"Kieran! Are you even listening to me?"317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1EXLHrVpt
The assassin looked at the young man sitting on his bed in shock, shaken from his reverie. "Oh, hello Half-Blood. Didn't hear you come in."317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSJEzRHlf2
"What are you talking about? You invited me here!" The young half-elf exclaimed in frustration.317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAUEnbf2vu
"I did?" the older assassin ran a hand through his mess of black hair, and examined the young man critically. He was dressed in simple dark clothes, his sleeves rolled up over his elbows. The boy was skinny, and he kept brushing aside his straw-coloured hair from his eyes. His angular features, a slightly jaundiced skin tone, and ears that curled up into a point were indicative of his Elven heritage - a heritage that the human assassin could not resist teasing him about.317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCKAZqm4Iu
"Yes, you did!" The half-elf sighed in exasperation. "If you weren't so occupied daydreaming with that dagger of yours, you would have noticed me. What if I were a guard? You could have been killed!"317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zDdUwiHR1
Kieran sat up from his reclined position on the bed with a sigh and slipped his dagger back into its sheath at his hip, ignoring the ongoing lecture from the younger, inexperienced man. Running his hand through his hair, he slung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up.317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJao9ZhhGHz
"Where are you going?" The half-elf moaned at him.317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0BEBgMoOE
The assassin ruffled the young man's hair roughly, much to the half-elf's great displeasure. "Downstairs for a drink! Aren't you a nosy little brat?" He said with a joking grin.317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0BqqxLTp7
The younger man slapped Kieran's hand away. "It's my job to be nosy, and you know it," he said with obvious frustration, his crystal blue eyes glaring daggers at the impudent older man.317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSPGP53kaV
317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZRtFEeZRcT
Kieran briefly hesitated under the intensity of his gaze, and turned and faced him squarely. Arms crossed over his chest, weight shifted onto his back foot, the assassin slouched against the door and looked the young man over with a raised eyebrow. The half-elf stood there for a minute, his foot tapping anxiously and his hand swiping hair from his forehead.317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudwcGfjFiy
Before long, the tension proved too much for the younger man to handle. "Well?!" he said in a raised voice, throwing up his arms.317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi230FYvrSS
Kieran raised a finger to his lips in a simple gesture, frustrating the poor man even further.317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGHoFu3pQQQ
"Why won't you say something?!" The half-elf practically screamed at him.317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBtR27Eqm1
"I remember why I called for you, Half-Blood," the assassin said in a smooth, low tone, "but your volume may attract unwanted attention."317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQkGVK7hQA
The young man's eyes widened as if he had not realized that danger. "I... I'm sorry, Kieran," he said, controlling his voice carefully.317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlUXc2sPTb
The older man merely nodded and moved over to the small window in the room, lifting the curtain and scanning the street below. After a moment he stepped back and headed for the door. The half-elf watched him with a mix of anger and awe at the fluidity of his movements. Like a dancer, every step was calculated and every move was intentional. Even as he pushed his ear against the solid wood door, the younger man watched the look of pure concentration cross the assassin's face as he listened for even the slightest of sounds.317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnby8uYOSC
Content that all was clear, Kieran turned back to face his young guest. He moved closer to the him and spoke in a voice barely more than a whisper.317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQh818gDWa
"The deed is done."317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYA8pcegvA
The younger man's eyes widened. "Wait, already?" he protested, trying his best to keep quiet, "but you were supposed to monitor for a week before-"317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2TcuRNfown
"I did what I was told to do," came the killer's reply, each word carefully measured out. "Eliminate the target. So I did."317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKJ8wmHPAi
The half-elf took a small step back. "But we weren't ready for the rest of the operation!" He said, his voice cracking as he realized the repercussions of what his comrade had done. "The guards... Damn it, Kieran, the treaties! You should have taken me with you!"317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5OnT5fwH1z
The assassin chuckled and shook his head. "I left them for you. Besides, it's not like I planned to do it then. It just seemed like fun."317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6aQ9rDhoT8
The half-elf's face locked in a stunned, fearful look, his mouth gaping open. "Rodriego's going to kill you."317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM59hmAmTLE
"Let him try," Kieran mumbled as he flung himself on the bed and pulled out his dagger. "You had better go get them before you attract his attention, though." He held his dagger up to the candlelight to examine the blade. Scowling, he grabbed a dry cloth from his pocket and rubbed the blade down vigorously.317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkP5FDpQuyd
"Why couldn't you just get them while you were there?" the half-elf growled, clenching his fists. Why did the assassin have to make everything so difficult?
Kieran gave a cursory glance at the young man, noticing the threatening stance the young man now took. Lowering his dagger and sitting up slowly, he eyed the younger man down with a challenge evident in his grey eyes. "Kalen," he spoke, drawing each word out in an obvious threat. "my job was to kill, not to fetch."317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkW37lhfNIh
The two men remained glaring at each other for what seemed like an eternity.
"Fine," Kalen said, averting his gaze and heading for the door, "I'll do it then."317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLaSNmYrGx
Kieran watched him leave, the door slamming shut behind him. He remained sitting up in his bed for a moment, committing their exchange to memory in case it was the last time he saw the rash young man. He knew Kalen was right, of course. Kieran should have either waited or stolen the treaties himself as he walked away from the mansion, and he knew it. It made sense, but something inside of him abhorred the idea of making things easy for the young thief.317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqfm9uIyau
Smiling to himself, the assassin examined his dagger again with a critical eye, searching for spots or imperfections along the blade. Content at last, he returned the dagger to the sheath at his right hip and checked his other weapons systematically, although not nearly as meticulously.
Assured that everything was fine, the assassin headed downstairs for a drink.
Today was going to be a good day...317Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDjHJDnS8P
