Briarthorn, Chapter One, Part Two

Author's Note: Due to the brilliant (though unexpected) reviews the first part received, I'll be continuing. For now, the writing will continue to be released in bite-sized chunks. Perhaps once I begin attending school again, I'll write a bit more. Big thanks to user Kenword for the motivation.
         "Awfully sweet of a contract murderer." Terra said warmly. She sat up, slowly at first, and then jumped nearly out of her skin when she saw how close Dar'jut was, sitting cross-legged at her feet with his long tail waving calmly behind him.
         He saw her surprise, and quickly broke eye contact, scooting back a foot or so. Was he really paralyzed for that whole hour...? Terra thought. The idea of him watching her sleep was flattering, but it sent a chill up her spine regardless. What if she was seriously injured? Would he have sat and watched her even if she was dying from a concussion?
         I'll need to keep an eye on this cat. She thought.
         "In the deserts of Elden, we do not have the same personal barriers. Strangers meet and can be grooming one another within ten minutes. Sometimes, Dar'jut forgets that Cyroan and other northerner provinces are different." Dar'jut explained. His tail was no longer waving calmly. Were he not sitting, it might have been between his legs.
         "Oh, I suppose I understand." Terra said, patting Dar'jut on the head.
         He straightened his back. "But don't do that. Dar'jut is not a house cat."
         Terra nearly continued lightly conversing, but remembered the situation. The two weren't relaxing be the riverbed for entertainment. "Let's get on track. Can you tell me about this Rogue Mage?"
         Dar'jut took a more serious tone. "Hmm..." he growled, "She was an elf, as Dar'jut said... She wore the robes of The Guild, but if she ever did belong, she does not anymore. Again, as he said, Dar'jut was contracted by The Guild." He scratched his ear and purred a little, barely loud enough for Terra to hear. "There was more... If only Dar'jut could think."
         "Oh!" Terra chimed, "That's an easy one. Be still." She placed her hand above and between Dar'jut's eyes, and whispered, "Clarut," She hesitated a brief moment. Generally, she would add a word describing her target's race or species, but not knowing the correct word for catfolk, she would have to improvise. The magic faded before she could finish it. "Once more," she sighed. Repeating the previous gesture, she whispered, "Clarut catta."
         While she stifled a giggle at calling Dar'jut a house cat, Dar'jut's eyes flashed a bright violet. "Better?" Terra inquired.
         "Clear as crystals." He replied. "Dar'jut remembers now. The woman, she wore a golden signet ring, with the visage of a viper. And more, it glowed slightly, illuminating the inside of her robe sleeve, and showing Dar'jut the tribal tattoo around her upper wrist."
         Terra was silent a moment. She looked over the river, watching the pattern of the reflection of the sun, wavering as the water flowed ever onward. A doe trotted up to it not fifty feed upstream and began steadily lapping it up, stopping for only a moment as she thought she saw something move. Dar'jut's tail, Terra thought. What sort of danger did the elf woman pose? The Guild contracting assassins was unheard of to Terra.
         "Dar'jut," Terra said, eagerly. "I just graduated from the Guild training. I was going to make a surprise visit to my grandparents after this visit to the lake, but this seems far more important." She had to find out what was behind this Rogue Mage.
         Dar'jut caught on to what she was trying to say. "You are welcome to split the pay with Dar'jut, if we can kill that vile woman."
         Terra grinned. The Mage's Guild is dedicated to training it's members in order to make them capable of peacekeeping and freelance work. Terra used to think she wouldn't use her magic for much more than her own comfort, but, she thought, it looks like this is taking a fight in the opposite direction.

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