Dawn upon Death and Destruction

Chapter 10

20 minutes later, Amara and Nikos stood outside waiting for the stablehand to bring the horses they were taking with them. Their bags were found near the door, inside of Amara's room probably put by some of the previous maids. Nikos hadn't spoke much, since the epsiode that occurred outside the breakfast hall, instead only sending nods of confirmation her way or small sentences answering her questions. The silence unnerved Amara.

"Here are your horses."

The stablehand was young, in his mid teens maybe, and covered with dust from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. His blonde hair looked unwashed and his blue eyes were dull, not filled with the childish twinkle they should have possessed. the horses he led with him on his either side looked almost the exact opposite. They were clean and cared for, their manes long and brushed.

Amara mounted her horse, swinging her right leg over the saddle, settling down. She looked up to see Nikos already ready, waiting for her to be done.

"Ready?"

Amara nodded, ready to start the journey.

*_______*

Throughout the two days of their riding, the pair ended up talking a lot more then they had in the compound. Amara realized that Nikos was more similar to her than she thought. He shared stories of his life in the compound and she listened, Amara was so immersed into listening to Nikos that she almost forgot about the note. Almost.

On the last day of their journey, Amara felt the shift from the forest they were in, into the city. The distant smell of spiced filled her senses as she recalled how poor the conditions were sleeping outside. Nikos had only brought bread and cheese which meant that her diet was rather bland. She was excited to taste all the flavors the city held.

"We're stopping here to rest for a while." Nikos called out in front of her, they had been riding since dawn had broken and it seemed much later into the day now. She tied her horse to a nearby tree and sat cross-legged on the ground, fiddling with the note that sat in her pocket. She had to find the right time to open it, when Nikos wasn't around. Nikos came up to her and sat down, smiling slightly. She attempted a smile but it turned out to be more of a grimace. Something wasn't right. She had a feeling whatever was in that note wouldn't be something nice.

His eyes questioningly stared at her as he spoke, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just feeling a bit dehydrated."

"The water is finished but I saw a stream nearby, I think I might get some from there."

"Yes that would be nice, thank you."

Her eyes followed his broad figure until he melted into the shadows. Amara breathed a sigh of relief and pulled out the note. She fingered the folded paper, slipping her index finger in-between the folds and lightly pulling it open. Her eyes widened as she read the contents.

Kill the traitor.

The traitor. The traitor? Damn Claeg for giving her no context. How did he imagine her to kill someone without even knowing who she was killing. Someone in the castle? But then why wouldn't he have told her at the compound. And why would he tell her to open it specifically today.

A terrible thought crossed her mind, and she wished she had never thought it. But it made sense of course, only the worst ones ever do. Why, Claeg had told her to open it today. So she could have found her way to her destination roughly enough so she didn't need any more help. Why he didn't tell her at the compound because if someone had heard they would have gone ballistic and told everyone. He was planning on sabotaging her when they reached the castle. Claeg wanted a clean kill, nothing messy, and far way from where he was so no suspicion would arise.

She was the perfect person to do it. Everyone was on edge around her anyways at the compound. So why not just stomp on their trust before it could even arise.

She shredded the notes in pieces and threw them around, just before Nikos walked near her with a full flask of water. Her hands started sweating but she knew what she had to do. She had done it before. Nikos handed Amara the flask and she drank, trying to wash down the nausea. He glanced at her hands, and his brows furrowed, they were shaking.

"We should get going now. I'll get the horses."

Amara nodded.

He walked back to the horses his back turned. Amara reached between her thighs, closing her hands around the jeweled hilts of her twin daggers, slowly pulling them out of their sheaths. Rolling her shoulders back she lunged forward, extending her arm, expecting a clean swipe at his neck, instead she found him turning around abruptly and grabbing her wrists.

"Fuck's sake." Nikos growled aiming to hit Amara's face, her temple specifically, the spot where Amara knew wasn't where someone aimed to kill. Only to knock out.

She side-stepped him and tangled her foot with his, bringing him down. Amara grabbed his neck with her forearm and held the dagger at his neck. He slammed his elbow into her, momentarily pushing her away before she grabbed him again. This time though, Nikos was ready. He twisted around, punching her face harshly.

Pain shot through her head as she tried to shake away the black spots in her vision. Amara kneed him in the groin, Nikos groaning loudly and dropping to his knees. She punched his nose, hearing a crack resonate through the quiet area. His one hand grabbed his nose while the other grabbed down below. Amara picked her daggers from the ground and held them to his exposed neck.

"Do it, I dare you, kill me then let's see how strong you really are, I bet you- ". His voice cut off into a gurgling sound as she drew the dagger across his throat. Thick hot blood poured onto her blade, drenching the dragonfly perched and the hilt.

His face morphed into one she knew just too well. A face that haunted her dreams. She closed her eyes, knowing it was still the man that Claeg called traitor, and the rest was her own fears.

A/N - Heloooo! This chapter was so eventful and we absolutely adored writing this so we hope you all loved it just as much as we did. Please feel free to point out any mistakes you guys find. Please vote and comment. Happy Reading! :)