Necharra: Part Three
Suggested Music: The Seatbelts - Sax Quartet
Morning of Resplendent Water 22, R.Y. 767
Aleni strolled through the town's market casually munching on an apple. When she arrived outside Tabbert's Trivial Treasures, a pawn shop, she looked over the goods displayed in the window. Spotting the small wind-up spider in the corner, she stepped inside.
"Right with ya," said the man behind the counter as the bell announced the arrival of a customer. Aleni wandered the aisles as the store clerk finished wrapping a box for a young gentleman. A minute later they exchanged pleasantries, and then the bell announced his departure.
"Names Tabbert. What can I do you for?" asked the man when he found Aleni near the back of the store.
"Just information," replied Aleni, flashing something on her wrist to Tabbert.
"Oh, OH!" exclaimed the man, eyes wide. "Of course, whatever you need. Did you want something to drink? Eat? Should we go in the back to talk?"
She raised her hand, stopping him. "Relax. I will be gone in a moment. I just need to know where I can find Jacques."
A Few Hours Later...
As Aleni walked up the path to the biggest manor in town, she was surprised to see the city guard on duty at the front door. He really must have subverted the entire town.
"Easy there, chicka," said one of the guards as they met her at the top of the stairs that led to the entryway. "Jacques ain't looking for no gimp girls." As he reached out to grab Aleni's shoulder and push her back, she grabbed his hand, twisted it, and pulled him off balance. As the first guy tumbled down the stairs, she jerked the sword from the second guy's scabbard and pressed the tip up under his chin.
"I'm sorry about him," he stuttered. "I try to tell him to work on his manners, but there's just no helping some people. I was just going to go make sure he didn't hurt himself falling down the stairs like that. If that's, uh, ok with you, uh, ma'am."
Without responding, Aleni tossed the sword to the side, opened the door, and stepped inside.
Upstairs...
"I don't know who the hell she is!" shouted Jacques at his head of security.
"Want me to send everyone at her?" replied the big man flatly. His last boss beat women, this one was afraid of them. "What is wrong with men these days?" he thought idly.
"No," responded Jacques, still stressed, but calmer. "Have one of the staff bring her here. And tell Fay to get in here."
"Um, Fay, sir?"
"Did I stutter?" Jacques screamed.
"No, sir," the big man said, quickly exiting the room.
Back Downstairs...
Aleni stepped inside just in time to see a servant slip around a corner at the top of the double stairs. As she waited, she studied the art displayed in the grand entrance. Nothing of particular cultural importance, but there was one amusing one of four dogs playing cards.
"Um, ma'am, Jacques will see you now," Aleni turned to see a young girl in a simple maid uniform with knees that were almost literally knocking. She gave the girl a soft smile, and it seemed to help. Aleni followed her up the stairs and down the hall to a single wooden door. The girl went to knock, but Aleni quickly opened the door, stepped inside, and closed it behind her.
The room was sparsely furnished and revolved around a heavy, wooden table where a balding, middle-aged man sat gaping at her. He glanced nervously at a side door as Aleni took a seat across from him. "Jacques, I presume?" she asked, noticing the odd placement of a third chair. Jacques and her chair were centered on the table, and the third chair was next to his.
Before Jacques could answer, the side door opened and a pretty, young thing in a red dress flounced into the room holding a bottle of wine and three glasses. Seeing her, Jacques visibly relaxed.
"Wine?" she asked, smiling politely at Aleni. "It's a Bordeaux, from outside Great Forks. 789, a good year," she continued as she poured the three of them drinks. Then taking one of the glasses, she sat down next to Jacques. Aleni used the time to look the girl over. She had a dagger strapped to the inside of her thigh. Very difficult to detect, but slow on the draw. The jade brooch she wore seemed to be holding a hearthstone as well.
"Now where were we?" said Jacques coolly to Aleni as she studied the two. "Ah yes, the reason for your uninvited visit. I assume there is one..." Taking a sip of the red wine in front of her. She decided it was probably the girl she was looking for. In any event, it certainly wasn't Jacques.
"I have it on good authority that you have an assassin in your employ. I would like to hire this...," Aleni's eyes briefly flicked to Fay as she finished, "individual." Fay sipped her drink casually, giving nothing away, but Jacques's nostrils flared and jaw clenched.
"Listen here," Jacques growled. "I don't need the help of some hitman to run this city." The insecurities he worked so hard to hide bursting to the surface. "And even if I did, why would you need her services? You handled my guards easily enough!"
"He'll be on the lookout for me. It took me a long time to track him here, and I don't want him to get away again," replied Aleni calmly. "He's a north-easterner with purple hair," she continued despite Jacques rejection.
"Are you deaf as well as lame?" snarled Jacques, standing and slamming both hands down on the table.
Aleni frowned and stood. Then she tossed a heavy bag of jade onto the table and turned to Fay, "The Rusty Rooster. You have until dawn."
Thirty minutes later...
"I said no!" screamed Jacques at Fay from across their room. She had been arguing back but now she stood motionless, hands clenched, fingers digging into her palms. Her silence should have been warning enough, but the bottle of wine he had finished off was clouding his judgment. On top of that, two years of repressed insecurities had come to a boil in the meeting with Aleni. Jacques smashed the wine bottle against the wall before storming up to Fay and getting in her face.
"It was me that built this organization, so it is mine. It was me that took over this city, so IT is mine. And it was me that let you live, so YOU are mine!" he shouted, spittle hitting Fay in the face.
Fay watched as her brother fell to the floor, throat cut open wide. The collar he had given her caused the blood that sprayed her to form perfect little droplets, roll down her, and puddle at her feet. Crouching, she cleaned the blade on his pants before placing it back in its spot on her thigh. Standing back up, she strode to the desk, scribbled a note, and sealed it.
As she stepped out into the fall, she locked the door to their bedroom. Calmly, she made her way down the stairs, where she found a servant. "If you could take these to Madam Aurora," she said to the boy, handing him a sealed note and a pouch of jade.
"Yes ma'am," he nodded before taking off.
Then Fay made her way out the back door to where the stables were. "Off somewhere?" asked Raab, her driver.
Fay nodded. "How long to get the coach ready?"
"Five minutes, ma'am" he replied, rushing into the stables.
Twenty minutes later, Raab was helping Fay out of the carriage for the last time. "Here, ma'am?" he asked, a little surprised. Only a few years ago, this part of town was home to Fay.
"Yes, thank you Raab." Handing him a pouch of jade, she continues, "I recommend getting out of town for a few weeks." Then she gave him a thin smile and squeezed his arm. As his eyes grew wide, she turned and disappeared down the street.
A few hours later...
Aleni settled in for a long night of waiting. The Rusty Rooster was full to bursting for dinner, but since then had largely cleared out. Carp was right, the spicy potatoes here were delicious. Ryn had stayed up in his room in order to make the target's life more difficult, but there had been no sign of her yet. "His loss," she smiled, popping the last piece of potato in her mouth.
Aleni had found the perfect observation spot. She was close enough to the hearth to feel the heat, but the mantle blocked the light from falling on her. Her back was to the wall, and she had a view of the entrance, stairs, bar, and kitchen door. Aleni's disguise was good enough to withstand more than casual scrutiny, but she wasn't sure what kind of tricks the target would have up her sleeve.
"Still quiet down here," Aleni said into the wind as she watched the portly, middle-aged barmaids scuttle about. One was refilling the drinks of the few remaining patrons, one was wiping down empty tables, and the third was carrying a couple of plates of potatoes upstairs to guests who couldn't be bothered to leave their rooms for dinner. "Looks like you might get a few of those potatoes after all.