⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅ ◈ ⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

It was easy enough to 'convince' someone to give them a horse. A simple knife flying past a groom and missing his head by millimetres made the man hurry to saddle one for Anastasia while Caius helped himself to his food supplies. It wasn't long before they were on the Main Road, Anastasia riding alongside him on her new horse. They rode right past highwaymen, not wealthy-looking enough to be a target, quietly recounting what had occurred in the years they had been apart. When Giulio betrayed them, splitting them as they all went their own ways, Anastasia had run back to her sister, and lived with her for a while, until her brother-in-law found out who she was and turned her out. After a year of travelling around, searching for jobs where she could, she had settled at a small village in the upper South, despite an opening to go back to the Free Isles to live with her parents.

"Why didn't you?" Caius asked her.

She had shaken her head. "They had raised me to be a respectful, hard-working girl. When I lost it all on risky living and joined Vittorio to repay my debts..." She sighed. "They won't want to see me again. I'm a killer."

"It's not your fault for surviving."

"I was foolish. An irresponsible girl." Anastasia flicked her dark hair from her face. "And, for some reason, I feel an attachment to this country of war. Maybe some part of me likes the chaos that is mostly absent in the Isles."

She had stayed in the village, painting walls and pictures for the villagers, taking on gardening as a hobby, and stealing what she couldn't afford. Despite a few advances from men tempted by an unmarried woman living alone, Anastasia had sent each of them away with their heads bowed in shame, and sometimes bruised faces, until they soon stopped making open approaches.

"You took on gardening? You didn't let me see your garden," Caius noted.

She smiled. "Why, I didn't think the moody assassin would care."

"I love flowers."

"Right." She laughed. "I'll show you after, then. I'll bring you back to my cottage and you can make me a pretty bouquet."

"I was kidding."

"Gloomy bastard," she snorted. "Now, tell me what's been going on with you these past years."

They rode North together, only stopping to sleep at occasional inns to the side of the Main Road, and their talking soon filled with a comfortable silence as they ran out of conversation. Border control was harsh, but they were allowed through after Caius flashed some coin at them.

It was on the third day when they rode into trouble. A group of men, all in their twenties and thirties, wearing raven masks to conceal their identities, approached and surrounded them. There were at least a dozen of them, all riding black horses and wearing the same black clothes with a crown badge pinned above their left breast.

"Halt!" cried the rider at the front.

Caius and Anastasia obeyed.

"We are on the lookout for Audrey Everwood," the rider said. "Any information will be rewarded."

"You want reward money for capturing a fleeing young girl?" Anastasia frowned.

The rider at the front ignored her.

"Remove your hood," he told Caius.

"Says the man wearing a mask," Caius replied calmly.

"Nice try, but you're outnumbered. If you don't take off the hood, we'll take it as a sign of aggression and be forced to kill you," the rider informed him.

Bellicose men aching for a fight, then. Caius had dealt with plenty of idiots like him before; they just wanted to show off and feel powerful, but they weren't used to people defying them.

"Get off your horses, first of all," another rider called.

Anastasia and Caius exchanged a look, but did as they were told.

"Now, state your business," the leader sneered.

"I thought you were looking for the Northern princess?" Caius asked, raising his eyebrows. Maybe Will really had got her out in the end; that almost made Caius smile.

"We were also told to be suspicious," the leader added, unsheathing his sword.

"Peace," Caius said wryly. He put his hands in the air. "We are simply moving to another village."

The leader didn't look satisfied. "Your hood. Take it off."

"You can try to make me," Caius offered. Anastasia smiled.

"And I will." The leader took the bait and jumped off his horse. "I haven't lost a fight for years. Now, show your weapon."

The men behind him jeered.

Caius unsheathed his knife. The leader laughed.

"No sword?" the leader teased.

"I've always preferred to play with knives," Caius shrugged, his lips curling into a smile. He could use a sword, but often used a knife to humour himself.

The leader attacked, and Caius blocked, his small weapon striking downwards.

"Not bad," the leader said, still looking confident.

His grin fell when Caius twisted his knife and manoeuvred, then cut into his hand. The man yelled as the blood trickled down, releasing his fingers so the sword fell from his grip.

Caius spun the man around and held the knife to his throat.

"I'm afraid you lost this fight before it even began," he whispered to him, his tone almost tinged in sorrow.

As if Caius felt mercy.

It was easy to slit his throat from there. The other men stared as Caius looked up.

It was their fault for picking the wrong fight.

"Who's next?" Caius grinned, swinging back onto his horse.

Once realisation sunk in, all charged. Anastasia swung her poleaxe in an arc, cutting through two, as Caius blocked and ducked a second attack. He threw a knife at a horse, knocking the man he was fighting to the ground to be trampled by his screaming mount, and turned to the other to find a sword through him already.

Caius looked up to see a familiar face behind the man, grinning from his muscular horse.

"Hello, Ox," Caius said.

"Cassassin?" Ox asked, his muscular arms twisting as he swung his heavy sword to hit another man.

The stupid nickname. Caius let it slide since they were in the middle of a fight. "Yes."

Ox grinned wider. "Happy to see you again."

Caius threw a knife at a person who had been coming at him from his right, getting him right in the neck.

"And you, friend," Caius replied. "Adam?"

"There," Ox nodded, gesturing to where Adam had dismounted and was cutting through men running at him, dancing through the movements gracefully with his usual agility, humming a merry tune as he twisted and spun his sword in an arc, almost cutting a man in half. It was almost comical to watch; Adam cheerfully humming a ditty about a lady and a rose, a dreamy look on his face, while angry, frustrated men charged at him, screaming and wildly swinging swords that he nimbly dodged. Some of the men's horses had already fled, and Adam waved as he noticed Caius.

It wasn't long before twelve bodies and six dead horses lay in front of them and they were all riding together.

"How did you end up here?" The Fish asked them.

"Those men." Adam smiled. "They were terrorising people. Killing and torturing for information. That's our job, so we followed them for some time, waited for them to be distracted, then attacked. It just so happened that you two were their next victims."

"Stab stab," Ox said happily.

"The fuckers were slavers," Adam added, his smile dropping. "We don't abide by that."

Anastasia's face flushed with righteousness. For a pickpocket and murderer, she was very passionate about certain issues. "Served them right."

"And what are you two doing up in the North together?" Adam asked.

"We're freeing Erik," Anastasia informed him.

"Ah yes, the charming psychopath who Lucian put on trial. Next, you'll be trying to find Giulio."

Ox snorted. "Giulio. Haha."

"Actually, we're trying to get everyone back together," Caius said.

"If Giulio's coming back, then we might as well go," Adam retorted.

"We need everyone."

"No Giulio," Ox said.

"That traitor is a mercenary now," Adam grunted. "I heard he got all nice and ingratiating with Lucian, too."

"We're going to infiltrate the Free Isles," Caius said.

Anastasia, Ox, and Adam stopped their horses at the same time.

"What?" Anastasia demanded. "I agreed to do everything for you to take me on a suicide mission?"

"Who is better suited for one than us?" Caius asked, repeating his words from earlier with a dismissive wave of his hand. "A clandestine operation, and one that we are capable of. We take it down from the inside."

"I like it," Ox grinned.

Adam paused. "Ox actually has a point. The Free Isles are ignored nowadays. I bet they've grown soft in their time apart from conflict."

"No," Anastasia said firmly.

"Remember that castle we took over?" Adam asked.

"With Vittorio and Giulio," Anastasia muttered. "Then Lucian sent reinforcements and we had to flee."

"Lucian is dead," Caius said. "I want the Free Isles for men so we can go for the West."

"You want power," Anastasia accused.

"I love it! The story of how a small group of people took over a series of islands," Adam said enthusiastically.

"Come on, Fish," Ox added.

Anastasia was quiet for a moment. "I'll stay for now. But the second you all start dying, I'm going to live up to my nickname and slip away."

"Good!" Ox said before starting to hum.

"You two are in?" Caius asked.

"Being just highwaymen is boring. The people they send after us are useless, and I want a challenge," Adam said. "To be honest, I always thought that it would be good to get back to proper crime."

Caius smiled.

They rode for a while longer, travellers avoiding them because of Adam and Ox. It was easy to ride past guards on patrol, and it didn't take them long to find themselves outside Lady Hill's castle.

"Same tactic as always?" Adam asked.

"Duh," Ox grinned.

Even Anastasia managed a weak smile.

* * *

"Anastasia, you're up," Caius told her from where they were all concealed behind a bush near the moat. They had tied their horses up further back, and went over a plan quickly once Caius had gone through what Will had told him about Ardensford.

"They never suspect a woman," The Fish replied with a shrug.

"You have a bounty on your head," Adam pointed out.

"I haven't left my village in years." Anastasia raised her eyebrows. "I'm already forgotten and probably presumed dead."

She turned and walked over to the gates. Her confident demeanour instantly melted away to reveal a shaking, weeping woman. Her acting was almost flawless—only Caius could see the glint in her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"What d'ya want?" a guard called down.

"Please, my daughter died recently, and the bailiffs kicked me out of my home," Anastasia pleaded, falling to her knees in front of the drawbridge.

"Good for you. Maybe you should try 'nd find the bailiffs to see if they can help you with your problem," the guard sneered.

"I seek Lady Hill," Anastasia called. "Let me see her, I beg."

"We get 'undreds of you lot a day," the guard said. "Piss off."

"We'll take you in," another guard said, peering over and catching sight of Anastasia.

"Oh, c'mon Aiden," the first guard complained. "You're too soft. Lady Hill will..."

"She's my problem now. I'll speak to milady if I need to," Aiden interjected. "You alright down there?"

"Oh, mercy!" Anastasia cried. "Thank you, bless you, I..."

"She's as good as she was years ago," Adam mused from where they crouched, trying to see as much as they could through the gaps in the foliage.

Ox snorted.

"Oh, quit your whining," Aiden said. "I gotcha."

The drawbridge lowered, and Aiden stepped out. Anastasia stood and stumbled inside after him.

"Go on, Ox," Adam said.

Ox grinned enthusiastically, then ran out from the bush, waving his axe in the air. The other guards on the battlements glanced over.

"Anyone dare to fight Ox?!?" Ox roared, running around to divert their attention from the drawbridge.

"For what price?" a guard sniggered.

Caius and Adam quickly slipped towards the unguarded drawbridge. One guard noticed them, but Caius silenced him with a single knife throw. They got in just before the drawbridge shut and ran to hide in a stable, kneeling behind a hay bale.

"My daughter, I saw her die myself," they could hear Anastasia weeping somewhere outside. "I don't know what to do."

"It's alright," Aiden's voice said. "We'll get you to the seneschal and I'll see what I can get for you, okay?"

Before Anastasia could reply, there came angry voices from up ahead.

"Daren's dead, ya fuckin' bastard!" came a yell.

"I didn't stab 'im, did I?" the retort came. "I was dealin' with that nutter out there."

"Well, a knife didn't fly out of nowhere, did it?" another snap came.

"That ain't ma knife!"

"Hey, Lee, get down here and look at this! Stuart has killed Daren!"

"I did not!"

"Did too. Daren stole your bread yesterday."

"I did not kill 'im because of my fuckin' bread! Fuck you!"

They listened to the squabbling, Caius's face emotionless while Adam smiled at the chaos.

"I'll get Ox inside," Adam said. "The kid's bound to cause chaos. You get to the dungeons."

Caius couldn't help noting that Adam still called Ox a 'kid', like he had done years ago. Ox had the language of one after his mother had abandoned him for the first years of his life, but he was a man in his thirties then. Caius didn't comment on it, however. He knew how much Ox meant to Adam. Instead, he nodded, and they both headed out in different directions. Caius found a guard on guard and snuck behind him, holding a knife to his throat.

"Now you're going to get me to the dungeons and to the cell of a man named Erik Weaver," Caius whispered into his ear. "Or I'll slit your throat and find someone else who can actually do it. You are not going to scream or try anything. Just walk. I warn you I am exceptionally good at throwing knives, as you can probably hear from the arguments up above on the battlements. Move quickly."

"Only Lady Hill and the head guard have the key," the guard said slowly.

"I do not care. Go," Caius said, and the guard obeyed, leading him to a heavy wooden door. Caius hacked at the lock until it snapped and followed the guard in, his steps light.

"There's Erik," the guard said, pointing to a cell shaded by the darkness.

"Thank you for your cooperation," Caius said and spun on his heel, catching the guard off guard and slitting his throat before he could turn to run. Caius didn't feel any pity for the man. He had probably been nothing in his life, and Caius had faced worse kills before. Kicking the body out of view, he hurried over to the cell door that the guard had gestured at.

As the guard had said, there was Erik, sleeping on a pile of mattresses with an overgrown beard and an emaciated stature. Caius pulled a skeleton key from where it was in his cloak, but it didn't fit the lock. Irritated, he hacked at it with his knife. Nothing. The lock was rusted.

Then footsteps. Caius slid into the shadows and watched as a guard walked in carrying a gas lamp and plate of food, headed for Erik's cell. He paused by the dead body of the other man and paused before turning.

"Hello?" the guard called with a tremulous voice, his eyes darting around quickly, the hand holding the lamp quivering slightly.

The knife caught him just above the heart. Caius moved forwards and knelt to take the key from his hand, avoiding stepping in the spilt broth.

"Thank you," Caius whispered, pulling out his blood-stained knife and sheathing it. He walked over to the cell and unlocked it, walking in and tapping Erik on the shoulder.

Erik's eyes fluttered open, and to Caius's amusement, he grinned.

"Took ya long enough," Erik said, taking Caius's outstretched hand.

"Nice to see you too, Erik."

"What's with the hood, Lark?" He grinned. "I've missed your handsome face."

"Stop with your teasing." Caius found Erik's jests annoying, but he knew he would have to deal with them in return for Erik's negotiating skills. Erik was as good with a sword as any of them, but he was also skilled at charming and lying. He could get a secret out of anyone given a few minutes and a good set of clothes.

Erik stood and followed him out, kneeling to take a sword from one of the dead guards as he left.

"How are you not stiff?" Caius asked as they exited the dungeons.

"I exercised every day. You think I would have let myself grow weak?" Erik grinned.

Once they were out in the light, Caius saw that Erik still had the same blue eyes and long brown hair tied into a tail at the back of his head. Despite the thin skin stretched against his cheekbones, pale from so many years hidden from the sun, and his unruly beard, it wasn't hard to see that Erik had once been handsome.

"Never a 'thank you'. You are the same as ever," Caius mused.

"You think that small room would stop me?" Erik riposted. "Oh, I cannot wait to lay my hands on Lady Hill's chubby neck." His teeth bared as he said her name.

"We are not here for Lady Hill," Caius said simply, forcing the exasperation he wanted to express away from his voice.

A guard noticed them as they emerged from the dungeons and Erik took care of him, ducking the sword swing and plunging his sword through the man's stomach without blinking twice.

"Really? Well, I would like a shot at her anyway," Erik said, pulling the sword out and catching up with Caius's long strides.

"We are outnumbered, and I don't like it. We need to get out."

Erik stopped, forcing Caius to do the same by sticking out his arm in Caius's way.

"She kept me in custody for years with meagre thoughts and maddenin' silence to live on," Erik hissed, stabbing a finger at Caius, who didn't flinch. "Don't say you wouldn't want revenge if you were in my position."

"I never said that I wouldn't. But we cannot wait for your wants. We need to go now, or the others might be caught as well as us," Caius said.

"Others?" Erik's eyes lit up. "You did it, didn't you?" It wasn't much of a question. Then his expression seemed to fade as realisation dawned on him, and he narrowed his eyes at Caius. "Don't tell me Giulio is among them."

"He isn't."

Erik paused, then relaxed. "Fine. We'll leave now."

They listened to Ox's grunts from the battlements.

"Hyah!" Anastasia's cry came as she took someone down.

"Open the gates!" Caius called, looking up at the battlements above the courtyard they were in, directly over the portcullis. Dead bodies lay all around them, and Caius knew that Anastasia had taken care of the people meant to be guarding the gate.

"Got you covered!" Adam's voice yelled back at him.

"Take that, you asshole!" Anastasia's voice said from the other side.

"Reinforcements! We need reinforcements!" an unfamiliar voice shrieked. "They're getting aw—"

The voice was cut off almost immediately and soon the gate was opening and the drawbridge being lowered as someone obeyed Caius's earlier call. Erik led Caius out and they ran to the cover of the bush from earlier.

Anastasia's yells came as she hurled herself into the moat, cutting through the water in a streamline position and swimming out before joining Erik and Caius behind the bush.

"Erik!" Anastasia said breathlessly and embraced him.

He hugged her back, a little reluctantly. "Hey, Ana... you know what is thrown in moats, right?"

"Don't remind me." Anastasia wrinkled her nose.

"Once the Fish, always the Fish," Erik said with a grin, pulling away.

Ox and Adam, more practical, took the exit out. Reinforcements were arriving, and they had to run out quickly, ducking arrows and fleeing for their lives.

"We must make haste," Caius noted, jumping up and darting into the woods. Anastasia and Erik followed, with Adam and Ox behind. They quickly cut away the rope binding their horses to the trees and left the rope there, not having time to untie it as they jumped up onto their horses and rode out. The cries of pursuing men followed, but all of them were on foot and had no chance of catching up with the riders.

"Whoop whoop!" Adam called, raising his hands in the air with a grin once they could no longer see the castle.

The Fish laughed, and so did Ox.

"We did it," The Fish said, her tone relieved.

"We're back," Erik called from where he was sharing a horse with Adam.

"Where to now, captain?" Adam asked Caius, who smiled slyly in response.

"Screw Giulio. We're off to the ports," Caius said.

Approving cheers came back and even the serious Anastasia saluted to Caius in respect.

Oop Alejandro really just pulled together a group of old criminal friends

Love you all,
Shelly M x