The Cloak and The Dagger

[Jennai]

The Prince had arrived.


There was no fanfare. No servants attended him, and not a single knee was bowed. He had crossed into the nation of Chell, a place where his blood would be a prize, and he stood in the sort of scoundrel infested business that his kingdom would generally prefer to see shut down. Still, he needed someone who could help him do things against the laws of this land, and this was the sort of place to find them.


No matter what it took, Lord Theonor would pay for what he'd taken.


A dagger flipped in the air beside him, catching his attention. A woman toyed with it, smirking at him.


"For your sake, I hope you've got other strengths, because pretending to be a local clearly isn't one of them."

 

[PrincessToby]

Jem scoffed, his eyes darting over to the woman who had begun conversation with him. "I'm not trying to blend in, I'm trying to conduct business..." He said simply, turning swiftly towards her. He ran a hand through his dark hair, looking around the room a bit before letting his eyes fall back on her.


"You seem to know how things work around here... I'm in need of some assistance..." He said simply.

 

[Jennai]

"Always good to see a man in need," she said with a wicked grin. "Knowledge, business, assistance... and standing like you think you own the room..."


She hummed to herself, tapping the dagger's tip against her nose and narrowing her eyes as she intensely appraised her "target" for a moment. She nodded, apparently having come to a conclusion.


"Yes, I dare say, you could amuse me, and I could assist you." The wicked smile appeared on her face again, as she said, "Is this business the sort to be discussed away from listening ears?"

 

[PrincessToby]

"Yes it would be better." Jem said sternly. He didn't like the looks of her, not that he thought any of the other faces around had much to be desired.


"Take me somewhere we can talk, woman." He said, his eyes returning to lock with hers again. His eyes were dark, darker even than his hair that was almost black. "Quickly then... I would rather not kept waiting. These things are important."

 

[Jennai]

Her eyes flashed with amusement.


"Aren't you delightfully full of yourself? Yes, we must quickly address that ego."


She laughed lightly as she led him upstairs. The room she opened was dark, and with a flick of her dagger, a small orb of light appeared. Magic. But there was no way to know how skilled she was with the arcane. She turned to face him, as the door closed behind him.


"Room's free from eavesdroppers, unless you start screaming," she commented wryly, her tone thick with sarcastic humor. "What is this business that has brought Mr. High and Mighty to slums such as these?"

 

[PrincessToby]

Jem leaned himself against the door, arms folding over his chest. His eyes flicked around the room but he found no part of it interesting to look at for more than a moment. His eyes rested back on hers.


"I need to enlist some help. Someone has taken something that belongs to me, and they will soon be sorry to have ever crossed onto my land." He said with a bit of anger in his voice. It had happened mere days ago, and he was obviously and needfully still very upset.

 

[Jennai]

"Catching a thief? Not the side of the fence I'm used to being on, but it's fun to try new things."


She leaned back a little, and flipped her dagger in the air again. It was clearly a habit of hers.


She took a moment to consider. Tall, lanky, handsome. Held himself authoritatively, spoke as if he expected obedience. He obviously wasn't seeking the aid of the law, of the town guard - that implied the issue was beyond them. He had mentioned the issue at hand directly, rather than asking to meet with a thieves' guild. That implied he wasn't looking for a common thief, or even an excellent one. And he'd mentioned his land... a noble of some sort. That meant wealth, favours, perhaps a new hideout location... nobles were prime goods, as far as customers go.


Probably fairly serious. Perhaps she should ease off the teasing, a bit.


"We're talking business - you can trust me as far as you can ever trust someone in my position," she said, speaking crisply, her tone cool. "Even if we don't deal, confidentiality is a given, no matter what you're planning. Tell me the issue, and your goal. If I can't help you, which is unlikely, I can find someone who can. Once I know the particulars, we can figure out how to make it worth my while."

 

[PrincessToby]

"Lord Trenor has taken the Scepter of Specta from my people... it's completely powerless to him, but has rich history with my kingdom. He will pay..." Jem answered in a dark tone, hoping she caught what he was saying without him having to say too much more.


"What are your specialties? And how am I to know that you're dependable?" His thick, steel-toed boot knocked against the floor as he waited for her answer, hoping for her to show off a bit.

 

[Jennai]

Her eyebrow quirked up.


"Lord Trenor will pay, and you get your prize bit of history. Seems fairly straightforward." Her tone was cool, with a hint of playfulness.


She walked over to the wall, and leaned against it. Her dagger flipped again into the air, but this time, she caught it with magic, spinning it slowly before her.


"Words are cheap. Any idiot pickpocket can spin you a tale about how he's never been caught. Braggarts are idiots of a profound degree - my line of work, it's best to be underestimated. Letting anyone know how capable you are... or worse, pretending you're better than you are... is a fast way to get noticed by the wrong sort. And that's a quick path to a bloody end."


She smiled, and the ice in her eyes surprised him.


"So, no, I'm not going to tell you everything I'm capable of. I'm not even going to tell you my name. Those who haven't earned that right call me Watcher. If knowing my name is part of the deal, though, that's fine. Most things are for sale," she said with a wry chuckle.


"What I will tell you is that people have tried to kill me, and the only corpse to show for it is theirs. People have tried to hold me, and discovered that it's harder than it looks. I have training, tools, and a spot of magic, but that's the least of it. My greatest asset is up here," she said, tapping her temple. "Knowledge is power, and I'm called Watcher for a reason. Job like this? You're pissed. You need to succeed. Unless you're planning on bringing an army - and this isn't the place to look for one - then a sharp and skilled mind, with a healthy dose of paranoia, is what you need to succeed."

 

[PrincessToby]

Jem let out a laugh. "You've just contradicted yourself. If you think words are cheep, then I want to see what you are capable of." He shook his head as he stood straight and stretched his arms. "Show me what you can do, and I will take you on as hired help... You will be rewarded generously if you succeed and if not, then we will simply part ways."


Jem shot her a look, raising a brow. "What do you say?"

 

[Jennai]

She laughed, and it sounded surprisingly genuine.


"I suppose you're right enough. I have given you just words. A demonstration...?"


Her lips lifted in a half smile. "I get the feeling you're not much used to working with my sort. Skills such as mine are hard to demonstrate in closed quarters. I could shroud us both in invisibility, which is unquestionably useful... but such a straightforward demonstration seems almost painfully trivial. It's not invisibility itself, after all, that's the really useful part - it's what you do with it."


She flipped her dagger into the air again, and it winked out of view. She grasped at the air, and flipped her wrist... and a dent appeared in the far wall. A moment later, the dagger became visible again, lodged a full inch into the wood. Another flip of her wrist, and it was magically wrenched from the wall, snapping back into her hand.


"Throwing daggers is all well and good, but for it to be worth anything, you'd need to not panic when someone's trying to kill you. Hard to demonstrate that in close quarters. Picking locks requires locks. Willingness to kill can't be seen without a victim to leave behind. Though, I don't kill for fun, just so you know. Prefer to avoid it, given the chance."


She shrugged. "You got something in mind, some skillset you're particularly in need of, we can find a test to satisfy you. What I bring to the table is expertise in getting what I want, with an emphasis on not getting killed. Always important, that. Invisibility, escape routes, tricks, traps, magical manipulation of objects at a distance, little bit of skill in poison crafting. More skill in poison identifying, which is handy as hell when dealing with shady bastards."

 

[PrincessToby]

"There is something smaller that has been taken from me... Retrieve that and then we will see if you are fit to retrieve something of real value." Jem decided, opening the door as if he was about to head downstairs. He took a small piece of parchment from his pocket and tossed it to her. "On that piece of parchment is a description of a man who stole my dagger. Find him, retrieve it and return with out a scratch on you... then I will hire you."


Jem stepped out of the door but turned to smile at her. "And do it all while I am having a glass of ale down in the tavern."

 

[Jennai]

Jennai rolled her eyes as she grabbed the paper. Pompous ass.





She slipped the dagger back into her belt and read the paper.


"Speaking of idiot braggarts..." she muttered to herself, recognizing the description.


Jarek. Pickpocket, went after anyone who looked like he had money. Not a lick of sense in choosing targets, but skilled enough. She wondered how best to get it from him. It wasn't like Mr. Thinks-He's-Better-Than-You would know how she got it back.


Wasn't enough to get the damned thing, either. She wouldn't enjoy sucking up to pretty boy - best to scare him a bit. Might get him to treat her with a bit of respect.


Good start to that would be for him to not see her at any point during the venture. She nodded to herself, and went over to the window. Pried it open, and hopped out. She wasn't skilled enough with magic to fly, but softening falls was a lifesaver.


Shrouding herself in invisibility, she slipped inside the tavern when someone else opened the door. Glancing around, she sighed quietly. It was worth a shot, but he wasn't here. She slipped out the next time the door opened.


Where to...


It was barely past sunset. Jarek wouldn't be heading home, yet. Probably out hunting for another mark. As quickly as she could, she darted to the favourite pickpocket hunting ground - the marketplace. Didn't take long to notice him, sniggering with a few of his friends. Dammit, he had company.


Stealing the dagger outright would break the local code, and could screw her over. With the three of them, odds were too high she'd be noticed. She sighed. Diplomacy was her best bet.


Standing directly behind him, she banished her invisibility and threw one of her many daggers at his feet. The thunk caught his attention, and he spun around, drawing the stolen dagger.


She raised her eyebrows. She hadn't seen any of Pretty Boy's blades in detail, but this was of excellent craftsmanship. One of the finest she'd laid her eyes on. Lovely curve to the blade, a mirrored polish, what looked like silver and burnished steel filigree in the handle...


Her eyes darted back to Jarek. Now was not the time to admire the damned blade.


"You took the wrong mark. He's mine," she said coolly, spinning another dagger in her hands. "No hard feelings. Need that dagger, and you can go back on your way."


"You want this?" he asked, holding it up in the light. "Real piece of work. You can pay for it. Even give you a discount."


She smiled coldly. "Local guild looks down on murder, sweetheart. And really, three corpses is a high price for a single dagger, don't you think? I'm sure I could persuade you to give it up with just a finger lost. If you ask nicely, I'll even let you give it up for free."


"You're outnumbered," he said, tightening his grip on the dagger.


"And you're outwitted," she replied. "What's it going to be? You want to get bloody over a single take? Maybe you can take me, maybe not. What are the odds you walk away without at least one knife in your gut, either way? The question you need to ask yourself is, is it worth it?"


"Screw you," he snarled.


"Thanks, but no thanks. I prefer men," she said.


Enraged, he lunged at her. Never one for a fair fight, she immediately fled, casting invisibility again. She kept several paces out of his range, watching him and his friends. They had no way of tracking an invisible foe. She waited till they looked confused and afraid, and threw a dagger at Jarek's thigh, with a paper note tied to the handle.


"Damn it!" he yelled, and dropped to his knees. He pulled out the dagger from his leg, and looked at the note. He angrily threw both daggers at the ground. Her dagger clattered roughly, damaging its fine edge, but the stolen dagger was snatched by a spell. The bloody dagger followed suit moments later.


She banished her invisibility and smiled at him.


"Thanks for playing along. Next time you mess with me, I'll aim a few inches higher."


With that, she turned and fled again, returning to the Boar's Tusk. She gave herself a second to catch her breath, and decided to play it risky, for fun.


Pretty Boy was sitting at a table near the bar, glancing around the room. He was obviously uncomfortable in the crowd. She slipped to his side - a hell of a feat, as busy as the place was, being invisible.


When the barmaid returned to give him his drink, she struck. As quickly and gently as she could, she slipped the dagger into its sheath, using magic to "hold" the sheath, so he wouldn't notice the increased weight. She perched in the seat opposite him, and banished both the hold on the sheath, as well as her invisibility, simultaneously.


She didn't say a word. She just smiled at him.

 

[PrincessToby]

"Oh how sweet." Jem said, looking at her as she smiled at him. He reached out and patted her firmly on the head before picking up his drink. "You arrived before my drink even had time to get warm!" He laughed softly and took a sip of his drink, simultaneously taking his dagger out to inspect it. "Good, it's not damaged or dirtied in anyway."


Jem nodded his head as he slipped it away again, taking another sip of his drink before opening his mouth to speak again. "I suppose that this will work then. Are you sure you're willing to take the job? It's going to be a lot harder than taking down some local thug that you're probably friends with."

 

[Jennai]

From the moment he patted her head, she became ice cold, her dark eyes like yet another set of daggers.


"Seems there are a few misunderstandings here.


"One. I don't like to be touched.


"Two. You seem to be of the opinion that you're better than me. Probably think it's your birthright, way you act. I don't care about your blood, your status, your world. You came to me. You're in my world, where all that matters is skill and savvy. You want my skills, you want the best of the best? You can show some damned respect.


"Three. I don't do 'friends.' I do jobs. And as for wanting this job... you say you'll reward me generously, as though you think tossing a few coins my way will have me weak in the knees. Ha. The reward sounds nice enough, but the real allure is that the job sounds like fun. Like an actual challenge. Screwing with Lords and relocating rare prizes? Way more fun than watching these dicks get in fights all day.


"So what do you say? Are you capable of not pissing off the lady with an unhealthy liking for sharp objects?"

 

[PrincessToby]

"So then, does this mean I don't have to pay you?" Jem asked with a smile, ignoring the majority of what she had said because it simply didn't interest him. He knocked back the rest of his drink before standing up and handing the Barmaid a few coins with a nod of thanks. "If you're in, then let's get going. It's going to be dark soon and I would like to be on the road by then. It's a day and a half's travel from here. If you're not in, then I'll be on my way and willing to find someone who would want the pay... or the "fun" as you're looking forwards to." Jem stretched his upper body a bit, looking over at her as he waited for her to make her decision.

 

[Jennai]

She smiled icily.


"I'm thinking I'll need the pay... not for the job, so much, but for putting up with you while we're on it."


Sighing, she stood.


"I imagine I'll need something to call you, as we'll be traveling together," she said as she started to walk with him.

 

[PrincessToby]

"It's Jem. Simply Jem and nothing more is needed." Jem lead the way to the outside, smiling as the cool air pushed his hair back. "Do you have a horse or will we be needing to rent you one? I don't assume that you want to be walking the whole way, do you?"


He began to lead her to one of the local stables where he had paid to have his horse boarded for the time while he was within the city.

 

[Jennai]

"Don't have a horse," she said with a shrug. "But I can ride."


She walked light on her feet, always glancing around, never locking eyes on any one thing for more than a few seconds at a time. She held herself as though she were ready to bolt at a moment's notice.


"So, Jem, do you have a plan in mind? An approach you intend to take?"

 

[PrincessToby]

"We'll rent you a horse then." Jem nodded to himself, taking time to answer her other questions.


"As for a plan... Well, this was step one. I found you. And since you're the one who's going to bring him down for me... Well, aren't we supposed to come up with the rest of the plan together?"

 

[Jennai]

She shrugged.


"Different people have different approaches. Didn't know if you had any particular things in mind."


She glanced at him appraisingly again. He had to have some sort of either high status, or some seriously pampering parents. Lots of expectations. He expected people to accept whatever condescending treatment he deigned to show them, he ignored warnings, he seemed completely unconcerned by the potential of her backstabbing him, simply expecting her cooperation, he had goals and expected her to fill in the blanks...


It was like he thought he was royalty. She rolled her eyes to herself. Whatever he was, he was in for a wake up call if he kept this up.


"Examples of what I was looking for were things like, do you want to capture Lord Trenor? Torture him? Kill him outright? If so, are you looking for a straightforward assassination, or do you want him to see it coming? Humiliation? Do you want him to know it was you that brought him down? Things like that."

 

[PrincessToby]

"No no, killing him is too much." Jem shook his head, dismissing her yet again. This time he let her other questions wait even longer, as they had gotten to the stable. He asked for his horse first, paying the man for that and then asking to purchase another of his horses. Thankfully, the man had one or two to sell and Jem told him to just bring which ever.


"Come then, it's time to saddle up. There's your horse." He pointed as the man brought the horse out to them. He climbed up on his horse, patting its neck. It was a very large, sturdy, purebred horse. "And I think we should just... hmm... good question. Perhaps we'll cut off one of his legs!" Jem said, laughing hard at his own dark joke.

 

[Jennai]

"And henceforth, he shall be known as Lord Hoppy," Jennai said, in a dry tone, smirking up at Jem.


She scowled at the horse brought out to her. It was a perfectly fine steed, young enough, healthy amount of muscle. He was even kind of pretty, his fur almost the same dark brown as the bark of a tree. Nothing wrong with him. It was just, the feeling of being in close proximity to something that could potentially kill her was irritating. She didn't like to touch or be touched by things that had any power - not people, not animals. Especially men. Unless she had some way to guarantee her power over them.


Practically won over irrational anxiety. The horse was faster than walking, and she wouldn't dare show weakness.


As nonchalantly as she could, she climbed into the saddle, trying to minimize her physical contact with the dumb beast. As comfortable as Jem looked in the saddle, it was probably obvious to him that she most certainly wasn't.


She sighed. No doubt another excuse for him to lord over her.


"Glad you don't want to kill him," she said lightly. "Dirty business, that. Getting your toy should be straightforward enough, but a nonlethal attack on Lord Trenor will take care and caution. And the angle we take is up to you. It's your vengeance, after all."

 

[PrincessToby]

"Hmm.. yes but we've got time to decide." Jem nodded simply. "Well then, come. We will be off. We're going to be making camp soon. " Jem was partially talking to himself, allowing himself to make a plan aloud so he wouldn't forget. He pet his horse's neck gently before giving it a gentle kick to get it going.


He knew exactly how to get where he was going, having been there before. The two kingdoms used to be at peace, but after this act there would most likely be a bit of tension between the two. "I do think we should cut off some part of him though.. he needs to learn."

 

[Jennai]

Late as it was, it was only a few hours before they made camp. Jennai wasn't interested in chatting while on horseback, and Jem didn't seem especially interested in Jennai. The ride made an excellent excuse to keep quiet.


She startled from her spot by the fire when one of his footsteps cracked a twig.


I'm being too obvious, she scolded herself, as she resumed tending the fire. Just because I'm alone in the woods with someone does not mean he intends to kill me in my sleep. I have to stop spooking every time he makes an unexpected move...





Of course, she could be wrong... she gave him a wary glance as she moved to the opposite side of the fire. Best to take no chances.


And best to get more information.


"Driven by anger, by purpose, but with no specifics in mind," she said casually, belying her intense interest. "And aside from wanting to remove a piece or two of flesh, fairly gentle. Enough to make someone wonder what's beneath that pretty little surface."