The Elf Thief

Chapter 30: The Council

Chapter 30

Council

Dearekk did not sleep at all that night. His dreams were filled with warriors of gold on beasts with the faces of men. Voices called to him, whispering ancient things in his ears; things mankind should leave forgotten. They spoke names he did not understand. Blade Bearer, Reaper of the Cursed, Man Who Became, Seeker of the Ruined and what seemed like hundreds of others echoed in his mind, filling him with questions and memories he did not understand.

He awoke to the sound of metal on stone and the ringing of his own screams in his ears. Rolling out of his much too small bed, he walked to the balcony. Looking out of his room, a sudden wave of bitterness crashed over the half-elf.

There was not a hint of real life in the city. The lights were all lanterns; there was no sign of green or plants anywhere. Everything seemed…fake. It was like the dwarves had tried to recreate the life they once knew above ground, and ended up failing miserably.

Directly below him was a quarry. Dwarves scuttled everywhere, pushing mine carts and heaving pickaxes against cold stone. Every so often a dwarf would yell something and hold up his hand, often holding a large stone. The dwarf would get a few pats on the back before he placed his relic in a passing mine cart.

Dearekk didn’t turn when he heard a knock on the door. It wasn’t until it opened and a figure walked out onto the balcony with Dearekk that he spoke.

“You know it’s rude to walk into a person’s room without being invited,” he said, not taking his eyes off the quarry workers.

“I heard you scream,” Sonya replied shortly, cutting straight to the point.

Letting out a short bark of laughter, Dearekk turned away from the balcony. “Nightmares,” was all he was able to choke out.

Instantly Sonya’s expression softened. “How long have you been having them?” she asked, and sat on his unmade bed.

For a moment, Dearekk thought about pushing her away, telling her that it was none of her business and it didn’t affect her. But the way she looked at him, like she actually wanted to help, broke down all his walls. “Before the Elf Hunt,” he murmured, crashing next to her. “At first it was like they were calling to me, but now…” he hesitated, “now it’s like they’re trying to tell me something.’

“They?” Sonya asked, a look of confusion passing over her face.

Dearekk rubbed his forehead, thoughts rushing around his head like water from a bursting dam. “I don’t know. Voices…”

Sonya’s whole body stiffened. “You…” her voice cracked and she cleared her throat before whispering, “you hear them too?”

His head shot up. For a moment, he couldn’t say anything. He was stunned.

Standing, Sonya began to pace the room. “When I was with the fay, I had a dream. Voices were calling to me and…and I followed them. They were telling me how Ventar trapped them in the Asylum. That was how I knew where Ventar was in the first place.”

“The Seer said you were sensitive to that type of magic,” Dearekk said quietly. “Do you have any idea why?”

Sonya began to shake her head, but then stopped.  “I…well I…” she trailed off, a look of pure pain on her face.

Standing up quickly, Dearekk put his hands up in the air, as if to surrender. “You don’t have to talk about it,” he whispered, not wanting to upset her.

The elf girl took in a big breath and shook her head. “No,” she said in a shaky voice. “No, it’s time you know more about me.” She sat down hard on the bed. “I joined the Elf Thieves when I was eight years old. By the time I was ten, I was showing quite a bit of promise, especially with knives. When I was eleven, I was taken out on my first patrol. Most don’t go out until they’re at least thirteen. My…my parents had left a few days before to try and end the war the King had started, but they wanted to end it diplomatically. Everyone loved my parents, they were kind and caring and willing to sacrifice anything for their race.”