[IC] Just My Luck[Icicle and HiddenBeauty13

[icicle]

“Ya know,” the assassin started, smirking at the bounty hunter as she spoke, “I’ll end up bald if you keep throwing these knives at me, Flake.” And whose fault do you think that’d be, huh miss imperceptive? Flake grinned at the thought, then watched as Raine threw the spontaneous knife back at the classless tourney-goers from whom it originated. He watched as the blade-end sank into the wall a foot away from where a man was leaning against a wall. It was a fairly good throw, from that range, but the angle wasn’t quite perfect.

Raine didn’t take long to add, “Well, you told me to come and find you once I was ready to take back what’s mine, so I came.” She then shrugged and felt along her neck as Flake’s smug grin grew wider. Unconscious gestures of crotchety Flake thought, watching as the assassin preemptively inhaled. “Tough I could be asking you the same thing. Why are you here? I would’ve expected to see you in a more,” Raine leaned forward onto the table with her elbws, smirking again, “Civilized area.”

Flake dropped his smug grin and his expression became completely serious as he paused for a few seconds. He then mused, “you thought I’d be in a more civilized area?” After another second of staring at her, he burst into a mad fit of laughter, violently falling onto the floor in the aisle as he desperately gasped for breath. The sound coming from his chest was louder than the murmur of the crowd, and the tone was oddly condescending. Thirty seconds passed, then he instantaneously shot up, completely serious, and sat back down, his posture ramrod-straight. “I hadn’t thought that you’d picture me as a civilized man,” he retorted. He squinted at Raine as he began speaking, then adopted a gentle smile.

“Now, let me enlighten you,” Flake said, unphased by the confusion and annoying laughter of the other members of the pub as they watched his spectacle end, “I wished to be in a place where neither the guards nor the assassins bother watching. There are only three such places in this city.” The crowd slowly returned to its normal cycle of drunks shouting and thieves getting beat up as he spoke, however his expression only got more and more serious.

“I am called Flake, as you know, however that is not my real name. You need a new name. Also, there is a herald with information about your uncle at west central square next to the info broker’s stand. Do with that as you wish, and at noon tomorrow, meet me at the sweeper’s hall with some new armor.” Once he finished speaking, he tossed his guest the purse she tried to steal earlier and got up from the booth. “any questions?” he asked, looking back at her with a cold expression.

[HiddenBeauty13]

Raine blinked slightly in surprise as her final remark caused Flake to erupt into a fit of over exaggerated laughter that caused him to fall out of his seat. For a moment, the assassin truly wondered if he was on some type of drug or medication, but simply figured that Flake had a few bolts loose in his head; or his surroundings were starting to affect him in more ways than one. By the time he recovered from his random laughing fit, Raine's facial expression had returned to normal and she silently listened to what else he had to say. The girl mentally stored his instructions before shaking her head slowly. "No, but I do have a request: Call me Misti from now on. My old name is getting old." Raine said in response to his earlier statement and picked up the money bag then stood from the booth. "See you later, Flake." And with that, Raine exited the tavern, avoiding any more confrontation--and flying knives--as she did so.

When she got outside, Raine exhaled deeply and titled her head back slightly in order to get a better look at the setting sun in front of her. The sky was like a painter’s canvas that had been splattered in multiple shades of red, yellow and orange and, for a moment, she was completely transfixed by the scene. Raine quickly snapped out of it though as she reminded herself that she was no longer alone on her farm. There were people around that could try to jump her yet again, especially since it was beginning to get dark. Sighing a bit to herself, she made sure that the money bag was still safely secured in her shoulder bag before heading down the street, hoping that she would eventually find an inn.
At first, Raine had no luck in finding an inn and usually got mean glares and harsh responses when she asked for help. Not only that, but she had to knock out one man after he tried to feel her up. Geeze, what kind of town does Flake live in? She wondered to herself as she stepped over his unconscious body, rubbing her knuckles slightly as she did so. Glancing around, Raine could online see a few homes, some abandoned buildings and the occasional begger that happened to walk by. Noticing this, the girl was about to take refuge in an alley way for the night until a large sign with the name: Milly’s Inn caught her attention. After seeing that, Raine nearly ran over to the Inn and walked inside.

Milly’s Inn was a rather small building that only had two floors and consisted of a total of only twelve rooms, one dining area and one lounging area that management had managed to squeeze into one corner. Both the lounging and dinner areas were decorated with carefully crafted, handmade furniture that was smooth to the touch. There were also a few vases of flowers placed here and there, giving the area a warm and welcoming feeling. Looking ahead, Raine noticed a woman who looked to be in her mid-thirties standing behind the front desk. One had rested on her swollen belly while the other was busy gesturing for her to come over. “Welcome to Milly’s Inn! I’m sure you’re exhausted after your travels. Please, stay here.” The woman said with a friendly smile and Raine couldn’t help but to say yes to her.

After paying a reasonable price for a room, Raine took the key upstairs to Room #5 and unlocked the door. The room was small yet comfortable and consisted of a single bed, a dresser and a sink and mirror set to wash up with. “Well, it’s better than sleeping on the forest floor.” The assassin mumbled to herself and made sure that she locked the door behind her before walking over to the bed and practically collapsing on it. It didn’t take her long to drift off into a dreamless sleep.

When Raine finally lifted her head from the pillow the next morning, she realized that she still needed to get new armor before meeting up with Flake. With that thought in mind, she dragged herself from the bed and over to the sink to wash up a bit before heading out the room. Soon the girl could be seen walking down the street, munching on a biscuit that she’d gotten from the dining room of the inn before she left. Her hood was pulled over her head, even though it was nice and comfortable outside and she held her head down, as if she did not want to be bothered with anyone but Raine still managed to get some information out of someone when she asked them where the nearest armory was. Apparently, she would have to walk all the way to the shopping district, which was located west of where she currently was. Raine had no idea how long that walk would take, so she figured that she better get moving if she wanted to meet Flake at the appropriate time. So she popped the rest of her biscuit into her mouth and took off in a light job.

As she made her way through the various streets, Raine noticed the change in scenery the closer she got to the shopping district. The abandoned wooden homes were replaced with splendid stone structures that seemed to glimmer in the morning sunlight. Dirt roads were replaced with polished stone that were so clean that Raine was almost scared to step on them. Looking around, she noticed that the people were different too. The women held their heads up high underneath their gigantic hats that seemed that provide shade for everyone in a one mile radius. Their elegant dresses just barely scrapped the ground as they walked and their high heels clattered rhythmically as the strolled along the roads. The men, dressed in freshly ironed suits, carried suitcases filled with what Raine assumed to be important paper work and occasionally tipped their own hats to the ladies in dress. After seeing this, the assassin couldn’t help but to feel out of place.

Shaking the thought away, she began to look around for the armory until she spotted a tax collection stand, one that looked very familiar to the one that Flake had described. Even though it was early in the morning, the man overseeing the stand seemed to be somewhat alert to what was going on around him. This must be the guy Flake was talking about… Raine thought with a frown and quickly thought of a way to get this man by himself so she could question him thoroughly. Eventually, she came up with an idea and used the alleyway behind him in order to silently sneak up behind him.

“Don’t say anything and I won’t stab you.” She muttered to him and she pressed the tip of her dagger in the area right behind his heart. It was clear that Raine wasn’t playing games, even if she was a head or two shorter than the man. “Just slowly back up into this alley here so I can get this over with.” If he made any attempt to resist, Raine would stab him, and she was pretty sure that he was aware of that as well. Once he finally obey her instructions, she led him in the alley where she quickly shoved the big bulk of a man against the wall and pointed her dagger directly at his neck. “Tell me what you know about Rinjuko.” Raine demanded in an icy tone.

[icicle]

As Flake looked back, his last words spoken, Raine picked up the pouch of coins and replied, “No, but I do have a request. Call me Misti from now on. My old name is getting old.” Flake nodded after hearing her request, then walked over to the throwing tournament area. A few men started to voice complaints as he walked up, but soon after, he picked up eleven of the knives sprawled across the table and threw all of them at the targets, each knife whistling from the speed of the throw. Nine knives landed in the targets perfectly, sticking out perpendicular to the ground. The tenth knife hit the back of the first knife and wildly ricocheted back at the table.

The rest of the somewhat-sober people in the pub stared in silence for a few seconds as Flake turned and left. “Don’t you want your prize?” one of the contestants asked, a subtle annoyed tone lacing his voice. Flake sharply turned and roared, “My prize is your promise to stop acting like such blithering idiots!” He then pulled out one last knife and, turning his entire body, threw it straight into the banner on the wall which had the rules in it. The knife sank into the wall down to the hilt, however it was a very crooked stab.

“Rule eight!” he shouted, slamming his hand down on a table, snapping the midsection in half from the impact, “if you see me, SHUT THE HELL UP!” With that said, he calmly walked out of the pub, a smirk growing over his face as the room behind him fell eerily silent. The bounty hunter walked silently through the town for the next few minutes, however, his meditation was interrupted by a crowd of people surrounding a man. The man looked to be one of the street-types, and from what Flake could make out through the crowd, he was just waking up.

“I swear, I saw this woman and accidentally bumped into her,” the man started, massaging his swollen face, “and she knocked me clean out! One hit! Boom! Out!” Flake’s ears perked up at the mention, then he picked up his pace slightly, his smirk present once more. “I wonder…” he thought, picturing a signpost in his head.

After a minute, Flake encountered another group of people, but ignored them, continuing onward. It didn’t take long before he arrived at his destination. The bounty hunter calmly entered the inn and walked up to a middle-aged woman behind the front desk. “Did you rent out any rooms to a single woman tonight?” he asked, his voice cold. The woman watched Flake with a suspicious gaze, silent for a few seconds, then responded, “why yes, just a few minutes ago.”

After hearing this, Flake grinned and turned around to leave. I knew it he thought, smirking once more as he stopped in front of the door. “Hey, Milly, is it?” Flake asked, still facing the door. The lady behind the front desk looked at him in confusion once more and responded, “who, me?” The bounty hunter growled, “tell that lady to spend her money wisely. Time’s limited.” With that said, he rushed out of the door and rushed into the alleyway with surprising speed.

The bounty hunter hit the side of the building hard with his boot, then launched off and nimbly grabbed the restraint-bar of a balcony of one of the rooms of the inn on the second floor. After pulling himself up, he repeated the action to jump up another floor, going higher and higher up the building. A few people from the street gathered in the alley to watch the spectacle, some shouting curses at him under suspicion that he was trying to trespass.

After reaching the roof of the building, the bounty hunter walked over to the edge of the roof and hopped off onto the roof of the next building, around twenty feet down. He landed in a tactical roll and got up running, adjusting the sword at his side as he ran. The bounty hunter hopped around the roofs of the town for a good hour after this, running under the light of the rising moon, his face covered in a satisfied grin. Sleep well, Misti Flake thought, hopping off a really high roof, falling straight towards a street-lamp.

The night was long, but eventually, Flake managed to make it to his home, a decrepit shack on the outskirts of town. Few people passed by, and the few who did didn’t find it worth noticing. All the same, Flake called it home. He carved a bit of mold off a piece of bread and cheese, then ate and slept through the night, waking every now and then account nightmares.

By morning, Flake felt more miserable than he had the last night. Despite the weight of his armor, he felt as if he could fly while transversing the rooftops of the city. Of course, after waking up in a full suit of armor, he started to feel as if it was a bit heavier than he remembered. You know you slept well if you wake up feeling worse than you did falling asleep he thought, gritting his teeth as he worked through the pain of getting up. There were still plenty of mending bruises and other such injuries all over his body, but one gets used to the pain after a lifetime of injury.

For a few minutes, Flake massaged his limbs and stretched, trying to warm up his muscles and ready himself for the day ahead. He pulled out another piece of moldy bread and cheese, scraped off what filth he could, and ate gingerly, quickly thinking over the day ahead. Without wasting a second, Flake barged out of his shack with the last bite in his mouth and sprinted through town, desperate to get to the sweeper’s hall before sunrise.

---

Meanwhile, At the shopping district, a bulky man in unnecessarily heavy armor sat at a puny tax-collection stand, his bloody, unpolished armor covering every part of his entire body. The man looked ready for a five-year battle in his get-up, and the massive longsword on his back didn’t change that. The man’s name was Drake, captain of the city guard, and he wasn’t the least bit sober.

A few people passed by to drop off their taxes, leaving Drake with something to do, but he was in an outright fowl mood. Why the hell do I need to sit here? he thought, grimacing beneath his visor, I’m the captain. Might as well be corporal of an army. Time passed slowly as he sat there, waiting for the sun to rise, mortally pissed at the nobility for assigning him to his place. Teach me to be patient, eh? he thought, gritting his teeth, barely restraining himself from smashing the stand with his gauntlet-covered fist.

After awhile, Drake noticed a lady walk around the back of the stand. Suspicious he thought, beginning to turn around. He was stopped as he noticed a piece of foreign metal placed against his backplate. “Don’t say anything and I won’t stab you,” a feminine voice whispered behind him. The man nearly erupted into laughter, but he decided to go along with it for fun. “Just slowly back up into this alley here so I can get this over with,” the voice continued.

Despite the situation, Drake managed to restrain himself and remain silent, going along with the lady’s plan. She ‘shoved’ him against a wall and pointed the puny dagger at his neck, declaring, “tell me what you know about Rinjuko.” Drake finally lost it and started chuckling, leaning forward towards the assassin. “Or what, you gonna poke me with your needle? I hate to break it to you, but only one weapon has pierced this armor before.” The guard then laughed as he started walking back towards his information stand, ignoring the lady.

As he walked, he said, “I’ll let you off with a warning this time. Do it again and you’ll be staring at iron bars for the next year.” With that said, he gradually calmed down, listening to see if the lady would heed his warning.

[HiddenBeauty13]

After the man walked away, Raine could be seen standing there with a slightly confused look on her face. Never had she had someone to respond in a way that he did and she had no idea how to react to it. Shaking her head, she tried to clear her mind of the confusion and focus on the task at hand: getting information from the big bulk of a man. Judging from his size, the man was immensely strong. But I also smelled alcohol on him when I brought him back into the alley…maybe I could use that to my advantage? Raine mentally asked herself as she paced back and forth quietly in the area behind the tax collection booth.

Attacking him is out of the question…I’d rather not have my head be squashed nor do I want to go to jail… Raine happened to look up while she was thinking and saw a pair of women giggle and wave as they walked past the man at the booth. He reacted as ay man would and an idea suddenly popped into the assassin’s mind. She would have to flirt with the man. Raine would have objected to the idea any other day but this was the only lead she had. She needed the information and would do anything to get it.

Sighing a bit, she went further into the alley until she could not be seen by anyone and slipped out of her cloak and tights, which was located under her shorts. Raine had a bit of trouble with it but eventually managed to wrap it around her waist like a skirt. She then slipped out of her chest plate and hid it behind a trash can, leaving her with just a long sleeved shirt and her necklace. The assassin decided to take it off and hide it with her dagger and money bag underneath her make shift skirt. After running her hands through her silver hair, Raine proceeded towards the man once more, silently hoping that this approach would work this time, especially since the man had no idea what she looked like beneath the cloak.

“Hi.” She made an effort to make her voice a bit higher than usual as she walked up to the tax collection stand and attempted to smile up at the man, but it came out more like a grimace. “Nice day we’re having here, huh?” Raine was terrible at making conversation and it clearly showed as she fidgeted slightly in front of him. She then realized how weird it would look to randomly approach the tax collection without any money, so she made any attempt to grab a coin without making her cloak fall. She nearly succeeded, but she practically flashed her legs in the process. Poor Raine was completely flustered by the time she finally held out a coin to him. Oh gosh I’ve messed up. Now I’l have to try to run away with this damn cloak wrapped around my waist. She thought nervously to herself.

[icicle]

Drake got back to his stand without any further interruptions, then continued his dreary task of reading the tax list. “Mrs. Zeneeda, a hundred sheckles,” he growled, barely retaining his posture. “I-I-I o-only have f-fifty f-f-five…” Drake slammed his gauntlet on the table and shouted, “Then get a job!” After recognizing his actions, he quickly added, “and pay me fifty for now. I’ll add sixty to next time, be sure you can pay.” The lady in front of the stand quickly pulled five coins from her purse and dropped it onto Drake’s stand, running away quickly, tears in her eyes.

“It’s a wonder how people can’t find jobs in this city,” he mused to himself, helping the next citizen in line. After a few more people, a strange-looking lady approached. She was very young, and he did not recognize her at all. “Hi,” she said, her voice and smile clearly forced, “Nice day we’re having here, huh?” Drake grinned under his visor and retorted, “What’s your business here, and what is your name?”

A few people from further back in the line began to watch intently, some annoyed at the hold-up, some generally amused. The shouts of the Harold next to the stand were rather loud, but the sound of the crowd and the other merchants drowned it out. Drake watched, intrigued, as the lady in front of him reached into what seemed to be her skirt. He decided to keep silent for a second, instead of questioning the nature of her actions. There was a slight separation down the midsection of her garment for a second, but she swiftly ended the awkward moment by revealing the fruit of her labor.

The lady held out a single coin to the guard, who was barely suppressing laughter, and a heavy blush spread across her face. After a second, Drake finally burst out into laughter. The sound was muffled under his visor, and it only lasted a few seconds, but it was a warm, hearty laughter which only a burly man could utter. “Lady, I can’t charge you unless your name is on the list,” Drake commented, pushing the lady’s offer back with his palm. “Unless you want to make a donation,” he added, leaning back slightly.

From the back of the line, a man shouted, “Hurry it up Captain!” A few other people quickly shushed the man, but Drake took no notice, staring intently at the lady for her response. At the very least, her expression is priceless, he thought, bemused. Next to the stand, the Harold continued shouting loudly, words such as, “The town will meet its end! The council of sin will adjourn, and all the guards will die! So say the Assassin guild council, the most fearsome of men!” Drake quickly interrupted the people in front of him and shouted at the Harold, “SHUT UP ALREADY! The guards will crush any assassin who oversteps his bounds!” After hearing this, the harold quickly nodded at Drake and changed the subject of his banter.

A man from the crowd, who happened to be looking towards the alleyway, saw what seemed to be a black figure dropping down from the roof, softening his fall by clinging to each balcony and wall-sliding on the way down. The figure landed in a soft roll, then quickly hid behind a trash can. From there, he disappeared from view, watching behind the shadows, waiting for something. A slight murmur started to roll across the crowd as he commented on what he saw. Others started commenting, but it was treated with disbelief and pardoned as “a figment of your tired mind.”

[HiddenBeauty13]

The man’s sudden laughter made Raine blink in surprise but she had not further reaction, that's if you don't count the embarrassed flush that coated her cheeks. "Here. Give it to someone who really needs the extra help paying their taxes.” She stated and tossed the coin to him then quickly walked away from the stand before she could make a bigger fool of herself. That and she didn’t want to give people her fake name. Not yet, anyway; she wanted to stay under the radar for a little longer. Never again will I ever do something like that...not even for information. She silently promised herself and slowly came to a stop as she tuned in to the noise around her, more specifically the man who had been yelling something about the Assassin's Guild. Could it be that he may know some information about her uncle...? Raine sighed as she mentally slapped herself. She'd been going after the wrong person this entire time and wasted a good thirty minutes, along with her dignity, along with it! The girl was beyond pissed now and knew the perfect subject to take her anger out on...

After paying his taxes, the harold made his way down the street alone, mumbling more words to himself as he did so. He was so engrossed in his rambling that he did not notice the assassin waiting for him on the side of a building. She reached out and quickly pulled him into the shadows when no one was paying attention then roughly slammed him against the wall. By that time, Raine had put her cloak back on the right way but he chest armor was still sitting behind the trash cans in the other alley but she figured that she wouldn't need it with this guy.

"What did you mean when you said that the town will meet its end?" She asked coldly and the harold put up his hands defensively. "I-I don't know what you-" His sentence was cut short as her dagger suddenly appeared at his neck. “I’ll ask you one more time before I start cutting your neck: What? Did? You? Mean?” The man visibly paled before finally deciding that it would be in his best interests to tell her what she wanted to hear. “Well I heard that the leader of the Assassin’s Guild was planning to take over this entire town and make it their own. They even control of the import, export and finances of the town as well. I bet the taxes will be even higher once that happens!”

It was Raine’s turn to become pale now. Is he planning to really take over this town? It sounds like it will become a monarchy… She thought and then pressed the dagger closer to the man’s neck, making him whimper softly in fear. “Has be done this with any other town?” The man shrugged his shoulders. “Look, I told you everything I know…so please, let me go.” He practically begged and Raine sighed a bit before releasing his shirt collar. “Go.” Was all she said before he scurried off, mumbling to himself once more, leaving the assassin to her thoughts. I have to tell Flake…

First, she had to get her armor. The girl put away her dagger before walking out from the alleyway. She was slightly surprised to see that the line leading to the tax collection booth was still pretty long but, thankfully, it kept that man distracted as she slipped pass him. Raine was nearing the trash can where she hid her armor when she suddenly got the feeling that she wasn’t alone. Slowly, she moved her hand so that it rested lightly on her dagger before speaking. “I don’t know who you are but you better make yourself visible in the next ten seconds or we’re going to have a problem here.” The assassin stated threateningly; she was ready to deflect any attack that came her way, if it came to that.

[icicle]

Drake continued with his daily tasks, dealing with the hundreds of annoying, whiny and overall weak citizens of Talgot, cursing the nobles with each clink and pencil mark. He noticed the Harold run out of an alleyway in a hurry, later followed by the lady from earlier. He watched her from the corner of his eye, and noticed her going back towards the alley behind his stand. So that’s who she was he thought, a smirk spreading over his visor-covered face, maybe next time it’ll be me doing the interrogation.

---

Immediately before sunrise, Flake arrived at the Sweeper’s hall. The place was filled with statues, suits of armor, town banners, and plenty of other superfluous decorations. Torches lit every square foot of the huge room, and tables were set at both walls, excluding the entrance and the far end. It was more-or-less empty, with the exception of a few bounty hunters and desk workers, but the noise was still exceptionally loud due to the acoustics of the place.

At the far end was a long table where the Sweeper sat during his shift. Of course, at this point in the day, the Sweeper was still sleeping. Flake grinned in excitement and quickly sprinted over to the bulletin board near the first table. On the board were a few assassination requests from townsfolk, missing persons, pets and possessions, and other such random requests which, of course, only the strongest of all the men in the world could possibly handle.

Flake eyed the papers, then quickly ran over to one of the staff members. He chatted for a few mintues, gathering details about the continuation of town politics, then sprinted out of the hall with a blank expression. Immediately after slamming through the doorway of the Sweeper’s hall, Flake long-jumped over the railing of the long stairway leading up to the hall’s entrance and landed in a roll on top of a building’s roof. From there, he began to run, jump, grapple and climb like a madman, catching the gaze of a few city-goers who weren’t yet used to his activity.

An hour or so later, Flake hopped off a clothes line, smiling innocently back at an angry lady as she threw random objects at him. “What part of privacy don’t you understand!” she screamed, invoking an innocent chuckle from him. “My pardon, I was merely transversing the city and your clothes happened to be in the way,” he replied, bowing low as he dropped from the balcony which the clothes line was attached to. The lady screamed once again, this time in terror, as she watched the gentleman fall, however, he disappeared as the wind blew a shirt into her line of sight.

As the sun rose, the trouble-making bounty hunter finally arrived at his destination. Peeking out from behind a chimney, Flake stared down at the west central shopping district, eyeing each face, on the search for his target. He was panting from exhaustion, having ran, jumped, climbed, and hit the ground an immeasurable amount over the past few hours. Once he finally spotted her, the new lady in town, he darted out from behind the chimney and leaped down to a balcony, beginning his descent towards the alley.

It took a minute, but he managed to safely return to ground level, and hid behind a trash can. He adjusted his ears to see if anyone had seen him, and, to his shock, people were talking and looking in his general direction. He frowned, annoyed at his misfortunate discovery, but was reassured as the people started to renounce their beliefs in his presence. After another few minutes, Flake had finally caught his breath, so he looked back out to see his target, flushed bright red, talking to Drake with a single coin in her hand.

Flake felt sorry for Drake, because he himself could only barely hold back laughter at the sight. Of course, he eventually heard Drake’s roaring laughter, but Flake was honestly surprised at how much he fought to keep from laughing. As Flake adjusted to watch where his target was leaving, he noticed something a few feet away. There was a chestplate, some leggings, and other armor and clothes pieces.

The bounty hunter recognized a few, so he closed in on the objects in a single, low-profile sprint, and slid casually next to the objects. He could tell, just by seeing them up close, that they belonged to Raine, so he decided to wait there instead of pursuing her. After trying to fit on few pieces of armor, he decided that she was quite a few sizes too small and gave up his silly sub-quest. It didn’t take long before he noticed Drake’s head turn slightly and footsteps approach his position.

Flake quickly darted up into the balcony above the trash can, then watched eagerly as Raine walked through the alley. I haven’t practiced ventriloquism yet this month, maybe now’s my chance Flake thought, watching her slowly draw her dagger. Drake turned his attention forward, but he started standing up at his tax stand, clearly suspicious. Flake adjusted into a prone position on the balcony, watching Raine with a heavily squinted eye from between the posts in the railing, and listened as she spoke.

“I don’t know who you are but you better make yourself visible in the next ten seconds or we’re going to have a problem here,” Raine said, her voice laced with guile and venom. Flake tossed a tiny pebble towards a far trash can, then adjusted his voice forwards and towards the wall(to make it sound like it was coming from the shopping district) as he said, “I thought I gave you a warning, miss,” matching Drake’s voice as best he could. He couldn’t get the same muffled sound the visor made, but the walls echoed the sound enough to disguise this fact.

Drake heard his voice and, in confusion, quickly turned around. He then saw the lady with her dagger out and quickly began to march towards her. The clanking of heavy metal on the cobbled ground was loud enough to disguise the remaining echo from Flake’s ventriloquism. Whoever’s doing that is getting a massive beating, Drake thought. He slowly walked towards the lady, searching for the ventriloquist as he moved.

Flake then moved towards the other side of the balcony and cupped his hand over his mouth, adjusting his voice away from the wall and downwards slightly(so it would appear to come from the back wall) and, in a crackly and menacing voice, he declared, “Ya’ should’ve listened, cuz’ now yer’ ours, missy.” He then voiced a cruel laugh in the same direction, and went silent, turning back to his first position to watch Raine. Needs some work, but this area is perfect, he thought, watching the people react.

A loose rock from Flake’s descent from the roof found its way loose from a higher balcony above, and then began to fall. It reached the ground rather quickly, slamming into a piece of metal, resulting in a footstep-like sound. Flake couldn’t have planned it better. He watched with anticipation as his drunk guard friend and his renegade assassin friend scanned the place, a wide smile covering his face.

[HiddenBeauty13]

The only response that Raine got to her demand was a clanging sound, which made her glare in that direction. "I told you to make yourself visible, not-" Her sentence was cut short as a familiar voice echoed throughout the alleyway and, with narrowed eyes, she turned around, not surprised to see that tax collector guy coming her way. "You gave me a warning for attacking you, not for standing here and minding my own business." The assassin pointed out with yet another glare. "So why don't you go on back to your tax collection booth and cheat more people out of their-" Raine was cut off once again by a voice whose source was currently unknown.

This is really irritating. The girl thought as she glanced around to see if she could at least get a glimpse of the one doing this but, as expected, they did a good job at keeping themselves hidden. Suddenly, she turned back towards the big bulk of a man and asked: "Is this what you do to people that don't pay taxes? Get your buddies interrogate them when they're alone?" By that time, the absence of the tax collector had attracted the curiosity of many of his customers, who were currently watching from the entrance of the alley.

Raine, however, was not interested in the public attention, though she figured that messing with this man in her own little way once more could prove to be fun. She had a plan of her own: make it seem like everyone one was distracted by the drama she was causing then somehow get the mimic to show himself. She wasn't sure why he was doing this but figured that it had been done for some personal reason. Now she had to find a way to get the actor from behind the curtain. It was show time.

"Well, Mr. Tax Collector?" The assassin said in a serious yet teasing voice. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

[icicle]

As Drake continued walking down the alleyway, the lady with the dagger turned around, her narrow eyes piercing through the tax collector’s soul. “You gave me a warning for attacking you, not for standing here and minding my own business., So why don’t you go on back to your tax collection booth and cheat more people out of their-“ then came the second voice. Drake looked around, trying to find the source based on the reverberations, but the sound seemed to come from multiple directions, clearly an amateur ventriloquist.

After a second, Drake being considerably closer to Raine, she turned back around and said, “Is this what you do to people that don’t pay taxes? Get your buddies and interrogate them when they’re alone?” Drake continued walking, ignoring her words as he did so. I wish I’d just taken her coin to shut her up, he thought, grimacing. Before long, she was talking yet again, this time in a mocking tone, “Well, mister tax collector? What do you have to say for yourself?” Drake brushed past Raine quite casually, but was then greeted by two more voices.

Flake adjusted his voice towards the back end of the alley once more and, in the same voice as before, he said, “one more step and we’ll shoot the girl.” The sound reverberated off the wall perfectly, but then, Flake decided to add one more voice, this one a bit more raspy and aged, “Yeah, don’t take another step, ya’ punk.” Flake then watched as Drake stepped in front of Raine, shielding her from the unseen enemies at the back of the alley. He reached for his sword, saying, “You know who you’re messing with?” He grasped the hilt of his sword, his knuckles popping from the sudden strain.

Flake adjusted his voice once again and, in the raspy voice, he retorted, “dern’ straight. We’re talking to the drunkest bas** in Talgot.” Drake gritted his teeth, but the voice wasn’t echoing in the same way. He quickly looked up, but all he could see were balconies. He’s on a balcony, but which one? Drake was glad for the excitement, but he didn’t want any civilians getting hurt, especially due to him. In a low voice, Drake told Raine, “hey, miss whoever-you-are, look up, see if you spot any movement.” Flake sighed silently, knowing that they were already on to his little plan. He closed his eyes and retreated from view a half-minute ago when Drake first started to look up. He was now waiting, thinking up the next move in his little game.

[HiddenBeauty13]

Raine smirked a bit as the man ignored her. It didn't bother her at all, especially since she managed to get the crowd rowdy. They were murmuring to each other and pointing towards the area where the tax collector and Raine were standing. Her victory was short lived, though, and the threat of being shot at brought her attention back to what she truly wanted to do: find out who was currently taunting her and the man in the armor.

She pulled her dagger from it's hiding spot beneath her cloak and got into a defensive stance, even if it wouldn't stop her from getting a bullet. Because of this, she didn't mind when the man covered in armor stepped in front of her, shielding her from the hidden threat. A cannon would probably only make a dent in that thing... the assassin thought with a low whistle and then pushed the thought away so she could focus on the voice coming from the other end of the alley. Raine also picked up on the difference in the way the sound of the voice each echoed off the walls and she too glanced up, expecting to see the owner of the voice.

“hey, miss whoever-you-are, look up, see if you spot any movement.”

"My name is Misti...and I saw movement about ten feet from where we're standing at an angle of elevation of about sixty six degrees." She mumbled to him. "Any plans on how we're going to get him to show himself, Mr. whatever-your-name-is?" Apparently they were working together now, or at least that's what Raine assumed, so she figured that creating a plan that they both could efficiently execute together would be a smart thing to do.

[icicle]

Drake noted and ignored the low whistle the lady behind him uttered, then listened as she whispered, “My name is Misti.” Drake grinned as she continued, instantly checking off “meet a smartass lady” from his bucket list. “and I saw movement about ten feet from where we’re standing at an angle of elevation of about sixty six degrees. Any plans on how we’re going t get him to show himself, Mr. whatever-your-name-is?” After hearing her speak, all Drake could do was roll his eyes and continue looking sharp, hoping to notice when the enemy made a move.

Flake carefully listened to their words as they attempted to quietly speak to one another, then decided to reveal himself. Who would’ve known. So lady assassins do learn something at that academy he thought, silently drawing his saber. He rested it against his arm, then picked up a rock, adjusted his voice towards the back wall once more, and shouted, in a new, scratchy voice, “Fire!!” After doing so, he threw the rock at a trashcan and jumped from the balcony, launching himself down with aid from the railing.

Drake braced himself for a heavy projectile, but none came, instead the plink of a rock hit a trashcan. “ABOVE!” he shouted, instantly pulling his sheath down along his back, drawing his blade with a loud, metallic screech. The figure was falling so fast that his features were nearly indistinguishable, besides his black leather armor and glinting blade. The guard’s huge blade only barely made it out of it’s sheath as Flake’s blade slammed onto the captain’s helmet, releasing a few bright sparks and a powerful thud. Drake stumbled back for a second, trying to pull his sword back towards his chest, but Flake was moving too quick for the heavy soldier.

“Hey buddy,” Flake said, swiftly chopping at the joint of the gauntlet against his radial plate. The heavy soldier’s hand instantly released from shock, causing his weapon to fall to the ground. “YOU!!!” Drake roared, reaching for the man with his other hand. Flake instantly brought his saber over to the man’s other arm, savagely whacking the same spot on his other arm, this time with the blunt side of the blade.

“Yeah,” Flake said, quickly shifting positions. At the moment he finished speaking, he delivered a sideways thrust-kick directly at the soldier’s chest plate, tossing him back at the assassin, “me.” The soldier landed on the ground with a resounding thud, and as the sound echoed across the alley, Flake sheathed his saber, a wide smirk on his face.

“How’d you sleep, missy?” Flake asked, directing his attention towards Raine as his royally-pissed-off friend started to get up once again. The crowd near the entrance to the alley was erupting with conversation as Flake watched the lady, the sounds of metal plate thundering as Drake quickly got to his feet, grabbing his large sword with a grunt. “You owe me five for that act, ya idiot,” Drake mumbled, sheathing his sword smoothly as he stood up once more.

[HiddenBeauty13]

Raine smirked slightly when the man didn't respond but it was quickly replaced with a frown as a voice rang out from the alley. "Fire!!" He yelled and the assassin crouched slightly, prepared to jump out the way if necessary, but, when nothing came their way, she narrowed her eyes. Just what was this guy planning to do? Her unasked question was promptly answered as Drake pointed out that the man was coming from above them. Not wanting to get crushed, the assassin quickly sprung out the way, just as Flake landed in front of the tax collector.

As Raine turned around, she was not surprised to see Flake standing there, beating the crap out of the heavily armored man. She would've helped but figured watching would be much more fun. The assassin even smirked a bit as she returned her dagger back to its hiding spot beneath her cloak and the responded to Flake's question. "I slept rather well, actually. Thanks." She replied with a slight shrug and then pointed to the tax collector with another smirk on her face. "I assume that you know this guy here?" Raine asked, event though the answer to that was pretty obvious. Still, she wanted to hear it herself; in fact, she wondered how two very different people like those two could become acquainted at all. As the assassin waited for a reply, she walked over to the nearest set of trashcans and proceeded to retrieve her armor and tights from their hiding spot. It was rather easy to slip back into the chest plate but it was a bit more difficult to get the tights back on without flashing all her business--again--in front of Flake and his friend. Somehow she managed to become completely clothed once more without any issue and promptly walked back over to the two.

By that time, the crowd gathered at the entrance of the alley had begun to disperse, but it was guaranteed that news about the tax collector's defeat would spread like wildfire throughout the town. In fact, Raine could already hear them talking about it now:

"Did you see how quickly that man brought him down?"

"Yes! It was amazing!"

"I didn't think that he could be defeated so easily."

[icicle]

The assassin smirked and sheathed her dagger, then responded with a curt shrug, “I slept rather well, actually. Thanks.” After her response, she pointed towards Drake and continued, “I assume that you know this guy here?” Drake grunted and Flake nodded after hearing the lady’s question, then the guard said , “too well sometimes.” For the next few minutes, Raine walked over to her armor and attempted to get suited up once more. As she did, Flake approached Drake and whispered in his ear, “Delta six.”

Drake bellowed out a laugh, then Flake started to chuckle as well, leaning against the wall in the alley to support him. “You’re kidding,” Drake begged, still laughing under his visor. “I’m not,” Flake retorted, serious once again. Drake looked over at Raine for a few seconds in disbelief, then whispered in Flake’s ear, “that’s more than just a favor.” The bounty hunter quickly whispered back, “that’s a lie and you know it.” The exchange of whispers continued for another few seconds, then stopped as Raine walked back over.

Drake sighed, then asked, “do you need any armor, miss?” Flake smirked at Raine as she approached, fitting the stop-pin back into his sheath as he watched. Only one person from the original crowd remained by that point in time, a red-haired boy with a wooden sword at his hip. A lady swiftly walked by and rushed him away, thus ending the crowd scene. “Plates like that couldn’t even stop Drake’s fist,” Flake commented, grinning at the hunk of metal next to him with a competitive grin. At this comment, Drake rose his arm and flicked the bounty hunter’s shoulder with a loud thwack. The only response the guard got was a quiet chuckle, so he looked back over at Raine.

[HiddenBeauty13]

Raine raised an eyebrow at the question. It was out of the blue, especially since she hadn't said anything about needing new armor to him but, after glancing over at Flake, she figured that he had something to do with the sudden offer. "How much would I have to pay you to get some new armor from you?" The assassin asked, assuming that she still had to pay the man for the armor.

As she waited for an answer, Raine pulled the hood of her cloak over her head, throwing part of her face into a shadow. She wasn't cold or anything; The assassin just felt less exposed with her hood on. Raine then counted the number of coins in the money pouch that Flake had given her with her fingers. After paying for a room in the inn the night before, she was like with two fifths of the original amount. However, the assassin would still try to bargain a price that was much lower than the original price, based on what price would be proposed. I just hope that he gives it to me for free or at least really cheap...I haven't had this much money in since I had to leave the Assassin's Guild. Shet thought with a soft sigh.

[icicle]

The two men watched as Raine glanced at Flake, more-or-less silent. “How much would I have to pay you to get some new armor from you?” she asked, pulling up the hood of her cloak. Drake answered quickly, wasting no time, “I’ll assume that’s a yes. Follow me.” The guard then set a quick pace and made his way over to the shopping district, motioning for a nearby guard to take his spot at the stand. As he walked, people noticeably altered their paths so as to avoid bumping into him.

Flake followed the behemoth with a skip to his step, grinning all the way. After leaving the alley, Flake hopped off in a different direction and started sprinting away, surprising a great many people as he flawlessly avoided them. After a few seconds, he hopped up on a sleeping person’s head and managed to grab hold of a balcony. From there, Flake launched himself up, onto the roof of a short building and started to run and jump from building to building, steadily working his way up.

“Ignore him,” Drake said, assuming the lady was still behind him, “by the time you’re suited up properly he’ll still be messing around.” The armored man gently brushed aside a drunk man who was in his way, then continued walking through the shopping square, his location in mind. The shouts of a nearby vendor caused him to turn his head, “buy bread! Cheapest in Talgot!” the merchant shouted, a fake smile plastered across his face. He didn’t bother to respond to questions and accusations flying at him, mostly because he was busy. He couldn’t tell whether or not the lady he met was still following him, or talking, but he continued through the chaotic shopping district anyways.

Every step was met with a shout, and each one steadily brought back Drake’s grin. No matter how stupid he is, he’ll never take what matters away from this town, the guard thought, waving thoughtfully in response to the greeting of a jewelry merchant. “Thanks again!” came a shrill voice from below, a little boy running by in glee. The soldier eyed a large building in the distance, one which was isolated from the rest of the chaotic market. The building had a large banner hanging above the entrance with the town guard insignia on it. “When you walk in, ignore everyone and continue following me,” the guard ordered, turning his head back slightly in the hopes that the lady could hear him.

[HiddenBeauty13]

Raine blinked in surprise as the guard suddenly began to walk away, barely giving the girl enough time to react to the sudden change of course. Sighing, she quickly made sure that her money pouch was secured underneath her cloak before moving to catch up with the guy, who was nearly around the corner by the time she finally got moving. Geeze, why is he in such a hurry? Or does he always walk this fast? The assassin planned on asking that question out loud to Flake but, when she turned to address him, he was busy climbing over sleeping people to get to the roofs of the buildings.

"Ignore him, by the time you're suited up, he'll still be messing around." The guard said without slowing down and, once again, Raine had to practically jog in order to keep up with him. She may be in shape, but she didn't enjoy running without some sort of reason too and, by the looks of things, they weren't running from anything. In fact, people seemed to be trying their best to get out of Drake's way to avoid getting trampled on by the big bulk of a man. "Yeah, I'd probably be running away too if I wasn't behind him." Raine mumbled to herself as she glanced up at the man; she immediately looked away as she noticed all the gunk and blood stains covering the back of the armor and she wondered what the front looked like. "Geeze, do you ever clean this thing? I can barely see my reflection in it." She complained and knocked on his armor lightly with her knuckles, though the assassin noticed that the probably hadn't heard her. Oh well. I have no problem saying it again to him when he can actually hear me.

Raine's thoughts were suddenly interrupted as a vendor called out, trying to bring people in to buy his bread. The girl's stomach seemed to growl in response and she paused for a moment, seriously contemplating whether or not to buy herself a piece of bread or not. "I bet it would be really tasty...but I should probably keep following..." As she looked up, Raine realized that the guard was no longer in sight and she silently cursed to herself. Why does the delicious smell of bread always distract me? Soon, the cloaked female could be seen running through the crowd, dodging and shoving people as she did so. Her hood fell from her head as she hopped onto a pile of crates, exposing her silver hair, but she welcomed the sun as it warmed her nose and cheeks. While standing on the crates, Raine had a good view of her surrounding and she was able to spot the guard nearing what she assumed to be the armory.

Now that she knew where he was, it didn't take long for her to catch up to the man, just as he was telling her to ignore every and follow him. "Sir yes sir." Raine said with a mock salute before following him inside with wide and curious eyes. The armory was like nothing she'd ever seen: People--mainly men--of all shapes and sizes stood over what she assume to be their own little work stations, complete with hammers, metal, and even more metal. The sound of metal hitting metal echoed to her left and, when she looked over, she saw a man using a hammer to shape a sword that was nearly as long as her arm. That guy might be someone who would wield a sword that big... She thought, referring to Flake's friend, who had managed to get far ahead of her again. "Where are you taking me?" Raine called loudly to him once she caught up once more.

[icicle]

Drake heard what he assumed to be the voice of the lady he met earlier, so he continued on through the entrance to the building. Immediately after entering, an almost unbearable heat shot across the room as a foundry crucible passed by. A few men looked over to see the faces of the intruders, but quickly returned to their tasks after seeing the walking tank charging through. Six anvils were lined up along the left side of the large room, along with two large furnaces. A group of men were busying themselves with hammers and tongs, forging and drawing tools and weapons with surprising fluidity.

Steam erupted from a bath of water which one of the metalsmiths dropped a metal rod into. The painfully loud sound of metal on rock pierced the air as a man spun a grindstone. The right side had a wall of molds and a rack of tools and materials set in an organized chaos. At the far wall was a wall of buffered and finished-looking items, a few doors, and a flight of stairs. Drake continued his quick pace until he reached a table with what seemed to be a merchant behind it. “Ahh, you’re ba-“ the man behind the table started, a fake smile lining his face.

He was instantly interrupted by the guard as he shouted, “I need light armor, something I won’t laugh at.” He then gestured behind himself and added, “suit her up and put it on my tab.” With that said, the merchant nodded at Drake, who then shifted over and rushed up the stairs, his footsteps heavy on the wooden surface. The man reached the second floor and walked over to a lady at a leather molding station worked at her task. He stopped a few feet away and gave a quick bow, then waited for her to respond.

“You’re too polite,” the leather crafter commented, smiling over at him, “give me a minute, I’m almost on quota.” Drake then nodded and walked over to a chair, cautiously taking a seat. “You’re getting careless,” she added, continuing her craft as Drake watched. The guard was silent, more concerned than nervous. The leather crafter looked up after a minute and asked, “what’s wrong?” Drake sighed, then pointed to his helmet. “You know how much I hate taking this off,” he started. The lady giggled after hearing this, her voice bemused as she responded, “want me to handle it again?”

Drake shook his head, quickly adding, “Delta six.” The leather crafter looked up in disbelief, but said nothing. With one last tug, she finished making what looked like a quiver and set it on a mold to dry. “I’m honored,” she commented, her voice laced with venom as she wiped off her hands on her apron, “that you would ask me for something like this.” Drake rose from his seat, then began walking back towards the stairs as he said, “don’t let him down.” The guard then walked back down the stairs, a frown set across his face beneath his visor. I’m sure she can, but this is definitely pushing the limit he thought, looking around to see where the merchant took the thief-lady.

[HiddenBeauty13]

Raine glared at the guard's back as he practically ignored her and continued walking. "Rude, much?" She mumbled to herself but decided that, since he was getting her new armor, the most she could do was keep her sarcastic remarks to herself. With that thought in mind, the girl continued to follow him until he stopped in front of a man, one who she assumed to be a merchant since he had a few items displayed on his table at that time. For a moment, Raine found herself staring at the various items until she heard Derek’s voice beside her. He practically commanded the man to put armor on her before walking away without another word. The two watched him go before turning to look at each other.

It was only then that Raine had actually got a good look at the merchant: he was a man who looked to be in his late forties, early late fifties. Dirty blonde hair was pulled back neatly with a leather strap and his face was lined with wrinkles of all shapes and sizes. His hands were large and worn, as if he had been working since he was born. Despite that, his eyes held a bit of kindness in them as he stood up from where he was sitting.

“Follow me, please.”

Nodding, Raine followed the merchant as he led her to a set of steps that led to an area below the main part of the building. “Where exactly are we going?” Raine asked the man curiously. “Down to the armory so we can get you a new set of armor. It looks like your current one is a bit worn, don’t you think?” He responded with a slight smile and watched as the assassin glanced down at her armor: It was true. The metal plates were covered in scratches and dents while some of her leather straps were hanging on by little strands. The sad part about it was that Raine hadn’t noticed any of it.

“Well, I guess you’re right…I do need a bit of an upgrade.” She said in agreement then fell into a comfortable silence. The silence didn’t last for too long, though, as they finally arrived to the armory. The area was actually much bigger than Raine would have guessed. Armor of all kinds were placed upon the walls neatly and in certain spots so that the heavier armor would sit on a stand that could hold its weight without collapsing. Another thing the girl noticed was the merchants. They were busy pandering to the customers’ needs and sometimes had to climb ladders in order to retrieve the armor that their customer desired. Raine was surprised to see that even children were being fitted for armor as well but she figured that it was simply for training instead of actual work that would require them to fight. Then again, she was fairly unfamiliar with the area, so who knows?

“This way.” The man called to Raine, pulling her out of her thoughts. She followed him once more through the growing crowd of people until they stood in front of what she assumed to be the light weight armor area. The merchant then gestured for her to stand in one spot as he measured her torso, legs and arms. Once he recorded the measurements, he turned and examined the wall of armor behind him. Raine then watched as he scaled up a ladder and looked at the measurement for various pieces of armor before coming back down.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have any in your size, so we’ll have to make one especially for you. I just need a few more measurements.” This time, the measurement taking too a bit longer since the merchant had to measure nearly every part of her arms, legs and torso to make sure that everything would fit comfortably. Eventually, she was allowed to head back up while the merchant took the measurements somewhere else. As she made it back to the main area, she spotted the guard that brought her here and walked over to him.

“So, they didn’t have any in my size and now they have to make a new set or armor for me.” She told him simply. “And thanks for taking me here, I guess.” Raine added under her breath, though her statement was genuine.

[icicle]

To his delight, Drake saw the lady standing by the front counter once again, thus Drake assumed she had been measured already. “So, they didn’t have any in my size and now they have to make a new set of armor for me,” the lady declared, quickly adding, “and thanks for taking me here, I guess.” Drake nodded, then asked, “Miss, do your weapons need replacement or refinement? There are few blacksmiths in town like John.” With this said, the guard pointed over to a man by the entrance who was pounding a bastard sword with a narrow hammer, refining the edge of the blade. The man clearly did not realize that his name was mentioned, for he busily continued his work.

The wall behind the front counter had plenty of daggers arrayed along a weapon rack with other small arms, some models very thin with somewhat wide guards, some fairly flat-tipped, and some very odd models with wavy edges. Drake stood motionless in anticipation of a response, watching Raine closely. Small weapons did not need as much maintenance as his own sword, as he knew well, but judging from the condition of her armor, the guard suspected that her weapons did not fare much better.

---

Meanwhile, a great thud echoed through an open area in front of the mercenary guild hall as Flake landed a jump from a nearby balcony. The bounty hunter quickly opened the large doors and entered the building, his face solemn. Various people passed by him as he entered, giving him no second looks. The bounty hunter walked through the gilded halls and, after a few minutes of searching, found a mission board. Once again, he looked through all the missions, however he did not find what he was looking for.

Disappointed, Flake turned back and left the building, still solemn. Upon leaving the building, he jumped up to a balcony once more and climbed his way up to the rooftops again. It’s a wonder so few people use the rooftops, Flake thought, pulling himself up by grabbing a hold of a few stable shingles. The bounty hunter then hopped away, venturing to another location in the big town.

[HiddenBeauty13]

Raine's hands disappeared inside of her cloak once Drake asked her a question about her weapon. Sure enough, she realized that her dagger was nearly in the same condition as her armor, maybe even a bit worst, actually. "I guess I'll be visiting your friend over there, then." It was a shame that the assassin had let her armor and weapon get this worn out without getting it fixed but what could she do? She'd been hiding out for a year now with her only way to gain food and money by stealing it; that was no easy job, especially if she happened to be caught by the person as well. Raine could practically here the angry voices of those people as she made her way over to the one called John.

"I would like to get this dagger fixed please." The assassin said once she was standing in front of John's work area. The man paused for a moment and looked from her, to her dagger, then back to the sword he was currently working on. "Leave it there." He said, gesturing to the table beside him. "It should be done in approximately two hours." Nodding, Raine thanked him before heading back over to Drake. "Is there a tavern around here? I'm in need of something to eat." She inquired; the girl needed something to do while she waited for both her new armor made and dagger to be fixed.