Bad Memories

[λ]

Tyrna casually eased his grasp on the cards, letting them fall slowly down onto the scratched up surface of the table. The bloated man leaned over, breathing heavily, and squinted slightly in an effort to make them out in the dim candlelight. Tyrna tilted his chair back, covering his nose with one hand. The man was much too close. Didn't he have any sense of personal space? The putrid stench of him was making Tyrna feel sick to his stomach. To make matters worse, the man had suddenly began to sweat heavily, and he was wearing almost no clothes.
"Shoulda bought a mask..." Tyrna murmured under his breath.
The man looked down at the cards, and then back at Tyrna in disbelief.
"Wh- wait... No! How!? Th- That can't..."
The man's grey spittle flew onto Tyrna's face.
Damn, I'm seriously going to puke thought Tyrna, as he fought off the urge to do just that.
"Look buddy, I don't have much time. Fork over the money."
The man began to babble frantically, trying to somehow make sense of his loss. Tyrna stared at the panicking man coldly. It never made sense to him. If someone isn't prepared to lose, they shouldn't play the damn game in the first place.
Grabbing the gold into his now clammy hands, the man made one last attempt and cried out in protest,
"N-No! I could NOT have lost to trash like you! You MUST ha-"
A swift kick at his legs shut him up, and the following one caused him to trip on the table and fall, like a trash heap on the ground.
Tyrna outstretched his hand to the pathetic lump of flesh, now writhing desperately on the floor.
"I thought I told you. I won't say it again. Gimme my damn money."
The man propped himself upright on one hand while wheezing with effort, and looked up. There was indignation mixed with absolute fury in his pale yellow eyes.
Only too late did Tyrna notice the man's other hand, hidden behind his back.
A glint, and a sweet fragrance suddenly cut through the thick air.
Red dribbled onto the ground.
"....
You really shouldn't have done that..."

[aelin]

It had been a long trip to Essyrn this time. The air was so dry that Ehiela was pretty sure her lungs must be coated with sand by now. She hated this place. It was always a bad day when she was given orders to dispatch someone in the desert. Thankfully, it was evening and the temperature was beginning to drop. She was right on schedule as she walked into the golden city. She stuck to the shadows as she prowled past the gates, unnoticed by the guards. She shook her head in pity - this city was guarded by men who couldn't even do their jobs.

Her steady stride was bringing her to a place she knew the local scum would be, a restaurant that housed one of the most aggressive gambling events in the city.  That would be how she found her target.

The assassin's soft brown hair was in a long braid that fell down her back, filled with small sharpened pins that could do damage to an eye. Her attire for this trip was different than her normal black cloaks. Instead she went lighter to ensure she didn't overheat in the sun while she traveled. Her arms and legs were covered in a light cream fabric that hung loosely from her skin. Her torso and shoulders were covered in a light tan armor that she had received a few years ago by one of Essyrn's blacksmiths. She wore brown boots that went up the length of her calf, concealing knives in each. There were attachments along her thighs that held seven inch long daggers and her blade, Damaris, was upon her back. A green cloth hung from ear to ear, covering her mouth from the sand as she traveled. Upon entering the town she had unhooked that cloth, stuffing it in a pocket.

It wasn't long before she had found her place of interest and one threatening knife to a chef's throat had gained her entrance into the dark room that held the dirty men who gambled for anything and everything.

The stench as she descended the stairs only got worse and she fought back the urge to hold her cloth over her nose and mouth. As soon as she reached the bottom she was greeted by two men who had just begun a fight. Clearly, the black haired one had won and was trying to get his payment. She glanced around - someone had to have information on her target, someone who happened to owe a lot of money to a man in the East. So much money that the only acceptable payment is his life. The other men around the various tables looked lazily upon the brewing fight, none rising to take any action. She decided to lean against the stone wall near the stairs, arms crossed over her chest as she watched.

[λ]

A kick in the face. A failed knife swing. A punch to the stomach, followed with three rapid strikes to the face. A failed knife swing. An elbow to the face. The knife falls down. One more punch and then a knee, landing squarely into the side of the man's head.
He crumpled. Tyrna stomped down hard on the man's hand.
"You gonna get up?"
Tyrna stared down intently at the man. The man had already fallen unconscious. His nose was broken, his lips were ripped, and he was bleeding heavily. Perhaps his jaw was dislocated as well, but Tyrna couldn't tell for sure. Tyrna never had high hopes for the man, but this really was pathetic.
Tyrna looked around. No one was paying much attention, save for a single woman, off to the side who had just came down the stairs. She looked rather stern, and had an air about her of a traveling mercenary. Either that, or one of... He shivered. No use getting paranoid again. They must have given up on him by now. Not to mention, she wasn't even Essyrni. Taking a deep breath, he looked down at his wrist. It was soaked in blood.
Tyrna sighed. Getting into this fight had just made the wound even wider than it already was. It wasn't very pretty to look at. And as if that wasn't enough, the scar on his neck had opened up again. He must have become too heated in the fight. What a pain. He sat down next to the man and started to treat the injuries. He glanced down and groaned with annoyance. Guess I gotta buy new clothes again...

[aelin]

The winner of the fight had style that Ehiela could appreciate but he was still too sloppy with his moves. Which was obvious in his wounds, he should have kept it more reserved instead of going so hard at it. She tilted her head slightly as she thought, watching the man tying up his wounds, he probably had the mental capacity to beat his opponent with pure wit. Yet, he had used his attacks more instead of thinking harder and pushed his body slightly too far. But not bad. She thought as she pushed off of the wall and walked over to kneel in front of the man.

"Perhaps you can help me." She had her forearms on her knees as she balanced on the balls of her feet with eerie stillness. "I am seeking a man by the name of Francis Drake. Ever heard of him?" She figured this was as good of a place to start as any. Her golden eyes drifted slowly over the man until they met his. Her face was a blank mask - void of any emotion, despite the disgust she was feeling at being so close to the awful smelling floor. But her golden eyes gave her face life as they glittered with the promise of death.

She pondered how long this man planned on staying down in this cesspit with those open wounds. It was easy for Ehiela to remember how often she had been left for dead and forced to tie off her own wounds and broken limbs. Her master had broken so many of her bones over the years but she endured it all as her hate for the man grew. But she had been honed into a weapon and she would almost agree that it was all worth it.

[λ]

Francis Drake? Tyrna wondered. Where had he heard that name before... Just hearing it brought back a feeling of intense loathing, but at the same time it was sort of nostalgic as well...
Ah, of course. That idiot I caught having an affair, Tyrna suddenly remembered.
Just hearing the guy's name again brought back a massive feeling of self-satisfaction. When he had first escaped from that place, he had been caught for stealing some food and money from a big shot in the city. He was promptly sold into slavery, where this "Drake" had bought him.
Oh but I got him good, reminisced Tyrna, and a smile floated to his face. While quickly finishing up the bandage on his neck, Tyrna replied,
"Yea I know him. He used to be my... well we're "good friends", how about we leave it at that. Why?"

[aelin]

Ehiela thanked the Gods that this man knew the one she hunted. The first time she had run into luck since being hired for this mission. "I must speak with him, it's urgent." She blinked at him with wide eyes, jokingly as if she was the type for words, before she stood up in a swift movement. Her eyes were cold again in an instant. If this man knew where Drake was then she would torture it out of him if she needed. He had about ten minutes to give her any hint of useful information before the torturing began. She wanted to leave this wretched city as soon as possible and she wasn't in the mood to play games.

"Let's get you out of here and you can tell me where Drake is." Ehiela forced her voice to sound somewhat appealing instead of a growl as she motioned for him to walk up the stairs that would lead them out of this hellhole. A part of her wished he would refuse to move so she could shove her nails deep down into his open flesh. The monster inside of her began to uncurl as her mind began wondering. All of the possible things she could do to this man to make him talk practically made her purr. She didn't give a damn about the people around them, they all looked like scum. If she killed them she doubted anyone would truly mourn. So she began counting in her head before she attacked him. If this man was smart he would take this opportunity to move.

[λ]

He felt a slight chill down his spine. Did he just feel bloodlust...? I wonder though... Is she another one of his mistresses? He's in for a surprise... It was hard to come up with any other reason why someone would want to meet Drake so badly. However, she seemed a bit too chatty for that to be he case. He wouldn't have thought Drake was stupid enough to have an affair with someone who might spill it at any moment. Then... maybe she's a mercenary that he swindled after she completed a job? That seemed to be much more reasonable. She did look like a mercenary, and her sword, along with all the weapons she had suggested his suspicions were correct. Perhaps guiding her to Drake wasn't such a bad idea.
This might be fun... Tyrna thought. She might even snap and beat him up in front of his servants. Seeing Drake humiliated like that wasn't such a bad thought. And even if things got really dangerous between Drake and her, he could probably step in and stop it anyway. It's not like he wanted Drake dead or anything. After all, Tyrna could probably get some money out of Drake if he really needed to, if he had a big loss in gambling or something like that. It's been a while since they met, but he was sure Drake wouldn't mind.
"Alright, I can show you where he lives."
Tyrna said holding back his excitement, replacing it with cool indifference.

[aelin]

Ehiela gave the man a simple nod and followed him out into the lively restaurant. These people were so unaware about what was conspiring downstairs. Secrets - people love their secrets. She stayed close to the man, not wanting to lose him as they walked through towards the front doors. If he tried to run then he's dead, she had already decided. She had no time for any bullshit.

Although she did slightly wonder why the man hardly even hesitated before saying yes. She didn't mind someone who didn't ask questions first. Maybe she will let him live. She debated in her head if this man kept his life or not as they made it into the dark street. She couldn't stop thanking the Gods that she had arrived at sundown. She would have enough time to watch his home for awhile and then kill him in his sleep. She would have to consider everyone inside, perhaps she would leave the children.

As they walked casually down the street Ehiela glanced over to the man's wounds, the cloth was soaked now and he looked like he was paling. Damn it. She couldn't let him lose consciousness or she might not be able to kill Drake tonight. One more night she did not want to be here.

She cursed under her breath as she made her choice, grabbing the man's arm and pulling them into the darkness of an alley they were passing. She had always been able to see better than others in the darkness, much like her other senses, her sight was heightened. Why was beyond her. She yanked the cloth he had pressed up against his neck out of his hand and tossed it behind her. Then she dug into a pocket of her pants and pulled out some plant leaves that a healer had given her before she departed for this mission. Lady's Mantle, it was called. She pressed them against the wound on his neck, ignoring the blood that ran down her hands. She gave the man a warning growl when he protested. Then took out the green cloth she had used to protect herself from the sand and wrapped it around his neck, swiftly, ensuring it wasn't too tight. Finally she tied it so it held the leaves in place.

"Now you won't bleed out before you show me where Drake lives." She spoke to him in the darkness, her golden eyes boring into him as they stood a foot apart. He was much taller than she was which forced her to work on her toes, literally. Her head came to his chest and in that moment she noticed the full extent of his wounds and his scars. Admirable. He had scars just like she did.

After a moment she stepped away and walked back onto the street, moving once again.

[λ]

Gods, this is so embarrassing...
Well, he certainly wasn't expecting that. He swore to himself never to leave his bandages on haphazardly ever again as he mumbled a thank you to the woman. She had gone so far as to use her own medicine and bandana to close the wound on his neck.
If only it could actually heal. Then he wouldn't have had this problem in the first place. It's been years now, and he still couldn't get it to do much more than to close up temporarily.
One more thing was bothering him from what had happened a few moments ago. She had a massive amount of scars almost everywhere on her body. He wondered if she really was this chatty and clueless person she seemed to convey when they met.
Perhaps...
His head hurt, and he couldn't think straight. It was probably the bloodloss.
He looked over to the woman. Reflected in the last rays of the sunset, it seemed as her golden eyes were dancing in the light. However, he could now tell for certain she wasn't the type of person he had assumed she was. Those were the detached eyes of someone who has seen many die in front of her.
She must be one hell of a mercenary, Tyrna thought.
He walked with her for perhaps another fifteen minutes, taking detours through back alleys and slums, when they finally arrived in front of Drake's manor. It was a large building, looking like a palace. There were cream colored pillars erupting from the ground surrounding it, with a magnificent wooden door as an entrance inside. Windows dotted the sides of the building.
The sun had set, and it was now dark. Tyrna walked up to the gate. Stationed outside was a yawning guard, barring them.
Tyrna threw a coin at him. As if on cue, the gates were opened.
He turned around to the mercenary.
"This is it, by the way. In case you were wondering, he always keeps three extra guards hidden from sight, so be careful if you're going to do something rash."
He figured he should at least give a warning, especially because of the help he received earlier. Those guards were definitely tough though. He remembered a time as a slave when he had set up a crossbow trap, and one of them had caught the bolt with their hand. The guard didn't let out a single sound, and even pulled it out himself. However, Tyrna supposed if he had to, he could keep them occupied long enough for her to finish whatever business she had with Drake. He pulled out a spool of thin wire just in case. He then suddenly remembered something.
"Ah, I forgot to ask, what should I call you?"
He figured he could have been a bit slow, seeing as this was most likely the last time they were going to meet, but there was no point in not asking either.

[aelin]

They walked in silence and soon they were upon Drake's residence. Ehiela was surprised to see it so heavily guarded, clearly this man had enemies. She took in the size of the manor in front of her. She could definitely make it out with only killing Drake and his wife. In a place this big she knew no one would know until morning.  They walked in past the guards, Ehiela keeping her eyes down until she was through. She didn't need anyone remembering her face. Even if Drake had a large wall around his home it was pointless if his guards were bought off so easily, she thought to herself.

When the nameless man told her about the hidden guards she nodded without the slightest inclination that she was worried. Now it was her turn to lead, she moved off to the side of the manor making sure to keep her distance. They stuck to the shadows closest to the east wall. There was a small cluster of trees that provided coverage for her before she made her move. She would gather herself here and then watch from up in those trees.

When the man asked her name she looked over her shoulder at him, "Thank you for your help but you can leave now." Her only response, dismissing him. She didn't need any help ending this pig's life. She was glad that this man had given her accurate directions but she wanted to finish the job as soon as possible. A man with his injuries would surly just slow him down and he had no business knowing what she was up to.

She leaned against the closest tree and pulled a seven inch long dagger from her hip. She rubbed it on her pants a couple times before holding it up to look at the shine as she tilted it. She ran the edge along her fingertip, blood instantly pooling from the small cut it had created. She raised an eyebrow to the man who was still standing there, hoping he wasn't about to be more trouble than he was worth.

Before she opened her mouth to insist he be gone there was an armored man upon them. He was standing a couple feet away, staring into the shadows where they stood, sword drawn. Shit she cursed under her breath and she drew her own blade, Damaris. She needed to take care of this quickly so no more attention was drawn. Ehiela really didn't feel like slaughtering everyone on the Manor grounds but if this guard forced her to do so she would.

Feeling at home while holding onto the ornate golden hilt of her blade, the sapphire on the hilt sparkling as she twisted the sword in her wrist, stepping forward to meet the guard's challenge. "Trespassers." The guard gave her a wicked smile upon noticing she was a woman. Ehiela held back her words and shot towards the guard instead, Damaris slicing through the air. The guard was fast despite the protection he wore upon his torso. Due to her own light wears, Ehiela was much quicker. A blur on her feet as she twisted and banked to the side. The guard's sword narrowly missed her neck as she stepped back slightly before the blow. She needed to end this quickly, hating the guard more every time he blocked one of her death blows. When her sword struck his armor the sound clearly echoed through the yard.

She hissed another curse as she ducked under his outstretched arm and slammed Damaris' hilt into the guard's ribs. His moment of pause was all she needed. Her heel slammed into the back of his knee, buckling his leg. Before his knee hit the ground, Ehiela shoved Damaris through the back of the guard's open neck. She quickly used her boot against the guard's back to shove his body to the ground while she pulled her blade from him.

Quickly she locked her arms under the guard's still warm body and pulled him into the darkest shadows of the trees. Then she paused to put her weapon away before becoming still. Her breathing was normal despite having fought a quick fight. Ehiela listened to the night around them. It was still early in the evening, she knew everyone inside would be awake probably sitting down for dinner.

"Damn, these guards must really suck." She said more to herself than the man that still stood nearby as she turned and hauled herself up into the tree with the best view of the Manor. Ehiela had no clue how the other guards didn't hear her tussle, perhaps they thought it was nothing. She didn't look back down to see what the man was doing, it was none of her concern, instead she turned her attention to the Manor. She planned on sitting there and watching until everyone was asleep and she could make her move with no more interruptions.

[λ]

Tyrna stared in disbelief at the scene that had just unfolded.
What the hell does she think she's doing? he wondered as he quickly set up a perimeter with the spool of wire he had. The wire coursed through the air, as if it were alive, wrapping around pillars and trees.
She dragged off the guard's body to do what? Hide it? As if the sound of it hadn't already alerted half of the guards. He looked around, but couldn't see the mercenary anymore.
And of course, she already left to do whatever she came to do, leaving me alone in this mess.
He hadn't thought she would make such a big scene as soon as they got in. Where did she think this was anyway? This manor has some of the most tightest security in Essyrn. Maybe she got the wrong idea when he bought off the guard at the gate?
He had to give it to her though, it was an impressive fight. There was almost no wasted movement on her part.
An arrow whizzed across the yard. Tyrna tilted his head to the right, dodging the arrow by a hair's breath.
Shit. They're here.
2...5...10...
It was enough of a pain dealing with this many guards when he was in good condition, but at the moment with his injuries, it was going to be a really difficult fight.
He outstretched his hand towards the dead man's sword, letting it fly to his hand. He deflected two more arrows with it, before taking cover behind a tree. A guard seemed to have fallen to his trap he had set earlier. He could hear the thud of its body landing on the ground.
Well at least she didn't see my magic... Tyrna thought. And as for the archers that had seen it, he would have to kill them whether he wanted to or not. He hated killing, but he didn't really have a choice if he wanted to avoid being found again by those people. Not many had his magic, and it would be obvious where he was if word spread.
He could hear even more guards gathering in the courtyard. He was going to be stuck here for a while...

[aelin]

It was wishful thinking on her part that the other guards hadn't heard her fight. Maybe they were just extremely slow to respond, she thought to herself as she watched a number of guards run below her. Her body was shielded by the leaves of the tree she was in - dark clothes blending into the shadows. She knew they were headed right for the man she had left on the ground. It wasn't her concern, she had a job to do and if she didn't act now Drake would surly flee with his family.

Although, she hoped the man would be able to hold his own for a few minutes. If he was still alive when she returned then she would save him. Ehiela crept along the tree branch that had grown three feet from a window. As good of an access point she would get. The family had finished dinner and each separated into their own spaces. This was her chance to kill Drake without having to kill his entire family. She wasn't fond of killing innocents.

Thankfully there was the distraction of the guards fighting in the yard. She hated to use that man as bait but he was as good as any. She threw two knives above the window, ensuring to use enough force to send them deep into the wood. She didn't give herself a moment to think before leaping to grasp the knives, using the force of her swinging feet to shatter the window. She easily climbed in, leaving her knives outside as she immediately sprinted down the hallway. Luckily the window she had chosen was in the wing where no one had gone yet. The manor was so big that even if they had heard the window break it would take them a moment to gather.

Her footsteps were silent as she swiftly made her way to the bathroom Drake had retired to. Her boot splintered the door as it connected and she beheld a wide-eyed Francis Drake in the tub. The man had barely gathered his breath to yell before her dagger raked across his thick throat. The water was red with his blood as she opened up the bathroom window and slipped out.

The drop to the ground sent a shooting pain up her ankle but she rolled off of it before damaging it too badly. A cry escaped her as she moved through the darkness, limping slightly while she could. The sounds of the guards meant the man must still be alive.

"Hey!" She held her hands around her mouth and called out to the brutes. They all whipped their heads to the side and she drew a dagger - throwing it into the closest guard's forehead. The man's body fell against the ground and his brethren let out a cry and charged after her. She led them just far enough into the darkness that she could slip into a tree while they passed, chasing a phantom. There was a small sound as she dropped back down to the ground and moved back to the man as fast as she could.

"Lets go!" She hissed as she began pulling his arm up over her shoulders. He held his ground but had clearly lost too much blood from his neck wound. The weight of his body forced her to put pressure on her ankle as they walked, narrowly escaping the front guards who were now alert to the situation.

Ehiela pushed further away from the Manor, glad to be long in the distance by the time the sounds of alarm had been risen. They had finally found Drake in a tub of his own blood, his thick plump body pruning away while the guards chased a ghost woman. Those guards really do suck... Ehiela smiled to herself as they pushed on.

"My name is Ehiela." She offered the man after they had walked in painful silence for awhile. "Do you have some place we can go?" Her options were limited and she couldn't help but want to make sure this man wasn't going to die. They had had a pretty eventful night and she could feel her own shoulders sagging in exhaustion. Even she had a few cuts on her face from the moment three more soldiers had ambushed her as she led the others away. Her mission was over and she would be able to depart from this desert soon enough. She needed to gather supplies and rest her ankle first though.

[λ]

He was so damn pathetic. Having to lean on a person with an ankle injury for a support. He felt like a joke. Not to mention, it wasn't just any person with an injury, it was a damn assassin.
Of course, I should have realized from the start. thought Tyrna.
However, he owed her his life now. He wouldn't have survived long if she hadn't come back for him.
Well, at least he knew her name now.
He replied to her,
"I know a back alley doctor a few streets down from here. He should let us stay there for a bit..."
The doctor was an old friend of Tyrna's, and had helped him immensely throughout the years. He owed a lot to the man. He would have to rely on this doctor one more time.

Tyrna supposed this was the last day he could stay here in Essyrn. He was unable to silence the guards, and the information on him was sure to spread. I should have.... Tyrna shook his head weakly. If he had taken those two arrows instead of blocking them with the sword, he would have definitely died. There was nothing he could have done about it.
He looked sadly at the city as they passed by broken down shacks and gambling joints.
He let out a dismayed sigh.
Nothing I could've done...
Tyrna and Ehiela turned a corner into a narrow street.
"It's right here," Tyrna pointed.
There was a row of deserted houses. In between two of them was a small staircase with a rusted rail on the side, leading down to a weathered dark green door.
Tyrna knocked on the door, and after a few seconds said out loud, "It's me."
The door swung open, revealing a tall man in a sand colored cloak.
"Gods, Tyrna! What the hell did I say about your damn fighting!? I thought I told you to watch out because of your neck! And this wrist too? You're a god damn mess. Get in here. And whose this lady supposed to be?"
"She's a gambling buddy of mine. She twisted her ankle when she was dragging me here."
The doctor turned around to Ehiela.
"....I see. Thank you for helping out this idiot. You come in too, I'll check over your leg free of charge."

[aelin]

As they pushed through the city Ehiela could feel their pace slowing. Just as she opened her mouth to complain the man pointed as they turned onto a small street. She stayed quiet as they stood before the door, the man knocking with confidence. The tall man who answered looked them over with a disbelieving look.

Ehiela could only imagine what the pair looked like. Bloodied and roughed up, no doubt. Tyrna. The large man had called the one draped over her shoulder before ushering them into his home. As Tyrna offered a quick explanation she simply nodded and offered a weak smile. She wasn't sure what the doctor would make of the number of weapons she had on her person but it didn't seem to matter as he began gathering his supplies.

She sat in an empty chair across the room, watching as Tyrna sat and the doctor fussed at him more for opening his wounds. Her eyes drifted over the room, taking in the two doors and lack of windows. Good. She thought to herself as she began unlacing her boots. Surly the guards from Drake's estate would be hunting the streets by now. They had to lay low, she knew the guards would be able to pick Tyrna out on the streets if they saw him. The man had a look about him that wasn't easy to forget.

The doctor worked quickly as he stitched and bandaged Tyrna's neck and tended to his wrist wound. Ehiela fought the urge to keep a dagger in her hands at all times, feeling more on edge than she had in a long time. It wasn't long before the doctor moved to her, his eyes were soft with empathy but he knew nothing of her story. She held back the bile rising in her throat - she hated the pity in men's eyes. She wasn't a delicate flower that twisted her ankle and needed coddling. But she allowed the doctor to wrap her ankle tightly to help add some strength. He told her to stay off of it for a few days which she knew wasn't going to happen but she nodded anyways. 

"Thank you for your kindness." She spoke to the doctor as he turned back to give Tyrna's wounds some finishing touches. Her hands were in her lap twisting about some cloth that had been ripped from her shirt. She wasn't sure if she had ripped it on a branch or if one of the guards had almost landed a blow. But her face turned red as her stomach growled unexpectedly and she looked at the two men in front of her with a sheepish grin on her face.

[λ]

Tyrna complained as Ehiela and the Jarren ate their meal of bread and slices of meat.
He definitely knew I was hungry. That's why he stitched it up so quickly before I could do anything... Damn bastard. he thought as he looked down at his soup, which seemed suspiciously just like boiled water. When Tyrna had reached for a loaf of bread, the man had pulled it away from him, saying it would ruin the stitches. He sipped the soup quietly on the side of the table. How could Jarren even call himself a doctor, when he didn't even feed his patients properly?

When the meal was over, Jarren beckoned Tyrna over to the back of the kitchen. Tyrna looked around the kitchen and sighed. It still looked like someone had set off a fire ball into it. Jarren turned around, and faced Tyrna.
"So. What actually happened. I can't imagine you needing that much help if it was just a bar fight or something."
"Well... actually I really di-"
"I don't have time for this, just say what happened."
Jarren looked at Tyrna with a look of annoyance, but with some worry as well.
"Fine. I helped that person over there finish one of her jobs. It got a bit messy. But I really did-"
"I thought I told you to not get involved in stuff like this. What if someone found out where you were?"
"Uh...funny you should say that..."
As relization dawned on Jarren's face, it suddenly became alight with absolute fury.
"The hell were you thinking, you goddamn idiot!"
"Look, I wasn't planning to, but if I didn't I would've died."
Jarren held his face in his hand as he slumped onto the wall.
"You know, they put out a reward for finding any Essyrni with telekinesis right? That's how goddamn serious they are in finding you. You're done."
"You think I don't know? I'm leaving in the morning."
Jarren let out a deep sigh. He was aware that was the only thing Tyrna could do now.
"You can stay here till the morning then. Leave before it gets bright out."
Tyrna looked away. He felt bad leaving it like this.
"I'm going to sleep." Jarren said.
He walked by Tyrna into his room, and shut the door.
Well that could have gone better... Tyrna thought.

[aelin]

The meal was enough to fill Ehiela's belly and she felt sleep tugging. As she kept her head in her plate she allowed the men to think she wasn't paying attention to them. She wasn't slow enough to miss the glances from the doctor or Tyrna's hesitancy when the doctor asked to speak with him. They walked into the kitchen and shut the door behind them.

Ehiela gingerly pressed herself against the door as she had done so many times before while she hunted for information. They spoke in hushed voices but it was hard to miss the emotions that were clearly pouring from the doctor. Then she heard it. Telekinesis. She was back in her chair in an instant, she had heard enough. This man was a magic user. The very poison that killed her parents was running through his veins. She bit back a snarl, shoving the chair back, and finding her way to the washroom. The lock clicked loudly as she shut herself inside. Her golden eyes met their match as she stared at herself in the smudged mirror. She looked tired. Her day was one of the longest she could remember. Her face was covered in dust from traveling through the desert all day and the assassin realized she hadn't seen herself once today. She didn't realize she looked so haggard.

The water that ran was clear and Ehiela thanked the Gods as she began scrubbing herself. She scrubbed her face, neck, hands and arms until her skin had begun to turn red. Once she was done she took a moment, back against the wall, to think.

Okay, the man had magic. Ehiela realized that must have been how he had survived long enough for her to return to him. The doctor knew he had magic. She felt dirtier than before being in the same home as magic-supporters. She was beyond bitter towards magic users and she felt disgusted with herself for not noticing it sooner. But this man, Tyrna, was not careless like some magic users. She hadn't stayed for the rest of the conversation but knew it was over when she heard a door slam down the hall. 

She exited the washroom quietly and walked back to the room where they had eaten to find Tyrna standing, looking less than happy. She sat herself back down into a chair, thankful to be off of her ankle. "Your friend seems lovely." Was all she said as she draped an arm over the back of her chair, her golden eyes staring into Tyrna's.

[λ]

Tyrna met her gaze, tilted his head slightly, and ran his hand through his hair. The bracelet on his wrist made a slight jingling noise.
"There were... issues we had to discuss. I'm going to be leaving Essyrn tomorrow morning. If you still need a place to stay for a few nights, you can take my house. You might even be able to use it as a base later if you need to. I won't be using it again anyways..."
With this, I've repaid my debt to her for saving me... Tyrna thought.
"Ah, I forgot to mention, it's the house on the other side of that restaurant." Tyrna added on with a feigned sense of vigor.
Tyrna turned, and walked off to the other side of the room before Ehiela had a chance to speak. He quickly began to make his preparations for the next day.
Bandages... bread... water....
He grabbed a cloak along with his supplies, and walked over to a mattress with a sheet over it. It was going to be a long night. 
He sat down onto the bed, still clutching his cloak and supplies tightly. A single drop of blood stained the bandages on his neck. He had a look full of intense regret and desolation, but he made an effort so that no one would see it.

[aelin]

Ehiela found herself alone in the stranger's home. No one had shown her a room and as she glanced around she didn't see anything worth sleeping on besides the floor. She could find better places to sleep than this, a few bats of the eye and a sway of her hips and she could land in a very nice bed for the night. But the assassin knew it was stupid to go to a tavern so late, there would only be brute drunks there now.

"Uh, Tyrna." She knocked lightly on the open door. The man was seated on the edge of a bed, supplies for his journey in his hands. They were strangers, nothing more. Ehiela reminded herself that the man before her was also a magic user and she quieted her thoughts with a breath.

"Where shall I sleep?" Her arms were crossed over her chest as she spoke. It was getting late and she was ready to rest. It would be sunrise when Ehiela planned on leaving this Gods-forsaken desert. She would return to the seaside where the air was crisp.

[λ]

Tyrna looked up with slight confusion at Ehiela. Had she knocked on the door?
"What? Oh, yeah.... Umm... Here, you can take this bed, there's another one in the storage room I can get."
Gods, it's hard to think she's an assassin... Though that isn't a bad thing I suppose...

He wandered over to the cabinet next to the door. It was withered and looked as if it was about to fall over any second. He reached his arm in, grabbing a straw mattress.
Only three bloodstains. Not so bad.
He set it down on to the ground. From here he had a good enough vantage on the door, as well as Ehiela. He wanted to trust her, but he knew how fickle people in her profession could be.

Tyrna realized that he hadn't thought about where he would leave to.
I wonder where I should go... Serendipity? There's bound to be lots of mages there... But that'll definitely be the place they would check first... Connlaoth?
If he remembered correctly, that was where Mela came from...

His mood instantly darkened. Why should he even bother to run? If they come to him, he should just kill th-
Tyrna quickly tried to calm himself before his neck opened up again. If he did something like that, he would most definitely die and, he might not be able to get anyone either... He shouldn't rush it.

He lay down on the bed and glanced over to Ehiela. He wanted to say something, but he was unsure as to what.

[aelin]

The assassin thanked Tyrna as he handed over the bed and began pulling out his own mattress.  As she settled herself into the bed, she slid a dagger under the thin pillow. She wore her clothes that she had traveled in and the assassin could not wait for a proper bath. The blankets were cold and crisp and she made herself comfortable.

Sleep was dancing around her mind but hadn't come for her yet. There was little sound around the home, the quiet was unsettling to Ehiela. She turned to her side in the bed to face the man across the room. To her surprise he was looking towards her as well.

"So what happened to your neck?" She ventured to ask the man from her reclined position, one arm underneath her head while her other was draped across her midsection above the covers. She knew if she didn't come to peace with being in the same room as this magic user then she would never get any sleep tonight.