Summary: As a daily routine begins to settle in, Gwendolyn's confidence increases as her circle of allies extends. Furthermore, she is introduced to the rules and regulations of the streets and something that might help her master the arts of self-defence. Meanwhile, another citizen returns from a different kind of journey.

Thanks to the lovely readers who keep commenting and giving kudos!

I'm sorry for the lack of updates, but life has been extremely busy the couple last months.

Now, one of you asked me when the story takes place and I wanted to clarifiy that. It's pre-movie and the whole thing takes place around a year and a few months before the movie begins [when Arthur is all grown up].

I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

Cheers

The Assassin & The Fighter

Offside the daily hubbub, Erlius stood in the shadows of an alleyway, watching busy citizens around Londinium's harbour. The old man was almost sure no one would mind him if he decided to step out of his spot. He knew that people usually did not give more than a derogative sideways glance to a lowlife like him, and yet he would not risk it.

There was a reason why he lived in the Foxway Warrens, along with anyone who did not want to be found.

"What must've happened that made you come out of your hideout, old man?"

A thin smile crept on to Erlius' wrinkled lips, although hidden by his white bosky beard.

"Ah, I see you're back from your trip, assassin.", he said as he dared a look over his shoulder. "Did everything go well?"

There was a brief moment of silence between the men while Erlius stared into the depth of the dark alleywayuntil a figure stepped into his capability of vision. The younger male was taller than him, by two heads at least. His shoulders were broad, his body lean and yet the dark leather armour stretched over his bulging biceps. The black hood of his cloak was covering most of his face as his likewise black kerchief was loosely wound around his neck.

"Aye, the mission was accomplished - as always.", The assassin answered and his husky voice carried the arrogant casualness that Erlius could always identify.

The older man nodded before he turned to look at the street again. "Your leader will be pleased then, eh?", he remarked as he leant back against the wall.

"You should watch out, old man. Blacklegs are patrolling the street, more than usual."

And the assassin heard the old man hum briefly, acknowledging the given information, before he turned on his heels. Quickly, he backed off into the alley from which he had come from, until his figure was yet again engulfed by darkness.

His way led him to the Foxway, the hidden city beneath Londinium itself. Dark, dangerous, and certainly no place for the more decent folk.

The entrance was near a remote, broken pier; down the stair to a narrow gangplank. There, the assassin turned left at the white smudged abstract painting of a fox skull, clearly visible against the dirty stone wall. It was the last warning sign, the last chance for any outsider who might had taken a wrong turn or made a wrong decision, to turn around and leave. From there, all the assassin had to do was follow the short walkway up to the wooden door, weathered and locked to anyone who did not know the word which granted access.

Considering him knowing the ways around the Foxway since his childhood, he passed the dim tunnel system in no time. Casually, he removed the hood of his cloak as he sauntered into The Splintered Flask, the only tavern and entertainment for any lowlife or outlaw who called the Foxway their home.

No one paid much attention to him, an not even Tick, the tavern's eye-patch wearing owner, spoke to him as he walked up to the counter where the large man was standing at.

Tick simply opened the hidden door behind the bar, granting him the admittance to the headquarters of the Scroungers Guild.

Instantly, the air seemed fresher and the lightning brighter as the heavy door closed behind the assassin. He let his observant gaze wander around the main room. There were a few of his mates around; training, talking or simply sitting at the tables scattered around the large room, eating and drinking.

Of course, he was already looking for someone as peers started to notice and greet him.

Suddenly, a sharp blade was pressed to his neck; not hard enough to draw blood, but still hard enough for him to feel it.

"You let your guard down, pretty boy.", A female voice cooed into his ear, silvery and mocking – and a lopsided smirk appeared on his lips as goose bumps rose on his skin at the pure sound of her voice and her warm breath ghosting over his skin.

"Are you sure?"

Before she could react, he swiftly grabbed a hold of her wrist at his neck and ducked under her arm as he turned her around; swirling her like a talented dancer. He had twisted her arm at her back as he pressed himself against her, holding one of his own sharp daggers to her delicate neck.

A small gasp escaped her lips as he bent down to her ear. "I never let my guard down, love."

"Sure.", she scoffed and wiggled out of his light grip, only to quickly turn and embrace him. "I'm glad you're back, Kay.", she mumbled into his kerchief, and pulled back only to quickly seal their lips together. The couple shared a passionate kiss, full of want and relief, before Kay pulled back – out of necessity.

"Me too.", he murmured as he caressed his thumb over her cheekbone, admiring the feeling of her warm brown skin under his brief touch. A dazzling smile revealed the bronze glow at her cheeks as she looked up at him, entwining their fingers before she started pulling him into the direction of their chamber, away from the curious eyes of the other guild members.

"Let us celebrate your comeback, love."

Kay stopped in his tracks, even though the feeling in his loins urged him to keep moving. "Enid,"

Puzzled by his action and the stern mention of her name, Enid looked back at her beau, her umber locks swinging with her quick movement.

"I need to report back to Cray first.", he explained without letting go of her hand.

"But I've missed you more than he did.", she said as she stepped closer to him, running her hand up and down his side. "I am sure Creighton can wait a little longer."

Kay quarrelled with himself for a split second, before his longing for the woman he loved won. He decided that their leader could wait, did he not know that his right hand had returned in the first place.

"How is my nephew? Is the boy still grounded?", Peggy inquired as she handed a cup of wine to her niece.

The women were sitting at the kitchen table of the brothel, using the quiet hour to talk, drink and share gossip.

"Eddy's your little brother, right?", Lucy asked before Gwendolyn could give an answer. Instead, she took a quick sip and nodded at Lucy. "Exactly, and yes –" She looked back at her aunt. "- he's still grounded and I told him to help out at the tavern if he's bored, so he won't get into more mischief."

Peggy clicked her tongue, feeling empathy for her nephew. "Poor lad. I bet he's sorry for what he has done."

"What did he do?", Lucy asked curiously, not knowing what had happened a couple of days ago.

Gwen rolled her eyes at her aunt and turned to Lucy. "He stained the walls of several houses around town with his little gang and he could've easily been caught by Blacklegs.", she explained to her, before she looked back at her aunt, who was rolling her eyes now. "That's why he's grounded!"

"They're just boys, Gwenny.", Peggy laughed, pouring herself another cup of wine. "They do dumb things sometimes. Let him have some fun, he's been through –"

"We've all been through a lot.", Gwendolyn cut her off, before her aunt could finish her sentence. "That doesn't give him a free pass to get into more trouble, does it?"

Feeling a little uncomfortable by the women's disagreement, Lucy averted her eyes and let her gaze wander around the main lounge.

The bawd gave in with a sigh. "No, you're right, darling. He's your little brother and I'm sure your worries are justified." Peggy reached over the table and patted her niece's hand arbitrating.

Meanwhile, Lucy spotted Arthur, Back Lack and Wet Stick walking into the main lounge; chattering, laughing with each other and not paying attention to their surroundings. The whore sensed a chance and cleared her throat loudly, interrupting the conversation of the other two women.

As Lucy noticed how Gwen looked after the men, she quickly decided to call them over before they could leave the establishment.

"Oy, guys!"

It did not go unnoticed by Lucy when Arthur's face lit up as soon as his eyes spotted Gwen sitting at the table, and after a quick greeting, Lucy could feel a nudge. Confused, she looked at Peggy and the two women shared a quick, knowing look.

"So, where are you going?", Lucy asked with an innocent smile.

"We're heading to George.", Arthur answered with a nonchalant shrug, his thumbs hooked into his belt.

"Art's having a rematch.", Back Lack blustered out, not minding the stern look on Arthur´s face.

"Del's going to have his arse handed to him today.", Wet Stick added with a snicker, but was silenced by Arthur's frown, now directed at him. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "But, uh, you know – whatever."

At the sound of the front door opening and customers walking in, both Peggy and Lucy rose from their seats, sharing another look.

"Well, duty calls.", Lucy exclaimed with a giggle. "I'll see you around, doll.", she said as she walked over, giving her a quick hug and excusing herself before she walked up the men in the main lounge.

Gwen sighted, disappointed that she had to leave the brothel and her friends sooner than she had expected.

"Why don't you join them, Gwen? I bet these fine gentlemen would be delighted to show you around.", Peggy suggested; a charming smile on her lips.

"Wait, what –?" Gwendolyn stared at her aunt while the three men shared clueless looks with each other, until Arthur spoke up.

"I don't think the old bath house is the right place for her."

Even though Gwendolyn agreed somehow, she still felt a small tug of disappointment in the pit of her stomach after hearing Arthur say such thing.

"But, she would be with us?", Wet Stick tossed in and caught Arthur frowning at him again.

"Exactly,", Back Lack agreed. "– she's safe with us.", he said, nudging Arthur's ribs with a lopsided grin.

Although, Arthur was not thrilled about Gwendolyn joining them to visit George, simply for the fact that he did not want her to see him fight nor did he want to have her around all those men, he could not help but be pleased to have her around again.

The quartet strolled through the streets, towards the bath house, as both Wet Stick and Back Lack told her about the place, its origins and Arthur's skills as a fighter.

"Oh, so that's where the blood came from the other day?", she chuckled sheepishly, referring to the first time Arthur had showed up at the tavern, all by himself, with dried up blood in his blonde beard. Almost begrudgingly, he affirmed her question with slight embarrassment.

"I see, and – who's Del?", Gwendolyn asked, a curious glint in her eyes as she walked a little quicker, ahead of the men only to be able to look at them.

"Del is one of George's most skilled fighters and he may look like a giant, but he's actually a sweet guy.", Wet Stick explained.

"And he's the first one who beat Arthur's undefeated streak, mainly – because of you.", Back Lack laughed, causing Arthur to widen his eyes, shoving his loud-mouthed friend unobtrusively.

"Because of me?", Gwendolyn repeated, startled; her gaze darting to Arthur, who quickly averted his eyes in response.

The bath house was old, yet still neat. Gwendolyn instantly felt the heated atmosphere, full of testosterone and competition among the men. Cautiously, she walked close by Wet Stick as they entered the large courtyard; taking in the foreign scenery.

She was not surprised by the stares of the men around. Apparently, it was unusual for a common woman to be there, so she stayed even closer to her companions.

"No need to be nervous, Gwen.", Wet Stick assured her with a smirk; had he noticed the look of uneasiness on her face. She flashed a sheepish small smile at him, yet she kept close as they walked up to George.

"Here for the rematch, Art?"

Arthur nodded as he approached his friend and teacher. "Good to see ya, George."

After the men said their greetings, George spotted the unfamiliar woman among the group.

"Who are you?", he asked while keeping his distance.

"A friend of ours.", Arthur answered before Gwendolyn could. "She heard of my outstanding skills and wanted to see for herself.", he said and gave a quick wink at her. "Gwendolyn, this is George."

Gwendolyn knit a brow at him and turned to George, introducing herself. She felt the urge to straighten her back and look even remotely tougher as the foreign-looking man surveyed her appraisingly until he spoke up, his voice soft with a thick accent.

"I hope you're not too sensitive, Gwendolyn, – you might see blood around here."

Gwendolyn let Wet Stick and Back Lack guide her to a spot offside the rest of the men while Arthur had vanished inside the house; leaving her to wonder what he had meant by changing into something more practical.

"Do you guys fight as well?", she asked, still examining the courtyard and the men around.

"No", They answered in unison. "I prefer to take care of all finances and intelligence, and Lack –"

"I'm more like a – handyman.", Back Lack chimed in with a smirk.

Crossing her arms at her chest, Gwen looked at each Wet Stick and Back Lack before she spoke.

"So, we got the eyes and brains here. That means Arthur is the –"

"I'm what?"

Startled by his sudden appearance, she stopped mid-sentence; the words on her tongue now gone as she lay her eyes on him.

"I think what she meant to say was muscle.", Wet Stick answered with a snicker.

Gwendolyn swallowed hard and nodded, quickly averting her eyes from Arthur and his more practical attire. It consisted of nothing more than a pair of dark blue baggy pants, loose at his legs yet neatly bound at his hips. She had never seen a man shamelessly show that much bare skin before.

Eventually, she watched the men fight with a mixture of anxious concern and raw fascination, though her eyes were mainly fixated on Arthur. Every move of him seemed definite; nearly graceful as he skipped around his opponent, and yet her breath hitched in her throat whenever Del struck his fists at him even if Arthur managed to dodge or counter every single blow.

The fight was quickly over after Arthurt's fist connected with the taller man's jaw for the third time, causing a spurt of blood shoot from his mouth while his head fell back as his large body collapsed to the ground.

Gwendolyn gasped in shock while men cheered as the crimson liquid garnished the grey stone around the Del's head – and right before she decided to rush to his aid, she noticed his bloody lips part into a lopsided grin just as Arthur walked over to him, holding out his hand to him.

"You're a beast, Art.", Del laughed as he was pulled up to his feet.

Arthur chuckled; giving the taller man a clap on the shoulder. "It was a decent fight, mate."

Gwendolyn tried to focus on Arthur's face as he finally sauntered over to her, and she could feel her cheeks heat up as she caught herself stealing a glimpse of his muscular upper body.

She cleared her throat before she spoke. "That – sure looked dangerous.", And she welcomed him with a bright smile. "You should teach me some of these moves."

"Aye, right", Arthur scoffed and after he had wiped his sweaty face with a linen cloth, he saw the baffled look on her face. "– no."

Then, obviously sulky, Gwendolyn clicked her tongue. "Why not?"

"Because it's –" His eyes fell on his friends, standing a few feet behind her, but neither Back Lack nor Wet Stick made a move to come to his aid. "– err, dangerous.", he eventually finished his sentence unusually clumsy.

"Yes, I am aware of that.", she said, rolling her eyes matter-of-factly. "So, it's dangerous for a woman to know how to defend herself?"

Arthur sighted deeply while she pursed her lips at him. "That's not what I meant, Gwen –"

"What did you mean then, Arthur?"

The cocky tone of her voice surprised him, and yet he did not want to give in. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but closed it again. Instead of giving her an answer, Arthur watched as she quickly turned on her heels with a frustrated huff.

"What the f –", he managed to mutter under his breath before he realized what she was about to do.

"George!", Gwendolyn called out to him while she approached the foreign stranger with caution.

The lean man listened attentively as he heard the mention of his name. He was somehow caught off guard when he saw a woman march towards him.

"What is the matter, woman? You seem agitated.", he asked as he could already sense the negative energy filling her petite body – and her dark eyelashes fluttered when she blinked at him while she calmed down. "I'm not – agitated."

George snorted and crossed his arms at his chest. "No? Well, what is it then that made you come to me?"

And she took a deep breath before she finally found the courage to broach her desire to the Kung Fu master.

"I was wondering if –"

"She wants you to teach her, George. I already told her you wouldn't do it.", Arthur interjected after he snuck up to Gwendolyn.

"Can't you just leave me alone?", she groaned theatrically as he took a stand next to her.

"You know damn well you like having me around.", he responded teasingly while George surveyed the odd couple with bafflement. "Now, George –"

"You're right, Art, I won't teach her anything", The master remarked calmly, however he swiftly pointed a finger at Arthur's chest before Gwen let her shoulders slouch in disappointment.

"– you will."

Enid sat on her lovers lap, feeding grapes to him and licking off the sweet juices that ran down his chin whenever he bit the tiny fruits. She let out a girlish giggle when he playfully bit down on her finger, causing her to quickly snatch her hand away.

"Tze" She clicked her tongue and smirked up at him. "You can be such a naughty bastard."

The couple still did not care about any other peers who were present at the headquarter as they were sitting at one of the dining tables. After all, both outranked all of them.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kay spotted his closest friend walk towards the table.

"I see you're hale and hearty, my friend.", Mole exclaimed aloud as he approached the couple.

Enid pinched Kay's arm as he snickered at his friend's dark humour. "Ow, what was that for?"

However, the shorter woman did not answer; instead, she rose from his lap and pulled the empty chair at the table back, urging Mole to sit down with a gentle tug on his sleeve.

"Glad to know you're back.", he said as he felt for his friend's shoulder. As he bent down, the two men pressed their foreheads together carefully, lingering for a few seconds before Mole pulled back and sat down on the free chair.

"Thank you, Enid."

"You guys talk now.", she said as she walked over to Kay. "I'll be at our room, my love." Her hand reached out to caress his neck teasingly as she walked by. "Don't let me wait for too long."

Kay gazed after her until Mole cleared his throat. "She's like the mother I never had. Beautiful and caring."

"I'd say feisty and deadly, but yes –" Kay turned back to look at his friend. "I agree." Yet, he furrowed his brows. "How do you know she's beautiful?"

Mole snorted. "I like to judge people by their personality, brother. As you know, I usually don't have a chance to judge their appearance.", he said while he pointed at his opaque eyes with a roguish smile.

"Ah yes, I nearly forgot about your blindness.", Kay remarked, and by the tone of his voice, Mole knew his friend was smirking.

"Exactly.", The blonde man snorted. "Arsehole."

Both burst out laughing before Kay took the silver wine carafe and poured the red liquor into the two empty glasses, sliding one to his friend. "Cheers to that, brother."

"Have you talked to Creighton yet?"

Kay shook his head as he savoured the sweet taste of the wine before he swallowed it. "Not yet. Enid told me he's been gone for a few days now."

"Aye" Mole nodded, and a few strands of his silvery blonde hair fell loosely into his forehead. "I heard he's meeting up with some other guild leaders, looking for alliances and new ways to trade."