but hadn't quite expected that she'd cut halfway through the spine. She returned the sword to its sheath attaching to her lower back, horizontally, and crouched down, leaning in to inspect the animal.

It was dead for sure, that much she was certain of, and it looked like a normal wolf for all intends and purposes. There was only one strange thing about it all. Wolves were pack animals and almost never hunted alone, and when they did they certainly didn't go for prey larger than themselves. While Evelina was by no means a large person, she was still tall enough to make any wolf think twice about attacking her blindly, as this one had been about to.

So these are the ones that so many people come to me for. Suddenly makes a bit more sense how so many people get bitten by wolves if more of them are like this... even then, this was probably just a straggler. The attacks happens mostly north of Olnesse near Stoneshire and Rivendale. She stood up again, green eyes darting around while her ears pivoted towards each and every direction. No more wolves nearby. Definitely a straggler.

She turned and headed towards a meadow she recalled being nearby. The plant she needed often grew in large quantities there, and sometimes there even were the additional rare herb she could use for either adding flavour to a stew, or perhaps just a pretty flower to put in a vase.

It took no more than a few short minutes before she reached a break in the trees and a clearing came into view, a small meadow being in the middle of it all. A rare, genuine smile spread across her lips as she withheld the double-coloured petals of the flower she needed. As always, its blue and red hues were beautiful to behold. There weren't quite as many as she had hoped, but there were enough for a few week's use.

No sound was made as she walked towards the nearest group of the flowers. Kneeling down, she started picking the petals. Unlike most other people Evelina didn't just pluck the flower from the ground. She had learned early on from her mother that it was much easier to simply carefully pick the petals—unless, of course, you needed the stalk too, in which case you cut the stalk close to the ground, but left the roots alone—and store them in a bag. It allowed the plant to quickly bloom again and provide more petals. Luckily for her, this specific plant was one where only the petals contained the necessary substance for the disinfectant. It was why, she was told, that it had two colours rather than one.

The sun steadily climbed the sky, then started falling again slightly. It had reached midday and was approaching early afternoon. Judging by the shadows cast by the trees she assumed that it was almost two hour since she had left her home, which also meant that she would have to return soon. Much as she enjoyed time alone away from others, she knew that with the scarcity of healers meant that there were a lot of people compared to only a few people with healer knowledge.

She flicked her ear as some small insect landed on it, prompting her to look up and around her. Everything was as it should be, except that she now noticed that she had run out of the two-coloured flowers. A quick glance at her leather pouch confirmed the fact as well; the previously empty container being almost full of petals ready for drying. She then closed it and pulled the hood over her head again, heading towards the trees and towards her home.

---

The petals had been set out to dry and the "Healer is away" sign had been removed, and she now sat in her living room, a dish of mixed fruits and vegetables sitting in front of, half of it already gone. They day had been rather uneventful save for the wolf attacking her, and a lumberjack who had lost the grip of his axe and hit himself in the leg. The injury looked worse than it was, luckily, and he was able to go home with the knowledge that he could continue working the next day. The leg just needed to be kept calm, so chopping wood for the fires wouldn't be too much effort. So long as he kept it to only chopping wood for fireplaces until the wound healed, he should be all right.

Further musings during her late lunch were interrupted by several knocks on the door. Like earlier that day they were crisp and quick with no room for fancy melodies played out by the sound of knuckles against wood.

He's early, she mused, standing up and walking to the door. Opening it she came face to face with Cormack, drenched in sweat.

"He's not here," he said almost immediately, stepping forward as she took one backwards, allowing him entrance.

"Where is he then?" She asked impatiently, leaning against the door.

"Woods. Ebbwood, to be more precise. Asked two guards if they had seen anyone with flaming red hair walk out, and they said he was headed for the woods. I ran and caught up to him. Spent an hour sneaking close enough to eavesdrop. Apparently he has a bunch of soldiers out there, probably the rebel group. He's going to return here tomorrow. You can catch him then, if you want."

Evelina let out a sigh, ears dropping to lay across her head for a moment. "I had hoped I'd be able to find him tonight. Turns out I can't." She stepped over to the table, grabbing an apple from the tray in the middle and threw it to Cormack. "Here. You deserve at least this much."

"Thanks," he replied, catching it and biting into it. "For what it's worth, I'm still sor—"

She waved a hand at him and he suddenly went silent. "Stop. Just... stop. Don't talk about that. Not now, not ever." She waved a hand once more, this time at the door. "Please. Just... go."

Cormack said nothing. He just nodded and walked out, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

Evelina sighed. This was going to be a long day.