Timestamp: 89th of Spring, 518 AV
The Kelvic lounged around enjoying a break from her jeweler’s table. Jaren had her doing stupid things again and she hated it. He’d acquired more stolen gems somewhere. They were of incredible quality and set in a large cluster necklace designed to really showcase whomever was wearing them. Jaren had slammed them down on her desk as if they meant nothing or had no value and told her to ‘cut them up’ and make something lesser of them… so he could safely sell them without the original owner getting wind of it. It half killed Kelski to even look at the masterfully cut and set stones knowing that an ignorant fool just wanting to make a profit was going to destroy them.
No. Far worse… Jaren was going to get Kelski to do it.
Perfect emeralds, the largest without a single flaw or inclusion, weren’t something the jeweler was likely to see more than once or twice in her lifetime. They just didn’t happen in nature. Kelski was upset and had left the project sit on her desk, hopeful that by the morning Jaren would change his mind. By then she’d have a chance to formulate a plan to present to him to rework the gems without destroying them. So far, her mind had drawn a blank. So while Jaren was out that evening with no plans to return that night, she was going to take that opportunity to get her mind off it in hopes that her brain would clear and an idea she could ‘sell’ him would fill it.
Master Li had often said when her mind was full, no ideas would come because there was no room for them. So Kelski decided she’d trade spaces with an empty stomach and full mind and go hunting to distract herself. Besides, the rats were getting bold again…. now that the cats had all conveniently been let outside to roam in the nicer late spring weather.
The Kelvic smiled, gathered her dagger, and headed out of her room/workshop and through Jaren’s room and out into the hall. She stalked barefoot down the shabby halls, dressed in an oversized boys night shirt and not much more. It fit her like a dress and left her warm enough for hunting. Light feet carried the predator to lower levels, her knife gripped in her hand, and her eyes scanning for fresh rat sign.
The basement was perfect. There was thick dust on the floor so her bare feet left tracks that mingled with the rat droppings and the little footprints where rats had passed, sometimes leaving little spidery marks where they drooped their tails. Kelski crept slowly forward, laying one foot softy down after the other, quiet, hungry, more than willing to score a meal here that would be far more satisfying than a meal granted elsewhere.
The shadows that were regular denizens down in the dark greeted her warmly, surrounding her and chattering almost distractedly. She welcomed their company though because it meant she wasn't so alone. And speaking quietly in Makath, she explained she was here to eat... to live another day longer if she could. They fanned out, reporting back that the rats where plentiful and fat here.
Kelski smiled.
Chirping and chattering, scurrying and the general busyness of creatures with unimaginable agendas met her ears as she moved slowly forward. They were here. In fact, they were all around her. Kelski took a grip on her dagger, one that was a modified hammer grip. She grasped the dagger as one would a hammer. Then she laid her thumb along side of the blade, pointing towards the tip, instead of wrapping around the knife. The grip allowed her to fling the blade unobstructed where it should get a full forceful turn before it struck the rat.
Kelski waited, deadly, until a rather fat large male rat stepped out into her path. She hurled the blade in an instant. The blade made a perfect arch and struck the rat in its side. It gave a death cry that sent the others scattering as it partially exploded from the force of the dagger penetrating its small body and in an instant opening its visceral cavity.
The shadows cheered her on silently as the Kelvic rose to retrieve her prize.
