Welcome back, good to see you again, I hope you enjoyed such a tender moment between the children. However, you might prefer something that keeps you at the edge of your seat, to wonder when the action is about to begin. Do not worry, give me a bit of patience, and I'll do my best to deliver.

After the children sing their praises for little Wendy, they let go of the little girl before she gets even more embarrassed.

“Well, I don't know about any of you, but I think this would be a good opportunity to get some food before the show begins,” says Ava.

“I want chicken, please,” says Harold.

“I'll have some more bread,” adds David.

“And I have a craving for a few pears,” informs Wendy.

“All right, I'll be back in a moment.” Ava leaves the group on a quest to get snacks for the upcoming spectacle. Walking through the crowd is an easy feat for someone with experience, but a lack of focus still makes her bump into someone. As any other decent person would do, she is about to apologize, but stops right after looking at the man's face. He's tall, with a pale complexion, bald, no beard, and gray eye color. The man is also wearing a heavy dark cloak with a hood, which covers his body, but keeps the face exposed. This mysterious man doesn't even notice bumping into her and continues walking through the crowd. Ava could have left and act like nothing happened, but she recognizes him from before.

It was a night like any other, and Ava just finished with an errand. With no other business to be in the slums at that hour, she started heading home. Around the corner, she heard footsteps, heavy breathing, followed by a scream of pain, and a heavy thud. A man wearing a shirt, leather pants, boots, and a vest appears crawling on the floor. Under the moonlight, Ava could see knives stuck on the man's back, and knew what was going on, so she hid behind a nearby barrel. She watched as the man kept crawling on the floor, begging his assailant to let him go, even promising to pay him a fortune. The assassin, wearing a heavy dark cloak, walked within Ava's sight, and continued walking slowly towards his victim. The mysterious killer said nothing, but gave a clear answer, which was a short sword through the head. Ava started to sneak away from the scene, but such a dirty street would have trash or debris of all kind, even a small piece of wood. She stepped on it, which made a crunching sound, and the cold blooded assassin turned towards her direction. The moonlight showed his face long enough to notice the lack of emotion. She could have run away, but was frozen in fear and unable to move. The only hope she had, was that the alley was too dark for the killer to see anything. The terrifying man stares for a nerve-wracking second, and was about to head towards the source of the noise, but a cat walks into the middle of the alley. After staring at the man for a second, the little animal ran away, and the killer left the scene. After the man was gone, Ava went back home, told no one about it to avoid raising concerns, and acted like nothing happened.

Returning to the present, one could say that it's fate, or pure human curiosity, that Ava decides to follow this dangerous killer. The man could walk through the crowds just as easily as her, but it doesn't deter her and manages to keep track of him. The killer enters one of the many alleys in the area, and she follows while maintaining a certain distance. The man goes into another alley, while she sticks to the wall and takes a peek around the corner. The killer meets with another man wearing a brown cloak, and start a chilling conversation.

“Are the preparations ready?” asks the man that Ava followed.

“They are, Borin, and all you have to do is wait for the jester dressed in your colors,” answers the other man.

“Good.” The lack of emotion in Borin's voice is disturbing for Ava.

“Remember, the main target is his child. If he doesn't die today, we can hope that grief will send him to an early grave.” They must feel confident having such a conversation, and it help that everyone in the area are enjoying themselves in the festival.

“And we hope that you have all of our money ready.”

“Money is not a problem, just get the job done.” The mysterious man starts walking away, and the killer goes the opposite way, towards Ava. She must think fast or he will realize that someone was eavesdropping, and he would prefer to leave no witnesses. Running would make too much noise, and there was no barrel, crate, or anything that she could use to hide. That's when she looks up, and finds a window right above her. It isn't open, but that wouldn't be necessary, since she can get a grip on the edge. She uses mana to strengthen both legs, jumps, and grabs the ledge with both hands. She looks down while hanging for dear life as the assassin walks under her. It's fortunate for her that the man doesn't sense anyone staring at him and leaves the alleys to go back to the festival. She lets go of the ledge, lands without any problems, and runs back to the town square.

Ava has an easy time spotting the assassin since he's the only one wearing a black cloak. It would be funny if it wasn't such a serious situation, and a moment where she would have to make a dangerous decision. One could try to inform the authorities about the possibility of an attempt on the king's life. However, she's still a simple child, and the festival would put a soothing effect on the guards. The other option would be to grab the attention from the royal guards, but they won't let anyone near them or the royal family, even less an orphan with no status. Ava walks back to her group of friends, who were watching the rest of the performances. When they notice their friend arrive, they see the worry all over her face. They start bombarding her with questions, but she has a lot in mind to answer them. They're the only ones she trusts, but would she drag them into something so dangerous that could cost them their lives, or pretend nothing is going on?

I'll leave it here, and you probably hate this type of cliffhangers, but I've grown too tired to continue the story. Don't worry, it won't take too long, just a nap, and I'll be ready to continue with this little adventure. In the meantime, you might want to take the opportunity to take a rest, or maybe finish some chores at home. As flattered as I am to have you as an audience, I do not wish to take too much of your time.

Until next time, good Reader.