Tender Mercies: Book 1 - Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Confrontation

Kelnozz glared at the unconscious form of his friend. Unnaturally strong due to his special nature, Kelnozz still had trouble pulling the makeshift stretcher that the large barbarian occupied. Resigning himself to the work, Kelnozz redoubled his efforts and tugged anew on the crudely lashed together branches.

Nordan groaned when Kelnozz pulled the stretched over a rock and caused it to bump into the ground. The elf stopped and studied his wounded friend. Hearing him make noise was a good sign, even if it was one caused by pain. He'd been injured very badly when they had ridden Elluviatel to the ground in less a landing then a crash. The impact had paralyzed the already wounded elder dragon, allowing Kelnozz the time to gather his wits about him and see that while he was in pain from a dozen places, none of them were mortal wounds. He then set to dispatching Elluviatel with his new long sword, marveling at how it sliced through the tough dragon hide as if it were warm butter.

Nordan had not landed as well, being thrown from the dragon when it hit and bouncing off a rock before he came to rest by plowing a rut in several yards of the hot sand of the desert.

Kelnozz had then quickly determined that Nordan still lived, and marshalling up strength he did not know he possessed, he ignored his weariness and hoisted the barbarian over his shoulder and carried him. For two long days he had trudged through the desert, resting as best he could during the hottest hours of the day, and walking through the cooler hours and the night. After two days he was exhausted beyond even an elves ability to comprehend.

His luck held true then, for he noticed the sand was turning darker. Stumbling blindly through the third night, Kelnozz found that the desert had ended, tall grasses swayed in the gentle breezes, rubbing against his knees. He plodded on, walking through subconscious will more then anything, and only stopped when his balance betrayed him and slipped on a wet rock under the surface of the stream he was walking through.

Coming briefly to his senses in the cool water, Kelnozz grabbed Nordan where he had fallen and hauled him back onto the shore. Joining his comatose companion, he fell asleep instantly.

---

Waking up a few hours later, Kelnozz still felt exhausted, but when he realized they had found water and escape from the desert, his spirits lifted. He had slaked his thirst in the river then tried to force Nordan to drink some water as well, but he suspected his efforts had been wasted.

With small trees nearby, Kelnozz set about making a stretcher for Nordan, and accomplished it fairly easily. The first one had fallen apart after a few hours of pulling the heavy barbarian, but the second one had lasted Kelnozz the additional two days it had taken him to encounter the foothills he was now near.

Checking the sun for both time and direction, Kelnozz cursed again. He was on the western edge of the desert, weeks from any civilized towns or even roads. The Town of Sanctuary lay three weeks to the east and north of the desert, and he was easily two weeks from that point. To the northwest lay the Periphery, after another week of travel by foot. To the south lay the eastern edge of the desert and empty scrub land for many miles, turning into a hard caked salt flats for even further. To the West lay hills and barren lands inhabited by fey creatures for many miles, and beyond them, a swamp home to even more fell beings. In the midst of the swamp a settlement of tough humans had set up and flourished, however, so Kelnozz figured that Nordan's only hope lay in that direction, though it was well over a week of travel away as well.

With the sun sinking for the day, Kelnozz set the end of the stretcher he was hanging on to down and checked on Nordan again. His color was still very pale and his breathing remained shallow. Scowling again, Kelnozz set about to look for firewood for a campfire for the rest of the day. Some meat would do him well too, as he had been surviving on dried rations for many days now.

Kelnozz returned to where Nordan was resting with an bunch of sticks and grasses under one arm and the other arm carrying a pheasant he had taken down with a well thrown dagger. He set flint to steel and soon had a fire started. A brief foray into the surrounding wilds with his sword earned him more firewood, which he fed into the fire and soon felt its warmth spreading. He plucked the feathers off of the pheasant and soon had it spitted for cooking. It was then that he felt eyes watching him.

Glancing around casually, as though still unaware, Kelnozz searched for whoever it was that had come across them. He saw nothing, even after getting up and moving around a bit under the pretense of checking on Nordan. Kelnozz turned the pheasant again, unwilling to betray his instincts so quickly. He closed his eyes and focused on his senses. He smelled the pheasant cooking mixed with wood smoke. A soft warm breeze blew through the campfire, bringing the promise of warmth and greener grasses. The crackling of the fire relaxed him, as did the grass and leaves rustling against each other. Nordan's breathing was so shallow that even Kelnozz's elven hearing had trouble picking it up over the noise of the tree limbs groaning with their own weight and the gentle breeze.

Kelnozz's eyes flew open then, he looked up sharply, hands flying to his longswords simultaneously. A large leopard looked down at him, meeting his gaze unflinchingly from where it rested in the crook of a large tree limb overlooking the camp site. Knowing it had been discovered, the leopard leapt down from the tree gracefully and stood on the other side of the fire from Kelnozz. It yawned and stretched then, before laying down on its belly, still facing him.

Knowing a large cat to be a dangerous thing, Kelnozz eyed it wearily. He found it odd to see the leopard just sitting where it was, instead of running off and hiding or attacking. After a few tense moments, he sat down again and returned to roasting his pheasant. The leopard watched him for a moment, then began to bathe itself with its tongue. Kelnozz smirked at the sight, but remained wary in case it's behavior suddenly changed.

A few moments later Kelnozz judged the pheasant done, and pulled it away from the flames. The leopard's attention riveted on him as he ate. In spite of several days of unfulfilling trial rations, Kelnozz stopped before the pheasant was gone and tossed what was left on the carcass to the leopard. The leopard sniffed it a couple of times, then scooped it up in its mouth and hungrily chomped away at it. The pheasant disappeared in moments, leaving no sign of its passing save the pile of feathers that was even now blowing away in the breeze.

The leopard stretched again then rose to its feet. Kelnozz's hands rested cautiously near his long swords. He rose to his feet when the great cat moved closer to Nordan and began sniffing him, in particular his wounds.

"Back off cat, or I'll have more for dinner still," Kelnozz warned, his voice low.

The leopard looked up at him at the sound of his voice, head cocked to the side questioningly. It took a step back and then, before Kelnozz's eyes, it seemed to shrink into itself. It sat down on its haunches and buried its head under its paws, mewling softly. Before Kelnozz could do anything, it began to shift and change before his eyes. The fur grew shorter at first, then the bones began to move and flow under its skin. Its arms and legs grew longer, and a different sort of hair, golden and long grew out of its head. When it looked up again Kelnozz saw the features of a beautiful light elven woman. She stood back up as the change finished, nude but uninhibited.

Kelnozz drew both his blades and hissed, "Be gone, shape shifter! You'll have nothing from us!"

Her expression went from neutral to sadness. "Hold, traveler, I am no lycanthrope, I wish you and your companion no harm if you wish no harm to the lands around you."

"Not a were-creature? Then what are you? A light elven sorceress?" Kelnozz said, his voice thick with the tone of distrust.

She sighed unhappily, her eyes looking to the color of her skin and then his. "I am a light elf, I grant you that, but I am no sorceress, I am a druid."

Kelnozz laughed sharply, "I should kill you now for the lies you speak, if not simply because you are a light elf. You have done me no wrong yet, leave now and I shall let you live!"

"Do I truly look so evil to you, warrior? I have nothing, no weapons, no armor, no clothing." She said, holding her hands out to show she was indeed truly naked. "Your companion is gravely wounded, I can help him if you will let me. You have shown me kindness, I would like to repay you in kind."

Kelnozz studied her carefully. Her figure was slim and well toned, but curvy enough to clearly impress her womanly charms upon any man. Her breasts were small, but among light elves that was common. His eyes briefly rested upon the golden tangle of curls where her legs joined, wondering lewdly if at the weapon she had hidden down there. He abandoned his thoughts quickly though, focusing upon her eyes again.

"Aye, you have no obvious weapons, but in a matter of seconds you could be that cat again, or perhaps something even more dangerous."

"No," she explained, "I can only take the form of each animal once a day, I could become a bear, wolf, eagle, or many other things, but not a cat again. Such are the limits placed upon me by Carson."

"Please, traveler, let me aid him," she said after several long moments in which Kelnozz debated internally. "He will not survive for much longer if he's not cared for."

Kelnozz knew the last to be true, but he also knew of Nordan's hardy nature. After a few more moments of thought, Kelnozz nodded. "Alright, help him, but I will be behind you the entire time, should you harm him in any way, you'll be dead ere you can finish your work!"

The light elf smiled thankfully at Kelnozz and moved closer to Nordan. She straddled his body and bent over, studying him carefully, starting at his face and moving down his chest and to his feet. Kelnozz moved closer to her, both swords drawn and ready to strike. He watched her movements carefully, trying not to become distracted by her nakedness  as she bent over unashamedly. Her nether lips were parted just enough to reveal the pink interior and promise a sweet relief to be found inside. He shook his head to clear the wanton thoughts and watched her until she stood back up and turned to face him.

"I must gather some herbs to make a few poultices for his greater wounds," She explained. "Will you walk with me or trust me not to leave you?"

Kelnozz glanced to where Nordan slept. He nodded his head and turned to her, "I will follow you."

The light elf smiled, "I am known as Jethallin, and while you are within these lands nothing shall visit harm upon you or your friend."

"How can you be so certain, are you in good with the orcs and light elves in these hills?" Kelnozz retorted sharply.

She turned to look at him, a hurt look in her eyes that quickly faded. "Nay, warrior, I am a druid, as I said. I have sworn to protect these lands, from the edge of the desert to the south and the east to the swamp to the west and the mountains in the north. Nothing enters these lands without my knowledge, and any bearing ill will to the inhabitants are dealt with, harshly if need be."

Kelnozz smirked. "You're that powerful?" He said sarcastically.

"Alone I am not, but with the help of the many animals within my demesne, we are very formidable to those who would be the enemies of nature." She explained.

To illustrate her point, they walked into a clearing with two deer grazing in it. The deer looked up and saw Jethallin, and walked over to her calmly. She smiled kindly as she stroked their necks. They seemed to enjoy the treatment, then caught the scent of Kelnozz behind her. Ears up, they snorted in fear at the stranger. Jethallin soothed them using words Kelnozz could not understand and by continuing to pet them. Finally she smiled to Kelnozz and motioned for him to follow her.

"I have a friend who could do similar things," Kelnozz said, beginning to drop his hostility towards her.

"A druid? I thought we were few and far between, how is it you know of one yet did not believe me?" She asked, genuinely curious.

"My friend is a ranger, he serves Carson as well… or he served him, at least," Kelnozz said, his tone turning darker towards the end as he remembered what had happened to Martin.

"I'm sorry, has he passed on?" She seemed concerned and saddened at the news, Kelnozz was thoroughly uncertain of what to make of the woman.

"Nay, he lives on, but he lost his arm a week ago."

She nodded. "I understand. If his faith is strong, he will overcome it. Why Carson himself is said to have lost his arm long ago, a magical arm crafted of metal replaced it, perhaps your friend is even closer to Carson because of this? Only the Gods can say."

Kelnozz frowned at her religious talk, but remained silent, following her deeper into the woods. She stopped and bent over again to pluck some mold from the base of a tree, and Kelnozz again found his eyes drawn to her exposed sex. He felt his blood beginning to warm, causing him to look away and blush in spite of himself.

"Will you tell me what caused those great wounds on your friend?" She asked somewhat timidly. She could sense the great hesitation in Kelnozz to tell her anything, so she did not want to make him suspicious. "I see you have been wounded as well, but you hide yours better."

Kelnozz started, surprised by her observation. "Aye, it was a great battle, but my wounds were lesser and I was able to move, so I had to do what needed doing."

She turned to face him, staring deeply into his eyes. "Yes, that as well, but I think you have a far deeper wound within you that I can't help you heal."

Kelnozz met her gaze without flinching, his first instinct was to grow angry with her prying, but her openness and honest eyes quelled that urge almost instantly. He held her gaze without saying anything until she turned away from him and knelt down in the middle of a patch of thorns.

She felt around on the ground with her fingers until she found whatever it was she was looking for, then sank her fingers into the soft earth and pulled out a few tender roots. She walked back to Kelnozz and Kelnozz noticed that not only were her hands clean and free of any dirt, but the thorns had not scratched or punctured her skin anywhere. She smiled at him and turned to walk a different direction into the forest. Kelnozz glanced back to the patch of briars before shrugging and hurrying to catch up with her.

"My companion and I are were after something Elluviatel has. He caught us unprepared though, with four other blue dragons to back him up. My friend and I ended up on Elluviatel's back, striking blow after blow while he grappled with our other companion. Finally his wounds were so great that Elluviatel was forced to the ground, with us still upon his back. My friend did not land as well as I did, and after slaying a mortally wounded Elluviatel, I carried him out of the desert."

Jethallin stopped walking to listen to his tale, her eyes wide in wonder. "You have slain Elluviatel? He alone has been a plague to me over the years, raiding the lands I protect for food and sport! He is one of the elder dragons!"

Kelnozz nodded. "Aye, and our other companion was wounded greatly himself, but he flew off, leading the remaining four dragons on a merry chase."

"Your other companion flew off?" Jethallin said, confused.

"Aye, he is a blue dragon as well."

Jethallin turned around again and began walking towards her next objective. She stopped after a few steps and turned around to face him, her expression one of curiosity. "Who are you? No, wait, what are you?"

Kelnozz chuckled, real amusement instead of scorn. "I am Kelnozz Risingmoon, champion of the dark elven people. My friend is Nordan, a barbarian of clan Helmsmasher, and easily the mightiest warrior of his tribe. Your people know me well, for I have fought with them many times, and it is my former companion that now leads them."

Jethallin shook her head. "I am sorry, I know little of the affairs of people, whether mine, yours, or other. I remember stories when I was a little girl living in a city far to the north of here inside the mountains you call The Periphery, but little more then that. I remember that light elves are evil, though they did not consider themselves to be so, but little more then that."

"How did you know of Elluviatel then?" Kelnozz said, his suspicion returning.

"I have tended this land for hundreds of years, Kelnozz. Elluviatel is my neighbor and has often troubled me, the animals knew and feared him, it is through them that I learned of him and fought him."

Kelnozz nodded, accepting her explanation. She stared at him for a few more minutes before finally extending her hand. "It is a great honor for me to meet you, Kelnozz. I pray that before you leave you will call me friend."

Kelnozz accepted her hand and shook it in a warriors embrace in respect of her sincerity. "Why is it such an honor, I am only doing that which I have to do."

"There is something about you…" Jethallin trailed off, staring at Kelnozz but in a way that made him feel as though she was looking at something behind him. "Yes, you have a connection to this world and nature stronger then any I have yet to see."

Kelnozz shrugged off her comments and said, "Be that as it may, Nordan weakens, we must help him, let us be about our business."

Jethallin studied him a moment longer before nodding and smiling. "I'm sorry, I've just never met anything such as you. Of course you are right, let's hurry."

Kelnozz followed her as she gathered more roots and herbs. Several times he caught himself admiring her body in ways that he felt he should not have been. Even in the most jaded section of the most jaded city the whores had some modesty. Here was someone seemed to completely lack it. Or rather, instead of lacking modesty, she simply did not understand what the concept was. Kelnozz could not understand it until they wandered by a coyote rolling on the ground trying to scratch its back, it ignored them completely, instead focusing on ridding itself of the itch. It was at that point that Kelnozz understood.

Jethallin was like an animal, she had been one with the wilderness for so long that she had forgotten civilized notions such as humility and modesty. She simply did not realize that many of her poses and positions were causing Kelnozz difficulties. Kelnozz had thought she was trying to seduce him at first, now he realized she was unaware of what her actions could be mistaken as.

Finally they returned to the campsite, Kelnozz had gotten lost in their travels, but Jethallin led him back unerringly. Once there, she used rocks to grind the roots into a paste and took some water from Kelnozz's water skin to make some poultices with the other herbs she had gathered. She wrapped them around Nordan's more serious wounds, chanting something under her breath with each one. By the time she was done, Nordan was already breathing deeper and easier, and some of his color had begun to return.

"My thanks, Jethallin, I admit to being wrong about you," Kelnozz said after he checked on Nordan and saw that he was indeed doing better. They had built the fire back up some as well to provide some warmth for the quickly approaching night.

"No thanks needed, I can see you've had a great many injuries, most are none that I can help you with, yet I offer you what peace I can. All who enter these lands with no evil in their hearts are welcome." Jethallin stood up from where she lay on the far side of the fire and walked over to where Kelnozz sat. She sat next to him and studied him carefully.

"Nordan will awaken in two or three days, and after another two days of rest he will be ready to move on, where will you go next?" She asked.

Kelnozz smiled. "Nay, if he will awaken on the morrow, he'll be ready to move the same day, or at the latest the next one. He's the strongest human I've ever met, and he's probably the dumbest as well!" Kelnozz said the last good naturedly, enjoying the chance to poke fun at his friend without him being able to retort.

"From here we must search out Elluviatel's lair to find what it is we seek, then we must set out for the lair of Cuivegirth for something he holds. After Cuivegirth we must set to with Ancaruin for the magical key he holds," Kelnozz continued.

Jethallin gasped slightly. Kelnozz looked away from the fire to stare at her. Her expression was one of surprise and fear. "What troubles you?" Kelnozz asked.

"Ancaruin," she whispered the name as if to speak it aloud would bring troubles. "I know of him. He is not of this world, he came here when the world was young, the first of his kind. If you seek to fight him, be warned, he is not a part of Viconia and will not be destroyed by normal means."

Kelnozz looked to the sky, studying the stars through the canopy of tree limbs above them. He pondered again the wisdom in the course he had chosen to follow. So lost in thought was he that he scarcely noticed when Jethallin curled up against him. He idly wondered if she sought companionship, but based upon her actions all day and even then, it appeared merely for the sake of sharing warmth as the temperature dropped rapidly for nightfall. Kelnozz soon found his own eyelids growing heavy. The pain in his side from the fight had faded to near numbness at long last and now he was simply weary. He let the weariness take him at last, drawing him into the sweet oblivion of sleep.

---

Kelnozz awoke to feeling someone curled up against his side. He looked around, gathering his wits to him and realized he was nude. Not remembering anything, he moved and Jethallin stirred beside him. She looked at him sleepily and grinned. Stretching she rolled over and began inspecting his side. Kelnozz glanced down at it and saw that it was bandaged with a poultice similar to the ones Nordan had on his injuries.

"What happened?" Kelnozz asked, suddenly feeling the itching sensation under it.

"I woke up and noticed that you were cradling your side, when I checked more closely, I saw how blood had soaked through your mail and tunic, so I took them off of you and cared for your wound," Jethallin explained, smiling at him and handing him a skin of water to drink from. "Since you didn't tell me about that wound, I suspected there might be more, so I decided to find out for myself. You had lost enough blood that you slept through it all."

"Well then, my thanks. I would have healed on my own I believe, but with your aid I do feel better." Kelnozz looked about until he located his equipment, laying in a pile just behind him. Feeling relieved at it's proximity, he turned his attention back to Jethallin.

She was staring at his body somewhat strangely. "It has been a long time since I have had the company of people," she said, looking up to his eyes nervously. "I… um, I can help you more, if you'd like. I mean, I can help you heal some of the deeper wounds," She stammered out the last, blushing in embarrassment.

Kelnozz smiled, realizing what she was getting at. To answer her, he reached out and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. Thoughts of Alesha rushed through his head for a fleeting moment, but he pushed the away and forced himself to think only of the present.

Jethallin returned the kiss, shy and timid at first, but after a moment her enthusiasm made up for her lack of experience. Kelnozz's hands roamed over her body, exploring and groping her gently. When at last he parted the golden forest below and found the valley it hid, he found it already damp and only waiting for his presence. He gently parted her lips and probed at her with one finger, testing her out by slowly sliding it inside of her, deeper and deeper until he could reach no further. She moaned against him, trying to grind herself against his palm.

With his other hand the dark elf reached around behind her and pinched and pulled at her nipple. Jethallin squirmed under his ministrations, growing hotter by the moment. After a few minutes of this, she growled and pulled away from him. Rolling over, she got on her hands and knees and backed up to him, brushing her ass against his side.

Never one to ignore the obvious, Kelnozz moved so that he was kneeling behind her, his cock stiffening in his hand as he directed it toward her. Jethallin grunted when Kelnozz's cock began to push inside of her. She thrust back roughly at him, surprising him with her roughness. A few more thrusts and she had taken his length inside of her. She continued to pull and push back, stroking his shaft with her pussy, grunting and growling deep in her throat like an animal caught up in the throes of ecstasy.

Kelnozz found himself drawn along with her toward the more animalistic nature of things. He thrust himself against her harder, trying to pierce her deeply with his dark elf spear. They rutted against each other, each striving to gain control, all the while Kelnozz fell under her spell. Soon all that mattered to him was seating himself into her and unloading his strained testicles of their full load.

It seemed to take forever, but happened to quickly. Kelnozz felt the familiar feeling begin to surge up within, but he was powerless to do anything to slow or aid it. Jethallin was growling loudly now, thrusting her loins back against him forcefully. Her pussy had spasmed many times already, clenching and unclenching around his manhood. She felt Kelnozz's cock swell, and threw her head back and howled.

Kelnozz joined her by grunting loudly as he felt his cock burst, pouring his seed deeo within her. Their hips quaked and jerked in mutual orgasm as they thrust against each other a few more powerful times before Kelnozz's collapsed on top of her. Jethallin had no strength to hold him up with, however, and she collapsed to the ground as well. He rolled over, exhausted as they pulled apart. His dark shaft withdrew from her, leaving a glob of cum to drool from her open pussy. In moments, they were both sleeping soundly from their exertions.

---

When he awoke, Kelnozz found himself feeling much better. More then just physically, he felt as though a small part of his spirit had been healed as well. Rising to his feet, he gathered up his equipment and armor and donned it. Jethallin stirred herself and sat up to watch him. She smiled at him kindly, and looked to the sky. Several hours had passed, and now it was easily past the mid day. She rose to her feet and wandered off into the forest saying that she would gather some food for them.

Kelnozz checked on Nordan again, and was amazed at his rate of recovery. His wounds were rapidly healing. His breathing had returned to normal, as has his color. Kelnozz was surprised he had not already woken, in fact. He set his mind to wondering at the strange creature that was Jethallin. A light elf that was different from her kind. While possible, it struck him as odd. The way she had bucked and fought during their lovemaking had left an impression on him as well. She was certainly a creature of the wild, for he could imagine two animals mating in a similar fashion. He found himself not really concerned about it though, for he felt great. His own wounds were nearly healed as well, and inside he felt much more light hearted and optimistic about their troubles.

"What did you do to me?" Kelnozz asked her when she returned carrying various nuts and berries.

Jethallin looked at him and smiled secretly. "Sorry, it's a secret. All I can tell you that I put you back in touch with nature."

Kelnozz nodded, thoughtful for a moment, then smiling and accepting it. He knew he would not have settled for that answer a day ago, but whatever she had done to him had made him trust her.

Spreading out some leafs on the ground, Jethallin divided the nuts and berries up between them. Kelnozz frowned at the rabbit food, then shrugged and ate it. After their lunch, the druid checked and removed Nordan's poultices, saying that he would no longer need them. Kelnozz could tell she was surprised at how quickly the barbarian was healing as well.

It was during her ministrations that Nordan woke. She gasped in surprise as his hand grabbed her arm with the strength of iron. He rolled over on top of her and draw a fist back threateningly.

"Nordan, stop!" Kelnozz said, leaping to him and standing in front of him.

Nordan looked at his companion and relaxed a bit. "Well met, elf. You capture this light elf or something?"

"Or something," Kelnozz said, motioning for Nordan to let her go. Once he did, Kelnozz explained everything that had happened to them after they had ridden Elluviatel to the ground.

"We must get the key," Nordan said after he checked to make sure all of his equipment was still with him. He was missing a few items, but he still had his hammer, so he was content.

"Aye, but we don't know where he lairs, and wondering lost in the desert is not something I care to repeat!" Kelnozz said.

"I can help," Jethallin said, speaking for the first time since Nordan had risen.

"How?" Both men asked at the same time.

Jethallin looked from one to the other and saw the companionship between them. She also saw the needs that drove them. Both were destined for far more then they knew, she could see that about them. "The animals here and there know of where you seek, they can guide you."

"You won't come with us?" Kelnozz asked, surprised to find himself disappointed.

"I can not leave my grove," Jethallin said.

Kelnozz nodded. Nordan just shrugged, disappointed that the naked elf would not be sharing his bed any time soon, but glad to be away from a light elf, all the same. He respected Kelnozz's trust of her, but the elf had made bad decisions about women before. Rarely, but it had happened. Then again, all of them were mistaken about Alesha… and possibly still were.

---

They had left the next morning, guided to the edge of the lands Jethallin granted protection by the druid herself. Kelnozz found himself expecting some sort of difficult good bye from Jethallin, but instead she merely smiled enigmatically at him and bid them both safe journeys. With refreshed packs and water skins, they followed the coyote that would guide them on their first day.

Kelnozz felt he should keep his encounter with Jethallin to himself, but that first night around the fire he found himself telling Nordan. Nordan was surprised to hear Kelnozz speak of such things, rarely did the elf share tales of his exploits with him. Nevertheless, he listened raptly, for if Nordan could not wench and live vicariously at present, then he would get as close to it as he could!

Their guides for the next several days were varied. A fox one day, and a wolf the next. A leopard led them, then a hawk. Never the same animal twice. Kelnozz wondered if any, especially the leopard, were Jethallin changed into an animal form, but none of the creatures showed any signs of abnormal interest or intelligence to them. It was their final guide that cheered them all up, for a rabbit led them to a large grove in which rested a blue dragon.

"Luingirth!" Kelnozz cried out happily, rushing towards him. The dragon displayed what Nordan had learned was a dragon's version of a grin, though it looked fearsome to the uninitiated.

"Verily, friend," Luingirth responded, rising to sit proudly. "It doth me good to see thou both hath survived."

"What of the dragons chasing you?" Kelnozz asked.

Luingirth chuckled, another fearsome noise if not familiar enough to identify. "They do battle with thine people at Sanctuary. I led them there and escaped."

"Guess you're not getting to slow in your old age," Kelnozz quipped, climbing aboard Luingirth's back.

"Thou hath well nigh 100 years on me, rogue," The dragon chided in turn while Nordan joined Kelnozz on his back.

"Ha!" Kelnozz laughed. "To the skies, friend, we must plunder Elluviatel's lair for the key!"

With no more to say, Luingirth leapt upwards, streaking into the evening air. Unerringly, he flew them towards where they had encountered Elluviatel the first time, and from there began to search for the dragons lair.

---

Kelnozz and Nordan had been gone for nearly a week when word reached Jethallin through the animals she protected. While sunning herself and idly rubbing her belly after a refreshing swim in a pond a songbird began chirping out a warning to her of several men trespassed on her lands. She tried her usual tricks, trying to bend the forest and nature against them to drive them out of it. Their power was mighty, however, and they fought against it. Piercing the illusion, they began to lay waste to the lands, butchering any animal they encountered as well as setting fire to trees and uprooting smaller vegetation.

Fearing the loss of any more wildlife, Jethallin decided to face them herself. She called upon mighty majicks of nature, rending the earth under their feet, animating great trees as her allies, even bringing great storms and thunderous lightning against them. She felled many of the invaders, but the man at their center was to powerful to be defeated, and it was his wizardry that captured her. She learned of their nature soon, they were light elves, like herself.

Recaptured by her own people, Jethallin knew better then to expect mercy. She silently grieved not for herself, but for all the work that had gone undone, as well as the unborn child of Kelnozz's that she had conceived. She had to use great magic to allow a dark elf and a light elf to produce any offspring in the first place, for thousands of years ago when the light elves altered themselves, they made it all but impossible for the two races to interbreed. Such power used at its inception would surely show in the child and raise its own potential so much more. It would never grow to adulthood, never learn of its father, and never realize the potential it would have.

The wizard claimed her as his own, upon seeing her a light elf, and with powerful magic reached inside of her mind and shattered her free will. He bent her wants to those of serving him. It was Jethallin's last bit of power and free will that enabled her to hide her knowledge of her early pregnancy from him. She hoped at some point the child would be able to escape the life of a light elf.

With a newly submissive wife in tow, the armed band of light elves proceeded towards Elluviatel's lair, to offer their services as guards if he accepted, or if he had already fallen, to return word of it to Alesha.

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"My lady, Elluviatel has fallen," Jethallin's new husband said, speaking into the magical rift he had summoned. Alesha stood on the other side, reacting calmly to the news.

"Return to Mezarbolle, Lord Kinslayer, and join my army on the march," Alesha told him. His powers were strong enough that even Alesha had no intention of crossing him without a good reason. She knew she could defeat him if she had to, but it would not be easy and would leave her weakened.

Alesha was troubled. Nothing had happened since she and Cuivegirth had laid their trap in the ancient lair of Tiamat. Nothing until a week prior she had suddenly felt something change in her. Examining it closely, she found her bond with Kelnozz had suddenly weakened and become tenuous. That bothered her, for she knew not what the implications were. Even following that bond did her little good, for his defenses were complete against her powers, but she had hoped that she would be able to use that bond against him when the time came.

"They will try to plunder the key from mein lair next," Cuivegirth said, rousing Alesha from her reverie. Alesha nodded, knowing it would do them no good, for even if they had defeated the guardians there, they would not find it. Cuivegirth had brought it with him. "Should they outlive that, then Ancaruin will be their final foe."

"Why aren't we waiting back there then?" Alesha asked, knowing that Kelnozz and Nordan would be unable to defeat a dragon as old and powerful as Ancaruin. Ancaruin was, in fact, the one being she had met that she had absolutely no doubts as to who was the mightier.

Cuivegirth hissed out an evil chuckle at her question. "Thy companions are full of surprises."

Alesha scowled at the poisonous gas the dragon exhaled by chuckling. She waved her hand and freshened the air in the cavern with her magic. Instead of responding she lapsed into silence, brooding over the lack of action she was forced to take. Her army was marshalling, she felt she should be leading it. Cuivegirth alone was no match for Kelnozz and Nordan, however, especially if the rumors held true that they had a blue dragon as an ally. She wondered again how that had come to pass, but had no way of knowing.

Instead she resigned herself to lapsing into meditation and sending her consciousness into the sword to speak yet again with Talifernon. She still had many things to learn from the powerful demon. She also enjoyed helping him torment the soul of Kallendel, which, though weakened closer to the brink of madness each day, still resided within the sword as well.

Continued in Chapter 14

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