The Apprentice Assassin (Complete but editing) MxM

Journal Entry #2

"Fear not little one, I will protect you." The silky-voiced man said as he continued to run, squeezing my leg affectionately as he turned and continued forward.

"After them!" The leader screamed out as the sound of heavy footsteps started after us.

I heard his breaths beginning to labor, and I knew he didn't have much stamina left before he would be unable to carry me. "I can run on my own," I stated as I began to squirm. "Let me flee for my life!"

"No," He replied through ragged gasps. "You can't see, where we're going!" The man's footsteps began to creak on what sounded like old wood, "We can make it, if I get across, the docks.

"Where are we going?" I asked fearfully, as the yell of the troops behind us began to raise.

Suddenly I felt weightless, I turned my head, trying to make sense of my newfound freedom before I hit my head on something hard and blacked out.

---

When I came to, all I saw was the darkness around me. The air tasted stale, and I nearly puked when I noticed that I had begun rocking from side to side. Where am I, and why do I smell like a pigsty? I thought to myself with a weak cough. Stretching out my arms, I bumped into something hard and rough. "H-Hello?" I called out into the darkness as I sat up. Something squished between my legs, and the smell of manure suddenly grew much stronger. Ugh! I thought, disgusted as I tried to lay back down, hoping to remove whatever foul contents had attached themselves to my legs. "H-Hello?" I called out a little louder. "Is there anybody out there?"

A blinding light above me swung open, and a face hidden by the light called down to me. "You're okay friend. You may need a serious bath, but you are alive. It's good to see you made it out of that in one piece!"

I squinted, trying to see the person in front of me. Though no matter how much I tried, I was unable to distinguish his features. The sun continued to blind me, obscuring his features. "Where am I?" I called up to him careful not to move again, and how long was I out?"

A large object came flying down towards me. It hit my chest with a soft thud, making my chest hurt. I worked my hands around it and felt it crush when I squeezed, sending the scent of spices into the manure infested air. "Here, eat up. Quickly now, we still have a long way to go, and we don't want you to starve before you get there!"

"Where is the one who saved me before? The man with the damaged robe?" I asked, hesitant of the somewhat squishy object tossed down to me. "I want to speak with him, I have questions!"

"Don't we all little one!" He mocked with a small chuckle.

I felt my cheeks begin to burn as I glared up at the man. "Don't call me that, I'm not little! I'm almost twenty years old!"

"Aww, isn't that sweet, you think you're so wise at the ripe old age of twenty. Care to guess how old I am little one?" The man questioned, refusing to answer any questions.

I tossed the food beside me and tried to stand up. "Listen here-" I managed to cry out before the boat rocked heavily and I fell over, once more hearing the squishing sound of landing in my own feces. "Damn it all!"

The man laughed again, enjoying my struggle. "Look mate, I would suggest you stay lying down. Your waste will probably dry and crust before we get to our home, so I suggest you eat your food and try to forget about it!" The man laughed one final time before shutting the door, submerging my in darkness once more.

"No, wait-" I cried out, trying to continue the conversation. Hearing nothing, I sighed in frustration. The food was still visible through the little beams of light in the planks, so I grabbed it and brought it to my lips. After sniffing the large roundish object, I took a small bite. It tasted like nothing I had ever had before. It was bread, but it was warm and tasted of cloves and cinnamon. I took a larger bite, then another. Chewing on the delicious bread, ignoring the dryness in my throat. As soon as I swallowed that first bite, I felt a tight knot in my stomach begin to unwind that I hadn't registered until now. The boat continued to rock, and soon enough I got used to the patterns of the shifting ground.

The light from above quickly illuminated the room, blinded me again. This time however, a different voice spoke. It was calm and filled with passion. "Hello little one, is your head feeling okay" The smooth demeanor of the voice comforted me slightly, helping to set my mind at ease. "You're here!" I cried out to him, "Where am I? Why am I down here? What is-"

"Stop!" He demanded in a stern tone that silenced me. "All will be revealed soon enough. Do not worry, all you need to know is that you are safe, and I am protecting you." He walked down into the small space and started towered me. The darkness covered his face, but I knew his eyes were locked on me.

"What happened?" I managed to whisper out, trying to regain my composure.

"We needed to escape, and I was running out of time. How is your head?" He asked again before squatting down and gently lifting my head with one hand. Looking at it through the dim light, he softly ran his free hand through my hair. "I knew that I couldn't fight them with you on my shoulders. So I threw you into our rowboat, it was so close to the water they wouldn't have been able to see you land. Then I dove into the water, and swam a little ways away before climbing out and continuing my escape."

"You can swim?" I asked in shock as his gruff hand slowly lowered my head back down. "I thought only animals knew how to float on the water."

"There is much for you to learn little one." He replied, the calming sound of his breathing helping to settle me.

I felt my cheeks begin to burn again. "Why do you keep calling me that? I'm not little, nor am I young..."

He let out a small chuckle and leaned forward before kissing me on the cheek. "Fear not little one, for I am your master now. You will be my apprentice, and I will teach you many things. Then one day, when the time is right. I shall claim you as my own." He fell silent and looked up at the light above, his voice immediately went cold, and the thought of being on the receiving end of that tone frightened me. "If you plan to linger any longer I'll cut out your ears. You have work to do!" Something clicked from his robe then flew from his hand. The voice from before squealed out as he dodged whatever it was that was thrown before scurrying away.

I felt a cold shiver go down my entire body as a thought crossed my mind. "M-Master?" I asked, my heart sinking with every passing second. "What of my father, was he...?" My voice trailed off, and he turned his attention back to me. 

"There is no need to worry for the dead little one..." He replied somberly as he stood up and started away towards the light. "I will make sure you are awake and presentable before we get to the castle." His voice sounded dreamy, and his boot steps scraped against wood as he started away towards the light. Dread began to fade away, as the sudden feeling of exhaustion washed over him. Moments after my master shut the hatch above me, I felt as if I were cocooned in the darkness. Inside this dark embrace, unconsciousness claimed me once more. 

-------------------------------------

Another section done! Thank you for reading it, and I hope you are enjoying it and I noticed that this story needed a lot of love. Well I am going to keep working on it until it's perfect! I hope you have a fantastic day, and if you want to make my day, don't forget to drop a vote, and comment whenever! Thanks a million, and don't forget to drink lots of water!  

-Asted!