Bjorn stood just inside the stone hall of the duke's estate, the morning light spilling in through tall windows behind him. Servants moved quietly along the edges of the room, careful not to interrupt. At the far end, the duke stood with his hands clasped behind his back, posture rigid as ever. The duchess stood beside him. "You're leaving today," the duke said. "There's another escort, Standard work." Bjorn didn't respond right away. His eyes flicked once toward the window, then back. "Where to?"
"Across the border," the duke replied. "Quiet route. No unnecessary stops." Bjorn gave a small nod. Nothing unusual in that. The duchess stepped forward slightly. "It's important," she added. "More than most." Bjorn looked at her this time. There was something in her tone, something careful, He held her gaze for a moment, then he shrugged lightly. "They usually are." The duke gestured toward the courtyard. "You'll be paid well." Bjorn adjusted the strap on his shoulder. "I'm not worried about that." he turned and walked out without another word. The duchess watched him go, her expression thoughtful. "Do you think he suspects?" the duke asked quietly, she shook her head. "No." She takes a deep breath. "…Good," the duke said, but she didn't answer, only looked on to their precious cargo, And the one person… She knew… She could rely on in her time of need.
The road stretched long and quiet beyond the estate walls. The carriage behind Bjorn rolled steadily over packed dirt, its wheels creaking softly with each turn. Two drivers sat at the front, reins in hand, speaking little as they guided the horses forward. Bjorn rode ahead of them. He hadn't asked what was inside the carriage. He never did, Cargo was cargo. The forest grew thicker as they traveled, the trees rising tall and close together on either side of the road. Branches twisted overhead, cutting the sunlight into scattered fragments that danced across the path. It was quiet. Not unusual at first. But then Too quiet. Bjorn's eyes shifted slightly. No birds, No wind. The faint rhythm of the carriage wheels behind him felt louder than it should. One of the drivers glanced around. "Feels off," he muttered. Bjorn didn't answer. His grip on the reins tightened just slightly. The road ahead opened into a wider stretch, the trees pulling back just enough to let the sky show through. And that's when it happened.
A sharp whistle cut through the air, then Impact. An arrow slammed through the chest of the first driver, knocking him backward off the seat. Before the second could react, another arrow buried itself deep into his throat. He collapsed without a sound. The horses screamed. The carriage lurched. "Down!" someone shouted from the tree line. Figures burst from the forest fast, coordinated, already moving. Not bandits, too clean, too precise, Assassins, Bjorn moved. He was off the saddle before the carriage fully stopped, boots hitting the dirt with a heavy thud. His hand went to the side of the carriage, steadying it as the horses panicked.
Three attackers broke toward the carriage immediately. Two others shifted toward him, they did not hesitate, did not test him. They already knew their roles. One of them, a larger figure, broad and armored, stepped forward, planting himself directly in Bjorn's path, A blocker. The others ignored Bjorn completely and moved past him. Straight for the carriage. Bjorn's eyes followed them. So that is how it is. The large assassin swung first, a heavy blade cutting through the air toward Bjorn's side. Bjorn caught it. Not the weapon. The arm. His hand clamped around the attacker's wrist mid-swing, stopping the strike cold. The impact alone sent a dull shock through the ground beneath them. The assassin's eyes widened slightly. Bjorn twisted. There was a sharp crack as the man's arm bent the wrong way.
He did not even scream before Bjorn drove a shoulder into his chest, sending him crashing backward into the dirt hard enough to leave a shallow crater. Bjorn did not follow. His attention had already shifted. The carriage door had opened. And someone stepped out. Not dragged. Not panicked. Stepping forward on her own, casting aside her Cloke. A much younger elf woman, she moved quickly, blade in hand, as she met the first assassin head-on. Steel clashed as she deflected the initial strike and drove her knee forward into the attacker's midsection. Not clumsy, Trained. The second assassin circled behind her, moving in silently. Bjorn saw it, He moved. He crossed the distance in two heavy steps, grabbing the second attacker by the back of the collar before the blade could fall. The assassin barely had time to react before Bjorn lifted him clean off the ground and drove him headfirst into the side of the carriage. Wood splintered on impact. The body dropped.
Astra turned sharply, breath quick, eyes wide for just a second, not at the enemies. At him. Then she reset, pivoting back into her stance as the first assassin recovered and lunged again. She met him cleanly this time, Blade to blade, Step for step. She was good. Better than most. But not enough. Another attacker moved in from the side, too fast, too close. Bjorn intercepted again, this time catching the man by the throat mid-lunge. The force of it lifted him off his feet entirely, for a moment, the assassin hung there, Then Bjorn slammed him straight down into the dirt. The ground cracked. The body didn't move again.
Astra stared for half a second longer than she meant to, then another attacker came at her. She turned back into the fight. More of them now, they adjusted quickly No longer ignoring Bjorn. Two shifted toward him again, moving with more caution this time. One feinted high, the other low but Bjorn stepped into it, not back. Forward.
He drove his shoulder into the first, folding the man over it before lifting and throwing him into the second. Both went down in a tangle of limbs and steel. One tried to rise; Bjorn's boot came down hard and the movement stopped. The remaining assassin hesitated just for a moment, Bjorn looked at him, the man turned and ran, the forest slowly began to breathe again. Wind moved through the trees, Somewhere, a bird called out. Behind him, Astra lowered her blade slightly, her chest rising and falling as she caught her breath. She looked at the bodies and then at him. "Ha, just an escort my ass," she said.
Bjorn wiped a bit of blood from his hand onto his cloak. "Did the job, didn't I?" She studied him for a moment longer. "You didn't even ask what you were protecting." Bjorn glanced at the broken carriage, then back at the road ahead. "Didn't need to. in the quiet I heard your breathing, besides your father is an elf duke. He wouldn't let someone like me guard, said precious cargo. If it wasn't something very important to them and they had no other option. After all, you are unique in your heritage, being both human and elf"
A pause, her grip tightened slightly on her blade, "They weren't after you," she said. Bjorn nodded once. "I know, it was you, Likely due To your Heritage. And other influential figures thinking one day you'll cause chaos being the product of 2 strong races, I believe they would have sent stronger assassins if they knew I was here, but now that they do, we are both targets and we need to go, now"
Her eyes narrowed just a little. "…Then why are you still here?" Bjorn stepped past her, reaching for the reins of the panicked horses, steadying them with a firm hand. "Because I took the job." He didn't look back at her. "Let's move." Astra watched him for a moment longer before sheathing her blade. The road ahead felt different now, and somewhere, far behind them, one man ran through the trees, carrying news he didn't fully understand