The beginning of an end ?
It had been a long time. A long time being the scribe that everyone liked. He even managed to get in a position of status. Everything for that one moment. The moment in which he could kill and get away with it. He was taught well and knew that much came to being patient. The target a man that had been a magistrate in number of cases. His life was paid for in plenty of Gold.
Crow had taken the identity of a close family member who died at the hands of Crow. The body was buried and he had taken all his papers, wardrobe and credentials. It had been good that Crow had a high caste upbringing and loved to read and write. In his ruse none could truly fault him on his lack of knowledge. He had taken his time – studied long – and had eventually reached a position in which he would be trusted at his word.
Serena had helped him. With her he was just a gorean man with a companion – a family – a member of the society. She perhaps could have guessed certain things, but never really all things. There were always secrets. Perhaps there was some regret now the time had come to finalize his contract. All would come to an end. A ruse of the Censor of Ar. The former Preator of Ar. The former magistrate of Ar.
In all these years he had studied the man that had hired several guards. The man was well known for contracts that had been paid for and since several assassins had not been able to end it – they had taken it to Crow. He had taken the contract but had never promised a timeline. He would end this contract successfully but when it was the right time.
Just before the baby was born he had made an appointment with Garardus of the House Hoveruis. He had discussed the new line within the laws that would put a different perspective on the law of Ar. Garardus liked his power, liked to be important, held a certain jealousy towards Melchior. But with it held a fondness for exclusive wines. So when the appointment was made – Garardus had not ever considered this outcome.
When the time had come, the man Melchior had undressed. He would undo his ruse. The hair would be coloured back to black. He would no longer shave himself as he had done so often as Melchior. His jewellery would be put away and with it he would take his black livery and dress himself. With each layer the cold killer would resurface. The coldness, the detached sense of self, the calculated man he had trained to be. When he would draw the dagger upon his forehead and take his helmet he knew that there was an end to an amazing story. A story of all kind of things Crow was not. It could be perceived as an intense love story or a story of a man he wished to be. But when he would position himself in the office of the Censor – Crow knew there would only be one coming out of it alive.
Garardus had been surprised when the office of the Censor was so dimmed with light. The voice of the man he knew carried to him as he moved towards the cabinet with the finest of wines. “Censor, I can see you have a new addition.” The man laughed – clearly pleased with the idea of tasting the most expensive wine he knew. It was now that Crow would show himself from the shadows. The cloak still hiding his black livery and different physic. “I hope you enjoy the taste, Garardus. Just as others would enjoy us meeting at this moment.” And with that Crow would take his concealed dagger from its sheath and move towards the cabinet also. The voice of Melchior – made the man unaware of what was to come.
Garardus took a good gulp of the wine when suddenly he felt a something more close to him than he had expected. But his greedy taste of the wine – made him unable to speak or call out. There was only one choice left – to spill or to swallow the wine. It did not matter for what was to come. With one firm slice he would cut deep within the mans neck. Crow could see that the cut the two carotid arteries that run up the sides of the mans neck. The slice immediately made his kill a bloody mess. But with the severe bloodloss the effect of the man being unconscious and unable to call for help or act effective. Crow who had held the man from behind now slowly would release him to the ground. Within a minute or two Crow knew that the lack of blood to his brain, would have his total body to falter in his functioning. The heart would stop in a cardiac arrest. The blood was all over the cabinet and would colour the wall and floor. None would have learned if it weren’t for the silent witnesses of the blood spatters and the dead corpse upon the floor.
Crow knew that he had entered unnoticed – in all these years he had been able to get into his office without being seen. Next to it who knew the man Crow when they had seen Melchior all that time? With the death of the mark – his ruse and the need for it was over. There was only one last thing he needed to do.
Crow would head ‘home’ confront his former life and for once give a woman a choice. Her life or her submission. From there it would be – Gold and Steel.
Crows Murder 
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