Madrion

Several days had passed since the three of us had met with Munin and we hadn't come to any decision yet as to what we should do. Herrel does not want Jaisea to take part in any affair that might get her injured. I'm sure that there was a heated discussion between them over her participation. However, we had no clues to where the other artifacts were, so the point was moot at the moment. I'd gone to see Urd, one of Munin's disciples, who lives in the main Ulgorn raider camp. To be honest, she scared the crap out of me. It seemed as though she knew I was coming.

"So, you've finally made it down here," she croaked. "Give me your palm!" She commanded me. I stood there for a moment just staring at her. A flicker of memory crossed my mind. I could almost grasp it and then it was gone. She stood there staring at me. She held out her claw to me and said again, "give me your palm." I held out my hand to her, palm side up. She took it lightly in hers then bent over to examine it. Her other hand lightly traced the lines that were there. I shivered in spite of myself.

"Be still young man. You young ones never have any patience." She gripped my hand tighter. In spite of myself I asked, "How do you know I am young?" "I know you young man even though you don't remember me. Now be still. I am an old woman now and I need to concentrate." I puzzled over that last remark. As far as I knew, I'd never met anyone called Urd in my travels, but then again, my past is a total blank for me. So I did as she bade me and stood still, allowing the gentle breeze to blow across my skin and to tease my nose with scents of cooking nearby.

To my chagrin, my stomach growled right then. Urd sighed. She released my hand as she craned her head to look up at me. I am not tall by any means, but she had a humped back that made her seem shorter than she actually was. In spite of that, it appeared to me that she was looking down at me for all my height advantage. She said, "Munin has told me what you are looking for. I am an old woman; too old for any quests for ancient artifacts and yet I am bidden to help you. But first you must help me."

"Of course," I replied, "but I can assure you that I am not on this quest voluntarily. I should just as soon leave these artifacts hidden wherever they are." "Be that as it may," she croaked, "but we must go and do as we are bid." My stomach growled again and I blushed in embarrassment. Urd sighed again. "Come with me young man. I'll get no use out of you until you are fed," she said turning towards her tent. Inside was a stew pot gently bubbling. It smelled delicious and my mouth began to water in anticipation. She ladled out the stew into a bowl and handed it to me with a sharp command to sit and eat. I did so. The stew was just as good as it smelled.

When I was done she tapped my knee to get my attention. "And now young man, I have a task for you." She handed me a leather bag finely made with intricate patterns stitched on the outside. "I need you to take this up to Pernon to the handcrafting master there. He is expecting my messenger." She waved her hands at me in a shooing motion. "Go now! Do not open the bag, just deliver it as I've instructed." I took the bag from her and tucked it into my cube. "I take this up for you and then I'll be back," I said.

But she had already turned away from me, and the tent flap was falling down again. I'm not sure if she heard me or not. I speculated on what the bag might hold as it was quite heavy for a small container, but it was none of my business what it contained. I wanted to get this task over with so I could get on with finding these artifacts. It seemed as though this quest was becoming a weight that was hanging around my neck. The sooner the artifacts were located and destroyed, the better.

I took the teleporter to Pernon and headed over to the crafting quarter. There were lots of people out and about today as the weather in Pernon was as good as it ever gets. I stopped for a moment to just watch the people go about their lives. None of them knew that Asmodae was in danger, and I wished at that moment that it was not I that had been chosen to go on this quest. So much had happened since that fateful night that I took in an orphan child, fed him, and then took him over to Herrel and Jaisea's.

I can't even remember what it's like to live like a normal person anymore. My life feels like it's no longer under my control. It's as though I've been caught up in a Windstream that is blowing me away. Sadness washes over me for the desire for things to be the way they used to be. But the past is the past and all I can do is go forward. I started towards the crafting section when a familiar but elusive scent reached my nose. I froze in my tracks, trying to identify the scent. Chills ran up my spine and fear tried to crawl into my chest. I knew that scent and knew it well. Julia!

Julia was here and somewhere close by. I slipped into hide and turned to see from which direction the scent was coming from. Two daggers slid into my claws almost without my knowing it. I hated this woman. Because of her, Jaisea had lost her baby. I had made a promise to myself to find Julia and finish her off. I had no idea that she had managed to travel to our home town of Pernon. Somehow she had survived the cave-in at the Malek mine and come here.

Rage flowed through me at the thought that she might have hurt Jaisea again. I turned towards the inn, where her scent seemed to be coming from. I slipped inside the doorway and saw her sitting in the bar at a table. She had several men with her and they all stunk of lepharist. My lips curled in a snarl. I wanted to kill her right then and there. It didn't matter to me that there were several patrons in the bar, I just wanted her dead. I moved closer to her table. I could probably slip the dagger between her ribs and be out of there before she even knew I was there.

Part of me was amazed that I was contemplating killing someone in cold blood but the other part didn't give a damn. My daggers were comfortable and felt nice and smooth. There is nothing I like better than the feel of cold mithril in my claws unless it's the soft skin of a lover. I slipped closer until I was right behind her. All it will take is a quick thrust under the 4th rib to transect the aortic artery and a quick escape. External blood loss will minimal and that will delay people discovering what happened.

I moved so that my left dagger could drink her blood and then she turned and looked right at me. I was in hide, so I knew she couldn't see me, but it was very disturbing nonetheless. What she did next took me by surprise. She shoved her chair back hard. I leaped backwards just barely missing the bar behind me. The chair crashed to the ground and as it fell she pulled out a beautiful set of daggers. Somehow she knew I was there. Damn her! She had the table to her back and her companions had also pulled out various weapons of their own. They looked around for the source of the danger.

None of them looked scared in the least. Lepharists were dangerous and these guys were no pushovers. They didn't know what the danger was, but they were prepared for it. I eased backwards away from the table, careful not to come to close to any furniture that I might bump up against. Julia was still searching the room, looking for me. She had her head up and then I almost laughed. It appeared as though she was trying to scent me.

I eased back some more until I was half-way across the room from her. I don't wear any kind of scent, but each person does have their own scent. A good scout can track someone with just scent alone. It is just possible that I had underestimated Julia once again. But I had one advantage. I know she is alive and where she is, but she cannot know that I am. She can only guess. I finally made my way over to a dark corner and settled down to watch her. I was going to follow her everywhere she went, and when she was finally alone, I would kill her.

To be continued…