Bobbie
Asteria Fyrinth
South Feyshore

Asteria chuckled almost sardonically at the question and glanced away, her tone soft as she responded, "Are they not the same?" 
Her cheeks turned pink once the words had been spoken and she shook her head, berating herself for the cynical comment. "I apologize, that was uncalled for. It's a human." 

She smiled at the introduction and bowed her head slightly, "I'm Asteria."
Rebecca
Marsila Vema
South Feyshore

She couldn't help but chuckle at the comment made. It was true in Marsila's opinion, she always found it difficult to separate monsters from men during her bounties. She was amazed at how cruel a human could be when she was forced to hunt them down. It would become a mental battle as she would argue whether she should follow through with the kill or hand them in.

"You don't need to apologise and that's a lovely name. Now, are they female or male? Could you provide any description if possible? Is there any chance this person could be of nobility? I ask this question because it helps me prepare for what I am about to face."
Bobbie
Asteria Fyrinth
South Feyshore

She felt slight reassurance when the woman chuckled at her comment instead of frowning and slowly let some of the tenseness in her chest release. Maybe this girl could really help her, though Asteria was afraid to allow to much hope invade her mind. 

"Male. He's a handsome man, one I'm sure most people around here recognize." Asteria felt her heart clench as she once again thought about the absurdity of what she was asking this girl to attempt, "His name is Lazarus Fyrinth." 
One of the most influential and well-known members of society in the area, Asteria would be shocked if the woman had not at least heard his name in passing. She felt immediate guilt at the suicide mission she was asking this girl to partake in and looked down, ashamed.
Rebecca
Marsila Vema
South Feyshore

The name was something Marsila had come across in her time. She knew of him but only from the whispers of those who had the unfortunate luck to meet him. Suddenly, a realisation crossed her mind which forced her to temporarily lay down her quill. 

"Yes I have heard of him." It was simple but she wanted to see how the woman would react to her saying such. "I will not turn down this job but I will need to warn you that there are dangers. This man you speak of has many loyal followers, fortunately for us it isn't due to religious reasons. That would have made it extremely difficult. These followers may attempt to uncover the hit placed on him." 

Picking up her quill once again, she continued to write notes. "What is your relationship with this man?"
Bobbie
Asteria Fyrinth
South Feyshore

Asteria could not help the grateful smile that graced her face, nor the appreciation glowing in her eyes. How could this girl be so fearless? Asteria took a deep breath and linked her fingers together in an attempt to replicate the woman's bravery, "He's my husband."
Rebecca
Marsila Vema
South Feyshore

The husband. That explained why this woman was so timid and fearful. Everything slowly began to make sense in her mind as she continued to jot down notes. She was suddenly very intrigued, wondering how this woman had come to marry this man. However, this was not any of her business. 

"Due to the circumstances, I will need this to look like an accident. Blame will immediately fall to you if foul play is suspected upon his death so once I manage to do such, I will need you to have an alibi. I will not ask for coin until ten days past his death to avoid suspicion falling to you as a precaution. He may have someone overlooking his valuables and coin."

Raising her gaze from the notepad, her eyes narrowed towards Asteria. "I will not be pleased if I find you avoiding me when I come to collect. So I will warn you that if you leave this debt unpaid, there will be serious consequences and I will end up being paid one way or the other. Do you understand?"
Bobbie
Asteria Fyrinth
South Feyshore

Asteria could see the hint of curiosity in the woman's eyes and for an instant wondered what it would be like to have someone to confide in. She quickly shook the thought away though, instead focusing intently on what Marsila was saying.

 Suddenly the reality of the situation seemed more intimidating than before and Asteria could feel exhaustion creeping up on her. However, the bounty hunters sudden intensity made Asteria widen her eyes and she was quick in her reply, 
"Of course, I understand. Here-" Asteria loosened a magnificent ruby studded ring from her finger, "Take this as assurance that I'll hold to my word.. It was a gift from my Father, no one will notice it's absence." She held it out earnestly, meeting the other woman's eyes with determination.
Rebecca
Marsila Vema 
South Feyshore

She was pleased to say the least regarding Asteria's reaction. It eased Marsila knowing this woman was willing to prove herself as trustworthy by handing her a keepsake of her fathers to use as collateral. Laying her hand beneath Asteria's, the jewel fell to Marsila's palm before she retracted her hand to observe it. Thankfully, it was made from gold rather than silver. That would have been an issue. 

"I appreciate it." Her stern gaze slowly warmed until her features were gentle. "Now I only have a few questions left to bother you with. What is his routine? Does he have any mistresses that you may know of? There is a chance I would be able to leave a trail of evidence that would mistaken her as the killer if foul play is suspected."
Bobbie
Asteria Fyrinth
South Feyshore

Asteria relaxed as Marsilas face softened and she let out a relieved sigh, feeling better now that the other woman seemed more at ease. The ruby ring was incredibly beautiful and undoubtedly worth several pounds of money but Asteria had always found it a bit gaudy for her taste; as a matter of preference she preferred to go without jewelry but the gift had been from her Father and she treasured it, if only for that reason alone. 

"My husband is a busy man, often out socializing or dealing with the estate. I know very little of what he does outside of the house really. He is home most evenings though, always with me. If there is one fault my husband is not guilty of, it's infidelity. He loves his possessions." Asteria took another deep breath and placed a careful hand on her stomach before continuing, "My husband is a very charming man with several friends and admirers, finding him alone will be a hard task."
Rebecca
Marsila Vema
South Feyshore

A bitter taste left her mouth when she heard the word possession and did not miss the way she placed her hand onto her stomach. The simple action caused rare knots to form at the thought of a possible fetus before she was forced to refocus on the husband in question whom she planned to eliminate. 

"I usually refuse to murder a human. However due to circumstances, I will allow this to slide." Her lips pinched into a thin line as she lowered her gaze to the notes written. "Does he hunt for sport?"

Unlike with others, Marsila didn't rush with the questions. She felt sorry for this woman and worried about her return to her husband. It would take plenty of fear and adrenaline for a female like herself to show up on Marsila's doorstep with the request she had. "Do you two share a bed?"
Bobbie
Asteria Fyrinth
South Feyshore

Asteria's body was still trembling despite being in close proximity to the fire; her long fingers found the tip of her braid and she fiddled with it anxiously before nodding, "He does enjoy hunting, although he has been going less often recently. I suppose he's had other things on his mind." The next question stilled the woman and for a moment she remained frozen, as if reliving a memory. Asteria swallowed and glanced away, "Yes. We do."
Rebecca
Marsila Vema
South Feyshore

She had an idea on how to approach the husband through his sport. Unfortunately she could not inform Asteria what she planned to do as a caution. Not for her own safety but for the safety of her customer. She picked up the quill and notepad before placing it beside the book she had been reading earlier and covered the jar filled with ink to prevent it from drying out. 

Once her lap was empty, she placed her hands above her thighs while interlocking her fingers and looked towards Asteria with a gentle stare. "Last couple of questions. Are you carrying his child? If so, is there anyone who could help you bring this child to term and raise it?"

This was not a question she asked her customers when they gave her a target. She was worried for Asteria however, growing a liking to her after she had been prodding her with questions.
Bobbie
Asteria Fyrinth
South Feyshore

Asteria watched as Marsila put away her writing utensils and couldn't help but regard the girl with curiosity; how did she manage all on her own? Asteria could only hope that she might be able to do the same with time. 

The next question caused a pink flush to come to Asteria's cheeks and she glanced up with a small laugh, "I'm not very good at hiding things, am I?" Asteria took another deep breath before responding, "But no, I don't have any help. I'm afraid I lost touch with any friends I may have had." The sad tone in her voice hinted to a more sinister reason behind her isolation but she said nothing more, instead choosing to smile reassuringly at Marsila, "I'm sure I will think of something.. Thank you for asking."
Rebecca
Marsila Vema
South Feyshore

"Do not beat yourself up over it. It's the way you hold yourself that gives it away and the protective look you gave to your stomach when I questioned you." The shifter admired the way the woman was able to keep herself from falling apart. From what she had gathered, this woman was in a very low point in her life and Marsila couldn't help but feel anger towards Lazarus. If it hadn't been for the amulet that dangled from her neck, Marsila was sure her irises would have emitted a golden glow when Asteria answered her question. It was why she was able to keep a calm facade the moment she opened the door. 

"Is your husband currently away from home? Is that how you were able to find me without him noticing?"
Bobbie
Asteria Fyrinth
South Feyshore

Asteria glanced down at the hand that protected her unborn child and let a tiny smile sneak onto her face. She could almost believe that everything would turn out okay;the calm presence of Marseli had somewhat soothed her troubled soul. She brushed a few escaped tendrils of hair behind her ear and met the woman's eyes again with an appreciative gaze.

"Yes, he had to go out of town for a social event. I was feeling too unwell to accompany him at the time so I stayed behind."