Chapter 3. Amongst the trees.
"Vanur told me you were having nightmares again."
Sitting in a comfy chair in front of the king's desk, Rünira did her best to ignore Larfal's comment.
The elven king sitting in front of her was now looking up from the documents he had been reading, his emerald gaze falling on her expectantly with his usual one-eyed look.
Strictly speaking, he hadn't asked her a question, so Rünira felt like she could get away without saying anything, at least for the time being.
Deciding instead to look around the office, she let her gaze wander through the room, taking it all in. Rünira had been in this room many times since her arrival almost three years ago, but she always found it fascinating to look around.
Located on the second floor of the palace, brown, earthy green, and orange tones dominated the large square room, giving it a woody and lush feel of nature commonly present in all the elvish constructions, with floors and walls made of lustrous wood only adding to the atmosphere. A big window placed just behind the king's desk, opened to the city centre, allowing the ruler to watch his people mingle and go about their day.
Most of the walls were covered by bookshelves, rows upon rows filled to the brim with tomes, scrolls, and many more things Rünira didn't really care about. Her favourite part was the little section in a corner, showcasing the ancient relics and artefacts of elven heroes of old. Wands, staves, bows and even some chalices dominated the ornate glass displays.
Her eyes, though, always found themselves dragged to a single item. A thin, long spear, seemingly made of pure silver hanging proudly among the other relics, eclipsing everything around it with its shine.
But it wasn't its appearance that captivated Rünira, no, it was the history behind it. The spear was a dragon-slayer, a weapon used by Larfal's father, the previous High Elf King, to slay a green dragon that had terrorized the elven forest centuries ago.
"While I agree that my father's spear is an item worthy of admiration, I am indeed, still waiting for an answer." said Larfal pointedly but not unkindly, stopping Rünira's musings and bringing her back to the conversation, "I know you dislike talking about these things Rünira, but if something is bothering you, I would very much like to know."
"He wasn't supposed to tell anyone," she answered quietly after a brief silence, looking down to avoid meeting his gaze, a little mad at Vanur for telling Larfal about her problems behind her back. Again.
"You know that Vanur swore an oath to protect you the night you came here," spoke Larfal as he stood up, slowly walking around his desk to stand before her, a compassionate expression showing on his surprisingly young face. "But he is still young, you cannot blame him for coming to me for advice.
"Besides, I would like to think that I have plenty of experience helping with little girl's problems, after all, it is not my first time dealing with a willful little princess." he finished, a mischievous glint shining in his eye.
"I'm not little!" she said hotly, her previous shyness completely forgotten, making the smile on Larfal's face grow. "I'm very tall for my age!"
And she was. At nine years of age, Rünira was taller than expected for a dwarfling, falling just short of the other kids her age, and considering she lived amidst elves, who were notorious for their high stature, that was saying something.
"Alas! I was not referring to your stature Rünira," said Larfal chuckling gently. "But you still have not told me what troubles you, are your classmates bothering you again?"
"No!" Rünira answered hastily, trying to leave that topic out of the conversation. "It's not that! they haven't done anything since the last time."
She didn't want to go through this again, and what she said was true, the other young elves hadn't even looked in her direction after the last incident.
Ever since arriving in the elven forest, she had been treated differently. Older elves ignored and snubbed her, their indifferent attitude screaming to her that she didn't belong.
She could and had dealt with that little issue. The main problem were the younger elves she shared lessons with, and their outright cruel behaviour. They mocked and belittled her, always laughing at her for being different, an uncivilized 'cave savage' only good enough to live in the dirt.
It had been hard, but with the help and support of Larfal, Vanur, and Lauriel, as well as her gryphon, who she had aptly named Griffy, she had managed to endure it.
That all changed when one particularly snobby girl and her entourage, not content with Rünira's lacklustre responses anymore, had shifted the focus from her appearance and status to his Father and the fall of Bál Eldur. Somehow, despite King Larfal's orders, word had gotten out, and they had used it to get a rise out of her. Needless to say, they succeeded beyond imagination.
Rünira had well and truly lost it. It had taken three city guards and a random passerby to break the one-sided brawl, and by the time it was all over, a healer had to be called to take care of multiple cuts and bruises as well as some broken teeth, all of it suffered by the young elven girls.
"I am indeed pleased that those young ladies have not bothered you any longer, I did have an interesting talk with them and with their parents after the incident, both to apologize for your actions and to warn them that the attitude they displayed would no longer be tolerated in my city." Larfal's tone was gentle, but Rünira could still hear the hint of steel in his voice.
He gestured for her to stand up, as he began heading to the door, "Come, let us take a walk, the days have been oddly warm lately, we should enjoy them while they last."
Winter was almost upon them, once again bringing with it shorter and colder days.
Rünira nodded mutely, quickly getting up from her chair and following after Larfal, who was already heading towards the stairs that led to the ground floor.
They descended quietly, an expectant silence forming between them. Rünira knew their conversation wasn't over, not by a long shot. Larfal was never forceful in his attempts to help her, his long years having taught him the value of patience, if she didn't say anything they would just walk in silence until nightfall and continue the next day until she felt ready to talk.
Exiting the palace, they started heading towards the city gardens. The king chose it often for their regular walks together, having figured out early on that it was one of Rünira's favourite places in the elven home.
"It's going to be three years soon," said Rünira quietly, deciding to get it over with. "Three years have passed since that day, and I feel like I haven't progressed at all."
Stall vendors and pedestrians vowed respectfully to Larfal as they passed them by, some of them throwing curious looks in Rünira's direction. Almost three years have passed, and some elves still treated her like an oddity.
"Do you now?" said Larfal curiously, regarding her with one eye closed. "Your teachers have nothing but grudging respect for your performance, despite your 'barbaric ancestry' and 'shameful behaviour' as they like to put it."
They both shared a knowing smile at that. Rünira had made a point of exceeding any of her teachers' initially low expectations, applying herself vigorously despite finding most of her subjects either boring and useless to her goals, or too difficult.
But as fast as the good humour came, it went away, washed by the warring emotions in Rünira's heart.
"You know what I mean!" she told him, unable to stop a little heat entering her voice. "Etiquette, finances, history, math! None of that is gonna help me take back my home! To defeat the thing that took everything from me!"
She had stopped walking, now looking at Larfal's back. They were just about to enter the gardens, but the promise of its beauty was doing little to calm Rünira's rising temper.
"Your lessons are going to be essential to you whenever you reclaim the throne of Bál Eldur Rünira,'' replied Larfal turning around to look at her, his usual one-eyed expression nowhere to be seen as he regarded her with quiet intensity. "We have already discussed this on numerous occasions."
"Yes," she nodded, a little irked by Larfal's impassive retort, "and you are right, but it isn't enough, not anymore, there are other things, more important things that I need to learn!"
Larfal stared at her for a long time, the depth of his green eyes the only thing revealing his true age. He seemed to be looking for something hidden behind Rünira's eyes, assessing her conviction, and measuring her will.
"No," he said finally, the decisiveness of his tone hitting Rünira like a punch in the gut, "you are still much too young to learn how to fight Rünira. Your heart is not in the right place."
"B-But Vanur said—"
"I hold Vanur's opinion in the highest regard, but he has shown before that his judgment is skewed when it comes to you," Larfal interrupted resolutely, "you are not ready for martial training."
"Then what am I supposed to do!?" Rünira cried, finally losing control of her emotions. "Keep learning how to greet and bow while that monster sleeps over the bones of my people!? Keep hiding in this place while the last legacy of the dwarves' crumbles to dust!?
She was panting with frustration now, angry at herself for losing control knowing that Larfal didn't deserve her anger, but she needed to get it off her chest.
"I need to know that I'm doing something here besides hiding from the world!"
She felt ready to burst, years of frustration coming to the surface with burning intensity.
"I NEED TO GET STRONGER!"
The street had fallen silent around them, the elves wandering about, stopping in their tracks at the sudden outburst.
Then the whispers began, softly at first but quickly growing in intensity, making the old familiar feeling of shame start to bubble in the pit of her stomach, quenching her anger instantly.
"Perhaps we should continue our conversation tomorrow." Larfal didn't look upset, if anything he seemed to be sympathetic, which only made Rünira feel worse.
Taking a few steps backwards, she felt the sting of tears pricking her eyes. She didn't want to cry in front of the king, he already thought her too weak to learn how to fight.
Giving a shaky nod to let him know she had heard him, she turned around, starting to walk away as fast as she could. She darted aimlessly through the streets, not really looking where she was going, just trying to get away from everything, 'like you always do' an insidious voice in her head whispered mockingly.
She had spent months after the attack trying to fight the guilt that consumed her. Telling herself that it wasn't her fault, that there wasn't anything she could have done to stop it, that running away had been the right choice, what her father had wanted.
But nothing had worked.
In the end, it was Vanur who had saved her yet again, 'you weren't strong enough to protect your home' he had told her after a particularly bad day. 'But you can still grow strong enough to take it back, to seek vengeance against the dragon and bring justice to your people'.
His words had awakened something in her that day, something both beautiful and dangerous that had burned the guilt away, filling her with grim determination. She had come out of her room the next day with a single-minded resolve to improve, to take back what was rightfully hers from the claws of the obsidian dragon and rebuild a place where her people could be safe and proud.
And for a time, she had thrived, for a time she had fooled herself into believing Larfal, that her lessons were helping her, that she was progressing towards her goal of reclaiming her throne.
But as the years passed, the old guilt came back.
Was learning how to run a kingdom really important if she wasn't strong enough to take it back in the first place?
Rünira didn't think so.
And so, feelings of stagnation started filling her mind, weighing heavily on her as Larfal's words about her growth grew emptier by the day.
When the nightmares began again, Rünira knew she had to do something about it.
Her escape abruptly ended when she crashed against another person, sending both of them sprawling unceremoniously to the ground.
"I'm sorry," said Rünira, rubbing her aching forehead, running while looking at the floor wasn't a good idea after all, go figure. "wasn't looking where I was going."
"Obviously," came a sardonic reply, "you dwarves seem to love keeping your faces in the dirt."
Rünira cursed under her breath, she could recognize that haughty voice anywhere, and surely enough, looking up, she came face to face with Elara Lilix, first daughter and heir of the Lilix family and Rünira's biggest annoyance.
The young blonde elf was staring down at her with a thinly veiled look of disdain on her otherwise beautiful face, Rünira couldn't help thinking that she looked better with a few teeth missing.
"What do you want, Elara?" she asked, watching her apprehensively, as she stood straighter trying to minimize their difference in height. She hated people looking down on her. "I'm not in the mood for your shite right now."
"Always so crass Rünira, your blood is showing," Elara answered with a sneer, her blue eyes shining with open contempt. "But believe it or not I came here to help you."
"Help me? You?" Rünira scoffed incredulously, "Yeah right, like I'm gonna believe that!"
"Believe it or not, it is the truth," Elara said huffing lightly, "After hearing you screaming at King Alf, I think I know a way in which we can both get what we want."
"You were spying on me!?"
"Hardly, anyone not deaf could've heard you from a mile away, and you are living with elves, these are not just for show," she said pointing at her long ears with an almost mocking gesture.
"I-I'm not that loud!" Rünira stuttered defensively, heat rushing to her cheek at the comment. The memory of the multitude of times she had been chastised in the past for being too loud being at the forefront of her mind.
"Be that as it may, I did not come here to discuss your raucous and uncouth behaviour," Elara said, flashes of impatience starting to show through her indifferent facade. "As I said before, I want to help you."
"How?" Rünira asked uncertainly, curiosity getting the better of her. She didn't trust Elara at all, but she was starting to get desperate, and couldn't really afford to dismiss help when it was so readily offered.
"By giving you a way to get stronger that ensures that I do not have to deal with your ungrateful presence in our forest anymore."
"I'm not ungrateful! I could never repay King Larfal for what he's done for me but—"
"But all you do is mope around the city and scream at King Alf when he does not give you what you want." Elara cut her, a nasty sneer appearing on her face. "Haven't you noticed Rünira? How the King must go around cleaning after you? How he keeps losing face with the elders and the people for protecting you every time you mess up?"
Rünira fell silent at that, shocked by the spiteful words being directed at her. She knew Elara was a snobby brat, having gotten used to her insults a long time ago, but this worry for the king seemed oddly sincere.
Had she really caused that much trouble to Larfal? She wanted to deny it, surely someone would have told her before now if that was the case, if not Larfal himself the Vanur or one of the other scouts. She got along well with the elven king, he had been nothing but kind ever since her arrival.
"So?" Elara asked, losing her patience after Rünira's prolonged silence. "Are you interested in my magnanimous offer? I assure you; my plan is flawless."
Rünira could only nod numbly in response, still stunned by the realization of the trouble her presence had been causing the King.
"I am sure even you have heard of The Labyrinth City and the Deities that dwell within it," she began, her voice falling to a whisper looking around as if trying to spot any eavesdropper. "I can help you get to Orario, surely there must be a god desperate enough to take in even someone like you."
"Gods?" Rünira asked, ignoring the thinly veiled insult, not really getting the point, "what are you talking about?"
"As always your ignorance knows no bounds," Elara answered. "I am talking about the falna, the power gods bestow upon mortals that decide to join them. You want power and I want you gone; this is the perfect solution."
Memories started flooding Rünira's mind at Elara's words, memories of her Nana telling her grandiose tales about an enormous city of fearless adventurers braving into a bottomless dungeon infested with monsters, armed with the power of the gods themselves.
"Of course…"
Could it be that simple? Could the answer to her desires lie in the hands of the gods? Her father never had anything good to say about them, and Larfal had only reinforced that feeling of mistrust.
But what other options did she have? She needed to become strong enough to kill that dragon, to reclaim her throne, and if Elara's words were even slightly true, she would also be doing a favour to King Larfal by leaving.
"But how? I tried to escape once, soon after I got here." Rünira admitted much to her shame. She had been too young at the time, and too hurt to even know what she was doing. "I got caught by the guards even before I could reach the gates."
"That is where I come in, my cousin works in the city guard, I managed to get a copy of the patrol schedule," Elara said haughtily. "And honestly, only a fool would try to escape through the gates, we are going to use a secret way out of the city."
"A secret way?" Rünira asked with no small amount of scepticism, "And what do you mean by 'we'?"
"Yes, there are many secret tunnels and passageways left from ancient times, the need for safe means of evacuation was far greater back then," the blonde elf responded avidly, all hostility leaving her face in a rare show of enthusiasm. Rünira knew from their lessons together that Elara was extremely passionate about history. "As for your second question, the passage's entrance opens only to elves on both ends. I might greatly dislike you, but I would never stoop so low as to leave you trapped in a maze of tunnels. So yes, we will be going together."
Emerald met blue as Rünira stared deeply into Elara's eyes. She didn't trust her, not after all she had done to her, but the offer seemed strangely earnest, she could see it in her eyes, Elara truly believed that getting her out of the royal forest was for the best.
Letting out a sight, Rünira gave a tentative nod to the expectant girl.
"Ok…" she said, trying to convince herself that this was the correct choice, "How do we do this?"
"It has to be tonight," Elara responded almost instantly as if worried the dwarf would back out, "meet me at the entrance of the gardens at midnight, and be sure to pack properly, the journey to Orario is not short."
"Tonight?" Rünira asked with no small amount of dread. "Can I have more time to think about it?"
"No." Elara answered resolutely, giving her a last look as she turned around preparing to leave, "the patrols change constantly, and I do not know if I would be able to, ahem, acquire a schedule again, I will see you tonight, do not be late."
And with that she left, striding away elegantly, swiftly disappearing into the crowded street.