Chapter 31: What's a life really worth?

I knocked softly on Megan's door, "Megan, it's me. I caught an assassin, and I need your help." I tried to keep my voice down.

She unbarred the door and opened it enough to peek through. "Would you help me?" I asked quietly. "I trapped an assassin and I don't know what to do with her, she's in my room." I repeated softly.

She closed the door only to return a minute later wearing a long robe over a thin nightdress. Her hair was down, and her pale face was beautiful in the moonlight. With great effort, I was able to avoid staring. I led her to my room and closed the door behind us. I gestured at the naked girl in the middle of the rug by the bed.

"She's a Priestess of Bane, I think. Her symbol is on the desk there." I pointed at it. "She shot my dummy on the bed there with a poison dart from her blowgun." I pointed to where it sat by the window. "I threw a paperweight at her and knocked her out. I heard her sliding off of the roof and I stopped her before she hit the ground."

"What do I do with her?" I asked, looking for any way not to kill her.

Lady Megan looked very uncomfortable. "Why is she naked?"

Idiot.

"Sorry, My Lady." I took a small blanket from the bed and draped it over the priestess. "I didn't mean to discomfort you, but I had to make sure that she didn't have any more poisoned needles." At Megan's questioning look, I elaborated. "When I disarmed her I found needles in her hair and in her mouth. I was afraid that she might have more hidden that I would not be able to find, so I stripped her."

"Oh, that makes sense, My Lord." Although she breathed a little easier, Lady Megan still looked uncomfortable. "Why ask me?"

"If I take her back to her temple, would they cancel their contract on me?"

"No, My Lord. The assassin will keep coming after you until one of you is killed. She will try to kill you or die trying." Lady Megan said firmly.

Damn, I was afraid of that.

I let out a long sigh. "Thank you, My Lady. I have an errand to run, let me walk you back to your room."

She didn't want to budge. "What are you going to do?"

I took a deep breath and steeled myself. "What I have to, I need to return her to her temple." Lady Megan backed away from me when she understood what I implied.

"Megan, what would you have me do?" I asked harshly. "If I let her go then she will just come back after me. I can't keep dodging assassins my whole life. They only have to get lucky once, whereas I have to be lucky all the time. I'm good but no one is that good." I tried to defend my position. "You even said that she couldn't stop trying to kill me."

I walked over to the desk that had the symbol of Bane. "Look at this." I held it up. "She is a priestess. She can't stop."

Lady Megan looked afraid of me. I dropped the pendant and walked up to her. She had backed up against the wall as I approached, she tried to keep me at a distance with her outstretched hands. I lightly trapped her hands. "Megan, tell me that I have another choice." She just shook her head and tried to push me away, but I didn't let her. "I don't want to kill her, but she left me no choice, I'm not an assassin."

I could see the tears starting to form in her eyes. I wiped away the tear that struggled down her cheek with my thumb.

"I hate this, I just want to go home." She sobbed angrily.

"I know, I hate it too." I wanted to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be alright. Knowing that she would not let me do that I just escorted her to her room with a promise to bring Lady Elizabeth.

Ok, getting Megan was not my best idea.

I walked her to her room and then went to find Lord Richard and his wife.

I knocked on their suite door and a maid opened it.

"Wake Lady Elizabeth, Lady Megan needs her." I turned and left when the maid gave me a startled nod and soundlessly closed the door.

I rolled the priestess in the bedspread and tied it off with the rope from the drapes. After I dressed I put the priestess' amulet in my pouch, I wanted to make sure that I returned it

A soldier must have heard something that stirred his interest enough to check on me He stood in my doorway surveying the room. I didn't feel like answering his questions so I asked him to get two horses ready for me and my prisoner. That wasn't good enough for him, as he started to ask what was going on when I had enough. I ended up snapping at him and ordered him to get moving. That got him moving.

I picked the assassin up and tossed her over my shoulder, her breathing was shallow and ragged, I didn't think that she would be waking up any time soon. Lady Elizabeth was staring at me as I straightened.

"I've seemed to have caught the attention of a Priestess of Bane. She sought my life tonight and I stopped her. Her clothes are in that pile next to the bed, I would be careful if I were you; they are full of poisoned needles." I offered in explanation.

She just stared at me with a sad expression.

"I wanted to return the assassin to her temple before the night was out." Lady Elizabeth wondered aloud why I didn't just kill her.

"I need to see that this does not happen again, My Lady. Please see to Megan, and I'll return later."

She wished me the Earth Mother's grace and let me go.

I heard her knock on Megan's door as I descended the stairs with my captive. They had two horses saddled and ready for me when I walked out of the estate. The soldiers helped me tie her across the horse and off we went.