Assassin's Sting

I was walking towards the main fires and the jingle of my spurs accompanied my step as I drew near. I tugged the wind scarf away from my features and my gaze swept over the area but it was oddly quiet and there was no one around .. not even the slaves. I thought it odd but not too odd and I went to the water barrel to draw a drink up within the dipper .. I had just raised the water to my mouth when out of the barrel rose a man as if birthed from the water itself and into my chest he meant to drive the gleaming blade grasped in his fist .. but I tried to fall back .. to turn ... and instead he drove the blade deep into my right shoulder. The momentum of my turn left me falling and I fell until I knew no more.

When I woke I was in a strange wagon on strange furs and I sat up gasping with the excruciating pain in my shoulder and I reached to find the dagger still deep within. But it was Beo that grasped the hilt and he jerked the blade from me but as the firelight glinted off the steel it flickered and instead of a blade he held a large black feather. I glanced down to my shoulder and watched as the wound closed back into the star shaped scar left from the curse of Helius. But I gasped again for the wound in my chest on the left side .. remnant of the ritual I performed ... now began to ooze and throb as blood broke through the healed skin to trickle down my stomach.

I thought I would wake up .. this was surely a dream. But ... I was awake. And the dream had slipped into my reality with painful clarity. There was only one I could think of with the power to do this and I was furious. Why now? What had happened that I did not know about? I did not wish to die and this time it was too close. I had to stop fucking around and get the key to the signature knot. I had wasted too much time all ready with foolish dreams of making my life better .. less lonely. Foolish indeed. What woman could I bring into this? How could I ever explain it all and still sound rational? Truth was even if I could I would not. Anyone I cared about enough to tell I would care about enough not to tell.

My gaze returned to Beo. I asked him how I got here .. how he found me. He was digging in a pack for bandages which he passed to me and I packed and wrapped the wound as he told me he had found me near a water barrel .. with a dagger in my shoulder and he had brought me here. But .. I said ... where were my guards .. where was everyone else? He shook his head and turned to come and crouch next to me even as I tied off the bandaging and he gestured to the copper bowl and it was only then I paid attention and realized what I had been smelling .. the scent permeating the air now that my head was beginning to clear a little. My gaze narrowed and returned to him and he just nodded. I wanted to ask so many things right then .. but every time I started to the obvious and logical answer came to me. The process took a few moments .. but in the end I have made Beo a personal body guard.

I am not sure I trust Beo. I know he has many similar talents as I do but they are different as was his country and upbringing. I will learn more of these things in the days to come .. I have moved Beo and Valerie to my circle of wagons and Beo is going to be spending a lot of time with me in the next few hands.

If Beo is a friend .. it is good I will have him close to me ... if Beo is my enemy ... it will be even better to have him closer.