“You lost my family?” Rali’s incredulous screech carried far and wide on the crisp autumn breeze. It echoed along the cobblestone courtyard, down the adjoining dirt road, and bounced between the rickety wood buildings before being swallowed by the distance.
“Rali, please,” the other dwarf pleaded. He, unlike her, seemed quite conscientious to the fact that a crowd had gathered around the front windows and was now watching from within the safety of the nearby inn. “Lower your voice. There is no need to advertise your business to the entire settlement.”
Rali whipped around at him, cheeks flushed with color and her lower lip trembling. “These two idiots lost Snag and Ellisar!”
“We didn’t lose them,” Daana replied matter-of-factly. “They left on their own volition. Which they’re allowed to do, by the way. They are, after all, adults with free will.”
Rali’s fury reflected in her dark eyes. Her accusing stare leapt from Daana to Ashwyn and struck down with the force of an iron anvil. “What did you do? You fucked it up, didn’t you?” Rali edged a daring step forward, fists curled and held stiffly at her sides. “I know El. Forget moving mountains, she would have burned every last pile of dirt to the ground if it meant getting you back. And now, suddenly, you’re free and she’s nowhere to be seen?”
Ashwyn snapped her tusks threateningly. “What are you getting at?”
“I think you know what I’m getting at.”
“Then say it to my face.”
“Rali,” her dwarf companion said again.
Whereas Rali’s tone was that of an anvil, his was calm, cool, and collected, laced with a thread of caution. The dwarf’s demeanor reminded Daana of a pond. It may have been still on the surface, but the water ran deep, and when push came to shove, it could sink the other two with hardly any effort.
Ashwyn must have sensed it, too, because she backed off, attempting to clear her hot-blooded thoughts with a shake of her head.
Rali, on the other hand, still looked like she wanted to punch something. That something being Ashwyn, specifically. “It’s suspicious! That’s all I’m saying.”
The other dwarf clamped his broad hand over Rali’s shoulder and squeezed, as if trying to remind her that, again, this was a public space and she was making a spectacle of herself. He was smidge taller than her, with long, copper-colored hair and an intricately braided beard to match. Judging from fitted leather armor and polished breastplate, Daana surmised he was military of some kind. Higher up in ranking, too, based on the brightly-colored cape fastened to his shoulders. Whoever he was, he seemed to value his reputation given the way he kept glancing back over his shoulder at the inn doors, as if expecting someone higher up to come bursting down the steps with a letter of disciplinary action in hand.
Ashwyn appeared done with the conversation as well, for reasons unrelated to her reputation. Gathering the reins in one hand, she led both horses toward the stable area, calling over her shoulder to Daana. “I’ll tackle the room and board arrangements. You deal with the shouty one.”
“That’s Miss Shouty One to you, madam! And don’t think you’re squeaking your way out of an explanation. I’m going to get the story out of you sooner or later, believe me.”
Daana watched the orc disappear into the stable area, slightly jealous that Ashwyn had thought of it first. While Daana wasn’t normally one to volunteer for grunt work, it was preferable to the alternative. Rali was already too worked up to have a productive conversation. Anything Daana said would be seen as an attack and, ultimately, used to bludgeon her into tiny, unrecognizable pieces.
For that reason, Daana kept her explanation simple and to the point. “They broke up, Rali. Ellisar left. That’s all there is to it.”
“Says who? You?” Rali shot back. “You would think that wouldn’t you? No offense, but you’re still taking everything at face value, kid. You haven’t learned to dig deep yet. If you want the truth, then you’ve got to really sink your claws into the heart of things.”
Given the talon-like motion Rali was making with her hands, Daana wasn’t so sure the part involving claws was entirely metaphorical. She stood her ground nonetheless, stifling the urge to put more space between them. “I’d rather not, thank you.”
“Yeah, figured as much.”
“Rali,” the other dwarf said again, as if it was the only word he knew.
“Alright, fine. Moving on. What about Snag then?” Rali heeded her companion’s interjection in the same way a cat might obey its master commands to stop shredding the furniture. In lieu of sharpening her claws on the couch, she pivoted topics, setting her sights on the plush carpet instead. “You break up with him, too? Snap his wee little heart in half? Crush his hopes of having a daughter that didn’t take him for granted all the time?”
Daana scowled. “Seriously?”
“Nah, nah, nah. You don’t ask the rhetorical questions here, that’s my job. You’re supposed to be explaining to me how you managed to run off the people I depend upon to get shit done.”
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“Snag went home to his family.”
“See, that’s how I know you’re full of it.” Rali threw her hands over her head, exclaiming, “I’m his blooming family! Me! And if Snag had returned to his family, then he’d be here and you and I wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
This was obviously getting nowhere. Rali wasn’t the one Daana was here for anyway. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but is Oralia around?” Daana asked. “I feel like talking to her is going to be somehow less hostile than whatever is going on with you right now.”
Which was really saying something considering how much Oralia openly detested Daana.
Rali’s eyes doubled in size as her lips curled back, preparing her worst tongue-lashing yet. Her dwarf companion intervened in the nick of time. He uttered something to Rali in an unfamiliar tongue. Despite Daana’s best efforts, she couldn’t make out a single word of it. It must have been serious though, because the look Rali gave him would have knocked the air out of someone with a weaker constitution. He returned the look, along with a raised eyebrow, as if daring her to take him up on his challenge.
“Fine!” Rali snapped. “I’ll wait until we’re somewhere more private. But don’t think a breather is going to make me any more hospitable!”
She stomped off, content to pace back and forth along the edge of the courtyard, muttering and mumbling to herself as perfectly sane people are wont to do.
“Captain Almas Bernstein.”
The voice drew Daana’s attention from Rali to the speaker. The dwarf had his hand outstretched in her direction. Oddly, it wasn’t palm-up, demanding some sort of payment. The hand was held perpendicular, in the friendly sort of way normal people used to introduce themselves.
Good gods, Daana cursed as she snapped from her stupor and shook it. It had been so long since she’d been around someone with manners that she’d nearly forgotten how to use her own. “Daana.”
She purposely left out the addition of ‘Lazuli’. The surname came equipped with all sorts of poor associations that were, rightfully, well deserved. She didn’t need the family reputation causing her more problems than it already did. Especially not out here, in a territory that had just declared itself independent of her uncle’s control.
Former uncle, she had to remind herself.
“I’m afraid the greater details will have to be discussed somewhere more private. The short of it is, however, Oralia is not here,” Captain Bernstein said. While his focus was on Daana, she could not help but notice the way he kept breaking eye contact to check on Rali, making sure she hadn’t stormed off to set something aflame yet. “Rali was sent to Fairguard to enlist the help of the New Adderwood Republic army and, suffice to say, things are not going to plan.”
Of course not. Because nothing involving Daana and Oralia working together ever had to come easily. “That explains the shouting, at least,” Daana murmured.
“Does it?” The captain cocked his head to the side curiously. “I’ve only ever known Rali to have two volumes. Loud and deafening.”
“That’s not true. Take now, for example.” Daana smiled at the captain’s joke. “Technically, I think this counts as the silent treatment.”
“And here I thought the silent treatment would involve less noise.”
The front doors opened and closed behind them. Daana glanced over her shoulder to witness Ashwyn’s return. The orc descended the stairs without the customary bounce in her step. She was halfway down when she stopped in her tracks altogether. Her face paled, as she’d just seen a ghost.
Daana followed Ashwyn’s stare across the cobblestone courtyard and to the street. A tall, willowy elf was making her way toward them. Her loose, straw-colored hair billowed in the breeze behind her. She was graceful, feminine, and, aside from looks, one hundred everything Ellisar was not. Still, Daana couldn’t shake the feeling that she was encountering a younger version of the infamous Ellisar Farrow, one who had yet to lose their sense of humanity.
“You can stop gawking now,” Daana called to Ashwyn. “It’s not her.”
“I know that!” Ashwyn descended the last of the stairs, still tracking the approaching elf’s movements with no attempt at subtlety whatsoever. “It’s just…look at her Daana. The similarities. It’s downright uncanny.”
Rali reluctantly rejoined the group at the base of the steps, grumbling, “Yeah, until she opens her mouth.”
“Hello, Rali! Captain.” The elf waved to the dwarfs as she approached. Her steps faltered several paces short of the stone stairs. Not for the sake of conversation, Daana suspected, but due to the manner in which Ashwyn was openly staring. The elf offered a nervous smile. “Everything alright?”
“Nothing you can help with, Kalihn.” Rali shooed her off with an irritated flick of her hands. “Goodbye.”
Kalihn remained where she was. “Are you sure there isn’t something wrong with your friend there? Her face is, uh, concerning.”
Rali gave up on moving Kalihn along and decided it was time the rest of the group took their leave. She persuaded Ashwyn forward with a helpful kick to the back of her shin. “Don’t pay any mind to her, Kalihn. Can’t be helped, I’m afraid. Ashwyn’s just never seen an elf before.”
“Isn’t she an elf?” Kalihn pointed at Daana.
“Is she? Huh,” Rali said as she continued to persuade Ashwyn to move along. It was like watching a small boulder trying to move a much bigger boulder. “Honestly, I thought Daana was some sort of horse, what with the smell and all.”
“Hey!” Daana protested.
Ashwyn acted as if she hadn’t heard a word of what was going on around her. “Dinner?” she blurted out, still staring utterly transfixed at the blonde-haired elf. “With me? Tonight?”
“Oh, my. Goodness,” Kalihn stammered. “Well, I, uh…”
“Keep walking, Kalihn,” Rali said.
“Right, yes. I think I’ll do that.” Kalihn bounded up the steps as quickly as her feet could carry her.
Daana seized Ashwyn by the arm and attempted to drag her into step. It wasn’t working as well as she would have liked, but at least they were moving again. “Bad idea,” she said. “You were just telling me not to give in to momentary distractions, remember? It’s not going to heal anything.”
“Relax, Peaches. I’m not going to try to bed her.” Ashwyn twisted her head around and watched Kalihn disappear up the steps and into the inn. “I just need her to slap me across the face real hard and tell me I’m not worth the time of day. It’ll all be out of my system after that, I promise.”
Rali’s bushy eyebrows raised high in her forehead as she fell into step alongside them. “Does it have to be from Kalihn, specifically? Because if it’s an open invitation, I’ll hit you as many times as you want. Free of charge. Don’t even need to buy me dinner first.”
Captain Bernstein caught Rali’s raised hand by the wrist as it swung past, preventing it from making contact. “I think you’ve made enough scenes for one day, Miss Ralizak.”