Chương 6

The Northern Wilds Titania of Whitewood, Dame-Captain of the Goldenwood Honey and Smoke carried along the riverway, in bursts and moments, long stretches spent walking through the water broken up by occasional climbs over troublesome rocks or past obscuring foliage. He had maintained a pace through the river to obscure himself as best he could, and were she less familiar with his scents then she may have doubted her course already. But in faint wisps of a familiar smoke, his path was made clear to her.

That, and he didn't deviate from his along-the-river path. That made it very easy to follow him. It was nightfall by the time his path emerged from the river once more, and trailed outwards. She paused in her bounding, landing upon a great river rock with a heavy thump, before rising up to sniff the airs. Aeris was lazy tonight. His pace and the previous sleeping spot combined told her this was likely another place where he had laid his head to rest.

She swiveled her head about, ears twitching with the lazy winds as she took in the location, before leaping from the boulder and to the shore, making her way towards the likely resting location. Another bounding leap took her over the lighter, wilder foliage of the riverbanks and into denser wilderwood. Here the canopies were thick and overgrown, the forest floor was starved of mana-rich sunlight, and the grass and underbrush was sparse and withered. This was a place where danger lurked in the branches.

She frowned. Another bounding leap took her forwards, then another, then another. A pause and inhale. The scent was strong and muddied here. Smoke and Honey… and Musky Vinegar. The ground disturbed from a landing. He fell from his sleeping place. She glanced up. She jumped, kicking from the side of the tree and taking hold of a lower branch, swinging around and up with it to land in the canopy of the oak above. A flat hammock set between two branches, covered in strands of torn webbing.

The scent of musky vinegar was thick here, as was the scent of honey and smoke. Too large for any mundane spider. An attack by a monster, followed by a collapse to the forest floor, then travel through the branches. He would have reached this place on his second night of travel. Five days since this attack. She rose from her crouched position. Five days since he was captured. In the dark of the night, Titania's eyes burned a furious blue.

'O' Amarami, Mother of my Mothers, forgive me the violence I am about to inflict,' she prayed dutifully, reaching down to take hold of her blade, drawing it from its sheath and letting her soul fill it. Her companion, ten hands long, single-edged, and finely-polished, was engulfed in howling winds. The mixed scents of honey, smoke, and harlot carried through the canopy. No doubt towards her wretched lair. She jumped along the trail. The branches attempted to impede her. Her sword removed them from her path.

The forest grew thicker and wilder, dead trees supported by lashed vines and tangling branches. The canopy grew denser, the trees grew older, and the branches grew more tangled and malformed. Howling blades of wind cut through them all the same. Shearing through bothersome bark and wood, opening a path before she landed on another elevated perch. Behind her, long lines of snapping and sundered branches fell to the forest floor in the wake of her blade, the sounds carrying far in the distance.

The scent of harlot grew thicker and thicker, smothering the sweet honey and smoke beneath wretched and malefic smells. Her face was impassive, her ears low, and her eyes bright as she leapt to the next branch. The lair came into view, a shoddy hive of crude planks bound together with ivy lashes and webbing, built to hang between two mighty long-dead oaks, fallen against one another and supported by a tangle of new growth and vines.

An ugly little garden surrounded the base of the malformed hovel, filled with twisted little flowers and wilted herbs. She leapt, bringing her blade back and letting the winds howl to the same tune as her fury.

"Aeris." A focused spiral of air ripped its way free from her swing, and traveled along the tangled forest like an enraged dragon, smashing into the upper half of the horrid little hovel and tearing the roof entirely off. The planks and webbing were ripped from the rest of the structure, flung back and torn into splinters. The tornado went on through the tree behind the hovel, and the next tree after that, before finally dying down against the heartwood of the third tree.

The scream of a harlot accompanied the sounds of the roof being torn away, drowned out beneath the howling winds and the furious beating of her heart. She landed in the midst of the hovel, now exposed to the air above. A modest fireplace made of crudely stacked stones, a pot of small game stew, a single table with two seats, and other tiny, commoner-level accommodations. Entirely unworthy of a scion of Greenwood.

A monster had tucked herself into one of the corners, ducked and hands raised to shelter her head from the sudden hurricane. Shortly cropped purple hair, a sweater of her own silk, long legs covered in black carapace. The faint scents of honey and smoke stoked her fury.

"Where is he?" Titania demanded, her sword encircled in furious lashing winds. The wretched little monster swallowed fearfully, with the audacity to be confused.

"W-wha-?" Titania took a heavy step forwards. The monster flinched back.

"An Elven boy. His smell is here. Where is he?"

"E-eh elven boy…? I-I know who-""Where."

"H-he got away! I d-didn't catch hi-" She took another heavy step forwards, looming over the cowering monster.

"Lies. His scent is here."

"His bag! I got his bag! He avoided me!" The monster wailed, ducking low with tears in her eyes.

"I tried to get him but I got his bag and I didn't get him and he left and I couldn't keep up and he called me old and fat and I'm not old or fat an-""Silence." The monster quieted down into fearful whimpers.

"... His bag. Where is it?"

"I-it's under my bed… Over in the other r-room…" She tilted her head.

"... Move, and I'll kill you," she stated calmly. The monster whimpered and nodded, doing her best to stop fearful twitches and shivers. Titania calmly stepped from the main room and towards the bedroom. Slovenly, with more a hammock than a proper bed, and a single crude dresser pretending to be storage. Silk clothes hung on strands, in place of proper hangers, and under the bed Rasil's traveling bag sat neatly next to a little silk-woven doll with pointed ears.

She tossed the doll aside, taking hold of the bag and inhaling deeply. Sure enough, smoke and honey lingered the strongest here. A robbery, and failed abduction. She stood from her crouch, taking the bag up with her as she walked from the room and back to the monster.

"You have attempted the abduction of Rasil of Greenwood, son of House Greenwood."

"I-I didn't know! I didn't know! I'm sorry!" the monster wailed, face near the floor and legs twitching.

"You attempted to bring him back here." She tilted her head, staring down at the monster.

"Did you think this hovel was worthy of his stature?"

"I…I didn't know! I- I know it's not the best but I worked really hard on-" She leaned in.

"Did you think you were worthy of him?" she asked with a low and frigid whisper. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

"I- I'm s-sorry…" The monster burbled and sobbed at the floor. Titania's eyes gleamed a frigid blue in the dark of the night, brighter than the twin moons. Attempted kidnapping of a noble son, attempted molestation of a noble son, inadequate lodgings for a noble prisoner, and theft of a noble's possessions. A long line of crimes to be punished for. Eventually, she came to a decision.

"Your life or your service. I will have one from you," Titania declared.

"Pick one."

"... I-I donwanna die…" The monster cried, tears coming down and staining the horrid little floor.

"I don't wantta die…" Titania's ears twitched.

"Gather up what you can carry. From this day on, you are a servant. I will educate you on proper mannerisms, and then give you to him as a gift. He will use you as whatever he wishes." She tilted her head.

"Your life is tied to his now. Deviate from this and it is forfeit. Do you understand?"

"I-I…" The monstrous servant reached up, trying to wipe tears away with her hands and failing.

"I- understand…. I u-understand…" Tiny hiccups came from her.

"I understand…"

'How loathsome,' Titania thought, eyes burning in the night.

"We'll be moving at once," Titania declared.

"Be quick about gathering your things, monster."

"O-okay… okay…" He wasn't captured, or dead. Titania found that immensely relieving. — Hoofcross the Bridgetown Lucia, dark elf Rogue She had always been proud of how quick she was to jump on an opportunity.

"Hey hey, cream and sugar, what brings you into our little watering hole?" she called out, leaning back from the bar and falling backwards, supporting herself with a leg braced under the countertop letting her entire body go horizontal. In response, a great deal of sighs were had, ears were twitched, glares turned her way and other hilarious microscopic gestures of irritation.

She let her flirty grin soak in the ambient frustrations, delighting in the experience of everyone else being mad at her but unable to do anything about it. Due to longstand local tradition, the first to speak to the elf had dibs on them, and she was the quickest in the bar. The elf was a beefy sort, brawny enough that she almost thought him a half elf, but the length and cute little motions of his ears confirmed that he was absolutely an elf.

He was tall and broad in ways elves almost never were, and the hesitation at the door told her all she needed to know about how familiar he was with them. That is to say, not at all. She was going to have so much fun with him. She made a note to thank the Bastard later, for bringing such a scrumptious treat directly to her. The elf turned to look at her, bright green eyes glaring behind a flat mask of ironwood, snorting as he made his way fearlessly into their den and towards the bar.

Behind him, the form of a little dwarf followed, even more wary and frightened of all the dark elves around her, clutching to his side like a little girl following her papa. It would be cute if she wasn't a full grown woman, which made it just hilarious instead.

"The Bastard is a good name," the elf declared in distinctly unpracticed Mannish, clearly just now learning the language after however many centuries he had spent holed up in those silly forests. She blinked at the words, leaning up enough to let him pass and eyes tracking as he leaned against the bar, next to the Bastard and next to her. That was perhaps the most blunt thing she had ever heard from an elf. The Bastard laughed.

"Oh come on now! Not even a fight? I thought you elves hated each other or something."

"I wouldn't say that," Lucia purred.

"They're missing out on so much, you know, all backed up in their little forests. I'd really just like to show them some things." She swiveled around her chair and waggled an index finger.

"Dark elves really just think elves are pitiable."

"Elves don't think about dark elves at all," the elf replied in simple Elvish, his voice a smooth and rolling tone. Lucia almost fell out of her seat as the Bastard let out a loud, heavy bark of laughter.

"Enough of that," Madam, the owner, replied with a stern glare and whap of her knuckles across the countertop.

"I saw the look elf-boy here got, this is your fault, Rayne. What do you want?"

"Rooms for the night for myself and my companions, and some of your legendary cooking." The Bastard leaned forwards and let his chin rest on his palm.

"Oh beautiful, wonderful, gracious, beautiful, and sexy Madam."

"And I suppose you have the coin for it this time, or am I going to have to charge Mistress again?" She let her hands rest on her hips, glaring down at the utterly shameless man.

"The second please. And maybe more for a night of your loving," the Bastard asked with a kissy-face. A ladle smacked into his head, knocking his face into the countertop to the laughter of the patrons.

"Bastard," Madam grumbled, before pointing the ladle at the still and quiet elf-boy.

"And you! None of that haughty business in here. You're just a customer, which means take that silly helmet off indoors and keep your sword in its sheath, got it?" The elf-boy considered the ladle for a moment, before nodding, and reaching up to slide the helmet from his head. Golden locks spilled out like a waterfall as his cute and fair face was revealed to the bar. As with everything elves did, it was very nice to look at. Golden hair, green eyes, broad shoulders and stern expression. Lucia smirked.

She had rolled jacks with this one, now just to catch him. She couldn't wait to see what his despair looked like. As with any good seduction, the first step was getting him drunk. She leaned forwards, catlike, and partially sprawled against the countertop. Madam gave her an annoyed glance, but did nothing to stop her.

"You didn't answer my question, cream and sugar." She smiled teasingly.

"I wasn't listening," he replied in a fascinatingly un-Elven manner, blunt and stern, glaring down at her with those green eyes in a way that made her tingle pleasantly.

"Pooh~ No need to be so mean." She flipped around, showing off her modest cleavage and well-toned stomach. Males really like that part of her.

"I'm just curious about why an elf has wandered so far from his safe little forest." She let out a chuckle when she spied his shameless glance down at her abdomen.

"Tell you what, I'll buy you some drinks for the story?" she offered with a serpentine wiggle.

"I don't drink alcohol," he huffed. The dwarf sent a shocked and appalled look his way.

"Spoilsport!" she declared.

"What do you drink then, hum?" He stared at her for several long seconds, before raising a brow.

"Black tea, hot and honeyed," he replied, with a deliberate look from her feet and upwards along her body. She furrowed her brows and thought. Black tea? That was a pretty Elfish drink she supposed, but what about the look he gave- Her eyes widened and her smile grew smug. He was flirting~"Madam! Do you have any of that?!" she asked, turning around and smacking at the table, wiggling as she did.

"If so, put it on my tab for Cream and Sugar here!" Madam snorted at her.

"Charging extra for it. The only tea in here is from my personal stock." Lucia cringed and hissed, before letting out a sigh and nodding.

"Yeah yeah, alright." She recovered quickly, bouncing up and leaning over to tap the elf-boy in the side.

"Hey hey, you promised me a story in exchange for a drink, I believe!"

"I promised no such thing," he responded like he was a dark elf already.

"You made an offer and assumed I was taking it. If I was taking it, I would have said that."

"Bleh, don't be that way. You're acting like a dark elf, you know?" She stuck out her tongue.

"I'm already paying for your drink, be nice and tell me." She tilted her head, before smirking.

"Or do I have to get underneath the table for you first?"

"D-dirty! That's dirty!" The dwarf stuck her nose into business that had nothing to do with her, grabbing the elf-boy by her side and glaring at her.

"Dark elf," she replied simply, raising a hand and laying it on her chest. She turned back to the elf-boy and nudged his leg with her own.

"C'mon~ Do I really need to go that far? I just wanna know~" Elf-boy finally relented. With a dismissive snort, he reached over and placed a large hand on the dwarf's head.

"I found this one captured by goblins. I slew them, freed her, and I'm now escorting her back home." His ears twitched with the statement, even as the dwarf grumbled up at him about the hand on her head.

"Ooh, a regular Hero, huh? A woman likes hearing that." She stood up and leaned forwards, practically draping herself over him. He grunted and glared down at her, and the dwarf hissed.

"A big, strong, heroic, hunk to sweep a gal off her feet? That's definitely not unlikable."

"Mayhaps if you were in danger," he responded dryly.

"Oh but I am, I'm scared of the dark see, and the only thing that can make me feel safe are some big strong arms holding me tight~" she whispered into his ear, breathy and smiling. He reached up and flicked her on the ear, making her yelp and flinch back as the delicate flesh twitched in an aggravated manner.

"Yes, let the dark elf separate me from my ward. Surely nothing nefarious will happen to her while I'm distracted." He glowered at her, ears low and expression unamused.

"I'm offended that you thought it would work on me." She rubbed her ears, briefly confused about why he thought anyone would care about some dwarf. She laughed.

"Oh, that's okay, she can watch," she declared happily, ignoring the dwarf's angry flush. After all, the dwarf wasn't the target, he was.

"Cup of tea," Madam declared, walking back out from the side kitchen with a kettle and a teacup, expertly pouring out a cup and gently sliding it towards him.

"Thank you." The elf-boy bowed his head graciously, taking up the tea.

"Hmph. Polite for an elf," Madam responded.

"What's your name? I need it for the ledgers."

"Mallorn," he smoothly drawled, blowing on his tea before taking an experimental sip. He considered the taste for a few moments, before looking up at Madam and declaring.

"This is excellent." He seemed to have already forgotten about her. Lucia huffed, a predatory look in her eyes. That's fine, she could just sneak into his room tonight.

'Mal-lorn' would be a pretty cute name for a dark elf.

"Is Rayne asleep?" Madam glared at the motionless man.

"He's been asleep for a few minutes. Your ladle knocked him unconscious," Mallorn replied dryly.

"Oh." Madam scratched her cheek.

"I suppose I hit him too hard."