The cart owner heeded the words of Godfrey's men at the edge of the town. Before too long he came out of the inn, took his cart and went on his way.

Yughi regretted having to find another way to move on towards his eventual destination. He could not risk sharing the back of the hay cart with the slumbering Godfrey. With any luck Godfrey would awake, confused but no worse for wear somewhere on the road. He was not armed so the confusion between him and the cart owner would likely be resolved amicably.

The cart owner was of advanced years and pretty portly. Godfrey had to but think for a second. Then he would know this man to be incapable of lifting him from his room and clambering about on rooftops.

Now there was no target the young outlaws had no reason to remain at the inn. Of course, first someone would have to discover that Godfrey was missing. Yughi settled back in the rafters of the stable, hidden in the shadows. The assassin waited for something to happen.

It took a while. By the time a group of Godfrey's men came tumbling out of the inn door into the courtyard. The men were raising a general hue and cry about their master's strange disappearance. A few other stragglers followed the guards outside, among them the two young outlaws.

Now that Yughi could actually get a look at the two he was glad he had acted as he had. Only the elder of the two youths looked like he might have to bother shaving. Neither of them looked to be out of their teenage years.

Yughi noted that both wore small daggers at their waist, but were otherwise unarmed. Yughi decided that he would very much like to meet the person who had sent them hence. How should these boys be put to such a dangerous task with so little protection? They were so young!

It was true that youths of a similar age were trained at Masyaf. Even so, none would be sent in pairs to dispatch of a potentially dangerous target. Boys of their age should be gathering information, learning to blend in a crowd. The youths of Masyaf learned to listen and to steal before they were allowed near a blade of any sort.

The guards conducted a quick search of the courtyard and stables before moving out into the town. They did not look up into the roof of the stables. It simply did not occur to them that anyone might hide up there. Assassins were not much known in this land, this was proving immensely helpful.

When the guards left many of the onlookers who had followed them returned to the inn. The two young outlaws remained in the courtyard.

"So what now, Much?" the younger of the two asked his companion.

"This has to be a trick," the older one replied. There was a faltering note in his reply that indicated he was as confused by this turn of events as everyone else. He was putting on a show for his young partner, attempting to appear wiser than he was.

Yughi decided that this had gone far enough. He shifted his hips, swung down off the stable roof beam and dropped to the floor.

"It is no trick," he said. "I arranged for the disappearance of the man you sought to kill."

The two boys at least knew how to react in such circumstances. Both drew their knives and moved clumsily to attack Yughi. Much advanced quicker than his little friend. It mattered little, Yughi knew what he must do. He must impress upon the youths a sense of their own lack of preparation.

Yughi easily blocked a windmilling stab from the older boy. As he stumbled past Yughi slapped him hard on the side of the head with his outstretched palm. The second boy lunged in, trying to stab at Yughi's stomach. Yughi was too fast for him.

The assassin grabbed the boy's wrist and spun him around. Within a moment the boy's arms were locked in front of him, the point of his dagger pricking the flesh of his neck.

Much took a moment to register what had happened. He squared up for a second attack before hesitating. The apparent threat to his friend's life had completely unmanned him.

"Whether this one lives or dies is completely up to you, Much," Yughi said. "As it always was."

"What do you want, stranger? We came here today prepared to die," Much spat. His bluster was too strong, Yughi could sense the lad's fear as if it blew in the wind.

"I mean neither of you any harm," Yughi said. "But I know that if you tried to kill a man like Godfrey, ill prepared as you are, one or both of you would pay with your lives. You wouldn't so much as scratch a target so powerful. I removed the target to spare your lives."

"We need no favours," Much said. "We knew the risks we were taking."

"I do not think that is true," Yughi said. "Where I come from a teacher would not send unprepared students into such a situation. Such a teacher would hang himself in shame when the mission failed. I want to know who would be so brazen as to send two boys into such a vipers nest."

"It was our master," Much replied. "And when we tell him of your interference I am sure he will kill you himself."

"So tell me, young Much, who is this man who teaches you, the one who will come for my head?"

"He is one of the most feared of all the Hood's band of outlaws," Much replied. "A man of wisdom and great martial prowess: Brother Tuck. He tasks the new recruits and he will not be pleased to see you interfere in our business."

"Well, I suppose I should embrace my fate," Yughi said. "No sense in standing around here until Godfrey's men return. You had best return to Brother Tuck and inform him of my presence in this place."

He allowed the younger outlaw to relax out of the lock he had placed the boy in. Before either of the boys tried to attack Yughi again the assassin dropped a smoke pellet. Under cover of the smoke he climbed once more onto the roof of the stables.

By the time the smoke had cleared it looked as if no one but the two boys was anywhere near by. Red faced with anger, fear and embarrassment the two left the inn. Unseen, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, Yughi followed on after them.