Ava gazed out across the calm sea, the waves streaked with rays of pink and orange from the setting sun. She and Narsus sat together in a gap in the seawall that had not yet been repaired, their legs dangling over the edge above the waves crashing below.

“It's nice here,” commented Narsus.

“True,” Ava agreed, “though I doubt I’ll ever be able to look at the sea the same way again.” She sighed. “Everyone else remembers my heroic deeds… all I can remember are my comrades’ faces as they were washed into the sea or devoured by hydra.”

After a short silence, Ava cracked a smile and changed the subject. “I’ve never asked about your family; do you any prestigious heritage or have you always been bread-makers?”

Narsus smiled and shook his head. “We’ve always been proud citizens of Athens, but we’ve never held any position of authority. My mother's family moved to Athens from their farm in the country; she considers it a marked rise in status to be married to a respectable bread-maker.”

“And do you intend to follow your father's trade?”

“It's an honest job,” Narsus replied simply, “what else would I do? Or do you recommend the path of a servant?”

“I guess aspirations aren’t our strong point,” Ava laughed. “But you mentioned your brother’s not planning on following the trade.”

“No,” replied Narsus ruefully, “he chose the trade of, uh… suffice to say he got on the wrong side of the law and had to flee the city. Haven’t seen him in three years.”

Ava gave him a sympathetic look. “He's your older brother, right?”

Narsus nodded. “Then there's my sister who’s the eldest, and the dreamer of the family funnily enough. But what of your family? You’ve never even mentioned them.”

“I don’t really have one,” Ava replied quietly, staring out across the sea, “besides my master, mistress, and fellow servants.”

“What do you mean?” asked Narsus curiously.

“It was Darys the cook who told me how I came to live at my master's house. One night when I was barely a year old an elderly woman, presumably one of my relatives, brought me to the house of Delynqis and told him how my parents had both died of plague. Delynqis agreed to take me into his house and I was brought up by the other servants.”

“So... you're a slave?” Narsus asked hesitantly.

“If my master had been anyone else I would be,” Ava replied, “but Delynqis gave me my freedom when I turned twelve, same as he did with all his slaves. I decided to continue working for him as a servant, but he reminded me that I could leave and find other work anytime I want.”

“He sounds like a very kind man,” commented Narsus.

“He is. He’s also fervently against slavery. His personal mission is to see it abolished from Athens.”

“That doesn’t sound like a popular opinion.”

“It isn’t,” Ava said flatly. “He has few political allies and less political support. Not surprising considering our whole economy is built on the backs of slavery. Now if slaves could vote, then it would be a different story.”

“His idea’s all very well and good idealistically,” replied Narsus, “but the reality is that Athens needs slaves; in the mines, on farms, in households. It’s a cruel necessity. How would society function without slaves?”

“We’d get used to it,” replied Ava dryly.

They fell into silence, gazing out across the sea. As the last rays of the sun vanished behind the hills, Ava heard a voice call out to her. “Beware, Ava!”

She glanced over her shoulder to see where the voice had come from, only to see a pair of cloaked figures advancing stealthily towards her.

“Narsus!” she hissed as she rose quickly to her feet.

“Footpads?” he suggested as he too stood and faced the mysterious intruders.

The two figures drew out short swords and circled Ava and Narsus, one on either side of them.

“Very well-armed for footpads,” commented Narsus, picking up a stone from the ground.

He took aim and hurled it at the assailant on the right, but the man was too quick, dodging aside and rushing at Narsus. Ava leaped in front of him, dodging as the attacker swung his sword at her. Before he could strike again, she seized his sword arm with both hands and wrenched the weapon from his grasp.

“Watch out!” Narsus shouted.

She turned to see Narsus lunge on the other attacker who had run up behind her. The footpad struck out, his blade clipping Narsus’ arm and drawing blood. Ignoring his injury Narsus seized his opponent and wrestled him to the ground. Ava rushed over and struck the footpad across the face with the flat of her sword, stunning him momentarily. Narsus snatched the man’s sword and stood up, pinning the man to the ground beneath his foot.

Ava glanced back to see the other footpad fleeing into the night. She returned her attention to the prone man, looking down at him with contempt. Narsus leaned down and removed the footpad’s mask to reveal his face, rough and unshaven yet surprisingly handsome.

“Who are you?” Ava asked flatly.

“I could give you any number of names,” he replied, summoning a confident smile, “but you'd never know which of them was real.”

“Aren’t you clever,” Narsus said humorlessly. “Why are you trying to kill the hero of Athens?”

“I'm a professional,” the man replied, “it’s nothing personal.”

Narsus put the point of his sword to the man's neck. “Then who hired you?”

The assassin laughed scornfully. “Go ahead, kill me. If I tell you the name of my employer, you know who's going to be next on the list?”

“Shut up and tell us,” snapped Narsus.

“What?” sneered the man, “your mercy or the mercy of my fellows in trade? No, I'm placing my bet on yours. Besides, wouldn’t it be very bad publicity for the hero of Athens to be involved in some shady murder?”

“You've overrated how much she cares about publicity,” shot back Narsus.

“Enough,” said Ava, “let him go, Narsus.”

Her friend glanced at her incredulously. After a few moments, he reluctantly lifted his foot from the man’s chest.

“Get out of here,” Narsus ordered and watched the assassin sprint off through the darkened streets.

Ava held up the sword she had taken from the first assassin. “We should throw these in the sea.”

“We'll need them on the way home,” insisted Narsus.

“And how shall I explain why I’m carrying a sword around in the middle of the night?”

“Just explain what happened.”

“Please, can we just get rid of them,” Ava insisted, “I’d rather not draw more attention to myself.”

Narsus sighed reluctantly. “If you say so.”

He raised his sword and hurled it into the sea. Ava followed suit, though hers landed considerably farther out than Narsus’.

“Next time, let's get home before nightfall,” she suggested as the two of them set off through the darkened streets.