Revelation -FFM 1-

Cobblestone paved a path through the core of the village. Hundreds of footfalls wore down the moon-lit street and told the tale of merchants, citizens and festivals that took place in the past. Silence veiled the streets, broken by the whisper of the wind.
Zali strode through the city with soft, calculated steps. The darkness wrapped around her like a cloak and she moved with confidence, unseen and unheard by the villages in their homes. Dirt replaced the cobblestone as she turned onto a smaller path and moved farther from the center of the village.
Research led her to that village. Rumors amongst the people told her that her target was near, most recently in the small village she found herself in. Her hand shifted to her waist, touching the rough hilt of a blade, hidden in a sheath. Whispers led her further down the dirt paths, promising her that the man she sought was near.
She rounded a corner and distanced herself further from civilization. Scattered homes decorated her surroundings, no longer packed together in close proximity.
Her fingers twitched against the hilt, the urge to unsheathe her blade and drive it into her target rising. Her life and her career depended on the successful completion of that task.
By the end of the night, she would spill blood.

Karle followed a young woman in utter silence, masked by the shadows the moon failed to breach. A braid fell to her mid-back, darker than the bark of the oak trees. Her body curved just right, accentuated by the sleeveless shirt and tight pants she wore.
A smirk curled his lips. It was too bad she came to kill him. He could've had fun with her under other circumstances.
Now, she wouldn't know what hit her.
The shadows released their protective grasp once he reached grabbing distance. Gripping her arm, Karle quickly spun her around and pinned her to a nearby tree. The woman wrenched a blade from the sheath on her hip and swung her arm towards his neck. He snatched her wrist with his free hand and pinned her arm above her head.
Feisty. Her reputation claimed she was one of the best bounty hunters in the land. He'd be inclined to believe it – if she had shown him any form of skill.
The woman's grey eyes narrowed in contempt and recognition. "So, you're clever enough to recognize your target?"
"How dare you –"
"What? Outsmart you?" Karle sneered. "I know a lot more than you think. The king and queen hired you to eliminate me, most likely promised you that you won't be prosecuted. They didn't give you a choice."
He gave her credit. Whatever surprise she felt, she masked with disgust and hatred. It shone in her eyes and spread throughout her entire posture. She stood rigid and kept her arm still. He kept a wary eye on her behavior. If her reputation was true, she would lash out in an attempt to kill him.
He'd hate to have to destroy someone so similar to him.
"What does it matter?" The edge in her tone matched her expression. "I do what I get paid to do."
"Simple." Karle pried the knife from her hand and pressed it to her throat, leaning closer so his breath tickled her ear. "I'm their son."