A Big Shiny Blue Marble Ch. 25

It was nearing midday when they found their way up the gentle slope and came to the barest hint of a trail. Dhalgren looked at it for a minute and decided that this had to be the way to get to the mountain.

He smirked to himself, well they already were on the mountain, just low down it, and the further that they went, the higher that they’d climb, and he could already see a dusting of snow on the tops of what might pass as foothills on this thing. He didn’t even know what they’d do once they got there – wherever ‘there’ was. He had no idea how he’d ever manage to get this Azrael’s attention if he lived around here before they froze to death.

He turned to his female and smiled to himself. What he had was Faith, and a whole lot of it. If Arrax said that the man lived here, then here was where he lived. He just hoped that he’d be home, whatever house or hovel that he lived in.

They didn’t stop for lunch. When Nahl’een complained about being hungry, Selena handed her a bag of dried fruit and nuts. Nahl’een was happy again. By midafternoon, they came to a clearing of sorts and there was a thin covering of snow there. Seeing nothing in the snow and how the path appeared again in the woods on the other side of it, Dahlgren nudged his horse forward, but he stopped when he heard the low warning rumble in Shaevre’s throat.

He looked back and saw her step cautiously over to stand next to him where he sat.

“There,” she pointed with a whisper, not raising her arm all the while, “there, and there. See them?”

He nodded, “Any more?”

She shook her head a little, “No more that I can see. I smelled them first.”

“And what do they smell of,” he asked with a curious smile.

She shrugged, “Somewhere warm.”

Dahlgren peered at them in as casual a way as he could. The three were not large, especially the middle one, and they all wore dark cloaks with hoods far over their faces. They sat on horses, the middle one on a pony, spread out a little at the far side of the clearing in three places along its periphery all facing them.

“What is it?” Selena asked, as she rode up a little, “Who are they?”

“I don’t know,” he said, “but none of them is Azrael. He’s larger than any of them, from what I recall.”

“I know enough,” Faith said, “The one in the middle and the one on the right have Red demon blood. I can smell it.” She looked down at Shaevre who had touched her leg.

“Those ones smell the same to me as you do, my friend,” she said, “Remember what Arrax said. This Azrael is just as you are, and you need him for shelter. Arrax said nothing of this, but I would doubt that this male lives alone here. It is the one on the left which gives me the most trouble. I have never smelled one like this before anywhere before last night. I watched her without looking as she sat high up in a tree looking at us. I do not know what she is, but I did not want to kill her for it.”

“And that one has probably never seen anyone like you either,” Dahlgren smiled thinly.

As they looked at the other group across the clearing, they saw the three look at each other and the way that their hands moved.

“What are they doing?” Faith asked, “I’ll bet they’re conjurin’. They’ll probably hit us with something in a minute.”

“Faith,” Dahlgren whispered over his shoulder, “Who was it who told me how upset she was when she was judged superstitiously by humans?”

Faith looked down for a moment, “I hear you. It’s just that I’ve found that the best way to stay alive is to light ‘em up as soon as I know.”

“Don’t you ever make a mistake?” Selena asked.

“I’ve never thought about it,” Faith shrugged, “But I see what you’re tryin’ to tell me.”

“They are speaking to each other with their hands,” Shaevre said.

“Who are you?” the figure on the right called out.

“My name is Dahlgren Runei,” he called across, “I - we seek Azrael Wannamaker.”

“He is not here,” the rider said, and it was clear then that this was a female by her voice, “What do you want?”

Dahlgren eased his horse forward a little more and there was an instant reaction from the others.

“STOP!” the one in the middle called out.

“That’s a kid!” Selena said in surprise, and in the instant tension, Shaevre flicked the small switches to arm her weapon and the barrels rotated once. The figure on the left horse spurred ahead, staying close to the forest. It happened in a second, but Shaevre held her fire and as she looked up, she was looking at two small crossbows pointed right at her chest from ten feet away. All that she could see of this rider was her dark skin and a little of her white hair.

“Nau!” the rider said, shaking her head a little under the hood, “Nau, … No, please.

Lower that, lovely wolf, or you will be dead as you fall.” She indicated her weapons with a nod, “Poison. Very fast. I want no accidents through misunderstanding. We are careful, that is all.

We try to tell you that there is a trap in the middle there. If you wish to talk, then follow where I go. Do not ride straight through.”

The rider turned and said a word to the others and the rider in the middle held out some sort of blade pointed at Faith. Cha’Khah was back on the other side in a heartbeat or two. One of the crossbows was out of sight as she beckoned them closer.

“He’s gonna cast somethin’,” Faith warned.

“He watches my back because we see that you are about to be hasty,” the one with the crossbows said, “You would die for it. Now, if you can calm yourself, light-haired one, you all must get away from the clearing, especially that small one there on the donkey. Keep her out of the center. Come.”

Selena shook her head, “She is only just learning to ride.”

There was the beginning of another tense moment, but the one with the blade swung it in his hand and slid it into a holster. He jumped down and walked around the clearing quickly to Nahl’een’s side and looked up, “I can lead you – if you trust me.”

She stared down at him for a moment before she looked at Dahlgren and the others as though she didn’t know the correct answer. Dahlgren nodded with a smile, and the figure took hold of the side of Petunia’s bridle and gave her a gentle tug.

“My name’s Sariel,” the figure said as he began to lead Petunia, “What’s yours?”

When she’d made no reply, he looked back, “Can’t you talk?”

She nodded then and followed that with a little smile.

“Well she used to talk,” Selena smiled, “Her name is Nahl’een.”

He looked at Nahl’een for a second and then he smiled a little, “I never heard one like that before, it’s a really nice name.”

With Petunia moving now, the small figure stayed on the clearing side to keep Petunia from making a misstep. Nahl’een looked back at the others with a big smile. The others followed, Shaevre doing her best to hide her grin. Once across, the boy smiled and said, “Just follow, it’s not far.”

When everyone had passed him, he climbed up onto his pony again and followed them himself. From the other end of the strange procession, Nahl’een leaned out a little and looked back.

“You just keep moving, Sweetie,” Faith grinned ahead at her, “I think you’ll get your chance at a good look soon.”

They rode on a little way and then stopped in another clearing, “You will be safer here,” the one who had called out said, “Now, what is this about?”

“I met Azrael once.” Dahlgren said before he sighed, “I am here to ask for sanctuary. We are not hunted, at least not this day, but … if I was alone, it would be one thing, but...”

“Who are these others then?” the one with the crossbows asked from under her hood.

“This is Faith Runei,” Dahlgren said, “My wife.”

He pointed toward Nahl’een, “Nahl’een is my daughter, Selena there is her older sister, and that is Shaevre.”

Cha’Khah leaned forward to look closer. “You are a strange family if…”

She shook her head, “and this is Shaevre. What is Shaevre?”

“I am a Xer,” Shaevre replied, looking under the hood for a quick second, “What are you?”

“I am careful,” she said, “You do not look as you did when I first saw you today.”

“And you do not look as you did when I first saw you last night high up in the tree,” Shaevre replied, “perhaps you are not careful enough,” she smiled, “but I let you live anyway. You did nothing to make me want to kill you.”

“My name is Rachel,” the other rider said, “Azrael is my husband, and Sariel is our son. That is Cha’Khah there under the hood. You wish to hide here? Ask Azrael.”

She nodded in the direction that they’d come from, “That’s him now.”

They looked back and two hooded figures rode around the clearing, slowing as they pulled up.

“This man said that he met you once and he asks for protection,” Rachel said.

“I remember you,” Azrael nodded,”You are the hunter who seeks my kind of demon to kill them. What happened? And you know that I’m holding back a lot of things that I could say here.”

Dahlgren shrugged, “If I make the shortest story out of it. I was sent for some demons, killed them with Faith’s help,” he said indicating which one was Faith, “found out that she’s a Red demon, but we fell for each other anyway, and my demon mother is trying to hunt us. I wouldn’t mind all that much, but she wants to kill Faith, Selena here very likely, and she’d probably like to take my daughter away to save her family’s name for a third time. It’s been a busy week or so.”

“It sounds that way,” Azrael laughed, “How long do you need shelter?”

Dahlgren shrugged again, “I don’t know, but I am hoping for less than a month. One way or the other, this should resolve itself by then and I may have to act before then. I have some money to pay if it is needed. We are not hunted yet, but we likely will be soon. As far as I know, this place and you are unknown to any who would seek us.”

As the adults talked, Sariel sidled his pony next to Petunia. Nahl’een looked at him, “I can speak,” she said a little bashfully, “But I am trying … I want to speak better. I …”

She sagged a little in the saddle, “not know what to say.”

“It’s alright,” he said, “I can understand you. I really like your name.”

“Thank you,” she smiled, “I can … see your face?”

“Oh,.. uh, sure, Nahl’een.”

She leaned up a little and reached out to push his hood back. Shaevre caught the motion and she nudged Selena, who grinned and tapped Faith on the hand to point.

Within ten seconds, all of the females on both sides of this were watching with smiles on their faces as Nahl’een got Sariel’s hood back with a little of his help. She reached again and touched his long white-blonde hair for a moment, and the pair sat smiling at each other.

“Azrael,” Cha’Khah said with a grin as she pointed, “These are not enemies and while we sit in the cold being so careful, the two young ones already show us a better way.”

She chuckled, “I really think that you should let them stay.”

Azrael looked and he grinned, pointing the scene out to Dahlgren. He turned to the Drowess, “Xas, Cha’Khah,” he laughed, “any excuse to get out of the wind, no?”

“You know me well, Master,” she tilted her head playfully and smiled as the wind blew the part of her hair outside of her hood past her face. The snowflakes were few and far between, but they were blown hard enough against one’s skin to be felt.

“What is it that hunts you, Dahlgren?” Azrael asked, “A demon who is your mother, you say?”

“Yes,” he nodded, “She is a full High Merren demon and very strong. There may be others, but I am not sure of this. If she can convince them, she may be hunting with Xer such as Shaevre, but I think that it’s unlikely.”

“What is this one doing here, then? Is she a traitor to them?” Azrael asked.

“I am no traitor,” Shaevre said, a little coldly, “The Xer work for pay. Until yesterday, I was the little one’s bodyguard. Now I turn from the Merren and my own kind out of my love for Nahl’een. I will not allow her to be a pawn in a Merren game. As far as being hunted by other Xer, it is possible, “Shaevre said, looking through the stiff wind, “But the Xer would want much gold up front. Arrax said that they withdraw their support for the Merren, and from what you said last night, the Merren do not favor Ny’Zeille any longer.”

Azrael looked at Rachel, who glanced at the children for a moment before looking at him and giving a small nod.

“We’ll freeze standing here discussing,” Azrael smiled, “if you need shelter, then come with us and be safe.”

Dahlgren bowed and thanked him.

When they’d been led to the sheltered stables, Sariel offered to help Nahl’een down from her burro. It worked eventually, but it caused the pair to end up in a bit of a heap for just a moment. Sariel felt foolish, but Nahl’een was quick to thank him as though it had gone as they’d intended. He pulled his heavy cloak from his pack and put it around her shoulders. There was a difference in their sizes and the cloak almost dragged on the ground, but Nahl’een didn’t mind.

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget that,” Rachel smiled standing next to Faith, “Are you her mother? You don’t look -”

“I’m just her new stepmother. We only met yesterday and I’ve got a lot to learn and catch up on,” Faith said quietly, “but right now, I’m proud fit to burst.”

Cha’Khah walked past leading her horse and Faith reached to put her hand on Cha’Khah’s arm and stop her, “I’m sorry for that back there. I guess I’m a little too quick sometimes.”

Cha’Khah nodded, but the severity dropped away from her face, “I can understand. I am the same as you. I have had to learn to hold back as well. You have hated the same creatures as what you are.”

Faith looked down, “Yeah, it’s how I’ve learned to stay alive, I guess. But looking around at some of the people here, it doesn’t make much sense anymore.”

“I think that you will need to learn to trust a little more,” Cha’Khah said, “But I understand. Vadren and I are far from where we began, so we have learned this too. Our trouble is that the rare times when we meet others like ourselves, we must wait long enough to learn where they are from before we decide whether to kill them or not. My own hands are not free from blood either.”

Vadren said nothing as he unloaded his horse, but he looked around at the sky a little thoughtfully and stepped over to where Azrael stood talking with Dahlgren. “The stable should be shut up tight tonight. A storm comes, I am certain.”

With the horses seen to, Azrael asked that all of the hoods be pulled back, “so that we each know who our neighbors are.”

That led to a long round of questions as they walked in through the North Portal. “What has changed from when I saw you last?” Azrael asked,” Something, surely. I can see this on your face.”

“I think that my eyes have been opened,” Dahlgren replied, “at least a little. I now see two kinds of these demons; the crazed ones which I have killed for years, and ones like yourself and Rachel. There is nothing mad or insane to you and you are quite like Faith. I am like you. That is something which I must consider. Also I now believe that I have been led a little astray by the ones who have used me to kill Red demons. I think that they are wrong about you. I even think that they know this a little. They know who I have paired with. Faith has always killed Red demons, even though that is part of what she is herself, and I think that she confuses the two as well.”

“Well, I’m learning pretty quick that I was wrong too,” Faith said, “But then, I did have my reasons.”

“So now,” Dahlgren said,” the Merren, who I worked for approve of what we have done, but they can’t say that because they’d look like idiots. They now DON’T want us to kill any Reds that we find. They only want us to find out how they get here and stop them from coming. In the meantime, my mother is furious at what I’ve done and wants to kill my wife, and probably me, and the rest too. I almost don’t know here anymore. She’s not like she was when I was a kid.

I left her in the desert yesterday injured, but I’ll bet she’s flying now and looking for us. That’s why I ask for sanctuary mostly for my family until I can figure out what to do at the very least.”

They neared the first set of doors and Azrael opened them with a word. As they stepped inside, the newcomers stared at the long hallway ahead of them as Vadren and Azreal brought the wheelbarrows so that the supplies which they’d brought and some of the packs of the others could be transported more easily. The walls glowed dimly and it made the hall seem to disappear into the distance.

“We’re not there yet?” Nahl’een asked.

“No,” Sariel said, “It’s still a walk from here.”

“Why we not, …” Nahl’een stopped to correct herself, “Why not ride all the way?” She looked around, “Big enough for horses here.”

“It’s too dark to be good for their eyes, my father said.” He sighed, “And anyway, if we brought the horses, then I’d have to shovel up after them. I already have to look after the chickens.”

“Oh,” Nahl’een nodded as they walked, “What are chickens?”

Selena smiled at Ch’Khah as they walked, “Pardon me, but really, what are you?”

Cha’Khah wanted to curse, but then she reminded herself that this person was not trying to be rude.

“WHO I am,” she began, noticing that Shaevre was listening as well, “is Cha’Khah Dreile. I was low-born kin, distantly related to the ruler of House Dreile. I was a soldier. I left the darkness underground to come into the light to live. Since then, I have learned much magic from my cousin, Vadren there behind us. He is a mage, a mighty one.”

WHO I am, is a good fighter and thief, tomb robber as well. I follow the moon goddess in my prayers and I have a wonderful friend in Rachel, who teaches me as I teach her. I am a teacher to Sariel, so that he may live long and I love him as my own son. I would kill for them without a thought.

WHAT I am is a Drow. If you know of Elves, then know that we are their dark cousins. If you ever meet another of my kind, do not ask them WHAT they are, unless you wish to die. I know that you do not know any better, but the way that you asked was an insult to my kind and we are quick to anger over things such as this.

Now, tell me please, WHO are you?”

“Nobody much really,” Selena grinned, “If we are making introductions here, then my name is Selena Meadesbreath. I am the sister of Nahl’een, there.” She went on to relate the sad tale and then she fell silent, though she still wore a friendly smile as they walked.

“Thank you for telling me of this,” Cha’Khah nodded, “I will be very understanding to the way that your young sister struggles when she speaks, but I think that she does well to have begun so late. But you really said very little of yourself.”

“There is not much to tell, other than I am a half-demon with little ability save one. I am a thief. Here, …” she handed the startled Drow back several items which she’d managed to steal during their conversation. Cha’Khah stared as she held her returned dagger and three coins.

“I would have tried for one of the crossbows but they hang up too easily in your cloak and might have fired. I’d never really steal anything from you, but I was a little bored and I enjoy talking with you. No doubt you are aware of your beauty. I just wanted to see all of the range of your expressions. With luck, I’ll get to see you laugh now, and with no luck, my friend Shaevre there behind us will hopefully save my life before you succeed in killing me.”

Cha’Khah spun around and saw the Xer striding silently behind them, her red eyes glowing softly and the six muzzles of Meg never straying from a point in the middle of Cha’Khah’s body.

“You remind me that I have been rude, "the drow said, "to the one that I glimpsed last night.“

Cha’Khah smiled, “I have heard of ones like you.”

Shaevre nodded and her exhalation as she walked was like a blast of steam, now that she didn’t need to walk silently.