Assassins Heart

The residual warmth of his bed began to ebb away as the cold crisp morning begun to penetrate his bones, Lem’s body clock woke him an hour before dawn. Throwing off his sheepskin cover Lem felt the waves of ice air breath in through the window. Training kicked in, and Lem forced himself to not react to the signs his body was telling him. Scooping up his cloak he jumped to the window, twisted and grabbed a ledge on the outside and began to haul himself up to the top of the tower. Almost invisible in his dark cloak under the cover of the pre-dawn sky, no one noticed Lem silently scaling the side of the tower. At the top was were mental agility took over. Frost or no frost, rain or no rain, the morning routine took place the same each day, and was performed just as thoroughly. His fingers ached with cold, but he pointed them to the sky and held his pose. as he reached up, the heavens reached down. Tiny flecks of water at first, but soon it was a tumult, and what was beginning to be a silent sunrise turned into a deafening darkness. Calm and agile he stretched and flexed and as his last few stretches eased out he stood there in the pounding rain, sight obscured. Lem breathed in and it was deep and icy, closing his eyes he drew in a long breath, fighting all urges as the ice cold hit his lungs, and he felt it engulfing him from the inside out. At the top of his breath he moved from his stretch routine flung himself nimbly towards the edge of the rooftop, cartwheeling and picking up a staff on his way, he landed on one knee, pulled his bandana over his eyes to blind himself and deftly he began to twirl the staff going through moves he knew in his deep muscle memory. As his dance went on, the wet and cold effected him less and less. There was no fear of falling, he trusted his movements implicitly. His mind was clear now, the trauma of the night and his usual nightmares, gone and forgotten. All that was left was this moment and this focus. The dance drew to an end, and Lem finished with a back flip towards the end, turning in mid air and leaving the staff on the floor as his hands touched down. Lem ran to the edge of the tower and launched himself over the edge. Nimbly he caught hold of ledges and protruding bricks to fall gracefully but safely to the ground. Removing his blindfold he stood up straight and pulled his hood over his head, the sun was up now, darkness still rained with the clouds covering the sky. He could avoid being noticed when he wanted, and as he walked through the alleyways, he kept to the sides of the streets, his hood up and walking casually to blend into the early morning population. Reaching the centre of town he swiped a loaf from a bakers stall, dropping a few coins in a basket on the table, and carried on to his destination. Today he had an appointment with a thief, not that the thief was aware yet. Lem had been watching this thief for a while, he wouldn’t be able to speak to him until around dusk, when he would emerge from his rat’s tunnels. He would use this day to monitor his target. But first he needed to check in with old man Von, the only person he would trust with his life. He turned towards the shades and weaved his way through the increasingly crowded streets. He was aware of everything, but took notice of nothing as he allowed his mind to work subconsciously on his surroundings and think actively of what his plan for the day was. He trusted his senses as he trusted his own body

Does beauty run to the core, or am I another whitewashed tomb. Each morning Von sat and meditated. The scent of ceaderwood incense rose beside him, with his eyes closed he examined his very core, and began to tear away at any motive he had that he felt was self-serving. It used to be a painful process, now it was just habit. To serve others purely, there had to be not selfish motive inside him. Von shifted his thoughts to a dream he had been meditating on for nearly a year, a young girl, by a riverbank, he focused on the surroundings, the water was so clear and sparkling like crystals in the sun light. There was nothing but grass leading up to the river and the other side a forest with trees thick and narled. The more he focused the more the images slipped, he breathed deeply feeling the incense fill his lungs. The girls face swam infront of his eyes so clearly, just as he started to make a mental image of it, the door crashed open, he jumped up eyes flinging open and knocked his incense and sea grass water flying across the floor. Spinning around he grabbed his wind and fire wheels, two flat metal rings with protruding blades, leathal and with his skill easily weilded to de-arm and wound in close combat. He turned quickly feet planted squarely to face the intruder, wheels held up and ready to defend himself.

A booming laugh erupted from beneath a dark hooded cloak.

‘Watch out old man, you might cut yourself on those’

‘Watch your tongue young man, you’ll look like me one day, when those looks fade. That’s if your lucky and you make it to this age’ Von dropped his wheels on a low table and set about cleaning up the spilled water and incense. ‘Your the only one who can sneak up on me Lem, and it’s not becoming to do so. A little respect goes a long way’ spat old man. Lem swept down and started to clean up the mess, Von stood back and let him do it. He turned and poured himself some herbal tea from the pot, anger boiled in his stomach, Lem had no idea what he had interrupted, closing his eyes the girls face was gone. He poured a second cup and pushed his emotions aside. Turning back to Lem, he was stood staring at Von, Lem towered above him, who marvelled again at how this big brute of a man could be so agile and so invisible. The laughter that had escaped Lems lips had ceased as quickly as it started and he stood disciplined once more, no trace of the fun loving and cheeky child he had scooped out of the sea and rescued from certain death. Life had taken his joy. Von pushed back a twinge of guilt for what part he had played in that.

‘What brings you hear this early?’ He asked Lem focusing on the hear and now

‘I’ve heard rumours’

‘What rumours?’

‘That your leaving’

‘Nonsense Lem, you don’t hear rumours about me, you’ve been watching me again’

‘Yes, and your actions suggest your leaving’

‘Tomorrow, first thing’

‘And when will you be back?’

Von hesitated, he had not intended on telling Lem that he would not be returning, but he could tell by Lems tone that Lem knew already, he just wanted to hear it for himself.

‘I won’t be Lem. But you already knew that’

Von walked past Lem and out onto his veranda. Old mans apartment was high up in a tower, it was a small circular room with little possessions in, an open window led to a small balcony over looking the city. He leaned on the wall staring out at the palace high up on the hill, surrounded by mansions and grand houses. Was he right to be chasing this child? Had it just been a meaningless dream?

‘You are old, Von. Is whatever this is worth the last of your strength’

Lem had followed him out, as silently as ever. Von didn’t turn or take his eyes away from the palace but spoke directly to Lem

‘My business does not concern you yet Lem, but you will know when it is right. I have work for you, we must talk’

‘Then it is good that I am here early’

‘Yes, how is your thief? I see you are making enquiries of your own’

‘I’m meeting him later, he’s sharp and seems to have few ties. I like him’

‘Thats high praise from you, you don’t like anyone.’

‘I like his style, although he will need some work, he thinks he is invisible, but hes being watched by more than he knows. I’ve yet to decide how intelligent he is. Either he is sharp enough to understand the jobs he has been taking recently, or too dense to realise how much danger he is putting himself in. Either way, he will be working for me soon. If it is the latter then I’ll be hosting a quiet funeral and back to recruiting a thief whos more switched on’ Von turned to walk back inside, siliently cursing Lem’s lack of regard for others and hoping it was just a front. ‘What do you wish to discuss?’

‘You are right that this task will likely be my last’ Von dropped into a chair by his table and picked up his pipe, he loaded it with grass lighting it as Lem waited patiently, Von pictured the 6 year old boy who couldn’t sit still for a minute, hardly believing this diciplined man was the same person. ‘Pick up my wheels Lem’ Lem hesitated. ‘Go on, they wont hurt you’

‘These are not mine to touch’

‘I don’t have all day boy, take them I want to see how they fit your character’ Lem picked them up and grasped them by the bound handles, they felt unnaturally light in his grasp. He examined them and then wielded them through the air in quick movements, it was almost as if they cut through the air itself.

‘They are a thing of beauty’ he said. A touch of doubt flicked through Von’s mind, was Lem ready? He had waited too long to leave already though, he had to be ready.

‘They are a thing of power Lem. A weapon is never beautiful, it serves only to take life’ Lem didn’t retort to this, but continued to examine and test out the wheels. ‘I want you to take them and practice with them, when we meet again if they do not feel right in your hands I will have them back’. Lem looked up at him, not with surprise, Lem rarely showed emotion these days, but with curiosity.

‘And why would you be going on this important venture without the things that would serve to protect you the most?’ Von ignored the question, he needed Lem to grasp the task he was leaving him, not get distracted with where Von was going.

‘These are no ordinary wheels, I want you to practice daily, and I want you to report what you feel about them when we meet next’

‘Alright’ said Lem.

‘Pursue your thief, and follow your curiosities, but always remain cautious, and this task im leaving you is important, these are not for your… work’ he let the word hang for a moment with an air of distaste ‘there are movements happnening, rumblings and murmers. I fear that we have to respond soon and I want you to be ready’

‘You are speaking in riddles again old man. I will practice, and as you wish I will not work with these blades, as fine and efficient as they may be.’

‘Come then, enough on this matter, sit with me for a while before I pack, I wish to think on happier things, tell me why you are so fond of this thief, I don’t believe you will dispense with him so quick if you have taken you time to study him’

‘You know me to well Von’ said Lem, Von inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Lem sat down crossed legged on the floor with his back to the wall, he carefully placed the wheels on the low table close by and talked more openly of the thief’s skill and percieved charactor. Von listened to the melodic tone of Lem’s voice, and reminded himself as Lem spoke that, the assassin he had raised and sometimes feared was more monster than human, had more to him than deadly precision and was worth more than a hired blade. He was calmed and reassured by hearing the fondness in Lem’s words for a thief he had not even met yet. There was compassion in this assassin, no matter how hard Lem fought to supress it.