Dwarven Steel

by D. L. Harrison

  She was a killer, but it was a case of mistaken identity. If she’d been killing demons, the true architects of her race’s genocide, I’d have cheered and helped her do it. It was still a hard thing, and I worried the king and other dwarves would want revenge. They really wouldn’t even be wrong to feel that way.

  Nabrec said, “And if she doesn’t?”

  I sighed, “If she doesn’t, then we can’t let her kill anyone else, and I’ll kill her myself, or die trying. Hopefully with help,” I added.

  Goddess knows how.

  Nabrec laughed, “That’s honest enough. So, you are suggesting we change the deal so that you can either make peace between us, or if that fails you’ll kill the dragon. Either way you get the swords, shields, and siege devices? I can see where the former option would be even better for us, she’s already fierce now, and when she grows up she’ll be a real force to be reckoned with. Return to the tavern, I will send my eldest and daughter to you tomorrow with the answer. Just out of curiosity, what will you do if I say no.”

  I replied, “I will not murder her if she relents, and realizes the truth. I suspect when she does, she will be overcome with grief and guilt. She is no monster. I can’t speak for anyone else obviously, but I won’t be involved with it, even if it costs us what we so desperately need against Jendas’s invasion.”

  Lynn shook her head, “How can you make that judgment?”

  I touched my holy symbol, and looked down at it, “Because I would not want to disappoint my goddess. Murder is wrong, and using it as an expedient solution no matter the reason would be evil. If she relents, and begs forgiveness, it would be murder. It would be… finishing the job the demons started so long ago.”

  It might also be justice, she did kill twelve dwarves. Is it because she was a dragon and the last of her kind that I was making this stand? No, I didn’t think so, it was because she was a different species, and this case was unique. In a way, she was fighting a war, and war is not murder. Once she understood the truth, then it would be murder, and she’ll have let her hate twist her. I didn’t believe that would happen though, I hoped I was right.

  It felt right though, and given the goddess’s words to me before I left on this mission, I can’t help but think my feelings should weigh more in my decisions until the mission is done.

  Holmarra stood, “I’ll escort you back.”

  We all knew a dismissal when we heard one, and the four of us got up, and followed Holmarra back to the inn. I knew the king had been impressed by my blunt honesty, and even my fear about facing the dragon alone, but I hoped he and his family would be equally impressed by my proposal. I had to hope that having a friendly dragon as a neighbor would outweigh any need they might have for revenge. I supposed I’d find out in the morning.

  Chapter Fifteen

  It didn’t take Bryce long to open his mouth when Holmarra was out of the inn.

  “You idiot. Why did you tell him everything? He already knows you explained the truth, and now he can say just say no and send us away, and then open up talks with the dragon on his own.”

  I shook my head, “He’s not human. Or I should say, he’s not like you. Doing it that way would be dishonest, plus dwarves hate large bodies of water, I don’t think any of them would want to deal with the blue dragon until they were relatively sure of it. No, the only question is will they be willing to forgive an angry confused child of another race for killing their own. That will decide the answer, not greed or betrayal. Besides, if he says no to changing the contract that means you and Lynn can keep trying to kill it, and they have to give you the weapons and shields. You’ll just do it without my help.”

  Bryce clenched his teeth, “You will regret this Katrina.”

  My mouth dropped open, and I slipped a hand in my pocket.

  “You bastard, you did know my name and did that on purpose. You’re more petty than I thought, and that’s saying a lot. So how will I regret this Bryce.”

  He sneered, “Even if your little plan works, I’ll destroy you for making me look like a fool, and for getting above your place.”

  I tilted my head, “So even though I saved you, and it was your lies and misdirection that got you in trouble, you’re saying it’s all my fault? You even admitted my plan has a chance of success. Are you insane, or just that spoiled and entitled?”

  He glared, “You won’t even see it coming, and you’ll live just long enough to regret this day.”

  “Kill me? For what? Saving your life, attempting to fix this mission that went south because of new information? For not being a psychopath willing to murder the last of a race because of a misunderstanding? Or simply because I opened my mouth and asked a question you sick bastard.”

  Gerard was looking at me as if I’d gone insane, and I couldn’t help but wink at him and smile. I imagined I did look a bit insane in this moment, but I knew something he didn’t.

  “Because you don’t know your place, and you made me look bad, you stupid bitch. Don’t you get it? When I’m finished with my report no one will believe anything you say, you won’t be welcome anywhere in Trelin, I don’t give a shit what the truth is, no one will believe you. You should have stayed out of it.”

  I nodded, and pulled my hand out of my pocket, the one I had slipped into the pocket a little earlier. It was holding the communicator.

  “Sia, I assume you got all that?”

  Sia replied, “Yes Katrina, would you like me to play it back?”

  “Please do Sia, and thank you.”

  I smirked, and sat down as our conversation played out once again in front of us. I supposed this was the first time in this planet’s history someone would get busted by their own ill-considered words.

  The color drained from his face, “What is that?”

  I replied, “Something called technology, it can do a lot of things on the world I came from, recording voices is very basic. Sia, can you estimate exactly what my mother would do, if Brice here managed to have me killed.”

  Sia replied, “There is an eighty-three percent chance she would use mind control on him, force him to kill everyone he loves, and then torture him slowly until he begs for death. There is a sixteen percent chance she would do that and kill all the other nobles of Trelin for failing her daughter so badly.”

  “Sia, that was only ninety nine percent.”

  Sia replied, “There is a marginal chance that Bryce may successfully evade capture, in which case she would most likely wipe Magehaven off the face of the world.”

  I frowned, not liking that at all, I was happy mom loved me, but destroying a city?”

  Brice snorted, “She can’t do that, we’d stop her.”

  I shook my head, “My mother thinks explosives are gauche and uninspired, but just to clear up any misconceptions, she has the knowledge and ability to build a bomb that would crack this planet into two pieces, and kill everyone on it. A weapon to destroy a few square miles of city is child’s play to her.”

  Sia replied, “Incorrect, the bomb would render the planet into many pieces, but she would never do that.”

  “I think we’ve gotten off point, the point was you need to give up the idea of revenge, you have no idea how terrifying my mother is. Seriously, just get over it. Also, if you try to spin things in the reports, I’ll have to play that little recording for the king. Just go home when this is over, and get over it.”

  “You!” he accused going purple, “You!”

  I nodded slowly, “Am blackmailing your ass. Don’t screw with me anymore. It’s your fault, I’m not supposed to play politics remember? You dragged me into it, but I’m not going to lay down and die for your ego.”

  He growled and marched off. Gerard gave me a worried look as he followed his insane charge, and I felt guilty for worrying him, but I really didn’t have a choice. I’d probably have to explain it twice too, momentarily to Lynn, and then to Gerard through telepathy when we were all in bed.

  I waited for a moment, and said, “Umm, Sia
?”

  Sia replied, “Yes Katrina?”

  “Umm, let’s keep this between us okay, no need to play that for my mom unless I end up dead, then you can tell her, okay?”

  I was afraid if she found out about the threat, she’d just kill him without waiting.

  Sia said, “On the condition that I don’t believe you to be in true danger. My programming puts your life before all other considerations. Good night Katrina.”

  “Good night.” I said and then hit the mute and slipped it back in my pocket.

  Only thing was, how would she know if I was really in danger way down in Chilik? I got a really bad feeling that my mother had seeded Trelin with spy nanites. I also had a feeling Sia was seeding even more around Baron Timmons offices and estates this very moment. Hopefully Sia wouldn’t go Skynet on us all, sometimes mom’s inventions had a tendency to go too far.

  Lynn frowned at me, “Why did you do that? And who is Sia?”

  I shrugged, “Sia is my mother’s assistant, she isn’t human, she’s like a… magical construct intelligence. As for why I did it, I could feel his rage my lady, he was already planning my death, I could tell from the intensity of it. I truly had no choice. Now he has a chance to live, because honestly, he doesn’t have a chance of winning this even if I do die, and if he comes after me, most likely he’ll fail, and he’ll need to fear me far more than my mother. Still, I thought he needed to know the consequences for his actions, as a Baron I imagine there aren’t many of those normally.”

  She sighed, “Paladins aren’t supposed to blackmail high nobles, it’s just not done.”

  I shrugged, “High nobles aren’t supposed to be petty enough to kill paladins that annoy them. Especially when it was their own lies and pettiness that got them in trouble in the first place. Look, if I screw this up, and my plan goes to crap, I’ll take my lumps. I won’t be killed for vanity though, I don’t care whose vanity it is. There are lines that shouldn’t be crossed. Plus, now if I have to defend myself from him, my conscience will be clear because I warned him first.”

  She nodded, “You’ve made an enemy for life today, don’t trust it if he backs down. If he has to wait twenty years for his revenge he will, nursing the grudge the whole time. I know his type, why do you think I’ve been keeping my head down, and I’m a noble.”

  Was she suggesting I move against him first? Nah, that was crazy. I was almost positive killing nobles was frowned upon, only the king could do it, and only if he had lots of evidence. Kings who kill nobles on a whim usually get assassinated by all the other nobles.

  “Yes my lady, I’ll be cautious.”

  She snorted, and said sarcastically, “So respectful.”

  I nodded, “The position of a noble should be respected, it is only when the person occupying it proves themselves unworthy of that respect, that my respect will be withdrawn. Your worthy of it twice over, unless I’ve read you wrong.”

  She shook her head, “Paladins aren’t supposed to approve or disapprove of nobles either. I’d suggest you stop trying to explain before you dig yourself a hole so deep you can’t climb out.”

  I laughed, “Hopefully I’ll learn, I am still young. My world didn’t have nobles.”

  She snorted, “Who ruled then, the people?”

  I nodded, “It was crazy, in some ways better, but in a lot of ways much, much, worse. I also won’t let that get around, last thing I want to do is be guilty of sedition on accident. I hear talking about alternate forms of government make nobles nervous.”

  She was right, I totally needed to shut the hell up now, or possibly sooner if I could find a time machine lying around. I blame it on the fact I hadn’t been able to talk or ask questions for days while Bryce needled and insulted me, and now I was on an artificial high from getting it all off my chest. Bryce was such an asshat.

  She nodded and then shook her head again, “Bedtime. You’re a good guard Katrina, and I feel safe with you around, but if you don’t learn to shut up your going to make a lot of enemies. Bryce is hardly the only… stubborn noble in Trelin. Remember that.”

  “Yes my lady.”

  She glared at me, and then made for the stairs. Did she think I was messing with her? I really did respect her, and her opinion. No, really. I did. I swear.

  I sighed, and then followed in her wake.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I didn’t sleep all that well that night. First, I’d had to go over all the reasons for inciting and blackmailing Bryce once again with Gerald, who was angry about it. I was sure, even if Bryce didn’t try to have me killed and backed off instead, there would repercussions for this that wouldn’t be good.

  I also realized it was inevitable, even if I hadn’t spoken up or asked those few questions that I had, the biggest problem had been that I’d found the dragon twice, and the mages hadn’t found her at all. That, and I’d been the only one to try and communicate with her. How much worse would it have been if I’d just kept it all inside?

  Perhaps I was just making excuses to justify my actions, but I just didn’t see a different way that would have worked out better, Bryce’s ego was just too large and easily bruised. Not all the nobles were like that, but some were. Even if I hadn’t spoken out loud, his ego would never have survived me showing him up by locating the dragon twice, and being the only one to effectively harm her.

  The second reason I had trouble sleeping all night, was what if my great plan did blow up in my face, and Trelin wound up out of luck on the weapons because of it. Not only would more soldiers die, but it’d probably be the king after me at that point, at the very least he’d kick me out of the castle and refuse to allow me to accompany Gerard any longer. At worst, he’d condemn me and either banish me from Trelin or execute me for sedition or some such crap.

  In the end, I don’t think I could have done any differently, and lived with myself, or looked my goddess in the eye the next time I visited the temple. In fact, I thought that’s what I needed, to see Arella. It would calm my nerves to feel her approval, and although I could feel her presence slightly when touching the holy symbol, it wasn’t the same.

  Of course, I couldn’t leave Lynn alone, so that wasn’t an option right now. Even if I could teleport straight to the temple and be back within minutes. Neither was sleeping in my husband’s arms an option, which would be almost as beneficial and calming.

  It was all a lot of pressure, and I still wasn’t entirely comfortable under the weight of all that stone above us, it wearied my mind and made all my worries seem worse. Eventually, I did fall into an uneasy sleep, and I managed to get a couple of hours shut-eye before dawn and breakfast…

  Breakfast was a bit awkward to say the least, as the four of us sat in silence and waited for Holmarra and Sanath to show up. Bryce was once again shielded and his face was a cold mask. Gerard felt worried for me, and Lynn was worried too, but it was far more diffuse. At a guess, I’d say she was worried for the mission, herself, and maybe just a little for me.

  I felt a little better with a lot of warm food in my stomach, but otherwise felt the same as last night. I’d have thought I’d have been used to the stress of large responsibility by now, and if anything, my first two missions were far more critical than this one. Humanity or elven kind wouldn’t be completely destroyed if I failed here, and there was a chance Trelin would successfully fight off Jendas anyway.

  I almost laughed when I figured it out, this fear was far more selfish of me. If I’d failed the previous two missions, I wouldn’t have had to face those I failed, because most, if not all of them, would’ve been dead. If I failed here, I would have to face the king, and take responsibility for my interference. Which was still better than committing an atrocity and destroying that dragon if there was another way.

  Holmarra and Sanath came in range, “They’re coming.”

  Gerard answered silently, “Let’s hope for the best, we can’t fail.”

  I smiled, no pressure. It’d been just about a month since my arrival on
this world, but I couldn’t even imagine the person I used to be then, finishing up high school, and arguing with dad about fashion choices. Or doing very stupid things in the hopes of getting a date Omega’s son. I was a very different person, this world was harder, so much harder, but also better, and more rewarding.

  I decided I wouldn’t fail, but I also couldn’t control the actions of others. The dwarves saying no wouldn’t be my failure. I’d just have to find another way.

  Holmarra and Sanath walked into the tavern and sat at our table.

  Sanath said, “It was a long night of spirited discussion. The swords, shields, and siege engines will be ready in three days, and will be released to you if and when the blue dragon is dead, or an acknowledged ally of the dwarves.”

  It felt like a thousand pounds were lifted up off my shoulders, but of course, I still had to talk to the dragon, and work out some kind of deal between them and the dwarves. I doubted that would be a simple task. I couldn’t exactly work alone, I had to protect Lynn at all times, that part of my mission hadn’t changed. I also feared that Bryce would be working against me, I wouldn’t put it past him to make sure I failed, and then to blame me for it somehow.

  Holmarra cleared her throat, “There is more. It seems clear to us that Katherine will not be able to function as an emissary to the dragon if she is caught up with guard duties. We also do not trust Baron Bryce Timmons and withdraw our welcome to him. He must leave our kingdom. How you solve those two issues is up to you.”

  Bryce turned purple and I bit my lip. What she’d suggested solved a few problems, but also introduced new ones. Not suggested, ordered really. If Bryce left, so would Gerard, which would still leave me guarding Lynn. I already had a way around it, but I doubted the baron would allow it.