Rin quickly did her hair in a simple braid, her magic prosthetic
did not lose any of the dexterity that it took to do the braid in its elaborate
pattern. She mainly did this this so her
long hair did not get in the way of the rest of her dressing. She dressed in simple clothes of black, white
and green, the colors of House danTaven.
She wore tight leather pants under her skirts that could be shed really
easily if she had to move more freely.
Besides the leather bodice, she wore a leather jerkin that hung to her
hips. All of her leather clothing seemed
to be stiff and cumbersome, but was highly enchanted to be soft and supple. It was also enchanted to turn an assassin’s
blade or bullet, though she had not been unlucky enough to test that out. The same mage who made her prosthetic hand
made her clothing. “Aunt” Ladeline made
them for her and for the longest time that is how she knew the woman and her
wife “aunt” Tava would do little sleight of hand tricks that would amuse the
girl to no end. It was later that she
found out that they were people much greater than she thought.
Her clothing looked simple of the outside but was far from
the unassuming garments that they appeared to be. Rin had hidden on her body some forty daggers
and knives of various shapes and functions.
All could be thrown however and to deadly accuracy. Her aunt Tava noted she was a quick girl in
both mind and body. After a few times of
observing her sleight of hand tricks, she could easily figure out how the trick
was done. So Tava did something
else. She taught the girl how to throw
knives. Her mother Emma only tsked this
but did not stop it as long as she did not hurt herself or others. Emma would rather have Rin study hard, but
she became more and more active. Emma just
sighed and smiled. Except for a few arguments
that they had, Rin tried to do everything to make her adopted parents happy. She buckled on her belt that had one her
cherished possessions, a dagger that Elham gave her before he passed quite
suddenly from a brain aneurism. It was
given to her on her sixteenth birthday and from that day it has never left her
side. She loved the old man, for he was
like the father she which she had no memory.
The dagger was old and well serviced and while she had it, a piece of
Elham would always remain alive to watch over her. It was silly, Rin knew, but it kept most of
her fears at bay.
Rin picked up her bag that contained many other throwing
knives as well as her Armored Reactive Camouflage suit. Her ARC suit was a piece of ancient tech that
she had in her possession, one of only seven that remained in service to this
days according to the Order of the Thorn.
The Order of the Thorn was North Realm’s spy organization of which she
was a member. Elham had just died when
her bother Aylen had recruited her. She was
quick and smart but most importantly, she was a danTaven. It was the purview of House danTaven, the
steward of The Thorn to watch over the kingdom.
To be its eyes and ears and if needs be, the blade to slay the enemies
of the kingdom. Aylen became the new
head of The Thorns after their father had died.
It was something that Elham was going to do, but never had the
chance. For the next two years, she had
learned much in the performance of her duty.
Her aunt Tava was a teacher in the class and was one of the greatest
agents they ever had. Only two, people
new she was in The Order of the Thorn, Aylen and Tava. They have told her that The Order had been
infiltrated, but by who and what they did not know. In addition to her main duty as Princess
Itami’s handmaiden (and secretly bodyguard) she was to be on the lookout for those
suspicious enough to be a possible subversive [change].
She stepped out onto the main deck of the airship. The Forest Mist was a small and fast courier
ship that mainly carried correspondence from one city to another. Captain Watson was a member of The Order of
the Thorn and from time to time he was ordered to smuggle some cargo. He was very good at what he did but not
today. Rin knew what he was, but he had
no idea that they belonged to the same Order.
She smiled at him as she entered the command deck. “Good morning,” she said bright and chipperly.
“Good morning to you too, m’lady,” he returned to her. He may not have known she was part of the
same Order, but she was the Baron’s sister and deserved such repect. “We are coming in to the aerodrome now.” The command deck was crewed by three people,
in addition to the captain. The pilot
who stood at a great wheel, the navigator who sat at his charts and the
communications officer who manned the radio.
“Did you sleep well?”
Rin smiled. She did
not sleep well aboard any airship as his question brought forward the redcap
goblin. “It was pleasant, Captain
Watson,” she lied convincingly. “I must
thank you for the use of your cabin again.”
He bowed his head slightly. He
must know, she thought. He was a member
of the Order. None the less, they
exchanged pleasantries.
The Forest Mist moored at Bay Three of the Maarke
Aerodrome. The Aerodromes made by North
Realm are a marvel of construction. They
are usual vast, circular affairs that the airships landed in like they were
wedges of a pie. The center was a huge
tower that was home to Maarke Air Traffic Control. Overall, it was a huge building that could
hold twenty-four ships on two levels.
She stepped off onto the gangway where she could smell the oil, and steam
and ocean.
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