Secrets [Caerina]

[Ivory]

The shadows stretched out across the city like fingers, concealing criminals and innocent civilians alike in their grasp.  Night seemed to fall earlier than usual, despite the season, and a shattered desolation still clung to much of Allar's capital city.  Too many houses sat in ruins, too many sat still without light in the windows to warm them...and the graves in the cemetary still seemed too fresh and too many...

With tragedy always came trouble.  For some, thieving became a way of life when they had nothing else; others, however, took advantage of the chaos and trusting, charitable nature of the people.  The former were citizens of Allar down on their luck, while some of the latter had been brought here after the flood, following some siren's song.

Yet, for all their troubles, Allarrians carried on.  Light spilled from windows and the scent of dinner filled the air.  Children's voices rose in protest as their parents ushered them to bed, and the winter wind carried singing and laughter down the street as the Allarrian youth visited their local taverns.  It was a reminder that the Allarrian people were strong and that they would persevere, no matter the odds.

Perched in his very own shadow, it made Audric, features hidden by his mask and cloak, smile to see a young man and young woman walking through the shadowy streets.  They were clearly courting; the young man had tucked his cloak gallantly around her shoulders and, on occasion, would steal a look of worship in her direction.  The returned glances were shy but happy as they made their way along.  It was a sweet picture...and when the young man stopped in a shadow to kiss her, Audric turned away with a soft laugh to himself.  Young love, after all, was nothing to intrude upon...

...And, besides, it wasn't what the Shrouded Swordsman was here for.

Audric moved unseen through the shadows of the streets, his dark outfit keeping him hidden from the eyes of those who would arrest the vigilante on sight.  Even before donning the outfit, he had been familiar with the seedier districts of Allar; some of his best information came from there, and none of those people wanted to be seen with the Captain of the Duke of Allar's guard...and even fewer wanted to be seen with the Duke himself, once Audric had obtained that rank.

Tonight, he had a mission.  The Shrouded Swordsman had employed several of Audric's former contacts to seek out some information for him about a particular branch of the Church.  Hidden by the deep shadows of an abandoned park, Audric exchanged gold for the folded papers -- a precious, hard-to-come-by piece of information that would, with any luck, prove invaluable intelligence...to the Shrouded Swordsman and to the Masked Mordecai as well.

[Caerina]

There was something very alluring about the capital once it was engulfed into the night. Nera used to notice these things when she was younger: the scenery, the shadows, the beautiful moon up in the dark blue sky and small pecks of light that were spilled over it. Unfortunately, while some of the last years of her life were the happiest years of her life, they were also making her terribly occupied, and she had little time to observe sceneries. Being a wife, mother and a spy tended to keep one busy.

The last one also tended to make her more uneasy than the rest, which was no surprise considering the precarious and sensitive nature of the position she was in. Most women, they had it easy, they never had to steal very secret documents and collect information from their husbands so that they can send them to his enemy. But, it was just her luck, wasn't it?

It was actually no wonder she needed some time away from the house, away from the walls that seemed very close to suffocating her. She knew it wasn't the place that made her so uneasy, it was her own guilt, but it still made her feel slightly better once she was out, on the cold night air.

This was somewhat a detour from her original plans, considering she only intended to pay a visit to a friend, Lady Pia, for a session of gossiping and tea drinking before going back home. Turns out her friend was a very deft woman when it came to information and had some handy connections all over the noble families, and Nera had hoped to find out something new about the current situation with the mages. After hours of chatting, Nera finally managed to get out of Pia's house. Sending her carriage away, she decided on a walk.

It had been a beautiful afternoon, but Nera found herself unable to walk away from the beautiful view of the night sky she had in the park. The night was much more alluring than the day, and although she knew that she should be going home before anyone realizes how long she was gone, Nera kept saying to herself that she'll just stay here for a few more moments. Just a few more moments and she will leave. Nothing bad would happen if she just spent a few more silent seconds staring at the night sky.

But, nothing ever really goes as she planned, does it? Her eyes widened in fear as she felt cold, sharp metal under her chin and a hand that went over her mouth, preventing her surprised scream.

[Ivory]

The papers vanished into a pouch.  "Always a pleasure, Crawford."

The rat-like man gave a slight scowl in response, although he didn't look up from the silver pieces he was counting back into the purse the Swordsman had given him.  "Well, just be more careful next time.  I've got a reputation, see, and if the guards heard I was helping out the likes of you..."

"What, an honest businessman like yourself?  Why shouldn't they believe you?"

A soft "Tch" left the man's lips, and the coins in the purse clinked together as he knotted it back up.  "It'll cost you double next time, Swordsman.  It's getting more dangerous, what with the Grand Duke's mordecai about."

"They won't be here for much longer."  That was the truth. 

Audric's hand wrapped around the hilt of his sword -- a precautionary measure -- as soft, hurried footsteps moved up the path behind Crawford.  He didn't recognize the man -- but Crawford apparently did.  The pair shared a few whispers, then Crawford turned back to Audric.

"It's time to go.  The boys have spotted...an altercation nearby that's sure to draw the guards."  He gave the Swordsman an appraising look.  "...That is, once you get involved, I'm sure the guards will be called, anyway."  With a distasteful expression, he clarified, "That is, I assume you'll get involved.  There's a girl being attacked."

That was all Audric needed to hear.  Crawford ran a little crooked, but there were worse folks in town...  "Where?"

Crawford jerked his head back in the direction his lookout had come from, and Audric hurried, silently, in that direction.

What he found there made his blood chill as he reached for his sword.

(OOC: Your turn!  <3 )

[Caerina]

Her heart was racing in a speed she couldn't really compare with anything else she ever felt. It felt as if it was going to pierce her chest and pop out any moment now. The large hand that was clasped over her mouth prevented her from screaming but it didn't mean she stopped trying. With a blade stuck beneath her throat, though, Nera was aware screaming wouldn't do much if the person behind her decided she wasn't worth it and decided to cut her throat in one swift movement.

But, Nera also wasn't quite the calmest person. She moved, wriggled, she tried to escape her captor's reach but without success. The only thing that made her slightly calm her movements down was the feel the warmth of blood trickling down her throat. It was probably just a surface wound on her throat, but it bled, and made her fear increase substantially. In some ways she was thankful for that fear because it was clouding the pain of her wound for now, but the fear also made her thoughts more hectic and chaotic, less organized and less helpful then they would usually be.

What if he killed her? Another wave of fear passed through her body, her eyes filled with tears that never really spilled down her cheeks. What was going to happen to her children if she died? What of her husband? She knew she was selfish to think any of them would still care if they knew her secrets, but it was truly the only thing she had and could hold on at the moment.

"Calm the hell down, woman," her captor said, his words full of anger "Or I swear I'll cut your throat here and now."

She instantly stopped all of her movements, waging her possibilities. This man was obviously no simple thief, nor was he here to kill her. He just seemed to want her to move along. Then it dawned on her. He was trying to kidnap her. Although her thoughts seemed calm, she was absently aware that her whole body was shaking in fear. What was she supposed to do now as he dragged her along through the darkness?

(OOC: So excited for this *_*)

[Ivory]

Audric didn't recognize the woman at first; the way her hair and shadows fell over her face, and the big hand obscuring the lower half of her face, too, made it difficult to recognize even his own wife -- but, then, Audric also wasn't looking at the woman; Audric was looking at her captor.

The man was a big, brutish type, which left plenty of undefended body should he try to use the girl as a shield.  He had a knife -- sharp, by the looks of it -- against the woman's throat, and he was moving her along away from the lights of the city.

Out here, in this secluded park, a scream might bring the guards; more than likely, however, if her coin or a bit of pleasure was all he sought, he would have simply taken it by now and been done with it.  He wanted something else...

Well, regardless, his day was about to be ruined.

Attacking the man without warning was not Audric's style, usually, but there was a very real fear that the man would use the girl as a hostage...and Audric could not allow that...  On silent feet, he moved into position behind the man...and, suddenly, moved.  As quick as a snake strike, he caught the man's thick wrist and pulled, twisting the knife away from the woman and attempting to pin it behind the man's back.

The element of surprise worked in Audric's favor; the man's arm twisted painfully behind him, and the knife fell to the earth between them with a dull thud -- but it seemed the man had more tricks up his sleeve.  Rather than submit to Audric's hold, he drove his head backwards, the back of his head colliding with Audric's nose.

Stars exploded in Audric's vision, and he felt his grip on the man's arm slacken...which gave the thug just enough freedom to pull free and twist towards his attacker.

"I must be getting old," Audric muttered, more to himself than to anyone else as he focused his attention on the thug.  Really, to fall for such a dirty trick...  Ah, but he had a damsel in distress to save!  With his voice slightly pinched due to pain and his rapidly swelling nose, he squared his shoulders and drew his sword with a dramatic flourish that sent his cape billowing out behind him.  The Shrouded Swordsman stood before them, standing just perfectly in a beam of moonlight to emphasize the sharp blade of his weapon.  "I assume we need no introductions, so let's just get to it.  You've got two choices.  One, let the girl go, run away, and live another day.  Or, two.  That's the choice where you act stupid, and you end up dead for it."

(OOC: Nera can do something awesome!  <3 )

[Caerina]

It all happened far too fast for her liking. At one moment she was stuck with a blade at her already bleeding throat and at the next she found herself on the ground, still slightly dizzy from the fear and shock she faced. But, almost instantly relief flooded her as she realized she was free from her captor's grip.

She blinked a few times, in order to clear her vision from the tears she almost shed just moments ago, only to see there were two of them. Of course, she instantly recognized one of them, the bulky, large man as her captor. The second one was completely unrecognizable to her mind at the moment. She didn't mark either of the two as 'good' or 'on her side', her self preservation instinct kicked in and she refused to put her fate in the hands of these... Men.

Seeing that neither of them was really looking at her or payed her any heed, she moved slightly towards the place where her captor's knife was standing, still a bit smudged by her blood. Her whole body felt heavy and her thick, dark hair was now in a state of complete disarray, but she gathered all the willpower she had and, with her hands still a bit shaky, she took the knife.

The newcomer, who apparently fancied himself her savior, was trying to talk some sense into the damn brute. But, as usual, words were lost on his type of people and her captor didn't need long to take out two daggers of his own. It soon dawned on her that the man who came to her help looked a lot like the vigilante the whole area had been gossiping about for the last few years or so.

As the brute went ahead and tried to attack with his daggers, Nera could see the vigilante nicely defending himself and attacking with precision. She was already halfway ready to jump to her feet and escape while the two of them fought before anyone really won and got to her. But she turned around when she heard a bunch of metal clings. All of the weapons were now on the ground and so were the two men, who were now battling for anything they could use to defeat the other.

Nera found herself torn, as she saw the large brute, her captor, gaining the upper hand thanks to his massive size. His fingers were now inches away from a blade. Acting on her instinct, Nera found herself raising the knife, with the tip turned upwards and the handle towards the man, who was too busy battling the vigilante to notice her. She tried to think as fast as she could about where exactly was she supposed to hit him. If she missed, she would be in big trouble when the man turned his wrath to her. Praying that she was right, Nera slammed the handle of the knife in the back of his skull with all the strength she had. There was a sickening sound as the man suddenly fell unconscious.

[Ivory]

(OOC: Nera is so awesome!  *_*)

Of course he had other knives...  Audric almost rolled his eyes -- but the man knew what he was about.  He moved forward swiftly, barely giving Audric time to parry the first blow.  While the first knife had glanced off his sword, the second had to be side-stepped.

Audric himself, however, was not an idle opponent.  Taking hold of the man's arm on the strike, he used his own momentum against him, pulling him forward so that Audric could step past him and deliver a sharp kick to the back of the man's leg.  He went down hard, and one of his knives went skittering into the underbrush; the other, however, was brought up to slash into the fabric of the caped man's hood...just barely missing his cheek.

The Swordsman stepped back from the attack and swung his sword downwards, only to have the brute use his dagger to deflect the attack.  The weapons clanged together, and Audric's sword point sank into the soft earth beside the thug's head.  Reacting quickly to seize the advantage, the thug used both of his feet to land a kick against Audric's chest, sending the man backwards and away from his weapon.

Well, crap.  Reaching into his outfit, Audric withdrew a throwing dagger.  It would be poor for hand-to-hand combat, but it could kill a man from a distance...  Except when Audric threw the dagger, it stuck into the man's chest -- and the man scarcely glanced at it as he threw himself at the vigilante.  "...Didn't see that coming..."

But, then, the large man was trying to stab him all over again!  Audric twisted to the side, barely avoiding the knife's blade, then brought his elbow into the man's face.  There was a satisfying crunch as the man rolled to the side, and Audric, in the meantime, grabbed a hold of his wrist.  He hit the man's hand against a nearby tree until pain finally caused the man to release his weapon.  Before Audric could grab it, however, he found himself rolled several feet away from the weapon.

The scrap was not destined to go on much longer.  Audric had all-but forgotten about the woman he had been trying to rescue -- only to be suddenly reminded when she rescued him from the man.  As the man sagged into unconsciousness on top of him, Audric breathed out a soft sigh of relief before rolling the man off him and to the side.

"I am getting too old for this," he decided good-naturedly, still sprawled out in the grass on his back.  Picking himself up with a slight groan, he glanced at the unconscious man curiously.  This was no amateur thug, nor was he a simple trained soldier.  There was something darker at play here...and, perhaps, the girl might be the key.

"You're handy to have around in a fight, Miss," he told her as he regained his feet.  "I'm usually much better at this..."

His voice trailed away, suddenly, as he realized just who stood before him.  Why, it was none other than Duchess Nera Molneux...his wife!  "Nera?" he blurted out before he could think better of it.

[Caerina]

(OOC: Silly, silly Audric! There goes his secret... :3)

Nera still had the knife in her hand as the big brute was now down. She inhaled deeply as she pushed his body slightly with her foot, hoping the hit she delivered was strong enough to keep him out for some time until she got the chance to get to safety. Seeing that he didn't move, there was a slight pinch of guilt for what she did, and she could only hope she didn't damage him permanently or killed him. Thankfully, seeing the steady rise and fall of his chest, Nera let relief engulf her. She was safe.

With that thought her gaze landed on the person who was very much alive and very much awake on the ground. The darkness was far too thick for her to recognize him with the mask on his face, but now when her head functioned normally she could notice that he seemed to resemble someone she knew from before. Her mind was still deciding whether he too needed a strike in the back of his head, so she almost defensively held the knife in front of her, surviving instincts kicking in again.

There was a numb pain she felt around her neck, since she was sure that the excitement and fear that protected her from it were both disappearing from her body. The gash still didn't seem too deep, but it hurt and was uncomfortable now that the blood was getting more solid, like a chain. It bothered her more because of that than because of the pain.

When the vigilante started speaking, Nera found something fairly recognizable in his voice. She knew this man, she was sure of it. As she cocked her head slightly on the side, she could hear his surprised voice and recognize it. Nera's mouth was slightly open as she stared at her husband, who was in a costume and who just saved her from a kidnapper.

"Audric?" her voice was an octave higher than it was normally. She slowly put her knife down and looked at him, a bit better. It was her husband, but her brain had trouble processing that thought. She had problems voicing her questions as she watched him carefully. There were just so many things she wanted to ask him at once. But, she decided that some things were worth checking first.

"Are you hurt? He didn't cut you somewhere?" she came near him cautiously, letting her gaze look over his body searching for any wounds. Nera was worried, very worried but also very confused.

[Ivory]

(OOC: Audric isn't the sharpest tool in the shed.  XD )

Audric could only stare at her as he belatedly realized he'd given away more than he should have...  At her fussing, he realized, suddenly, the dangerous position he had put them both in...

"I'm fine," he said, putting out a hand to ward her off.  "Hold on for just a second.  And then we can talk."  He was glad it was winter; there weren't a lot of places for someone to hide or to listen in on their conversation...

With an initial sweep performed, he turned his attention to the body.  Blood stained his tunic from the dagger lodged in his chest, although, for the life of him, Audric had no idea how that hadn't stopped him -- or even slowed him down!  Sheesh.  Patting him down, he began searching for evidence of who this was -- and why he had kidnapped Nera.  "This wasn't some random thug.  This man is much more dangerous.  Did he give any indication what he wanted with you?  And where's the kids?  Are they safe?"

[Caerina]

(OOC: That's why he has his dear wife for! :3)

Nera crossed her arms as she watched her husband in his costume, playing a vigilante, fighting thugs in the streets in the middle of the night. Did he get caught up in the middle age crisis? What was he thinking, putting himself in danger like this? Nera sighed tiredly as she watched him examine the body of her captor who was defeated by her, she thought proudly. Then that warm feeling disappeared and she turned her head towards him.

"Calm down, Audric," she said with a serious tone. She was the one who was attacked, after all.  "I realized that since he didn't kill me, rob me or rape me. He didn't say much, he was just rather persistent on dragging me away," then she sighed deeply "The kids are fine, they are home with the nanny. Probably asleep by now."

Nera surprised herself with the calmness she spoke about disturbing things that happened just moments ago. It almost sounded as if she wasn't even there, as if she just told him about something that occurred to someone else.

[Ivory]

(OOC: Thank goodness!)

Completing his search, Audric tucked his findings into a pouch to be examined later.  There were...other...issues he now had to deal with, it seemed...

Like, his wife finding out the secret he had been keeping from her all this time...

Rope appeared in his hand, and he made quick work of binding the man's arms and legs together.  He was then, unceremoniously, dumped behind some brush and gagged.

"Nera..."  His frown remained obscured by his hood, which he suddenly seemed to remember having.  After another cautious look around, he pulled the heavy material down to reveal a dark mask beneath...as well as a swollen, bloodied nose.  It had stopped bleeding by now, but was still tender...

The mask was removed next, and the dark cloak itself was reversed with a flick of the wrist to reveal a different colored cloak altogether.  He still wore the dark clothes beneath, and he still had his weapons -- but what mad man would dare accuse the Duke of Allar of being the Shrouded Swordsman?

With the transformation complete, he offered her a smile (the usual one he gave her when he knew he was in trouble with her).  "Let's walk a bit..."

There was no sense in the mercenary overhearing their conversation, unconscious or not...

As he moved away, he said, haltingly, "So, you're probably wondering what I'm doing in a cloak and a mask..."

Really, there was no easy way to begin this conversation...and that was another reason he had put off telling her for so long...

[Caerina]

Nera watched patiently as her husband changed his vigilante costume into something decent enough. Her mind was itching with things she wanted to ask, things she needed to know, but she knew that her patience was a virtue and that she needed to use it deftly to gain as much as she could from this situation.

That was the only way she could handle everything happening around her at once - with patience and deft questions. But, it always seemed a bit harder to use such a technique on Audric.

She was slightly worried by the way his nose looked. It was swollen, but thankfully it stopped bleeding, so it was probably nothing serious, or so she tried to reassure herself. Nera knew she was supposed to be at least a bit angry with him considering what he did... Or what he has been doing ever since those rumors evolving around a masked swordsman started. He kept that secret so long. She felt a pang of betrayal but she pushed it back, she needed her head clear if she wanted to ask all the good questions.

Yet, it was so hard to be angry at him when he smiled at her like that. She walked next to him, her arms still crossed, her expression still very serious.

"I believe that the question did cross my mind once or twice," she said calmly "But I suppose you have a very, very good reason for that,don't you?" Nera even smiled a bit, although humorlessly.

[Ivory]

Taking heart from her smile, he shot one back in her direction.  "The truth is, Nera, I've been the Shrouded Swordsman for..."  Oh, wow, had it been so long?  "...Pretty much as long as I've been Duke of Allar.  At first, it was just something I did once in a while -- wander around, look for people in trouble, break up fights.  You know, stupid reasons."

Pretty much -- he had no trouble admitting to that.

"Do you remember a few years ago when I told you I had learned the Church was experimenting on mages?  I was with Cai that night, and we found them..."  His tone changed, as well as his expression, into something much sadder.  He could still picture it, still smell the scent of death that clung to the place...  "There had to have been thirty or more people there, and they'd been tortured.  Most of them were dead..."  All but one, in fact...  "And I decided, then and there, that if I could do something, I would.  But Calent wouldn't listen, of course.  So I decided to rescue those that I could.  And that's what I do -- what I try to do, anyway."

[Caerina]

Nera found herself terribly at a loss. She had been so busy orchestrating her own little plans and schemes that she didn't even notice that her husband apparently found a new profession for himself. She felt betrayed for him not believing her enough to share his secrets with her, but she also knew that she has no right to blame him, not when she was doing the same thing.

"That was.. So long ago," she frowned slightly "And you never found it in you to say something to me? You could have gotten yourself hurt or worse killed, and I wouldn't have the slightest idea about it." Nera's voice was not angry, but obviously disturbed by the revelation.

She was worried and hurt, both emotionally and physically as she shifted her weight uncomfortably, her arms crossed over her chest. There was a large part of her that wished she never even found it, because then it would've been much easier on her. But, what's done is done and there was no way to reverse it or the consequences that it will pull along.

[Ivory]

Audric nodded slightly, understanding her complaints.  After all, he had often considered the same thing...  "I'm sorry, Nera.  I am.  I didn't want to involve you, just in case they ever found out who I am..."  And, as the Swordsman, he had created too many enemies...  "I have an arrangement with the Masked Mordecai -- you've heard of him, I'm sure -- that if something were to happen to me, he would take care of you."  It seemed terribly impersonal, now that he was thinking about it in those terms...but he still just wasn't sure what else he could do...

Except, now, the cat was out of the bag...

"Things are getting worse and worse...  And I just want to keep you and the kids safe."

[Caerina]

Nera sighed deeply and closed her eyes for a few moments. How was he able to keep this secret from her for so long was beyond her... But then again, perhaps she wasn't giving him enough credit. It was always obvious to her that his allegiance lies with the Grand Duke, but now it seemed as if he was questioning that. Her face softened a bit and she gave him a tight smile, the best she could pull in the stressful moment.

"Perhaps I... Overreacted a bit, but this all was such a big surprise for me," she said honestly "There were many ideas that ran through my head every time you left the house, but the truth certainly isn't even close to them. And knowing now that I could've lost you hundreds of times by now just... Hurts."

[Ivory]

Audric's smile was quick to return -- as it always was -- in spite of the levity of the situation.  They had been together for long enough now that Nera would know a smile, a laugh, and a jest was Audric's usual way for dealing with most situations -- rightly or wrongly, it took effort for him to remain serious for long.

Even so, the smile he gave her seemed only half of what it would otherwise be.

"Over-react?  Hardly."  And, he wondered, just what it was she thought he was doing out at night?  Rather than asking, he said instead, "I won't ask you to understand, Nera.  I could never ask for that."  With that being said, however...  He gave her a grim look.  "But I can't stop.  So I need you to keep this a secret."

[Caerina]

(OOC: I am such a dipshit... Sorry for not leaving a reply for so long, I've had some issues with school and other real life stuff xD..)

Nera looked at him and sighed. There wasn't really anything she could say to him in order to change his mind, and she could see it. This also didn't seem like one of his crazy, half-planned ideas that he never quite got through with, this seemed like something he was very serious about, something he thoroughly planned out. And such a dedication to this cause thoroughly scared Nera

"A secret?" she asked very quietly. As if the two of them didn't have enough secrets to stand between them. Nera was quite sick and tired of keeping secrets, but she still knew she didn't have much choice and a long way ahead of her. She smiled reluctantly, if a bit sadly and nodded. "Of course I'll keep this secret." She tried to sound as honest as she could, but she wasn't sure if she was trying to persuade herself or her husband.