Serendipity Chapter Two
Days passed as years. In five of the longest days of my life I had half a house built, and I was founding a home here with Son and Margery, the woman with golden eyes, sister to the Predom. Yes that’s right, Margery was supposed to be a Predom as well, but for some unknown reason that I will tell you about in a minute she escaped. Anyway, I was beginning to find my place among my new home. Roger had gotten me a job working as a brick maker, the first of the village. I worked with the three boys quite often. The eldest was Grenalde, a boy of twelve who could lift three ties his weight, he was stupid, but a devoted lad. The middle was about ten, I didn’t know his actual name or age but I called him Kiddo, and he was fine with it. Kiddo was fast, I think if I ever need a messenger or an apprentice, Kiddo was first in line, because he was vicious as well.
Last but not least, and by far means the kindest of all the boys was Rudolph, he was only six, he was big but he was smarter then a cracker jack and had already begun to develop a talent for magic. Rudolph came by the workshop every evening where Roger let me sleep and grew a small plant. Tonight he came by with a basket as well and Margery’s youngest daughter who had probably sneaked out.
“Hi Mister Gregory.” Carrie said handing me a small daisy. “Son wanted you to have this and this.” After handing me the flower she reached into her boot and pulled out a piece of paper. She dropped it in my cross-legged lap. I opened it to see a chalk drawing. Usually you’d think of chalk drawings by a five year old to be bad, but it was extraordinary, it was a clear picture of me holding him. That fact that a child can draw like that… amazing.
“Hey Greg, my mom was wondering if we could get some bricks for some bread and fish.” Rudolph asked in his smoothly flowing voice. He lifted a tattered blue cloth from off the freshly baked bread and fish caught just this morning which had their own compartment. Smiling I took the basket and set it down, “You’re mother can have as many as she likes, when were done with my house, alright?”
Rudolph smiled, “I wish I could stay but I’m taking Carrie to see the baby wolf puppies. There mother was killed and there is no sign of the father so we were going to take them as pets, do you want one?”
“I’m not sure. Bring me them and I’ll see if I can’t pick one out of the lot.” Rudolph smiled and grabbed Carries small delicate hand and led her out of the shop. Those kids will make a cute couple one day, I just wished they’d realized before they turned fifteen and sixteen.
I’m getting myself lost in more present issues again, please, pardon me. Now I really had no use for all the food, but I knew who did. Standing I grabbed the basket and patted my lower back. Arem was still there. Arem is the name of the dagger. I always carry her. She was a gift from the princess, hopefully, one day I will get to thank the princess better. I doubt it, but it is a possibility. I walked fiercely as not to be seen, let’s just say when you where all black and have black hair and wear a black face mask, you cannot easily be spotted, therefore, perfect in my circumstance.
As I approached the small hut I couldn’t hear anything but the soft weeping of the girl known as Pryia. As of yesterday she was an orphan. He father was found drowned in the lake when she was little then just under thirty hours ago her mother fell on a hill, her neck snapped instantly. I know little of her, but I want to help as my way of repenting.
I was about to knock when I heard the unsheathing of a blade. You’d be surprised at what were trained to listen for. Instead of knocking I pushed the door open to find her about to stab herself through the heart when I threw Arem. She knocked the girls knife into the wall and landed powerfully above the horrid excuse for a weapon. She looked in shock at her bare hands. I stepped inside and sat down and set the basket between us. Usually I would had said a smart comment such as “grow up,” but I couldn’t, she was still crying. That’s when she turned to look at me and in a small well pronounced voice she said, “Am I a bad person?”
“No,” I am a bad person, you should see how pitch black my soul is just from the past year. She carefully sucked in a small breath and bit on her bottom lip dropping her hands to the hem of her dress gathering it in her fists.
She looked down at the floor as if looking into a pensive trying to find some reason to think as I did. She didn’t even know me, and yet here I was. I don’t know what it is, but that boy… Son. Son makes me want to be better then an assassin. Before I knew it I had drifted off into space and found myself holding Leila screaming in a fit of rage at her death, then I remember the intolerable silence as I wished for release. Did I connect with her for this, for the epic tears we have cried? The next thing she had thrown herself on me while I was still in thought. She cried, I cried. It was a depressing sight. “I am a bad person… I know it… If I had went with them… they both offered…”
“A bad person…” I said compassionatel
“You,” She tilted her head up and stared at my eyes, “I know you. Two years ago, you were sent to kill my grandfather and didn’t. You’re Valkeria’s assassin.”
“Wait…” I pulled out my flint and steel to light the torch I carry. Her face came into view, I did know her… and I just fell for her. What a night huh? “By the gods… If it isn’t the grand Duke’s granddaughter. We all thought you and you’re mother had died, Pryia. How did you escape?”
“I don’t know, I woke up here. You’re not going to kill me are you?” The thought hadn’t passed my mind, and it wasn’t going to again. Now I had two things I wanted. I know, greed is consuming my fiber, better then assassination. I shook my head and carefully held her again. Letting go she began bawling, all restraint on her emotions had left. We sat there for a good half an hour, I’m sure Rudolph thought I disappeared, but for tonight, it’s okay. I can see the pups in the morning. Maybe Pryia would like one. “Assassin, what’s your name?”
“Gregory Periculum, and I am no longer an assassin.” I said and patted down my side for the handkerchief Leila gave to me, I found it in the small pocket on the side of my calf and gave it to her. “I ran away to save the Predom’s child.”
“I heard that you killed on whim.”
“That’s nonsense, the Princess… well she could tell you the truth, but we can’t go and see her now can we.” She wiped her tears on the handkerchief and pulled away to hold it over her breast. “Pryia, you need rest, you’re not well.”
“I don’t want to be alone though, I’m always going to be alone and I don’t like it. I order you to stay with me.” Yes, I just received an order, and yes, I am going to follow it. I have to. The Princess’s order can be swayed and forgotten, but her grandfather was a great man whom I had sworn allegiance to after I attempted to kill him. The value of blood between her and the Princess was unmistakable, when I didn’t even twitch she understood this. She grabbed onto me again and rubbed her head on my shoulder till she found a comfortable stop and decided to calm down. She fell asleep soon after. I carefully moved her onto the bearskin which I assumed she used as a bed. I used the torch to light the fire in the center of the hut and moved the small wooden circle used to cover the opening. The smoke happily exited through the hole, dancing around my face on the way out. I knew the fish wasn’t going to last, I minds well cook it.
The night left me alone with my thoughts, my horrible thoughts. I recalled every mission that was successful, all forty-two. Four women, five children and thirty-three men. Disgusting. I am a monster. The children were always the bloodiest. Why were they always the bloodiest?
The light through the smoke opening woke me, Pryia was gone, the cooked fish was half eaten and there was a bowl of freshly picked berries by me. I picked up the bowl and set it in my lap examining what had been given to me, not much but it was enough for breakfast. Blackberries, Raspberries, and Blueberries. I slid my mask down and picked a Blueberry and set it in my mouth carefully. I ate slowly. When you have to go two or three days sans food you learn to immerse in the joys of food and the sweet or bitter or salty flavor. As soon as I swallowed I took another Blueberry. The door opened, my hand was quicker then my head. My mask was up before the door stopped moving.
Hiding your face is a horrible habit, but I wouldn’t be alive without it. She looked over at me and understood what I had just done. Pryia came inside and sat down in front of me and pulled down my mask. “I’m not going to Carithga just to tell them you’re here. Don’t wear your mask around me, it’s an order.”
“Sorry, habit.” She smirked and nodded in understanding. I looked at her and got my breath about me, “may I go, I have to work.”
“Oh, you’re still under order. Of course. But do come back and see me once your finished. I’d.. I’d like to talk to you.” Pryia said and smiled up at me with a warmth I knew from Leila. I had to get out of there before I did something horribly stupid. The emotion came in a torrent and I almost couldn’t stop it but I did and I left taking some of the berries with me. Today, I decided I would leave my mask down.
I finished pouring the clay into molds. Since the addition of the boys, we had about twenty molds, and every one was full today. Three of the molds could be emptied of bricks and refilled. For some reason, I didn’t want to. I wanted to go see Son. I haven’t seen him in three days. “Grenalde, Kiddo, Rudolph, go play. We’re done for the day.”
“What? But we have three more…”
I interrupted Grenalde there. “Go play, you’re still kids, enjoy the winter sun.” They looked shocked. I walked away and Yelled back to Roger that I had finished already and was going to see Son. I couldn’t help it I began running. When I got there Son was outside saying “daisy” over and over again as he picked up one after another. He knew the words, he just need practice saying them. I lifted him over my head and smiled. “Gregory!” He yelled and made me lower him so he could hold onto me.
I like moments like these. Correction, I indulged in moments like this. I felt a hand on my shoulder and Margery walked in front of me. “We tried to visit you before work Mr. Fletch and you weren’t there.” She cocked her eyebrow.
“Even with those eyes, I’ll lie to you.” She knew that was the truth. Allie and Carrie walked closely out of the hut and smiled at me. Out behind them ran two small pure white wolf pups. One went for the ribbon tied to Allie’s hand. The other went right for my shoe and bit me. Margery laughed, “that’s December, he’s Son’s pet.”
I rolled my eyes, he picked the dog that would bite me. I set him down and brushed his hair back out of his face. “I have to go talk to Mother, go play okay?”
His smile lessened to a mere shade of happiness to include me in his thoughts. “Go hunting.”
“You want to go hunting?” He nodded. How can I refuse him of what will help him in the future? I hugged him closer and set him down next to the beast known as December. “I’ll take you as soon as I’m done speaking with Mother.”
He kissed me on the cheek and ran off as I stood to watch him and his wolf run off. Margery broke the silence. “So.. you have a disappearing act?”
“I’m not the only one,” I winked down at Carrie, her heavenly giggle was the last I heard as she and Allie went walking down the only street in the village after Son.
“Allie saw you walking out of Pryia’s hut this morning. What went on Mr. Fletch?”
“None of your concern, trust me Margery.” She winced slightly and saw that there was nothing there to read off. I was being truthful, I had my emotions blank. “I can feel nothing, it’s perfectly natural for me.”
“Just like it’s perfectly natural for me to be a Predom.” She said and went into the hut. I followed her.
“Margery, if I ever died you get my house, you do not get Son however. If I die I want Son to go and live with Pryia. She’s an old family friend. She knows how I would raise him.”
“Excuse me, that is my sister’s child.”
“The only reason your sister gave him to you was because he would have been killed because everyone she trusted was dying left and right. Trust me.”
“I am supposed to be a Predom, you listen here! He is my boy!”
“What happened to you being a Predom… or need I ask.” I said and looked at the wound on her face.
“What happened is none of your concern, but the only reason I’m not is because I was too feisty.” That’s right, she’s too feisty. I knew she was lying, she knew I knew. I heard the screech of Fantasma above which meant people were coming. Running outside I saw the bird circling a dust cloud far away, then several horses were clear with Carithga banners waving high. They stopped outside a little hut, Pryia’s hut.
Assassins: an murder for hire, a very stealthy killer. At that moment I abandoned the definition and ran grabbing two of my smaller daggers and whipping them threw the air knocking two of the people from their horses. Three others were left, one got down to go to the door and the other two made their way towards me. Believe it or not, I usually carry about seven to twelve daggers. Arem of course always at my back, two up each sleeve and one in each boot. I was risking our exposure, Pryia’s and mine.
I deemed it necessary.
I flung the last two daggers from my arms and they fell to the ground. Rushing by I picked them up making sure to slit their throats as a safety precaution.
Pryia opened the door and the man grabbed her, the chance was to big that I would hit her if I threw a dagger from this distance. The man, I recognized him, one of the queen’s favorite guards. This was bad. They knew where she was.
I finally got there and pulled Arem and stuck the blade up into his back. Pryia realeased from her grip stumbled back against the wall of her hut and stared. “How did you find her?”
“Ah… Greg. It figures you were too much of a chicken shit to kill a Predom.” It was my misfortune that the entire village had surrounded us. “Princess Valkeria’s personal assassin. How touching. I guess after you poor excuse for a wife died you had to run somewhere!”
I twisted the blade and he swore and screamed, “How did you find Pryia.”
“We were sent to find you, and then we stopped at a village over and they said that a girl named Pryia was around here, Pryia with pitch black hair and deep green eyes.” I used my free hand to twist his arm behind his back. In one swift motion I pulled the blade out, spun it around and slit his throat sending him to the ground.
“Gre… Gregory.” Son said stepping out. I put Arem away and held him in my arms.
“Don’t sound so worried, we will be safe here.” I had to abandon him to just my right arm seeing as Pryia came over and was motioning to be held. I am a monster.
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