The Tattooed Woman Pt. 01

The only quarry left fighting was a ball of spitting fury who proffered a flurry of daggers at Tallis-Mora and Varoona as she struggled. An orc already lay sprawled on the floor nearby with a blade through its eye, and another had been stabbed in the gut. Knives had been drawn and it was only a matter of time before more blood was spilt.

The slim form was slippery as an eel as it weaved and dodged between blows with frustrating ease, but the dark elves were just as fast and twice as devious. Varoona hurled a cloud of blinding dust at her foe who evaded neatly enough, but as it did, Tallis tackled her and between them the two dark elves bore the figure to the floor.

Even so, the creature nearly wriggled free, until Varoona held a blade to her throat and stilled her at last. Ash tilted her head in suspicion as she regarded the slender form pinned between her two sword sisters, and reaching down, she roughly tore aside the woman's cloak and hood to better see the quarry which had eluded pursuit the longest.

Gasps were heard from the company as the creature before them was revealed. The golden hair, inhuman eyes, and slender features marked her unmistakably as Ljósálfar, one of those fae creatures called the Sunkissed in stories and fables.

The light elf was a furious beauty to be sure, eyes blazing, and hissing almost like a cat as the knifepoint pressing against her neck frustrated her desire to escape. Those same brilliant eyes flicked fearfully from side to side as the girl took in her captors, and Ash could almost see the wheels turning. She chuckled, "Don't."

Eyes of inhuman green instantly locked to her own unblinking gaze and the Captain tilted her head as she regarded her captive.

Like their dark cousins, the light elves were eldritch creatures, inhumanly fair, possessed of long lives and unearthly glamour, and this one was prettier than most she thought, "Looks young, I wonder what brings her here, keeping company with humans no less."

Varoona glanced at the Captain with a smile, doubtless imagining the sport they could have with this dainty morsel. But no sooner had her attention strayed as such delightful musings crossed her imaginations than the lithe creature nimbly slipped aside from the blade holding her still, and producing a slender knife of her own, she lashed out. Ash was barely swift enough to deftly kick it from her grasp before she buried it in one of her sisters, "Hey now! None of that, cousin."

"Let me go, you black-skinned jackal!"

Crouching before the struggling woman Ahunara reached out to grip her chin, turning her face towards her own. The dark elf studied the delicate elfin features of the snarling creature, "They are so like us, yet so different."

She was stunning, to be sure, with golden hair and eyes as green as any emerald. Her figure was as slender as a dancers', and she was obviously as quick as she was nimble.

The dark elf spoke as calmingly as she could in the lilting tongue of her kin, "Listen now, cousin, you must see there's no escape for you. Now come; behave yourself. This useless display in front of the humans is unseemly."

Their quarry, somehow, produced yet another blade and barely missed driving it into Ash's foot before it was wrestled from her grasp.

"By all the powers that be, girl, you have a temper on you. Now look, my kind have as much fondness for you as you do for us, and my sisters would like as not take delight in tormenting and teasing you until you begged for their mercy, which is slender at best. Can we not instead be sensible about this? Do not make us break you, for it would be a cruel waste."

"I'm stronger than you think, bitch!"

"Oh, I'm sure you are, but why endure such things if it is not necessary? There is no need for it. Come, we are kin of sorts, you and I, are we not? Can we not reach some accord?"

The elf hissed at the suggestion, "Do not try to deceive me. We are not kin; we are nothing alike. Dark elves are cruel..."

Ashunara nodded in agreement, "Yes, cruel, wicked and spiteful, I know, I've heard the stories. And do you think you can resist such cruelty? Is this your strategy? If so, it lacks wisdom."

The girl slumped, and crystalline tears formed in her eyes, "No, but better death than slavery. I... I've heard the tales. I can't..."

"Oh, hush now, a dark elf and a slaver I may be, but I'm no beast. Leave such fretting for another day."

Sliding to seat herself down at a table, Ash indicated a nearby barstool, "Sit with me a moment, sweet cousin; be my guest. What say you? We can always return to strife after a drink and a few words if that be your desire. Will ye not at least sit with me awhile?"

The other dark elves released her, and after a moment, the Sunkissed nervously moved forward, furtively sitting upon the proffered stool, looking about warily at her captors.

Ashunara poured some wine from a jug already on the table and tasted it with a grimace, "Human swill, how they can drink this stuff beggar's belief, but I suspect you wouldn't trust anything of ours so it will have to do," she smiled with the concern of an elder sister, "mayhap once I earn your trust a little I can tempt you with something a little more palatable later."

The Sunkissed simply stared at the tabletop in misery.

The Captain rummaged in her pack and tossed a set of manacles to the table, "What make you of these?"

Examining the metalwork and its intricate locking mechanism momentarily, the light elf looked up, "Slave manacles, high quality, Gnomish workmanship, I'd wager," she raised her eyes, "you think to use these on me?"

"You assess them well enough, but tell me, how long would it take a rogue, like yourself say, to pick the lock on those things?"

The girl frowned as she regarded the manacles more closely, "Assuming the lock is ensorcelled to prevent such, and assuming I can filch a pick or some suitable piece of metal, I should think it would take almost a half hour to defeat the spell, and another quarter to open such a clever mechanism."

Impressed, Ashunara nodded, "Interesting, but that admission does tend to make a mockery of fitting you with such fetters. What would be the point after all? But that does then beg the question, what do we do with you?"

She sniffed and scratched her hair, "I could kill you I suppose, but," she casually pointed to the subdued sellsword, "I promised yon man that were he to surrender, none of you would be harmed, and he did. My faults are legion, but I like to think I'm a woman of my word. So, yield, offer your parole, and I, in turn, promise none of my party will lay so much as an unwanted finger upon you for the remainder of our return journey."

The elf sniffed and tears trickled down her cheek, but when she spoke her sad voice was surprisingly steady, "Eventually, we'll cross the great mist and reach your domain within the Fae Realm. I'll be sold and, given my race, 'tis likely to some cruel mistress, and you cannot deny that there are those among your people who would happily visit endless indignities upon me. Better death, I think."

Ashunara considered, "True enough, I won't deny it. But... But I know of a craftsman, a Gnome strangely enough, whom I could perhaps induce to purchase you. He is an artisan and would be keen to use your skills as a locksmith and rogue. While I cannot absolutely promise he wouldn't find some use for your body from time to time, I doubt his appetites run to such. Given what I know of him, I surmise he would far rather probe your mind and skills rather than partake of baser designs. Plus, he is a generous soul. I would suspect that even being paid slaves' wages, you would earn enough in his workshop to buy your freedom within a few years, five at the longest."

The fair one snorted, "Freedom among the Dark Eldar?"

"Freedom is freedom, cousin. We have laws that would protect you both as his property and later as a freedwoman. Trust me," she grinned wolfishly, "we are not known for leniency with those who break our laws."

The elf shuddered, "No, you're not."

Ashunara held out her hand, "Well then, do we have a bargain?"

"Can you promise he will buy me?"

The dark elf pondered for a moment, "Nay, in truth, I cannot, but I tell you what, if he doesn't, then I will endeavour to induce my sister to purchase you for our House. Now, she's not nearly so kindly a mistress as he would be a master, but she has no love for wanton cruelty. She'd strip the skin from your hide if you crossed her, but she'd not abuse you on a whim."

"Could I still buy my freedom?"

"I should think so. You are skilled it seems, and my sister admires competence almost above all other virtues, save one. She will drive a hard bargain, to be sure, but, and it vexes me no end to make the admission, she's not entirely unreasonable. Terms could be struck."

"Save one?"

"Hmm?"

"You said she favours competence over almost all virtues save one?"

The Captain sighed, "Loyalty. She is not a forgiving soul at the best of times, not in the slightest, but betray her and she would hunt you to the ends of the earth for her vengeance's sake. So, if you make a deal with her, you'd best think long and hard before breaking it, for that is a bridge that could not be unburned."

The Sunkissed shook her head, "You've seized me as chattel, why would any of them care to make terms with me?"

Ashunara grinned, "You have rare and useful skills, valuable skills, dangerous skills. You could just as easily turn those skills against my sister, as use them to serve our House. No, we are a pragmatic people. Better to offer fair terms and avoid unwanted strife that profits none."

Watching the girl, Ashunara could see her hesitate, "Almost there."

Reaching out, she gripped the elf's hand in her own, "Please, cousin, come with us. There's nothing to be gained by your death. You'll be under my protection, I promise. Truly, I think I would enjoy showing you my homeland. Who knows, perchance, one day we might even be friends."

The golden-haired woman swallowed nervously as she looked up, and her lips quivered slightly when she spoke, "In truth, despite my brave words, I fear I would be too frightened to end my own life. Very well, take me if you will. I am yours. For now."

Ashunara gave the girl a brilliant smile and patted her cheek gently, "Excellent!" Her thoughts, however, were interrupted as Varoona called from the door, "Captain, mayhap you should see this."

Before Ash could reach the shattered door, Elsadore appeared, driving a trio of hapless villagers before her, all bound and somewhat dishevelled, "These tried to flee. There were a couple of others, but those I let go. Their age and frailty betrayed their value, and they weren't worth the capturing."

Ash clasped her sister on the shoulder and ushered them inside before peeking out at whatever had drawn Varoona's attention. Looking out from the doorway, her gaze followed the younger woman's pointed finger. High above, and across the glen towards the looming mountains, the heavy clouds that shrouded the peaks were lit by brilliant flashes, and there came the rumble of distant thunder.

The storm looked violent and was fast approaching. The wind picked up and Ashunara winced when scant moments later a deafening whipcrack of noise sounded almost directly above the inn, and lightning blazed across the night sky. The sundered door was unevenly matched with the thunderous gale that followed and would have been blown free from its last hinge had the two dark elves not wrestled it shut and barred it as best they could.

Shaking her head in wonder, the Captain looked to Varoona, "By the Gods, that looks to be some tempest!"

Varoona looked troubled, "Strange though, no rain, just the thunder and lightning. Doesn't feel entirely natural."

"Hmm, even so, 'tis best we shelter the night and depart on the morrow. I'll ask Nyx to have a good watch posted," she turned to her companion, "you fought well today, Varoona."

The woman blushed, "Thank you, Captain. They were but peasants for the most part and half asleep in their beds at that. Little enough of a challenge."

"Even so, you took them alive and with no injury save a few bruises, 'twas well done," the Captain flicked Varoona a sideways glance, "I did see you strike one of the serving wenches a warrantless blow when she was slow to drop a jug of ale. She seemed more frightened than defiant. Was there something I missed?"

The younger dark elf found herself avoiding her Captain's steady gaze, and looking down at her gauntleted hand, she was unusually slow to answer. "It's just ... human's, Captain, since ... well, you know, but since then they fair anger me so. I try so hard not to let it get the better of me, but ..."

The Captain rested a hand on her shoulder, "You're a good sister to me, Varoona. What they did to you was cruel, but it was not these poor souls who harmed you so."

Varoona hung her head, and her voice was little more than a whisper, "I'm sorry, Captain."

Ashunara gripped her shoulder and grinned, "Do not be ashamed, lass. We all have our demons, myself included, as well you know. I will always be there for you when you need someone to talk to. Besides, you only slapped the girl; you didn't spit her on your blade, so I'd say all's well that ends well. Be mindful is all I ask."

The younger woman looked up and met her Captain's gaze, and she nodded with a small smile, "Aye, Captain, I'll try."

"Good lass. Now go have some fun. But mind, don't terrify the poor buggers too much as they need to travel in the morning." She grinned, "Do any take your fancy?"

With a forlorn expression, the woman shook her head, "Perhaps I'll just sit a while and have a few drinks."

Ashunara sighed, "'Tis not always good to sit by yourself, Varoona. That can cause old wounds to fester. Why not go find yon lass you clouted and see if mayhap she'll let you kiss it better? Or at least share a tankard with her? It might set her mind at ease a little, and who knows, perhaps you'll feel the better for it."

Varoona reluctantly nodded, "As you say, Captain. I'll do my best."

Slapping her on the back, Ashunara nodded, "I know you will, girl, for you've a good heart. And hey! If you've no luck with the serving wench and still feel like being so generous with your kisses, I'm sure I have a bruise or two somewhere you could favour."

That at least elicited an answering smile, "Ha! You should be so lucky."

After she had gone, Ashunara looked about before beckoning to Tallis-Mora, the youngest of their party. At the young woman's approach, she offered her a goblet of wine, "How did you find your first affray, lass?"

Tallis smiled shyly, "Equal parts terror and excitement, Captain."

"Well, you did better than I did. The first time I crossed swords with a human, I tripped over my own feet and dropped my blade. As I recall, she was a horse-faced guardswoman, and I think she was as surprised as I was."

"What happened?"

"The cow would have split me the next moment had Nyx not taken her in the throat with a thrown knife. Pity really, she would have made a useful servant, not pretty as such, but strong and a good fighter."

"Beg pardon, Captain, why is Nyx not yet a Captain? She's fearless and wields a blade better than anyone I've ever seen?"

"Oh, Nyx hates anyone in high authority. Thinks we're a cadre of useless sots. Which, to be fair, most of us are. Took her a hundred years at least to even tolerate me."

"She said you were 'not bad' once."

The Captain laughed, "By Caturix's sweaty balls, I didn't think she liked me that much. She must be getting soft in her old age. She's a grumpy, pointy-eared, curmudgeon sometimes, but mind you listen to her Tallis, she's as canny a fighter as I've ever seen and wiser than most. Now, I have a favour to ask."

"What is it, Captain?"

"What do you think of yon Sunkissed wench?"

The young woman's face took on an almost dreamy look that made Ashunara grin, "Oh, she's very pretty, Captain, but she seems a little lost and sad, I think."

"Think you could befriend her for me?"

"Me? But I've no skill or experience in such things; wouldn't Varoona or maybe Lashelle be a better choice?"

"No, I think not. In fact, you're perfect for the task. She wouldn't trust me, and the very thought of Nyx or Elsadore making the attempt is almost so funny as to be worth the watching. Lashelle or Varoona could do it, but I think the girl would see it for a deception."

Tallis frowned, "But not me?"

"No, not you. I well remember you as a bairn, sitting at my feet listening to my stories."

"My mother did not enjoy me doing that."

Ashunara grinned, "That she did not. But do you remember the stories you favoured most of all?"

The younger woman rolled her eyes, "Please don't say it was elf-princesses. I think I would be obliged to cut my own throat in disgust if you say such."

"Well, no, it was the ones with monsters mostly; that and bloodsoaked tales of battle and glory. Truly, you were a troublesome child; no wonder your mother disapproved. But... There were a few tales involving our fair cousins you sometimes asked me to repeat, mostly legends about their magic to be fair."

With an embarrassed groan that sounded almost pained, Tallis sighed, "Truly?"

The Captain grinned, "Oh yes."

Looking across at the sad looking creature sitting alone at the table, Tallis swallowed, "Why bother? Do you feel sorry for her?"

"Now lass, less of your cheek. It's... Hmm, well the Sunkissed are a queer lot."

"Queer?"

"Oh aye. They are like us in many ways, and yet not. They are cursed, as we are, and their numbers dwindle with every passing year. But while the dark elves rail and struggle against our fate, the Ljósálfar have... given up. They see it as accepting their destiny with dignity and are content to just... fade," she shrugged, "maybe they're right, who's to say, but conceding to such defeat is not in our nature."

She paused a moment as she eyed the light elf, "They are a lonely, melancholy people, but there are a few among them who are not content to watch their kin waste away. Some take themselves apart from other folk, living as hermits in the forgotten and lonely ruins that have been abandoned by their people. Others go abroad and can sometimes be found travelling with other wandering souls, mayhap seeking companionship among the restless and the lost."

"Like her?"

"I think so."

Tallis sniffed, "That does not explain why you think I should befriend her."

"Oh, my reasons are pragmatic enough. If you don't, I'll probably have to kill her."

"What? No! I... I mean surely, she's worth coin."

Ashunara hid her smile, "Oh, that is true enough, but when you are a Captain you must examine all sides of a problem, and that girl presents me a conundrum."

"How so?"

"Well, there's nothing to stop her slipping her shackles one night and making off. Should that happen, I'd be obliged to set Azure upon her trail with orders to end her."

"For vengeance?"

"Gods no. I'd care not a jot if she simply went on her way, other than the matter of lost coin of course, but that little twit is just as likely to try and rescue her friends. Now, I don't think she'd escape all our nets and snares, but that doesn't mean to say that some sentry won't get his or her throat cut when she makes the attempt. And then I'd have to kill her anyway. No, I needs must make her want to stay."

"That sounds a hard ask."

"Maybe, but as long as she sees her friends are not being mistreated, she'll want to stay close, for a while anyway."

Tallis stared, "Why?"

"Because they're her friends. Skittish and lonely that one, I think; distant, but strangely hungry for companionship. I saw it in her eyes. She doesn't enjoy being alone."