Hammer and Feather Ch. 58-64

For a moment he caught a glimpse of a roughly formed but beautiful golden nest with silken cushions and then it was gone. Reluctantly he released her and changed back to the unlovely form. Her loving kiss was a small, but welcome consolation.

"I'll go get dressed."

"If you give Vedhethrah his shirt back I can take him to where the gold was kept. Some is still there. He may be able to salvage some of it for your nest."

"I'll wait here." Ezphine folded her arms and glanced around.

"I'll be quick." Syreilla inclined her head and then vanished from sight.

Her arm appeared a moment later holding out his shirt. He kissed her hand and arm before releasing it and taking the chain garment. Orsas was grinning at him once it was on.

"It's tradition to build a bed for your wife. They enjoy sleeping in something you made with your own hands."

"It was pleasant sleeping among the tangled roots last night. For comfort, she curled against me beneath my wing." He made a pleased sound. "She was loving and content to be with me."

"The other one..." Ezphine's brow furrowed, "Syvezar? She said..."

"We are not fully separated, it's true, but I cannot help but be jealous when I see her with him. Does she prefer those parts of us to the parts I possess? Does she find the shape he chose more appealing? Her desire and love are a balm."

"Why don't you just..." The goddess made a gesture of coming together with her hands. "Wouldn't it be simpler?"

"Is there no part of you that you dislike? Vezar Edra was conflicted about his dragon half. I am the part that reveled in it and felt proud and powerful in that form. Syvezar is much more... human. He retained only enough to please our treasure."

She looked confused but Orsas was grinning and shaking his head. "She said his teeth and claws were a pleasure like no other."

Vedhethrah returned the grin. "Did you see her bite my wing as we were playing? She is perfection."

The dwarf laughed and beckoned him to follow.

°°°°°°°°°°

The ruined corridors snaked throughout the mine, ever descending. When they reached the shattered treasure rooms the faint smell of scorched stone lingered.

"The smell isn't from the destruction." Orsas walked ahead of him. "It's from when they carved the stone. It took power and they had to use our stones to do it. It was their punishment that I didn't defend the mine from your father and uncle."

Vedhethrah remained silent, looking around. Melted gold adorned some pieces of stone and there were swaths of melted, solidified gold with gems embedded in it like little rivers in some places. The memory of the bed he'd glimpsed in Syreilla's thoughts bubbled up and he could see how these pieces would fit it. Another thought itched at the back of his mind.

"What happened to the slivers that they cut away?"

"They're here, most of them, I think. Your father might have found one or two and taken them."

"He did. But they were mere chips off of the stone."

"Did he give them to Syreilla?"

"No. They were dead. He gave them to my mother and left her. She... I buried her with them. What Hevtos chose to do with them..."

"They should have been given to Syreilla, she bought the stone. I would have her Eye locked away and protected with our stones but she's insistent that it be used to protect the mines."

He cast his thoughts back to her concerning her stone and she reassured him. "If a hand takes it up that she is not pleased with, they will regret it."

"The stone was carved and given purpose. She was able to use it despite what her uncle wanted."

"Syreilla bought the stone as it is. It works as it always did, and better in some ways, because she agrees with that purpose. If a human thief stole it from Sirruil they would find themselves betrayed by it quickly. If a dwarf took it up and she were displeased by the changing of hands they would meet the same fate."

The dwarf looked at him with a faintly pleased smile. "What else did she say?"

Vedhethrah grinned as he felt her caress their threads and whisper to him.

"That I should be careful when dealing with you. She doesn't know why Orsas allowed you to borrow his face, Master Orefinder."

The dwarf shimmered like a heatwave and then settled into another form. "I should have known she'd see through it. Orsas has been trying to mend things with you and make you as welcome as Lady Rook. I thought you might be more willing to talk to him than to me."

"My treasure is fond of you, though she knows not to trust you in the same way she cannot trust her father. She gives me permission to try to eat you if you play any dirty tricks." He grinned widely and the dwarf barked a laugh.

"Try to eat me?"

"She thinks I would spit you out quickly."

At that, the dwarf broke into genuine laughter. "I like that girl. She's better than her father and worse in some ways."

*Sixty-two*

Syr dressed hurriedly and draped her cloth of smoke over her shoulders again, it took the form she wanted with barely a thought. Her tools were tucked into their pockets and her ingredients for dragon's fire were in their proper places, her boot knife holding the last of Rielle's power and a little of her own was tucked safely into its hidden boot sheath. The talon sheaths she'd like a little help with, but since Ezphine was holding those... She stepped back through onto the shoreline with a grin.

"Could you help me with the straps? I usually ask one of my dragons. But he's off with Orefinder."

The goddess looked surprised and then smiled. "He thought you wouldn't notice."

"I see more than most people expect. But even if I didn't, Fellforger would never take a step back in the face of a dragon's anger. Why did Orsas let him wear his face?"

"They thought Vedhethrah might be more comfortable with a dwarf he knew. He and Orsas have been talking. I can see why you like them. They've been kind."

"They may have been different a long time ago, but he smelted the meanness out, or so I've been told, and put it into the Nightforged. You can feel the malevolence coming off of them." She eyed the hammer strapped to Ezphine's back as the goddess helped her with the straps.

"That's new."

The woman laughed. "It is. While he repaired your talons, he allowed me to use his forge and his tools to make a better hammer. I kept the wrappings for the handle and I reused some of the steel."

"It looks good."

Ezphine pulled it from the holder strapped to her back and hefted it proudly. "I like it. Orsas said to make one that can be a tool or a weapon. Sound advice."

"It is, everything in my kit is a tool." She looked over the talons holding them up and blowing dragon's fire through the eye-shaped hole before frowning slightly. "These are different somehow." Frowning, she pulled them closer to inspect.

"He replaced the blades entirely. The hilts are original."

"Ah." She struck them together and listened carefully to the sound. "These have something on them. Or in them."

The goddess nodded, "He used some of the steel from my old hammer; he said his wife insisted it would make them stronger."

"They won't do what they did before but they have a new purpose and they will suffice for it. She can see. Whether her vision is better than mine..." Syr sheathed the talons. They wouldn't hold the power she'd planned to put in them. She'd have to keep it in her boot knife.

Vedhethrah reached for her inquiring about her stone. Syr reassured him and let him see what would happen if someone stole it. Taking a peek at his threads, she saw he hadn't yet realized he was speaking to someone other than Orsas. She expected him to have smelled it, but it seemed that one dwarf smelled much like every other dwarf to his nose. Caressing his threads she whispered a gentle warning and a few teasing barbs for the dwarf.

"Syreilla?" Ezphine touched her arm.

"Vedhethrah needed my attention."

"Where are we going now?"

"My husband said we're supposed to come and go from Bhiraldur so we go there first. After that, I think we should see what kind of trouble we can get into. If her soldiers are arrayed in front of the gate we won't have to go far. Otherwise, the elves might enjoy a visit."

"There are rules about the kind of trouble you can make, Syreilla." Ezphine laughed and shook her head.

"Are there? No one's bothered to tell them to me and I certainly haven't agreed to them. I like to push things to their limits, my talents, my luck, the goodwill of others-"

Ezphine choked, she laughed so hard and Syr stood grinning.

"-and any rules I come across. Father says I seem older than I am because I've gotten in and out of more trouble than most have ever dreamed of."

"I would believe it." Putting her hammer back in place, Ezphine inclined her head, "I'll let you open the door. I'm still nervous about it."

"The only way to get better is to practice. Speaking of things to practice, if you'd like I can teach you how to mix dragon's fire. It's a good tool to have in your kit."

The other goddess smiled, "I think I'll let you handle the fire. You're dependable."

"I'm the Rook. You can rely on a Rook."

Syreilla opened the door and they stepped through to a stone chamber with no visible door, only a carving of a raven. Approaching it, she ran her hand lightly over the surprisingly detailed feathers and the hidden door opened in front of her.

"I didn't see the door." Ezphine sounded impressed as they stepped out into an area filled with nests and ravens expressing their surprise loudly.

"Not even I can find a hidden dwarven door in stone. No one knows it like they do. It's why he put the bird there, he knew I'd need to touch it."

"Lady Rook?!" Nali came around the corner with a relieved look on her face. "I knew you would come if we needed you. Where is Lord Vedhethrah?"

"He's with Orefinder. They were talking and looking for something to build our nest with. What-"

"There's an army in front of the gates! Father is going to go out and meet them with the other priests. They're insisting on it! He said it's as black as the bottom of a shaft beyond the gate."

"He's wearing my Eye. They'll think he's my priest and kill him." She scowled and the ravens took flight pouring out of the mouth of their cave-like home.

He was already outside the gate. She sent the ravens down to direct the dwarves back inside. Bows and some sort of siege weapons fitted with massive quarrels were raised.

"Nali. If you go out where you can see them and raise your hands warding off the attack I can protect them. If you don't-"

The dwarf bolted back the way she'd come and Syreilla closed her eyes, lifting her hands and waiting. The sky filled with arrows and at least one of the siege weapons had fired.

Nali threw her hands up as she ran and came into sight of it all. "NO!"

Grinning, Syreilla ignited the air around the ravens. They'd formed a protective swirling shield with their bodies. The flame burned the arrows and the massive quarrel without harming the birds or those beneath them.

"GET BACK IN HERE YOU RUSTWITS!" Nali shouted down.

Whether they heard her or not, the dwarves turned back toward the gate. Soldiers began to advance to stop them and the dwarf girl clambered onto the parapet muttering the miring ward and casting it.

Laughing, Syr backed the girl with her power and what pooled in the mine to spread the ward wider than it would have otherwise gone. The advance stopped and the dwarves got back into the gate safely. The ravens returned to their roosts and Nali came trotting back in with another young dwarf on her heels looking at her in amazement.

"How did you do that, Nali?!"

"Lady Rook helped me." The dwarf girl took a breath and looked relieved. "Thank you. For all of it."

The back of Syr's neck tingled pleasantly and she grinned. "I don't know how often I'm allowed to do that but it was fun. I've always liked that miring ward. That was a good choice, dear one."

Nali beamed. "I'm going down to speak to Father, should I tell him-"

"That if he's decided he wants to die I can light a fire for him to walk into? You can make that offer for all of them if you want. Those soldiers don't respect any truce, not even for a brief discussion on the field unless you can enforce it. They want Syreilla's Eye and the chance to kill one of my priests. They think Sirruil is one of mine because he's wearing my Eye. That I'd let one of Orefinder's carry it is unfathomable. They can give it to you now instead of making you wait to inherit it if they can't summon up half a rusted wit between the lot of them. I'd expect that kind of stupidity from elves, not from dwarves."

Both of the young dwarves in front of her nodded grimly and started toward the hatch. An elderly raven fluttered off of its perch and landed on Nali's shoulder as she walked.

"Walp, you should rest!" The girl stopped and stroked the bird.

"She'll be fine for now, my Nali. That's a good bird." Syr smiled at the raven and it preened.

"Walp!"

They disappeared down the hatch and she glanced at Ezphine who was trying to blend into the stone wall.

"How do you do that?"

The goddess of the forge laughed and stepped out of hiding. "You can open doors but not step out of sight?"

"If I could hide in plain sight-"

"ROOK!" the thundering voice echoed over the parapet and Syreilla grinned.

"Do we want to go down and have a word with her?"

Ezphine took a deep breath and drew her hammer. "Why not. Are you opening a door?"

"We can walk and make her wait or we can jump and make it a spectacle." She grinned.

The other goddess laughed, "What kind of spectacle?"

"A bird of dragon's fire landing on the field. I land on a ball of flame. It explodes but I don't land hard."

The look of horrified amusement spread across Ezphine's face as she shook her head. "Let's walk."

Syr headed toward the hatch. As she made her way down several guards leapt from their positions brandishing weapons at her and a throat cleared.

"I'll open a door to the gate for you, Syreilla." Orsas was giving her an amused look. "You don't know how to hide if you haven't come for mischief."

The door opened and she walked through it with Ezphine, putting on a wide mad grin and extending a net of fire beneath their feet. Isca stood in the middle of the field with a scowl and fury radiated from her like a haze over the writhing, murky aura around her.

"Is there a problem, Isca?" Syr spread her arms. "I didn't break any rules that I know of."

"You interfered-"

"Aren't we allowed to give our aid when our priests or priestesses ask for it? Nali Rookfriend stood on the parapet-"

"And she filled the sky with dragon's fire?! I think not!"

"I let her wield it. If she hadn't gone out to do so-"

"And she commanded the ravens?" Isca scowled.

"There's always a raven with her, she speaks to them." Syr grinned and waved her hand dismissively. "I think you're angry because you tried to put me in a hole and I didn't stay there."

"Ezphine, go stand with our men while I speak to-"

"I stand with Syreilla." The goddess next to her adjusted her grip on her new hammer. "Those are your men. You stand in front of me in my armor and command me like a servant."

"You are a servant," Isca sneered.

Syreilla broke into loud mirthless laughter. "She's the goddess of the forge and you need to have some respect." She locked eyes with Isca and didn't let her mirthless grin falter.

"Why would I respect a pitiful excuse for a forge goddess when she can't even make chains to hold your worthless father?"

"You'd like a demonstration? I'm certain one can be provided." Syr widened her grin until it hurt and then turned to Ezphine who stood looking thoughtful.

"If my work is so poor..." She lifted her hammer and the armor that Isca was wearing began to disintegrate. "Step behind me, Syreilla."

With a hop and a flourish, Syr moved to stand behind her, grinning. The goddess of the forge raised her hammer and then made a sweeping gesture. Sounds of dismay and horror came from the ranks behind Isca.

"You are not permitted!"

"But you asked for a demonstration, Isca!" Syr put on her most innocent expression.

"If my work is so poor I'm doing you a favor by letting it crumble and rust. I only aid those who show me respect."

"And you think she respects you? She's using you to aid the elves and the dwarves."

"She has asked nothing of me and shown me only kindness."

"You are such a fool."

Syreilla lifted her voice, making it thunder, "YOU CAN RELY ON A ROOK, ISCA. YOU'RE THE FOOL GOING AGAINST THE REST OF THE GODS AND SENDING YOUR SOLDIERS TO MY HUSBAND FOR PUNISHMENT AFTER DEATH! I TOLD YOU, I WILL REPAY YOU AND ALL WHO FOLLOW YOU WITH FIRE AND PAIN FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE AND STILL YOU REFUSE TO END THIS WAR AND GO BEFORE THE KING OF THE GODS AS HE COMMANDED. I'LL GIVE THEM ALL THE CHANCE TO LEAVE THE FIELD AND GO HOME BEFORE THE BURNING STARTS THIS TIME. IF YOUR PRIESTS STAND WITH YOUR SOLDIERS MINE WILL STAND WITH THE DWARVES. I LET MINE WIELD MY FIRE. I AM THE GODDESS OF RIGHTEOUS VENGEANCE, NOT A GODDESS OF FORGIVENESS OR MERCY."

The sound of soldiers fighting made Isca turn to look. Her ranks were in chaos, men fighting one another to desert or keep the others in line.

"Are you satisfied, Rook?" Isca turned her furious scowl back on Syr. "They fear you so greatly they would die to escape you."

Syreilla replied cheerfully, "I've met some of your deserters, they carry feathers because I don't burn those who've left you and picked one up. Feathers are lucky."

Isca vanished from the field and Ezphine breathed a laugh.

"You're mad, Syreilla. Where do we go now?"

"Back to the gate. I want to give them a gift and then we can go visit the other gods."

"What gift?"

They stepped inside, not requiring the gate to open to receive them. Orsas was waiting with Vedhethrah, a chastised-looking Sirruil, and an amused Orefinder. Nali stood nearby as well with the raven on her shoulder and a proud look on her face.

"I'd like to know what gift as well." Orsas smiled. "Your Nali just blistered the ears of the other priests."

"Good. The huntress wants my Eye and she wants to kill Sirruil. She's angriest with me right now but she's got plenty of vitriol to spare. If you send anyone else out for a chat with them, make sure it's someone you don't want back alive." Syr took a breath and shook her head. "As a gift, I'm lighting the braziers around your gate and anywhere else you want me to, with dragon's fire. It's mine and not mixed so it won't consume what I put it in unless I tell it to and it will burn until I tell it not to. If things are dire, Nali can take up my Eye and command it.

"Let them see my banner and my dragon." She embraced Vedhethrah as he came to her with a frown on his face. "Take the ravens out with you, beloved. It will unsettle them and be careful they have-"

"They think they have weapons that can harm me." He pressed his face to hers and pulled her tightly against him, "Your dragon is stronger than you think, my sweet Syreilla, but your desire to protect me has always pleased me. I would have you be careful as well."

"At least you didn't tell me I should try to be safe." She grinned at him and laughed as he pricked her with his claws. "I'm looking forward to seeing our nest, beloved. I will always come back to you."

*Sixty-three*

Cyran sat with a few of the others, as Olthon perched nearby on a golden roost, discussing the door opening ploy.

"I don't know what good it did." Eludora shook her head. "She could probably guess from where the doors opened who was opening them and it got our priests attacked and some of them killed."

"It proved that some of us are willing to try to help." Byrus rubbed at his beard. "Mother says Syreilla is more devious than her father. She has reasons for everything and she's always scheming."