❝ when she looks into his eyes, she feels the gripping temptation to tell him all her darkest secrets; the names of the men she has killed, but she learned a long time ago that the only people who can keep secrets are resting in overgrown graveyards...
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"He went that way! Get him!"
The thunder of hooves against dirt echoes through the forest around Calliope as she urges her horse to gallop faster. Behind her, Leon and a group of guards do the same.
"I'm going to cut him off!"
The road forks, and Calliope's horse goes left, diverging from the others. She knows these woods which stand as a border between Camelot and Mercia like the back of her hand. She and Leon have patrolled through these trees too many times to count, and this man won't be getting away. The path slopes upward, and the assassin grips the reins, glancing down to see her target coming into view.
The wind howls around her, causing her eyes to water, but her focus remains on the man below, who is still several paces ahead. They tracked him to a village on the outskirts of the kingdom, and he managed to get away before they could question him. He got a pretty decent head start on them, but Calliope is gaining on him.
She plants her feet firmly on the stirrups. The man is right below her now. There's at least an eight foot drop, but this is the only way to catch him. Once he makes it into Mercian territory, they'll have to stop the chase. This is mission is supposed to be secret after all. They can't have Sepharin's band of mercenaries finding out their plan. So, Calliope lets go of the reins. She steadies herself and brings her feet up so that she can plant them underneath her.
Without allowing time to talk herself out of it, Calliope jumps.
Her body falls and then collides with the man. The wind is knocked out of both of them as he hits the forest floor as her cushion. Calliope heaves as she unsheathes her sword and presses it to his neck. He looks at her in a daze, barely holding onto his consciousness.
"Got you."
She forces the man to his feet right as the others ride into her view.
Leon approaches with rope to tie the man's hands together, and Calliope grins.
"Nice of you boys to finally show up."
With the informant as their prisoner, Leon shoves him towards a horse and rolls his eyes, "You're such a show off, Cal."
"Well, we couldn't let him get away and warn the mercenaries that we're on their trail."
As the guards place a bag over his head and get him onto a horse, Leon glances to Calliope, "You really think he'll lead us to them?"
"Tenwick is a supplier in the Underground. Shady deals, slave trades, stolen gold, you name it, he gets it. If anyone knows about a group of mercenaries building up funds for an attack, it'll be him. Plus, Uther will be happy to have such a notorious criminal in Camelot's custody. He's wanted in all Five Kingdoms."
