Blade of Shadows

Chapter One

The flickering torch light came into focus first, followed by the crumbling stone walled hallway. I heard the footsteps before I saw them; my thoughts staying on the man and his unspoken words. Still crouched in the alcove, I stretched my neck around the corner just as my eyes latched onto the bodies whom the footsteps belonged.

Two palace guards were running full speed toward my hiding spot. They had spotted me. Why were palace guards here? Reaching over my right shoulder, I found my quiver with only three remaining arrows left. Against my better judgment, I left my bow and arrows alone and grabbed my trusty dagger strapped to my thigh, not being able to lose another arrow just yet.

As I secured my hand around the hilt, the sound of metal striking stone reverberated through my ears. With sparks flying in my face, and a sword swinging toward my head, I rolled out into the hallway landing in a kneeling stance. Before the first guard could fix his footing, I raked my dagger across his calves, forcing him to the ground beside me. We locked eyes; his dark brown eyes full of fear. Before he had the chance to plead for his life, my dagger found a new sheath in his right eye socket.

One down, one to go.

"Drop the weapon and turn around" shouted the second guard from behind me.

This was going to be fun.

The guard came into the light long enough for me to take notice of his puffy, pink scar that ran down the left side of his face. With the veins popping on his neck as he brought his sword up, he wavered as he noticed my small stature. About a head taller than me, his brief pause was my chance to launch an attack myself.

Remembering my training, as this brute of a knight was about to bring down his sword, I dodged underneath his arm on his right side. Simultaneously, I brought my dagger up to meet the exposed portion of his ribcage that lacked protective armor.

With a deep grunt, the knight fell to his knees. Pushing myself onto shaky legs, I plunged my dagger into the soft spot of his neck. Blood spewed, leaving my shirt drenched in a thick red fluid. Colthran was going to owe me a new tunic once I got home from this job.

Removing my dagger from the knight's neck was harder than I had anticipated. It was lodged underneath the thick metal of his armor where it met with the chainmail beneath. Before more guards arrived, this was the best opportunity to leave, so I left the dagger and began my run toward the open window at the far end of the hall.

Leaving bloody footprints along the way, I leapt with all the power my legs could muster and launched myself off the window ledge, hoping to latch onto the ivy that lined the palace walls. The blood on my shoes did not aid in my escape, as I slipped on the edge and fell the two stories, landing on my tailbone.

That was going to leave a bruise.

As I regained my composure, and breath, from the fall, I checked to make sure my bag was still strapped to my belt. Luckily for me, the fight and fall had not damaged the fist sized sapphire on my hip.

What was so special about this gem? The gem wasn't important, what mattered was finding my horse. Where did I leave him?

Before I retraced my steps, I covered my shoes in dirt, making sure the guards wouldn't be able to follow my footprints once the sun began to rise. Starting at the servants' entrance of the building, a simple wooden door, I crossed the tree line bordering the edge of the property, and blindly walked into the darkened forest.

The only light in the forest came from the yellow hued crescent moon straight overhead. In the dark, every noise made me jump, and peer over my shoulder. The winds began to pick up, whipping my hair into my face and eyes. As I pushed my hair back behind my ear, I spied something waving in the wind from a tree trunk a couple of yards ahead.

Quickly noticing it as one of my ribbons, I new my horse was nearby. Thank god I used markers, I thought as I untied to pink satin ribbon and placed it in my pocket.

I was adjusting my belt when I heard a small neighing to my right side. With my senses heightened, I was finally able to seek out my horse, Flint. I managed to pull myself into the saddle and set off toward Edrela – toward home.

On the two-hour ride, I found myself lost in thought, questioning the events that had just occurred.

Yesterday morning, I was hired to break into the house of an unknown owner to retrieve a special gem. I desperately needed the money, and it seemed an easy enough job, but why had palace guards been there? Whose house was I in? What was so special about this gem? The job, while with a few hiccups, went as well as I would have guessed, but only left me with questions. Questions, I hope will be answered once I deliver what I as hired to get. 

Just as the sunrise began to break on the horizon and the world startedto stir, Flint and myself rode into town.