No One

Chapter Eighteen

She lay there, expecting to be cut and bruised, to find part of her tongue missing or something equally as disgusting but she felt almost normal. Out of confusion, she sat up, looking around, wondering if this was her last trial or something, she was so confused, but it did not feel like a trial, it was not like the ones she knew. Bowen let go of her hand, keeping his promise to her, she looked at him with confusion written all over her face, she was too confused to work out what was going on, if it was a trial or the end, if she had actually gotten to the end.

She tried to walk it off, but she was still completely confused, she was convinced one of them was going to attack her, that she would have to kill all of them and nothing would calm her mind, it was on high alert like she was. She wanted to run, change her name, do anything just to get away but she was so confused, she could barely stand. Bowen grabbed hold of her as she fell backwards, catching herself but still held by him.

"You are back, Merewina," Bowen promised with an eerily calmly tone.

"How do I know that? How do you know that?" she asked quickly with fear in her voice.

He kept a hold of her, she could not understand what was happening, her senses... she could hear more than she ever could, rats scurrying, people above breathing, pacing... wondering. She heard the tinkle of a coin hitting the side of the pool before finally landing, the name that was whispered, "Helena" along with a simple location and even simpler description, red hair, a tavern wench, there was likely only one of those, making it easy for someone to take that name. She stood in silence, pondering, wondering. Of all the things she could hear, people walking, horses whinnying and guards marching, she could not hear a single heartbeat in a room filled with people.

"Do you want that name?" Bowen asked.

She pondered for a moment before she asked, "can I have it?".

"Call it your first steps."

"Thank you."

"After all, you are no longer an apprentice, you are one of us."

There was a sense of bliss in his words, it was her first step, her first kill as one of them. She picked up her brother's dagger, concealing it before she dusted off her clothes with a cruel, blood-curdling smile. Someone was going to die, at least one person was going to meet their gods, she only hoped they had made their confessions because soon, they would be stood in front of their gods while she never would be.

Without a reason to wait, she headed up, taking a silver coin from the slot to allow it to open, the pool parted, opening up and allowing her back into the normal world, she almost smiled at its beauty, the beauty of the sun as it set over the pool, semi-circles reflected the sun, the oranges and reds shimmering in the pool as she stepped out of it, watching it close. She did not know how but she knew the words, how to open the pool, the hidden words that were a surprise to her, strange but she did not question it, she was glad she knew those words.

The tavern was going to be busy, but she did not mind, she could be patient, wait for closing or wait for her to come outside. She hid in the darkness, the shadows were her friend as she watched, waiting outside the noisy, rowdy tavern. There was nothing she could do but sit and wait, watch and listen, hoping the next person to leave would be her. She did not ask why she needed killing, it was not her job to ask, it was her job to deliver the name to their gods.

She kept hidden, waiting for a good few minutes, the sun had set by the time the woman had left but still she did not mind, she had time to kill one, perhaps even two people. She wanted to get rid of a name and a guard, to deliver them both to their gods, the woman for whatever reason the coin was thrown, the guard because that was the price they had to pay for what they had done to her, her family name.

The woman walked down the alleyway, convinced she was safe. She was shorter than Merewina, it helped, she did not have to force her onto her knees before taking her life but instead, she ran her brother's dagger across her throat, her blood spurting everywhere as she held her throat, falling forward onto the ground, leaving Merewina to step over her, she did not mind, her mind was on the next hunt, this time for a guard but at least Helena would not be alone on the journey.