Tales of Fire and Ruin

Dismissal

I had to tell them.

I couldn't allow an elf to stay within the walls of the Montbow mansion without my family knowing who was sleeping across the hallway. Endris had promised to keep an eye on Oleander, but he was only one man—a partisan man—who had clearly taken a liking to his charge.

As usual, my mother led the way home and everyone else followed, with Conrad and Valda riding side by side, and me riding beside Endris and Oleander. Guilt picked at my conscience as we climbed the rugged ridge leading to our mansion, but I pushed it away. I couldn't speak up about the elf in front of Endris. I still needed the grouchy guide to take me on a dragon hunt, and I needed him to do so for free.

Once we reached the mansion, I dismounted my horse with deliberate slowness to ensure I was near the end of the line, behind Oleander. We walked to the stables out back, and a rush of shame heated up my face as the elf's gaze gliding over the walls of our home. Salt and slime had corroded stone over time, and veins of climbing plants swarmed upward. The embarrassment at Oleander noticing the pitiful state of the mansion only grew after we had brought the horses to the stables and went inside.

Entering the foyer, it was immediately clear vultures had feasted here while I was away. I searched the double-flight staircases, the walls, and the high ceiling, and eventually realised the relief carvings of ships decorating the upper reaches were now visible. The family banners, which used to proudly adorn the walls, were gone. Our footsteps on stone echoed as we all stepped inside.

Mother turned to Valda. "Valda, show Endris and Oleander their lodgings. They can take the free rooms on the left side of the first floor."

Mother shot Valda a stern look when the latter hesitated. I agreed with my mother. The previous occupants of the rooms were gone and wouldn't return.

After a brief silence, Valda offered us a closed-mouthed smile. "Yes, naturally. On my way," she said, gesturing for Oleander and Endris to follow her.

Endris narrowed his eyes at me over his shoulder. Then my mother took me and Conrad aside and guided us into the dining room so we could speak in private. I steeled myself for the conversation that was coming. I had to decide what to do: tell them or not.

I was the last to enter the room and closed the door behind me. A musty smell clung to the heavy red carpets, and rose to fill the entire room. Mother perched on a bench beside the large, ashen table while Conrad casually leaned against the wall. I took a seat on the bench opposite my mother and Conrad.

Light of the oil lamp overhead cast shadows on my mother's cheeks, accentuating her high cheekbones as she turned to me. "Oleander lost his memory, but he knows he needs to travel to the Starcross woods?" she asked.

The words 'he's an elf' burned on my lips. I was obligated to them if Oleander was going to stay in this house, but I couldn't tell them if it meant I estranged Endris by breaking our agreement to keep this secret.

Conrad crossed his arms. "Oleander has a strange accent and a highly unusual name," he drawled. "From what hole did you say you dug him up again?"

"I found him in the valley of the Serpentine mountains," I said.

"Huh." Conrad narrowed his mismatched eyes at me. "If he's really from the Starcross woods, he's a long way from home."

"He's not sure he's from there," I corrected Conrad, slightly irritated. "But it's an educated guess Endris and I made from the way he talks and looks."

Mother nodded slowly. "But he's not sure where he is from," she said. "And he's in your debt. Perhaps you can convince him to stay here while he recovers, rather than leaving tomorrow."