Gareth stirred in his bed as the rays of the morning sun crept in the room. He felt like he was slowly chocking. His breathing was rasping and his joints were stiff. A sharp pain streaked across his chest as he tried to stretch. He forgot he had left his armor on last night. It had taken him longer to put it on last night and it felt like an eternity to undo all the fastenings. The last fastening that held the locked the pieces of the armor together snapped back and hit him in one of his sore areas, causing him to yell. He stopped himself. He didn't know if he had woken any of the other travelers and didn't want to. After the last fastening came undone, he removed the chest piece of the armor and examined himself. The wound that had been red yesterday was now a dark shade of purple. He knew that he would need serious treatment immediately. One thing he also knew was that his Speaker wasn't going to happy about this. The wound alone would put him out of commision for any major contracts for a few days at the least and what good was a Silencer who could only lie in bed? Even with the armor piece off he felt it hard to breath and could only take small shallow breaths.
After getting dressed in his normal clothes, he limped down the hall and knocked on Aki's door. He guessed that his ribs weren't the only thing he worsened when he jumped over the wall and landed hard on the ground. "We're going to the market again." He told her. "I'm also going to need your help. I need a healer. I... slipped... In some water and injured some old wounds."
It was morning and again they would have to traverse through the waterfront to get to the market. This time though there was hardly anyone around. Though it was morning there was no one out performing their duties. The entire area was devoid of life, except for a squadron of soldiers and guards and a boy watching them but not getting to close.
"This place has been quarentined." One guard had walked up to them and stopped them. "There's been a murder." Gareth recognized the guard as one of the merchant's escorts.
"Murder?" Gareth asked. "Yes." The guard answered. "Most likely a drug deal went bad between a dealer and an addict but we can't rule anything out so until then this area is closed."
"Drug deal my ass!" another guard shouted and marched up to them. "You know as damn well as I do this was the work of the Dark Brotherhood!"
"The Dark Brotherhood?" A small voice asked. It was the boy who was watching the guards. The soldier peered down at him. "Assassins my boy. Murderers for hire. They care nothing for innocence and decency. They do not value human life like decent folk. They only value how much it would be to end it. They care for none but their own. They use and userp until you've run out of usefulness and leave you bleeding in a ditch. They would end your life for the right amount of gold and they would show no sympathy or mercy even if you are a child. For them murder is just business!"
The little boy became frightened and ran off. "I've told you before not to scare the residents twice now." the first guard told the second. "Better they know and not be ignorant. Better they know that someone could have just payed for their death sentence." The second one replied then marched back.
"I'm sorry..." the first guard told them. "We're all under alot of stress and he may be right. The victim was a witness to a very important case and now, we just lost any chance of tracking down the Brotherhood. In any case why are you two here?"
"We're just passing through to the market district. I slipped on some water and tore open an old wound." Gareth replied. "Please don't make us take the long way around." The guard sighed then huffed, "Move along."
They arrived back at the inn around mid afternoon. Gareth walked into Aki's room and showed her the wound. "Well... If you would be so kind..."
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