Gajin

Chapter One: Alba Bonel

"What're you doing when you get back home?" Caroline asked with interest twinging her question.

"After my chores, I plan to sit on my ass, sketch a little, and play chess until the day is done." I said. 

My eyes caught on the shadow of the plaza. The shadow stretched ahead, providing us with a path of darkness until we reached the next intersecting pathway. Without hesitation, Caroline drew me back into the conversation.

"I thought you never understood that game?" She wondered.

"Well, papa has been trying to get me to know it better," I spoke, eyes on the shadow, "I've actually beaten him once or twice in a row."

"My papa gave me enough to spend on a nice dress for Sir Gustamante's upcoming ball. . ." Without giving an effort to subdue her snort, Caroline began to introduce how her evening would go. 

Her words droned into one ear and out the other. This was how our recent walks always began. I would explain my daily activities; Caroline would continue on and on about how lovely it would be to go to the annual ball held by the count of the nearest tower. I wasn't exactly sure what he did as a "count" but I did know that he could call up three hundred troops nearby and they'd probably show up at his doorstep within the hour.

Then a shadow appeared above the plaza's dark cover. The shadow jumped forward, and before I could realize what was going on, a man landed ten meters later and rolled hard on his shoulder. He straightened and ran madly, full speed toward to opposite wall. Stumbled on stray rocks and uneven ground at first, before running up the nearby wall, fingers scrabbling for holds and feet shuffling for grooves. It wasn't long before six castle guards showed up, climbing down from where the man came with huffs and puffs, slipping and sliding on window seals and patio ledges. Their chase was obviously in vain; a hunt for the man whom just duped them all by surmounting the next building while they hardly overcame the first.

Several seconds passed before the guards swerved around the corner of the street, arms pumping and chain mail glittering.

As soon as they had left the scene, Caroline and I burst into laughter.

"What-a chase!" She exclaimed between cackles.

In the distance, I could see the man's wiry shadow racing over rooftops and leaping across clotheslines.

What an extremist! I wondered, how do they keep up with him?

Caroline's next sentence was overcome by the shouts of warning from multiple guards at once. Their position concealed, the same guy they were chasing hopped down from the rooftop above us, landing directly in front of me, rolling with the impact and shooting to his feet. His face is barely a centimeter away.

Piercing gray eyes. Mop of dark green hair. Chiseled jawline. Lips that stretched into a crooked smile. Pearly white teeth. His proximity was warming, but his expression a deadly flirt. As if drawing the blood from my legs, I felt myself stumble backwards. With a silent gape, I realized that he was already halting my descent. Pulling me upright and close, he whirled us around, positioning himself close to the brick buildings, but leaving me balanced perfectly on the balls of my feet.

I couldn't help feeling the strength in his arms as they tugged on my shoulders, wrapping around me. I couldn't prevent the gasp from escaping my mouth when his chest stiffened against my bust. His frame seemed so lean, but his reactions were strong. His grin woke up my senses, but his eyes betrayed mischief.

Then there was his absence. That same body I was so close to had shot up the wall like a snake.

Stunned, I was frozen in a flurry recollecting what exactly just occurred.

"I got 'em!"

My mind was rebooted by the shout from a crossbowman.

I whipped my head around, spotting the guards only paces away with bows in arms and arrows cocked. They prepared to release another volley until my voice rang out in the streets.

"Wait!" I yelled.

It was enough hesitation to save the man's life.

The knights paused momentarily. Then, realizing that it was too late to make the shot, they all drew back their bolts and looked at me with annoyance.

"Who are you to divert my troops?!" The largest one spun on his heel, glaring at me with accusation in his eyes. His plume was at least three hands tall, and his knee-buckles glittered in the evening sunlight. It was a wonder he didn't strike his tailor for it, for his outfit looked dashingly feminine.

"I. . .I-I am Alba Bonel."

"I didn't mean your full damn name! Do you know who you just prevented us from catching?"

"Not the slightest—" I began.

"That was Jacques, an assassin. Charged with 12 separate accounts of suspected murder; at least 70 burglary successions. If you hadn't stopped us, we could've saved lives, Ms Bonel." He spat my name.

Oh crap. He could've slipped a knife under my ribs. He could've snapped my neck with his bare hands. Considering how stunned I was by him, I wouldn't have noticed a knife buried in my bosom anyway. How could I be so stupid! This man was a murderer and I just stopped the only knights in the area from putting him to rest!

"I'm so sorry, truly. I only thought, well, I got a good look at his face I could report it around town and to authorities. . ."

"You looked at him?!" The guard threw up his arms, still enraged, "Now you know what he looks like, you're probably his next target!"

"Yeah, and we are the authorities!" Another one spoke out.

"I-I didn't think-" I began.

"You're a real spoil sport, ya'know?!" Caroline stepped up after her reign of stricken looks. "Alba was just trying to keep you from stooping to his level. If you killed him, you wouldn't get the bounty money anyway, plus, you too could be charged with murder."

The head guard waved her off with a growl, "We'll assign a knight to your family tomorrow. That is if you survive the night."

The six guards grumbled a few moments more before the head guard began mouthing them off and they all stumbled away with murmured curses.

"Amazing bedside manner, don't you think?" Caroline snorted, rubbing her forearms.

"Yeah. I guess." I muttered, my thoughts wandering about Jacques.

"You'll be fine, Alba!" Caroline smiles reassuringly, "the guards probably shot him in a good spot. He wouldn't dare go looking for you with a wound from a crossbow."

"Let's just go home, it's getting cold anyway." I was quick to change the subject, feeling the brisk cold breeze washing over my cheeks.