Oberon approached Troian instead. He hoped it would ease the tension if he were the one to take Ariadna but, when he too went to take hold of her, it was the assassin herself who shook his hands away and straightened herself up.
“I’m fine. I can manage.” she breathed, despite the same pain she had felt before lingering in her back now.
Unlike Vinn, Oberon was more patient with her and instead he offered her a skin full of wine to drink from. He had taken it from his saddlebag before approaching and it pleased him to see the assassin accepted it so keenly, taking it back only after she had satisfied her thirst.
The wine burned her throat as it went down but, Ariadna did not complain. Her throat had been so dry before, anything other than the taste of her own blood was practically heaven sent. She wiped her mouth of any wine which had dribbled past her lips and when she reached out to hand the skin back to Oberon, she let out a sharp cry and pressed a hand against her ribs as her body shook violently from a sudden, sharp pain.
“Ari.” Preeya cried. She rushed towards the assassin and gently threw her arms around her neck, being careful not to inflict anymore pain on her. Preeya knew what was coming next, and it hurt her to know that this was where they would be parting ways. She had not even had the chance to fully thank Ariadna and to show her appreciation for what she had done for her. Preeya felt her stomach twist at the thought of never seeing the assassin again and, unwillingly, she began to cry.
Vinn was taken by surprise the hardest when he found Ariadna wrapping her own arms around the priestess. He had not expected his hard-hearted assassin to do something as loving as to embrace another woman like that, even if it were but a mere hug. It was not a side of Ariadna which he was fond of. He thought it made her weak, and he fought hard to keep himself from sneering at the sight.
“Ariadna.” he said as a way of getting her to let go. It was a simple command for her to come back with him and the others.
The assassin looked to her remaining companions, first Preeya and then Troian, and she swallowed hard. Saying goodbye had never been an issue for her, only because Ari always avoided having to say it at all but, this time around she could not avoid it. And she hated how it made her feel – weak. Upset. Incomplete. All words which she had never used in front of Vinn and was not ready to admit to anyone with him standing right in front of her.
“I’m going back home.” she said aloud. Her words were intended for Troian in particular; as she knew it was he who was loathing to hear them the most. She limped towards him, ignoring the pain in her muscles the entire way. “Look after her. Who knows, we may meet again under better circumstances.”
Troian raised a hand to brush his knuckles against her cheek and he was filled with sheer delight when Ariadna did not pull away like before. Cupping her face gently, he pulled her closer and whispered,
“You don’t have to go. But if that’s your decision, then at least let me kiss you a final time.”
Ariadna pressed her mouth against his in response. Even that was exhausting and she could hardly keep herself upright, despite Troian’s arms around her holding her up. When she pulled away, she placed the tips of her fingers against Troian’s mouth when he tried to sneak in another kiss. Ariadna shook her head no and turned her attention to Preeya next.
The priestess was broken. Her eyes shone with tears and she did not know if she had the heart to say goodbye, not like this. Yet something urged her to speak nonetheless and what she said next was not what the assassin had been expecting.
“I love you, Ariadna Vikander,” she began. “Like a dear sister. I hate having to see you go but, I hope we’ll meet again. I don’t believe this will be the last time we see each other. Thank you, for everything. I have no way of paying you back,”
Ariadna pulled her into her arms again and squeezed her tight. She did not care about the pain she was in. “You have nothing to pay me back for. That’s what family does – we look out for one another, just as I trust the two of you will do after I’m gone.” her voice was on the verge of breaking but, somehow she managed to keep herself composed.
Vinn was growing bored with this tedious farewell. Not wanting it to drag on any longer than it already had, he finally approached Ariadna again and placed a hand on the small of her back and said, “Come. Let’s go home.” and he began to lead her to where his horse stood; he did not expect her to have the strength to travel on her own horse. With an unexpected amount of patience, he waited as Ariadna took hold of the saddle and rested her head against the horse; readying herself for some intense pain as she got on. A single nod of her head told Vinn she was ready and with one swift motion, he helped push her up onto the beast.
Ariadna bit back her tears but, she could not contain a sharp gasp of pain. She felt Vinn’s body press against her as he eventually mounted his horse himself and the exhaustion coursing through her body forced her to lean against him, for fear of not being able to hold herself up properly.
Vinn said nothing. Without a glance behind, he clicked his tongue twice and he and his men rode off; with Ariadna’s own horse being led away by Oberon. Leaving Troian and Preeya to watch with sad gazes as Ariadna Vikander finally left them; having completed everything she had set out to do.
60 –
Ariadna
Upon returning to the institute, Oberon insisted on a small celebration. He thought Ariadna deserved a warm welcome back, especially considering the reason she had left in the first place. He did not doubt that deep down she was not happy to be here again.
Ariadna said nothing to the men as they welcomed her back. She reeked of blood and sweat, her silver hair was covered in it and as were her hands and fighting leathers. She wanted to rest; to return to the solitude of her room and just stay there. As she sat down on a wooden stool in the main hall of the institute, she felt rather uncomfortable around the men all of a sudden. She had known them for years, trained with them, fought with them. Now everything here seemed so foreign to her. The assassin sat with her head held low and she braced her still trembling arms against her knees, leaning forward as the true extent of her exhaustion was beginning to take over. Her fighting leathers felt tight on her and she could not breathe properly. She just wanted to take it all off, here and now. But that would only attract attention which she was not in the mood for.
“It’s good to have you back.” a kind voice said to her.
Ariadna looked up and found Oberon standing before her with two cups filled to the brim with wine. She watched as he handed her one and the corner of her mouth tipped up as she took it.
“Thanks.” she replied quietly. Although she felt bad questioning whether she really meant it or not.
Thieves and assassins alike had already started making noise within the hall, feeling more excited about having a reason to get pissed again rather than having one of their own safely back home.
Ariadna did not care. She took a careful sip of her wine and then put the cup down next to her stool.
“I know you’re disappointed to be back,” Oberon began.
The silver haired assassin laughed at that and she leaned back on her chair, pressing herself against a stone pillar just behind her. She shuffled her feet around nervously.
“Am I really making it that obvious?”
Oberon could not tell whether that was a serious question or not. So instead he urged Ari to drink and try to relax her poor aching body, should she want to stay and enjoy the light festivity. He did not have a shadow of a doubt that she really just wanted to go and clean herself up and go to bed. Whose bed she was required to now sleep in and when, that was a question neither she nor Oberon wanted answering at the moment. Vinn would call upon her promise soon enough. As was his usual habit.
With a steady gaze, Ariadna looked around the hall in search of him. She could not find Vinn amongst the rowdy crowd of men, he must have slipped away into his room or his office. He had done a poor job of hiding how irritated he was about Ari escaping a second time a
nd she knew it. Ariadna downed her remaining wine in one go and, with the help of Oberon’s firm grip, she found her feet and excused herself from the hall. It felt like she had walked miles when really she had only gone down a series of steps leading away from the main hall, turned right and then right again to where Vinn’s office was located deep underground. Despite the amount of times she had gone to see him in this very room, Ariadna had to pause a moment in order to regain her bearings. Whatever Kanra had done to her whilst she was drifting in and out of consciousness during her days of captivity, it must have really fiddled with her senses.
The corridor leading down to Vinn’s office was always dark and it was always cold too. It was as though the man did not appreciate warmth, as there was never a fire burning in his office which could warm his visitors up as soon as they opened his door. No. It was cold before and after you went in but, it did not compare to the iciness of the man working within. It was his gaze alone which really chilled people down to the bone and hardly anyone ever came to his office willingly.
Save for Ariadna.
With her heart beating hard within her chest, Ariadna clenched and unclenched her fists; faster and harder the closer she got. She stopped in front of the office door, her fists bundled up tightly by her sides. She kept them like that a moment longer until her fingers started to ache. Then she relaxed them and entered the office without even knocking.
Vinn’s head shot up at her arrival and from where he sat behind his desk; the light of his candles a stark contrast to the darkness of the corridor outside, he smiled and ran his gaze down Ariadna’s body. It was a smile which the assassin could not make out the meaning of – joy? Or was it just to hide the complete disgust and utter disappointment that she had failed him again?
“Welcome home, Ariadna. Now that you’ve agreed to be back for good, a lot is going to change around here.” he said wryly.
There came the sound of the door clicking shut and the bolt locking. Ariadna moved her hand from the lock and took a step closer. She could hear her heart beating fast and then it dropped to her stomach.
“Oh, I know.” she replied. And as she stalked towards him, a slim blade dropped from the sleeve of her leather fighting gear; which she had not changed out of for a reason. She did not smile. She did not even laugh in triumph. Ariadna Vikander approached her leader with lethal precision and when she was close enough to take him by surprise, she allowed him only a glimpse of her blade flashing in the candlelight before metal met metal and Vinn’s own weapon kissed hers in response to her unexpected challenge.
Above them both, the sound of the wild party ‘honouring’ Ariadna’s return went on.
*****
The Institute didn’t react the way she had thought they would. Ariadna had left the office like a ghost, feet moving soundlessly over the stone floor. Vinn’s blood dripping off of the end of her blade in a steady patter, leaving a trail from his desk into the main hall. Even when she entered the hall, and the music had stopped, all attention on her. On the blade. No one had said a word.
She had been prepared to die; she had wanted it. When no one came to seize her, she dragged her eyes up from her boots and looked around the room, at the men she both hated and pitied. Oberon was the first to stand and as he approached her, she didn’t feel anything. Even if she knew she would die for her betrayal, she didn’t feel any fear or regret.
“That took a lot longer than we thought it would.” He mused.
Ariadna looked straight at him, the confusion plain on her face and when she couldn’t find the words to react, he began to explain. He told her of the plan that was hatched many moons ago, between the beaten-down brothers of the Anari. The plan that had been whispered of in the dark, in huddles and in quiet snippets of conversation. The men had had enough of their leader, who had once been a proud and honourable man.
“He became a monster, everything we do not stand for in our brotherhood. He became reckless and cruel, placing money and status above the lives of his men. Our brothers.” There was sadness in Oberon’s eyes as he spoke, “Too many of us have been lost over the years during stupid, impossible contracts just because they offered the most reward. Then you came along, and we saw a side of his cruelty that only fuelled our hatred for him. We were planning on killing him another way, something less extravagant than your method I must admit.”
There wasn’t an ounce of emotion in Oberon’s voice as he spoke of their plan to kill their superior. The men around the room were still, the air in the room feeling lighter and less tense than it had for a long time. Ariadna wasn’t sure how to react, she looked down at her dagger once more before asking, "So what now? What will we do?”
Oberon smiled at her, gently squeezing her shoulders, “We will restore this brotherhood to what it once was, an honourable Institute that protects the poor and the weak. We will no longer accept contracts from the cruel wealthy who wish to punish those who cannot defend themselves, or those who wish to make changes that will overthrow them. We will become justice, hope and safety once again.”
He looked around the room as if seeking permission to say his next part, the men nodded at him, some even starting to smile. “And you, disgraced priestess, our beloved sister, are free to go. We release you from your ties to us, you are forever welcome here but no longer a prisoner to Vinn.”
To everyone’s surprise, the blade in Ariadna’s hand slipped from between her fingers and she let out a sudden, sharp sob. She raised her eyes to the ceiling and then covered them with her hands. She could not bear to look at the others, for fear that they were judging her. Ariadna continued to cry until she finally managed to bite it all back. Wiping her cheeks with the back of her still bloody hand, she watched as Oberon leaned forward and pressed a kiss against both her cheeks. It was a silent invitation for her to finally leave and be done with this place, with The Anari, and with Vinn for good.
61 –
Preeya
There had been no hesitation in her voice when Troian had asked her where she wanted to go to next. She wanted to go home, to the last place she had seen her friends and her sisters. The place she had both missed and hated, where she had thought she had wanted to escape from and was now desperate to return to. It was a strange feeling, this longing to go back but, Preeya decided that even after all these years there was no better place for her.
The gates had been smashed open and she could see in the sand the many footprints and hooves that had been left behind where her sisters had tried to flee and had been pursued. The courtyard was deserted, the many empty rooms quiet and ghostly. Troian approached behind her on his horse and as he reached her side he asked, “So what now? What will we do here?” He could see her gentle, sad smile as she turned to face him. The single tear that rolled down her cheek.
“I should like to restore this place, I think. But it will be a safe place for all, not just priestesses. Orphans, widows, the poor, the sick.” She smiled at the idea, already imagining the rooms full to bursting, the small community that could thrive here. The children that could play and laugh. A new group of sisters taking care of those who needed it the most. But there would be no worshipping false gods, no talk of religious vows or compulsory prayers for hours on end. The more she thought about it, the more Preeya smiled and grew teary eyed. “It will be a place for all those who feel unwanted.” Preeya said and for the first time, in a long time, she took a breath of free air and trembled with excitement.
“What a fine idea, but I’ll only join in as long as I get to keep my vegetable garden.” A voice from behind responded.
Preeya span around in her saddle, a sob already escaping her throat as she saw Ariadna leaning against the gate, picking at her nails as if bored.
The assassin was not clad in her usual black fighting leathers. Instead, Ariadna wore a simple pair of tight black breeches and a loose tunic of the same colour. Whilst she may not have opted for a little more colour in her wardrobe, she certainly felt freer in clothes she could act
ually breathe in. It felt good, after so long, to not feel the press of leather against every inch of her body. Ariadna had even left most of her weapons behind at the institute, save for her sword and a single dagger – who knew when the time would come for her to need it again. If such a time ever did arise.
The sight of Preeya crying had Ariadna knowing she couldn’t keep the act up for long and she began to run towards Preeya, who had jumped down from her saddle. The girls fell into each other’s arms, holding each other tight and showering kisses over each other’s faces and hair. Ariadna pulled away far enough so that their foreheads touched. “We shall have the most magical vegetable garden in the whole entire world, sister, you and I together.”
Troian swung down from his own saddle and approached the girls with care. He shared in their happiness, yet could not help but ask, “How did you get out? Vinn, I mean – he let you go?”
Ariadna pulled away from Preeya and managed the smallest of smiles. She felt no shame as she replied, “Let’s just say my debt to the Anari has been paid. My services are no longer needed.”
Troian took hold of Ariadna’s face and went to kiss her, only she pulled away and pinched him in the ribs. “Ah, have you really grown that attached to me already? You have to work for my love and affection and you happen to be in luck, I’ve recently found myself growing keener to open up to those around me.” Ariadna paused to stick her tongue out at Troian after he managed to press a kiss against her cheek, anyway.
“It’s good to have you back.” Troian whispered.
Ariadna threw her arms over Preeya and Troian’s shoulders and began leading them inside the destroyed convent. “Now, I believe I’d overheard you talking about allowing unwanted people inside. Does that include any pretty runaway whores or disgraced mercenaries?”
The Anari Page 27
