Was there something moving, there?

Jacob thrust his torch forward into the darkness ahead and squinted his eyes. The smoke that stung his eyes also played tricks with his vision - sometimes Jacob saw things that were not there, and felt foolish for every time that a shadow made him jump. He has been a guard in the castle of his king for nearly half his life now, and he had always hoped that it would get easier. That he wouldn't start so easily at shadows.

But he knew that sometimes the shadows contained thieves. No matter how good a king was to his people, sometimes there were those who would prefer to come and to take the riches of the king rather than let the king's divine right dictate how the gold should be spent. And that was why there were guards like Jacob needed in the first place.

Even if they were sometimes too easily startled in the dark.

But this time he was almost certain that he had seen something - and heard something, even? Something like the soft passage of metal against stone - barely audible, but in the night sometimes sounds carried further. Jacob thought for a moment that he might call out to another guard to see if they had heard anything or seen anything tonight when -

The blow against his temple was so swift that he registered only a blur, and then the stone rushed up to cradle him.

She watched idly as the torch rolled away from the guard's hand, for a moment illuminating her, but only for a moment. And then she was again only a shadow.

Writing credit to the Tyrant, as well as helping me flesh out the idea and theme for her.