The Pirate and The Assassin

Chapter Eight

Araxia ran through the forest, her flame red hair tucked away in a messy braid, falling a little bit longer than her shoulder blades. Her feet knew the way, they had been here before countless amounts of time when she was younger. Her sapphire eyes sneaked a peek behind her and what she saw made her run faster. The three men on horses chased her through the forest for one reason: She killed the King of Harrek. Araxia's pointed ears picked up the sound of the hounds and she gracefully leaped over the fallen tree that lay in her path. The black nighttime was almost over and the sun was on its way, back to lighten up the world.

                                                                ******
                                               A FEW HOURS EARLIER

    Araxia sharpened her dull blade in the flickering candle light corner of the rickety tavern by the sea. Her eyes flickered to the clock, the man was an hour late, and still hadn't come in yet, and she did not have patience for late. A shady figure that was sitting across the room at a table caught her attention. He seemed to be watching her and it set her teeth on edge. She pulled her blue hood down farther, trying to cover her pale face even more than it already was. No use, but it didn't matter anyways. Everyone knew who she was, not by face necessarily by her looks, but more of by her name.

       The creaky door of the tavern opened and her late appointment walked in, his thick cloak drenched with rain from his travels. His heavy footsteps made the floor shake as he walked over to her dimly lit corner table and he sat down across from her, looking for her face in the shadows of her hood. Her eyes were distracted by the shady figure getting up and walking out, his back turned to her so that she couldn't see his face. Araxia's face turned to look at her customer and he spoke at last.

"So can you really do it?" Araxia raised her eyebrow.

"Can I really do what?"

"Kill any one without anyone figuring out who it was?"

"Everyone knows it was me when it is done cleanly and quietly. But No, they will not know that it was you who asked for them dead. Now who is it you want me to rid you of?" The man seemed nervous as he waited to say the name.

"The name man, I need a name." She scowled. He was taking way to long to tell her ad her patience was already gone when he had made her wait for him. Now she was just pissed.

"Florian Harrek." He pushed it out of his mouth and then fiddled with his hands as he waited for her repsonse. She stood up.

"Are you mad?!?!?!" She hissed at him.

"The king?!?!"  He nodded grimly, serious in every corner of his face.

"Why him?" She sat back down and listened to his reason. It had better be a good one for a task this risky, one that she migth get caught on.

"The peasants need a revolt, the king is a disgrace to the royal line and we need a reason to fight back. No one better than you to do it....unless you're afraid. In that case then I'll just go and take my money with me." He stood up and turned to go. Araxia knew exactly what he was doing, others had done it to her countless amounts of time, but it still got to her.

"Fine! I'll do it, but if I get caught, then I'm taking you down with me." The man tossed two large sacks of coins onto the table and as soon as they touched the wooden surface they disappeaed into Araxia's cloak pocket. He walked away from the table and out the door after completing his busniess with the assassin.