Adelaide's vision blurred and her head hurt from the world spinning under her back. The bed she was laid in had its mattress removed, leaving just the hard wooden board underneath. She remembered a fight. She got ambushed by a group of hunter. What happened? She strained to sit up, but a furious flare shot through her abdomen and she crashed back onto the bed with a thud.

Her breathing was heavy. Though her breath was turning to mist in the cold air, her body burned hotter than the heat of summer and seared. She reached down to her waist and felt the cooled blood that had dried around the bandages wrapped there.

“I wouldn't get up if I were you.” She meekly turned her head towards the voice.

The hut they were in was smaller than her cave. She could probably cross the length of it in two or three steps, if she could stand first. The wooden walls were old, blackened with cracks and age, but looked otherwise strong. A single lamp hung overhead. In the dark corner opposite, the dark elf sat with his head against the corner of the walls, eyes closed, fighting to sleep against the winter cold. His short sleeved shirt seemed to be an ill choice of clothing for the weather.

Then, she looked down and found her body covered in a slightly oversized black coat. Annoyed, she croaked out, “I... don't need you... to keep me... warm.”

Without hesitation or even a look in her direction, The Wanderer replied, “Yes, you do. Now keep it down, I'm trying to get some sleep.”

***

Clattering of wheels on stone pulled the elf out of her nap. Adelaide sat behind one of the larger boulders, hiding herself from sight of the main road. The stone road up to Ta'Kalenyilgah, the Dark Gate of Kings, had sparse travellers. Most of them were dark elves returning home. Very little traders went to Ta'Galadul, the Dark Citadel, and those who do were either of questionable morality or very stupid and brave.

She shot to attention, peeking to the side of her hiding spot at the covered wagon that was rolling up towards the gate. The entrance was embedded into the side of a large quarry. The gates were a monolithic arc the height of five stories with its pillars acting as watchtowers, built by the long lost dwarves. The structure was intricately detailed with artworks of ancient dwarven heroes and stories, tales which she had always found too boring and generic to warrant interest. No other mortals knew how to build the grand construction they did, but no others needed to, for they had withstood the test of time for countless cycles. Years and seasons had passed but the darven structures continued to stand.

Two humans, a white haired man and a white haired woman, led the horse and its wagon up to the gate. The stone arc towered over them and everything else within the sight of the landscape.

A pair of dark elf warriors came out of the small door that swung out from the bottom of the larger gate. In their hands were pairs of hiljekts, a dark elf multi-handed sword that terrified Adelaide. Even in the hand of a novice dark elf warrior, they were fearsome weapons due to their versatility. She had only fought one once and she subconsciously reached to her abdomen to feel the scar from the battle.

As one of the warriors stayed at the front to question the humans, another circled around back. He pulled apart the canvas that covered the trailer. He poked his head inside and scanned the cargo, before stepping back and signalling to his partner that all was fine.

His partner nodded back before signalling for one of the riders to follow him. The woman got off her seat and, along with the two warriors, went into the gate.

Dark elves and their paranoia. The only race mistrusting enough to have a law that required a living mortal to be temporarily imprisoned as a toll for entrance to the city. It was because of this law that trade between Ta'Galadul and the rest of Eltar was limited.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

She waited until the main gate started to open. Despite its large size, the stone door swung inwards without so much as a creak to welcome the wagon.

She stepped out of her hiding place and with left foot forward, teleported into the darkness of the trailer. Landing on her feet, she held onto a nearby barrel and crate to stable herself. Facing the opening, she held her breath, eyes fixated on the cracks of light from the fluttering canvas, hopeful that none of the guards would be diligent enough to do a second check.

Slowly, they began to move. The transport started forward with a jerk and the clatter of horses feet came from the front. As they entered the shadows of the gates, the light from beyond the canvas shone blindingly, before gently dissipating and finally, vanishing in a quiet blip as the gate closed completely behind them.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she turned around to survey her surroundings, her elven eyes quickly adjusting the the darkness. Crates stacked up the wall to her right and barrels to her left. In the middle, directly in front of her, on a wooden bench installed into the base, sat a little girl with shining strawberry blonde hair and light brown eyes that sparkled even in the darkness. No older than eight, she wore a tattered brown one piece dress, patched sandals dangling from her feet which were too short to even reach the floor.

The girl greeted, “Hello.”

“Hello,” Adelaide greeted back.

A kid. Why did it had to be a kid? Even she did not kill children. She needed to make sure the girl did not call for help. If she was caught before reaching the city, she would be in trouble. Dark elves did not take kindly to the other races of elves, not after the Exseed War.

However, the girl merely scooted over in her seat and patted the empty spot beside her. “My name's Stella. Stella Barber.”

Adelaide blinked blankly, unsure of how to react. But the girl did not seem afraid or worried, instead giving off a gentle smile. She was tired, and the journey through the underground highway to the Dark Citadel would take some time. She did not feel particularly like walking and the girl did not seem hostile.

Still, wearily, she took a seat beside the girl. Stella asked, “What's your name?”

“A-Adelaide,” she replied, “Adelaide Wiltkins.”

Smiling, Stella struck up a conversation as if they were long time friends. “I have a friend named Leila.” The girl placed her hands together for a faint clap. “She's an elf too. It was hard to play hide and seek with her since she could see in the dark.”

An elf? Humans did not live with elf on Eltar. It was an unprecedented thing. Aside from the rare wood elves and the dark elves, the only other races of elves were the class elves and hume. The last two did not have their own citadels and are relegated to lower class citizens, with the class elves especially being pushed to the slums known as Antipods.

Adelaide wanted to call the girl out on her lie, but managed to control her temper enough to do it gently. “Humans don't live with elves.”

“They do where I come from.”

“And where is that?”

“Joan and Milton's orphanage!” she replied excitedly.

“Orphanage?”

“Yes! I used to help out there! But our family moved to Muscoh last year,” Stella rambled through the conversation, denying Adelaide a chance to reply. “We went to Valent to deliver some clothes and we're on our way home now! We're just making a stop here for resupply. Sis is a little lazy sometimes and doesn't come with us. All she wants to do is play with Tim, but I guess I can't blame her for that. She's had a rough century.”

What's a century? Adelaide wanted to ask. Instead, she chose, “Where is the orphanage?”

“The Outer District.”

The Outer District. Just a step away from the Antipods. “And elves are allowed there? In the Outer District?”

“Oh, no. If you get caught, you'd get thrown in jail. But we at the orphanage stuck together. We hid the elves in the basement and attic whenever The Forum people came.”

She had never heard of such a thing. Humans and elves, living together. And what was more, humans that protected elves. Usually, independent elves were caught and sold as slaves, regardless of age.

Confused and uncertain, Adelaide looked over and asked, “And you're okay with it? Living with elves?” The wagon began to slow.

“Why wouldn't I be?” Stella caught her stare and smiled. She reached for the older hand and Adelaide drew it back instinctively. The girl smiled again, this time, her lips were warmly parted, her eyes calmer. Soothing. Slowly, Stella took Adelaide's hand in hers and laid their palms against each other. “See. We're not so different. Just like in Tarzan!”

“Tarzan?” They came to a final stop, the axles of the wheels screeching a little as they did.

“Oh, it's a cartoon back from Earth. You wouldn't understand.”

The rider had gotten off the horse and Adelaide could hear his footsteps circling towards the rear. “Car... tune?” She knew of only one other person who spoke so cryptically.

Stella let go of her hand. The little girl smiled and waved, “Say hello to The Watcher for me!”

“What?” Before Adelaide could question further, the canvas started to draw open and she had no choice but to teleport out of the wagon.