prologue

18 0 0
                                    

I have always been alone. I enjoy being alone. I do not have to rely on anyone, I do not have to feed anyone besides myself. It's a long, lonely road I have grown accustomed to. You can't miss something you never had. I have gotten along just fine by myself.

Until I was 16, I thought I was weak. I ran away from the orphanage at 14. I figured begging was better than getting beaten every night. Not only by the people running it but by the other kids. After the war many kids were left without homes. At least that is what they told me happened to my parents for as long as I remember.

Living on the streets wasn't my favorite but I didn't play by any one's rules. I stole to eat, begged, and saved the little money I had. Soon I had enough to buy my first knife. It wasn't large but it protected me from the other creatures on the streets. The blade was only five inches long and the hilt was small, but it had designs on it that represented the five provinces under Andla. There is Amus, Pretall, Enoya, Icoya, and finally Jahen. I was born in was in Icoya. That was up until I met Leran. She took me in off the streets when I was 16, gave me food, new clothes, a bed, and most importantly a bath. She brought me from Icoya to Dorth which is in Jahen. She taught me everything I know. It might seem that she brought children in from the street to live and eventually work in her brothels, only those who volunteer work there. What she had in mind for me was much worse.

So here I wait. In a dark alley on my trusted horse, Selna, waiting for Hopper, Leran's "assistant". The clock tower strikes. It's midnight, he is never late. The bars are still full, so barely anyone is outside walking here in Gredorth, on the other side of Dorth. It's the closest place I call home. Selna starts moving a bit, she can sense when I am becoming unsettled. I brush the side of her neck. "Shush girl, he knows what happens when I become upset with his tardiness." She moves a little closer to my hand almost as reassurance. Another minute or two passes by and I hear shuffling coming behind me.

"Your timely presence always rattles me. Can't you just let me be here first." Hopper comes from out of the dark. He is the closest thing I have to a friend. He is a little older than I am. I would say around 30 to 31. He's a tall man with a slender build but has defining muscles with scars racking all over his body. He had a rougher childhood than me. While I got sticks and fists, Hopper got whips. You can't see them now since he is wearing a dark cape. You can see his roughly chopped dark hair and his long scar that goes across his face. The scar goes from his ear to his forehead. It looks as if he moved mid strike, and it left this jagged scar along his face. He has smaller scars along his face, but you must study his face to see them. I have never asked him how he got them, and he has never indulged that answer.

"You must have some balls saying that considering you are late." I look him up and down and shake my head silently laughing. It was always good to see Hopper, but he will never know that. Seeing him reminds me I can get out of this eventually. I kicked my leg over Selna and hit the ground a little harder than I thought. I pat her on her breast and walk over to Hopper. He wastes no time going into his pocket to grab the job. This is the only time you can see his entire body and what he is wearing. Riding boots yet I see no signs of a horse, black trousers with pockets which I know are full of his specialty poisons and knives. His shirt is tucked but it's an olive-green color with a belt of throwing stars. "Wow I didn't know I got you so excited to bring everything out." This time I really did laugh.

"Has Leran been in touch?" His face falls as he hands me the piece of paper.

"No why would she be? I am contracted out now to the highest bidder. She's not the only one I work for anymore. All contact she has with me is through you." I take the note and shove it into my leg pocket.

"They are looking into her businesses. Have shut down her brothels and are now coming for her mercenaries. Stupid assholes can't find anything since she has no records of anything. Leran has been sending me to tell everyone to get out of town, you are the last person I needed to see. This is goodbye." I just looked at him blinking. Then it hit me. This could be the end.

Queen Of DeathWhere stories live. Discover now