VI: An intruder.

'That hurt,' the young Bosmer girl said pouting.

'I don't have time for you,' replied the assassin. Sheathing his blade he entered his apartment.

'I thought you liked me,' the girl said, ignoring his remark. 'What was the point of that anyway? You nearly broke my back.'

'If I didn't like you you wouldn't be sitting here now. But as I said before, I don't have time for you, I have a lot of things to prepare and I can't have you running around distracting me.'

'Big job huh? Care to share with me what it's all about?'

'Not this time girl, too big for you to handle, let alone know about.'

'You keep saying that and then you disappear without me. How am I ever going to be ready for anything if you're not there to teach me about it? It's always the same, I'm too young, too inexperienced.' She said with a smirk.

'In this case, yes you are. I would have thought that our last fight was evidence enough of that.'

'Well just for your information, I'm an archer and...'

'You missed,' Hulhra interrupted her. 'All you had to do was take aim and let the arrow go and yet you missed.'

'I didn't want to kill you,' the girl replied, her eyes cast down.

'You see there's the problem, being an assassin is not about being the best fighter or archer in the world, there's more to it. You have to be ruthless. If you want to prove that you're a better assassin than I am then you'll have to kill me, no considerations, no remorse.'

'If that's true then why didn't you kill me back at the shrine when you had the chance?' the girl asked. Anger and despair were boiling up inside her, she knew she would never have the upper hand over her mentor but she wanted his recognition so bad.

'I did, the fight was over if I would have wanted it you would have been dead. As it stands however, I am your teacher, killing you is easy, instead I must try to teach you. If we'd kill our students all the time the Brotherhood would come to pieces in a single generation.'

The girl sank down on her knees, hands covering her face and her shoulder jerking with silent sobs. It was at times as this that Hulhra hated his position as a mentor, what wouldn't he have given to be her father now, to be able to comfort the girl. But he must be harsh

'Very well,' he said. 'I'll try to arrange a job for you.'

The girl looked up at him, the traces of tears glistening on her cheeks. She jumped up to him and flung her arms around his neck burying her face in his shoulder. He embraced her, for what else could a man possibly do against so much feminine charm.

'I knew you cared about me,' the girl whispered in his ear.

After a while he gently broke away from her, he had given in to her pleadings. And now a strange sensation crept through him.

'Can I stay here for the night?' Ireth asked, looking up at him.

'Just for tonight then, I will be busy tomorrow and can't have you around then.' He knew that denying her now would be pointless, or....was it really just her he was giving in to?

As they shared a meal at the Hanged Man, Brailor shared his usual banter with them. He was particularly taken with Ireth. Hulhra's mentioning that she was his apprentice did little to allay the Nord's curiosity. The Nord had no idea of the real nature of Hulhra's 'work' and couldn't stop wondering as to why the girl should ever want to become an express courier.

'Oh it makes perfect sense that this charming little sprite of the woods should be an apprentice Hulhra. But pray tell me good friend, why should she be exactly your apprentice?' the Nord queried blinking gleefully at Ireth.

'Frankly, she's not in the running to take over my job. During my last job I delivered a special parcel to her parents, they asked me to tutor their daughter about the world. The obvious advantage being that in my line of work I get to travel a lot.' Hulhra astounded the girl sitting next to him with the apparent ease with which he delivered these lies. And the carelessness and gaiety he displayed here were completely at odds with the strict and austere mentor she had always known him to be. For once, he actually seemed to be enjoying himself.

'Oh, I daresay that you've traveled to more cities than I switched cells in the Imperial Dungeons after they caught me for smuggling decades ago. I guess I should've taken up a different profession eh? The closest I get to the ladies is Arwen here.'

'Lamenting your fate again Brailor?' a rather plumpish Breton woman to his left said. And then to Ireth, 'Don't you mind him dear, he talks a lot but is harmless. Just an old man complaining about the consequences of his own foolishness.'

'Don't be too hard on old Brailor, Arwen,' Hulhra said. 'He just didn't have the chances in life that we had.'

'I s'pose you're right,' Arwen sighed. 'That's what I like about you though Hulhra, of all the regulars you've always seemed the most sensible. Why at times I wonder what it is that drives you to this place.' Then to Ireth again. 'You take an example to Hulhra girl, lest you should end up like me.' And with that she went off to take orders.

It was an hour after dusk when they left the Hanged Man. The skies were clear and twinkling with stars, the two moons were clearly visible in the night sky.

'Did you enjoy yourself?' Ireth's voice came softly but clearly and for a moment Hulhra was at a loss for words. 'Why do you ask?' He managed at last.

'You seemed to be enjoying yourself, you seemed different than usual.'

'Yes, yes I did enjoy myself, the Hanged Man is one of the few places that have that effect on me.'

The girl drew closer to his side. 'Good.' She said and hooked her arms through his. Hulhra felt once again the strange sensation he had felt earlier in the afternoon, and instead of pulling away he relaxed his arm a bit.

When they arrived in the street where Hulhra's apartment was she suddenly broke away from him.

'Where are you going?'

'The bathhouse, they should still be open for another hour. Don't worry, I'll be up soon.'

Hulhra watched Ireth enter the bathhouse. Alone he moved on to his apartment. As he entered a thought that had been haunting him all day suddenly struck him. What was he doing? If the Night Mother should find out what had happened today, she would have both their skins. Within the Brotherhood mentors were expected to be strict towards their apprentices. Whatever was going on, whatever he was feeling, it had to end. Even his status within the Brotherhood would not shield him from the fury of the Night Mother. When Ireth came in he would tell her that she had to go home, he would find her a mark but that was it.

'What are you doing there all alone in the dark Hulhra?'

Hulhra turned around and saw Ireth standing in the door opening, having left her clothes at the bath house for laundry she was naked safe for one of the bath house's robes. His breath halted, his heart cried out in insurrection, what if the Night Mother would have his head for it? He had to have her, had to have the love she symbolized.

With a single step he was standing directly in front of her and as he slammed the door closed he embraced her and their lips met in a first hesitant kiss. As the passion in their kiss increased her robe fell to the ground. Suddenly he lifted her gently up in his arms and laid her on his bed. Throughout the night the light of Jone and Jode pouring in through the window played a silvery spell across their joined bodies.

(c)2005 Deadyawn