The Elf Thief

Chapter 38: Of Monsters and Men

Chapter 38

Of Monsters and Men

            The wind blew the silvery-white snow across the cave opening. They were lucky to have found shelter on such short notice. If Sonya hadn’t seen the entrance through the blowing snow, they would both be long dead.

            A small fire barely burned in between Dearekk and her. They had managed to scavenge enough twigs and kindling to keep it burning, but the elf feared that they might have to resort to burning supplies to keep it going through the night.

            Closing her eyes for a moment, Sonya found herself jerking out of a light sleep more and more often. She could still hear the sound of the fire snapping and popping, but her mind drifted into slumber. Just for a little while, she could pretend that she was back in the Tunnels at home, sitting on her bed with Tatiana rattling on and on about something that didn’t matter. Then Sonya would remember where she was and it was if the cold winter wind snuck into the cave and slapped her across the face, waking her from her little fantasy.

            Dearekk chuckled a dark, humorless laugh from the corner. “Sleep, Sonya,” was all he said. The light from the fire barely flickered across his face, giving him an unearthly appearance.

            Shaking her head, Sonya replied, “No. Not until you do. We agreed to take shifts and I know if you take the first one, you won’t wake me up.”

            An all out laugh burst forth from Dearekk’s mouth, but it was bitter and almost threatening. “I couldn’t sleep if I wanted to,” he shot back. “It’s better if at least one of us has our wits about us.”

            For a long time, Sonya was silent. She studied the half-elf sitting before her, wondering how something half human could be so intriguing.  Humans, after all, were the essence of stupidity.  They were all so greedy, violent and selfish. She had always thought of humans as being worse than beasts, but here was a man, no a boy, who confused her to no end. He took the laws of her world and turned them upside down. He was a human who experienced grief and regret. And it made her think, how many others could be like him?

            “It wasn’t your fault,” as soon as the words slipped out of her mouth she regretted it. The strange look her companion was giving her forced the elf to elaborate. “The hermit’s death, I mean. It wasn’t your fault.” She shuddered to remember the way his kind, grey eyes disappeared behind the glowing mask of blue. It had been just like when he was fighting the hydra at the Gyresherm.

            Dearekk stood suddenly. He looked almost frightening as the light from the fire cast strange shadows upon the face she had grown to know so well. “It wasn’t my fault?” he hissed, anger lacing every word. “It wasn’t my fault? Sonya, I killed him! I killed an unarmed human being!”

            “No,” Sonya violently shook her head. “Did you see the way he was acting? It seemed like he was possessed. You killed him because he was moments away from attacking you.”

            The half-elf was by her side in an instant, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. “He wasn’t possessed, Sonya. I was! There is this…this thing inside of me that I can’t control! It comes out when I’m weakest and wreaks havoc on everything it can.” Letting go of her, Dearekk fell to the floor and put his face in his hands. “How did I kill him, Sonya? Did I snap his neck? Steal his soul?  I opened my eyes and all I saw was an old man with the light gone out of his eyes. What happened?”

            A tidal wave of memories washed through Sonya, causing a shiver to go down her spine as she recalled what happened back at the cabin. “You…” she cleared her throat, “You touched his forehead, said a few words I didn’t know, and then he fell over dead.” She stared at the ground, trying to think of something to say.