Chương 20: Chapter 19

Erem Outskirts Goblinwrangle Drana"An elf at the gates, asking about you." That was enough to spur her into action, to spur all of them into action. Claws and boots pounding on the stone floors leading from the Gravelbrook halls through mount Erem and down towards the gates of the mountain. Dwarves were swerved around, trolls were ducked behind and through the legs of, and sleeping giants were passed underfoot on their sprint to the gates.

Her head was pounding, her body was aching, and her barely-sealed cuts seeped red through the bandages from the exertion of their race. The pain of a battle lost was great and weighed heavy on her shoulders, but the shame of a duty failed was worse by a dozen times more. She was second in approach, her heavy claws having not the grace or stride of the dark elf's legs, but her drive more than enough to surpass the man and the Lady Gravelbrook.

Lacking motivation and shorter limbs, respectively, making them fall behind on their path to the door where an elf awaited them. Their pace only slowed as they emerged into Sotha's light once more, golden rays burning down upon the world. There in the light, she had to squint out from under the shadows of her claws. One pass, then another, and nowhere was the familiar dark brown plates of the ally she had failed to be seen.

Her pace pulled to a stop in the midst of the outer courtyard, and she scanned over the gathered persons again. Her swishing tail pulled to a stop as her second sweeping gaze concluded. No. He wasn't here. He hadn't managed to escape on his own and return to them. Briefly, the relief that she had not missed the chance to redeem herself for previous failure warred with the disappointment that the consequences of her failure were lingering. She didn't know what she preferred.

The dark elf began to move forwards with a steady but tense gait. She followed the gaze outwards, towards a figure clad in plates of silvery-blue. Golden blonde hung from the figure's head in waves, and bright blue eyes shone even in just the shadow of her hair. The figure's plate armor was well-rounded and covered in thin, bright lines of rippled metal. Mithril, sure as day, gleamed in the noon light.

Most notable were the little horns that sprouted from either side of the figure's head, and wiggled about noticeably even from this distance. The same type of waggling protrusions possessed by the dark elf and Mallorn. The sharp ears of the elves. Lady Gravelbrook moved past her, provoking Drana to jolt and begin moving forwards herself, up to the figure staring at them with starlike sapphires for eyes. Besides the elf was a monstrous spider, human from the waist up and clad in loose garment.

A pale sweater covered her top, paired with a long tabard-like kilt to cover her front and something like a blanket covering the immense spider she possessed for a lower torso. This was laden further with bags, back and saddle, and poisonous-purple eyes hiding under black locks. A monster, obvious to any observer, laden with corruption. Further, a little thing flew about the elf and the spider, humanoid with insectlike wings and carrying a faint radiance.

She could make out little more of its figure, save that it was little more than a foot tall and flew about furtively. There was silence between them, as they approached the unknown elf under the watchful eyes of the Trollguard. Rayne was the last to arrive, moving sedately and taking deep breaths to recover from the recent exertion. The four of them stood, staring down at the three of them, and silence held as they observed one another. Finally, the elf in mithril inclined her head.

"The smell of my student lingers upon you, but he is not with you." A blunt statement that cut into her chest like a knife. Drana flinched, as did the others, and their heads lowered in various shames. It was obvious at once who the elf was referring to.

"M-mallorn's teacher…?" Lady Gravelbrook asked, stepping forwards and looking up to the strange elf. To this, the elf looked down, and her ears flickered.

"That is the name he has given you, but it is not the name I know him by. He is Rasil of Greenwood, only son of Lady Greenwood of the House of Yig."

"I-it was a fake name?" Lady Gravelbrook sounded somewhat confused and disappointed by the revelation. The strange elf shook her head.

"If he introduced himself by it, and you addressed him by it, then it is his name."

"House of Yig? That's the ruling family of the Greenwood," Rayne declared with a hiss of sharply-inhaled air.

"Mal's the damned heir of that whole house?!"

"Nay." The elf shook her head.

"He is neither damned nor the heir, that is his sister. I am Dame-Captain Titania of the Goldenwood, and I have been following him since he fled from the bounds of Greenwood."

"I knew it!" Lucia hissed, reaching up her hands to pull at her hair.

"That idiot! Running off from home so young! I told him! I told him!"

"Dark elf." The blunt comment from the elf made Lucia freeze in place, ears folding back and down.

"You know his age?"

"We all do?" Lady Gravelbrook stated with a confused tone.

"He told us, he was twenty years, right?" The elf looked down at her at that, before giving a little nod.

"That's right." The elf stared at the dwarf's confused expression, her own face growing slightly confused before she looked up and across the rest of them.

"How old are you?"

"I'm twenty four years," Lady Gravelbrook declared with a tilt of her own head.

"Twenty eight," Drana declared, eyes still cast to the floor.

"Thirty one," Rayne huffed with a crooked, huffing laugh.

"... Two hundred and eighty," the dark elf answered awkwardly, looking over to the side. The elf ignored their astonished expressions, quietly nodding to that information and clearly considering them.

"... Woah, you're all babies!" the little glowing figure declared in a smugly astonished manner, coming down to rest atop the elf's head. A pixie, perhaps?

"It's no wonder none of you are surprised that he's so young, you're all kids yourself!"

"I was!" Lucia declared with a slightly offended wave of her hands.

"I was very surprised! And he never listened! And no one else seemed to realize how dangerous it was for him to walking around so young!"

"Yeah but you're a dark elf- you're evil already." The pixie laughed, flipping over and kicking her legs up. Lucia glared even as the elf nodded.

"From your words- you have been watching after Rasil, is that correct?" Titania asked with a bland stare. Lucia flinched back at that.

"I- well, I wasn't a first but then- he- so young you know? It's not like I would go out of my way to help an elf normally but-""Thank you. Your efforts are appreciated." Titania cut through the stuttering of the dark elf with another blunt declaration.

"He is very precious to me." For some reason, that only seemed to make the dark elf cringe and wiggle in some kind of shameful fit. Drana spoke up, a confession burning on her tongue.

"I'm sorry," she declared, face pulled into a self-loathing scrunch and tail drooped. The elf turned towards her with a blank expression, provoking an elaboration.

"He- I- I was there with him, the other day when we were attacked. I was supposed to defend him, but I couldn't hear his shouts over the goblin-chatter or see his struggles in the dark- I-" Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. She swallowed, teeth grinding against one another and clawed fists pulled into sharp fists.

"I failed, and he was captured. It's my failure alone, blame not the others."

"It- It's my fault too!" the Lady Gravelbrook declared, reaching forwards and grabbing the elf by the hand, fearlessly staring up with a face pulled into an apologetic scowl.

"We thought the goblins were after me- and they weren't! And he tried to hold them off for my sake, when we could've all run together. If anyone's to blame it's me!"

"You? I should've been there!" Lucia growled, gesturing at herself.

"Instead I entrusted his safety to the lizard! I've eight times her experience in combat, I should've sent her ahead in my place!" Drana growled, a frustration that was held mostly in herself, poison that sat heavy in her breast. It was correct, in the end, if she hadn't been there and the elf had, it was entirely possible that Mall- Rasil would not have been captured. Titania took in their confessions, before turning to the last silent figure and staring curiously. Rayne raised his hands defensively.

"Don't look at me, I did what he asked me to do by grabbing the dwarf and riding ahead. I'm not a soldier and not a hero, I would only get in the way in a fight." He shrugged.

"Maybe I could've picked off a goblin or two with my crossbow, but I doubt that would've been enough."

"Don't worry, Rayne!" Lady Gravelbrook declared animatedly.

"You're helping more than enough! It's only your magic compass that lets us know where he is! Without that- we'd been looking all over the place aimlessly!"

"Magic compass?" Titania asked sharply, to which the human nodded, reaching into his side-bag again and pulling out the magical item. A compass made of dark wood with a needle of splintered bone, pointing adamantly towards the north-east as he waved it back and forth. Drana's brows furrowed. Why did the human have such a thing?

"Aye- without it, we'd be trying to uproot goblin dens and whatnot," Rayne declared, handing over the object.

"With it, we know that he's been taken somewhere to the north- estimated one or two hundred miles into monster country."

"Goblins don't move that fast," Titania observed, moving the compass from side to side and staring carefully at the needle position as she did.

"Something other than a goblin. How long ago was he taken?"

"Yesterday, during the night when the moons were highest."

"High speed and endurance flight- that rules out all lesser winged-things," the elf declared with a twitching of her ears.

"Dragon or griffon. An angel or demon could accomplish similar, as could any elemental or god, but they are unlikely."

"Similar were our thoughts." The rumble of a troll's voice came from behind them.

"Dragon or griffon, and if dragon then a Dragon we know well."

"Papa!" Lady Gravelbrook exclaimed with a slightly sheepish tone.

"I- I shouldn't have run off so fast, should I have?" The tall, broad-horned form of the older Gravelbrook continued forwards, reaching down and plucking his daughter from the ground, hefting her up in his arms with a grumble.

"Do not do it again, little gem. I just got you back."

"Sorry, Papa…" The older Gravelbrook huffed, reaching forwards to gently headbutt his daughter, before pulling back and staring down at the elf in mithril. Behind him, the mother Gravelbrook approached, dress-hem lifted and cloven boots tapping on the stone.

"The teacher of the elf that rescued my daughter, then?"

"That is correct." Titania nodded calmly, matching the troll's heavy gaze with bright eyes.

"Then my gratitude- you have taught him well, from all that I've heard," Gravelbrook rumbled, inclining his head affectionately.

"Without him, my daughter would be lost to me. I owe him a debt, and the whole of Gravelbrook prepares for expedition to retrieve him. Elf you may be, but his tutor besides. You are more than welcome to join us."

"I would've insisted if not invited," the elf replied bluntly, before tilting her own head forwards in a strangely blank show of returned affection.

"And if refused even then- set out on my lonesome. He is my student, after all."

"I as well!" Drana loudly declared, rising her head and staring determinately up at Gravelbrook. The long-horned troll turned his head slightly, staring down at her.

"It's my failing that led to his capture! I owe him a debt now, and that must be repaid!"

"Hmph," Gravelbrook huffed.

"A debt is a heavy thing- but you are of clan Goblinwrangle! Gravelbrook will welcome your aid, sword-suzn, but only with the word of Elder Goblinwrangle. I shan't have a clan feud borne of reckless death. We will visit him today, and explain what has happened and the debt you feel."

"I-I understand!" She dropped her gaze to the floor respectfully, tail swishing about.

"We'll help too!" Lucia declared at once.

"I'm not about to abandon him when he needs me!"

"What do you mean 'we'?" Rayne asked with a vaguely offended expression.

"I said 'we' because you're helping too, Bastard!" Lucia growled, stepping forwards and grabbing the man by the collar. He growled back.

"What the hell do you expect me to contribute, elf?! I'm not a soldier! All I have is a horse and battered crossbow!" He slapped her hands away.

"The compass is the only useful thing, and that's not something you need me for!"

"I expect you to do something!" Lucia snarled.

"I will be doing something! I'll be staying out of the way of the people who are more competent than me!" he snarled back, before stepping away and waggling his hands in the air.

"There's a dozen people here more useful than I- all I bring here is another mouth to feed along the trip! Mallorn could probably escape on his own sooner than I actually aid anything here!" He shook his head and let out a mocking laugh.

"Oh yes, Rayne the Bastard will be so helpful- he can shoot a crossbow and throw out jests! I'm sure the griffon or whatever will be smote thoroughly by both!" Lucia had no real reply, eyes narrowed in a frustrated, tearful glare and ears pulled back. Rayne glared back for a few moments, before turning sharply and stepping down the stairs.

"I'm off. I wish you luck in getting him back." He stopped briefly, before calling out louder.

"And if you do manage to save him- and he's got a grudge against me for this- he can give me a black eye down in Hoofcross." With that, the Bastard stomped away, towards the guest-stables to the side of the gates of Erem, and presumably his horse stationed there. After a few long moments of silence, Lady Gravelbrook spoke up.

"I-I'll go too."

"No." Gravelbrook rumbled quietly.

"I can help!" she protested. He turned his gaze to her, and stared silently. After a few moments, she looked down and quietly amended herself in a miserable tone.

"... no I can't…"

"No you can't." Gravelbrook shook his head gently.

"Stay here, little gem, the strong arm of Gravelbrook will return him from his captors. That I promise."

"... Okay." She looked down sadly, lifted high into the air by her father, then handed off to the mother Gravelbrook.

"Back inside now, little gem. I've a bit of business to attend to before your grandfather awakens from his slumber again." Gravelbrook nodded, giving a little wave to his daughter as she was carried off by the mother.

"We'll get him back!" Lucia shouted out, stance firm and eyes sharp.

"You better! I need to call him stupid for getting captured!" Lady Gravelbrook called out huffishly, hanging over her mother's shoulder and soon disappearing into the mountain once more.

"Hmp!" Gravelbrook grunted, turning back down to Titania, then towards her.

"Goblinwrangle. Elves. I'd ask you join me on a walkabout to Duram-Mandom, I've a list of supplies to order from Elder Goblinwrangle, and a conversation to be had with him about his descendent's participation in this venture."

"I can do that." Titania nodded, before nodding to the little pixie flying next to her.

"Teg, please open a gateway to Lady Greenwood tomorrow morn, so that she might be informed and make ready."

"Aye." The pixie nodded, a serious tone in her voice.

"If the compass was smaller- I could just fly with it and then make a gate when I arrive. It's too heavy-looking for me though."

"To Duram-Mandom then!" Drana declared, stepping down along the stone steps and towards the roadways back to the open-halls of Goblinwrangle. The others soon followed after her, long legs and high motivation making quick work of the distance. Near the gates of Duram-Mandom, the elf turned to regard her with sharp blue eyes.

"... Lizard-woman. You are injured." It was a very blunt observation.

"Aye, I was injured against the goblins." She shook her head, tail swishing about irritably.

"Nothing for it, I'll just walk it off." The elf stared at her blankly for a few more moments, then raised a hand and placed it on Drana's shoulder, unexpectedly.

"Sana Grandis." A wave of gold and the tinkle of bells came over her, making Drana pull back fearfully, before she realized that nothing was injured. Indeed, her injuries seemed much lesser or outright vanished after the wave of gold washed over her.

"There is no point to preserving an injury," the elf declared, pulling her hand back and then pulling ahead of her. The click-click of her heels over stone speeding slightly as she moved along.

"They are healed now." Drana marveled at her hands for a few moments, before speeding her pace.

"Y-you're a healer?!" she called out. There was no reply, as the elf suddenly froze and her gaze snapped to the side. They stopped in turn, looking at her curiously, before following her gaze. Before they could spot whatever Titania had been looking at- she vanished in a howl of wind and reappeared in the distance, hand on her sword.

"You smell like my student," she demanded loudly, voice carrying for a dozen meters in the busy streets and stance wide, eyes blazing as she glared down the way. The woman she was standing before looked fair but unremarkable, clad in a bright red hood and cloak and a plain white dress. She carried a basket of golden apples, and scalehide boots. Her expression was one of baffled irritation.

"My student, oil, and rotten fruit," Titania continued, expression growing sharper and eyes glowing brighter by the moment.

"Explain yourself, now."