The meeting

Midnight, as agreed. Razel just arrived at the meeting spot when the moon was in its highest spot in the sky. Patiently, the elf reclined against the alley wall, with his hood pulled down on his face, as he lit his pipe.

Always late, Razel thought, scanning both sides of the alley for the small thief. He didn’t like to make business with this halfling, but the situation required it. “And you know that there’s no one better than I for this job.”

The sentence caught Razel off guard, as it completed in perfection his line of thought. He scanned the alley once again to find a humanoid form at the entrance of the alley. The form was small, not even 4 feet tall, and was completely covered by a cloak as dark as the shadows.

“You surely know how to make an entrance, honorable rogue” Razel offered “but you should try to make it on time.”

“I hope you have the payment, Razel” the halfling said, letting a greedy smile trough his cloak’s hood. This was the main reason why Razel didn’t like to make business with the diminutive rogue: the price. How could someone so small cost so much gold?

“One thousand gold pieces” he said, handling a bag full of gold to the halfling.

“One thousand gold pieces?” the rogue repeated, weighting the bag “Do you plan to mock me in my own environment, elf? This is less!” he growled, bringing his hand to his knife sheath.

“Calm yourself Tavian. You’ll get the rest after you bring me the duke’s head on a plate” grinned Razel.

“The duke, hey? You aim high, elf, I expect you don’t fall from that height” Tavian mocked.

“Only your wrong doing could prove my misfortune, halfling. Am I trusting the wrong rogue?” replied Razel, with a laugh. Not knowing how he came to that position, Razel could only feel his back against the ground and a knife at his throat. Tavian was already on top of him, face to face with the elf.

“Doubt me for a moment, elf,” Tavian spat “and it’ll be your head in a plate at the duke’s door. By the next full moon, at the same time and place.” He vanished in the shadows as quickly and swiftly as he appeared. Razel, still lying on the floor, could only congratulate himself for his genius.