Assassin's Heart

Chapter 3

It had been too late in the night for Eliya to approach Shade when she returned to "The Black Tide," so she went down to her tiny suite below the tavern. Wooden planks made up a floor and walls, and there were no windows. The only furniture in the room was a simple bed, a desk and chair, and a small fireplace. There was also a tiny bathroom connected to the suite. After the adrenaline rush was gone, Eliya found herself exhausted. She managed to change into her night clothes before sagging onto her straw stuffed mattress, falling into a restless sleep.

When she woke, Eliya quickly changed into her usual black tunic and tight black leather leggings. She then strapped on her various weapons that were hidden in every fold of clothing, her favourite being her many ebony handled daggers that were tucked everywhere from her boot to her belt. She pulled her golden hair half up with a leather band before stalking from the room, leaving her heavy cloak behind.

"The Black Tide" was already busy when she climbed up the ladder behind the bar at the back of the tavern. She spotted Xander talking to Darnell in a corner, as well as Thomas and Finn leaving through the front door hooded and cloaked, no doubt on some business Shade had sent them on. Eliya looked neither left nor right as she strode through the busy tavern, avoiding the wandering hands of drunken men, and made for the thin staircase in the back. She scaled the steps quickly, driven by a sense of purpose, and threw Shade's office door open. She had expected to stalk right in without an invitation and go face to face with Shade, but stopped short at what she saw. Shade sat at his elegant desk, but he was not alone. Two other figures sat in the leather armchairs facing Shade who was far from his usual self. His head was bowed respectfully and his voice was calm and not at all superior.

"Speaking of her, here she is. Gentlemen, this is Eliya Blackthorne" Shade announced, his eyes locking with hers. Eliya glanced again at the men seated in the armchairs. One was short and stout in his mid forties. He was bald on top, with some salt and pepper hair on the sides of his head. A black handlebar moustache drooped down his face, meeting his pursed lips. The other man was tall and handsome with dark brown hair and freshly shaven, in his mid to early twenties Eliya guessed. He sat tall in the armchair, his dark brown eyes scanning her from top to bottom. Both men were dressed in travelling clothes of brown and dark green. "Eliya, this is Harrison Rodcliffe and Jay Farthingburg. They have travelled from the Bluerise Mountains. They are Shadows for the Assassin's Guild" Shade exclaimed in a low tone. Eliya had to remind herself not to let her mouth drop open as shock soared through her. The Assassin's Guild was the empire of the assassins, the ultimate goal for any professional killer. No one knew its exact location, only that it was a huge network of caves in the Bluerise Mountains to the west. The Guild was where only the most skilled and talented killers were sent, for it was where the King of the Assassins himself lived. Sampson Graystone had been considered the King of the Assassins for five years now, ruling over the best 100 professional killers in all of Valaya. A couple of those 100 would be given the title "Shadows," meaning they were the ones who were to select new assassins for the Guild when needed. It was said when the Guild was founded that there was to always be only 100 members within it, no more no less, meaning the Shadows were only sent out when one of the existing members had died or was exiled. It was a rare event, especially because the Shadow's hadn't even come to Erista in over 15 years, as there were many other great cities in Valaya to select the ultimate warriors who would earn their way into the Guild. Now, here two of them sat within Shade's very office.

"This was the one sent to kill Daniel Hawthorn?" The older man called Harrison asked sceptically, raising one eyebrow that looked like a hairy caterpillar. Shade nodded.

"Eliya is my best. She has a perfect kill list and unmatched skills. She has been trained here since a child" Shade exclaimed, eyeing Eliya over as if to confirm all he was saying was true. The young Shadow had yet to speak, but Eliya could tell he was taking in every detail of her with his professional eye. He would be looking at her posture, the way she held herself, her expression, the way she spoke, everything.

"I suppose you've come charging in here like an angry bull because you want to know why an assassin from Heath's House was also at the scene of Daniel Hawthorn's assassination, am I correct?" Harrison asked, his caterpillar eyebrow still raised. Eliya tensed as he said this. What was happening?! "We had it all planned from the start. Jay and I wanted to know in which House we should look for a suitor for the Guild, which house had more talented and experienced killers. To define this we told both Heath and Shade to send their best assassin to kill Daniel Hawthorn where Jay and I would watch from the shadows and see who completed the task first." Eliya's stomach dropped. She hadn't completed the task, but only because the assassin from Heath's House had played dirty.

"If you were watching you would know that I didn't kill Daniel Hawthorn, so why are you here?" Eliya asked, the weight of failure bearing down on her chest. Had she blown her chance of making it into the Assassin's Guild because she had let some pig headed scum get away with playing dirty? She knew she should have killed him when she had the chance...

"Though I found your inability to deliver unworthy of the Guild, Jay here seems to think that he saw some kind of potential in you that I failed to see..." Harrison remarked haughtily. "Because of this, we have decided to allow contestants from both houses to be tested for their skills" he continued. Adrenaline rushed through Eliya's veins. She had heard of the "skill tests" that the Shadows conducted to see which assassins were fit for the Guild. They were always different, and they were always gruesome. Eliya only hoped that she would get the chance to return the favour to the killer from Heath's House who had stole her target.

"All matters discussed, I believe Jay and I will take our leave now, Master Shade. All the luck to you, Miss Blackthorne, when the time for testing comes..." Harrison announced, nodding in Shade's direction as he stood from the armchair. The younger dark haired Shadow, Jay, followed suit. As he strode past her, Jay gave her a tiny nod before exiting the office behind Harrison. As soon as the Shadows left the room, Eliya's gaze returned to Shade, her eyes wide.

"That was it then? It was all a test?!" Eliya started, completely bewildered by what had just happened.

"Yes, precisely" Shade exclaimed, folding his hands on his desk, right back to his superior self. "Heath and I are to meet this afternoon. It is "skill testing" protocol to discuss with your opponent, if there is an opponent, the general rules and stakes. The bastard will probably want to know which five I have selected to compete..."

"You can only enter five? And you've already chosen who? How long have you been planning this?!" Eliya raged, her frustration, confusion, and excitement all jumbling together in her mind.

"Stop asking all these questions!" Shade snapped. "Little is known about the testing, but yes, only five assassins per House can try for the position. I have already considered my options and chosen who will be a part of this. The Assassins Guild lost two members on account of an unexpected attack. Now two more will be chosen, one by each of the Shadows. Does that answer any of your questions?" Shade asked impatiently. Eliya only shook her head in disbelief. "Now get out!" Shade bellowed. "I need time to think before I have to meet with that smart ass, Heath. I will meet you in the tavern at 2:00."

"Wait... I'm supposed to come to this meeting? Why?!" demanded Eliya. Shade glared at her, obviously annoyed.

"Well, I'm going to need someone to keep him from ripping my throat out. No doubt he will also bring a bodyguard for the same reason. Now get out!" Shade roared. Eliya lingered for a second longer before turning away from the desk. She strode out the door much more bewildered then when she went in. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, but to get herself into the Guild she would not only have to beat all the assassins in her own House, but also the top five assassins in Heath's House, which would undoubtedly include the thieving rat that stole her target . Perfect...

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