Eris' Handmaiden Page 7

Flayer Kegnar squinted his eyes slightly as he tried to distinguish the figures in the distance. From their size, they appeared to be kobolds, though they did not move with the usual speed and grace. Dwarves, perhaps? He scratched his head slowly, removing a good number of lichens in the process. The ground creaked as he shifted his weight and headed outside of the fort for a closer look.

Darrius grumbled as he heaved the unconscious woman forward. Glancing around at the other kobolds who has left him to move the body, he muttered bitterly, “Dis bedder be werth haulin dis humin around.” Knutha ignored her companion, her mind focused on the mystery of the unnamed enemy. Her thoughts drifted again to the shade which accompanied her—why could she not commune with it?

Korth lifted his hand slightly, and the party paused. As the lumbering figure drew closer, the elder bowed slightly, and with another silent gesture, motioned to the group to be still. Though the trolls were allies, some retained an appetite for kobolds, and it was much better to err on the side of caution.

Flayer Kegnar grunted uncomfortably as he bent over the woman, poking a cold, granite fingertip into her side. The body lay motionless as the troll moved his hand under her head and turned her face towards him. Brushing her salt and sand encrusted hair away, he examined the bruise that masked her features. “Dis alive?”

Korth nodded to the guard. “She enemy, wash up on shore,” Korth replied, as he stared at the body for a moment, pensively. “We takin her back to Sarry.” Kegnar emitted a deep grinding sound as he nodded slowly. Wrapping his hand around the woman’s waist, he slung her over his shoulder, and motioned to the kobolds to follow.

The streets of Fort Atla were welcoming. Although the setting of the sun brought a chill to the air, the tall, wooden walls encircling the city shielded it from the ocean breeze. Already, sounds of laughter and singing surrounded the local tavern. Darrius sighed deeply as the party passed the tavern and approached another building on the northeast side of town.

Knutha knocked firmly on the door. As the door opened, the party was met by an elder kobold, who smiled brightly as he surveyed the group. Nodding to Korth, he turned towards the spiritmistress, his eyes glowing warmly. “Knuthka!” he smiled. Knutha’s cheeks turned slightly purple. It had been years since anyone had called her by that name. “Allo Sarry,” she whispered. Sarry surveyed the group of kobolds, his smile fading slightly as he noticed the guard and the woman draped over his shoulder. “Wat truble yu gotten into, Knuthka? Com inside.”

Flayer Kegnar slowly ducked forward and entered the hut, followed by the kobolds. Furrowing his brow slightly, Sarry surveyed the room, then motioned towards a fur covered bench. Almost effortlessly, Kegnar deposited the limp human on the bench, and then nodded to the group before returning to his post. “Beder tie dat ting up, case it wake an make truble,” the troll mentioned as he headed out the door. Korbel, who had remained silent for most of the trip, bristled slightly as the troll spoke. The woman was an enemy, but she did not look so different from the humans who lived and fought alongside the kobolds. There was no reason to treat her so harshly.

Korth took a step towards the body, and began whispering as his hands moved gracefully through the air. As he spoke the last words, dark vines emerged from the bench, weaving themselves around the woman’s wrists and ankles. Korbel gasped instinctively “not too tite!” Knutha snapped her head around towards Korbel, glaring at him sternly. “She enemy, dun ferget dat.” Korbel nodded slowly and stepped towards the back of the group. “But she my treashure,” he whispered, lowering his eyes to the floor.

Sarry turned towards the group, and motioned towards the door. “Elders take care ob dis now, yus did well to bring her here.” Korbel sighed sadly as he made his way towards the door, along with the others. Darrius turned towards Knutha. “We be in tavern. If she werth anyting, yu share wit Darrius,” he spoke in a low voice. Knutha nodded slightly, rolling her eyes as she turned back towards the body. How simple-minded some could be.

Korth and the spiritmasters moved towards the body as the others slipped out of the hut. “Knuthka, tell me wat goin on,” Sarry spoke to his former apprentice. Knutha explained Korbel’s story, and of their journey to the beach. Sarry moved closer to the woman and examined her armor. ‘Yu rite she enemy,” he spoke as he lifted the cloth remnants away from her chain armor. Brushing her sand-matted red hair away from her face, he inspected the bruise, then gently pressed his wrinkled blue hand against her forehead. “She alibe, but not be fer long if she remain in dese clothes. She geddin cold.”

Knutha nodded slightly and looked into Sarry’s eyes. “Yu feel dat?” she spoke quietly. Sarry nodded. “Somtin watchin her, bound to her,” the elder replied. Closing his eyes, he chanted silently, focusing on the energies of the spirit world. He shivered slightly.

“Dere is terrible pain,” he whispered. Focusing more intently on the dark cloud that surrounded the woman, he begged the spirit to speak. In all his years he had never experienced a soul so trapped, torn between Niflheim and the world of the living. Shaking his head sadly, he opened his eyes, and took a seat at the table. Korth and Knutha joined him, perplexed.

Sarry stared at the wall, silently lost in thought. Scratching his fingertips against the table, he cocked his head slightly to the side. “Many year ago, Sarry meet spiritmistress. She humin, but do good ting fer me family, save me only daughter wen troll guards wan to execute her.” He paused for a moment. “Dere were somtin about dis woman, make many uneasy. She habbed bond wit deth beyond any spiritmaster me seen before or after. Many uses spirits fer power, but dis woman, she different. Habbed no care fer power but only wanned to git closer to deth herself.”

Sarry motioned towards the woman on the bench. “Tonite we dry her off, keep her alibe. In morning yu bring body to Livilla, she find dis spirit.” Sarry smiled at Knutha. “In meantime, yu spend a lil time wit yer old master, tell me how yu be all dese years.”