• Ever since my mother taught me how to lift a purse, my life has been turning from bad to worse. Granted, I was good at not being recognized. Always had a nack for disguise, comes in handy when you have to work the same place night after night, wouldn't want that huge brute of a guard to catch me stealing from him again. I was even so good that the barkeep only knew I was there when I stared him in the face.

    The best thing that ever happend to me, was when the Guild recruited me. Sure I knew they were there, but never in my life had I seen one. An assasin. They came to me one night, when I had just lifted 4 heavy purses. When I was in a dark alley, about to count todays gain. I saw this dark figure at the end of the alley, heard the unmistakable sound of a knife being drawn. I was seconds from bounding up the half-rotten staircase when he called at me.

    "Wait boy.. Listen, I can give you more than a life of petty thievery.." He tossed a bag of gems at me, the stones clacking loudly as they hit the stone wall next to me.

    "You... You are..." I had to swallow the lump in my throat.. "Are you here to kill me? Have someone marked me?" I managed to croak out.
    "No Boy.. But we are more than a few who have noticed you working this area for a few months now.. Impressive work on the disguises." He smiled at me, somewhat of chilling sight.. "Come now, take the purses and go home. Tomorrow, go to the north end of town and find a place called The Dagger. Ask for me there, Thurin." With that, he turned and walked up the alley, towards the street.

    I was stunned... The Assasins... They knew me...

    The next day, I found this shack standing next to a ramshackle 2 story building. It was dark, windows tainted and hardly any evidence that there was something inside. I open the door, creaking, the smell of smoke and cheap wine wafted out from the room. I went up to the barkeep and asked for Thurin. He pointed to the back where a heavy curtain was draped over a doorway. He handed me a wooden mug of stale thinned out ale and I went to curtain. I stood still, listening, trying to decide wether or not this was a good idea.

    I went through, after having a sip of the brew in my hand. Behind the curtain was a short hallway leading to a small wooden door, lots of markings covered the face of the door and most of them was unknown to me. I rapped 3 times on the door. Nothing. Them I banged harder on it. Still nothing. I finally opened the door. Inside, it was pitch black.

    "Hello!!" I croaked out, my voice failing me.

    "Step forward" Someone ordered me. I did. I almost kicked a table that was right in front of me. "Now, set down your mug" I lowered my hand and heard the thump when the mug was set on the table.

    "State your name and reason for being here" The voice from the dark said in a velvety, yet stern voice.

    I pondered for a second. "I go by the name Dagger and I was asked to meet here." Short and to the point and not giving any information about myself.

    "By whom?"
    "I would be a fool to mention names in a place I do not know to a person that will not reveal himself to me." It flew out of me before I even had time to think.

    A light came on, a slight tingle in my fingers and a sense of something wrong. Magic. I just knew it. From the corners of the room, all 4 of them, a low slightly green light emanated. The man in front of me was Thurin, besides him sat a slip of a woman, dressed in a tight black gown. It was hugging her form as if it was a second layer of skin. I could tell by her demeanor that she was the one behind the magical illumination. Her onyx eyes shone in the light, it even seemed that they could absorb the light as well as my life. Looking into them made me shiver. She was beautiful, dangerous and I just couldn't resist the urge to stare at her. Never before had I seen such a being. Her every move was with full intent and she knew the effect she had on me. I bet she has that effect on many men.

    In the space of only a few heartbeats, I knew without doubt that I wanted to have the same power as she did, not her magical powers, but the power over people. To imbue fear, relief, love. This was a picture of total power and I wanted have her and to have her teach me.

    Thurin cleared his throat. "Dagger, as mentioned, we have seen you and we know your skills in the art of change and bluff. If you are willing, we will teach you more and hone your skills. But only at a price."

    "Price?" My surprise was total. Why I had not seen this, I don't know. Of course it had a price. Anything has a price.

    "Yes, accept Assanthe as your mentor here and in turn, you will follow her orders to the point and bring back items of interest and informations of value to her. Also, you will be expected to stay under her tutoring for a number of years until she deems you ready for your first sash."

    As he was speaking, it was becoming clear that I had no choice really. If I said no, I wouldn't leave this place. So naturally I agreed. Assanthe nodded at me as I had now given my consent. I didn't know that she had spells activated that would now hold me to this promise.

    Within only a few years, I had learned much. I knew a great many thing about the workings of the Guild and about how I should fare. I knew that I wouldn't live long here unless I learned how to fight. Unfortuantely for me, I've never much of a fighter.

    One day when I was on a job with a higher ranking assasin, I discovered that our mark was in fact my mothers employer. The one that kept food on her table. The one that made sure she had a place to come and earn a living. He was said to have a Red Ruby Charm of sorts. We was supposed to make it look like an accident and recover this Ruby Charm.

    I couldn't. When things got underway, I ust couldn't kill him. So the older man jumped forward to deal with the owner of the Bar. The scimitar flashed once and the assailant fell over, his free hand clutching at a small dirk in his flank. I had sent the thin blade flying into him. The Mark fled the scene instantly and the assain turned angry eyes on me. He found his footing and advanced on me. His blade weaving in front of him, ready for any other flying daggers. As he came in close, he slashed out. I ducked, rolled once and drew my last knife. I turned low and stepped to my right just as the curved blade swished past me and tore a gap in my tunic. That half second was all I needed to drive my own knife into his neck. I yanked it out and kicked him square in the chest, sending him sprawling across a table, blood was spattering everywhere from his ripped vein in his neck. Thinking him dead, I turned and fled too. I ran halfway across town, all the way to eastern end, far away from the docks and hopefully far enough to clear my head before the rest of the guild be on me. I knew they would.

    After a few hours of rest, I had come to conclusion that I had to leave town. I made my way to the docks, with only a few simple things. I knew I had to go someplace where no-one would come for me. The Pirate Isles or Moonshae.

    But just my luck, I bumped into a huge sailor. "Sorry.." I said without much emotion.
    "You'd better be!" He almost yelled as a huge paw hit me squarely in the back. I tilted over and before I knew of it, several people crowded together in anticipation of a fight. But it never came. As I found my feet again, the huge man had me by the throat, dangling off my feet. He was being cheered on by many people in the crowd. Many shouts for him to clobber me and lock me up in a box. I tried in wain to kick him and claw at his huge wrists, but to no avail. Nothing I did would hurt him and my knife was not in my boot anymore. I was helpless, slowly being strangled. And I knew. Death is mercifull.

    And then all went black...

    It took me hours to escape the confines of the box and when I managed to get out on deck, I could see the ship closing in on a port city. I had no clue where I was and nothing in the area was familiar. The city was strange to me and the island seemed almost removed from all I had ever known. I was a stranger in a strange land.