Hiding in the Shadows - Old Version (Other one is new one)

Chapter 5: Relief (OLD)

July 26th, 1845 at 8:00pm

I cried until I couldn't cry anymore, sitting secluded in the cover of a tree not far from Ashe's house. I shut the world around me out, almost missing when Dave had come up behind me.

"It will be fine, don't worry." He said, almost making it worse. I felt the tensed muscles of his forearm rub against my side as he sat down next to me - looking off into the distance.

"Says the person who kills for a living. I just don't understand how you do it. How do you take the lives of others? And without a single remorse?" I countered, looking at his face trying to find some giveaway to his feelings.

"It's hard..." he started, "but just give it time. It loses its grandeur as you realize it's you or the other person." I didn't know how to respond to his comment, leaving us stuck sitting in silence as we both looked out across the canopy of trees.

After a while the sun had lowered itself to the tips of a far off mountain, painting the sky with hues of deep reds and bright yellows. The birds quiet chirps in the distance combined with my beautiful view of the sunset slowly lulled me to sleep, my eyes drifting shut as my head fell to rest on Dave's shoulder.

I hadn't been asleep for long before I felt Dave's hands gently lift me up, "I don't know if your awake Katie, but you need to head home. Training finally starts tomorrow, and take it from me that you'll need the sleep," he whispered. I just muttered a yes and ran a hand through my hair my dark black hair, somewhat embarrassed that I had fallen asleep on him.

Before making my final step out of sight, Dave he made one last call, "Be strong. Be strong for me, and be that one recruit that makes it. Please don't give up." The words drifted through my thoughts as I walked home, making me wonder if I had made the right choice by coming here. And if he may have the same feelings about me as I did to him.

July 27th, 1845 at 10:00AM.

July 27th, 1845 at 6:00AM.

Lined up on either side of me stood each and every so-called recruit that had been with me the day before. The ones that I had been told would have to die before I took another step forward in my life as an assassin. Everyone including me had a heavy sheet of black cloth in our hands held out in straight arms at shoulder height. We hadn't been standing there for long before we were instructed to wrap the cloth around our heads, drawing the world to a silent black plane. A pair of strong heavy hands came to rest on my shoulders, directing me through the forest floor, light dancing across the cloth on my face as we walked.

I guess this means that we couldn't even be trusted by the guild to walk to and from the tree-top-town in order; putting us even further under their control. My leather boots constantly shook as I traversed the rough and uneven rocks and leaves laying on the ground. We walked for a while; my eyes shocked as a bright white light suddenly shone upon them when the blindfold was removed.

The entire group stood yet again on either side of me, but this time we were out of the forest and into a small clearing surrounded on all sides with the tall pines that made up the woods I now lived on. Once my eyes had fully adjusted to the sudden influx of light, I looked straight ahead. Across from our line stood another, this one shorter and consisting of only three members; each standing in a wide stance with a crimson cloak draped over their shoulders. On the tips of each hood was an intricately stitched logo, somewhat similar to an eye with a dagger stabbed through it.

The one in the center was short and strongly built, his callused hands came up to draw the hood of his cloak back to reveal a weathered bald face with a long scar going across his eye; all too similar to the symbol stitched on his hood. He had a large claymore strapped to his back, the blade nearly as long as his body.

"My name is not important, for I shall be known solely as Master to you from now forward." He said, in a deep and gravelly voice. As soon as he was done he took another step back to be in line with the other two hooded figures. Next was the person to the right, stepping forward in a similar fashion, instructing us that he too should be referred to as Master. He was somewhat taller than the first man but a lot thinner; moving much faster as he stepped up. His voice was smooth, the words rolling off his tongue in a thick accent of some far off country. Finally came the third, and last, member of the group. He was in the middle of the others in terms of height and build, but he seemed to move in a silent fashion. He wore a belt loosely around his waist, containing vials of different colored liquids, as well as a few curved and deadly looking daggers.

As the other two eyed over the crowd standing in front of them the one who had first come up took another step forward and began talking.

"We will begin with the basics, bringing up your strength and endurance. Due to the fact that the majority of you have come from that of a poor background, we have allowed there to be a total of four months between now and the begging of the competition." The reactions of those around me varied, some seemed excited to get here, and to start training, and others where scared. Not unlike myself.

And that was that, with a brief introduction we were thrown into groups and prepared to work away the coming months.