An Assassin's Anthem

Riley waved goodbye to her father and grandmother. The door clunked shut, and she turned back toward the room. Drumming her fingers on her desk, she searched for a place to hide her things, finally settling on a board in her closet.

Prying it up, she carved out a hollow space and stashed the purses, carefully covering up her work with the board and examining it for any trace.

Taking a seat, she grabbed her book about bards and started reading.

Inspiration is a useful ability that will influence those around you. While some may paint such magic in a dim view, they have a use and place. Bolstering and persuading people to your point of view are extremely powerful tools…

Riley continued reading about the general uses of inspiration to boost or persuade others.

A knock sounded on her door. Riley jerked up, stashed the book, and opened the door, revealing a familiar face.

Emma nervously tugged on her black braid. “Hello, Lady Riley.” She curtsied. “I wondered if you’d like to get supper with the rest of us?”

“Certainly.” Riley smiled and looked at the other girl. “You have me at a disadvantage.”

“I’m Emma. My father is a mayor in the Mishra territory.” She gestured to the girl next to her. “This is Lin. She’s from a city not too far from my own.”

“Nice to meet you both.” Riley shut her door and followed them down the hall.

Lin straightened her brown dress. “It’s nice to meet you. I heard that you’ll be a baroness.”

Riley nodded. “It’s looking likely. My father isn’t interested.”

Lin walked next to her. “You don’t mind going with us?”

“Of course not.” Riley left the building and headed down the stone walk. “How are things up north?”

“It has been busy. Harvests, rain, and incursions from the mountains,” Emma said. She leaned close. “And I heard there is some assassin going around with his daughter. They robbed the Mishra family for a fortune. It was worth hundreds of nobles.”

Riley gasped. “No,” she whispered, covering her mouth in feigned shock.

“It’s true,” Lin said with a nod, opening the door to the academy.

Riley walked inside. “How could the guilds allow that theft? We have our accords. To brazenly rob a baron? It’s appalling.” She paused and looked down the two halls.

“They must not be part of it. I heard there is a bounty on their heads,” Lin said. Turning, she walked down a hall.

Riley followed and memorized the labels above the doors. “There’s a bounty?”

“Yes,” Emma said, grabbing a door. “Ten nobles with proof of death. Twenty if you bring them back alive with the goods.”

How do I cash in on that? Riley considered it. Then she paused and looked into a dining room. Tables were covered with cloth, and chairs surrounded each one. Students were sitting at them, eating plates of steaming food. Above it all was an intricate chandelier.

Riley paused and studied the groups. There was clearly a pecking order based on title and level. Several students turned and stared at her. Whispers spread through the room.

She blushed and turned to Emma. “I see that one hundred is not common.”

“Of course not, my lady,” Emma said and waited.

Oh, I dictate where we sit. Riley walked toward the closest table and took a seat.

The two joined her, sitting on either side and leaving three chairs empty. Riley straightened her dress and the tablecloth.

A servant walked up and looked at the three. “Welcomes, ladies. We have the finest venison or lamb this evening.” She looked Riley in the eye and placed down cups.

“Venison, please,” Riley said with a nod. “And no ale. Water for me.”

The servant nodded and turned to the others.

“We’ll have the same,” Emma said quickly, too quickly.

Riley frowned, and the servant scurried off.

“You can order what you want,” Riley whispered to them, checking their reactions.

“Are you certain?” Emma asked.

Riley chuckled. “I promise you that I won’t take offense. Order what you want.”

Lin smiled. “I like venison. Reminds me of home.”

Riley smiled and looked at the two. “And are you in the Mishra barony, Lin?”

Lin shook her head. “No. Same duchy, though.” She turned toward the approaching boys.

Riley looked up and painted a mask on her face. Oh, fabulous. She plastered a smile on her face and pretended not to know the approaching boy.

“Hello, Lady Riley,” Hassan said, bowing slightly. He took a seat. Another boy joined him.

“Hello, Hassan.” Riley studied him momentarily. How should I act? Bookish? Nice? Shy? She mused on it. While ideal, they also would become problematic. Mean if pushed. She settled on it.

“Tell me. How did you manage level one hundred?” Hassan asked. “I know your family.”

Riley let the disappointment and surprise show on her face. “That’s your question? Disappointing.” She shook her head and turned to Emma. “Is he normally like this?”

Emma blushed and didn’t answer.

Hassan’s hands flickered. “Guild?”

Riley ignored it, looking up toward the vaulted ceiling and studying the chandelier. What she thought were candles were really glowing, enchanted balls of glass. They look like stars.

Hassan coughed. “Guild?” he signed.

Riley gestured to a nearby servant. “I think he needs a drink.”

“Of course,” the man said and walked away, returning momentarily to refill the cups with water.

Hassan leaned forward. “You shouldn’t be level one hundred. There is only one way for you to have it.”

“Please leave my table,” Riley said with growing annoyance.

Hassan frowned. “You have connections. I need —“

“Let me guess,” Riley interrupted. “You’re looking for help with your thief problem?”

Hassan nodded. “They stole my crystals. I want them back.”

Riley smiled. Should I? The temptation spread.

The servant set down the food and turned to the two boys. “And your orders, sirs?”

“Venison, both of us,” Hassan barked.

Riley let the temptation win. “I can contact the right people if your contacts are insufficient, but it will cost you. Don’t expect me to give you mine.”

Hassan sighed. “Don’t make me an enemy.”

“I’m not. This is the way the world works.” Riley picked up her fork and knife.

“Fine. One noble,” Hassan said with a nod.

Riley laughed and shook her head. “No, you don’t hire this type of help for so little.”

“What then?” Hassan asked. Confusion spread across his face.

Riley held up three fingers. “Three runs through a place of power. That’s the price.”

Hassan stared at her fingers and shook his head. “No. That’s absurd. Just to hire the right person who’d want far more? No.”

“Two are for them,” Riley replied. “There is no negotiating. I get one. They get two.” She cut a green bean in half and ate it.

Hassan frowned, and then a smile spread across his face. “You’re a single young woman. I can make you a better offer. What if —“

“If you propose a betrothal, I will forget my manners,” Riley interrupted. “That’s the price. You are not doing me a favor by working your own agenda.”

Hassan groaned. “Fine. Three runs, and you owe me another favor.”

“That’s not the deal,” Riley said, shaking her head. She ate another bean. This is sort of fun.

“Fine, three runs, but I want proof. I want heads if they are dead.”

Riley frowned. “Those are messy. I will witness and speak with a seeker if the heads don’t travel.”

Hassan went quiet. “I expect a writ.”

“Done.” Riley smiled and extended her hand.

Hassan shook it and straightened his coat. He reached up and mussed with his hair. “So, Lady Riley, tell me about yourself.”

Oh, gods, no! Riley thought and shoved food into her mouth just to avoid that conversation.

Emma turned to Riley. She leaned closer. “Can’t all nobles solicit the assassin’s guild? I thought we had an accord.”

Riley swallowed and turned. “Yes. There is an accord. They do not target nobility or mayors. In return, the nobility doesn’t start a war. So, he could request it himself.”

Hassan sighed, shaking his head. “It’s not a simple organization to deal with. They have their own rules and can be lax if the price isn’t right.”

“You could hire a knight?” Emma asked.

“That’d cost me more than three runs,” Hassan replied. “They’re expensive.” He turned back to Riley.

Riley continued eating, not bothering to answer. Instead, she finished her beans and looked up when a shadow hit. A boy stood there with a smirk. “Hello, Randalf,” Riley said curtly.

Randalf walked forward, took Riley’s hand, and kissed it. Riley jerked her hand away. What the condemnation?

Randalf spun and looked at Hassan. “We are to be betrothed. Don’t bother.”

Am I going to need to murder these guys? Riley mused on it while the two glared at each other. With a growing desire to do just that, she ate rapidly.

Hassan glared. “You are not. I would have heard.”

“Be gone,” Randalf replied, taking a seat and glaring.

Riley gobbled down her plate, wanting her books and room. Not this. Food flew into her mouth. She hardly tasted it.

As the majority was gone, she stood. “Ladies, nice visiting with you.” She spun and headed for her room with a skip in her step. A free dungeon run and some book time! Her smile grew as she walked back to her room.

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