Korah: Heir of Gnamalea

CHAPTER FOUR

During the day, Korah had searched on the East and West side of the city for food. She was becoming abnormally tired. Her feet felt they had blisters from her leather boots and the chill of the air numbed her legs. Her hair was wet with cold sweat and her eyes stung with desperation for sleep. The creatures within the trees and the silent danger awaiting her sent cold chills in her blood. The same blood that would be drawn if she didn't leave the forest. Her sack of meat and poultry in hand and the sun halfway down to the surface of the ground, the curfew was well overdue. To retire was a long walk, but she took her time. Eventually making it back and entering her small hunt underground, taking off her swampy boots and leant her head against the wooden door. But she noticed something odd; she looked towards her bookshelf and found things had been moved. Her candle wasn't lit before she had left. She slowly pulled out her axe and threw the axe at the figure sitting at her desk reading one of her favourite novels. Unfortunately missing his head by an inch.
"That was horrible aim", his deep voice rumbled through the hut. Korah walked closer before taking her axe from the wall above his head and putting it dangerously close to his throat.Chuckling, noticing the familiar face in front of her, mere inches away.
"Marcus Romero", she grinned wickedly.
"Come to steal from my property?", she stood above his legs as she leant the chair further before it hit the wall, still holding the axe to his neck.
"I wouldn't do such a thing to a fierce feline like you, ma'am", a gentlemanly way to show egotistic manners. She held the axe closer and moved closer to his ear.
"You don't know me. I am capable of a lot of things, but letting your blood pour amongst my courters would be a pleasant thrill", she smirked.
"Your confidence is quite attractive. The thing you are unaware of is, I do know you, quite well actually", the assassin moved away from the man's cocky expression but kept her stand above him. She frowned.
"You're wanted for convicted Witchcraft, you're alone, and you're known as 'The Dark Hood' - who quite heroically, I must say - kills people who try to hurt others and whose brother is rotting in Gnamalean prison. Have I missed anything?" Korah paused with astonishment. The dark curls upon his head were perfectly shaped, each strand in a perfect spiral. His eyes, a moss green, darkened by her shadow. He was attractive off the paper, but she could almost smell the grime amongst his soul. The Dark Hood didn't sound familiar; who would come up with that crap anyway? Not speaking up would mean he won. Of course, we can't have that.
"That's all you know, that's all everyone knows, but they still don't know me", she said as she pushed the axe further in his throat, a single move, and he would be dead.
"Well, judging by the position we're in and how dangerously close your axe is to my throat, we won't have any way of knowing each other, will we?". Noticing their bodies' closeness, he was right, but who was he to barge in uninvited to make a friend? She moved away from him, keeping her axe close to her side in case he decided to make a stupid move. "I'm not here to make friends nor companions", she said, taking off her hood and threw it on her made bed. He nodded and kept his distance from her.
"Then why am I still sitting here?".
"Because if I let you go, you have decisions that only you can make, but none would be worth it. The first, if I let you go, and you told anyone they would not believe you, they think I'm dead and are hard on keeping it that way. The second I let you go, and you live your own miserable life to your horrid habit, and you keep our secret, but you would still be in the danger of being found, so your last resort is here. Which I'm not letting you, but I am simply helping a...." he gave me a wink. Korah knew precisely what he wanted to hear, but she was far from it.
"Gnamalean rebel, such as yourself". He moved from his seat, but she kept close eyes on him.
"Relax, I'm just making myself comfortable", he said, unbuckling his thick belt.
"Don't get too comfortable. Like I said, all I wish to do is help you get on your way".
"Oh, but I already have my way. You see, I don't live alone. I live with my mother when I'm not roaming the streets and stealing sweets from children", he said in a sarcastic tone.
"But it's not just stealing sweets! You are stealing money, food, weapons, anything you can get your filthy hands on!". Marcus looked at her with a slight smile. Before she could go further, she heard yelling from outside. She ran out the door and climbed the ladder to the surface and saw flames from the East.
"Leaving so abruptly? I thought we were having a lovely chat". Korah cursed the gods above for the horrible timing. She looked down the ladder and pulled on her boots as she yelled, "Stay there".