Catching the Crow

[Steven]

Kaci Taravin Commander of the Freedom Guard

• Crow. Hooked nose, crooked. Scarred face. Eye patch. Lower east side of the city. Tracks down orphaned siblings, forcing one to work for him by torturing the other. Rumors suggest dozens killed so far. May be more. Always found battered and bruised, covered in open knife wounds and single deep slit across the throat.

Those words emblazoned on the forefront of Kaci’s mind. It had been weeks. This Crow was as elusive as ice in summer. Just as Kaci thought they were getting close, he moved his entire operation. “A dozen, Mikael. A bloody flaming dozen bodies. How many more are there going to be before we catch this Light-forsaken mongrel?” Her anger was seething. Master Gill had put a lovely arrangement of Lilies on her desk just that morning, in an elegant painted vase. It was pretty, so she felt a stab of guilt when she threw it at the scout who returned with the news that the Crow was lost again.

Mikael sat comfortably, his leg sprawled over the side of the armchair, spinning a dagger in his palm. He was beginning to treat Kaci as more of an equal, a battle partner, and less like the Lady Kaci Taravin. She was grateful for his company, and his tutelage. “We’ll find him, Kaci. Everyone misses a step. When he does, you’ll be watching and waiting.” He threw his dagger, his aim true, striking a wooden dummy carved in the silhouette of the one they sought square between the eyes.

“Blood and ashes, it better be soon. I can’t bury another one, Mikael. They should be laughing and playing, not mutilated and lying face down in the dirt.” Kaci had searched her brain over and over for a reason that could cause a man to harbor so much cruelty and malice. Nothing came to mind except the plain truth, he’s a monster and psychopath. At first, Kaci had intended on taking him alive, delivering him to the Guard Captain as a token of goodwill, to set an example. Now though, even if he was delivered to this very office bound and gagged by one of her men, she would have no remorse when he she opened his throat from ear to ear. “I’ll send his scum-filled hide to the Pit of Doom, Mikael.”

* * * * * * *
After her morning temper flared the rest of the day had been uneventful. Patrols turned up nothing, not a whisper. It was infuriating, weeks’ worth of searching, combing through the worst parts of town. Asking hundreds of questions, taking dozens of names. Roughing up known troublemakers. No one knew a thing, or if they did they wouldn’t talk. Kaci was losing patience. Rumors had started to spread about her Freedom Guard. Now and then a good soul would stop them in the street and offer up some food or drink, spilling tiny bits of information they thought would be useful. No one with half a heart wanted to see children living in desolation.

Kaci had made up her mind after the noontime patrol. The patrol, even small, was attracting too much attention. If she wanted results, she was going to have to employ more than a little bit of espionage. That was why she was currently pacing in her quarters after telling Captain Mikael she was suffering from a throbbing head and sent him out on the evening patrol without her.

Kaci stopped a moment to look at herself in the wide stand mirror Master Gill had put in at her request. In secret, she had requisitioned a tanner known for his quality work and silent tongue. Her new leather armor was a deep shade of crimson over the purest black, so the each piece looked like a cloud of red mist on the darkest night. Thick braided cord woven up both sides of pants and shirt gave complete control over the fit. Kaci had it tight enough to show off each curve, yet loose enough to not overly restrict her movement. A thick belt laden with pouches of various size hid the line where the pants ended and the shirt began, making the set seem like a single piece. A fat silver buckle engraved with the Lion of Andor adorning its center.

The leather split at the point directly between her breasts, widening to expose skin a hand in length just below her neck. A thick collar sticking up protected her neck from the sides and rear, barely visible through her golden hair which fell to just beneath her shoulders. There was another piece to the armor set, a thicker leather of the same color meant to reinforce the more vulnerable areas. Pulling it over her head would provide thick shoulder pads, a contoured patch perfectly cut to curve around her chest and breasts to shield from a blow meant for the heart. A series of straps extended from the piece in a complicated fashion, meant to secure it under her arms and again around her midsection with three buckled horizontal straps. It was meant more for battle than it was a scout mission, so she left it locked in the chest beneath her bed.

The final piece was one she was particularly proud of. She had commissioned a jeweler who had worked with House Taravin since her Grandmother ordered her first necklace. He had made a masquerade mask the likes of which she had never seen. A thin line of solid silver outlined the mask, protruding in dozens of intricate all around, including the outline of two fanciful eye slits long and curved in a sultry fashion. Inside the outline was a pattern of small squares made by the thinnest silver chain, at each intersection was a perfectly round crimson bead, made out of a material Kaci couldn’t place. The squares became smaller and closer together between the eyes, and hanging directly at the center was a magnificent teardrop Ruby. Kaci tied the mask beneath her hair and took another glimpse at herself. A grin split her face as she confirmed the mask had the desired effect, she barely recognized herself.

Pulling the chest from beneath her bed, and unlocking it with a key hanging from her neck, she pulled out a small bundle wrapped in cloth. Undoing the ties and folding back the cloth revealed a sword with hilt and scabbard wrapped in the same crimson leather as her armor, a silver Lion’s head for a pommel with two tiny Rubies for its eyes. Two daggers, wrapped in the same fashion, were otherwise unadorned. The most curious item though, was a rod about the length of her forearm wrapped in the same crimson leather. At its core was a heavy metal rod. A weapon meant to maim, not kill. A hoop hanging from a chain acted as a sheath of sorts. Kaci armed up, tying the sword and scabbard to her left hip, the strange rod to her right. The daggers fit perfectly in the sheaths skillfully incorporated into the sides of her boots.

One last time, Kaci sized herself up in the mirror. Pleased with her handiwork, she grabbed a thick hooded cloak of black velvet that attached to convenient buckles built into the shoulders of her armor. She checked once again that the door was locked, blew out the candles, and slipped out the open window into the night.

[Steven]

The Crow “All I asked…was for you to sneak in quietly, grab the box…and bring it back here.” His voice was soft, with a tone almost like he was talking to a lover. Karl quivered when he looked at the man, he might have been pretty once. His nose was bent now, deformed to resemble a beak. It’s why everyone called him the Crow. A nasty scar cut his face in half at a diagonal. Karl grimaced to think of what his face looked like right after that happened. “I already told you what would happen if you failed.” The Crow ran a finger across his sister’s face. She sat back on her knees, trembling in fear, tears streaming down her face. Karl was eleven, and she was only a year younger than he.

“NO! Please mister, don’t hurt Tayra. Please? I’ll do it again. I’ll get it right this time, I swear!” He tried to stand up, but the Crow put his boot square in his face. Blood dripped down his nose, probably broken, but he didn’t cry. He wouldn’t. He had to be strong for Tayra.

“You will?” The Crow perked up, like he was pleased. “That’s all I asked. See how easy this is.” He squatted in front of Tayra, caressing her face with an outstretched hand. The other at his waist squeezed the hilt of a small dagger, quivering slightly. “Such a pretty face. It’s such a shame, Karl.” The Crow turned his head and gazed at Karl with his one good eye. He squinted slightly, his lips curved in a smile, a smile that scared Karl to his core. His hand stopped at Tayra’s ear. In a flash, the dagger streaked through the air as Tayra shrieked. “SEE KARL, YOU DID THIS!” He flicked his wrist and something hit Karl in the face, falling into his lap. With horror, Karl stared at Tayra’s ear.

[Steven]

Kaci Taravin Crimson Raven Kaci opened the door to a Tavern that was known for its unsavory clientele. Its location hinted to her by an old beggar on the street. Only after parting with a silver mark first, of course. The talk stopped as she walked through the doorway, slamming the door shut behind her. She quickly scanned the room. Most of the men were unarmed, and only one was much larger than her. One man, young and not bad looking approached her with a leer, his unclean thoughts apparent. She smiled at him as he approached, laying a hand on his shoulder. He leaned in for a kiss. She struck, her right elbow flew up to meet his face while her right knee made contact with his groin. He fell in a heap, unable to throw curses at her from lack of breath. A few men stood from their seats, one spilling his ale in the process. A round of drinks barkeep, on me. She tossed a gold mark, the barkeep catching it with surprising reflexes. He nodded at the serving girl who currently had a man’s hand up her skirts. She jumped to action. The rest of the men took their seats.

Before the barkeep could open his mouth, “That buys me more than ale. Someone told me you might know where I could find a filthy bird in this part of town. Hmmm?” Kaci glanced at the man still writing on the floor, then turned her head back slowly to meet the barkeeps gaze.

“Look Mistress, I can see you mean business, but I would rather you rough me up than him gut me like a fish. No off-“, Kaci threw back her hood, and opened her cloak, exposing her armor and weapons.

“You don’t know me and you never will. I intend to kill the Crow tonight, but I’ll kill you first if need be.” His eyes didn’t budge, his face betraying no expression whatsoever. Kaci sighed, pulling out a fat purse. “There is more gold in here than you’ve ever seen. Tell me what I want, take the money and leave Hama Valon.” Greed flared in his eyes, he snatched the purse.

He whispered, “Three blocks down, there’s an abandoned Forge. The building burned down about a year back. No one’s bothered to rebuild since the whole family died in that fire.” He made a sign to ward off evil. Kaci glowered, what a fool. “Three nights ago, I saw some men walking around the Forge with torches. I waited till they left, then went to see for myself what they were up to. The well’s all dried up, and there was a torch lit down at the bottom. Must be a tunnel.”

Kaci put a hand to her lips in thought, “That tells me nothing about the Crow. How do you know it’s him?”

“Last night, I was shooing away some stray dogs from the compost when I heard a shout. When I went to look, I saw a few men with kids climbing down into the well. I think a few of his men are staying here.” He nodded towards a table in the back. Three men sat hunched over their ales, their eyes on Kaci.

“Make yourself scarce, barkeep.” Kaci walked behind the bar and filled four mugs with ale. Grabbing two in each hand, she sauntered over to the table in the back. “Hello boys, barkeep tells me you’re the freshest meat around.” She slammed the mugs on the table, grabbed one for herself and drank. Without stopping for air she drank it down, letting it spill down her chin and in between her breasts. The one closest to her was burly, with broad shoulders and huge meaty hands. He had a thick, short cropped beard. The lust in his eyes was unmistakable. Kaci backed up, leaning on a table behind. She spread her legs in a teasing gesture, biting her lower lip.

The man stood, “Is it a festival night and I wasn’t invited?” A grin broke across his face, not making him any more attractive. He leaned over her, his hands on either side of her legs. His breath reeked of stale ale and rot. His tongue snaked out between his teeth, prepared to lick the side of Kaci’s face. Without a word she brought up the dagger she was holding behind her back, sticking it into the side his neck. Her blow struck right where she intended. Pushing him to the floor, the dagger slid out, spurting his blood onto her chest. It blended right in with the color of the leather.

The two remaining men at the table took a moment to register what took place. The next closest man stood, attempting to draw his own blade. As he wrapped his fingers around the hilt, Kaci slashed across his neck, her dagger in a reverse grip. She didn’t wait to watch the gush of blood. She grabbed the last man, the scrawniest of the bunch, and pulled him to his feet. He fought back in an unexpected onslaught of wild abandon. Kaci drew the leather wrapped rod at her hip, struck him hard across the face and rammed it straight in to his diaphragm with the full weight of her body. He crumpled, overcome with a fit of coughing and gasping for air.

Kaci snatched two silver crowns from her pouch, and smacked them on the table of the only two men who hadn’t fled when the commotion started. “Hold him down for me? I have work to do.”

[Steven]

Kaci Taravin Crimson Raven The scrawny little man didn’t give up much of a fight, not once she started cutting. As Kaci figured though, he was practically useless. The only decent information she got out of him was that there were two guards posted at the entrance to the tunnel. Once she had that, she sent the Light-forsaken scoundrel to the Pit of Doom.

Kaci stood over the dried up well. She snatched a fairly good sized rock and tossed it down. Drawing her sword, she crouched on the edge of the well and waited. Someone yelled something, but she couldn’t make out the words. Lucky day, she mused as both guards walked in view at the bottom of the well, their torches lighting the way. Neither of them had a weapon drawn. Kaci jumped. She landed on one man, letting him cushion her fall. She heard something break. Rolling to the side and catching her bearings, Kaci brought her sword up in a forceful thrust through the other guard’s throat. In between actions, Kaci remarked to herself about finding a way to kill someone without using the throat. It was such a vulnerable area though, which made her work quick and easy. The second guard was crawling on his stomach away from her. Kaci slammed her sword down into his spine as she walked past, ending his misery instantly.

Just then, a boy came bounding around the corner ahead. He stopped dead in his tracks, looking at the blood dripping from her sword. Kaci held up a hand, “I’m not here to hurt you, little one.” He gawked at her. Kaci felt a little pride at that, she meant her attire to inspire at least a little bit of awe. He looked behind her at the corpses, then back to her.

“Eleven isn’t that little.” He looked genuinely offended. Kaci raised an eyebrow, obviously the sight of death had no effect on him. Kaci felt pity for his lost innocence, and a small shred of guilt.

“No, you’re right. You’re a young man. A young man who knows where I can find the Crow, yes?” He furrowed his brow at the name.

Pointing at the corpses behind her, “Are you going to do that to him?”

Kaci shook her head in disagreement. “Worse.”

That perked him right up, “He has my sister. Just cut off her ear too. Can I help?”

Nodding, “First, you can help me sneak in quietly. Are there more children in there besides your sister?” He nodded fervently. “Good, they are going to need you to help get them out safely. Do you know where the Lion’s Rest is?” Again, he answered with a nod. “Take everyone there, tell the soldiers that someone sent you there, but don’t tell them it was me. That is our little secret. Understood?”

He had the same grin that Keiran got when she suggested a new prank. “Yes, m’Lady. I understand just fine.”

“What’s your name?”

“Karl, m’Lady.”

Kaci handed him a dagger from her boot, “You know how to use this, Karl?”

“Stick them with the pointy end?”

Kaci laughed out loud. “That’s the idea!” He showed her the rest of the way through the tunnels, winding through a series of twists and turns that she never would have found on her own. Abruptly, a guard rounded a corner ahead, a look of shock registering on his face a moment. Karl didn’t hesitate, shoving the dagger deep into his gut. Kaci grimaced, both for the blood now on Karl’s hands and for the horrible way that man would die. She motioned for him to continue through the tunnel. When he turned his back Kaci slit the man’s throat.

They encountered no more men in the tunnels before they came upon an uncharacteristically large chamber filled with doors. Karl pointed Kaci toward one, before running off to another. She put Karl out of her mind, he seemed capable and she had to find the Crow.

The rasp of her sword leaving the scabbard broke the silence. Kaci pushed the door open warily, taking each step on the balls of her feet to avoid making too much sound. The room beyond was empty save for a few chests stacked along one wall. At the far end of the room a single candle burned dimly on the floor next to a massive reinforced wooden door. Muffled voices came from the other side. She couldn’t be sure, but it sounded like arguing. Kaci thought for a moment. She couldn’t just bust through the door, blade held high, and expect to walk away unscathed. Or even alive for that matter. Her training had been adequate to keep her alive so far, but it was far from complete.

The door banged open, pulling Kaci from her thoughts. Light flooded the room, a man in the doorway shouted when he saw her. He reached for the axe at his belt. She lunged, slashing with her blade as she closed the distance. The man was quick, backing out of the way of her slashes just before they made contact. There was more yelling accompanied by the sound of weapons being drawn.

Including the one evading Kaci’s slashes, there were five men in the room ahead. Only one remained seated, a patch covering one of his eyes. Her gaze locked onto him instantly. “Well, isn’t this a surprise?” The Crow’s voice was not what she expected. On any other man, she would have liked to hear him speak more.

“It’s over, Crow.” As she spoke, Kaci snatched a throwing knife from the small of her back, throwing it like she had practiced so many times before. The Crow jerked out of the way, the blade lodging itself in the middle of his shoulder, the same place his other good eye had been moments before.

One of the men ran at her, the largest of them. His arms were four times as big around as her own. He lifted a massive hammer that she doubted she would even be able to lift. Kaci backed into other room with the chests, dodging his powerful swings. Her blade slashed across his ribs, dealing a blow that would have felled any other man, but his face didn’t even register the pain. Kaci faltered a moment, just long enough for him to drive his boot into her middle, sending her flying backwards into the large chamber filled with doors.

Kaci’s breath wouldn't come. She struggled to inhale but her lungs would not cooperate. Her blade lay on the ground just too far out of reach. The whirring of the big man’s hammer spurred her into action. She rolled, avoiding losing her head by a few finger lengths or less. The Crow came through the door followed closely by the other three. Kaci managed a gasp of air as a well armored man dove out from his hiding place behind the opened door. It was Captain Mikael. Light, I’m glad to see you!

[Steven]

Mikael Vars (NPC) Captain of the Freedom Guard Mikael wanted to run to her, but Kaci would have to fight for herself if they were going to get out alive. He waited for the last man to step through the door before making his move. With a leap, he swung his long sword in both hands with all of the force he could muster. His joints stung and his bones rattled as it found its mark. The final man to have walked through the door didn’t even have time to make a sound before falling to the ground, an oozing mess of blood and bone.

Quickly yanking his sword free, Mikael spun to face the other man who had conquered his surprise and was thrusting his own blade at Mikael’s gut. A swift parry and a side step deftly deflected the blow, but the man did not falter in his attack. He slashed and stabbed with skill and concentration, not the wild onslaught Mikael had expected. With a glance, he assessed Kaci’s battle with the hulk of a man and his hammer. The other, with the eyepatch, just stood and watched with a smirk.

A jolt of pain tore his gaze back to his opponent, he had let his concentration slip for too long. The man’s blade tore through Mikael’s shoulder, loosening his grip on his sword. It clattered to the ground with limp fingers. An armored boot slammed into his breastplate, sending him sprawling backwards into a hard stone wall, the breath forcefully expelled from his lungs. His vision blurred a moment but he could make out the outline of the man closing the distance between them. Mikael waited until he was nearly upon him, then grabbed the knife at his boot and stabbed it into the man’s knee. He yanked the hand’s length of steel free, kicked the man off balance, and slammed the blade into his ear as he fell. Gingerly, Mikael patted the knot forming on the back of his head. His hand came away wet with blood. He tried to shake the dizziness away.

[Steven]

Kaci Taravin Crimson Raven Kaci saw Mikael fall, but she didn’t dare take her eyes off of her attacker. He never seemed to tire, swinging that mass of steel. Even one blow, she knew, would end their little dance to his favor in an instant. She couldn’t manage to get close enough to him to land a meaningful blow. Already she had struck him several times, each one a glancing blow leaving nothing but a scratch if anything at all. The Crow stood back, looking impatient. He thought it was sport, and now he was bored. Kaci knew she was running out of time, if she didn’t end the fight abruptly, he would flee again.

After dodging a powerful swing, Kaci stole a glance behind her. There was a barrel up against the wall, a small crate leaned against it. Enough for her to get a foot up and gain a height advantage. She backed up, slowly, allowing each swing to come close enough to spur the burly man on further. The gleam in his eye told her that he was looking forward to the sickening crunch he would hear when his blow finally hit home.

Finally close enough, Kaci hopped up onto the crate pushing off the wall behind. She stepped up onto the barrel with her other foot, and continuing on with her momentum Kaci jumped onto the man as he was lifting the hammer high into the air. Her sword slipped down to the inside of his collarbone with no resistance, sinking down nearly to the hilt.

As Kaci hit the ground, she rolled. Regaining her feet, still carrying through the force of the roll, Kaci threw her sword at the Crow as if it were a spear. It sailed through the air with such speed that she was sure she had him. With uncanny speed the Crow side stepped the sword as it whistled by his air. His smirk never wavered. He leapt at Kaci like a cat to a mouse. Two glinting daggers appeared in his hands, so thin and sharp you could barely see them from the bladed sides.

The Crow snarled like an animal. Kaci grabbed both his wrists and fell to her back, a boot planted squarely in his middle, and launched him off of her. He sailed through the air, caught the ground with his shoulder, and began to roll. At the end of his roll he stood in one fluid motion. He continued his run towards the wall, kicked and flipped. He was facing Kaci, and wasted no time in throwing the daggers in his hands. With a flick of her wrist Kaci deflected the first with her sword, but the second left a deep gash across her left shoulder.

Kaci cursed his agility. Should would never match his unnatural speed. Before she knew it, the Crow was upon her again with two fresh blades in his hands. He came at her with an endless flurry of blades. She had managed to snatch her own long dagger from her boot for her off hand, and was matching each slash with a parry of her own. Quickly, her arms began to tire and Kaci knew she couldn’t keep it up.

As his attacks seemed to increase in speed, Kaci feigned a stumble. He paused a moment, turning his blade for a thrust instead of a slash. Kaci used the opening to slam her own dagger straight through the center of his wrist. An ear splitting scream left his lips, but Kaci didn’t stop. She brought her knee up hard into his groin. He stabbed at her with his good hand, but she was expecting that. Kaci brought her sword down between them from well above her head with all the force she had left. It didn’t even make a sound as the Crow’s hand was cleaved off at the wrist. He tripped backwards in shock, no scream escaping his lips.

The Crow sank to his knees, his mouth open in a silent gasp. Kaci slammed a boot into his face, sending him sprawling in a spray of blood and teeth. He made a gurgling sound as he tried to crawl away. Kaci kicked him over onto his back, his face now even more hideous than before. “Why the children, Crow?”

He made an awful sound, something akin to a laugh. “They aren’t for me, little Raven. Not for me!” He tried to laugh again, but could only sputter. With his remaining hand he flicked a coin into the air. Kaci caught it, turning it over in her palm. It wasn’t shiny or dull, but it was heavier than any coin she’d held before, and flat. Curiously, it seemed to bend slightly under the pressure of her probing finger.

A gurgling sound came from him, like he was trying to laugh again. “The Crow replaced by a Raven.” This time his cackle was clear, sending a chill down Kaci’s spine. “You’ll serve him too, in the end. We all do. This time a Raven. Prettier than the Crow, but just as…” a fit of coughs took him, he spit up a glob of blood before continuing, “…just as deadly. He will be pleased.” The Crow’s face contorted into a smile before he died.

Kaci stood staring at his lifeless body for a time. By all accounts, she should not have made it out alive. She was afraid. Or was she? There was no trembling in her limbs, no unsteadiness in her breath. Who have I become? She heard a groan. “Mikael! Oh Light, I’m glad you were here.” She ran to him, “How badly are you hurt?”

Mikael shook his head at her, “I’ve been in worse shape, I can assure you of that. Though this sword arm may take a few weeks to mend.” Out of nowhere, he laughed as if she had told the funniest joke he’d ever heard. “A Raven, huh? A bloody Raven at that!”

Kaci sighed. “Let’s get you back. We need to make up a story on the way back.” Mikael coughed, and nodded his agreement. It had been a long night, and Kaci couldn’t wait for her soft bed.