in quick succession to buy herself some much needed space. Breathing heavily, she dodged his next few attacks with the confidence of someone who knew where the blow was coming from, though the grace was still lacking.
“Enough,” Zanden said. They stood at rest and let their fire go out instantly. “Good,” he told Lynnalin, patting her on the shoulder. “You are learning to anticipate the attacks. That’s enough for today. You two get some rest. We make it to the border tomorrow.”
Chap ter 2
Marcy pumped the handle to get water from the well and fill the last of the canteens. Humming to herself, she began to sing. So lost was she in the song, an old ballad on the Sublinate/Culler War, she did not hear anyone approach. The sound of clapping startled her into dropping the canteen. Water spilled out onto the ground, quickly soaked up by the dry sand around the well. A large human man stood, leaning against the outer wall of the tavern. While she eyed him suspiciously, he stepped forward and picked up the canteen, handing it back to her.
“We don’t get too many elven women around here,” he commented.”
“I’m just passing through.” She stepped to the side, edging her way past him, but he matched her steps, not giving her an easy opening to leave. A good two heads taller than her and broad in the chest, he towered over her. She was not completely unaccustomed to being shorter than those around her. She grew up a full elf in a city full of half elves. Even Kern was only three quarters elf, so he had some added height from his human heritage. But this man was tall, even for a human. His eyes looked over her appraisingly, and she felt her stomach turn.
“This can be a dangerous place for a woman such as yourself,” he warned.
“I’ll be fine.” She moved to rush past him, but he grabbed her arm. Pulling her to him, he held her opposite shoulder with his other hand and leaned in to speak directly into her ear. His body wrapped around her like a cloak.
“Such a small thing like you needs protecting. Otherwise someone could try to take advantage of you.” He slid his hand down into the top of her blouse.
“I don’t need protecting,” she said defiantly, hiding her reaction to his touch.”
“Oh?” he answered, clearly unconcerned with what else she may have to say. His confidence ended a moment later with her next three words.
“I’m a Suriaxian.” Blue fire came to her hands, burning his arms and singeing his jacket. The man jumped back, his eyes wide with fear. Marcy fed the fire until it formed a small ball hovering just above her fingers. Making ready to throw it, the man jumped and ran away. Marcy closed her hand and extinguished the flame. “Oh, well, time to go.”
Grabbing the fallen canteens, she topped off the last one and plugged the cap in the hole. Rushing back to her room, she looked around for Thomas, but he was not around. She grabbed their travel bags off the bed and knocked next door, waiting for Kern to answer. Thomas sat looking over their map at a small table in the room. He looked up in surprise as she tossed him his bag. “We need to go.”
“She’s up there,” a voice called from down the stairs. Several sets of footsteps walked loudly up the steps.
Kern looked over at her. “For you, I presume?” She nodded. Kern pulled her inside the room and waited with the door half closed. Three men appeared over the stairs. The first two looked like some kind of constable or law officers. The third man looked panicked and had pretty bad burns just starting to blister on his hands. Kern shot a glance at Marcy, who shrugged.
“Can I help you?” he asked when the men stopped in front of his door.
“He’s harboring the Suriaxian,” the burned man shouted. One of the officers motioned him to be quiet and moved him a few steps down the hall. The other officer turned back to Kern with a serious face.
“There are claims you travel with a Suriaxian female. Is that
“Enough,” Zanden said. They stood at rest and let their fire go out instantly. “Good,” he told Lynnalin, patting her on the shoulder. “You are learning to anticipate the attacks. That’s enough for today. You two get some rest. We make it to the border tomorrow.”
Chap ter 2
Marcy pumped the handle to get water from the well and fill the last of the canteens. Humming to herself, she began to sing. So lost was she in the song, an old ballad on the Sublinate/Culler War, she did not hear anyone approach. The sound of clapping startled her into dropping the canteen. Water spilled out onto the ground, quickly soaked up by the dry sand around the well. A large human man stood, leaning against the outer wall of the tavern. While she eyed him suspiciously, he stepped forward and picked up the canteen, handing it back to her.
“We don’t get too many elven women around here,” he commented.”
“I’m just passing through.” She stepped to the side, edging her way past him, but he matched her steps, not giving her an easy opening to leave. A good two heads taller than her and broad in the chest, he towered over her. She was not completely unaccustomed to being shorter than those around her. She grew up a full elf in a city full of half elves. Even Kern was only three quarters elf, so he had some added height from his human heritage. But this man was tall, even for a human. His eyes looked over her appraisingly, and she felt her stomach turn.
“This can be a dangerous place for a woman such as yourself,” he warned.
“I’ll be fine.” She moved to rush past him, but he grabbed her arm. Pulling her to him, he held her opposite shoulder with his other hand and leaned in to speak directly into her ear. His body wrapped around her like a cloak.
“Such a small thing like you needs protecting. Otherwise someone could try to take advantage of you.” He slid his hand down into the top of her blouse.
“I don’t need protecting,” she said defiantly, hiding her reaction to his touch.”
“Oh?” he answered, clearly unconcerned with what else she may have to say. His confidence ended a moment later with her next three words.
“I’m a Suriaxian.” Blue fire came to her hands, burning his arms and singeing his jacket. The man jumped back, his eyes wide with fear. Marcy fed the fire until it formed a small ball hovering just above her fingers. Making ready to throw it, the man jumped and ran away. Marcy closed her hand and extinguished the flame. “Oh, well, time to go.”
Grabbing the fallen canteens, she topped off the last one and plugged the cap in the hole. Rushing back to her room, she looked around for Thomas, but he was not around. She grabbed their travel bags off the bed and knocked next door, waiting for Kern to answer. Thomas sat looking over their map at a small table in the room. He looked up in surprise as she tossed him his bag. “We need to go.”
“She’s up there,” a voice called from down the stairs. Several sets of footsteps walked loudly up the steps.
Kern looked over at her. “For you, I presume?” She nodded. Kern pulled her inside the room and waited with the door half closed. Three men appeared over the stairs. The first two looked like some kind of constable or law officers. The third man looked panicked and had pretty bad burns just starting to blister on his hands. Kern shot a glance at Marcy, who shrugged.
“Can I help you?” he asked when the men stopped in front of his door.
“He’s harboring the Suriaxian,” the burned man shouted. One of the officers motioned him to be quiet and moved him a few steps down the hall. The other officer turned back to Kern with a serious face.
“There are claims you travel with a Suriaxian female. Is that