Blood and Gold

The Boar

"Alexia Buriso."

I furrowed my brow at the name. "Doesn't sound familiar."

"Good." Hawthorne put his hands on the map table. "She's your next target." He pointed to the map. "She's in Dune at the moment. I've heard she's made quite the name over there."

"Dune is across the sea." I pointed out.

"Which is why you won't be going alone." Talon stood straight again, hiding his scared hands in his cloak. "You have a small team, just three of you. It'll be less suspicious than going with a large group, but safer than going alone."

"Who is coming with?"

"You have a few options; A healer, and Felix, Dagfinn, Slaine or Vidar." Talon sat back. "I assume Kestrel will be going with you regardless." I nodded. "Elvira is running a mission with Aiken and Harley. And I want you to go with people you're comfortable with."

"I'll send Felix in."

"Kestrel too, please. And Theron, I expect you to lead this mission. I know they're both older than you, but they will seek your guidance. This is your mission, after all."

"Yes, sir." I saluted him, he did the same before gazing back at the map.

Kestrel was examining Brynjar, who'd just gotten back from a mission and had a new wound that would scar his jaw. I waited for him to send the boy off with a bandage and a spell.

"What's up? Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes. Hawthorne told me to send you to the briefing room, Do you have any idea where Felix is?"

"No clue." He puzzled, grabbing his bag.

I struggled to find Felix. She wasn't in the sleeping quarters, or the main hall. I checked the crafting rooms but only found myself in a hurried conversation with Ajax. When I did find her, she was outside, sitting in the branches of the great oak tree. Soros had been the one to find her.

"Felix!" I shouted up the broody assassin.

She jumped down and landed almost silently. "What's up?"

"We're going to Dune."

"For what mission?" Felix was typically sent on short-term missions, she was still one of the youngest members, around my age, so Hawthorne liked to keep her nearby.

"To kill The Boar."

"Already? It's only been two weeks since you killed Wynstan."

"Apparently Hawthorne sent Asa and Sanford to Northwind to recon and found Wynstan's journal. Unfortunately, he'd only met with Alvina, Aston, and Alexia. And he kept The Serpent's name unknown."

"So he probably doesn't know him." Felix thought out loud as she led me inside. "Come on, Hawthorne isn't that patient."

"Alexia is dark-skinned, 6 feet tall, and muscular."

"So she's a tank?" Kestrel asked.

"She's made a name as a popular gladiator in Dune." Hawthorne continued.

"So she's a tank." Kestrel restated.

"Yes. But I expect that three of you can take down one person." Talon looked from one of us to the next. "You leave by sunrise. That gives you roughly 12 hours to prepare, sleep, and eat."

We split once we got to the main hall. I went to Elvira's room to pack anything I'd left there. I had started sleeping in the sleeping quarters a few days after Wynstan's death. I felt like I'd overstayed, she promised I hadn't, but I insisted I let her have her space back. She must have known I was leaving because she was sitting by her alchemy table with a rectangular bag with enough room for about 10 vials on each side.