Words Are Unnecessary

Part 4

Author’s Note: Okay, this part may be infected by the music I’m listening to right now, but I don’t really feel like writing anything depressing on my day off. I’m skipping a lot of time here, but it’s necessary to the plot. So now Golodhros is 17, in case you were keeping track.

Golodhros leaned back in his comfortable chair. After almost two years in the Academy, his life was better than he ever could have imagined. He enjoyed his work, and he was paid very well for it. Unfortunately, there just weren’t enough jobs that required his kind of skill. His training had progressed far enough that he was being considered for the next vacancy among the five Master Assassins—curious, since he had never seen the fifth Master.

I suppose he would actually be the First Master, since Talya is Secondary Assassin, but…who is he? Whenever Golodhros would ask about the Primary Assassin, his fellow assassins would either say that they didn’t know or just smile mysteriously, promising that he would find out someday if the Master wanted him to.

He must be very good.

****

“You really ought to look at Golodhros. He’s incredibly good.” I already have, woman. You don’t need to tell me. I know more about him than you could guess. “For someone who started so late and has only had two years of training, he is already good enough to be one of the Five.” Recall that it was I who set those standards. He is not just “good enough”, he is better. I have watched him for long enough. Perhaps I should play along with you, pretend that I haven’t watched him in secret for all these months, pretend to be impressed with his skills, if only to break the ground between us. “You might even want to take him under your guidance—he has already surpassed most of the teachers.” Now there’s an original thought. Would this perfect young man really want to be around someone like me? I doubt it, somehow….

“Under my guidance? You want me to teach some little recruit the techniques of the Primary Assassin?” Let her think I’m not interested. I want to see how this plays out.

“He is more than just some little recruit, Master. Golodhros is….” He is what? Graceful? Flirtatious? Attractive? Those words shouldn’t seem like a surprise coming from you, but when someone like me can’t tear his eyes off the young man…. “Golodhros is very talented, Master. His rate of progress is unheard of. When one of the Five decides to retire, Golodhros is already first in line to replace them. Please, Master, you must talk to him.”

Anarin smiled. “Very well, then. But don’t expect anything to really happen.”

“Thanks you, Master!” And with that, she bows out. Good. Let me prepare myself. I don’t want to give him the wrong impression.

****

Golodhros sat in his room, sorting through his newest clothes. One good thing about having plenty of money is that I never have to worry about wearing the same clothes over and over again—even if I don’t mind wearing my blacks. He was beginning to like dark colors—maroon and deep blue and that perfect shade of forest green that brought out the color of his eyes. His newest favorite was a nice piece of work in blue and green that concealed his daggers perfectly.

A faint knock on the door to his room brought Golodhros out of his musings. Who could that be? Getting up and stretching his tired muscles, Golodhros walked over to the door, looking through the brass peephole. He saw a slender figure with deep gold hair, dressed in all black—not that that particular choice of color is anything special around here—that was, surprisingly, unfamiliar. I wonder who that is? “Come in,” he said aloud, loosening his daggers in their sheaths just in case.

The strange figure opened the door, and Golodhros was very surprised to see an elf standing before him. Well now, if that isn’t interesting. I haven’t seen any elves since…ten years ago. The elf was not much taller than Golodhros. A quick glance showed that he wore a silver bracelet, the Academy’s insignia ring, and a small pendant underneath his soft black—silk?—shirt, but otherwise had no distinguishing features—apart from the fact that he was an elf. I didn’t know there were any elves left in this part of the world….

“You must be Golodhros,” the elf stated in a clear voice.

“Yes, I…” Golodhros trailed off as he got a good look at the elf’s face. His eyes…they’re….

The elf smiled, looking slightly uncomfortable. Golodhros realized he was staring and quickly broke eye contact. What was that? I’ve never…. Composing himself as best he could, Golodhros tried again. “Yes, I am Golodhros. Can I get you something to drink? Do you want to sit down?”

The elf shook his head politely at the first, but looked glad to sit down on Golodhros’s bed. “Good to meet you at last, then, Golodhros. I’ve heard a lot about you. You appear to have…quite a bit of talent.”

I do? Uh, yeah…why can’t I think straight? “Ah, thanks…. If you don’t mind me asking, who are you and how do you know ‘a lot’ about me?”

He smiled. Golodhros fought to keep a grip on reality. “Can’t you guess?”

No, it can’t be—“You’re…you’re the Primary Assassin? The First Master?”

The elf nodded, still smiling. He casually flipped a lock of the long, deep golden hair that was in his face to his back, bringing out the contrast between his pale-ivory skin and the black clothes he wore, cloak over shirt and loosely fitting pants.

The Master is an elf? Why am I still not thinking straight? “Ah, what do you want with me? Why now?” Why me?

“As I said, I’ve heard a lot about you. I thought it would be a good time to meet you in person, Golodhros. I think we may have much to learn from each other.”

Yeah, like how to pay attention when your eyes keep distracting me like that. It had just occurred to Golodhros that, for the first time in ten years, someone was pronouncing his name correctly. Of course he is pronouncing it correctly—it’s an Elven name—should I even try to…?

Right. Making a command decision. “Thank you for your consideration. May I ask for your name?” he said, in the best Elvish he could muster. He was surprised that he remembered enough of the language, and even as that thought entered his head, he began to remember more and more clearly the difficult, rare language he had learned in secret for all these years.

Judging by the elf’s expression, Golodhros had remembered correctly. Pleasure lit up his eyes—Gods above, his eyes—as he replied.

“I am Anarin, of ember and flame and old blood. I am known as the First Assassin of the Academy of Tanle and the Death in the Night of Angorost. I have the great strength of my forebears and the fine skill of endless practice in the art of killing. I have lived for four hundred years and seen the very depths of Hell, yet I have also seen the bright light of the heavens, and between them I have chosen the lower path. I live in the largest chambers of the Earth’s cradling embrace, above the water and below the air. I have been touched by fire thousands of times and lived to tell the tale.”

He got up and bowed fluidly.

“Pleased to meet you.”

End part 4

^_^ Yes, there will be more soon.