Hammer and Feather Ch. 65-77

The man swallowed and went back to studying the floor.

Steepling her fingers, Syr turned her thoughts inward and mulled over the mystery of what Finwion might gain from helping Isca. He might gain more from pretending to help her. Nimphon would have looked into his eyes and known what he was doing, and she didn't doubt that Navisse could do the same. Orefinder had seen and understood-

Something sharp poked her arm and she opened her eyes, arching an eyebrow at the guard who stumbled back and dropped his sword.

"Did I stop breathing again? I forget that I need to keep doing that around mortals." She put on a wide mad grin and he shuddered, pulling his chair back a little further before picking up his blade and sitting down again.

She glanced at Braigon and saw the amused look the boy cracked his eyes open to give her before he closed them again. Syreilla returned to mulling over the conundrum in front of her. Her father liked to trick people and put on a spectacle when he finally showed his true intent as a way to strike a harder blow but he knew better than to put children in danger to do it. Perhaps the elf thought he could keep them safe with Navisse's help.

The destruction of the temple would still need to be answered for and Syr wanted to know why neither of the children had summoned her to their aid.

The watch's relief came after what seemed like only a short time and she heard him whispering to the new guard, "Stay back from the bars. That's not an elf woman that's a monster."

"Righteous vengeance made flesh." She grinned at them. "Only the innocent or those with a good heart and a feather have no need to fear me."

Syr laughed quietly to herself as they retreated and whispered amongst themselves.

"Speaking of feathers, dear one..." She kept her voice low.

"When he came with the other one and her men, Navisse snatched them and made them vanish. She should have let us call for you."

"I'll have to ask her why she didn't."

The new guard returned and pulled the chair another inch away before sitting.

The elf had walked away from her own temple to protect those in her care. Perhaps Navisse wanted to deal with the matter herself, or perhaps the older goddess was trying to protect her. If the elven gods couldn't stand against Isca they wouldn't expect Syreilla to be able to. Preventing the children from calling for her had put things firmly on this path when they could still have gone on another. And Finwion... Steepling her fingers again she continued trying to put all of the pieces together in her mind.

*Sixty-nine*

"There's one in that crack."

Nali watched in amazement as Sirruil helped to hunt down the lost slivers of Syreilla's eye.

"I can get it." Syvezar peered into the narrow crevice and gingerly slipped his fingers inside feeling around.

The blue shard looked like a needle when he drew it out.

Vedhethrah opened the leather bag they'd been putting them in to receive it. "She may be annoyed with me for bringing you here but your help is appreciated."

"Why did they just let them fall?" Nali shook her head. "Why didn't they put them into things like the Eye?"

"The pieces they carved off of the stone are..." Syvezar frowned and shook his head, "They're dead for lack of a better word. The smallest pieces would have had no use. Carving the stone was cruel and it harmed our father. It was his stone before it was Syreilla's."

"I'm sorry." She gave the bag a rueful look. "They shouldn't have done that."

"If they had not..." Vedhethrah looked thoughtful. "We would not have our Syreilla. The circlet helped her to survive her mortal life and reach Vezar Edra to free him. With no Golden Rook..."

"I wouldn't have been born." Sirruil took off the circlet to look at it. "No one would have come to save my Nali. No one would have helped the elves and there would have been no one to help us when the human armies turned. Creating it caused a lot of pain but it had to be made."

"I will have Syreilla give our father recompense for his pain." Vedhethrah looked around at the shattered mine. "This was given to us as our nest and perhaps it should have been given to him."

"She bought the Eye with her own." Ahevhethrah joined them. "Your father is repaid. He has a loving niece, a new and whole stone, he has a true godhood and peace. With this mine perhaps he will even have grandchildren." He peered into the bag and added a few pieces. "The pieces are so small... Keep them close and safe."

"Why do you need them?" Nali looked at him curiously and was rewarded with a smile.

"Syreilla may need them."

"Vedhethrah!" Ezphine shouted from further down "I can make this fit together but I can't make it fit with the roots if I can't see them."

Nali trotted down to see what the goddess was talking about. Walp flew down from her vantage on a broken building and into the one Ezphine was peering out of. Inside one of the shattered treasure rooms, the forge goddess had managed to work the dirty remnants of melted gold and gems that had been in rivulets and chunks into something that looked like a rough approximation of a nest. Walp perched on it as if inspecting it.

Nali gave the goddess a horrified look. "He's supposed to build the bed!"

The dragon chuckled behind her. "I found the pieces but building is not one of my strengths. This is what my treasure envisioned. It was filled with soft cushions and silk. If Nali will come with us I will allow you to enter the nest chamber."

"Why does the child need to come?" Ezphine gave him an odd look.

"I would be enraged if she took Orsas or even Cyran into our chamber alone. I dislike anyone other than Syreilla in that place but I will not allow you to be alone with me there."

"She once severed her connection to Vezar Edra after finding him in bed with an elven goddess. He had refused her but it had the appearance of betrayal. Her forgiveness is hard to gain." Syvezar peered in at the nest. "It suits this place somehow."

"I think she'd know I wasn't seducing her dragon." Ezphine shook her head with a wry smile. "Come on then, Nali. Make sure he doesn't flirt with me."

Vedhethrah blinked and huffed but Nali broke into laughter. The dragon huffed again but seemed amused as he opened a large door to a room filled with tangled roots.

"You might need to get rid of a few." The forge goddess stepped through to look around.

"No. My treasure was clear that the roots must remain. The nest can be made to fit around them."

"The bed will be lumpy with roots in the middle of it. She wouldn't notice if you cleared a few from the middle."

Nali shivered.

"Nali?" Vedhethrah put his hand on her head and made a soft sound. "Assure her that I will not harm the roots.

"She would notice and be sour, Ezphine. My treasure is half elf."

"I forget that somehow." The goddess sighed. "Elves are odd about their trees."

"The throne in her audience chamber is a forked tree." He smiled and studied the roots before turning back to the golden nest. "I will carry it-"

"They aren't attached! The whole thing will come apart! I made the layers into open, overlapping rings. Here." Ezphine shook her head and then hurried to where the dragon was finding a grip on the gold.

Walp flew into the root-filled chamber as he did. Nali scurried out of the way as Ezphine and Vedhethrah wrestled the rings into the nest chamber and began trying to fit them among the roots. The door closed and Nali glanced around. The sound of water was louder where she was standing and she turned to see that the floor fell away just a few steps further on. Inching toward the edge, she tried to see how far of a drop it was.

Ezphine gripped the back of her shirt.

"It's a long way down, little Nali. I've looked up at it from the lake below."

"I just wanted to see."

"I don't think he needs us here." Ezphine smiled as she glanced at the dragon studying the roots and adjusting the ring he was laying. She opened a door, tugging Nali through it.

They stood on the shore of a small lake looking up at the nest chamber. The tree roots spilled out of the chamber through cracks and the broken sides. Others dangled around it. It was high above the water. Vedhethrah peered around the edge curiously, as Walp flew out and began to fly in lazy circles above them, before returning to his labors.

"They were swimming the first time I came. He leapt from the nest and flew down. She was already in the water and he landed on top of her. I'd never seen anyone bite a dragon before." Ezphine smiled wryly and Nali couldn't help but laugh. "Let's go back and help your father find more pieces. I like looking around this place."

"It used to be beautiful, the stories all say. It still is but... It feels too empty."

"I can see what it used to be in places."

"I never thought I'd get to see the Glan Minrhia."

As they made their way back down to the treasure rooms they heard the sound of quiet conversation. She recognized her father's voice even though she couldn't make out the words, but the woman's voice was unfamiliar. Nali picked up her pace as did Ezphine.

"I'll tell him but I don't know if he'll take it. You're sure it won't be needed at Bhiraldur?"

"Orsas will see to it that it won't be."

The dark-haired dwarf woman turned and smiled faintly at Nali before looking back to Sirruil. "She is a great deal like your mother. The raven he gave her should help keep her away from trouble."

"There was no keeping my mother away from trouble and there's no keeping Nali away either." He grinned, "The raven just makes sure she gets home safely."

Laughing quietly, the dwarf woman vanished. Walp landed on Nali's shoulder.

"Walp."

"Father, what-"

"That was Thrastungrid." Ezphine looked at him curiously. "What does she want you to do?"

"I need to give the Eye to Lord Syvezar with a message." Sirruil beckoned and put his arm around her, shooing Walp away when she came to him. "I know Lady Rook wanted you to inherit this, but it might be that she needs it back."

"If she wants it back she'll take it, Father. She wants it to stay in the mines." Nali felt certain.

"She said that Thrastungrid can see." Ezphine looked at them both thoughtfully. "She wasn't sure whose vision was better but she seemed to trust her judgment."

"She isn't sure whose vision is better?!" A sharp voice came from a shadow and was shushed.

Sirruil put the circlet in place and laughed. "I can see you all with this. Her vision isn't bad."

"It isn't." Thrastungrid stepped back out into sight with a handful of other dwarven women. "Do you know what she sees?"

"The peak of the arch," Syvezar spoke firmly as he appeared. "She can only see clearly where it comes together, at the edges of her vision possibilities spin and flutter. It's dizzying. She says it's like juggling."

"Juggling?" Thrastungrid smiled and looked speculative.

"You can't look at your hands or follow the path of the ball." Sirruil nodded. "You keep your eyes up, focused on the top where it turns and comes back down. You see the balls moving but not clearly and you can see when someone tosses something to you from the side without moving your eyes."

"She does it differently than I do but that's clever." Thrastungrid smiled. "She may see more possibilities but I see the paths more clearly. Which way is better would be difficult to say."

"She isn't here for us to visit." One of the others sniffed, looking a little sullen.

"No, but we can leave a gift for her that she will appreciate. She's not a Fellwife but she has her place among us."

"He gave her a mine!" Another looked sour.

"She'd like Bhiraldur even if she stayed mostly with the ravens." Nali nodded, "And Lord Vedhethrah is happy wherever she is. She does like to come in and watch the men work the forges though."

"Vedhethrah would follow her." Syvezar sounded amused. "We remember how fond she was of watching them and he would need to make certain she wasn't being seduced."

"She likes watching them work the forges?" Ezphine grinned.

"She would sit enthralled for hours. If you promised that she could watch you work she would give you the forges here, I have no doubt."

The forge goddess laughed and shook her head. "I'll ask what Vedhethrah thinks."

The dwarvish women were looking at each other pointedly and finally, one nodded and waved her hands. "What gift would she want? We could help her bring some part of this mine back into some sort of order."

Nali breathed a laugh, "The cushions."

Thrastungrid smiled warmly, "Cushions?"

"Lord Vedhethrah said she saw the bed that they would have, the nest. The only parts missing I think are the cushions to fill it and the silk he said it was draped with."

"He's making it fit among the roots." Ezphine glanced back that way. "You shouldn't go into it without his permission. He was worried she might think I was seducing him and he wouldn't let me in without Nali."

The dwarvish women chuckled.

"Dragons are jealous and the Rook is too." Thrastungrid gave the others a look and received nods of agreement. "We'll give her cushions and silken bedding for her nest. It's round?"

"It's going to be oddly shaped to fit among the roots." Ezphine shrugged. "I don't know how he can make it comfortable without pulling the roots out of the middle but she won't allow it."

"We may be able to offer him some advice." One of the women nodded.

"If he doesn't listen to Kygla, may my aunt punish him by cooking." Sirruil grinned and the dwarvish women laughed.

The one who had suggested they offer advice stroked her red beard with a smile. "You're a good boy."

The Fellwives began strolling in the direction of the lake and Sirruil seemed to remember he had a task. He took the circlet off and held it out as he walked toward Syvezar.

"My Lord, you're going to need this."

"Syreilla is insistent that you keep it." The half-dragon shook his head with a smile. "Keep it safe."

"No, Thrastungrid said, 'Her eye isn't hard enough but her Eye is.' Whatever that means, she's going to need this. I'm supposed to give it to you."

"I'll vouch that Syreilla trusts the dwarf's vision." Ezphine frowned and looked at Nali. "What do you say?"

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and tried to think what might be the right thing to say. What would Lady Rook want? A feeling settled over her. "It's safe with her dragons. She wants to keep us safe... All of the dwarves. As long as we are, it should be alright if you hold it for a little while. It will come back to us."

She opened her eyes as Syvezar took it and held it with a peculiar look on his face. "It feels like her. As if I hold my treasure in my hand. You were told to give it to me because if you had put this in Vedhethrah's hand, he would keep it. He would use it to keep her with us no matter how angry it made her."

"But you won't." Nali felt the urge to run and yank it out of his hand as he hesitated.

"No. She would steal it back and leave us."

Walp came back to perch on her shoulder and Sirruil gave her a small smile.

"Don't worry so much, Nali. Everything will happen the way it's supposed to. You'll see."

*Seventy*

Slipping out of the kitchen as they were settling into their tasks, Kwes palmed the sigil. Three paths lit in front of him. One to what looked like it might be a barracks, the second to a low stone building near the fortress wall, and the last to what was certainly a temple. It felt as if he should go to the barracks first.

He made his way there and ducked in without difficulty. It was the work of moments to find a uniform that nearly fit, with some padding and chain under it he shouldn't stand out. Stepping back out, he made his way confidently toward the low stone building. The sigil hadn't led him to the wrong place. From the barred door, he knew this must be where they kept the prisoners.

It took moments to pick the lock on the gate and he closed it behind himself quietly, moving deeper inside down the narrow stairs. In a peculiarly empty guard room, he found a pair of buckets, one with water and the other nearly empty as if these were their water allotments. Or perhaps intended for the prisoners.

Glancing around a bit more, he found some buckets clearly used for excrement. Taking an empty one and grabbing the full bucket to give himself a reason to be wandering in case he met any of the guards, he kept going.

Another barred door deeper in blocked his way but this time someone was opening it. It was held open for him and he nodded wordlessly as he passed through. Another guard room waited past that one, also empty. Two corridors with cells led off of it.

Slipping down the right one first, he saw the guard sitting in a chair outside of a cell before the man saw him. Inside the cell...

Syreilla gave him a mischievous smile as he approached.

"Oi! What are you doing here?" The guard standing watch over the Rook and the boy with her scowled at him.

"I brought water and an empty-"

"They don't need that."

"The boy does," Syreilla spoke up in a reasonable tone. "Let him give those to the boy. We're chained and you're standing watch. It's as safe as it can get."

The guard's brow furrowed.

"I wouldn't be here with these if I hadn't been told-"

"Fine." The man snapped and came to unlock the door. "Put them next to the boy."

The moment the door was unlocked, Kwes attacked, bouncing the man's head off of the bars. The guard stumbled back and then slumped onto the floor.

Bringing in the buckets and putting them near Braigon, he hurried to his sister and shoved a small tool pouch in her boot. Hopefully, she could use them herself. He had a feeling that he needed to be in another part of the castle fortress before the guard woke.

"Her highest priest is her son, be wary," Syreilla murmured and gave him a nod as he left.

He kept his movements unhurried and his face calm as he made his way back down the corridor. In the guardroom, before he could get far, the sound of children weeping and a scream filled his ears. Amtalia. He spun on his heel. In the second hall of cells, there was a small cluster of guards laughing, one was holding his wife and another a knife, cutting her ear as the other two watched and jeered.

Kwes didn't think before he acted, attacking them and wresting one of their weapons away. The guards who had been attacking his wife turned on him as well and he wedged the short blade into one's head. The other died on the knife that had been used to harm Amtalia before he realized that it was Syreilla's boot knife, the one with the rook's head handle.

If he'd kept Cyran's sigil he could have healed her ears, he cursed himself for giving it away too soon. "My dove-"

Amtalia was shaking and stared at him in horror. "Go! Don't let them catch you! She took Belthamdir!"

"I'll get her back." He fished the sigil out of his pocket and bowed his head, murmuring, "Odos, Father, do what you can for my wife and these children, we can quibble over favors later, just give them the luck to get out of here." Kwes pressed it into her palm.

"I'll go first and make the way clear. Let it guide you."

He rushed toward the door with the bloodied knife still in hand. Grabbing a rag as he passed through the guard room he wiped at it and then at his hand, hoping the guard's brown tunic wouldn't show much of the blood he'd almost certainly gotten on himself.

Kwes wrapped and tucked the mostly clean knife up his sleeve, checking for other guards as he'd promised on the way out and dispatching the one he found before he made his way toward the temple where the sigil had wanted him to go next. Inside the door, he stopped short. A white crow had been skewered and put up on display on the altar.