Brankin Huoh

  A scuffling sound to his right and Tyhreb snapped his eyes open. In one smooth, speedy motion he spun onto his knees, freed his knife from its scabbard and stabbed toward the source of the noise. A painful howl rent the still night air. Tyhreb focused and could see his knife plunged deep into the belly of a skinny coyote. Fear filled its eyes as it labored and writhed, trying to escape the knife and get away from the source of pain. Another howl escaped its muzzle and Tyhreb wrenched his knife free then put the coyote out of its misery. He stayed on his knees and cast about his immediate area, looking if there was anything else. The coyote was the only thing he could see and he sat back against the tree and breathed a long sigh. He didn't like to kill animals if he could help it but knew that this was accidental and it couldn't have been avoided.

  With the shock of being startled awake fading from his system, he realized that the coyote's howls could have given him away. That’s if anyone was paying attention he reminded himself and then got to his feet. Being in the line of business he was, Tyhreb had learned a few things about people. One of them was that they didn't pay attention to many things. They figured as long as it didn't affect them they didn't need to bother. How silly of them. He paid attention to everything he could; every sound, every noise. They all told a story; a story that could be the difference between life and death. Tyhreb edged himself toward the viewpoint on the cliff overlooking Kenok’s farmhouse and looked down at his target. The house was dark. Everything was still. He nodded his approval and began the final stage of his descent.

  Tyhreb chastised himself all the way down for falling asleep on a mission. He couldn't remember a time it had ever happened before and he wondered if he was getting too comfortable with this occupation. Something he would have to ponder about later he decided. He had reached the flats and it was time to focus on his mission. From the vantage point he had used earlier, Tyhreb had calculated the best route from the end of the trail to Kenok’s house. He wanted to avoid the fences if he could but use the outbuilding as a means to provide cover. There were a few smaller buildings closer to the house as well that he could use. Probably some sort of storage, maybe a chicken or rabbit coop. It didn't matter really. All Tyhreb cared was that it gave him quick, unencumbered, access to the house. Tyhreb chuckled to himself. In his younger days he wouldn't even have cared about any of that or even if it was night or not. He would have barged his way across the field and kicked the front door in, taking care of anyone who got in the way of his objective. He had grown since then and realized that the stealthier he was the less chance there was of him ending up with a knife through his chest or his head detached from his body. Tyhreb had liked the fight back then. It was where he got his kicks from but now he wanted to get the job done as fast and clean as possible so he could get back to his camp and enjoy the solitude it afforded him.

  Tyhreb was behind the last building, closest to the house. Up close he could see that indeed there were no sources of light from either fire or candles; the house was nice and dark inside. He was glad. That would just make things easier. On a whim, he decided to take a quick reconnaissance around the house. He hadn't seen any signs of concern but there was always a chance that there was something that had gone unseen that could give away his presence. He wandered around the house taking in every detail. Where the windows were and how many of them there were; the same with the doors. The house seemed pretty standard for this area as they had all been built to Citadel standards.

  The moon cast little light and Tyhreb walked with purpose right up to the front door like he was an expected guest. He placed his hand on the doorknob and took a breath. The doorknob turned in his meaty hand and he eased the door open. It spun on its hinges without creak or squeal and he stepped over the threshold, closing the door behind him. Tyhreb let his breath out as he waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. When they did he could see the layout of the house. The room he was in was open; some shabby looking furniture along the wall, the kitchen lay to the right. At the far end of the house, across from him, there were two rooms. The doors to both lay open.

  Tyhreb decided the one on the left looked larger and was the logical choice for where to find Kenok. He stepped toward the rooms. Each footfall was deliberate and precise not wanting to trip on anything unseen or make the floorboards creak. He stopped at the smaller room and looked in anyway to be sure. It looked unused. The bed was made and there were no other indications that concerned him so he continued to the larger room, stopping astride of the open door. Tyhreb leaned around; easing his head past the line of the doorway and the room inside revealed itself in slow relief.

  The bed was under the window at the far end of the room and he could see the lumpy mounds of its two inhabitants. There was table on each side of the bed and dresser off to the left. A coat rack was on the right, holding a bulging assortment of clothes.

  Nothing seemed out of the ordinary and Tyhreb could feel his heart start to beat faster. He loved this feeling; the moment right before the action would begin. He never felt so alive. He took a few deep breaths to get control of his racing heart and flexed his hands. Tyhreb wondered what he should do with Kenok's wife. Tyhreb hadn’t given much thought to her. Women were inconsequential to him, and he didn’t factor Kenok’s wife into his equations. He knew he didn’t want to bring her along. Dragging one person along was enough without having to worry about a second. But he also didn’t want to harm her if he could at all avoid it. Tyhreb had been charged with obtaining Kenok. The wife was immaterial to him. Hopefully he could get Kenok out of the house without alerting her. He had completed similar jobs before so he wasn’t too worried. He would deal with that situation if it arose. He stepped around the door frame and into the room.

  On padded feet he made his way to the end of the bed. Deciding that the bigger of the two lumps belonged to Kenok, he inched his way to the right side of the bed. He was at the head of the bed when the other form moved and Tyhreb froze. He waited for a ten count after she stopped moving and decided she must have shifted in her sleep. He reached out with trembling hands toward Kenok. He was going to drag Kenok outside, gag him then put the sack over his head and be on his way. Simple, yet effective.

  Kenok’s wife moved again, this time whipping down the blankets with a scream, and flung something at him from a cup. It was a cold liquid but it burned as it hit his eyes. Tyhreb hollered in pain and turned away from Kenok's wife as she screamed again. Kenok erupted from amongst the clothes on the coat rack brandishing an iron bar, swinging with the fury of a madman.

  The first blow hit Tyhreb flush on the forehead and he staggered back. The second blow on the left ear and he staggered back once more. The bed cut his legs out from underneath him and fell flat on his back. He hadn't lost all his senses and he reached for his knife even though his eyes still burned and he couldn’t see. A third blow to the ribs followed. The world went dark as a raft of blankets came down over his head. More blows rained down upon him. He could hear Kenok screaming in savage rage as his wife alternated between screaming and hysterical sobbing.

  Tyhreb's arms went limp as he lost consciousness.

  Chapter 30