The five cloaked men stood at the edge of the cliff looking off the Great river and the remnants of the landslide. It was already nightfall and they were alone but they still talk in low tones.
"He was already at death's door when that tree hit him" one said
"I don't know," another replied. "There was something unnatural about how that wave moved"
"No one can survive all that," the first said.
"That might be the case but they are not taking any chances," the second asserted, "They need a body"
"By the goddess how are we suppose to find a body in the Great river, " another chipped in. "The fishes would have had him by now"
A tense silence followed, broken only by the distant roar of the river below. They were all thinking it but neither would add to what he said , they wouldn't risk it. Even the speaker seemed to be regretting it.
"We should have at least brought a light mage" a fourth suggested, "The moon won't be free for long"
"We can't risk it," the second said, "the continent already knows and word is Mittelreich's first princess is already on her way. It is our hides if we are seen around here"
For a while silence fell again and all stared into the distance.
"I believe we should disperse" the second continued. "It is safer that way and we will cover more grounds. I know the speed and direction of the river current so I will work with that. The rest of you search along the banks and find a water mage to comb the river bed if you can, one that can be disposed of quickly--"
"This is ridiculous," the third interrupted, "We are wasting more time and taking more risks"
"It is a bigger risk if we don't get confirmation of his death" he countered "Besides, orders are orders. Disperse"
Immediately they became shadows and merged with the surrounding darkness. All but the one who objected. He was tired and they were already getting on his nerves. He sighed. Go with it for now, he told himself. All he needs is a young male body of similar build as the king to put all these to rest. Set it as such that another would find it in bits, remnants of fishes meal and he can go back to his family again. The king is dead. All they need is the confirmation and he will give it to them.
Moments later, just when he was about to leave after weighing the options of whether to go about his plans now or search around for awhile, he heard movement from a hedgerow behind him. He retracted and turned around. He looked into the darkness but saw nothing. Carefully he looked around, there was still nothing but he was certain he heard something. When you've been trained in the silence as much as they have you tend to be sensitive to noise, no matter how subtle.
His hand trembling slightly, he drew his dagger with a soft rasp of metal against leather, the sound barely audible in the stillness of the night. Every muscle in his body tensed as he kept his eyes fixed on the swaying hedgerow. He walked towards it with extreme caution feeling more fearful than usual. Sweat ran down his face and his palm felt clammy as his mind raced. Maybe he should have shadow-walked to the tree and check rather than approached.
On reaching the hedgerow he sidestepped, ready to attack whatever it was but then he stopped short. It was only a feline beast. The ones traveling with the king. She held her dead kind in her arms in silent grief not even acknowledging his presence.
The shadow mage let out a sigh of relief as he sheathed his dagger. Even in the low lights from the moon this one was incredibly good looking, and young. A King's treasure. Too bad he can't take her with him, but there's nothing against him having a bit fun before disposing of her. He grabbed her roughly by the hair and dragged her to her feet. She expertly swung at his throat and though she was incredibly fast he dodged and smacked her to the ground. He was shocked and confused when a blade fell out of her hand with the tip stained. His throat felt warm and when he touched it his hand came away smeared crimson.
"...you bitch" he wanted to say but it came out as a gurgle as blood poured into his airways
He slumped to his knees as he struggled against the inevitable. The cat picked up a rock and approached the dying man. She front kicked him on the chest and he fell. Immediately she was on him like a mad woman, slamming the rock to his face over and over with loud cries even when there was nothing left to smash.
┌─────── ♕ ───────┐
Dawn was breaking. Amara reined her horse to a stop then alighted, not bothering to secure the horse. Her two companions did the same. They walked around the scene of attack not knowing what to find. They could see the aftermath of the fight but there were no bodies or blood in sight. Altan walked towards a noticeably wide black patch on the ground where a blast had scorched. He squatted beside it and got a pinch of dirt from it, rubbed it close to his nose while sniffing it.
"This was a very high level fight," he said standing back up. "I doubt we would have even survived it"
Altan is a promising young warrior hoping to be knight of Mittelreich but he lacks the means and connections...until Amara.
"Look what I found lying around" the other companion said, walking towards the princess holding a high grade amulet.
"Hmm..." she mused, collecting the amulet. "He gave him this?"
She was inspecting it closely to be certain it was what she thought it was.
"Why would they leave something this valuable behind?" the second companion asked, "it wasn't even hidden"
Altan gave him a look like he said something incredibly stupid before turning to face the princess who was still looking at the amulet, pondering over something.
"There's nothing for us to do, my queen"
The princess momentarily clasped the amulet in a clutch then put it into her fine leather belt pouch.
"Someone took something from me," she declared, returning to her horse, her voice laced with a quiet fury. " I'll be damned if I don't make them pay"
Altan let out a sigh like the worst thing he thought was happening. He climbed back on his horse too.
"I don't understand," he said, reining his horse under control. "Why would the king knowing the kind of person you are give you that information. Seems to me it would have served him better to keep it far from you and let you find out when you find out"
"Because even the king knows Olivia is more loyal to me than to the crown" she replied, "So far as the message reached the palace it reached Olivia and as soon as possible me if she deemed it something I would be interested in. This was his attempt to get ahead of it and control it. He should have known better."
Or this was his plan all along, Altan thought but he held his tongue.
" So where to?" he asked.
" Drakoria of course, "she replied. " Olivia has a contact. If there's anything to know he will know it"
She cracked the reins and her horse immediately bolted.
"Maybe there's something about you after all" the other companion said as they watch their princess put more gap between them.
"What?" Altan asked, genuinely confused.
"Never seen anyone talk to her like that," the older man replied, "perhaps you are special after all"
And with that he cracked his reins in pursue of the princess.
Of course Altan knows. He has put so much into it but then came the pauper king.
The princess has been different ever since she met him, light comes to her eyes when she talks about him and she talks about him all the time. He knows the light of hope when he sees it but this one was dangerous to him. It's good that death took him, because he was afraid what he might have done. What he might have risked.
Let's allow the princess let out her frustration then we will get back on course. So much was lying on it.
He turned to the bushes. He thought he heard something. He looked for a moment but saw nothing. Must have been a squirrel. He cracked his reins and ran after the woman who held his destiny and that of his family. Constant activities in the continent had made him paranoid but perhaps life will go back to normal now that he is gone. Perhaps...