Raven's Bow

[4] Stupidly Oblivious

Vayne Sephiran ^^^

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After he had watched the sunrise, Colin turned and jogged back to the original building,. He climbed down to the balcony of the woman, only to find it locked. He knocked on the window and the old woman propper her head on the other side. He motioned for the lock but she simply glared at him and closed the curtains. He heaved a sigh and turned to look at the other options. He found a clothing wire being held across from the building he was on to the next. He took out his sword and swiftly cut through the rope, catching it as it fell. He stood on the rail of the balcony and held the rope in his hands. He took a breath in before falling from the rails. He let the rope swing him towards the other building, making him slam feet first into it.

The shock pushed through his body but he kept his hold on the rope. Colin waited for a second before sliding down the rope and falling to the ground. He gave a small smile and turned to leave when he bumped into a small child. His eyes were wide and his jaw slackened.

"Whoa, how did you do that?" Colin looked down at the boy's hand and saw a small knife in his grip. He crouched down to his height.

"I'm a knight to the King. It's my job." A smile beamed at the child's face. "Where did you get that knife?" The boy looked at the knife and quickly hid it behind his back.

"No where!" He quickly said.

"You can trust me, I'm not going to hurt you." He said calmly before placing a hand on the child's shoulder. The boy seemed to think before he took his knife and placed it in Colin's hand. It had a black feather chained to it and the symbol of Desaphora carved into it

"I saw The Raven jump from a tree and throw a rock at a dagger lodged in the wall. The Raven caught it mid air, twirling it around in his hand. The Raven told me to "never be afraid to do the right thing." He was so awesome!" He thought about what the boy said before handing the knife back.

"It's true what he said, never be afraid. Though his methods are a bit extreme. You should stay away from The Raven. He's dangerous."

"Nuh-uh. The Raven is the country's savior! The Raven saves us from the bad guys. That's what my momma told me." Colin smiled at the small boy and ruffled his hair.

"Alright, kid. Just be careful. Go home it's too early for you to be out alone." The boy smiled and nodded furiously, making Colin laugh as he watched the boy run the other way.

Colin thought about what the boy had said. The Raven has been murdering men and women across the country for years. The King tried to find him but wasn't really trying. He never understood how a country could have a murderer running free, praising him as he killed the nobles. Yes, they were corrupt, but surely there were other ways, other ways than death.

He remembered what the boy had said, about The Raven jumping out of a tree and throwing a rock at a dagger. He stopped in his track as the realization hit him. He had come face to face with The Raven, and lost him. How could I have been so stupid! I was so close! He slapped his forehead in frustration as he began making his way back to the castle.

The Guards at the gate recognized him, saluting him. Colin nodded in return, making his way past them to his quarters. Because of his status, his quarters were in the castle on the second floor. The first floor was for the guards and soldiers. The second floor was for the Knights. The third was for the nobles. And the fourth was for the Royal Family. King Julius and Marcus Rosado lived there alone. The Queen had died many years ago after she had fallen ill. The family was never the same. Marcus turned cruel and malevolent, acting only as a saint in front of his father. He was malicious and found joy in torturing others.

As he thought about the Royal family, he ran into a small person. He looked down and found a young girl, a noble. He stood back and bowed. "Forgive me, I had not seen you, my lady. I was distracted."

"Ugh! You have ruined my dress you insolent pig!" He looked up and saw the small patch of dirt on her sleeve. It was barely noticeable. "Do you not know who I am? I am Laena Cellar! Daughter of Noble Geoffrey Cellar! How dare you treat a lady of the Noble Court this way! I will have your head!"

Colin gave a sigh and turned to walk away. She was only a Cellar, a freeloading Noble family who should have had their ranks taken from them long ago. They were treated as one of the soldiers, yet refused to release their title.

There had been rumors about Laena. She was supposedly a bedswerver, preying on young noblemen looking for a quick shag in exchange for privileges. None of the rumors had ever been proven, though judging by her attitude, Colin thought better than to let those rumors go unnoticed.

"Get back here you moronic fool!" She shouted after him but he had already turned a corner towards the stairs. He reached his quarters, quickly changing out of his knight's clothes and letting sleep overtake him.

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Niklaus waited at the dining room for Cerise. He knew she had gone to see the sunrise. She loved to watch the colors rearrange in the sky at the start of a new day. He wasn't worried for her, he knew she could take care of herself. The noise of the hall filled the air as the other 18 assassins conversed through their breakfast. He had already eaten and stood away from the others. He was never close to anyone, other than Cerise. He was orphaned as a child and Vayne had found him on the streets, promising a better life.

The sound of conversation quieted as Cerise walked through the door. She was still in her night gown but her hair had a french braid falling over her shoulder. She looked beautiful. He thought. Even in a nightgown. He smiled as he stood up.

"Good morning Cerise. I see you were too lazy to get ready for the morning?" He asked her with amusement. She shot him a glare and picked up a slice of bread as she sat. The chatter slowly coming back after she nodded.

Since Cerise was the most achieved assassin, the others found her their leader. She had become Vayne's second, whether he knew it or not. They respected her and valued her thoughts.

"I arrived early in the morning. I ran into Colin at the spot. He didn't recognize me but, still. My guard was down and I didn't hear him. I have a new mark so I'm spending the day training and tracking him down. Care to join me?" She bit into the bread looking up at him through her bright green eyes.

"I wish I could, though Vayne has another under-cover assignment." She grimaced. His under-cover assignments usually meant acting as a courtesan to get information. Vayne had her go on an assignment as a courtesan and she ended up cutting the hand off a nobleman who had tried to grope her. Safe to say that was the last time she was a courtesan. Niklaus chuckled at the memory. "Maybe you could ask Adamus. I know you really love him." He said with a knowing smirk.

"Oh, shut it. The neandertal stopped me last night. Asking if I was whoring around for information. Who does he think he is? I don't even get why he hates me."

She stuffed the rest of the bread in her mouth

"Because you're simply oblivious." He muttered under his breath.

"What?" He snapped his eyes up.

"Because he is simply jealous." He said instead of repeating. She was the only one to not see behind Adamus' charade of hate. He probably did hate her, but not for the reason he or she thought. Probably for making him love her. Adamus had never confessed though it was obvious in Niklaus' eyes. He and the assassins had decided to keep quiet, let them figure it out. There were bets here and there, guessing who would figure it out first, or if neither ever would. Cerise swallowed the rest of her breakfast with her orange juice before standing up.

"I'm going to go change and then train for the rest of the morning." She stated before turning and walking away. As soon as the doors closed, the assassins began scarfing down their breakfast, eager to catch up to witness her train.