= Chapter One: The Letter =
=SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE=
Niv sat bolt-upright as the thunderclap rumbled on. Were it not for his fur, he'd likely be slick with sweat. He breathed heavily, trying to take in the nightmare. None of it seemed to make much sense, though it was no less disturbing. The last rays of a dying day played through the rustling trees upon his orange and white face, promising the night to come. He looked out the window, squinting. The sky was clear. No clouds, no rain. No plausible reason for thunder. He began to worry that his nightmare had been more real than he'd thought. That could get him into a lot of trouble, if anyone knew.
Niv pushed himself off the mat that he generously called his bed, rubbed the sleep from his hazel eyes, and sat cross-legged against the wall. He didn't have his own place, but Livia, the owner of the Meandering Mare Tavern and Inn was a kind and sympathetic woman of likewise breed and demeanor, who took pity on those who did work for the guild. The place was open twenty-four hours, so he earned his keep by protecting the place if trouble broke out. Reffar was generally a quiet place, but the occasional traveler might get drunk and start a fight, or be otherwise destructive. Personally, he suspected the owner just had a soft spot for tigers, but it was a nice arrangement and he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, so to speak.
However, the woman's sympathy would only go so far. Niv knew all too well that he wasn't made of money, so he had taken a job with the blacksmith soon after settling in town. The forge was just at the edge of town, and there weren't any houses nearby it, so he could spend the night helping the smith, Jota, get a lead on his work. Not to mention the personal benefits. Today was already off to a good start. He'd woken early enough to do some training and still get the work done on time. Either way, it meant a trek clear across the small town, so it was time to start moving
He stood, stretching his arms upward while arching his back. A large yawn displayed the many sharp teeth of his maw. Even his tail curled a little bit. He eyed his small, third floor attic of a room, checking that everything was as he left it that morning. Sure enough, every possession he knew was stuffed in the corner opposite him; his sword, sitting snugly in its black scabbard with shiny metal fittings, a leather shoulder bag for his important stuff and a large, misshapen sack that held all of his miscellaneous things. Extra clothes, armour, tools and the like.
He adjusted his torn black shorts that he wore to bed, which stopped just past his knees, and grabbed for his shirt. It laid crumpled over his bags, a dark blue lump of cloth. He shook it out, then slipped it over his head and laced up the neck. He thought about tucking his necklace in, but figured it wouldn't cause much trouble, especially this far from the capitol. Even if someone recognized it, there was little chance he'd be caught. He absent-mindedly rubbed one of the armlets over his biceps as he thought of the many reasons he had been pursued in the past.
He looked down as his fingers caressed the grooves of the carved runes that circled the narrow, silvery band. He didn't know what they were made of, aside from some type of strong and flexible metal, but they were always comfortably snug. And he knew exactly what they were for. He was grateful to be oblivious of them more often than not, for the memories they could conjure.
He opened the large sack and pulled out what little armour he had, arranging it on the floor in front of him; a spectacled spangenhelm with aventail, a gorget, two large rounded pauldrons, a blackened haubergeon, black gambeson, a pair of bracers, a pair of greaves and a few tassets. It had all seen a fair amount of use, and showed obvious signs of past repair. It was actually more than the common individual would be found with, but being with the Guild made him more than common as it was. Regardless, he believed very strongly in its necessity, and the blacksmith Jota had been kind enough to help him with it.
Taking a moment to admire his beaten friends, Niv began to think of his role in life. Living as a warrior among the peaceful, the inevitability of a conflict that would put rowdy drunks to shame hung over his head like a black cloud. He was by no means well known, but he had every reason to watch his back. He had friends with enemies. And a friend's enemies are your enemies, whether you know them or not. Not to mention there were plenty of posters with his face, promising bounties. And if there were bounties, there were hunters, which would bring much violence with them. His distinctive markings made him easy to spot, but at the same time, none of the posters had ever gotten them right enough for him to worry. If they hadn't personally seen him before, they'd likely never know it was his face under that large bold print of "WANTED".
Niv shook the thoughts from his head. This was no time to get caught up in what-ifs and inevitabilities. He could relax for the time being, and worry about it when it came up. He carefully picked up each piece of armour and inspected it, before strapping it on, though he decided to put the maille back in the bag. It gleamed dully in the fading light, despite the fact it had been blackened. It wasn't normally necessary to wear any of his armour in a given town, but the image of a strong figure was important to maintain for the tavern. It would come off for work. He attached his sword, using its special loops, to the wide belt bearing the tassets and cinched it snugly around his waist. He took a deep breath, and sighed heavily. He felt whole now. Slowly he drew his sword, Algorletum, and swung it lightly a few times. He inspected the runes carved upon its wide straight blade, which spelled its name. It was accented by a simple but elegant pattern engraved around it. He wiped the blade with a cloth a few times.
Sheathing the sword, he hooked his helm to his belt, and rummaged through his shoulder bag for one of the most important things he owned. Tucked at the bottom, he found it. A knife not only given to him, but made, by an old friend; one of the few things he treasured as much as his own life. It wasn't very large, just a small hunting knife, but it meant a great deal to him. It was a token for the only part of his past that he looked fondly on, and the stylized heart and cross marking on the blade was a great comfort to him. He tucked the knife securely into its hidden sheath on the underside of a tasset, and headed downstairs.
He took his time in the second floor hallway. Thick oak doors lined its length, keeping private the guest rooms. They were likely empty at this hour, so there was no worry about bumping into busy people. It'd be another hour before they'd come pouring in. He listened carefully as he passed each door anyway, his keen ears making sure things were as quiet as they seemed. Someone had gotten a head start on sleep and was snoring quietly, but there was nothing else of interest. As Niv approached the second stairwell, he saw a red curtain near the bottom.
"Oh shit..." He moaned, "It's that time of the month again." With his hand on his face, he heard a familiar squeaky voice coming from the tavern just beyond the curtain.
"That's right, folks! A genuine tiger! The only one for hundreds of miles!" The man boasted.
The curtain shifted and the old rat's face looked up at him with shining eyes. Niv knew it was too late to hide, as he was already in the stairwell. The codger's eyes lit up when he saw the tiger. "Everyone, everyone! Please make some space! He's here!" Loud and excited muttering commenced thereafter. Harik could sell dirt to the worms, Niv had no doubt.
Niv slowly came down the stairs and pushed the curtain aside. He was met with awed looks and gasps. A sea of faces, large and small, high and low, gawked at him. He rolled his eyes and lazily waved at everyone. "Harik, I told you not to do this anymore..."
"Did you? I don't remember such a thing." He replied while his eyes darted back and forth. He rubbed his hands together in classically sleazy fashion.
"Last time. Ever." Niv gave a stern look. People seemed to like making him do things he didn't want to, but he'd get over it as long as there was no real harm done. And if the old man wanted to make some coin, Niv could hardly blame him. Times were hard. He waved at the gullible crowd again, and headed through the crowd out the door. People fought the urge to touch him as he made his way out from the back of the building. He attributed this to the armour. It made him look rather intimidating to the average traveler. Shaking his head at their gullibility as he stopped just in front of the tavern, he took a deep breath. He could have sworn he saw a tiger in the crowd. He guessed that guy didn't count, since he was white. Reffar continued to bustle slowly, with shop keepers sweeping out the day's dust for a cleaner tomorrow, all oblivious to the plight of Niv's exploitation. Luckily, none of the gawkers had followed him.
The walk across town was pleasantly uneventful, and there were no crowds to wade through. The unnatural lightning had probably scared them all into their homes for the night. As he neared the forge, he could see Jota still tending the fires. It seemed unusual, but he was early, so he didn't give it much thought. He quietly walked up to Jota's side, and took a gander at his current work. Jota, a bear by nature, was a large man in many ways, and was a retired warrior of the guild. Niv considered it an honor to be treated as an equal, despite Jota having many years of experience on him. Standing at seven-two, he wore nothing but a loincloth and a plain black torque above each bicep. He also, luckily enough, liked to smash things with a hammer. It was a skill he was putting to good use at the moment, but for no apparent reason it seemed.
"Evening, Jota." Niv said in between strokes.
"Hello Niv," Jota replied in a burly voice, before striking the anvil again. "Up a tad early, no?"
"Yeah. Thought I'd get a jump on things today. Uhm... whatcha doin' there?"
Jota lowered his hammer, breathing heavily. "Just some anger management. Never you mind. You have more important things to worry about." He turned away and picked up a small envelope. As he held it out Niv could see the red wax seal, a blank disc. "Much more important."
"The Guild?" Niv said, surprised. It had been months since he'd seen a contract from them and he wasn't sure how he should feel. On one hand, the work always paid well, but on the other, he thought he had been excused from the guild for some time.
"Is it legit?" He asked, skepticism overtaking surprise as he leered at the plain looking envelope. The familiar magical energy he had come to associate with Guild correspondence was absent from the slightly chipped wax seal. This certainly wouldn't be the first time a fake letter found its way to a guild member, and Niv had heard enough stories of the terrible things people could manage through a simple piece of paper. He decided against taking the letter from Jota.
"Thought you might ask. I don't blame you; not exactly a common thing these days, this." Jota broke a small piece of the wax off, and dropped it into a small cooking pot filled with boiling water that sat on a small wood stove near where he was 'working'. "It's an old trick we used back in the day, for super secret spy stuff, before all this newfangled magic."
"'Super secret spy stuff'? 'Newfangled'? Really Jota? Really?" Niv said, unable to keep the smirk from his face. He knew his friend was exaggerating sarcastically, but it was just too terrible not to say something. The old bear just chuckled. He knew it was bad, and that was exactly why he did it. He stuck his tongue out at Niv in a rare moment of playfulness, before taking the handle of a hammer and stirring the pot. Being the smart guy always lifted his spirits. "It's an alchemical transmutation recipe." He said in a hushed voice. "We used it when the magic on the seal might give away the person we were contacting. There's iron filings and salt in the water, by the way, if you ever find yourself doing this in the future. Just sprinkle of each." He'd apparently done this earlier, and knew Niv would be skeptical. It explained why the seal had been chipped before.
As Jota stirred, the wax dissolved instead of melting, much to Niv's surprise. A red color began to swirl and mix with the water. An enticing aroma drifted up from the pot, reminding the tiger of a winter's night with friends, fighting against the chill with a strong, warm drink. "Is that what I think it is?" He asked.
"It will be in a moment. Have to let the reaction finish first." He set the pot aside to cool for a few moments. "It cools surprisingly quickly. Transmutation has a tendency to generate a lot of heat, but the process causes most of it to disperse rapidly." He took a sip directly from the pot, nodded, then passed it to Niv. He took in the aroma once more, again conjuring memories. He tipped the pot upward and sampled the warm liquid. A wonderful spiced wine crossed his lips, confirming his suspicion.
Satisfied, Niv sat by the workbench and opened the envelope. He removed the single piece of parchment, twice folded, and saw the words "A request" written on the back. Unfolding the paper revealed the swirling font commonly associated with guild contracts.
Jota leaned against a post, watching curiously as Niv scanned the letter, trying to read his body language to discern the manner of the job. Niv simply furrowed his brow in concentration as he read, until reaching the end of the letter, when his eyes widened and a large toothy smile spread across his face.
"I'll be back, Jota." Niv said elatedly. "I've gotta get ready to leave!" He shouted over his shoulder as he ran back to the tavern, laughing. Jota watched him go, utterly confused. He shrugged and went back to pounding on an old anvil.
He ran through the door, up the stairs, and into his crawlspace. "I can't believe it! It's been so long!" He said excitedly to himself as he began to recklessly collect his belongings.
After speaking with the tavern owner, he ran back to Jota, exuberant as ever. So much so, in fact, that he roughly collided with the large bear as he turned around to greet him, and fell backward. Jota seemed unphased, however. He picked Niv up, and set him on his feet. "Careful son, you'll get yourself hurt doin' that. Now, you gonna tell me what's goin' on?"
Niv brushed himself off, and set is bags aside. "Sorry, I'm just really excited. Personally, the job seems menial and boring. What's important however is that I'm not working alone." Niv pulled the letter from his shoulderbag and held it up, "Turns out, a friend of mine who's still active in the guild got this particular job, but I've been personally requested by the contractor to accompany him." He bagged the letter again. "I leave ASAP."
"Really? Hm. I guess that means you're quitting, huh?"
"Oh... Yeah, I guess I have to. I can still do tonight though, if you want me to." Niv felt a little guilty for not considering Jota's position in the situation.
"Bah, don't worry about it." Jota said as he slapped Niv on the back, nearly knocking him down again. After a smooth recovery, he wrapped his arm around the tiger and said quietly, "You're fired."
"What!?" Niv stared a moment before it dawned on him. "OH, right. Duh." He dropped his face into his palm. Jota patted him on the back as he chuckled, "It's alright, Niv. You should probably get going, eh? Wouldn't want to be late."
"Quite right, my friend." Niv gathered his things again. "Thank you Jota, for everything." The two men shook hands at the wrist, and Niv was on his way. "Well then, I'm off. I've gotta see a man about a dog."
*****
A stiff breeze ruffled Niv's fur and gave him a small chill as he walked along the side of the road. On foot, Reffar was only a day or two north of the capitol, Hul'veer, depending on how badly you wanted to get there. Excited as he was, Niv saw no reason to rush. It wouldn't do any good to show up exhausted, and the contract didn't state any deadlines, so taking his time and reminiscing about the good old days seemed like a good way to spend the trip.
The moon hung over the trees off to his right, his silent mistress. She knew more about him than anyone, save for one. He'd practiced and honed his talents in her cold light for many years, and had come to think fondly of her. Sure, in reality the moon was a genderless, inanimate object, but he didn't care. She was as much a precious thing to him as his little hunting knife. He took a deep breath as he continued walking.
The road sat between large fields of tall grass and wild flowers, and the thinned edge of a dense forest. Niv peered into the trees as he walked by, but couldn't see much of anything. Though he distinctly heard the faint sound of drums. It was probably best that he not investigate just now. There'd be plenty of time on the way back. He walked on, and the drums faded.
Many uneventful hours passed, and the moon had long since set. To his left, the sun's light began to pour into the sky, casting a red hue on the gathering clouds as they floated over the nearby mountains. It would rain soon. He could feel it in his blood. No bother, a little rain never hurt anyone. Not the natural kind, anyway. With roughly an hour before dawn, Niv decided to take a break. He stretched his arms and legs, and sat against a small tree near the road. His eyelids grew heavy as he fought to stay awake.
A twig snapped in the woods behind him.
It was hard not to spring straight to his feet, but he knew he had the advantage if they thought he was still dozing. He listened for a few moments, but heard nothing. Suddenly a very large paw wrapped itself over his muzzle and pulled him around the tree into a strong arm. A second arm grabbed his chest from the left. The stranger lifted Niv off the ground and carried him into the denser part of the wood, though he could still see the road. Any attempt to fight back was met with a quick squeeze.
"Shhh. Stop fidgeting."
Goddamnit. Why didn't he notice sooner? He relaxed and pushed Jota's arms off. "What the hell, man?" Niv whispered, rightfully confused, but conscious of Jota's concern.
Jota was looking around the trees to the road, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Be alert, he'll be around any second." He whispered.
"_Who?_What's going on?"
"Hard to say. All I know is I was having a drink at the tavern when some rat staying there got a letter, awhile after which I saw him running off the same direction you went. Didn't think much of it, since it's the only road out that leads anywhere significant. Then I heard he got thrown out for trashing your room or something. Some kind if ruckus." Jota leaned against a tree as he continued to spy. The tree creaked softly in protest.
"How the hell did you get here before him? You know what, never mind."
"That's probably for the best."
"So this guy, was he an older man? A rat?" "Yeah, you know him?"
"I might."
Sure enough, Niv spotted Harik sneaking through the trees closer to the road. His nose was near the ground, no doubt sniffing along Niv's path. He hadn't yet reached the tree where Jota had intervened, but he was getting close. Niv gestured, but Jota had already noticed. The tiger motioned to confront the rat, but the bear shook his head seriously.
"That's not a good idea," he whispered, "he could be too strong."
Niv was confused again. Harik had in every way seemed like the old rat he was. But the fact that he was here was cause enough for doubt.
"What do we do?"
"We fight."
"But you said-" Before he could finish, Jota swung his large fist in front of Niv's face just as Harik flew at him with teeth and claws bared, causing an audible crack as it connected. The rat struck a nearby tree with a loud crunch from his spine. After he lay still a few moments, they presumed him dead, or at least dying. Niv was far too confused to care, until a small tingling began to make the air feel empty, and cold.
Magic.
The tingling air seemed to pull in the direction of Harik, a faint glow of purple hung around him. Slowly he began to rise to his feet, facing away. The two of them could see a large rip through each layer of the rat's clothing. A long glowing scar sat directly across the middle of his spine. Harik turned, a determined and evil glare aimed at the tiger. He picked up a small stick, and the familiar tingle returned. The stick flashed bright green, as did a small charm wrapped around the old man's wrist. The stick had become an iron bar, three feet long.
Niv drew his sword just as Harik hissed and leapt at Jota, the iron bar held over his head. He came up short, the disadvantage of his size directing him to the bear's sternum instead of his head. Jota caught the small rat's throat in one hand keeping him at arm's length, and the bar in the other as it swung at his face. Niv hesitated, not wanting to strike his friend accidentally. Harik raked the sharp claws of his feet across Jota's dark furred chest, then sprung from his loosened grasp, landing gracefully several yards away.
Blood ran slowly down Jota's chest from the deep gashes. "Damn rat." He spat at the old man, whose expression remained aggressive, yet strangely fixed. Niv brought his sword up defensively in both hands, waiting for the rat to make a move. And Harik did, but neither of them could have expected what happened. Harik pulled a pendant from beneath his shirt, a crystal of such deep blue it was nearly black. He gripped the gem tightly with his fist, but the force of flowing mana that Niv was expecting never came. The rat snapped his arm forward, making a grabbing motion with his hand and yanking it back. As he did, Niv's sword was pulled from his hands, landing dangerously close to Harik. The gem in his hand exploded, badly burning his palm. It was time for plan B.
"Keep him off me!" Niv said as he pointed. Jota closed in on Harik as Niv ran behind him to the tree he'd dropped his things at. He hurriedly rummaged through his shoulder bag, pushing things aside until he finally found them. A worn pair of fingerless, brown leather gloves tied in a bundle. He untied the knot, and looked up to the sky as he slipped them on. The clouds were thick and dark with morning rain. The storm would be upon them, soon.
He flexed his hands a few times to work out the kinks of long-term storage, the smooth facets of the blue and red speckled onyx gems on the backs glinting dully in the failing light. Niv clenched his fists, and a magical presence surrounded the gloves. He ran back into the trees, ready to fight fire with fire.
Jota was grappling with Harik over the bar, an unusual thing to see, given the vast differences in stature. Harik was indeed a deceptive man. Niv, seeing a new opportunity, ran up to the pair and tackled the rat below the bear's arms, landing on him roughly, and knocking the bar to the ground. He rolled to the side and Harik scurried deeper into the trees, out of sight. Jota pulled Niv to his feet, looking him up and down for any sign of harm.
"Just some scrapes and dirt." Niv said, brushing himself off. "Where's he run off to?" He asked, looking around. Jota pointed into the woods. "Crap."
"We'll likely not find him before he finds us, not in there." Jota said, crossing his arms.
"I don't wanna to go in there anyway." Niv crossed his arms as well, looking longingly at the road behind them. He retrieved his sword and made for his belongings. "Let's just get outta here. If he's still up for a fight, we'll see him soon enough. Besides, he's probably _waiting_for us to come after him. I'm saving my questionable decisions for the city." He walked back to the tree again, Jota in tow, and grabbed his bags. "Care to accompany me?" Niv said with a smirk.
"Sorry, stripes. Need to have this looked after," he indicated the fresh wounds on his chest, "Plus my place has been left alone too long now. For all I know, someone's interested in me as well." Jota slapped Niv on the back jovially, causing him to lurch forward. "Oops..."
"Right..." Niv's grin faded to a stern look. "Well, I guess I'll see you another time?"
"Of course." Jota said cheerfully.
Niv smiled despite an obvious twinge of disappointment. Jota waved as he walked back down the road. Niv watched him for a few minutes, but a rustling in the woods told him it was time to go. With another glace over his shoulder, he was on his way.
*****
The clouds had grown thicker, obscuring the sun as it hung high overhead. It was nearly noon. The rain had been reluctant but the distinct smell of it was growing stronger in the air, and there were still many miles before the capitol would even be visible. The adrenaline that had helped him push on had long since passed, and he drudged along through determination and a nagging fear that Harik might reappear. Niv would occasionally pass a farm or small village, but he dared not test the locals' tolerance for strangers. Especially of his kind. He hurried his pace, hoping to find some shelter before the storm hit, but his options weren't looking favorable.
"Fuck..." He sighed heavily. He really should have planned for this. There was no choice now. He'd have to hope there was a village nearby, and stop there for a while. An hour passed and he could see the rain falling a few miles behind him. A few bolts of lightning made him uneasy. He came to the top of a hill, praying to see a town, a village, even just a tent between two trees. Something dry. He saw nothing as he scanned the area ahead of him, until his sight fell upon a large covered bridge just past a bend in the road, slightly obscured by the trees. "Yes!" He could reach it in ten or fifteen minutes, and he'd have to cross the river anyway. A handy happenstance.
Best to be prompt, he thought as he made for the bridge at a brisk pace. It took longer than he thought, but he had ample time regardless. The bridge was also _larger_than he thought, easily twenty feet wide and sixty feet long with short, wide windows along each side. Niv made himself comfortable in a corner as the patter of rain drops slowly crept over the roof. His guesses were way off today. Probably had something to do with the disillusionment of nearly being killed by a man you thought was harmless, only to kill him and watch him come back to life before running away. Yeah, that was probably it.
The rain became increasingly harder, though there was little wind and no thunder. It would likely pass by quietly without much of a ruckus. Niv settled against his things and dozed off to the soft white noise of the storm.
*****
It was dark. He couldn't see anything, but could feel the rush of wind passing his naked body as if flying through the night sky. A small light began to glow below him, in the distance. He tried to move toward it, but in an instant it became a streak zigzagging back and forth. It stopped in front of him, and he could see hundreds, maybe thousands of lit windows. There were no buildings, no walls. Just windows. The lights began to spin and fall away into the darkness, and a familiar image of blank eyes and teeth sprang forth. It swallowed the city of windows behind its pale white grin, and with a massive hand the shadow reached out, it's bright claws the only sign of its path. The dull sound of laughter filled his ears, ever louder with each passing moment. The claws passed beyond sight and he felt a sudden force strike him.
*****
"NO!" Niv yelled, bringing his arm in front of his face, baring his claws. His voice faintly echoed into the night, his eyes darting back and forth as his chest heaved with each heavy breath.
There was nothing.
He fell back against the wall, the pounding of his heart slowly fading from his ears. The light patter of rain still beat gently on the roof, low rumbles far in the distance. Both were strangely easing to him, nearly calling him to doze once more, despite their tendency to arouse his nightmares. Fresh thoughts of the creatures lurking beneath his conscious mind quickly put any plans of sleep out of his head. No, it was time to leave, rain or no.
He looked around the mostly dry space. There was a lot here that he hadn't really noticed before. Crates, boxes, barrels. All sorts of miscellaneous tools and things all covered in quite a bit of dust. Reasoning that no one would likely come around to even notice he had been there, he began rummaging through anything he could pry open. He found many odd things to find on a bridge, even one such as this. It seemed more like a general store that just happened to cross over a river. He found foodstuffs, books, more tools, even some weapons, though their glory days were long behind them. Of course, the same could be said of anything he found in this place.
It took only a short time to find what he wanted; a large leather cloak to shield him from the rain. It was worn and cracked, and hardly seemed fit to use. But the longer he stayed, the less comfortable he felt, as flashes of his dream -No, it could only be called a nightmare- kept popping into his mind. Waiting for the weather to turn wasn't an option. He gathered his bags together, tossed the cloak over himself, and started into the rain.
The rain was lighter near the bridge, as the thick branches of the nearby trees shielded the ground with their great many leaves. Niv was wary about walking too near to any trees, given what had happened. Every few moments, and with every odd noise, his eyes would dart to the tree line and his body would tense. But there was nothing. Still, he felt moving away was for the best, and moved off the road. He didn't like the mud anyway, and the rain was still tolerable.
A faint whiff of an unfamiliar place caught his keen nose. He'd gone a few steps before it fully registered, but stopped immediately after it had. He lightly sniffed the air, hoping to catch the scent again. Despite his efforts, the wind was against him. With each attempt, the wind came blustering through and took any trace of the foreign aroma with it. He shrugged, and continued on his way, though the fragrant smell of the ocean was still fresh in his mind.
*****
The thick clouds had made it difficult tell how long he slept, but as they slowly grew darker with each passing moment, it became quite clear that the day was done. The night and following day were uneventful, though the rain did stop for a while. Although Niv wouldn't have known as much, having slept most of the light hours propped against a lone tree at the top of a hill. All he knew was a truly restful sleep of pleasant dreams, the details of which were best left unmentioned.
The sun was grasping at the western horizon as Niv awoke, dipping below the still thick clouds and casting long shadows across the rolling hills. Hills which soon gave way to the wide open fields of grass and flowers ahead. His view of the plains was quite clear from his little hill, and he could see the walls of Hul'veer. He could be there by tomorrow evening at his current pace. If only "there" was a place worth being. But the capitol was only a detour, albeit a necessary one. He was thankful he didn't have to stay.
Niv casually tucked his necklace under his shirt. Even a day's walk from Hul'veer was too close to risk having it spotted. It would mark him many times over an "enemy" of the kingdom and its guilds in the eyes of anyone loyal to the crown, regardless of whether that loyalty was earned or bought.
He lazily got to his feet and stretched, thinking about being back at the guild. He wondered if anything had changed, and how much. His thoughts turned dark for a moment, as his gaze fell on his things. His bags lay beside the tree, beneath his pilfered cloak. He spread the cloak on the ground and set his armour on it as he removed each piece. A bit of digging through the large sack yielded a small metal box, a few old rags, and Niv's haubergeon.
He slipped the maille over his head, and knelt before his little alter of protection. In the box was a pale, waxy looking substance, which he lightly scraped with a rag, and set to polishing his raggedy armour. He may be a ways away from his destination, but he wanted to look his best when he got there. And he'd have to take most of his armour off to get the maille on anyway, so he might as well take the opportunity for a little sprucing up first. He'd take his time though. What good was being a cat if you couldn't be a little lazy?
It didn't take much effort, or much time for that matter, to put a nice shine on the steel plates. Having finished sooner than expected, he moved on to his weapons. The sword went just as quickly as the armour, but he found himself staring at the keepsake pulled from his tasset. The memories came flooding back, and he started to smile. Thoughts of the good old days filled his mind. Late night camp fires, adventures in the wilderness, and a close circle of friends, ever present. But his face soon became grim as he explored the past. There was betrayal in that circle, and destruction would soon follow. He took a deep breath and prepared to leave.
Walking wouldn't do much to distract him, but at least he'd be doing something productive. He once again set out for the capitol, but with a much heavier heart.
=SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE=