Private Tales The Stabby Thread

[Artemis]

As he shimmied down, she took that time to empty that saddle bag with the rest of her weapons. The ones she forged herself. The ones she'd practiced years of her life with. The throwing knives they'd given her when she was three.

With everything strapped up and back in their proper place, including the whip at her side, she turned her attention back to the cobbler's storefront. A few folk walked by. But the streets were quiet during this time of day. She hoped that would work in their favor.

If it looked like he needed help, she could launch herself down the corner of the building and be in the shop in no time. And from her position now? She had a partial view of the inside. Lips pressed thin as she waited.

And watched.

 

[Talus]

Talus moved towards the building, adjusting everything one last time before he glanced around the market square.

People were slowly milling about, but not more than he had expected there to be. His eyes took in the building before him, and then he moved towards the back of it. The shop was quiet, though that wasn't too surprising given that it was occupied by Assassins.

With a frown he pulled out a small dagger, pressing the tip into the lock and slowly beginning to fiddle with it until he heard a soft click.

A breath filled his lungs, he slowly drew the sword, and then with one last look towards the roof top where Artemis was he slipped into the shop.

 

[Artemis]

Shoulders tensed as she lost sight of him.

All there was to do was wait now. Lips pressed thin. Weight shifted up.

 

[Talus]

It happened fast, faster than his fight with Artemis.

The two men inside turned around to face him almost instantly, both of them drawing weapons and practically pouncing on him like he was a form of prey. Knives flashed, blades came out, and the fight began.

Right away Talus activated the rune on his left gauntlet, his blade flickering just to keep up with the two as they fought to swiftly bring down their assailant. The assassins were good, almost as good as Artemis had been, but Talus managed to separate them.

His fingers flickered, blade bandying back and forth as he caught flesh for the first time.

Blood splattered as he injured one of them, the rune on his right Gauntlet activating a second later. His muscles seemed to pulse, strength rushed through him, and then he kicked the injured man. There was a thundering racket, and then suddenly Artemis would see one of the walls of the shop burst into a fury of splinters and broken wood.

The wounded assassin fell to the ground outside, Talus blinking slightly. "Shi-"

He did not have enough time to speak as the other Assassin was upon him, blade flickering like a viper.

 

[Artemis]

"Damnit," she swore and, making sure the cowl of her cloak was on tight and it was fastened so it wouldn't open to reveal her armor, she shimmied down the side of the building and landed like a panther on the streets below. Predatory gaze saw her fellow assassin.

He'd be out of it for awhile.

Launching off her feet, she ran into the cobbler shop to see Talus grappling with another of her Order. Hand went to her knife but she froze. She couldn't use her weapons or they'd know.

Shit.

There was a mallet for the shoes nearby, she grasped it quickly and swung it at the assassin's head as he tackled Talus.

 

[Talus]

Talus half stepped to the side, the man's arms going wide...though it didn't matter.

Just as the Dreadlord stepped out of the way Artemis suddenly seemed to appear and smash the man in the head with a mallet. "What are yo-"

His voice was cut off as the Assassin seemed to stagger, half turning. Before he could fully move on his feet Talus slashed his inner thigh and then kicked him hard in the chest. The man went flying against the wall, a loud thud echoing as he crumpled onto the floor.

"What are you doing!" Talus demanded. "He almost saw you!"

Why hadn't she listened?

 

[Artemis]

Head turned, her back to Talus as she ignored his question. She did a quick sweep of the building. She didn't see anymore. She let herself relax for a moment and turned back to the man.

"He didn't," she replied calmly. Eyes flickered to the gauntlets on his hand. The runes still glowed. Lips pressed thin beneath the shadow of her cowl.

"Come. We need to lea-," before she could finish talking there was a sharp tug in her back.

There was a third and Artemis had just been stabbed.

Hissing through teeth, she swung with a sudden violence and swiftness her mallet toward the attacker's hands, knocking another knife from his grasp. But as soon as she did that, he had another in his hand.

 

[Talus]

Talus let out a curse.

The rune on his left gauntlet suddenly flared, and in an instant he closed the gap between himself and the third assassin. He was nearly as fast as when he phase-walked, though not quite. It was enough though.

Within two steps Talus had closed the difference. Before the third assassin could do anything else he suddenly found a blade buried in his gullet. The man looked up at him with shock painting his face, Their eyes locked. "Shouldn't have done that."

Talus told him as he ripped the sword free and in one smooth stroke cut off his head.

The man's corpse dropped to the floor, and Talus turned to make sure Artemis wasn't bleeding out.

 

[Artemis]

She took a shuddering breath. A mixture of feelings crossed her shadowed face. She settled on what needed to be done in the moment. The knife still stuck in her back.

It hurt like a.......

But she wasn't bleeding out. So far her body was pumping with adrenaline. She hoped the semi-high would last for a bit longer. Hand lashed out, fingers tugging on Talus' wrist.

"We have to go. Now. Drop what you need to drop."

She dropped the mallet.

She could feel the warm, oozing liquid of her blood start to drip around the area where the knife was in her back, slowly soaking through the fabric of her armor and cloak. The asshole got it right throat the armor. She wasn't surprised. They were trained and trained well.

"Don't give me that look or else I'll start to think you're worried about me."

His own line from earlier tossed back at him.

 

[Talus]

Talus let out a small growl, but pulled the amulet from his neck and sliced through it's cord. With a small toss he slid it into the nearby corner.

"Can you walk?" He asked, feeling the effects of the runes slowly starting to touch him.

They would last for another ten or fifteen minutes, but after that the price would have to be paid and exhaustion would hit him pretty hard. These gauntlets had been taken from the Guard Vault, and their effects were well known.

She was right in them getting out of here, and with one quick look back he motioned towards the large hole in the wall.

Easier to get out of then the back door.

 

[Artemis]

"Yes," she grunted. She stumbled through the hole in the shop and walked quickly to the side and back of the building where their horses were. She paused and checked one more time for any of the Order.

Nothing.

But they didn't have long before those he'd only injured and not beheaded would start to stir.

She hissed as her shoulder moved. The knife was just below it. Luckily, it had hit soft tissue only. Not any organs or her spine.

"I'm going to need you to pull it out," she said through clenched teeth, fingers grasping at a wooden railing to where the reigns of their horses were tied. She braced herself, leaning forward just slightly.

 

[Talus]

Talus quickly caught up with her. "I'd need to mend the wound."

He told her softly, glancing at the gauntlets to ensure that they had enough time. A frown pulled at his lips, and quickly he shook his head.

"We can't ride out of here." Artemis was injured and there was no way he would have the energy after five minutes. "Need to find a place to hole up."

His hand quickly came up to her side in support, ensuring that she did not fall.

Eyes scanned the various buildings around the market square, and eventually he caught sight of a building that had been boarded up. "There, leave the horses."

He told her as he urged her to quickly make her way towards the building.

 

[Artemis]

Damnit. She really just wanted it out of her. Did he not think she could take it? Take the ride? Or was it him?

Magic always had a price.

She didn't move away from his hand but she was un-used to the help. Gaze lifted, traveling to where he pointed. "Okay," she breathed. "I hope you have bandages and sutures in your saddlebags or you will have to go purchase some."

Fingers released from the railing and she walked swiftly toward the building, leaning slightly into the dreadlord.

"I can still ride," she hissed. "I can take pain. So do not let me hold us back."

She spoke her fears.

 

[Talus]

"The gauntlets." He said back quietly to her, though in truth that wasn't all of it.

Riding and trying to sow her back up would be impossible, and even if they left the knife in for a bit it would still be difficult to find a safe place to do it. Better to find a spot inside the town.

Plus it would give them a vantage point for watching any potential repercussion to what they had done here. "I'll be exhausted soon."

His words were a whisper, Talus walked towards the abandoned house.

"I might pass out if we're on horseback." Of course Talus made no mention of the fact that it would mean he couldn't exactly help her in the state she would be in if he passed out at the same time. Artemis seemed rather sensitive about that.

 

[Artemis]

"Okay," hissing through her teeth as she bent down to move through the boarded up slats, she entered a dark and musty room. There wasn't much in the way of furniture. Some abandoned old shop. Maybe there were some chairs in the back.

More blood was oozing down that robe.

Wrists finally flicked the cowl of the hood off her silvered-haired head. She hoped he'd brought the needle, thread, and bandages. She saw that he had one of his packs from the saddle with him.

"Okay, where do you want to do this?" Eyes flicked around the room. She just wanted the damn thing out.

 

[Talus]

Talus dropped his saddlebag onto the floor, peeling off the gauntlets a second later and dropping them onto the floor.

A soft thud echoed as the two leathers fell, and Talus felt a wave of exhaustion crash over him. His eyes were half lidded, and he took in a deep breath as he tried his best to collect himself. Head swirled, but he motioned towards a stool in the corner.

"Need you there." He said, trying not to sound too sleepy. "We'll get the dagger out and I'll stitch you up."

Then he would need some rest.

With quick hands he fished out the tools he needed from the bags.

 

[Artemis]

"Good," she frowned as she saw him sway but didn't say anything. Teeth ground in her mouth. If he couldn't do this...well, she'd be in a lot of trouble. Normally she could suture herself. Or pay for a healer. But she couldn't reach where they'd stabbed her this time.

She eased down onto the stool, her back to the man. Once he got the knife out, she'd have to take off the robe, her armor, and her shirt beneath in order for him to stitch her up.

"At least it's nothing you haven't already seen before," she commented wryly, fingers clenching over her thighs as she prepared for the worst of it.

 

[Talus]

Talus chuckled. "Guess that's correct."

There wasn't really much else to say. His fingers wrapped around the handle of the knife, grip tight as he looked at her for a moment.

"On three." He said. "One...two-"

Talus pulled the blade free as soon as he said two, preempting what she might have done and quickly pushing a small piece of cloth against the wound to staunch some of the bleeding.

 

[Artemis]

She growled but made no other cry of pain.

She wasn't kidding when she said she was used to it. They'd been taught and trained to take MUCH pain and much of it in silence. Or you didn't last long on the Isle.

She waited a moment and took a long, slow steadying breath through her nose. Giving him extra time to keep the cloth on the wound. Then she stood, slowly.

"Okay. Hang on. Can you help me get the sleeves off?" Without turning around, she drew the bloodied cloak off. Then dragged off her armor with Talus' help for her arms. Then she was down to a black cotton tunic. Raising her arms with a wince, she peeled it off.

Back was bare as she sat back on the stool, hinging slightly forward at the waist.

"Is the bleeding slowed enough for stitches?"

 

[Talus]

Talus looked at the wound for a second, pulling away the bandage and having a deep frown. "Not yet."

He could feel the weight of the magic that he'd used.

Rune's were dangerous, particularly when you did not carve them yourself. There was never really a way of telling just how much would be taken out of you for using them, and Talus was most definitely starting to feel the effects now.

"I'm..." He frowned. "I'm sorry for killing that man."

His hand rested against her back, bracing the wound against the piece of scrap cloth. "I didn't think there was any other way."

He regretted it.

 

[Artemis]

The parts of his hand pressing against her muscled back felt calloused and rough. Like her own hands. She was proud of the hardened blisters she'd built up over the years. Said something about a life lived and how much she practiced with her weapons.

He'd see various scars on her back. A lot looked like the one she just got. Stab wounds. A few welts perhaps from a whip. A small crescent burn mark on her upper, right shoulder. Of course, he would've seen these all before when he'd unclothed her.

Ashen hair dripped over her bare front as her palms cradled her forehead. She could feel the adrenaline start to ease from her body. Feel more of that pain from the wound..

"You did what you had to do," she said quietly. It was Artemis that had betrayed her own kind. If anyone should feel shame it was her. Even though she did it to honor a life debt. She wasn't sure where those two fell on the same scale from each other.

"This wasn't a child. Or an innocent bystander. You killed a trained assassin. He died an honorable death. Even if one of his own is not so honorable." She frowned.

 

[Talus]

"I don't feel any guilt." Talus explained as he pulled away the piece of cloth for a second. "But I made a promise to you and broke it."

The words had never been said, but he had in fact told her that he would not kill any of the Assassins. He'd broken that.

It felt wrong somehow. "Hold still."

The Bleeding had stopped enough that he could now sow up the wound. He'd never been all that good at the task, but he would do his best.

"Don't want to leave a scar." Talus said as he pulled out what he needed and gently grasped around the wound at her back.

Then he slowly began, placing the needle against her skin and gently pushing it through as he began to suture.

 

[Artemis]

Muscles rippled beneath skin. Shoulders tensed as he drew in the needle. Head quirked slightly and fingers lifted from her forehead. She glanced back and hissed as the movement caused some pain.

"Was that a joke Dreadlord Talus?"

Leaving a scar.

She certainly had plenty of them. Or had he been serious?

"Either way," she breathed. Clenched and unclenched her teeth. "You do not need to worry about that." A small smile painted her lips. Fingers tightened along her thighs as he worked, the needle threading flesh like canvas.

 

[Talus]

He shook his head. In truth Talus couldn't really blame her for that line of thinking, he would have said the exact same thing in her situation. His body was marked with more scars than Vel Anir was banners.

"I have to practice some time." He said as he placed the needle through her skin again. "Someday someone might care about the scar."

The Dreadlord highly doubted that, but he wanted to at least sound like he was making a joke.

After a few seconds he slid the needle into place one last time, reaching over to the small knife to cut the piece of medical string and tie a tight knot. "What do you think will happen now?"

He asked her softly.

 

[Artemis]

Someday someone might care about those scars.

"Are you starting to be that person?" She mused quietly. "But if some day someone does, I'd hope they are a person that is not disgusted at scars but can understand them." Honestly, she'd never had time or thought about any time of relationship, friendship or more.

When he was done, she quarter-turned to face him. She wasn't worried about him seeing her partially nude. "They will regroup. Perhaps go to Relek and murder them all in their sleep. Or try to. They might try to reach me to void your contract."

Silvered-eyes flickered over the man.

"You need sleep. There might be a bed in the back?"