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Gypsy finally woke up and sat in the bed with a groan, one hand to her head as she tried to remember everything that had happened. As it was, her body was telling her more than her scattered memory, sore in places she hadn't felt sore in in a very long time.

She pushed back her flame-colored hair and looked around the room until she found Tamlin, easily noting how unhappy he was at the moment. She could tell that he was expecting her to be mad at him but, for some reason, she wasn't.

Instead, she offered him a small smile and held her hand out to him, "Come here... I'm not going to kill you or hurt you... And Lareth will never find out about this unless you tell him," she told him softly, shifting her hand impatiently when he hesitated.

When he finally came over to sit beside her she gave a soft sigh, "I have to apologize to you, Tamlin. I should have explained about my demonic half to you before now. I just didn't think to do so. I have trouble being around the more powerful demons. Lareth gave me something that helps but the more powerful the demon, the less it seems to work. Ash showing up without warning shook my control since he's one of the oldest and most powerful demons in existence right now. Being an Incubus of one of the original lines keeps him young.

"Now from what I can remember from what happened, I have to tell you that you're very talented in bed. And you will make a phenomenal assassin when you're fully trained. That punch you tried would have broken my neck if it had landed," she told him, keeping her voice soft and the sheet around herself so that he wouldn't get shy on her.

Gypsy gave a soft sigh as he left and dropped back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She knew he hadn't believed her when she'd spoken about his skills but she'd been truthful with him.

As it was, it was going to take her the rest of the night to stretch in order to be able to move right tomorrow. She could feel her demon half grumbling inside of her and knew that it would be even harder to control it over the next few days. But with Ash around, she could switch things up and have him take over her duties until she was doing better.

She very much liked that idea and got herself out of bed with a wince, pulled on her robe and wrote the Incubus a note that she took with her as she made her way towards the showers. She slid the note under Ash's door and continued on her way.

After the shower, and a few stretches under the hot water, she could move easier. She knew she'd have to explain the switch in instructors, especially to Galen, but felt that it wouldn't be that much of a problem.

She went back to bed and found herself sleeping uneasily, something she simply dealt with. She woke up earlier than usual the next morning and went to beard Galen in his office, grinning as he held his head against a hangover. The hangover made the switch-up alot easier and she left to head out to the practice ring where Ash was reclining on one of the benches, managing to gain the appreciative eye of several of the soldiers in the process.

She just shook her head over that and assessed everyone then grinned at them all, "Congratulations, boys and girls, you get a surprise today. And for the next few days. You get a new training instructor. Do pay attention. You'll likely be given a test," she happily told them over their groans at her puns.

She was doubly grateful that no one could see the marks Tamlin had put on her skin, thanks to her protective leathers. She gave Ash a playful bow and gestured to the group then gave the soldiers a teasing wave as she headed back inside, managing to maintain a good distance from the Incubus in the process.

Ash crossed to stand in front of the group, his dark eyes managing to give Tamlin a wink without anyone else catching it, "Alright children... Today, you'll be playing with very sharp objects. They're called daggers and they can be alot of fun," he told them, continuing the 'school'-type puns.

After that, he proceeded to instruct them in assassination maneuvers that were also useful for those soldiers going into reconnaissance as well as the more basic soldiers. But he wanted Tamlin, in particular, to pay attention. Several of the maneuvers were very easy to work on, others not so much. And he easily noted how easy they were for Tamlin to accomplish...

Ash singled out Tamlin and one other soldier who showed promise for further assassin training and put them to harder maneuvers. He showed them how to keep a blade hidden, the numerous spots for 'accidental' hits that were actually fatal, and several others that were harder to do than they looked.

He decided right then that he'd take them both on for specialized training and told Galen so when the fort commander showed up to check on them. It would mean separate housing for them as well as separate training times and different classes, but they would both benefit from it.

In fact, just a few days of intense training and Tamlin would actually be able to join Ash on his next job.

While Tamlin was working on the harder maneuvers with the other soldier, only a little bit bigger than the boy but not by much, Ash set the others working at attack points on the pells.

After several hours of work, he sent them all to the showers then to their meal and classroom with Galen, though Tamlin and the other would be joining Ash instead in a different room. There, he showed them various ways to stay hidden, how to be totally innocuous, and how to play up their personalities so that no one would ever suspect them of being what he was training them to be and told them to practice all of them whenever possible.

When he finally dismissed them for dinner with a few hours for study or practice on their own, he went to arrange their housing changes.

Gypsy finally couldn't stay cooped up in her room any longer and moved into the practice arena for a bit of fresh air, moving in the near-darkness as she headed for the look-out post near the gate. She wasn't wearing her usual fighting leathers, though. She was dressed in a flowing robe of pale green silk that moved around her legs like it had a life of its own, her fire-colored hair free and flowing down her back as she moved up the staircase to stand at the top of the fort's wall where she could look out over the land beyond.

Behind him, Ash spoke up, knowing full well that the boy'd had no idea he was there until he did, "Go on and talk to her... You have to get used to talking to women at some point and she's a good start. Plus, I can promise you that she never lies, unlike most women..." he said simply then walked back inside the building.

Tamlin was NOT going to talk to her as he just didn't want to right now. He probably wouldn't talk with her very much anymore. Time with her just showed him how much of a child he was.
Not only in his way of thinking but as a demon as well.

Eventually he closed his book and went to stand with her.

"I am going to tell you that I am going to ask that Ash remain my instructor after you have had time to heal yourself or what not."

While she spoke to him of her life, he got the notion this was another lesson in learning how to be more understanding of others. Not a fun lesson and a small part of him felt slightly bad for her.

Then came the talk about being more than just an agent of sex. Again he was being told how he should be and how the amazing Ash fulfilled his duties as an incubi with a woman. Look into the heart ….blah, blah, blah… Whoop-de-fricken-do, he thought.

Tamlin clenched his fist as again she spoke to him as if he were a dawdling idiot child.

Phrases such as enjoy your youth, enjoy learning, and smell the flowers, was grating on his nerves. While everyone around him told him such things, he had no interest in such matters. He didn’t have much time left anyway. He had to finish his training and show his father he could handle himself before the old man was gone for good.

As she left after kissing his cheek, he looked out over the land angrily and muttered to himself.
“I don’t need friends, I will not enjoy myself as if I was carefree…and I sure as hell don’t need you in my thoughts anymore woman.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Over time, Tamlin absorbed all of what Ash had to teach him, but when it came to going out onto the field, Tamlin declined saying that even though he was physically trained well enough, that didn’t mean he was actually ready. It got him a raised eyebrow and look, but Tamlin didn’t care. Tamlin knew himself better than anyone else. If he said he wasn’t ready, then he wasn’t ready.

He practiced daily with the other soldier who was being trained with him, but he also spent much of his time in the library reading books. Different kinds of books, but mostly magic and health books were his area of study.

Not once did he look for Gypsy nor did he think about her. In fact he avoided her altogether.

He got his ‘feedings’ by standing near the stables as it was a very popular place for more than just the stable master. Once he was full, he would go and exercise, shower, read, and go to bed. Being tired from all his more self-inflicted training, he was too tired to dream which made it easier to rest and be ready for the same thing the next day. He filled out a bit more and actually had a nice build that was perfect for him.

As he was chatting about the best places to stab with his fellow trainee, Ash approached them both and told them a mission had come up. They were going to accomplish it together and the success would dictate whether or not they could be truly called assassins. It was a long term job as they would have to infiltrate and gain the targets trust before they could kill them.
Tamlin and the other demon nodded and through Ash gained the information they would need for their last test. They would have the rest of the day off to prepare.

The other soldier left to check on his family before he would return to pack. Tamlin simply went back to the barracks. He didn't need to see his family.
What was the point? They had their own lives and were very busy. Besides he had accomplished nothing to report to them anyway.
Tamlin looked at the packed bag he always had ready just in case, as he sat down on his small cot. That bag would become his friend for many more years….once he had fully finished his training and had proven himself; he was going to leave this damn realm. Leave and travel for a bit.

There had to be more out there...somewhere, where he could fit in and not be seen as a child.

As the troops were being trained by Gypsy, the dark portal opened in the central area of the training area. As it opened, Esabels hounds came spilling out of the portal followed by Esabel and then Ravor.

The hounds had surrounded Gypsy's group and howled to let their master know, her prey had been found.

Ravor looked around and wasn't very impressed with what he saw.
"You would think with a name like Lareth the Terrible, he would have a more fearsome looking soldiers...."