Learning to Kill

F

fuhrerprincess

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Evania sat in what had been 'home' for the past three days. The twenty year old didn't have much more to do in the small cell like room. It was made of stone and had nothing more than a dirt floor. The one small window she had was too high for the young woman to reach even when standing on the metal bucket she'd been left to do her business in. Besides, even if she could reach it, there were three thick iron bars across it. She was beginning to grow stir crazy in here. She hated feeling trapped, and that's exactly what she was.

Three days ago she'd been heading home from the local tavern. It wasn't as if she'd been too drunk to walk. Evania had only been down there for a few flagons of ale and to watch a few of the locals make asses out of themselves. It was always a good laugh. The trouble began, though, when one of the men approached Evania. She had slipped up a bit and let her flames come through as she clapped. The man was more interested in her pyrokinetics than her, which in truth she was fine with. He was a large man, covered in hair and smelled dirty. He was also a good fifteen years older than her. In the end she told him to fuck off and when he persisted, she'd punched him in the throat, sending him gasping for air. The tavern had grown silent, until someone broke it with laughter and she was clapped on the back.

She knew how to take care of herself. Evania had grown up with only her older brother, Elyan. Their parents died when she was four and he was fourteen. As she grew older, he taught her how to fight and how to use the fire inside of her. He had a similar gift and was quite skilled in using it, especially for combat. But Elyan had disappeared three years ago in the middle of the night, not saying anything except that they would see each other again one day. The then seventeen year old had been upset, but she understood. Elyan had something he needed to do and she trusted him to keep his word.

Despite this all of this, Evania had been caught unaware when she was only a few hundred yards from home. At first, she had thought it to be her brother but the stench of drunkenness made her aware that it was indeed not. Evania had been grabbed from behind and when she put up a struggle, the burly kidnapper had put her in a sleeper hold until her body went limp. She'd woken up the next morning right here in this cell. The only interaction she'd had with other people was when a meal was slid in for her twice a day: at noon, and at dusk. Evania suspected that the culprit was the man she'd punched in the throat, but had not seen him. In fact, she hadn't even seen more than the hands of whoever was feeding her. The wooden door had been soaked in water, disabling her from setting it aflame and escaping.

Evania got up from her seated position on the ground. She stretched and paced about a bit. When she stopped, she groaned loudly. "This is bullshit," she yelled out. "At least show your goddamn face!"
 
The original culprit had indeed been the man Evania had slighted in the tavern, but she'd been rather fortunate that night to be spotted by more than just the drunken man. Three cloaked figures had taken interest in her as she was walking home, and they'd watched from the shadows as the man subdued her.

Instead of leaving her to her fate with the drunkard, they had taken action. Granted, it had nothing to do with trying to save Evania. They had merely wanted her talents for their own purposes, and it was almost pathetic how easily they managed to take down the large man. None of the three figures were particularly bulky themselves, but their level of skill more than made up for their lack of size. The man went down, and the trio claimed Evania as their own prize.

It had been easy enough to get her back to their hideout. They'd used some herbs to keep Evania unconscious until they reached their destination by horseback, and once there they'd deposited the girl in the cell where she was currently located. It wasn't usually the practice of their order to leave a new "recruit" in isolation for days, but there had been some internal issues lately that had needed to be tended to before dragging Evania into the thick of things. They wanted to make a decent impression of their power, and conflicts worked against that. But at least the one they referred to as the Angel of Death had dealt with the trouble-makers, and now all was well.

When Evania yelled her part after those three days, there was no answer at the door. No one had been around to hear it, in point of fact. But as luck would have it, someone was coming to see her. Normally this would have happened shortly after she arrived, but again, circumstances had resulted in the current situation.

The door opened and a middle-aged man with short salt-and-pepper hair, a well-trimmed beard, and brown eyes entered. He was tall, muscular, and practically radiated an air of authority. His eyes were narrow as he looked Evania over, as though he was sizing her up. In the way of clothing, he wore a black tunic with gold trim, dark gray pants, and black boots. There was an insignia of a crescent moon resting over his heart, and the same insignia could be found on a silver ring he wore on the ring finger of his right hand.

"So you are the pyrokinetic girl, hm?" he asked, sounding unimpressed.

As he spoke, another man entered the cell. By walking right through the closed door. His body looked to be that of a ghost for a few moments, but he solidified behind the muscular man. This newcomer was far younger than the other, seeming to be in his late teens at most. He had long black hair that was tied back in a low ponytail and blue-gray eyes. He was a little below the average height for someone his age, and he was leanly muscled. He wore a royal blue tunic, a long-sleeved gray shirt under the tunic, gray pants, and leather boots. There were two knives sheathed at his hip, and it seemed as though he was there to guard the older man. He certainly wasn't doing any talking, and his left hand rested near the knives.
 
Evania wasn't surprised when no answer came. She had cried out more than once over the past three days and gotten no response. Besides that, it was afternoon. She'd already had her first meal, and no one ever seemed to be around otherwise. Sighing in frustration, she sat herself back on the dirt floor and leaned back against the hard walls. Another day would drag on by as she sat in solitude.

However, minutes later she could hear footsteps getting closer and closer until the door was flung open by a man who was clearly in charge. He was tall and muscular, his face one of determination. His hair was short and peppered, clearly a man who had been around quite a bit. Evania stayed where she was as he eyed her over. She stared right back at him, her grey eyes not leaving his brown ones. In her mind, she was thinking of a way to get around him to the closed door he was standing in front of. She knew she had her last resort: setting him on fire. But that was, and always had been, a last resort. Evania doubted she could take him in a fight. She was a good fighter, yes, but he was more experienced. She would probably be broken within minutes.

"So you are the pyrokinetic girl, hm?"

Evania had every intention of keeping her eyes on him, but as he spoke another figure slipping into the room. The movement of a younger man passing through the closed door caught her eye and she shifted her gaze to him. It wasn't the first time she'd met someone who had the talent to pass through walls. Elyan had once had an acquaintance with the ability. If she didn't know any better she would wonder if it was indeed the same acquaintance. But she did know better. Said man had been put to death years back. This man was much younger than the other, probably close to her own age. He was dressed somewhat similarly and it was more than clear the two worked together. What was even worse, for her at least, was that it seemed the newcomer was a guard for the bigger man. That just cut her one percent chance of escaping down to zero.

Evania scoffed and kept to her place on the floor. "I don't know why you're asking if you already know," she deadpanned. The twenty year old jerked her head towards the wooden door. "You doused the door for a reason."
 
The older man gave a small, almost amused grunt at that. It seemed like the girl had spunk. That would serve her well, so long as she knew when to keep her mouth shut. He didn't want more punks around the place. He'd had to give the order for a few of them to be executed, and the young man standing at his side had been the one to carry out those executions like the loyal servant he was. Sometimes he felt a great deal of pride in the young man's blind loyalty.

"Mind your tongue in the future," he instructed. "You have no idea who you're dealing with." Which led into the matter of introductions, which he began with, "You are in the fortress of the Order of Moonlight, and I am its leader." It wouldn't be surprising if Evania had never heard of the Order. They tended to keep their existence a secret. Only those who had actually hired them knew for a fact that they existed. Others just assumed the Order to be a terrifying myth used to scare little children into eating their vegetables and staying inside at night.

He had noticed the doused door, but he hadn't given such an order. The Seekers had likely taken the initiative to counter the girl's abilities. Good for them. They continued to show their usefulness, and he made a mental note to reward them later.
 
"You have no idea who you're dealing with."

Obviously, she thought rolling her eyes. Evania was going to say something snarky despite his small warning, but the man continued to introduce himself. At least somewhat. He failed to say a name, but even if he had the twenty year old wouldn't have heard it. Or at least, she wouldn't have remembered it. When he said that he was the leader of the Order of Moonlight, Evania's eyes snapped from the guard to the leader. The Order of the Moonlight was something of the stories. It wasn't a real thing, it never had been. It was just a tale.

"Liar," she accused. "They're just a story, nothing more."

Eviana's eyes flickered over him from head to toe before returning to his eyes. She lingered, perhaps too long, on the crescent moon emblem over his heart. By lingering so long she was giving away that she had doubts that the Order was just a tale, even if they were the tiniest sliver of doubts they existed. And now, they were known. Evania didn't like that the men would have an insight to her, and her guards went up. She rose to her feet and put her hands on her hips, not taking her eyes from the leader's.

"Am I just supposed to take your word for it? Your word and silly symbol upon your chest? You kidnapped me. Why should I believe you?"
 
The man grinned. "You may have your doubts," he said, "but that doesn't change the truth. This fortress has housed the Order of Moonlight for over a century, and I have been its leader for the past twenty years." He made no mention of his younger companion's role in the Order. It was more important to keep the girl's attention on him.

"You have been brought here to join our ranks," he continued, moving past the topic of the legitimacy of the Order. "We are not so cruel that we won't give you a choice in the matter, of course. You can indeed choose not to join us. If that is your choice, however, you will be staying in this cell for a long time." Usually those who refused to join were just killed, but he wanted to have a flame-manipulator here. Special talents like those were greatly valued in the Order. It would be a shame to waste her gift. As such, even if she refused to join, he wouldn't have her killed. He'd just leave her in this cell until she changed her mind.
 
The conviction in his voice made the hairs on the back of Evania's neck stand up. There was truth behind this, and it made Evania feel ill. Stories shouldn't become true, especially the tales she'd heard as a child. They were blood chilling. The Order was a guild of assassin's, trained to kill silently and fiercely. Rumor had it that some of the past king's had been killed by the Order, yet it was always attributed to health.

Evania's eyes grew wide and she took a step back as he declared why she was in the fortress in the first place. Join them? She'd never killed anyone before. Her brother had always taken care of the hunting, at least of the larger animals. Rabbits and foxes were easy prey. Evania felt a pit growing her stomach, getting deeper and deeper as he spoke and she thought about it. Could she kill someone? Probably, if given a good enough reason. She was sure that target of the Order had to have done something wrong... Right?

But he had said that she had a choice... Evania snorted. A choice? She would bet all the money hidden under her floorboards at home that the choice was either join, or be killed. "Not really much of a choice now, is it?" she muttered. While he had said she would be staying in the cell, that wasn't an option. Evania hated feeling caged up. She would take death over that any day. Still she didn't want to die. She was only twenty, there was so much more of the world she wanted to experience.

"If I join," she started slowly. "What's in it for me?"
 
The man seemed to like the direction the conversation had gone. He smiled--not a friendly look on him--and replied, "You will be given a place to live, free of cost. You will be given the opportunity to eat three meals a day, courtesy of the Order." Room and board, free of charge. The guild would even provide clothes for her. Everything she could possibly want.

He knew there was probably more that this girl would want, so he continued, "Every member of the Order has the option of receiving some monetary compensation for their work, should they wish to make extra purchases. You can arrange to receive such payment once you are a full member of the Order. And by that, I mean you have completed your training and have completed your first contract."
 
The smile that grew on the man's face unnerved Evania. It looked unnatural, out of place almost. It was as if he didn't have the ability to smile. Evania did her best to ignore as he spoke. It was clear to her that he was enjoying her responses. It was as if he knew she was going to join, even if she didn't think so herself. She had to admit, all of the benefits were things she could use. She had aplace to live, and she had money that Elyan had left her still. But that money would only last so long. Eventually it would run out. It was already dipping below the point she was comfortable with. The twenty year old had expected her brother to have returned by now but that was not the case. She hadn't even heard from him since he had left. For all she knew, he was dead. For all she knew, she was alone.

Evania was compelled to say yes. It had everything she could need but... Something in her was stopping her. Evania knew she couldn't kill another human for a little bit of coin. And despite what she thought, even a good reason may not lead her to killing someone. She may have spunk, but she didn't have the courage to do it. She stood there, nervously shifting from foot to foot and wringing her hands. The only real answer was to join. But she couldn't. But she had to. But to kill someone... The internal battle waged on and on as she stood there, the two men's eyes staying on her. All this pressure on her was enough to make her crack.

"I'll do it," she said through gritted teeth. A small part of her innocence died then, knowing that one day she would be someone's murderer. As she stood there and it sunk in, a thought occurred to her. Why not say she would do it and then just disappear like Elyan had? Evania had enough smarts to survive, at least until she made it to a new town and felt safe. If this truly was the Order from the stories, they would hunt her down. They had people all over the nation. That was something she would deal with at a later date. She would keep the plan in mind, but until she felt she would be able to execute it and survive, Evania would act.
 
"Good," the man said, that unsettling smile still on his face. "Now, I have business to attend to. Kavil, show her to her room." He turned and left his young guard alone with Evenia, closing the door behind him. He didn't lock it, though. There was no point in doing so, seeing as he wanted her to leave the cell now. She had her real room to go to.

The young man who had been identified as Kavil remained motionless until the Guild Master had left. At no point in the conversation had he displayed any emotion whatsoever. Even now his expression remained entirely impassive, and he wordlessly motioned for Evenia to follow him. He walked through the door as he'd done before, looking like a specter once again while he passed through the door. He did open it for Evania once he was on the other side, only long enough for her to take it herself before he started to lead the way down the torch-lit hallway. If Evania tried to flee, it would be the last thing she did. Kavil was unnaturally accurate with his knives. She'd be dead before she got even a few feet away.

He led the way to a stairwell at the end of the corridor, walking up it until he reached the third landing. There was a door there, propped open to reveal the hallway beyond. No one else was around at the moment, but it was clear that this hallway was a common place for them to mingle. There was a sitting room of sorts at the start of the hallway, with chairs, a fireplace, and a couple tables. One table had a simple board game set upon it, though the pieces weren't in their right places. Someone had been playing it recently and didn't bother to reset it afterward.

Kavil remained silent this entire time, simply walking through the common room to lead Evania down the hallway. He stopped about halfway down before opening the door there. Through this door was a small, but cozy room complete with a bed, a dresser, a desk, and a chair. There was a window, but it was barred. Obviously they wanted to discourage the assassins climbing out the windows, to escape or otherwise.

There were no personal affects in the room, and it was pretty clear that it was unoccupied. Well, it was unoccupied. It was Evania's now.
 
Evania watched the men with a stony face. As soon as she had stated she would join, the leader announced he had more important business to attend to and commanded the other man, whose name was stated to be Kavil, to show her to her room. That was a relief, at least. Evania would no longer have to feel trapped, and besides. The younger of the two seemed to be less intimidating. That is, if you ignored the hands twitching for the knives on his waist. Evania knew she wouldn't be able to escape this with him as her escort.

The leader left, and practically immediately after Kavil silently directed her to follow him. Evania rolled her eyes when he disappeared through the wooden door. Did he really need to use it all the time? She supposed it was more convenient, never having to use a door handle. The twenty year old followed after him and immediately felt more relaxed. Being in a room like that had made her chest feel tight. She followed along in silence, not sure of what to say. Evania hoped that Kavil would say something but she was wrong. He simply played leader, not even pointing things out.

Up the stairs they went, stopping on the third floor. Being where she had been, Evania hadn't expected the place to be so big. But now that she was already three stories up, she was betting the place was huge. It could potentially be as big as a castle. The passed through what seemed to be a common area. It was nicer than she expected. Evania had thought it to be more like a tavern, filled with hunting trophies and sweat covered men, drinking flagons upon flagons. But this was nice and orderly. The fireplace caught her eye especially. She'd always loved fireplaces and it was disconcerting that her home didn't have a proper one. Through another corrider and they finally stopped, Kavil pushing open a door to show her her quarters.

It was a standard room, reminding her much of an inn. There was basic furniture, and one window against the far wall. A window...with bars. They trusted their assassin's here it seemed. Evania walked in to the center of the room and did a slow turn around, taking it all in. It wasn't home, but it would do for however long she stuck around. Which could be the rest of her life.

"Kavil, was it?" she asked. "I'll be wanting my things from home if I'm to be here from now on."

Evania wouldn't take no for an answer. There were just somethings she couldn't go on without. Such as the locket containing pictures of her parents, or the knives Elyan had left her. The locket held no real value, but the knives did. They'd been hand crafted by a master blacksmith in a neighboring nation. Elyan had gone through a lot of trouble to get them for her. If she were to kill, it would have to be with them. She felt rude then. She knew his name now, but did he know hers? Did anyone at the guild know her other than as the pyrokinetic?

"My name is Evania, if you didn't already know."
 
Kavil still didn't speak to Evania, though he gave a small nod of acknowledgement at her request. Evania wasn't aware of this, of course, but her belongings were likely already being retrieved. The Guild Master tended to inform the right people as soon as a "recruit" accepted their new role in life. There were people in the guild whose primary purpose was to make sure the "recruits" settled in nicely. That included getting their old belongings. The items would be arriving in the next couple days, probably.

At hearing the girl's name, Kavil gave no reaction whatsoever. He hadn't known her name, and he didn't really care to know it. It was part of his job, granted, but he didn't go out of his way to learn who people were. His memory was good enough to pick up on names very quickly, anyway. He didn't need to put much effort into such things.

He walked over to the window, glancing outside for a moment to check the time by the position of the sun. A moment later, he started to walk toward the door, intending to leave Evania alone. He seemed to reconsider a moment later, though, considering that Evania was new and therefore probably likely to try to escape. He instead walked over to the desk, opening it to take out a scroll which he passed to Evania.

The scroll was a list of the Order of Moonlight's rules and guidelines. Considering that this was an elite guild of assassins, the rules were pretty much intuitive. Running away wasn't allowed. Those who tried were hunted down and killed. Disobeying the Guild Master also wasn't allowed, with punishment befitting the severity of the disobedience. Refusing to take contracts would be considered an attempt to leave the Order, which would result in death. Other forms of disobedience were usually met with spending time in a cell, being beaten, or getting a cut in payment. Another rule stated that being captured during a contract was a death warrant. The Order's secrets could not be revealed, so a captured assassin was obligated to kill himself. Failing to do so would result in someone being sent to kill them. The final rule said that the assassins of the Order could not fail their contracts. Though there were some cases where an assassin could be forgiven for a failure, depending on the circumstances, most of the time failure meant execution.

There were some general bits of information about the Order on the scroll as well, like that the most skilled assassin in the Order held the title Angel of Death. In the absence of the Guild Master, orders given by the Angel of Death were to be obeyed as though they came from the Guild Master himself. Any assassin can challenge the Angel of Death for his position, so long as they meet certain criteria first. The scroll did not list those criteria, though. That was likely something a newbie in the Order didn't need to know about.

Kavil lingered in the room, giving Evania time to read the rules and additional information. He gave the occasional glance toward the door in that time, clearly thinking about leaving.
 
Kavil only nodded at her request. It was a little disheartening for Evania. She was a social person by nature and had hoped to have someone to speak with after three days of solitude. This man was not that person though. He made to leave, and she was going to ask him to wait a moment, wanting to know more about what was going to happen to her now, but he changed his mind. Sticking with his silent gig, he stalked over to the desk, pulled out a scroll, and handed it to her. After a seconds hesitation, she took it and unrolled it, eyes scanning it briefly.

It was a list of do's and don't's for the Order. Many of them were things she could have guessed at. But reading them, her heart sank. It seemed that the punishment for any fuck up or failure was death. Evania didn't have the confidence for this. What had she done by agreeing to join? Was it too late to change her mind? Most likely. After reading the basic rules, she assumed the punishment would be death. Why wouldn't it be? Evania was sure the doubts she had in herself were displayed on her face. If it was one thing about the young woman, it was how easy she could be read. Her brother had tried to teach her to hide her feelings, but more often than not it was a failure. Even if she tried she couldn't hide anything completely.

When she was finished she rolled it up and held it tightly in her right hand, letting it hang by her side. She noticed Kavil glancing at the door every few seconds and felt bad. The silent one was likely only sticking around because he felt obligated.

"You don't need to stay here. I'm a big girl."

To prove her point, Evania set into motion. She moved from her spot in the middle of the room and went to the desk, setting down the scroll. She would go over it in more detail later on, perhaps before she went to bed. That was when the twenty year old realized it would be her first night in a bed in three days. It was going to feel good to rest comfortably that night. But she also realized how grimy she felt. In that moment, all she wanted was to take a long bath and get the dirt off of her.

"Before you go, is there a place I can bathe? It's been a few days and I spent them in dirt," she said. "I'll need fresh clothes too." Evania paused. "Do you ever speak?"
 
Kavil gave no reaction whatsoever to Evania's comment about being a big girl, though he motioned for her to follow him again when she asked about bathing. He paused for a moment at her last question, but he opted to not give a reply. Kavil was capable of speech, yes, but he often chose not to talk. It was more convenient this way, he'd found. There were times when speaking was unavoidable, of course, but unless he absolutely had to talk, he tended to keep quiet. He also tended to keep to himself. That wasn't possible at the moment, unfortunately, seeing as he had to keep Evania from doing something stupid. He didn't trust her to stay here willingly. It was just his intuition, but he felt she was just waiting for an opportunity to escape. It was part of the reason he'd opted to show her that scroll now.

He continued on his way out of the room, expecting the girl to follow him. After taking a right out of her room, he walked toward the far end of the hallway. There was another staircase there, but that wasn't his destination. He just stopped at one of the doors before the stairs, and he indicated the door in answer to her bath question. Through this door was a communal bath for the female assassins who lived on this floor. Across the hallway was the bath for the male assassins. Kavil didn't use that one, though. He had his own bath. It was one of the perks of his position.
 
Evania sighed. Kavil wasn't going to speak with, and so she may as well stop trying now. She followed after him silently, taking in the places they passed. It wasn't exactly far and all she really saw were other wooden doors, but Evania wanted to be able to get to the same destination on her own next time. She wasn't about to rely on Kavil for the rest of her days. She had an odd suspicion he was under orders to make sure she didn't try to escape but she wasn't going to ask. It would explain why he had been glancing at the door, obviously wanting to get out of there yet still staying with her.

"Thank you," she said quietly, placing a hand on the handle to enter.

He hadn't solved the issue of her not having clean clothes but she would deal with that. Upon entering, she locked the door behind her, not wanting to be disturbed. Evania filled the bathtub with warm water. She was happy that the place was equipped with running water, likely thanks to a Order member with a water related ability. Evania used her own talents to help the water warm quickly before she stripped down to nothing and sank into the water. As soon as her pale skin met the water, she slid down so that the water was to her chin, all of her muscles instantly relaxing. These three days had been beyond stressful and while she was no longer trapped, at least not physically any way, she still had burdens on her shoulders. She tried not to dwell on them too much during her bath.

An hour later, she emerged from the water. She wrapped a towel around her body and wrung out her black as night hair. Evania felt much better now that she was clean. After wringing out her hair, she swiftly braided it down her back for until it dried. She then dressed again, donning the same pants and sleeved shirt from before. Evania threw the towel she'd used over in a corner, not entirely sure what to do with it anymore, before sticking her boots back on and exiting the bath. She was going to explore the place.
 
Kavil did not stick around while Evania bathed. That would be a complete waste of his time, but he did let someone know where she was. That someone was a brown-haired woman in her thirties, who lived in the room next to the common room. It was her job to look after the new members, and she kept an eye out for Evania by the door to the bath.

"Oh good!" she exclaimed once Evania exited the bath. "I was beginning to worry that you'd gone down the drain or something!" She chuckled at her own joke, then continued, "I'm Felicia. It's always a pleasure to see a new face around here." She held out a hand to shake Evania's if the girl so chose. "Your name is Evania, yes? Kavil told me. If you have any questions or need anything at all, don't hesitate to ask. I'm always here to help!" She smiled warmly, definitely giving off the impression that she was a genuinely friendly person. Not the kind of person you'd expect to find in an assassins guild.

She gave Evania a moment to process what she'd said before explaining, "You're expected to be at dinner tonight. They always do this little presentation event whenever we have a new member. It's nothing major. Just saying your name when Loraziah--that's the Guild Master--asks for it. Then you get to sit and eat with everyone. It's not a big deal at all. Just a way to introduce you to everyone. Then you'll start training with the other assassins tomorrow, and once we see what you're already capable of, Loraziah will pick a trainer for you."
 
As soon as she stepped outside the bath's door, Evania was greeted by a brunette woman. She gave off a motherly vibe, which seemed odd for her. Was this woman an assassin as well? The motherliness was confirmed for her as the woman began explaining things and introducing herself as Felicia. She was a little surprised, and so Evania didn't say much at first. She did shake the woman's hand though it was a robotic action. Evania felt a little jealous that Kavil had spoken to this other woman, but then, perhaps it was all because she was a new face.

Evania frowned at the mention of being presented. It felt too formal for a place like this, but then things like the Order were sure to have traditions. She just didn't like the idea of having all eyes on her. It would make her plans to escape harder down the road if people were able to recognize her quickly. More importantly she was nervous about training with the assassin's tomorrow. Surely they were all skilled and would put her to shame. Would there be others there who were new like her? Or was she the only new recruit at the moment?

"It's nice to meet you, Felicia," she said. Evania wanted to comment on how this woman seemed to be the first friendly person she'd met since arriving, but felt she may insult someone. "Listen, I ah. I don't have any of my own things and, well. If I'm going to be presented or whatever it is, I'd like to not be wearing the same clothes I've been in for three days now."
 
Felicia chuckled at that. "Not to worry, Evania," she said. "Come with me." She led Evania to the girl's room, making a beeline for the dresser. "There are some clothes in here that are about your size," she explained. "I suppose Kavil didn't mention that to you. I doubt he remembers what it is like to be new here. He's been here since he was a small child, after all."

She opened the dresser and pulled out a simple shirt for Evania, holding up the shirt to see if it was about the right size. Satisfied, she nodded and handed it to her. Then her search for pants began, which didn't last long. She'd found a suitable pair rather quickly, and it looked like they were about the right size, too.

"That was lucky, really," she remarked. "Sometimes they mess up when picking out the clothes for new members. Horribly misjudge sizes and all that. It seems like they were just about spot-on for you, though." She smiled cheerfully, seeming very relieved that this had gone as well as it had. "The dresser isn't fully stocked, mind you, but you have a few options to choose from for now. There is a village within easy riding distance where you can shop for additional clothing, if you have money for it. I don't mind giving a new member some coin so they can customize their wardrobe a bit, and I know some others feel the same way."
 
Evania gave the kindly woman a nervous smile, thankful that there would be a solution and happy she would have to be 'presented' looking like she didn't keep herself clean. She followed Felicia back to her quarters and stood off to the side while Felicia dug through the dresser. The twenty year old didn't have to be told that the dresser wasn't fully stocked. She could see from where she was that there was only about three of each pants, shirts, and whatever other pieces she would need to fit in around here.

When the woman rambled on about how they had done a good job judging her size, it made Evania wonder. How long had they been watching her? If they'd known about her and had been planning this, why kidnap her? Why not just approach her in her home, or at the tavern? Wouldn't that make a lot more sense? Evania was betting that if they went about recruitment in that fashion less people would lose their lives. After all, the Order wouldn't have to keep their headquarters secret that way. Anyone who turned them down wouldn't know the location, and if they tried to talk about the Order throughout the village, the other citizens would shake their heads and think them mad.

"Thank you, Felicia," she said when Felicia finished. Evania wouldn't ask for a loan, not when she was planning on getting her own things brought to her no matter what the cost. And especially not when she was planning on trying to find a way to escape this fate before she was initiated as a full assassin. "I mentioned to Kavil that I'd like my personal things. He's not much of a talker though. Didn' say anything," she trailed off. Evania and Felicia said their goodbyes. Once alone, she went through the clothes thoroughly. There wasn't exactly options. All of the pants were black, which was find with her. She slipped a pair on and despite the fact Felicia had said the others had done a good job estimating her sizes, she was surprised at how snug they were. It was perfect. After her belt was fastened, a plain leather one she had had for the past few years with a silver buckle, she got her boots back on and picked out her tops. In the end, Evania was wearing a white shirt with a blue colored vest over it. To finish it off, she had found a dark grey cloak made of wool that fastened around her neck.

For the next few hours, Evania stayed in her room. She didn't want to wander off and be unable to find her way again, not when she knew that they had plans for her that evening. And who knew when she would be called upon to be presented? Was it even allowed for her to go off wandering on her own if she was just a fledgling assassin? She spent the time examining the things in the room. At one point, she even moved some of the furniture. Despite being a female, Evania wasn't weak. Though, she wasn't exactly strong either. She could lift a good seventy five pounds with no problem but anything after that got a little harder. Still the most she'd ever lifted was one hundred and thrity pounds, nearly her own body weight. Evania had moved the bed so that it was near the barred window. The view would be a nice thing in the mornings and before bed, she could see the stars and moon. Ever since she was a child, Evania had had a fascination with the heavens.

After this, she read over the scroll Kavil had shown her earlier in more detail. Evania had a fairly good memory and was trying to remember as much of it as possible from the start. What if they questioned her on it later or something? She also began to wonder what the presentation would be like. And furthermore, what about her final initiation? She had once her tales of assassin guild's that would remove your index finger when you became a full assassin. Evania hoped that was not the case. She liked to have all of her appendages.

Eventually, a knock came at her door. Hesitantly, she opened the door. Her braid had been released some time ago, leaving her locks loose and crinkled. The man who had come to fetch her was silent, only jerking her head as an order to follow him. It was time, it seemed. "Right." Evania bowed her head, took a deep breath, and followed after him. As she walked, a blindfold was placed over her eyes. It startled her at first, and walking the stairs was no picnic but she adapted quickly. Soon enough, she could her the chatter of men and women, as if she were in a large hall. They grew silent as her escort let go of her arm and left her side. Being blind as this happened made her uneasy. What if this was all a lie, and she was about to be put to death? Evania tried not to think like that.
 
The eyes of a few dozen people were fixed on the blindfolded girl standing in the middle of the room. It was a large chamber, rectangular in shape and filled with long tables. The occupants of the room were sitting at those tables. There was a pleasant smell of food in the room, though none had yet been placed on the tables. The smell was coming from the door at the far corner of the room, which obviously led to a kitchen.

There was a table at the front of the room where the Guild Master sat, along with a few others. To his right was a young woman who was around Evania's age. She had brown hair that was kept in a stylish braid, and she also had the same eyes as the Guild Master. The two bore enough of a resemblance to easily imply that they were related. The other occupants of the table were more in the age range of the Guild Master. They were his advisors and elder assassins, retired after years of service to the Order. Kavil was standing near the Guild Master's chair, still playing the part of the loyal guard.

Kavil was wearing a different outfit than he had before. It was similar, but a little more fancy. He was still wearing a blue tunic, though this one was a little darker and had silver trim. His pants, boots, and the shirt under his tunic were black this time, and his similarly-colored hair wasn't tied back anymore. It was allowed to flow freely down to the center of his back, and a few locks had managed to stake their claim in the front rather than being pushed behind his back. The pair of knives were still very much present at his hip, though he wasn't acting like he was prepared to grab them. His hands were clasped behind his back, after all.

The Guild Master waited until everyone had settled down before announcing, "The one you see before you has decided she wishes to become one of us. Is there one among you who can vouch for her worthiness?"

"Aye," came a voice from one of the far tables. One of the cloaked figures who had been the people to bring Evania here in the first place had spoken up. No one was surprised at all. This seemed to be fairly routine.

"Very well. The Seekers vouch for you," the Guild Master stated. "Is there one among you who would speak against her worthiness?" He paused for a few moments, but no one spoke up. It was more of a formality than anything else for the Guild Master to ask that question, and they all knew it.

After that appropriate pause, he continued, "Very well. State your name and remove the blindfold so that we all may know you." Evania would be invited to sit after she spoke her name, and some of the assassins were already making space for her at their tables, giving her options of where to sit. Dinner would be served immediately afterward.
 
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