Elle stood at the pier’s edge, half-hidden by the ship’s long shadow across the water. She lifted her gaze to the tall, white masts, noting the precise, artful repairs done by elven hands as the polished wood, delicate carvings, and runic filigree shimmered in the orange twilight. However, something tugged at her attention in the corner of her vision – a presence. Someone watching.

She turned her head, feigning a casual admiration of the carrack. Slowly, her eyes moved from the sturdy hull toward the gunwale and the portholes lining the side. Then she saw a face behind the gloom. At first, it was just a glimmer of eyes in the darkness. But as her vision adjusted, the onlooker’s features sharpened into focus.

The person in the porthole was…striking. There was an androgyny about them – elegance wrapped in one. Their eyes were soft jade green. Their hair was long and dark, catching the torchlight in threads of blue-green highlights like the ocean at dusk. A noble nose, a heart-shaped jaw, and finely arched brows framed a face that radiated aloof beauty. They wore green robes adorned with gold tassels, intricate filigree dancing along the collar and sleeves. It was the ensemble one might see at a royal court, not on a merchant ship in a foreign harbor.

Her heart fluttered for a moment in unexplainable wonder. A sliver of curiosity sparked within her – perhaps they were part of the human merchant’s entourage, or maybe something else entirely.

Elle offered a small, polite wave. She half-expected the figure to vanish at once, but to her surprise, they inclined their head in acknowledgment. No words left their lips, just that faint nod, a courtesy returned. Yet in that brief exchange, Elle sensed a quiet intensity as if the stranger were taking her measure.

Her cheeks warmed, and she glanced away, though a cautious smile lingered. The half-veiled features, the poised stillness, the fluid grace in how they dipped their chin… Something about them seemed unhuman, a puzzle piece that didn’t quite fit with the rough-lumber decks and sails overhead.

“Elle,” came Faye’s urgent whisper from behind, pulling her out of her reverie.

She turned away from the porthole, still able to feel the distant stare of that mysterious figure as though it clung to her even after she lost sight of them. Instinctively, she touched a hand to her chest, reassuring herself that she stood firmly on the dock. Then, making sure to hide any trace of her momentary distraction, Elle hurried after her friends, her mind buzzing with questions about who she had just glimpsed in the ship’s dim interior.

Kali’s authoritative command rang out. On the pier, the tall knight faced the perspiring old merchant, Elias, who wrung his hands in obvious distress.

“Step aside, merchant,” Kali said curtly, her tone devoid of sympathy. The gleam of her plate armor caught the last rays of daylight, reflecting the cold resolution in her golden eyes. “Your excuses are only making me more suspicious.”

Elias’s gaze darted from Kali to Elle and back again. In a sudden, desperate motion, he dropped to his knees. “Your Highness,” he implored, voice trembling with every syllable. “Please, I am innocent. I’m only trying to leave by midnight. If this investigation delays me, I—I don’t want to know what fate awaits should I fail to depart in time.”

Elle’s expression shifted from kind concern to a mask of polite detachment at his groveling address. She disliked when people attempted to leverage her status in such a transparent way.

“Elias, was your name, wasn’t it?” Elle asked with quiet scrutiny.

He nodded so vigorously one might think his head would detach from his neck. A faint sheen of sweat glistened at his temples, and he cast a furtive glance at the ship. From up close, it was evident the man was caught between fear of the elves’ authority and some other dread that gnawed at him from within. Elle could see the anxious shift of Aer and Faye behind Kali, their expressions reflecting a shared suspicion. Liori, too, had grown somber. A half-dozen paces away, a soft creak of wood and rope hinted that unseen figures moved about on deck, yet no one emerged.

“Kali,” Elle said, turning to the knight without ceremony. She could feel the same urgency pulsing in her blood that flickered in Kali’s eyes. “Board the ship. Turn it upside down if you must.”

There was neither hesitance nor guilt in her voice.

Elias’s eyes bulged, and he opened his mouth to protest, but no words came out – only ragged, shallow breaths. Then his gaze swept to the gangplank where a pair of robed figures had vanished minutes earlier. His face paled.

“Your Highness… Lady Knight… Please,” he tried again, half-rising from the dock. His voice cracked. “We’ve already—there is no—”

“Enough.” Kali’s glare pinned him in place. “If there’s nothing to hide, this should be quick.” She flicked her gauntleted fingers toward a pair of nearby guards who had belatedly arrived. “You two—secure this man. Don’t let him wander off.”

The guards bowed before the princess first. They then nodded, stepping forward to stand on either side of the quivering merchant. One placed a hand on Elias’s shoulder, firm but not harsh.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Elle shifted her attention to her friends. Faye was excited, eager to see what might be uncovered. Aer’s eyes darted from the merchant to the ship’s dark portholes, no doubt scanning for any sign of threat. Liori clasped her hands, lips pressed together – fervent worry or a silent prayer; it was hard to tell.

“I’m going up,” Kali said, squaring her shoulders. “Stay behind if you wish, but—”

“Absolutely not,” Faye interrupted, brushing her wavy dark hair aside as she moved forward. “We’re coming with you. Strength in numbers.”

Kali hesitated only a moment.

“Fine. But follow my lead,” she warned. “No one does anything reckless.” She shot a pointed look at Faye, who flashed a half-sheepish grin.

Liori glanced at Elle. “Are you alright?” she asked softly, catching the flicker of unease in Elle’s emerald eyes.

Elle nodded, still rattled by the memory of that beautiful, unreadable face in the porthole. “Yes,” she answered, taking a breath. “I’m coming.”

Together, they ascended the gangplank after the other ladies. The boards groaned under their steps, and the tang of salt and tar thickened. Overhead, sails creaked faintly in the breeze that was now cooling with the onset of dusk, shadows lengthening across the deck. At the top of the ramp, they found no immediate sign of the cloaked figures. Barrels and crates stood stacked haphazardly as though someone had hurriedly left. A single lantern flickered at the far end, casting long silhouettes on the deck. More ominous was the heavy silence; even the gulls seemed to have abandoned this part of the harbor.

“Stay close,” Kali ordered. Her voice was steady, but beneath it simmered a readiness for danger. “We sweep every corner. The moment you spot anything unusual, call out.”

Before they could take another step, a door leading to what looked like the captain’s quarters swung open, spilling a band of lantern light onto the deck. A suave, lilting voice called out, “I didn’t know we were going to have guests, Elias.”

A tall man – at least as tall as Kali – stepped into view. Lean and lithe, he possessed all the angular grace of a swordsman. Dressed in a billowy white shirt tucked into well-fitted black trousers and topped with polished boots, he cut a striking figure. His golden-blond hair hung loose around his shoulders, reminiscent of ripened wheat fields under a midday sun. Most curious of all were his eyes. At first glance, they appeared brown but held a faint, reddish sheen in the shifting lamplight like an ember buried in ash.

He bowed low in a theatrical flourish, smiling with a crooked curve of lips that might have been charming under less suspicious circumstances. “Apologies,” he murmured, in a voice as smooth as warm honey, “for not greeting you properly the moment you arrived.”

Elias, still held on the dock by the guards, cringed visibly. His face had gone bone white. It was hard to say whether it was from fear of the elves or his shipmate.

Kali’s golden eyes narrowed unyieldingly, refusing to be dazzled. There was an edge of command to her voice that felt as solid as steel. “I don’t recall seeing your face in our prior inspections. State your name, sir. And your business aboard this ship.”

The man’s smile twitched as though mildly amused by her directness. “You may call me Riven.” He straightened from his bow, raking a hand through his golden hair with theatrical flair. “I’m part of the merchant’s retinue. At least, I am for the moment.”

The introduction did little to alleviate Kali’s suspicion; if anything, it deepened it. “That doesn’t explain why you’re here after we ordered everyone to remain on board until further notice,” she said, her gauntleted hand shifting subtly toward the hilt of her blade.

Aer said nothing, but she moved closer to the door Riven had stepped from, peering past him to see if anyone else was lurking in the shadows. The interior corridor glowed in soft lamplight, the walls lined with crates and sealed barrels. Nothing immediately stood out, but that didn’t mean danger wasn’t there.

Faye regarded Riven with open curiosity as a near-playful arch appearing on her dark eyebrows. She seemed less suspicious than intrigued by the man’s casual confidence, as though sizing him up the way one does a puzzle box. Liori, on the other hand, had a more pensive look. Her teal eyes flicked to the slightest gestures in Riven’s posture, from the tilt of his head to the tension in his shoulders. Something about him, she could sense, wasn’t entirely what it seemed. He was very human.

Elle lingered a step behind them all, recalling the face she’d seen in the porthole earlier, a face distinctly different from Riven’s. This man was handsome in an overt, almost dramatic way. Riven’s flamboyant charm did little to settle her unease; if anything, it only heightened the sense that something about this ship was deeply amiss.

“Well, Riven,” Kali’s voice was calm yet sharp. “This merchant you’re traveling with neglected to mention extra…company. Step aside. We are conducting a thorough search.”

Riven’s reddish-brown eyes gleamed in the lamplight briefly, reflecting that confident smirk across his handsome features.

“Search away,” he said, extending an arm in mock invitation. “But I assure you, nothing aboard should cause concern. We merely want to depart by midnight, as arranged.”

Kali offered a curt nod, though she looked no less wary. Her voice remained clipped and controlled. “Ladies, please remove yourselves from the ship and return home. This is official business now. I’ll examine the captain’s quarters first.” Her gaze flicked over to Elle and then to Faye, Aer, and Liori. “One of the escorts below on the dock will see you safely back.”

“Kali!” Faye protested with a childish edge as she looked between the knight and the mysterious Riven. “That’s not—”

“Not another word,” Kali cut her off, a trace of iron in her tone that brooked no argument.

Aer and Faye then lapsed into a round of whispered bickering, each pointing out they’d come this far only to be sent away. Liori gently reminded them of Kali’s position and tried to soothe their injured pride. Meanwhile, Elle lingered half a step behind, watching the tableau unfold in tense silence.

Riven moved politely aside, the faint smile never leaving his lips. The breeze toyed with the edges of his golden hair, making him look like a figure drawn from a storybook. Striking, alluring, and altogether too composed for a so-called “merchant retainer.” He dipped his chin in an almost mocking salute.

“Shall we proceed, Captain?” he asked Kali, voice resonating with polite mockery. “Time is of the essence.”

Elle pressed her lips together, a subtle line of worry creasing her brow. The ease with which Riven addressed Kali, as though he owned every inch of the deck beneath his boots, sent an odd crawl through her nerves – one she couldn’t quite name but felt crawling up her spine regardless.

Without another word, Kali turned on her heel. The two figures disappeared through the door to the captain’s room, the lantern-lit interior swallowing them up. The rest of the deck remained bathed in the dusky twilight where Faye, Aer, and Liori stood in a half circle, frustration warring with curiosity.