They were waiting for him back at the house. Two burly Hyur with heavy swords and an air of impatience. He leafed through his letters as he approached. the sword he’d become accustomed to wearing slapped against his thigh as he walked with reassuring mass. He stopped half a block away, his brows furrowing as he caught sight of them. They hadn’t seen him by this point, but it was clear they were waiting for him. He tucked the letters into his belt as he stopped, feigning interest in a peddler’s table of books.
Two swordsmen, he thought to himself. Enough for a probable victory if they had violence on their mind. Not enough to be confident of it. A distraction, then? For what? His eyes scanned the buildings around. Few windows - the afternoon heat of Ul’dah prompted most houses to be blocky affairs devoid of windows. Rooftops… Alcoves… There! He grinned to himself, his eye catching the glint of a steel arrow head on the top of a two story building. There was an alley providing shadowed access to the building - probably how the archer had gained access to the roof.
The stone of the building was smooth, but there was a covered door low enough to climb onto and high enough to provide a good jumping-off point to the roof. He left his boots on the ground, and his sword on the little roof covering the door to avoid any sound of the metal on the wall. His sling and a few lead stones would have to do. He leapt from the little roof, his fingers catching in a crack, his bare toes scrabbling for a moment before finding purchase. Slowly, carefully, he climbed to the edge of the roof and peered over.
The archer was alone, and focused on C’kayah’s house below. He was tall, with a heavy longbow and three arrows laid neatly on the stone beside him. The sun shone hot on the roof and onto their faces as he watched. A short wall, maybe three fulms high, ran around the edge of the roof. Levering himself over the wall onto the roof, he slipped his sling and a lead pellet from his belt pouch and began to make his way silently to where the archer waited. He must have made a sound right before he reached the man, for he turned to look, then struggled to bring his ungainly Elezen-style bow to bear. C’kayah whipped the sling by one wooden handle, the other striking the man’s temple with a sharp crack. The archer pitched to the side and lay still.
C’kayah carefully looked over the side. The two burly swordsmen still waited, unaware that their sniper had gone down. He looked to the bow and the steel-tipped arrows. He had to get into his house, and the pair stood in the way. As he considered, an arrow hit the roof half a fulm from his foot. He threw himself to the ground, rolling to the side and grabbing the bow as he did. Looking across the way he could see a second archer on the third story roof opposite him. A Roegadyn with a massive bow, already drawing a second arrow. He threw himself into the shelter of the wall, his hand grasping the arrows. The Roegadyn’s second arrow struck the stone where his body had rested a second earlier.
As the arrow struck, he levered himself upright and drew, sighting where he remembered seeing the other archer. The Roegadyn was pulling a long arrow from his quiver as C’kayah came into view, and he could see a shocked expression on the man’s massive face as he released. The arrow took him just below the throat and, with a gargling cry, he toppled forward and onto the swordsmen below. C’kayah nocked a second arrow, scrambling to the look down at the swordsmen who were staring at the body of the archer. He drew again and loosed, felling one of the swordsmen. Jarred into action, the other swordsman began to run, darting from side to side to spoil C’kayah’s aim. He sighted on the man’s back, but just as he was about to loose his arrow  the man darted to the side and out of sight. C’kayah cursed silently.
He turned to the archer he’d knocked out. The man was beginning to stir. Smiling grimly, C’kayah’s hand went to his knife as he approached. “Wake upâ€, he purred. “We have to talk…â€
Two swordsmen, he thought to himself. Enough for a probable victory if they had violence on their mind. Not enough to be confident of it. A distraction, then? For what? His eyes scanned the buildings around. Few windows - the afternoon heat of Ul’dah prompted most houses to be blocky affairs devoid of windows. Rooftops… Alcoves… There! He grinned to himself, his eye catching the glint of a steel arrow head on the top of a two story building. There was an alley providing shadowed access to the building - probably how the archer had gained access to the roof.
The stone of the building was smooth, but there was a covered door low enough to climb onto and high enough to provide a good jumping-off point to the roof. He left his boots on the ground, and his sword on the little roof covering the door to avoid any sound of the metal on the wall. His sling and a few lead stones would have to do. He leapt from the little roof, his fingers catching in a crack, his bare toes scrabbling for a moment before finding purchase. Slowly, carefully, he climbed to the edge of the roof and peered over.
The archer was alone, and focused on C’kayah’s house below. He was tall, with a heavy longbow and three arrows laid neatly on the stone beside him. The sun shone hot on the roof and onto their faces as he watched. A short wall, maybe three fulms high, ran around the edge of the roof. Levering himself over the wall onto the roof, he slipped his sling and a lead pellet from his belt pouch and began to make his way silently to where the archer waited. He must have made a sound right before he reached the man, for he turned to look, then struggled to bring his ungainly Elezen-style bow to bear. C’kayah whipped the sling by one wooden handle, the other striking the man’s temple with a sharp crack. The archer pitched to the side and lay still.
C’kayah carefully looked over the side. The two burly swordsmen still waited, unaware that their sniper had gone down. He looked to the bow and the steel-tipped arrows. He had to get into his house, and the pair stood in the way. As he considered, an arrow hit the roof half a fulm from his foot. He threw himself to the ground, rolling to the side and grabbing the bow as he did. Looking across the way he could see a second archer on the third story roof opposite him. A Roegadyn with a massive bow, already drawing a second arrow. He threw himself into the shelter of the wall, his hand grasping the arrows. The Roegadyn’s second arrow struck the stone where his body had rested a second earlier.
As the arrow struck, he levered himself upright and drew, sighting where he remembered seeing the other archer. The Roegadyn was pulling a long arrow from his quiver as C’kayah came into view, and he could see a shocked expression on the man’s massive face as he released. The arrow took him just below the throat and, with a gargling cry, he toppled forward and onto the swordsmen below. C’kayah nocked a second arrow, scrambling to the look down at the swordsmen who were staring at the body of the archer. He drew again and loosed, felling one of the swordsmen. Jarred into action, the other swordsman began to run, darting from side to side to spoil C’kayah’s aim. He sighted on the man’s back, but just as he was about to loose his arrow  the man darted to the side and out of sight. C’kayah cursed silently.
He turned to the archer he’d knocked out. The man was beginning to stir. Smiling grimly, C’kayah’s hand went to his knife as he approached. “Wake upâ€, he purred. “We have to talk…â€
