[Aylwen Dreamsong]

The end was near for them, Whisper could feel it. They had tracked Halasan and the axe man all through Minas Tirith, and Whisper even sent Jorgen into the Houses of Healing to see if the two men were there. Halasan and his henchman were near, for Jorgen had come back to the city streets to report that Halasan had left only an hour before. Whisper knew it would be the last stretch of their race to catch Halasan and the axe man. Joal’s death would not be forgotten, and Whisper would make sure of that.

“To the Stone Guard then…” Whisper muttered, waving Jorgen back over to the group. They waited in the shadows of a nearby building, weapons concealed in the robes and folds of their clothing. They flew off towards their destination, anxious for the beginning of the end. Whisper could hardly contain herself when they came upon the outskirts, just outside the Stone Guard.

Fewer than twenty paces away was the axe man. He was standing motionless, watching something before him that the assassins could not see. In a moment of intense rage Whisper sought to lash out in one movement to kill the axe man, but Jorgen held her back for he knew that it was not the right time. Suddenly the axe man moved forward to clasp his large hand on something, and Whisper looked out to see that he was grabbing some woman by the shoulder, gently holding her back from something.

Out past the axe man and the strange woman was Halasan, Whisper’s original prey, battling with some man unknown to Whisper. It must be the man he was following, Whisper told herself before she tore her eyes away from the scene to look upon her helpers.

“We need the axe man and Halasan dead,” Whisper murmured in a low voice to her three accomplices. They all nodded their comprehension, and she directed all of them, one by one, to certain places around the axe man and whatever captivating thing was going on between Halasan and the strange man. Before she sent Jair off, Whisper took from him two extra daggers, which she placed along her belt. She also borrowed Jair’s bow, three arrows, and one broadsword, all of which she laid on the ground next to her foot. Then Whisper sent Jair off to his assigned place, and rolled her eyes at the fact that despite Whisper’s constant taking of his weapons, Jair still had plenty to go around for the rest of the assassins.

Turning her attention back to the feud going on between Halasan and the other man, Whisper had looked up just in time to see a tired Halasan deliver a killing blow to the stranger. Whisper watched as the dying man collapsed and the woman and Halasan ran over to him to watch. Words were exchanged, but Whisper could not nor did she want to hear what the strange man was saying. It was Whisper’s time to kill.

Halasan stood above the crying woman. Whisper quickly picked up the bow and one arrow, fitting the arrow to the string as efficiently and quickly as she could. Halasan was about to speak with the doubled over woman when Whisper pulled, then let loose the bowstring. Her arrow flew true, hitting Halasan's upper left chest cavity. Halasan staggered and fell at the blow, and Whisper was sure of victory.

"Attack!" Whisper roared in her loudest voice, flailing her right arm in a signal for her men to attack. Jorgen, Seshan, and Jair flew from their hiding spots to attack the axe man. But the axe man was strong...how could he be so efficient against three assassins? Whisper dismissed her doubts.

After all, she reminded herself, picking up another one of her arrows and standing to face the assailed axe man. It will be by my arrow that the axe man dies.