Elmerah scowled. “I am nothing like my sister.”
Saida chuckled. “If you say so.” She was silent for a moment. “So,” she began anew, “you were saying you went to find Rissine. Were you successful?”
Elmerah nodded. “Successful in finding her, at least. She told me why the emperor wanted you . . . well, she speculated.”
Saida rested her chin on her upward bent knees. “Yes, it seems you and I were both kidnapped with great intention, though I still do not understand your role in the emperor’s plan.”
“I don’t have one,” Elmerah sighed. “Before this evening, I don’t think the emperor even knew of my existence. Rissine believes Egrin will pardon the Arthali and grant them new lands. She and I are all that remains of the Shadowmarsh line. She believes it our responsibility to lead our people to glory.”
“I had suspected you were of that line,” Saida admitted, “after seeing your lightning on the pirate ship.”
Elmerah quirked an eyebrow at her. “Few would put that together.”
“My people know much about the Arthali. It is important to remember the histories, and to be prepared should our enemies strike again.”
Elmerah snorted. “The elves actually believe there is a chance of the Arthali returning?”
Saida tilted her head toward Elmerah, providing the full weight of her reflective gaze. “We are not the only ones, apparently. Rissine believes it too. Why do you not?”
Elmerah shifted her weight on the hard ground, then shifted again as a rock dug into her tailbone. “After the Arthali were exiled, the clans began warring amongst themselves. Rissine and I left Shadowmarsh when we were young. If we had stayed we would have been killed, just like our mother. It has been many years since that day, but I do not believe the clans will ever reconcile, and that is exactly what’s needed for Rissine’s plan to work. The Shadowmarsh clan used to rule over all, but she and I are only two witches. Other Arthali would sooner kill us, than follow us.”
“Even if Rissine could provide them with new lands, and a pardon from the emperor, would they not band together then?”
She shook her head, running her fingers through a strand of black hair that had escaped her hood. She hoped not, but in truth, she did not know. The emperor’s alliances with the Dreilore and Nokken were frightening, but both were also organized into well-ruled civilizations. The Arthali were wild and blood-thirsty, much like the Akkeri. No one in their right mind would ally themselves with either, yet, she didn’t have the heart to say so out loud. She’d endured enough hatred already.
“All I know is that you and I should both run far away from the Capital.”
Saida nodded. “Yes, I must warn my people, though I fear there may not be much time.”
Elmerah felt for her. Though she’d lost her home long ago, she knew what it was like to have one’s life destroyed by violence. She’d chosen to run, but suspected Saida would not.
No, the elf girl was more the type to go down with a sinking ship.
“We should get some rest while we can,” Elmerah sighed. “Let Alluin take the first watch.”
Saida obeyed by curling up on her side, her back pressed against the rock face, her tangled blonde hair draped across her chest.
Elmerah curled up next to her, though she knew sleep would not come easily. The urge to run far away had not left her, not after all these years.
In fact, it had only grown stronger.
Rissine
Rissine sat with a rigid spine in the covered carriage. She wasn’t sure why the emperor had summoned her, but it made her nervous. Had he heard about the militia men breaking down her door? It had taken every last drop of her control to not lash out when one of the men called her an Arthali dog. She’d added him to her list, memorizing every detail of his face.
When the time came, he would be one of many to pay.
The carriage halted, signaling they’d reached the Crimson Jewel. She was nervous about going there too, now that her sister quite likely knew it was she who controlled the establishment. All of the guilds knew as much, but none dared challenge her.
She pushed the carriage curtain aside to scan the dark street. It was late enough that things had gone quiet, though she knew there’d still be a few patrons inside.
It was no matter, she would be entering through the back, and so would the emperor, likely in disguise.
Her hands trembled slightly as she stroked the enchanted blade at her belt, letting the curtain fall back into place. Next time she faced her sister, she’d be better prepared.
She stepped out of the carriage, her loose white blouse billowing around her in the gentle breeze. Her coachmen would wait for her outside. He knew to speak to no one but her.
Reaching the door, she sucked her teeth in irritation as she rapped her knuckles on the hard wood, staring at the glittering rings on her fingers. This was her establishment, but it was always like this where the emperor was involved. She was his loyal dog, and he could take over whenever he chose . . . at least for now.
The door opened just a crack, then a moment later, the rest of the way.
In the doorway stood Daemon Saredoth, his long blond hair combed perfectly straight and glossy. The vain bootlicker probably had the laundry girls in the castle press it with heated irons. A fresh bruise colored the skin around his left eye. “You’re late.”
“I came as soon as I could,” she grumbled, pushing past him.
Just a few steps in, she froze, and her mouth went dry.
The emperor was sitting at the small meeting table as expected, but standing near him was a Dreilore lord. He was as tall as any pureblood Arthali, but his skin was deep gray with a blueish tinge. His pure white hair was laced with tiny jewels and silver clasps, standing out against the plain black tunic and tights he wore. She hardly noticed any of it though, as her gaze was affixed to his deep red eyes which seemed to glint with burning embers.
A throat cleared, and she managed to tear her attention away from the Dreilore. The emperor laced his fingers in front of his face. A black hood shadowed his features, though she personally would have recognized those pale eyes anywhere. Beside him sat a woman with wild, russet hair. Her features were delicate, her honey brown eyes uptilted. Her skin where it showed through her deep green velvet vest was deeply tanned.
“This is Lord Orius,” Egrin introduced, gesturing to the Dreilore, “and this is Cheta.” He gestured to the woman.
Cheta’s hair seemed to twitch, and Rissine had to stifle a gasp. It wasn’t all hair. Atop her head were two ears like those of a fox. They’d been laid flat before, but one now stuck up, twitching as if she had an itch. She was one of the Nokken. A shape-changer.
“She wasn’t followed,” Cheta said.
Rissine blushed, realizing Cheta hadn’t been itching, but turning her ear in the direction of the back alley, listening for anyone who might be near the door.
Daemon moved away from the door, then pulled a seat out for Rissine.
She sat. She didn’t like that it put her closer to Cheta, but at least it put her further from Lord Orius. She knew the emperor had made treaties with both peoples, but seeing them at her inn was another thing entirely. She’d seen one of the Nokken when she was a child, but had never seen one of the Dreilore before. They tended to keep to the dark mines and castles of the Salisfait mountains in the Akenyth Province.
Egrin leaned forward toward Rissine as Daemon returned to his post near the door. “Something interesting happened this evening,” he began conversationally. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about it, would you?”
She furrowed her brow. Was this not about her encounter with the militia after all? “This evening? I was at my home all day.”
Egrin tilted his head. “Do you know of another Arthali woman within the city? She had a taste of pure magic to her. Magic like yours.”
She held her breath and counted to ten. What had Elmerah gone and done now? Rissine had wanted her sister for herself
, not in the clutches of the emperor.
He waited, drumming his fingers across the tabletop. Cheta and Orius watched her silently.
She sighed under the weight of their heavy stares. There was no hiding Elmerah from him now, obviously. “What has she done?”
“She stole Saida Fenmyar before I could give her to the Akkeri.”
Rissine groaned and hung her head. “That foolish woman.”
“Yes,” Egrin agreed, “quite foolish. This woman was accompanied by a man, likely an elf according to Daemon. They would not have been successful, had we not been caught off guard by a lone Akkerri. It attacked me while I held the Arthali woman immobile.”
Rissine licked her dry lips. “An Akkeri? Why would an Akkeri help the elf girl escape its own people?”
Egrin raised a dark brow at her. “I was hoping you could tell me. Who is this Arthali woman? Your kin?”
Rissine nodded. Foolish Elmerah. If she would have stayed hidden, she could have protected her. “She’s my sister, though I do not know why she’d risk herself to save the girl. The male elf you mentioned was with her earlier today. They paid me a visit, along with two more Valeroot elves.”
The Dreilore pursed his lips at the mention of Valeroot elves. With lands bordering each other, the two races had long been enemies.
Egrin looked past her to Daemon at the door. “You will see to the elves. Question every Valeroot elf in the city if you must.” He turned to Rissine. “You will see to your sister. She and Saida are hiding with the others in the deep woods. I imagine, come morning, they will try to flee . . . if they survive that long. You will bring them both to me alive, or you will bring me their bodies. Hopefully the Akkeri will still be satisfied with the girl, even if she’s no more than a mangled corpse.”
Rissine’s gut twisted at the thought. It had been ten years since she’d last seen her sister. She didn’t bring her to the Capital to die.
She bowed her head. “It will be done.”
“Good,” Egrin snapped. “Now leave us. We have important business to discuss.”
Rissine raised her head. “Business? Should I not be included in such talks?”
“You will be caught up later, once you find your sister.”
Daemon appeared at her side. He pulled out her chair as she stood, then herded her toward the door.
She glanced back at the trio on her way out. The Nokken woman watched her with a smug smirk that made her blood boil. They were all now allies, yes, but apparently not equals.
As she left the inn, she once again stroked her enchanted blade.
Three more names had been added to her list.
Alluin
Alluin’s shoulders slumped as the first rays of sunlight reached him. They were far from safe, but at least they’d made it through the night. He glanced back at Saida and Elmerah, lying close together for warmth. Merwyn was curled up like a cat against the cracked rocks, sound asleep. Alluin partially regretted not killing the creature in its sleep. It would hardly be justice for the atrocities of the Akkeri, but it would have been a start.
He turned back toward the ominous shadows of the deep woods. A single Akkeri was realistically the least of his worries. He needed to return to his uncle, to discuss what was coming, but first, they needed to get out of the woods. They’d been lucky thus far. Hopefully that luck would hold. The antlioch grazed nearby, ready to carry them back to civilization.
He startled as Saida appeared at his side, moving as silently as any skilled Valeroot hunter. “We should wake the others,” she muttered, gazing out at their surroundings, her hair a messy web of tangles harboring a few pine needles. “I must warn my people of what is to come.”
“You intend to return to Faerune?”
She nodded, the movement draping a pine needle into her line of sight. She quickly plucked it out, then began searching the rest of her hair. “I have no choice. I know it is a long journey, but I cannot risk re-entering the Capital, nor can I allow my people to remain ignorant.” Finished with her hair, she turned to him. “I wish I could somehow repay you for all you’ve done.”
“Warning Faerune is payment enough. I know how your kind view the Valeroot elves, but soon we will need to work together if any of us hope to survive.”
She sighed. “Not all look down on the Valeroot elves. Even those who do will have to listen after what has happened to me. I intend to take Merwyn with me if he’ll agree. I’d also like to ask Elmerah.”
“Elmerah?” he questioned.
Saida shrugged. “I doubt she’ll agree, but the emperor knows her face now. He’ll be looking for us both.”
They both turned at a rustling sound. Elmerah had finally woken. She sat up, stretching her arms over her head, her coat sleeves sliding down a bit from her wrists. Her hood had come down during the night by the look of her hair. Merwyn was still curled up like a cat, though his eyes were open, watching them.
Saida was right, Alluin thought. It wasn’t safe for any of them to return to the city. At least he’d kept his cowl up during his tussle with Daemon Saredoth. The Valeroot elves might not yet be linked to Saida and Elmerah.
Elmerah stood as Saida approached. “No offense meant, but I have absolutely no intention of journeying to Faerune.” She glanced at the Akkeri. “And I’d wager Merwyn feels the same, if he has any sense of self-preservation,” she looked Merwyn up and down as he came to his feet, “which is admittedly doubtful.”
“But you cannot return to Galterra,” Saida argued. “You attacked the emperor. You’ll surely be killed.”
With a final glance at the surrounding trees, Alluin joined the circle they’d formed.
“Trust me,” Elmerah replied, running her fingers through her tangled hair before brushing dirt from her coat. “I’ve no intention of facing the emperor again.” She wrapped her arms tightly around herself. “Though I still want to punish Rissine for kidnapping me.”
“I’m sure my uncle will help hide you now,” Alluin offered. “You faced the emperor himself. Surely your loyalty is proven.”
Saida shook her head. “If you really want to punish Rissine, help me stop the emperor. Come to Faerune.”
Elmerah looked back and forth between the two of them, finally settling on Alluin. “First, I am loyal to no one. You and I simply have a common enemy in Rissine.” She turned to Saida. “Second, I don’t think me coming to Faerune will in any way stop the emperor. The elves would sooner kill me than listen to me. Third,” her gaze encompassed them both, “you’re both utter fools if you think you’ll be stopping this war. The emperor himself bribed the Akkeri to attack his people. He’s signing secret treaties with the Dreilore and Nokken, and who knows who else? If what Rissine said is true, even the Arthali will be returning to this continent. While I’d like my revenge, I think I’d like even more to be as far from all this as possible.”
“So you’ll flee?” Alluin questioned. “Even with all you now know?”
She snorted. “Are you daft? It’s because of all I now know that I must flee. Both of your plans will only result in me getting killed. There’s nothing I can do to change that.”
Saida held a pale hand to her chest, seemingly shocked by Elmerah’s behavior. “But there is so much at stake.”
Elmerah glared at her. “There is so much at stake for the Faerune elves,” she turned to Alluin, “and your people as well. I don’t know if either of you’ve noticed, but my people are living in exile. You are asking me to fight a battle that is not my own.”
Alluin scowled. Could she truly be so callous? “So you care nothing for the innocent lives soon to be lost? The lives that have already been lost?”
She matched his glare. “Every single one of those people would either spit on me or run the other way. Why should I care for them?”
He crossed his arms. “If you care as little as you say, why did you fight the Akkeri? Why risk your life for the people you so despise?”
“Children don’t deserve to die that way,” she
grumbled.
Ah, so she had a heart yet. Alluin’s eyes narrowed. “Children will die in this coming war. Elf, human, and Arthali alike.”
With an irritated grunt, Elmerah walked past him toward the antlioch. “Be that as it may, there is nothing I can do.” She turned to face him. “Putting down a raiding party of Akkeri is one thing. That was within my power. But a war of this magnitude? Fighting the Dreilore?” She shook her head. “We have already lost.”
She turned back to the nearest antlioch and less-than-gracefully pulled herself atop its back. “Now, let’s get out of this cursed forest so we can all get on with our lives.”
His face hot with anger, Alluin walked across the small clearing and pulled himself up onto the other antlioch. He offered his hand to Saida as she approached. She took it, hiked up the skirt of her ruby red dress, and gracefully mounted the antlioch behind him. No matter what Elmerah said, he’d do what he could to stop this war. He would not abandon his people, and neither would Saida. In fact, he was quite sure even Merwyn would do his part to stop the war. If Elmerah wanted to flee, he would not stop her.
Apparently he had misjudged her from the start. Not waiting around while Merwyn climbed atop the antlioch behind Elmerah, he guided his antlioch in the direction of the coast. His scowl deepened as Elmerah’s antlioch caught up, bringing with it the pungent fishy smell of Merwyn.
Alluin shook his head. Neither of them mattered. Once they were near the relative safety of civilization, he would turn north toward the Capital, and Saida and Merwyn would need to turn south to begin their long journey toward Faerune. Which way Elmerah would turn . . . he did not know, nor did he care.
“Troll!” Elmerah hissed, drawing him out of his reverie.
He couldn’t believe she’d seen it before him, but sure enough, far ahead of them loomed the imposing figure of a troll, its gangly body, covered in algae and moss, blending in with the tree trunks. Fortunately its back was turned, and it didn’t seem to notice them as it lifted a long-fingered hand to scratch its meaty, fur-clad rump.
The Witch of Shadowmarsh (The Moonstone Chronicles Book 1) Page 15