Wind rattled the branches of a massive oak tree as it gusted ahead of a thunderstorm, pushing the branches against the window the tree grew in front of with a high squeal. A distant rumble of thunder sounded, carried on the back of another burst of wind and Aneira knew that they would be in for a storm before the night was out. She stood, head tilted slightly to one side, and regarded the oncoming storm interestedly with cool gray eyes.
Aneira Vallier was a tall, slender woman with hair the color of pale gold. Her hair hung loose and wavy to the center ofHer back, with shorter fringes framing a long oval face. She had heard some say that she carried about her person a rather classic beauty, but she didn’t see it herself. When she looked in the mirror, she just saw... Aneira. Nothing more.
Long crimson skirts swishing around her as she turned, the young Lady of the Vallier steadhold couldn’t help but give a small smile as she met the gazes of the three Young men standing in a loose circle behind her, armor glinting in the torchlight, each with a hand ready on the pommel of their swords. Despite the stiffness of their stances, each man returned her smile with a brief one of their own, for even though they were the Lady‘s personal guard, they had also become her friends in the course of their service. And she encouraged such behavior. After moment, she sighed, Starting down the hallway.
“ I think it’s time to retire to bed.” She then murmured thoughtfully, listening to the men fall in to step beside and behind her.
“ and
I think that’s a good idea.” One of the men responded. He stood to her right, dark hair cut short and his face clean shaven, taller than her by a hand’s breadth. His own green eyes littered with momentary amusement as the Lady glanced in his direction, soft laugh escaping from her.
“
You would.” Aneira replied in kind, voice light.
As the four figures continued heading down the hallway towards the Lady‘s Chambers, the wind continued to buffet The outside of the building, rattling windows and trees, guttering torches where it manage to sneak in through a drafty crack. Yet despite it all, a figure stood just on the lip of one of the windowsills, watching The woman and her entourage with narrowed eyes, Ignoring the oncoming storm entirely.
They were almost entirely covered with black cloth from head to foot, the only skin showing as slits just around their eyes. And as they confidently stepped backwards off of their perch, absorbing they’re landing on the balls of their feet, they looked towards a secondary figure standing nearby that was dressed in a similar fashion. With a nod of confirmation, the two headed off around the building, crouched low.
•••
“Allow me, my Lady.”
The guard to Aneira’s left stepped forward as they reached her chambers, twisting the handle of the door and pushing it inwards. He had just turned to smile at her when it happened. Hands reached out of the darkness of the room, grabbing the unsuspecting guard around his face and shoulders, a knife sliding across the man’s throat and dropping him to the floor with a look of surprise in his dark eyes. Quick as thinking, the man to the right of Aneira drew his sword with a hiss of steel, leaping forward to plunge it into the chest of the assassin as they started to emerge from the room, bloody knife still held in an upraised hand. They fell with a gurgle, clutching at their chest.
Feeling as if she had suddenly been thrown into a nightmare, Aneira stared in open mouthed horror at her fallen Guard, her dying friend. A clash of steel on steel caused her to start painfully, head jerking up to see The captain of her guard dueling a second assassin. She heard a noise from behind her and the guard that had been at the rear of the formation stepped into view, his own sword drawn.
“Run Tannith!” The Captain abruptly growled at the other soldier, panting lightly as he parried a blow meant for his gut from the assassin.
“ But Sir..!” The young man began to protest.
“Run! Take our Lady and run! That’s an order!” The captain shouted in return, screaming in pain as the assassin‘s blade caught him in the thigh.
Tannith hesitated for only one more heartbeat before he whirled, One leather gloved hand closing around Aneira’s wrist and pulling her into a run, a low curse hissing out through his teeth.
“ don’t stop running! We have to make it to the stables!” He huffed, ice gripping at his heart.
Air puffing from her mouth as she ran, Aneira barely managed to get an affirmation out of her mouth, the word broken on her lips. It was only at that moment that she realized she was crying, hot tears streaking down her cheeks. She blinked several times to clear them away, but to no avail. They just continued to fall. And she continued to run.
The pair soon made it to the stables, running through the wind, and Tannith threw Open the door before her, pulling her inside. There were no grooms attending the horses at that moment, which was good, because it meant it didn’t slow them down as the soldier hastily saddled two of the equine shapes, the horses snorting with alarm and tossing back their heads, but otherwise making no move to get away. He grabbed a pair of emergency saddle bags, throwing them over the beast’s backs before fitting both with bits and reins. Tannith then moved hastily over to Aneira, putting his hands around her waist and lifting her into one of the saddles. She quickly pulled her skirts up, freeing her legs until she could sit a stride the saddle, gathering the reins into her hands and directing the mare towards The open doors. Tannith quickly mounted his own stallion, nudging the horse in the ribs and prompting him into a sprint, Aneira’s mare leaping quickly forward to follow after.
Across the courtyard, through the front gate, together they escaped the steadhold, the storm at their backs.
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