Assassin Mavi - Chapter 5

Mavi looked up at Richard as they walked along together. It was completely dark now, the only light illuminating them came from the windows of the houses they passed. The street lamps were few and far between in this part of town. His face was in shadow but every so often the light caught his earring or glinted on a bit of metal at his belt. They walked along in silence, feet squelching softly in the mud. Mavi was glad of her new sandals.

They arrived at Richard’s house without incident. Wearily, Mavi pulled off her sandals and flopped into a chair while Richard stirred up the fire and lit the lanterns. He motioned Mavi to follow him. Wearily she rose and joined him in the kitchen. He pulled aside a mat on the stone floor and yanked on an iron ring to lift a trap door up. That aside, he descended through the hole, lantern in hand. Curious, Mavi followed.

She descended the ladder easily, her dancer’s grace coming into play as she maneuvered downward, skirts gathered over one arm. She hopped off the bottom rung. It was decidedly cool down here. Richard hung the lantern on a hook. Mavi looked around. They were in a fair-sized root cellar. It appeared Richard was not out of food after all. One wall was stocked with bins of vegetables and some fruit. There were braids of garlic and peppers and bunches of dried herbs. There were cheeses and crocks of butter on a high shelf and jars of various pickled and preserved items. Mavi lifted the lid from one small barrel and inhaled the briny scent of salt pork. She stubbed her toe on a sack of beans. Other sacks contained flour, sugar and rice. Another wall held rows of wine bottles resting on their sides in special racks. There were jugs of cider and barrels of beer and ale as well.

Mavi’ stomach growled alarmingly and she stiffened, attempting to squelch the unwelcome sounds. Richard laughed. “I did promise you dinner - in a minute. First…” He took up the lantern and opened yet another trap door. Mavi sighed and climbed down after him.

Mavi couldn’t help but inhale sharply as she got her first good look at this level of the cellar. The room was filled with weapons, bows, bundles of arrows, staffs, spears, pole arms, various knives and daggers of all shapes and sizes, long swords, short swords and more. A wall was filled with weapons she had never seen before, including a selection of the odd looking round stars she had observed Richard using. There were shirts of mail, helmets, and more she couldn’t identify. She folded her arms and looked narrowly at Richard.

“Surely this is not all yours. I mean, this is overkill, even for an assassin.”

Richard picked up one of the swords and unwrapped the oil cloth that protected the blade. He spun it a few times, testing its balance and feel and then leveled it at Mavi. “You think so?” Mavi held her position, unmoving despite the tip of the blade resting lightly against the hollow of her throat. “Then you are right. This is part of the dark guild weapon cache. Other members have similar stores elsewhere.” He withdrew the blade. “You didn’t flinch, excellent.”

“Why the cache?” Emboldened, Mavi moved over to a collection of daggers, picking up one with a black six-inch blade. The hilt was also black, wrapped in wire.

“Guild members replenish some weapons from the cache. It is also handy to have if the guild gets on the wrong side of any disputes, such as the current war. Not everyone in Eden wishes to remain neutral.”

“You mean the trinity would go to war?” She saw Richard weighing his response.

“Open war is not likely but certainly the guilds have and probably will again engage in certain covert operations.”

“I see.” Mavi suddenly felt as though she were standing on a ledge, looking over into the murky depths where lurked things far beyond her experience. Glimpsing that world excited and frightened her.

Richard changed the subject. He indicated the weapon cache. “You need to select some weapons. For fetching you need a sword and half a dozen knives - to start.”

“I wouldn’t know where to begin.” Mavi looked at the vast array of weapons.

“Your instincts are good. That dagger you’re holding for instance.” Mavi brought up the blade and stared at it. She had forgotten she was holding it. “You have a dancer’s eye for balance and proportion. It will serve you well in your training.”

“Huh. I suppose perhaps you’re right.” Mavi smiled, suddenly feeling ever so slightly confident in her career choice. She brandished the black dagger. “So this is a good one? I just thought it looked nice. It fits well in my hand too.”

“Choose another.” Richard took the black dagger and set it aside. Mavi chewed her lip. Her hands closed around a small two-handled blade.

“That’s a breast dagger. Yes, that will do nicely.” He took the dagger with one hand and with the other, opened the neck of her blouse.

“Hey.” Mavi tried to push his hand away.

“You carry this dagger here.” He slipped the dagger down between her breasts. For just a moment she felt his cool hand on her skin and then it was gone. The dagger was securely held between her breasts. She wriggled a bit, enjoying the feel of the metal against her flesh. Yes, it would do nicely.

Mavi selected four more knives of varying shapes and sizes. Only one did Richard reject, making her choose another. He set aside the final selection.

Mavi moved to the wall that held the mysterious looking weapons. Her fingers traced the shapes of the multi-pointed stars. As if reading her mind, Richard stated, “They are called Shuriken.” He reached over her shoulder and snatched three from the wall, and handed two to Mavi, keeping the third gripped between his thumb and forefinger.

“But they are so small” she said, almost giggling.

A hiss of air filled the room and Mavi felt movement pass her ear. The shuriken Richard had held embedded into the wall with a small thud. Mavi leaned in to look and noticed that the star was nearly invisible, save two tips of the eight tines.

“A very good weapon for stealth and concealment” Richard stated with a scholarly tone. “Take some. We have someone skilled with all the weapons on this wall. He will be a large part of your tutelage.”

Mavi took eight of the small weapons. She made sure to get one of each of the varied sizes and shapes.

“Now you must choose a sword.” He stepped back and let her look. Mavi eyed the selection. Many she rejected outright because of their size. There was no way she could possibly heft most of the blades in an effective manner.

One was a stylish silver blade but the hilt seemed wrong for her hand size so she reluctantly rejected that one. Another proved to be oddly balanced. She rejected one after another. When she was about to give up, her eyes lit on the blade Richard had unwrapped earlier. She picked it up. It was simple, an unadorned hilt and a straight dark blade, smooth and sharp. It felt light but she sensed the strength in the metal.

She turned to face Richard, holding the blade accusingly. “You knew all along. That’s why you unwrapped it. Why didn’t you just say so?”

“Because, dear Mavi, knowing what’s wrong for you is just as important, perhaps more important, than knowing what’s right. Your training has already begun.” He took the blade from her and slid it into a sheathe that had obviously been made to hold that particular weapon. “I knew this would be your sword the moment I saw you plunge that knife into the dead man’s back.” He handed it to her with both hands, palm up. Mavi took it with both hands and held it quietly. “Until you have pockets, I’ll carry the rest of your weapons.” Mavi watched, amazed as all the daggers disappeared, wondering what else was hidden in those leather garments.

Instead of heading back up the ladder he picked up the lamp and walked to the end of the room. Not wanting to be left in the dark, Mavi followed. “We haven’t finished the tour.” He produced a set of keys and unlocked the door.

The next room was a large hall. “We will do some of the physical training here.” Mavi had vague glimpses of various targets and dummies along the walls. A corner of the room had several straw- filled, canvass mats on the floor, and several more stacked along the wall. A sturdy oaken log stood upright next to the mats. Several arms protruded from varied angles and heights along the length of the main post. Mavi pushed at the arms and the entire apparatus swiveled slightly. There were no obvious nicks or gashes, so she assumed it must not be for use with a sword or knife. As if reading her mind, Richard politely pushed her to the side and centered the arms of the device in front of him.

With blinding speed and power he began to assault the main post, using various blows with hand and elbows. For each strike, the arms seemed to attack him at various points. Just as if it seemed he would be struck by the flurry of moving wooden obstacles, he either blocked the movement with his hand or forearm, or evaded the object entirely.

Mavi’s mouth was open as Richard finished. He turned to her and smiled. Again, as if knowing exactly what she was thinking, he stopped her words. “Yes, you will learn that as well. For the female, unarmed combat is sometimes the most lethal. This is another object from the far reaches of the Silk Route, as is the skill you have just witnessed.”

She looked again at the polished wood and touched the arms. For the first time she felt a true sense of excitement at the prospect of honing her body into a weapon.

She turned to tell Richard of her feeling, but he was already moving along. He unlocked yet another door and Mavi found herself in a dungeon. Several barred cells lined the passageway. Mavi was relieved to note they all appeared unoccupied, at the moment. Richard motioned to yet another door beyond the row of cells but made no move to open it. “And now you learn a guild secret. Beyond that door lie the tunnels. Guild members use them to get to all parts of the city without going topside - as we say. The tunnels are invaluable to us … a closely guarded secret. I trust you will remember that.”

Mavi nodded. She didn’t want to think what would happen to her if she revealed that particular secret. She glanced suspiciously at the cells. She didn’t want to end up a permanent resident in one of those.

Later that night, her weapons safely stowed in her trunk, save her first-blood dagger which she still wore tucked in her belt, she sat before the fireplace in the main room with Richard. They sat side-by-side, spooning soup made from vegetables carried up from the root cellar. Mavi had tried her hand at flavoring it with spices and it had turned out rather well. Richard was on his third bowl of the stuff. Mavi scraped the bottom of her bowl and decided she had had enough. She set the bowl aside and took a swig of cider from her mug.

Richard finished his soup and set the bowl aside. He raised his mug of ale. “To Mavi, Fetcher Guild aspirant.” He drank deeply. Mavi smiled but said nothing. She rested her hand on his knee. He made no move to push her away. Gradually she slid her hand onto his thigh. She could feel his warmth through the leather. Farther. The flames flickered. Mavi felt the heat on her face. Richard’s hand closed on hers. Mavi looked down, unwilling to face him.

“I only want to give you pleasure. Does this please you?” Mavi asked in as steady a voice as she could muster.

“Yes, it pleases me very much.” Richard said, his voice rough with desire. This was apparent from the sensations her hand was receiving through his leggings. In a single movement he picked her up and deposited her on his lap. Suddenly, a completely different part of her was in contact with those sensations. “Look at me.” Reluctantly Mavi met his gaze. The naked desire in his eyes startled her.

“You want me.” Mavi stated matter of factly. She was accustomed to seeing the desire in men’s eyes when she danced. But this was different. This was a man so dangerous it took her breath away, but also a man who had been kind to her, who offered her a future and, she admitted, shivering as he caressed her, a man she desired as much as he desired her.

“Yes.” His hands moved to her vest and began unlacing it. “If you weren’t promised to the guild I would have taken you last night. If I were like the thug we killed, I would have taken you right there in the rain and mud, beside his corpse.” He finished unlacing her vest and pulled it off. “But I am not that kind of man. However, I freely admit I didn’t take you home with me just for the guild bonus.” He pulled her blouse over her head. Now she wore only the camisole. He caressed her breasts through the thin fabric. “There are other bonuses not measured in gold.” He grinned. Mavi sighed with pleasure at his touch and then bit her lip. Deftly, his fingers unhooked each small clasp on the camisole until that too was gone. The firelight danced over her naked torso.

He caressed her shoulders, feeling the muscles in her arms and back. “You will be a good fighter, although as a fetcher, you will only fight when your life or the success of your mission depends upon it.” Then, holding her with one hand against the small of her back, he moved the other to her breasts.

Richard dropped a kiss in the hollow between her breasts and then kissed her throat and jaw and finally her lips. She opened her mouth, letting him kiss her deeply, tasting the sweet hint of ale on his tongue. She wrapped her hands in his raven-dark hair, holding him close.

After a time, Mavi disentangled herself and stood up. She held out a hand and pulled Richard to his feet. “Stand still.” Quickly, she unlaced his tunic and pulled it off. She paused a moment to admire his lean frame. His every movement was lithe and dangerous. She kissed him again, one hand sliding low to caress his manhood. It leaped in her hand and she smiled. The assassin wanted her very badly.

She knelt down. Richard leaned heavily against the wall as she pleasured him with hands and mouth and lips and tongue. “Gods woman, you’re good.” He whispered hoarsely when at last she rose, wiping her mouth and smiling wickedly. A look of pain crossed her face. She picked up her camisole and pulled it on, leaving the hooks unfastened and she turned away.

Richard quickly buckled his leggings and shrugged on his tunic as he started across the room after her. He laid a hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him. “Mavi?”

Mavi looked at him. “I got good the hard way.” She sighed and took a deep breath. “When dancing didn’t pay all the bills”…she didn’t finish. Jamal never knew where the extra money came from. I…never told him.”

Richard spoke quietly. “There is no shame…”

Mavi cut him off. “It’s not that I minded so much. They went away happy and I needed the money, but, I never loved any of them -“ Mavi lapsed into horrified silence. She just realized that she had admitted feelings for Richard. She only now realized it herself. She cared about this man that she barely knew. She began pacing back and forth, filling the silence with words. “I know a relationship is impossible right now. I have little experience in such things anyway. I know how to tease and how to pleasure but not how to love. Teach me what I need to know for the test and let me make you happy.”

“What of your needs?” Richard asked.

“I need only to do well on the guild entrance examination.”

“I spoke of other needs.”

Mavi turned away. “None that matter.”

“I think otherwise.” Mavi raised her hand to push him away but he caught it and pulled her to him, holding her tightly, painfully as he had that first night. He was all ruthless assassin now. “If it makes you feel better, we can go out in the alley like proper strangers.” He propelled her toward the back door. She struggled and twisted, to no avail. He dragged her across the floor, kicked open the door and carried her under one arm down the steps into the alley behind the house. It was mercifully dark, only a single street lamp at the end. The few passersby took one look at Richard’s assassins’ attire and hurried on their way.

“I can’t take you of course. Aspirants carrying a child don’t make it into any guild. Fortunately,” He deposited her on a ledge, “there are ways.” She cried out at his touch. “I would say your needs are great.” And then there was no more talking, only Mavi’ moans and cries as she writhed and twisted against the cold stone wall, the night air cold on her breasts and thighs. But all that faded away until nothing existed but the feeling between them. It went on and on until she thought she would die of pleasure. Then it was over as she shuddered with release and cried out. She sagged and Richard held her up, holding her against him until the waves of ecstasy subsided.