In the heart of the city of Krynica sits the castle of King Brynis. The work on the castle began

when Anganoc first was founded and the first King sat upon its throne. Indettiatian the Damned ruled as

the King Indettiatian the First, everyone ignoring the moniker that the man wore.

In the heart of the castle grounds a new building had recently been completed. Its work had been

hurried upon the orders of the current King, King Brynis. Unlike his notorious forefather, Brynis had no

moniker attached to his name and was generally well liked by his subjects.

Only a man like Brynis would look beyond the rough exterior of a band of thieves and find a

possible use for them that would benefit his beloved Kingdom. Personally approaching the leader of the

thieves, a well-known murderer and assassin known only as the Sword and offered him a legitimate

position within the government. The Sword was amused and intrigued by the suggestion of the King and

agreed to give it a go. The Sword became the leader of the newly formed intelligence group. With a

famous quote, “Like the shadows we hide in, we can damn well do the job.” He christened the new group

the Shadows.

A new building was ordered built on the King’s grounds, Brynis wisely not wanting the thieves in

his palace. The Sword worked with the King and began hammering out details of what a Shadow was

required to do.

Many thieves chose not to work with the Sword, but no one dared to oppose him. The few that

dared were found dead. There were no attempts to make the deaths seem like accidents, and no one

investigated too deeply. Those that did join up with the Sword took names to hide their original identities

and demonstrate their new loyalty to the Sword and King Brynis.

It was nineteen years after the formation of the Shadows that a young man named Riter became

known as Danger. Having been raised in a tavern on the outskirts of Krynica, he had found no other

options in his life but to join with the Shadows and hope for a better future. He was trained by a Shadow

called Hunter. Hunter had sponsored him and trained him with all the intensity of the father Danger never

knew. The Sword had plans to begin a training program, but it was still too vague to do much good for the

boys who sought to join.

It was now, on this cold rainy day that Danger lounged in his new rooms in the newly built

building. It still seemed so large and empty, and Danger doubted the building would ever be completely

full. He set his glass onto the table and belched loudly in the empty room.

His thoughts drifted back through his memories of his time as a full-fledged Shadow. Danger

loved being a Shadow. He had been sent to assassinate an ambassador only a year after Hunter had

pronounced him trained. He showed an uncanny talent for killing and loved the thrill of it all. He had

become one of the Sword’s best killers and reveled in his reputation. He had even heard a Bard singing a

song called, “Danger protects Anganoc.” It had amused him to no end and he had even requested a copy of

the sheet music. Someday, he would find someone to teach him how to read the thing. The Sword had

been furious that a Shadow had been so noticed. Danger imagined the man working now on a new rule

about avoiding such attention.

As if summoned by his thoughts, the Sword stood in Danger’s open doorway. He tapped lightly

on the door to gain the younger man’s attentions.

“Is this how you spend your time? Drinking alone in your room?” the Sword demanded.

“It’s water. I don’t drink anything else.” Danger told him.

“Good. Very good.” The Sword seemed pleased by his answer. Danger had given up trying to

figure out what the other man was thinking.

“You need me to do something for you?”

“Yes, I have a very bothersome thorn in the King’s side, and I need him taken out.”

“Who?” A thrill of anticipation began to burn inside of Danger’s heart. He loved the Hunt and

enjoyed the rush that his work gave him. He wondered briefly what the Sword’s reaction would be to

another song.

“A ambassador again. I need it to look like an accident.”

“Not a problem. How soon?” Danger’s eyes shining. The Sword noticed, but did not say

anything to extinguish the light.

“Within the week.”

“Is he guarded?”

“He is, but his wife is not. Can you use her to get to him?”

“Is it a love match?”

“No, but their rooms are connected.”

“Is she pretty?”

“Very attractive. I wouldn’t mind the job myself.”

“Ah, the sacrifices I make for you. Well, I suppose it’s all in the line of duty.” Danger grinned

wolfishly. The Sword grinned briefly, matching the younger man’s grin.

“And do give us the details. It’s the Rrenian ambassador, he is called Takka.”

“Consider it done.” Danger stated grandly, waving his hand regally. The Sword snorted and left

the doorway. Danger leaned back in his chair briefly, feeling the excitement build in him. He shut his

eyes, enjoying the feeling that swelled within him. He could almost taste the anticipation on the tip of his

tongue.

Dressed in formal Court attire, Danger cut an attractive image and he knew it. Many of the

Shadows had begun to wear black, as a symbol of their organization. Danger hated the color and avoided it

at all costs. The rich colors he wore now drew attention to his best features. Since he was hunting a

woman’s attentions, he knew what to wear to bring attention to his best features. The current style framed

his lean body, emphasizing his height and trim figure. His dark hair was long enough to frame his face,

with enough natural wave to give him a constant windblown look. He tossed his head to get the longer

locks away from his eyes. As he moved through the crowded ballroom, he was aware of the hungry

glances of several high-ranking noblewomen. His dark gaze swept the large ballroom until it settled upon

the only blonde pair in the room. He smiled to himself, a small tight smile that lasted only for a moment.

Discreetly, he studied the man he had been sent to hunt. The ambassador was portly and years

older then the delicate woman by his side. His belly strained at the constricting cut of the tunic. His blonde

hair was thin and beads of perspiration glistened on his forehead. His beady eyes glittered like an animals

as he spoke with one of the High Lords at his side.

Danger spared a brief inspection of the woman by his side. She was a petite woman, her blonde,

curly hair straining at the tight style favored by Anganoc noblewomen. She seemed like a child playing in

her parent’s clothes as she stood silently at her husband’s side. Danger paused and spoke with one of the

small groups on the edge of the floor. After a few minutes, he migrated over to the next group. His actions

drew no attention, as he seemed to be mingling politely as was required at one of these Court functions.

Danger caught a glimpse of King Brynis making the rounds with his Queen by his side.

Slowly, Danger made his way to the group containing the Rrenian ambassador. After a brief

introduction, he bowed to the ambassador.

The ambassador turned toward his wife, “May I present my wife, Hekera.” Hekera’s gaze darted

towards Danger’s face briefly, before dropping down to the floor. The ambassador’s gaze swept over him

before dismissing him as unimportant. Takka turned and fell into another discussion with the High Lord.

Danger turned to the wife.

“I hear the music starting up. Perhaps, I might trouble you for a dance?” he kept his face hopeful

and harmless. Overhearing him, Takka turned back to the pair. He took another look at Danger before

turning to his wife.

“I see no problems with that, my dear. The dancing would interest you far more then my

conversation.” He told her in his accented voice. His wife, not raising her gaze from the floor, nodded to

Danger.

“As my husband approves, then so I agree.” She told him, her deeper then Danger had expected.

Danger smiled at her, ignoring the ambassador’s gaze on him. He took her tiny hand in his and led her to

the floor.

The music began, a light sweeping melody that was one of the popular tunes of the time. He

gently drew her into the dance steps, keeping conversation light as he tested the waters. She relaxed

slightly as the song drew to a close, even meeting his gaze and offering him a shy smile. Danger had

played these games before and knew how to proceed with the woman before him. As the evening’s

festivities drew to a close, he knew he would have her trapped within three days. He felt a slight pang of

regret over how easy this Hunt was turning out to be.

The second night went very similar to the first. He managed to dance with Hekera three times and

stayed near her most of the evening. Unaccustomed to male attention, Hekera felt very awkward by his

attention. Danger could tell she was enjoying it and he doubted she had ever received any before. He

danced attendance on her, trying to convince her that she was the most important thing to him at the ball. It

didn’t take an expert to know that she believed his performance.

On the third night, he managed to get her alone in a hallway. It worked out better then he had

planned. Alone in the corridor, he put his hands on her waist and swore to her everything she wanted to

hear. Hekera listened, her eyes wide with rapt attention. Turning a brilliant shade of red, she refused to

meet his gaze.

“Will…will you meet me in my rooms this evening?” she asked breathlessly. Danger pretended to

consider this.

“But, Hekera! What of your husband? I would do nothing to harm you or your reputation!” he

protested politely, knowing she wanted to hear the words. She smiled at him; trust shining from her strange

light colored eyes.

“My husband will say nothing. Ours is merely a political match.” She told him, displaying more

confidence then he had ever seen from hers. A jolt of elation ran through him at the thought of the end of

his hunt.

“I dream of nothing more then being with you. I will come to you this evening.” He told her with

false sincerity. Without taking his eyes from hers, he gently raised her hand to his lips and pressed a gentle

kiss upon the back of it. Leaving her hand within his, she rose up and kissed him on the mouth. Pulling out

of his arms, she hurried away with several coy backward glances. Danger watched her run off towards the

ballroom. When she was out of sight, he turned and headed down a different corridor. He had his own

preparations to make.

After the ball had ended in the early hours of the morning, Danger crept towards Hekera’s room.

He didn’t creep the way Hunter had taught him, preferring to stay in his role of a man on the way to a

rendezvous. It was a wasted effort; no one was in the hallway to see him creep. Hekera’s room was left

unguarded, something that surprised him. He glanced down the hall to see two Rrenian soldiers in front of

the room that could only belong to Takka. Neither guard stirred as he let himself into Hekera’s room.

Hekera turned at his entrance, her blonde hair curling wildly down her back. She wore only the

sheerest of nightgowns that emphasized her thin body. Danger allowed his gaze to look over her thin form.

She looked nervous. On cautious feet she approached him. Danger put his hands on her waist, feeling the

soft material under his large hands. She closed her eyes and tilted her head toward him and waited for him

to kiss her. He did so, moving his hands to pull her against his body.

The kiss deepened, Danger allowing a bit of passion to creep into it. Seduction and bedding of a

woman were something he was very familiar with. It was as mechanical to him now as the dances he had

led her through earlier in the evening. Part of his mind detached itself from what he was doing and lingerd

on the events that would occur later that morning.

With gentle fingers, he slid the delicate gown from her shoulders and let it slide down her body to

the floor. It pooled around her feet, leaving her nude in the glimmer of the candles. He gazed over her

body with a look of feigned passion on his features. The candles cast flickering shadows over her body.

With another kiss, he picked her up and carried her toward the bed.

Danger lay in the tangle of sheets waiting for the woman beside him to fall asleep. She wriggled

closer to him, resting her head on his chest. After a few minutes she would move again, trying to find a

comfortable way to lie while touching him. Danger waited with growing impatience. He tried not to look

over at his clothes. He kept his gaze on the ceiling above him, not allowing his thoughts to turn toward

what he was going to do.

“Well, that was better then I expected.” Hekera’s voice told him. Danger looked down at the

woman, surprised to hear her sound so confident and sure of herself.

“Well, love, what did you expect?” he whispered, running his hand down her bare back. She

pushed herself away from him and looked down at him. Danger lay very still, taken back by the direct look

she was giving him.

“Did you really think that it would be so easy? Seduce the wife, kill the husband? Can the mighty

Danger fall so easily?” she hissed. Danger blinked at her, trying to hide his surprise. He allowed a look of

confusion to sweep across his features.

“What are you saying, sweetheart?” he asked.

“Don’t sweetheart me, you son of a bitch. I know what you are. You put up a good act, Shadow.”

She hissed, her blue eyes narrowing. Her hand locked around his upper arm like a manacle.

“Shadow? What are you talking about?” he protested. Tossing her head back, the formerly

passive and shy Hekera laughed.

“Did you think we didn’t know that the Shadows would be after Takka? Did you really think we

would allow his wife to be such an easy target?” she sneered, “And of course, who else would be sent to

seduce the quiet Hekera but the handsome Danger?” She leaned toward him, as if moving in for a kiss.

Danger tried to pull away from her, and succeeded only in falling to the floor. The sheet tangled

around his legs, and he struggled to get free from it. Hekera slid from the bed, standing before him looking

down on him. She stood as if unaware of her nudity. Danger swallowed, as he looked up at her.

She moved, and he finally noticed the dagger in her hand. He realized that all her shifting in the

bed wasn’t for comfort, but to get a knife without his notice. He silently cursed at himself for making such

a foolish mistake.

“Woman can’t kill. You are not strong enough to do it.” He told her confidently, looking back up

at her. He managed to kick his legs free from the sheets. Hekera had already moved, with a quick lunge,

she slid the knife into his chest. He gasped as he felt the cold steel pierce him. With a slight twist, she

found his heart. In the fleeting second before darkness consumed him he realized that she had done this

before.

The woman posing as Hekera looked down at the dead man on the floor. After all the work she

had put into studying the man known as Danger, it had ended far to quickly. She pushed down a surge of

disappointment as she watched the blood slide down his bare chest and pool on the expensive carpet. She

stepped back to avoid the puddle’s widening pool.

The real Hekera would have fallen for his act, of that she had no doubt. However, Captain Fernia

wasn’t a fool to fall for a handsome face. She had duped before by a pretty face, and was now older and

much wiser. She left the body there, blood soaking the carpet. Pulling on the expensive robe, she went to

the door. With a quick gesture she summoned one of the guards into her rooms.

“Tell the ambassador that the threat has been quelled. I have no doubts that there will be another,

but this one has been taken care of.” She told the man briskly. The solider looked down at the body before

raising his gaze to the tiny woman before him. With a salute, he turned on his heel and left the room.

In moments, Takka entered her room as she directed another solider at the body’s disposal. She

finished what she was saying before turning toward the arrogant man who had been posing as her husband.

“Did you enjoy yourself my dear?” he asked caustically.

“After all his effort, it was easier to kill him afterwards rather then before. Men always seem to

grow careless after sex.” She said, more for herself then for the ambassador who stood beside her.

“Whatever you need to tell yourself, my dear.”

“It was my assignment to keep you safe. I spent months studying this group known as the

Shadows, and most recently, studying the one known as Danger. I do not owe you any explanation of my

actions in defending your life.” She told him coldly. The ambassador met her steady gaze for several

heartbeats before turning and leaving the room.

She went over to the chair before the mirror. She looked at her reflection for a moment, staring at

the tiny drop of blood that had ended up on her face. Gently she licked her finger and wiped the blood

away. Still watching the reflection, she returned the finger to her mouth and sucked it clean.

This hunt had been almost too easy. Danger had never suspected a woman to be his death. She

felt the emptiness that comes at the end of the Hunt and knew that there would be other Hunts. Only a

Hunt would wash away the emptiness inside of her. She only had to wait for the next one to feel alive

again.