"Jus' need a favor." Ally said, her fingers curling almost unnoticeably at the word favor. Luckily, there was a reason she had taken his wallet. Favors made debt, but she always payed the debt off right away, even if it was with someone else's money. "A gypsy wagon."
"Are you kidding? Do you know how much work it is to get those, let alone replace them?" The man shook his head, muttering something about her being crazy.
Alright then.
"Hmph." She looked off, at the intangible figure of one of her usual spirit companions, playing to the fact that it weirded Nikolai out. "Say, how's 'at new girl o' yours doin'? Alexia, was it? Daughter of the Duke out in Weston?" That got the response she wanted. Nikolai's eyes grew wide as the blood left his face. She shouldn't know about his girlfriend. Nobody should, in fact, because he was working so hard to keep her a secret from the nasty people he associated with.
Dorian looked up at Ally and then to Nikolai then back to Ally and then to Nikolai, “Alexia? How did you manage to get in contact with her?”
“Contact her? Oh, no, yer mistaken.” Liar. You took her out for lunch to get to know her a bit. Ally raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. “Pretty little thing, for sure. Ain’t never seen eyes that blue.”
“Don’t you touch her, Ghost.” Nikolai warned, though his voice shook wavered slightly. She had him where she wanted him, and both of them new it. “I’ll get you your wagon.”
“Now. We need the wagon now, Nikolai.”
“Wha-. I can’t get it that quick, bit with-“
Ally pushed off the wall, just shifting, but not bothering to let him know that.
“Fine, Fine, alright. Follow me.”
Dorian relaxed his grip on his sword ever so slightly, hardly noticeable as he followed. He glanced at Ally, then back to Nikolai with a look that read How’d you know that would work? he knew he shouldn’t be surprised yet a tiny part of him was.
Ally just tapped her temple with two fingers, once and then twice. It worked because Nikolai wasn’t a bad man. He got attached to people, cared about them, all while unwittingly putting them at risk. Risk to people like her.
Nikolai led them along a winding path of streets and alleys, before they reached a parking lot of sorts full of tied up wagons and caravans. “Wait here, I’ll go grab it.” He said, slipping off between the wagons. Ally looked up at the roof of one of the neighboring buildings, signaling Gyriel to follow him and make sure he didn’t run.
Dorian drummed his fingers lightly against the hilt of his sword, eyes following Nikolai before they drifted back to Ally, “I’d ask how you knew about the girl but then again, I don’t want to know.”
“‘Cause I know Nikolai. And funny enough, runnin’ into her was more by accident. An accident that turned out in my favor.” Ally said, shrugging a shoulder. “When fortune allows you that happenstance, take it up.”
“You’re not wrong there.” He mumbled, rocking back and forth on his heels. He hoped Nikolai would hurry up. The quicker they got moving the better.
A few minutes later, Nikolai returned, leading a horse pulling along a caravan. “Here’s your damned vehicle. I really hope I never see you again, Ghost.”
“Most people feel that way.” Ally said, shrugging a shoulder so nonchalantly it seemed she really couldn’t be bothered to care. “But I’m sure you’ll see me again. Somewhere. Have a nice night, Nikolai.”
"Thanks for the help." The Prince sad, nodding slightly to the other male. He headed over to the horse, giving it a few strokes on his nose.
"You seem a good enough guy. I'm not sure why you're hanging out with the likes of her, but I suggest getting out as soon as you can. She's nothing but trouble." Nikolai warned Dorian, shaking his head and flashing a slightly fearful look to the assassin, who was checking the harness of the brightly colored and intricately carved caravan. She was making sure the harness wouldn't dig into the steed and harm it, but nobody needed to know that.
"He's not wrong." Ally said with a shrug, as Nikolai disappeared again. "But you need my help for now, so I'll play nice. Ish. Now c'mon, we wanna get outta here quick."
“Thanks for the warning, I appreciate it.” Dorian replied, giving Nikolai a two fingered salute before he disappeared form view. He climbed onto the caravan, nodding to Ally to let her know he was ready to go.
Ally snorted once Nikolai was fully gone, shoulders relaxing from their rigid position as she swung herself up onto the caravan with minor difficulty thanks to her height. She settled on the bench, clucking her tongue softly three times, which somehow got the horse moving. "An', we're off."
Dorian sighed, crossing his arms and leaning back slightly, "So, how does any actually get into the whole…. assassin business, anyway?"
“By killin’ someone high up on the ladder.” Ally said, glancing over at him and then past him at something that wasn’t there. “And then decidin’ that there are more people that need to die. The money just kinda happened out of nowhere.”
Dorian raised a brow but shrugged, unfazed, "I mean you're not incorrect, even if assassinating people is in the wrong. Surely there's someway to get rid of people that doesn't involve killing them? exiling them to another continent or something?"
"Death is the only sure removal of some people. The only sure way t' keep 'em from comin' back over and over." Ally said, shaking her head. She made the deaths slow and painful, but he didn't need to know about her need for punishing these people before killing them. "Besides. If ya plop a bird down in a different forest, and it don't fly away, it's gonna adapt. It'll learn the new rules, learn t' thrive instead o' just survive. They don' stop just cause they're in a different place."
He sighed, leaning forwards onto his knees, "I guess you have a point there. Even if I didn't wish you did, you do," He ran a hand through his hair, "Guess I need to get out the castle more after this… that's if we survive, that it."
“Let’s hope we do. I’ve got people t’ take care of, an’ it’s way harder t’ do that when you’re dead than alive.” She said, closing her eyes and tilting her head back for a moment. Those scars on her neck stood out with the movement, for her a reminder of things she wished she could forget, and for everyone else, usually an attempted conversation starter. “The more ya know the world around you, more likely you are t’ survive.”
"Fair point," He looked over and noticed the scars before looking down at his lap. Did he ask the personal question and potentially get slapped or try and strike up a conversation… "How'd you get those scars?"
She stilled, eyes still closed and head still tilted back, as something dark flickered across her expression. "From my first kill, o' course. Tha' was my personal kill." She left it at that, words open ended as though willing to give answers if prompted, but not by herself.
He nodded a little, leaning forwards, "How long ago was that?" He was curious now. At some point he knew he should stop asking questions but he was going to be stuck with Ally for a while so he might as well try and get to know her.
"Two years ago." She said, one hand coming up to trace the scars. "I spent three years….'living' with the man I killed, before finally killin' him. At that point, there was no other option." It had been the only way to get herself and the others free.
Dorian nodded, looking at the scars for a moment before looking at her face, "Who was he?"
