The Assassin Queen

Chapter Three

  At dawn a scream echos down the hall of the keep as Dasha woke from a nightmare, shivering and covered in sweat. She instantly grateful for the location of her room where it's a bit harder for the other assassins to hear her screams—not that screams are uncommon.
Except for the room closest to the end of the hall; Felix's room. But he wasn't one to complain.
Dasha quietly got up from bed, noticing she was still in the exact same clothing from yesterday—weapons and all— she grabbed some clean clothes and a bar of soap and stash them into one of her satchels before pulling it over her head.

Dasha walked towards the window and opened it, and lowered herself out the window feet first and proceed to scale down the walls of the Keep. Small— yet strong— fingers gripping onto the edges of the stone walls till she reached the bottom
Once on the ground Dasha took off running towards the woods surrounding the Keep, zig zagging through the forest almost blindly, narrowly missing branches as she urge her leg muscles to pump faster.
Beyond the forest was a small meadow with a creek running through it, and she slowed to a walk as she reached the clearing.

Dasha knew better then to let her guard down like this but damn it all she needed out of these clothes, and with that thought she began undressing. Before long her boots and dirty clothes lay beside the creek, and she gritted her teeth as she plunged into the icy waters.
Reaching into her satchel she retrieved the bar of soap, and begin scrubbing the dirt and blood from yesterday, scrubbing and scrubbing till her skin was red and raw. Submerging herself into the cold creek  Dasha washed her blood crusted hair clean. But try as she must she could not wash away what she'd done last night, no, she carried those deaths with her always.

Dasha lingered on the bank, now dry and changed , and began cleaning her weapons with her dirty shirt, as well as sharpening them. Ever since she was taught at age eight it always seemed to sooth her. Stopping only when the blade could not get any sharper. Only then did she gather her things and begun the walk to the Keep.

It was when she was near the stables adjusting her belt when someone shoved her— Dasha cursed herself for being distracted — it takes her so off guard she stumbles backwards and onto her behind. Bloody hell she was off her game.

Dasha instantly looked up at a sneering Lucien— a fellow assassin.
"Dang someone's off their game!" he said with a smirk, his grey eyes flashing.

" you know fighting amongst ourselves is forbidden Lucien..." Dasha sneered and she picked herself up and dusted her pants off.

" who said anything about fighting, that was a friendly pat, not my fault your flimsy " he taunted and Dasha wished nothing more then to be back at the creek.

She shook her head as she went to walk past him but Lucien gripped her by the wrist " not so fast "

Dasha stiffened as she looked up at him slowly " Get your filthy hands off me before I do you the favor of removing them..." her fingers now itching for the hilt of her blade.

" you wanna take this to the arena then, little mouse, isn't that what our master calls you? " Lucien said with a malicious glint in his eyes. Dasha fumed and without thinking, twisted her body as she drove her knee up and into Luciens groin area.
The satisfaction at the sight of Lucien doubling over in pain was well worth whatever was to come Dasha thought as she watched Lucien.

" I'm gonna kill you" Lucien ground out as he began recovering from the hit.

Just as Dasha was debating whether to run to fight a pointed cough catches their attention.

Felix stood behind them, clad in back, hands folded behind him " Don't do anything stupid Lucien"

Lucien now loomed over Dasha, mere inches away from her. "The rule doesn't apply to her Felix, she's not really one of us" Lucien spat

" even more reason why you can't touch her " Felix stated calmly as he walked towards them. Dasha didn't know if she should be grateful or not, part of her was insulted and another was relieved.

" When are you going to stop defending this sorry excuse of an assassin! " Lucien turned and faced Felix now " we all know she's just one of masters little pets"

The words sting, he's right, she was just some pet for Arcus. But how could he say she wasn't one of them when she'd killed countless times.

" I don't want to hear your useless chatter Lucien" Felix snarled, his entire demeanor now dark " Do as you're told...or are questioning my rank again?"

Lucien ground his jaw " Fine, you and master can have your fun with the little mouse " he said before giving her a once over " a suppose she is good for one thing after all "

Dasha had heard enough, she turned on her heel and stormed off. The sound of Lucien's cackle ringing in her ears. So that's what everyone thought of her, she was only good for one thing. Just a body for Arcus and Felix...

Dasha makes it as far as the keeps courtyard when she hears steps behind her, and she turns to see Felix jogging to catch up with her.
" Dasha," he breathes out once he catches up to her but she only lengthened her stride in efforts to avoid him but he gripped her wrist " What the hell were you thinking attacking him like that!?" He ground as Dasha shook his grip off " I didn't attack him!" she seethed, " he attacked me!"

Felix only shook his head " how many times do I need to bail you out of thes-"

" What did he mean?" Dasha spat out but Felix only looked at her confused " Am I only viewed as a pet by the rest of the men?"
Felix looked down " oh great! Nice, well, that's great" she said.

"Dasha, it's naive of you to think you're the same as the rest." Felix said and Dasha hated the knot that formed at the back of her throat and she gave her back to Felix. She only heard him sigh " Just remember your place and don't stick out... okay?"
Dasha almost slapped him, but then she remembered he was her superior in just about every single way you looked at it.
She hated him, but she also respected him. He had every opportunity to be malicious to her but he never was, he was stern but never cruel.
Felix was just as lethal as they came, there was a reason why he was the strongest in the keep.

"I won't promise anything Felix" Dasha said finally as she finally turned to look at him.
" I know" he said with a cheeky smile.
****°****°****°

MIt was around noon, when the sun was just beginning it's decent when Dasha walked into the keep and into the dining room. It was much to her surprise and annoyance that she discovered just about every assassin congregated within. Some eating, some on the long dining table and others sprawled lazily on the couches nearby. In fact, they were so relaxed some might even think they were some type of strange family, but Dasha knew better...she did not spot Felix or Lucien, the latter probably trying to heal his bruised ego.

As Arcus assassins these men lacked nothing, the man may treat them like animals but he made sure to provide well for their needs. Especially if you were in decent standing with him.
Prove your loyalty, gain approval and life got a lot easier.
Dasha's stomach grumbled as she weighed the risk of staying and eating something, before deciding it wasn't worth it. She gazed for a while longer at these murderers whom she lived with—that was her mistake—before silently making her retreat...

"Our little princess decided to show up I see" Arcus announced, earning a few chuckles from the men, he sits at the head of the table with his feet kicked up on the table.
Dasha's heart speeds up with fear, instantly cursing herself for her mistake. But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of sensing her fear.  So instead she forced her body to lean on the door frame, forced her muscles to relax "What can I say, guess I like making an entrance." She said lazily, trying to mask the panic that came when everyone's focus was on her with a nonchalant tilt of my lips.
Arcus put his feet down and leaned forward on the table " That you do..." he said, sounding bored with the conversation already, as though it wasn't he who started it.

"Your assignments for today are in the armory" he said addressing them all, Dasha turned to walk down to the armory "Dasha, one more thing"

Dasha stopped dead in her tracks.

"No more "quick deaths" make um suffer " Arcus said with a wink.