Samatha left the store just as the last of the sun's rays were fading on the horizon. It was a beautiful sunset, but Samatha's mind was too consumed with other things to notice. She had just sold another load of family heirlooms... the silverware this time. After this, there wasn't much left to sell. Still... she had a child to help support, so she'd do whatever she had to do without hesitation. Her husband's wages simply weren't enough, a fact that she had kept from him for the past few months by supplementing his earnings with whatever value could be squeezed out of their belongings.

"Five hundred gold," she said. "That's a lot of money. That'll last us for a long time... should've sold that old stuff months ago." The bag was heavy in her hand, and their home was such a long way away. But at least she wouldn't have to walk in the dark. The lamplighters had already visited this part of town, and hopefully the illumination would keep the undesirables away for a few more hours.


She tied the bag to her belt and headed out toward the far edge of town, but had only gone a few blocks when she saw the man. He was walking on the other side of the street. His tattered cloak and disheveled hair made him appear to be a beggar or a drunk, but his gait was too quick and determined. He was an enigma... impossible to place in the usual menagerie that wandered the Montfort streets after dark. As they passed each other, the man stopped and turned towards her.

"I'm sorry," said Samatha, thinking that the man was a beggar. "I don't have any-" She gasped as she saw the blank space where the Stranger's face should have been. She stood frozen for the briefest instant... then started to back away.

The Stranger stepped off of the curb and started across the street towards her.

"Go away!" she yelled at him. Then she turned and ran. Her sack of gold jingled noisily with each step. She glanced behind her. The Stranger was there... following her.

"HELP!" she yelled.

"Whaaa-eh?" A burly old drunk stumbled out of an alley in front of her. "Whas goin' on out 'ere?"

"That MAN!" she turned and pointed. Part of her expected the Stranger to be gone... but he wasn't. Not only was he still there, but he had been joined by some huge animal that walked obediently beside him. It was a dog of some kind... but much larger than any hound Samatha had ever seen. "He's following me!"

"AyeYOU!" shouted the drunk. "YOU leave dis lady alome! You take your dog and go sommers else!"

He approached the Stranger, stood in his path, and drew a long, rusty knife. "You hear me!"

The Stranger continued walking forward as if the knife-wielding drunk wasn't even there. Samatha got the nigh-irresistible urge to run... but she hesitated. She *knew* that something horrible was about to happen, but she couldn't tear herself away...


"HEY!" shouted the drunk. "YOU DEAF?" He made a jabbing motion with the knife, which caused an immediate and unexpected reaction.

Without so much as a growl or bark, the giant hound leapt at the drunk. The man slashed with his blade, but soon everything was lost in a blur of fur and tattered rags. The drunk screamed, and then went ominously silent. Then there arose the unmistakable crunch of bones in a pair of giant jaws.

Samatha ran. She rounded the first corner and ran down the street as fast as she could. Quiet homes and darkened shops blurred past her. She picked a door at random and tried the latch. It didn't budge, but while she stood still, something slammed into her and knocked her to the ground.


It was the dog. The Hellhound pinned her to the ground. Samatha beat at the beast with her tiny fists, but to no avail. The beast's long, white teeth dripped blood on her shirt... but it did nothing save hold her in one place. A few seconds later, the Stranger appeared behind the beast, his blank face looking down at her.

"Please let me go," pleaded Samatha. "Please."

Suddenly, she saw the Stranger's eyes. One second there was nothing, and the next, twin orbs of angry red fire glared down at her from the emptiness of his face. Fire seared through her brain for an instant, and then was gone.

"You... are not the one." said the Stranger. He turned and walked away.

The last thing Samatha saw was the Hellhound's jaws as they opened in front of her face.


---


[Val'keth]


Having left The House of December, Val'keth had headed back to her rooms. She'd deliberately avoided wearing her normal array of weaponry, but if she was about to head out and see what work she could pick up it would be essential. Strapping on her sword, she paused for a moment in front of the long mirror she had acquired, pleased with what she saw, then made her way down to the street.

Tonight, she would see what she could find in the PanDemonica. Her easy gait spoke volumes of her skill in combat, and she met no trouble on her way over to the club. Then a figure caught her eye, and she looked closer.

Zade.

The woman also appeared to be heading toward the club, and Val'keth smiled. The smile vanished abruptly however, when she spotted a coiled whip at her side. Memories forced their way to the surface, none of them pleasant, and the scars on her back itched afresh. Val'keth slipped around the corner, following Zade but careful not to be seen.


[Zade]


Zade strolled onward. Her guard was about as low as it ever got, which meant she was still more aware of her surroundings than most other people on the street. She wasn't expecting trouble, but then a good street-fight would certainly liven things up on an otherwise slow night.

Zade was reminiscing about a few recent battles when she caught an odd, familiar scent in the air.

She stopped and sniffed, unconsciously, her hand moved to the whip at her side.

"Gutter trash," she whispered. She scanned her surroundings, but found no sign of anyone.

But that didn't mean there was no one there.

Perhaps they had both taken the same path by coincidence... but what were the odds of that happening?

Zade decided to let this play out. She knelt down to tighten her boots, and then continued towards the PanDemonia. She walked in the same stance and stride as before, but her senses were all on edge...watching... listening... waiting.


[Val'keth]


Val'keth ducked into the shadows as the woman stopped and looked around. She liked even less the fact that her hand went automatically to the whip at her side, but that at least told her what Zade's weapon of choice was.

Then words drifted to her on the breeze, whispered by a human but audible to elven ears.

Gutter trash.

Gutter trash? Val'keth scowled, her face twisting in anger as rage seethed boiling through her veins. How dare this human insult her! She looked around, her first instinct to kill the woman - but pushed that desire to the back of her mind. Val'keth wouldn't risk bringing December's anger on her, for she had heard the rumors that surrounded him.


[Zade]


Zade wound her way through the streets, keeping her senses alert for her pursuer. Zade could hear and smell her, but the thief and possible assassin had so far had avoided being seen.

She's good. thought Zade. Better than most, at least.

As she drew close to the PanDemonica, Zade slowed to give herself time to think. She wanted to see how well this woman fought... but doing so in close proximity to the Club would make that difficult. Upon seeing a fight, the drunken rogues and cut-throats that hung around outside the club would join in on either, or both sides just for fun. Zade had done that herself on many occasions.

But then, she REALLY wanted a beer or five.

Well... the PanDemonica will still be here later on tonight, let's see if she's willing to take this somewhere private.

Zade stopped, and then quickly walked off in another direction, as if suddenly remembering she had urgent business elsewhere. She headed towards the edge of town, where the population got less sparse before finally giving way to farmland.


[Val'keth]


Her curiosity was piqued now by this woman, suddenly changing direction and heading away from the PanDemonica. Val'keth couldn't see how it had happened, but Zade must know she was being tailed. She followed at a discrete distance once more, then as the dwellings thinned toward the edge of town she angled off and picked up her pace somewhat to circle around the woman. Val'keth had a hunch that Zade was trying to flush her out, and she wasn't averse to playing along - if only to find out whether she held any religious beliefs that could explain the whip.

And there was the matter of the insults she had thrown about earlier.

Val'keth scowled, quietly drawing her sword and approaching quietly and carefully to see what her quarry was up to.


[Zade]

Zade heard someone move, and she saw a shadow separate itself from the darkness.

She halted her stride. Her hands itched with readiness... a half-dozen weapons were at her fingertips.

"Just you and me, scamp." she challenged. "I've been looking for a good fight... I guess after I finish with you I'll go and find one."


[Val'keth]


She stepped forward further into the light, making no move to the daggers that crossed her chest.

"Don't waste my time, then - go and take your attitude somewhere else. If however you intend making amends for your disgraceful rudeness earlier, I'll accept your apology - wrapped and tied with your tongue."

Val'keth shifted her weight gently from side to side, eyeing Zade's hands as they tensed. Then, without warning, her hand flashed and a dagger shot toward Zade. Aimed between her feet, it planted itself up to the hilt in the soft earth just a hairsbreadth from her boot.

"I'll even let you use my dagger to oblige me..."


[Zade]


The woman had shown considerable speed and control... she hadn't even telegraphed her attack with any eye or muscle movements. That took skill.

Zade, however, was not one to ogle another person's abilities. Especially when they were stupid enough to let their first... and only... surprise attack fail to take her life.

"Cute," chuckled Zade. "But all that tells me is that you're an even bigger idiot than I thought. Here... let me show you how it's done."

In a fluid motion, Zade's snatched a dagger out of her bracer and hurled it straight at the woman's chest. It was a decoy, designed to draw attention from the two stainless steel throwing stars that followed it. As soon as the first star left her fingertips, she reached for her black leather whip. As her other hand launched the second star, she snapped the whip in the air...

*CRACK*

...ti-ting!

The whip caught the edge of the second projectile an instant before it was out of range. It knocked the second star off course... sending it spinning into the first. Both weapons veered away from the woman and sank into the ground on either side of her feet.

Zade took no time to admire her handiwork. A second dagger was ready by the time the echo of her whip began to fade. She turned her left side to the woman and got into a loose fighting stance, with her whip in one hand and a dagger in the other.

"And as for my insults... I call 'em as I see 'em... scamp."


[Val'keth]


Expecting retaliation of some sort, Val'keth dodged the first dagger, swinging easily to one side as it flew past her shoulder.

The two following projectiles surprised her, the sheer speed Zade launched them off with was remarkable to say the least, and Val'keth jumped backwards as Zade's whip cracked before her.

"Very impressive, for a human. And my name is NOT scamp."

She weaved back and forth, sword at the ready. She'd have to close with this one - or spend the next couple of hours throwing daggers at her. She shook her white hair over her shoulders and slowly pulled another dagger, holding it loosely in her other hand.

"Want another go at apologizing, scum?" Val'keth said, her wrist almost imperceptibly flicking the dagger toward Zade's face. Simultaneously she leapt forward into a roll, rose to stand within a swords-length of her foe, and swept her sword toward the base of the whip.


[Zade]


Zade twisted away from the sword, and let her momentum carry her into a full spin. By the time she came around, she had already evaluated a half-dozen counterattacks... loop the whip around the wench's neck? Sink her dagger into the back of her skull? Introduce her boot to the wench's backside?

Zade decided on a simple elbow to the back of the head... no need to end this TOO quickly...

As the spin carried her around she jammed her elbow toward the woman's skull while positioning her dagger for a strike to the center of her back.



[Val'keth]


Zade was fast, almost unnaturally fast, Val'keth thought as the woman easily avoided her strike to the whip. Fully expecting the whip to lash around her as Zade spun, Val'keth was a little surprised as she turned and saw an elbow, not the supple leather, heading straight for her head.

Val'keth ducked, kicking out at the side of Zade's knee with her boot and bringing her sword up to block the glinting dagger. Metal on metal screamed as the dagger scraped down the blade of her weapon, and she smiled as the high pitched sound rang out across the fields.

"Will you sing as prettily as that when I rip out your tongue?" she spat, her eyes flashing dangerously.


[Zade]


Zade knew nothing of soundwaves, frequencies, or harmonics, but she DID know that the scraping of their weapons assaulted her ears like twin daggers through her temples.

"AHHHH!"

She winced and danced away.

What the hell was THAT!

As the echoes faded, she circled the woman, looking for an opening to attack or a weakness to exploit. They had both exhausted their elements of surprise and not one drop of blood had been drawn. Now it was all up to skill, of which they both had plenty. This was where fights got harder... and much more fun.

"So, now... what are you? Thief? Assassin? Or just some piece of street trash that picked up a few tricks along the way?"

Zade was steadily putting more distance between them, and as she did so, she moved her wrist in such a way that it made her whip dance around her like a serpent. It was a distraction that was NOT a distraction... for despite the other woman's skill, Zade was determined to make her dance before the end of the night...


[Val'keth]


Watching carefully as Zade leapt backward and started to circle, Val'keth looked for any slip of her guard. Zade was an excellent fighter, she'd give her that much.

"What am I?"

Val'keth laughed as she closed the distance to Zade, nimbly jumping out of the way of the whip that flicked around her.

"Thief? No. Assassin? Not really. And you know the last bracket doesn't fit me any better than it fits you."

"And while we are getting to know each other, what of you. I place you as a sell-sword - though perhaps December pays you in more than money? I'd imagine it must get soooo tedious just hanging around that shop of his..."

Val'keth lunged for Zade, swinging with her sword and following through with another dagger aimed for the arm that wielded the whip. If she could disable her or knock the whip from her hand, the fight would be over far faster. Though, she reflected with a smile, it had been a while since she had had the pleasure of sparring with someone as skilled as Zade.


[Zade]


*Klang*


Zade deflected the dagger with her bracer, but barely managed to side-step the sword in time to avoid losing her intestines.

"What December PAYS me in is none of your concern," Zade spat. She didn't like the little snip's insinuation one bit...

Suddenly, Zade heard something that hadn't been there a second ago... footsteps. A human... or humanoid... probably male. The stride was slow and methodical, but definitely headed towards them.

And it wasn't alone. There was something else... an animal of some kind. Zade's sensitive nose caught a whiff of unwashed fur and... sulfur?

Zade's already deep frown deepened into a ugly sneer.

"I'll give you this much... I never even SAW you signal for your friend. But whoever he is, he isn't going to change this outcome one bit."



[Val'keth]


The comment caught her by surprise, since there was no-one she would ask to step in to help her. No-one except perhaps the man who had first got her employment in Montfort - Tren. But he wasn't likely to be around here.


"Well, that's the difference between you and me. If you couldn't even see me doing that - well. I think it's about time you thought of retiring, girl."


[Zade]

"Maybe I will... right after I finish dancing on your grave."


[Val'Keth]

Then Val'keth's ears caught the footsteps, and her eyes narrowed as she glared at Zade.

"You're right about one thing, it won't change this fight - you WILL end up dead... And that scowl really doesn't improve your looks at all!"

Val'keth's ears were trained on the approaching sounds, while her eyes remained locked with Zade's. The last thing she wanted was someone else interfering, even if it turned out to be one of Zade's 'friends' - but from Zade's reaction, it obviously wasn't someone she had been expecting.


[Zade]


Despite the woman's words, there was brief hint of confusion on her face that told Zade what she needed to know. If the approaching footsteps were as much of a surprise to her as they were to Zade. But they were to direct and deliberate to be a casual passer-by. Someone knew they were there... and was coming to investigate. Zade's first thought was Tower Guard... but they always traveled in groups as far as she knew.

This whole situation was bad. Though her mind told her that things were still under control, something about the scene just felt wrong... and she didn't like it one bit.

Zade kept her eyes locked onto her opponent, but all the while she was preparing to make a quick escape. She'd remember this woman's face, though... she was sure to be scraping it off of the bottom of her boot in the very near future...


---


[The Stranger]


The Stranger turned the corner and paused. There they were... two armed women circling each other in the street as if engaged in combat. One was a human dressed in black leather, and the other was a white-haired elf.

Beside him, the Hellhound growled. Through their telepathic link, the Stranger read the hound's base instincts like a man would read a simple book... the hound didn't like the leather-clad one. Something about her scent struck some primal chord within the beast.

No matter.

The Stranger sent his thoughts to the dog, where their bond automatically converted them into instructions that the hound would understand.

:Hold the human while I test the elf...:

Ignoring the fact that both women were armed to the teeth, the Stranger calmly stepped out into the street and approached the pair. The Hellhound trotted beside him for the first few steps, then it growled and ran for Zade while the Stranger veered towards Val-keth.

[To Be Continued]