Dream Catcher

Chapter Five - Death

Elise swept through the halls, her dress snagging on a rose bush as she left the warrior behind. She sighed and gently slipped her train off of the thorn. She wished she didn't have to wear the stupid thing. She liked looking nice, but even the armor the warrior, had been wearing looked more comfortable. Elise frowned as she marched through the door to the interior of the castle.

Come to think of it, Kajrah's armor looked more comfrotable than any armor Elise had ever seen. It had been terribly intricated with amazing designs. Frankly if the warrior hadn't tackled her, even if she knew the assasin had been on the rooftops, she'd have been far too distracted to do anything about it.

Elise tugged at her sleeves, wondering how the warrior made his armor. There were no weak spots she could see. The armor seemed to behave as a second skin. Elise shook her head, dispelling her thoughts. The warrior's words danced in her head. I was asked to to prevent harm to the princess by anyone's hand.

Elise remained puzzled only momentarily. Felix or Darrin set this up. She sighed. She knew it was for the best, but couldn't one of her own guards do better? She was far more comfortable with the Benson twins than the warrior.

She moved more quickly through the halls. As much as she loved her gardens, they were a hefty walk away from her rooms. A few minutes later she found herslef outside her own door. It was cracked open ever so slightly.

Eyes narrowed Elise hefted up her skirts and slid a pair of daggers from beneath them.

She pushed gently on the door and it swung open silently. Her first room was a sitting room. Two fireplaces on either side of the room with snug chairs and couches strewn at comfortable intervals across the room. No fire had been lit. The only light came from the wall sized window and balcony opposite her.

She slipped soundlessly into the next room, her library. The shelves created a room within a room and Elise was forced to search each and every crevice.

A bang made her leap against the nearest shelf. Of course! She chastied herself. It had come from her second floor!

She raced through the next three rooms and up a flight of stairs until she came across the source room. Her room. She fished a silver whistle from around her neck and blew, hard. No sound came out. She paused and blew it three more times with the same result. She pushed the door open and spotted someone rummaging through her desk, just out of sight.

Creeping along the wall she leapt at the unsuspecting figure, tackling him the to ground, holding a blade at his throat. A howl came from the door and a massive wolf-dog shot towards the two. Elise was thrown off, and the wolf-dog bit down hard on the side of her would-be sneak.

"OW! Dammit Elise call your mutt off!"

"Gavin?!! What the hell are you doing in my room you asshole?!"

"Searching for my package." He growled, gasping as the wolf-dog bit harder.

"Call off your beast!"

"No. Shera, hold." Elise snapped. Shera growled and kept Gavin pinned. he tried to hit the wolf-dog but Shera bit down harder.

"What package Gavin?"

"I was expecting a package and it got delivered to you." Gavin hissed, closing his eyes in agony.

"Release." Elise commanded.

"Thank God." He sighed. Elise whistled twice and Shera ran off.

"Thank you." Gavin muttered, sitting up, "do you mind fetching me the package?"

Elise snorted, struggling to control her temper. The pompous ass broke into her room and he still wanted something that was in all likelihood, not his.