Chapter 13 The Fall of Minas Ellalas (PT 1)

"Seize them!" MacNay yelled, as he towered over the other soldiers and pushed himself towards the odd group in front of him. His curiosity had certainly been piqued, but he knew better than to go against the orders of his captain. It was one of Tane's first rules to never question him, and only do what he had told you to.

"Please," Riswynn begged, trying to avoid staring at the abnormally tall man.

"There must be some mistake." Though she knew there wasn't. She recognized the green and black emblem on the guards as soon as they walked towards her, the same insignia on the scouts who had ambushed them in the mountains.

"Grab their weapons. And any belongings," he said, accentuating his words as two of the soldiers behind him removed their swords from the holsters around their waists. Hearing MacNay's strong accent, Riswynn's guess of where he came from was confirmed. She had never been that far west. She wasn't allowed, yet no one was. Isolated by three seas, and several plains; the large bastion that surrounded the city of Grey Wulf was cut off from civilization. Populated mostly by large men, like the guard in front of her, Grey Wulf and his descendants had been in a feud with The Citadel of Duke for over eight centuries.

MacNay had to be nearly seven foot, if not taller. Riswynn had never even seen an elf that tall. Subconsciously, she shrank back as he grabbed for the warhammer and handaxe at her side. She hesitated as she reached for Nim's shield from the loop on the back of her belt, and handed it over to him. She could feel the heat from Disia, and as she turned around to face her, Riswynn saw that her barbarian companion had her hand wrapped around her greataxe, ready at any moment. Disia's green eyes caught those of the dwarfs, asking for a go ahead.

"No," Riswynn whispered, shaking her head, and Disia reluctantly removed her hand from her weapon. It was a good thing too, a dozen or so more soldiers came rushing out of the gates, including several dwarves. Excited, Riswynn searched the new crowd for either of her cousins. She recognized one of them immediately, he was talking to the beastly man with black hair,a man named Commander Rosch. She smiled, and waved at him, and for a short second they caught each other's glances. He only gave her a quick nod, and began walking with the Commander, talking together as if they were friends. Riswynn's heart sank. She didn't even get a friendly smile, some sort of gesture that he was going to help her. She heard Lila behind her, crying over her bow being taken from her, Disia trying her best to comfort her.

"It's gonna be okay, little one." Riswynn heard her say.

"We'd like to speak to your Captain," Nim said suddenly, as she handed them her knapsack. She felt Tane didn't deserve the respect to be called by his name.

"Your holy symbol too, healer," MacNay grumbled, reaching out his hand. Nim pulled out her sun shaped amulet and placed it in his large calloused hand.

"Captain's not available right now." He nodded, handing the amulet to one of the soldiers behind him.

"But we're under strict orders to keep you confined. What use he has for you, who knows. He's never much needed the use of a woman."

"Other than to objectify them?" Commander Rosch approached them.

"Have them empty their pockets as well," the commander continued, staring at them, his large eyes lingering on Nim longer than they should have. Riswynn noticed her cousin was no longer with him, and after a quick scout, was no longer outside either. She heard Lila screaming and sobbing as a young soldier removed her belongings from her pocket.

"Be gentle," Disia warned the boy.

"I am," he said, frustrated.

"She stepped on my foot."

"She's very protective over her belongings," Disia said, remembering the first moment Lila and her shared.

"No exceptions," MacNay said with authority, and the young soldier dropped Lila's belongings into a large pot, the hand carved mouse included. Lila sobbed, as her hand reached towards the pot.

"Tinir," she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Really, halfling? This is no place," MacNay scoffed.

"Her name's Lila. And that mouse was hand carved by her master. Who died not long ago." Disia had no problems confronting this large man, no matter how attractive she found him.

The young soldier, with a sad look in his eyes, began reaching for the wooden mouse.

"No exceptions," MacNay said louder, smacking the boy's hand.

"Sorry, Sir," he replied, pulling his hand back, and giving one last concerned look for the small girl.

"Alright," MacNay said.

"Put 'em in the cells."

"Cells?" Riswynn was shocked, she didn't recall Belronde ever having any cells.

"Belronde has no cells," she said as she began walking towards the entrance, one of the soldiers walking with her, his weapon unsheathed and pointed at her. A nasty smile curved on the Commander's face.

"We found ways to make do. Just did a little rearranging," he said, as he placed his hand on Nim's back and pushed her forward so she was walking behind Riswynn and the soldier.

The young soldier began to lift the large pot with the girl's belongings, when MacNay stopped him.

"No, soldier. You're to clean the floors of The Gilded Horde."

"But, I already cleaned them. This morning," the young boy interjected, placing the pot back down. The Gilded Horde was a large room and board that was turned into a tavern specifically for Tane's men. While Tane nor Wulfa used it, there were lots of brawls; either intoxicated or bets of who was the better soldier. Sometimes there were both human and elven women, dancing exotically, willingly. It was a nightmare for anyone who had to clean it, as there was either vomit all over the place or blood spills, and occasionally, both.

"Then clean it again. And if you ever backtalk me again, you'll be on cleaning duty for a month." MacNay spat near him, and the young boy walked off stomping his feet, muttering something about always having to clean up after everyone.

"Act like a soldier, Walter," MacNay yelled after him as he began to pick up the pot with one hand, whereas Walter had used both.

"Ease up on the guy. He's only twelve," Commander Rosch said. MacNay just stared at him.

"My unit. My responsibility. My commands," he said, finally.

For a moment it looked like Commander Rosch wanted to say something, but after a few moments he spoke to the guards behind MacNay.

"Keep an eye on those two," he said, eyeing the two remaining girls. The small halfling was still crying, while the tall woman next to her tried to console her.

"Come on, little one. We're gonna be alright," Disia said, soothingly.

They began walking towards the city, the remaining soldiers with their swords and lances, behind them. Riswynn and Nim were already at the gate.

The cells were in fact an old wooden building used to store broken, or no longer needed weapons. The weapon racks were shoved back into the corner, empty and full of dust. Several of the building's wooden beams had been chewed upon, giving Riswynn concern for how much longer it would hold. Several rats scurried across the floor as the four girls walked further into the storehouse. A large wooden table, made from the same wood as the building, was positioned in the middle of the room. A couple chairs, engulfed in dust as well, were scattered around the table.

Riswynn was appalled. She couldn't decide which was worse; the smell of the room, or the look of how deteriorated it was. MacNay and Commander Rosch followed in right behind them, two soldiers bringing up the rear. The rest of the soldiers that had helped escort them through town had gone back to their duties. The Commander cleared the table, mounds of rat droppings falling to the floor. Clearly, they had invaded someone's home. Lila began sneezing uncontrollably as the dust picked up, annoyed that it's rest had been disturbed. MacNay dropped the large pot he was carrying onto the table, the girl's belongings pouring out. The two soldiers walked over to the weapons rack, and placed the weapons they had confiscated. Dust scattered again, but then settled. Wooden beams, made out of a different type of wood, were placed along the edge of the room so it split into two. These had less dust, and no chew marks on them. What looked to be the start of two holding cells in front of them, instead, two tattered cots were placed, one in each cell.

Riswynn searched for a window, something to let the smell out, and found a small one just opposite the entrance, above the right cell.

"Can we at least open that window?" She asked. Lila continued to sneeze, her eyes filling with water.

"For what?" MacNay grunted, shaking his boot as a rat crawled over it.

"If you can't smell how wretched it is in here, then you surely come from a dirty city," Commander Rosch said. The large man said nothing, but his nose wrinkled as he sorted through the contents on the table.

Riswynn would have been happier if the window was larger, or if there was at least another, but she watched the Commander pick up one of the chairs and bring it over to the first cell. He stood on it, balancing himself, as the chair creaked beneath his weight. With one strong push, he opened what he thought could possibly be the world's smallest window. MacNay had given Lila, who was still sneezing, a spotty dried-up bloody handkerchief. A look of disgust came across the halfling's face, as she took it. The Commander was so built, he easily stepped down from the chair. He left the chair behind, and walked back over to MacNay, pulling bits of cobwebs from his hands.

"So." The commander began, as he started touching the girl's belongings. He'd pick something up, examine it for a second or two, then place it back down.

"What were you all doing in our mountains?" He held Lila's hand carved wooden mouse in his hands, turning it over, as he inspected every detail.

"Good craftsmanship," he muttered.

"Please," Lila sobbed between sneezes. She stretched her hand out for the object. Her face was no longer the young, stern look they were used to. Her eyes were puffy, and her face red.

"Come, Lila. Let's sit you down by the window," Nim said softly. Gently she placed her hand on the halfling's shoulder, and within moments a green luminous light surrounded Lila.

"What...How?" MacNay's voice was suddenly high pitched, shocked that the woman had casted magic without her holy symbol. He frantically began searching the table, looking for her amulet. She must have gotten a hold of it somehow, he thought. He soon realized he was wrong though, as he found the sun designed amulet mixed in with a pile of gold and copper coins.

"How in the Duke did you cast magic without your talisman?" He asked her, dumbfounded.

"Most spells, I need my God's help. Some of the basic spells, like the relief one I just placed on her, I can do on my own," she answered him coldly.

"What do you mean, your mountain?" Disia finally asked, sitting down on the cot next to Lila. Lila was no longer sneezing; she now leaned against Nim, who sat on Lila's other side, tears still streaming down her face.

"The mountain belongs to Belronde," MacNay answered for the commander.

"And Eadnoth Keep," Commander Rosch added, annoyed.

"Since Captain Tane controls Belronde; both the town, and the mountain belong to us. So, I will ask you again. What were you doing on our mountain?" He eyed the woman across from him suspiciously.

"Heirlooms and trinkets for a friend," Riswynn said, and the commander turned to face her, his suspicion now on her.

"For who?"

"Where is it?" MacNay and the commander both spoke at the same time.

"In the bags, and they belong to Suse."

Both men began dumping the girls bags onto the table with the rest of their things. More coins, different colored gemstones, the rest of their rations, the handkerchief and the metal bracelet tumbled out.

"So, which of these belong to this Suse you speak of?" The commander asked.

"The bracelet and the handkerchief," Riswynn said.

A sudden gasp came from one of the two soldiers, who had been standing still in the doorway the entire time. They immediately left with uneasy looks on their faces. MacNay had emptied the last of their bags. The antique mirror Nim had found and the obsidian gem had fallen onto the table. Riswynn felt another feeling of uneasiness, this time from the two men.

"You, Elf." MacNay stared directly at Nim.

"High Elf," she corrected him, a coldness still in her voice. MacNay only ignored her, watching the commander gently touch the black stone.

"Do you not know dark magic when you see it?" The large man hounded her.

"Where did you get this?" Commander Rosch asked, holding the obsidian in his hands. If he sounded mean before, it was nothing compared to now.

"We got it off a group of orcs we killed," Riswynn said. She eyed the gemstone in his hands, sensing that indeed, it had at one point held some sort of darkness.

"Don't lie to me, dwarf. Orcs have no interest in things like this." The commander snarled. Both men were staring at her, anger flamed in their irises. MacNay placed a hand on the hilt of his weapon, happily ready to start a fight.

"The storm," Nim mouthed to her, and she nodded. Thankfully, neither of the men saw this, only two pairs of eyes burned into the dwarf.

"Fine," Riswynn said, staring straight back at the commander.

"We found it in a wyrmling's lair. In the mountain."

"An ice wyrmling," Disia added.

"We killed her," Nim said quietly, gently stroking Lila's hair. Lila had fallen asleep in her lap.

"A young dragon, huh? Interesting," he said, amusement in his voice. Amused that this group of women could take on a creature as tough as a wyrmling. Like Tane, Edgar Rosch didn't much care for the opposite sex. He thought they were weak, and only useful for cooking, cleaning, and breeding.

"You don't really expect me to believe that you went into Dragonrend just for this person, do you?" The commander continued, staring at the dwarf in front of him. His brown eyes daring her to lie to him.

Riswynn hesitated, and debated. She knew if she lied to him again, it would not go over lightly. MacNay still held onto the hilt of his lance, Wulf men were always trained to fight first and ask questions later. If she told the truth, what she was up to would be revealed, but there was also the chance that, depending on how he reacted, she could find out where Nosin was.

"We were heading to Eadnoth Keep. Since we were already heading through the mountain, we decided to look for Suse's things."

"Funny how you ended up back here though," MacNay huffed.

"And what were you going to Eadnoth Keep for?" Commander Rosch asked.

"A friend of mine. Nosin. You know, the ruler of Belronde." Riswynn watched him for a tell, but he remained still. Even his eyes didn't change.

"Was," MacNay butted in.

"Wherever did you get the idea he would be that far north?" The commander ignored him.

"Wulfa." Was all Riswynn had to say. Not only did Edgar Rosch's eyes shift, she could feel the sudden tension from him. Clearly, he didn't care for this strange man either.

"And you trusted him?" He asked, after a few seconds.

"No. But it was the only thing I had to go on. I'm worried for him. Not only did we not find him, but." She gestured towards the crown on the table with the other items. Commander Rosch recognized the crown immediately. He had helped Tane kidnap the previous ruler. He only nodded when he saw it.

"I see. Where did you find it?" He asked.

"In that wyrmling's cave. Nosin would never remove his crown. He would even sometimes sleep with it."

"He's probably decapitated somewhere," MacNay laughed to himself.

"Hush." The commander told him.

"I don't know where your friend is. I may be one of Tane's first in command, but there are many things he and that cultist don't share with any of us. I do know he's not in Eadnoth Keep. No one is allowed in, or out. The half-elf paladin that rules there has gone mad."

Nim noticed that he didn't call the strange man by his name. She could hear the disgust in his voice. The same reason she didn't call Tane by his name. It was a lack of respect.

"Who is this Suse you speak of anyways?" MacNay asked, trying to change the subject. He was bored of the conversation, and he no longer wanted to be standing there, watching them.

"She's Martia's cook," Riswynn answered him.

"Who in the Duke is Martia?"

"One of my cousins. She runs the Gypsy Rose tavern," Igin said, walking into the room.

"Igin!" Riswynn said excitedly. He did a quick nod in her direction, but then averted his gaze from her. Now that her cousin was right in front of her, Riswynn could see that he did not look well at all. It had been several years since she'd seen him, but he looked like he had aged at least forty. His once soft amber eyes were now blank, almost dead even, with heavy bags under them. His fluffy and curly golden brown hair was now a tangled mess of brown with patches of grey. His beard, that used to be kept so neat and clean, was untidy, speckled with grey as well. It was clear he was under a lot of stress.

"You know her?" The commander asked him.

Igin nodded, still avoiding her gaze. Instead he looked at the three women across from him, sitting on the cot, Lila still fast asleep.

"She's a distant cousin," he replied. Igin didn't even sound like his normal self. Riswynn could tell something was wrong. Very wrong.

"Igin? What's going on?" She asked, trying to get him to look at her. She was concerned, not only because he was blatantly avoiding her, but also because he obviously looked sick.

"Don't ask. I can't tell," he muttered, turning to face the large man behind him.

"I got some other things to do," MacNay said as he began heading out the door.

"Soldier," Rosch said quickly.

"Send two of your units here to keep guard."

MacNay grunted as he briskly left the storeroom, his weapons clanging against each other as he took big strides.

"Did you catch that?" Rosch asked Igin.

Igin just shrugged as he began to sort through the items on the table.

"Any of this stuff worth anything?" He asked the commander, his voice sounding a tad more normal.

"Not really. Just the gems the Captain would take interest in. The rest seems to be junk. Your cousin there made quite the haul. She even found that black gem that reeks of dark magic."

Disia and Nim both had been watching their dwarf friend. Watching as her facial expressions changed several times within the last ten minutes. They had never seen her tighten her fists so much. Nim could sense that more than anything something devastated her.

"From? Our mountains?" Igin finally looked at his cousin. It was the way he said "our" that made Riswynn uneasy. Indeed, the mountain did belong to him, but the way he said it, it was like he didn't want it too. Riswynn tried to search his mind for what could really be going on. It was an uncommon talent for dwarves; to have the power that most high elves possessed. Thousands of years ago, the Goddess Linde, gifted the Spire dwarves the same power that was given to all elves, and drows. For centuries Riswynn's family gossiped about how one of the Goddess' three daughters fell in love with one of the first dwarves, and somehow persuaded her mother to share her gift with him.

"She did." The commander said picking up the black gemstone again, and showing it to Igin. Riswynn sighed in her head, she couldn't get anything from her cousin. The only interest he had was of the different gemstones he was picking up, and pocketing.

"For?" Igin asked, examining the gemstone Rosch held out to him.

"To find your father. He's missing. We were told he went to Eadnoth Keep, but." Riswynn picked up and showed him the crown she had found in the wyrmling's cave. She thought maybe there was a slight reaction in his eyes, but he only placed the black gem in his pocket with the others.

"I'll bring these to Tane's room. The other stuff, just put back in their bags," Igin said as his eyes did one last sweep over the items.

"The gold," Commander Rosch said abruptly, as if remembering it's importance out of the blue. He grabbed one of the small bags from his belt, and tossed the coins in with his own. He ignored the girl's look of loathing, threw the coin purse to Igin, who placed it into another empty pocket.

"Where are those soldiers?" He asked no one in particular as he walked to the door, and used his foot to hold it open. Igin started placing the remaining items back, but Riswynn stopped him.

"Let me sort them. I know what belongs to who," she said as he tried to put some of Lila's belongings; a hand drawn portrait, and a lock and pick kit into Disia's bag. Her cousin said nothing, and walked away to join the commander outside.

"Iggy, wait," she said, hoping the nickname she had used for him since they were kids would ignite something. The only thing she got were his lifeless brown eyes staring at her.

"Will you at least return these to Suse?" She picked up the metal bracelet and silk handkerchief, and stretched out her arm to him.

"Her heirlooms? The ones she's been missing for years?" He asked, a slight change to his tone. It almost sounded he was happy for a second, even the commander was watching them intently now. Riswynn nodded, forcing herself a half smile.

"How?" He took Suse's belongings, giving her no smile in return. His face hadn't changed since he walked in. It was yet another thing that disheartened Riswynn, he used to always smile.

"How?" She repeated.

"What do you mean how?" Even the annoyance in her voice didn't seem to phase him.

"How did you find them? They were stolen from her the day she got here, and that was at least two years ago." They all watched as he fingered the yellow lining of the silk handkerchief. Riswynn could see he had been biting his nails, another thing she'd never seen him do before.

"You care for her." Nim suddenly spoke up.

"Wha…no," he stuttered over his words, his cheeks becoming red.

"Ooh! That Suse," Rosch said teasingly, as it suddenly dawned on him who she was.

"Hush," Igin said, quickly pocketing the silk fabric with the bracelet into the same pocket as the coins.

"Hey, I don't blame you man. She's a babe," the commander chuckled.

Riswynn smiled to herself. She knew her cousin too well. The first woman he had ever fallen in love with, was a human as well. Igin had always preferred the human females, and the taller the better. Unfortunately, in their family it was forbidden to elope with someone outside their race, and if found out, in most cases, you were cast out.

"It doesn't matter. I'm not allowed too," he muttered, still embarrassed that their eyes were on him.

"It was a dark elf," Disia said, answering his previous question. She hated to see people uncomfortable in the spotlight like he currently was.

"Xulista, I think she said her name was," Nim said.

"Her?" Commander Rosch asked, intrigued.

"She's been stealing from our soldiers for months. She waits until the middle of the night, when we do our switch outside the gates."

"She's been around for years, actually," Igin told him.

"Wait, you killed her too?" Rosch asked. Disia and Nim nodded.

"Impressive. A dark elf, and a young dragon." He eyed Nim up and down, the same way he had outside the gates. It made her skin crawl.

Igin had started to walk out the door again, when two young soldiers came rushing in, almost tripping over the commanders foot.

"Slow down, soldiers," he said to them, moving his foot just in time.

As soon as they entered the room, they were taken aback from the smell. Disia noticed one of the boys was the young one from before, Walter. He recognized Lila right away, and immediately the frustration on his face changed to a smile. He happily walked further into the room, near the weapons rack, despite how musty it smelled.

"Can we at least keep that door open?" The other boy asked. He was a bit older than Walter, taller and broader too. His long black hair pulled back into a braid. He had already started to bring one of the chairs over to hold open the door before Rosch agreed.

"Just keep an eye on these girls throughout the night. Take shifts sleeping if you must," he said, letting the older boy prop the chair against the door.

"We don't know how long it'll be before Captain gets here. He could be a week's travel away, or a few days," Igin told them, and then walked out the door with the belongings in his pockets, and his fathers crown in his hand.

"Be careful with those weapons," Riswynn said harshly to Walter. Frustrated her cousin had left without saying goodbye to her, she wanted to take it out on someone else.

"Ris," Nim smiled at her, picking up on her feelings.

"Sorry," she muttered back.

"I was only looking at the bow," Walter said softly.

"It's just my size. Will she wake up soon?" He asked, looking at the halfling.

"I think someone has a crush on our Lila," Disia said, eyeing the small boy.

"Not for awhile," Nim said, shifting her body gently, moving off the cot, and sitting onto the chair under the window. Lila made a slight whimper as her head rested against a different surface. Immediately, her hand went for the pocket she kept her mouse in.

Walter smiled shyly, gently stroking the curve of the bow one more time before walking back to the table, and sitting down in one of the chairs. He watched Riswynn, who had gone back to sorting their belongings, asking her questions now and then about an item as she placed it into one of the bags.

"Alright. I'll be back tomorrow, early in the afternoon. I'll try and find someone to release you around dawn," Commander Rosch said to the boys.

"Yes, Sir!" Came the reply from both of them. Walter didn't even look up to see the man leave, he was too immersed in the antique mirror Riswynn was handling.

"Me mam used to collect antique stuff all the time. See this right here," he said rather joyfully, showing her two small slender knobs behind the mirror.

"That's too hold a small knife."

"Huh. I didn't see that before. It's very well hidden," she said, rubbing the silver knobs.

"As it's meant too," he said. It wasn't often for him to be able to teach someone else, and he had begun to enjoy their company more and more.

"How so?" She asked, staring at him. She found it odd that he was not only really talkative, but he seemed happy to be.

"Me mam used to tell me stories all the time. See, a long time ago, girls had no way to defend themselves.

Not that much has changed. Disia wanted to say out loud, but the boy seemed harmless, and awfully sweet, so she kept quiet.

"Someone, somewhere, a woman, found a way to protect herself. She added spaces for really tiny pointy things, like a knife, behind everyday commonly used items."

"Like a mirror," Nim said.

"Like a mirror. They don't make them like this anymore, since well, most girls can use weapons now. But, apparently, back then they were scared too. Or didn't know how too. So I was told."

Riswynn stared at the boy, shocked that someone so young could know so much about hundreds, even thousands of years ago.

"You're right." She nodded at the young boy. He was starting to grow on her more and more by the second.

"But in all my fifty years, I've never even seen one. I haven't met anyone who came across something like this either."

"They're very rare," he told her, touching the silver lining of the mirror.

"Right. Which is why I must bring it back to Commander Biri to look at it. Something as old as this could have a curse set on it." She placed the mirror back into her knapsack.

"Practically anything can have a curse placed on it these days," the other boy said. He had been silent, except for the sounds of bone dice being tossed against the wooden floorboards repeatedly.

Riswynn grunted in agreement with him. The sun had now almost set, a dark orange in the sky. A light breeze came through, bringing with it the smell of a cold crisp evening. Lila shifted her body, turning to face Riswynn and the two boys, her face back to normal.

"What'd you mean used to?" Disia asked the young boy as she walked over near the table, rummaged through their belongings, and walked back over to Lila carrying several blankets and fur coats. She bundled up one of the coats under the halfling's head for better comfort, and laid the blankets at the end of the cot. It was still a bit warm, but with the cool breeze coming through, she was sure the blankets would be needed eventually.

"Huh?" Walter said, now examining his own set of bone dice in his hands.

"You said your mom used to. Has she passed?"

"I don't know. Maybe," he shrugged.

"I haven't seen her in seven years. When I was six, she traded me for a mule and some chickens." He was quieter now, fumbling over his words as he rubbed an indent on one of his dice.

"Oh, gosh! I'm so sorry," Disia said, clutching her right hand to her chest. She never understood how a mother could just up and abandon a child. She had seen it numerous times back home, a woman would leave her baby behind during a mudslide, if it meant saving her own life. It made her angry how disgusting some people could be.

"That's horrible," Nim said, as sweetly as possible.

"It's okay," he said after giving himself a few seconds to gather a response.

"I come from up north. Gelli Woods. It happens more often than one would think. Most people just turn a blind eye." He forced a smile.

Riswynn gently patted his free hand. She knew the area he spoke of. Lived in by mostly cultists and those who were interested in darker magic, she suddenly felt really sad for the young boy. A child who made such a strong impression didn't deserve the life he was in.

"It's just north of the Skyfall Desert. Couple hundred miles north of Cronemoor. Brine's largest desert. And the nastiest. The woods just north of the desert are inhabited by cultists who believe they are protecting Namzu's spirit. He's the younger of the twin boys Smaka fathered." Riswynn delighted herself in sharing anything to do with Brine.

"Smaka? Who's Smaka?" Disia asked, covering Lila with one of the blankets. Another breeze had come through, and a noticeable drop in temperature came with it.

"Isn't he the guy who started your cursed war?" Nim asked. It was another part of her training to know the history of Brine, or at least the documented history.

"Yes," Riswynn said, watching as a pair of soldiers in full armor walked past the building. Since the commander had left, every ten minutes or so, soldiers in twos or threes would walk by, which certainly ruined her plan of trying to escape during the night.

"I'll tell you more when we get back to Cronemoor. There's a lot of things I need to talk with Commander Biri about, and I'd like you three with me. Well, if we make it back."

"You can try, but I doubt you'll make it very far beyond the gates," the older soldier said to Riswynn. She gave him a quizzical look and he leaned back into the chair. He was no longer tossing his dice.

"I've seen you glancing at your weapons. Hey, I get it. I'm sure you can get past us two. Four of you against me, I know I'd lose. Walter seems to like you guys, so I'm sure he wouldn't even bother trying to put up a fight." He leaned forward again, staring directly into her eyes. Challenging her.

"But, everyone in our army is on high alert since we brought you in. Like I said, I doubt you'd make it far." He leaned back a second time, crossing his arms over his chest, and one of his legs over the other. He raised his eyebrows. She knew he was daring her to try.

Snot nosed little… She wanted to say.

"I know," she said instead, remembering the soldiers who had already passed by. As if on cue, two men walked by, talking and laughing rather loudly. Obviously drunk.

"The Gilded Horde's not too far from here," Walter said with a smirk.

"Really? That's your army?" Disia said sarcastically. Deep down though, she was jealous. She hadn't had a drink in almost a week. The longest she'd ever gone without any kind of alcohol was no more than two days. One soldier tried and whispered to the other, and they both laughed louder at his joke. Disia overheard "woman" and "street peddler." Where she came from it was a rude and disrespectful comment to women. Apparently, from the look on Riswynn's face, it meant something similar here. She would have lunged at them, axe or not, if it wasn't for the fact their loud and obnoxious laughter woke up Lila. The tiny girl stirred, turning back to face the wall, tossing the blanket off of her.

"Nir." They heard her moan some variation of her master's name. Disia watched her try and find the pocket where she kept her mouse.

"Her mouse. Quick," she said, picking up the blanket.

Riswynn searched the table for Lila's favorite object, she couldn't remember if she put it in the halfling's bag. She had been so angry when she sorted their items. Walter began to search with her, somewhere deep down he understood the importance of that wooden mouse, though he himself had never relied on an object.

"I can't find it," Riswynn said, in a panic. She could hear Lila whimpering, and moaning. She could hear Disia humming a soft melody, and saw that she was also stroking her hair.

"That is strange. I've never had someone become so conscious after my relief spell before," Nim was saying as Riswynn searched frantically.

Riswynn gave herself a small moment, she stopped searching as she took a long breath. She knew the more she was in a panic looking for something, it only made it harder to find.

"Found it," she finally said, after she had calmed herself down for a few seconds. The hand carved wooden mouse was on the floor, next to one of the chewed legs of the table. Riswynn dusted it off, and handed it to Disia.

Lila had already noticed the mouse, and was reaching for it before Disia even gave it to her.

"Thanks." Her small mouth formed a smile. She finally noticed the young boy from before. Realizing he had helped look for it too, she just nodded her head at him, then laid her head back down on the fur coat. It might not have seemed like enough, but it was enough to make Walter smile bashfully again.

Lila had fallen back fast asleep quickly. Her petite hand held the even smaller object. Disia covered her once again with the blanket, heaving a huge sigh of relief.

"Disaster averted," the boy in the chair said, laughing.

Riswynn hadn't meant to snicker, but it had been a few weeks now that she'd spent enough time with the girls to get a feel for them. Lila seemed to go through many moods, up and down, in a matter of minutes, and just now was no exception. She tried her best to understand that the young girl had just lost someone very close to her, and while Riswynn had experienced several losses in her own life, she couldn't get around how the halfling would act sometimes.

The look on Disia's face, however, told Riswynn she was about to get a talking too. Instead, the tall woman just slightly rolled her eyes, and shrugged with half a smile.

"We're good now," she said, sitting back down on the cot next to Lila. Truth be told, she was relieved as well. She wished she could understand Lila's behaviors, the erratic emotions over things that seemed so small. All in all though, she really did care for the girl. The small girl was only a few years younger than her, but Disia somehow felt like she needed protection. It was that first interaction between the bartender and her, it had made Disia jump into something like a mother role.

It had become dark now, they could see a few stars in the sky through the small window and the open door. Once the sun had set in Belronde, it quickly became dark, even more so as it became closer to Winter. It brought a little bit of comfort to Riswynn to see that at least that part hadn't changed.

The breeze still came through, cooling the air, and making the so-called prison smell a bit better. Riswynn laughed as the soldiers stationed across the street groaned and yacked every time a breeze came along, sweeping the smell of the prison outside. It wasn't so bad anymore, and she knew most smells became tolerable after a little while. The night lights in the streets of Belronde were a lot more than Riswynn remembered. While Riswynn and Nim had learned to see in the dark as young girls, it was lit just enough for the others to see the outlines of each other. It was strangely quiet outside, other than the occasional chatter of the soldiers when they walked by, it was yet another sign that Belronde had become an alien feeling to Riswynn. She recalled when the sun set, and it was dark like it was, the younger dwarves would come out to play. Sometimes they would stay outside well into the early dawn hours, it was the only time they got to be children.

Everytime she learned something that had changed in her relatives' city, it just made her more uncomfortable. How long had Tane and his army been in control of Belronde? Why hadn't there been any signs? Or calls for help? But then, she got an idea while looking at the young boy next to her. A small part of her felt bad for using him to get information, and there was a chance he didn't know all that much about the army he was in.

"Walter," she began, looking at the shadowy outline of the small boy.

"How long have you been in Tane's army?"

"A couple years. Wulfa sort of took me under his wing when I was nine."

Riswynn remembered the commander had said he was twelve, so Walter had been with this army for about three years. She tried to remember if she had seen any of Tane's men when she had last visited three years ago. Observation of her surroundings and people was one of the things her father taught her, before she left the Spires. When she turned 15, Riswynn had wanted to find adventure, and while both her parents disapproved; her father had felt less worried knowing he was sending her outside the mountains with some skills. Riswynn remembered there had been a couple of male humans, but it was the usual hunters looking to trade their skins and raw meat for dwarven made weapons. There was a chance that Tane and his men took over after she had visited.

"How long have you guys been in this city?" She asked another question. There was also a possibility that they hadn't shown up until recently, which would make more sense, since no one outside Belronde seemed to have any idea of what was going on.

"Uh," the small boy said slowly, counting his fingers.

"Almost a year," the other boy spoke up, as if he could see Riswynn's angle. It was hard to tell, because the nightlights only lit up the one side of his face, but Riswynn swore he was smiling.

"I see," she said soberly. Too many thoughts were going on in her head at once. Tane's army hadn't been in Belronde for as long as she feared, but nearly a year was still enough time to do some serious damage. She wondered what else had been done to her family's city.

"Witch," the older soldier said to Nim. The tone of his voice had changed, no longer holding a mockery to it.

"Excuse you?" She responded harshly. It left both Disia and Riswynn with goosebumps.

"Witch." He said sternly.

"You work in magic, do you not? Make things out of thin air?"

"I do."

"Then you're a witch."

"No. I'm a healer," she corrected him.

"Witch in my book. Either way, we need some light in here. Can you conjure up something for us? We can't very well keep an eye on you, if we can't see you."

Nim didn't answer. She had been offended by them several times already, and she was beginning to lose her calm and her patience.

"It's okay, Nim. We could use a bit of light in here." Riswynn had been on the same wavelength with the high elf since they first met.

"Alright. I'll need my amulet though," Nim said softly.

Riswynn reached into one of her leather hides pockets and pulled out the amulet. She had secretly pocketed it when MacNay was still around. Riswynn had been running escape plans in her head before she even walked through the city's north gates. She knew her best bet was to have Nim's magic, but that was before the patrols every ten minutes. The amulet was rather heavy for what appeared to be made of wood.

Riswynn met Nim halfway, at the open space of the cell where a door would go. Nim stood in place, the amulet cupped in her hands. They heard her whisper a few words in her native tongue. As with the relief spell, whatever she was trying to cast, happened fast. A white and yellowish light emitted from the spaces between her long fingers.

"Ow," she cried, pulling her left hand away. She had slightly burned herself, which she knew was common if one tried to create a light orb that was too big. In her right hand, she held a white orb the size of her palm. Inside waves of yellow zig zagged over her amulet. An unnatural light radiated from the orb, shining directly in her face. She squinted her eyes from the light, it was too much and the suddenness of it, blinded her momentarily. But there was no mistake of the smile on her face, a look of triumph. It was as if this was her first time ever making a light orb on her own, which in fact it was.

"Cool." Walter's eyes lit up as he saw the light shine on her face. He didn't get to see magic often, most of the men in the army were uncomfortable around it, scared even.

"Maybe now we can tell ghost stories," Disia said jokingly, and they all laughed, except for the sleeping halfling.

"Thanks, witch," the other boy said, trying not to look too disgusted.

Nim would not take offense this time, she was too elated in her happiness, proud of herself. Instead she gave him a glare, focusing her cool hazel eyes on him.

"Don't look at me like that," he scowled, turning away.

"Best not be putting a curse on me."

Nim smiled, and made a tiny laugh.

"Again, I'm a healer. Not. A warlock." She was not going to let anyone ruin her moment. Nothing was going to take her smile away. It had taken her over eighty years to make a light orb on her own. While most of the students of the Vallonde tribe were usually in their mid twenties to thirties when they first created a light orb, Nim had finally made her own at the age of one hundred and fifteen. Sure, it had taken a very long time, and deep down she knew most of her tribe back home would ridicule her, but after being tormented by her peers and some of her teachers, she was beginning to finally feel like she earned the role she was given at birth.

"Suppose it's as good as time as any to try and get some sleep," Riswynn announced. Nim had placed the light orb on the middle of the table, allowing the light to radiate to all four corners of the room. Even some of the soldiers who had walked by, peered in the room at it, but continued to walk on by, repulsive facial expressions planted on their faces.

"I'll keep watch. Lila shouldn't be waking up until morning." Nim had sat back down in the chair next to the cot Lila was still fast asleep on. She had grabbed one of the extra blankets and wrapped it over her lap with her hands underneath it.

"Okay," Riswynn sighed reluctantly. Part of her dreaded going to sleep. It wasn't that she didn't trust Nim, but another part of her didn't think she'd be able to sleep either.

"Are you sure leaving your amulet out like that is going to be okay?" The dwarf gestured to the light orb on the table. Nim nodded.

"Only the creator of the light orb can touch it. If anyone else tries too, they'll get an electric shock and a burn at once. Essentially, the longer someone else holds onto it, it'll eventually explode into bits of fire." She had added on that last part as a warning. Nim felt a sense that both boys wanted to test it.

"Seriously?" Walter asked with curiosity. Nim nodded.

"I dare you to try it." There was a moment where the small boy contemplated the other boys' dare. Eventually, Walter placed his hand on top of the orb. To him, it looked like an ancient treasure was locked inside a rock of citrine. From the moment Nim had pulled her hand away, and the five inch orb glowed, he had wanted to touch it.

"Ouch." He instantly pulled his hand away, as the yellow lights that were zig zagging before, now together shot up towards where he had placed his hand. To Disia, they had looked like mini lightning bolts. Walter shook his hand around, trying his best not to cry. His fingers and palm tingled, and there was now a tiny burn mark on the tips of his fingers.

"Told you," Nim said, giving him the warmest smile she possibly could. She had hoped the other boy would be the one to test it, he certainly came across ignorant enough. He was laughing at Walter, but for a brief second she had seen fear in his eyes.

"Hey, Nim. Wake me up in a couple of hours, I'll cover the next shift," Disia said, taking one of the fur coats and propping it behind her head. She sat on the edge of the cot, Lila's feet lay limp on her lap. She didn't need a blanket, her body temperature was typically warm.

Riswynn was hesitant about walking over to the other cot. Thoughts still plagued her mind, as they usually did when she became worried about something. Except this time, there were too many things to worry about, and she was frustrated over which to tackle first. She laid down on her side on the empty cot, facing the girls. She didn't need a blanket either. Born and raised in the Bundushuth Spires, she was used to how cold it could get under the mountains. The cold air comforted her anyways, knowing that this time of year Belronde would soon reach temperatures below freezing. It made her a little nervous that she couldn't see the doorway, but she knew they were in good hands with Nim. Disia was one to wake up quick and react fast as well. Walter didn't really pose a threat, and in all honesty, the boy was not equipped at all to be a soldier. The older boy surely had fight in him, and was obviously loyal to his men, but she knew any of the other girls or herself could easily take him. She wondered why the large man had sent these two to guard over them. Surely it was another punishment for Walter, but there was a suspicion they had been sent to undermine the girls. It was obvious from the start, the commander and MacNay thought of women as weak, and useless. Riswynn quietly laughed to herself at how wrong they were.

Next to her, Disia had already fallen asleep, her breathing slow and deep. The boys were now playing some sort of card game, on leather skins ink blotted with different designs. Walter had pulled a chair near the other boy, and they were quietly whispering. Riswynn listened to the sound of the three of them, and eventually lulled herself into a light sleep.

Igin halfheartedly left the unused storeroom. There was too much going on. Everything had become too much. It already felt impossible to keep pretending around Tane and the majority of his men, now he had done the same to one of his favorite cousins. He wanted to pour his heart out to her, to ask her for help, but Edgar had been there. While Edgar was the only person Igin really got along with and actually enjoyed talking too, he was also one of Tane's first hand men. Tane introduced Igin as his first hand man as well, but Igin knew it was to keep him and his ties to the city close.

Igin hadn't seen his father in months now. He had no idea where they were keeping him, let alone if he was even alive, just the promise of Tane and Wulfa's word that he was okay. Riswynn caught him off guard when she showed him the crown, and it took all of his already depleted energy not to show any emotion.

"Want me to meet you at your cousin's bar?" Igin was so lost in thought, he hadn't heard the beastly man walking up behind him.

"No, that's fine, Edgar. I'm just going to drop off her things. I shouldn't stay any longer than necessary." Igin hoped he wouldn't catch on, the man was overall a decent guy; but typically very slow, and more often than not he was taken advantage of by his comrades. It was on the dwarf's mind a lot lately to find any reason to not only visit Suse, but also to stay as long as possible. He never could though, Tane's men were always watching.

"Right. Sorry," Edgar said.

"Want to visit the Horde after?"

"Not tonight," the dwarf said. He didn't really care for their version of a bar, but sometimes he went with the commander just to secretly laugh at the other soldiers. Occasionally he would peer inside just to see if there were any dwarves hanging around. It was rare, usually just one of his family making friends with one of Tane's men, sort of like how Edgar and he got along. The Bundushuth tribe did not care for human beings, and rarely associated with them other than to negotiate a trade. There was nothing they could do, except to leave, and anyone who knew dwarves, knew they were stubborn.

"I'm already pretty tired, and I gotta drop the loot off at Tane's place." Which used to be his father's, Igin wanted to add.

"Then drop off Suse's heirlooms. I know she'll be ecstatic. I'll also need to send an urgent message to Tane, about my cousin being in town. Unless," he began.

"That's actually where I was headed right now. Going to use one of Wulfa's birds." The commander thought for a minute.

"You're probably right. I think I'll hit the sack for a few hours too. I want to be up before dawn to check on your cousin and her friends. I wouldn't put it past them to try and escape."

"Knowing my cousin, I wouldn't put it past her either," Igin laughed. If anything she was most likely already forming a plan, or something close to it. Riswynn could be quick on her feet; she was usually the first in finding a solution to a problem. While he didn't give her any inclination that he was going to help her, he had already been forming a plan of his own from the moment Martia and Suse mentioned she had shown up at the Gypsy Rose almost a week ago. There weren't a lot of words shared between them, again, someone was always watching. Just that she planned on heading north to Eadnoth Keep by way of the mountains with three other females, with a promise to Suse they would do the best they could in search of her heirlooms.

Edgar smiled and waved goodbye as he took the left fork in the street, heading towards Belronde's only barn. Igin continued on walking straight down the road, getting lost in his thoughts again. He still felt awful about not being able to give a hint to his cousin that he was indeed there to help. She was angry with him and he knew it. He had witnessed her use the same tone of voice that she used tonight several times on his older brother, Gyde. Riswynn and Gyde never saw eye to eye, but Igin never cared for him either. Igin would have nothing to do with him if it wasn't for the fact he was blood.Everything had changed for Igin since then. Since Wulfa placed a blind curse on Gyde. Daily, Igin tormented himself over not seeking help sooner. A little over ten months ago, Tane had made his first appearance in Belronde. He wasn't sheltered in armor like he often was these days, and only two men accompanied him, who he introduced as Dalton and Anrod. To most of Belronde's citizens, he looked like another huntsman or traveler taking an interest in their dwarven made weapons. The three men stayed in Martia's inn for the next several weeks, and bought a lot of swords and lances. Igin's gut had told him something was off about the bright red-headed man when he began asking a lot of questions about how the weapons were made, and about the town. He knew he should have said something then, but there had been some talk that Tane was with the Barad Army, and Igin did not want to piss off an army that large. His second hint was when after Tane had first shown up; over the next several months, small groups of men in armor would come seeking hospitality. Igin chalked it up to more of the Barad Army, and rumours began that the massive army from the north west was looking to make an alliance with the dwarves of Belronde. The third, and final straw; which by then was too late, was three months ago. Wulfa had finally made his presence known, and publicly showed his alliance with Tane. Tane and several of his men had kidnapped Nosin, after taking rulership of the town. All but one of the dwarves reluctantly joined the man's army. If there was one thing Gyde was known for, it was his mouthiness, and this time was no different. Unfortunately, it landed him a curse placed by Wulfa, and became permanently blind. Igin thought it could have been worse though, the man could have killed him.

What he had in mind now might just do that to his brother, or even him. Possibly both. Igin ignored the street that veered off to the right. The street that would bring him to the middle of the city, to the castle. It was an impulsive choice to head to his cousin's bar first, but he suddenly got an idea. With the help of not only Martia and Suse, but also with his brothers'. It would be risky, Igin knew that, but he also knew someone would die for it. He hurried as fast as he could to The Gypsy Rose, there wasn't much time. His energy was slowly depleting, he hadn't been feeling too good lately. A combination of having to pretend all the time with the constant teleports to and from Tane's secret house, which was somewhere in the middle of Dragonrend, it all seemed to have finally caught up to him.

Igin stood in front of the wooden building made of walnut. He inhaled one large breath, and tried his best to fix what hair he had left before opening the door. Hers was the first face he saw, and it lifted his spirits a tiny bit. She was wiping down the counter, but looked up when she heard someone walking in.

"Igin!" She smiled, setting the cloth down. To him it looked like there was a slight sparkle in her eyes. Sometimes it felt like the feelings he had for her were mutual, but if so, nothing was ever said.

"Suse," he said softly, pulling her yellow and purple silk scarf and the bracelet from his pocket. He showed them to her, and if it was possible, there was an even bigger smile on her face. Then she began to cry.

"They've been gone so long, I thought for sure the dark lady killed them," she sniffled, pulling a cloth from inside her shirt and wiping her eyes. His heart began to race as she walked towards him, stopping just inches from his face. Her breathing had slowed, a smile across her lips. Her breath was warm, and it made him feel warm too.

"You don't know my cousin very well then," he chuckled, his fingers gently stroking the wrist where she had placed her metal bracelet.

"Igin!" A loud voice boomed.

"I thought I heard your voice," Martia smiled as she hung in a doorway at the far end of the room. Her face and hands were covered with dark smudges, most likely getting the heater ready for the coming winter. She had walked halfway across the room before she stopped, noticing a new piece of jewelry on Suse's wrist.

"Is that?" Martia looked at Suse, a smile on her face as if she already knew the answer. Suse nodded, small tears still fell from her smiling face. She touched the scarf that she had placed around her neck. Martia walked over the rest of the way to them, hugging Suse in a sisterly embrace.

"They're alive?" She then asked her cousin, clearly both Suse and her had the same fear.

"Well… Yes. And, no." She gave him a questioning look.

Igin searched the room for anyone else that might be there. She never bothered to light the candles at night, especially if there was no one to serve. The room was mostly dark, except for a few small scones that were lit by the doorways leading off to other rooms, and to the cellar. A dwarf, or a very short and stout man, sat in the corner of the room, his head face down on the table. Several empty glasses, and half filled glasses of beer were scattered all around him. Satisfied the man was passed out drunk, Igin motioned for the two girls to follow him. He lit a few more candles and placed them on the bar's countertop. Quietly, he spoke in dwarven of what happened to Riswynn and the three girls she was with. Suse followed along the best she could, picking up words here and there. Martia had been teaching her the language just shortly after she became her cook.

Nearly an hour later, they had devised a plan together. They all agreed it was the best plan they could come up with, and while it was risky, they were willing to do anything to help save their town. All that was left for Igin to do, was to find his brother and ask him to help. In the past, Gyde would have never agreed to what they were about to do, but since the curse, Gyde had completely changed, and Igin was sure he'd help this time.

Igin headed back towards the castle path, his brother would most likely be sleeping, and Igin decided it was in his better interests to drop off the gold and gems in Tane's room. He wanted to return them to his cousin, they were after all rightfully theirs, but he was already going to be in a lot of trouble, and the black jewel Edgar had given him looked very similar to the kinds of gems and crystals Wulfa used for his dark magic.