The Elf Thief

Chapter 23: Dealings with a Dwarf

Sonya took a step forward. “I am Sonya Elf-Child, Member of the Elf Thieves and Daughter of the Trees.”

The dwarf gazed at her with something like awe. “An elf,” he whispered, “A Child of the Trees. The time of glory is returning, we have not seen elves in centuries.”

“Will you give us passage?” Sonya asked eagerly.

Suddenly cool and composed, the dwarf leaned back in his chair. “I will,” he said slowly, “for a small fee.”

“A journey wouldn’t be a journey without a dwarf and his, ‘small fee’.” Sonya grumbled as Dearekk tossed a bag of coins on the table.

“Will that be enough?” Dearekk asked, hoping desperately that it would be. It was all that they had.

The dwarf leaned forward and weighed the bag in his hand. “It will suffice. At least for now,” he said with a malicious glint in his eye. He turned to Sonya, “It’s a deal. The name is Kotn. I suggest you get your companions; they are getting restless. The entrance to Mortem is close by.”

            As the dwarf turned away, Dearekk thought he saw something else in his eyes, a sort of deceit behind his brown orbs. Mortem, Dearekk thought to himself. You are much more than you seem, aren’t you Maze of Death?

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            It didn’t look like a door to an underground citadel. It looked old, ratty and worn down. The wooden carvings had been eroded away so they almost looked like natural bumps in the wood. The metal hinges were rusting, and over all, it just looked shabby.

            No wonder no one has found the entrance to Mortem before, Dearekk thought to himself. You could walk by it and not even notice it was there!

            Kotn reached out and placed his hand on the door. While he murmured a few forigen words, the door began to glow, illuminating the alley with a crimson light. The dwarf quickly pushed open the door.

            “Go, go, go!” he hissed, his eyes darting around the street. “Go, before we attaract unwanted attention!”

            Nyx was the first to step though the door. Standing in the entrance, she glanced back at them. “Are you coming?” she asked in an irritated voice.

            Sonya looked at Dearekk, an unspoken question in her eyes: Is this smart?All he could do was shrug in return before following Nyx. Sonya and the Seer trailed in after them. Kotn was the last to come, slamming the shimmering red door in their wake.

            “Let’s move,” he said grimly.

            They tromped though the tight tunnel, it seemed to get smaller and smaller as they went. When Deaerkk looked over, he saw Sonya shaking and sweating. That was when it hit him: the elf girl was claustophobic.

            She obviously had noticed him staring, because she turned and whispered, “It’s like the prison cell all over again. Except this time there’s no...” her voice chocked off with a sobb.

            “This time there’s no Remaduce,” Dearekk quietly finished for her.

She nodded, a single tear slipping down her face.

Dearekk gently rested a hand on her shoulder. “Remaduce may be gone,” he said quietly, “but you are never alone. Remember that, Sonya. Nyx, the Seer, me, we’ll always be here. No matter what, you will never be alone.”

Sonya let out a curt nodd, tears still brimming in her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, wiping her green orbs angrily and looking down. “I shouldn’t be so weak.”

“Missing someone you love is not a weakness,” Dearekk said, trying to keep the pain out of his voice. Memories flashed through his head, Rith and himself playing jokes on the nobles, his father training him in the courtyard. He had lost friends and family, and even though they had not died, they had to be dead to him. He was an elf now. His past, and everyone in it, lay behind him.

Sonya’s head jerked up, a look of relazation on her face. She nodded slowly before saying, “We should catch up with the others.”

“Are you coming?” the Seer’s voice called from the darkness, distain evident in it. “We found a cavern and Kotn’s lost.”

“I am not lost!” Kotn’s indignant voice quickly followed.

Dearekk couldn’t help but shoot a grin a Sonya. “The Seer vs. Kotn, this should be fun.”

She let out a short laugh before following him down the tunnel into a bigger cavern.

The Seer and Kotn were arguing while Nyx was leaning against the earthen wall.

“There is no way out of here!” the Seer snapped. “If you knew where you were going then we would be in Cretinia!”

“I do know where I’m going and you better shut that arrogant mouth of yours before I leave you for dead!” Kotn shouted back.

Dearekk stepped forward and faced Kotn, “If you know where we are, then please get us out of here. If you don’t then tell us and let us help!” He stopped and turned towards the Seer. “And you should show a little more respect if you want us to get out of here alive!”

“He started it,” the Seer muttered under his breath.

Suddenly, Dearekk felt a small tingle on the nape of his neck. DUCK AND TURN!! a voice shouted in his head. Dearekk rolled on the ground right as a knife whizzed past where his head had been moments ago. Before he really knew what was happening, Ventar was in his hands and he had pinpointed the exact location of where the knife had come from. But when he swung the sword, there was no one there. Instead there was a dwarf hefting an ax climbing up the walls like a spider.

“You think I would betray my people for a simple bag of gold?” Kotn hissed as he clung to the walls above, his feet finding impossible ledges to stand on. “Do you know nothing of the loyalty one has to it’s race? You were a fool to follow into Mortem, the Maze of Death. And now you will die, just like those who came before you.”

With those words, the ceiling opened up and the mercenary dwarf disappeared into the rock.

“NO!” Dearekk shouted and tried to throw Ventar after him. But the dwarf was gone.

“Well there goes our chance of survival,” Nyx said, a mask of indifference on her face. She walked over to Dearekk. “How did you survive? That knife would have killed even the most skilled fay?”

“I don’t know,” Dearekk said, “I just...” he trailed off. Words echoed in his mind, I give you the skill of a master.. Only Sonya knew that he was the Blade-Bearer, The Reaper of the Cursed.

“You just...” the Seer continued, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“I just sort of...knew,” Dearekk finished weakly.

Nyx’s looked him over for a moment, before abruptly turning away. “Whatever,” she muttered, and began searching the cavern for a way out.

The Seer, however, was not as easily deterred. He walked up to Dearekk until he stood inches away from him. Even though the grey cloth was still wrapped around his eyes, Dearekk could feel the Seer’s gaze penetrating into him. “There is something more to you, something older. You have always been different, always hiding something. Do not think I am so blind as to miss that.”

(A/N Buongiorno! Greetings from Italy! Sorry for the super, super, super, super late update, but my life has being kind of hectic lately! We are in Tuscany and will be going to Florence and Venice soon. I'm sooooo pumped :] The picture is of Kotn. Anyways, vote and comment please!!)