11th Day of Spring, 513 AV Having a bow strung over your back isn't a deterrent to some people. How reassuring. Sitting in the alley, Erekez nursed his forearm. The blood didn't show signs of stopping any time soon and he had already lost enough for it to start becoming a problem. The trails had started to weave into intricate patterns as the blood ran down his arm, finally dripping off at the elbow. Keeping his arm up had reduced the flow enough that the blood on his fingers was beginning to dry. It still wasn't helping. At least he was better off than his assailant. Erekez wasn't sure what the thief had been hoping for, but once a dagger had been pulled, it was life or death. He was lying a few arm lengths away from where Erekez sat, in more blood than Erekez had lost, dead. He must've been desperate for something. It was early morning. A very risky time to try and hold someone at blade point, even if there was relatively few people on the street. Erekez could only sigh as his head fell back against the wall. He didn't care much for the man's reasons. It was him or me. And I'm not about to kneel to a thief's whim because he's got a dagger. His own punch dagger was next to him, covered in blood after a stomach blow. Punch daggers were better for people who had some training with their hands. They made a punch more lethal, but could still be used for slashing. Erekez wasn't keen on killing the thief. In fact, he'd waited for the thief to make the first move. If he cowered away after realising that Erekez wasn't an easy target, he wasn't going to be a problem in the future. When he attacked first, he had sealed his own fate. Leaving him alive would allow him to try for revenge later, and Erekez might not have been lucky that time. Alternatively, he could've tried for somebody different, and killed them instead. That wasn't fair. His shirt was beginning to stain red from the constant dripping. Sprays of blood had already gotten on his cloak as he had fought. Not a lot of people were going to keep quiet about a man holding a bow with blood over his clothing. Whether they'd believe it was his own or not. He needed to stop it now. Lifting the bow over his head and placing it on the ground, Erekez grabbed his dagger again. He'd need to have his movement unimpeded. Something that the string was doing. The cold iron did hold its edge well as it cut through the cloth of the thief's shirt. He wasn't going to need it. After a few strips of fabric later, Erekez began tying the strips around his forearm. Just another scar. He kept the material tight as he tied the knots, keeping the pressure on his wound. It was only a temporary fix, but it would have to do. For now, he needed to get out of the alley, and away from the corpse. A gasp from behind caught his attention. His heart hammered against his chest as he felt like a hand clasped his throat. Looking behind, Erekez saw the young woman, wide-eyed and hand covering her mouth. He doubted he'd be as lucky to try and convince her to keep quiet. Might as well go for the next best thing. Erekez reached for his dagger. "Get away!" He growled. The woman was quick to obey. It was time to take his own advice now. Taking his cloak off, Erekez wiped his dagger in the thief's shirt before replacing it on his belt. Picking up his bow, he wrapped his cloak around his forearm to hide it, letting the cloak hang over the bow. Perhaps the quiver wouldn't draw much attention? Unlikely, but it was the best he could do with the situation for now. Getting up, Erekez began a brisk walk to the other end of the alley, keeping his arm and cloak close to his body. Hopefully, it would hide any blood splatter on his clothes until he had a chance to get them out. He only hoped that the morning light and alley shadows covered enough of his face to be indistinguishable to the woman. After all, two different coloured eyes would narrow down any search considerably. Move quick when nobody is around, walk as normal when in the streets. Follow as many public routes as possible. More people will grow suspicious if they see you ducking in and out of alleys. It wasn't a case of 'if' she would tell. It was 'when'. Erekez needed to get far away for a while. How had he managed to get into such trouble this early in the morning? |