As Rylee laid down and pretended to sleep, Kiori went to work getting the two kitchen knives into a usable condition. First, a little bit of spit and some vigorous rubbing with his cloak got most of the dirt off. The blades were tarnished from exposure, but since he didn't have any oils to clean them with, they would have to deal with it for now. Still, he did have a way to sharpen the blades to a level where they could at least be used for self defense. He took one of his own knives out of his boot and used it as a grindstone to scrape the dull kitchen knives against. The procedure was crude, and he sacrificed the keenness of his own blade, but he felt it was worth it to gain two reasonable sharp knives. The work was finished well before his shift was over, and he returned his knife to his boot and turned his attention back to watching the room.

If this was a test, the assassin would likely come when it was his turn to sleep. It would be the earliest opportunity where their ability to defend themselves would be at its lowest. It didn't matter if the assassin knew that Kiori figured as much -- in fact, the would-be assassin most definitely understood what Kiori was thinking -- but it was a matter of maximizing the chances of success, not a mind game. With that fact established, Kiori quickly located the position that was furthest away from both the entrance to the room and the window; that was where he would sleep.

As he scanned about, his eyes fell on Rylee. Something was off... It was her breathing. She wasn't breathing like someone who was sleeping, but rather as if she were still wide awake. However, Kiori couldn't blame her. Smart girl, he thought, knowing that if he were in her shoes he certainly wouldn't be inclined to trust an assassin enough to sleep in front of him. But she would need to sleep eventually, and he hoped it wouldn't happen while she was keeping watch. He gave no hint that he even noticed it, and had no intention of voicing his concerns. Arguing over reasonable, if inconvenient, behavior would not foster trust. However, if they were ever going to trust one another again, they would eventually have to allow themselves to be vulnerable to one another. With a start like this, it seemed like it was going to be a long time before that would happen.

Finally, Kiori's shift was over. He walked over to Rylee and gave her a gentle shake to wake her, just as he would have if she were actually asleep. "Alright Rye, it's your turn," he said and waited a bit for her to "wake up." Then he decided to show her the two knives he prepared. "While you were sleeping, a sharpened these up for you. I take it the only weapon you have is your constable sword? That won't be enough." He held out the handles of the two knives to her and continued. "If you know how to use a knife in combat, take these now. They're not particularly sharp, but they'll suffice. If not, it will be better if I hold onto them until I have a chance to show you how to use them." As he waited for Rylee's answer, he eyed the doors and windows carefully. He deliberately turned his back to them to try to bait the attack. But, it seemed his paranoia was thus far unwarranted.

Rylee did not sleep at all, for the entire time she listened to whatever Kiori was doing, which to her best guess what him sharpening and cleaning those knifes he found earlier. Not once did she look over, partly out of consideration as not to worry him, but also she simply did not want to deal with any confrontations since she had little idea how he would react to her lack of apparent trust. Later that night it was time to pass the guard, Kiori approached her in order to wake her up, maybe this meant he believed she really was sleeping, or he shared her sentiments, mainly trying to avoid starting anything.

Kiori presented Rylee with the knifes he prepared earlier, explaining that they are hers to use. She nodded, "Thanks, can't argue with extra options, just in case isn't ever a bad idea right?" Rylee took hold of her new weapons, after which laid them on top of her coat to figure out where to put them later. Chances are the inside of the same coat would do where a few pouches were stitched in, while they were not meant to hold anything like knifes, their actual purpose was to store documents, she reasoned there should be enough room that the tiny blades should fit in quite snugly. "Also don't worry, I can handle a kitchen knife. A while back a friend... just a fellow constable taught me more than enough." Rylee pointed over to Kiroi's sleeping space, "With a little luck I'm thinking we won't have to deal with anyone tonight, seeing as your shift was quiet. I should be fine alone, go get your rest." She punctuated her statement with another smile, before taking her place.

To Rylee not much happened for the rest of the night, even her mind was mostly blank as she sat in one place seeing as she went through a lot of thinking already. Still she had to take care not to pass out, it was an especially troublesome issue since she hadn't gotten any real sleep. One night without sleep couldn't be that bad, at least that's what Rylee told herself.

2 days later...

Kiori and Rylee walked down an obscure path through the woods, doing their best to avoid as much human contact as possible. The Assassin's Guild would undoubtedly know that Kiori had betrayed them. There were no bodies, and no reports; an assassin was coming for both of them now. While in Cedarburg, Kiori had used the modest amount of money he had on him to buy the two of them food and supplies for travel, as well as a new set of clothes for Rylee so that she would no longer have to wear that conspicuous constable's coat. However, his funds were nearly depleted, and their supplies would not last long. They would need to think of their next move. Kiori had learned to navigate through the woods and had basic -- very basic -- survival skills, but he doubted that they would be able to make a living in the wilderness, especially since an assassin would easily notice extended human activity. He was trained to kill, not to survive in the wild, not to hide, and perhaps most notably, not to protect another.

When it came to fortifying a location or dismantling an enemy's defenses, when there was a clear and concrete goal, Kiori had little difficulty making quick decisions. But now, he had no idea what their end goal ought to be. All he had said was "we need to move," but for how long? They would die of exhaustion if not by an assassin's blade if they just "kept moving." Now that they had finally put a great distance between Cedarburg and themselves, there was finally time to think of their next move. He stopped walking, which they had been doing at an abnormally brisk pace, and took a seat down next to a tree. "Take a breather he said," as he made himself comfortable in the moss and leaned his head against the tree. He sat quietly for a few moments, but finally decided that he had better ask the question that had been baffling him for so long now.

"So, what now?" For the first time, the uncertainty was audible in Kiori's voice. It was clear that this was no rhetorical question. Up to this point he had been giving directions, but now he needed them. There was no target, no objective except "survive," and he didn't know how to complete that one. "What were you planning to do if you managed to slip away? Did you have a hideout prepared, some place we can fortify?" He was grasping at straws and he knew it. If Rylee had a plan, she wouldn't have been hiding in an abandoned tavern. But maybe she did have an idea.

During those two days of travel Rylee got used to having Kiori around again, if just a little, besides if he were going do anything he would've by then. That said obviously she was still uneasy in his presence, who know if and when he could change his mind, impossible it may seem the Assassin's Guild would reinstate him, that is assuming Kiori had even really abandoned his guild... no, that line of thinking made no sense, for the time being Rylee had to trust him at least on some basic level. The clothes that replaced her coat were fairly humble, since she wanted to blend in better she ended up picking up a plain white dress, common for poorer women. She did keep her coat, the material if not strong is warm, plus having a spare constable uniform on hand can be very useful later on. While a dress wasn't nearly as suitable for combat, Rylee was still wearing her underclothing, so in a situation they had to fight, which would come without a doubt, literally ripping off the restricting clothing was an option.

Later on during the third day out from Cederburg was the first time Kiori decided they should stop, made sense since they've put a good deal of ground between themselves and that cursed city. Rylee gave a curt nod when she took her place during their break, for minutes they sat silently, Kiori was thinking and he was thinking hard, that much was very clear. When he asked what they should do next Rylee rocked onto her back, now facing the sky above as she consider her friend's question.

"Well... if I were by myself, still alive of course, at this point I'd be heading towards some border village, way out there Guild control is weaker, not by much so we couldn't live there... but enough that it'll take an assassin a bit longer to find us, I would hope." Rylee rolled over onto her side, facing towards Kiori, "Plus there is significant anti-guild sentiment among the villagers, since they're not treated all that well as you could imagine. I'd bet that even just a handful of folk would be willing to harbor someone wanted by the guilds for a little while, and if not that than at least offer some much needed supplies."

Rylee sat back up, still starting at Kiori, "But... I see a big problem now... mostly you. You used to be an assassin, hell we'll be lynched before if anything... even if we were to lie about you, I know people wouldn't trust you. Kio, you seriously don't have a friendly aura about you, plus you'd probably have a hard time socializing even just small talk with strangers, and..." At this point it was becoming clear Rylee wasn't directly addressing him anymore, more like talking out loud, "You still carry yourself like an assassin, that will intimidate people more than anything else... what to do?"

Kiori sat silently and thought about what Rylee was saying. It was true, a rural village would be their best bet, but the guild had means of finding them even in such situations. Even if the villagers could be made to cooperate with them completely, it was just prolonging the inevitable event of their encounter with an assassin. Plus, there was a factor that Rylee hadn't considered. "Perhaps it's better if they don't trust us," Kiori replied. "If the guilds find any evidence that a village has been assisting fugitives, you know what will happen. By asking them for help, we'd be putting their lives in danger. I'm sure that's not something you want on your conscience."

He wondered, though, if something like that would bother his own conscience. It wasn't an assassin's job to worry about trifling matters such as whether the target was innocent or guilty. Likewise, if his own survival was all that mattered, it shouldn't matter who he tore through to live. But no, even if his conscience had been subdued through his conditioning, it was not completely numb. Trampling the innocent was out of the question, and not just because he knew Rylee would never approve, but also because he didn't approve. Thank the gods that there was enough of himself left to make such a fundamental moral decision. However, the voice of his conscience was far too faint for him to rely on entirely. He would need someone else's.

"Rye," he continued in a somber tone, "I can acquire supplies from one of those rural villages with or without consent, and without fear of them attempting to do me any harm. You think the way I carry myself now is intimidating? Well, perhaps I should show you the power that the guild brought out in me." He looked Rylee directly in the eyes with as gentle an expression as his stern face could muster. "What I am about to do will cause you no harm. It is simply a form of intimidation that needs to be experienced to be understood." With that, Kiori took a deep breath and called upon the magic lying dormant within his body. His muscles became tense, his teeth clenched, and immediately all the animals in the area fled in fear. An aura of pure dread emanated from Kiori's body, and to Rylee it would feel as though a pseudo-solid substance was draped over her. Terrifying and oppressive simultaneously, the aura tangled up one's fight or flight instincts so that all they could do was gape in a paralyzed panic.

After two seconds, Kiori relaxed and the aura instantly vanished; that was enough for Rylee to understand, and he did not wish to expose her to it more than he had to. He gave Rylee a moment to regain herself before continuing his explanation. "Using that, I can take whatever we need without harming anyone or risking harm to myself." That aura of intimidation would be ineffective against assassins, or even bold mercenaries, but against a town of peasants he may as well be death incarnate. "Would you approve of such a tactic?" Kiori knew it was essentially glorified banditry, but it was the only way he could think of surviving without spilling innocent blood.

Kiori had a point, even asking for any kind of help could land normal folk in an extremely dangerous situation, while it would be by their own will perhaps endangering anyone at all was irresponsible. Rylee nodded slowly showing her understanding and agreement, while allowing him to continue. It was good, he was considering the well being of others its a strong sign of humanity, of course this brought more comfort. For being subjected for so long by the Assassin's Guild her friend seemed to more unscathed than she first expect, not unchanged by any means, but still human enough.

These positive thoughts continued, at least they could've, when Kiori started to discuss the possibility of theft while he was tactful not to openly suggest so, Rylee picked up on his real meaning. Then that red flag turned for the worse, Kiori told her to prepare herself, at first she was confused, what did he mean by "the power brought out?" She shuffled uneasily as her old friend readied himself to reveal his "power" then almost instantaneously Rylee was hit with a near literal wave of terror, without her even knowing her entire body and mind was paralyzed. Such overpowering feelings of fear brought her down without contest, before her was not Kiori, it was some beast hell bent on mindless destruction without pity. Those two seconds were eternity, an eternity locked in stone cold silence.

When Kiori ceased his magical assault, Rylee obviously didn't recover instantly, instead with a wanting for a better word, she was utterly shell shocked, a distance, vacant stare occupying her features. When she started to regain her senses, Kiori went on as if nothing happened. Rylee heard his words, they sank in slowly she couldn't believe what she was hearing, while before he subtly suggested he could steal, now he was essentially proclaiming banditry as a valid option. Perhaps that wasn't the message he was attempting to convey, still that didn't matter, to Rylee her friend was actually openly willing to become a bandit, to forcefully take what little those outlying villages had to spare.

"You're a monster..." Rylee barely whispered those words, her downtrodden gaze faced down to the ground below. Then almost out of nowhere she head snapped up, her sight focused on nothing other than Kiori, but this time one could see legitimate hatred burning within her eyes, "You are a monster!" She shouted with real anger, "We... no, I am not a bandit! No matter I will do not stand for stealing, and neither should you! My Kio could never stoop so low to take someone's livelihood like this, but after what I just seen, from the hatred, malice, and fear that literally oozed from the man sitting in front of me, I know he can never be my Kiori! I-I... I am terrified of you, I know why now..." Rylee trailed off as she became lost for new words, she did not want any answers instead without another moment of hesitation she walked away, she didn't run, but she did not want to stay.

"You're a monster!" Kiori was visibly hurt by those words. He had been called that many times before by nameless, faceless individuals, but the word seemed to hold a far more potent connotation coming from Rylee. At first he thought it was just a result of his magic and that soon she would come around, but as she went on he found out that there was something more fundamentally repulsive about him. He had lost himself. Despite all his efforts to at the very least remain human, he had become warped into something else. "Rye, I--" but she would not wait to hear an explanation. She began walking off into the woods, not seeming to care in the slightest if there was an assassin waiting for just such a moment to slaughter his prey.

Then, he felt something strange bubbling up within him: anger. Honest to God, human anger. He got up off the ground and began to walk after her. "Wait!" he said, his voice stern and strong, no longer the cold the cold and stoic voice of an assassin. "You don't get to just spit on me like that and walk away!" Indeed, it was clear that he was angry as he followed after Rylee, but it was also clear that there was none of the killing intent that coated every word the assassins spoke. "You want to talk about your Kio? Fine, let me tell you exactly what happened to that twelve-year-old boy after the Assassins Guild showed up out of nowhere and tore him away from his family and his best friend without giving him so much as a chance to say goodbye. It starts off innocent enough: they teach you how to hunt animals. Their fledgling assassins become expert trackers, learn how to handle knives and weapons, learn to kill another living thing, all while thinking 'hey, this isn't so bad.' Then, they don't tell you, but one hunt is for a human. You slowly realize that the tracks are human footprints, but all you can do is watch as they tie him -- or her -- up, leave them helpless, and then they hand you the knife.

"It is this moment that determines whether you get to be a human or not. Most kids cannot kill a human so easily. They hesitate, try to run away, or break down crying afterwards. However, the guild makes sure that the knife is in the child's hand when it cuts the target's throat, by force if necessary. Then, that child's conditioning begins. It is every form of cruelty you can imagine. Torture, blackmail, death matches, anything the guild needs to do to get you to stop feeling. However, your Kio was a special one. He knew what the Assassins Guild was about. He thought, 'I just want to get through this so I can see Rye again someday.' His greatest fear, above all else, was being made into one of those monsters he'd heard so much about. And your Kio was able to put two-and-two together. When they handed him the knife, there was no hesitation."

Kiori had never thought back to his first kill before; he had spent all these years trying not to think of it, trying not to show any of his feelings to the guild. But now, free from those shackles, his voice shuttered as he recounted that day. "I kept my hand steady, I held my tears in, and I didn't so much as allow myself to gasp. They said I was a natural, and they had no reason to break me. It was like that for every single kill, and eventually I got used to it. If I am a monster now, Rye, it could have been 100 times worse. Your Kio is still here. He's just a bit tired from a decade of not feeling anything. And I'm damn sure that as stubborn as you are, you would've become one of the broken ones." His voice tapered off at the end of the story, his anger subsiding after the release that he had been waiting for so long. "I'm sorry that I suggested something so disgusting, but I'm just trying to keep us alive. If you die, then I feel like it will all have been for nothing."

Rylee wanted nothing else to do with Kiori, in her mind it had become far too dangerous to stick with him, the man on top of being too used to killing, not to mention that horrible magic that festered inside, hell he even suggested harming civilians, no... there was no way she could've stayed anymore. He called after her, of course she ignored him, he called again and again, still Rylee kept walking. Then something she never expected happened, anger began to creep into his voice, if it was anyone else that would be typical nothing wrong with that kind of reaction, but this was Kiori ever since their reunion she had always been unsettled by his lack of real emotions, just as she noted before.

She stopped which allowed Kiori to quickly catch up, before Rylee turned to face him the man quite frankly went into a full fledged rant, again something else entirely unexpected. She should've been terrified by this outburst, there was clearly so much rage behind every word instead she felt something different, she was intrigued. If he were able to see her face, Kiori would've seen any expression as Rylee took in everything. She herself had never considered what really happened to her fiend over those long years, part of her shamefully assumed some people took to assassination naturally, yet for the first time she really was getting a true image of an assassin's training, or maybe torture is a better term. As he went on, Rylee started to feel guilty on account of what she said just earlier, her own outburst while maybe not uncalled for had to be unfair, despite being called friends Kiori hadn't been seen one for the entire last two days, she hadn't been able to understand him.

Kiori reached his natural end, he seemed to have calmed down as he started to apologize for suggesting banditry, it was good... more than good, it was excellent since he actually got to release that vast amount of pent up anger that had built up since who knows when. Rylee came out of this knowing a lot more, this had to be a broken man, maybe he wouldn't exactly admit that much, however he had gone through too much, too much to recover on his own. There was nothing no warning, Rylee threw herself right into Kiori her arms wrapped tightly around his chest, she pressed herself into his body, her head rested upon his shoulder. Her sudden embrace wasn't without thought despite its spontaneous appearance, what this former assassin needed more than anything else was human love for once. She whispered one single phrase to him, still locked in place.

"Kio... you really really needed a hug..."

Kiori was stunned at first when Rylee threw her arms around him without warning. His body tensed up, ready to defend itself from an assailant, but Kiori allowed himself to do no more than that. There was no way he would allow his body to treat Rylee as an enemy; this time it was his conditioning's turn to get repressed. Slowly, the tension in his muscles eased and he felt the warmth of another human pressing against him. He felt compassion, genuine human compassion, for the first time in so many years. And then, a drug-like sensation came over him. He wanted more than just one moment; he wanted to feel joy again, to smile again, to laugh again. He lifted his hand slowly, hesitating at first, but then tentatively wrapped it around Rylee's back. She was already pulling herself close to him, but he gently pulled her closer. She whispered into his ear, and Kiori whispered back, "I missed you so much Rye."

Kiori wasn't sure how long they were locked in their embrace, but he reluctantly eased away from her when it came to its inevitable end. The warmth of the moment faded away as the reality of the situation sunk its icy fangs into him once again. They were going to die unless they came up with some kind of plan, yet they had ruled out every last option. Hiding in a village: impossible. Surviving in the wild: impractical. Banditry: inconceivable. What was left? Kiori let out an exasperated sigh and was about to suggest that they just enjoy the time they had left and face the guild when it came... but then a whole new possibility came to him. "There's one more option," he said, thinking aloud. "We stop running."

Kiori looked up into the sky as the details of his plan slowly fell into place. "Well have to fight eventually, so why not fight on our terms instead of theirs? Let's go to one of those villages, find a place for shelter, but we'll instruct the villagers to reveal our location immediately when the guild comes knocking. They wont be put in jeopardy since they'll be cooperating, we'll have access to the supplies we need, and we may be able to convince the villagers to postpone my lynching on the grounds that assassin blood will be spilled regardless of the outcome. It could work. What do you think Rye?" It was certainly an unorthodox plan, but as a boy Kio was never short of crazy ideas. It was common knowledge that challenging an assassin like that invariable resulted in death. But now it was assassin against assassin; the outcome was uncertain. It was a gamble, but at the same time it was their best bet.

Kiori accepted her advances, part of her worried that he would fight, possibly since it really was too sudden that maybe his ingrained instincts would cause him the lash without thought and yet none of that happened. Instead he actually pulled Rylee further into his arms it wouldn't wrong to say she was surprised, that said a powerful sense of relief washed over her. One this showed he especially forgave her transgressions from earlier, and of course feeling legitimate love from another person by itself brought comfort. While Kiori couldn't see it, Rylee was smiling, the first true smile towards her friend for the over the last decade, just a soft one that slightly curled her lips upwards. In conclusion given all that's happened this was the high point of her week.

While Rylee was the one who initiated the act, Kiori was the one who had to end it, she was also disappointed to see those minutes gone, she also could tell he almost felt the same way. When Kiori backed away she didn't say anything, the man needed some time to piece his mind back together it was only both polite and helpful to give him that time. Rylee herself was considering what they should do next, there wasn't a solid way forward, too many options lead to death either by an trained assassin or otherwise. One thing was certain however, from that point forward she had to do whatever she could to help Kiori learn to live again, it was painfully clear that they had more problems than the literal, physical ones before them. What life could her dearest friend live if he couldn't enjoy it in the slightest?

Finally the assassin spoke, this drew Rylee from the depths of her mind to put forth her attention on what he was about to say. She nodded constantly throughout his explanation, his plan honestly didn't deviate much from their other ideas, although this time it was a lot more direct. "Well... we sort of have to keep the core of this plan, I don't see any other way around our supply situation. My concern is even telling the villagers you were an assassin wouldn't fly. What if we instead keep our identities secret, from now to then I'm sure we can brainstorm some convincing back stories. Also, are you sure the Guild wouldn't punish whatever village we decide to hide in regardless if they cooperate, I imagine there are more then just a few vengeful men in charge back 'home.'"

Rylee stopped for a moment, thinking on the spot can be hard at times, "We could just keep on very high alert, we, and if not we then you, probably can detect when an assassin is getting close in one way or another. When we are found out I say we leave in a big way, try to draw so much attention that the assassin would have to pursue us right then and there, maybe that would prevent the village from become more involved due to investigations from that same assassin."

Rylee stopped again, this time she stared at the ground for a few moments before facing Kiori again, "Also... I know what I said earlier your... uh level of sociability, well I believe with a bit of work we could improve that. Remember when we were kids, you used to be so full of life, right? We can get that back, and I will be here for long as it takes, be it if you need someone to talk to, or even another for hug, or hell if you need me to kiss you I'll do it!" Rylee reached forward to lay an arm across Kiori's back to land a few strong pats, "Kio, I am with you forever, you will not be abandoned, and I will not die, that is my promise."

Kiori smiled at Rylee's last words. Not the half-hearted assassin smile that had crossed his face a few times since they met up, but an honest to God smile. Letting that all out and hearing the Rylee would stay with him, that he wouldn't have to be alone anymore, revived yet another shriveled fragment of himself from the desolate past. Finally, he had his friend back. He felt that he needed to say something in response, something other than just "thanks Rye." There was something he used to say when they were kids whenever she did something nice for him, wasn't there? The memory was foggy, the words a garbled echo in his mind. It was definitely sarcastic; after he said it she would stomp her foot, or stick out her tongue, or do something to punish him for his low wit. "Alright," Kiori said grinning, "but don't start thinking that I owe you one."

Rylee's improvements on the plan seemed sound. The less people that were in on it, the better, and the details seemed easy enough to figure out. "The villagers will be in no danger so long as they cooperate," Kiori said, addressing Rylee's concern. "Assassins are strictly prohibited from killing cooperative civilians. Letting people who cooperate live encourages future cooperation and makes our job -- sorry, their job -- easier. But, I think this is a good plan for now. The rest we'll have to figure out when they get there." With that, there was little else to discuss and the two began walking off towards the nearest village.

Despite Rylee's offer of socialization instructions, Kiori remained quiet for the beginning of their walk. It wasn't the same awkward silence that had pervaded their little alliance thus far, but rather one of contentment. He had just said more about himself those brief minutes than he had in the past ten years combined, so it would take him some time to get used to carrying on full-fledged conversation. However, it occurred to him that he knew very little about how Rylee had ended up in this situation. She had been vague with her reasons for leaving her guild, but he could imagine plenty of reasons why. That rose another question, though, one that he probably should have asked first. "So Rye," Kiori said, breaking the silence a bit abruptly, "how did you end up with the constables anyway?" Kiori hoped that Rylee had joined by choice. Although being scouted by the constables likely would not have been as traumatic as his own story, he hoped he wasn't prodding at any old wounds.

What Kiori said made enough sense, after all if assassins went back on their word all the time there would be no chance for any more cooperation. Good that was one part of their plan taken care of, long as other people aren't too affected by their own presence then Rylee was happy. She nodded in agreement, "Then I say let's combine our ideas, tell the village to cooperate and attract as much attention as possible, if we know the assassin is coming long enough beforehand I think we'll be fine." From that point on neither of them said much, although now they were back on track, as an afterthought personally Rylee was thankful they didn't fall during that confrontation, perhaps even coming out better than before.

It was a little while later, Kiori as always wasn't very talkative, but that was fine since she didn't want to say much anyway, plus it wasn't an awkward silence like all those times before, here Rylee could feel relative peace between them just two friends enjoying some company really. That silence soon after was broken, and by a rather unexpected question, he wanted to know more about her past. Yes, they've been friends for a long time so that portion of their history should've been well accounted for, still after the progress they made that day Rylee almost forgotten about the long length of time where they really haven't seen each other. All the same she expected that he'll ask sooner rather than later, after a few moments of thought she started, "Pretty obvious you wanted to know, don't blame you for asking either since I haven't said anything at all, I'd even say right now I know more about your time with the assassins than you know about my time with the constables."

"Well then... to start with I wasn't scouted, not back at that age at least, I pretty sure you remember what I was like back then, wasn't much of a physical fighter, nor too strong, I also used to keep long hair, right? I did until it was chopped soon after I joined, they wouldn't let me keep it for reasons you probably understand. You know my family, we were merchants, how my dad was a member of a minor trading guild, nothing too prestigious but enough to get a decent childhood, which we shared. A couple of months after you were taken... some problems, guess you could call them, piled up until eventually all at once our household was ripped apart. I don't know what happened even to this day, but long story short, I lost everything, my home, my brothers, and my parents... now I'm sure they're still alive living whatever life they found out there, I just know I'll never see them again."

"Using the last of his influence, my dad got me a post with the constables, they needed more muscle and let's face it its not like I had any marketable skills back then, so it was impossible to get me with any other guild. The rest you know, became a constable which then became everything to me, right down to living in a barracks." Rylee wrapped up her lengthy explanation, looking somber after recounting those troubling days, that is until she continued with a reassuring smile, "By the way, Kio there's no need to worry about me, I've made my peace with happened ages ago, sure its sad to remember but I've moved on by now, so go ahead and put to rest any notions of consoling me. Anyway since we're still on the subject of me, need to know anything else?"

Kiori was sorry to hear that Rylee did not have a happy tale to tell, yet at the same time she staunchly demanded that he not feel sorry for her. She insisted that she had made peace, but could she really make that claim after throwing her life away to leave her guild? Well, she had made peace with her past, but perhaps not with the world. He shook his head when she asked him if he wanted to know anything else; it was easy enough to put together the rest of the pieces with that. "I wonder how my folks are doing..." he mumbled softly, realizing immediately that he would never know the answer to that question either. It would be foolish to jeopardize either of their families by trying to find them.

"It's funny how this all worked out," he said instead of consoling Rylee. "Maybe it was all for the best. I only left my guild because you abandoned yours, and the only reason we have a chance to survive is because I'm a trained assassin. We can think of our pasts as unfortunate, or we can see them as the best possible hand we could have been dealt..." Kiori shook his head in mild amusement at his own train of thought. "They must have messed with my head worse than I realized. I hate all that philosophical nonsense. We're here and we're together. That's enough for me." With that, the pair continued the trek through the woods towards the village that would either be their valiant stand against the Assassin's Guild, or their grave.

It was one day later as the now-truly-united pair entered their targeted village, a nameless settlement on the very edge of the sea. Even from where they stood, the frosted, salty wind carried the scent of those waters. From what little what Rylee knew this village made most of its living from fishing, although not on a commercial scale being just enough to feed themselves. In fact very little commerce ran though this region due to its distance from any important trade nodes both domestic and foreign, and harsh roads that are also impassible for most of the year, of course they arrived at a time when conditions were favorable for travel. They had to be about an half an hour's walk out where the tallest buildings were visible, nothing impressive however just a stone tower located at the very center, the only stone structure actually. What was impressive was the image of an entire village sitting on top of a series of jagged cliffs, some houses appeared just be about to topple off the side and into the frothing waves far below.

Rylee came to a stop, hoping Kiori would do the same they had to made sure their stories were in order. Her suggestion made during the last day of journeying was Kiori would say he was a hunter, made sense seeing as he has the tacking skills to back it up, despite their lack of a bow to fit the image she was confident others would still buy their story, hard times fell of everyone after all so it could be said he lost his. Now Rylee herself, said she should pretend to his wife, or some lover. Just saying they're friends would only bring on questioning, and to be siblings was out of the picture as they shared no familial resemblance. Now a man and his wife traveling together made sense, especially without a child. Over the last month a series of wildfires had ravaged the local area, burning down many homes in the process, using this to their advantage they could claim their old homestead had burned down, again no one would probably question much as the wildfires had to be well known.

Hopefully with their roles in order Rylee spoke, "There it is, we should take a moment to rest before heading in, and it wouldn't hurt to go over our story again. Now... even if we're going to play the part of a couple, at least if we decide to go with my plan, don't push yourself to 'be a husband' my best advice is just to keep it natural, if needed I can handle tougher questions, sounds good?"

Kiori was a bit uneasy about pretending to be somebody else. Assassins received no training in acting or infiltrating society. In fact, quite the opposite was true; they were trained to carry themselves as invincible killers to terrify civilians into cooperation. However, memorizing the details of his new identity came as second nature to him. He would often have to remember many details about his targets, especially those that were adept at hiding or were expected to put up a decent fight. He was not worried about getting even a small piece of information wrong... though he did hope he didn't accidentally refer to himself in the third person. "We are newly wed," he began, recapping their story in a professional tone, "and we hail from Eldenrock. Our home and most of our belongings, including my bow and arrows, were caught in the wildfires that have been spreading across the land. We had nothing tying us to that town, so we decided to look for a new place to settle down. We will call on the people's sympathy for supplies and shelter."

That concluded the details that they would need to know about their story, but Kiori had something else he wanted to address before they made it to town. "We'll also need to make sure there is a place where we can be alone," he continued, his tone darkening. "When our assassin eventually catches up with us, I will be at a distinct disadvantage. In the guild, we kept our abilities to ourselves; all personal information was on a need-to-know basis. The most I will know about the assassin that comes for us is a name, and possibly a personality. However, he will be given a detailed file on me. My strengths, my equipment, my magic... he'll know everything. Under those conditions, I will die in a one-on-one duel. However, there is one advantage that we have." Here, he simply pointed at Rylee.

"If it's two-on-one, we have a chance, but with all due respect, the skills you showed in the tavern will not be adequate. If we're going to live, I'll need to show you how to fight an assassin." He didn't know how Rylee was going to react to that; his last suggestion had nearly driven her away. However, this proposition was strictly self-defense, and she had already shown that she would not be going down without a fight. Still, he wondered if she would have the capacity to kill.

Rylee was now satisfied that Kiori really does know his role, he recounted their story almost word to word. With luck people won't ask too many question so the need to further complicate their story wouldn't arise, still if that does happen she was confident that she'll be able to cover up fairly easily, she just wasn't sure about him. When Kiori admitted that he probably would lose a single man duel with the assassin, she wasn't surprised especially with the reasons he presented, although when he pointed out that she is an advantage Rylee was admittedly somewhat surprised, mostly since she did poorly in the tavern as he just pointed out again.

When Kiori suggested that he should train her how to fight an assassin, knowing the obvious truth that this also included killing the man, she stayed silent for a good few moments. Finally she responded. "Fine, I actually wanted you help with a bit of training anyway, since we remember how it went down back in the tavern and all. Also before you say anything I know that includes killing the assassin, but... despite what you might think I'm alright with this, an assassin and normal folk are not cut from the same cloth. I know it can be hypocritical to place one's life above another's right? Well the difference is that assassin has killed plenty of people himself already, and can't be too picky in a survival situation."

With that covered Rylee laid down on the ground, well off the main road and in the grass just taking in the view of the far off village. "Enough about doom and gloom for the moment, know that I understand our survival is important, more important than anything else. What else we should work on is you, Kio you're not fully recovered after one session of pouring your heart out with a hug to top things off, we both know that. So... how are you doing at the moment, just say what are you thinking about as a nice and easy place to start for the time being."

Rylee was rationalizing the prospect of killing, and that concerned him. Rationalization was one of the brainwashing tactics the guild used. They started with hunting, something that no reasonable person would object to. What, then is the difference between shooting a deer with an arrow and stabbing a man with a sword? A man has a soul! He is sentient! Who is to say a deer does not have a soul of its own? What separates man from beast is adherence to social order. Adherence to law. This man has broken the law. He is but an animal. Now, hunt the animal...

It was this twisted form of logic that the guild used to warp the minds of mere children, malleable and gullible, receptive to their teachings. Needless to say, it concerned Kiori to see Rylee doing it of her own accord. "Not cut from the same cloth" she said. Perhaps Rylee knew how to tread the moral ambiguity without falling into darkness, but Kiori didn't want to see her take a single step into the guild's domain. Yet what could he say? There was no way she could wield the paralyzing fear of killing another human being and come out alive against an assassin. It was best if she thought of him as a mere animal, yet that was the path to darkness...

Kiori said nothing about any of this. Although he was silent as Rylee spoke, it was clear that his mind was abuzz; he was brooding again. However, it seemed Rylee wanted to change the subject to something a bit brighter. How was he doing? Just say what he was thinking about? That would just bring them back to the doom and gloom she wanted to get away from. Still, Kiori figured they could use a bit of lightening up after all they had just been through. He let out a sigh and said, "It looks like a nice place. It's a shame our story isn't true. A seaside village like this would be a good place to get a fresh start." He looked out at the ocean, listening to the hiss of the waves as the crashed into the cliff side. He hesitated for a moment, and then continued. "I guess I'm a bit scared, though. I know that I came from this class of people, and I know that there is plenty of kindness among them, but I'm scared to face them."

He wasn't sure if that was too doomy and gloomy for Rylee, but that was what he was feeling. It was strange that he wasn't afraid of the imminent encounter with their assassin, or even of death. It was actually living among those who undoubtedly harbored an intense hatred for what he was that stirred his uneasiness.

It was still refreshing to hear Kiori talking like a normal person once again, it almost felt like she really had him back. Rylee sat back up smiling right at him. "Living by the ocean does sound nice huh? Don't think I've told you this even when we we're kids, but I wanted to a be a pirate, heh. Na none of that looting and pillaging, just for the spirit of adventure, suppose staying in a large city like Cerdarburg brought out those dreams." She was purposefully dodging the issue of his fear, there was no reason to talk about rather it was better to cheer him up through other conversation topics.

Rylee scooted closer to Kiori not quite in his face, but pretty close. "So... its a shame our story isn't true, that's what you said right? Us being husband and wife who came from some poor hamlet in the middle of the woods, who came here to find a new life after losing everything to fires. We wake up every day in the same bed, and sleep in the same one at night, each time cuddling in each other's arms. Maybe we would do everything together, straighten up our tiny little home, in a tiny little town on the seaside." Of course to Rylee she was just teasing, her intent was to give him a hard time... but. "At dusk we sit on the very edge off the cliffs to watch the setting sun as it goes below the waves... I look into your eyes, and you look back into mine, that all we see is a deep unending love... then... when the time is right... we kiss..." As she continued Rylee in a sense was almost becoming serious, as she continued that mocking grin of hers faded into a neutral expression as if she really meant what she was saying.

It was at this point it dawned upon Rylee how she was sounding and of course what she was saying. Her words were left hanging as very faintly, and honestly quite briefly her cheeks reddened in a blush, she hoped Kiori didn't see it. Rylee abruptly coughed, maybe to cover up her sudden awkwardness. "I mean... uh... yeah it would be nice if we didn't have to lie, you know with a good fresh start right here in this village..." She looked away from Kiori, somewhat too embarrassed to face him directly.

Talking with Rylee again was the best medicine for his sour mood. For a minute, he felt like they were kids again, just prattling on with no restraint about whatever nonsense crossed their minds. Many of their old conversations were beyond meaningless, but the interaction itself held inestimable value. Even now, Kiori felt a certain lightness of heart when Rylee began to describe her dream job. He pictured her with a bandanna, an eye patch, and parrot on her shoulder. Then, he let out a laugh. It was soft at first, barely a snicker, but the image Rye's words had conjured was too much for him, and the first bona fide laugh he'd had in years escaped. His lungs were finally waking up and stretching away the stiffness; by the gods it felt good to laugh again.

Then he noticed that Rylee had moved closer to him. Not uncomfortably close; in fact it felt good to be this close to her. She began to tease him, like she always loved to do, about them being husband and wife, but then she went on... and on. At first, her coy grin told him it was just another silly rambling for him to laugh at, or maybe respond to with a jab of his own, but as she continued, she almost sounded sincere. It then occurred to Kiori that he was taken away before he would have had any real interest in those things. They had their childhood friendship back, but they weren't children anymore. Did that mean that they could have more than just a friendship? The prospect intrigued Kiori, but was accompanied by a shadow of reluctance. He had just found his old self; was it time to move on from that already?

Rylee's narrative came to an abrupt end, and Kiori noticed that she had somehow managed to fluster herself. Kiori simply smiled and said, "Well, maybe we'll get a chance at that fresh start yet. Just promise me that if you do decide to become a pirate, you'll teach your parrot good manners." He laughed again. Had she even been on a boat before? Pirates...

Kiori didn't seem to be bothered or really took any notice to what she said which relieved Rylee greatly, although in truth even if he didn't react he had to know where she was going, it would've been too hard not to. While it started off as another lighthearted rambling it evolved into something else, she didn't mean to go that far in depth describing a hypothetical scene where they actually kiss. It came so naturally to her as if it was rehearsed many times, a lot of years have passed where they were no longer children but full fledged adults in their own right, maybe feelings of this caliber aren't too far fetched... maybe there was some hard truth behind her slip.

Needless to say Kiori knew none of this thought process or perhaps even knew she was mulling over what happened so extensively as Rylee imminently attempted to bounce back. "I wouldn't settle on just a parrot, if I were a pirate captain... oh why stop there, if I were a pirate queen I'd have a pet tiger, one of those white ones even, after all I would be an infamous pirate lord, heh." Other than some lingering hesitation Rylee was back in full swing, her smile back and joking again, besides she owe it to Kiori to emotionally support him so becoming lost in her own conflicting emotions couldn't be an option. From here she went on about other topics, some related like seafood, to others completely different such as why dogs walk on four legs, or how many nuts a squirrel can stuff into its cheeks. It was completely ridiculous, but also totally unfiltered fun just like from before.

Half an hour later Rylee finally ran out of conversation ideas, and she was pretty sure Kiori was in the same boat, so instead she was quite content to stare off into the distant scenery, the nearby ocean, the village itself, and some nearby woodland. Although now she wasn't actively talking her mind started to wander once more, about what she thought of her friend. For the longest time they were best friends, then forced to be strangers by separation, then enemies, then wary allies, then childhood friends again. They've gone full circle, so what should happen now, could they go... further. Her mind swarmed with the possibilities, could it be possible to get more out of their relationship, should they even try? These were new ideas to her, they've simply never came up before in everyday life, especially when that life with filled with duties as a constable.

Soon enough Rylee had enough, she had to fish for some answers... in a subtle manner. "...Kio? You ever thought about what could've happened if we were never separated? You know, if we were able to pick up right from before our lives got thrown aside? We'd probably still be friends for sure even to this day... but... I- well... *sigh* don't know, what do you think?" Nothing too smooth, not at all, but she didn't want to ask him directly, at least not yet. Besides she wasn't sure herself as really since these feelings quite frankly came about too suddenly, that's what it felt like.