Sequel: The White Doe ›
Status: 1 of 7 volumes. Complete.
A Good Run
Three
She is seventeen and Thoas, her Watcher, is at his table in their home, pretending to be at work with his scrolls. It is only an hour before dawn and Thessily is happy and tired and sore and when she comes inside, Thoas looks up as if surprised to see her.
She knows he isn't; this is his game and has been since they started.
Every evening she goes out with labrys in hand, to patrol and to slay and always just before dawn she returns and when she crests the rise above the amphitheater, she can see his silhouette in the doorway of their house, watching for her. Then Thoas ducks back inside and when she arrives only minutes later, he is always at the table, always pretending that he was not worried.
She loves him for this, because it is how she knows that he loves her.
Thoas looks her over quickly, assuring himself that his Slayer is uninjured. If she were, he would hurry to bind her wounds and ease her pain. But tonight she is not and so Thoas proceeds as he always does and asks her the same question he always asks.
"How many?"
"Seven." She tells him. "Including that one who has been haunting the agora, Pindar."
"Seven. Good."
Thessily smiles and sets her labrys by the door, then pours herself a glass of wine from the amphora on the table. "There was something new, a man with orangd skin and an eye where his mouth should be." She informs him both casually and with obvious intrigue as she takes a seat opposite Thoas.
"Orange skin or red skin?"
"Orange skin. And silver hair, in a braid."
"How long was his braid?"
"As long as my arm."
Thoas nods and scratches new notations on his scroll. "Jur'lurk. They are very dangerous, but always travel alone. You did well."
Thessily finishes her wine and nods. "I am to bed."
"Rest well and the gods watch you as you sleep."
She goes into her room and draws the curtain, then sits on her bed and removes her sandals.
Before, in Meltinias' house, she was simply a slave and not a very good one.
Here, living with Thoas, pretending to be his aide, she is the Slayer.
She is damn good at being the Slayer.
She smiles.
She knows he isn't; this is his game and has been since they started.
Every evening she goes out with labrys in hand, to patrol and to slay and always just before dawn she returns and when she crests the rise above the amphitheater, she can see his silhouette in the doorway of their house, watching for her. Then Thoas ducks back inside and when she arrives only minutes later, he is always at the table, always pretending that he was not worried.
She loves him for this, because it is how she knows that he loves her.
Thoas looks her over quickly, assuring himself that his Slayer is uninjured. If she were, he would hurry to bind her wounds and ease her pain. But tonight she is not and so Thoas proceeds as he always does and asks her the same question he always asks.
"How many?"
"Seven." She tells him. "Including that one who has been haunting the agora, Pindar."
"Seven. Good."
Thessily smiles and sets her labrys by the door, then pours herself a glass of wine from the amphora on the table. "There was something new, a man with orangd skin and an eye where his mouth should be." She informs him both casually and with obvious intrigue as she takes a seat opposite Thoas.
"Orange skin or red skin?"
"Orange skin. And silver hair, in a braid."
"How long was his braid?"
"As long as my arm."
Thoas nods and scratches new notations on his scroll. "Jur'lurk. They are very dangerous, but always travel alone. You did well."
Thessily finishes her wine and nods. "I am to bed."
"Rest well and the gods watch you as you sleep."
She goes into her room and draws the curtain, then sits on her bed and removes her sandals.
Before, in Meltinias' house, she was simply a slave and not a very good one.
Here, living with Thoas, pretending to be his aide, she is the Slayer.
She is damn good at being the Slayer.
She smiles.