On A Crooked Leg Lightly

On A Crooked Leg Lightly

by Alan Baxter

The Hashishin moved like smoke, but Amalia saw him, as he melted into one shadow and emerged from the next. His movement was hard to follow, clearer if she looked away, like stars on a misty night. He personified everything she didn’t have: power, freedom, grace. There could be no question that he was a terrible threat to the palace. He moved away from her family quarters, towards the guest wing.

Mosaic walls reflected wan moonlight and the occasional...