Silent Storm [ManxMan]

Chapter 13 ~ 'Exitus acta probat'

"A day without sunshine is like... you know... night."

- Steve Martin

[River's POV]

'I'm going to die'

His words had stirred something inside me and when I looked at his unconscious form, lying on the cover on top of my bed I couldn't help but think that I had done the right thing.

When the man, that told me his name was Midas, had passed out on top of me due to the blood loss I hadn't known what I was supposed to do. I could have killed him. It would have been easy and I knew that. Then why had I felt like I would have regretted killing him? Why had I, instead of driving a knife through his heart, pulled out the piece of wood from his abdomen? Why had I cleaned, treated and wrapped him up in bandages if I didn't care whether or not he died? I guess the answer was simple really.

I did care... and it was a strange feeling.

I watched the barely visible rise and fall of his chest as he breathed and I found myself angry, at what I didn't know. I was just angry and I couldn't seem to shake the feeling. Why was I angry? What was happening to the good old uncaring side of me?

I frowned at the feelings surging through my body and I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I turned on my heels after making sure that he wouldn't suddenly stop breathing, and went to put away my teacup, which was still standing on the living-room table. I guess I wasn't able to drink my tea this time either. I sighed and rolled my eyes. It seemed like it just wasn't meant to be.

I stepped into the kitchen and walked up to the sink to clean my cup before I put it back in one of the cabinets. Yeah I was a bit of a 'neat-freak'... so what?

When I had finished I leaned against the counter for a while, thinking back at the conversation I'd had with Midas. I had found myself talking more then I should have as usual and he had managed to get me in a quite exposed state. The fact that he hadn't tried harder to kill me told me that maybe he had believed me when I told him I wasn't to blame for the explosion he had accused me of. Then again he had told me that he didn't believe me so I really didn't know what to think of it all.

Why hadn't he done his job? I mean he did look like a professional so I don't think he failed on purpose.

Ahh... why was this even bothering me?! I should just be thankful I was still breathing and leave it at that.

I was almost entirely sure of who was to blame for the explosion. This whole ordeal were their style after all. The 'send a fixer' and 'tying up the loose end by killing the killer we hired' -parts were a significant trait for no less than... yeah exactly, the League of Assassins.

They liked to pledge alliance to people who were easy to manipulate just to end up putting a dagger in their back at the end of the day. I had realized that the hard way and I guess Midas, even though he didn't know it yet, had too. He should have killed me when he had the chance. Now they would most certainly send people after both of us. As I said, they didn't like loose ends.

I gazed up at the ceiling and sighed. Such a troublesome matter...

I didn't even try to come up with a solution because I had already dealt with enough as it was. I was tired and I was going to bed. I pushed away from the counter and walked back towards my bedroom. I didn't even glance in the direction of the sleeping man still lying on my bed as I slipped past him and into the bathroom.

I peeled of all my clothes until I was left standing only in my boxers and I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Honey colored eyes met mine and I gave my head a shake to get my sprawling hair out of my face. My eyes were unusual and I guess they were my most appealing trait. Numerous people had told me that they had a way of sparkling when I was happy but they were wrong about that. They didn't sparkle when I was happy... they sparkled when I was excited. There is a difference.