The night was nearly over, but figures were still tumbling from taverns, yelling and laughing to their equally drunken friends. One man was particularly noticeable to those who were looking for him. He was short and lightly built with some tone, and as he put on his black cloak, someone in the shadows beside the Bloodseal Tavern pulled their hood up.

The man left and the shadow followed. They were soon in an alleyway between two low buildings when the man’s companion left down another road.

A lantern was hanging outside one of the building’s doors, and as the shadow pursued its prey, it moved through the light and her face was momentarily alight. Startling blue eyes shone out of white-but-dirtied face and wisps of her blonde hair had fallen from her long braid and were drifting around her face. Striking, beautiful, but at this moment – deadly.

Sensing her presence, the man turned – but she had already disappeared into the shadows cast by the small light. The man drew his dagger, looking around him uneasily, the blade wavering slightly. He was a rogue, yes, an assassin, but never had he been targeted while drunk. His black eyes darted, but all he could see was darkness.

She was quick to strike – as his back turned to her, she moved forward, quickly and silently, and plunged her silver dagger into his back. He let out a short gasp of surprise and pain and collapsed at her feet.

Brynn retrieved her dagger with a small grunt of effort, then crouched beside him. She put her hand on his back to see whether he was still breathing. The silence around her was as the lack of movement in his chest. She smiled faintly and stood up.

She wiped her dagger on her dark green cloak slowly and thoughtfully, looking at the dead man in front of her. She had followed him from the moment she’d left the Song of Elves Tavern & Inn and gotten in front of him at some point along the way. She hoped Zydus hadn’t followed her for some reason, but she doubted it.

The entire episode had been silent, but now Brynn let out a soft sigh. She hated what she did, really, but at the same time she felt she was helping. She ran one of her blood-soaked hands over her face, then realised what she’d done. She pulled some material of her cloak up and began to wipe it away.