Rezkin had gone easy on the slip. The man was Skilled, but not a master. The young warrior could have taken him out quickly with much less effort, but he did not want to kill or permanently damage the assassin. Likely, the Hall would not have blamed Rezkin for the death, determining it was the Slip’s own fault for allowing someone to track him and failing to protect himself. With Rezkin’s far superior Skills, though, it would have been as dishonorable an act as defeating an unskilled small-man. In fact, Rezkin wanted the slip to live to report back to his comrades and superiors about Rezkin’s Skill and honorable mercy. Also, the young warrior did not want any blood to get on the clothes. He needed them to get into the Hall undetected.

Rezkin slumped as much as he could without appearing too awkward and kept his face hidden beneath the hood. During his training, he had learned the silent language of the assassins—a series of hand and body signals used to communicate without words. Properly used signs could convey not only meaning, but also emotional state and feelings, much like the tone and volume of voice when speaking. When questioned with these signals by the sentries, Rezkin answered fluidly and strode forward with confidence. His masters had insisted that if one appeared to belong somewhere, then people would assume he did.

Once in the main Hall, Rezkin could see the full extent of the tower’s usefulness. Extending into the flame lit darkness above were a series of staggered lofts and platforms, each seemed designed for particular training exercises. He observed vague movements and distorted noises coming from a few of the upper platforms, so he knew them to be occupied, probably by older trainees.

Rezkin had to find a way to enter the sublevel. He did not want anyone to see him doing so, lest they question his motives. He needed a distraction. As he passed by a couple of trainees, Rezkin reached out and snatched a practice blade from a young man’s hand. He smacked the small-man in the side of the head, and the young man shouted in alarm. Rezkin’s signs expressed agitation as he admonished the stunned small-man for his loose grip, lack of focus, and the audible shout and revelation of injury and weakness. The warrior finally instructed the small-man to perform a series of physical exercises designed to both punish and push the young man to improve his Skills. It was exactly the kind of interaction Rezkin would have expected from his own masters and trainers.