"Delilah! Ah I see Ms Elise took care of you, this suits you much nicer"

Gadrin greeted her when Delilah finally found the man in one of the back rooms above ground. The room had been gutted to act as a forge, the ceilings high and well ventilated.

She approached the work bench he was hunched over curiously. "Thank you, what are you working on?" quickly recognising the armour laid on the table.

"Just cleaning up Mav's armour, looks like he took quite a hit."

Delilah shuddered at the memory, "yeah, we encountered a hag.." feeling Gadrin rest a hand over hers comfortingly.

"I've almost finished yours, want to see?" He redirected her attention.

"Already? You work fast".

"I'm a dwarf, making things is like breathing" he chuckled, scooping up a padded deep brown vest. "I've lined it with steel plating between the layers so it'll keep you safe, but also warm, and not too heavy. Besides, I thought you weren't really a head to toe in steel kind of lady" Gadrin grinned.

Delilah ran her hand over the leather brigandine absently.

"You don't like it?

"No! No, I love it! I just.. can't believe you made it for me. I don't know what to say, or how I can repay you."

Gadrin shook his head "repay me by not getting yourself killed, how does that sound?" His voice sounded oddly serious, until he smiled once again. Laying the vest down and returning to his work on Mavrik's armour.

"Why don't you go and explore? Don't worry, I won't tell Mavrik" he winked.

Delilah decided it was best to leave Gadrin, not wanting to get in his way. Besides he had planted the seed in her mind to explore, and she'd be lying if that didn't sound enticing.

Finishing the top level in minutes, confirming her suspicions that there was very little aside the forge. Delilah wound her way around the elaborate corridors as she continued under ground, trying doors as she went, taking note of the random crossbows and other means of defence laid in practically every corner that alluded to Gadrin's paranoia. Most doors were locked, a few opened to reveal a kitchen, or a store room. Gadrin certainly had been busy, he'd even created a mushroom garden, which was thriving in a small area just past the kitchen.

She reached the the next closed room, trying the door and feeling it turn, lips pulling into a wide grin as rows of books greeted her when the door swung open.

"A library?"

She whispered to herself, noticing a large desk covered in papers and random artefacts. Perhaps a study was a more accurate description for the room, running her fingers along the spines of the nearest row of books. Many of the books were worn, some not in languages Delilah recognised. She walked closer to the desk, noticing there was an alchemy test being performed on something that made her blood turn cold. The hag's head stared back at her with hollow eye sockets, soaking in some kind of liquid. Trying to avert her eyes from the charred head, she scooped up the open book that laid on the desk beside it, trying to decipher the scrawled notes.

"How did you get in?"

Delilah jumped, almost dropping the book, she hadn't heard Mavrik come up behind her. Noting his voice wasn't aggressive or accusatory.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"It was unlocked?"

Mavrik frowned but didn't press the subject.

"Is this your study?" She gently placed the book down, careful not to lose the place it had been opened on.

"I've never seen so many books or artefacts" Delilah continued "o-oh but I'll get out now, I'm sorry!"

"It's fine, you can stay. Just be careful" Mavrik replied after a moment, pulling himself into the chair at the desk and examining the flask. She watched him, seeing if anything would happen as he added a few drops of other liquids to the flask. Biting back disappointment as nothing of note happened, certainly not the kaboom, or bubbling reaction Delilah had been looking for. A book on one of the far walls caught her eye. She approached it, gently tugging it from the shelf and sliding down into a secluded corner. It was a book of folklore and tales, stories like the ones Nadia had read to her when she was a child.

The memory tugged at her, Nadia was all Delilah remembered from her childhood. Picking her up, and dusting her off every time she fell, chasing away her fears of the dark with stories of unlikely under dog heroes in glowing armour. Perhaps it was these stories that enticed her onto this path.

She pulled open the book, flicking through the pages to see if her favourite one was hidden in the yellowing pages. Finger tips carefully supporting the fraying spine as she landed on the familiar story.

'The mouse and the Sparrow'

Delighted as familiar words conjured in Nadia's voice formed in her mind, recounting the words on the page.

*******

"Delilah"

Black engulfed her, the tiefling realised she must have fallen asleep.

"Delilah"

The voice was a woman's voice, one that felt familiar but she couldn't place it. A figure stepped out of the gloom, dressed in flowing robes, and bearing delicate features. Her eyes a deep shade of green, while her skin shone like moon light, her fingers wrapped around an elegant lantern.

"Lira" Unsure how she knew.

"It's good to finally meet properly" Lira smiled as she stopped in front of her. "I heard you calling for me."

Delilah frowned in confusion, she had called for Lira? Last she had known, she had been reading a book.

Lira shook her head "not like that, you'll understand one day" she assured the young woman. Her voice had a melodic accent to it, soft and smooth.

Carefully she reached out, placing a hand on Delilah's cheek, gaze searching her eyes. "You have so much light in you. Never forget that little one." Her voice so tender, though there was a tinge of sadness, which confused the young devil-kin, perhaps she had imagined it.

"Why are you here?" she asked, taking a small step back from Lira.

Lira tilted her head, as if hearing something Delilah couldn't, looking like she wanted to say more but smiled instead.

"I want to warn you, there is an unrest growing. You must be careful, Nadia's death was only the beginning."

Delilah frowned at her words, the beginning of what? Did she know what had happened to Nadia? She opened her mouth to urge the glowing woman to say more.

"Take care, sweet Delilah, and make sure Mavrik isn't too hard on himself."

Everything tilted away, Delilah felt a sensation of falling, jolting her awake.

Familiar soft breaths filled Delilah's ears, as she opened her eyes, unsure how much time had passed. A blanket had been placed over her, book discarded at her side, her surroundings returned into focus. Eyes landing on Mavrik in the low candle light, he dozed lightly at the desk, reclined back in his chair. It seemed both of them could sleep anywhere with the rough sleeping they were used to. The draw back with being under ground was the lack of time, being unable to see the sun was disorienting. The echoes of her dreams slowly fading, niggling voice that she was forgetting something important slowly becoming quieter.

Carefully Delilah got to her feet, carrying the blanket to Mavrik and tenderly draping it over him, as she blew out the candle on his desk. Making her way out of the study and heading above ground, the sun was starting to lick the horizon as she breathed in the crisp morning air. They would be moving on today, Mavrik had discussed it with Gadrin when he had joined them for a while in the study with dinner. The dwarf was finished with all of the armour, he'd even made some weapons for Delilah.

She wandered into the forge, dying embers glowing dully in the furnace. She'd miss Gadrin, the past few days had been so simple and relaxing, it felt strange. Like her life before Mavrik, just going about her day to day routines with Nadia. She could hardly blame Gadrin for never wanting to leave the security of the bubble he'd made for himself, Delilah certainly wouldn't have objected to staying longer, but the pull to stay at Mavrik's side was stronger.

"You're up early miss Delilah."

Smiling as she spun around to see the dwarf in the door way.

"Come on, I'll sort us some breakfast."