Jessica moved over the rooftops from shadow to shadow. Freezing in motion now and then. She would look below her as the soldiers of the watch knocked at the doors of houses where they had spied a light on. There was a call of "Answer the watch!" Followed by a tense silence that she counted in less then half a breath. "All is well here." And with the answer the watch moved on. And so could she.
Sometimes they would insist on a door being opened so closer inspection could take place before they would leave moving to the next house, the next street. Jessica paused for these inspections until the watch progressed, then she would move again with relative safety, slowly along the shadows of the rooftops towards her goal.
Moving as carefully as she did it seemed to take forever to reach the house of Tull the cobbler. She slid down from his roof like a cat and knocked on the door. "All is well here." came the answer. She sighed then knocked again and this time she heard a shuffling towards the door and Tull’s cranky voice that he put on especially for the watch. "Have you nothing better to do then annoy an old cobbler. This is the second time this night." He could go on for hours like that she knew. But as soon as he opened the door he was struck dumb.
Tull was less than four feet tall, but as he stood in the doorway looking up at Jessica he seemed to visibly shrink and the colour of his usually ruddy face went a distinctive pale. Then his senses came back to him. "Jessica. For a moment I thought I was staring at a demon. Quickly, in off the street before someone sees you." Jessica stooped to fit through the Tull’s doorway. The warmth of his house hit her as she stepped in and she felt the chill in her bone for the first time, and began to shiver.
"Gods child what is it, what have they done to you?" Tull asked as he put a blanket around her and led her to the fire.
“I killed him Tull, I killed Garland.” She said as he sat her down and threw another sod of turf on the fire. He stared at her studying her face for a moment as the fire flared and sent yellow light and shadows dancing across her pale skin. “You rest child, you’re with the old Tull now." He said, patted her on the back and began to move silently around the room as if not to disturb her thoughts.
She watched him as he busied himself around the place. A short man with a baldhead, round nose and beard that ran under his chin. She loved his broad knowing smile that made you feel like he was in on a joke that the gods were playing on the rest of the world. All traits he had inherited from his sidh ancestors. The strange magical race from the shattered islands. Though not every one who had sidh blood in them manifested it the same way. Looking at him you would never guess he was the best fence in the city. The old Tull, cobbler, gem cutter, fence and master thief.
She looked away and gazed at the fire for a long time. As she let her mind dwell on the nights deeds she felt the colour drain from her face and a cold sweat her face pale cover her skin. Does it always feel like this? She asked herself.
“The first time is always the worst.” Tull said as if in answer to her thoughts. He stood facing Jessica with a basin of water and some soap. “You’ll feel better after you’ve had a wash and a sleep.”
He had never told her but Jessica knew. Tull had killed for revenge and necessity. In this profession the choice was inevitable. Now after the night’s events she felt like she understood Tull a little better.
He put the basin and soap down beside her. “Wash. Then sleep, my young apprentice.” She looked up into his eyes as he said the words then back to the basin and began to wash the blood from her hands.
Next morning she woke with the dawn in front of the glowing embers of the fire. John Tull was already dressed, making breakfast. The smell of frying bacon filled her nostrils and all of a sudden she felt sick. She ran to an empty basin and spilled the contents of her stomach into it.
