Orei's eyes opened in the dark. She winced slightly from the throbbing pain in the back of her head. A scuffling sound caused her to swing around, and as she did so, she saw the outline of Luther, sat in the corner of a dark, stone cell.

Luther watched Orei as she pulled herself up and leant against the wall. "You’re finally awake then," he croaked.

Orei looked through the dark at her friend, and tried feeling about for an opening of some kind.

"Where are we?" She asked, touching the walls about her.

"Up," said Luther simply, in a matter of fact kind of voice.

"Up?" Orei asked, confused by the word.

"Up," Luther agreed, and then continued to explain. "After he murdered the king, Saurin and his guards took us into a secret lift which went high up into the peaks of the mountains, where tunnels and chambers had been carved out as a scouting point for warriors and rangers over the years. They also contain hidden store rooms, which I have read were used by scouts to hide beer for their long, cold shifts. I believe we are in one of these store rooms now."

Orei felt the memories of her father's death float back to her, and she felt rage burn within her. She looked across at Luther, tears running down her face. "Did your readings know of a way out of here?"

Luther shook his head. "No, they did not. But I did memorize the journey in my head."

Orei frowned. "What do you mean?"

Luther tapped his head and smiled. "I know the way out of here. I measured all of our steps from the lift into his store room. We are not far away, but alas, the door is sealed shut, and can only be opened from the outside."

Orei cursed, and started to feel hopeless. She had lost her father to her mentor – Saurin the Betrayer would be his name. Suddenly, a grinding noise filled the small room, causing both Luther and Orei to cover their ears. Sunlight poured in, stinging Orei's eyes, and as her vision cleared she saw the Betrayer himself standing in the doorway. His silver armour glistened in the sun, making him hard to look at, and in his hand, an ornate silver axe sparkled with him. Orei gave the axe a second look and she couldn't believe her eyes.

It was one of her crown prince axes, shining in the Betrayer's hands. Orei tried to comprehend how it had got there.

Saurin gave a cheery smile to his two prisoners. "Hello, friends," he said, and looked at Orei and then down at the axe in his own hands. "Oh, I am sure you are wondering how this came into my possession."

Orei's eyes narrowed as she thought of the likelihood of surviving a charge at Saurin who was continuing.

"It’s quite strange actually. A scout of mine was scanning the forest when he saw a beor, frolicking through the trees. It seemed quite happy snacking on a small pony, and wouldn't you know what he saw – the crown prince's axes, covered in blood. Of course, after the beor had done its work, nothing recognisable was left. He bore the news of the princess's death to the southern gate with this axe as proof. The whole city is mourning you now, Orei. So sad after the death of the king."

Orei balled her hands up into fists, and felt her rage start to boil over.

Saurin pointed the axe at Orei and smiled. "No use in fighting me, girl. I would cleave you before you even stood up."

Orei kept herself seated, vowing to strike when the time was right. But for now, she needed clarification.

"Why did you do it?" Orei asked. "Why did you release Myrian and kill my father? Why have you locked me away and framed my death?"

Saurin shrugged. "It’s simple," he said. "I was told to."

Orei couldn't believe it. "Myrian? He told you to –”

Saurin cut him off with a short sharp laugh. "Myrian? No, no, dear girl, this is much bigger than Myrian. My master wanted The Fallen One released so that he could destroy him, not to give him freedom."

Orei ran this through her mind. If not Myrian then who? Maybe the Eldar that had destroyed Stonehill was in charge. Orei sighed. Her mind was working overtime, but one thing was at the front of her mind.

"So, why did you kill my father? Why frame my death? Was that because your master told you to, or was it to hide your own crime?"

Saurin smiled – tightly this time, as if in regret. "No, Orei, I was not told to kill your father – I wanted to. For too long have I lived in his shadow as a respected, but not the mostrespected dwarf. Your father has never had to work hard for anything in his life, as opposed to me who has worked hard for everything. I have earned his throne where as he has just sat upon it."

Orei stared incredulously at her former mentor. She could not believe it, and she stood up, pointing a finger at Saurin. "That was his birth right, mybirth right! It has and never will be yours. Only the line of Orin can sit upon that throne! No one has the right, apart from us. If I am slain then my uncle Durie will come; he will claim it, and what then? Will you murder him too? It is already a coincidence that I am pronounced dead less than a day after the death of my father. The people will not tolerate it."

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Saurin scoffed at Durie's name. "Durie? Your uncle, the king of Doflhiem? He is not worthy to work a forge let alone govern a kingdom. And as for the people, I have already been appointed steward of Doflhiem by the houses. All I need is the abdication and consent from your uncle, and I will be king, girl, so stop your wailing, because no one will hear you up here."

With that, Saurin turned out from the room, and the door grated to a close behind him. Orei stood in the darkness, staring at the wall where the door had been.

Luther cleared his throat in the dark. "Well," he said. "That was heated."

Orei looked to the sound of his voice and sighed. Falling back onto the wall behind her, she slid down and sat on the dusty floor. No one would save them, and Orei knew that it was impossible to save themselves.

Luther began trailing his finger through the dust to pass time, and let thoughts roll around inside his head. He got up and felt around the door, trying to find something, anything that deviated from the precise edge of the wall.

Orei looked up at him and frowned. "What are you doing?"

Luther continued with his frantic search, but paused to explain. "I just remembered: these store rooms sometimes had a button close to release the door in case a scout got locked in without anyone knowing. I was hoping that this one was the same."

Orei immediately jumped up and began feeling the walls for any sign of a button or lever that would give them freedom. After what felt like hours, Luther gave a satisfied remark, and beckoned Orei over. Orei felt the surface that Luther was indicating to, and felt her heart soar as a small indent out of the straight edge was evident. She lined his finger up with the indent and pushed.

It didn't move.

She jammed her finger again and again until it was scuffed and bled at the tip, but the door did not move. Orei cursed loudly in Dwarvish, and kicked the stone wall, causing sparks to flare up from her steel clad boot.

Luther inspected the hole more closely as Orei continued to rant on, kicking the wall with sparks, briefly lighting the room. Luther saw a small rune above the opening, and smiled. Taking a deep breath, he blew into the hole. There was a loud pop, and the door slid into the room with a crashing clunk.

Orei stared at the door for a moment, and then up at Luther who simply pointed to a rune, and said, "Air."

Orei's face split into a smile as he ran over to her companion and embraced him, reaching up to kiss his cheeks with joy. Then, realizing that the door would probably have alerted guards, the two of them snuck out of their hole and into the corridor outside.

The corridor they were in had large slits peering out of a watchtower built onto one of the peaks of the Mjolik Fjords. A blizzard raged outside, explaining why their guards had not heard the thunderous bang of their door. Snow poured in, and Luther took the lead as he headed left, further into the tower. Orei followed him across, and heard Luther muttering under his breath.

"Forty-six steps, then left, then seventy-two, then right."

She smiled to herself. Without Luther, Orei knew she would have been a dead Dwarfess. It had been Saurin who had told Alun to take him on their quest, and now Luther would be a crucial part in his defeat.

Orei looked up the length of the corridor and saw a guard sitting on a stool looking out at the blizzard with a large fur lined cloak wrapped about him. Orei pulled Luther up, indicating to the guard. Orei stuck to the wall, and waited for a moment before she pounced. She jumped out, and kicked the Dwarf under his chin, sending him falling back off the stool. Orei picked up the stool, and broke it over the back the guard's head, knocking him out cold. She then stripped the guard of his cloak and weapons, and pushed him out of the slit and over the ledge. Orei looked down at the guard's rifle, and smiled. He was glad Saurin had listened to him. She wrapped the cloak around herself, and followed Luther once more, pretending to be a guard with Luther as a prisoner. Luther continued to mutter, and Orei smiled as they passed three more guards without issue.

Finally, they had worked themselves into the centre of the tower, and the lift lay before them. Orei looked at it for a while before she realized something was wrong: the actual lift was not there. Clearly, Saurin had ridden it down and kept it there in the event of Orei and Luther escaping. Orei cursed under her breath, and looked around, trying to figure out a way to descend down the lift shaft. She saw crates, and smiled. Orei ran over to them and opened one: filled with beer bottles. She began moving the bottles out, and hid them behind the crate before she lifted herself in. She fit, barely, and Luther helped her with the lid. Luther had found an empty crate for himself, and curled up inside, waiting for the lift to arrive.

It was a long while before it did. Four guards came up to relieve their comrades. No one had checked on Orei and Luther's cell yet, and Orei felt anxiety grip her as the new guards spread out along the tower. Finally, as the last guard left the room, Orei launched herself out of the crate and covered the doorway with her rifle whilst Luther struggled to untangle himself from his own hiding spot. Jumping free of the wooden box, Luther sprinted into the lift, and beckoned Orei to follow. They closed the door behind them, just as the old watch came in to go home.

They cried out and aimed their rifles, but Orei was too fast. She fired, and three shots later, they lay dead, alerting the new watch to their position. The lift descended, and Orei panted as Luther sank to the floor next to her. A small kerosene lamp lit the lift and shaft around them, but was extinguished as a great gust of wind came from the giant expanse of the ground floor.

Orei peered out of the lift, trying to find out where they were going to touch down, and frowned as the lift continued down yet another shaft, and sank below the ground floor, coming to a stop in a golden lined corridor. Orei opened the door, and peered around the corridor still frowning. She tapped the floor with her foot, and smelt the air.

She turned to Luther, clearly confused. "We’re in the palace," she said.

Luther looked about, and nodded in agreement. "Yes," he said. "It is a secret escape hatch for the king. Saurin wouldn't have been able to conceal you from all of the eyes outside the throne room, so he must have planned this all through. This must have been where he came out of when he killed your father."

Orei's frown furrowed, and she cautiously made her way down the gilded corridor. Voices echoed in the distance, and Orei picked up her step until she reached the corridor's end. They were behind the golden throne, and the voices Orei had heard were louder now.

It was Durie, talking to Saurin in angry tones.