The Outlaws

"That could be both good and bad, it seems good at this point." She looked around again, "Where is your family?"

I know it seems like i'm posting a lot. sorry. :biggrin:

Caden smiled at Alex, desparate to change the subject. "It's getting late. I'd better get to a bed soon or i'll collapse."

"Your'e not going to spend hte night here?"

"No; i feel safer at Molton's inn."

*Post as much as you want, there is no set limit i don't think*

"Molten's inn, have a good nights rest." She replied heading towards the door.

"Where are you staying, so that we know where to find you if we need to." He asked.

"I'll know if you need me, where i will be is of no concerin to you." She replied, ovbivous anger showed on his face but she ignored it.

Molton looked up as Caden came up through the cellar. "You've been talking to that Alex girl," he said. "Trust her yet?"

"No," Caden said, a little sharper than he meant. he took a deep breath and repeated, quieter, "Not yet, no. Not really."

"Ah," Molton replied, gazing at him intently. "Hope you had a good chat with her."

Caden grunted.

"Liskano wants to speak with you," Molton said.

Caden snorted. "If I can find him, I'd love to have a nice chat with him."

"Good," Molton said. "He's down the hall, third door on the left."

The thief froze. "He's staying here?!"

"Well, yes, I don't see why not." He held up a hand as Caden started to protest. "You've slept with assasins next door before; i don't see any difference between them and Liskano." He handed a tray to Caden. "And take this with you."

Caden sighed. "he tracked me down and--"

"--And warned you about the Empire," Molton finished. "Really, can't you trust anyone?"

Caden glared at him, but he satisfied hismelf with a few mutterings and went down the hall.

There was knock at Liskano's door. "Come in Caden," Liskano said.

"How did you know it was me?" Caden asked.

"One; I be hearing your grumbling half way down this hallway. Two; I asked Molten to send you up here."

"Well, what do you want?"

"I know you haven't killed before."

"How did you know that?"

"I be seeing the scared look in your eyes when I metioned we had to fight. I know you might be thinking taking a mans life is horrible, but there is worse that can happen.

"The real horrible part be if you learn what happens to someone because you killed that person. I am the reason a child be dead, because I be the one who killed his father. Taking a mans life is easy, but I wasnt to know if you can take the conciquences of doing it."

Caden scowled. "And you have reason to think I need to know this...?"

"Yes because I want you, everytime you be killing a person, no matter how cruel, I want you to wonder why he's doing that. It may not seem important now, but it will later.

"I also want you to keep in mind why you do what you do. I know you may be thinking you're not going to be in this fight, but if you continue the life of a theif, you'll kill men eventually. Being an assassin, I've always had to wonder what happened to the guys family after I killed him. I look into it, and I be learning that his family be now living in poverty no money, no food."

"Just promise me you'll keep this in mind."

Caden narrowed his eyes. "I've known people who've been a thief for three decades and not kill anyone yet." HE casually drew his knife and examined the dull, chipped blade. "Besides, If they come around and start attacking our sanctuary, they deserve whatever they get." his voice faded near the end, though, and he didn't feel very convinced.

"What we view as right can be viewed by them is wrong. Theiving and killing are viewed by them is evil. We view it as a way to make a living. They were told this is wrong, we were told this is how to make a life.

"Never think they deserve it, because when they view you they think you also deserve to die. They probably have friends and families back at thier homes waiting to congragulate them, but they learn he died doing what he viewed as right.

"This be hitting close to home, but what if Molten went to go rob some place because you needed money and you wait fo r him to come home and then learn he's been killed because he did what he thought he was doing was right."

Caden didn't say anything, jsut staring out into a dark corner. He tried to ignore what Liskano was saying, to think about something else, but he couldn't. He didn't want to think about killing. He had even considered running from the fight, even though it would mark him as a coward and he probably wouldn't get too far anyway.

He looked up and shrugged helplessly. "To tell you the truth, I really don't like to dwell on the consequences of killing a man," he said with a weak smile. "Thinking that they deserved it was the only easy way out."

What was he saying? why was he telling him this? what the heck would this murerer care if he died in a battle or not?

He dismissed it quickly, deciding to think about it later, then said, "Very well. If it will make you happy, I promise to thin about the things you said."

"Sometimes the easy way out is not always the easy way. Sometimes you can't help but think 'whose innocent life have ended, killing this one man.'"

"I be telling you this because I want to prepare you for the shock of what will happen when you kill someone, but if you have to don't hesitate. Hesitation causes death and I don't someone as young as you dying so young.

"I may be a professional killer, but after doing it for some many reasons you learn to live with the pains, but I never have a night without nightmares. Now you look like you need some sleep, go on."

River

Give someone an idea and soon you'll wish you didn't. After my speech, I soon found myself surrounded by thieves eager to pledge themselves to 'my' mission. I also found my hands full of various poisons.
"Well we only need a small group," I tried to explain "And they need to at least seem like negotiators. Charging in their with weapons wont help."
"Clearly so we hide our weapons," One man grinned.
"Yes and then slit a few throats while we're at it," A woman agreed.

What had I let myself into? Sighing I began to unravel the mess and selected a few people to aid in the mission. To my disappointment, there were few I knew personally amongst the volunteers. Few who I felt I could trust with my life and I didn't know if any of them were strong enough or quick enough for the challenge ahead. No Grey. No Caden. And not that I'd expected it but no Liskano.

"Alright then. Thank you all very much for your support. I'll go sort through these poisons now and then we should all get a good night's sleep yes?" The room seemed to nod with approval and at last it emptied. I stayed there that night, in the council chambers. I filled containers with poisons, both liquid and powder. Some were even in herb form so that I had to grind them up. Then I labeled each container with the type, the strength and, as an after-thought, the antidote.

Caden sat in his room, gazing vacantly out the dark window. The moon was high in the sky.

"One midnight gone," he murmured. One more midnight, and they'd have to face whatever horrors the Emporer had set for them.

Grey crept up the stairs from the underground city and slipped quietly into Caden's room.

he was awake almost instantly. "who's there?"

"Grey," she said simply. "I just got a brilliant idea! what if we..." She stopped suddenly, realizing htat Caden was fully dressed. "you aren't thinkin of leaving, ar you?"

Caden pursed his lips. "Who, me? No!" then, seeing that Grey was still skeptical, asked, "What is this 'brilliant idea'?"

"Well, the soldier are going to come in at once, right? to keep us from running," Grey said excitedly. "What if we collapsed or blocked most of the entrances?"

Caden stared at her, aghast. "COLLAPSE THE TUNNELS? Grey, are you INSANE?"

"No," Grey said quickly, hurt. "We would still be able to get out, and if the tunnels came tumbling around their ears, it would be a fair fight, wouldn't it?"