"Were you ever going to tell us?" the knight asked.
"Well," Keeth huffed. "I couldn't be sure. What if I were wrong? I would have really looked the part of the fool, then. One must always mind what others think. It helps."
"Could you say that again?" Rolmore asked, turning a harsh glance up at both Keeth and Ka-Ron.
"Dorian is a woman."
This last statement caused a rush of emotion to flow through the elfin ranks.
"There could be no such thing!" one sailor challenged.
"Dwarfs do not have females in their race." another cried.
"They are born from the earth. Everyone knows that!"
"Lies!"
"Kill him, now!"
Rolmore put up a commanding hand, calming his crew.
"My father never told me that my older brother had a talent toward fantasy." The elf captain laughed as he tightened his gloves.
"It is the truth," Rohan rebutted.
Rolmore let out a dry laugh, walking up to Dorian. Dorian, in turn, reflected a stern gaze.
"A dwarf woman, heh?"
Quite by surprise, Rolmore took his left hand and grabbed the dwarf by the crotch. Upon Rolmore's doing so, Dorian let out a vocal protest.
"He doesn't feel like a woman." Rolmore challenged.
Upon letting go of the dwarf, Rolmore was startled to feel a harsh slap.
Dorian had his satisfaction.
Blood started to trickle from the corner of Rolmore's mouth. Taking off a glove, the elf captain inspected his wound with amusement.
"Point taken, dwarf." he laughed. "Point taken."
"This is all true," Dorian pleaded. "Dwarfs have hid their women for a long time now."
"Then, why have we not seen one?" a sailor shouted.
"Because, you moron, we&are&hidden!"
This remark caused some of the crew to laugh mildly.
"Brother," Rohan stated. "It is true. Dorian is a woman."
Rolmore became intrigued. And nothing could stop an intrigued elf.
"I fail to believe that the cosmic winds would ignore telling me the fact that Dorian, here, is a woman."
"Perhaps you are going deaf," Dorian suggested curtly.
Rolmore paused, listening.
The elf captain paid attention to the creaking wooden planks in each ship. He heard the stories both ships had to tell&lonely and terrible episodes of a wizard going mad with solitude, while praying for a chance to rejoin society. It told of his love for his ship, and how he help birth it into this world. He listened to the oceans and their stories. All this he heard.
But for Dorian and Rohan, there was nothing.
"I cannot hear your truth here," Rolmore finally stated, returning once more to his task.
"Brother, stop feeling with your mind and start reaching out with your hearts," Rohan pleaded. "If the stars have taught me anything, it's that life is filled with unlimited possibilities."
Everyone waited for Rolmore's reaction.
It was so quiet you could hear a fish burp.
"Prove it," was all Rolmore could bring himself to say.
All eyes turned to Dorian.
The dwarf closed his eyes, concentrating.
Nothing happened.
"We're waiting!" the elf captain sarcastically yelled.
"Shut up!" Dorian barked. "This goes against all my instincts. Please, be patient."
"I have all night."
Again, the dwarf closed his eyes. He tried with all his concentration to relax. It was a hard thing to break all tradition, and go against everything you had been taught over the years. It was like asking a fish to breathe air.
"Dorian?" Rohan whispered.
"I'm trying," the dwarf said between gritted teeth. "Now, please, shut up."
An electric static started to fill the air.
Before everyone's eyes, the dwarf grew about a stick and a half in height.
Rolmore, in shock, quickly stepped back.
Dorian, the gruff, scruffy, grumbling, and dirty little dwarf was soon replaced by a poised beauty, a softness in the self, and she was of course female. She opened her eyes, tittering slowly, for the act to fight her trained instincts was exhausting. She presented herself in her true form.
"Marvelous!" one of the elf sailors was heard to whisper.
"Are you now convinced, captain?" Dorian asked.
Rolmore stood speechless. After a long time, he turned to look at his brother, and could now understand the love and passion Rohan seemed to carry in his hearts. The elf captain shook his head, understanding.
"In all my life, I never believed the secret legends," Rolmore whispered. As he approached Dorian, lightly touching her upon the shoulder, the captain seemed to laugh with wonder. "Do not hate the dwarf so, legends said, for a little of them is in each of us."
"Our races did know each other, once, long ago," Dorian said, and smiled. The intense stares she was getting from Rolmore, made the woman self-conscious, and she avoided prolonged eye contact. "Your brother is no traitor. He and I are prisoners of love."
Rolmore stared high into the sky, letting out a troubled exhalation.
"I am under Imperial Orders to bring him in," the elf captain explained. "He will have to stand in front of our father and king." He paused. "I have my orders, my lady."
Dorian looked up at her friends, and noticed their reactions. Still, in their amazement, the dwarf was surprised to find support. Whatever her form, she had proven to them her loyalty. They would stand with her. She would not be alone.
"Where Rohan goes, I follow."
"Indeed," Rolmore said, turning to his men. "Place these two in a cell aboard The Willows' Breath. Take off their shackles, and do not bind them. They will be treated with the utmost respect, and allowed the titles and privileges of their positions within the confines of their incarceration. Understood?"
The sailor didn't question the order. There was a moment of pause as he had seen Dorian's beauty. "It shall be done, sir."
"Excellent."
The chains were removed. Rohan and Dorian were allowed to embrace.
Rolmore and his men left the decks of the Argo with the prisoners.
***
"What just happened?" Molly asked, amazed.
All eyes turned to the wizard.
"Every time we seem to understand the world, along comes another mystery."
"You knew Dorian was a woman," Ka-Ron stated.
Keeth keenly nodded his head in the affirmative. "That was the only explanation," he stated. "Well, not the only one. But Rohan did not give me the impression he was interested in males."
The elfin ship took her position directly in front of the Argo, pulling the little ship with a strong series of chains.
Upon seeing this, Jatel walked over to the set of levers near the ship's wheel. The squire was quite intent on activating a few of the wizard's amazing machines.
"Not a good idea!" Keeth yelled, running to catch up with Jatel.
"Wizard, they have us, and are keeping captive two of our crew."
Keeth smiled, admiring the young man's desire to save a friend.
"Now is not the time. Save all options for later, son."
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Jatel took his master to their cabin, all too aware that she was not in a good mood. The ship's motions were sluggish, due to the fact that the elf ship towing them sailed too slowly. And the constant "clank-clank" of the towing chains did not seem to help.
"Some quest, heh, Jatel?" The knight sat upon her bed looking quite miserable.
"There have been minor points of interest, sire."
As the squire joined his love on the bed, Ka-Ron meekly laughed gazing into his honest and forthright face. She held his hands and considered his loyalty to be the greatest treasure she had ever known.
"Why can't we just get to The Fire Mountains?" she cried, allowing Jatel to hug her. "It was only to be a simple trip."
"Simple trips have a curious way of becom
ing&complicated."
Upon hearing Jatel's reasoning, the woman burst out in laughter.
"Each time I seem to define who I am in this universe, you stir into the mix, making me more and more confused." Ka-Ron paused, her brow thinking. "Why is that, Jatel?"
The squire had no answer.
***
Molly stared out the porthole of her cabin, listening to En-Don prepare himself for bed. The fates seemed to have changed for the crew of the Argo. Things had been going their way for quite some time, and it did not surprise her that they had hit a few bumps in the road, although she, at one time, had been one of those bumps.
"Dorian appears to be so beautiful," she mused. "I wonder what could have been so horrible, that all dwarfs had to hide the simple fact that they love?"
"It seems that love is the only thing in abundance in this entire quest." En-Don dug deeply into the bed sheets.
"I wonder." Molly's eyes turned to her man.
En-Don gazed up at her, healthy, young, and whole. She had missed his stern features and his sly smile. Undressing, she giggled upon realizing that En-Don was becoming excited. There was really nothing she could do for now.
"Well, and why not?" the woman said, slowly walking towards her man.
Molly and En-Don escaped as only two young lovers could.
***
Trying to keep herself from laughing, Dorian listened to Rohan's snoring. They had been both taken to a well-furnished cabin, with bed, writing desk, a wall of leather books, and a dining table. There were thick curtains, comfortable chairs, and any color of candle one could conjure. Under different circumstances, the dwarf could have really enjoyed herself.
Rohan had suffered terribly for several cycles, before he ultimately allowed sleep to drape across his face. So, for quite some time, the woman lay there by Rohan's side, studying his face.
Rohan moaned, stirred, and appeared to be having an awful dream. He blinked himself back into the world of the waking.
"Hello," Dorian purred, softly running her fingers through Rohan's hair.
Rohan scanned the room, obviously having been too sleepy to notice his surroundings. "Are we&"
"On board your brother's ship?" Dorian finished. "Yes, we are."
"He is so full of anger."
"I was wondering about that, myself." Dorian got out of bed. "Why is there so much hurt between the two of you?"
"My&father."
Dorian had been wearing an elfish dress and corset given to her by one of the crew. Rohan thought she looked extremely attractive. The woman decided that the cabin was too dark. So, to help take her mind off their shared situation, she decided to light up a few candles.
"All this because you loved the stars?"
Rohan's eyes turned distant, and reflected regret. "The only reason I had decided to help look for our missing elves in Cibola was that I have a chance to study the heavens. My father has never understood my fascination."
"I am having troubles with that myself," Dorian said, blowing out her match. "Why the stars?"
"Ask an artist why he paints. Ask a soldier why he takes up arms. It's a calling of my soul, and I must follow it."
"Good enough for me."
The elfish ship seemed to be changing her course. There were several yells of orders, barely heard as they seeped into the cabin. The crew were dedicated and in quite a hurry to deliver their important cargo.
"Well, it's just my luck," Dorian joked, controlling a smile.
"What?"
"That I'd finally meet my prince, and that he'd be the black Xow of the family."
Rohan's eyes turned deep. He studied Dorian in her female clothes, and smiled. She was indeed a vision, but, if she were to continue with this fashion, someone would have to teach her how to wear elf clothing - her corset was on upside down and inside out. Still, she was a vision to behold.
"I love you very much, Dorian."
Before she had a chance to respond, the elf enveloped her lips. His kiss was a slice of paradise.
"The dress makes me look fat," Dorian whispered, keeping her face close to Rohan's. It was quite obvious that she wanted more attention before the night was through.
"You are not fat," Rohan insisted.
"There," Dorian stated, wrapping her arms around the elf. "See why I love you?"
Rohan mused: Women are always women, wherever you go.
So, the two of them, quite possibly living through the most traumatic day of their shared lives, discovered a rather enjoyable way to escape.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
The two ships soon approached an elfish port. While in the harbor, channeling up the river test, crowds of elves came to see the curious site of The Willows' Breath pulling such an alien and tiny ship as the Argo. Still, there were rough rumors that the incoming elf crew had on board a female dwarf. As with all who knew of Dorian's condition, many had never seen, known, or comprehended the fact that the dwarfs had females. So, in the nature of discovery, most of the elf officials ended up with one hell of a nightmare on their hands.
Beyond the excitement, elfish towns were peaceful and logical. Buildings, churches, and halls of government were blended in with tree, river, stone and earth. When looking calmly upon the village before them, without realizing that they were in elfish waters, the common eyes would have scanned past and forgotten everything. Elfish villages were made to be ignored.
Dorian had managed to sneak a peek here and there while she was being taken to Rolmore's quarters. At first, when asked to visit with him, neither she nor Rohan knew what to make of the offer. It was understood that Rohan's brother just wanted to have a talk with her.
"He will do nothing to harm you," Rohan had said. "He is an elf of honor."
The dwarf's curiosity turned to fear when she saw the hordes of curious elves lining the village's dock wanting to see the female dwarf. Word had spread far and wide about Dorian and her little curiosity. She had wondered, when her people discovered her betrayal, what would be their reaction.
"Yep," Dorian huffed, nodding her head with misery. "I'm in trouble."
It did not take long to navigate through the ship.
Before Dorian knew it, she was standing fast at the captain's door.
With swift action, the two elf sailors in charge of her knocked upon the cabin door and deposited their prisoner.
Rolmore sat at his desk, writing.
"Please, enter," he stated, not looking up.
Rolmore's quarters were not unlike hers and Rohan's.
They were well furnished. They were comfortable. They were elfish.
The dwarf was surprised to see that the captain's personal library was extensive. He had books of history, science, medicine, and carpentry. Amongst those tomes of knowledge, she saw several books of dwarf poetry. She, herself, had never seen a book dedicated in whole or part to anything dwarfs had done. So, seeing the four books of various sizes, she was curious.
"Would you like to take a seat until I am finished?" Rolmore extended a hand, pointing to a well-padded chair in front of his desk. Although a question, his undertone was that of an order. "Please."
Rolmore was writing away in his log book, with a stern and steadfast gaze. Obviously, the elf took his records seriously. After finishing, the captain looked up, exhaling with exhaustion.
"Sometimes I believe my paperwork will be the death of me."
At the offhand remark, Rolmore had managed to get a small smile from his guest.
The captain continued with his staring.
"You are holding too keen a glance for my taste, Captain," Dorian offered, her eyes cast down to her lap.
"I do not mean to be rude," Rolmore stated. "But you are quite a lovely creature."
"I thank you for that."
"Which is hard to say, given that I saw how you looked as a man." Rolmore laughed, trying to ease the tension.
"It has been a work of seasons, sir."
"Quite. Practice makes for perfection."
&n
bsp; "Mostly."
The elf noticed the woman's misery and flashed a feeling of guilt. He was proud, in a way, that his brother was able to find such a woman. To have a lover who would sacrifice everything to see you safe was indeed rare&perhaps more rare than a female dwarf.
"Why am I here, Captain?" Dorian asked.
Rolmore smiled. By the look of controlled fear upon the dwarf woman's face, she clearly did not want to hear his answer. In short, he couldn't blame her.
"Your relationship has caused quite a stir throughout our kingdom."
"I am sorry to hear that."
"I cannot let it continue." Rolmore's face turned hard. He was once more the authoritative figure he had portrayed so well while on board the Argo.
"Could you at least tell me why?" The woman's voice began to rise.
"Traditionally, Dwarfs and elves are enemies. Dwarfs mine the earth. They take from her. They are not one with the land."
"That would be news to our farmers."
Rolmore paused.
"Yes. We farm. How did you think dwarfs eat? Pick up a rock, bite it, and start to chew? We cherish the earth as much as you do."
"An elf and a dwarf in love?" Rolmore barked, rising from his chair. "That would be like asking a fish to live upon the land. It can never be allowed."
"Why not?"
Dorian opened her eyes fully, allowing the elf a chance to see honestly into her soul. One could always tell who a person really was by gazing into their eyes. At least, that is what her mother had always told her.
Rolmore did.
The elf captain paused. "This cannot be allowed." the captain whispered.
"I will not leave Rohan's side." Dorian got up from her chair.
"Then you will be taken before The Council of the Twelve. Once you are there, and judgment is passed, not even the king can save you. I offer this only as a warning to you, for I wish you no harm."
In a huff, Dorian had started to leave.
When Rolmore wouldn't stop her, she paused.
"Something's not right here." she said, turning to face Rolmore. "Why are you telling me all this? You could just as easily dump me at your jail, and leave. Why, Rolmore?"
Uneasy, the captain stirred. "I offer you a choice."
The Misadventures of Ka-Ron the Knight Page 39