4. A Rite of Passage

The sun hadn’t quite risen over the horizon, so I shivered as the bitter, winter air of the night still hung in the atmosphere. Ulfric smiled at us from his place near our practice dummies. The scar that ran from his forehead to his lips and was partially covered by his eyepatch looked more prominent than usual in the long shadows cast by the early sun.

“Congratulations, Caterina,” he said with a smile that only made his scar more present. “You are an official member of our order now, no longer a fledgling but a true assassin. How does it feel?”

My tongue went to the sore spot where my tooth once was. “Like I have a tooth missing.”

“Good. Get used to it, at least until you’re on a mission and carrying an antidote capsule around with you.”

“So, what’s our first assignment today?” William asked, rubbing his hands together in excitement. “Sparring? Archery? I bet I could take Isobel down this time.”

Isobel scoffed. “In your dreams.”

“You wish you were.” William winked.

“None of those, actually,” Ulfric replied. “Today, you’ll be tending to the horses, making sure Agnes and Alfred have prepared sufficient food, files, and money for you, and then packing your bags. After that, you three can start making your way to Opoulsios.”

My eyes grew wide. “Opoulsios? By ourselves? Just us three?” I asked. “I thought you or Alfred were coming with us.”

William laughed. “Young Cat, you still have so much to learn.”

I shot him a glare and opened my mouth, but Ulfric interrupted me before I had the chance to speak.

“You’re all assassins now. It’s time to prove yourselves. You’ll set up a branch in Opoulsios. It’s a rite of passage, and thankfully for you, Caterina, your two friends insisted on waiting until you were initiated before they did theirs. Alfred will give you the details.”

“You really think we’re ready?” Isobel asked, though I’m sure it was more for my benefit than hers.

“Of course, I do. I trained you all myself.” When Ulfric said that, I assumed he winked, but it was difficult to tell with his other eye covered. “So, go. Get your things together. Do your chores, and get ready for your next journey.”

Isobel left to speak with Alfred while William and I made our way to the stables. Charis trotted in place excitedly the moment she saw me, and I couldn’t help but smile as I grabbed my brush to groom her shiny coat.

“You take better care of that horse than you do yourself,” William commented while shoveling hay toward his own horse, Storm, a beautiful gray stallion with a black nose and flecks of white along his coat.

“Speak for yourself. I see you sneaking Storm extra carrots when you think no one is watching.”

“Sh!” William hissed loudly, looking around with wide eyes to see if Ulfric heard.

I laughed and continued taking care of the horses, ensuring that Starlight, Isobel’s horse, was also fed, brushed, and prepared for our long journey. William waited for me to finish, and then the two of us headed toward the small shed in the back of our rickety, old home to find Edmond.

The warmth from his fire kissed my skin while the constant, rhythmic clanging of metal screamed in my ears. Sparks flew as Edmond beat against a molten sword, and neither William nor I interrupted the old man until he dipped the metal into the water and a violent hissing sound emerged. “I take it you two are here for your supplies?” Edmond asked, not looking up from the sword he had been working on. His permanent scowl stayed fixed on his rough, scarred face, so I couldn’t determine whether or not he was pleased with his current work.

“We are.” William smiled. “What do you have for us?”

“Take a look over there,” Edmond said, nodding his sweaty, nearly bald head toward a large stash of weapons and armor nestled in the corner of his shop. Arrows for Isobel and William, daggers for me, our usual swords sharpened and buffed to look new, our black attire mended and ready for any fight, and three distinct leather satchels carrying capsules already filled with the antidote we’d need should we deem it necessary to ingest our own poison—which happens more than any of us would like to admit.

“I think your capsules should fit fine, Caterina, but try one now and let me know,” Edmond instructed. I nodded and grabbed the satchel stitched with a faint, hardly noticeable C and pulled out the clear capsule filled with black liquid. It felt soft in my hand, and the liquid sloshed around freely in the small space near the top. I forced my tongue away from the new gap in my teeth and put the capsule in it. It fit snugly between the neighboring teeth—not so loose it would move, but not so tight I would risk popping it. I nodded to Edmond.. His scowl temporarily changed to what I presumed was a smile when he saw the delight dancing in my eyes.

Stolen story; please report.

I tried to use my tongue to push it out, but the capsule popped, and the sweet, black liquid filled my mouth. William and Edmond laughed at me when my eyes grew wide. “It’s not meant to be taken out,” Edmond explained. “Just swallow it.”

I nodded, swallowing hard and allowing the antidote to warm my body as it travelled down my throat and to my stomach. Once it was down, I discreetly ran my tongue over my teeth, hoping the antidote hadn’t turned them black. William caught me and watched in amusement, though he was gracious enough not to call me out and embarrass me. Edmond, on the other hand, immediately said, “It won’t stain your teeth, darling. Wouldn’t be very stealthy if it did.”

“Thanks, Edmond,” I said feebly, turning away and heading toward the house to avoid embarrassing myself any further.

Just as I pushed open the front door, Onyx soared down from her perch atop the bookshelf and rested on my shoulder. A few crushed berries were visible on her beak, and I could only imagine the scolding waiting for me once Agnes realized I was back. “Onyx,” I whispered sharply. “You really must not eat from the kitchen. There are plenty of berry bushes nearby.”

Onyx cocked her head and cooed sweetly. “You can play cute all you want, but I’m the one that gets in trouble when you do that.”

“Caterina!” Agnes’s voice rang out like a clanging gong.

“Yes, Agnes?” I grimaced.

“That blasted bird got into my berries again! You’re lucky I’m not turning it into dinner.”

Onyx flew away, clearly not fond of Agnes’s threat, and I hung my head as she turned the corner brandishing a wooden rolling pin. “I’m sorry, Agnes. At least she’s coming with me, so there will be no more berry incidents for at least a few months.”

Agnes rested her hands on her hips while still gripping the rolling pin as she contemplated whether to hit me or find Onyx and squish her. When she sighed, my shoulders relaxed, and I smiled softly at the old woman. “You’re lucky I like you, Cat. If it were William, I’d have turned his bird into stew months ago.”

“William doesn’t even have a bird, Agnes.”

“Because he knows better,” she said, pointing the pin at me as she narrowed one of her eyes. “Now, go grab the baskets I prepared for you all and make sure it’s enough for the trip there, especially for William. That boy eats the same amount as a small army.”

I strolled into the kitchen and took a deep breath, doing my best to internalize the scent of Agnes’s fresh rolls, her homemade jam, the slow-roasting chickens—all of it made my mouth water.

Despite the poor, wooden pallets covered in hay that should never be passed off as beds, the endless hours of fighting and drills Ulfric put us through, and the drips of rain that fell through our leaky roof, I would miss this place while I was gone. Agnes most of all.

I walked over to the baskets she’d prepared, counting the number of rolls and jars of jam she’d made for us. I shook my head and smiled. Though the trip to Opoulsios would be long and tedious—probably two weeks if we made good time—it was far more than we’d need, and Agnes knew it. She’d never admit how much she cares for us, but she has a constant way of showing it, like in her generosity with the food she labors over day in and day out.

The jingling sound of bags filled with coins resounded from behind me, but I didn’t bother turning away from the baskets as I secured the tops to ensure we wouldn’t lose any of the precious cargo on our journey.

“I’m fairly certain this is the most money Alfred has ever entrusted us with,” Isobel said as she picked up one of the rolls Agnes left on the counter.

“This is also the longest trip we’ve ever gone on without him or Ulfric, and we’re supposed to set up an entire guild there. It’s not like those things would be cheap.”

“But we have our master thief with us,” William teased as he walked over to us, elbowing me in the arm. I scoffed and stuck out my tongue. William, unfazed by my reaction, continued “Alfred should know funds wouldn’t be an issue.”

“Whatever,” Isobel giggled. “Are we nearly finished? The sun is past its midpoint, and I’d prefer to get to the first inn by nightfall, preferably in Midwaden.”

I turned to face her, my eyebrow arched as I cradled the baskets in my arms. “You want to get all the way to Midwaden by tonight?”

“Why are you looking at me like that’s not feasible? I don’t mean pass through the entire country, but we could at least get past the border of Midwaden and Penichros. Midwaden’s towns are so much nicer, and the beds are far more comfortable. Plus, they at least try to keep bugs out of their inns most of the time.”

I rolled my eyes and smiled amusedly. “Already speaking like a noble from Opoulsios, I see.”

“Oh, please. They are much snobbier than that.”

“I suppose we’ll find out,” I said as William and I walked out of the kitchen. I pushed the front door open with my boot and found Edmond and Ulfric standing by our three horses, fastening small bags onto their saddles and taking the baskets from me to tie those in, too.

“Agnes packed far too much,” Ulfric grumbled.

“It’s fine,” William said, patting his stomach playfully. “I can help lighten it.”

“I’m sure that’s what she prepared for.”

I laughed at Ulfric’s comment and took over tying off one of the baskets onto Charis. Isobel came outside, too, and she handed William and me our own, hefty bag of coins. William’s mouth parted as he moved his arm up and down to weigh the money.

“Are you all ready?” Ulfric asked. “Best to get going before you lose too much daylight.”

“I believe so,” Isobel said, climbing onto Starlight with ease.

“We will write as often as we can,” I said to Ulfric, swallowing a lump in my throat and waving at Agnes, Alfred, and Edmond who came to see us off. Onyx cawed and flew down to rest on my shoulder, nestling herself in the nape of my neck while she waited for Charis to take off.

“See you all soon,” William said, nudging his heels into Storm and leading the way.