Guild of Thieves

Chapter One

I looked down at my prey, silently watching his every movement. He grumbled and changed into his nightclothes, finally settling down to sleep. His deep snoring echoed around the room as I slid from my perch, landing on the plush carpet without making a sound. I slid my engraved knife out of its sheath, silently walking to the fat man's bedside. With one quick movement, I covered his mouth with my hand and stabbed the knife into his temple.

He died without a sound, not even opening his little piggy eyes. I carefully wiped the bloodied blade on his satin sheets before sheathing my knife. I leaped out of his window, falling several yards before tucking and rolling onto a lower roof. I stayed in motion, instantly on my feet and sprinting away.

I leaped from rooftop to rooftop effortlessly, easily jumping broad alleys from years of training. I stopped on the roof of an inn, crouching and latching my fingers on the top of an open window. I slid inside, landing in the middle of the common room. Few men looked up to gaze at my entrance, I've entered this way so many times it has become normal and expected. I gracefully walked over to my regular table and sat across from my employer.

He was a short, chubby man, his black curls covered by a wide-brimmed hat. A green feather stuck up from the purple fabric, matching his emerald green slippers and purple cape. He wore a red silk vest, and his pudgy fingers were topped with many jeweled rings. He wore a golden amulet with a red gem in the center and his guards stood on either side of him. His hands were folded on the worn oak table he was seated at, a smug look on his face.

"I trust matters were, how should I put it, taken care of?" he asked slyly.

I nodded, folding my arms over my chest in my usual pose. He snapped his fingers, and one of the guards reached into a small chest to pull out a small pouch. He tossed it across the table, the sack landing right in front of me. I whipped out my knife in a flash, slicing the sack open. Gregor, the employer, looked a little nervous. I studied the coins and narrowed my eyes.

I was instantly crouched on the table, two knives drawn. The guards moved to attack me, but with a flick of each wrist they were on the floor, dead corpses bleeding. There were a few gasps around the room, but I ignored them. I held a coin in my hand. I presented it to him, crushing it before his eyes. His lips moved, but nothing came out but a whimper.

"Another like you stole the money while you were out, there was nothing I could do. I was left with nothing but fake money," he stammered.

I gave a slight nod and held up two gloved fingers. I preferred not to speak, it made things easier. Before leaving I used my knife to slice the letter L into the front of his shirt. I left without a trace. So, another assassin stole my pay? Very well then, I would hunt him down and gather my pay, and when I got back to the inn Gregor would have twice the amount. Trying to pay me with fake money was a big mistake.

I weaved through the streets, looking for anyone mysterious. I was wearing thin yet sturdy boots, gloves, cloth was wrapped tightly around my bodice, cloth sleeves, tight pants, and a gray cowl. I had cloth running across my mouth and nose, only showing my eyes. The cloth was a dark, blood red, covering almost every inch of skin.

If you took one look at me, you would think I'm a man, but I'm not. My bosom was wrapped so tightly it appeared I had none at all, and the cowl made me look slightly masculine. I didn't want people to know I was a woman, it made me feel weak. It wasn't very often a woman assassin was hired anymore, not unless a wife wanted to confront her husband for cheating. Those weren't assassins, though, they were just prostitutes.

Women were looked at as wives that should stay home, cook, clean, and raise the family. She was never seen as deadly or dangerous, nothing more than a pile of mush. So I made a slight alter in my identity, and was now known as Lynx the Silent Death. I was one of the best of the best as far as assassins go, and I was self-trained.