<snip from Will's post]

The heavier man crashed backwards to the ground. From the corner of his eye,
Antwin saw Cat heading out of her apartment. Damn that girl, he thought
coldly, she'll get herself killed.
The tall bard dipped under the outstretched arm of one guard and ran off
after the young girl.

<new>

He grabbed Cat by the arm, and hissed: "where do you think you're going?"

"To find out what's happening," she whispered back urgently. "I heard the noises - sounded like fighing - and I had no intention of being trapped in there like a rat in a trap!

"Dizzi's still in there," Cat added with a worried frown. "I locked the door so she couldn't wander out. Left her in there playing with Mr Purr -thought that was quite an honour, she did! ... I hope she doesn't try the door and get frightened when she can't get out..."

"Better that than her wandering out into this..." said Antwin, grimly, " and why don't you get back there with her."

Cat looked shocked.

" I couldn't do that!" she said. "Gotta do my bit!  Besides..." she added, rolling up her sleeve and showing Antwin a wicked looking knife strapped to her arm. "I'd give as good as I got, you know..."

Antwin decided it would be pointless to argue with the strong-willed girl. Besides, an argument would probably attract unwanted attention.

"Well, if you're determined to risk getting killed with the rest of us, we'd better go and see what's happening in the main hall."

Cat and the bard proceeded cautiously down the corridor. A faint mist of smoke - probably from the earlier explosion - hung in the air, and meant that Antwin didn't have a chance when the would-be assassin jumped on him from behind.

A man appeared out of the darkness, and fetched the bard a blow to the back of the head than knocked him to his knees. Ignoring Cat, Antwin's assailant drew a short sword and prepared to plunge it into his victim's unprotected back.

"No!" yelled Cat, plunging her knife into the man's neck where it joined his body. 

Blood fountained from the wound, soaking both Cat and Antwin's attacker. He staggered back, clutching the ragged wound in his neck. Blood bubbled from his nose and mouth. A ghastly rattling came from his throat as he slumped to the ground.

Antwin hauled himself to his feet, rubbing his head groggily. Before him lay a man in a rapidly expanding pool of blood. And beside it stood Cat, soaked with blood herself, holding her knife in trembling hands, and looking at it as if it were a poisonous snake.

"I k-k-killed him..." she said, through chattering teeth. Her legs trembled and Antwin caught her just before she fell to her knees.

"Rather him than me," said Antwin firmly. "Now give me that," he continued, trying to take the knife from Cat.

She refused to let it go, but instead kept staring at the blade and her blood stained hands. She wiped her gory hand across her eyes, leaving a red streak across her face, and shook her head as if to clear it.

"Never killed anyone before..." she murmured. "Seen plenty of men die, sure, but nothing like this... Never thought there would be so much blood..." her lip began to tremble.

[tag Will - how's Antwin going to deal with this?]

NRPG: She'll probably be OK if you distract her for a while.... Though probably with all that;s going on at the moment, there'll be plenty going on to distract her anyway without staging anything!! <g>



[Attachments have been removed from this message]

--------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ----------------------------

    GRAB THE GATOR! FREE SOFTWARE DOES ALL THE TYPING FOR YOU!
Tired of filling out forms and remembering passwords? Gator fills in
forms and passwords with just one click! Comes with $50 in free coupons!
  <a href=" http://clickme.onelist.com/ad/gator4 ">Click Here</a>

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