By the time they returned to the house that evening, Rizelle had learned one thing - she was actually good at stealing. She supposed it was because she had always been stealthy, a necessary quality whenever she'd wanted to avoid her mother, as a child.

What would she think if she saw me now? Rizelle quickly steered away from the sudden thought of her mother.

Of course, there was no sense of accomplishment at what she could now do, only stifled guilt, and a longing for the innocence she'd lost.

At first, Nemma and Jarl had given her small, easy targets to snatch, but seeing they were no challenge for her, they soon left her to choose her own ones. She stole a few coins from a lord, and then stopped asshe noticed a guard some distance away, eyeing her in suspicion. She leftbefore he could approach her.

In any case, she'd thought, it was enough. She would not steal more than necessary.

Now they found Gella in her room and gave all the items to her. She raised her thin, grey eyebrows when she saw Rizelle.

Seeing this, Nemma smiled slightly. "You're good at finding sneaky people, aren't you?" she said to the old woman.

"No, that's not what I really saw in Virese. But that's not important. Ayris is going to pay me tomorrow, so we won't have to steal for at least a week."

Rizelle staggered back a step at the mention of Ayris. Everyone knew the name of Tharaled's most infamous assassin. Though, in my experience, people are afraid to say it in any voice louder than a whisper.

And yet, here Gella was, speaking the name like that of a good friend. What business could Gella possibly have with her?

Ayris. The name had become synonymous with fear and death over the past several years, thanks to her. No one had ever seen her face - no one, that is, who lived to tell the tale - and she left no trace of herself other than her token (often found buried in the target's neck), a throwing star engraved with an A.

Rizelle shuddered - as any sane person would - at a sudden, dark thought of becoming her target.

Nemma must have known what was on her mind, because as soon as they left the room, she explained, "Ayris pays us to spy for her."

Abruptly, she thought of the first time she'd met Gella. Perhaps she wasn't begging after all. "Then why do you steal?"

Nemma shrugged. "It's only occasional. She probably has other contacts too, or maybe she does it herself, most of the time."

Rizelle couldn't help but wonder why the best assassin in the kingdom would need others to spy for her.

The two sat down to read in the living room, but before settling, Rizelle glanced around. Rayren hadn't been seen since the fight.

He returned later, while Gella was out buying groceries, and ignored her entirely. Fine by me. She shifted to ease the discomfort of a cut on her shoulder, one of the many she'd gained during the fight. Best to avoid exchanging blows for a while.

That night, she had no qualms about eating with everyone else, since she had contributed to obtaining the food. But despite her satisfied hunger, she couldn't sleep. Instead, she tossed beneath her blanket, thinking about all the values her father had instilled in her, so many of which she'd so readily discarded.

How did it come to this?