Chapter 12

Jason had been watching the stables for over an hour. He was crouched out of sight in the second story of a partially collapsed building across the street from the stable. Onyx the crow, yes he had named the crow as it seemed to not want to leave him alone, had spent the last hour chasing critters nearby and was currently resting on his shoulder. He had picked out Miriam almost immediately as a portly middle-aged woman who carried a riding crop in one hand and a handkerchief in the other, marching around and giving others to the workers as they worked around the stable.

Jason upon returning from Morgana's place had visited Rex and Sly to seek information on his target. Sly being the rogue informant he was quickly delivered.

"Miriam is the stable master's wife. She works at the stables during the day." Sly stated.

"The stable master puts his wife to work in the stables?", Jason questioned.

"She doesn't exactly work. She acts as her husband's assistant and mages the stable hands. I can't tell you much more than that since this is supposed to be a test but a word of caution although Miriam may appear sweet and frail, she is hardly a damsel. She used to be a guard before her marriage and I've seen her beat up seasoned guardsmen within an inch of their life". Sly warned

For the rest of the day he had been tailing Miriam as she goes about her day, the stables were located immediately south of the guard training complex. They were comprised of a large, open building, crisscrossed with stalls. The guards routinely, passed by the building. The stables were also within easy earshot of guards and recruits sparring within the training grounds.

Jason was quite perplexed about how he would accomplish the task of killing Miriam and somehow getting her body back to the graveyard, the place was teeming with people making it seem impossible as one errant scream would see a horde of people rushing over to murder him.

Jason continued to watch the stables for a while to get a better sense of the building and the routine of the people working within hoping for some sort of opportunity he could use. The building immediately south of the training yard had fallen into disrepair making it a great place for Jason to stealthily lurk without being seen, just him and a certain crow.

As the evening approached and the sun crested the tops of the buildings. The work around the guardhouses and the stables had slowed to a crawl. As the shadows lengthened and the light dimmed further, the work around the stables finally ground to a halt. Mariam and her husband walked out of the building and headed towards a small structure along the base of the wall. Jason had noted the building but hadn't been certain what purpose it served. None of the stable hands had gone near it but from the looks of it, Jason assumed the place to be the Stable master's house.

Jason inspected them and noted that the stable master was level 72. The inspect skill was one of the first that Sly taught him. It was not that rare of a skill and depending on the level difference and whether the individual has a skill to block it may not work. Although the level does not always accurately measure the individual's strength, it gave a fair enough idea.

Now Miriam on the other hand was only level 32, Jason assumed that the stable master must have served as part of the cavalry before he was employed at the stable. That would explain his level.

'His level of 72 although compared to Sly's of 472 is not much will make this a bit dangerous should I be forced into a direct confrontation' Jason thought

Jason watched as the couple opened and entered noting how they hadn't paused to unlock the door after all only an idiot would break into their home this close to the guardhouses. He could see light stream from the window of the house. The couple must have lit a candle as he expected that they were probably sitting down to dinner.

'I can't get Miriam during the day, since she's constantly surrounded by guards and other people. Honestly, I'm not certain I could even take her one-on-one at my level. On the other hand, if I attack her home, I will also have to deal with her husband not to mention transporting the bodies to the graveyard' Jason contemplated with a frown.

Jason mulled the problem of transportation with a frown until he saw a wagon filled with hay near the residence recalling how Miriam had been arguing with a man just that morning regarding the hay for the horses. He believed hitching a horse to the wagon and hiding the bodies in the hay could work. The problem now was how he was going to take Miriam and her husband on but then he realized no one said he had to take them head-on, he could sucker punch them after all as Rex said even a level 1 can kill a level 100 as regardless of strength all it takes is one well-placed hit and you're dead. Slowly a plan started to form in Jason's mind as he smiled as an icy feeling crept up his spine and his eyes shone in dark light while the crow on his shoulder looked at him and then shook its head confused.