The horse took its place near the wall when they arrived back at their destination and Aile entered the tavern, took another mug of ale, and retreated to her room. She drank half of what she’d been given and slept. A decision she half-regretted when she woke just after dark. Her muscles all ached and fought her with each attempt to move. They eventually gave in but continued to make her movement more burdensome than she’d have liked. She drank the rest of her ale and moved to the tavern to await dinner. When it was served she spent the better part of ten minutes smelling it before she finally tore into the chicken and potatoes. The elf behind the counter stared at her curiously the entire time she ate. It must have amused her but Aile was not concerned with her standing in the eyes of a tavern wench. She finished the meal and sat quietly with a mug of ale that she was quickly losing interest in. A few elves had come for dinner and milled around talking to one another and shooting glances at the wonder of the Blackwood that had come among them. She was nearly ready to retire to her room when she heard stamping from outside and the braying of a horse. She stood and crossed the room in a hurry, throwing the door open.
Two drunk elves were hopping side long around the horse, taunting it and attempting to corral it backward toward a nearby alley.
“Ah, yer a big fucker int ya? Never seen one so big.” A ratty looking elf, bald but for a ring of unkempt hair matted against the back of his head.
“C’mon now horsey, keep it shut.” His partner. A wiry elf with a long scar running down the side of his face and onto his neck.
Aile stopped in the street and put a hand on the hilt of her long dagger before cursing under her breath. She had not seen a guard, but there was no call in assuming there were none.
“Elves.” They turned at Aile’s call. “You are troubling my property. Go and I will not end your lives.”
The ratty one stepped forward. “A tiny little blackheart and her giant horsey, eh? Like a bleedin’ fairy tale.”
Aile gave him no response but he kept walking to her. The other was still stood, arms wide, in front of the horse. He had stopped minding the animal and stared over his shoulder at what his partner had gotten up to.
“’Fraid we, uh, whassat word? Appropriated this animal. We’d be more’n happy to sell him back. Twenty gold oughta cover it, eh?”
“Huhuhu” A stupid laugh from the helper. “Yeah, oughta do real nice.”
“And maybe we appropriate you.”
The ratty one reached his hand out to touch her face and Aile grabbed tight to his wrist. She leapt from the ground and kicked with all her force against his shoulder as she pulled the arm. The pops, snaps, and rips came just before the screams. Blood immediately stained the ratty elf’s shirt and he collapsed to the ground. Aile had let go of the arm and pushed herself away as he fell. She landed on her back but quickly came to her feet to watch the other in case he moved. He did, but only to turn and add to the chaos of his friend’s screaming.
“Fire’s bloody—” His curse was cut short as the horse bit hard at his still outstretched arm. The bone snapped and much of the skin ripped. His screams were panicked and he struggled to breathe normally. When the animal pulled away, the man’s arm fell limp and the elf went to his knees.
The ratty one stood now and looked at Aile in terror. He said nothing, just stared, holding his arm and wincing against the pain. He dragged himself away into the alley at the far side of the street and his partner followed behind, crying and coughing in fits, begging the other to wait. The horse watched them as they left and when their wails were distant and quiet, looked at Aile for a moment and then returned to its place at the wall.
Aile walked to the horse, her horse, and stroked its face. It chuffed happily and pushed her lightly on the shoulder with its muzzle, blood still dripping from the horse’s chin.
“You are a good animal.”
She turned and went back inside the tavern and headed upstairs to bed down for the night. She had troublesome work yet to be done, but she had solved a problem she had expected would take a hefty portion of her coin. She could not help but allow herself a satisfied smile as she climbed into bed. Reliable travel did not often come so cheap, after all.
Part Eleven
V
Z
Socair
Socair’s mind was a fog when she finally woke. As hard as she tried, she could not seem to put the night in order in her mind, though she felt she could remember the bulk of it. Deifir had made love to her. It was rough, but pleasurable. Socair sat at the edge of
