Diary of Cyfier - 12. The Execution of Victory.

For a long while, I haunted the Thalions, they did not know i was their enemy, they even assumed i was allied. My urge to know their business, to learn what they know had taken me too close to them, i had even assisted them during troubled times. Normally a point i would choose to strike my prey but i did not, this was an army of men, and i was but one man. I had to be more cunning, the path of the assassin was choosen for this war. A simple tactic used over many centuries, and is all to often effective. Smile to your enemy, they will see a friend. Help your enemy, they will see an ally. Continue with this notions and soon you will stand close to their leader.

This war i had pledged in secret continue for time, months of torment. Laiani had gone in search of Matterney so that source was no longer available. My silence was my shield. I had to wait, and wait for a long time. Hope was starting to fade and i began to believe my war was to end without success, for there leader, Goddefrid, had travelled to some far away place, i only knew at some point, he ventured the North Downs and Esteldin.

I was blessed during this period, for my old and dearest friend Mae had made a return to Bree, i feared her stay to be short so i made a point of having her company. This time she spoke differently to me, she expressed a clear concern for my well being, and had chosen to offer her hand where ever i could put it to use. I never kept secret my plans from Mae, i had always known my trust for her was well founded. Yet, for the first time in our history, she sought involvement and I was only to keen to grant it.

Word had risen, Goddefrid made travels back towards Bree and i could not wait any longer, Mae and I had made plans to see the end of the Thalions, Goddefrid would never make it back to Bree. I sent a scout to Trestlebridge, the most northern town of Bree-land to wait the leaders passing, sure enough, it came.

I waited along the road west of the horse fields, dressed in the cloth of a common man, and a hood to conceal my face. Goddefrid had soon arrived at my position, and I welcomed him upon his return and informed him that he is required at a meeting some one hundred strides off the road. Only to noble, and keen to hear of Bree's happenings during his absence, he came with me to meet this false person who summoned. presented to him, a woman came out from behind a rock and began her well practised speech. For turning away from me, I placed a Dagger between his shoulder, twisting the blade to ensure the wound would not heal.

He had fallen, blood poured and i was pleased, but Mae toyed with her prey. Goddefrid sure to die from the wound i had given him, crawled infront of us, along the grass towards Bree, we walked slowly behind him. His hope to crawl to safety eventually came to an end, either through the weakness caused by the wound, or because he had made it to the hillside, in view of the distant Bree town, he could finally rest his eyes over the town his army had bled over and we allowed him a moment to gaze over the view. He had turned and pulled himself to his knee's. This man demanded a death of greater honour but we served only to cut the head from the snake. Mae gave him his final blow, her sword, broadly cut open his neck and his final resting place became the hillside he had crawled to.

Of course, we expected that when a snakes head is cut, the body was to react, even if a flinch, but as we left Goddefrid's body there under the day light, and returned to life as it was, we heard nothing of it ever again. No mention of his murder or even if the body was found, perhaps the bear and wolf population in that area and found a lucky meal that day. The Thalions shortly after disappeared and have not been heard of since, others have risen in there place and even many of the names i learnt while close to their company have gone. Bree has once again completed it's cycle.

Mae however unfortunate, was always one of the names to disappear. No longer do I see her in the corner, playing her instrument and drinking milk as if it was mead, sucking her front teeth as she always did. Only once since did i see her, and that was a brief moment. She had handed me my victory, and for that, i owe her my thanks.