Fate - First Reply Blades Crossed

[Christian Vide]

Once an assassin always an assassin... Or so they say...
They say that once you're in with a guild, or born into it, you can only get out by dying. Those who do get out by some miracle are rarely left alone and are few and far between, those who survive or escape their influence to become freelancers or go into other professions are even fewer yet.
Otherwise death follows in their wake until they are finally forced to confront the ghosts that dog their steps.
For a few... They seek to kill those like them, those who kill for money, those who kill from the shadows... Assassin killers... Perhaps a form of retribution for their crimes? Or could such people possibly be so noble.
But the point is, they always come after you, no matter what.

Christian didn't "Want" anything... The one thing he ever had strong feelings about was his own survival. Killing to stay alive, eating to stay alive, being friendly and "Normal" to stay alive... He found a place he could hide, a quiet and obscure village where he could disappear, where nobody knew him and he went by the name of Bruce, where he could start over. He had been living in this village for over a year now and had become well known amongst the villagers, accepted as a young man just looking for a place to live. A handyman around the village, lending aid whenever something needed to be done.
The roof of the miscellaneous shop doesn't leak anymore, "Thank that boy, Bruce. He went up there with some new shingles he split and had it fixed up in no time!"
The cows got a new fence this spring, "And he went and mended it right in the dead of winter, and come the spring thaw he was out there driving new fence poles!"
As far as laying low he left things to be desired, but he laid the groundwork, even if an agent or informant came here themselves they wouldn't know him. So he did his best to become part of the village, and if he stood out a little then so be it. They knew him and if anything happened to him they would look after what little he's built here, namely the tiny subsistence garden out behind his two room cabin on the edge of town and the old stray dog that kept him company.

Life was small, but he got by and he did well for himself.

Of course... Not everything goes according to plan... And another assassin who's worth their salt would be able to figure him out soon enough. Meanwhile he was simply up on the roof of the widows house repairing the shingles, a young widow and her three year old daughter live here and a hot meal was being cooked inside as reward for his labor. He merely hammered away at the shingles... But the stranger coming down the main thoroughfare that ran through the middle of the village was almost impossible to ignore.

 

[Keia Merrenia]

Keia Merrenia was exhausted. She had been desperately fleeing from the relentless hunter that was Sir Eberwolf Kinniger and his huge three headed warhound, it was he who had originally taken her in for her villainy in raising numerous dead to make a Legion in order to give her a way to further practice her necromancy, she took the moniker Legion during this time. Sir Eberwolf and his Avariel companion Caliane Ruinë had brought her back to Castle Kinniger in chains, where she spent half a year in a cell, with magic inhibiting manacles that kept her there. It had only been a few weeks since her escape, and she knew that the White Knight and his black hound were close at heel, hunting her like she were an injured doe.

Keia was a pale skinned woman with slim but healthy proportions, a green wraparound halter top and cut skirt, leaving her midriff, shoulders, arms and left leg completely exposed. She had long black hair and pale eyes. Her light skin and eye skin were due to her being Kavosh in origin.

She walked intonations the village, forgoing her usual stealth in favor of haste. She didn’t plan on staying long, just long enough to buy a cloak with which to hide her identity so that she might escape her persuer.

 

[Christian Vide]

A stranger in this village stood out like a sore thumb. In a place where everyone knows everyone finding someone you don't know is cause for high suspicion, it took Christian a whole year to win their trust as he settled in. But in spite of the stranger walking down the road he was ready to simply turn away and go back to his work, out of everyone else here he had the most reason to be wary of a stranger.
But as he began hammering away again he heard the little boy of the widow excitedly tell his mother about the strange lady that was about to pass by their house.

The young widow came out wiping her hands on her apron with her son leading and pointing at the oddly dressed lady. Christian still didn't look up, but he listened between the pound of his hammer to what was going on.

With the death of her husband two years ago the widow was far more reflective than most others of the village, they acted like a closed community because nobody ever came here, but they had a tavern and a market with regular trade caravans coming through annually and they even had stock for adventuring gear for the few that come through. But still everyone managed to act unneighborly whenever someone did come through, she first saw it with the way they shunned Bruce who now worked on her roof and did other odd jobs around the village not asking for pay... She mentally shrugged to herself.
Well, if anyone was going to break the trend it might as well be her, and she needed to set some example for her son. She waved and called out to the lady just as she passed by the fence to her yard.

"Hail traveler, you've had a hard road I take it? Won't you join us for dinner?"
She smiled cheerfully as she waved, her son clinging to her skirts as he watched the lady in awe.
The sound of the hammer stopped for a moment but then went on as if he was adjusting his grip.

 

[Keia Merrenia]

"Hail traveler, you've had a hard road I take it? Won't you join us for dinner?"
She smiled cheerfully as she waved, her son clinging to her skirts as he watched the lady in awe.
The sound of the hammer stopped for a moment but then went on as if he was adjusting his grip.

A voice, a woman calling to her. She was in a hurry, and with barely enough money for a cloak for the road, she had planned to move on as soon as possible, but truth be told she was tired from the road, and her stomach begged for nourishment. And the woman was offering dinner, which she could definitely use. So she looked over at the apron wearing woman with the child, then smiled gratefully.

“Thank you miss. I appreciate it. I’ll join you if you’d really have me.” She said, truly grateful. She smiled at the kid who hid behind the woman, despite her less than good practices she still loved the innocence of children.

 

[Christian Vide]

“Thank you miss. I appreciate it. I’ll join you if you’d really have me.”

"Of course! Think nothing of it!"
She was just winging it now, this was out of character for her especially after her husbands death. She wasn't still in mourning, but still she felt odd inviting a stranger to her home.
"My name is Samantha Teek, and this is my son Kinney. Please come inside, dinner will be ready soon. You can sit down and relax for a bit until it's ready."
As she turned to lead the way into the house she called up, "Bruce, we'll have a guest joining us, hope that's alright."
He looked up from his work and down at the lady and the widow of the house giving them a warm smile, "Of course I don't mind, miss Teek. I'm almost finished up here, I'll be right down."

The widow waved and then led her into the little one room cabin. A pot of simmering stew was over the fireplace, there's a table with three chairs, a large double bed and one smaller bed beside it. Various things decorated the walls, a bear fur being the main piece above the stone fireplace.
Samantha pulled out a chair for her to sit on.
"Make yourself at home, dinner should just be a moment."
The sound of hammering on the roof began once again but only went on for a couple more minutes before "Bruce" came climbing down the ladder.

Christian wasn't a fool. He wasn't going to jump to the conclusion that this woman was a spy or informant simply because she's a stranger. But he also wasn't foolish enough to dismiss the possibility. He went out to the wood pile and began splitting more shingles for a stockpile, and while he was at it he split some more firewood as well.
There was an art to killing, and he was good at it. Anything could be a blade if it can apply enough focused pressure to a single spot on the body. Thus the tiny shiv of wood in his boot was all he needed for a one time use weapon should the need arise.

 

[Keia Merrenia]

"Of course! Think nothing of it!"
She was just winging it now, this was out of character for her especially after her husbands death. She wasn't still in mourning, but still she felt odd inviting a stranger to her home.
"My name is Samantha Teek, and this is my son Kinney. Please come inside, dinner will be ready soon. You can sit down and relax for a bit until it's ready."

“A profusion of thanks Miss Teek, it’s a pleasure to meet you and Kinney.” She said coming in, she was not going to be a burden on her hospitality, but she was not going’s to disrespect it by refusing either. So she came in and asked, “can I assist in any way? Getting the table set or helping to bring the food in? I’d hate to be a freeloader, so if I might help in some way I’ll be happy to do so.”

She was definitely going to like this family, she hadn’t met Bruce yet so she couldn’t have a real opinion of him just yet. But she was quite sure that if he was anything like Miss Teek he’d be a friendly person who she’d like to meet.

 

[Christian Vide]

“can I assist in any way? Getting the table set or helping to bring the food in? I’d hate to be a freeloader, so if I might help in some way I’ll be happy to do so.”

Samantha smiled and pointed to a cupboard, "There should be some bowls and spoons in there, if you insist. The foods about ready to boil."
Kinney watched the lady wide eyed as he draped himself over the back of a chair, seeming to lose his shyness by the minute.
"Where do you come from lady?"
His mother reprimanded him quickly, "Don't ask such personal questions, Kinney! She's had a long journey."

After a minute "Bruce" came in carrying an armload of firewood.
"Oh, Bruce! I was just about to send Kinney to fetch you, but you didn't have to bring in the firewood!"
Samantha was still stirring the pot which had now come to a steady bubble. Bruce set the wood down by the fire.
"Don't worry about it, Miss Teek. It's my pleasure to help."
He turned to their guest with a friendly (But forced) smile and offered his hand to shake.
"A pleasure to meet you, miss. I'm Bruce Fydorian."

 

[Keia Merrenia]

Samantha smiled and pointed to a cupboard, "There should be some bowls and spoons in there, if you insist. The foods about ready to bo

Now that she knew where the bowls were, she opened the cupboard and brought a stack of four total bowls to the table, then added the spoons. She returned to the kitchen to see what else she might do to help.

Kinney watched the lady wide eyed as he draped himself over the back of a chair, seeming to lose his shyness by the minute.
"Where do you come from lady?"
His mother reprimanded him quickly, "Don't ask such personal questions, Kinney! She's had a long journey."

“Oh it’s no trouble, really. He’s just curious. I don’t come from any specific place Kinney,” She said kindly, “my family has always been nomadic, moving from place to place, mostly as low end merchants, selling oddities and minor services, usually minor enchantments. But I’ve been a lot of places.”

He turned to their guest with a friendly (But forced) smile and offered his hand to shake.
"A pleasure to meet you, miss. I'm Bruce Fydorian."

She took the hand, she wasn’t the best at reading people, but she did notice that his smile was a little off. But she wasn’t sure what, so she didn’t think about it too hard. “A pleasure to meet you Mister Fydorian, I’m Keia.”

 

[Christian Vide]

“A pleasure to meet you Mister Fydorian, I’m Keia.”

He nodded to her, but his hand gripped hers for a little longer, not tightly but more like he was trying to detect something.
He suddenly looked down at their hands and broke contact abruptly, his expression turning embarrassed. This was also forced but seemed more natural.
"My apologies, I thought you looked familiar for a moment, my mistake."
It was the only excuse that came to mind.

"Soup's ready!"
Samantha took the pot off the fire and began ladling a hearty stew into the bowls. Bruce turned and took a seat near the door in instinct. Since there were only three spots he hoisted Kinney onto his lap and pulled the boys bowl closer.
Samantha began chatting.
"So you travel around a lot? That must be exciting! The grandmother of this village tells stories to the children of when a lot of adventurers used to come through here to hunt the local trolls nests, but once the last of the trolls were killed they didn't come around as much. We still keep a gear store here for the occasional traveler, but this village is definitely not what it used to be."
She pointed a teasing finger at Bruce.
"Bruce doesn't like to talk about it, but I think he used to travel around a lot too before he settled here. Although it's a joke around the village that he was just dropped here by the gods to give us luck."
Bruce rolled his eyes and bounced Kinney on his knee, "I've just been around and I'm happy to help, that's all. I'm sure miss Keia has been to far more interesting places than me."

 

[Keia Merrenia]

He nodded to her, but his hand gripped hers for a little longer, not tightly but more like he was trying to detect something.
He suddenly looked down at their hands and broke contact abruptly, his expression turning embarrassed. This was also forced but seemed more natural.
"My apologies, I thought you looked familiar for a moment, my mistake."
It was the only excuse that came to mind.

She was convinced that something was wrong when he held the handshake longer than necessary, and his excuse didn’t do much to convince her. But she shrugged and said, “no worries, I’ve made that mistake before.”

"Soup's ready!"
Samantha took the pot off the fire and began ladling a hearty stew into the bowls. Bruce turned and took a seat near the door in instinct. Since there were only three spots he hoisted Kinney onto his lap and pulled the boys bowl closer.

She sat down in one of the chairs, with Kenny sitting on Bruce’s lap there was room. She tasted the soup, making sure to be mindful of how she ate despite her hunger. The soup was quite good, definitely better soup than she could cook. “This is very good Miss Teek, Thank you for this?”

Samantha began chatting.
"So you travel around a lot? That must be exciting! The grandmother of this village tells stories to the children of when a lot of adventurers used to come through here to hunt the local trolls nests, but once the last of the trolls were killed they didn't come around as much. We still keep a gear store here for the occasional traveler, but this village is definitely not what it used to be."
She pointed a teasing finger at Bruce.
"Bruce doesn't like to talk about it, but I think he used to travel around a lot too before he settled here. Although it's a joke around the village that he was just dropped here by the gods to give us luck."
Bruce rolled his eyes and bounced Kinney on his knee, "I've just been around and I'm happy to help, that's all. I'm sure miss Keia has been to far more interesting places than me."

“Less exciting and more exhausting. I’ve had the occasional run in with ruffians but the vast majority of travel is just that, travel. It is interesting to hear how your village used to handle visitors, but it seems that it hasn’t taken long for them to be suspicious or unfriendly towards outsiders. You being the only exception I’ve met. They just seem... tense. Why is that?”

 

[Christian Vide]

Samantha shrugged as she blew on a spoonful of steaming broth.
"I think it's just old fashion cliquishness. Everyone is so used to everyone else that their like family. So when someone new comes to town anymore it's like an invasion."
Bruce took a spoonful of soup and reflected how the wooden spoon might make a good weapon as well in a pinch, then he joined in, "You see that a lot in villages like this that are off the beaten path, their not close to any of the regular travel routs and traders rarely pass through to get somewhere else. Villages like this are a special stop when it comes to trade."
Samantha blinked in surprise, this was the most she'd ever gotten out of him.
"Oh, Bruce. Were you a trader before you moved here?"
He shook his head as he took another bite.
"No, just been around is all."
Actually he did a lot of research and recon before deciding to hide out here. This village was off the beaten path, but not so far off that it would be the first place someone would look if they wanted to find him. He wasn't paranoid, just cautious.

Kinney blew on the hot soup, but still had to expel the heat when it went in his mouth. Samantha sighed, "That's not much more than I've ever been able to get out of him. He's a huge help around the village but he keeps to himself."
Bruce looked annoyed at her but in a caring way... Although, she was certainly loose lipped around strangers. He shrugged, "What can I say? I like my privacy."
He focused on eating for a while after while Samantha continued to prattle about old stories and local legends of the trolls in the past.

"It is getting late, are you going to try and get a room at then Inn? Or would you rather some free room and board? I bet Bruce has room at his place..."
There it was, she really was a pushy woman when it came down to it, but this really was going a bit far. Time to overreact.
He spit up the soup he was eating back into his bowl and fell into a fit of coughing which brought laughter from the boy on his lap, even though nothing was in his throat.
"Miss Teek, that's hardly proper! Besides I've barely got enough space for myself..."
Samantha interrupted, "Tut tut! I've been to your cabin, you've literally got nothing in there but the bare necessities, you have more than enough space for a guest in need now don't argue!"

 

[Keia Merrenia]

Samantha shrugged as she blew on a spoonful of steaming broth.
"I think it's just old fashion cliquishness. Everyone is so used to everyone else that their like family. So when someone new comes to town anymore it's like an invasion."
Bruce took a spoonful of soup and reflected how the wooden spoon might make a good weapon as well in a pinch, then he joined in, "You see that a lot in villages like this that are off the beaten path, their not close to any of the regular travel routs and traders rarely pass through to get somewhere else. Villages like this are a special stop when it comes to trade."
Samantha blinked in surprise, this was the most she'd ever gotten out of him.
"Oh, Bruce. Were you a trader before you moved here?"
He shook his head as he took another bite.
"No, just been around is all."

That made some sense. She herself was usually cautious of people she didn’t know, and she remembered with some amusement how she had “greeted” Sir Eberwolf Kinniger when he came looking for her, with a horde of undead soldiers. But this was different in the sense that they weren’t just suspicious or slow to trust outsiders, not outright attack them. “I think I understand it.”

"It is getting late, are you going to try and get a room at then Inn? Or would you rather some free room and board? I bet Bruce has room at his place..."
There it was, she really was a pushy woman when it came down to it, but this really was going a bit far. Time to overreact.
He spit up the soup he was eating back into his bowl and fell into a fit of coughing which brought laughter from the boy on his lap, even though nothing was in his throat.
"Miss Teek, that's hardly proper! Besides I've barely got enough space for myself..."
Samantha interrupted, "Tut tut! I've been to your cabin, you've literally got nothing in there but the bare necessities, you have more than enough space for a guest in need now don't arg

“I actually intended to get back on the road. I don’t have the money for an inn and I hadn’t planned on meeting anyone willing to give me some floor space. Really it’s fine, none of you need to give me any more than you already have.” She said quickly, mostly worried about the knight and his huge dog catching up with her and dragging her back to prison. Definitely more worried about that than loosing more sleep, and she didn’t have any harvested souls to reanimate or animate corpses, statues or golems. Had she the time she’d make one of her Eldrich horrors as a ride or something to keep that damned Knight busy, not that it would last long, he’d beaten one of her creations to powder with his armored fists, and now he had a three headed dog with him. (Eberwolf is one of my sub accounts, he might come in later if he may.)

 

[Christian Vide]

Spoiler

Sounds awesome! this village could stand to have a little crisis. The arrival of a knight, coupled with the arrival of a group of assassins. Things will start hopping soon!

Samantha looked shocked, "You're not going to travel through the night are you, Keia? There aren't any trolls anymore, but there are other things that have moved in now that their gone..."
Bruce cut her off, "You shouldn't be so surprised, Miss Teek. There are plenty of people more dangerous than monsters, a lot of those adventurers way back then are just like that if you listen to the grandmother."
He aimed a smile at Keia, "Isn't that right? You've made it this far on your own so you probably don't have much to fear from monsters. But running yourself ragged isn't wise either."
He said that last part because it was logical, he didn't want her to stay any longer than necessary...

"It's decided then!"
Samantha stood up beaming, taking his input as agreement.
"You'll be staying in our village for tonight to regain your strength!"
Bruce's face registered shock, but he didn't really feel it. He should have seen this coming though.
"N-no, that's not what I meant..."
Samantha shook a finger at him, "Bruce, don't you dare turn a lady out on the streets! Adventurer or no she needs to take care of herself."
He sighed, "That's not what I meant either..."
He looked to Keia for help. Although he didn't want her to stay with him, he also wanted to keep her far away from Samantha and everyone else that could talk about him, just this one conversation has revealed more about him than he ever wanted anyone to know.
He could still feel the wood in his sleeve, would he have to use it?

 

[Keia Merrenia]

, "You're not going to travel through the night are you, Keia? There aren't any trolls anymore, but there are other things that have moved in now that their gone..."
Bruce cut her off, "You shouldn't be so surprised, Miss Teek. There are plenty of people more dangerous than monsters, a lot of those adventurers way back then are just like that if you listen to the grandmother."
He aimed a smile at Keia, "Isn't that right? You've made it this far on your own so you probably don't have much to fear from monsters. But running yourself ragged isn't wise either."
He said that last part because it was logical, he didn't want her to stay any longer than necessary...

“That was my intention.” She affirmed. “Besides, darkness conceals no threat to me. I can handle myself if I need to, I don’t mean to brag but I have skill with magic. So yes, I don’t have much to fear from monsters, at least not the ones I’m likely to meet. Maybe a Chimera or some other big monster, in which case I’m confident in my impressive ability to run very far in the other direction.” She added this last one as a joke.

"It's decided then!"
Samantha stood up beaming, taking his input as agreement.
"You'll be staying in our village for tonight to regain your strength!"
Bruce's face registered shock, but he didn't really feel it. He should have seen this coming though.
"N-no, that's not what I meant..."
Samantha shook a finger at him, "Bruce, don't you dare turn a lady out on the streets! Adventurer or no she needs to take care of herself."
He sighed, "That's not what I meant either..."
He looked to Keia for help. Although he didn't want her to stay with him, he also wanted to keep her far away from Samantha and everyone else that could talk about him, just this one conversation has revealed more about him than he ever wanted anyone to know.
He could still feel the wood in his sleeve, would he have to use it?

She stuttered in surprise at this. She had no sufficient answer for the moment, she actually had to think this through for a minute. “Miss Teek, with all due respect, he didn’t say that he didn’t have the room, and I would hardly have him give up any space for me. If he has a barn or if you do I could sleep there, but I won’t be a burden on anyone.”

 

[Christian Vide]

"darkness conceals no threat to me."

Just off the top of his head he could think of a few assassins that would love to make her eat those words, the March Hare, Coagulation, Annabeth, all of them had a fear fetish and a preference for darkness. He never worried that they would take the contract for him, they couldn't get off unless they could make their victims afraid, and they knew that he was incapable of emotion... Well, unless they desired the challenge...

Anyways, he couldn't detect any sign that this woman was an assassin or spy, so he didn't think he would have to use the splinter of wood.
He ate the last of his portion of soup.

“Miss Teek, with all due respect, he didn’t say that he didn’t have the room, and I would hardly have him give up any space for me. If he has a barn or if you do I could sleep there, but I won’t be a burden on anyone.”

Bruce jumped in before Samantha could object.
"That's an excellent idea, if you're sure. I think I can accommodate that, I have a tool shed that could have enough room."
He stood up and set Kinney down in the chair.
"If you're finished I could take you there now, I don't live far."

 

[Keia Merrenia]

"If you're finished I could take you there now, I don't live far."

She actually was finished, or almost finished. So she took her bowl to the washbasin and quickly rinsed it out before leaving it with the other dirty dishes, helping her with her chore a little bit, before moving on with the man. She herself had detected that he was likely not what he seemed, but how far that rabbit hole went she had no idea. But she’d be gone tomorrow morning, as she didn’t need to worry abhim nor him her. She’d be gone before he knew it.

She followed her new host to his home, and whateve barn or wooodshed he had, and after being left alone, would lie down to sleep.

 

[Christian Vide]

After they left the widows house and said their goodbyes Bruce led her through the darkening streets of the village. No more than a hundred people lived here, so the village wasn't very large, but the houses were close enough together to create deep shadows and alleys.
In the darkness everything was dim, and facial expression was difficult to read, so he dropped his masks but kept his voice in character.
"You really don't have to stay if you don't want to. I just wanted to make sure Samantha didn't influence your decision, I get the feeling she was trying to set us up, it's just how she is. The next village is another four days journey, but if you go non stop you can reach it in half that time."
He was thoughtful for a moment as they turned into a side alley that would take them near the edge of the village near the tree line.
"Being practical, the food in your stomach should last you until you reach the next village, though the lack of energy would increase your arrival time by another day at least. If you waited till morning to restock at our gear shop you could certainly last that trip and longer, especially if you restock again in the next village."

He turned his emotionless eyes on her in the dark. Being an assassin afforded quite a bit of intuition and observation skills came with his emotionless state.
"Anyone following you would be facing a similar problem, but with no idea of what to prepare for. It's three days non stop from the last village the way you came, though any prudent hunter would conserve their energy at any opportunity while they wait for their prey to run themselves to exhaustion. But now that you have information you don't have to run yourself down, you can rest, prepare, bide your time."

When they arrived at his cabin it really wasn't much, there was a shed behind it but it was really only a little smaller than the cabin itself.
A big old dog with a heavy limp came out from back to greet them happily while Bruce unlocked the cabin. He really lived at the edge of the woods, it would be simple to disappear quickly at a moments notice.
"You're call, stay or go. If you stay, I'm sorry to say my shed really has no room for a human to sleep unless you can fold yourself to the size of a dog."

 

[Keia Merrenia]

She thought hard. He brought up a number of good points, the time it would take to get to the next village and how long he thought she’d last. Restocking was a good idea, even with her limited funds, and she’d have to wait till morning to get anything at all. So she thought that even though she was being chased, Miss Teek was right, it was best for her to stay until morning. But then he said something that confirmed her suspicions, he said ‘anyone following you’, she never gave any reason for him to think that she was being chased, nor did she ever say that she was. She knew that there was much more to his story.

"You're call, stay or go. If you stay, I'm sorry to say my shed really has no room for a human to sleep unless you can fold yourself to the size of a dog."

“I’ll manage, thank you. I really do appreciate all of your help Bruce. I hope that I didn’t cause you any inconvenience.” And so she slept in the shed, curled up into a little human ball. Sleep came with difficulty that night.

 

[Christian Vide]

“I’ll manage, thank you. I really do appreciate all of your help Bruce. I hope that I didn’t cause you any inconvenience.”

"None at all."
He lied, but it was a convenient lie that was supposed to make someone else feel better.
He went into his cabin while Keia went to the cramped tool shed. His single room cabin had a small cot and a fireplace complete with cooking utensils and a small stool to sit on with at least enough room on the floor for one more to stretch out in a bed roll.
If he were a gentleman he would have offered to sleep in the shed since he could actually fold himself to the size of a dog and maybe smaller and sleep comfortably. But he didn't want to give her more incentive to stay any longer than necessary, and an uncomfortable night should do wonders with her mood to be on her way as soon as she's gotten her supplies.

Bruce woke up early, as per usual just before the sun cleared the treetops, and he began his morning ritual of cooking breakfast. He had a small garden out back with a variety of subsistence plants and a few stored food items in the tiny root cellar.
It wasn't long at all before bacon and eggs were frying over a low fire on a bed of greens, he made a little extra with his guest in mind.

He left the door open to allow the cool morning chill pervade his cabin while he went through his morning ritual.

 

[Keia Merrenia]

She woke with the sunrise, the cold of the shed not bothering her, as she actually preferred to be in colder places than warm. And she was able to get sufficient if uneasy sleep. So she stepped out of the shed and stretched, then took a look over the village as the sun rose over the horizon. She walked through the grassy field that separated the cabin from the shed and peered into the door.

“Hey, I just wanted to say thank you before I left.”

(So what do we do from here? She’s gonna leave unless something happens.)

 

[Christian Vide]

Spoiler

I was thinking your knight and the assassins could arrive at the same time. He could be causing a scene in the town square calling for any information of a woman matching your description. And since that's where the gear shop is located they would be in the general vicinity.
And assassins would have infiltrated the crowd.

Big fight ensues, a huge free for all. Knight & Dog vs Assassins vs Assassin & Necromancer.

“Hey, I just wanted to say thank you before I left.”

He heard her walking to the cabin and looked up when she poked her head in.
"Oh, Good morning. I hope the accommodations weren't too horrible. Would you like to eat before you go? Or do you want to get on your way?"
He remembered to animate his face just as she spoke, giving her a smile in greeting.
He stood up.
"I can give this to the dog and take you to the shop right now if you want."

 

[Keia Merrenia]

He heard her walking to the cabin and looked up when she poked her head in.
"Oh, Good morning. I hope the accommodations weren't too horrible. Would you like to eat before you go? Or do you want to get on your way?"
He remembered to animate his face just as she spoke, giving her a smile in greeting.
He stood up.
"I can give this to the dog and take you to the shop right now if you w

“No. But thank you, I appreciate the offer. The accommodations weren’t the absolute worst, a little cramped but good enough. I just wanted to say thanks, but I would definitely appreciate being shown the way to the shop.”

She didn’t know if he would actually show her the way, but if he did they’d both see another stranger, a large man clad head to toe in white plate armor and carrying a maximillian zweihandr sword with a huge, horse sized dog with three heads. He was talking with various villagers, and she immediately ducked into one of the alleyways between buildings and hid.

 

[Christian Vide]

Something was wrong. He gave the dog their breakfast and led her back through the village, but there was usually people wandering about, for some reason they were all gathered at the square.
When they arrived Keia took cover, and soon he saw why. The huge armored man with his huge three headed dog.
Seems his instincts were right, she was being followed, and evidently this man decided to power through all the stops in favor of catching up with his quarry as fast as possible. If that was the case then he was probably low or out of supplies and may have even gone a day or two without eating. Well, her reaction told him that this man wasn't here for him at least.

What concerned him more was that hound, if it was tracking her scent then there was no doubt he could smell her now.
He still stood casually in plain sight while she hid around the corner beside him, he didn't look over or acknowledge her existence in any way except when he spoke.
"They tracked you down. Make no sudden movements or they'll pinpoint your location. You're scent doesn't leave this village so they know you're still here."

Something else was wrong... This time with the crowd, and this was exactly why he chose this village, strangers stood out like a sore thumb.

All emotion vanished from his face and voice.

The strangers of course looked the part of everyday villagers, but very few even among the crowd were fooled. The strangers were obviously examining every member of the crowd, soon their eyes would fall on him
He abandoned the wood splinter in his wood pile last night, so he was currently unarmed.
But options were slim, going back to the cabin wouldn't do any good, there were probably already people there. Getting caught and fighting it out here was the best option given the circumstances.
"Keia, I'm going out into the crowd and there will be a fight. As soon as you see an opening, make a break for the woods and get as far as you can. Refill your canteen at the creek four miles East, you can survive the journey without food so long as you have water."
A shame, he was hoping to hide out here for a long time yet.

 

[Keia Merrenia]

"Keia, I'm going out into the crowd and there will be a fight. As soon as you see an opening, make a break for the woods and get as far as you can. Refill your canteen at the creek four miles East, you can survive the journey without food so long as you have water."

“You clearly don’t understand this man as I do. I can’t run from him now that he’s so close, and that hound of his will have no trouble catching up to me and no issue whatsoever with ripping me apart. No I have to get them occupied with something else that would actually concern them and a fight between people in a land that is not his own is not his concern. No I have to fight him off, somehow. But who will you be fighting? The people hunting you?”

Keia barely had enough energy for magic, but should a fight break out, particularly a lethal one, she might be able to harvest human souls for power to fight off her predator. This white clad knight was nothing short of relentless and seemingly tireless. She had seen him in action, spending as little energy as possible for the most results, and doubtless he could do the same for chasing a fugitive. No, she doubted he was tired, maybe a little heavy in breathing but definitely capable of much more.

She peeked around the corner, the knight was looking straight at her in response to his dog’s growling.

 

[Keia Merrenia]

[SPOILER="OOC”]I’ll be using my Sir Eberwolf Kinniger subaccount for this interaction if that’s okay.[/SPOILER]