Blind Spot

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"I...I see your point." Said Angel hesitantly. "It's hard for me to remember a time where I wasn't ruled by my crippling introversion. I understand mistakes will be made. It's a part of life. However, mistakes can be detrimental for the health of the kingdom. Slipping up is one thing, but failing the entirety of the kingdom?" Angel paused in his thoughts, letting his breath come out slow and steadily to calm himself down. "...I can't let that happen. In theory, it's easy to make up for mistakes, but when you're put in charge of hundreds, even thousands of lives, it changes the necessity of perfection, however unreachable it may be... my father taught me that."

Eager to entertain Sayomi's curiosity, the prince continued with his thoughts. "I know my father was murdered. The whole of the castle, and even most of the town plays it off as a natural death, but I know differently. Father wasn't old enough to die from age, and he was as healthy as a horse! I just don't know the how or the why of it. The only fact I have to go off of is that he was killed with a unique make of toxin. *sigh* If only mother was still around..." The prince became lost in thought, and trailed off at the mention of his mother.
 
As the prince talked, Sayomi decided to keep her mouth shut about what the prince said that his father had taught him. She did not believe most of it. She believed that any great kingdom is great not just by strength, but the communication with the royal family and their uniqueness. She had been to so many different kingdoms that she saw how well different antics worked out. But also saw how some did not. It all depended on the people, and her better than any knew that to change, you have to try. If there is in physical danger, then all it hurts is ones ego.

The moment that Angel commented on his father being murdered, she couldn't keep her face straight, and the confusion fled to her expression. But it was not confusion of to why he thought what he did, it was more of confusion of what made him guess it and think that. "Don't you feel like jumping to murder might be a little brash?" she asked him, trying to choose her words carefully. "I don't see why anyone would want to kill him. He was not a bad king. Far from it. And if someone was doing to gain something, then wouldn't they already have come fourth with their intentions now that he is out of the way?" The questions that she asked weren't just a ruse, they were something she wondered too. And even more so since her talk with the old man that night.
 
Angel took note of Sayomi's confused expression, and sighed at how stupid he must have sounded. "Perhaps I am jumping to conclusions, but I just can't shake the feeling that it didn't happen naturally. It is as you said, my father was not a bad king. He strove to unite the land in peace, and he passed that goal down to me. However, there are those outside the kingdom that only care for power. I've only heard tales of the barbaric kings that reside away from this land, but recently, I've heard tell of merchants being attacked on the high-roads to the north. Quelling this matter has been my job for the past fortnight." The prince began massaging his temples in an attempt relieve the stress of the situation. It was evident now that the whole issue was taking its toll on Angel.

"I seem to have gotten off topic. Anyways, the activity of these bandit attacks have been far more coordinated after my father's death. I checked the records of merchant deliveries to make sure. Someone was obviously prepared for the untimely death of the king. I just don't understand how the murder was achieved. It was a normal night, pure clockwork. We keep a very secluded staff to aid us in our life away from royal duties, and we've known them all for years! I find it hard to imagine even one of them turning against my father." Leaning back to feel the last rays of the sun on his face, the prince fell into a gloomy silence. As the sky grew overcast, raindrops began to drop from the clouds upon the two. The prince, unfazed by the change in weather, sat still to allow the rain to mask the heartbreak he wore on his expression. Angel stifled back a few tears before continuing. "Ah, it...it's raining. I assume you would like to return to your home soon." He tried to hide his disappointment from Sayomi, with little success. The prince blushed yet again when he realized just how much he valued Sayomi's company. "I-Its up to you, I mean. The rain doesn't really bother me, but I'd imagine it being difficult to travel while soaked in a dress. I...I could walk you home, if you like..." He looked back down at his boots, expecting his poorly executed, overly quirky, and borderline clingy approach to drive Sayomi away.
 
Sayomi wanted to tell him how everything he said was true, at least the part about the his father. She didn't want to have to explain about how she knew it in fear that she would have to explain and it come out that she had been hired to kill him. When Angel started talking about the bandits it caught her attention, her eyes never moved from his as he spoke, she almost leaning towards him. "I must have come from a different direction because I did not see any bandits when I came over." She looked around deep in thought. If he was onto something about the bandits, then there could be something there. She could get her answers. Her green eyes over looked him for a moment before settling back on him.

"You have beyond caught my attention." She admitted it, hoping he didn't question too much into it. "You say that you fear for your life,and you want to live life to the fullest." She continued looking at him then she placed her hand over his own. "Come on an adventure with me. Don't wait around for them to come to you. You want to find the answers, or at least try. Then lets go. If I can get over one wall, up the castle wall and then here without you noticing me, I am sure that we could at least get a closer look. You want to live. Then let me show you what it's truly like to live." She smiled as she started to climb down. Before she climbed down she stepped in front of him and stretched up, her face only a few inches from his. "You may be a prince, but if you are scared of someone coming for you like you think they did your dad, then take charge."

The rose on her lips, and her green eyes held a contrast against the now dreary skies. She wasn't sure if she could convince him to come with her, but either way, she was going to be going to see these bandits. In other kingdoms, their kings did not just sit in a throne. Their kings had experience and knew exactly what everything was like, they were not sheltered or protected all their life.
 
Angel was dumbfounded by the suddenness of her request. He sat there with mouth agape and eyes widened for a lengthened period, completely unsure of anything. He thought of so many reasons not to leave, but then he realized those were all farce. As much influence as he had, he was rarely seen both in and outside the castle. The queen kept control of the kingdom, and she never paid attention to his thoughts before. As Sayomi closed in, inches from the prince's face, he was once again drawn into an inescapable pool of shyness. His face burned a bright red, and his eyes glowed. Never before had be been so close to anyone, so what to do in such a situation was lost on him. Both his desire to live, and to know more about the woman he was so enthralled with, invigorated him to accept the invitation.

Before Sayomi climbed down, the prince asked, "Where would we meet, and when?" There were a plethora of other questions blazing through his mind, but that was the only one that could break through his barrier of introversion. He had so much to prepare for, yet so little time. Many little details came to mind in terms of preparation, and he was already at work sorting them out in his head. His biggest fear was what Evelyn would do if she found out he was missing, but then again, she would be the most likely to understand.
 
Sayomi's smile lit up her face when he said he would go. "Meet me at the inn at dusk. I would make sure to bring your face mask." She smiled again and then started to climb down, then she paused. "Do not tell anyone. Not Darius, or the queen. Absolutely no one. I will explain later. Just in and out, just like you did this morning." She climbed down looked back up at him and smiled then started running back. She ran her way back to the market, hoping it was open. She had left her bag there with the fruit seller. She wondered if the prince would actually show up in just a few hours or not. Either way, she was going to go. If something happened to the bandits and he found out, she knew he would be able to tie it back to her, but that did not matter.

The rain started to pick up even more when she reached the town, only making her run faster. Everyone was packing up their goods as she approached the market. She slowed down to a walk, hiding her heavy breathing. The man holding her bag stood there waiting patiently, all his goods put away already. She handed him the gold she promised and he handed her the bag and left, still not a word out of him. She was very confused by the lack of talking to her. She wondered why no one wished to talk to her. She made her way back to her mother's house, smoke visible from the chimney as she approached.

Walking in her mother looked up and sighed. "Oh thank goodness! Sayomi! Where have you been!?" She asked, her green eyes matching her daughters. "I got carried away at the market. You should know me and food mother." She said with a small laugh as she placed the bag on the table as she went upstairs and started to change once more. She decided it was time for her normal clothes. She pulled on the leather pants, and her greyish purple shirt that left some of her stomach visible. She needed to hurry so that she could make it to the inn in time.
 
The second Sayomi was out of sight, Angel jumped down the wall toward the hiding spot he used for his disguise. After retrieving both his mask and cloak, the prince ran inside the castle to prepare. He understood the threat they were going to investigate, and refused to take chances. Without a word to the staff, Angel made his way from the gates to the armory, and from there, back to his room. It was pure luck that he had not seen Evelyn on his way. After making it back to his room, Angel dawned his equipment, adding additional protection by, means of chain-mail, under his usual garb. After locking his mask in place and hooking his preferred rapier and a buckler to his belt, the prince once again climbed out his window and made his way to the town. After arriving at the inn, the prince had a seat in a secluded corner of the room. He thought it a bit cliche, but he had no intention of joining the crowd. Rather, the prince eagerly awaited the arrival of Sayomi.
 
After debating for a moment she latched the dagger around her waist and then pulled on her mask and a cloak slightly heavier than most. She grabbed her bow and arrows and took off out the door. As Sayomi ran to the inn she couldn't help but notice the explosion of color that still held in the sky through the dreary rain clouds. When she arrived at the inn she pulled down her mask and walked in. The usuals that were there fell silent as she walked past to them to the bar keep again. "M-miss Chi.. I'm sorry about its not arri.."

She cut him off with the wave of a hand. "Bring the horses to the front. As quick as you can." He looked and nodded to a young teen who then took off. She turned and saw Angel in the corner. She hoped that he hadn't heard her last name,or the rurumors about her family. "Let us not waste time, my friend. You will be leading the way." She flashed a small smile before going back out the door. After waiting only a few minutes the boy returned with her horses saddled and ready to ride. She looked at the two young mares, who stood much larger than her short stature. The two Clydesdales stood out here against the standard horses that were found. The muscles that showed through showed that they were well bred and well ran. She lifted herself up into the saddle of the midnight black one, the chestnut one stomping with excitement as he waited to be rode.
 
"So your family name is Chi, huh? I wouldn't have guessed." The prince said, blissfuly unaware of the weight that the name carried. As he got up from his seat and followed Sayomi outside, he took note of the Clydesdales with great pleasure. It was the only horse he had ever taken the time to ride, and aside from dogs, it was his favorite animal. The royal house took pride in its horses, and it made Angel sad that he could not ride his own steed once more. After pushing aside his emotions, he pet the grand animal's nose to get the feel of it, enjoying the eager nature of the beast. After a graceful mount on the saddle, Angel looked at Sayomi. Though only his eyes showed through his mask, his readiness to depart was apparent.

"Are you all ready? I'd hate for us to leave behind anything necessary." The prince, as eager as he was to leave the kingdom for his first time, was cautious as ever. As if to solidify this fact, Angel produced a well-sealed sack and tied it onto his saddle. It was small enough for easy transportation, but it was filled with essentials that his vigilant bodyguard taught him about long ago. With the overcast sky overhead, the silver of his mask was cloudy and harsh, and the black of his garb gave an air less of a shy noble, and more of a force of nature. His appearance was almost uncannily like the queens, demanding respect from all bystanders. His horse reared up in response to an explosion of thunder, and lightning flashed to light up the sky. In contrast with the burst of light, Angel turned from an innocent princeling into a Reaper on horseback. The expressionless mask showed no fear, and the prince's posture did not sway in response. He was ready
 
"Yes. I am a Chi by blood, while my mother married in. I have everything I should need." Sayomi spoke simply. When in her 'work' clothes she was one of little words. She pulled her hood back and mask back up then handed the boy two gold coins, only her green eyes staring into him. The boy like the horses waded back and fourth on each footbefore finally he let her stare run him inside. As the thunder crashed her horse reared up as the prince's did, letting out a sound like any other. Her atop the horse didn't have the immediate chill the the prince had, but once her now cold and threatening eyes landed on a person, the uniqueness matched that of descriptions from books of demons of the night. Eyes that seemed to glow and pierce the darkness, void of joy that showed the pain they could inflict and the pain they have been served.

Her horse matched her, having grown up together he had learned her habits and the fear that was needed to impose and made sure others were aware. The two were always in sync with each other playing into their appearance. In the cold the horses breathing was visible like smoke from a dragon, and as she held the horse back from leading like hr usually did he vocalized his anger about not taking charge. "Time for some answers. Lead the way!" She said to him through the thunder.
 
Angel wasted no time. Nudging the horse's flanks with the heels of his boots, the prince spurred the powerful beast onward toward the south gate. The sudden acceleration nearly took off Angel's hood, but he caught it with a hand and rode on with his cape flapping in the onrush of wind. The empty streets echoed with the stomping of the horses hooves. The puddles that accumulated with the rain were subsequently scattered with the crashing of the Clydesdale's powerful legs. Soon the prince found himself outside of the gate, practically flying into the wilderness he had only heard stories of. Keeping the many maps he had studied in his head, Angel took the path that the last bandit raid came from.

While all this happened, the prince's heart rate had accelerated tremendously, and his mind buzzed with uncertainty. His whole being felt numb, like a puppet cut from its strings. The rain's rhythmic beat on his mask and the familiar presence of Sayomi behind him were the only things keeping his sanity in check. Such an outburst of total freedom was unknown to Angel, and handling it was already becoming a struggle. Such is the life of the recluse, so Angel thought. He only hoped that he would be changed for the better at the end of it all.
 
As Angel urged his horse forward Sayomi's followed without needing any help from her to progress forward. Angery snorts and neighs escaping him for not being in the lead. The horse followed close behind his a few times tryingto go around him, resulting in her pulling the reigns. She wasn't going to get them confused and have the chestnut refuse to take the lead.

As they passed through the gate, Sayomi noticed the prince's reaction as they went through. He seemed to tense up with most of the fibers of his body. She figured that it was anxiety of leaving and what they were about to do. As the horses ran through the mud she began to wonder what the prince thought they would be doing. She knew that odds are this was more than a simple steak out. She assumed she would be going through the camp to find all their information that wqs available. She needed answers and was ready to do anything to get it.
 
As the party of two drew further away from the kingdom, Angel became more alert, letting his memory take over. Miles later, a forest began to come into view. The prince motioned for Sayomi to stop, hoping to discuss a plan of sorts. He dare not show his apprehension at this moment, but even under all his gear, Angel could feel his entire body tense up. He brought his horse to a stop and waited for Sayomi to do the same.

"It's around here that the last caravan was attacked!" Angel stated loudly over the pounding of the night's rain. "The survivors said that they were ambushed from the forest a few miles ahead! ...but that was a few days ago. I did some mapping of the surrounding area, and estimated how far the brigands have advanced since then." The prince proceeded to point to a path carved through a part of the forest to their immediate right. "That would be the most likely place for them to set up for the night, but it would be best to approach with a plan. I never got word on how well armed they are."
 
As he stopped so did Sayomi, drawing her horse in close to his. "They are attacking only certain shipments more than likely. What type of caravan was is?" She looked around as she started to think. "No matter what we need to get close and into the leaders tent. Thats where we will find everything. "

She reached into her saddlebags and started hooking things up to her belt. She was planning out two different ways to go about entering the camp, starting by their entry. "They will be well armed. The took out a caravan. Probably more muscle than smart until you reach the leader." She watched him, waiting for imput from him " Either we go in trying to be scary and fight our way, or we can be smart, slowly going in and taking out the men as slowly as popossible" she watched him unsure of what he would want. "Do you have any ideas?"
 
"They were mostly shipments of weapons and armor. It seems like they are preparing a bulk force while advancing. We could potentially be dealing with a small army at this point." The prince looked at the thick forest and thought for a moment before continuing. "We should take this slow. Going in headfirst would get us overrun by well armed men at a moment's notice. If I'm right, and let's pray that I'm not, then these 'bandits' came directly from the Southern kingdom, which is known for its military might. We've had quite a few run-ins with them over the past generations, so I can't say it would be surprising to see them again. There weren't many bandits reported during the raids, so I assume they held the bulk of their force back to prevent the prediction of accurate numbers."

The prince sighed deeply, regretting what he had to say next. "We...We must not let them escape. We will take it slow, and work our way up to the leader's tent...We have to kill them all." Angel stifled back his remorse of taking lives, and continued. "If we are found out, run into the forest, away from any light-source. The footing is uneven there, and if we can gain the higher ground, we'll likely not lose it there. I have a very bad feeling that this isn't an ordinary raiding party..." Angel clenched his gloved fingers together to recover feeling in them, having difficulty adjusting to the total control that he had over their situation. "If worse comes to worse, we shouldn't hesitate to flee. As cowardly as it sounds, it would be a better fate than what 'he' would have in store for us. Then again, I'll bet anything that this isn't your first encounter with these people." Angel noted Sayomi's equipment as he said this. It was becoming clear to the relatively oblivious prince that she likely knew more than himself, and was well enough equipped to deal with any task. He held off from saying anything more though, to keep tension clear between them.
 
As he said that they needed to kill them all, Sayomi couldn't help but smile, though it was visible in her eyes, he couldn't see how devious it was. "We will take them. All of them. If it comes down to it, we go back to the inn, and talk to Bernard. He has never failed me before." She looked around the forest again and started to analyze everything. She finished loading her belt up, with a mixture of things. "We will go slow. Just follow me, and we will get this." She handed him a tin, it matched one that was on her belt. Then she reached into her saddle bag and grabbed a pair of leather gloves. She cracked the tin open just enough to get her finger in, and then showed it to him, white powder on it, before it got wet and melted down her hand. Both the horses stepped away from where the liquid landed.

"This is Calabash. It is ground Curare. If gone untreated, in 4-6 minutes the victim is unable to breath. It is almost an instant paralyzer. Count to 20, and they are down. If for some reason they don't die, they have about half an hour. Do not let it get on your skin. I have no counter for it. And the odds of survival are rare. According to the small village that makes this stuff, they have only ever encountered 5 people ever to survive it." She leaned her face close to his again. her eyes locked on his. "Are you ready to see what I was bred to do?" She got off the horse and gave him a destinct whistle and he disappeared into the woods. She turned and smiled at him and then went to him. "Let's be off my friend."
 
The prince was shocked at the change in demeanor that arose in Sayomi, but left it as a passing emotion. He wanted to get the job done as soon as possible. Getting off the horse, he looked toward the woman and said, "I guess you ought to take the lead from here. This is as specific as my maps got." After learning the contents of the tin, Angel was all the more curious of what this woman was "bred to do." As he thought through the plan of attack, Angel thought of another possibility. Turning toward Sayomi, he began, "I don't know if this will work as well as you think. I'm confident in your abilities, and this 'Calabash' proves it, but I have a bad feeling that I know what is waiting for us behind that tree line. The last bout the kingdom had with the armies of the south ended in a massacre spanning hundreds of miles. If they are taking the initiative to launch an attack on the kingdom, then there will be a literal army within those trees. Even if there is enough of this toxin between the two of us, there likely won't be enough time in the night..." Angel was concerned for the kingdom. Even if he escaped, there would be no time nor resources to prepare a substantial defense. It was now apparent to the prince how much the next few decisions they made would affect the kingdom, and he was obviously worried.
 
Sayomi started walking through the trees, already drenched down to her clothes. But the adrenalin was roaring through her body. As much as she loved actually doing something she thought that someone that was her age should be doing, but she could feel it stirring her. She had no reason to stay there. The only reason was her mother, but she had no one else. No real reason. She lost herself into deep thought for a moment before she shook her head. "Most of the time, if you can take out the leader, they retreat. With no one to guide them, they loose control. Especial because the low ranks, they fear the ones that take out their strongest. They do not want to approach you. They do not know which way to run."

She stopped and clicked her tongue softly, in response, she received two low neighs, one to the left and one to the right of them. "We are not going alone. Do you know the price of Clydesdales around here? They are strong, and smart, they are gorgeous." She stopped and took his face in her hands. "Such are you. Do not let your fears override you Angel. I will not let anything happen do you. If it comes down there are too many, then I will try and get into the leaders tent.... other ways." She kissed his forehead for luck then started off again. "Tell me all you are worried for. And tell me what your ideas are."
 
A heavy blush set on to Angel's masked face, and he was shocked into silence for a while. After recovering from the compliments, he proceeded to speak his mind. "The South is known for its barbaric acts. They have no leader aside from their king, and if he dies, they will not hesitate to enact his last will. That is how our last altercation went so badly. An archer was able to kill the king in the midst of battle. We assumed that was the end of it, but the roar that ensued from our opposition stopped us cold. Our advance was halted by the onrush of troops that strove to avenge their leader. We were not ready for the extreme change in strategy, and it resulted in the loss of many good men. We learned then that the king was the only one holding them back. The only strategy that the troops follow without him is, 'an eye for an eye.' They carry it out with brutal efficiency, and will die before retreating. The kingdom cannot handle the kind of onslaught they would deal, especially with all our equipment in their hands." The prince paused, realizing how painfully wordy he must sound.

Letting the rain beat down on the silver of his mask, Angel made the attempt to calm down before continuing. "If my prediction is right that there is an army within these trees, they likely have lookouts. As barbaric as they are, they know what they are doing. There is a valley a ways beyond the forest that would be ideal for a camp location, and it's large enough to fit a large military force very comfortably. If they are there, then we cannot rely as much on the forest for cover and escape." The further that the two travelled through the forest, the more solidified Angel's fears became. With no camps to be seen in the trees, the only place left to look was the valley in question. "I can only imagine two scenarios working out for us. If we are able to infiltrate the camp without being seen, we should focus on finding the storage tents first. You would know better, but if this toxin works the way I think it does, we can mix it in with the mead caskets. The Southern kings have a belief that mead invigorates the soul of a true warrior, so they haul it with their armies by the tent-load. The second scenario is using the rain to our advantage. Because the valley is on a sharp decline in the land, the rain will make a mudslide a very plausible threat. In order to hide the exact amount of their force, the South used to set their tents on a downward angle to abuse their opponents line of sight. It used to cut predictions of their forces in half, and many cities were overrun with that strategy. We could use a mudslide to crush any tents on the valley's decline." Angel sighed as he finished up his lengthy idea. Talking people's ears off was not his favorite thing to do, but in this situation, he didn't have much of a choice.
 
Sayomi's jaw dropped as he spilled his ideas. "You are absolutely brilliant. When mixed into anything, then it is more deadly than the powder. Usually it is used as a paste. But I cannot do that. I would use so many arrows." She started to think about how they could do the best thing to get rid of as many of them as possible. "We need to do them both. One to kill some right now, and the other to finish off the rest. The less men that there are drinking, the more the rest of them will get." She stopped where she was, and clicked her tongue again, low neighs responded still. "There isn't nothing close right now. We need to figure stuff out." She pulled him under a low branch that helped keep the rain off of them a little.

"So we have two options. Where we can either go through it together and hope to not get caught. Or you go and start the mudslide, and while everyone is distracted then I go and put the powder in the mead." She thought that that would be the smartest, but she didn't want to leave Angel and him not be ready, or able. The horses were used as ways to find people, and distractions. She shifted the bow on her back debating exactly what to do. The fast they took them out, the better.
 
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