Chapter 4. Shadows of the past.
Rünira stood there, in the exact place Elara had left her, lost in thought for what seemed like hours, contemplating the implications of the decision she had just made, of what she had agreed to do.
People came and went around her, preoccupied with their daily lives, most not even sparing a single glance at the dwarf girl standing still in the middle of the busy street.
She didn't regret agreeing to Elara's proposal, if anything the last denial from Larfal had only fueled the burning feeling within her heart that constantly pushed her forward. If the King was going to keep denying her the chance to grow stronger, she would need to find her own chances, her own path to power.
"Rüni is that you?"
Startled out of her thoughts by the sudden call, Rünira turned around to see none other than Lauriel looking at her, a worried expression donning on the elven maiden's face, violet eyes shining with concern as she approached her.
Black, lustrous hair gleaming in the sun contrasted nicely with the pristine white of her healer robes, she had her hands full with a large and heavy-looking bag, cheeks slightly flushed, probably a combination of the warm weather and the weight she was carrying.
"Are you alright?" she asked gently, shifting the bag in her hands so she could look at the little dwarf better, "what are you doing standing here like that?"
"N-Nothing!" Rünira began with a little stutter, "I was talking with Larfal and… you know…"
"King Larfal, Rünira, if you are going to refer to him by his given name, at least use his title" Lauriel chided slightly, "I know you two are close, but you should still show him some respect."
'Maybe this is what Elara was talking about,' Rünira thought glumly, how her actions inadvertently kept damaging Larfal's image.
"I have seen you enough times after your disagreements with King Alf to know there is something you are not telling me." Lauriel continued, pointing with her head to the bag she was carrying, "Tell you what, why don't you come help me with the horses and we can talk about what is really bothering you?"
Rünira was confused for a second before realizing, as she looked around, that her blind sprint had left her near the stables located in the outskirts of the city.
"If I remember correctly, Griffy is staying here at the moment," Lauriel pointed out with a hopeful tone, "we could go see him, I am sure he misses you."
The thought of Griffy brought a small smile to Rünira's face, the young gryphon had been a loyal companion through the years, and although he hadn't adapted well to living in the forest, periodically going away to the mountains for prolonged periods of time, he always came back to her when she needed him most.
"Ok…" Rünira agreed wistfully. If she was going to run away, it was a good thing that she could at least say goodbye to her friend.
Lauriel gave her a radiant smile, obviously happy that she had accepted her invitation, but seemingly oblivious to the deeper cause of Rünira's turmoil.
"Come, help me with the door, my hands are a little busy at the moment!"
Rünira went ahead, quickly opening the big wooden door of the stables so that Lauriel could enter. She was immediately assaulted by the atmosphere of the place, the deep smell of wood and hay, the gentle huffing and neighing of the steeds clopping quietly in their stalls. Rünira had always thought that the stables seemed out of place amongst the pure and beautiful image the high elves tried so hard to portray, but now she realized, it was just a different, simpler kind of beauty.
Turning around after crossing the door, she watched Lauriel drop the bag she had been holding on the floor with a big thud, exhaling tiredly as she rolled her shoulders.
"What's in the bag?" Rünira asked curiously. It obviously wasn't food, the bag, while big, was too small to hold food for all the horses, and besides, Lauriel was a healer, and a pretty good one as far as she knew. Feeding horses fell well outside of her duties.
"It is just some medicine to keep the animals healthy, the stable master is not feeling well and asked me if I could see to the horses," Lauriel explained with mock exasperation, a fond smile giving away her true feelings, "apparently he entrusts his animals only to people he would trust with his own life, so as his healer I was about the only one who could do it."
Lauriel's expression turned grateful as she regarded Rünira, hands going to her hair, tying it up in a high ponytail.
"Thanks for the help Rüni, it would have taken me forever to do this alone!" Lauriel said as she knelt before the bag, opening it to retrieve its contents, "here, take some of this and put it in the feeders, a handful should be enough."
Nodding in response, Rünira did as instructed, going from stall to stall, and putting some of the medicine in the wooden containers.
She worked silently for a while, listening to her elven companion humming pleasantly as they worked side by side.
"You know, when I decided to become a healer, I was not expecting to end up taking care of horses," Lauriel told her humorously, breaking the silence, "though I guess I am looking after their health, so maybe it still counts?"
Lauriel's cheerful mood was quite contagious, and soon Rünira found herself returning the smile despite herself. She really liked Lauriel, if Vanur was her rock, strong and unfaltering in his support, then Lauriel was her sun, bright and warm and always helping her find happiness in her darkest moments.
"Why did you decide to become a healer?" she asked interestedly, "Vanur told me you used to be part of his scouting team."
The change in the mood was instantaneous.
Rünira could see the cheer banish from Lauriel's face, like a candlelight extinguishing in the dark, her previous beautiful smile freezing in her face for an instant, before turning sad, her eyes losing some of their previous shine. They both stood in silence for a long moment, before Lauriel began speaking.
"I…I guess it was because of you Rüni." Her tone was soft, but nothing could hide the pain behind her words as she turned around suddenly, seemingly to continue with her work.
Completely taken aback by her answer, Rünira didn't have time to speak, to ask her what she meant before Lauriel started talking again.
"I learned healing magic at a very young age. My teachers, my parents, the elders… they all rejoiced… thinking that I was destined to become a great healer of the elven people…"
Rünira could have sworn she heard scorn in Lauriel's voice, but it was gone as quickly as it came, replaced once again by quiet sorrow.
"But I never wanted to be one, my dreams had always been filled with daring adventures, fighting monsters and evil in the name of our king, bringing glory to my kin."
They kept walking down the stables, stall by stall, the young dwarf working silently as she listened to Lauriel's tale.
"Elves live long and healthy lives, rarely ailed by disease, and at the time, monster activities were at a low not seen in centuries, we were at peace…Healers were not that needed, so the elders agreed, persuaded by King Alf, to allow me to join the scouts as a field medic. I trained in first aid, practised my magic, and learned how to fight. When I joined captain Vanur's team, tensions had started to rise but I was so confident in my abilities…"
Engrossed as she was by the story. Rünira barely noticed when they reached the end of the stable, a familiar feathery friend waiting for them in the last stall.
Lauriel walked forward, extending a hand to pet the majestic creature, soft plumage meeting her dainty hand. "And then you came to us, on a freezing night atop a gryphon, covered in blood and dirt and so very small," she said shakily, turning around to look at Rünira.
"You asked us to save her," Her eyes were bright with unshed tears and full of unforgotten pain, "and we failed you, I failed you. We promised we would help her but… I could do nothing but watch as her life drained away, consumed by that horrible curse."
The guilt in Lauriel's voice was hard for Rünira to bear, she had known for a while the details of her Nana's death, being informed by the king himself after months of insistence. It had taken her a long time to come to terms with it, to accept that Tinna had died because of her, saving her from the dragon's cursed fire.
"That day, I swore to myself that I would not let something like that happen again, I would not let someone die again because of my arrogance," Lauriel continued. "I left the scouts shortly after and joined the Halls of healing to start my formal training."
A heavy silence stretched after Lauriel finished her story. Rünira wanted to say something, anything that could give her some comfort, but words failed her, too overcome by the shadows of her past.
She had not only lost her Nana that night, but her father, her friends, and her home.
"It… It wasn't your fault…" she managed to utter after a moment, angry at herself for failing to find more reassuring words for her distressed friend.
But it appeared to be enough for Lauriel, as she gave her a small but grateful smile in return. Sadness still visibly clung to her, but it didn't appear as overwhelming as before.
An annoyed sounding chirp followed by a beak click interrupted the gloomy moment, making both girls turn to look at the feathery monster, it seemed that someone wasn't happy being ignored.
"Thank you Rüni, I hope you can forgive me for bringing it up," Lauriel added with a remorseful look donning on her face, getting closer to the dwarf and giving her a tight hug "I know it must be much harder for you."
"'Tis fine," muttered Rünira, letting go of the embrace as she got closer to the needy gryphon, slowly extending her hand, offering to pet him. "Nana died as she lived, a proud daughter of Bál Eldur."
Her tone was firm but it rang hollow as she said what was expected of her, anything else would have been an insult to Tinna's memory. Her father had taught her that a warrior's death must always be honoured. It didn't matter that her Nana didn't have to die, that it was Rünira's own weakness that had cost Tinna her life.
"You know, my father told me that Nana used to be a gryphon rider in her youth," she added quickly while stroking Griffy's plumage, hoping to change the topic, "she was one of the best…"
Lauriel must have sensed Rünira's intention, walking closer and kneeling beside her.
"She must have been an incredible woman," she said in a low voice, putting a hand on Rünira's shoulder, "Captain Vanur once told us that gryphon riders were amongst the most skilled warriors he had ever known, and that he regretted not having had the chance to face them on the battlefield."
The look of exasperation on Lauriel's face as she said the last part clearly showed her thoughts on Vanur's love for battle.
"That does sound like Vanur," Rünira answered with a fleeting smile at the thought of the prideful elf. "And he was right, the riders were probably the only reason my people managed to escape, the few that did…"
As far as Rünira knew, only a handful of dwarves had managed to survive the attack, Larfal had not spent much manpower in keeping track of the refugees, the last report he got being that a small group was heading south, probably to the free city of Karuna.
"Monster riders… It really is incredible," Lauriel said, as she observed Rünira petting the gryphon. "Princess Riveria used to ride on a unicorn when she lived here, it's not the same as a flying monster, but I have always thought it very impressive."
Rünira perked up at the mention of the high elf princes, Larfal had referred to her often enough but had never talked about her in detail.
"Riveria? all the elves here talk about her as if she's some sort of goddess," she said, brow furrowing at the foreign idea. "They certainly seem to worship her as one."
"Oh yes! Lady Riveria is absolutely adored by all elves, but it is a different kind of reverence, I am sure your teachers will explain it in more detail soon enough," Lauriel answered, a fond look adorning her features. "King Alf changed a lot after she left, some say he became soft, too lenient and easy-going, but I think it was for the better."
Mirth filled Lauriel's expression, seemingly remembering something particularly funny. "And what a scandal it was when she left! never had I seen the old coots from the council so angry at King Alf, at least until…"
She stopped abruptly, probably realizing too late what she was about to say.
"Until I came…" finished Rünira, now having a good idea about what Lauriel was referring to. "She was right…"
"Oh Rüni…"
"it's nothing… I just wish someone had told me before that Larfal's position has been suffering for having me here," she grumbled. "And not learning it from Elara of all people…"
"That girl used to be so sweet, I do not know what happened to her…" Lauriel let out a sigh rubbing her face tiredly before looking back at Rünira. "But you do not need to worry about King Alf, Rüni, his position is indisputable, no amount of complaining from the elders, or anyone else, is going to change that."
"So it was true then…" Rünira said, looking at the ground.
"Yes…some of the elves with more 'extreme' views had voice complaints many times over the years." Lauriel nodded resigned. "They do not want any non-elves 'polluting' the forest, and you being not only a dwarf but royalty as well, has not helped things in the least."
Standing up, Lauriel looked out of the nearest window, seeing the last rays of the sun disappear behind the treetops.
"Come on, it is starting to get late," she said, giving a last gentle squeeze to the girl. "Say bye to Griffy, we can grab something to eat on the way to your dorm."
Night had fallen in the Alf Forest, bringing with it the stillness of the dark. The once lively city was now quiet, the perambulating elves having already retired to their homes for the day.
A young dwarf sat on a bed looking out of her window deep in thought, the full moon occasionally peeking through the clouds being her only source of light. A couple of hours had passed since her conversation with Lauriel, midnight was fast approaching and the bag for the journey ahead laid beside her, full with everything she was going to need.
The only thing left to do was wait.
A flicker of light on the edge of her vision brought Rünira out of her musings, making her turn around trying to find its source. It wasn't hard to do.
There, lying untouched on her desk, in the exact same place she had left it three years ago, was The Aflhraûn, its metal surface shining eerily in the moonlight despite the long time left unattended.
How she hated it.
No… that wasn't true, she didn't hate the hammer, what she hated was the night she had found it, and what it had meant for her. Little Rünira, in spite of all that had occurred that night, had still held out hope, hope that her father would come back for her, to take her home.
But that ember of hope had died the instant she'd seen the Founding Hammer inside the bag her father had given her. Even as young as she had been the night she came to the forest, Rünira had immediately grasped the meaning of her father the king, leaving the hammer in her possession.
He wasn't coming back. He was gone, just like her nana, and just like her mother.
Getting up from her bed, she slowly approached her desk, hand extending as she walked towards it. She didn't want to move it, didn't want to touch it, the Aflhraûn was meant to be wielded by kings and queens, rulers and champions of the dwarven people, and Rünira was neither of those things, she wasn't worth it, not yet.
But she couldn't bear the thought of leaving it behind, this was her father's hammer, the symbol of her people, the last and only thing Rünira had of her home and her family.
Her hand met the weapon's handle, finding it surprisingly warm as her fingers wrapped tightly around it in an attempt to lift it. It was heavy, almost too heavy for her to wield, having to use both hands to do it. Finally managing to lift it, Rünira inspected with wary eyes the legacy left behind by Eldur and Jarðar.
It was… simple.
A one-handed warhammer, with a big rectangular head attached to a relatively long handle. No spikes, no weird protuberances or sharp edges, and no fancy jewels or precious stones. The only thing that made it stand out from a big metal mallet were the symbols engraved on its metallic surface, which almost appeared to be glowing under the moon's light.
"Dwarven runes…" Rünira murmured wistfully, the words of her father about the ancient language of the dwarves rekindling in her mind for the first time in years.
Only three years had passed, but for her, it almost felt like a lifetime ago.
But that wasn't the problem. With a sinking feeling, Rünira realized that she couldn't recall what the runes meant. Tears threatened to well up in her eyes as she tried to think as hard as she could, attempting to remember her father's words. She knew it had been written by Eldur and Jarðar, she remembered the story, the runes talked about earth and fire, but for her life, she couldn't come up with the right words.
Lost in her frustration, she was startled when the sound of her clock informed her that fifteen minutes were left until midnight. It was time to go.
Placing the Aflhraûn on her shoulder, she picked the bag laying on her bed before giving a last look around her room as she headed to the door. This had been her home for three years, Larfal had been very generous, letting her stay in the guest wing of the palace.
'not like anybody uses it.' Rünira thought wryly.
Some elves had given her a hard time for staying at the palace, accusing her of occupying important space, but since Rünira had settled down, she had never seen nor heard of any other guests. In general, the high elves of the Alf forest were extremely parochial in nature, zealously guarding their sacred territory and the Royal Family, which led them to very isolationist policies. And that meant very few guests.
Still thinking about the elves and their strange attitudes, Rünira exited the palace quietly, making sure not to be seen by any of the knights standing guard. She started heading towards the city gardens, following almost the same path she had taken that afternoon with King Larfal. She needed to hurry up if she didn't want to be late, but the fear of getting caught prevented her from going too fast.
Elara would need to wait a little longer.