Rise by Danielle Racey Read Free Book Online

and hunt rabbit sometimes. It was delicious.
    Suddenly, Victoria froze. She heard footsteps, coming from the direction in which she had first entered the campsite. Sister Katherine's shoulders tensed for a moment, and she stopped sharpening her knife (When had she started doing that? Victoria wondered). But then, she relaxed again. "No worries, just Raela. Although a bit quieter than usual." True enough, just a few moments later, Raela stumbled through the brush, her would-be graceful entrance marred by the tree root she stumbled over. She righted herself and drew her dagger. To Victoria's alarm, it was about six inches longer than her own, and completely black. Just looking at it caused brief panic, and she wondered if that was entirely the point.
    Raela looked to her, noticing Victoria's gaze. "Like it?" She didn't wait for her response. "Got it off a body. Perhaps when you make your first kill, you'll get a little beauty like this." Raela looked down at her dagger, and for the second time that night, Victoria was alarmed.  She had never seen Raela look so intently at something, other than a man. And the gleam in her eye, it was different. It was unnerving.
    "Now, now Raela. Sit down. I've already got your assignment for tonight." Sister Katherine said sharply, clearly intending to interrupt Raela's staring contest with her dagger. Raela looked up, startled for a moment, but the regained her composure. "Yes, I'm ready", and she approached Sister Katherine, and the two women began whispering. After a moment, Raela nodded and started off back the way she came, her obsidian dagger disappearing into the velvety darkness of the night."Um, so, when do I get an assignment? Raela said something about initiation." Sister Katherine turned to look her Victoria, her brown eyes looked eerily red in the light of the campfire.
    "Yes, well, I suppose it IS time to get around to that. All the others are out on assignment, so it is only reasonable that you should be too. Are you ready for it?" The question took Victoria by surprise. She didn't know she had the option to not be ready. "Yes, of course" she stammered. Sister Katherine stared at her for a moment more, as if she was trying to gauge  Victoria's true feelings.
    At last, she sighed. "Very well. Come here, and I will tell you about it."Victoria's heart sped up as she scooted closer to Sister Katherine."Alright. Not too far from here, northeast to be exact, you will find a group of men. They will be sitting in a campfire similar to this one. From what my sources tell me, there will be approximately four men present. These men are rivals of the Other Sisterhood, appropriately named the Other Brotherhood. You are not to kill, but are only going to shake them up a bit. I suggest that you either ambush one, and create a hostage situation, or incapacitate them all separately. It is your decision."
    Sister Katherine's voice was hard and urgent, and Victoria's hand began to shake, nervously. This was going to be bigger than she thought, and she suddenly felt woefully underprepared.  Sister Katherine seemed to sense this, and rubbed her shoulder. "Don’t worry. This will be easy. The hard part has yet to come." So, ambushing four men was the easy part. Somehow, Victoria didn't feel all that comforted. She pushed herself off from the ground and stood up. She turned northeast immediately, direction being one of the only one of her skills she felt comfortable with. "I would give you a map, dear, but I fear you won't be able to see it in the dark." Sister Katherine said wryly.
    Victoria started off, in the general direction of northeast. Her stomach growled angrily. She wanted more rabbit, and she wanted a lantern.  But, she reasoned with herself, an assassin can't really be stealthy if he comes bearing food and bright lights. Victoria trudged slowly through the underbrush, and wondered, briefly, if she was, say, stumbling into a patch of poison oak. She reached out her hand to feel for