Mistress of Death

1: I've Been Fighting A War

Song: Bravado - Lorde / Simmer - Hayley Williams

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Death seemed to follow me wherever I went. It was there when I was born half human and half elf. It was there on my mother's death bed as she begged Ramerd Gamward the head of the Assassin's Guild to take me in when I was six years old. And it was there for every kill I made.

Gamward made it very clear to me at the start of my training that I was not wanted. That humans didn't want to claim me because of my elven heritage and vice versa. That the only place I was wanted was the Guild. He used that to hone my anger towards the world into a sharp blade.

He called in favors for some mages to teach me chaos and its power. I was taught the art of dance, so I'd light and swift on my feet. I was taught fighting by him himself, which included hand to hand combat and weaponry. His assassins were nothing but the best of the best and he made sure of that, and so he'd know each and every move we knew just in case we got any ideas. It was also how he kept all of us under his Guild and in check, the massive pile of debt from training us.

Despite the brutality that was embedded into each of us, he made sure that two codes were always followed or it'd be you that'd be hunted down next either by himself or another assassin, and those codes were no innocents and especially no children.

And that code was something I was grateful for.

I was dispatched on an abuser when I'd met the Witcher, Geralt of Rivia. I stopped at a small town on the way to my assignment and even through the townspeople didn't know exactly what it was that I did, they knew it was nothing good, and they didn't take well to both me and the Witcher being in town at the same time. So, it was when the town was rallying up to get the two of us out of their town, I met Geralt.

Geralt had arrived a day before I did, so as I'd just finished tying my horse Sonja to a hitching rail, villagers started coming out yelling. I huffed out a sigh, untied Sonja, and got back on. Just as I was turning to leave, I saw him being chased out of a tavern. I looked down at him as Sonja pasted him. His amber eyes were blazing with anger from being pushed out.

I dug my heel into Sonja's side, so she'd speed up, there was a forest not too far away from the town. I knew it was dangerous going into the woods due to the Witcher being in the town, but I was itching for a fight.

I found a lake so Sonja could get some water, I could clean up, and refill my water skins. I made quick work of it though so I could find a camp site with the sun still out, which was going to set soon.

It didn't take long for me to find the perfect clearing in the forest, perfect because it was neither too close to the lake or the road. By the time I got a camp set up and Sonja eating, it was twilight.

The forest began to come alive with the creatures of the night starting to wake up. I didn't dare to disarm myself; I only took off my Zefhar bow and arrows along with an elven sword but keep the weapons within reaching distance. The rest of my weapons left on me where all of the throwing knives strapped to my body, I made myself a walking armory not only for my dispatches but to protect myself from everyone else. Whether it was men just prying on women or humans prying on elves, I made sure that there would be a fight.

I took up more after elves than I did humans, the only feature I took up after from humans were my eyes. So, when a wolf howled, I was easily awoken from my light sleep due to my sensitive hearing.

I was moving so quickly and quietly that my sword and it's scabbard were placed on my belt and my arrows were already slung across my back, bow already in my hands and a sliver tipped arrow being knocked back by the time I got to my feet, there were more howls.