"My,” Gwendolen paused, and Noah narrowed his eyes. She was remembering her story, her cover, her excuse. The need for such an elaboration made the situation infinitely more interesting. “My husband just recently passed away. I-I couldn’t bear to stay around there anymore.” A forced, weak cry arose from her throat, and Noah fingered the pocket of his cloak, hiding the smile that betrayed his amusement. “So I came here, to forget.”
The little sheen of her black locks dulled when pressed with the pink glow of the sky. If there had been any husband at all, which was severely doubtful, he was most likely searching for her, and the large sum of money she had stolen from him. This young lady's fear of commitment was as vast as the sea that washed up on the shore but several hundred yards away. He would know; he had foreseen a future with her, as she had, but... that was in the past. Noah clenched his fists, his knuckles becoming a ghastly white. “A woman like you,” he whispered, not bothering to smirk playfully, “married?”
The wind whipped her long, sleek hair into her face, contrasting with her bloodless visage. Her ashen lips twitched upward, into a feeble smile. “I know, but love can do strange things. It was very nice to see you, Noah. Please, I must go now.” She spun around and scurried from the stable, clouds of dust trailing behind the feet that so desperately wished to escape him.
Noah's front teeth dug hard into his lip, preventing him from calling out her name, the temptation to ask questions, to ask why, almost too great to resist. He watched her scurry inside the inn, and he backtracked into the dark, leafy bushes to prevent being seen. The sky was a cloudless hue of lavender, and shadows began to overtake the small, quiet village. He picked his gloves out of his pocket and slipped them back onto his clammy hands, chilled from the innocent wind that blew back and forth, that breathed harshly onto his exposed neck. He bundled himself underneath his cloak further, and silently ambled back to his home, which conveniently overlooked the bank. Did that small truth allow him to feel like a creep? Perhaps. But he knew her, and he knew that she would be watching him as well. Gwendolen was quite the curious creature, and judging by the near-ecstatic smile that played across her lips as she recognised him, she would be keeping an eye out for him. And definitely sleeping with an eye open.
There was obviously no dead husband, but yet, he still had no knowledge as to why she spontaneously turned up in Haven. Defnitely to screw somebody over, he fathomed that much. But if he heard correctly, she was trying to "make herself known" around town, which wasn't the most artful move a criminal could make, and it wasn't usual for one of her expertise and skill to make such a mistake. He narrowed his eyes and glared at the ground as he walked, eyeing the grass as it was crushed under his boot. She certainly was a clever girl, and he himself was certain that she had something shoved up her delicate, worn sleeve.
Noah approached his cottage, admiring the polished, stone boulders so articulately piled upon one another, and the border of daisies that popped up along the sides. All of the windows were closed, the wooden shutters banging against the sill as the wind whipped against them. He rounded the corner of his home, his outreached hand pausing before he twisted the knob. The small, thin rock that he stuck inside the crack between the door and the wall seemed to have been kicked several feet. Noah hesitated. It wasn't safe for him to step inside; if the intruder remained in there waiting, it would be fearfully difficult for him to defend himself, as he may be a murderer, but he heavily relied on stealth, and not on combat.
The most facile option was the inn, and hastily Noah walked back across town and into the darkness of an alleyway to don the appropriate attire. He carefully slipped a wispy, gray wig over his dark hair, and flipped his cloak inside-out to reveal it's worn, gray lining. Replacing his bulky, scuffed black boots with nimble, sheepskin coverings, Noah whipped out his makeup kit and mirror, applying several powders and shadows and liners to make it appear as if he was thirty to forty years older. Throwing on a thick pair of spectacles, he cleared his throat and packed everything away in his sack neatly, emerging from the shadows coolly, as if he had strolled through from the other side.
As the proximity between him and the inn closed, Noah began to hobble ever so slightly, and wore a peaceful smile for every individual who chanced by. His hand pressed against the large, wooden door of the building and, upon seeing that his gloves still remained on, slipped them off and shoved them into his pockets in one swift motion. He scanned the inn for Lorraine, but only her brother remained, grinning at him amiably. Noah shuffled over to the young man slowly, and asked him for a bed. "Of course, sir," Dirk replied without hesitation, retrieving a key from the front desk. Noah handed him five gold coins, and with another quiet smile, shambled up the only flight of stairs. The anonymity allowed to him within the walls of this inn was near ridiculous, and he would enjoy his victory over the boy (who would have not let Noah in if he recognized him, as him and Lorraine have heard rumors of his thievery) if he was not preoccupied with the thoughts of the intrusion.
He locked the room once he entered, slipping off his shoes and depositing his bag under his bed. Noah shivered once his feet were exposed, and sat in a chair placed in the corner of the room. The tingling sensation in the tips of his fingers had an inkling as to who had intruded, or was intruding, inside of his home. His contractor strictly stated to eliminate the target by Saturday, and it was the dawn of Tuesday. Seeing how the boat docked but today, his employers were probably curious to see as to why Noah hadn't completed the assignment early, like usual. He would travel back to his house the following day, and explain that there was nothing to fear: Elijah Edwards would be dead within the allotted four days.
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