They played their game of dares until Rowan dared Kai to braid Blade’s beard. Blade exploded and claimed if he heard one more dare, he would be digging two fresh graves. Considering Blade’s murderous aura, the two unanimously agreed the game was over. The sun was setting over the horizon when they decided to set up camp. The dwarfs were surprisingly well prepared and had mats for almost everyone. Unfortunately, they were not expecting three additions to the group, only one. Someone would be up keeping watch, but that still meant two people would have to share a mat. The pirates decided to solve the problem by drawing straws, and Kai and Terrin ended up sleeping together. The dwarfs also brought along plenty of food, which Terrin bet was stolen. As they ate, Rowan told Elurra, Kai, and Aleah all about their ship. The fire crackled and popped, casting eerie shadows on the frozen ground.
The days in Lur Alava were cool, and the temperature dropped twenty degrees after the sun disappeared. Stars glimmered brightly in the sky, too numerous to count. As Rowan spoke, using grand hand gestures and vivid descriptions, Kai and Aleah watched, captured by his tales. Elurra sat between them because they refused to sit near each other.
She wasn’t sure what happened earlier that day, but their constant bickering was suddenly just silence. She tried to focus on the tales of the dwarfs’ adventures, but her mind wandered. She looked down at her flowing blonde hair, which was falling out of her traveling braid. Her fingers worked at the cloth string holding it in place, and she began to take it out so she could redo it.
The campfire echoed with stories of adventure as more of the pirates joined in the telling. Elurra sighed as weariness crept into her bones, and she scooted away from the fire. She hated the strange sensation that came with flames. No matter how close or far she sat, she always felt like she was burning and freezing at the same time. Elurra looked across the group at Terrin, who was staring into space. They had walked together for most of the day, but they hadn’t talked much after that morning. Terrin casually let her know during the rescue story that he’d brought the pirates to help her “as any loyal servant would do,” to let her know he’d lied to them about their relationship. Elurra sighed gloomily and wished their reunion could’ve gone differently.
But this is what you wanted, remember? She forced herself to focus on more important matters. Their pace was bothering her. She wasn’t sure where the army of Amora was, but she hoped they would be in time to stop them. She didn’t know if they would make it to the border on time because they were a large group traveling on foot. She stood up.
“Time to sleep. We have a long way to go tomorrow,” she said, addressing the group.
Snore was out for the count before the others even stood to stretch. Plague sighed and dutifully dragged him to a mat. Elurra sensed their relationship was potentially more than met the eye, but no one had mentioned anything to confirm her suspicions.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Are they related? she wondered as she closely studied their faces.
“Elurra, is there any way I can get out of sharing?” Kai whispered, bringing her abruptly out of her revelations.
She rolled her eyes. “Well, you can always assert your social dominance and demand to have your own cot,” she told him dryly.
His eyes glinted. “Seriously?” he asked, clearly delighted.
She gave him a withering glare. “No, Your Royal Highness. Aleah and I rescued you from the icy pits of death, so therefore, you owe us. What I say goes, unless Aleah takes pity on you and says otherwise. If you want to beg her for mercy, be my guest.”
She made a grand sweeping gesture toward Aleah, who was busy laying out her mat. Elurra expected him to go over and beg, but instead his expression grew troubled, and his hand brushed his cheek as if he could still feel the sting of her slap from earlier. Without a word, he turned away and bedded down with Terrin, sparing her any more of his complaints.
Elurra was vexed by his uncharacteristic behavior. Typically, he would jump at the chance to complain and drag Aleah into a pointless debate. She shrugged off her worries with a yawn and turned to make her bed. The padded mats were made of a strange cross between silk and cotton. From the sound of it, the pirates had probably stolen them. The dwarfs also brought warm blankets made of woven fur to protect them from midnight freezes and the warmth-leeching dew in the morning. The mats provided some comfort compared to the rocky ground but sleep still evaded her.
Elurra closed her eyes and remained motionless, listening to the steady rhythm of breathing and whispering around her. Slowly, things started to quiet down; the only exceptions were Terrin and Kai, who were mumbling and scuffling. Her companions’ breathing deepened, and snores emanated from various men.
She matched Aleah’s steady intake of breath, hoping it would lull her to sleep.
After over an hour with no success, she sighed, sat up, and looked at the moons above.
Plague, who was elected to keep watch, had a drooping head and was snoring softly. He wouldn’t be a threat to anyone who happened upon their camp. Elurra stood, wrapped her blanket around herself, and listened for flowing water nearby. She jumped when a sharp snap of twigs emanated from the dark forest bordering the small clearing.
She listened carefully and detected footsteps in the woods. She thought she heard only a single person, but she couldn’t be certain. Her heart raced, and she felt dread seep into her veins. She crept forward and peered through the trees, forgetting caution. The wind picked up, and the branches swayed gently, casting eerie shadows on the ground. She heard another stick snap and a muttered curse. Elurra felt her heartbeat drumming in her chest.
It is definitely not an animal looking for a late-night snack, she thought, trying to calm her nerves.
She silently crept forward and peeked around a branch, concealing herself from the stranger. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she saw a dark figure cautiously making its way through the tangled limbs. Elurra ducked back behind the branch and took a deep breath as she tried to decide what to do.
I should wake the others. There might be more people close by, she concluded as she slowly backed out of her hiding spot. But her foot caught on a root, and she fell with a small cry. The figure perked its head up and approached her, boots crunching on the pine needles littering the forest floor. The mysterious man rounded the tree and loomed in front of her, blocking the dim moonlight filtering through the trees.