It was time for him to act. He quickly hid his bundle under a vendor's cart, and crept after the men, carrying only his crossbow and his knife. Perhaps he could stop them, and save someone's life? A life for a life. He quickly tallied the men whose lives he had ended.
Well, it was a start. He felt his body tense, and his senses quicken as he embraced the source. He was careful to proceed silently, and thankfully the wind and dark helped, but he couldn't help but feel like he was outclassed by these cloaked men, at least when in came to sneaking.
But it didn't matter. Didn't matter at all. He licked his lips with anticipation and stepped into alley behind them.
The two shadowy shapes he trailed were some distance away when Vaid took up the chase. Thankfully, without the bulk of his belongings, he moved faster than before. He trotted across the square, and rounded the corner, peering down the dark street. A gust of wind sent a piece of cloak fluttering wildly, wrapped around a still form lying on the cobbles. Vaid approached cautiously ready to sieze the source if needed. The helmet and livery said he was one of the town watch. Vaid rolled him over with his foot, and his eyes narrowed. A stripe of black wetness across the man's throat revealed how this one had died.
Down the alley way he saw the two forms duck around yet another corner.
Down the alley way he saw the two forms duck around yet another corner.
Vaid's eyes narrowed. He was too late for this guard, but not too late to stop those men. They had killed a guardsman without hesitation. They would kill again.
Vaid wondered if they had spotted him following them yet. He would have to be careful. He crept down the alleyway, and rounded the corner with plenty of space, in case they were waiting for him.
Vaid rounded the corner cautiously and saw the two forms perhaps a hundred feet away, standing outside of a door to a ramshackle run down home. The door opened a crack, muffled voices were heard and one of the forms made a quick sign with his hands that Vaid couldn't catch. The second turned his hood and looked back down the street. Vaid drew into the deeper shadows under some eves, hoping he hadn't been seen.
The door opened for an instant, both forms slipped into the building and the door shut behind them.
The door opened for an instant, both forms slipped into the building and the door shut behind them.
Vaid shook his head. This was dangerous. The house probably contained any number of men, and he couldn't see inside.
After looking carefully for a few moments to make sure he wasn't being watched, he took a side street to approach the house from a different angle, hoping to find a window he could peek through. He had to know what was inside the house, and what those men were doing.
Vaid approached the building from an angle that was hard to see from any doors or windows. This involved climbing over a low wall, and sneaking through a fenced yard of an adjacent building. An open shutter rattled and banged in the wind in time with his heartbeat.
Soon, he was next to a closed and shuttered window where, peering through the slats, he could see through a dusty window pane into a plain room with peeling paint. A pale light flickered from a small, candle stub that lay on a weathered and battered table. He couldn't make out details through the dust and the grime on the window, but could see the two hooded forms were talking in low voices with a third bearded man who wore a snowy white cloak. Vaid listened in vain, but couldn't hear over the racket the wind made. He grimaced as he seized the source, feeling the rot of the taint cover him. Ignoring it, he instead sent a trickle of air and spirit woven in a strand thin enough to fit through an open crack in the window.
"... you understand your orders?" The man in the white cloak asked.
"Yes, we understand." One of the two hooded figures answered.
"You had better or you won't see another coin."
"I said we understand." The hooded man answered again.
"Fine." A clink of coins as a pouch passed hands. "The Children of the Light do not accept failure lightly."
The hooded man chuckled, unperturbed. "She's human. She'll die just like the others." The soft voice answered confidently.
"Human, yes. But she's a light-forsaken witch! And has the powers of the Dark One at her disposal. Besides, she has companions. From what the watchman said, he saw at least two large men with her tonight. One was heavily armored and is possibly her warder."
"Discreet is our profession." The hooded man said, a smile caressing his voice.
"Go then." The bearded man said.
The hooded man nodded and rose, and with his silent companion behind him, made for the door.
"You should know," the bearded man said. "That you're not the first. We've hired others to ensure success. If you want another gold crown, you'll have to find her and bring back the proof before the others do."
"Don't worry," the hooded man said. "We know our craft."
Soon, he was next to a closed and shuttered window where, peering through the slats, he could see through a dusty window pane into a plain room with peeling paint. A pale light flickered from a small, candle stub that lay on a weathered and battered table. He couldn't make out details through the dust and the grime on the window, but could see the two hooded forms were talking in low voices with a third bearded man who wore a snowy white cloak. Vaid listened in vain, but couldn't hear over the racket the wind made. He grimaced as he seized the source, feeling the rot of the taint cover him. Ignoring it, he instead sent a trickle of air and spirit woven in a strand thin enough to fit through an open crack in the window.
"... you understand your orders?" The man in the white cloak asked.
"Yes, we understand." One of the two hooded figures answered.
"You had better or you won't see another coin."
"I said we understand." The hooded man answered again.
"Fine." A clink of coins as a pouch passed hands. "The Children of the Light do not accept failure lightly."
The hooded man chuckled, unperturbed. "She's human. She'll die just like the others." The soft voice answered confidently.
"Human, yes. But she's a light-forsaken witch! And has the powers of the Dark One at her disposal. Besides, she has companions. From what the watchman said, he saw at least two large men with her tonight. One was heavily armored and is possibly her warder."
"Discreet is our profession." The hooded man said, a smile caressing his voice.
"Go then." The bearded man said.
The hooded man nodded and rose, and with his silent companion behind him, made for the door.
"You should know," the bearded man said. "That you're not the first. We've hired others to ensure success. If you want another gold crown, you'll have to find her and bring back the proof before the others do."
"Don't worry," the hooded man said. "We know our craft."
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