Revenge of the Elven

Chapter 16

Taeril was pleased to see some of the elves had regained their strength and they went about trying to make the old abandoned rundown smuggling tunnels some kind of small society. They still did not venture freely above even though they all had collars. Only Yathalin and Taeril did since they had their strength, but they would still try and stay out of sight and usually only stuck to the lower parts of the city where there were less guards and the sick and poor did not spend so much time eyeing someone passing them on the street. It was safer for them this way. He was concerned about some of Varrell’s friends knowing where they were hiding out because he did not trust them so much. He felt there was certainly something trustworthy in Varrell’s eyes and the way she spoke to him a sincerity in her words almost told him he could trust her. She would not have gone to the trouble of helping him and rescuing his new clan if she were simply going to betray them and as far as she knew they were collared and no threat. Aside from himself and Yathalin of course and she knew of them, but he still did not feel she would tell those calling themselves the Shield of Innocence. What a joke, he thought to himself, Shield of Innocence such a lie they shielded nothing and nobody. He looked up to see Yathalin approaching him, and she leaned against the wall he was crouched near as he made busy cleaning some cooking utensils, they had acquired from Varrell. She folded her arms and looked down at him and he rose from his crouched position deeming it rude to remain busy whilst she required his attention.

“I just wanted to say… what you did for your people taking the risks you did to save them… I find it truly admirable when I only saved myself once I escaped. I did not go back for the others and I did not try and help them on my way out. I was selfish,” she said looking down in shame and he moved closer.

“Not selfish, Yathalin, you were probably scared and not thinking straight after killing your mistress, you were right to just run. They would have executed you brutally,” he said.

“Yes, and this was as far as I got before I felt I could successfully hide,”

“Where was it you came from?” he asked her.

“Across the sea and to the North, far to the north, I do not know what lands I was in, I spent most of my time in a daze whilst I served my mistress,” she replied.

“Yes, there were times when I felt I might drift into oblivion and there were times when I almost willed it, and to just… waste away, give up but then I was always overcome by a determination to escape. What is happening to our people, Yathalin, it must be stopped,”

“Yes,” she said looking into his golden eyes. Her eyes held an expression he was unfamiliar with, her eyes had warmed and almost looked as though they sparkled it made him uncomfortable and so he stepped back again wanting to put distance between them.

                                                                                       ~~

Varrell marched to the High Council made up of high standing members of society and some witches and warlocks as representatives of the guild known as the Shield of Innocence. The members of this guild were responsible for enforcing the necessary laws against the elven after the catastrophe of the unleashing of dark entities and there were small groups of them spread throughout the land in superior political positions having been granted this by the King. Alongside her was Councilman Eizor after having left the scene of the murder, the councilmen were assembling and there seemed to be a lot of fuss within this political building as though something was happening to cause the uproar; perhaps it was news of the death of one of their own having spread to them and then perhaps even as much as what Eizor had said that it was a dark entity. That knowledge would certainly cause a stir. Councilman Eizor was sticking to her side as she went and when she finally got to the room the council resided in, he told the guards to grant her entrance.

“I told you Varrell, they are only going to confirm what I said,”

“I cannot accept that!” she snapped, and he took her arm stopping her from marching and she turned to meet his eyes annoyance apparent in hers.

“Why is it so hard to believe? You saw his body, you saw… his face…”

“It was just… the same as my father…” she muttered.

“Exactly! I do not mind if you want to go to the council, but you know, Varrell, it has happened before, you know that is what you saw when you looked at him. Poor Bryni, he was a good man, popular in many circles. It is sad that he ended that way but… honestly, our priority now is finding this elf,”

“Why would an elf kill a man who sought to lessen the restrictions and laws upon them? Bryni stood for everyone!” she replied.

“If a dark entity had taken control-“ she interrupted him by growling in frustration and continued her march towards the council who all seemed too busy to speak with her but they stopped and acknowledged her all taking their seats in a line before her behind a large oak desk they shared.

“Varrell, I was about to send for you, this is most convenient,” one of the council spoke.  

“High councilman Lilura,” Varrell greeted cordially but she wondered why she had been about to be summoned.

“You saw the body, right? That is why you are with Eizor now,” she asked.

“Yes, but was it really as Eizor claims? A dark entity has breached our city?” Varrell asked concern on her brow but outwardly composed. Inside her heart was pounding at the prospect of one of those dark entities having gained entrance through one of the elves she had seen into the city. They had all been collared except for Taeril and then she found Yathalin but surely, they would not have hindered their goal of seeing justice for their people and freeing them. Killing a councilman who spoke for them and spoke for the poor and underprivileged would surely be counter productive to that goal. It made no sense to her.

“It is undoubtedly an elf. We had heard that you had acquired a new elf, I never saw you as the type to have slaves,” Lilura said; her cold pale eyes looking sternly down at Varrell from her slightly elevated desk.

“I… he is a servant not a slave,” Varrell replied feeling her heart rate quicken even more at the mention of Taeril.

“Bring him,” she said and Varrell felt a cold sweat break out over her body. She could fetch him, but it would not be easy convincing him to appear before the council of which had members of the Shield of Innocence among them. Also, it could mean his end. If he were found out to be wearing a false collar, then they would deem him the guilty party and execute him for the murder of Councilman Bryni.