The screams grew louder and nearer. It had to be a large clan to have made it this far inland. They must have crawled up from the docks, as they’d never have made it past the city walls.
Thinking of Saida held prisoner in the castle, he made up his mind. He ran across the room just as Elmerah kicked the door down, her exposed cutlass sparking with yellow flame. She charged into an . . . empty room.
They both glanced around quickly and continued on to find an open door leading into the back alley. It swung back and forth on its hinges, muffling the screams and shouts sounding in short bursts.
Elmerah kicked the door with a grunt of rage, splintering free one of its hinges. Extinguishing her blade, she whirled on him. “Do you think your men followed her?”
He nodded. “If they hadn’t, they’d be here with us.”
She seemed to relax. “Good. We’ll leave the tracking to them. Let’s go out and see what all the fuss is about.”
He blinked after her as she went through the now-crooked door. Of course she’d want to run toward the Akkeri and not away from them. He’d never entirely believed the legends saying Shadowmarsh witches were all half-mad, but he was beginning to believe them now.
Elmerah
Exiting the establishment, Elmerah sheathed her extinguished cutlass as she jogged down the back alley. She could hear the clang of steel on the parallel street, likely the militia fighting off the Akkeri. She’d be wise to stay away from the militia, but she at least wanted to catch a glimpse of what was happening. She’d seen the Akkeri a few times in her swamp, but they’d never given her any trouble.
She found an intersecting street and hurried down it, not bothering to see if Alluin followed. She wouldn’t blame him for running away with all the others.
She neared the main street, then stood in shock at the sight before her.
Dozens of Akkeri, their sparse clothing still dripping with sea water, charged through the streets, slashing down militia men with gleaming scimitars. They appeared as corpses just beginning to rot, but with the pointed ears and silken hair of Faerune elves, their closest kin.
She glanced over her shoulder at approaching footsteps. “I suppose you’re not a coward after all,” she whispered as Alluin reached her.
“No, but I most certainly am a fool.”
Though they stood far back in the shadows, one of the Akkeri whipped its head their way, spotting them, its cat-like eyes reflecting the moonlight.
Elmerah withdrew her cutlass, though she didn’t charge it with magic, lest they draw the attention of more Akkeri.
The single Akkeri approached with predatory grace, ready to face down two opponents on its own. Without warning, it leapt, raising its scimitar to strike downward.
Just as quickly, Alluin threw one of his daggers. It landed in the Akkeri’s throat with a meaty thwap, but the fiend kept coming, ramming Elmerah with its shoulder.
She stumbled against the building, wincing at a loud crunch in her jacket pocket. She raised her blade in time to meet the Akkeri’s scimitar, then moved to parry another swipe. The thing was as swift as a Faerune elf. She could barely keep up with its attacks. It lifted its scimitar again, then faltered.
At first she didn’t notice it in the near dark, but Alluin had flung another dagger, sending it through the creature’s temple and into its brain. It slumped to the ground, dead.
Alluin knelt and retrieved his daggers, cleaning them on the creature’s damp clothing. “We must go after the rest. With how fast they can move, many will die tonight if nothing is done.”
She sheathed her cutlass. “Isn’t that the responsibility of the militia?”
“Most of the militia are just human. They will die just as quickly as mothers and their children.”
She glared at him. She didn’t give a heap of dung about Galterra, but children, human or otherwise, didn’t deserve to die at the end of an Akkeri blade.
“Fine,” she hissed, then ran out into the street ahead of him. She could still see the last of the Akkeri running further into the city, leaving a trail of corpses in their wake. It was a large party. They’d kill many before the night was through.
“Do I smell lavender?” Alluin asked suddenly, looking her up and down.
She winced, then pulled the neck of the shattered bottle from her pocket.
His eyes widened. “You stole my uncle’s Valeroot wine!”
More screams cut through the thin night air, echoed by the clang of steel and the groans of the dying.
She tossed the bottle neck aside, then removed a few large shards of wine-soaked glass from her pocket. “We better hurry before we’re too late.” Before he could argue, she took off at a run after the Akkeri, though she didn’t miss him muttering, “Cursed Arthali,” at her back.
With a smirk she continued running, keeping her gaze upward as she went. Hopefully most of the city’s children would be safe in their beds, but she wasn’t about to risk seeing any that had already fallen around her. It was better not to know.
Alluin caught up to her side, seemingly over the wine incident . . . for now. “It seems they may be heading for the castle.”
Elmerah nodded. She’d thought the same thing, though she was unsure of their motivation or reasoning. Though the Akkeri seemed like monsters, she knew they were intelligent, and most could speak in the common tongue. Adept fighters as they were, they’d never make it past the castle guard. If they hoped to reach the emperor, they were fools.
Screams continued in the distance, though fewer seemed to be fighting the Akkeri now. The militia had probably grouped themselves around the castle, ready to protect what was important.
Her lungs began to burn with exertion, and sweat dripped down her brow, but she could see the tail end of the horde. Knowing the Akkeri disliked fire, she withdrew her cutlass and summoned it to her blade. It was a mistake to use up too much of her energy, especially when she was so close to finding Rissine, but there was no turning back now.
Alerted by the flicker of flame, three Akkeri halted their advance and turned around. They hesitated for a heartbeat, then charged. She whipped her blade through the air, sending a wave of flame powerful enough to knock them from their feet. They screeched in pain, but as their clothing was minimal and damp, the fire soon went out.
They scrambled to their feet and charged her with the speed of ice leopards. She whipped more flame from her cutlass into them as they neared, then Alluin was by her side, protecting her flank as she shoved her cutlass through a bony Akkeri chest, puncturing its heart. She tore the blade free, then sliced across the throat of the next. She turned just in time to see the third Akkeri fall dead at Alluin’s feet.
He offered Elmerah a nod, then took off once more on the monsters’ trail.
Elmerah gritted her teeth as she forced her feet back into a run. It would take all night to pick the Akkeri off three by three. How in Ilthune had this become her job?
More screams ahead. She snarled. She knew she couldn’t possibly blame Rissine for this latest development, but she was adding it to her sister’s long list of offenses regardless.
Saida
Saida leaned out the small open window, listening to the screams. Her untouched plate of roasted lamb and silkroots still sat where it had been left by four guards. Apparently without the emperor around, she merited more caution.
She shivered, thinking about the emperor’s magic. She’d never seen anything like it. She didn’t think it was elemental power like Elmerah’s, which meant he probably wasn’t part Arthali, so what was he?
More screams tore through the night.
She hoped Elmerah was tucked away safely in a warm inn, far from whatever was going on. She also wished someone would have the decency to tell her what was going on.
She retreated from the window, finally thinking about testing her food. After her experience with Thera, she was wary of being drugged, though drugging her now would be useless. The emperor already had her exactly where he wanted her, an
d if he wanted her somewhere else, he had plenty of guards to make it happen.
She stopped by the plate of food left on the ground, since there were few other surfaces for it to be placed upon. The scent of cooling lamb and thistle jelly turned her empty stomach. After not eating since the previous morning, she would have preferred a dry hunk of bread.
She hiked up her ruby gown a bit, then sat on the floor, crossing her legs in front of her. She was glad she possessed excellent night vision, as she hadn’t been provided with a lantern. She reached for the plate, then hesitated at a scuffing sound outside the door.
She shook her head, thinking it was just a rat, then she heard a long inhale, followed by the slight odor of fish.
Her mouth went dry. Perhaps if she remained perfectly still, whatever it was would go away.
After a moment, the thing outside her door moved, then another sharp inhale sounded at the base of the door. Was it sticking its face against the ground to better smell her? Or perhaps it was just smelling her dinner, but somehow, she doubted it.
She cleared her throat. She was behind a locked door. It couldn’t get her. “Who’s there?”
No reply, not that she’d expected one.
She jumped at the sound of a scream. It sounded like it came from within the castle walls. Curse Egrin for placing her in a room with only a view of the back courtyard.
The thing outside seemed to lean against the door, settling in. At least it wasn’t sniffing her anymore.
Seeing no other option, she started picking at her food. Maybe whatever was going on in the city would soon breach the castle walls and she’d be able to escape, but she doubted it. For now, she was stuck. She would simply have to keep up her strength and wait to see what fate Egrin would present.
Elmerah
Elmerah wiped black blood from her cutlass on the damp rags that served as clothing on a dead Akkeri. It seemed the worst of the attack was over, and the few remaining Akkeri had scattered. She and Alluin had chased them nearly to the castle. The massive, grey stone estate rose high above them atop a hill near the center of Galterra. Its four main towers stretched so high, they seemed to touch the crescent moon.
Alluin sheathed his wiped down daggers at his belt, joining her side to stare up at the castle. Blood dripped steadily from a gash in his forehead. His clothes were drenched in more of it, though she could not tell if it was from his own injuries, or from the Akkeri. “Odd to think Saida is being held prisoner there, so close, yet utterly unreachable,” he muttered.
Elemerah nodded, her gaze still on the castle. The militia men who’d joined the fight were milling about around them, dealing the final blow to any Akkeri still breathing. None bothered either of them, though some had to have seen Elmerah’s use of magic. She knew come sunrise, when fear of the Akkeri had passed, old hatreds would resume. She needed to be far from the castle when that happened.
“When will your men report back about Thera?” she asked. “That is, if they managed to follow her in the chaos.”
“Liam will continue to follow her for as long as possible. Baeorn will report back at dawn.”
She gazed up at the moon. Dawn was still aways off. “We should get some rest until then. I fear I will be useless without it.” More than useless, actually. She’d drained far too much of her magic again. She really was terribly out of practice.
Alluin observed her weary state. “We can stay at the tunnel hideout. I don’t think it wise to return to the Jewel.”
She hesitated, then nodded. She’d be easy prey for Rissine in her current condition, though she did not enjoy the idea of staying underground with elves. “You better keep your hands to yourself,” she grumbled. “I sleep with one eye open.”
“And you’d better keep your hands off my uncle’s wine,” he quipped. “You still reek of lavender from the last bottle.”
“You have my word,” she agreed, though if she had another moment alone at the hideout bar, she’d at least steal a small sip.
He glanced around at the corpses, and the few militia men beginning to take notice of those still living. “We should go,” he muttered, tugging his cowl a little further forward, obscuring his bleeding brow.
With a nod, Elmerah flipped her hood up. She had a few small cuts and gashes, but nothing serious. The Akkeri had feared her fire more than they’d feared Alluin’s daggers. “I sincerely hope a warm meal awaits our arrival.” There was a child crying somewhere not far off, and muttered voices of others who’d escaped the Akkeri attack with their lives.
They turned and walked away from the scene of the final battle in silence. By morning, funeral pyres would be erected to dispose of the corpses. The militia would tally how many were lost, and would take precautions to prevent such an attack from happening again. She would not be needed for any of that. She was only needed for the killing. Such was the Arthali way.
“Your magic,” Alluin began after they’d been walking for some time.
“Yes? What about it?”
“The way you wield the elements is quite remarkable,” he went on. “I was just wondering if all Arthali are so powerful.”
She snorted. “I’m not as terribly powerful as you think, but no, not all Arthali have such skills. Most possess natural magics, but control over elements was a specific gift of the females of the Shadowmarsh clan. My mother had the same gifts, as did my grandmother on my mother’s side.”
“And your father?”
She sighed. “I wouldn’t know.”
He went silent after that, and she hoped to Arcale he wasn’t pitying her. She had simply stated a fact, nothing more.
The next time he glanced at her, she glared, dissuading him from further conversation. She had no true family, just as she had no true friends, and she wasn’t looking to change either one.
Alluin
It was still dark by the time they reached the house disguising the underground tunnel, but dawn was not far off. Alluin could feel it in his tired bones, just as he could feel shifts in the weather and changes of tide. It was a gift all Woodfolk possessed, more subtle than the gifts of their Faerune kin.
Elmerah slumped against the wall near the front door as he glanced both ways, then knocked. He knew he was risking much in bringing Elmerah to the secret tunnel yet another time. Rissine would have many eyes out looking for her, and those eyes would surely report any other secrets they found. Yet, he saw no other choice. They needed a safe place to stay, and he’d not let his one link to Saida and Rissine go so easily. Whatever Rissine was planning was deeply entwined with the emperor’s plans, and Elmerah was somehow a part of it all.
The door opened, revealing a young, female elven guard who nodded then stepped aside. Alluin led Elmerah through the house toward the basement, nodding at the other elves, and a few trusted humans, as he passed. He hoped his uncle was not around, as he had strictly forbade him from returning with Elmerah. However, a run-in was likely once the sun rose.
Hopefully they could both get a few hours of sleep before then.
He led the way through the basement, then down the second set of stairs into the opening of the underground tunnel. If Rissine wanted Elmerah, she’d have to go through two dozen elves trained to kill any who might threaten their operation.
If Elmerah was at all intimidated by the armed elves, she didn’t show it, and instead sauntered into the underground room as if she’d been there hundreds of times before. He didn’t miss the way she glanced longingly at the bar, but thought it best not to comment.
Sleep. They needed sleep.
One lone lantern hung from the ceiling, dim enough that he chose to leave it lit. The beds against one wall were empty.
He gestured to the neatly made beds. “Take your pick. Try to sleep as much as you can. I’d like to leave here as soon as Baeorn reports back.”
“No hope of a meal then?” she asked.
He winced. He’d almost forgotten. He moved to rummage through the supplies near the bar while Elmerah removed her
coat, then slumped onto the bed farthest from the main door, propping herself up against the wall with a lumpy pillow.
Cooking was out of the question at this late hour, but he managed to rustle up some strips of salted cod and dried kelp. He also came across a basket of recently gathered burberries, only slightly soft from sitting around. With a roll of his eyes, he also grabbed a half-empty bottle of Valeroot wine, then returned to the beds and sat on the next mattress over.
They silently shared a meal, though share was a term Alluin would use loosely. Elmerah ate far more than her share of burrberries, and drank most of the wine.
Once she’d finished, she wiped her mouth on her sleeve. “You should see to that cut.” She gestured to his forehead.
He dabbed at the congealing blood. He had a few deep cuts on his body as well, though he’d been reluctant to reveal them, as Elmerah had come out of the battle virtually unscathed.
“I’ll take care of it,” he assured.
She gave her lumpy pillow a few punches, then laid down on her back.
He rose, ready to clean his wounds so he could get to bed.
Elmerah was so quiet he thought she’d already drifted off, but suddenly she asked, “Why do you think the Akkeri attacked?”
“Who can say?” He sat back down. “They seemed to be heading for the castle.”
“But why?” she pressed. “They are intelligent creatures. Why attack the castle with little chance of making it past the militia? They should have known they’d be slaughtered.”
He was so tired, his skull felt full of cotton. “I cannot tell you their motivation any more than I could say the motivation of an angry badger. In my opinion, the two are interchangeable.”
She snorted. “An angry badger is motivated by the need for food, shelter, and to protect its young.”
The Witch of Shadowmarsh (The Moonstone Chronicles Book 1) Page 10
