Chapter 36: The Royal Hunt

At the highest part of the Cloud District, there lies the unofficial third city district of Hayak. The Gold District. A small gated area where the most wealthy and the city nobility reside. And the residence of the Duke's palace, White Rock.

White Rock Keep is a three leveled castle with four large spire towers in each cardinal direction. A grand stone staircase leads all to its massive iron reinforced gates.

The Foyer to the Keep's Parlor on the second floor was silent. Long slender candles hung from polished bronze sconces that shone like gold. A large twelve-armed chandelier hung above casting a large thin shadow below. Oak wainscoting carved with olive leaves decorated the walls. A long narrow rug ran from one doorway to the next.

Hastur's fingers traced over the luscious gold trim of her gown. This was the first time she wore a dress not made from cheaply spun linen or wool. It was a true beauty. As green as her eyes, and almost tailored to her perfectly. She felt like royalty. The vibrant dark green sheen of the dress was like a roving summer field. The bottom of her dress had small triangular gores of white sateen fabrics. Her attention was still drawn to the delicate craftsmanship done in the embroidery of small golden weaving knots along the cuffs and trim along her neck. A modest gold-colored silk rope wrapped around her waist served as a cinch belt. As a piece of personal flare, she attached her Elven dagger. The finely crafted blade was cleverly disguised as a ceremonial piece accompanying her ensemble.

Despite being on a bounty job, getting a chance to wear a magnificent dress such as this, was a boon. On the right side of her gown there was an emblem of red sable surrounded by a wreath of gold chains.

"I hate this!" hissed Thaelin trying to tug at the cuffs of his formal doublet. "This damn thing is so fucking itchy." His doublet was a rather snug vestment compared to his leather one. A few shades darker than Hastur's dress, but equally as extravagant. The velveteen double breasted garment was a slim fitting cut with gold domed buttons. A similar emblem was embroidered all along the right side of his doublet.

"Quit your bitching. Besides, a job is a job." She said looking into her reflection in a large silver mirror hanging on the wall. She tied back her hair into a neat ponytail with a slim bit of silk cord.

"I feel like a moron in these damn breeches." He said tugging at the tight fitting trousers.

"At least now you look the part." Chuckled Hastur, still admiring the look of her in the dress. "It will be a shame to have to return this dress. It's beautiful." She turned her head to the side and frowned when she caught a glimpse of her ears in the large mirror on the wall. She felt strange without her hood, but at least around all of these party guests, no one would particularly take note of her. No one ever acknowledges an elf these days. Only time someone does is to sneer and ridicule them.

"I'll be glad to get rid of this damn itchy thing for my leather jerkin." He said trying to stretch his arms for a small inch of freedom. "My contact told me our target will be here tonight. Sooner we bag him, the better."

"Just remember who did the snooping for the lead in the first place."

"Yeah, yeah. Lets hope you can remember our cover, Hast. We're supposed to be dignitaries from Altrun. ."

"I know. We're Lord and Lady Nir-Vallen, heirs to a wealthy merchant family in the south east next to The Craggs." Recited Hastur, finishing her ensemble with her Elven copper and emerald necklace. "Wouldn't it have been easier to just disguise ourselves as servants and nab him before he walks in?"

"…True." The man said scratching at his cleanly shaven beard "But we wouldn't have as much fun doing it like this."

"And I wouldn't be able to wear this awesome dress." Hastur tugged at her dagger hanging from her cord belt. Moving it to be within reach, but not in the way.

"I still cant believe I got bitten by a vampire." he said raising his collar to hide those fading scars on his neck.

"If you werent always bust thinking with your thing you wouldn't have." retorted Hastur. "Correct me if im wrong, but I believe you only agreed to my idea is because you wanted to play a rich guy was just so you can say you've hunted on the Duke's private hunting grounds."

Thaelin couldn't help but smile at the idea. Just him alone. Hidden among the trees with a spear in one hand, and a goblet of fancy wine in the other. It would be so much fun.

The two inspected each-others disguises and gave each other a slight grin. "Showtime!" smirked Thaelin, presenting his arm to the young mage. The two linked arms and faced the doorway to the way to the parlor. Their black leather shoes clicked along the marble floors.

Hastur's stomach was alive with a nauseous feeling. Her heart raced and she prayed that the second she walks through that doorway, the guests won't begin a chorus of disapproving whispers and sneering looks. The doors clicked open and an attendant, not yet seeing his twilight years, smiled at the two and gestured for them to proceed. The mage and the ranger took four steps forward into a grand parlor room. Finely made paintings of and elegantly carved furniture decorated the room.

"Presenting, The Lord and Lady of Altrun…" the old man said gesturing to the bounty hunters "Master Thaelin and Mistress Hastur Nir-Vallen!" Their herald announced

The duo stood dazzled by the grand cacophony of fellow party guests applauding their arrival. Hastur tried to read the crowd as best as she could. Men and women wearing similarly elegant clothing. Women adorned with shining jewels and cleanly groomed men with neatly trimmed facial hair stood applauding the newest arrivals.

The Parlor was a rather spacious room. A grand fireplace was positioned in the middle of the room. The walls hung large landscape paintings depicting rather impressive natural scenes of the Hold in each of the four seasons: An iced over river in the Winter, a lush green field of flowers for Spring a golden sea wheat being harvested for Autumn, and a grand dense forest with a single winding path through the center for a depiction of Summer. To a guess, Hastur believed the forest was that of Kessier Forest she had visited not too long ago.

"Lady Nir-Vallen!" a woman approached with a glass wine goblet in hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you," she said with a slight bow. "If I may, shall I direct you towards the most-juiciest gossip amongst our fellow aristocracy?" she said with a chuckle.

Hastur looked to a clueless Thaelin that responded with a shrug. "Why hello…madam…" she said trying to stay in character. She was clueless with formal greetings amongst the nobility, so she tried to use how model her jargon around how she converses with the clergy at the Monastery.

"My dear, you can drop the formalities here." The woman said presenting her hand to the bounty hunters "Juliet Thiell, at your service."

"Charmed." Thaelin said gently taking the woman's hand and gave her a slight bow. "Well darling I should leave you to your gossip circle." Smirked

The half elf flashed her companion an annoyed look "You are having too much fun with this, you know that?" she sighed before walking off.

"Have fun darling!" Thaelin said before snagging a goblet from a passing by server. The wine was heavy smelling and seasoned with enough spices that would cost a dozen bounty jobs.

The mage followed her guide to a pod of three finely dressed women of gentry. Their gowns full and decorated with embroidered gilded flowers; their hair twisted into gorgeous and intricate knots and decorations; she approached the ladies who blinked with surprise at the latest guest.

"Ladies, might I introduce you to our newest associate, Lady…"

"Hastur Nir-Vallen." The half elf said with a curtsy, bowing modestly before the women of stature.

"You're an elf?" one of the women asked without a note of tact.

Hastur took in a deep dreath. As she nervously brushed at her hair to better show off her tapered ears.

"Indeed…madam."

The first woman let out a chuckle and hid her face behind a wooden fan.

"Lady Janice Mulkey of Lindenwood." Spoke the second woman with a pair of large red gemstone earrings. She gave the half-elf a nod and the earings shook with the slightest movement. Out of the three nobles, her smile looked the most sincere.

"A pleasure to meet you, Lady Nir-Vallen." Greeted the final woman in a pink and yellow dress. A brilliant array of pearls strung around her neck. "Izabelle Mohr, lady of Greenswick Hall"

Hastur gave the woman a modest nod. Trying to be sure to show the woman proper respect.

"I apologise for Lady Willstead's boldness. You know how wine affects the tongue." Lady Mohr said with a smile that couldn't be determined as false or sincere. Perhaps somewhere in the in between.

"How do you say hello in your people's language?" asked Lady Mulkey

Hastur cleared her throat before answering. Her hands were near trembling in anxiety

"There are several ways to show greetings, but the common and most polite saying is 'Adon noresh, lani revanthis'."

All four woman giggled.

"I will never even attempt to repeat such a hobble of words." Lady Thiel said leading the pod in a chrus of chuckles at the half elf's expense.

Hastur's ears twitched at the remark and the action made some of the women snickered even more.

"And what is the translation? I presume it means something like 'tree's bless you' or 'your flowers grow'

The cleric let out a short sigh and tried to keep on her face of polite ignorance. She didnt know how to answer the highly inaccurate translations. "It actually means 'peaceful day, beautiful friend'."

Lady Mulkey took a light sip of her chalice "You're people have quite the way with words. If only the poets knew."

Lady Willstead stood petrified. Her mouth agape at the sight of Hastur's finely made dagger. "I must say, that's…quite the...knife, you have there."

Hastur's eyes shot down to her dagger hanging on her hip. She gave a prideful and anxious smile as she held onto the hilt. Regret crept forward as she realized that the weapon was indeed highly out of place in the setting.

"Thank you. Its a family heirloom."

"Do all elves carry such ghastly weapons?" Lady Mohr put bluntly.

"Yes, actually. Its a sign of our station amongst the castes. Its actually a tradition many humans of the North have copied."

The ladies instantly fell out of interest upon the mention of the elven traditions and turned to the more important discussion of royal gossip.

"Fascinating, I'm sure... "

"Lady Mohr, before I retrieved the Lady Nir-Vallen, you were telling us about your journey to Hayak. Do tell, how do you find this quaint city?"

"Ah yes. Well, my husband and I were traveling through when we made this amazing stag. Why Lucius halted our carriage and proceeded to take off after the beast. Bow in hand."

Hastur gave a sincere smile as she feigned interest. "He must be quite the huntsman, your husband?" inside, she wanted to scream how bored she was. It felt like these women

"Oh yes. He can't seem to take himself away from his bow." I swear with all the time he has made in the forests you would think he was an elf." laughed Lady Mohr "and to be truthful, Hayak is such a detestable place. I dont know why the Duke cant shut down the Forge District once and for all. All the noise from those hairy dwarves its a nuisance."

The mage's ears twitched slightly at the racial remark, but she tried to ignore it. She looked around the room for her partner. He was off standing with a group of gentlemen recounting their most memorable Scenes of the Hunt. In which their arrows and spears pierced the heart of many ferocious beasts. Thaelin could be seen leading the group to an uproar of laughter about some of his most memorable misadventures that put, undoubtedly, their own to shame.

"And so then!" Thaelin paused to take a breath between chuckles "I mangled myself onto the back of that savage beast and the damn thing just starts running off with me. I held on for dear life while using my dagger to stab the thing, but it just kept running. It must have taken me almost a mile before it collapsed. When it was over I found my party members unconscious. They wouldn't have believed me until I brought them the beasts pelt." Laughed the ranger reciting his favorite story.

"Master Thaelin! A man gasped between chuckles, patting the young story teller on the shoulder "You are a true master of the hunt!"

"I'm not one to boast." The ranger said cracking a smirk "but I have quite the impressive collection of trophies at my estate."

"We absolutely must have his lordship accompany us on the next hunt!" Roared another

"Indeed, our associate here is indeed a surveyor of the wilds. And as it appears, he has tasted the flesh of approximately every beast in the woods." Another said. The enclave erupted into laughter once more. Save for the ranger, Thaelin detected an odd note in the manner the other man had just spoken.

"Now I'm not a connoisseur, but a roasted boar shank surely has its benefits" he said trying to wave off the remark and return to the topic of the hunt.

"Tell me, Lord Nir-Vallen. How did you manage to ensnare such a thing as your dear wife? I'm sure we all would love to know how one can capture such a wild spirit."

"Its a long story to be truthful. One that would require more wine as so I can tell it in all its authenticity."

Again the crowd of men burst into laughter.

Back across the parlor, Hastur found herself in the most boring conversation she had ever found herself in a rather boring conversation about how being rich was such a burden and how the poor were rather ungrateful for all they're efforts. In the back of her mind, Hastur was growing tiresome. Her imagination of what the rich and powerful would discuss proved to be rather trivial. No talk of vast wealths or talk of inner-kingdom delegations, there was just talk of gossip among other party goers.

"Excuse me ladies, I must go get some fresh air." She said grabbing ahold of her dress and walking towards the nearest balcony doors.

The hot summer air did little to calm her nerves.

Hastur let out a explicit gripe against the noblewomen she had the displeasure of speaking with in her native tongue. Once she had vented enough, she leaned against the balcony railing and looked out at the scene before her. From this balcony on Keep she could see a remarkable sight: streams of white smoke bellowed from the Forge District and wafted across the Cloud District. It was a remarkable view. But her bottled up emotions had to be let loose. Leaning against the railing, she cocked her head back and let forth a volley of insults directed at the women inside. She made sure to curse in her ancestral tongue to confuse any eavesdroppers that may be near. But there was one and they fully understood the insults being driven.

"Lovely Day. Isn't it, laranlas?" came a voice from further down the ledge the half-elf was surprised to hear the slightest use of the Elven language. But what truly surprised her was that the words were spoken by a human man. A rather short man with short arms, and legs, but a rather usual shaped head. Among the common man, his condition was called dwarfism, but a more vulgar word for it was 'midget'. The little man was looking out upon the scene of the city-scape smoking a long clay pipe and blowing bolts of smoke into the morning sky.

"Indeed, it is I'm sorry for my language, my lord. I didn't know anyone was out here." She said biting her tongue at the unintended remark at the little-man before her.

The man tapped out the ashes of his pipe on the baluster

"Nonsense. A women such as you should express herself in any way. And to be honest, those harpies inside are indeed pretentious." He said giving a charming smirk. The little lord blew out the rest of the debris from the bowl of his pipe and tucked it into a pocket in his jerkin.

"It was-"

"Un-lady like?" jested the half-man "Oh please, even I have been known to speak my mind, especially when I rather shouldn't."

Hastur couldn't help but feel a sense of ease around the little lord. Talking to the half-man was like talking to an old friend. "I'm Hastur by the way. Hastur Nir-Vallen. And you are…bhin?"

"Lord Jonnathen Erik Roger Stevens Du'Fenn." The little lord said with a dramatic bow. "At your service."

"A regal name indeed." Laughed the mage finally there seemed to be a good person among these jackals.

"But you may call me Jon, if you wish."

The two continued to converse until an attendant knocked on the window and poked his impish head through the doorway "My Lord, it is time to be begin."

"Ah. We mustn't keep the others waiting. I will be there momentarily. I must first seek the privy." The half-man said tucking his pipe into a pocket under his waistcoat. "Lady Hastur, your company is quite the breath of fresh air to this outing. Would you do me the honor of sitting next to me at the dinner?"

"It would be an honor." Hastur said with a smile as she walked next to the lord. The two parted ways and the half elf went to meet up with her fellow guests outside towards the courtyard. From here a train of carriages would transport the nobles to the hunting grounds. Inside their coach, The two began to snicker. Their idiotic plan of crashing a royal celebration was working at the moment. But the day had just began their had to continue their

"Having fun?" he said sipping from a glass wine goblet

"I believe I actually made a friend here."

"Good, if we can play nice with these stuck-up pricks then we can get the jump on that one douche bag."

The ride to the fields was a rather enjoyable one. The cushioned velvet seats was comfortable and the carriage sat rather smoothly on the bumpy road. The stone buildings soon transitioned to a heavy forest. About ten minutes into the woods, the carriages came to a halt. A pair of attendants came to escort the two to an open field where white cloth covered tables were arranged into a U-shape. A small troop of minstrels were strumming their lutes and patting their drums preforming festive ambiance for the royals.

Before the two took their seats on the end of the left-most tables, they were beckoned by a voice at the master's table. "Ah! there you are. Lady Nir-Vallen. As promised, a seat for you." he said gesturing to a pair a seats to his right side.

Sitting in the center of the master's table was the lord that Hastur met out on the balcony. Thaelin's eyes widened with shock. He tugged at his collar before leading the half elf to the head of the tables. Spots reserved for the upper noble class and guests of honor.

"Your friend?" he whispered

"I spoke with him back on the balcony. His name is Lord Jon Du'Fenn."

"Hast, that's the Duke of Hayak." Thaelin hushed