Rogue Elves of Ardani by Nina K. Westra

Author:Nina K. Westra [Westra, Nina K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Nina K. Westra
Published: 2022-05-20T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

They padded down the dark streets of Valtos, guided by Crow’s dog.

Crow glanced over her shoulder at Aruna. He kept his distance, following behind her with his hood shading his face. She could see the faint blue glow of his eyes in the darkness. They narrowed at her.

He hadn’t tried to stab her as soon as they left the tavern, though. That was a surprise.

“So,” she said as they half walked, half ran down the street, turning to avoid the few roads that still had people milling about them at this late hour. “What brings you to Valtos? Here to see the sights? Have you caught any shows?”

He didn’t say anything.

She grew more serious. “Is it that woman with the sword? You came here because of her, didn’t you?”

“Can’t understand,” he murmured shortly, his accent rounding the words oddly.

“Does she speak Varai, then? Surely not. She didn’t strike me as the intellectual sort—no offense meant—and even if she were—”

“Quiet.”

She turned to smirk at him. He couldn’t understand her attempts at casual conversation, but he understood enough to tell her to shut up.

He raised a finger to his lips for emphasis, glancing down the street as if afraid of being overheard.

Crow gave up and continued in silence, but she kept thinking about Aruna and his human companion.

She thought back to the way they’d been sitting in the tavern. They hadn’t been stiff and uncomfortable around each other the way she and Vaara were. They hadn’t seemed like mere business associates, either. They were friendly. Maybe more than friendly.

Was that possible? She’d never heard of such a couple.

She looked over at him again. “Aruna,” she said quietly. “You and that woman are together, aren’t you?”

He didn’t reply—either not understanding, or just not wanting to answer.

Crow shook her head and kept walking.

But she couldn’t stop wondering about it. Suddenly, it was something she very much wanted to know—whether a night elf would ever befriend a human. Whether one might ever forgive an Ardanian for doing something horrible to them.

She didn’t know why that was something she wanted, or when she had started caring what Vaara thought of her.

She tried to swallow down the fear and worry that was stirring in her stomach. She’d been talking to try to distract herself, and somehow she’d just ended up thinking about Vaara again and making it worse.

Aruna’s hand on her arm abruptly pulled her against the wall of a building. She felt a spell being cast over her, and then her body had turned to shadow.

Ahead, a pair of men in familiar armor hovered in front of a nondescript building with boarded windows. Prison guards, and an abandoned building.

If she and Aruna had gotten any closer, the guards would have seen them. She gave him a grateful nod. He gave her a guarded look in return.

Their dog had wandered ahead, either deciding that its mission was complete, or simply forgetting Crow when it saw its masters again. One of the guards raised his head as it approached.

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