As Ava, Kara, and Shae walk into the baths, Shae whispers to Kara, “Shae has seen people following us.” Kara says nothing to acknowledge she heard anything. She steps up to the counter; today, two fire elementi are working, and says, “Private bath for…”
Aran and Persi step through the door, “six.” Both Aran and Persi sigh in defeat.
Aran and Persi walk over, and Ava holds her nose. “What the hells? Both of you smell like manure.” Aran says, “That’s because we’ve been shoveling manure. Hey, is that the tattoo.” Ava holds her arm up and smiles. Aran sees a tattoo of a person floating in the air bound by lightning, “That is beautiful, I can’t wait. Did it hurt?” Ava says, “Not in the slightest, it tickled.” Cyania cackles, making Aran and Persi jump, as they hadn’t noticed her. Kara silently laughs, remembering the screeching as Shae had to hold her down after the first tap, “Aran, Persi. Cyania will be joining us tonight for the bath. It will give her a chance to look at the two of you for the tattoos tomorrow.”
Kara hands over five gold coins to the attendants, and they point toward a door. “Your bath is ready for you.” The attendant looks at Aran and Persi, “Please ensure they’re properly cleaned before entering the pool.” Kara smiles, “No problem. I don’t want their grime floating around me.” They all walk single file through the door: Kara, Ava, Cyania, Persi, Aran, and Shae. Their guard is a female shadow elf. Kara looks at her as she passes. She is wearing leather and armed with traditional shadow elf daggers with a raven etched on the pommel. The shadow elves call them Talons. The guard stares down at Kara. Kara looks at her and smiles, remembering their home and her frequent trips to High Throne. Shadow elf bodyguards have surrounded her since she and Sasha became intimate. She chooses a locker next to Shae to undress, and as she does so, she looks at Shae and then at Shae’s daggers. Shae gives her a look as if she understands.
Everyone enters the steam and bathing area to wash off before entering the pool. Persi and Aran choose their places as far from the women as possible. Persi jumps when Kara leans over him and starts washing his back; she whispers, “We’ve been followed; be ready.” Then she moves over to Aran and repeats the same. She kneels behind Cyania and starts washing her back, “Cyania, I think some people may try to attack us. You may want to make up an excuse to leave.” Cyania shakes her head, “If I leave, they may see that as a threat and kill me. I feel safer with you.” Kara then stands, “Okay, everyone is clean enough for the pool.” She faces Ava, draping her arms over her shoulders affectionately, whispering the same, and then doing the same to Shae.
Shae looks and gives her a curious look. Kara whispers, “Just in case they are watching, maybe they will think this is something Kara does.” Shae nods. Kara gets into the pool with her back to the door, and then everyone else gets in around the pool with Shae directly across from Kara. Kara starts singing a shadow elf song about meeting Raveneth and escorting souls to their resting place to await reincarnation. It’s a long, slow song; the baths only amplify her voice and make it sound more beautiful. It grows sad as one of the souls becomes lost. Just as the song changes to the soul finding its way to Elysium, Kara twitches her head to the side and catches a crossbow bolt in her hand that was headed straight for Cyania’s heart.
Shae leaps from the water with a dagger in each hand as six shadows emerge from the steam. Kara stands with her knuckle dusters on. Persi and Cyania get as low as they can in the water, and Aran and Ava stand to either side of them. Kara sees two of them. They both have shadow elf talons. She says loudly in perfect shadow elf, “I’m the daughter of a Raven Knight. What you do next will decide your fate when you stand before Raventh.” The figures freeze in place, looking at each other. One says back in shadow elf, “Prove it.”
Seeing that she has at least bought some time, Kara replies to them in common, “I’m the wife of Princess Sasha Cinderblade. Raven Knight Thalos Cinderblade is my father-in-law and grandfather to my children. I carry his unborn granddaughter now. If you want to test me, I will send you to him in death.”
The shadow elves speak to each other in their language, arguing whether she is telling the truth. One says, “How do we know you speak honestly.” Kara says, “The only truth in life is death.” All six shadows prostrate themselves. The one that asked the question holds her Talon out toward Kara, “Our lives are yours to take, Your Highness.”
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Kara grasps the handle and pulls the blade through the shadow elf’s hand, drawing blood. “Who sent you?” The shadow elf doesn’t look up, “The Redhammer family, Your Highness.” Kara asks, “Do you know why?” The shadow elf replies, “They didn’t say Your Highness, but they were in the process of leaving Cragcall. They specifically asked that your deaths be as cruel as possible.” Kara says, “Stand, all of you.” She looks at Aran, Ava, Shae, Cyania, and Persi, “All of you can relax.” They don’t. They stay ready.
The shadow elves all stand and move in front of Kara. All of them are holding their Talons by their blades with the pommels extended toward her. Kara says, “In case there is any more doubt,” she draws the blade across her hand and hands it back to the one she was speaking with; the others draw their blades across their hands before sheathing them. All go to their knees and look at Kara. She tells them, “I am Princess of Honor Karael Vala Elyslynn Proudshard Cinderblade, Adopted Daughter of King Thalos and Queen Dana Cinderblade, Wife of Sasha Proudshard Cinderblade. I have lived with the Cinderblade Shadow Wardens and fought beside them for 18 years. Stand and address me.” Kara thinks, “I’m so glad I remember all those classes from Sasha, Aurora, and Dana.”
The one who has been speaking stands and says, “My name is Narri, Your Highness. If we had any idea, we would never have…. Our lives belong to you.” Kara says, “Narri.” Narri bows her head at the mention of her name, saying, “Maybe you can help us. We may have attracted some unwanted attention here. Would you honor us by protecting us while we are in Cragcall?” Narri says, “We would be honored; anything Your Highness asks will be ours to fulfill.” Kara says, “Could you also check on this Redhammer family that hired you?” Narri says, “Consider their souls dispatched to Raventh.” Kara puts a finger under Narri’s chin and lifts her head, “Thank you, Narri; I will speak highly of you and your friends when I see King Cinderblade next. No innocent lives are to be taken. Clear?” Narri motions to three of her companions, and they vanish. Narri and the other three fade back into the steam. Kara sits back down and picks up the song where she left off. Everyone else cautiously eases back down into the water. At the song's end, Kara says, “See, the baths are a great place for communication. Now, other than getting covered in manure, what did the two of you do today?” Everyone looks at Kara as if she has lost her mind.
She rolls her eyes and sighs, “Okay, the shadow elves, serve Raventh, as you all,,, well, as most of you know. They make up well over ninety percent of the population in High Throne and are in service to King Cinderblade. I saw the marking on the guard’s dagger and felt that the guard was one of the ones tracking us. I took a chance when I saw the same daggers on the others.” Ava asks, “If your intuition was wrong?” Kara says, “We would be in here fighting now. But I was right. Not every conflict needs to be solved with violence. To Narri and her friends, I’m as close to Raventh as they probably will ever get until they die. Trust me when I say this: having them watching our backs is an honor. Also, we may have been the souls visiting Raventh if they hadn’t believed me. Thankfully, I learned the shadow elf language the first time I visited High Throne with Sasha. Most shadow elves value honor above all else.” Persi asks, “Are they still in here?” Kara nods, “You won’t see them unless you’re Shae.” Shae smiles, “Shae sees them.”
Cyania says, “You people are trips. This is the most excitement that has come to this city, well, for as long as I can remember. I mean, an exciting day for me is usually someone wanting an eagle tattoo instead of a butterfly tattoo.” Persi laughs, “Tell me about it.”
After they relax in the baths, talking and telling stories, they escort Cyania back to her shop and ensure the shop and apartment above are clear before leaving. Cyania kisses everyone’s cheeks, “I’ll see you again tomorrow.” They are all walking together on the way back to the temple. Ava walks next to Kara. She reaches down and takes Kara’s hand, saying, “Do you want me to heal it?” Kara shakes her head, “No, it would dishonor the blade. This must heal on its own.” Ava shakes her head, “Speak to some as they speak to you, use a language everyone understands in conversation, and let some wounds heal their own. How do you remember this all.” Kara shrugs, “I don’t know, I don’t. I feel it out as I run into it headfirst. You’ll learn, don’t worry.” A shadow materializes within the group as they walk. Narri says, “The Redhammer family has been sent to answer to Raventh.” Ava says, “Even the children?” Narri looks at Ava, then at Kara. Kara says, “You can answer her.”
Narri bows her head to Ava, “The children were adults. We did not dispatch innocents to Raveneth.” Kara says, “Thank you and your companions Narri.” Narri bows her head as she becomes a shadow and fades from sight. At the temple, Kara stops and tells one of the guards, “Inform the High Priest Stormhaven that I have some personal guards with us in case any wards go off.” The guard runs off into the temple.
Arden intercepts them on the way to the room, “Personal guards?” Kara shrugs, “The Redhammer family hired shadow elf assassins to take us out.” He says, “But isn’t your,,,” Kara nods, “And when they found out, they offered me their lives. I instead bound them to service while we’re here. The Redhammer family will not bother anyone from this point forward. As I said, Cyndra is in the safest place in the multiverse. They will be watching our backs, so if your wards trigger, let your guards know. I don’t want any accidental deaths.” He shakes his head, “Just when I think you’ve amazed me. Good night, Kara, good night to everyone.” He walks off, mumbling to himself.