Hammer and Feather Ch. 65-77

Notes: 1) If you see this story anywhere but Literotica it isn't supposed to be there. 2) Because of shorter chapters, this is being posted in chunks. 3) This is the last chunk of Hammer and Feather. I hope you've enjoyed reading the stories as much as I've enjoyed writing them! There are a few things I didn't tie up with a bow but I am working on a few follow-up stories.

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*Sixty-five*

"Would you like to wait with me?" Cyran offered Ezphine a smile as most of the others left with Silfeya. "I was considering visiting my cousin's chamber. It-"

"Come with me." Ahevhethrah's command made him turn to follow without thinking. "Both of you."

A door opened in front of them and Cyran stepped through, the rocky shore and black lake were something he'd heard of but never seen. The sight of the water sent a shiver down his spine.

"You have no need to fear the water." The pale elf waiting for them looked mildly amused.

"My cousin is fearless, anything she fears is something to chill the blood."

Nimphon smiled faintly as he shook his head. "I am grateful for the lend of her."

"I will speak to both you and Orsas of my grandsons when this matter has come to an end. They require my permission to make arrangements with you both."

"A discussion for another time, I agree. Isca attacked Navisse and destroyed her temple."

Cyran took a step forward, "Amtalia? The children? If Belthamdir-"

"How was she able to enter? Without an invitation she should not have been able to trespass, even Syreilla required an invitation." Ahevhethrah cut him off.

"Finwion gave the invitation as he did for Syreilla."

"Has he been helping her the whole time?" Cyran felt his hands curling into fists.

"No." Ezphine folded her arms and looked at Nimphon carefully. "Only Rielle helped her, I'm sure of it. Rielle gave me black dust made from this water to use in making chains and chattered the whole time about the others. When Odos got out of the first set, Isca put him in the stronger ones intended for Atos and chained me with him in the little hole she'd had me carve out. She pulled me out to work and put me back in until the day she put me back and Odos was gone."

"Syreilla pulled her father out." Cyran nodded.

"She should have waited and taken me with him."

Ezphine looked a little sour but Nimphon looked far more annoyed.

"Speak, the children will remain quiet."

"Navisse went with the mortals in her charge to keep them safe. They were entrusted to her and she takes such matters seriously as does Syreilla. Your Golden Rook promised to send Navisse back to me unharmed and she surrendered herself to Isca, giving over her talons to earn a promise of their safety and to allow one of the children to remain at her side."

"Belthamdir." Cyran nodded.

"Braigon. If Isca harms her niece there will be only ash left of the human armies. Syreilla wishes to protect the boy strongly enough that she made no effort to defend herself when Isca stabbed her with her own talon. She didn't flinch or cry out but I could see the pain she was trying to conceal.

"Isca will try to force you, Ahevhethrah, or the dwarves to trade Syreilla's Eye for some promise of safety. It cannot be given to her. She will harm the child. The other stones she's taken for power, this one she wants for the pain she can cause with it."

"It will not be given over." The King of the human gods inclined his head. "I will speak to the dwarves myself."

"Vedhethrah would never allow it." Cyran frowned.

"I met him." Ezphine nodded slowly. "I think you're right. He made the dwarves nervous. If they did something that he saw as a threat to Syreilla he'd give them a good reason to be."

"We chose the more reasonable of the two." Nimphon smiled faintly. "Fetch the child safely back and Navisse as well."

"She said..." Ezphine's brow furrowed. "She said that sometimes the way in is through a cell door. Syreilla let herself be caught twice. Are you certain that she didn't this time?"

"Syvezar would know." Cyran mulled the question over. "She's deeply attached to her dragons."

"This is not the path she wanted to walk. There were others that would have been less painful." Ahevhethrah was frowning with his hand in a pocket that Cyran hadn't noticed before. It faded from sight once his hand came back out of it. "It is still a path that will lead to the desired outcome. There are preparations that I must make." He glanced at Cyran and Ezphine and smiled ruefully, "Go. Speak to Syvezar and Vedhethrah, there are things they must do as well."

A door opened next to Bone White at the elf's gesture. Cyran inclined his head respectfully and passed through it. Ezphine followed and looked around the encampment with a frown.

"Lord Cyran has returned!" An elf shouted cheerfully and then came to offer a bow. "Your ears, my Lord..."

"They've been lent to me, mine are with Kwes so that he can disguise himself more easily. He and Syreilla have work to do."

The elf laughed and bowed again, "May they have all the luck they need."

"She makes her own and I have no doubt he does as well. We need to speak to Syvezar."

"We?"

Cyran turned and noticed that Ezphine was only barely visible.

"My friend is shy. Will you ask him to meet us at the tent in the circle?"

"Of course, my Lord." The baffled elf bowed again and hurried away.

"Syreilla doesn't hide either," Ezphine murmured with a faint smile as she walked with him toward the tents.

"I've never tried it and I suspect it goes against my cousin's nature. She only hides when she's stealing something. Even then I suspect she doesn't hide as much as you would expect."

The forge goddess laughed softly. "Orsas said something like that."

"Perhaps you could teach me?"

"You want me to teach you?"

"Of course. One thing I've learned from Syreilla is that lessons can come from anyone at any time. My father sent me to her for an education and she gave her word." He breathed a laugh, "'You can rely on a Rook.' Even when she wasn't present she saw to it I had teachers. She told me that when you teach you find the gaps in your own knowledge, it's as beneficial to the teacher as it is to the student. I doubt there's anything that I can offer to teach you in exchange but I'd be glad to share the things she's taught me."

"She's young but she taught me a few things and we learned more together." Ezphine started to smile. "She's hard to be angry with. If she'd pulled me out of that hole the way she did her father I'd have never learned the things I did."

The circle of colorful tents came into sight but before they reached them Tirnel approached with a grim expression.

"Lord Cyran, my son, my granddaughter-"

"Kwes was well when I last saw him." Cyran studied the elf's face. "I traded ears with him so that he would have less difficulty-"

"Where is he? Where are Belthamdir and Amtalia? Some of the other children have also vanished but we were told-"

"They're safe." Syvezar cut the man off and placed a hand on his shoulder. "They're with Navisse."

"I need to speak with you privately." Cyran gave his cousin a pointed look.

"Something has happened." Tirnel brushed off the half-dragon's hand. "I felt it. I dreamt my father stood with his hands on Belthamdir's shoulders. He's-" The elf's voice cracked.

"Come with me." Cyran frowned and pulled the elf with him as he spoke quietly. "He was brought back as one of Syreilla's birds, a white crow from Nimphon to aid her. She sent him with me to aid me and I have sent him to watch over Belthamdir. I do not wish to concern anyone here about things that they may not need to worry over. Syreilla and Navisse are with the children."

Tirnel took a breath and stepped into the tent, blinking as Ezphine ceased hiding herself.

"Ezphine, goddess of the forge, this is Kwes and Syreilla's mortal father, Tirnel, and her husband, Syvezar, god of purification and rebirth."

"What has happened that you needed to come here to speak to me?" Syvezar eyed him curiously.

"You felt nothing from Syreilla? The huntress violated Navisse's temple."

Tirnel sank to the ground and Ezphine helped the elf to the edge of a bed.

"Navisse has gone with Amtalia and the children to keep them all safe and when Syreilla learned of it she..." He swallowed and then pressed forward, "She surrendered herself to secure their safety. She gave up her talons and permitted herself to be stabbed with one to be allowed to look after a child named Braigon."

"Braigon... Braigon Aeben?" Tirnel looked stunned. "We thought he was dead along with his mother, Ellother Milien. Emlinor will need to know his son is alive."

"Ellother? An elf by that name was with the elves the dwarves rescued." Ezphine rested her hand on Tirnel. "Syreilla sent Nali into a camp with orders to kill all of the soldiers to save her. I heard the Fellwives talking about how hard Lady Rook is to have sent a child to do such a thing, but the things the dwarves found... they understood why it needed to be done. They said she shouldn't be allowed to have a child as a priestess."

"Sweet little Nali?" The elf shook his head. "Syreilla wasn't allowed to be a child. She may not understand why it's wrong. But," he looked up at Ezphine incredulously, "the child succeeded?"

"She laid wards that gave those dwarves who followed after her nightmares."

"Syvezar-" Cyran tried to steer the matter back to Syreilla.

"She isn't afraid." The half-dragon stood with his eyes closed. "She's worried about Amtalia and the other children because they're out of her sight but, if events unfold as they should, there should be no lasting harm. At the moment she's waiting, impatiently, for the next event. Braigon is safe and with her, Belthamdir is with Navisse and Finwion. Olthon is watching the clever boy carefully and he perches on Belthamdir's shoulders to comfort her."

Cyran felt himself relaxing. "She intended to be caught?"

"This isn't the path she wanted events to take but she was aware that it might be the one we have to go down." Syvezar opened his eyes and gave Cyran a small smile, "She doesn't understand why we worry over her. She's the Golden Rook. It annoys her that they took her tools but she's a thief to her core. No chains or cages can hold her when she decides otherwise."

Ezphine snorted a laugh. "She'll probably try to make her tools out of torch smoke if they let her sit long enough."

"If she's in a cell..." Tirnel seemed to gather himself, "Who is watching over my son?"

"I am." Cyran smiled wryly. "He has my sigil. When he needs aid he calls on me and I give it."

The elf studied him with a smile, "I thank you from the bottom of my heart, Lord Cyran."

He felt the warmth of the sun on his face for a moment and inclined his head.

*Sixty-six*

"Vedhethrah wishes to speak with you. He's sour you would come to me and not to him." Syvezar rubbed his temple with a smile, observing how his cousin lit up at the thanks. His other half was raging.

"We intend to visit him next, he needs to guard her stone. The huntress has been trying to bargain for it, she will use it to harm Syreilla, not for power like the others."

The half-dragon's amusement faded, "You should have gone to him first. Her safety is more important than answering your questions."

"Go with them, Lord Syvezar." Tirnel came to his feet. "Vezar Edra was no fool. You have the reasonable nature and the other half has the dragon's fury and strength. If they need to have questions answered they need you and you may need to persuade the dragon half to listen if he flies into a rage."

"Agreed." Syvezar inclined his head. "Can you open a door to-"

A door opened and a red-haired dwarf sourly stuck his head out and gestured impatiently, "Come calm that dragon before he brings Bhiraldur down."

He was already through the door before he considered allowing Ezphine to go first. The chamber he stepped into held a series of slim windows that overlooked a small army some distance away and what looked like the remains of a battle in front of it visible in the light of the setting sun.

"Where is Syreilla's Eye?"

"With Sirruil." The red-haired dwarf pointed to a doorway.

The furious growl of the dragon outside the door put Syv in motion.

"Bring me the Eye!" Vedhethrah was snarling at a half dozen armed dwarves with their weapons drawn, several more lay groaning nearby.

"Enough!" Syvezar lifted his hands and hurried forward. "He needs to see the Eye. Bring Sirruil and Nali. It concerns Lady Rook."

"Who are-"

"These are friends of Lady Rook." The dwarf lifted his hand. "Send someone to fetch Sirruil and Nali, and healers to tend to their injuries." He gestured at the injured dwarves.

"If you wish I-" Cyran began to offer and Lady Thova marched in with an annoyed expression on her face.

"I'll tend to them. Dragons don't belong in a mine. He should stay out with the birds."

"Don't be rude." Nali snapped as she led Sirruil to them, a large black bird perched on her shoulder. "Lord Vedhethrah is a good dragon, a protector, and a friend."

"He attacked dwarves." Thova gave the girl a sharp look.

Nali stood as tall as she could, even the raven on her shoulder puffed up. The sight made Syvezar break into a smile.

"Did you ask why?"

"They prevented me from entering the mine." Vedhethrah had calmed and he came to kneel next to Sirruil, "The Eye, do you have it? If it is taken from you or bargained away it will be used against my treasure. I must keep it safe to keep her safe."

"I have it." Sirruil drew the circlet out of a pocket. "Should I give it to Nali?"

"No." Vedhethrah exhaled heavily. "She is adamant that you are to keep it unless matters become dire but you must stay with me or allow me into the mine to guard you."

The black-haired dwarf gave him one of Syreilla's smiles and glanced at Lady Thova. "I'll come up to sit with you and the ravens, my Lord. Nali has been restless for hours trying to get me to go with her to see them."

"It didn't feel like a task but..." Nali tilted her head, thinking.

Syvezar laughed softly. "She didn't want us to worry but she wanted the Eye near Vedhethrah."

"That's why she wouldn't go without me." Sirruil gave the girl a doting smile. "You're not usually so insistent, I should have known something was different."

"I would take him to the nest but she would be sour with me for leaving this place undefended." Vedhethrah made a low growl of displeasure and the dwarves nearby lifted their weapons again.

"I'd like to see the nest but..." Nali smiled ruefully, "You're right, we're not supposed to leave."

The dragon grinned and ushered the two dwarves up through a hatch leaving the others to follow. Ezphine left on their heels as did Cyran but Syvezar hesitated, giving Thova a questioning glance.

"Go on." She gave him an amused look, "Some of the other women are coming."

"If you change your mind, dear Lady, I would be delighted to give you whatever assistance I could. It was a pleasure-"

"If you don't stop flirting with her, her husband will bring his hammer when he comes." Orefinder was grinning as he joined them. "Up with the ravens, dragon."

Lady Thova's eyes were sparkling as she shook her head, "He's sweet and he has fine manners. I can understand why she would choose him better than I can the other."

"She teases me about my manners." He smiled and inclined his head. "The offer is open to you always, gentle Lady Thova."

She flushed slightly and smiled as Orefinder shooed him toward the hatch. As they joined the others, Orsas was already speaking to Vedhethrah.

"-take him to the nest. They'll be safe enough here without him."

"He could help you look for more of the pieces." Orefinder volunteered cheerfully. "Out of curiosity, what would Syreilla say if she caught Syvezar flirting with Thova?"

Before he could protest both Orsas and Vedhethrah fixed him with stern looks.

"Vezar went off with that elf-"

"No," Vedhethrah's voice resonated like a low growl, "he was seduced. Our treasure would be wounded if your eye strayed."

"She was kind and I wanted her to know her kindness was appreciated!" Syvezar gave them both sour looks. "Thova is a lovely woman but my Syreilla is the only one I desire."

"Master Orefinder likes to stir up trouble sometimes." Nali was grinning. "Didn't Lady Rook kill the last goddess who tried to seduce her dragon? You might get Lady Thova in more trouble than Lord Syvezar."

Vedhethrah broke into a wide smile, "Our treasure does not share. It will be safer for both of them to take Syvezar to the nest. If she tries to be sour with me for taking her Eye and her kin with us she will answer to me for not accepting her punishment as she should. If you should need them, Orsas, or need me, summon us."

Orsas inclined his head. "I will. We need to discuss the terms again, Vedhethrah. You had agreed, no attacking dwarves unless they attack first."

"They raised their weapons to me and barred me from the mine when I said I needed to find Sirruil. One swung his axe at me. That is an attack." Vedhethrah eyed Orsas coolly. "If you meant they should land the first blow you should have been clearer."

"If they'd landed a blow, Lady Rook would get involved. No one fucks with hers twice, I've heard her say it." Nali frowned.

"I refrained from killing them because I know my wife would be angry with me. Dwarves are dear to her."

"I would argue they weren't attacking, they were defending but if you had a priest this wouldn't have happened. I haven't found one yet that's suitable." Orsas gave Orefinder a pointed look.

"Why do I need to give him one of mine?"

"He likes mages."

Vedhethrah made a low rumbling sound of annoyance. "Can I not share Nali with-"

"These matters can be addressed later." Cyran lifted his hands. "Is Syreilla still unharmed?"

Syvezar closed his eyes and reached for her threads, unsurprisingly Vedhethrah was reaching for her as well. She was still concerned for the others, the guard had been trying to frighten Braigon, and she wanted her tools back. Her desire for them not to come was clear and he peeked at the reason.

"Our treasure is unharmed but the guard is trying to frighten the child with her. She wants her knives back." Vedhethrah exhaled loudly. "I want to go to her but she says it is not yet the time."

"I will go speak to Kwes-"

"No." Syvezar interrupted his cousin. "She doesn't want us to come near that place with a door yet. The huntress would move the stones and she would prefer they remain where they are for now. To provoke her into moving them could be disastrous."

"Kwes must be told what to expect." Cyran frowned.

"There's a way." Orsas nodded. "Take your other half, Sirruil, and Nali to your nest and see how many of those pieces you can find. I'll speak to Ahevhethrah and with your permission, we'll join you there."

Vedhethrah inclined his head and ushered them toward a slight indentation in the stone that looked like the suggestion of a doorframe. It swung open at the dragon's touch.

*Sixty-seven*

Kwes sat in silence next to the banked fire, ostensibly keeping watch. Itia was in the branches nearby and was being more watchful than he was, however. His thoughts gnawed at the edges of his mind and ran like rodents when he tried to focus on them.

He wanted to become a god but he had no magical talent. Ezphine had said she didn't either. It proved that he could; he just needed to grasp things the way that the forge goddess had. How could he manage to do the things that Syreilla had been telling Ezphine? Put your will forward, right? Was it that simple? Lifting his hand, he tried to open a door as they had to peek at his wife. Nothing happened.

A thought gnawed again at the back of his mind. Perhaps he needed to start smaller or stick to what he knew? He was almost certain that the forge goddess had focused on her skill with steel for a long time before the rest came to her. If he focused on his own skills and honed them... Theft, keeping out of sight, disguising himself the way that Odos did... Odos' children were gifted thieves and poets, that had to be some kind of divinity at work. Tapping into that and making it his own was what he needed to try.