Shadow of Mercy

Part 1

As I lay there staring up at the bright blue sky, I hear the clang of Ralk’s axe against a tree. Not everyone in the world can understand my friend, but that’s fine by him. Ralk is a simple man. There are three things in life he truly cares about; hitting things with his axe, setting things on fire, and having fun.
I realize that may sound vicious to some, but what you must know about my friend is that Ralk is a mercenary. The two of us are members of the Grim Isle, an island inhabited by a clan of mercenaries. The island was found by my father, The Grim, years before I was born. After the Iron King banned all paid killings, he created a home for the most skilled and dedicated dealers of death to call home.
The sounds of training abruptly stop and the light from the sun is blocked by a hulking figure. “How much longer is this going to take, Felkru? I’m getting bored.”
“Not much longer, our target shouldn’t be too far away.” I sit up and look past Ralk to see a horse and rider gallop down the road. “Right on schedule. Let’s roll.” I grab my sword off the ground and attach it to my back as I begin to roll down the hill.
Before I reach the foot of the hill, I kick off and launch myself at the rider. I expect an easy fight and spin mid-jump, my blade sings its way towards his neck. Faster than I anticipated he manages to block my attack with his own weapon. I quickly push off and flip away, giving him time to dismount his horse.
As he gets down cautiously, watching me for any sign of movement, I sheath my weapon and pull out a small leather-bound book from my pocket. “Umera Cathral-“
“No need for a fancy speech, Islander. I’ve been expecting you for a few days now, so save your breath and let’s get right down to business.” He readies his sword and drops low into a defensive stance. I can tell my opponent is skilled by how few openings his stance has, but he has no idea who he is really dealing with.
“I’m sorry but I can’t just jump straight to battle. It is only right that I give you the last name you will ever hear, the name of the one who will take your life. My name is Felkru of the Grim Isle. But more importantly, Ralk is the name of the man behind you.” With my last words I see his eyes widen as he senses movement behind him.
I turn my head quickly and hear the axe cleave head from body.