Raynna watched the dark shaft of her arrow sail through the air. The ebony hued projectile cut through the dense, smoke filled air with a purpose. Its carbon broadhead tip, sharpened with great care, designed for maximum penetration against any material its path should cross. She smirked as she imagined the razor sharp blades, leading the shaft, sink into the tender flesh of the battle-worn bodyguard’s neck, severing his jugular, spewing blood and life from his lithe figure.

The blabbermouth noble ran in a zigzag pattern, finding cover behind a large tree. Tristen, a local council member, hired her to scare the nobleman. Raynna could have easily scared the man through intimidation; saying the right words, in the correct tone. Scaring is for children, she thought. She believed that fear and pain made for a more lively motivation, one that caused the heart to race, and the mind to focus on the apprehensiveness concerning the choices one makes.

She deftly changed positions, moving toward her left, crouching behind the reddish brown outcropping of rock, protruding from the mountainside. Raynna took a deep breath. There was no time to think about her first kill, though a rush of excitement flowed through her veins. She could feel the wetness between her legs as she briefly thought about the agonizing pain the bodyguard must have felt when his life escaped his body; falling helplessly to the ground, clutching his neck.

The nobleman scanned the rocky, treeless cliffs in the direction from which the ebony arrow felled his bodyguard. The smoke emitting from the burning stable helped secure her clandestine migration toward the small thatch roofed structure, advancing forward while flanking her prey.

As she peered around the corner of the shambled home, she observed the nobleman. He was still searching the mountainside. Raynna notched an arrow into position, preparing herself for a quick shot if needed. He started to run along a pebble-covered trail leading away from the farm. Raynna pulled the bowstring back and measured his stride. After determining where his feet would land with each step, she let loose of the black braided cord. Her shot was true as it dug into the dirt directly in front of his foot. The noble’s toes caught the dark shaft of the arrow and he stumbled to the ground.

Raynna made haste, wrapping the cowl around her nose and mouth, shielding as much of her face from view as possible. Running directly at the man, she could see the fear in his eyes as he scurried backwards across the ground, trying to gain his footing. No sooner did he stand up than she was upon him and pushed him back down to the pebbled turf.

The nobleman crossed his arms in front of his face and cringed, turning his head away from Raynna. His tan robes with purple embroidery turned dark at his groin as he lost his bladder, pissing himself. Fear. Her wide smile of pleasure remained hidden behind the cowl. Chuckling quietly, she knelt in front of the noble. He lowered is arms slowly and looked at Raynna and then quickly averted his eyes. She only needed a moment to see the terror within his dark brown eyes, causing her already wet loins to begin simmering.

Opening the pouch that hung at her hip, she withdrew a small scroll of paper tied with a bright yellow string. As she grabbed his wrist to give him the message, she could smell the pungent odor of his urine, now staining his fine garment.

With a cold, steady voice she said, “Heed this warning and you will never see me again.”

Raynna stood quickly, watching the nobleman wince and cover his face once more, gripping the scroll. She strode to the fallen guard where she gripped the smooth black wooden shaft of the arrow lodged in his neck. Placing her foot on the dead man’s face, she pulled the arrow from him. Bringing the tip to her nose, she inhaled deeply, filling her nostrils with the earthy iron smell, much like a blacksmith’s forge.

Tucking the ebony projectile in her belt, she proceeded to walk past the noble nonchalantly, following the trail, which led to the road on the other side of the ridge. She could hear the nobleman praying to his god for sparing his life, sobbing, and thanking him or her. She did not care which it was. The gods had never been kind to her, never rescued her from the pain and suffering. Raynna trusted only in herself and her natural abilities, honed from many hours of training.

Raynna traveled the road approximately two miles before veering north into the woods, desiring to remove herself from the hot sun, which burned on her pale vampire-like skin, seeking cover under the protective branches of the forest canopy.