The trip to the town took them a day and a half because they went on foot. Taking a carriage would have drawn too much attention, as the town was more rural and did not receive too many visitors. As they approached the town, they got a few curious looks by those out this early in the morning running errands, but not as many as they would have received had they shown up being pulled by horses.
The town itself was small, not one Inn was built within. It was the type of place where everyone knew everyone. Everyone went to the same baker, as there was only one, and each morning women gathered to gossip as they did the washing. It would have been a peaceful place if not for the murder of that young girl, Anna.
"Fafnir, I was hoping to enter and see the blacksmith before anyone noticed us. However, even with the few eyes that did see us it is only a matter of time before the whole town knows there are strangers within its borders. We should move up our plans to get him alone." Morgianna was not nervous that they would not be able to finish their mission. More stressed about all the eyes on her and if they would be able to collect the head without an audience.
"I was thinking the same. Would you like me to go kidnap him? I could meet you in the woods..." Fafnir stopped as he saw Morgianna's shoulders begin to shake. "Are you alright?"
With his question Morgianna could hold her laughter in no longer. "I'm sorry, but you just said you would kidnap him with the straightest face!" Giggle "But no, I do not wish for you to kidnap him. You are still not up to your full strength and we do not want to cause a scene. We want him to leave of his own accord and I know just how we will do that." As she spoke her giggles died down and was replaced by a devious glint in her eye.
She had seen way too many crime shows in her past life and knew exactly what she would do to lure him away from the public.
She quickly whispered the plan to Fafnir who could not even form one complaint. Her plan was not something he would have ever thought of, yet with her explanation he knew it would work.
*Fast forward to start of plan*
Morgianna walked towards the blacksmiths alone, her hands swinging as if she had no care in the world. She had shown Fafnir where to wait for her, now all she needed to do was bait the hook and real in her prize.
She felt the heat radiating from inside the shop. It was a miserable heat, the kind that if you did not have a magical affinity related to fire would kill eventually. The paper about him did not state that he had a magical affinity for fire, but him being a commoner it stands that maybe he was just never tested. He probably slipped through the cracks somehow.
"Excuse me." She stood just inside the door, allowing herself the seem as if the heat was too much. "I am looking for Arnald Howser, it is very important that I speak with him."
The steady sound of metal striking metal stopped and the hiss of heated metal meeting water was heard. She could hear large steps approaching her and pretended to cower in the doorway. Not too much, but enough to seem weak.
A large man with several burn scars came from the back. His once blonde hair cut so short it was almost nonexistent. He had large meaty paws for hands, hands that could easily take a life. It was without a doubt the man in the picture.
"I am Arnald Howser, state your business, and then be gone." His gruff reply was like nails on a chalkboard. Harsh and unforgiving.
Morgianna sneered in her mind. She planned to be gone alright, with his head.
"I am here to talk about you murdering Anna Periwink. Do not try to deny it, I have evidence. However I will not tell anyone if you pay me 50 silver." She rushed her words on purpose, hoping he was taking the bait. She needed him to think that he could easily take her.
Howser stared her down, he could not see her face, but he saw the way she clenched her hands and shook in his presence and it made him happy. Good, he wanted her scared. How dare she try to blackmail him! He wanted to know what the supposed evidence the girl had, then he would kill her too. She was smaller than Anna so killing her wouldn't even take a few minutes and he could return to his shop. He had been making a gift for Michelle Jessup and was planning to ask her to marry him this weekend. She was not his first choice as he would have much rather had Anna, but she would do. He needed an heir to take over his shop when he was older.
"Where is this evidence? I did not kill anyone." He smirked in her direction, not even trying to hide that he was having fun at her expense.
"If that is what you want to believe then you should have nothing to worry about when I take it to the town officials. I guess I should get going then." With that she turned as if she was going to leave. She knew he wouldn't allow her to just walk away just in case there really was evidence against him.
"Wait." He tried to reach for her but his fingers barely missed her. He had not seen her move so thought that she was just farther than he had initially thought. "We cannot meet here so we should go somewhere more private." He tried to calm to manic smile that was forming on his face. He did not want to scare her away before he could get his hands on that evidence and destroy it and her along with it.
Keeping her face emotionless Morgianna put her hand up to her chin as if she was deep in thought. "That is a good idea, in that case meet me in the woods to the North of the town. There is a path. I will wait for you there, do not forget the silver as ill check it before taking you to the evidence." This time she walked with no intention to stop, leaving Howser there to stare at her back angrily.
She had chosen the place before he could even suggest one, and now he had no choice but to carry the silver on him or she won't take him to the evidence. He was beyond angry, nothing was going to plan when it came to that little girl. If he knew for sure there was no evidence he would have tried to snap her neck before letting her leave. If there was evidence though and she left it where someone else found it, it could cause even more problems for him.
Unknown to him, his thoughts were exactly what Morgianna knew they would be. Her plan was right on track. Now that the prey had taken the bait all that was left was for him to follow it into the trap.