Finish her off

Ava sighed as she pulled back the blade, only to thrust it deep into the blonde woman's chest. Ava heard a quick yelp and felt two hands grip her arms, only to slowly fall to either side. She turned slightly to the right as the woman's body collapsed to the ground. Ava's blade now completely soaked, dripping in crimson blood. She wiped the blade on her defeated opponent's cloak as she felt the presence of someone next to her.

"Too bad," the older bearded man blurted, "should have had her finish me off before you finished her." Ava's eyes narrowed as she wasn't expecting the overt sexual statement from the man. Had she made the right choice? The man reached down and searched the blonde's body, pulling out a very intricate pendant on a necklace. "Ah, just like I thought, she has been on the Duke's trail and robbing those she killed along the way," he continued.

The man tossed the pendant to Ava who quickly snatched it with her free hand. She began to study the intricate design with the words "Ursar" and "Olso" ingrained in the gold piece.

"The name's Gen of the Brotherhood, and that was some fancy sword work for a woman," the man complimented with a smirk starting to form. Ava shoved the pendant in one of her pockets and gave the Gen a disgusted look.

"Hey, I meant no offense," Gen backpedaled, "if it wasn't for you that assassin bitch could have killed me. We could use someone like you in the Brotherhood."

"The Brotherhood?" Ava inquired with a tone of caution in her voice. Gen gave a quick chuckle and rolled his eyes.

"You mean to tell me you've never heard of the underground fighting force, the bravest men throughout the lands, and the true heroes of all the kingdoms?" playfully asked. "Hell girl, you're definitely an outsider aren't you."

"Listen, I'm on a quest to find my compatriot and the Duke of Ursar," Ava sternly replied. "If you or this Brotherhood can't help then I might as well be on my way."

"Woah! Woah!" Gen side-stepped to block Ava's path, "we can definitely help out each other. You join the Brotherhood and help us out with that fancy sword work while we will help you find your friend. Fuck, we're looking for the duke just the same as you Lady....?"

"Ava, of House Hope" she responded, warming up to Gen now knowing there may be a beneficial partnership with the Brotherhood. "Alright Gen, sounds like a fair deal to me. Where to next?"

A devilish grin appeared on Gen's lips. "First things first," he stated, "you got to meet the rest of the Brotherhood." He then unhooked the horses from their reins and, after leading them away, set fire to the carriage. Ava and Gen each got own their one horse and rode deep into the forest.