I’m a Doorman at an Assassin’s Hotel

The morning sunlight filtered through thin clouds, casting a soft glow over the plains. A gentle breeze carried the earthy scent of dew and soil. Our group stood at a crossroads, where two paths diverged toward vastly different fates: one leading to the safety of Rohan, the other to the dark shadow of Isengard.

Aragorn held the reins of his horse, gazing down at Frodo and Sam, who sat atop the steed, their faces etched with worry and exhaustion. Sam gripped the reins tightly, his knuckles white, as though letting go might bring disaster. Frodo looked even more fragile, beads of sweat forming on his pale forehead.

"Time waits for no one," Aragorn said softly, his voice carrying an unshakable resolve. "Rohan awaits them, and your mission is far more perilous." He turned to Elyssa and me, his piercing gaze like a blade. "Be cautious. Saruman is no ordinary enemy."

I nodded, though a mix of emotions churned within me. "Aragorn, I still think you should come with us to Isengard," I said, trying to persuade him. "We might need your sword, especially against Saruman."

Aragorn smiled faintly, his tone firm yet gentle. "Lorne, each of us has our own mission. Mine is to ensure Frodo and Sam reach Rohan safely. Your task is more critical and far more dangerous, but I have faith in you." He placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"But—" I began, only to be cut off by Elyssa.

"Don't waste time. Aragorn has made his choice, and we must focus on completing our own task," she said coldly, her eyes betraying no trace of sentiment.

I glanced at her, understanding from her icy expression that she had no patience for lingering emotions. To her, the mission outweighed any personal attachment.

At the moment of parting, Aragorn offered one final piece of advice. "Lorne, watch yourself. Saruman is dangerous, but his pride is his weakness. Use it wisely, and you might find a way to break through."

"I will," I replied, doing my best to sound confident despite the trepidation gnawing at me.

Aragorn led his horse onto the path to Rohan. Sam turned back to look at me, his eyes filled with concern. "Mr. Lorne, take care!" he called out, his voice heavy with worry.

I waved as they disappeared into the horizon, their figures growing smaller until they were swallowed by the plains. A heavy weight settled in my chest, but it was accompanied by a newfound determination.

Elyssa stood nearby, observing me with her usual detached expression. She said nothing, merely turning her horse toward the path to Isengard. "Lorne, don't let emotions cloud your judgment. We have more important matters to attend to."

"I know." I took a deep breath, mounted my horse, and followed her down the path. Ahead lay uncertainty, but I silently vowed to see the mission through no matter the cost.

This parting was not just a divergence in our journey but the beginning of our shared fate against Sauron.

"A group of orcs is approaching. We need to avoid them," Elyssa said in a low voice, her sharp eyes scanning the forest ahead.

I crouched beside her in the dense underbrush, straining to keep my breathing steady. The tension in the air was suffocating.

"How many?" I whispered, keeping my voice as low as possible.

"Fifteen, maybe more," she replied calmly. "Well-armed, but not an elite force."

"Then let's not provoke them," I muttered, swallowing hard. "Avoiding them sounds much better than testing my nonexistent swordsmanship."

We watched the orc group's movements carefully, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. The forest was eerily silent, amplifying every rustle and snap of a twig.

Suddenly, a playful voice broke the tension. "What are we looking at here?"

Elyssa and I froze, instinctively reaching for our weapons. Spinning around, we saw a tall, slender man crouching nearby, grinning at us from the underbrush. His flamboyant armor was unlike anything I'd seen before.

"What the—?!" I blurted, barely stopping myself from shouting.

"Whoa, easy there!" the man said, raising his hands in a mock gesture of surrender. "Relax. I'm not an orc. Just passing through."

"Who are you?" Elyssa demanded, her voice icy and her gaze razor-sharp.

"Me? Call me Kress," the man replied, flashing a mischievous grin. "As for who I am, think of me as a helpful wanderer. I specialize in assisting fellow adventurers crouching in bushes."

"We don't need help," Elyssa snapped, her tone as cold as steel.

"Oh, don't be so quick to dismiss me!" Kress plopped down casually, plucking a blade of grass to chew on. "I'm quite handy in a fight, you know."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "If you're so skilled, why are you here?"

"Good question!" Kress said, leaning back dramatically. "Let's just say I have some... unfinished business in the area. When I saw you spying on those orcs, I thought I'd drop in and say hi."

"Say hi?" I hissed. "You nearly got us caught!"

"Oh, nonsense. I know what I'm doing." Kress waved a hand dismissively. "Anyway, why not just take them out? Fifteen orcs aren't that many."

"That's easy for you to say," Elyssa retorted. "They're not amateurs."

"Well then, how about this?" Kress stood, stretching his arms as if warming up. "I'll take out half. You handle the rest. Deal?"

"Don't do anything rash!" I whispered urgently. "We've already decided to avoid them!"

But Kress either didn't hear me or chose to ignore me. He strolled confidently toward the orc group, whistling loudly. "Hey! Over here, you big oafs!"

"Great..." I groaned, burying my face in my hands.

The orcs immediately noticed him. The leader, a hulking brute, snarled and barked, "Who goes there? Show yourself!"

"It's just me!" Kress said cheerily, stepping into view and waving. "I figured I'd save you the trouble of looking."

"Kill him!" the leader roared, hefting a massive axe and charging forward.

Kress drew two sleek daggers from his belt and darted into the fray. His movements were impossibly fast, weaving between the orcs with deadly precision. Each strike found its mark, felling one orc after another with almost playful ease.

"What the hell..." I muttered, watching in disbelief as Kress danced through the chaos.

Despite their numbers, the orcs were no match for Kress's speed and skill. His daggers flashed like silver streaks, cutting down the orcs one by one. Even as the leader charged him with a ferocious roar, Kress sidestepped the attack with a smirk.

"Oh, feisty one, aren't you?" Kress taunted, leaping onto the leader's back. He plunged his dagger into the brute's shoulder, causing the orc to howl in pain.

With a final, fluid motion, Kress flipped off the leader, landing gracefully as the orc collapsed. The remaining orcs, now thoroughly demoralized, dropped their weapons and fled into the forest.

"Well, that was fun," Kress said, wiping his blades clean. "But they ran off too soon. I wasn't finished."

As he sauntered back toward us, his grin as infuriatingly smug as ever, I couldn't help but think: This guy might be more trouble than the orcs.

"How was that?" Kress asked with a wide grin, his tone dripping with self-satisfaction. "Pretty impressive, huh? Aren't you going to thank me?"

Lorne and Elyssa stepped out of their hiding spot. Lorne's face was a mix of surprise and skepticism. "Who are you, really?" he asked.

Kress shrugged nonchalantly, looking as though the question didn't bother him. "I told you, I'm just a helpful passerby. Now it's your turn to tell me—what exactly are you doing out here?"

Elyssa's eyes stayed cold and sharp, her hand resting on the hilt of her dagger. "A 'helpful passerby' who just happens to be in a place like this? And that little display back there—no ordinary person could pull that off."

Kress chuckled, his posture relaxed. "Oh, come on. These days, you do a good deed, and suddenly everyone's suspicious. As for my skills, let's just say I was born gifted. Trained myself up since I was a kid. But hey, you two don't exactly look like run-of-the-mill travelers either, so why don't we skip the mutual call-outs?"

"Enough with the games." Elyssa took a step closer, her voice like ice and her gaze cutting. "Who are you, really? What's your purpose here?"

Kress scratched his head, pretending to mull it over. "Who am I? Hmm… You wouldn't believe me even if I told you. But I can guarantee I'm not your enemy. As for my purpose… I'm here to help some lost wanderers escape danger. And maybe find out what you're up to."

Lorne glanced between Kress and Elyssa, sensing the tension rising. He quickly intervened, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Hold on, hold on! If he saved us, he can't be all bad, right? Whoever he is, he's on our side… at least for now. Right?" He turned to Kress, offering a strained smile. "Right?"

"Of course!" Kress flashed a toothy grin that seemed both harmless and maddeningly smug. "I have no intention of being your enemy. But…" He leaned in slightly, his grin growing sly. "You're headed to Isengard, aren't you?"

Elyssa's eyes narrowed instantly. "How do you know that?"

"Relax," Kress said, spreading his hands innocently. "Where else would this road lead? And let's be honest, the way you two were skulking around screams 'not your average tourists.'"

"Yes, we're going to Isengard," Lorne admitted after a moment's hesitation. "But that's none of your concern. You can leave now."

"Leave?" Kress's grin widened as if he found the suggestion absurd. "Oh no, no, no. I just saved your skins back there. At the very least, let me tag along and see what fun lies ahead."

"We don't need an outsider meddling," Elyssa snapped, her voice colder than ever.

"An outsider?" Kress feigned offense, clutching his chest dramatically. "Ouch, that hurts! After everything I just did for you, you're kicking me to the curb already? So heartless!"

"That's enough." Elyssa's patience had clearly reached its limit. She drew her dagger in a single swift motion, her gaze as sharp as the blade. "If you don't leave right now, I won't hesitate."

Kress didn't even flinch. Instead, he spread his arms theatrically, his grin turning almost cheeky. "Alright, try me. But I'll warn you—I'm pretty strong."

Seeing the situation escalate, Lorne quickly stepped between them. "Alright, alright, calm down! We're on the same side here, aren't we? Elyssa, he did save us. Maybe letting him tag along for a bit isn't the worst idea. If we run into trouble, he might actually help."

Elyssa's glare flicked between Lorne and Kress, her jaw tightening. After a tense moment, she let out a sharp huff and sheathed her dagger. "Fine. But if he gets in our way, I'll deal with him first."

"Don't worry, I won't be any trouble," Kress said breezily, clapping Lorne on the shoulder. "Alright, team assembled! So, where to next?"

Lorne sighed, pulling his horse's reins as they resumed their journey. "I hope I don't regret this."

As they traveled, Kress walked alongside the group, occasionally kicking rocks or humming an off-key tune. His casual demeanor contrasted starkly with the tense atmosphere.

"So, your name's Kress, right?" Lorne asked, breaking the silence. He figured it might be worth understanding their new companion better.

"Yup," Kress replied casually, turning his head toward Lorne. "And yours is… Lorne, isn't it?"

"Yeah, why?" Lorne asked, immediately on guard.

"No reason," Kress said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "It's just… your name sounds like it belongs to a background character, not a main protagonist. Oh, don't be mad—I'm just being honest."

"Background character?!" Lorne gaped, his voice rising in indignation. "And what kind of name screams 'protagonist,' huh? Yours sounds more like some street thug's nickname."

"Ouch, that's harsh," Kress said with mock injury, though his grin remained firmly in place. "But seriously, I think 'Kress' has a nice ring to it. Cool, mysterious… definitely lead character material."

"You've got some nerve," Lorne muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Hey, a little confidence never hurt anyone!" Kress shot back, unfazed. He then tilted his head, adding, "But honestly, you do kind of give off 'heroic sidekick' vibes. You know, the dependable guy who sacrifices himself at the critical moment."

"The heroic sidekick?!" Lorne's jaw dropped in disbelief. "What kind of twisted logic is that? Thanks for the vote of confidence. Now I'm certain I'm dying before the end of this mission."

"Don't take it personally, just a joke," Kress said, clapping him on the back. "Stick with me, though—you might just make it to the finale."

"What finale?!" Lorne groaned, exasperated.

Elyssa, who had been quietly tolerating their banter, finally snapped. "If you two are done, maybe we can focus on the task at hand?"

Kress turned to her, his smile taking on a teasing edge. "Oh, a cold beauty in the group. Don't worry, I always treat ladies with extra care."

"Extra care?" Elyssa arched an eyebrow, her voice dropping to a dangerous tone. "Do you want me to show you how I handle pests?"

Kress mimed zipping his lips and nodded exaggeratedly. "Understood, your majesty. Message received loud and clear." Under his breath, he muttered, "But without me, your journey would be a lot less entertaining."

Lorne shook his head, wondering aloud, "Why someone like you would even bother coming to a place like this? Don't you fear death?"

"Of course I do!" Kress said with a laugh, his grin never faltering. "But being scared doesn't stop me from living, does it?"

Lorne had no response to that. He simply sighed, thinking to himself, What kind of lunatic have we just teamed up with?