Master Assassin
Long Live The Kings update
Damien and Harrow make it to the border of Moonshadow Forest, and meet the first of their guides.
"General Janai," The voice seemed to come from nearly nowhere, and Damien started as the unnaturally dark shadows at the edge of Moonshadow Forest melted away to reveal a short elven woman with hair white as snow. She was followed a step behind by a man only a little taller than herself. The markings that colored their faces were more delicate lines than the Sunfire elves they traveled with, with more curved lines. Both of them seemed pale as ghosts under the shadows of the trees, but once they stepped out in the light their colors balanced into something more familiar. "Were we expecting you?"
"No, not yet," Janai replied. "Though I am glad to see you here. I have a formal request from ze queen."
The Moonshadow exchanged glances and the man asked delicately, "Don't those requests usually go straight to the Silvergrove? In writing?"
"Not zat kind of request." Janai cleared her throat with a sidelong glance at Harrow. Damien decided he didn't want to think about that too hard.
Before she could explain further, another elf - this one on the back of some large dark foxlike creature - bounded out of the trees nearby. "Oh," he said with a blink. "Well, this was quick. General, I was just sent with a missive for you." He blew right past Harrow and Damien as if he didn't even notice them, handing Janai a letter.
Janai held her hand up to stop him from leaving and opened it with the other hand. "Zis is just a summons."
"Yes," He said with an overly patient tone. "So there's no response to be had unless it's a refusal. I assume you're not refusing, given you're already here."
"True," She folded the letter and slipped it into her armor. "I need you to send a message back to ze Keeper, then."
"Do you think this was my only delivery today? Because it isn't." The courier started, annoyed, but he held up his hands palm out when Janai glared at him. "Fine, I'll wait." He made a face at her when she dropped her gaze though.
Janai had pulled enough from her packs to write her own note and hand it over. "I need to speak with your Elders, or guards."
The courier stared at her as he took the letter. "You realize that could have been a verbal request, since you don't even have a specific destination?" When Janai glared he huffed and turned his mount around. "Fine, touchy touchy. Someone will be here later I'm sure." He cued the animal to move and they were gone in a blink.
"How - ?" Harrow asked with mild astonishment.
"Moonstriders are some of the fastest travelers in Xadia with a good rider," one of the Moonshadow border guards replied with a little bit of a smile.
There was a moment of awkward silence after the courier was gone, though. The guards at the edge of the forest shifted to stay in the shadows; the Sunfire soldiers remained in the sun. Damien tried not to stare too obviously, fascinated by the obvious preferences that seemed to run deeper than not liking light or shadow.
Just as Janai shifted and opened her mouth to speak again the Moonshadow guards twitched their ears and reacted to something deeper in the forest, their eyes going upwards to the branches inside. A large figure dropped out of a nearby tree and stepped into the light, crossing the implied border between shade and sun with none of his countrymen's hesitation. "General Janai." He said formally.
Something told Damien to take special note of this man, as the other two Moonshadow straightened up abruptly at his presence, their eyes going wide. He was exceptionally tall, in particular compared to the others of his kind, standing even with Janai. His snow-white hair hung to his waist, braided back around large curved horns. He wore different armor than the rest, and his boots were made for stealth. A heavy warbow was strung across his back with a string that glittered in the sunlight. Purple lines cutting across his nose lent his face a severe appearance even without his frown, and his arms were marked from shoulder to hands.
"Master assassin," Janai replied, even her back straight as she looked down at him from the back of her cat.
"Master Runaan," One of the border guards said, clearing her throat as she recovered herself. "We weren't expecting you to show personally."
He cast a dismissive glance over his shoulder. "I had my own business." he turned bright teal eyes back to the group of soldiers, raking them over Harrow and Damien, narrowing them. "What is this?" He growled.
"Two human children managed to sneak across ze border into Xadia some days ago," Janai replied. "We were unable to capture zem, and noted zey were on a path for Moonshadow Forest. As you know, my soldiers cannot enter your forest wizout permission-"
"Yet here you stand." Runaan said with an almost amused tilt to his head, though his jaw was tight and his eyes still seared. "A squadron of warriors, a mage among you, bringing humans to our borders. Are we meant to take this as anything less than a threat?"
Janai's lip curled but she didn't take the bait. "Ze queen in her mercy granted ze humans a chance to rescue zeir children. Only zeir parents were allowed to cross ze border, and my soldiers have merely provided an escort to Moonshadow Forest. From here, ze queen . . . requests," She let the word hang, weighted, between them and the Moonshadow elf's expression went harder. "Zat your people grant zem access, and guides to search. I believe she would settle for information and ze return of ze children if you choose to find zem yourself."
Runaan turned his gaze to Harrow and Damien. "You've neglected to mention the detail that the children's parents are the king and prince-consort of Katolis." He said dryly.
"I suppose it's foolish to question how you know who we are." Harrow said dryly - like Damien, he had dressed in more conservative traveling clothes, even taking the gold from his hair.
Damien had tried to tell him that removing his royal jewelry really didn't do anything to change his kingly bearing, but Harrow had laughed him off.
A smile tugged at the elf's mouth. "I am the head of the Moonshadow Assassins' Guild." He said bluntly. "It's my business to know who you are."
Sensing Harrow's tension rising, Damien urged his horse a little closer and put a hand on his husband's arm. Harrow looked over at him with his jaw tight, and kept it shut when Damien gave him a soft look. Instead of letting the king escalate, Damien spoke for them both. "We came to find our sons. Nothing more, but nothing less. Ezran has a gift with animals - it seems he's used that gift to evade all the obstacles in an attempt to come here and . . ."
He had to swallow on the reason, and the assassin took pity on him. "Find a magical cure for your illness."
"So you have seen them." Harrow jumped on the information immediately, hope surging in both their chests.
Runaan's expression didn't soften. He turned his gaze on Janai. "And when their children are secured?"
"Zey will all be escorted back to ze border to Katolis. Zere will be no bloodshed, if we can avoid it." Janai said, frowning, her brows drawing in suspicion.
"Please," Damien said when the assassin seemed to be considering this information. "All we want is to return our children home safely. It was foolish of them to cross the border at all, especially for - for this. It's risky for us to be here. But we will do anything we must to get them back, if it's possible."
Runaan looked at him for a moment, more thoughtful than hard now. "Your boys are persuasive." He said eventually. "I see where they get it from."
"If you have zem in custody-" Janai began.
"We don't." Runaan's lips twisted oddly and he shook his head, turning back to the forest. His hands flew in a few gestures that had Damien's eyes brightening.
"Is that sign language?" He asked impulsively.
"Do not look at zeir hands!" One of the Sunfire soldiers - Amir, Damien thought - urged him quickly, looking frightened. "It is said zat ze Moonshadow elves can drive one mad wiz ze shadow signs!"
Runaan snorted as the woman guard took off into the shadows of the forest. "I suppose witnessing a new language spoken in an unfamiliar way would be enough to drive mad the small-minded."
Amir bristled. "Is zat an insult?"
"Only to the small-minded." Runaan arched a brow over his shoulder at the man, apparently confident he was safe to be snide. "Your boys were found by a group of Moonshadow youths two days ago. We have almost finished combing the forest, but it's largely a formality at this point. They convinced their young rescuers to assist them in escaping. They have mounts, and could be halfway across Xadia by now. Luckily, we do have an idea where they might be going."
"Zis was not covered in ze queen's plan." Janai muttered, rubbing her face.
"Was it not?" Runaan looked at her evenly and let loose a heavy sigh. "One of the elves who rescued them was my own apprentice. She took my moonstrider, and my husband's shadowpaw. The queen asked us to provide guides and guards to assist these humans in finding their sons, yes? I will take responsibility for them until all of our children are located."
Janai weighed this option and looked to Harrow. "Zis was not in ze original deal," She said. "I will allow it. Are you willing?"
"Yes," Harrow said without hesitation.
"Good." Runaan nodded to them shortly and turned back towards the forest. "Allow me the afternoon to gather what I need for a journey and ensure there are no further hints inside the forest. I will return at nightfall. We leave then. Agreed?"
Though he didn't turn around, Damien and Harrow both nodded. "Agreed."
"Then I will see you at nightfall."
