The Elf Thief

Chapter 34: An Enemy's Ally

Chapter 34

An Enemy’s Ally

Rith just stared at the limp form of the woman that lay in his arms, completely stunned. “Ytone?” he whispered, trying to ignore how childish his voice sounded. “Ytone, wake up.”

His voice grew in volume and panic. Before he knew it, he heard his own voice screaming for the female Scout to wake up. Vaguely, he remembered being pulled away from her and watching physicians drag her to someplace he could not follow.

“YTONE!” he screamed after her. His mind was hazy and unclear; all he knew was that he needed to make sure she was going to be alright.

A pair of strong hands gripped his shoulders and spun him around. Soon, Rith found himself looking into the brown eyes of his superior commander, Ciroc.

“Calm down, boy,” the older man said in a gravely voice. “You need to gather your wits; it would seem that the King has another visitor and your presence is required. The girl will be fine.”

Gazing longingly after the way that they physicians went, something caught Rith’s eye. A brown-haired boy would have mingled into the crowd perfectly, had he not been staring directly at Rith.

Falun.

Rith jerked his head in the direction that the Scout had been taken. Nodding grimly in understanding, the messenger boy shot off to find her. At least Rith knew that someone would be looking after Ytone.

All the Commoner’s Commander could do was follow Ciroc towards the throne room. And Rith had never felt so helpless in his life.

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The throne room was buzzing with activity. A mysterious visitor was rare in the castle, but two? Unheard of. Ladies gossiped amongst themselves, whispering outrageous rumors and grossly exaggerated truths; and the lords’ laughter boomed through the court as they gambled, betting on who would walk through the solid oak doors.

But when the King sat down on his throne, the whole room fell silent. Signaling the guards to open the doorway, the King stared intently ahead as the entrance swung open.

As soon as Rith saw the creature that crossed the threshold, he knew that the deadly game they were playing with the elves had changed irrevocably. It was a fay girl.

Her skin was whiter than anything Rith had ever seen in his life. It was like freshly fallen snow, the sunlight streaming through the windows seemed to make it shine. Two grey stubs protruded out of her back, a ghost of wings she once had. A wild mane of matted, lilac hair swirled around her head like a bramble bush. She wore a tattered black dress that did not even deserve to be called rags and her violet eyes were alight with an unquenchable fire. Despite her attire, she seemed to possess a wild sort of beauty that captivated everyone in the room.

Approaching the King, the fay simply stared at the human sovereign, her head held high as if she expected him to bow before her. When she spoke her voice was neither young nor old, but something in between.

“I come with an offer,” she said, her voice vibrating with power. Though she looked like she had only seen sixteen or seventeen summers, the girl spoke with knowledge beyond her years. “I will join you in your fight against the elves.”

Amused, the King looked her over, his eyes assessing her in a way only he could. “And what could a young girl such as you offer me?” he chuckled darkly. “I have everything I need and you have nothing to offer.”

The fay girl’s body stiffened in anger. The fire in her eyes grew to an inferno as she glared at the King as though she was about to kill him. “Do. Not. Insult. Me,” she said, emphasizing every word. “You are a stupid human, you know nothing about the ways of magic and how power works.  You wish for the power to avenge a loved one, do you not? I can give you all that power and more.” Her voice had lowered to a whisper, seductive and cunning.