The Assassin's Daughter

Kurt and Rachel watched the mansion burn before their eyes. Rachel's dark eyes were watering from the smoke and she adjusted the mask on her face to block it out. Kurt, as usual, seemed unaffected by earthly bothers. His face was lost in his hooded cloak, very few people knew what he looked like. Some say no one did. Rachel glanced at him, sometimes even she was afraid of him.

"We should go, before someone sees us." She whispered. Kurt turned on his heel and walked away. Rachel ran to catch up with him. After a while, Kurt raised a hand, gesturing to Rachel to stop.

"What is it?" She asked, looking around

"Listen." Kurt said as he turned to a house, away from the others and alone. The wail of a child echoed from an open window.

"It's just a baby! We have to go! Remember, Alan said he'd only pay us if we come back by midnight!" Rachel said.

"Just a second." Kurt said. He went to the house and peered in through a window. The house was broken down and gloomy and dark and cold. Blood had stained the floor and a great deal of snow had blown in. A child, only about two years old, sat in the very center, crying more than its little lungs could handle. Kurt walked around it and found the doorway, but no door. He stepped in and knelt by the child. It scrambled away and screeched something only it could understand.

"I won't hurt you." Kurt said, he stretched out a hand, as if the child would take it. It cowered away in a shadow. He heard a voice outside the house and heavy footsteps. They were close. He gathered up the baby in his arms and dashed out the door without making a sound. He saw Rachel waiting for him behind a tree. Nervousness and fear were as clear as glass upon her face. Kurt skillfully avoided two men and a woman. The lady was crying and blowing her nose on a either brown or extremely stained handkerchief. He blended with the night as he made his way, all the way to Rachel, remaining unnoticed. He walked past her, her sign for her to follow him. Rachel stared at him, waiting to see if he had an explanation of why he had a baby in his arms. She was going to wait forever if she went on.

"Why do you have a baby?" She asked him as she took off her mask and shoved it in her pocket. She smiled at the little creature. It was stretching out its twig-like arms, as if it wanted to come into her arms instead of Kurt's.

"He was alone in a house stained with blood." Kurt said.

"Since when did you care about babies? The 'greatest assassin known to Ginera' I know would've killed her. It's a girl." Rachel said.

"In that case, you don't know him." Kurt said.

Soon – a few minutes before midnight – Kurt and Rachel had reached Alan's inn. Kurt gave the child to Rachel and told her to wait outside, the others wouldn't spare the baby. Plus, Rachel's jealousy flared up whenever she came in there. When he stepped in, the usual courtesy and bowings, begging for an autograph and a few jeers stepped in with him. He heard someone hit someone, but he didn't really care. He went straight to the bartender and asked for Alan. The old lady led him to a door behind her and opened it for him. The room behind it was as gloomy as gloom itself.

"You burnt 'em?" A raspy voice asked from the depths of dark. Alan, like Kurt, kept his looks secret. Except with a dark room and not a cloak.

"Yes, sir." Kurt said.

"Where'd that lil' girl go?" Alan asked, Kurt whisked up a quick lie,

"Rachel's injured, sir, I've told her to rest."

"How much did I promise ya?"

"Five kyros, sir."

"Right. Here ya go," Alan said and five clinks of metal on wood followed his words.

Kurt felt around for the coins and picked them up and left. Courtesy and bowings, begging for an autograph and a few jeers.

Back at a small 'house' or, more literally, a shabily built treehouse that Rachel called a house, Kurt gently laid the child on his 'bed' or, more literally, a table set with hay and a cloth that Rachel called a bed. He rubbed his hands together and something glowed a dull red between them. He pressed a hand on the child's forehead. It mumbled something in an undertone.

"What are you going to call her?" Rachel asked, Kurt shrugged. He stroked the child's hair. It was as dark as the night. Rachel got up and sat down next to him. He edged away from her.

"What about Luna?" Rachel said, "You found her on a day with a full moon!" She added pointing out the window.