[On Hold] The Assassin's New Beginning

16

"Stop, you're breaking my fingers!"

Ben gave her a look, mixed with pity and a hint of annoyance. They're already broken, his eyes said.

"Sorry," she muttered, before looking down.

When, Ben came in that morning, Celaena was greeted by swearing. Yes, her bedroom was a mess. Ben stood by the entrance of the chamber, before he slammed it shut and looked around. He almost ran into her dagger that was protruding from the dresser.

"That's mahogany!" He cried, pulling the dagger out.

Then he halted before the blood. The blood now dried,and it stained the carpet. He let another string of curses. Ben never swore.

Celaena tried to bury herself further in the bed. Ben pulled the cover away, silenced by what he saw.

15 minutes passed as Ben bandaged her hand. He did it so slowly that Celaena heart begged for him to hurry. She no longer cared about the pain, that it almost felt normal. Well, when no one touches it.

Celaena winced once more, before Ben wrapped it up. He pushed himself off the side of the bed and collected the stained towels, alcohol rubbing, and the rest of the salve he didn't use.

He approached the door and turned around. He looked at Celaena as if asking something, but she shook her head and the door closed quietly.

Celaena fell back, regarding her bandaged hand.

It was swollen. The fingers were still bent at the most unusual angles, and Celaena cringed as she looked at it.

She thought about what she was going to do when they find out she broke her hand. She wasn't going to give Arobynn the satisfaction of seeing her at his mercy. She will not let him see what he did.

She couldn't face him. She couldn't face them.

Without thinking, she changed into a blouse and trousers, grabbed her cloak and quietly left the room.

However, not quietly enough. As she looked around to make sure no one was around, she bolted; right into someone. She was pinned down by a pair of brown eyes.

Sam furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at Celaena's apparel.

"And what do you think you're doing?" He crossed his arms.

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Sneaking out."

Celaena scowled. "I need to go out to run some errands for Arobynn."

Of course, Sam still stood there, unconvinced.

"You're supposed to be training Archer." He said the last word with such emphasis, like Celaena didn't already know. "And you missed breakfast."

"You train him. Have some fun overpowering someone else. Don't worry about me. Do me a favour. Tell Arobynn I did what he told me to do."

Sam muttered under his breath, and that cued her to go.

As her cloak flied around, Sam gasped.

"Celaena."

No what? She turned around, cocking her head to the side.

Sam shook his head quickly as if covering up something he did wrong. "Sorry, it's nothing. Just- be careful. I'll tell Arobynn you left." He smirked at the end.

She began walking, quicker now.

"That bastard," she muttered, "He already knew - oh god." Her bandages had gone loose. The cloth began to unravel. She started wrapping it back up, maybe it wasn't as good as Ben had done it, but atleast it was something. A hand suddenly pulled her arm. She yelped as she was suddenly pulled to the nest passageway.