The Assassin

by Trudie Collins

  “How is Hawk keeping out of the sun?” Sam asked in concern.

  Kantharos smiled. “My parent’s house has a cellar and he was happy to make himself a bed down there. No sunlight can enter it so he is completely safe.”

  The next morning they set off early with the centaurs leading the way. They took the quickest and most direct route and, though the humans had to climb in some places, none of them had any difficulties. Ria made a comment about the journey being much nicer without a rope around her neck, which Kantharos overheard, but he did not take offence, choosing instead to see the funny side, as Ria had intended.

  It was a tired group that finally arrived at the city. Those who had not seen it before were amazed, especially by the artistic paintwork which adorned most of the buildings. As the group was so large, Yali and Kentauride did not have room for them all in their house, but many other centaur families had offered to take in the visitors and rooms were found for them all.

  Kentauride wanted the ceremony to take place the next day, but Ria insisted that it had to happen after dark so that Hawk could be present. This caused a few problems as there were not enough lamps in the entire city to light up a large enough area, but Nosmas came to the rescue by volunteering his services. It would take him a while, but he promised that he would be able to magically create enough artificial lights for the ceremony to take place at the required time.

  As the hour drew near, Ria found that she was nervous. Ellen was with her, making last minute alterations to her dress and hair, and had to keep reassuring her that nothing was going to go wrong.

  Sam popped her head around the door to make sure that they did not need anything, then allowed Brin to escort her to her seat. The wedding was to take place in a large area close to the arena where social events were usually held and Sam gasped when she rounded a corner and saw what had been done.

  Lights seemed to float in the air, lighting up the entire area. When Sam asked Nosmas how he did it, he just said “magic” and winked at her. The centaurs had no seats as they had no use for them, so tables had been put in place for the humans to sit on. The entire area was crowded with centaurs. They were lined up along a central aisle down which Ria was to arrive. Tor was standing with Patrick at the end, nervously pacing up and down, and a number of centaurs had positioned themselves to the side, each holding a different musical instrument. The entire scene looked like it came from a fairy tale.

  Brin and Sam took their places beside Nosmas and Quartilla, with Hawk seated alongside them. River and Grimmel had been placed closest to where the ceremony was to take place.

  The table opposite was for Tor’s family. Seth, Dal, Brodin, Reena, Cirren and Tibia sat softly talking together while waiting for Ria to appear.

  “Are you sure you want to go through with this?” Patrick asked Tor as they stood with the centaur chief. “It is not too late to back out you know.”

  Tor smiled. “It was too late a long time ago,” he told his friend. “I have been in love with her almost from the first day I met her, though I did not realise it. Kentauride knew before I did. The last time I was here she was sceptical about Ria just being a friend and it took Ria saying she was going to marry someone else to make me realise she was right.”

  Patrick laughed. “At least you worked it out in time. Ellen had to die before I got my act together.”

  Their conversation was brought to an abrupt halt by the centaur musicians bringing their instruments to life. Both men turned around and spied the bride. She was sitting sideways on Kantharos back as he walked slowly towards them. The sight left them both speechless.

  Ria looked stunning. She was wearing a cream coloured, full length, off the shoulder silk dress that hugged her waist and emphasised her cleavage. White flowers had been threaded into her hair to form a headdress and she carried a matching bouquet.

  “Where has she hidden her knives?” Seth whispered to Dal, who was too enthralled with how good Ria looked to react.

  Other than the music, no sound could be heard as the bride made her way past the wedding guests to where her groom was waiting for her. Patrick left Tor’s side when Kantharos stopped in front of him and helped Ria down.

  “You look gorgeous,” he whispered to her and kissed her cheek before taking her hand and handing it to Tor. “She is all yours,” he told him, before stepping to the side so he was not blocking anyone’s view. Kantharos walked over to stand with his mother.

  Yali looked at them both and smiled. “Are you ready?” he asked. Both nodded.

  He then raised his head to address the audience. “We are here today to join Ria and Tor in wedlock. As witnesses, you are agreeing to give them all of the help and support they may need in order to stay true to each other. If anyone feels they cannot make that commitment, they should leave now.”

  He paused, giving everyone the opportunity to abide by his request. Sam grabbed Hawk’s hand and squeezed it tight. She glanced in his direction, but his face was unreadable. He made no attempt to stand up, which filled her with admiration. She understood how he felt and knew how difficult it was for him to remain seated. She had not attended Brin’s wedding, but had she done so, she would not have been able to keep silent as he married another woman.

  After a moment, Yali continued. “Tor, you have agreed to take on the role of husband to Ria. This is a great responsibility. You must provide for her and protect her. Her needs must always come before your own. You must be faithful to her and never tell her a lie. Are you prepared to accept this responsibility?”

  “I am,” Tor replied in a loud voice.

  Yali turned to Ria. “Ria, you have agreed to take on the role of wife to Tor. This, too, is a great responsibility. You must always be there for him when he needs you. You must give him council, guidance and affection. You must provide him with strong healthy children.” Ellen, who was looking at Ria, glanced towards Tor. Somehow he managed not to react to the statement, other than to take his eyes off Ria and look at Ellen for a moment.

  Only Patrick noticed the look that passed between the two and Yali continued. “His needs, and that of your children, must always come before your own. You must be faithful to him and never tell him a lie. Are you prepared to accept that responsibility?”

  “I am,” Ria replied, though in a much softer voice than Tor’s.

  “I have been told that you have prepared your own vows,” Yali said. Bride and groom both nodded. “Tor, you may go first.”

  Tor and Ria had both been standing with their backs to the congregation, facing Yali. Now they turned to face each other. Tor was still holding one of Ria’s hands and gently took hold of the other.

  “Ria, from the moment I first set eyes on you I knew you were special. I am ashamed to say that it took the thought of losing you to make me realise exactly how special you are. I love you with all of my heart. You are a truly beautiful person, and I am not just talking about your physical characteristics. I promise to dedicate my life to you and cannot thank you enough for allowing me to stay by your side and grow old with you.”

  Brin glanced at Sam, who was wiping a tear from her eye. For a moment he was worried that the ceremony was making her think about the fact that she would never get married, but when he looked around he noticed that other women were crying, including Tor’s mother, and he realised that she was just moved by Tor’s speech. Ria, too, had tears in her eyes.

  “Your turn,” Yali promoted her once Tor had fallen silent.

  “Tor, from the moment I met you, you have been a tower of strength, always pushing me to do what is right rather than what is easy. You have been my protector, even when I rebelled against it. I fell in love with you a long time ago, but thought we could never be more than friends. You declared your feelings for me in a letter and I will treasure it for the rest of my days. If ever we are apart, I only need to read those words to know we will always be together in our hearts. I still cannot believe that you have chosen me as your bride and I will be proud to call myse
lf your wife. I could never love another as long as you are still in my life.”

  Sam, who was still holding Hawk’s hand, felt him tense beside her.

  “Who has the rings?” Yali asked and Patrick stepped forward once more. He handed a small gold band to Tor and a larger one to Ria.

  “Repeat after me,” the centaur chief said to Tor. “I ,Tor, take thee, Ria, to be my wife.” Tor did as instructed. “Now place the ring on her finger.”

  Yali then turned to Ria. “Repeat after me. I, Ria, take thee, Tor, to be my husband.” Ria’s voice broke as she said the word ‘husband’ as if she could hardly believe it was really happening. When instructed, she placed Tor’s ring on his finger.

  “These rings bind you together as man and wife,” Yali said loudly. Then he smiled at the happy couple. “You may kiss the bride,” he whispered to Tor.

  This was one instruction that Tor was happy to follow. He pulled Ria towards him, released her hands and slipped his arms around her before kissing her passionately. A cheer rang out, but he did not hear it as time seemed to stand still. How long he and Ria were kissing he had no idea, but his attention was brought back to reality by Patrick loudly clearing his throat.

  “You may want to cool it a bit until you are alone,” Patrick said, just loud enough for all of the spectators to hear. They broke apart and Ria’s face flushed red with embarrassment.

  Then everyone was on their feet, hugging and kissing the happy couple. Except for Hawk. Sam was not the only one to notice him keeping his distance and a number of people asked if he was alright. He lied and said he was, so nobody enquired further.

  Reena approached the happy couple and Tor tensed. He knew that Ria was not the sort of bride his mother wished him to take and, despite her good behaviour so far, he was afraid she would say something to upset his new wife. She hugged her son and kissed him on the cheek. “I am very happy for you,” she told him, taking him completely by surprise.

  Then she turned to Ria. “Welcome to the family,” she said and hugged her new daughter-in-law affectionately. “I hope that you are as happy together as Cirren and Tibia are.”

  Tor glanced at Brodin, who was standing beside his mother. “I hope you realise that mother is now going to dedicate her time looking for a suitable bride for you,” he teased.

  Brodin grimaced. There was more truth to Tor’s words than he wanted to admit.

  “Time for the feast,” Kentauride called out and centaurs and humans alike made their way to the arena where tables had been laid with food and drink. Before it could begin, however, Sam shouted out that Ria needed to throw her bouquet. This was not a tradition that most of those present had heard of, but Sam had mentioned it to Ria during their journey up the mountain and she thought it was a great idea.

  All of the unmarried maidens, centaur and human alike, congregated together in a clear area to the side of the arena and Ria turned her back to them.

  “What is going on?” Brin whispered to Sam.

  “All single women stand behind the bride and whoever catches the bouquet when she throws it will be the next to be married. It is just a stupid tradition where I come from that I mentioned to Ria and she thought it would be fun.”

  “So why are you not there?” he asked her.

  She turned to face him, a serious look on her face. “Because I am never going to get married,” she told him in an even voice. She did not sound sad, but that did not stop Brin thinking she was.

  “Sorry,” he said. “I should not have said anything.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I am fine with the way things are. Honestly. I do not need a ceremony to tell me you are mine.” She kissed him and turned her attention back to the crowd in front of her.

  Ria threw the bouquet high into the air and, despite the height advantage the centaurs had, somehow Quartilla managed to leap up and grab it. Tor laughed and slapped Nosmas on the back. “It looks like you will not be single for as long as you think my friend.”

  Quartilla ran up, clearly delighted with having caught the flowers. “This changes nothing,” Nosmas said to her. “The condition about your age still stands.”

  “I know,” she told him. “This is just a bit of fun.” The look she gave him, however, suggested that the conversation was far from over and would continue once she had him alone.

  The excitement was over, so everyone turned their attention to the plethora of food that had been spread out over the multitude of tables. The centaurs had done an amazing job at such short notice and a number of the visitors were heard declaring that it was the best wedding feast they had ever seen.

  Once everyone had eaten their fill and numerous speeches had been made, it was time for dancing. The tables were moved to the side of the arena and the music began. The humans were surprised to see the centaurs dance and were more than a little impressed. Hawk watched as the various couples took to the dance floor, but as soon as the first dance was finished, Brin handed Sam over to him and he was forced to join in.

  Partners kept swapping until nearly everyone had danced with everyone else. As one song ended, Hawk bowed to his partner and made to leave before the next song could begin, but his arm was grabbed before he could take a step.

  “You would not deny the bride a dance would you?” Ria asked.

  Try as he might, he could not say no and slipped his arms around her.

  “I remember how you danced with me at the ball in Kavern,” she whispered in his ear and stepped onto his feet. He rose slightly off the ground, resisting the urge to fly off with her.

  “Thank you for coming,” she continued once they had settled into the rhythm. “I know how hard it was for you.”

  He relaxed his hold on her so he could look at her. The smile that had been on her face since she and Tor had been pronounced man and wife had gone and she seemed almost sad.

  “I was awake when Sam and Brin came into my room after I had been stabbed,” she continued. “I heard you confess your feelings for me.”

  A sudden desire to run away flowed through him, but he managed to resist it. She removed one of her arms from around his waist and placed her hand on his cheek. “You are a truly remarkable man and I am honoured that you wish we could be more than friends. If I did not love Tor, who knows what could have been. You think that you are doomed to be alone because you are a vampire. That should not matter. If a woman uses that as an excuse, then she is not worthy of you. If my heart had been free to give away, we could have found a way to make it work and I know, someday, you will find someone to settle down with.”

  Hawk did not know what to say, so he kissed her softly on the lips and pulled her tightly to him once more. “I do hope things work out for you and Tor,” he whispered in her ear. “I only want you to be happy.”

  “I know,” she whispered back. “And if things go wrong, you will be the first to know.”

  “I will hold you to that,” he told her then swung her round, making her laugh lightly. Sam had no idea what went on between the two of them while they danced, but she was pleased to see a smile on the vampire’s face when he eventually handed Ria back to her husband.

  The party was still in full swing when Tor announced that it was time for him and Ria to depart. Kantharos had moved out of his family home and into his own house since the group had last visited and had offered it to the bridal couple for the night. The bed was higher than a human bed, but nobody thought this would be a problem. It was also much larger than a human bed, which caused more than one of the group to make a vulgar remark or two, all of which Ria and Tor ignored.

  None of the revellers were in the mood for sleep, so the dancing continued for a few more hours until tiredness set in and eventually they all departed, making their way to whichever house was putting them up for the night.

  It had been a fantastic wedding and nobody really wanted to leave the centaur city the next day, but they had all been away from their homes too long and it was time they returned to their duties.

&nb
sp; After thanking Yali and Kentauride for their hospitality and promising to return in the not too distant future, all of the non-centaurs began their journey down the mountain. Once flat ground was reached they went their separate ways; Cirren and Tibia headed north while Seth, Dal, Tor, Ria, Brodin and Reena headed south. River and Grimmel travelled with them until they arrived at a junction in the road where Remeny was in one direction and Gitwerc in another. Grimmel wished to introduce River to his family, so they had decided to go there before settling down with River’s people.

  Hawk opted to travel with Brin and Sam. He had grown to love their daughter and wished to watch her grow and they were both more than happy for him to build a life for himself with the elves. Saying farewell to Ria was hard for him and he hugged her tighter and for longer than was really appropriate, but only Sam noticed.

  That only left Nosmas and Quartilla, who surprised them all by announcing that they would head to Thauma. Nosmas had been offered a place on the council and he had decided to accept it, claiming he needed to settle down in one place and have a steady job if he was to get married in the next few years. Quartilla was still carrying Ria’s bouquet and waved it under Nosmas’s nose when he said ‘a few years’.

  The journey to the Eshden forest was long and uneventful and the three travellers were weary by the time they reached the edge of the forest. It was the middle of the night, but members of the Home Guard still greeted them before they entered, Nisse among them. Brin had sent word of their imminent arrival by fast messenger and was pleased to see his friend’s smiling face.