The Tome of Agrimar

Chapter Ten

Kendra had a hard time keeping her mind on the task at hand. Everything was becoming so very exciting. Her very own adventure! And at the center of it all, a dragon! And not just any dragon, but one of the most well known dragons in history, Vex! Maybe, before everything was said and done, she would get the chance to ride a dragon? She smiled inwardly, a spring in her step as she hurried back toward the town. Right now, though, she had to help Talon find Melonzriel, who could lead them to Thradris. Then, maybe Kendra could ask him some questions about his sword before he and Talon had at each other. Maybe he’d know more than Talon did.

She was so distracted by her thoughts, Kendra nearly ran into a tree. She recovered though, stumbling backward and smiling up at Talon reassuringly. He was so focused on finding Thradris and avenging his father, but surely there was something more to this than that. It was a true mystery. Maybe she could find a way to get his mind off the past and enjoy this adventure for what it was.

They neared the edge of the town, and Kendra steered away from the potions hut. Olivia had said the dark elf and her granddaughter were at the garden, so Kendra hurried instead toward the garden path. She remembered passing it yesterday as she and Talon wandered about asking people if they knew anything about Thradris. To think they could have bumped into Melonzriel right there and no one had even mentioned him! When the cobblestone path at the edge of the tree line came into view, she stopped.

“What is it?” Talon asked.

Kendra turned around and frowned up at him in concentration. “You should probably disappear or something. It’s you that man is looking for. Not me. So I can walk into town unnoticed and find Meelon… Melens…” she sighed. Why did everyone have to have such difficult names? “Mel. I can find Mel without being noticed, but you need to be invisible now that he knows you’re in the city.”

Talon shook his head. “I told you I don’t know how many times. I’m not a wizard. I can’t disappear.”

“I know that,” Kendra replied, her exasperation seeming to match Talon’s. “But you’re a druid, right? That’s what Olivia said. And you made the plants move. So you can do magic, right?”

“Some,” Talon said softly. “Some magic. But I can’t disappear.”

“Fine, fine,” Kendra waved it off. “You’ll just have to wait here then. I’ll be back.”

As Kendra turned to enter the town, Talon placed a hand on her shoulder. “Wait.”

The young woman tilted her head to the side curiously, as Talon seem wracked with indecision. “I guess it won’t hurt for you to see. Now that you know I’m a druid anyway. Just… don’t tell Melonzriel why we need to find his father. He won’t lead us to him if he knows.”

“What do you mean?”

Talon shushed her and held out his hand. His raven landed on his fingers, and the young druid whispered something in its ear. Luscious shifted from foot to foot, rustling his feathers with a cackle before alighting on Kendra’s shoulder. The young woman was surprised and looked about to ask something, but Talon held a finger up for quiet as he concentrated. She and the bird watched with interest, and at first nothing seemed to happen. Then Kendra heard a snapping pop, like bones breaking and Talon seemed to be shorter. She then noticed that his face seemed a bit furrier, his nose longer. As her eyes tried to adjust to the scene before her, she realized that he was changing form, shapeshifting into another creature entirely. She practically shrieked with delight as the druid sprouted a tail and landed on the ground before her with massive grey paws.

In only moments, Kendra found herself standing beside a large wolf. “Oh, Talon! This is wonderful, this is amazing, this is-“

A glare from the wolf was all it took. She knew Talon wished her to be quiet. “Sorry. Shutting up now.” The grin on her face, however, would not go away. “Ok. Let’s go find Mel.”

Kendra was so small and Talon’s wolf form so large that the two were nearly eye to eye as they entered the town gardens. With Luscious resting on her shoulder, Kendra appeared to be an animal tamer, or perhaps a circus performer. There were few in the gardens, but everyone they passed watched her curiously, causing Kendra’s smile to spread even wider. Kendra slowed as they approached a group of boys near the other end of the garden seemingly caught up in some commotion, and Talon’s ears perked. Kendra wished she could hear as well as he did, but then Talon nudged her forward with his nose and slipped behind a row of bushes. She took that as her cue to go investigate. As she drew closer, she could make out the different voices, and the source of the ruckus became clearer.

“Back off!” shouted a young woman, and one of the boys was shoved backward, tumbling as he tried to regain his footing and was caught by two of his companions. They righted him, and he brushed off his clothes facing the girl who had shoved him. She was clearly at a disadvantage, surrounded by a group of five boys that appeared to be under the leadership of the young man she’d shoved. The others made no move toward her, and she seemed unafraid as she glared at them all.

“What are you going to do?” The apparent leader asked, sidling up next to her and placing an arm around her shoulder, which she summarily shrugged away. “Sic your elf on us? You think you’ve got him wrapped around your little finger, don’t you? But he’s just waiting for the right moment. Waiting to take advantage of your trust. I’m trying to look out for you.”

“He’s not like that,” the girl answered confidently. “He’s different from you.” She started walking away, but two of the boys blocked her path as their leader snatched her hand.

“Of course he’s different,” the boy scoffed, apparently missing the girls implied insult- that he sought to take advantage of her trust. “He’s a night-elf,” He spat the word, like it was a curse. “He’s just trying to lure you in, deceive you. Don’t you get it? His heart’s as dark as his skin. Why do you trust him more than me, Valorie?”

With a swift jerk, she pulled her arm out of his grip. “Leave me alone!”

“Valorie, please,” came the reply. “Be reasonable. I just want to walk you home. Make sure you get there safe.”

She turned up her nose at him. “I can walk myself, thank you. It’s only just down the street.”

“And that elf might slip after you,” the boy pleaded.

“I’d feel safer with him walking me than with you. Now tell your friends to stand aside,” Valorie demanded.

The boy’s lip curled in an almost hidden snarl as he raised a hand as if to hit her. Luscious took off from Kendra’s shoulder with a caw, but then fluttered backwards with a start as something buzzed past the boy’s ear. He shrieked and jumped to the side, looking around frantically to find an arrow embedded in the trunk of a tree and a touch of blood on his earlobe. Luscious remained in the air for a moment then settled on the shaft. The others did not seem to notice his presence, too interested in the source of the arrow. Kendra, also, found herself shocked into silence and stillness as she simply observed the scene before her.

“She said stand aside,” called a voice in the woods. “I’d do as she says, boys.”

The group started shifting and fidgeting, trying to find where the voice was coming from. The bloodied boy, however, was only angry. “Quit your shadow games, elf!” he shouted. “Come out here and face me, coward!”

There was a long silence, and then a cloaked figure materialized from the trees, a bow on his shoulder and a sword on his hip. His cowl was pulled low over his head, hiding his features in shadow, but the skin of his hands was black as night. “Leave Valorie alone, and we have no quarrel,” he said.

“Riel, I’m fine,” Valorie said. “You don’t need-“

“Like hell we have no quarrel!” the boy shouted, fuming. “You bloodied my ear!”

The dark elf did not budge, his voice untainted by emotion. “You were going to hit, Valorie,” he said. “Is that your idea of protection, Everett?”

“I… you…” he sputtered, rage and embarrassment turning his face red. “This is another one of your tricks! You set me up for this!”

“Did I?” the elf replied, amusement in his voice. “I have done nothing more than protect Valorie from harm. Even your friends here cannot deny that.”

“You know, he’s right,” one of the boys muttered uncertainly, cringing away from Everett as he spoke. “Let’s just get out of here.”

Everett shook his head, as if trying to rid his mind of the information that did not fit with his fixed impression of the situation. “He’s a night-elf! Don’t you get it? He’s evil. If you want to stand up for him, be my guest. See what it gets you. Now come on, Valorie-“

He moved to snatch Valorie’s hand again, and she twisted away from him. One of the other boys grabbed her from behind, and suddenly Melonzriel was in motion. There was a shout and one boy moved to block him. With a smooth, rolling motion, Riel simply stepped past him, sending the boy tumbling over himself without even touching him. A mere sidestep had placed him next to the boy instead of in front, and the boy became a victim of his own momentum. It had happened so fast and so smoothly Kendra had to blink and rub her eyes, which caused her to miss the next few steps as a spin of his cloak brought a second boy flat on his back and the elf was now next to Everett, sword at his throat.

“Let her go,” he whispered so softly Kendra almost didn’t hear it.

The boy that had grabbed Valorie from behind released his grip and turned and ran. His running seemed to work as a signal, sending a jolt into the others and they all fled, leaving only Valorie, Melonzriel, and Everett. “If you ever raise a hand to harm Valorie again, you will answer to me. Do you understand?” Riel said, so softly and calmly that the seeming lack of concern was more threatening than it would have been had he yelled.

Everett nodded ever so slightly, afraid that too much motion would bring his neck into contact with the blade. Without another word, Riel sheathed his sword.

“Riel, you didn’t have to-“ Valorie started, but the elf placed a finger on her lips.

“It’s alright,” he said. “You know I couldn’t let anyone hurt you.”

“And you know I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself,” she sighed as though this was a conversation they’d had before. “You didn’t have to go making a scene. It just gives them more wild stories to spread, making it harder for the people here to accept you and your father.”

“It doesn’t matter if they accept me,” the elf answered. “I am what I am. Nothing will change that.”

Valorie just scowled at him and nodded her ascent. “Very well,” she said. “Care to escort me home?” She held out her arm for her dark-skinned companion, and the two walked past Everett as if he weren’t even there. A flare of anger returned to the boy’s eyes at being ignored and he slowly started drawing a dagger from his boot. Before he could draw it in full, a deep growl resonated from the bushes. All three tensed, the dark elf placing himself between Valorie and the noise as a wolf appeared, teeth bared in a wide snarl.

“It’s alright,” Kendra said, rushing over to the wolf’s side in order to assure the others. “He’s with me. I’d put that dagger back, though, if I were you.” She locked eyes with Everett, and this turn of events seemed to be too much for the boy as he turned and fled.

Melonzriel and Valorie watched him flee then turned interested eyes to Kendra as Luscious returned to her shoulder and Talon ceased his growling. He leaned in for a scratch behind the ear, as if he were no more than a dog. Kendra chuckled and obliged him, though the weight of him pressed against her nearly bowled her over.

“Well, I guess I should thank you, my friends,” Riel smiled, offering his hand to both Kendra and Talon for a shake and a sniff respectively. “I did not think Everett had enough of a spine to even attempt an attack. I never saw that coming.”

Kendra was confused. The scene that had played out before her very eyes did not at all sit well with her impression of how a night-elf should conduct himself. Certainly, Olivia had seemed impressed with Mel, or Riel as Valorie had called him, but Kendra had thought the blind woman might have simply been mistaken. Or maybe Riel wasn’t evil. An evil night-elf would have just killed those boys, maybe tortured them first. Even evil elves could become taken with a pretty girl, and Valorie was definitely pretty. If Riel had been evil and thought those boys were going to hurt Valorie, there would have been no end to the pain he could have caused them in return. But he’d held back. And Valorie clearly liked him in return.  Unless the girl was just as seedy as the evil elf she would most certainly not return such affections. It was all so very confusing, unless one were to removing a very simple piece of the equation. Riel was clearly not evil.

Kendra smiled up at him, her nearness now offering her a splendid view under his hood. His face was as dark as his hands, with sharp elvin features, pointed ears, snow white hair, and deep blue eyes. He seemed a bit surprised to have elicited such a grin, but not nearly as surprised as her words made him. “And here I thought you’d be evil and ugly, but you’re quite dashing. No wonder Valorie likes you.”

“Um, thank you?” the night-elf exchanged a confused glance with the potion master’s granddaughter before looking back at Kendra. “And you are?”

Kendra opened her mouth to offer introductions and explain her intentions when she suddenly remembered that Talon had instructed her not to tell Melonzriel that he wanted to kill Thradris. She glanced at Talon uncertainly, not wanting to lie, but then leaving a portion of the truth out wasn’t exactly lying now was it? And it wasn’t like she wanted to kill the night-elf. So it was really up to Talon to share that information, wasn’t it? She realized everyone was staring at her, waiting for her to say something.

“Okay. My name is Kendra, and this is Talon,” she motioned to the wolf, which just let out a snuff. “He’s not really a wolf. He’s a druid, but he’s hiding from this man who’s looking for him. He found us in the potions shop and we had to run away. We were looking for you because we need to find your father…” Kendra paused long enough to swing her pack off her shoulders and root around inside for the dragon statue. She pulled it out and showed it to the two in front of her. “This is a statue I found on the road, and Talon has a ring with the same dragon in it. Talon thinks Thradris has a sword with the same dragon in the hilt. There’s some kind of connection, and we think Thradris might know what it is.”

There. She’d managed to tell the truth without sharing Talon’s secret. She felt very proud of herself and offered a smile for the wolf at her side. Talon just huffed again, unimpressed.

While Melonzriel examined the dragon statue, Valorie looked at Kendra with concern. “You said you had to run away from a man at the potions shop?”

Kendra guessed she must be worried about her grandmother. “Olivia was okay when we ran away. Talon made all the plants come to life to stop the man at the door,” Kendra supplied.

“You should go check on her,” the dark elf said softly.

“What about you, Riel?” Valorie asked.

He smiled. “I’ll be fine. Now go.”

Valorie gave him a light kiss on the cheek before rushing off toward the potions shop. He watched her retreating figure until she’d disappeared from sight then glanced once again at the statue before saying, “My father does not have a sword with a dragon in the hilt.”

Talon jerked his head up and looked at the elf, his expression like that of a dog that’d been kicked. Melonzriel just shook his head.

“What?” Kendra’s mouth was wide open in shock. How could that be? Did Talon come all this way for nothing? What were they supposed to do now? “Are you sure?”

“Well,” the night-elf paused reflectively, handing the statue back to Kendra. “I don’t know. He does have a chest that he keeps locked up. I’ve never seen what he has in it.”

“So he might have the sword?” Kendra asked.

Melonzriel shrugged.

“Well, then the only way to know for sure is to ask him.”

“Good luck,” the elf scoffed. “Thradris hates visitors. The only person around here who’s even seen our hut is Valorie, and you don’t want to know what kind of a rampage he went on when I brought her there.”

“Please, Riel?” Kendra asked. “You’ve no idea how important this is.”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry, but… I’m not going to risk upsetting Thradris for someone I don’t even know. For all I know, you could be making this up. No. I won’t take you to him.”

“But-“

“No.”

Talon started growling, but Melonzriel just shook his head. “Good luck, my friends.” Talon tensed, as if readying himself to lunge at the elf, but a moment of indecision betrayed him and Melonzriel was gone so fast it was almost as if he’d never been there.

Kendra felt disappointed. All that effort to tell the truth without telling Melonzriel the real reason they were looking for his father had been wasted. He still refused to take them to Thradris. Maybe it would have worked out better if she had told him Talon thought Thradris had killed his father so now he wanted to kill Thradris. Since Riel didn’t seem to be evil, maybe he would understand and agree to see justice done even though it meant the death of his own father. Kendra sighed and glanced at Talon who had his head low to the ground, seemingly downtrodden. She could not let her spirits be dampened. She had to cheer Talon up.

“Don’t worry, Talon,” she said. “We can still find Thradris. Riel said Valorie has seen the hut. Maybe she’ll be willing to show us the way?”

Talon looked to be pacing back and forth, his head still low. He wasn’t even listening!

“Talon!” Kendra yelled, grabbing his ear. The druid-wolf yelped in surprise and snapped at her, forcing her to release her grip, but at least he was looking at her now. “Why don’t we go see if Valorie will show us the way?”

The wolf shook its furry ruff and growled softly before looking once again at the ground. Kendra placed her hands on her hips with a frown. “Look here, you. I-“ She stopped, suddenly realizing something. “Oh! You’re not sad, you’re… sniffing!”

Delighted, the young woman flopped onto the ground, her belly resting on the cobbles of the garden path as her face leveled with Talon’s. “Think you can pick up his trail?”

The wolf snorted and Kendra grinned. “Great! Lead the way!”

Talon paced for a few moments more then seemed to settle on a single spot, breathing in deeply before looking into the woods where Melonzriel had departed. He gave his fur a good shake, sending Luscious back into the air, and the raven flew into the trees followed by a wolf and a girl.