“Immunity?” Alburet asked.
“Limited time, maybe,” the assassin replied. “Say, two months of no contracts accepted for your head.”
“One month, but extend it to my entire guild,” Alburet countered.
“Wow, that is a bit far reaching,” the assassin laughed, “but I like the idea. Two months for you and your officers,” he countered.
“Done,” Alburet spat. “Now get lost.”
“Gladly mate, gladly. Just one thing? How did you know I was going to be able to shake off the Daze? And how did you get your Succubus to appear behind me at your level?”
“She was waiting for me to get here,” Alburet said truthfully, before he added the fabrication. “You’ve attacked me in the same place twice now, just like last time, so I was half expecting you. I didn’t know you could shake off the Daze, but I feared you would considering the level gap.”
“Well, you deserve more respect than most I’m sent after then. Until next time. Oh, and I’ll be sure to change it up if I come after you again.” With a tip of an imaginary hat, the assassin retrieved his other blade and walked off, whistling as he went.
Chapter Eight
Alburet watched the assassin go with narrowed eyes, his anger still high. Two arms wrapped him gently from behind as Stacia embraced him. “Asthore?”
Taking a deep breath, he turned and hugged his wife in return, “How did you know to be outside?”
“I was takin’ plates back to the Giardinos for Kim. It just turned out this way. Glad I was here to help ya.” She kissed his neck, “Thank ya for listenin’ to me when I told ya to hold.”
Closing his eyes, he pulled her tight to him, “It was close. I wanted to cut his damn neck open. How do you know all these things?”
“Da’ has a friend or two who be Assassins. When they been drinkin’ with Da, it be easy to hear things.”
“The others are waiting for us,” Alburet said, releasing her after a quick kiss. “Let me change and grab my gear, then we can go.”
“Aye,” she followed him inside, changing into her own hunting gear and watching him as he changed. “Ya goin’ to be okay?”
“I almost got us into a fight with Carradine over his comments about you. I managed to be just polite enough to leave, then I get home and get attacked at my front door. This day has been trying my patience. It’s a good thing we’re going out to kill gnolls. Oh, I need to stop by and see Kim before we go.”
They swung by the guild hall to find Kim seated at the desk, alone. “Kim, how is the day?”
“It’s been slow, but steady,” Kim smiled. “Erin went off to train with the Trapsmiths. How did the meeting with House Carradine go?”
“Badly, very badly, I was tempted to punch the fucker. Gerald will be going to all the meetings in my stead from here on out. Can you draw up letters of introduction for him? Use whatever excuse you have for sending my second in command in my stead. He’s used to dealing with people like that. I’m not going to be able to be diplomatic enough.”
“I can do that,” Kim nodded. “It might ding the guild’s reputation a little, but overall it sounds like a better plan than sending you.”
“Thanks,” Alburet snorted wryly. “How about dinner tonight at our house? Stacia, you’ve learned your mother’s recipe for stew, right?”
“Aye, I learned that the day ya was gone. It will be me first attempt, but I be thinkin’ I can do it.” Stacia agreed with a happy smile, “It be nice to have friends over.”
“I’ll let Rolland know,” Kim answered them. “Anything else I need to know about today?”
“I was attacked by an Assassin just a moment ago, outside,” Alburet told her, his hands clenching. “I was kind of expecting it. He wound up surrendering to me.”
Kim whistled softly, “They don’t do that often. Either you had him dead to rights, or he felt you put up a good enough fight. What did you get from him?”
“He has to kill the person who put the price on my head and our guild officers are immune to attempted assassination for two months.”
Blinking, Kim shook her head, “He liked you. A one month reprieve for an individual is rare enough, but two months? And for a group? That is, that… Well, it’s highly unusual.”
“It was the same assassin that had the first contract on me.”
“Keep in mind, we are probably going to catch hell after that two months,” Kim winced slightly, then smiled. “I look forward to dinner and maybe some details about the fight. It had to have been interesting.”
“We’re off to meet up with Gerald, Marysue and Fluff to hunt gnolls until sundown. Get in touch if you need me. See you for dinner, say, two hours after sundown?”
“Will do,” Kim said, waving them goodbye as they left.
As they walked arm in arm, Stacia spoke up, “Asthore?” When he looked at her, she continued, “I do nay mind ya wish for monogamy, but I be curious as to why ya are so set on it.”
Alburet considered how to explain as they walked. “It goes back to my father, may his soul rest in peace. When I was young, he instilled a few rules to live by in me. Respect your elders. Stand up for yourself and others. Show compassion for those who need help, and when you marry never look for another. He told me that it was fine to sample all life had to offer, but once I committed myself to a woman before God, that she would be the only one I should desire. So, out of respect for my father and the way he raised me, I am monogamous now.”
“It was nay tha’ ya did nay like havin’ others join us?”
“No. That was fine before we married,” Alburet told her, squeezing her arm lightly. “Just now I should want only you.”
“Ya do nay believe in Gods?”
“On the other world, it’s a matter of blind faith. We have no real proof whether a God or Gods exist or not. As such, I was never really big on believing.”
“But here, Gods do exist. There be no doubt at all,” Stacia replied. “Can I tell ya about wha’ I believe?”
He considered her request for a minute, “I’m not sure why the sudden need, Kitten, but I’ll listen. We’re almost there, though. Do you want to wait until tonight?”
“Aye, can do tha’, Asthore,” she said softly, gracing him with a smile. “Mayhap after Kim and Rolland leave, while we bathe?”
Chuckling, Alburet met her gaze, “Ah, you’re tempting me with treats I see.”
“I will spoil ya as much as I can, Asthore,” she winked at him with a giggle.
At the Portal Guild, they went right up to the portal they wanted. The other four were already waiting for them on the other side. “Sorry for the delay,” Alburet said, “Assassins can put a kink in your plans.”
Karen frowned, “You have another contract on your head?”
“Yes. It’s been cleared up, though. The officers of Alpha Company are now exempt from assassination attempts for two months.” Alburet summoned Bob and Tiny as they processed this new information. “Bob, Tiny. Thank you both for the assist earlier.”
“It is my life to protect you,” Tiny rumbled.
“Can’t believe he surrendered,” Bob said, looking around. “Karen! You should have seen me in action. I totally saved master from that Assassin.”
“Is this related to our meeting this morning?” Gerald asked.
“No, this is ongoing from Skippy, back during my first day or two here,” Alburet replied, his jaw tightening. “He will get his, though. One of the conditions of the Assassin’s surrender was that the Assassin go kill the sender once.”
“Hmm,” Gerald frowned, “is this going to impact our meetings going forward?”
“Your meetings,” Alburet told him. “Kim will have letters ready for each meeting, introducing you and excusing me from them. I need to fill you in on what they all want to know.” He gave the others a quick round of hugs, “I can do that while we kill gnolls, though. We can also hit the cave again, if you want. Stacia has a new trick that will surely help us in the last fight.”