The campfire crackled into the night echoing through the trees. The moon was full and helped the fire to light the small clearing where the sorcerer sat warming himself. A wooden plate lay at his feet displaying bones and the unwanted gristle of his dinner. As the sorcerer started to yawn in contentment he heard a faint sound from the woods ahead of him. He stood slowly and stirred his magic from within, ready to defend himself. The sound grew louder until finally the sorcerer recognised it as someone stomping through the underbrush. Eventually the heavy footed stranger entered the clearing.
'Hello. I saw your campfire through the trees. Might I warm myself by it for a while before continuing on my way?'
The sorcerer lowered his hands. 'Of course. What might your name be?'
The man came closer and lowered himself upon an overturned log, 'My name is Alistaire. I thank you for your kindness. Not many these days would allow a stranger to share their fire. Distrusting times. It saddens me.'
'Believe me,' started the sorcerer, 'If I thought you were a threat to me, you would not be here.'
Alistaire smiled, 'I am unsure of how to take that. I am thankful to be by your fire but your underestimation of my prowess in battle wounds me. Tell me, what is your name? I should like to know before I kill you.'
The sorcerer's deep laugh rang out through the clearing. He took a long draught from his waterskin before offering it to his strange companion who declined it with a smile. 'I like you. You make me laugh. Well, my would-be killer, my name is Drogone. Now, how are you going to kill me?'
The thief continued to smile, 'Now is not the time for how. Now is the time for why. Why would I want to kill you? Not just to prove I can. What good would that do? You'd be dead.'
Drogone laughed again. This time he laughed so hard he coughed for several minutes. When he drank more water to ease his aching throat Alistaire continued.
'No, I won't kill you for that reason. I'll kill you for what you did when you passed through my town seven nights ago. You remember don't you? The small town nestled in the hills. Very small. You took the girl that night.'
Drogone's eyes went wide and the smile fell from his face. 'How? How did you know it was me?'
'No, no. Like I said. This is not the time for how. You took the girl. She was barely eighteen and the last blood family I had. You took her and did unspeakable things to her. For what? For a spell to lengthen your life? To add a few years to your life you took the life of my sister.'
'You must be thinking of someone else. But even if it was me, how would you kill me? I am a powerful sorcerer. You couldn't possibly get past my magic to kill me.'
Alistaire straightened. 'You want the how now, do you? Okay. I know it was you because I've been following you ever since you left my town. I saw you use her heart in your ritual to extend your life. I've been following and watching for days.'
'Impossible,' Drogone stood, 'I would have spotted you, heard you at least.'
'No. You wouldn't have. I've studied the way of the thief all my life. I was even teaching my sister. She didn't have the aptitude for stealth or hand to hand combat but, my word, she had a talent for poisons. Oh,' he looked Dragone dead in the eyes, 'You were asking how I could get past your magic to kill you? My, my. You must have been thirsty.'
Drogone clutched his throat and fell to his knees. 'My sister had just perfected that poison last month. She liked the way it had no smell or taste. I don't use poisons usually but in this case I thought I'd make an exception.'
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