Day

High about Moorgate Petty sat, the city spread out before him like a ocean made of stone, thought as always flowing around in his head.

Thirty-four soon, hmm, and what to show...in a city where nobody knows you, part of a guild in which no one knows you, unseen, yet alive..yes I believe I've done well for myself whispered Petty to himself, absent mindly stroking Shadow Vein his wolf.

A grin crossed Petty’s face at the thought of it all, for him to be known is bad, shadows all he wants, away from people, away from danger....yet, drawn to people out of curiosity.

The sound of the night watchman's steps could be heard and drew Petty to look down at the people below, beggars lining the street, shifty characters shuffling to the side streets, women on corners and finally the military walk of the night watchman, did they look up? They never look up, even if they did, Petty was pretty certain that he was unseen to them below..an advantage of jet black skin and life time practice in remaining unseen..Petty found comfort in that thought. Gone was the nervous Petty who stuttered and feared the open and people, he was in his element, the shadows, unseen.

Slipping down from the roof tops, Petty slowly made his way towards a local tavern and he entered the normal Tavern noises and smells were there and as he sat down in his normal space in the corner out of view, sat waiting was his usual drink. As it was every night sitting and sipping his drink Petty drifted off into thought again.

How long has it been this way? Long ago he had forgot how this arrangement with the tavern keeper has been as it is, still it is nice..only on occasion did a drunk stagger over but not for long, people generally were too busy making merry to bother with exploring the very tavern they drink in.

What did you call me? Bellowed a voice, rather slurred with liquor.

No reply was heard other than the sound of a fist impact and breaking of a near by table.

Not again! Thought Petty adding a silence tut and unseen roll of his eyes before getting up, tapping on a near by door.

As he tapped a Tavern keep, as always made his way to where was Petty sitting, and there sat a half drunk drink and a few coins, enough for the drink and a little tip..as always.

Half way towards the place where he called home, Petty stopped and felt about in a pocket and pulled out a rather tattered piece of paper.

"Nearly forgot about this" whispered Petty out of surprise

Running his eye over the page Petty smiled...The plague helped rid him of the few of the names, old age others...

"Pretty much made my job too easy" Thought Petty as he looked at one name and chuckled remembering sorting that name out personally, then sighed....

Petty missed the guild, he should go back to pick up his training where he had left it, and He wasn't a good anything...that he knew of.

Nodding Petty made his way to his bed, a little later than usual.

Sitting up in bed petty rubbed the sleep from his eyes and peered about his little room, years he had been here, thou not legally, but no one seemed to notice him he and he didn’t bother people so it was ok in his mind.

With a blink Petty peered about his room, a bed, well more just a mattress, a chamber pot and a bookshelf.

"Not much but it will do" Said Petty almost like a rehearsed line, unsure of the truth of the words.

And then Petty noticed a book, picking it up and blowing years of dust from it He chuckled as he remembered what it was.

"Nearly forgot about you" Whispered Petty absent mindedly as he ran a finger over the leather bounds of the book.

Opening the book, Petty scanned the index “Swordplay…..Poisons…..Assassination” whispered Petty in thought

Turning to the page about Poisons Petty saw notes in his own handwriting for recipes of poisons and effects they had, not many, about 3-4.

Chuckling Petty eyed the very first one he had created himself, thou the effect was not as he wished it was amusing and granted him his freedom

Petty revisited the moment, he was a Slave of sorts and had slipped some of this 'poison' (made from stuff which in Pettys mind were rather foul) into the drink of one of his 'Masters' though it didn’t kill him as Petty wished. It did cause him problems which needed his prolonged absent in a nearby outhouse…which gave Petty more than enough time to escape.

Still smiling Petty peered over the other poisons, these were not his own but rather those of the Rogue guild tutors, not all that potent but helped.

With a slow blink Petty felt a need to know more about the art of poison making and once more felt the urge to continue his training.

"All in good time" Thought a patient Petty, he has done little training for near 10 years, it can wait a little longer

Closing the book before even looking at the other pages, Petty made his was to the streets of Moorgate

Slinky through the shadows of Moorgate's rooftops, Petty heard something, yes he heard a lot of sounds while in the city, a lot not pleasant, but he learnt to block them out…This one drew him in…shuffling towards the side of the roof, careful not to slip on the frost, Petty peered at the street below.

"Hmm.." was Petty’s silent answer to what he saw

It appears that a wealthy business man has decided to take a stroll, but of course not one to be in any danger this one, as many others was surrounded by armed guards.

Almost about to leave the scene when Petty thought he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

"!!" Blinked Petty with suprise as he made his way to the street below.

Out of the seemingly empty shadows, a shadow grew and leapt out and with astounding grace and ease, swung a blade which seemed as black as the person it’s self, cleanly deprived the head of the businessman from the rest of his body and swinging around disappeared to the shadows once more.

Unable to move from awe of what happened, Petty breathed in with surprise as a couple of the guards collapsed dead, It seemed the Assassin had done more than decapitate the businessman in those few seconds and Petty was speechless.

"Git outta me way!" Grunted a voice nearby.

"I mean you! All dressed in black, wannabe Rogue!" Grunted the voice once more. Blinking Petty looked sidewards to see an offish appearing man, pretty large compared to the slim Elven Petty.

"Well, gonna move today, or in the year 180?" the large man asked.

It appeared to Petty that during the excitement of what he had just witnessed that he stepped forwards out of the safety of his concealment to see the event better.

With a slight shuffle Petty hurried off out of the way of the large man and any other person he might meet standing in the middle of the streets.

Index * Page 2