Chapter 13: The Daughter of the Elvhen

The mostly quiet forest was graced with an early sun and the life of the subdued morning wilderness seemed as if to resume yet another day like countless others. A small puddle of water from the last days rains was about to dry out into nothingness.

"Halem Sahlin`alas."

The shout came only a split second before the puddle was disturbed by worried ripples from a heavy impact from close by. Tartarus had had no chance to avoid the smaller mass of human and leather that landed full on his chestplate from a branch above. The heavy collision brought a huff of air out from him and he fell heavily onto the ground, back down and the female on top of him. She knelt with one knee upon his chest and the other on the ground beside him, pointing her dagger at his neck. She had landed, despite the impact, with perfect grace, showing skills far passed her age.

"Dow die, beast." She hissed and grabbed the dagger with both hands for a plunge. Tartarus had barely enough time to reach up and grab her wrist before it would have pierced his throat. The female let a look of surprise at his reflex on her face but it soon changed to one of anger. She pressed down harder and for a second they struggled, the sharp edge of the dagger trembling dangerously close to his skin. Then he decided enough was enough and with a growl he shoved her off of him with both hands. She moved with the forced of it and rolled back on the ground, brought her feet under her and sprang up just as Tartarus did the same.

He had to think fast. She had her weapon still while his was nowhere in sight. She was fast and agile and his hope of matching her in that area was doubtful. He had to think smarter. He didn`t get much time for she charged with dagger held behind her ready for a plunge into his midsection. He raised both hands and managed to grab her by first one wrist and then the other just as she was about to plunge the dagger into him. They struggled for control once again and it seemed she would be pressed down again. Tartarus felt a sense of satisfaction but then she smirked, spun around and threw him over her hip, making him tumble like a rock into the dirt, getting a face full of it. Once again she knelt upon him, now on his back and panting a little. With a few quick yerks she brought his wrists behind his back and bound them with a leather strap she produced from within her armor`s straps where it had hung. Tartarus struggled but it was too late. The strap was tied tight.

"Now stay down." She hissed and went to find her dagger.

"Release me human." He growled out angrily once he got his mouth relatively soil free. She froze and slowly turned around with wide eyes.

"You speak?"

"I will do much more than that if you do not do as I say." He hissed. She shook her head with a grimace

"Speaking darkspawn. How come you intrude upon our forest? If you come to destroy like the rest then I am afraid you will fail, or already have failed is more like it."

"I am here to do the biding of my Master and I will not have some puny human stand in my way."

"Human?" the female shook her head."I am of the elves beast, no simple shem."

Tartarus struggled against his restraints. "It does not matter what you are. You are a coward who face your opponent while he is down on the ground."

The elf smiled. "Is that supposed to provoke me? No, you are coming with me to the clan." She said and held her knife at his back. "Rise." she demanded. It took a few pokes from the blade but the darkspawn grudgingly rose to a stand, hands behind him still.

"You poison has tainted the land around my clan and my keeper would like to find a way to halt it. Maybe you will help with that." She said and shoved him forward. Tartarus was a bit marveled by her sheer physical strength as he took a few heavy steps forward. Not many humans he had faced would have hoped to match such a feat.

He assumed this "Keeper" was the "elves" alpha. And he wants to stop the taint. Tartarus huffed, as if anyone could halt the very presence of the Master and his warriors. And he certainly would not get any aid from him. With a hiss he broke into a run for it off the path she led him on. He came a good ten meters before something hard hit his back. He fell from the impact and had enough time to see a rock thud off the ground next to him before he fell into a roll. He heard laughter as he stopped his tumble against a log and saw the elf come over to him. In her hand dangled a piece of brown cloth. A sling

"Oh and I should warn you, no one escapes the sling of Aelith the Stinger." She smirked and once again forced him up with a sharp prick of her dagger.

"Aelith the Stinger?" he mumbled as he trotted on.

"Well the Stinger part is just a name my clan gave me, it fits though does it not?" she smirked and patted the place where the rock had hit hard on his back. He winced at the feeling of pained muscles. Suddenly her mood had swinged from the serious captor to some who was almost…happy. Pride he supposed.

"Darkspawn have any names?" she asked

"Why do you wonder?"

Aelith shrugged. "Do you prefer beast, or monster?"

"No!"

"Then what are you called.

"Tartarus."

"Well then Tartarus, let get this done with as little unpleasantness as possible shall we?"

He did not answer. This sudden swing of mood had thrown him off guard a little. He could only give a nod.

"Good." Aelith smiled and then cocked her head at him. "How did you get the scar?"

"I was attacked shortly after birth, that is all you need to know." He growled.

"Oh well handsome, we will have time to get to know each other once the keeper is done with you."

/

Skorge stood on an open, grassy field in a set of leather armor. He had chosen not to wear his heavy armor today and now he wished he had. He held a sword in his hand and it hung loosely by his side as he watched his opponents. Three Fangs, Maccabeus, Druss and a new addition, Calid had surrounded him. They all held their own blades pointed at him and with murder in their eyes. They had gone a bit from the camp but now Skorge wished they hadn`t as he watched his warriors, his brothers go after his blood in battle. No one moved besides the grass waving from an early wind breeze. No one made a sound besides the low hisses of excitement for the coming fight. Then Skorge heard the slight creaking of leather as Druss crouched his stance a little. A slight bending of his knees that spoke of the coming attack. It followed a second after. With a roar Druss charged at his commander`s left flank, sword held out to strike. Skorge did not move until the other hurlock was almost upon him. He set his feet in a solid stance and thrust his left elbow straight out and up a little, catching Druss`s chin with a bloody trickle from his mouth following shortly after. The force of the blow lifted Druss straight off the ground and he fell back and landed two meters away. Calid came next. He charged but in a slower speed which game him ample time to raise his blade for a downward strike. Skorge raised hiw own weapon to meet him and the two clashed with a loud clang of metal. Calid`s follow up slashed were wild and easily parried by Skorge who then brought his leg around and behind Calid and tripped him over. After giving the other darkspawn a kick to the chest as he stepped past only Maccabeus remained.

Skorge would have to take care with this one. Maccabeus was calm in both stance and eye, his sword held raised at his side, a position that would allow him to either parry or strike on a short notice.

"Come, and show your commander what you can do." Skorge urged and Maccabeus complied with a slight curving of his cracked lips. The two came together and locked their blades between them. For a few long seconds they pushed against the other, the only noises coming from the two groaning hurlocks on the ground and the almost unnoticeable screeching of metal as their swords slid against each other. Skorge growled and stepped back with Maccabeus in persuit. The two exchanged fast and furious blows with both dodging and parrying.

"Enough." Skorge boomed as he sidestepped a swipe towards his head, stepped inside the now dropped guard and punched Maccabeus`s face hard enough to make him stagger back. All were still again for a second before Skorge grinned.

"Well done." He said and helped Calid to his feet. This little training session had shown some skill on the younger hurlock`s part. Skorge still remember when he had extended the spell of reasoning to Calid a few days ago. This had brought on an immobilizing ache in his head and had this had served to show the toll keeping the spell of the Fang took on his body and mind. He stepped up to Druss

"You have trained on the gunlocks for too long brother." He accused. The hurlock had charged without care as if facing a weaker opponent. Licinus, Grattius and Vorenus chuckled from where they stood on the side of the sparring ring, as did Maccabeus and Calid, even though Maccabeus helped the shamed Druss to his feet. Now that they had started to come into their own minds Skorge was pleased to see that they now had begun to accept their fellow Fangs as well.

"Licinus, show him some proper hurlock fighting."

The scarred veteran was a master with his two swords and he nodded. "Yes commander." And stepped into the ring while the others stepped out. Skorge watched the duel unfold back and forth with the others. He heard them laugh at mistakes and congratulate success on both sides. He allowed himself an unusual smile. Now if only Strab could find Tartarus in one peace and he could deliver a good report they could continue onward.

The duel was ended when Druss was once again tripped with Licinus kneeling upon him with his swords crossed over his neck, forcing a surrender. But Licinus now sported a trickle of blood from a cut in his side and he held out an arm to Druss in respect as he helped him to his feet.

Skorge raised his head and howled. It was a triumphant sound of victory and the others were quick to join in. The sound echoed back to the camp, raising a few heads. Once the sound ebbed out Skorge looked at his warriors with proud eyes.

"My Fangs, my brothers. You are the most skilled, most lethal of our kind. Together we will crush these humans and see the Master`s will to be done." He cried out with a sense of elation as they raised their blades with him.

"Strab will return with his warriors soon, and Tartarus along with them. Prepare for their arrival and your warriors to brake camp. We shall soon march onward to glorious triumph." He said and they all grumbled with content as they marched back.

Skorge turned to look out over the open grassland. "If you are watching, dragon, then know that you have spoken false. I will lead my people to victory throughout the land and the Master shall rule all. That I swear." He challenged to the air and the clear morning sky.

No reply came to his mental call and he turned to follow the others.

/

Strab knelt down and picked an object from the ground. It was a leather strap from a darkspawn`s armor. Behind him stood the party of about a dozen warriors he had taken with him on his search for Tartarus. He had found no sign of either the commander or his scouting group so far but this severed strap indicated that they had passed. They must have done so recently because the ground showed only the faintest signs of the taint. He had reached a large vet field and here they had made their first and only real progress in the search. A genlock body, pierced by an arrow of talented make. The scattering tracks found around the scene told that Tartarus`s force had simply left as pleased in all directions without leadership. Another body, a Hurlock which was found further away spoke of a conflict between two of the now aimless warriors. The quest seemed doomed to fail here.

Strab felt utter hopelessness as he looked over one pair of tracks after the other. It was impossible to see which belonged to the brother he sought. He growled in frustration and struck his armored fist against a tree and looked down. Then he snapped up. There were a pair of feet marks there but smaller and not as deep, indicating that the owner were not nearly as heavy as any of the darkspawn. He followed the tracks as they grew wider between imprints, meaning the owner had been running. They then vanished just as quickly by a low hanging branch. He was about to give up hope again when he saw the marks of dirt on the following branches.

"He ran in the trees?" Strab thought. That was when he noticed a pair of heavy Hurlock tracks following just below the dirt marked trees.

"As good as any other." He mumbled. If any one was aggressive enough to chase someone fleeing through the trees it might as well have been Tartarus.

"Come with me, we have picked up a scent." He shouted and ran, the others thundering behind.