[Madga & Sable Nightwalker]

The alley's tense atmosphere shattered as the drunk started yelling.
There was no shortage of self-righteous knights and meddling
spell-slingers within the Dragon's Inn who would like nothing better than
to rescue these two from her and the others.  That meant she had to
silence him, and quickly.

Magda stepped forward and thrust her blade at William, seeking to pierce
the man's lung and heart and thereby silence his cries.

[Emmon Filgers]

"By Vell's Three....," Emmon swore.

"Just keep screaming," he ordered while knocking William to the ground -
and out of the way of the woman's blade.

He ducked low and took a swipe at the female assassin's leg as he went
past - trying desperately to get out from between the two knifes.

[Magda and Sable Nightwalker]

Her left blade dropped automatically to block the detective's dagger, while
she shifted her thrust into a somewhat clumsy swing at Emmon.

Meanwhile, Sable was running forward intent on taking care of the screaming
man.

[Emmon]

For the moment all Emmon could concentrate on was his own survival - and
he barely managed to get past the woman's swords.

But dark allys have a knack for hiding many dangers - some as lowly as a
drunk's abandoned bottle, and Emmon felt his footing go.

[Eric]

Still screaming at the top of his lungs, William shot past him. Eric could
have easily reached out, grabbed him and slit his throat before William
took three steps... and if it weren't for the rather high population of
this particular dark alley, he would have done just that.  Unfortunately,
there were FOUR people to kill here, and not just two.  One was busy with
the detective, but that would probably change in the next few seconds.
It was time to take advantage of the confusion while there was still
something to take advantage of.

Eric ran across the alley and grabbed William around the neck-

"S'scuse me-"  said Eric.  "You're needed elsewhere...."

He spun and tossed the struggling William right into Sable's path.
Hood was right behind him, using William as a human shield.    Sable
would probably impale the boy, hoping to get them both... that would
be excellent...

[Magda and Sable]

Magda moved in swiftly after the fallen detective.  She kicked out
viciously, aiming her boot for his groin and seeking to stun the man or at
least take the fight out of him.

Meanwhile Sable did indeed thrust with his left hand to impale William and
put an end to his shouting before more people arrived to complicate this.
His other sword remained at the ready, waiting to see what the other
assassin's gambit was.

[Emmon]

Emmon managed to bring his leg up to protect his more vital areas, but the
woman's kick was still more than enough to send pain shooting through his
leg.

He was at a bad angle to catch her leg, but he took a swipe at her calf
while he tried to scoot towards more open ground.

[Magda]

She felt the knife glance across her leg, drawing a thin cut on her
leathers, but not quite reaching her pale skin beneath.  She responded by
bringing her boot down again, this time aimed for the man's wrist to disarm
him. And second kick took him in the head.

[William]

"AAAAA!"

William couldn't tell whether it was luck or some small remnant of the
fighting skill that Perrin had tried to teach him in the past... whichever
it was, Willam managed a half-trip, half-dodge that sent him stumbling to
the side.  Sable's sword thrust past him... giving him a painful but
nonfatal slash along the right arm.

[Eric]

Hood stayed with his prey, stepping skillfully alongside the drunk,
keeping William between him and Sable.   At the last second,
he spun away and slashed at Sable's exposed sword arm... aiming
for the tendons in the wrist.

[Emmon]

The investigator's scream joined William's as his wrist snapped beneath
the blow of the assassin's heel.

[Magda]

A slight smile touched her lips as she kicked the dagger away.  Nothing
left but the finishing thrust.  She stabbed at the downed man, first with
one sword then with the other.

[Emmon]

Despite his world being one of swirling lights and a throbbing wrist the
hint of movement gave Emmon the chance to twist - taking a slash down his
side, but the second sword took him in a lung.

[Sable]

A normal man would never have even seen the blade coming, but Sable was
much better than normal.  While he couldn't avoid the strike, he did manage
to roll his arm and take it along the back of his forearm instead of in the
vulnerable tendons.  Even as Eric's blade was carving a bloody gash in his
arm, he thrust his other sword low seeking to impale the man while he was
open.

[William]

William caught a glimpse of metal as Eric struck, and an glimpse of even
MORE metal as Sable counterattacked.  William's drive for
self-preservation took over while his own drunken mind was still trying to
figure out what was going on.  William dashed to one side-

[Eric]

Eric's hand shot out like a serpent's strike.  He grabbed William, and
with a almost graceful twirling motion, he sent the drunk spinning right
into the path of Sable's lunge.

"URK!"  William's eyes widened in shock.  His expression was priceless...
he knew he'd been stabbed, but wasn't quite sure just how it had happened.

Eric ended the boy's confusion when, almost as an afterthought, he reached
around and slit the boy's throat.  By the time the first jet of blood
spurted from William's new mouth, Eric had spun away from the boy.  He
intended to lash out at Sable while the man's sword was confined to
William's intestines. But Sable had already proven to dangerous for that.
Eric turned his slash into a feint, then backed away into the shadows
while surveying the situation...

[Emmon]

Emmon was faintly aware of the struggle, but mostly he was too busy
coughing up blood.

[Elektra/Brion]

Near the mouth of the alley voices could be heard as Brion Hillrover, the
local Bailiff, escorted Elektra, Allenel Gilford's secretary and
apprentice, out of the Dragon's Inn.

"We can cut down the alley," she said, "The one by the Inn is always safe
enough...."

"That's foolish, lass," Brion said, "I hope ye and Serun aren't foolish
enough to use it often..."

"We'll there are ways of side stepping some problems," she added.

[Sable and Magda Nightwalker]

Sable had taken a step back to watch the shadowy figure of Eric Hood. Magda
was about to drive her blades into the helpless form of Emmon.

Both glanced towards the voices and approaching figures.  Without a word
between them, they both faded back into the darkness and ran towards the
stables.

[Eric Hood]

Eric backed away from the mouth of the alley and pressed his back against
the wall.  He gave a soft, short, barely audible whistle.  An instant
later, a pair of clawed hands grasped his shoulders from above and pulled
him up the wall to the roof.

[Emmon/Elektra/Brion]

Emmon was no longer aware enough to make conscious decisions; he was
completely focused on the agony of breathing through a blood-filled lung.

"Do ye hear something?" Brion asked as they started to enter the
alley. The big man froze and listened more carefully.

Elektra touched his arm and whispered, "Yes."

There was no mistaking the sound of gurgling breath.

Still shielding the girl Hillrover pulled his dirk but backed
up. "Lass," he said clearly, "We best alert the Guardsmen at the inn...."

Darkness. Alone.....Fatal....When Emmon heard the voices he summoned what
strength he had left and gambled. "H...eee..llppp!!" he choked.

"Whoever it is doesn't sound like they have long," Elektra said, pulling
out a small piece of wood from her pouch. A soft word activated a glowing
light.

"A wee bit like yeung Toby's," Brion said.

"A lot like," Elektra said, "Judge Gilford must keep a supple of them
...somewhere." Not that she blamed Allenel - it was only by his
preparations that he not only survived a Limpia manhunt but saved records
vital to Montfort. She held the light up while Brion led the way into the
alleyway.

Even with the light stick the shadows pressed in on them, and the footing
was unsure, but cautiously they followed the sound of bubbling breath. And
with Brion standing watchfully behind her Elektra bent near enough to see
who the victim was.

"Emmon Filgers," she murmured when she could see his face.

Heedless of the filth in the alley she knelt, holding the light near, and
looked to his wounds. "A pierced lung at best....," she said.

"The boy was stirring up trouble," Brion said. Hillrover had heard tell
that the young private investigator had been nosing near Amberghylles, and
on the elusive trail of the knife and the mage who had helped capture
Menagrem. Men who had wanted their names kept silent. The bailiff weighed
the risk of taking the boy into the Inn - and let all know he had
survived, and moving him to safety.

"Can ye take him to the spirits?" he asked, "I don't think it would be
wise for it to be known he's alive..."

"Wi.....il...am," Emmon tried to say. His thoughts were lost in a swirling
darkness, but he knew that it was imperative to tell them that William was
near. Why was lost in ebony night.

"Mr. Mayce's aide?"

"Y...es, h..ere..."

"Take the lad before he drowns," Brion said, "And I'll get the Guard..."

"You'll need the light," she said, handing off the stick.

Then she breathed old words..ancient words...and dark trees rose where
brick walls had been. Neither she, nor any of the spirit children given
flesh, could travel as swiftly or as far as the woodland spirits, but they
did know the ways onto the hidden paths. Elektra knew that Yals and
Alexandrin had gone to help with the attack against the Cult holdings, but
there were other spirits who would know that she had entered their domain.

The dark-haired girl, pale and of noble form, knelt in the thick leaves,
and pressed at Emmon's chest wound. And waited - listening to his bubbling
breathing.

From the trees stepped a figure - feminine in shape, but with flesh made
of bark and hair a tangle of moss; gentle green eyes showed humor - yet a
sword hung at the spirit woman's side.

She smiled at her little sister and stooped. The tree woman spit green
sap onto her bark-covered hand and worked the thick fluid into the
wound. More of the green resin she pressed to Emmon's lips. Then,
silently, lifted him.

In a rustle of rose cotton Elektra got to her feet and followed the tree
warrior through the forest - and to the Paevel ranch. There they found the
remaining Selkie healers; Fallian was with the rescue, Tadpaidh waited to
help with the girls, which left Soillar to attend to the wounded private
investigator.