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"Somebody help, he was bitten by a poisonous snake!"
The inn's main room fell silent as everybody turned to the door where a scrawny young man with unusual ice-blue eyes held under the arm a bearded fellow who was sweating profusely and looked about to pass out. Mirabella glanced around the room, looking at the slack faces of those around her. Surely someone would step up – it wasn't in her place to do it. She was a foreigner after all.
"Please!" The young man insisted, leaning his companion against the inn wall and trying to catch his breath. Both didn't wear the usual southern turban and wore clothes that didn't identify them. That was probably why the villagers looked wary – the two men were strangers, maybe from further south.
Mirabella snapped back into action. There were vipers and other poisonous animals in her home village, so she felt confident she could save the man. If the locals didn't have a wisewoman at hand, she must step in and do her duty.
"Take him to the warmest room," she ordered, rising. "I'll need to transform it into a sweat room. I'll get my herbs."
The innkeeper helped the young man to drag the bearded fellow up the stairs. There was a small room right under the roof where the sun shone all day, and the sick man was laid down on a blanket.
Mirabella shooed out the two men and closed the door to keep the warmth in. She knelt by the sweating man and undressed him, looking for the snake bite. She couldn't see it and she was about to call the young man to ask him about it when she saw a wound on the man's torso.
A poisoned dart! Startled, she started ministering to the wound, wondering why the young man had lied. The bearded fellow was indeed poisoned, but not from a snake bite. His chest heaved, but his eyes remained closed.
Reaching out, she touched the man's burning, sweaty forehead.
"Hello? What's your name?" She repeated the question in her native tongue, just in case. Being bilingual came in handy on the border where she'd grown up, but proved useless with the man lost in fever before her.
At twenty-five, Mirabella had left the Blackmore Kingdom to study with the southern shamans. The wisewoman who had instructed her had died of old age, suggesting she learned other healing techniques.
Mirabella was headed for Godwalkar, hoping to learn from local healers – although the lands she traveled through were "infested" by the Magical Races. Her king thought they were all evil and should be destroyed, but she had decided to see for herself. She hadn't met any yet, but then she was still in the countryside with only small villages to sleep in. Things would probably change in the former capital, a few more days of travel to the south.
As full-fledged shaman for her people, albeit a young one, the emergency forced her to use her knowledge on a sick man. She drank a potion and gave some to the sick man as well, while the heat rose in the little room. The sun went down, but the improvised sweat room remained hot as she threw more herbs on the coals, filling the room with a bittersweet smell. She took off her clothes as she closed her eyes and explored his body with her hands, chanting and praying to Mother Earth.
She fell into a trance and saw him open emerald-green eyes, which contrasted with his dark beard and shoulder-length hair. She kissed him and lost herself in him, gathering her healing power to expel the poison from his body.
At dawn she collapsed against him, exhausted, but knowing that she had succeeded. His fever was gone and he now slept peacefully.
She dozed off for a couple of hours, and then woke up shivering. The heat was gone and she gathered her clothes, observing her patient, thoughtful.
He was handsome, but she couldn't figure out who he might be. He had the clothes of a commoner, but no mark of his trade. His hands didn't look like those of a peasant or any other artisan, and he wore neither jewels nor amulets, only a bracelet done with a silken thread wrapped around his wrist and closed with two round pearls knotted together.
His green eyes fluttered open. "Water," he whispered.
She helped him to drink and he sat up, clearing his throat.
"Thank you," he said. "Who are you?"
"My name is Mirabella. I'm a wisewoman – or a witch, according to some." She shrugged.
"I have never met such a young wisewoman," he replied, joining his hands in the southern thank you gesture. He smiled, white teeth flashing through his dark beard. "I admit I don't remember much of what happened."
"Last night a young man brought you to this inn saying you'd been bitten by a snake," she explained.
"Ah." He frowned. "Abhaya," he muttered. "Where is he?"
"I assume he's still out there, waiting for you. It took me all night to rid you of the poison." She blushed at the memory. Trance or not, she was aware she'd had sex with him. She'd have to purify herself and take some herbs to avoid pregnancy. But since he'd been feverish and unaware, she wouldn't tell him her healing method.
"Thank you," he repeated with a nod, staring at her with his emerald eyes.
"I have a question, though," she continued, determined. "I didn't find any snake bites on you, but you have that." She pointed at the small wound. "Looks like a blowgun dart wound."
He sighed and averted his eyes. "It is. My apprentice toyed with things he should have left alone."
"So he's your apprentice? What are you teaching him?"
"Uh... weapons." He wouldn't look her in the eyes, though, so either he was lying or not telling the whole truth. "I am... a mercenary and... I'm training him, but... he's proving difficult. He is the son of the Head of the Guild and feels entitled... to things he's not ready for."
"What guild?" she insisted, more and more curious. The mercenaries didn't have a guild – not in the Blackmore Kingdom. Maybe the man was a blacksmith, or a sword-master. Or maybe things were different in this country with no king, and the guilds ran everything.
He looked at her. "Mirabella, you're not from this country, are you?" he asked.
"No, why?" she answered, puzzled. Her blond mane must have given her away. His hair and beard were raven black like most southerners.
"Some things are better left unsaid." He sighed and averted his eyes. "Where are you headed?"
"Godwalkar, to complete my studies."
"And you travel all alone?" His brow etched into deep groves.
She scoffed. "You're the one who was poisoned by his apprentice. I'm quite safe, thank you."
He nodded gravely. "But this is the south," he said. "Women don't travel unattended. Allow me to escort you there. I need to go back anyway. I'd be honored to take you to town."
She hesitated, then nodded. Her stomach rumbled and he smiled.
"Did we interrupt your evening meal?" he asked.
"Yes, and the healing took a lot of energy as well," she admitted, putting a hand on her abdomen.
"Allow me to fill your belly, and then we can be on our way."
He rose and put his tunic back on while she gathered her things. They both went back downstairs to the main room, where the young man sat, biting his nails.
"Saif!" he exclaimed upon seeing them, jumping to his feet.
"I'm fine," the bearded man snapped.
"I'm sorry, Saif..."
"Acharya Saif, Abhaya. You're an apprentice, show some respect! Being Talwar's son doesn't exempt you from the rules."
"Acharya Saif, I didn't mean to hurt you..."
"There are rules to this profession, and you're breaking them. Your father will decide if I should finish your training or not."
"But Acharya Saif..."
"Enough, Abhaya! We're going back to Godwalkar now!"
They sat all together and the innkeeper came to take their order. Mirabella was starving, but curiously glanced at the two men bickering in low voices.
Then the food came and they ate in silence. Mirabella had never heard the word acharya and had no idea of what it meant. Maybe it was a local title, or the equivalent of "master", since Abhaya was Saif's apprentice.
Once they finished eating, Saif paid the innkeeper for all three of them, and then they left. They traveled on foot on an unpaved road that was wider than Mirabella was used to, allowing carts and wagons to go both ways, and Abhaya was brooding. Saif asked a few more questions, but seemed reluctant to talk about himself, so they soon felt silent.
"How far is Godwalkar?" she asked as they stopped in another small village for lunch.
Mirabella was getting used to the sight of turbaned men and women displaying their belly buttons. She knew she looked conspicuous with her gown that covered her from neck to ankles.
"We should reach it tomorrow," Saif answered. "Unless we find a passage on a wagon, we'll have to spend a night under the stars."
"It's all right, I'm used to sleeping outdoors, especially in the summer," she said with a shrug. "And here it's much warmer than back home."
Saif grinned. She thought he must be a nobleman incognito or a scholar since he had an air of nobility. Or he might be a priest of some southern religion, since he was so respectful of life. She must admit she didn't know much about the south – except for the language. But the way he carried himself, his soft voice and good manners showed he wasn't a peasant.
The last king of Gajendra had died heirless some twenty years earlier, and the Genn had taken the reins of the former capital, Godwalkar. Unlike Humans, the Magical Races didn't have castes, so the Genn government was a council of elders, and the local population thrived under the new rule. Mirabella was curious to meet the Genn and interact more with southerners. She'd never dealt with the Magical Races before and she knew the southern cultures were much different from hers.
They camped at the top of a hill that night, since the traffic of wagons and carts towards the town was very low at that time of the year. After a quick cold dinner, she stared at the stars in wonder. The night sky looked the same. And then she saw a shooting star and gasped.
She closed her eyes and made a wish. I want to be the best Human healer that ever lived.
"Are you all right?" Saif asked, worried.
"Yes. I saw a shooting star, so I made a wish."
Both men stared at her, puzzled.
"You don't think shooting stars can make your dreams come true?" she asked, amused.
Saif shrugged. "If you say so..."
Abhaya snorted in derision and lay down to sleep. She stared at Saif who was now looking at the stars himself.
"Do you have wishes, Saif?" she asked in a low voice.
"Who doesn't?" he replied, looking her in the eyes. "Get some sleep, Mirabella, tomorrow we'll reach Godwalkar and you can complete your education – not that you need it." His white teeth flashed through his beard.
She smiled and wrapped herself in her travel cloak. "Sweet dreams, Saif."
***
Godwalkar was impressively big in Mirabella's eyes. And it didn't have walls, nor a keep like most towns she'd seen back home. The former Gajendran capital had obviously been at peace for centuries and the southern architecture graced it, interspersed with a few different buildings with turrets and marble lace that looked more recent.
"The Genn built those," Saif explained. "Since they came out of their underground cities, they used their rock-shaping ability to mold those fabulous palaces. And, by the way, they're public buildings, not noblemen's mansions."
"Really?" Mirabella stared wide-eyed at the town spreading on the hills and along the two rivers that met at its center. "So the university is in one of those newer buildings?"
"Yes." Saif nodded. "The former royal palace is the seat of the Genn council, but also a hospital and a school. The library is in the university compound, though. Will you be staying at their campus?"
"Probably," Mirabella said. "Unless I get apprenticed to a local wisewoman. I'm sure they have plenty of courses for healers at the university."
They reached one of the main squares, bustling with the life of a colorful bazaar, and Saif pointed her in the direction of the university – a safer suburb compared to where he was headed.
"It was an honor meeting you, Mirabella," he said.
"Thank you for escorting me here safe and sound," she replied. "You are very pleasant company."
She ignored Abhaya as she offered her hand in the northern good-bye gesture. Saif hesitated only slightly before grabbing her hand and shaking it with a grin.
"I wish you all the best," he said with a half-bow. And then they parted.
***
Karuna finished his flat loaf filled with figs and relaxed on the low wall in front of the Assassins' Guild door. The sturdy building faced a cemetery and a small temple – hence the low wall enclosing the burial place. Karuna didn't mind the company of the dead – they were often less bothersome than the living.
It had taken him some time to work up the courage to walk to that door, and by then his savior was gone. But Karuna hoped he'd be back, eventually, although his mission seemed to be lasting for ages. It had been only two years since his savior had freed him, but his youth made him impatient. He wanted to see his savior and thank him and talk him into taking him on as apprentice. And this time he wouldn't take no for an answer.
The main door opened and three people came out: a man and two women, one of whom was younger, with pointed ears that showed off her mixed blood.
The man waved good-bye to the women and crossed the cobbled street to reach him. Karuna straightened in his seated position, surprised to have captured an assassin's attention. He was just a street boy, surely the Guild wouldn't feel threatened by someone like him?
"Good day, boy." The man grinned through his black beard. He looked a lot like Karuna's savior, except he kept his raven hair short and lacked the Genn-green eyes. "I've seen you eating on this wall for months, now. Would you like to join the guild?"
"Yes, but I'm waiting for a specific teacher," he answered, determined. "I know I shouldn't dare saying so, but I have my preferences in the matter. And I'm not a boy anymore, I'm fifteen."
"I see." The man's black eyes gleamed with amusement. "My apologies, young man. Do you know the name of your prospective teacher?"
"Saif," he answered promptly. "Do you know when he will be back?"
The man pondered, probably counting in his mind. "I believe he'll need another six months until Abhaya's final test. Can you wait that long?"
Karuna shrugged. "I've been waiting for two years... what's a few more months?"
The man chuckled. "And what do you know of what awaits you?"
"Not much," Karuna admitted. "But I want to be able to defend myself and loved ones from bullies."
"And kill in cold blood for a living."
"Why not. I'll gladly get rid of the undeserving."
"Whoever is undeserving for you might be someone else's world."
Karuna scoffed. "I've seen foolish things happen for that reason." Like his mother's undying love for his father in spite of everything he'd done to them. She would have mourned the bastard if she were still alive when Saif had delivered Karuna from his father's slavery.
"When did you meet Saif?" the man asked.
"Two years ago my father beat my little brother to death. I tried to protect him, so he turned on me. Saif stopped him, or I'd probably be dead too."
"I see." The man nodded gravely.
Karuna focused on two men who had just turned into the street and walked towards them.
"Isn't that him?" he asked, hopeful.
Startled, the man turned to look.
"Saif!" he exclaimed, stepping away from Karuna to meet the two men. "Abhaya, what happened?"
"I can't continue the training," Saif grumbled. "Is Talwar in?"
"Of course..."
Karuna watched the three men enter the building. Saif was back earlier than expected. And from the brooding expression of his apprentice, he wasn't going to make an assassin out of him. So he could take on a new apprentice.
Karuna grinned. Tomorrow he'd knock on the guild's door.
***
"He did what?" Talwar stared aghast at his son, who stood still with his head hung. "Abhaya, how could you toy with a blowgun? That was not part of the training any more so than the fling you were so fond of!"
"Sorry, Father," Abhaya muttered.
"Why did you do it?" The Head of the Guild insisted, furious.
Saif raised his hands to calm his superior.
"Abhaya is impatient, Talwar. He couldn't learn to use the noose, so he chose another path. We have misjudged him. We thought we could teach him to control himself. I failed, Talwar, and for this I beg your forgiveness." He bowed his head in submission.
"I have nothing to forgive you for, Saif," Talwar snapped, glaring at his son. "You shame me, Abhaya. You obviously aren't made for this guild."
"Who cares what means I use to finish the job?" Abhaya protested, his ice-blue eyes glaring back at his father. "Who made these damn rules anyway?"
"I did!" Talwar slammed his hand on the desk, startling Abhaya, but also Nimdja and Saif who stood on the side. "Your mother did! This is not Agharek, Abhaya! There are Genn healers all over the city and your stupid poisons are useless! If you can't learn to be a noose-operator, you'll never be a proper assassin!"
Abhaya clenched his teeth and stared at his feet.
Talwar leaned back in his chair and turned to Saif.
"Do you think he could learn? With longer training, more people helping him?" He glanced at Nimdja who didn't move, since he hadn't dealt with Talwar's son. The Head of the Guild had stopped training new members years ago.
Saif sighed and pondered. It hurt him to admit his failure, especially since the apprentice was his former acharya's son. Saif greatly admired Talwar who had made an honorable assassin out of him, but unfortunately Abhaya was nothing like his father. Or his mother, for that matter – except for the blue eyes.
Khanda had been an assassin too, but – much like her husband – she was always compassionate. She'd been killed when Abhaya was a child and the entire guild had adopted him, spoiling him and turning him into an arrogant young man who could become very dangerous if he completed the training. Abhaya felt everything was due him. Put him in a position of power and he could become a tyrant.
"Talwar, I don't think your son should follow in your footsteps," Saif said at last, looking the Head of the Guild in the eyes. "He is too rash for this job."
Talwar sighed but nodded.
"Very well, then. You're relieved from the training. Abhaya, you will pack your things and travel to Agharek. Go to the Temple of Zindagi and knock on the door of the monastery attached to it. They're used to training rebellious young men from all walks of life."
"Father!" Abhaya protested. His father's glare silenced him.
"You will become a fighting monk of Zindagi instead of an assassin," Talwar said, determined. "You might be a little old to join, but I'm sure they'll test you and let you skip some classes. I'll write to the abbot today, and you'll take the letter with you."
Saif's heart sank. He felt sorry for Abhaya, turned out of his home, but in all conscience he really couldn't see Talwar's son as an assassin. Maybe a goddess and her fighting monks could help Abhaya to become a better man.
Talwar dismissed them and Nimdja walked Saif to his room with a worried look on his face.
"I can't believe he almost killed you! How did you survive the poisoned dart?"
"He took me to the closest village, and in the inn there was this young woman headed for Godwalkar," Saif answered, thinking back to Mirabella. "She healed me in a night. And she doesn't have Genn blood."
"Wonders never cease," Nimdja said, shaking his head.
Saif grinned. "I hope she finds a wisewoman to complete her education..."
***
Mirabella explored the town on her own, looking for the Pharmacists and Physicians' Guild. She eventually found it on the other side of town from the former royal palace, as if the Human healers had tried to put as much distance as they could between them and the all-powerful, magical Genn.
"Welcome to Godwalkar." The Guild's secretary was a skinny, bald man who looked her up and down with a look of distaste. "What can I do for you?"
"I'm a wisewoman from the north, I've come to complete my education," she answered. "Are there any healers willing to take on an apprentice?"
"Do you have any Genn blood?" he asked, skeptical.
"No. There are no Genn in the Blackmore Kingdom."
"Where did you get the blond hair from, then?"
"For your information, in the north most of the population is blond and blue-eyed," she explained patiently. "I don't have any Genn powers, or I wouldn't be here, asking for a teacher."
The man cleared his throat, mumbling an apology. "Who taught you?"
"Alicia. We lived in a village on the border of the Blackmore Kingdom with these lands. She mentioned an Eliza who moved here years ago, and had heard of a..." she checked her notes before saying the foreign name, "Suneeri. Are either of them looking for apprentices?"
"Eliza is dead," the man replied. "Suneeri is a grumpy old woman, I doubt she'll take on an apprentice, but maybe her daughter will." He scribbled on a parchment. "They have an herbalist shop. This is the address."
Mirabella thanked him and went looking for an inn. She was exhausted, she'd continue her quest in the morning.
***
Karuna spent the rest of the day on the low wall, leaving only to get another flat loaf and some olives. He drank at the fountain at the end of the street and sat back on the wall in front of the Assassins' Guild.
At sunset he lay down and decided to sleep there. It wasn't much different than sleeping on the floor and there were no clouds in sight, so he could spend the night under the stars for once. His gang leader might punish him when he went back – but maybe he wouldn't have to go back to his street life.
The silence was amazing. There was no traffic at all in that side street with no lights, and all he could hear were crickets and night owls. It felt as if he'd gone out of town for once.
In spite of his excitement for Saif's return, sleep won him. He felt safer under the stars than he'd been in his own house when his father was alive.
Someone shook him awake when the sun was already up. It was the girl with pointed ears, the young assassin with mixed blood.
"Now you spend the night out here?" she asked with an impish smile. "When will you find the courage to knock on that door?"
Karuna rose and stretched his limbs, yawning.
"I can do it, now that Saif is back," he said.
Her sky-blue eyes widened in surprise. "Saif is back?" She frowned and went with him to knock on the guild's door.
The doorkeeper let them in, but told Karuna to wait in a small room on the right of the entrance.
"Go ahead, Guisarme, but I think they're almost done," he added to the half-blood who nodded and vanished into the inner courtyard.
The doorkeeper was a bulky man with dark skin and a shaved head. He kept an eye on Karuna who fidgeted with his sash, uneasy. He didn't like small rooms, having been locked in a closet a few times as a child. He really hoped the assassin's training would help him to handle or overcome his nightmares.
And then Saif arrived with a worried look on his face.
"Nimdja and Guisarme told me there's someone waiting for me, where is he?"
Karuna jumped to his feet and the doorkeeper let him out of the room. He stood straight in front of Saif, hoping to look bigger than he was.
"Hello, Acharya Saif. Do you remember me?"
Saif's green eyes stared at him, puzzled, then the man seemed to remember.
"Ah, yes. Karuna the Sorrowful. We met a couple of years ago."
"Yes, and you told me you already had an apprentice at the time." Karuna nodded twice. "Since you've come back earlier than expected, I assume you don't have an apprentice anymore?"
Saif half-smiled, still studying him.
"Come," he said, guiding Karuna to the cloistered courtyard. They sat on the low wall of the cloister, in the shadow of a low square tower that couldn't be seen from the street.
"I remember you," Saif said. "Your father was the bastard who liked to beat those who couldn't defend themselves, and sold his own children's bodies."
"Yes, Acharya Saif. And you saved me from him. Your silken noose freed me. I want to be like you, Acharya Saif. I want to learn weapons and stealth, and to kill bad people who deserve to die."
"I haven't agreed to train you yet," Saif replied, amused. "So stop calling me acharya. And even if we are men of honor, sometimes we must kill the undeserving."
"But never hurt women or children," Karuna said. "That's what you told me two years ago."
"And we stick to that rule." Saif nodded, serious now. "But we don't kill for pleasure. And we don't use poisons."
"Poisons are for women and cowards," Karuna said with contempt. "And I'm aware sometimes I might be requested to kill a man who wouldn't stand a chance against me, but I'm ready for the training."
"You put some meat on your bones." Saif smiled. "You were very skinny two years ago."
"I'm in a street gang now, and our leader doesn't starve us like my father did. Yes, he wants a share of the profits, but it's fair, since he gives me food and shelter."
"And how do you earn your living?" Saif asked.
"Cutting purses, mostly. Some of the customers my father found me still look for me. They tell me I'm cute, buy me food and I get to keep all the coins they give me, but I don't always enjoy getting naked with them. I look forward to cutting all ties with my past, though."
"And how old are you?"
"Fifteen."
"Oh. You look younger. I was thinking you should wait another year or two, but if you're already fifteen... Abhaya was almost seventeen – although he proved unworthy."
"How old were you when you started training, Acharya Saif?" Karuna asked, curious. His savior looked like he could be his father, but surely he'd been an apprentice too in his youth.
"I was eighteen. But Guisarme was seventeen, and since she's half-blood, it's as if she were thirteen. Still, she learned quickly, as well as other apprentices we had. It's the last one who revealed himself different from what we thought and hoped."
"How old is Guisarme now?" Karuna asked. He'd put a name on the half-blood, now he was curious about her age.
"She's twenty-five. She's been a professional for five years. We're not allowed to take on apprentices until we have at least ten years of experience."
"And what did the failed apprentice do to disappoint you so much?"
"He played with poisons. He could never master the noose, so he decided to become another kind of assassin – one we don't like here in Godwalkar. Talwar himself told him he can forget joining the Guild."
Karuna nodded, thoughtful. Mastering the noose had been his dream for the past two years.
"So what are the basic rules of the guild?"
"A little like your gang." Saif smiled. "The Guild provides the jobs, and food and shelter in this building, for a share in the earnings. If you earn enough to buy your own house and want to quit, you give back your weapons and your assassin's name, and go back to a commoner's life. None of us is expected to live long, unless one retires from active service."
"How old is the Head of the Guild?"
"Talwar must be in his late fifties now, but he's been dealing only with administration and training since his wife's death. Although lately he doesn't even train newcomers anymore."
"Oh! So, am I your apprentice? Is this my first lesson? Because I really want to know everything about the Assassins' Guild's history!"
Saif grinned at his enthusiasm and presumption. "Do you have anything you need to get from your gang?"
"No." Karuna shrugged, glancing at his tattered tunic. "Everything I own is here."
"Good. Then here's your history lesson..."
The Assassins' Guild was founded in Agharek at the time of Akkora, the most southern of the now fallen southern kingdoms, a couple of centuries earlier. The founder was a man of vast culture who loved poetry and was very curious and interested in science. He started a school for assassins divided by level of instruction, trust and courage, from novices to the head of the guild. The courses included indoctrination and physical exercise. The members, alone or in groups of two or three, were sent disguised as merchants or pilgrims to study the surroundings and hit the target.
Talwar and Khanda were born in Agharek and had been members of the Assassins' Guild for a few years when they'd eloped to be together. Upon reaching Godwalkar, they'd been involved in the succession feud after the death of the last king, hired by different noble families until the Genn had stepped in and taken control of the city and former kingdom, putting an end to the bloodshed.
Talwar and Khanda decided to stay, and founded the Guild and the school. It was open to anyone who wished to join and in twenty years it had become a respected guild, with slightly different rules than the original.
Their code was inspired by the Genn requests to be merciful and spare women and children. The training lasted three years, one in town, two in the wild, and taught the throwing of daggers and brass wheels, the noose, the bow and other bladed weapons.
In spite of the job description, they were men and women of honor and no particular religious affiliation was required to join the Guild. The Guild was like an extended family who took care of its members.
That sounded like heaven to Karuna's ears.
***
Abhaya felt as if he were at his own trial. He had appealed to all the assassins present, pleading his case, begging to have a second chance, but had met a compact wall of hostility or silence even from people like Nimdja and Francisca who had known him since birth. Saif refused to look at him, so Abhaya was relieved when Guisarme arrived and told Saif that someone was waiting for him.
When the acharya left the canteen where Abhaya was trying to convince everybody he wasn't a bad young man and didn't deserve to be locked in a monastery. Talwar's son hoped that without Saif's presence he could win them over, or at least have the younger members root for him.
Guisarme listened politely to him, then looked at Francisca and Talwar for guidance. And his father repeated Abhaya wasn't meant to be an assassin, and his word was all Guisarme would listen to. Loyalty to the Guild and blind obedience to the Head. Abhaya hated that rule.
"Fine." Abhaya glared at the assembly. "I'll leave. I'll become a fighting monk!"
"A chastity vow will probably help, if you can stick to it," Talwar said with a frown. "The other option is layman with wife and children. Honor life, or give life with the blessing of Zindagi."
"Maybe I will find an heiress to marry, away from this shitty town where I'm not welcome!" Abhaya retorted.
Talwar scoffed. "I doubt you'll find a willing father – unless you elope."
"Can't you arrange my marriage in Agharek?" Abhaya asked. "You'd be rid of me anyway!"
"I don't have anyone left in Agharek," Talwar retorted. "Except the fighting monks of Zindagi."
Abhaya stormed out of the canteen and went to his room to pack his few belongings. He was furious with his father and the whole guild.
He went back downstairs, and as he emerged into the cloistered courtyard, he saw Saif seated with a teen who was listening intently to every word he said.
"I'm not out of here and you already have a new apprentice?" Abhaya told Saif, sarcastic.
"Be on your way, Abhaya, and may the gods be with you," Saif replied, unmoved.
Abhaya felt the teen's brown eyes on him.
"What are you looking at, pretty boy?" he spat. "Do you really think you can succeed where I failed?"
The teen scoffed but didn't reply.
Abhaya glared one last time at Saif and rushed out of the Assassins' Guild building before he used his hands to strangle his treacherous acharya.
***
Suneeri's daughter, Ramya, could have been Mirabella's mother – same height and build. The main difference was that she had raven hair and brown eyes where Mirabella was blonde and blue-eyed.
"Are you a half-Genn?" Ramya asked.
"No, I come from the Blackmore Kingdom," she answered patiently. She wasn't expecting such hostility towards the Genn. In her home country yes, but in Godwalkar they were free citizens and had been so for centuries, as far as she knew. Maybe Human healers were jealous of the Genn's innate capacities?
"Ah, I see!" Ramya brightened. "Very well, let's see what you know and what you need to know..."
Mirabella passed the examination. Even old Suneeri grumpily admitted she was good. Thus she joined the household and learned to use what was available. Some herbs were hard to come by in Godwalkar, so sometimes she found a substitute, other times she had to work around it and find another way.
The summer heat increased, making Mirabella feel dizzy and weak. The much warmer climate and different food was hard on her, so she didn't recognize the symptoms at first. But when the air started cooling and she realized three months had gone by, her heart sank.
"What is it, Bella?" Ramya asked her, since she'd stopped the preparation of a potion to stare into space, wondering what to do.
"I've just realized... I've been here for three months... and didn't have my periods," she answered, dejected.
"I didn't see you succumb to any of your suitors either," Suneeri commented with a cackle.
"Of course not, that's not why I'm here!" she protested. Southern men weren't afraid of her, but she hadn't come to Godwalkar to find a husband, hence she kept them at arm's length.
"Do you have someone waiting for you at home?" Ramya asked, amused.
"Uh... no." She blushed. "Most people consider me a witch, especially the men. They think I made a pact with a demon to be able to heal."
"Men!" Suneeri snorted with scorn. "Although at least one has touched you, if you're pregnant," she added with an impish smile on her wrinkled face.
Mirabella sighed. "It was a healing, on my way here," she said. She hadn't thought about Saif in months. But now she remembered the improvised sweat room and their naked bodies joined. She'd forgotten to purify herself afterward, too taken by her new life. She'd forgotten the herbs and to take care of herself in the new environment. Talk about a costly, dumb mistake.
"A healing?" Suneeri's cackle again. "My oh my, no wonder they call you a witch! I never used sex to heal anyone!"
"You obviously had sex if you have a daughter," Mirabella snapped. Saif's healing had involved sex, but none of the people she had cured since were so badly hurt to need the extra strength of sex and trance. And she was learning new healing techniques anyway. She'd have to be more careful when she went home.
"I had a husband, dear," Suneeri retorted.
"Enough, Mother," Ramya chided. "When did it happen, Bella?"
"On my way here," she grumbled. "I was told it was a snake bite, discovered it was a poisoned dart instead."
"I hope he was handsome at least," Suneeri said with a snigger.
Mirabella still remembered Saif's face. Yes, he was handsome, and not only for his Genn-green eyes. Maybe she could look him up. He might agree to marry her. She wasn't really expecting to start a family in Godwalkar, but well...
"Will you keep the baby?" Ramya asked, worried.
Mirabella sighed. "Yes. I still have a lot to learn, and I can probably be a better midwife if I give birth myself..."