|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 10:39 am
In the grand scheme of things Adenah was still an 'apprentice' assassin. Her solo work was few and far between though not because of lack of skill. Rather, the guild usually sent her mentor with her to make sure Adenah's mental resolve was as sharp as the knives she threw. It ensured that her work was completed successfully without fail each night. At first she'd chaffed under such strict supervision; she was a grown woman and if she had work she could do it. As the years went on, however, and the psychological strain wore on she understood the need. Every kill was no easier than the last and while her form physically was at it's peak mentally she was starting to frey.
It didn't help that for days, possibly weeks or months, before a hit they would study their target. This time it was a military lieutenant; one with a husband and three small children. She wasn't paid to question why it had to be him and if she failed then it could very likely be her head on the next ledger. Still, when she'd tossed that blade and it sunk straight into his throat, dropping the hardened warrior like a stone she'd felt her blood run cold. There was something about the way his husband screamed that just...haunted her.
"Move!" Knott paused for just a moment to tug on Adenah's arm before the two were fleeing the estate. The lieutenant's husband had wasted no time in raising the guard and they were ready for it - to a point. What she hadn't taken into account was that his husband was also in the military. The spear he'd launched at Adenah hit it's target and before she'd safely jumped off the balcony onto an adjacent building she fell to the street below.
At first it was all she could do to scream. When she chanced a look back she could see the spear had buried itself in her lower back and likely would have come out the front if he'd been closer. You can't pull it out; if you pull it out you'll bleed to death... And yet, she could hear the commotion above her and knew the guard were drawing close. Chancing it, Adenah bundled her cloak into her mouth, bit down and pulled the spear from her flesh. As as soon as it was out she took her cloak, pressed it onto the wound and did her best to limp away from the scene. With any luck the blood would fade away into the night, at least long enough to buy her some time.
She didn't make it far, or at least, so far as she knew. Adenah slipped into an alcove and tried to make herself as small as possible. If she could just wait out the night then she could find a healer in the morning....
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 11:08 am
Adenah had gotten far enough that she'd somehow ended up in an area where Dovian was doing business. The blacksmith had caught the movement out of the corner of his eye but didn't think that unusual for where he was. As he walked past he noticed the body had stopped and was trying to hide. He paused as something told him to have a look. He glanced from side to side to make sure there was no one going to surprise him then he ducked into the aclove. "Hello?.. Hey are you alright?" He stuck to asking basic questions as he got closer. It wasn't until he was a few feet away that he noticed the figure of the person. That was a very familiar figure. "Miss Uula?" Just as before he used the alias she'd given him since they were in public. Dovian got closer and inspected the woman for an injury. She didn't look too good when she'd slunk in. "Come on, talk to me.. What's wrong?" He tried to coax her into talking. If she was talking that meant she was coherent, right? In the process of him checking her over his hands found the injury on her back. The wetness alone worried him. That was a lot of blood. Quickly he shifted so that he could gather her up and lift her off the ground. "Hang on." He knew a healer, but they worked for the thieves guild so he would owe a favor or two.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 11:18 am
"Mmm." Adenah was beyond giving cognoscente answers. The hand she'd been using to hold her cloak over the wound had fallen away with the last of her strength and her mask was long gone at that point. Thankfully she was conscious enough to recognize someone was close, though that in itself could have been a curse. She couldn't place the voice, which just made her nerves stand on end and she tried to push him away. Her attempts were pathetic, at best, but she couldn't just give in...
"Don't...touch...me..." She groaned. Adenah's eyes fluttered a few times before she really made that last effort to focus. It took everything in her to lift her head and make out the image of...."Do..vian?"
The assassin barely had time to wrap her mind around things before she was squalling out in pain. Even if he was trying to be gentle with her wound the pressure of being shifted was enough to wrench a sob out of Adenah. "P-put me...down...coming...get you too..." Her voice, already choppy with fatigue, was starting to fade along side her consciousness.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 11:37 am
He expected her small resistance but it didn't stop him. When she made a sound of pain he shifted her so that she could cry against his shoulder, or bite down if she needed. "Shhh. Its fine." He didn't much care if someone was coming or not. Once he had her in his arms with her injury pressed against his arm, using her body weight to stem the bleeding for now, he started to walk. He took full advantage of his long legs and moved quickly. It wouldn't be too long before he was in the right area and at the door he needed. Not wasting time he pushed open the door and when the guard got up he spared them a glare before saying the password needed. That stopped him and Dovian kept moving. "Who is i- oh, Dovian, this is unusual." The healer had come around the corner at the sound of the door. "Don't ask questions, Mira, I need you to heal her." The blacksmith moved to the small cot for patients and did his best to set Adenah down gently. "You know I'm on retainer for the guild." The healer followed him, the guard right behind her. "Mira. Don't argue with me. I know I will owe the guild. I'll work that out with the boss. Heal her now before I start breaking bones." Dovian turned a glare on the woman and her guard. He wasn't playing their game today. "Report to the boss that I'll settle the debt once she's healed." The guard nodded then gave Mira the go ahead before he left. Mira moved over to the girl and started to work on her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 11:59 am
If asked later Adenah wouldn't be able to remember being moved from that alcove to the healer. She unconsciously burrowed her head into his shoulder and when a spike of pain would grip her Adenah would cry out against his flesh. For the most part she tried to keep it muffled as best she could, still out of fear of being found out, but sometimes it came too fast for Adenah to cope.
Mask or not, the clasp of her cloak would have been enough to out Adenah. Most healers would have turned her away because of it, possibly even finish the job, so even in her haze Adenah was surprised to find a pain relieving potion being coaxed down her throat. At first she tried to fight it out of fear that it was poison, but with her limited strength she was easily overcome. After that it would have been much easier to tend to her wounds.
The most obvious would have been the point where the spear entered her body. Loss of blood was an obvious first concern, especially considering how long the wound had been left to freely bleed. Visceral damage was evident as was a generous amount of internal injuries. If left alone she would have been dead in that alley way by morning. As it was the act of healing the wound itself was tricky, but manageable. By the time the healer was done with her work the wound itself would have been stitched, bandaged, and covered with a thin layer of numbing salve. It wasn't as thorough as it may have been for a smaller wound, but keeping Adenah alive, for the moment, had taken priority.
The other wounds were minor in comparison. Scraps, bruises, and smaller cuts, likely from her fall. They were so small compared to the spear wound that when she woke up, still groggy from potion, Adenah didn't even feel them. At first the assassin squinted her eyes against what she thought was a bright, magical lantern only to find out it was sunlight coming in through a small window.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 12:15 pm
During treatment Dovian had stayed right there and made sure Mira didn't do anything to hurt Adenah. When she was done Dovi saw her out then stood guard to make sure no one did anything. Another twenty four hour day for him. The clasp had given her away and the guard had reported it. As such Dovian was dealing with that as Ade woke up. "No one comes in this room except for Mira or the boss." He said to the man who looked unhappy with him. Since Dovi was off limits as far as injury it was difficult to deal with him. "Just because you're the boss's favorite doesn't give you the right to abuse your position." He spat. "I haven't.." He still hadn't moved from the doorway. Dovian gave a bit of a growl to the man as he stepped closer. "Back off." The man grabbed his blade to try and intimidate the blacksmith but it did little more than cause Dovian to grit his teeth. Mira was the one to speak up next. "She's awake."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 12:32 pm
Waking up from an overnight hit in a room she'd never been was becoming far too commonplace for Adenah. Sometimes it was with friendly company, other times it wasn't, and today she wasn't really sure what she was getting involved in. Even before opening her eyes Adenah could hear Dovian, but the other man inching closer to her was new. Subconsciously she reached to her side for the knives she kept on her...only to notice that they'd been removed.
As had most of her clothing. The only thing she was dressed in was a thin, simple gown and enough bandages to inhibit her from moving too much. She raised up onto an elbow, more aware now than ever that she'd been laying on her stomach, and attempted to roll onto her side. When the act pulled on her wound too much Adenah groaned and fell back onto her stomach. "Where...the hell...am I?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 12:50 pm
"Oh good, we can interrogate her now." The man said as his attention went from Dovian to Adenah and he took another step forward, trying to pass Dovian in the doorway. Before he got even an inch through the doorway Dovian's arm shot out and blocked his path. "I am not playing with you, Barret." The healer moved over to Ade and knelt down so she could talk face to face. "You're at my place. I'm Mira, a healer." The older woman smiled kindly. "Dovian brought you here last night in quite the state. Are you in any pain now dear?" As she spoke to the hybrid woman Dovian and the other man had a few more harsh words before the blacksmith pulled out his own blade, showing his irritation. With his dagger now in his hand he brought it to Barret's throat while his other hand secured the man from behind, preventing him from backing away. Dovi didn't usually act in such a fashion so it surprised the man. It did serve the purpose of getting Barret to hold his hands up in surrender as he said he would leave. Dovian allowed him to back up afterward but the blade stayed out even after the other man left. Only when it was just the three of them did he turn his head to look toward Ade and assess that she was okay. "You have a habit of sleeping in." He teased with a half smile.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 1:12 pm
Interrogate? Oh like hell she was going to talk. Adenah gripped the bedding underneath her and turned a sharp, scarlet eye his way. At first she feared that while she'd been unconscious they'd gotten caught up with the guard, but seeing as Dovian was there it just didn't make sense. Thieves guild, definitely. They could try, but she wouldn't go down easily...
Her sharp, almost feral features turned softer when the healer blocked her line of sight. While she didn't completely trust the older woman there wasn't any reason for her to be cruel to a woman who was only trying to help. "...Not really. It pulled when I tried to sit up, but it's mostly an ache right now." She kept her voice low and as much as she tried to see past the older woman, Adenah just couldn't. Things were escalating, that much she could hear, just not all of the details.
When she heard the other man leave she relaxed some and looked up, notably relieved, when Dovian was within sight. "I'm really not a fan of mornings." Furrowing her brow, she reached her hand out to him. "Are you in trouble?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 1:29 pm
The healer nodded her head a bit at the woman's words. "Mhm, try not to make sharp sudden moves. If you need to sit up ask Dovian to help you. He knows how to move a patient." She didn't give more than that since the blacksmith came over. Dovian moved so that he could give her the hand that didn't have the blade in it. "I've noticed." Her question about being in trouble had him shake his head. "No." He wanted to keep it simple so she didn't worry. Adenah had enough to focus on for the time being. Mira wasn't having any of it. With an innocent smile she looked at Dovi then back to Ade. "He's fine for now but once you're healed up he'll be dealt with as agreed." The woman reached out and pat Adenah on the shoulder lightly. "I recommend you get better quick, the longer the boss has to wait the worse it'll be." "Mira.." Dovian warned. Instead of remaining standing he knelt down so Ade didn't have to twist so much to look at him. "Are you hungry? Mira says you can eat small amounts as long as you don't feel nauseous." He was trying to change the subject and focus on her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 1:41 pm
Adenah furrowed her brow and tried to turn around, this time stubbornly moving just enough so that she could properly see him. "Dealt with? Dovian..." You big idiot, you should have left me back there. It was kind of him to look after her like this, but getting himself in deep with the thieves guild over someone in her position wasn't worth it...
"Maybe some water? I don't think I can eat anything right now..." Just the thought made her stomach roll. Looking around the space, Adenah tried to locate her things, but wasn't having much luck. Turning her attention back to the healer, Adenah adjusted her head once more on the bedding. "How soon can I leave? It's not just your boss I'm worried about...if mine catches wind that I'm here it won't be good."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 1:52 pm
He offered her a reassuring smile. "Its fine." His punishment wasn't her concern. Dovian was a big boy and he knew what he was doing when he'd done it. When Ade said she couldn't eat at the moment he nodded his head. "Understandable. Let me get you some water." He gently took his hand from hers and stood to cross the room to the small table by the door. There he finally sheathed his blade and used both hands to pour her a glass of cool water. Mira on the other hand noticed Adenah looking around and smiled almost knowingly. "If you're looking for your things then you should know Dovian already took them away. There is no physical proof of who you are." Not that it mattered, the healer had already seen and so had her guard. It made it difficult for them to prove, sure, but they knew. The older woman glanced toward the blacksmith's turned back and smiled. "He brought you a change of clothes and a dagger but hasn't left since. The boy is stubborn, as always." Dovian came back over with the glass and knelt down with it. "Can you drink like that or do you want me to help you sit up?" He was doing his level best to ignore the healer beside him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 3:14 pm
His reassurances didn't make her feel any better. Still, Adenah wasn't about to argue the fact. She both lacked the energy to muster up an argument and knew when she was hitting a wall. Dovian had picked his path so while she didn't necessarily like where the outcome would lead him she could respect the fact he'd done it to help her.
Mira, however, did put her mind at ease. Adenah sighed and melted a little into the cot. "Thank goodness," she murmured. The less they knew the better. It wouldn't save him from the trouble he was already in, but at the very least it wouldn't make it worse. Hearing her comments about him brought a wry smile to Adenah's lips. "If he were anymore stubborn then he'd be a quahar..." Still, there were definitely worse qualities to have.
"Do you think you could help me sit up?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 3:23 pm
Mira chuckled and moved out of the way. Since she wasn't as young as she used to be she usually employed help to move patients when needed. Dovian had been one of her helpers when he was younger and had the free time so she trusted him to do the job without causing more damage. He set the glass down quietly then positioned himself so that he could help Adenah. One hand went under her abdomen while the other went under the opposite shoulder. "Up on your knees first, I'll hold your weight so don't worry." He'd already proven that she was easily picked up by him so he hoped she wouldn't argue. "After that you can slowly straighten up but let me do the lifting so you don't pull the wound." He would supply the force needed and all she had to do was let her body move. He gave her to the count of three then helped her to reposition. Once she was sitting he gave her a comfort pillow to lean on or hold as she saw fit then offered the glass of water. "If you aren't comfortable here then I can take you to my place until you're healed." Since his home wasn't directly associated with the thieves guild then it might help her to relax a bit more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 4:13 pm
There was no real way to prepare for the move. She did as she was instructed, with far more grit than even she expected from herself. Adenah started out trying to rely on her own strength at first, but by the time she was on her knees one of her arms had stretched out to hold onto Dovian. Her breathing came out in short, harsh pants despite the effort she was putting into steadying her breathing.
When she was sure she could handle it, Adenah went through the motions to straighten herself. While far from a pleasant experience, at least the support from Dovian made it easier. By the end of it she felt as if she'd run from the city guard again. Adenah took the comfort pillow gratefully, murmured a little 'thanks' and clutched it to her abdomen. It may not have been the exact spot of her pain, but it was close enough that the pressure helped.
Adenah gingerly sipped at the water and let out a happy sigh. She really hadn't realized how dry her mouth was until it was satiated. "If you can help me get home I can take care of myself. My roommate was with me when I...when I was working so she won't be called back out for a while." Though, how much help would Knott be? There's no way she didn't know you'd been hit... "I can always send for my mother. I've relied on you too much lately and I couldn't do it again."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
