The rest of the day's travel took Manfred and Nathan to the foothills of the Monteraynian ring, and then the entirety of the following day was occupied in pushing through the mountain pass. They crossed into Alconte just when night fell, so the two knights agreed on arising as early as possible the next morning to investigate the weapons market on the other side of a nearby hill.

Not surprisingly, Manfred awoke first, just minutes after the sun's first rays shot over the horizon. He shook Nathan awake, and after a quick snack to line their stomachs, the pair mounted their horses and trotted the short distance around the hill to the market.

What Manfred hadn't been expecting was just how beautiful the Alcontean weapons market would be. When he and Nathan emerged from the other side of the hill, his eyes widened at the striking sight. A massive dark blue lake shimmered in the young sunlight, encircled by a ring of buildings, tents, and tables comprising a market as large as a small town. The collapsible tables and other temporary sales stands took up about three-fourths of the space, but the charming wooden buildings that were taller than they were wide served an important function—giving the weapons market an aspect of permanency.

In the middle of the lake was a lush little island. A handsome stone bridge spanned the distance to the mainland while also allowing boats to pass underneath by way of a pair of impressive arches. Beautified by colorful gardens visible from a great distance, the island contained an extension of the market to serve the patrons' non-weapon needs, made obvious by the attractive inn and several trails of aromatic smoke from cooking delicious meals throughout.

Manfred peeled his eyes from the colorful marketplace and offered Nathan a reserved smile. "It'll take us a while to make the rounds."

"Maybe so." Nathan replied, "But I'm confident we'll find some reliable answers here."

Manfred's nod was the end of the discussion. The two knights dismounted from their horses just before entering the marketplace and opted to gently guide the beasts along on foot. Not far in, they found a public stable, and after a little discussion, they paid the price and left their horses there. Then the two knights stepped back out into the main part of the market.

In stark contrast with the hushed quietude of the clandestine marketplace they'd visited a couple nights ago, this Alcontean trading center positively buzzed with various noises. A sharp grating of metal on metal drew Manfred's attention to an elderly bladesmith who sharpened a saber across a table from a buyer, apparently making subtle modifications to the edge to meet the customer's standards. Not many shacks down, a red-faced youth shouted at a seller of knives who was visibly doing her best to deescalate the situation. And opposite them in both location and spirit were a pair of vendors with nearly identical wares who bantered over their respective sales.

By an unspoken agreement between the two knights, Nathan led the way when the crowd grew thick enough to force them into walking single file. Each time they passed an archery shack, he took a pause to look over the merchandise sold there, but most vendors sold only arrows with standard arrowheads.

But soon enough, Manfred craned his neck upon sighting a rack of barbed Danlashian arrows among dozens of other varieties. He poked Nathan's shoulder and called his attention to the shop. With a satisfied grin, Nathan led the way through the crowd to speak with the vendor and examine her product.

The seller was hardly the type of person Manfred would have expected to see selling such deadly arrows, or weapons in general. She sported thick braided brown hair swept exclusively over her left shoulder, contrasting with her pale skin and light blue eyes. Her entire demeanor sparkled with mischief as she regarded the two incoming knights with an unwavering gaze. Manfred's own eye contact was far less enduring than hers.

Manfred frowned when Nathan strode right up to her sales counter, leaned over, and planted a kiss on her forehead, which she accepted with a lighthearted giggle.

Nathan glanced back at Manfred with a smirk. "Alcontean customs. You don't greet people with words alone; your lips get involved too."

"Oh." Manfred shifted awkwardly and folded his hands behind his back. "I see."

Nathan's eyes widened, and he motioned toward the vendor. With a deep breath and a hefty serving of hesitation, Manfred obliged and pecked her hand with his lips. Then, after shooting Nathan a pointed glance, he backed away again.

"Anyway," Nathan began, "as you can tell, we're Monteraynian knights, and believe it or not, we're not here just for a leisurely visit."

The vendor smiled and nodded. "I would assume so, sir. How can I help you?"

"See, we've been having problems with an assassin coming through and slaying our men. But as it turns out, he may have left behind a very incriminating clue."

"What's that?"

Nathan crossed over to the barbed arrow rack and brought one over to the counter. "All the arrows we found in the victims looked exactly like this."

"Danlashian arrows...perfect for an assassin."

"Exactly. They're also illegal in Monterayne. Do you sell a good number of these?"

The vendor brushed a stray hair out of her face. "I do."

"In that case, what I'll need from you is a list of names. Put down everybody you've sold that arrowhead type to in the past month or two."

"I would like to help you, sir, but I have never made a point of taking customers names down, only their money. Believe me, plenty of the cloaked individuals who come by would never give their names even were I to ask."

Nathan exchanged a glance with Manfred. "Well, at least tell me this: have you recently sold a bundle of arrows numerous enough to kill seventeen knights? Say...two dozen or so?"

"I have. However, to my recollection, any individuals who purchased that many concealed their identities in one way or another and talked very little, so I'm afraid I can help you no further."

"Very well, then. Thank you for trying, at least. One last thing."

The vendor's light blue eyes ascended with curiosity steeped in them. "What's that?"

"Out of pure curiosity, who makes your barbed arrows?"

"He's a relative of mine living in Danlash, believe it or not. He's fortunate enough to live on the mainland."

With a nod, Nathan turned away from the brunette. "Good to know. This thing's still a mystery to me, but thank you for your assistance anyway."

"It has been my pleasure! I pray you find the one you seek."

Manfred gave the young woman a slight bow and led the way out into the main part of the market. Neither knight appeared all too enthusiastic over their findings, or more accurately the lack thereof. Their somber faces and plodding pace starkly contrasted with the busy buzz of activity around them.

"This whole trip's been a big waste of time, I guess." Manfred remarked bitterly after they'd walked for a few minutes.

"I know it feels that way," Nathan replied, "but then again, this is one big market. I'll bet there's somebody else selling those arrows. We just need to find them."

"Maybe you have a point."

"I know I do.

Manfred perked up when a vaguely feminine figure in a black cloak pushed through a pair of curtains comprising the exit to a "potions" shack. Five lonely arrows rattled about in the hungry quiver on her back. The figure waited for the two knights to pass before stepping onto the main path behind them, a state of affairs Manfred hardly found himself comfortable with.

He leaned subtly over to Nathan. "We've got a person following us. In a cloak."

"There's plenty of people like that around here. Haven't you noticed?"

"Sure, but when they're following us, I can't help but get nervous."

"Relax...it's probably nothing." Nathan said, but his action of pulling his shield off his back and holding it in his hand seemed to imply he had his doubts.

They continued straight down the path for several minutes, through the part of the market thickest with archery supplies, but their cloaked suspect still tailed them. One shop clearly offered Danlashian arrows that appeared to be of far lower quality, but Manfred insisted they refrain from entering any other places until they had shaken off their follower.

To that end, the two knights stepped off the main path and walked alongside a small wooden building housing a fat man's custom bow store. A quick peek over Manfred's shoulder confirmed the cloaked figure still followed. Next, they turned at the corner to walk behind the building. Though she noticeably fell behind, presumably to attempt shaking their suspicions, she still faithfully followed.

The cloaked figure rounded a third corner with them, and then after that, at the fourth, followed them right back onto the main path they'd previously travelled. Manfred's chest tightened.

"There's no reason for her to have happened to go around that—"

Nathan nodded, but in a dismissive, quieting fashion. "See that grove of trees over there?"

"I do."

"That looks to be off the market grounds. If she follows us in there, there's no doubt at all."

So by silent agreement, the two knights continued down the path for a few more minutes until they came to a grove of slender trees topped by patchy umbrellas of leaves. The cobblestone path gave way to dirt and green brush that stuck close to the ground.

The ground came to an abrupt but short incline, which Manfred and Nathan dashed down and immediately whirled around when they came to flat ground. Sure enough, there stood their black-cloaked follower at the top of the slope, her feet about level with their heads. A barbed arrow hung loosely between the fingers of her right hand, and her left tightly clutched her bow.

"Smokin' hell...why're you following us, lady?" Nathan demanded, shifting into a planted stance with his shield held up to guard his body. His own fingers gripped his sword's hilt.

"The Black Crow must earn her food."

Manfred exchanged a baffled frown with Nathan. "What...what's that supposed to mean?"

Black Crow gave no response aside from letting an arrow fly. Instead of impaling Nathan's neck, the projectile made impact with the wooden surface of his shield, the barbs rendering removal all but impossible. The two knights unsheathed their swords while the assassin above nocked a second arrow.

Consistent with his training in the Torlenian style of swordsmanship, Manfred hung back with his blade in a guard position while evaluating the situation. Nathan, on the other hand, displayed typical Raskan brashness and charged at Black Crow with his shield raised to protect his advance.

She had a simple remedy for his assault. Since Nathan held his shield to protect his upper body exclusively, his legs were exposed for the precise kick that sent him tumbling back down the slope. For a moment, the dark-skinned knight lay sprawled out in the dirt and leaves while groaning. Black Crow took aim.

Manfred leapt into her line of fire just in time and slashed the incoming arrow in half. Then, as she reached back for her third, he dashed up the incline himself. The assassin retreated with nimble footwork and appeared to give up on her arrow retrieval. Manfred pushed himself harder, as if he could just get a few feet closer, she'd be in striking range.

Manfred thought his chance had come when Black Crow backed into a tree trunk and paused as if dazed. He braced himself to swing at her. But then came her counter. The assassin tossed her bow into a tangle of low-hanging branches before leaping up and grasping a sturdier one just above her head. She used the limb to swing her legs up and kick Manfred squarely in the jaw.

With a cry of surprise and pain perfectly blended, Manfred dropped to the ground. His jaw burned and tongue became swollen in his mouth. The metallic taste of blood overtook his palate. Accompanied by the dull ache of hitting the hard ground, he was given no incentive to rise again. But his concern for Nathan overpowered the discomfort, and after glancing about to see the assassin had vanished from view, he rolled over to spot his companion.

Sure enough, Nathan had just jogged to the top of the incline, and he now glanced about with confusion Manfred shared. Black Crow was nowhere to be seen, and her bow was no longer in the tangle of twigs.

Nathan helped Manfred to his feet, a gesture he acknowledged with a brief nod before shifting into a defensive stance with eyes darting about in search of their black-cloaked foe. The two crept their way through the grove of trees, hearts excited and breaths short.

Nathan cried out and dropped to his knees. Manfred whirled about. It had only been a glancing blow, but the arrow had torn deep into the shoulder of his sword arm as it whizzed past. A crimson stain swiftly spread across the site.

Much as he would have wanted to attend to Nathan, Manfred realized turning their backs on the killer would only make the same thing happen again. Judging by where the arrow had fallen, he turned the opposite direction and peered into the brush for their determined archer opponent.

Manfred's heart pounded in his chest, and the increased blood flow had an effect as if someone were stomping around in his ears. He kept his eyes moving and senses tuned in for any sign of the assassin. The slightest snap of a twig caught his attention, even if it had been his own foot doing the trampling.

Then something heavy dropped onto his shoulders from above. The realization it was a pair of legs only hit Manfred after he had gasped and been knocked down by the force. Black Crow rolled to catch her own fall, and then she knelt on one knee while aiming her second to last arrow at Manfred's prostrate form.

"Stay down, Manfred Rickland." the assassin hissed.

If the dull ache in his shoulders weren't so overwhelming, Manfred would have recoiled in bewilderment. How did she know his name? He drew in a deep breath and groped for his sword.

Manfred's eyes had only left Black Crow for a second, but in that time, she had vanished. His eyes widened, and once again, despite all his own agony, his resolve to assist his partner mobilized him again. With a mighty effort and and equally powerful wince, he rose and dashed back to Nathan.

By the time Manfred had threaded back through the grove and reached Nathan, another arrow had become riveted in his shield, and the Raskan's dark brown eyes peered intently into the tree line. Nathan originally flinched at Manfred's sudden appearance, but then visibly relaxed.

"How's the shoulder?" Manfred asked in a breathy voice as he glanced about.

"Stings badly...can't really do much but block stuff right now."

Manfred nodded. "I'll make sure you don't have to."

Something about the way the air moved behind Manfred made the hairs on the back of his neck bristle. He whirled about just in time to see Black Crow's tackle coming this time. His eyes widened upon spotting the two daggers in her hands instead of her usual bow.

Though she didn't catch him unawares, the assassin's momentum still knocked Manfred onto his back. Pinning the flat of his blade against his chest, she effectively removed his best chance at resisting her.

"I told you to stay down." she growled, holding one of the daggers up threateningly while her other arm still pinned his sword down.

"Didn't want to." Manfred spat back, exerting all the limited strength he had left to push her off. But she clearly had no intention of succumbing to the pressure.

When Nathan moved in to assist, Black Crow hurled her dagger at him. It only scratched a line in the wooden shield, but did appear to have made him think twice about coming near.

Unfortunately for Black Crow, transferring her second dagger from one hand to the other was all the time Manfred needed. He freed his sword, rolled to the side, and rose up. Of course, she clearly had no intention of facing an easy defeat.

Her flying blade was no match for Manfred's superb reflexes. He batted the dagger away with one swift stroke and moved in to give her a wound to match Nathan's. But her athleticism saved her again, evading both Manfred's attack and a weak stab attempted by Nathan. She produced two more daggers from the folds of her cloak and dashed at Nathan.

Black Crow sped in from the right, forcing Nathan to defend with his sword alone—his greatest weakness as Manfred had found out from sparring earlier. The assassin trapped his weapon between her own two blades and wrested it from his grasp. After tossing them both at Manfred to impede his advance, she took the fallen sword for herself.

Nathan's footwork remained purely retreatful as he blocked a flurry of sword strokes from Black Crow. Her attacks were nothing short of amateurish, but still, brutal and deadly regardless. Manfred hurried in from behind to divide her attention.

As he'd hoped, Black Crow whirled to face off against the only one of her two opponents who posed an active threat to herself. She fought like a Raskan, albeit a sloppy one, always attacking and pressing forward. Unfortunately for her, Manfred had sparred with many fighters like her, and his defense in a sword fight was nearly impenetrable.

Up, down, left, right, his sword jerked in rapid succession to block her many crazed attacks. The repeated clang of metal on metal rung out through the grove. Then Manfred threw in a stab of his own. His blade didn't connect with her flesh, and neither had he intended it to. Instead, Black Crow's sword hit his from an angle she hadn't intended, causing it to fly out of her hand.

Manfred moved in swiftly. He could have done any number of sword strokes, but he knew she would expect that. Instead, he stuck out his long leg and swept her off her feet. He sheathed his sword and hopped on top of the assassin, pinning her to the ground while clasping her wrists together behind her back. She squirmed and grunted, but all to no avail.

When Black Crow finally quit struggling, Manfred pulled her to her knees, though he still retained his grip on her arms. Nathan stepped forward, and after the two knights exchanged a nod, he yanked the hood off her head.

Both men expressed surprise at the face they'd revealed, elevated eyebrows on Manfred's part and a gaping mouth for Nathan. Black Crow was a striking young woman, obviously Danlashian in ancestry, with silky blonde hair pulled into a tight braid running down her neck. Her icy blue eyes stared up at the knights in panic, pink lips slightly parted to reveal white front teeth with slightly irregular spacing. Her skin was rather pale, allowing the redness in her cheeks to show through quite well.

Manfred shook his head in silent disapproval as he took her quiver away, along with the lonely single arrow left in it. Then he pulled her cloak off to search for any more concealed weapons. Sure enough, fixed to her close-fitted inner garments were two more sheathed daggers, a few tiny potion bottles, and a short length of rope.

With a sigh, Manfred led the defeated assassin over to a nearby sapling and tied her hands together around the trunk with her own rope. Then, when a cold breeze swept in from the south, he grabbed her cloak from the ground and draped it over her like a blanket. After exchanging a stern glance with her, he stepped over to Nathan and led him out of earshot.

"I'm pretty sure they sell hesparia in the market, don't you think?" Manfred asked in a hushed tone.

Nathan nodded. "I wouldn't be surprised."

"In that case, I'll go buy some and also bring our horses down here." Manfred stooped down and retrieved Nathan's sword. "I know you can't do much, but watch her, will you?"

"Of course. There's no way she'll be bustin' out of those bonds and keepin' me from stabbing her at the same time."

Manfred nodded. "Alright, hang in there. I'll be back."

After tossing one last suspicious glance over his shoulder at Black Crow, Manfred trudged through the brush in the direction of the market. 

**** 

A/N: Lo and behold, the Black Crow! I hope this chapter's excitement made up for its length; we've now reached the story's pivot point, or rather, are halfway through the pivot, I suppose. Anyways, if you enjoyed, please do vote and comment, please and thank you. 

Now I do have a face reveal for Black Crow now that we're this far into the story, so do go back to the cast list for that. I guess it'll be a premature name reveal before I post the next chapter too, but that's fine. Anyways, I hope you have a great morning, and stay awesome!