A Monster Life Ch. 07-09

An elf woman came to his side and held his arm. 'But you were brave enough to try.' she said and gave him a warm smile. 'You have a good heart.'

He blushed. 'I try.'

Iphigenia and Ulric joined Elzbieta. 'Are there more of you around here?' she asked.

The elf woman shook her head. 'No. this was the only camp on this side of the mountains. We moved around through the forest from time to time.'

'All right, then we can go on crossing them.'

The man raised his eyebrows. 'You mean to go into orc country?'

Iphigenia nodded. 'We need to do something there.'

The man watched them for a moment. 'If you really do, don't take the main path because orcs move around on it. Instead, there's a smaller unused path to take unseen but it's likely more dangerous.'

Ulric growled low and Iphigenia nodded. 'We'll take the risk. It's best if they won't find out about us.' she said and looked back at the dead orcs. 'Although that probably won't be for long.'

'Unless we make everything disappear.' the man said and looked at the elf. 'We could bury everything and make it look like the camp moved to the other side of the forest.' He looked back at the three. 'They'll be searching around for some time and have no idea what happened.'

Iphigenia smiled. 'That would be great!'

***

When everyone was done hiding the dead bodies, their gear, and their tools in deep holes outside the clearing and only a sign was left pointing in the direction the camp had supposedly moved, the old man led the three to a pile of junk thrown together by the orcs. 'They threw my stuff in here thinking it was worthless but I'm sure it'll be of great value to you.' he said and dug through broken tools, torn hides, bones, shreds of cloth, and anything else the orcs had no use for. 'Ah! Here!' He pulled out a pair of armoured gloves and a scabbard with sword.

The three looked at the gloves made from black, stone like material and grey leather, and the wide, tapered double edged blade attached to a long cross handle. The sword was heavy at first, then became lighter while holding it. 'What's this?' Elzbieta asked. 'I've never seen a sword like it.'

'This sword and these gloves have been in the Hameas family for generations of which I, Sibelius Hameas, are the last of the direct descendants. I received them from my father, who received it from his, and so on. I don't know where it originally came from but I'm too old to fight now and decided to retire, and since I have no child of my own to pass it onto, I'd like you to have it. There is some sort of magic on these. The gloves are like a shield and will deflect sword and arrow, and the blade has never grown dull, no matter how hard I hit any armour or blocked another sword.'

Ulric glanced at Iphigenia's sword. 'Volundrus.'

Iphigenia and Elzbieta looked at each other. 'Yes.' they said and Elzbieta sighed at the sword, then held it out to Sibelius. 'We can't accept this.'

'Why not?'

'This must be a weapon forged by Volundrus and is thus too valuable to just give away. You could sell it for a fortune and live out your life in luxury.'

He smiled gently and pushed her hand back. 'This sword is made for a purpose and I believe you can do much good with it, more than when it's just used as an expensive trinket. And I don't want a lot of money.' He glanced at the elf woman talking to some of the other elves and smiled softly. 'In fact, I will spend my last years with Winea and her elf kind. We became close during my time here.'

Ulric smiled. 'I'd say he found something better than money.'

Elzbieta held the sword tight. 'I will try to bestow further honour on you and this sword by fighting evil wherever I can.'

Sibelius smiled and received her own sword and gloves for protection on his journey with the elves, and after more farewells the three set out towards the path Sibelius had recommended.

*

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