Shadow Dance...Chapter Twelve

Shadow Dance...Chapter Twelve

‘Where am I?’ Halin thought groggily as he tried to open his eyes. After a few moments he realized that his eyes were open, the room was just too dark for him to see anything. His head ached and throbbed with his every move, so Halin tried to lie as still as possible as he attempted to discern his location through the rest of his senses. ‘How come I always wind up hurt and unconscious?’ His rueful thoughts danced through his head as he gave up on his futile attempts at seeing anything in the darkness.

The noises drifting into him helped him realize that he was in an inn or a tavern of some sort, but he didn’t recognize any of the scents that wafted through the timbers of the room. “Surely some scent that I could recognize would leak up through the floor boards.” Halin muttered quietly too himself. He winced in pain as his words, soft though they were, rang in his head as if he had screamed them.

Halin almost missed the soft creak of the floorboards as something shifted quietly. The noise was so subtle that in the following moments of silence, he started to think it was just his imagination playing tricks on him. Then he heard it again. The sound was faint, but real. Halin held his breath as he heard the soft whisper of cloth as it brushed against the hard wood floor as the thing moved somewhere in front of him. The movements were slow and calculated at first, but as he listening harder he could tell that the thing was starting to move a bit faster. Aside from the soft fluttering of cloth, Halin could only tell that it came from across the room and that it was moving deftly in the blackness enveloping him. He could feel his heart leaping from his chest as the soft scuffling noise came ever closer and Halin’s would not adjust to the darkness nearly as fast as he would like them to.

“I see that you are awake.” A voice floated to his ears like the soft melody of the wind in tall grasslands. It seemed as if the man sang to him instead of speaking and the man’s accent was like nothing that Halin had ever heard. “Well, are you going to talk to me…or were you struck dumb as well as unconscious by Morcant’s attack?” There was something familiar about the dark stranger’s voice that Halin could not place until he heard Morcant’s name.

“Why did you save me?” Halin’s whisper was barely audible, yet the stranger seemed to hear it easily.

“That’s a little better.” The stranger replied. “I always prefer to have my guests in a light mood when I am having a conversation with them.” Halin vision had cleared enough to perceive the light blue glow emanate from his host’s eyes and even in the dim blue light, the man’s smile was easily visible.

“That’s not an answer,” Halin noted. “Please tell me why you have saved me. I am no one important…”

“No one important you say.” The elf said mockingly. “That may be true, but you were someone in great need. Were you not?” The voice asked mirthfully.

“Well…aye…but…Hey! Don’t change the subject.” Halin was growing less impressed with his benefactor the longer they spoke.

“Tsk…tsk. I am just a little surprised by your question. That’s why I haven’t answered it yet.” The stranger replied, trying to sooth Halin’s growing temper.

“Are you surprised, or are you just trying to come up with a good lie?” Halin asked boldly. He could feel his fear leaving him the more that his eyes grew accustomed to his dark surroundings. Now he could make out the fine slivers of light coming in through the slits of the door. The one thing that bothered him was that he could not make out any of the man’s features other than the soft glowing blue eyes and the light smile that graced the bottom of his face.

“I needn’t lie,” the voice gained a steel-like edge to it as he answered Halin’s last question. Its keenness made Halin wince as he heard it. “I just normally hear questions like, ‘Who are you?’ and ‘Where am I?’. It’s a little refreshing, if not a little startling, to hear such a wise question from someone in your situation.” All of the man’s previous humor had left his voice and Halin fought the urge to interrupt his host to ask him these questions as well. “So, to answer your question, I did as I must. You were in need, so I helped you.”

Sensing that there was more too it, Halin couldn’t stop himself from interrupting the man with another question, “What do you mean, you did as you must? No one forced you to save me.”

“Would you rather that I hadn’t?” The question hung between them for a few moments as Halin gathered his wits to reply.

“No.” Halin started to say as he was cut off.

“You really don’t sound too grateful.” The edge in the man’s voice was bordering on anger and Halin could sense the man’s muscles tighten a little although he still could not make out any of his features.

“That’s because I am trying to determine the ‘why’ of it.” Halin tried to sound more aloof than he really was. He was certain that if Namir had been in his situation it is what he, r Nurn, would do. “If I was saved to be sold into slavery, for example, then I wouldn’t be all that ready to thank you as my savior and rejoice in my fate.”

“True enough.” The man agreed with a chuckle as he admired Halin’s presence of mind.

“So, what did you mean by your comment?” Halin asked again, this time a little more docilely.

“That I will answer later, for now all that you need to know is that I am a guardian and that I did what I must.”

Halin realized that this was the only reply that this guardian would give him and was none too pleased by it. “What exactly is a guardian?” Halin asked timidly, feeling as if there was a lot more happening that concerned him than he was aware of.

“You have never heard of us?” The guardian asked, then without waiting for a reply continued. “No, you wouldn’t have. Never mind. We guardians protect the races of the world from the creatures that would prey upon them. Usually we are assigned to a person or a task, but not always, as you found out today.” Confused, Halin was about to interrupt the guardian again but was stopped short as the room was abruptly bathed in light.

“This is better for you isn’t it?” The guardian asked as he shielded his own eyes from the light cast from the oil lamp on the table next to him.

Halin squinted at the abrupt light and shielded his own eyes from the bright light as well. After a few moments of allowing his vision to clear, he looked at the guardian again. HE was surprised to find that the guardian had very fine pale skin and wore strange cloths that seemed to shift to match his surroundings as they drifted on what little breeze there was in the room. The only parts of his body that was not affected by this phenomenon were his hands and his head. The guardian’s long brown hair was neatly tied back into a tight queue behind his head and his glowing ice blue eyes were slitted like a cat’s as the elf peered at Halin past the lamp’s glow. Although Halin was not used to seeing people with cat slitted eyes, the thing that caught his attention the most was the guardian’s ears. Although they were almost completely hidden by his brown hair, the tips darted out through the sides and ended elegantly in graceful points.

As Halin stared at him in awe, the guardian smiled slowly. “It’s just as I thought you don’t remember seeing my kind before, do you?” This was more of a statement than a question and its meaning was lost to Halin as he gazed at the guardian’s ears.

Halin struggled with the guardian’s question and his own thoughts about what race he may be for a few moments before he replied, “No…I’ve never seen any of your kind before.”

The guardian’s smile lingered for a few moments after Halin answered him and it was obvious that he was amused by it as he commented, “you have, but you were…”

This sentence was cut short by the thunderous crash of the door giving way as large chunks of wood and debris splintered towards them. Throwing himself over Halin, the guardian pulled at the edges of his cloak to completely cover them with it. Halin was amazed at the cloak’s transparency and the way that it withstood the force of the debris as it was impacted.

As soon as the guardian was certain there was nothing else flying at them, he stood to face their attackers. His movements were graceful and catlike as he instinctively he pulled his sword from its scabbard and assumed a defensive stance. In less than a heartbeat he went from a crouched pose to one on the brink of attack and it was apparent to Halin that the guardian was poised and ready to strike.

________________________________________________________________________


Namir stood behind Nurn in the hallway. His head still throbbed painfully from the attack in the alleyway earlier. ‘What was that thing and why was it after Halin?’ Namir wondered as he replayed the events quickly in his mind. Namir remembered being unconscious for hours before a guard patrolling the market place had revived him. It took quite some time for Namir to convince the guard that some thing had attacked Halin and himself. The main problem in convincing the guard was the fact that there was no sign of the fight whatsoever. After he finally managed to convince him, however, the guard insisted that he report the incident to his Captain instead of helping to search for his missing friend.

Namir had been relieved to find that the Captain of the Guard was Faris, the guard he had met at the gate a week earlier. After listening to Namir’s report Faris seemed concerned, but only about the beast. Namir asked Faris if he could spare a few guards to help him find Halin and was summarily dismissed to find Halin without the help of the city guard. Namir hated to admit that he could understand Faris’ concern about the thing that had attacked him, he just thought that the guards should also help him find his friend as well.

Once he made his way out of the guard tower, Namir ran as fast as he could back to the Flying Muses. He hoped that he could alert the others as well as rally some help to find Halin amongst the inn’s patrons. Nurn was the first one he had come across and Namir wasted no time in telling him what had befallen. Nurn immediately went in search of his brother, leaving Namir to rally any other support that he could find alone. Namir had just finished telling rest of the group, and anyone else within earshot in the main hall, when Jaconis stood up and walked towards the stairs. It wasn’t until Hessa had demanded him to tell them where he was going that Jaconis offered any help whatsoever, unfortunately the help that Jaconis offered was to stay in the inn incase of Halin’s return. With a sneer turned and once more headed up to his room. Bitterness rose unbidden as he recalled Jaconis’ uncaring attitude. ‘Jaconis only cared how this attack would affect further negotiations.’ His thought boiled his anger to further heights as his attention was snapped back to the present by the sound of splintering wood.

The force of the door splintering almost drove Namir to his knees and the sound nearly crippled him as it rumbled in his throbbing head. Namir managed to turn just in time to see Nurn throw his weight into the remnants of the door and step into the darkened room beyond.

“I don’t know who you are, but I will break you if I must.” Nurn’s voice grated like cold metal on stones as he stepped through the doorway.

“I hope that needn’t to come to that,” a lilting voice replied lightly in the darkness. Namir could make out a glint of light as it played along a silvery steel edge as the man replied.

“Nurn, he has a sword.” Namir said quietly and hoped that only Nurn had heard him. Namir was relieved when he saw Nurn nod almost imperceptibly. “Let the man explain himself.” Namir said loud enough for anyone in the room to hear, “I’d rather not talk to the city guards a second time tonight.”

“I am glad that your friend understands reason.” The voice came again from the darkness of the room as Namir’s heart sank. He had hoped that Nurn’s nod would have gone unnoticed.

“Who are you and why do you hold my brother prisoner?” Nurn demanded as his voice pealed off of the walls surrounding them.

The faint sounds of metal sliding across leather followed by soft laughter were the next sounds to emanate from the room. “If my prisoner, as you call him, is your brother then it appears that I have made a grave error indeed. Please come in so we can discuss this matter, although the loss of the door will make this discussion a little less than private.”

“If you’d come with us, I know of a more private place we can talk.” Namir offered hastily. “Besides, I think my friend here,” Namir said as he patted Nurn on the back, “would be in better humor if we were in a more familiar location.” Namir held his breath as he waited for the man’s reply.

“And how will the boy get there?” The man asked, still well hid within the shadows of the room.

“I’ll carry him if needed.” Nurn rumbled menacingly.

“I can walk,” Halin’s crisp tenor voice rang out from the dark room. Nurn visibly relaxed as he heard Halin’s voice. “At least I think I can.” At that Nurn walked briskly into the darkness and abruptly returned with one arm around Halin. It was obvious to Namir that Nurn was supporting most of Halin’s weight as the two walked past. Namir motioned them towards the stairs and whispered to Nurn that he should lead them back to the inn via the back roads instead of the main ones. Again Nurn nodded almost imperceptivity and Namir somehow knew that the man in the room knew what had been said.

Namir stood silently as he watched them descend. It was hard for him to wait for the man to step out of the room and when he did, Namir’s eyes widened at the sight of him. Something about the man was familiar to Namir, but he couldn’t place what. As the man stepped from the shadows it seemed as if the shadows not only accompanied him, but they completely surrounded him as well. This blending effect that the man’s cloths performed still occurred when he entered the well-lit passage. The man’s hood was up, but it did not conceal his elegant features much and wisps of chestnut brown hair emerged from under his hood to lay neatly against his porcelain skin. The thing that Namir found most startling and familiar about the man were his ice blue eyes. Namir shivered as he felt the man’s piercing gaze pass over him to take in Namir’s every aspect.

“I am ready to go, please lead me to this place you mentioned.” The man said quietly with a musical quality to his voice. Namir found this quality familiar and almost hypnotic.

Namir felt the man’s eyes bore into him again as he attempted to turn and head towards the stairs. It felt as if a lifetime were stripped away from him as Namir stood transfixed in the hallway by the man’s scrutiny. This eerie feeling left as quickly as it had come and Namir felt his muscles slowly respond to his thoughts of escaping down the stairs. It was hard for Namir to stay at a steady speed, for although the man did not openly seem a threat; it was all Namir could do not to run away from him in fear. To check this impulse, Namir set a steady and purposeful pace as he led the stranger from the Dragon’s Tale Inn out into the main market place. As they walked Namir attempted to get another look at his strange companion, but try as he might Namir failed to see anything more. Each time he tried to catch a glance at the man, the uncanny ability of the man’s clothing seemed to exude foiled his best attempts. All that Namir was able to manage were a few brief glimpses of the man before they arrived at the Flying Muses.

________________________________________________________________________


Jaconis had just lain down to sleep when he heard footsteps approaching his door. He rolled quietly off of his bed and crawled along the floor to the nearby chair where he had left his belt. There he silently reached up and pulled his dagger free from its sheath. ‘Whatever is out there will have a fight if it comes after me.’ He thought quickly as he waited on the floor in the darkness.

Relief stole over him as the footsteps moved farther down the hall and away from his door. Jaconis’ hands were still shaking as he climbed back into his bed. ‘Whatever that thing was that I saw earlier tonight on the roof isn’t here,’ Jaconis though happily as he relaxed under his covers.

“I should tell the others about it,” Jaconis whispered to himself, still a little afraid that the beast might hear him.

“Why?” A soft voice asked lightly. It had come from the direction of the open window across the room. “Do you think that they could help you if they knew?”

Jaconis rolled out of his bed again with his dagger gripped in his hand tightly. He directed his roll towards the window for more momentum as he lunged towards where he had heard the voice. To his surprise his dagger hit something metal and was quickly wrenched out of his hand before he could finish his attack.

“Please don’t ever do something that foolish again.” The soft voice laughed as it chided Jaconis. “I might have to do worse to you than taking away your pathetic little dagger next time.”

Jaconis raised his eyes to the window and squinted against the pale moonlight that silhouetted his attacker. To his amazement it was a woman’s form that filled his window and not the figure of the beast he had expected. She was wearing a loose fitting outfit, covering some form of leather garment. In one hand she held a short black blade and in the other she held his dagger. The shadows cast by the moon behind her obscured her face, but there was something not right about her features although he couldn’t see them clearly, Jaconis could feel it.

“Who are you?” Jaconis tried to sound brave as he squinted against the moon light framing her as he tried to get a better look.

“Stay where you are and don’t move.” She answered quietly as the moonlight glinted from her wet lips as she spoke. “I am here for a reason.” Her voice seemed to roll out of her mouth and there was a strange cat-like sound to the way her consonants trilled out of her mouth. “As for my name, well, that is a matter of interest to many people and you do not need worry yourself with it. Just know that I’m not here to hurt you, just to silence you.” She shifted to one side a little and easily brought her legs up into a crouched sitting position on the ledge of the window. “All of this should be over soon and we can’t have you messing any of this up. If you cooperate, and do as you are told, we will help you finish your job here. Do we have a deal?” Her eyebrow raised in an amused anticipation of Jaconis’ reply as she finished her proposal.

Jaconis could hardly breathe as she spoke to him because of the speed of his heart. Once his heart no longer hammered as heavily in his chest it took him a few more moments to consider the implications of her question. “What if I say no?” Jaconis asked her after be built up enough courage to voice his question.

“Then I will silence you permanently.” Jaconis watched her twirl his dagger in her dainty hand with ease as she purred her response to his question.

“So do I really have a choice?” Jaconis shot back almost immediately before his courage fled him.

“No, not really.” She said shaking her head lightly. Then, as if something caught her attention she raised her eyebrow and cocked her head to one side as she stated, “Well, aye. You do have a choice. One choice and a very simple one at that.” Her eyes were glowing green and seemed to tear its way into Jaconis’ soul as she continued. “You can choose to live or you can choose to die. That is the choice that I am offering you. And it is a choice that you need to make right now.” She raised Jaconis’ own dagger level to with his eyes slowly as she let the impact of her words sink in. She held his poorly balanced blade with its hilt facing him and although the dagger was almost useless as a weapon, it did little to hinder her graceful movements.

Jaconis’ eyes widened as he watched her raise his dagger. He noticed ruefully that her motions were that of a well trained knife thrower and somehow Jaconis felt that she wouldn’t miss her mark even in the darkness. Jaconis also sensed that she would not hesitate to kill him, so his decision came easily. “Aye, I’ll do as you say. I have just one question. How am I supposed to get your help if I do not know your name?” Jaconis flinched as his dagger left her hand silently. His heart raced to the point of exploding as the blade passed within inches of his right ear. Even the sound of it sinking into the headboard of his bed with a quiet thud did little to ease his tension. Jaconis sat silently as he waited to feel blood trickle down his neck from where she had punctured him. When this vile sensation did not come, he opened his eyes to meet her amused gaze.

“Ah, another easy question to answer. You don’t.” Her smile was evident in her voice as she told him this. “You see, we have a friend in common and our friend will be in touch with you.” She pivoted enough to dangle her legs out of the window a she turned her back to him. “And don’t worry, I will keep my word. If you leave this room for any reason before morning, you will die.” She said this over her right shoulder in a very matter of fact tone that caught Jaconis off guard and before Jaconis could react, she pushed herself out of the window.

Jaconis fell to his knees and quivered for a few moments fighting to regain control of his will. Once he was in control of himself he rose to his feet and walked over to the window to gaze after his assailant. He was four stories up and there was no building close enough for a normal person to have successfully jumped to. ‘I don’t even want to know how she got up here.’ He lied to himself and shook his head in confusion. He made sure to pull both the window and the shutters closed before he walked over to the headboard of his bed. Several minutes passed as he worked his dagger out of the wood. Deciding to keep a hold of it, he crawled back into bed. He lay there for hours trying to get his troubled mind to rest long enough to drift off to sleep, each time his mind came back to the incident he felt his hand wander up to the hole made by his dagger in the headboard. Three hours after he was finally able to succumb to the merciful grasp of dreams, Jaconis awoke abruptly to the sound of a woman’s scream as it tore through the stillness of his room and the heavy scent of smoke filled his nostrils.

________________________________________________________________________


“So tell us, why you took Halin hostage?” Namir asked, a little irritated by the man’s carefree demeanor.

“Because I thought he was someone else. As did the beast Morcant.” The stranger replied nonchalantly. His hood was down now and he seemed at ease sitting on Namir’s bed.

Although the room was big, it wasn’t large by any means, so after all four men crowded into the room both sitting places and elbowroom were sparse. Nurn sat on the floor with his back against the door, while Halin lay on Nurn’s bed and Namir sat just under the only window, which was closed and bared shut.

“So what’s your name anyway?” Halin asked as he rolled over onto his side slowly.

“Jerine.” He replied.

“Who did you think Halin was?” Nurn demanded. “And why would you have the right to take him if he was the person that you were looking for?”

“One question at a time, Nurn.” Namir cut in. “Please go ahead. Answer Nurn’s first question.” Something about Jerine bothered Namir. There was just something too familiar about him.

“I can’t tell you exactly who I thought he was…”

“Why not?” This time it was Halin who interrupted. Namir shot him a warning glance and he quieted down immediately.

“Because I don’t know the person’s name and my lord would not appreciate me revealing anything to you about my quarry. I am sorry that I can’t be more helpful in this.” Jerine replied coolly.

‘Nothing seems to bother him.’ Namir thought bitterly. “Fine. Then who or what is Morcant?” Namir struggled to keep the bitterness from his voice. ‘What is Jerine hiding?’ Namir thought darkly to himself as he asked his question.

“Morcant is a nasarid, more specifically a lupine nasarid.” Reading the confusion in the faces of the boys around him, Jerine elaborated, “A nasarid is a hybrid, mystically created to track and kill. Lupine nasarids are exceptional hunters and assassins, although not all of them are intelligent enough to kill quietly. Morcant is an exception. He is well known for his cunning and his speed. Not many people that cross his path survive.” Jerine leaned against the wall as he said this, trying to make himself even more comfortable.

“Why would he have come after me? Can just anyone hire these things?” Halin asked, his voice getting shallow and his complexion paled as he heard Jerine’s description.

Chuckling slightly Jerine replied, “No. Not just anyone can hire them. For the most part they are not for hire. Like I said, they are created, therefore they are owned by the mages, or the group of mages, that created them. These mages usually have a vested interest in having their will done by their creations.” A look of concern crossed Jerine’s features briefly before he continued. “As for why he attacked you…I’m not certain. He must have thought you were someone else as well. Perhaps he is hunting for the same person that I am.”

“That isn’t really possible is it?” Namir asked. “I mean, from what you said. If Morcant is so good at his job, wouldn’t he know that Halin wasn’t his target?”

“Not necessarily.” Jerine replied. “He might have just been given a description.”

“Like you were?” Nurn’s question came as more of a growl than words.

“Aye, just like I was.” Jerine hung his head as he admitted this.

“So you think that your target and Morcant’s target could be one and the same?” Namir asked hesitantly.

“Aye, it is a possibility.” Jerine answered quietly. “I hope not, but there is a chance of it. Either way, Halin is not safe.”

“Why?” Nurn demanded.

“Because until Morcant realizes that he has made a mistake, he will continue to hunt Halin. And, even if Morcant realizes his mistake, he may not spare Halin’s life. Morcant is cruel and hates to be robbed of his prey, even if the prey is not his intended target. Another possibility is that he was sent to kill his target, which means that Morcant will not rest until Halin is dead.”

“I won’t let that happen.” Nurn growled as he started to stand.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Namir asked Nurn as his friend towered above him.

“Hunting.” Nurn said fiercely. The anger in Nurn’s voice was as palpable as the embers of his anger were in his eyes.

“With what, your knife and dagger?” Namir shot at him with a derisive laugh.

“Aye, if I needed.” Nurn replied.

“I’ve seen this thing Nurn. I know you are very strong and well skilled in hunting…but this thing…this…Morcant…he truly is a beast. You won’t be able to stop him on your own.” Namir pleaded with his gigantic friend.

“Someone has to try!” Nurn retorted. “It’s my brother that this Morcant is hunting. I can’t let it continue. I just can’t turn my back on this and pretend that it will end.”

Jerine laughed. “Let him go, he seems eager to die.”

“Quiet!” Namir shouted at Jerine, deftly stepping into Nurn’s way to stop him from lunging at the guardian.

“Let me by!” Nurn growled.

“No. I have a plan to remedy this situation. Just sit down and listen, the best thing we can do is wait until morning anyway. Then we can buy some weapons and talk to the guards again.” Namir realized that his attempt to soothe Nurn wasn’t working.

“What is your plan?” Nurn spat at Namir as he stood glaring at him for another minute then he moved back to the door and leaned against it. The timbers creaked audibly as he angrily pressed his full weight against it.

“By getting Jerine to help us.” Namir whispered to Nurn hoping that Jerine wouldn’t hear him.

“Fine.” Nurn said, his anger still burning deeply in his black eyes.

________________________________________________________________________


Morcant stood on the roof across from the Flying Muses. He could smell his prey’s fear from here. Taking in another deep breath, Morcant suddenly spun around and lifted the woman that had crept up behind him off of the roof by her throat.

“Why are you here!” Morcant growled.

“Mistress sent me.” The woman choked out her reply.

“Why would the Mistress send you?” Morcant barked; his eyes narrowing causing the faint glow cast by his eyes to form small slivers of light against the dark outline of his face.

“I…I don’t know.” The woman lied. She coughed as she tried to force air out of her throat. “But if you keep squeezing my neck will break, then you will never know why I was here.”

Morcant took a deep sniff then released her. “You smell of the inn below. Were you in there recently?” Morcant’s eyes never left her, casting their eerie glow directly onto her face.

Rubbing her neck lightly she took a step backwards and looked into his glowing eyes. From the pale light cascading around her she could barley discern his features. ‘I wish he’d look away.’ She thought eager to be very far away from him. “Aye, I was just in there on a mission for Mistress.” She thought she saw the corners of his mouth fall into a scowl and she smiled at his chagrin.

“Tell me about it, Skara.” As Morcant said her name, he felt bile rising to his throat. ‘Why would the Mistress send a feline witch to oversee my activities?’ Morcant was uneasy by this turn of events. ‘It only bodes ill.’ He decided as he waited for her response.

“Morcant, it warms my heart to hear that you remember me so well.” Skara said, the sarcasm dripping from her lips like a river to pool around Morcant’s ears. “But you know better than most, I cannot reveal my deeds to any save the Mistress.” Skara smoothed the wrinkles from her silk shirt against her breasts and stomach as she scolded him.

The reproof in Skara’s comments cut Morcant like a lash. “That much I know, but if you cannot tell me of the deed, tell me what you can of your actions and to which room you went.” Morcant couldn’t stop his lips from peeling away from his teeth, revealing their glistening white surface to the soft light of the moon.

“I can see no harm in that. I went to the room facing the market, on the far corner. Mine was the task of delivery, which I have done. So my second task is set before me. Making sure you capture the boy…alive.” Skara took the time to pull her long grey hair back into a loose queue before making sure that her soft blackened breeches were not pinching her tail. She smoothed the pleated ruffles on the sleeves of her loose fitting slate colored shirt before she looked at Morcant again. ‘Damn lupine is going to give me fleas…I just know it.’ She thought momentarily as she felt the vestiges of an itch starting just behind her right ear. Morcant growled as he heard her recite her mission. Skara allowed a playful smile to crest her lips at the sign of his discomfort. “So, where is your prey? Don’t tell me that the mighty tracker has lost the trail?” She toyed, enjoying the look of disgust that consumed Morcant’s features.

The bitter taste of iron filled Morcant’s maw as he felt his blood pressure rise. “He is in the inn, near where you were.” Morcant took a few steps back from Skara as he smiled maliciously. “I have an idea. Why don’t you just go in and get him?”

Skara stopped grooming herself and looked up at Morcant in surprise. “You mean it? You would let me gain more of Mistress’ favor by allowing me to complete your task as well?”

Morcant laughed bitterly. “Of course I would my dear kitten.” The malice of his words hung between them so thick that Skara felt her hackles rise. “That is if you think that you can.”

“And why wouldn’t I be able to?” Skara asked as her mind raced in a vain attempt at solving why Morcant would offer her this chance.

“Because he is being protected by a guardian or didn’t the Mistress tell you?” Morcant answered her with a vicious and mocking look in his eyes. “You mean that you didn’t feel its presence when you were in there?” Morcant feigned surprise as he saw Skara cringe. “My…you must not be as good as I thought.” Morcant laughed quietly as Skara fidgeted with her hair in agitation.

“A guardian here?!? Are you sure?” Skara could feel her fear rip free from her control. ‘A guardian…dear Jia no.’ Skara’s thoughts flew back to her youth, to her sixteenth birthday and to the four men that stole her family from her.

“Aye, a guardian. Hmmm…didn’t I hear that you had a problem with guardians when you were younger?” Morcant enjoyed every moment of Skara’s discomfort. ‘Finally a way to pay this feline witch back for her interference.’ He seethed. “Well, what are you waiting for…or should I assume that you’ll be letting me take care of the task after all?” His voice was harsh and full of hate and Skara cringed away instinctively, still locked within her memories.

“How do you plan on getting him free from the guardian?” Skara asked after many long moments had passed. Her voice was quiet and she could feel a cold sweat forming on her brow.

“I was hoping that you could help me.” Morcant glanced back at Skara as she pulled her cloak tightly around her trying to hide within its folds. “Indirectly of course.”

“What do you mean?” Skara nervously tugged some of her grey hair loose from her queue and braided it absentmindedly.

“I need to have a fire lit…in the stables.” Morcant explained as he turned and sniffed the breezes that danced around them.

“That I can do.” Skara sounded a little more confident now. Her nerves slowly locking back in check.

“Good.” Morcant grinned evilly as he saw her slip off of the roof and over towards the stable of the Flying Muses. ‘Hopefully she is able to do what is needed.’ Morcant thought ruefully. He paced the rooftop anxiously waiting to see if his plan would work. He knew that guardian’s were fond of their steeds, but would he leave his charge alone just to save his mount? ‘We will see.’ Morcant thought viciously. When he smelled the first traces of the fire that Skara was setting in the stables Morcant’s smile broadened. ‘Soon.’ He thought. Morcant slowly stalked to edge of the roof and hunched down so that only his eyes were above the roof top’s outer ledge.

By time Skara had returned, the market was milling with people. They had started to flood out of the Flying Muses in a disorderly array as soon as Skara had burst through the doors screaming that the stables were on fire. Panic was paramount. Skara was easily able to slip away in the confusion without being seen or followed.

“It is done.” Skara purred to Morcant. “They should be coming out anytime now, unless they have already fled.” Skara said proudly as she walked over to where Morcant crouched.

“Get down, unless you are eager to taste the steel of the guardian’s blade.” Morcant growled annoyed by Skara’s arrogance. “They have yet to come out…but they will come soon and if they see you I’ll be forced to cut my loses and abandon you to them.” He informed her as he directed her gaze to the inn’s main entrance.

________________________________________________________________________


“So, Jerine.” Namir said as he turned to the man sitting on his bed. “How is it that you managed to get away from Morcant? I mean, you said yourself that no one that crosses his path survives.”

“That’s easy, I am a guardian.” A slight chuckle escaped Jerine’s lips as he said this. “Morcant is not dumb enough to challenge me openly.”

“Ummm…what, exactly, is a guardian again?” Halin asked innocently from Nurn’s bed.

“We are elves that have sworn our lives to protecting the royal race of our people, as well as those that the elfin people have decided to extend our friendship to.” Jerine explained.

“Elves! Really?” Halin exclaimed as he struggled to sit up.

“Aye, elves. Now lay back down and rest, or you’ll not heal as quick.” Jerine instructed in an attempt to calm Halin down. After Halin laid back down, he turned and rebound Halin’s wounds.

“Na’i nak tuch, hebasii Jerine.” Namir uttered completely unaware of his companions’ puzzled stares.

“Na’a quorun hebasii, mut aa garadin. Hab’e sa’oot miun kielten?” Jerine replied turning slowly.

“I learned it as a boy from our Healer, Saril.” Namir admitted abashedly.

“I see, Saril indeed.” Jerine nodded, a knowing grin spread across his face as he leaned back against the wall.

“What did you two just say?” Nurn asked, his confusion getting the best of him.

“I said that he has a good touch and I called him a healer.” Namir said plainly, his gaze never leaving Jerine’s face.

“And I replied to your friend that I am a guardian, not a healer. Then I asked him where he had learned my tongue.” Jerine offered without prompting. Jerine’s ice blue eyes penetrated deeply through Namir’s steel blue ones and into his soul.

“Do you know Saril?” This time it was Halin’s tenor voice that chimed in to ask the question that Namir and Nurn were both thinking.

“Aye, Saril is known to me. And it doesn’t surprise me that all of you know him.” Jerine said with laughter in his voice.

“I believe Halin asked if you know Saril…not if you know of him.” Namir said calmly, his eyes still locked with Jerine’s slitted ones.

“Ahhh…aye he did didn’t he. Well. I believe I have had the chance once, a long time ago, to meet Saril. Assuming he associates with a talented fighter by the name of Carness.” Jerine said amused as he saw the surprise in Namir’s eyes. ‘Aye, he is the one I seek. Landolin will be proud of me.’ Jerine thought happily. He was glad to have finally found the boy that he had been searching for.

“You know Carness too?” Halin asked in awe.

“Aye. I taught him several of my personal sword strokes.” Jerine replied back, still appearing amused.

“Hah. Now I know that you’re lying. Carness doesn’t use a sword.” Halin said obviously content with his victory.

“That’s too bad.” Jerine said a little sad. “He was one of my better students.”

“Enough of this!” Nurn exclaimed, getting impatient with the turn of conversation. “Jerine, are you going to help us deal with Morcant or not?” Nurn demanded as he turned to face the elf fully.

As Jerine was about to answer, a loud banging on the door and the sharp pungent smell of smoke brought an end to the conversation. Namir stood and peered out of the window through the cracks in the shutters. He turned abruptly and ran towards the door yelling over his shoulder. “Get Halin out of here, the stable is on fire! I’ll make sure the girls and Jaconis get out safely. Nurn, check on the horses! Jerine, protect Halin with your life!”