Thin Edge (SnowFeather, kaito9049)

[Snowfeather]

The man and his female companion walked down the empty path, the canopy above covering most of the moonlight that showered the forest. They laughed and held hands. Soon enough, the female left, leaving the man alone in a moonlit clearing.


He sighed and took a step forward as he got ready to leave the clearing. He didn't get any further than one step as a dark figure with glowing eyes could be seen at the edge of the clearing, straight ahead, staring right at him. The man shivered and took a step back, frightened by the sight.


The figure blinked and tilted it's head, as if confused by the man's actions, or perhaps amused, who knows. The man observed the figure as it moved around the clearing, and he had to turn to follow it with his curious gaze, the figure seeming even more curious. After a while, the figure halted, still crouching.


It stretched out a leg into the moonlight and then the entire figure emerged, revealing a masked person. The man started to back away and the figure seemed to hiss. Before he had time to react, the figure had leaped into the air and kicked him right in the back, doing a front flip mid air before landing in front of his head. He looked up at what could be mistaken as a ninja and gasped.


The figure took away the mark covering most of it's face to reveal the face of a woman. She was smirking and her hand came around from behind her back to reveal a sai knife. The blades reflected the moonlight and she lowered herself down in front of him. She blew some air into his face and he breathed in the scent of roses.


It was the last thing he'd ever do, before everything went black. What happened? Well, if you had been there on that moonlit night, you would have seen as the woman stabbed the man's eye with the knife, then taking out another sai knife and slashing his throat. It all passed in a mere second.


What else would you have seen? You would have seen the woman rise to her feet and wrap the scarf around her face. The dark beauty would look deep into your eyes, before she was gone with the wind, swallowed by the night.

 

[Snowfeather]

@kaito9049

 

[kaito9049]

Franz Trader did not truly hate many things, but the cold was one of them. It wasn't that he hadn't encountered the sensation of frigid air--he had, quite often. It was the feeling of sluggishness and the loss of energy that really aggravated him. The cold made it twice as hard to get work done, which compounded on the possibly deadly threat that the low temperature held. The fact that Franz couldn't move around or do much of anything to generate heat did not help matters. Yes, he was wearing a cloak made out of deerskin, but it was old and had been patched numerous times. Indeed, the hate that Franz held for the cold ironically kept him warmer than the coat did.


Though Franz could not move his body without disturbing the small hiding spot he had carved out from a large bush, his mind was free to roam to thoughts of warm stew or good ale. Unfortunately, thinking of either only made him hungry. Instead, he turned his thoughts to his adolescence. When his family could barely keep a fire going and had no more food to eat, Franz's father had taken him out into a nearby forest much like the one he now hunting in. When Franz had complained about the frigidness, his father had simply said: "The feeling of cold is simply a form of pain. And pain can be fought against, or ignored completely." Aye, Franz could not recall a single instance of his father muttering about the cold.


The sound of a rustle a short distance from Franz interrupted him from his nostalgia. Glancing at the trap he had prepared, a simple iron pressure-triggered deer trap baited with bright red berries, Franz carefully raised his bow. If his target stepped into the trap, then there would likely be no need for an arrow--a quick cut to the throat would preserve the meat the best. However, if the deer was spooked for whatever reason, then Franz would have to try his hand at archery. Just then, a young stag, its antlers proudly stretching towards the tops of the trees, emerged from the foliage across from the hunter. Franz allowed himself to smirk as the creature innocently walked towards the berries, unaware of the death that awaited it.


Seven feet away from the buck, a branch snapped off a tree and fell to the ground.


Loud noises. Franz also hated loud noises.


The hart darted away, its nimble feet just missing the jaws of the trap. Cursing under his breath, Franz stood up and let his arrow fly towards his prey. The projectile buried itself in the trunk of a great oak. Sighing, the man gave chase, though he knew that his chances of catching up with his target were slim at best. He followed the trail of broken twigs and tracks that the deer had left behind, until he came into a clearing. That was when he saw a body in the distance. At first he thought it was a mauled animal of some kind, but it didn't seem like anything had eaten it. When Franz drew closer, he realized what it was, and his blood ran colder than the air around him. He dropped his bow and sprinted forward, the deer forgotten. Bending down to examine the corpse, he saw that it was a man whose throat had been slit, not unlike a rabbit's. Pressing his index and middle fingers against the man's neck, he felt that he was still warm, meaning that he had been killed just recently.


Suddenly paranoid, Franz spun around, looking for any signs of the attacker. He saw none. Franz considered dragging the man back to town, but he didn't want to disturb the scene. On the other hand, the longer the man was there, the bigger the chance of him being eaten by some wild animal. Quickly making his decision, he respectfully draped his cloak over the man, slung his bow over his shoulder, and dashed towards the city as quickly as his legs would carry him.

 

[Snowfeather]

As the man walked into the clearing of the crime scene, a dark figure lurked in the trees. One moment it was there, then it was somewhere else, then it was there again. It's eyes glowed menacingly and a growl erupted from it's throat. It glided to the edge of the branch and watched as the man observed the figure's artwork. It tilted it's head and crouched further, invisible thanks to the darkness that clung to the branch.


As the man quickly ran off, it was intrigued. Odd. The figure looked away and blinked. After making sure no one was in sight, it hopped out of the tree and landed in a crouch. It rose to it's feet and disappeared into the shadows. Minutes later, the figure could be seen climbing the roofs of a busy village. The streets full of life and joy. It was revolting.


The figure slipped into a dark building with an open window. It landed without a sound and rose, it's eyes glowing. "My pay," it snapped at the round man sitting in the chair next to the desk. The man was startled. "The body," he replied weakly. A growl erupted from it's throat and the man threw it a sack.


The figure caught it easily and looked inside, meeting the golden coins with a curious look. "My pay, my target. Now, new pay, new target," the figure implied, glaring over at the man with a death glare. The man nodded and folded his hands on the desk. "Franz Trader. His name, is Franz Trader," he replied and looked up, only to see the figure gone, the curtains threatening to blow out of the open window. Gone.


( Sorry I thought I posted. )

 

[kaito9049]

"Sorry!" Franz called behind him as he accidentally pushed a merchant back. Usually around this time, he would be skinning a deer or a fox to sell at one of the stands that surrounded him, but with his recent discovery, such thoughts were at the back of his mind. He finally reached his destination: the constable's office. The constable had been elected by a gathering of townsmen a few years before Franz had arrived at the village, but Franz soon found that he was a respectable and just man. Unfortunately, a lack of resources made a permanent guard rather impossible; the law was usually enforced by the townspeople themselves.


The office building was far from glamorous, with its roof leaky and its cobblestone walls beginning to show the signs of age. As such, it probably wasn't such a good idea for Franz to burst through its rotting door. The constable, an older gentleman whose hairs were just starting to turn grey, looked up from his papers. "May I help you? Er, Traden, was it?" he asked. If he was annoyed by Franz's rather rude entrance, he didn't show it.


"Franz Trader, sir," Franz coughed, out of breath. "I was in the west forest...about half a mile from here...I found...I found a man, sir. His throat had been slit. He was still warm when I left him."


The constable turned pale as he stood shakily. "This man, what did he look like? Quickly now!" he demanded. Franz quickly gave the description of the corpse he had found. When he had finished, the constable sat down again and rubbed his temples. "Yes, yes, I believe I know who that is," he said mournfully. "What shall I tell his loved ones?....In any case, thank you for bringing me this information. I know it's not easy news to bear. I will gather some reputable men to bring the body back." He looked up. "Will you lead them to where you found this man?"


Franz immediately nodded. "Of course," he said eagerly, resting against the door.


The constable nodded shortly. "Thank you," he said again. "And I would very much appreciate it if you kept this information from the general public," he said. "At least for now."


Franz agreed. Word traveled around town quickly, and if it was found out that there was a murderer in their midst, more problems could arise.


"In the meantime," the other man said, standing up again. "I suggest that you rest. You've had a difficult time, no doubt." And with that, he exited the building, off to gather his men.


Franz went outside and began to pace. Murders usually occurred due to personal quarrels, such as rumors of affairs or allegations of stealing. In these cases, the corpse was usually covered in blunt force wounds from fists, or rocks, anything to signify a struggle. But the body that Franz had seen had a cut to the throat and a stab through the eye. It had been brutal, quick, professional. These thoughts haunted the man.

 

[Snowfeather]

The figure ran across the roofs, it's feet not making a sound. Not even as the figure jumped across an alley and landed on the other roof. The figure stopped suddenly and crouched as it rested on the roof of the constable's office. It hated him. It's eyes glowed blue and it could sense another presence.


The figure was too curious, it hopped off the roof and landed a mere meter from the man standing outside, Franz. It tilted it's head, still not showing any features that would give out it's identity nor gender. It didn't rise, but crouched as it sneaked around Franz, observing him. It's eyes shone slightly behind the mask it wore, and it's hands were covered with gloves.


No, it would be impossible to identify this dark beauty. It stopped and stared up at Franz.

 

[kaito9049]

Franz was beginning to wonder whether it would have been a good idea for him to get something to eat when he felt an eerie presence behind him. Slowly turning around, he found himself face to face with a man in dark clothing. Now, like any logical person, Franz's first instinct was to head towards the greatest number of people. Unfortunately for him, there didn't seem to be anyone else nearby at the moment. He subconsciously reached towards the hunting knife at his belt, though it wasn't likely to save him in the case of a fight.


Slowly pacing to the side, Franz studied the man--or rather, now that he thought of it, he wasn't sure what gender the figure was. Whatever the case, he knew full well that the only people who dressed in dark clothing during busy hours were either mourners, thieves, or murderers (sometimes all of the above). Suddenly feeling like one of the animals he had often trapped, Franz began to look for a direction to run. Nervously clearing his throat, he asked, "How are you this fine day?"


Franz didn't speak too well when he was nervous.

 

[Snowfeather]

The figure tilted it's head and it's eyes shone. It then leaped forward, clinging onto Franz before pinning him down. The figure crouched over him now, looking into his eyes.


"Excellent," she whispered, her voice echoing. Yes, it was indeed a woman. She reached down and traced a finger down the side of his face, down across his jawline and ending at his chin. She took her hand back and tilted her head.


She seemed intrigued, curious, confused.

 

[kaito9049]

Franz had often heard that before a man died, his life flashed back before his eyes.


There was no such flashback now, which he hoped was a good sign. When he heard the figure's voice, he realized that she was a...she. "At least buy me a drink first!" he exclaimed, trying to push the woman off of him (part of him was glad that no one was around to see his embarrassing demise). What he found was that the figure was a lot stronger than she looked. He attempted to reach for his knife, for his vials for oil, for anything that would help him, but he was paralyzed, both from fear and from the woman's strength.


All he could do was close his eyes and pray that his life would not end here. His thoughts flickered to his parents. What would become of them, once they learned that their only child had been killed. Would they even be able to find out? Interestingly, he remembered all of the animals he had killed for food and fur. He felt much like one of those animals at that moment. But he would not beg for mercy or cry in shame. Instead he looked at the woman and asked, "Hunters such as I kill to survive. What do you kill for? Money? Infamy? Do you even know?"

 

[Snowfeather]

She continued looking down at him and tilted her head. She grabbed him by the throat and lifted his upper body off the ground. "Money, pleasure, survival, it's all the same," she snapped, before she threw him to the ground, standing up straight.


She turned away from him and looked up at the sky. She turned towards him again and narrowed her eyes. She took away her scarf to reveal her lips, but she did not dare show her eyes. "I will come back," she hissed, before she turned and ran, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Just then, a man came walking down the street.

 

[kaito9049]

Franz coughed and rubbed his throat, knowing full well that his death was probably only postponed, but eternally grateful for the extension. Looking up, he saw a man, followed by two others. "The constable sent us," one of them explained. "You're Trader?"


"There's a problem," Franz said, ignoring the man's inquiry. "I was just attacked by an assassin. And she's going to come back."


The men looked at each other, perhaps wondering if Franz was insane, or drunk. "Look, I'll take you to the body I found earlier," Franz said, annoyed. "But I hope that you brought your swords with you." Luckily, they had.


"Did you get a good look at this assassin?" one of the men asked.


Franz sighed. "I'm afraid not," he admitted. "But her voice was feminine, and she was fast." Like that narrows it down, Franz thought ruefully. He was shamed at his inability to defend himself. He had never been much of a fighter; at most he had scared off a medium-sized bear with some fire. But he wasn't going to get anywhere by sitting around. "Let's go," he snapped, standing up. "And please, move quickly."

 

[Snowfeather]

She hid in the trees, the canopy hiding her figure. She had her scarf wrapped around her face and she threw knives on the opposite tree trunk. She heard a noise and immediately tensed. She didn't have time to grab the knives, instead climbed further up into the trees, out of sight.


She listened to their foot steps and their breathing. Three men. The one from earlier and two others.

 

[kaito9049]

"There," Franz said, pointing to a figure on the ground about four yards ahead. He was still nervous of the fact that an assassin, for whatever reason, was out for his blood. One of the men with him jogged to the scene, carefully lifting the cloak that Franz had lain on him. The man grimaced as he took a look at corpse. "It's John, alright," he confirmed to the other man. "Let's get him back to town." The man took John by his legs, while the other man grabbed the body by its shirt. Franz watched as the two men slowly walked towards the town. He picked up his cloak and sighed. It was covered in blood. He'd probably have to get rid of it entirely. He was about to follow the men when he remembered something.


"I'll catch up in a sec," he called. "I left one of my traps back there. Wouldn't want someone to step in it." Franz paused. "If I'm not with you in ten minutes, come back for me. Seriously." The two men chuckled nervously before continuing on their way. Franz quickly rushed towards the place where he had placed his trap. He didn't want to spend any more time alone than he had to.


He soon found the trap, and to his surprise, a large fox had triggered it, causing its hind leg to become stuck in the iron jaws. Happy that the day wasn't a complete mess, Franz bent down to finish the job. He paused as he considered the irony of the situation, before shaking himself to alertness. "Sorry, little one," he murmured to the animal. "But we all have to eat." With a quick stroke, the deed was done. Franz opened the trap and tied the body of the fox with rope before beginning his walk back to town.

 

[Snowfeather]

( Gtg , tired.. )

 

[Snowfeather]

She watched the man as he...killed the fox. She hissed and tears streamed down her face. She let out a birdlike screech, like an eagle, and threw her remaining dagger so that it sipped past his face by millimeters, landing on the tree beside him, burying it's thin edge into the bark.


Her eyes glowed as she rose on her branch, visible in sight. Her blonde hair was set loose do that it seemed to float in the air as a tiny a strip of light broke the darkness, but her mask covered her mouth and nose. She narrowed her eyes and gripped tight on the bow she was currently using to aim her poisonous arrow at the man.

 

[kaito9049]

Franz immediately spun around, dropping his prize. His blood ran cold as he spotted the assassin. Her blue eyes seemed to silently judge him. But he stared right back, unmoving. "So," he spoke hesitantly. "Come here often?"


Franz's mind was racing. The constable's men were probably about three minutes away, if he ran. It had been about five minutes since he had left them, and they would (hopefully) soon be looking for him. The assassin seemed unnaturally quick, so he wasn't confident that he could outrun her. He casually slipped his hand into one of the pouches on his belt and gripped a small vial full of oil with a paper stopper. He usually set these ablaze to scare animals towards his traps (or dangerous beasts away from him), but he was always extremely careful not to accidentally set a tree or a brush on fire. As such, he rarely used them. In this scenario, however...


He sighed and put the vial back into his pouch. It was unlikely that such a small fire would do too much damage to his surrounding, but he still couldn't risk setting the entire forest on fire. The forest was a source of food and lumber for the entire town, and losing even a portion of it would be devastating. No, he could only think of one option. He leaned back, preparing himself to break into a sprint.

 

[Snowfeather]

She narrowed her eyes and as she took a step forward, the branch seemed to lower to the ground, and she stepped off. It slowly rose again, as if alive. She continued her aim at him and her icy glare bore into his.


A snow owl hooted as it flew out of a tree, carrying a silver object in it's claws. It landed on her shoulder and lowered it's claws as the assassin stretched out a hand. The silver object, three knives, dropped and she caught them with ease. She slipped them into her pocket and lowered her bow.


She looked down and her gaze softened greately. She was by it's side in a split second, kneeling. She ran her hand over it's eyes, closing them. She whispered something, 'brother, oh brother..', before she turned to Franz. Her eyes burned with rage and she hissed, warning him to keep away.


She rose to her feet and backed away into the lush growth, raising her bow. This was a warning. Next time, she would take him. For now, too much blood had been spilled.

 

[kaito9049]

Franz didn't know the reason behind the assassin's decision to retreat, but he wasn't about to sit around pondering the question. Quickly slinging the bound fox over his shoulder, he took off towards the direction of the town. Within a few minutes, he ran into the constable's men. "We were just about to circle back around for you," one of them said.


"You would have been too late," Franz pointed out. He quickly explained what had happened to him, as the other men's faces turned grim.


"You should learn how to wield a sword," one of the men advised.


Franz sighed. "I haven't had to as of yet. But now I'm thinking it might be necessary." The group continued on towards the city wordlessly, all eyes searching around for any signs of the assassin.


Franz was asked to report to the constable while the men settled matters with the family of the dead man. After going through the events once again (repeating several parts more than once for the constable's sake), the constable let out a heavy sigh. "This is deeply troubling news," he said tiredly. "I'm very glad that you're alive, of course..."


Franz had a feeling that there was a 'but' coming on.


"...but if we are to catch this assassin as soon as possible, we may need to...er. how should I put this?"


"Act as bait for an assassin that can appear from seemingly anywhere, is an expert marksman, can probably blend into a crowd, and is being paid to kill me?"


"...yes."


Franz leaned back into his chair. He wasn't very keen on this idea. Furthermore, he doubted the capability of the town to protect him and/or catch the assassin. There were a few veteran soldiers and guards, but the town had no dedicated militia or police force. The constable would have a hard time convincing people to volunteer for this job. Plus, Franz had his parents to think about.


On the other hand, this assassin seemed unstoppable. If he refused the constable's request, those who protected him would also be at risk. No, as long as the assassin was still at large, none of them were safe. Franz made his decision.


"I'll do it," he agreed, much to the constable's relief. "On one condition."

 

[Snowfeather]

She sat in the undergrowth and watched with narrow eyes as he grabbed the wolf and ran off. She hissed and rose to her feet, but was stopped by the sound of birdsong. She looked up with wide eyes as a white feather fell from the blue sky, floating down on wings of wind. She watched as it lowered and landed on the ground. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before she opened her eyes again.


She sighed and turned to see a large owl, with blue eyes and white feathers. She stopped and watched as the owl spread it's wings. She dipped her head and the owl took off. She smiled under her mask and ran. She ran, and ran, until she stumbled upon a clearing with a giant waterfall. She walked up to the stream it formed, and slipped in behind the waterfall, revealing a dark cave.

 

[kaito9049]

After Franz's deal with the constable, he was escorted to the inn so that he could collect his belongings. He had been staying at the Auburn Mare Inn since his arrival at the town, and had gotten to know the owners quite well. He also supplied a portion of his catches so that they could make stew and other foods, in return for cheaper rent. They understood when Franz informed them that he had to leave temporarily. He didn't tell them of the reason, though he figured that they would find out soon enough from other townspeople. Collecting his meager belongings--crafting materials, half-finished traps, his books--he was then taken to one of the most secure places in town: the jail.


It wasn't that there was a lot of guards or well-made locks in the jail (though Franz had crafted one or two himself), but the prison was one of the few places in the town to be completely made out of stone. It was dry, clean (there weren't a lot of criminals in the town), and had only one entrance. Now this was just a temporary measure; Franz and the constable planned to eventually move him to a less secure location in preparation for a trap, but planning took time. So Franz sat in the biggest cell in the prison, far from the petty thieves and drunkards that occupied the others. He had skinned the fox he had caught and sent it to the inn, keeping about half of it to cook himself (the constable advised not taking any food made from other people). He had become accustomed to sitting like this, simply reading or thinking about possible traps that would ensure his survival. Again and again, however, his mind turned back to the assassin. What motivated a person to attack so violently?

 

[Snowfeather]

Her eyes opened and she slipped outside, the moon reflecting in the stream. She narrowed her eyes and took off to a sprint. She soon reached the village and climbed up a wall. She ran from roof to roof, careful not to make a sound.


She reached the constable's office and found a loose end. She pulled it, and the roof collapsed right below her. She landed on one knee and looked down. Her gaze rose to meet the constable's. Her eyes glowed, and the constable aimed his gun at her. She scoffed.

 

[kaito9049]

Franz finished writing down his second contingency for his third plan. None were particularly polished, but they would have to do. Most involved a purposely placed vulnerability supplemented by a dozen guards and several traps. Just then, a thought occurred to Franz. "How many guards does the constable have?" he questioned the gruff ex-pikeman that stood by his door.


"None," the man answered, surprised. "He's not in danger, after all."


Franz frowned. It wasn't likely that the assassin would be coming after the constable without being paid to do so, but it was still possible. "Send a few men to check on him," he instructed. The guard nodded and left to go send a few of his troops.

 

[Snowfeather]

She tilted her head and the constable's hands shook. She slipped a knife out from her sleeve and held it up beside her face, the spider symbol visible.


"B-Black Widow.." He whispered and gasped. She smiled underneath her mask. She narrowed her eyes and in the blink of an eye, she was gone.

 

[kaito9049]

Franz, despite the danger, was able to get a good amount of rest that night. He dreamt of the safety he had as a child. Yes, a few times he had to go to bed hungry, but he endured. There were no knives being pressed against his throat or arrows shot at his head. He was at peace, in his dreams.


He was woken up by the guard, who informed him that the constable had come to speak with him. Interesting, considering that they were not supposed to meet until after breakfast. Nonetheless, Franz stood up and greeted the constable, who seemed very unsettled. He kept muttering something about a "black widow."


"Black widow? I know of it. But I doubt that you are speaking of the spider," Franz said, trying to calm the man down. "What are you talking about?"

 

[Snowfeather]

She sat in her cave once more, sharpening her knives on a jagged rock. She stopped as she heard a noise, and looked up to see a snow owl. She cupped her hands around her mouth and let out a hooting sound.


The owl hooted in reply and spread it's wings, landing on her shoulder. It nuzzled her neck and she smiled. "Hello pretty bird," she said cheerfully, her eyes full of life and happiness.