Chapter IV
Old Friends
Rebirth of a Secret
Over the next few days, Mikala, Kiara, Jon, and Aaron were very hard pressed not to go into towns. They were low on food and not many animals were about now that winter was coming. Mikala and Kiara started to dress in layers just to keep warm and since they could start no fires, it was all they could do to keep warm. Kiara allowed Aaron to cuddle up to her for warmth and night and Mikala begrudgingly allowed Jon to do so to her. She swore to kill him if his hands wandered past her waist. Kiara vowed to go next and Aaron laughed while Jon paled.
None of them were very happy that it was only getting colder and they were still miles from their destination. Jon had fallen ill to boot. Kiara and Mikala took shifts tending him after they managed to steal a wagon off a farmer, figuring that the God of Thieves wasn’t mad at them but some of the other Gods must have been because that thievery was the only thing going right lately. It was getting increasingly difficult to get any food, much less enough to feed them all. Jon’s fever was refusing to break and Mikala and Kiara were even started to feel a little woozy.
Days went by and the group managed to carry on. After a week, Jon’s fever broke and he recovered. For once, things got a little easier now that they were all back to full health. They came into an Indian summer and found some food, not much but some. It was enough that after rationing it out evenly, it lasted them a week. They were growing ever closer to the Capital and the closer they got to that, the closer they were to the Thieves Guild. They could find warmth, food, a bath, and a bed there. That was what kept them all going.
More than once, Mikala or Kiara would sing and dance in the street once they finally started stopping in towns again. It made Kiara furious at how few towns there were on the way to the capital but it didn’t matter because they only stopped in two towns on the way and avoided East Ford at all costs. That was the last known residence that Mark had taken. They got a nice chunk of gold for their performances and managed to take lodge someplace warm for a day or two. The girls didn’t bother to bathe, since it was an extra cost that could be better spent getting food.
Problems came back three days after they got back onto the road when the fever that had hit Jon hit Kiara twice as hard. She could barely move without coughing up her lungs. Aaron was constantly working to make her get better. He barely slept and gave her a bit of his rations to make sure she got enough to keep her strength up. Mikala helped in any way she could while Jon just tried to stay out of Aaron’s way. He seemed to be on a war path to get them home now, since Kiara was only growing weaker. By her fifth day ill, she barely woke up and when she did, it was usually just to hurl up her last meal.
Thankfully, it wasn’t long after she became sick that they reached the Thieves Guild. The managed to get in without much notice, Aaron carrying Kiara cradled in his arms against him, a blanket around her. She was horribly sick and pale. Her once rosy cheeks were deathly white and her usually lush hair was limp. Her eyes had bags under them and had dulled. Yet, in her sickness, she still managed to look gorgeous. It was just something about her that Mikala seemed to both admire and envy.
They came up to Hunter’s office, figuring that he should be back by now, and they were about to knock when Kiara stopped them. She didn’t say anything but just stared at the door as if thinking deeply on something. They all knew what was running through her mind and none of them bothered her as they stood in the hall in silence. They knew she had a lot to consider before she announced her return.
She had to wonder if her uncle would alert Mark to her return or if he would keep her return as quiet as possible, either way she wasn’t sure she wanted to knock. She was also sick, so she wasn’t sure how well that would go over after running off on her own for nearly six months. She started to wonder if her uncle would even remember her face, it seemed like so long. It had gotten so hard for her to remember her uncle, father, and brother’s faces that she had to really focus to retain information about them.
Again, she had to consider how sick she was. After running away, coming home sick was not the best way to go about it. Then again, she had to think of Jon, Mikala, and Aaron. They had stuck with her since they started traveling with her and had been taking care of her for a week and a half now in her sick weakness. They had been enduring the same hell she had and deserved to finally get rest. A selfish voice in her head told her to make them turn back now, and to not confront her uncle.
She took that voice to be speaking for the minor coward in her and ignored it, nodding to Aaron who then nodded to Jon, seeing as his hands were busy supporting a half-awake Kiara. Jon knocked on the office door and after a few moments, a young maid came to the door and asked what their business was here in the Thieves Guild. Apparently, this maid either did not realize who was in Aaron’s arms or she did not know. It didn’t matter. Aaron then told her that they needed to see the Head of the Thieves Guild and she nodded and said something to, Kiara knew, Hunter. He apparently gave his consent because she opened the door and let them in.
Hunter wasn’t looking at them but at his work as he asked how he could be of service to them. Jon answered that there wasn’t much that he could do to aid them but if he could look up, he was sure that there’d be something he’d want to do for them. Humoring him, Hunter looked up and his eyes went wide. The second he saw his niece, he leaped out of his seat and went over to Aaron, taking the frail girl from his arms and holding her closely, burying his face in her hair and Kiara knew, letting a sob out. He held her like that for what seemed like hours.
She had not objected or stopped him, but it was not as if she really could. She was too sick and weak. She did soon mention that as nice as it was to see him, she was ill and needed medical attention, which Aaron backed up with a quick review of her last few days being sick. Hunter nodded and kissed her head, saying gently, “You have been sorely missed, young lady.”
She only nodded with a soft smile and let Hunter carry her, Aaron, Mikala, and Jon in tow, to the medical bay. She started to let herself sleep when Hunter told her to stay awake for a little longer and that he planned to contact her father first thing in the morning which suited her fine. She missed him. Although she wasn’t sure she wanted to see her father while she was so sick, but it didn’t bother her too much. Since she had run away, one might have expected this outcome but from her, they would not. She was usually the one saving others. She was so unused to having to rely on people to help her. She was normally the one helping others. There were only three people on this earth she trusted with her whole heart. She was afraid to give that kind of trust to anyone else.
It was a miracle that after only a day, Kiara was getting better. Hunter told her that her father and brother would soon be here to see her and that she should expect a nice lecture and a sound punishment but she doubted him for an odd reason. Something in her told her that she wouldn’t get either a punishment or lecture. Though, the miracle did not last.
Three days later, she started to become ill again. She was worse than before and by her fifth day under heavy care, the healers told Hunter that she may die. She kept trying to stay awake though. She refused to go down without a fight. Hunter and Aaron spent most of their time helping the healers. Alas, after several days of that, they were banned from the medical wing so that Kiara could get some decent sleep without being watched like a hawk stalking its next meal.
No one wanted to admit that the healers might be right, that Kiara might die but it was starting to become too hard to believe that she would very well be gone, never to return to them. It was scary to think that while they were forced to camp outside the medical wing, she could be taking her last breath. Of course, Hunter was able to force his way in every now and then to check and thankfully reported every time that she was although still ill, alive.
It was late the next day, she started to get better. She was keeping her meals down and she didn’t need as much rest as she had for the past week or so. She had also been able to stay awake a full hour before having to go back to sleep. Hunter snuck in to visit her on her last night in the medical wing. He had held her hand all night, begging her quietly to get better and she heard him loud and clear.
Around midday the next day, her cheeks had regained their rosy color, her hair was lush and vibrant and her eyes glowed like rubies again. She thought of Aaron a little more after she was out of bed but she tried not to. She knew that it wasn’t meant to be.
She wasn’t surprised to see her father when she stepped out of the infirmary. He was hugging her before she could say a word. He held her tight and kissed her head. She smiled and let him, wiggling her arms free and hugging his neck, enjoying the safe feeling that washed over her. She saw Jesse and ran at him, hugging him tightly. He rubbed her back a bit and said softly, “We missed you.”
She nodded, starting to cry. She had missed home more than she thought. She hugged him tighter and started crying into his shirt before her father took her back into his arms and held her gently, whispering soothingly to her. “Shh, calm down. Come now, you mustn’t cry. Yes, you’ve been away for a time but you’re home now. C’mon baby girl, don’t cry.” He hadn’t called her that since she was very little, telling her that he had truly missed her.
“Can I hug her?” Kael said coming out from behind Jesse. She smiled brightly, her face tear streaked but she wasn’t crying anymore, and nodded, going over and hugging him as well. Then she saw Bruno and couldn’t help but give him a big hug. He nearly crushed her under his trunks that he called arms but she didn’t mind.
She saw Aaron and couldn’t help but start crying again as she ran over to him too and hugged his neck tightly. He had been so wonderful through this entire venture and she owed him her life. She let out a shaky breath as he held her and rubbed her back gently, burying his face in her hair. “Are you feeling better now?”
She nodded and let one hand slide down to use it as a pillow on his chest. After a few minutes, she smiled and looked up at him, wiping her eyes, “I owe you my life, and you do know that.” She said looking him in the eye.
He nodded and said, “I know that in your eyes, that is how you see it but in mine, you owe me only a thank you.”
Joseph smiled brightly, “You’ve saved my daughter’s life?”
He started to reply when Kiara cut him off, “On several different occasions, this man has leapt into action and acted as my savior.”
Aaron looked a little sheepish as Joseph walked over and Kiara stepped away. She smiled, knowing that so far, their first meeting was going well. At least, she hoped it was. If this went wrong, she wasn’t sure what she would do later about telling Aaron. Wait. Why had that idea even occurred to her? She wasn’t planning on telling him ever. He would be better off if she never spoke a word of her love. She watched as Joseph reached out a hand to Aaron who cautiously took it only to be pulled into a fatherly embrace. Aaron looked at her in shock but she only smiled, her eyes welling up. She wiped them as Joseph spoke, “I owe you a great deal, young Aaron. If you would put yourself on the line for my daughter…well, you have my trust.”
Aaron pulled back gently and said warily, “I uh…deserve nothing, sir, for doing the right thing and helping Miss Kiara in her time of need.”
Kiara punched Aaron in the arm hard, making him look at her like she was possibly mad. She then said with a grin, “What did I tell you? I told you I would punch you if you ever called me that again!” Everyone laughed, even the currently withdrawn Aaron.
A guard came running up, looking very tired. “Sir, Lord Delve is on his way home. He heard of Kiara’s homecoming.”
Both her uncle and father started swearing madly and Kiara joked to Aaron, “Now you know where I get my foul language from.” He chuckled softly and put a gentle hand on her shoulder.
He then said in a gentle whisper, “Maybe we shouldn’t crack jokes right now?” She shrugged and waited for word from her father.
He turned to her and said, firm, “Kiara, I think it’s time we finally moved you out to the main house with your Uncle by the docks. Hunter, contact Zack. See what you can do.”
Hunter grinned. “Are you sure, brother? Zack is lately all over the map with his current…position.”
Joseph gave a stern look and said, “I’m positive, Hunter. Now, do it.” Hunter nodded and headed off into the hall. “Go with him, Kiara. You and your friends are going home with him tonight.” It was the end of the week, meaning that Hunter and Joseph would go home until the weekend was over.
That night, a carriage showed up and Kiara, Jon, Aaron, and Mikala all got on it with Jesse and Hunter. Jon and Mikala sat across from each other chatting quietly and idly with Jesse and Hunter about the thief business. Kiara sat between Aaron and Hunter and across from Jesse. Jon sat on one side of Jesse with an open seat to his right. Aaron had a seat by one of the side doors, meaning like Jesse and Mikala, they’d be first out. Kiara had been talking to him a bit but after a time, her tiredness overtook and she fell asleep, leaning on him, her head on his shoulder. Hunter didn’t say anything to him, she knew because she was listening for a time before fully sleeping. She also knew he wanted to say something, though.
It was late when they arrived home. Aaron had very gently lifted Kiara into his arms and taken her inside instead of waking her up. She had anyway but didn’t alert anyone to this fact. She just nuzzled him, as if in sleep and made herself comfy. It had been maybe a half hour before he finally either chose to or had the chance to set her down but when he did, it was in a nice soft bed. She had heard him talking to the maid and knew that it was then the maid that removed her weapons and boots before tucking her in but she knew it was Aaron who kissed her on the head and whispered, “May sweet dreams bless you, my friend.” She felt his hand caress her cheek gently for a moment before the wonderful feel of his hand on her cheek slipped away and he left the room.
The next morning, she went down to breakfast after inspecting her old room to see that her old treasures were still hidden away where she had left them. She had smiled when she went down into the large dining room with a big round table in the center of the room and portraits of her and Jesse all over the walls. Some of them were with her and her brother together and some were individual. She had gotten out of her traveling gear and into a casual white cotton shirt that hugged her torso with short sleeves that went to her elbows and a short white skirt. It was a tad skimpy but it was good for moving around. It had originally gone further than her mid thigh but she cut off the bottom. It used to be to her knees after she cut it but it had apparently gotten a little small for her. She didn’t mind though. She was barefoot and her hair was loose as she went into the dining room.
She saw Aaron and smiled a little more. “Good morning, Aaron. I trust you slept well.” He wore a black shirt that clinches his torso with short sleeves and dark blue trousers that weren’t falling off his waist but were decently baggy. She smiled at his socked feet. She’d never seen a man be able to walk around without something covering their feet- probably because they tended to have big feet. She walked up to him as he looked at a picture of her when she was younger, much younger.
“I slept fine, thank you. I hope you also slept soundly.” She nodded and grinned at her ten year old self in the portrait. “You seem so much more innocent in this portrait than you do in any other.”
She chuckled. “That’s because I started training when I was ten. That was twelve years ago. I’ve been a mischievous little fiend ever since.”
He grinned at her and then he turned his head and looked at a portrait of her fifteen year old self. “You look really pretty in that one.”
She blushed very softly and grinned. “That was my last year as a virgin, my fifteenth year I mean. Daddy won’t let me get rid of it. He says it’s all he has of his once-virgin daughter. He never did like me losing my virginity but maybe that’s because of the manner of which I lost it.”
Aaron seemed more so interested now. “May I ask what manner you lost your virginity in?” It seemed to make him a little uncomfortable to note the fact that she was <I>court’esa</I> trained and that she could easily seduce him if she wanted to.
She frowned and said very softly, “Rape was my unfortunate fate as to which the Gods decided should be the force to take what was supposed to be one of the most precious moments in my life became my greatest nightmare and what formed my biggest fear.”
Aaron gently put a hand on her arm and asked kindly, “What is your biggest fear?”
She allowed a grin to surface, “If I ever told you, you’d turn away from me and forget my name and face as has every other man I have ever told which is but one. He was my first love and I told him. I guess he decided to let me experience true fear by doing that which I am afraid of the most.”
He then said, “But I am not your lover, and would never dare try to harm you. I am not fool enough to try whether in your father’s house or not.” He added with a grin.
She smiled and said kindly, “If I ever do tell you, then you will hold the biggest key to my destruction. For it is men that cause my fear, but not what I am afraid of but instead of what they do. Men, though not all, are simple creatures with one point in life. What scares me is having it taken from me like it was when I was sixteen.”
Realization hit him and he whispered so only she could hear, “Is it that you’re afraid to be…raped again?”
She kissed his cheek. “Aye and now a fourth man knows how to destroy what little sanity I hold left.”
He figured that Hunter, Joseph, and Jesse all knew about this as well. “I’d never use it, Kiara. I hope you know that.”
She smiled faintly and went over to him, hugging him gently before pulling away and going to the window. “I pray now for to the God of Thieves that he may plea to our sea-ridden thief-brethren that the Atheists call pirates that this storm might not take too great a number of them from us.”
Aaron nodded just as Hunter came in and said softly, “I wouldn’t worry too much about our sea-sailing brethren. The God of Thieves watches over every follower no matter how small. Actually, I think it’s the small followers he preys on. I hate to say that it’s rather easy to be swayed to stop the life of a thief though every one knows it can be addicting.”
Kiara sighed softly, “Uncle, what’s it like? To sail, I mean. What is it like to wake up in the morning and see the ocean stretched out in front of you? What does it feel like to taste the salt in the wind blowing through your hair as you climb the rigging? Why does the thought torture me so?”
Hunter smiled at her. “You, like many before you, are plagued with the Lien Sailing Curse.”
“What’s that, Uncle?” She asked turning her head to face him with a confused look upon her. Aaron was waiting for a reply, also curious.
“Lien’s have a name for being sailors. Every man in our family at some point has wanted to sail. You’re going through the same thing, love. I was a pirate once, one of the best. Then when your father brought you home after being away for nearly a year, I couldn’t bear thinking that I wasn’t there to help raise you so I backed away from the life of a pirate. I miss it from time to time but then I remember the weevils in the bread and sharing close quarters with fifty other men.”
Kiara turned back to the window and gently let her fingers touch the window pane. “One day, I want to experience it for myself. Aaron, I can barely believe that you had the chance but passed it up.”
He shrugged. “It’s one of those life-threatening things I prefer to avoid.” He said taking an apple from a bowl of fruit on the table.
Kiara grinned at him a bit before heading out of the room. She ran upstairs to her room and smiled because just as she got up there, she saw that the rain had stopped and the sun was coming out. Good thing it was early, for that meant the land would have time to dry before she went adventuring. She changed out of the white outfit in favor of that same cross-strap top she had on the day she left home. She wore it and others like it. This one was white, so her father wouldn’t complain about how often she wore black. She then put on dark blue tight fitting trousers before pulling on some nice warm boot socks. She pulled on her favorite black gloves of which she had cut off the fingers. She had a bad habit of doing that to her gloves. She brushed out her hair and pulled it back into a neat, tight ponytail at the center of the back of her skull. Kiara pulled on her boots and tied them tightly before grabbing a light black jacket with sleeves that reached to her elbows. It looked like a pirate’s type of garment but not quite. She loved it anyway.
She was heading to the front door when she called out to her Uncle and anyone else awake, “I’m going out to explore around the woods by the bayside, and I’ll be back by dinner!” She dashed out the door, grabbing her bow and loaded quiver off the door-side rack as she went.
Roughly three hours later, she had run out to the old meadow that her uncle had used to train her in private with Jesse from time to time. There tons of targets all over, in a small shed. She pulled out ten of them and set them up. She then set up a round of hurdles for her to jump. She pulled out the “Blood Dummy” as she and Jesse named it. It was pretty much a life sized human doll stuffed with some durable material that’s name escaped her. She walked to the far side of the meadow and muttered softly to herself, “Kiara Lien waits for the signal… Go!” She took off running, jumping hurdles that were set ten feet apart each. She flipped over the last three and chuckled as she landed, pulling out arrows rapidly, quickly aiming and shooting at targets as she passed them. Once she had hit every target, she dropped the bow and loaded quiver before going over to the Blood Dummy and starting to beat the hell out of it with random kicks and punches, trying to practice different combos. She heard clapping and stopped, just before kicking the head off the doll. She turned and saw Aaron.
Aaron wore a white shirt with short sleeves and baggy black trousers. He wore his boots and gloves similar to her own. She noticed that medallion again. “What are you doing out here?” She asked firmly but kindly.
He shrugged and burrowed his hands into his pockets. “I just thought that you might want some company. It can get lonely out here alone.” She didn’t say anything but rather got ready to run through the course again. She grinned when Aaron sat down under a tree and started to watch. After rerunning the course three times, she was tired and saw storm clouds coming back. She started putting things back in the shed. Luckily, the rain didn’t even start sprinkling until she had the shed closed up. Aaron went over to her, “Maybe we should head back to the house.”
She grinned. “I recall you saying that one day; we’d do something dangerous together. Staying out here in a storm is dangerous.” She walked past him only for him to grab her hand.
He gave her a calm look and said, “Let’s not take it too far, alright?” She smiled and kept walking, pulling him along with her. “I have a bad feeling about this…”
She just kept going anyway, not caring if he was planning to be a scared chicken the whole time. It started to rain and she ran over to where she had dropped her jacket, picking it up and grabbing Aaron’s hand, heading for the barn not far from here. She smiled when it came into view- despite that they were both already soaked. She pulled open the barn door and let him in before scurrying in and shutting the door behind him, shivering madly. “I’m freezing.” She said sitting on a bench.
He sat beside her and drew her into his arms, trying to warm her. She nuzzled against him and welcomed what little warmth it offered. He had one arm around her waist and the other holding her against his chest. She let him, moving to sit in his lap. It wasn’t long before she fell asleep like that, not sure what happened. One minute, she was cold. The next minute, a wave of tiredness washed over her and she started to fall asleep feeling nice and toasty.
When she woke up, she was in the bed in the loft tucked in to her chin with a soft pillow under her head. When she looked, that pillow wasn’t a pillow, but Aaron’s chest. She took a moment to recall what happened and realized that he had cuddled up to her for warmth. She smiled and cuddled against him, sighing happily as she nuzzled him gently.
“Did you enjoy the sleep?” Aaron asked her kindly as he shifted a bit. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck.
She yawned. “I slept alright. How long was I out?”
He seemed to have to think about that for a moment or two before he responded softly, “Maybe an hour. If we run, go now, we can make it back for dinner.”
Kiara nodded and started to get up, noticing the sun coming through the cracks in the barn walls. “The rain at least stopped.” She shrugged and jumped down from the loft, followed by Aaron. They walked all the way home in silence. She wasn’t sure why, but for some reason things had just changed slightly between them and now everything stood on different terms. She could only wonder what she said or did to ruin their friendship this time. She didn’t try to break the silence because she was afraid to deepen whatever wound she had laid.
When they got home, by that time, they were dry, so it was some what hard to explain why she looked like she had recently been swimming. Her father, uncle, nor brother pressed the matter. She guessed they saw the disappointed look in her eye, as if she had confessed something personal to Aaron and had been rejected. That’s how she felt but she wouldn’t say it. In fact, she skipped dinner just to avoid being in the same room long enough to screw something else up. She sat up in her room, rather lay on the bed, and stared out her window, watching the wind blow the trees. After several hours, her father came up but she feigned sleep and he left her be. She did not have to duplicate her act because no one either dare or bother to come up to wake her just to see what was wrong.
All night, she lay awake, staring into the darkness deep in thought until the question came back to her. <I> Why did Aaron come into my life to start with? What was his real reason? </I>
The next morning, Kiara dressed in all black, black shorts and a black top similar to yesterday’s choice. She mainly wore them so often to piss off Joseph. She pulled on her knee-high boots and fingerless-gloves after putting on her favorite necklace. It was a silver heart-shaped locket with her initials inscribed on the front of it. It had a picture of Joseph, Jesse, and Hunter on one side and the other side was blank. She smiled at the happy image of her family and closed it, letting it fall against her skin. She brushed out her hair and pulled it back into a nice, neat and tight ponytail just like yesterday. She fastened her sword belt tightly and grabbed her black quiver and bow before getting them on too. She grabbed her pack, the only thing she had on her that wasn’t black but instead brown leather, and put it on. The pack was filled with fresh clothes and provisions. She was loading up on daggers when someone knocked. She didn’t answer but took care to be next to silent as she moved about her room.
Aaron came in when she didn’t answer. “You missed breakfast… Why are you packed?” He asked with a worried tone.
She didn’t answer him as she finished braiding the ponytail. Aaron started to talk again when she said softly, “I’m going to go see about getting a mission.”
“Why pack when you have no idea if you’re going?” He asked shutting the door and whispering.
She didn’t answer but instead kissed his cheek and said softly, “Be safe. I’ll be back.” She climbed out her window and was gone.
It took her all day, but she made it to the Thieves’ HQ and snuck into her uncle’s office. She searched around and found the Request Letters. She looked through those that were open and then checked his list in the bottom desk drawer to see if the mission was taken. She found one in Atheist territory and decided that even if it was a small job, she’d take it. She started to wonder about who had attacked Hunter but decided that she could find out about that when she was ready to be home. Right now, she felt like she desperately needed time alone. Putting everything back ( after copying down the main details such as the address ) exactly the way she found it, Kiara climbed out the window, scaling carefully down seven stories, and leaving again.
It wasn’t long before she was on the road and oddly, it felt good not to have anyone with her. No one was there to judge her or tell her what to do. She was free- poorer than a slave ( and surprisingly, slaves, could make good money if they were working for a kind noble ) but free. Of course, she would have to remain on a low profile just in case but she could still roam around! That was unless she was spotted in which case she’d have to change course so that she wouldn’t be dragged home like a child. She…was starting to realize just how ‘free’ she was. Considering anyone she saw could be from either Guild, they could rat her out unknowingly and get her sent home.
She sighed. She would just have to be as careful as she possibly could be. Of course, since she was a reckless danger-prone walking disaster, she doubted she’d be able to do this without a lot of effort and work. She thought for the longest time before heaving a sigh and deciding that she would just have to watch out for any familiar faces and avoid being in the spotlight too much; considering she loved to perform, sing, and dance, that would be very difficult.
She tried not to think about it terribly much, remembering that she would also have to keep her head together if she was going to have any hope of staying alive on her own. She knew she could but she was so used to having someone there. That’s what made her mad at her father. He was making her co-dependant on whatever man he sent her with. She knew it just as well as her father did that she was not able to act as an independent because she had never been given that chance. Now she had the chance to show the world just what she was capable of and there was nothing alive that could stop her.
However, there was something alive in her that kept trying to hold her down, and hold her back. That something was the little voice in her head reminding her about Aaron. She might not see him for a very long time because of this. Was this something she needed to do? Yes, it was. Yet, she still missed him no matter how much she told herself that this had to be done and she had to go without him for a time. She knew it in her heart that she loved him when it got to the point that every night, she’d dream of kissing him, holding him, being a part of his life, and even bearing his children. She wanted that so badly that several times before reaching Goyt, she would have to camp in the same place for days before she would be able to move on. The further she got from her true love, the harder it became for her to move on. She didn’t want to leave him and she didn’t want him to think she was leaving him. But she had to act on her own, someday, and to her, there was no time like the present.
She decided to start to sing to herself, to calm herself down. She could feel her nerves twisting and breaking one by one. She started to sing,
<I>
“If I just breathe
Let it fill the space between
I'll know everything is alright
Breathe,
Every little piece of me
You’ll see
Everything is alright
Everything is alright if I just breathe... breathe.”
</I>
“That was a beautiful sound, My Lady.” Kiara was frozen in her tracks by the new voice. She knew that voice and turned to face the owner. She then saw before her Eric Miller. He had dark brown hair now, instead of blonde, and his eyes were a deeper green now. He was taller than he had been when he was seventeen, so he was now as tall as Aaron. He was lean and fit with muscles bulging from his large biceps and forearms. She could see the muscle lines in his shirt. He wasn’t overly bulked but he was obviously very strong and probably a real ladies man.
“Eric Miller, is that you?” She said softly with a grin. She went over to him and lifted the sleeve of his right shoulder. There it was. The six inch scar she had given him in a training accident. It had marred his arm and made the boys laugh at him all the time, because a girl could leave such a mark upon him. She had never forgiven herself for that. “I gave that to you…”
“Don’t worry about it, Ki, because after a little while, girls started to notice it. They love it. I tell them the truth about how I got it and when I mention your name, they’re impressed I lived.” He said giving her a hug.
She smiled a bit. “I’m glad it’s helped you, Eric. How is everyone? What’s Joey up to these days? Where’s Mel? How are the twins, Jim and Tim?”
He shrugged. “I can’t say anything about the twins; we haven’t spoken in a long time. We’ve just been assigned to totally different areas by your Uncle. Melrose is great…” He grinned. “She’s with child.”
It took Kiara about five seconds to realize that Eric had worked up the courage to tell Melrose sometime between when he was seventeen and now that he loved her. “You two are married now? She’s having your child? Eric! That’s wonderful!” She said as he nodded. She hugged him again and kissed his cheek.
He then said, “I know. I already have a son. She wants a daughter. Mel and I got married when I was eighteen. I was going to invite you to the wedding, but when I got your reply, it was from your uncle saying you were out on some mission and wouldn’t be back for several months.”
She frowned slightly, “I’m so sorry I missed it. Alright, I want to go meet this son of yours! Let’s go!” He laughed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they turned off in a new direction.
When they got to a large camp, tents everywhere and people, probably part of the Thieves Guild, moving about, they all saw him come back just as he let Kiara go and took off toward a young woman. The woman had golden hair and bright blue eyes. She had a big belly, obviously pregnant, and was very beautiful even in pregnancy. Kiara smiled and stood back as Eric hugged her and kissed her before a small young boy with sandy blonde hair and eyes like Eric’s with soft rosy skin came running up and jumping up and down, wanting Eric to hold him. Kiara could have cried. It was so wonderful to see that her friends had done well for themselves. Eric said something to the woman and pointed at Kiara. The woman smiled brightly and ran at her, hugging her and saying, “Kiara! It’s been so long!” She pulled back and said, “You look great!”
Kiara smiled brightly, “You look beautiful, Mel. I’m so happy for you and Eric. I always knew you two would end out together.”
Melrose blushed. “What can I say? I love him and I always have. I was always just too cowardly to say it. Come! Meet Mikel, our son. He’s only five.”
Kiara smiled when she saw the sweet little boy come over and jump up and down like he had to Eric. “Mommy, may I have a hug? Please!” Kiara instead picked him up and sat him on her hip.
She then said gently brushing stray hair from his face, “You sir, are a very lucky little boy. Your father is a wonderful man and your mother is beautiful.”
“Who are you?” He asked with a tiny frown. He was absolutely adorable. Kiara grinned at him.
She then said, “I am Kiara Lien. What’s your name, young man?” She said in a soft voice. She was against talking baby talk to children. It taught them better if you spoke to them like an adult from the beginning.
“My name is Mikel. It’s very nice to meet you Miss Kiara. Mommy and Daddy talk about you a lot. They say you’re my godmother.”
Looking up at Melrose and Eric in shock, Kiara set the child down gently looking at her friends. She felt tears well up in her eyes. To be named the Godmother or Godfather of one’s child was a grand honor. Considering the child had probably already been baptized and made a pagan, it was a greater honor since she did not deserve the name. “Eric…Mel…I can’t accept that name.”
Mel went up and hugged her. “Yes you can, dear. You’re the one that told Eric to take me out riding on a full moon and tell me by the moonlit lake. It was the most romantic night of my life when he proposed. You told him to tell me. I wouldn’t have Mikel if you hadn’t gotten us together.”
Kiara pulled away gently only to be hugged by Eric. “You deserve this, Kiara. Besides, who else will teach Mikel how to beat down his old man? Just do me a favor, don’t do it until I’m too old too fight anyway.”
Kiara smiled and kissed them both on the cheek. “I’m really not the right girl for this. You know I have a bad-”
Mel cut her off, “You do not let people down. Most of the time, people let you down. Kiara, you do deserve this. Anyway, let’s not talk of such things. This should be a happy time. Come! Tell me about your adventures.”
Eric then added, “Tell <I> me </I> how you got out of the house without a bodyguard.” He said with a chuckle. “I can’t remember a time where you didn’t have one.”
Kiara grinned. “That’s an easy one, Eric. I ran away…again.” She said accepting ale from a <I>court’esa</I> and sipping it.
Eric grinned. “Why do you keep doing that? Running away won’t solve all your problems, Kiara.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ll probably never learn. Why?” Eric shrugged a shoulder and took his son, lifting him onto his shoulders. Kiara sighed and sat down on the ground. “Eric, what would you do if I said I was in love?”
He chuckled. “I would ask who the lucky b*****d was.” His wife had heard and had a similar response to that question.
Kiara nodded and said softly, “I miss him. I wish he were here. Alas, he’s not. He probably doesn’t even care that I’m gone.”
Melrose obviously realized that Kiara was not kidding and took Mikel before whispering something to Eric and excusing herself. Eric sat beside her and said, “You’re really serious about this one?”
She had been going through a phase where every relationship turned out to be a passing fling. “I’d die for him, Eric. Aaron is…amazing.”
Eric grinned. “Ah, so his name is Aaron?” He took on a thoughtful look as the grin faded, “Does he treat you right?”
She smiled. “As far as he knows, we’re just two people who met on the road. That is how I met him. I ran away, not this time, but last time, and found him at the Denny.” Eric was one of the few other people who knew about the Denny.
Eric let a soft yawn go as he said, “He must have gotten there through the woods. Anyway, answer the question.”
She humored him, “He’s sweet, kind, caring, and a complete gentleman.” She said with a smirk on her face as she cocked her head to face him.
He busted out laughing. “That sounds nothing like someone you would ponder. What’s so special about him that you’ve fallen head over heels?”
She took on a tiny smile and said, “He can make me laugh. He can make me smile. He seems to know me better than I know myself. He is very understanding and although protective, he’s very kind about staying off my past and not probing me.”
He nodded. “Is he as reckless as you?”
She laughed. “No, actually, he’s not. He’s probably the sanest man I know. Probably is the key word in there, Eric. Then again…he has this boyish grin…it makes my knees go weak.”
Eric took on a mocking shock, “A man walks this earth that can make the stupendous Kiara weak at the knees? Gods help us, you’ve sent one of your own to walk among men.”
She giggled at this. “Eric! I’m serious!”
“So am I!”
She laughed more and took a moment to calm down before saying, “It’s just too bad though. I’m not nearly good enough for him.”
He frowned a bit. “I don’t think that’s true. There’s scarcely a man on this earth I’d consider good enough for you. You’re just too damn different to let slip away, so men will try anything.”
She looked at him confusedly. “Why is it that because I’m different, women hate me but men seem to love me?”
He chuckled. “You’re outgoing, adventurous, kind, and chuck-full of spunk. You’re trained in about ten different fields, good at so many things, and a wonderful person. You’re beautiful but not conceited. You’re smart but not obnoxious. You’re funny but not over the top. You’re caring but not invading. Somehow, the Gods gifted you but left you so few faults.”
She laughed near to hysteria. “I see I’ve fooled you! Eric, I’m impulsive and although good at managing it in front of clients, I have a horrid temper. I’m ruthlessly and at times brutally honest. I’m insensitive about things that should be handled delicately and full-on hardcore. I’m deathly cold to anyone who gives me the slightest reason and I’m not very sympathetic or forgiving.”
He smiled. “You’re only impulsive when you know you have no time to second guess and that’s usually when someone is in danger. Your temper is something you inherited from your father. The fact about that is, at least you can manage said temper. It would be a major fault if you couldn’t but you can. You may be brutally honest, but at least you’re honest and trustworthy. I wouldn’t say your insensitive, because I that’s a lie. I would say that you’re blunt and direct. You don’t like beating around the bush. It’s painful most of the time. What’s wrong with being a little hardcore? Also note, you’re cold-hearted to those who give you a reason, not just to anyone. Finally, you’ve been given plenty of reason in life not to be forgiving and not many people are good at being forgiving anyway.”
She glared playfully at him, “How in the name of the Gods did you manage to turn all of that back on me?”
He shrugged with a smart-a** smile. “I’m a genius, Ki. You know that.” She started laughing and he laughed with her just as Melrose came over, looking up at the rain clouds and back at them with an expectant look. They got the message and went inside the tent. Kiara was given her own tent and she instantly cuddled up and went to sleep. She was too tired to stay up very long.
“Kiara, wake up!” Kiara rolled over and ignored Eric as he tried to wake her. It wasn’t even light out, she could tell that just by cracking her eye open. She didn’t feel like getting out of bed right now. She was too tired and cold. She was starting to really hate winter but was thankful that the Atheists lived in a warm climate. She would only have to live with these cold conditions until she got over to Goyt.
“Go away.” She said pulling her blanket up to her chin and snuggling down into her bedroll.
“Joey wants to say hi to you. He just got here from the North. He brought a friend he said he thinks you’ll be interested in seeing.” She shrugged and rolled over so that his attempt to look her in the face was foiled. She didn’t want to get up right now.
She then snapped, “Tell Joey that if he plans to bother me this late, he can also plan to be very sore come dawn.” Eric sighed and let her go back to sleep. She was happy that at least he knew when to give up when it came to getting her out of bed in the mornings.
The next morning, it was dawn when Kiara rolled out of bed and got up. She donned her favorite black top, a leather vest that went over a silk shirt with long sleeves. The vest had a slit two inches long that went from just under the collar to her belly button. She wore black trousers that hugged her body. She pulled on her boots and sword belt before getting her quiver on and fastening on her bow. She grabbed her pack and left a note for Eric, mainly explaining that she wasn’t planning to stay because she needed to head out west.
On her way out, a familiar voice reached her ears, “Kiara, you aren’t going to leave without even greeting your old friend, are you?”
Kiara had to turn around and smile. She saw Joey standing before her. He had short, dark brown hair and bright hazel eyes. He was tall and lean, more of the body of a thief than an assassin. He was made for sneaking, not fighting. His skin was darkly tanned and he had a grin on his face. He also had a small gold hoop earring in his right ear. He was a rather handsome man and it was hard to deny that. He wore common clothing, and like most agents of the night, black clothing. “No, I hadn’t. I had planned on leaving to find out some more information on first, the man who wants my hand in marriage. Two, the man who attacked my uncle, and third, the man who’s stolen my heart.” She said as she started to go again.
He grabbed her hand and said, “Let me come! Do you honestly expect me to stay behind with all these assassins?”
She grinned. “No, but I do expect you to help me figure something out.”
“Ok, what is it?” He said softly as he walked beside her, leading her back toward the camp. Obviously, he didn’t want her running off alone again.
“Mark has a reason behind marrying me. What could it be?” She asked in a soft worried tone.
He chuckled. “Well, think about it. He could gain mass amounts of up-to-date information at a whim. He’d have a horde of assassins at his disposal and total protection from assassination. He would also gain your father’s fortune. Not to mention, your brother, when he takes over for your uncle, would be highly inclined to offer him full support of a band of highly skilled thieves. Hmmm,” He added sarcastically, “I can only wonder what he could want from you, Kiara.”
She swore. “Why would he need that?”
Joey rolled his eyes. “He’s planning something, Kiara. Honestly, use your head. Stop and think for a moment please.”
She swore again, “Joey! What good are assassins unless you need someone dead without anyone know it was you! He’s planning to kill someone and since he needs so many connections, it must be someone big. We have to do something!”
Joey nodded and they took off running for camp. Joey then added, “We can’t alert anyone just yet.”
She stopped running. “Why shouldn’t we tell anyone yet?”
He took her arm gently and said softly, “Kiara, listen. If anyone knows what were up to, there’s no positive reason that we should believe that his spies won’t get wind of it. We need to do this in secret. If we’re going to do this, we have to do it with as little mention and help as possible. The more people helping can only mean that more people know. Do you understand me?” She nodded and they headed off.
Old Friends
Rebirth of a Secret
Over the next few days, Mikala, Kiara, Jon, and Aaron were very hard pressed not to go into towns. They were low on food and not many animals were about now that winter was coming. Mikala and Kiara started to dress in layers just to keep warm and since they could start no fires, it was all they could do to keep warm. Kiara allowed Aaron to cuddle up to her for warmth and night and Mikala begrudgingly allowed Jon to do so to her. She swore to kill him if his hands wandered past her waist. Kiara vowed to go next and Aaron laughed while Jon paled.
None of them were very happy that it was only getting colder and they were still miles from their destination. Jon had fallen ill to boot. Kiara and Mikala took shifts tending him after they managed to steal a wagon off a farmer, figuring that the God of Thieves wasn’t mad at them but some of the other Gods must have been because that thievery was the only thing going right lately. It was getting increasingly difficult to get any food, much less enough to feed them all. Jon’s fever was refusing to break and Mikala and Kiara were even started to feel a little woozy.
Days went by and the group managed to carry on. After a week, Jon’s fever broke and he recovered. For once, things got a little easier now that they were all back to full health. They came into an Indian summer and found some food, not much but some. It was enough that after rationing it out evenly, it lasted them a week. They were growing ever closer to the Capital and the closer they got to that, the closer they were to the Thieves Guild. They could find warmth, food, a bath, and a bed there. That was what kept them all going.
More than once, Mikala or Kiara would sing and dance in the street once they finally started stopping in towns again. It made Kiara furious at how few towns there were on the way to the capital but it didn’t matter because they only stopped in two towns on the way and avoided East Ford at all costs. That was the last known residence that Mark had taken. They got a nice chunk of gold for their performances and managed to take lodge someplace warm for a day or two. The girls didn’t bother to bathe, since it was an extra cost that could be better spent getting food.
Problems came back three days after they got back onto the road when the fever that had hit Jon hit Kiara twice as hard. She could barely move without coughing up her lungs. Aaron was constantly working to make her get better. He barely slept and gave her a bit of his rations to make sure she got enough to keep her strength up. Mikala helped in any way she could while Jon just tried to stay out of Aaron’s way. He seemed to be on a war path to get them home now, since Kiara was only growing weaker. By her fifth day ill, she barely woke up and when she did, it was usually just to hurl up her last meal.
Thankfully, it wasn’t long after she became sick that they reached the Thieves Guild. The managed to get in without much notice, Aaron carrying Kiara cradled in his arms against him, a blanket around her. She was horribly sick and pale. Her once rosy cheeks were deathly white and her usually lush hair was limp. Her eyes had bags under them and had dulled. Yet, in her sickness, she still managed to look gorgeous. It was just something about her that Mikala seemed to both admire and envy.
They came up to Hunter’s office, figuring that he should be back by now, and they were about to knock when Kiara stopped them. She didn’t say anything but just stared at the door as if thinking deeply on something. They all knew what was running through her mind and none of them bothered her as they stood in the hall in silence. They knew she had a lot to consider before she announced her return.
She had to wonder if her uncle would alert Mark to her return or if he would keep her return as quiet as possible, either way she wasn’t sure she wanted to knock. She was also sick, so she wasn’t sure how well that would go over after running off on her own for nearly six months. She started to wonder if her uncle would even remember her face, it seemed like so long. It had gotten so hard for her to remember her uncle, father, and brother’s faces that she had to really focus to retain information about them.
Again, she had to consider how sick she was. After running away, coming home sick was not the best way to go about it. Then again, she had to think of Jon, Mikala, and Aaron. They had stuck with her since they started traveling with her and had been taking care of her for a week and a half now in her sick weakness. They had been enduring the same hell she had and deserved to finally get rest. A selfish voice in her head told her to make them turn back now, and to not confront her uncle.
She took that voice to be speaking for the minor coward in her and ignored it, nodding to Aaron who then nodded to Jon, seeing as his hands were busy supporting a half-awake Kiara. Jon knocked on the office door and after a few moments, a young maid came to the door and asked what their business was here in the Thieves Guild. Apparently, this maid either did not realize who was in Aaron’s arms or she did not know. It didn’t matter. Aaron then told her that they needed to see the Head of the Thieves Guild and she nodded and said something to, Kiara knew, Hunter. He apparently gave his consent because she opened the door and let them in.
Hunter wasn’t looking at them but at his work as he asked how he could be of service to them. Jon answered that there wasn’t much that he could do to aid them but if he could look up, he was sure that there’d be something he’d want to do for them. Humoring him, Hunter looked up and his eyes went wide. The second he saw his niece, he leaped out of his seat and went over to Aaron, taking the frail girl from his arms and holding her closely, burying his face in her hair and Kiara knew, letting a sob out. He held her like that for what seemed like hours.
She had not objected or stopped him, but it was not as if she really could. She was too sick and weak. She did soon mention that as nice as it was to see him, she was ill and needed medical attention, which Aaron backed up with a quick review of her last few days being sick. Hunter nodded and kissed her head, saying gently, “You have been sorely missed, young lady.”
She only nodded with a soft smile and let Hunter carry her, Aaron, Mikala, and Jon in tow, to the medical bay. She started to let herself sleep when Hunter told her to stay awake for a little longer and that he planned to contact her father first thing in the morning which suited her fine. She missed him. Although she wasn’t sure she wanted to see her father while she was so sick, but it didn’t bother her too much. Since she had run away, one might have expected this outcome but from her, they would not. She was usually the one saving others. She was so unused to having to rely on people to help her. She was normally the one helping others. There were only three people on this earth she trusted with her whole heart. She was afraid to give that kind of trust to anyone else.
It was a miracle that after only a day, Kiara was getting better. Hunter told her that her father and brother would soon be here to see her and that she should expect a nice lecture and a sound punishment but she doubted him for an odd reason. Something in her told her that she wouldn’t get either a punishment or lecture. Though, the miracle did not last.
Three days later, she started to become ill again. She was worse than before and by her fifth day under heavy care, the healers told Hunter that she may die. She kept trying to stay awake though. She refused to go down without a fight. Hunter and Aaron spent most of their time helping the healers. Alas, after several days of that, they were banned from the medical wing so that Kiara could get some decent sleep without being watched like a hawk stalking its next meal.
No one wanted to admit that the healers might be right, that Kiara might die but it was starting to become too hard to believe that she would very well be gone, never to return to them. It was scary to think that while they were forced to camp outside the medical wing, she could be taking her last breath. Of course, Hunter was able to force his way in every now and then to check and thankfully reported every time that she was although still ill, alive.
It was late the next day, she started to get better. She was keeping her meals down and she didn’t need as much rest as she had for the past week or so. She had also been able to stay awake a full hour before having to go back to sleep. Hunter snuck in to visit her on her last night in the medical wing. He had held her hand all night, begging her quietly to get better and she heard him loud and clear.
Around midday the next day, her cheeks had regained their rosy color, her hair was lush and vibrant and her eyes glowed like rubies again. She thought of Aaron a little more after she was out of bed but she tried not to. She knew that it wasn’t meant to be.
She wasn’t surprised to see her father when she stepped out of the infirmary. He was hugging her before she could say a word. He held her tight and kissed her head. She smiled and let him, wiggling her arms free and hugging his neck, enjoying the safe feeling that washed over her. She saw Jesse and ran at him, hugging him tightly. He rubbed her back a bit and said softly, “We missed you.”
She nodded, starting to cry. She had missed home more than she thought. She hugged him tighter and started crying into his shirt before her father took her back into his arms and held her gently, whispering soothingly to her. “Shh, calm down. Come now, you mustn’t cry. Yes, you’ve been away for a time but you’re home now. C’mon baby girl, don’t cry.” He hadn’t called her that since she was very little, telling her that he had truly missed her.
“Can I hug her?” Kael said coming out from behind Jesse. She smiled brightly, her face tear streaked but she wasn’t crying anymore, and nodded, going over and hugging him as well. Then she saw Bruno and couldn’t help but give him a big hug. He nearly crushed her under his trunks that he called arms but she didn’t mind.
She saw Aaron and couldn’t help but start crying again as she ran over to him too and hugged his neck tightly. He had been so wonderful through this entire venture and she owed him her life. She let out a shaky breath as he held her and rubbed her back gently, burying his face in her hair. “Are you feeling better now?”
She nodded and let one hand slide down to use it as a pillow on his chest. After a few minutes, she smiled and looked up at him, wiping her eyes, “I owe you my life, and you do know that.” She said looking him in the eye.
He nodded and said, “I know that in your eyes, that is how you see it but in mine, you owe me only a thank you.”
Joseph smiled brightly, “You’ve saved my daughter’s life?”
He started to reply when Kiara cut him off, “On several different occasions, this man has leapt into action and acted as my savior.”
Aaron looked a little sheepish as Joseph walked over and Kiara stepped away. She smiled, knowing that so far, their first meeting was going well. At least, she hoped it was. If this went wrong, she wasn’t sure what she would do later about telling Aaron. Wait. Why had that idea even occurred to her? She wasn’t planning on telling him ever. He would be better off if she never spoke a word of her love. She watched as Joseph reached out a hand to Aaron who cautiously took it only to be pulled into a fatherly embrace. Aaron looked at her in shock but she only smiled, her eyes welling up. She wiped them as Joseph spoke, “I owe you a great deal, young Aaron. If you would put yourself on the line for my daughter…well, you have my trust.”
Aaron pulled back gently and said warily, “I uh…deserve nothing, sir, for doing the right thing and helping Miss Kiara in her time of need.”
Kiara punched Aaron in the arm hard, making him look at her like she was possibly mad. She then said with a grin, “What did I tell you? I told you I would punch you if you ever called me that again!” Everyone laughed, even the currently withdrawn Aaron.
A guard came running up, looking very tired. “Sir, Lord Delve is on his way home. He heard of Kiara’s homecoming.”
Both her uncle and father started swearing madly and Kiara joked to Aaron, “Now you know where I get my foul language from.” He chuckled softly and put a gentle hand on her shoulder.
He then said in a gentle whisper, “Maybe we shouldn’t crack jokes right now?” She shrugged and waited for word from her father.
He turned to her and said, firm, “Kiara, I think it’s time we finally moved you out to the main house with your Uncle by the docks. Hunter, contact Zack. See what you can do.”
Hunter grinned. “Are you sure, brother? Zack is lately all over the map with his current…position.”
Joseph gave a stern look and said, “I’m positive, Hunter. Now, do it.” Hunter nodded and headed off into the hall. “Go with him, Kiara. You and your friends are going home with him tonight.” It was the end of the week, meaning that Hunter and Joseph would go home until the weekend was over.
That night, a carriage showed up and Kiara, Jon, Aaron, and Mikala all got on it with Jesse and Hunter. Jon and Mikala sat across from each other chatting quietly and idly with Jesse and Hunter about the thief business. Kiara sat between Aaron and Hunter and across from Jesse. Jon sat on one side of Jesse with an open seat to his right. Aaron had a seat by one of the side doors, meaning like Jesse and Mikala, they’d be first out. Kiara had been talking to him a bit but after a time, her tiredness overtook and she fell asleep, leaning on him, her head on his shoulder. Hunter didn’t say anything to him, she knew because she was listening for a time before fully sleeping. She also knew he wanted to say something, though.
It was late when they arrived home. Aaron had very gently lifted Kiara into his arms and taken her inside instead of waking her up. She had anyway but didn’t alert anyone to this fact. She just nuzzled him, as if in sleep and made herself comfy. It had been maybe a half hour before he finally either chose to or had the chance to set her down but when he did, it was in a nice soft bed. She had heard him talking to the maid and knew that it was then the maid that removed her weapons and boots before tucking her in but she knew it was Aaron who kissed her on the head and whispered, “May sweet dreams bless you, my friend.” She felt his hand caress her cheek gently for a moment before the wonderful feel of his hand on her cheek slipped away and he left the room.
The next morning, she went down to breakfast after inspecting her old room to see that her old treasures were still hidden away where she had left them. She had smiled when she went down into the large dining room with a big round table in the center of the room and portraits of her and Jesse all over the walls. Some of them were with her and her brother together and some were individual. She had gotten out of her traveling gear and into a casual white cotton shirt that hugged her torso with short sleeves that went to her elbows and a short white skirt. It was a tad skimpy but it was good for moving around. It had originally gone further than her mid thigh but she cut off the bottom. It used to be to her knees after she cut it but it had apparently gotten a little small for her. She didn’t mind though. She was barefoot and her hair was loose as she went into the dining room.
She saw Aaron and smiled a little more. “Good morning, Aaron. I trust you slept well.” He wore a black shirt that clinches his torso with short sleeves and dark blue trousers that weren’t falling off his waist but were decently baggy. She smiled at his socked feet. She’d never seen a man be able to walk around without something covering their feet- probably because they tended to have big feet. She walked up to him as he looked at a picture of her when she was younger, much younger.
“I slept fine, thank you. I hope you also slept soundly.” She nodded and grinned at her ten year old self in the portrait. “You seem so much more innocent in this portrait than you do in any other.”
She chuckled. “That’s because I started training when I was ten. That was twelve years ago. I’ve been a mischievous little fiend ever since.”
He grinned at her and then he turned his head and looked at a portrait of her fifteen year old self. “You look really pretty in that one.”
She blushed very softly and grinned. “That was my last year as a virgin, my fifteenth year I mean. Daddy won’t let me get rid of it. He says it’s all he has of his once-virgin daughter. He never did like me losing my virginity but maybe that’s because of the manner of which I lost it.”
Aaron seemed more so interested now. “May I ask what manner you lost your virginity in?” It seemed to make him a little uncomfortable to note the fact that she was <I>court’esa</I> trained and that she could easily seduce him if she wanted to.
She frowned and said very softly, “Rape was my unfortunate fate as to which the Gods decided should be the force to take what was supposed to be one of the most precious moments in my life became my greatest nightmare and what formed my biggest fear.”
Aaron gently put a hand on her arm and asked kindly, “What is your biggest fear?”
She allowed a grin to surface, “If I ever told you, you’d turn away from me and forget my name and face as has every other man I have ever told which is but one. He was my first love and I told him. I guess he decided to let me experience true fear by doing that which I am afraid of the most.”
He then said, “But I am not your lover, and would never dare try to harm you. I am not fool enough to try whether in your father’s house or not.” He added with a grin.
She smiled and said kindly, “If I ever do tell you, then you will hold the biggest key to my destruction. For it is men that cause my fear, but not what I am afraid of but instead of what they do. Men, though not all, are simple creatures with one point in life. What scares me is having it taken from me like it was when I was sixteen.”
Realization hit him and he whispered so only she could hear, “Is it that you’re afraid to be…raped again?”
She kissed his cheek. “Aye and now a fourth man knows how to destroy what little sanity I hold left.”
He figured that Hunter, Joseph, and Jesse all knew about this as well. “I’d never use it, Kiara. I hope you know that.”
She smiled faintly and went over to him, hugging him gently before pulling away and going to the window. “I pray now for to the God of Thieves that he may plea to our sea-ridden thief-brethren that the Atheists call pirates that this storm might not take too great a number of them from us.”
Aaron nodded just as Hunter came in and said softly, “I wouldn’t worry too much about our sea-sailing brethren. The God of Thieves watches over every follower no matter how small. Actually, I think it’s the small followers he preys on. I hate to say that it’s rather easy to be swayed to stop the life of a thief though every one knows it can be addicting.”
Kiara sighed softly, “Uncle, what’s it like? To sail, I mean. What is it like to wake up in the morning and see the ocean stretched out in front of you? What does it feel like to taste the salt in the wind blowing through your hair as you climb the rigging? Why does the thought torture me so?”
Hunter smiled at her. “You, like many before you, are plagued with the Lien Sailing Curse.”
“What’s that, Uncle?” She asked turning her head to face him with a confused look upon her. Aaron was waiting for a reply, also curious.
“Lien’s have a name for being sailors. Every man in our family at some point has wanted to sail. You’re going through the same thing, love. I was a pirate once, one of the best. Then when your father brought you home after being away for nearly a year, I couldn’t bear thinking that I wasn’t there to help raise you so I backed away from the life of a pirate. I miss it from time to time but then I remember the weevils in the bread and sharing close quarters with fifty other men.”
Kiara turned back to the window and gently let her fingers touch the window pane. “One day, I want to experience it for myself. Aaron, I can barely believe that you had the chance but passed it up.”
He shrugged. “It’s one of those life-threatening things I prefer to avoid.” He said taking an apple from a bowl of fruit on the table.
Kiara grinned at him a bit before heading out of the room. She ran upstairs to her room and smiled because just as she got up there, she saw that the rain had stopped and the sun was coming out. Good thing it was early, for that meant the land would have time to dry before she went adventuring. She changed out of the white outfit in favor of that same cross-strap top she had on the day she left home. She wore it and others like it. This one was white, so her father wouldn’t complain about how often she wore black. She then put on dark blue tight fitting trousers before pulling on some nice warm boot socks. She pulled on her favorite black gloves of which she had cut off the fingers. She had a bad habit of doing that to her gloves. She brushed out her hair and pulled it back into a neat, tight ponytail at the center of the back of her skull. Kiara pulled on her boots and tied them tightly before grabbing a light black jacket with sleeves that reached to her elbows. It looked like a pirate’s type of garment but not quite. She loved it anyway.
She was heading to the front door when she called out to her Uncle and anyone else awake, “I’m going out to explore around the woods by the bayside, and I’ll be back by dinner!” She dashed out the door, grabbing her bow and loaded quiver off the door-side rack as she went.
Roughly three hours later, she had run out to the old meadow that her uncle had used to train her in private with Jesse from time to time. There tons of targets all over, in a small shed. She pulled out ten of them and set them up. She then set up a round of hurdles for her to jump. She pulled out the “Blood Dummy” as she and Jesse named it. It was pretty much a life sized human doll stuffed with some durable material that’s name escaped her. She walked to the far side of the meadow and muttered softly to herself, “Kiara Lien waits for the signal… Go!” She took off running, jumping hurdles that were set ten feet apart each. She flipped over the last three and chuckled as she landed, pulling out arrows rapidly, quickly aiming and shooting at targets as she passed them. Once she had hit every target, she dropped the bow and loaded quiver before going over to the Blood Dummy and starting to beat the hell out of it with random kicks and punches, trying to practice different combos. She heard clapping and stopped, just before kicking the head off the doll. She turned and saw Aaron.
Aaron wore a white shirt with short sleeves and baggy black trousers. He wore his boots and gloves similar to her own. She noticed that medallion again. “What are you doing out here?” She asked firmly but kindly.
He shrugged and burrowed his hands into his pockets. “I just thought that you might want some company. It can get lonely out here alone.” She didn’t say anything but rather got ready to run through the course again. She grinned when Aaron sat down under a tree and started to watch. After rerunning the course three times, she was tired and saw storm clouds coming back. She started putting things back in the shed. Luckily, the rain didn’t even start sprinkling until she had the shed closed up. Aaron went over to her, “Maybe we should head back to the house.”
She grinned. “I recall you saying that one day; we’d do something dangerous together. Staying out here in a storm is dangerous.” She walked past him only for him to grab her hand.
He gave her a calm look and said, “Let’s not take it too far, alright?” She smiled and kept walking, pulling him along with her. “I have a bad feeling about this…”
She just kept going anyway, not caring if he was planning to be a scared chicken the whole time. It started to rain and she ran over to where she had dropped her jacket, picking it up and grabbing Aaron’s hand, heading for the barn not far from here. She smiled when it came into view- despite that they were both already soaked. She pulled open the barn door and let him in before scurrying in and shutting the door behind him, shivering madly. “I’m freezing.” She said sitting on a bench.
He sat beside her and drew her into his arms, trying to warm her. She nuzzled against him and welcomed what little warmth it offered. He had one arm around her waist and the other holding her against his chest. She let him, moving to sit in his lap. It wasn’t long before she fell asleep like that, not sure what happened. One minute, she was cold. The next minute, a wave of tiredness washed over her and she started to fall asleep feeling nice and toasty.
When she woke up, she was in the bed in the loft tucked in to her chin with a soft pillow under her head. When she looked, that pillow wasn’t a pillow, but Aaron’s chest. She took a moment to recall what happened and realized that he had cuddled up to her for warmth. She smiled and cuddled against him, sighing happily as she nuzzled him gently.
“Did you enjoy the sleep?” Aaron asked her kindly as he shifted a bit. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck.
She yawned. “I slept alright. How long was I out?”
He seemed to have to think about that for a moment or two before he responded softly, “Maybe an hour. If we run, go now, we can make it back for dinner.”
Kiara nodded and started to get up, noticing the sun coming through the cracks in the barn walls. “The rain at least stopped.” She shrugged and jumped down from the loft, followed by Aaron. They walked all the way home in silence. She wasn’t sure why, but for some reason things had just changed slightly between them and now everything stood on different terms. She could only wonder what she said or did to ruin their friendship this time. She didn’t try to break the silence because she was afraid to deepen whatever wound she had laid.
When they got home, by that time, they were dry, so it was some what hard to explain why she looked like she had recently been swimming. Her father, uncle, nor brother pressed the matter. She guessed they saw the disappointed look in her eye, as if she had confessed something personal to Aaron and had been rejected. That’s how she felt but she wouldn’t say it. In fact, she skipped dinner just to avoid being in the same room long enough to screw something else up. She sat up in her room, rather lay on the bed, and stared out her window, watching the wind blow the trees. After several hours, her father came up but she feigned sleep and he left her be. She did not have to duplicate her act because no one either dare or bother to come up to wake her just to see what was wrong.
All night, she lay awake, staring into the darkness deep in thought until the question came back to her. <I> Why did Aaron come into my life to start with? What was his real reason? </I>
The next morning, Kiara dressed in all black, black shorts and a black top similar to yesterday’s choice. She mainly wore them so often to piss off Joseph. She pulled on her knee-high boots and fingerless-gloves after putting on her favorite necklace. It was a silver heart-shaped locket with her initials inscribed on the front of it. It had a picture of Joseph, Jesse, and Hunter on one side and the other side was blank. She smiled at the happy image of her family and closed it, letting it fall against her skin. She brushed out her hair and pulled it back into a nice, neat and tight ponytail just like yesterday. She fastened her sword belt tightly and grabbed her black quiver and bow before getting them on too. She grabbed her pack, the only thing she had on her that wasn’t black but instead brown leather, and put it on. The pack was filled with fresh clothes and provisions. She was loading up on daggers when someone knocked. She didn’t answer but took care to be next to silent as she moved about her room.
Aaron came in when she didn’t answer. “You missed breakfast… Why are you packed?” He asked with a worried tone.
She didn’t answer him as she finished braiding the ponytail. Aaron started to talk again when she said softly, “I’m going to go see about getting a mission.”
“Why pack when you have no idea if you’re going?” He asked shutting the door and whispering.
She didn’t answer but instead kissed his cheek and said softly, “Be safe. I’ll be back.” She climbed out her window and was gone.
It took her all day, but she made it to the Thieves’ HQ and snuck into her uncle’s office. She searched around and found the Request Letters. She looked through those that were open and then checked his list in the bottom desk drawer to see if the mission was taken. She found one in Atheist territory and decided that even if it was a small job, she’d take it. She started to wonder about who had attacked Hunter but decided that she could find out about that when she was ready to be home. Right now, she felt like she desperately needed time alone. Putting everything back ( after copying down the main details such as the address ) exactly the way she found it, Kiara climbed out the window, scaling carefully down seven stories, and leaving again.
It wasn’t long before she was on the road and oddly, it felt good not to have anyone with her. No one was there to judge her or tell her what to do. She was free- poorer than a slave ( and surprisingly, slaves, could make good money if they were working for a kind noble ) but free. Of course, she would have to remain on a low profile just in case but she could still roam around! That was unless she was spotted in which case she’d have to change course so that she wouldn’t be dragged home like a child. She…was starting to realize just how ‘free’ she was. Considering anyone she saw could be from either Guild, they could rat her out unknowingly and get her sent home.
She sighed. She would just have to be as careful as she possibly could be. Of course, since she was a reckless danger-prone walking disaster, she doubted she’d be able to do this without a lot of effort and work. She thought for the longest time before heaving a sigh and deciding that she would just have to watch out for any familiar faces and avoid being in the spotlight too much; considering she loved to perform, sing, and dance, that would be very difficult.
She tried not to think about it terribly much, remembering that she would also have to keep her head together if she was going to have any hope of staying alive on her own. She knew she could but she was so used to having someone there. That’s what made her mad at her father. He was making her co-dependant on whatever man he sent her with. She knew it just as well as her father did that she was not able to act as an independent because she had never been given that chance. Now she had the chance to show the world just what she was capable of and there was nothing alive that could stop her.
However, there was something alive in her that kept trying to hold her down, and hold her back. That something was the little voice in her head reminding her about Aaron. She might not see him for a very long time because of this. Was this something she needed to do? Yes, it was. Yet, she still missed him no matter how much she told herself that this had to be done and she had to go without him for a time. She knew it in her heart that she loved him when it got to the point that every night, she’d dream of kissing him, holding him, being a part of his life, and even bearing his children. She wanted that so badly that several times before reaching Goyt, she would have to camp in the same place for days before she would be able to move on. The further she got from her true love, the harder it became for her to move on. She didn’t want to leave him and she didn’t want him to think she was leaving him. But she had to act on her own, someday, and to her, there was no time like the present.
She decided to start to sing to herself, to calm herself down. She could feel her nerves twisting and breaking one by one. She started to sing,
<I>
“If I just breathe
Let it fill the space between
I'll know everything is alright
Breathe,
Every little piece of me
You’ll see
Everything is alright
Everything is alright if I just breathe... breathe.”
</I>
“That was a beautiful sound, My Lady.” Kiara was frozen in her tracks by the new voice. She knew that voice and turned to face the owner. She then saw before her Eric Miller. He had dark brown hair now, instead of blonde, and his eyes were a deeper green now. He was taller than he had been when he was seventeen, so he was now as tall as Aaron. He was lean and fit with muscles bulging from his large biceps and forearms. She could see the muscle lines in his shirt. He wasn’t overly bulked but he was obviously very strong and probably a real ladies man.
“Eric Miller, is that you?” She said softly with a grin. She went over to him and lifted the sleeve of his right shoulder. There it was. The six inch scar she had given him in a training accident. It had marred his arm and made the boys laugh at him all the time, because a girl could leave such a mark upon him. She had never forgiven herself for that. “I gave that to you…”
“Don’t worry about it, Ki, because after a little while, girls started to notice it. They love it. I tell them the truth about how I got it and when I mention your name, they’re impressed I lived.” He said giving her a hug.
She smiled a bit. “I’m glad it’s helped you, Eric. How is everyone? What’s Joey up to these days? Where’s Mel? How are the twins, Jim and Tim?”
He shrugged. “I can’t say anything about the twins; we haven’t spoken in a long time. We’ve just been assigned to totally different areas by your Uncle. Melrose is great…” He grinned. “She’s with child.”
It took Kiara about five seconds to realize that Eric had worked up the courage to tell Melrose sometime between when he was seventeen and now that he loved her. “You two are married now? She’s having your child? Eric! That’s wonderful!” She said as he nodded. She hugged him again and kissed his cheek.
He then said, “I know. I already have a son. She wants a daughter. Mel and I got married when I was eighteen. I was going to invite you to the wedding, but when I got your reply, it was from your uncle saying you were out on some mission and wouldn’t be back for several months.”
She frowned slightly, “I’m so sorry I missed it. Alright, I want to go meet this son of yours! Let’s go!” He laughed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they turned off in a new direction.
When they got to a large camp, tents everywhere and people, probably part of the Thieves Guild, moving about, they all saw him come back just as he let Kiara go and took off toward a young woman. The woman had golden hair and bright blue eyes. She had a big belly, obviously pregnant, and was very beautiful even in pregnancy. Kiara smiled and stood back as Eric hugged her and kissed her before a small young boy with sandy blonde hair and eyes like Eric’s with soft rosy skin came running up and jumping up and down, wanting Eric to hold him. Kiara could have cried. It was so wonderful to see that her friends had done well for themselves. Eric said something to the woman and pointed at Kiara. The woman smiled brightly and ran at her, hugging her and saying, “Kiara! It’s been so long!” She pulled back and said, “You look great!”
Kiara smiled brightly, “You look beautiful, Mel. I’m so happy for you and Eric. I always knew you two would end out together.”
Melrose blushed. “What can I say? I love him and I always have. I was always just too cowardly to say it. Come! Meet Mikel, our son. He’s only five.”
Kiara smiled when she saw the sweet little boy come over and jump up and down like he had to Eric. “Mommy, may I have a hug? Please!” Kiara instead picked him up and sat him on her hip.
She then said gently brushing stray hair from his face, “You sir, are a very lucky little boy. Your father is a wonderful man and your mother is beautiful.”
“Who are you?” He asked with a tiny frown. He was absolutely adorable. Kiara grinned at him.
She then said, “I am Kiara Lien. What’s your name, young man?” She said in a soft voice. She was against talking baby talk to children. It taught them better if you spoke to them like an adult from the beginning.
“My name is Mikel. It’s very nice to meet you Miss Kiara. Mommy and Daddy talk about you a lot. They say you’re my godmother.”
Looking up at Melrose and Eric in shock, Kiara set the child down gently looking at her friends. She felt tears well up in her eyes. To be named the Godmother or Godfather of one’s child was a grand honor. Considering the child had probably already been baptized and made a pagan, it was a greater honor since she did not deserve the name. “Eric…Mel…I can’t accept that name.”
Mel went up and hugged her. “Yes you can, dear. You’re the one that told Eric to take me out riding on a full moon and tell me by the moonlit lake. It was the most romantic night of my life when he proposed. You told him to tell me. I wouldn’t have Mikel if you hadn’t gotten us together.”
Kiara pulled away gently only to be hugged by Eric. “You deserve this, Kiara. Besides, who else will teach Mikel how to beat down his old man? Just do me a favor, don’t do it until I’m too old too fight anyway.”
Kiara smiled and kissed them both on the cheek. “I’m really not the right girl for this. You know I have a bad-”
Mel cut her off, “You do not let people down. Most of the time, people let you down. Kiara, you do deserve this. Anyway, let’s not talk of such things. This should be a happy time. Come! Tell me about your adventures.”
Eric then added, “Tell <I> me </I> how you got out of the house without a bodyguard.” He said with a chuckle. “I can’t remember a time where you didn’t have one.”
Kiara grinned. “That’s an easy one, Eric. I ran away…again.” She said accepting ale from a <I>court’esa</I> and sipping it.
Eric grinned. “Why do you keep doing that? Running away won’t solve all your problems, Kiara.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ll probably never learn. Why?” Eric shrugged a shoulder and took his son, lifting him onto his shoulders. Kiara sighed and sat down on the ground. “Eric, what would you do if I said I was in love?”
He chuckled. “I would ask who the lucky b*****d was.” His wife had heard and had a similar response to that question.
Kiara nodded and said softly, “I miss him. I wish he were here. Alas, he’s not. He probably doesn’t even care that I’m gone.”
Melrose obviously realized that Kiara was not kidding and took Mikel before whispering something to Eric and excusing herself. Eric sat beside her and said, “You’re really serious about this one?”
She had been going through a phase where every relationship turned out to be a passing fling. “I’d die for him, Eric. Aaron is…amazing.”
Eric grinned. “Ah, so his name is Aaron?” He took on a thoughtful look as the grin faded, “Does he treat you right?”
She smiled. “As far as he knows, we’re just two people who met on the road. That is how I met him. I ran away, not this time, but last time, and found him at the Denny.” Eric was one of the few other people who knew about the Denny.
Eric let a soft yawn go as he said, “He must have gotten there through the woods. Anyway, answer the question.”
She humored him, “He’s sweet, kind, caring, and a complete gentleman.” She said with a smirk on her face as she cocked her head to face him.
He busted out laughing. “That sounds nothing like someone you would ponder. What’s so special about him that you’ve fallen head over heels?”
She took on a tiny smile and said, “He can make me laugh. He can make me smile. He seems to know me better than I know myself. He is very understanding and although protective, he’s very kind about staying off my past and not probing me.”
He nodded. “Is he as reckless as you?”
She laughed. “No, actually, he’s not. He’s probably the sanest man I know. Probably is the key word in there, Eric. Then again…he has this boyish grin…it makes my knees go weak.”
Eric took on a mocking shock, “A man walks this earth that can make the stupendous Kiara weak at the knees? Gods help us, you’ve sent one of your own to walk among men.”
She giggled at this. “Eric! I’m serious!”
“So am I!”
She laughed more and took a moment to calm down before saying, “It’s just too bad though. I’m not nearly good enough for him.”
He frowned a bit. “I don’t think that’s true. There’s scarcely a man on this earth I’d consider good enough for you. You’re just too damn different to let slip away, so men will try anything.”
She looked at him confusedly. “Why is it that because I’m different, women hate me but men seem to love me?”
He chuckled. “You’re outgoing, adventurous, kind, and chuck-full of spunk. You’re trained in about ten different fields, good at so many things, and a wonderful person. You’re beautiful but not conceited. You’re smart but not obnoxious. You’re funny but not over the top. You’re caring but not invading. Somehow, the Gods gifted you but left you so few faults.”
She laughed near to hysteria. “I see I’ve fooled you! Eric, I’m impulsive and although good at managing it in front of clients, I have a horrid temper. I’m ruthlessly and at times brutally honest. I’m insensitive about things that should be handled delicately and full-on hardcore. I’m deathly cold to anyone who gives me the slightest reason and I’m not very sympathetic or forgiving.”
He smiled. “You’re only impulsive when you know you have no time to second guess and that’s usually when someone is in danger. Your temper is something you inherited from your father. The fact about that is, at least you can manage said temper. It would be a major fault if you couldn’t but you can. You may be brutally honest, but at least you’re honest and trustworthy. I wouldn’t say your insensitive, because I that’s a lie. I would say that you’re blunt and direct. You don’t like beating around the bush. It’s painful most of the time. What’s wrong with being a little hardcore? Also note, you’re cold-hearted to those who give you a reason, not just to anyone. Finally, you’ve been given plenty of reason in life not to be forgiving and not many people are good at being forgiving anyway.”
She glared playfully at him, “How in the name of the Gods did you manage to turn all of that back on me?”
He shrugged with a smart-a** smile. “I’m a genius, Ki. You know that.” She started laughing and he laughed with her just as Melrose came over, looking up at the rain clouds and back at them with an expectant look. They got the message and went inside the tent. Kiara was given her own tent and she instantly cuddled up and went to sleep. She was too tired to stay up very long.
“Kiara, wake up!” Kiara rolled over and ignored Eric as he tried to wake her. It wasn’t even light out, she could tell that just by cracking her eye open. She didn’t feel like getting out of bed right now. She was too tired and cold. She was starting to really hate winter but was thankful that the Atheists lived in a warm climate. She would only have to live with these cold conditions until she got over to Goyt.
“Go away.” She said pulling her blanket up to her chin and snuggling down into her bedroll.
“Joey wants to say hi to you. He just got here from the North. He brought a friend he said he thinks you’ll be interested in seeing.” She shrugged and rolled over so that his attempt to look her in the face was foiled. She didn’t want to get up right now.
She then snapped, “Tell Joey that if he plans to bother me this late, he can also plan to be very sore come dawn.” Eric sighed and let her go back to sleep. She was happy that at least he knew when to give up when it came to getting her out of bed in the mornings.
The next morning, it was dawn when Kiara rolled out of bed and got up. She donned her favorite black top, a leather vest that went over a silk shirt with long sleeves. The vest had a slit two inches long that went from just under the collar to her belly button. She wore black trousers that hugged her body. She pulled on her boots and sword belt before getting her quiver on and fastening on her bow. She grabbed her pack and left a note for Eric, mainly explaining that she wasn’t planning to stay because she needed to head out west.
On her way out, a familiar voice reached her ears, “Kiara, you aren’t going to leave without even greeting your old friend, are you?”
Kiara had to turn around and smile. She saw Joey standing before her. He had short, dark brown hair and bright hazel eyes. He was tall and lean, more of the body of a thief than an assassin. He was made for sneaking, not fighting. His skin was darkly tanned and he had a grin on his face. He also had a small gold hoop earring in his right ear. He was a rather handsome man and it was hard to deny that. He wore common clothing, and like most agents of the night, black clothing. “No, I hadn’t. I had planned on leaving to find out some more information on first, the man who wants my hand in marriage. Two, the man who attacked my uncle, and third, the man who’s stolen my heart.” She said as she started to go again.
He grabbed her hand and said, “Let me come! Do you honestly expect me to stay behind with all these assassins?”
She grinned. “No, but I do expect you to help me figure something out.”
“Ok, what is it?” He said softly as he walked beside her, leading her back toward the camp. Obviously, he didn’t want her running off alone again.
“Mark has a reason behind marrying me. What could it be?” She asked in a soft worried tone.
He chuckled. “Well, think about it. He could gain mass amounts of up-to-date information at a whim. He’d have a horde of assassins at his disposal and total protection from assassination. He would also gain your father’s fortune. Not to mention, your brother, when he takes over for your uncle, would be highly inclined to offer him full support of a band of highly skilled thieves. Hmmm,” He added sarcastically, “I can only wonder what he could want from you, Kiara.”
She swore. “Why would he need that?”
Joey rolled his eyes. “He’s planning something, Kiara. Honestly, use your head. Stop and think for a moment please.”
She swore again, “Joey! What good are assassins unless you need someone dead without anyone know it was you! He’s planning to kill someone and since he needs so many connections, it must be someone big. We have to do something!”
Joey nodded and they took off running for camp. Joey then added, “We can’t alert anyone just yet.”
She stopped running. “Why shouldn’t we tell anyone yet?”
He took her arm gently and said softly, “Kiara, listen. If anyone knows what were up to, there’s no positive reason that we should believe that his spies won’t get wind of it. We need to do this in secret. If we’re going to do this, we have to do it with as little mention and help as possible. The more people helping can only mean that more people know. Do you understand me?” She nodded and they headed off.
