Part Nine

I awoke late the next morning to the sound of someone knocking on my door. “Masdrin, you’re late! Durdrin is expecting you downstairs!” came Caelnel’s voice through the solid wood door. I sat up, yawned, and stretched my arms and back.

Slowly, I stood up and pulled on my shorts before making my way to the door. I opened it to see Caelnel standing there with Rylzt and Brudaer. “Keep it down, don’t wake her,” I said, glancing back at Zeera still sleeping peacefully. I turned back to the three men and grinned wide. “I kept her quite busy last night,” I said, throwing the door open wide and waving them in. I walked back to my bed and sat down before leaning forward to put on my clothes.

“Why did he send all three of you?” I asked Caelnel curiously.

He shrugged. “Durdrin said he gave you a gift that may have interfered with your sleep last night. He said you might need some help getting out of bed and down to the meeting.”

I looked at him with a cocky smirk. “And which of you silly bastards think you’re man enough to take me from my woman?” I asked, looking at all three of them. With a wide crooked grin, I looked at Rylzt. “Certainly not you, little spoon,” I said with a laugh as I laid back beside Zeera and crossed my legs, resting my arms behind my head.

“That’s why there’s three of us, Masdrin. Please don’t be difficult,” Caelnel said, trying to hide his smile.

“So, you think you have enough friends then, do ya Caelnel?” I asked.

“All right, boys, looks like we’re dragging him out,” Caelnel said as he waved Rylzt and Brudaer at me.

Zeera got a rude awakening when three grown men jumped into our bed. Rylzt quickly moved to restrain my left hand so I couldn’t swing at anyone while Caelnel grabbed me roughly by my shirt and hoisted me to my feet.

“What’s going on?” Zeera asked, a hint of fear and confusion in her voice.

“Pissing match!” I growled as Brudaer went for a low tackle, taking my legs out from under me. On the floor now, I wrestled with Brudaer, who I had landed on top of and who was now grunting in pain as I twisted his arm behind him.

Suddenly, I felt a hand grab the back of my collar, and then I was airborne. Landing on my back, I used the momentum to roll backwards and up to my feet before planting them firmly. Caelnel was coming at me fast but caught nothing but my knee to his stomach. He buckled quickly and hit the ground; he was a strategist, not a fighter.

I turned next to square up against Rylzt, and as I stalked in, I noticed him back up two steps. I stopped in my tracks, having never seen Rylzt back up from any fight, let alone a friendly battle. That was when I caught Brudaer crouching beside my bed, waiting to tackle me. I took a step forward, pretending to be oblivious to his presence, and when he sprung his trap, I met him with a right cross that connected with his forehead and then a left uppercut palm strike that lifted him off the ground and had him on his back a moment later.

Looking at Rylzt now, I let out a laugh. “You’re next, Little Spoon!” I said as I stalked towards him. He took a step forward, and we grabbed each other by the shoulders, each trying to force the other to their knees with brute strength.

Rylzt was one tough son of a bitch and wouldn’t drop, so I decided to give him some assistance. I kneed him hard in the ribs and then swung a headbutt at his face that connected squarely with the bridge of his nose. Rylzt immediately released his grip on me, and with one hard push, I forced him to his knees.

“Yield?” I asked.

Rylzt, still holding his face, nodded his head. I backed up and grinned as I turned to face Zeera. She smiled wide at me. “What do you think, Zeera? Should I go with them or should I make them go get more friends?” I asked.

Zeera smirked. “I think you should go with them,” she said quietly.

A look of surprise washed over my face, but it all made sense when I heard a familiar voice from the doorway. “MASDRIN!” Durdrin shouted loudly, and I immediately spun on my heels and raised my left arm to salute my father. He was standing in full battle gear, what appeared to be a purple version of the standard issue light armor, and behind him stood Shadow One.

I looked towards Durdrin with a raised eyebrow. “So, what’s with all the urgency?” I asked him.

“There have been some threats made against Jhule. For this mission, we’re merging Nine with Six. You’ll have twenty Shadow Knights behind you this time. Your brother is already there with Thirteen,” Durdrin said quietly.

Thirteen was legendary even among the Shadow Teams. They were the top tier, elite, best of the best, and my brother led them. Rumor had it that Thirteen would even be able to take Shadow One, Durdrin’s own personal team, which had five men more than the standard team.

I looked at Durdrin with surprise. “Who would threaten Jhule?” I asked.

Durdrin shrugged. “Both your mother and I are looking into it. I think the threat against your sister is actually a threat against your mother. There have been murmurs that a lesser house thinks maybe, with her sons gone all the time, that Larynda is in a weakened state with no one to properly lead the house’s soldiers. Your Shadow Knights will stay out of sight, but you will return home leading a company of men. They will be wearing the emblems of House De’Endar and will follow your every order should the need arise. We’re hoping that your company of men and Vielyn’s battalion will be enough to deter them, at least long enough to find out who they are and end the threat,” Durdrin explained.

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I looked at him curiously. “What house below mine could possibly stand against my house?” I asked.

Durdrin shrugged. “I don’t know, but we will find out,” he replied.

I sighed and looked over to Zeera with a weak smile. “Oh, she’s going with you too,” I heard Durdrin say.

My head snapped back to face him. “What? Mother will not like her,” I said, my tone slightly confused.

“What?” Zeera asked, her face and tone of voice showing she didn’t like what I had said.

Durdrin grinned at me and cocked his head, waiting for me to reply. He knew why Mother wouldn’t like her. “Because… she’ll think you are a dark elf. She is Drow,” I said sheepishly. I too once held similar beliefs to my mother, but I learned differently when I joined the Barra D’aron.

“Well… who’s your mother?” Zeera inquired with a raised eyebrow.

“Matron Mother Larynda De’Endar, of the fifth house of Felynafay,” I said quietly. It was commonly known around the compound that I belonged to one of the ruling houses, but which one was a closely guarded secret.

Her eyes went wide. “Matron Mother of the fifth house?” she asked, suddenly feeling much less confident.

“Don’t worry, son. It’s time for you to realize something. Of all my things, and all things I’ve ever had, your mother is my favorite. I’m sure I’m one of her favorite things, but I think you rank higher than me,” Durdrin said. “You, as my heir, will inherit our organization and everything that goes along with it. Your mother’s soldiers number maybe seven hundred. We number over three thousand and can rival almost any house on the ruling council.” He said, and I looked at him, still puzzled about everything.

“Son, do you know how big the army is for the Sixth house?” he asked.

“House Alesek holds twelve hundred soldiers,” I answered.

Durdrin nodded. “And why haven’t they wiped House De’Endar out?” he asked.

“Because they do not have Vielyn… or the Barra D’aron in their corner,” I said, making sure to give my brother credit first. He was the weapon master of our house and charged with our protection after all.

Durdrin’s head bobbed up and down again. “So, if I am the root of your mother’s power, and my power is going to be passed to you, she’ll have to get along with you if she wants to stay in power. It is time for you to take over overseeing when and how our soldiers help her,” he said with a smirk.

Suddenly, I realized what he meant. “So, you’re saying that Mother will tolerate Zeera because she must if she wants my protection once you’re gone?” I asked, not sure if I was hearing things correctly.

Durdrin nodded his head with a wide grin. “For the same reason she tolerates me using that ring I gave you with other women.”

I looked at him and chuckled. “Oh, you mean because we’re handsome? Oh wait, I’ve only ever heard the ladies call me that…” I joked.

“Watch it, boy!” Durdrin said, half-joking, half-threatening.

“Okay, we’ll be down shortly. Let us get prepared,” I said as I sat down on my bed.

When everyone left and it was just me and Zeera, she walked over and sat next to me. “Everything will be fine. She needs you, like Durdrin was saying,” she said as she leaned against me.

“Yeah…” I said, standing up and walking over to the safe. “Were there any Shore Rubies or Reikan Black Sapphires in that treasure we got?” I asked, and Zeera looked at me curiously and nodded.

Shore Rubies were dark crimson rubies found on the surface in the elven homeland of Shore. Reikan Black Sapphires were jet black sapphires found in the northern mountains of Reika, rarely discovered by the slave miners who worked the mines. Given their rarity, these gems were incredibly valuable, especially in places like Felynafay.

“They’re Mother’s favorite. Our house colors are black with red. You’re going to give her a gift of all of them that we have. That will make her like you more,” I said with a smile.

Zeera looked at me and gave a subtle nod. “Okay, but… all of them?” she asked.

I turned to her and smiled. “Yes, all of them. The bigger the gift, the more she’ll like you, I’d wager,” I said with a shrug. Zeera nodded in agreement and got up to help me look through the bags to find all of the jewels that would make up Mother’s gift.

We found two pounds of the Shore Rubies and a pound of the black sapphires and poured them into a finely crafted red velvet bag. I dropped the bag into the safe and looked at Zeera, wrapped in a sheet. “Come here…” I said, grinning at her.

She released her grip on the bedsheet and walked towards me, letting the sheet fall to the floor and exposing her naked form. I put my hands on her hips and pulled her close. She was warm, and the feeling of her soft lips pressed against mine as we kissed could make every muscle in my body relax.

“Get dressed, my dear, in the finest clothing you have. We have a matron mother to impress,” I said before giving her another kiss and letting her go.

As she got dressed, I adjusted my clothing, cleaning it with prestidigitation, before grabbing my fedora with the cardinal feather and crimson ribbon trim. I rested it on my head and gave it a tilt down towards the left side. I then put my pack on my back, threw my cloak over it, and clasped it around my neck, giving the hunchback look I was known for.

I moved back over to the mirror to inspect myself and couldn’t help but smile at the handsome face presented before me.

I made sure I looked perfect before turning to Zeera and ensuring she did as well. She was wearing expensive silk stockings and a deep green satin gothic dress that went down to the floor and fanned out around her. It had black lace sleeves, and the waist was decorated with fine black embroidering. She looked marvelous already, but I watched as she leaned forward in front of the mirror and put on a little bit of makeup that highlighted her naturally beautiful eyes.

“What?” she asked when she noticed me watching her.

“You know what…” I said with a mischievous grin.

She looked at me and smiled. “You think we have time?” she asked.

I shook my head. “No, but I can still wish,” I replied.

She smiled at me and gave me a quick kiss on my cheek before moving towards the safe and picking up the sack of jewels that she would present to Mother. She tied them to her belt and looked at me.

“If Mother asks how you knew she’d like those stones, you say, ‘Because they’re the only gems befitting a woman of her stature. Anything less would be an insult.’ And she’ll smile. Cater to Mother’s ego and put on a show; that’s how you make her like you,” I said with a nod before we made our way downstairs.

In the main room, I saw Durdrin standing near the exit with Shadow One, so Zeera and I walked over to him. “So what’s the plan?” I asked.

“You and Zeera are going to walk through town to your house with your army, letting everyone know that now both sons of Larynda are home and both have a small army behind them to add to the house’s numbers,” he said matter-of-factly.

I looked to Zeera and shrugged. “Well, you’ve met Vielyn… let’s go meet Mother and my sisters,” I said as I held my hand out to her.

Zeera was nervous; I could see it in her face. She took my hand and stayed close to me as we walked out of the inn and towards the hidden entrance to the compound.

As I stood on the compound side of our magical doorway, I turned around to face the hundred and fifty men who had formed up behind me.

“This is the most crucial mission I’ve ever been sent on. Jhule, the daughter of Matron Mother Larynda De’Endar of the fifth house of Felynafay, and my sister, has been threatened. We will go to my house, and we will protect my sister. Durdrin thinks it may be more than just a rivalry between my sister and another. He thinks one of the lesser houses is preparing to move against my house. We cannot allow that, can we?” I said, my voice booming with authority and ferocity.

“NO SIR!” came the reply.

“Shadow Six and Shadow Nine have been combined and are following us as we speak. When we find this threat against me and my house, we will crush it. Swiftly and without mercy. We will kill anyone who poses a threat to Mother, my sisters, or my house!” I shouted, and the hundred and fifty men that had grouped up behind us roared their approval. We were warriors; we enjoyed a fight.

I turned and led us through the magical doorway into the alley that led away from the compound. Zeera clung to my arm as our procession moved through the street. She kept her eyes down and her head turned towards me. I raised my hand and brought the procession to a stop before turning to look at Zeera.

We were standing in the middle of the marketplace, and we were being watched by all eyes around us. I gently reached up and lifted her chin so she looked me directly in the eyes. “Zeera, you are the woman of the second-boy of the fifth house. We are nobility; you hold your head high. You have nothing to fear and no one to shy away from…” I said before leaning in close. “Except Mother…” I whispered quietly with a wink. Zeera smiled at me. “We have a hundred and seventy highly skilled men and women protecting us right now. Walk with confidence and know that anyone who would mean to cause harm to my Zeera would have to get through myself and those hundred and seventy soldiers first,” I said before I waved us into motion.