A/N: I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who has read, followed, favourited and reviewed so far, it really means a lot.
When I decided to write this story I knew it wouldn't be popular, as people (for the most part) aren't very interested in a non-self-insert OC (with no harem to boot!). So, to all of you who made it to chapter 5 and are still here. Thank you.
Hope you like the chapter.
Chapter 5. On a moonlit night part one.
Hurrying as much as she dared through the dark streets of the city, Rünira tried hard not to be distracted, as each familiar sight brought back memories of her life in the elven home and the hardships she had been put through during that time.
Just like her gryphon, Rünira had never truly gotten used to living in the forest, dearly missing the peaceful stillness of the underground city of Bál Eldur. The calm and comforting feeling of solid rock against her skin, the deep connection to the earth…but most of all, she missed her friends…her family, and her people.
She was conflicted about running away like this, it felt like a disservice to the few people who had welcomed her. Her time in the Alf Forest hadn't been easy, and had it not been for Larfal's gentle but firm guidance, Vanur's unyielding support, and Lauriel's warm affection, Rünira was sure she would've been lost to despair long ago.
She would never be able to repay them for everything they had done, but she needed to get stronger, and waiting wasn't an option any longer.
Turning the last corner that led to the garden's gate, Rünira spotted a small hooded figure waiting by the entrance. Even this far away she could clearly see Elara's face, and if the way she was frowning was any indication, she wasn't happy, not one bit
"You are late."
Her tone was calm but Rünira could tell Elara was clearly annoyed.
"I know, but I had to make sure nobody saw me, I couldn't exactly come running!" she pointed out, trying to keep the heat out of her voice, she was late after all.
Elara didn't seem to buy her excuse but chose to remain silent, blue eyes moving from Rünira's travelling clothes to her bag and finally zeroing on the Aflhraûn resting on her shoulder.
"I do sincerely hope Rünira, that you are not seriously considering taking that thing with you," Elara said with a disbelieving look. "It looks like you can barely lift it, not even your hard head could be obtuse enough to think it is a good idea."
"I know that!" Rünira could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks, from shame or anger, she could really tell. "But I can't leave it behind…"
"Whyever not?" Elara said, a blonde eyebrow raising skeptically. "If you needed a weapon, something smaller would have been a much more sensible choice."
"It was my father's hammer ok?" Rünira sighed, rubbing her face with her free hand. "It has been passed down for generations… it's important to my people."
Elara seemed surprised by her response, staring back at the hammer with a weird glint in her eyes.
"A Historical artefact?" she asked enthusiastically before shaking her head quickly. "Nevermind, we need to get going, you will tell me about it later."
With that said, they began to move, quickly crossing the entrance and silently starting to make their way through the gardens.
The Alf Royal gardens were a matter of pride for the forest dwellers, an icon of the elves' appreciation for natural beauty, It was located southwest of the city proper, basts extensions of land crisscrossed by numerous serpentine paths and trails, it housed countless amount of different flora, from flowers to trees, bushes and fungi, gathered from everywhere around the world.
The grounds were quiet on the moonlit night, only the sounds of the leaves could be heard, gently rustling in the winter wind, occasionally interrupted by the chirps of the critters that called the forest home.
"So, where exactly is this secret tunnel?" Rünira asked curiously, taking her attention away from the beautiful scenery.
"According to my research, the entrance to the passage is supposed to be located beneath a willow tree."
"A tree?" Rünira asked, briefly looking around at the vast amount of trees around them. "That'll be easy…"
"It is not any tree you dunderhead, the kneeling willow is famous in the Royal forest." Elara pointed out as they kept walking to the edge of the gardens. "Some elves think it's sacred and make staves and wands from its fallen branches."
Rünira nodded, conceding the point, she too had seen that tree, its winding roots uncannily mimicking a kneeling figure. It was hard to miss.
"Wait," she said, coming to a halt. "What do you mean 'supposed to be'? you haven't used it before?"
"Of course not," Elara scoffed, turning around to look at her like she was dumb. "Why would I need to use a passage to get out of the city?"
"Then how do you know it's really there?" she asked, confused.
"I read about it in a book," Elara said simply, turning around to keep walking. "Of course it is there."
Rünira was struck speechless for a second by the matter-of-fact tone in Elara's blunt response.
"A book!? you said your plan was flawless!" Rünira insisted, trying not to shout. "If you ask me, not knowing if the passage even exists can be considered a pretty big flaw!"
"Good thing nobody is asking you then," Elara responded airily, without even bothering to look at her. "Hurry up, we are close."
"At least you were right about the guard patrol…" Rünira muttered under her breath, looking ahead to confirm Elara's words and seeing the clearing where the solitary tree stood surrounded by a carpet of wildflowers. The light of the moon giving the already uncanny visage an almost eerie atmosphere.
A cold gust of wind picked up, gently rocking the branches of the kneeling willow, its creaking moans managing to send shivers down Rünira's spine.
Finally arriving at the clearing, the two girls moved closer to the base of the towering tree, both pairs of eyes inspecting the twisting roots, carefully searching for anything that could indicate a hidden entrance.
"Do you see anything?" Rünira asked in a low voice, quietly inspecting the tree.
"It is here," Elara answered after a while, moving her hand through the rough surface of a thick root she had been inspecting.
Moving closer, Rünira could see that Elara's hand was slowly tracing a familiar symbol engraved in the wood. It was almost unnoticeable, most likely years of weathering having eroded it to almost nothing, but it was still unmistakable.
The Alf's Royal crest.
"Ok," Rünira nodded. "Are you gonna open it?"
Her question hung in the air, a pregnant pause forming as Rünira stared intently at Elara's back.
"Elara?" she asked after a moment, finally losing her patience and deciding to break the awkward silence.
"I-I am trying ok!?." Elara exclaimed, turning around brusquely. "But it is not doing anything! why don't you try doing something!?"
"The book didn't come with instructions, did it?" Rünira said dryly, secretly enjoying seeing the usually haughty elf so flustered.
"Of course it did!" Elara exclaimed, looking affronted. "But it was a very old poem written in ancient elvish, I did my best to translate it but…"
"But maybe you missed something." Rünira finished, feeling a little bit of sympathy. She didn't even want to think about the difficulties of translating ancient elvish. "What did it say? Maybe I can help."
Elara gave her a withering look before sighing deeply, she began to fumble with her coat for a bit, finally taking out a piece of paper and passing it to the dwarf.
Rünira set the Aflhraûn on the ground, taking the offered item, and unfolding carefully before beginning to read it.
Willowy I look and amongst flowers I kneel.
My roots the trail were made to conceal.
What binds you together can open the way.
From peril and danger will get you away.
Feed me old friend and go on through.
This path to safety will guide you true.
But beware the price twice must be paid.
If forever within you don't want to stay.
"This is an ancient poem?" Rünira said, trying not to laugh. "Sounds more like a kid's rhyme to me, where did you get this from? a children's book?"
If Elara's look was withering before, now it was alright murderous.
"I will have you know, it came from an old book of elven tales!" she said.
"So… a children's book?"
"IT IS NOT A CHILDREN'S BOOK!"
"Ok, ok, not a children's book," Rünira said, hands in the air in a placating gesture, her attention turning back to the lines on the paper, pondering its words.
"So… what binds elves together?" She asked after a short pause.
"Our history of course!" Elara exclaimed almost automatically.
"I doubt you can feed history to the tree Elara…" Rünira said deadpanned.
"I know that! But-"
"What about blood?" she asked cutting Elara off before she could begin her tirade.
"B-Blood!?" Elara repeated, scandalised. "Impossible! we elves are not s-so… so barbaric!"
Rünira tried not to roll her eyes at the typical response, even knowing that denial would be the most likely outcome she didn't regret suggesting it. It was the best, and honestly, the only idea she had.
"Do you have a better idea?" she asked testily as she walked towards a thorny group of flowers, "because I sure don't."
Plucking an especially pointy thorn, Rünira walked towards the apprehensive elf, hand extending in a silent offer.
"It's just a little prick," she said teasingly, "Don't be such a baby, If it doesn't work, then we can think of something else."
Elara didn't look very amused, but she took the thorn nonetheless, a resigned expression showing on her face as she removed one of her gloves.
"I swear if this doesn't work…"
Rünira ignored Elara's muttering, watching with interest as she, very gingerly, pricked her finger with the pointy thorn drawing a small amount of blood before approaching the carving on the root.
"See?" Elara said, after touching the root with her bloodied finger, "Of course it does not wor—"
She was cut off by a slight tremor of the earth, a little vibration that began to grow in intensity as the previously still roots of the kneeling willow started shaking, causing a low, rumbling creaking sound to spread through the silent clearing.
Both girls look in wonder as the tree came alive with movement, branches swinging through the air, and roots shifting in the ground, performing what could only be described as an unnatural spectacle.
When the movement stopped, the once kneeling tree almost appeared to be standing. And where previously stood a solid wall of roots, now an arched entrance could be seen, opening to a dark tunnel that led into the earth.
Rünira took a tentative step forward, peering green eyes inspecting the darkness ahead. She couldn't see much, but something told her that it was safe to go ahead, and she had learned long ago to trust in her connection with the earth, its silent presence never having led her astray.
Turning back to look at Elara, Rünira could almost feel the apprehension rolling off of her. She was standing completely still, staring with wide, unseeing eyes at the tunnel's entrance.
"You are not afraid of the dark are you Elara?" Rünira said jokingly, trying to calm her anxious-looking companion. But only silence met her attempt. "Elara?"
"O-Of course not!" The young elf said, snapping out of her stupor to gaze at the dwarf with a half convincing sneer. "It is just a dark tunnel! Nothing to be afraid of at all!"
"Then why aren't you going in?" Rünira asked, glad to see the previously frozen girl regaining some of her composure.
"You should go first," Elara answered after a hesitant pause. "You dwarves are experts in dark holes after all."
Rünira wanted to feel offended at the offhand gibe, it was so very Elara to throw in some taunting remark about her race whenever possible, but she couldn't really be bothered in the current situation. Besides, it was true, dwarves were indeed experts in all underground related matters.
"C'mon then," she replied, nodding in the direction of the tunnel as she picked up the Aflhraûn. "We should go before somebody finds us."
The dwarf led the charge with the elf close behind, and no sooner had they crossed the threshold than the roots closed violently behind them, startling the pair of girls and leaving them engulfed in total darkness. Rünira began looking around the passage, her dwarven heritage making itself known as her eyes began to rapidly adapt to the lack of light. She was about to move forward when she felt a pair of hands gripping her free arm tightly.
To say she was shocked would be an understatement, Rünira had learned early in her stay about the elves' aversion to physical touch, allowing only those who they trusted or loved implicitly to do it. Of course, there were exceptions, like Lauriel giving her big hugs after a bad day, or Vanur patting her in the head when she correctly answered some random trivia about weapons. Even Larfal had occasionally put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly, looking at her with his usual one-eyed smile.
But Rünira would have never expected it from someone like Elara, the blonde elf had always embodied everything she didn't like about elves, aloof, haughty and prideful. But here she was now, holding onto her with shaky hands like her life depended on it.
She was about to let out some taunting remark when her eyes caught sight of something unusual. Tenuous at first but slowly growing in intensity, a peculiar light started coming from all around them, innumerable golden-green dots of light began to sparkle and gleam, like small emeralds had been scattered over the walls, illuminating the passage with its odd luminescence.
"So beautiful…"
"What is it!?" Elara's cry came, snapping Rünira out of her transfixed state. "Is something wrong?"
Confused by the question, Rünira turned to look at her companion, said confusion disappearing in short order after noticing that Elara had her eyes firmly shut, still holding onto her tightly.
"It's ok," she said to Elara. "You can open your eyes, nothing's wrong."
"N-No I am perfectly fine like this, thank you very much!"
"I'm serious," Rünira insisted, trying not to roll her eyes. "It's not dark anymore, there are some glowing gems in the walls or something…"
"Glowing gems?" Elara began, hesitantly opening her eyes and looking around slowly. "Some dwarf you are…these are not gems, it is dragon's gold!"
"Dragon's gold?" she repeated, brow furrowing slightly at the name.
"Yes, it is called goblin's gold as well, they are not gems but a type of moss that glows in the dark," Elara said, looking much more relaxed in the presence of the glowing plants. "Elves used it in the past to illuminate underground tunnels like this, I read all about it in—"
"In a book," Rünira interrupted, shaking her head slightly "why am I not surprised…"
"Well, some of us actually like to read," Elara exclaimed, letting go of her hand with a huff and moving along the passage, making Rünira almost feel bad for saying it.
They moved in silence for a while through the previously dark tunnel, giving Rünira the time to quietly rejoice in the brief reunion with the earth. It had been too long since she had heard its soft whispers murmuring in her ear, talking to her with voiceless words. People often thought of the earth as something static, unmoving and unchanging, but Rünira knew better, she could hear its silent voice, the way the subtle shift and turns spoke to her with its ageless movement.
"You know, I have never disliked you, not really…" Elara's voice came quietly ahead of her, snapping Rünira out of her reverie.
She stared confused at Elara's back for a moment before the meaning of her words really hit her, making her snort.
"I really feel sorry for the people you do dislike then!"
"I am not joking!"
"Well, excuse me if I find that hard to believe," Rünira said with a raised eyebrow. "Your actions tell a very different story."
Elara stopped walking, turning around to look at her with a slight frown on her face, the faint light of the glowing moss giving her blue eyes an unnatural shine.
"I…I do regret my actions towards you," she said softly. "But, while they were indeed distasteful, I do believe them justified."
"Justified!? every insult, every humiliating thing you have said to me!?" Rünira said, starting to lose her temper. "How can you possibly think it was justified!?"
"Because I love history and I love my people, and I would do anything to protect them!"
"W-Wha—"
"From the moment I heard you would be living here, I read everything I could get my hands on about dwarven history, your battles, folklore heroes and villains, I read everything." Elara continued, not paying heed to Rünira. "And if I learned something, it was that the rivalry between elves and dwarves is a petty squabble compared to your bloody history with those savages from The Empire.
"The Empire?" Rünira asked, confused. "What do they have to do with all this?"
"Think Rünira! It matters because if they somehow learned you were here, they would stop at nothing to get to you, they would burn this forest to the ground to get their hands on the last dwarven princess!."
Rünira didn't know how to respond to the blunt statement, what could she even say to something like that? The elves were strong and well trained, she knew that very well, but could they afford to go to war with The Empire over a single dwarf? Should they even?
"Have you learned nothing from your time living here?" Elara asked, fists clenching tightly. "The Alf's Royal Forest is sacred ground, the High Elves shoulder the hopes and pride of all elves, I don't want my people to end in the same spot the pallums have been for a thousand years, the same spot the dwarves are probably in right now…"
"So that's it?" Rünira said finally, as she tried her best to ignore the last part of Elara's comment. "All the insults, the taunts and the mockery were because you wanted me to leave? Because you thought you were protecting your home?"
"Yes…" Elara nodded. "That is it."
Rünira looked at her, really looked at her, trying to come to terms with what she was hearing. If Elara was telling the truth, then all the things she had to endure were not actions born of snobbery and pettiness, but from fear and worry. Could she really hate Elara for what she had done, even if her methods had been nothing but annoying?
After all these revelations, she felt like she was seeing her for the first time.
"Ok," she finally said, nodding her head slowly.
"Ok?" Elara repeated, incredulously. "That is all? You are not mad at me? I thought dwarves were infamous for holding grudges…"
"Oh, we are for important things, but I wasn't mad at you Elara, after the beating I gave you and your little friends I called it even," Rünira said, flashing a smile. "But I thought you wanted me gone for the trouble I was causing to Larfal."
"It is King Alf!" Elara exclaimed. "And yes! Your continuous presence here has only brought problems he does not need. The high elves must maintain a strong image, the King most of all!"
Rünira smiled slightly at the familiar scolding, a certain healer's words echoing in her mind. "Then why even tell me about The Empire when I had already agreed with your plan?" she asked, curiously. "Could it be…".
A mischievous grin appeared on Rünira's as she stared at the increasingly agitated elf.
"What?" Elara asked. "W-Why are you looking at me like that!?"
"You like me don't you?" Rünira said, sniggering at Elara's fluster. "You told me all this because you thought I hated you!"
"O-Of course not!" Elara said. "Why would I like someone so crass and uncivilized as you!?"
"You say that, but your ears are all red!"
"S-Shut up!"
Rünira couldn't help but laugh heartily, the sounds of her merriment echoing down the passage. She could not remember the last time she had laughed so genuinely. She really did enjoy seeing Elara flustered.
"I am glad you are enjoying yourself so much," Elara said dryly. "And do not think I have forgotten about the hammer's history."
Rünira nodded with some difficulty, still trying to contain her laughter. "I-I'm sorry," she said shakily as they both started moving down the tunnel again. "Let's see, the history of the Aflhraûn…well, there's only one way of telling that story really…"
Taking a big breath, Rünira thought back to her father, letting herself be swept away by memories long past, memories of better, happier times. And with a wistful smile on her face, she began speaking.
"Long ago, so long even the gods cannot remember, came to be the first dwarves…"