The guards pass and both make a turn, as Shinar takes the opportunity to crouch and move quickly to the edge of the wall before springing to the top and lowering himself into the bushes. Pausing now to get his bearings, and to observe the possibility of yet more obstacles he will need to overcome. His mind returns to the meeting. “Your friend is in a safe place and will remain there until we have confirmation of our demands being met.” Was the words spoken from the shadows. "How long do I have to complete this? Where will I deliver the merchandise, and when will I know of Martel's safe release?" The soft chuckle that was heard was unnerving. "You still do not get it do you? We are not interested in goods, you are to make your way into his manor and kill her. We do not care how, it can be humane or inhumane it does not matter so longs as she is DEAD!"

He remembers standing there in shock. To kill the self proclaimed Duke's wife. It was almost unthinkable to him. He could not imagine why, yet he also tried to keep himself as far from politics as possible. It was not that he didn't know people. It was more that he was not inclined to enjoy the backstabbing that took place amongst the nobles in their fight for leadership, and their claim to the throne.

Nothing had moved in the time he sat. He had to remind himself to keep his thoughts on what he was doing. If he continued to be distracted, not only was his life in danger so was Martel's. He slowly began to crawl through the shrubs staying below the lowest branches of them. Each time his clothing caught on a branch he would ease back and exhale all his air and try again. As he made it to the wall of the house he rolled over. Checking the items he would need to be sure he had them all still in their place and at ease to grasp.

Easing himself along the edge to the corner. Realizing that this still allowed too much exposure he began to scan the edge of the back of the home. Another seventy five feet and he could attempt to make his accent to the balcony that overhung the garden. The climb was simple for one as talented as him. It was the constant fear that someone would observe him scaling the wall that he feared.

As he edged over the balcony, and placed his feet on solid footing beneath him, he heard the movement more then seeing it. He rolled to the right as the sword blade swiped through the air where he would have been had he not rolled. Throwing himself back again to avoid a possible next stroke. He seen the guard lunge towards him. Rolling back and springing upwards with his arms he was on his feet and almost a half pace to the left of where the guards rush took him. A flick of the wrist and the duty of silence was completed. The guards expression was of pure panic and surprise as he opened his mouth to scream. Only the soft gurgle of his choking on his own blood alerted him to the fact that he was dead.

Catching the body and easing it down before he dropped the sword and made noise was simply an afterthought. Shinar tugged the body to the darkest corner he could find. This was not as he planned but there was always unknown issues in any mission. Had it only been a theft he would have tried to simply render the poor fool unconscious. Yet his own overconfidence caused his death. Had he alerted others and made noise, Shinar would be attempting to find a way to retreat without being caught. Turning he found the fools biggest blunder was to have left the door to the inside wide open. He would take any good fortune he could at this point. Slowly easing himself inside the room, he closed the door and locked it.

Looking around he found himself in an office. Shinar walked to the desk and glanced at several papers. This is the Dukes desk, he thought to himself. He tried several drawers and found one that opened. Inside was an ashtray, pipe, and tobacco pouch. Only hesitating for a moment before his decision. They wanted the Dukes wife dead did they? Well with luck of his own they would be in for a real surprise one they would have to puzzle out themselves. Shinar reached into his pouch and extracted the small vial of poison. Smearing it all around the pipe step and then dripping some down inside the stem itself. It was hard to say when or how often the Duke smoked this pipe but one thing for certain the next person to smoke it would be dead in a matter of minutes. Placing the vial into his pouch again, he made his way to the door.

Slowly opening it and peering out he found a dark hallway. According to his map he studied the dukes wife slept in her own room one floor up. He slowly made his way along the walls waiting and listening every couple pf steps. He found a flight of steps running up and made his way up. The darkness he was not expecting yet he suspected that with two floors down being cased and covered by guards and servants going about their work. No one would really expect intrusion since it appeared the balcony's were well guarded.

The door to the room swung silently as he opened it. He closed it softly and kneeled to allow his eyes to adjust. He was in an anteroom. A door to the left and one to the right. The one to the left had a dim light showing under it. He made his way towards the one on the right. Trying it he found it locked. Reaching into his pouch again he took out his tools. Quickly working the lock he heard the faint click as it opened. Who would ever have thought the locks in the dukes home would be so easy and cheap?

As he made his way into the room, and closed the door. A voice spoke, "So am I to be blessed with your presence tonight after all?" Turning he seen a woman sitting on the bed, about to stand. He motioned with his hand for silence with one finger over his lips. Hoping she could see him. "Oh so tonight you would like a new game, One where I play to be of broken spirit or possibly of not even being conscious?" He made his way quickly to her while reaching behind him to his sheath between his shoulder blades. As he stopped he drew his knife across her throat before she could say a word. He covered her eyes with his other hand.

This is not what he wanted to do. He surely did not want to have to kill her. Maybe there would be some retribution in the fact her husband would also die in a short time. He stopped long enough to quickly scout the room for a small valuable that he might take as further payment. Finding just such a thing in a broach in the nightstand. It appeared to be made out of rubies and diamonds. Placing it in his pouch he left the room and locked the door. Finding himself in the room he entered with the dim light seeping under the door across from him.

He made his way to it and listened. No sound. Slowly he opened it to find the only person in the room was asleep. He quietly made his way up to the individual, and careful not to make a sound or cast a shadow he used his knifes pommel to render the individual unconscious. At least this one he would not have to kill, and besides he surely would alert the rest of the people upon waking up. Too bad for him he would certainly be killed for it will be blamed on him for the cause of her death.

Sitting in the main room of the inn, the next morning he listened with seeming full interest to the shock as word spread through the city of the Dukes wife being found with her throat slit. No clues no leads, no evidence. The worst part is that the Duke himself was talking to those in charge of the watch when he fell dead. No warning nothing. They figure the shock of losing his beloved wife was too much for him. His heart could not take it. As he fell he dropped his pipe from his hand and gasped, but no word ever escaped his mouth as he hit the ground.

A smile of satisfaction crossed Shinar's face as Martel slipped into the seat across from him. She leaned over and kissed him. "I knew you would not let me down." Shinar smiled, and said, "No but we defiantly need to look into leaving this city and making for places with less, shall we say powers of influence that know us?" With a smile she nodded as she took a drink from his cup.