Chapter XLV: Wheeling and Dealing
Mordae slid to a halt beside a large fallen log, resting one foot atop the rotting bark. Celebdraug trotted slowly up beside him, her eyes scanning the sky to the north, searching for Draylen.
"You okay?" Mordae inquired, noticing the evident worry on his cousin's face.
She nodded slightly, eyes still searching. "Do you think he's okay?"
Mordae had no idea, but he knew that would do nothing to console Celebdraug. "I'm sure he is."
There was an awkward pause.
"That was a pretty brave thing he did," Mordae offered tentatively.
"Brave?" Celebdraug's voice was higher with the strain of battle and worry. "He's an idiot! I hope he's still alive so I can kill him myself."
Mordae let out a little snort of laughter, then hopped lightly over the log and stood beside Celebdraug, unsure of what to do next; his cousin's true feelings for Draylen, though Mordae could speculate, were still a mystery to him.
Celebdraug's head snapped up suddenly as a small black bat weaved unsteadily through the trees toward the elves. Ever the paranoid one, Mordae drew his sword, though he held it loosely and pointed downward.
There was a soft pop, and Draylen dropped heavily to the ground beside the two cousins.
"Please," he moaned, "kill me with that."
Celebdraug knelt beside the vampire where he laid, a look of partially concealed concern on her face. Her hand traced up Draylen's arm to the shaft of the long, black arrow, then finally came to rest on the entry wound.
"No," Draylen hissed, "it doesn't hurt when you mess with it."
Celebdraug narrowed her eyes slightly, not moving her hand. For a moment, there was silence, and then she spoke.
"Rac. Poison."
"Great. Just what I always wanted," the vampire complained, trying to inch away from Celebdraug.
"Would you just quit moving?" the elf commanded Draylen, who froze immediately.
Mordae knelt as well, examining the arrow.
"Impressive," he muttered. "It went all the way through."
Celebdraug peeled away the thick, steel plate-armor that Draylen wore, revealing a gaping, dark hole in his shoulder surrounded by a purplish mist.
Draylen let out a gasp of pain as Mordae jerked the dart out through his back in one swift motion.
"You...you..." the vampire hissed. "You dirty little ba..."
"Yes, yes, I know," Mordae cut him off, slowly turning the arrow in his hand. "Fascinating weaponry," the elf murmured as if to invisible beings as he scrutinized the dart. He peered closely at the head, trying to recognize the poison the Halda'ohtar used.
"Never seen this kind before," Mordae finally admitted, still raking over the tip.
"Great," Draylen growled. He sat up slightly, held down by Celebdraug. The vampire glanced up at the elf. "Can't I just jam that thing into his eye?"
Celebdraug raised an eyebrow as if considering the option.
"No," she finally concluded. "He's the biggest, so the orcs shoot for him, first."
"Obviously not," Draylen countered.
The elf did not argue, but rather closed her eyes, attempting to draw the poison to the surface with her mage powers.
"That tickles," Draylen quipped.
Celebdraug ignored him, and finally opened her eyes a moment later.
"I got most of it," she announced, "but not all. You'll probably end up with a nasty headache, but not much else."
"That, and this hole in my arm."
Mordae tossed his cousin a bandage strip, which she tied around the wound. "There, all better,"
"That's what you
say."
"Quit your whining," Celebdraug chided
good-naturedly.
"I just got shot!" Draylen argued. "I'm allowed to gripe!"
"I've been shot before, and I didn't complain that much, did I, Mordae?" the elf commented proudly.
Mordae turned away, humming to himself.
"Oh, who asked you, anyway?" Celebdraug growled. She turned her gaze back to Draylen, who was rising slowly to his feet.
"That was a very stupid...and very brave...thing you did," the elf admitted, looking into Draylen's eyes.
"Yeah, but I got your pretty outfit all bloody."
Celebdraug grinned, then threw her arms around Draylen. "Thank you."
The vampire's eyes widened in surprise, but after a moment, he returned the hug. "I'll try not to do it again."
Celebdraug released him, and took a step back. "Good."
Mordae and Draylen locked eyes for a moment, the elf's twinkling mischievously.
Suddenly, the giant lunged forward, throwing his arms around Draylen mockingly. "Oh, Draylen! Thank you so..."
He let out a grunt as Celebdraug's fist slammed into his ribs, causing him to stumble sideways, trip over the rotting log, then fall behind it, hidden from view for a moment.
"Illúvatar's breath!" the elf cried as he crawled back over the crest of the log, rubbing his aching side. "Jealous, are we?"
Celebdraug stuck her tongue out at her cousin, then, tossing her braid over her shoulder, the elf began to stride haughtily back toward Lvrast.
Draylen cast a sympathetic glance over his shoulder at the other Noldor – who was glaring playfully at his cousin – shrugged, and followed Celebdraug.
Mordae sprinted briefly to the vampire's side, putting his massive hand on Draylen's good shoulder.
"What does she see in you, man?"
Draylen glanced up at the elf and smiled, revealing his long fangs.
"I'm so pretty," he answered in a singsong voice, skipping ahead to walk alongside Celebdraug.
Mordae shook his head as he wearily followed the pair, muttering dejectedly to himself.
"I'm the only sane person left in Middle Earth."
"Are you insssane?" Vrayon hissed, taking a hasty step toward Lynza. "Do you vant all of Middle Earth to hear you?"
"First of all," Lynza responded calmly in Endea, "there is nobody else around us. Second of all, maybe I do."
Vrayon narrowed his eyes. "If your troopsss find out zat ve are kin, zey vill never trussst you."
"On the contrary," Lynza argued. "My soldiers obey me because they trust me. Yours, however, follow your orders because they fear you and Mornië."
There was a long pause in the conversation. "Ssspeak ze Common Tongue," Vrayon ordered, ignoring Lynza's accusation.
"Why? I am not allowed to speak my native language in your presence?"
"Ze language of ze new vorld is ze Common Tongue," Vrayon stated proudly. "Novone is better zan anozer, and all can relate on equal ground."
"Oh, sssomebody get me a bucket," Lynza laughed mockingly, complying with the Remnant General's wish. "Fine, if you are going to become a politician on me, I vill agree to your termsss."
Vrayon nodded with content.
"Now you lisssten to mine," Lynza ordered.
Vrayon sighed. "Vat do you vant? You jussst ssslew my captain and my top two lieutenantsss, and you exssspect me to give you more?"
"You should have trained your troopsss better, no?"
"Bitch," Vrayon spat.
"Now, zat vasss uncalled for."
Vrayon allowed himself a small chuckle. "Ssso vasss putting your damned ssstaff through my men."
Lynza laughed, then grew suddenly serious again. "My firssst conssstraint isss zat you mussst no longer pursssue or attack my people, or any of our protected ssstatesss."
"Or vat?" Vrayon hissed incredulously. "You vill go into hiding again?"
"Or I vill tell everyvone ze truth."
This sobered Vrayon, who had begun pacing back and forth.
"You vould not dare," the General argued.
"I vould, and I vill," Lynza countered. "I alssso am far more powerful zan you believe me to be, Vrayon. I could caussse many problemsss for you."
"Mornië and ze Remnant vould crush you without even breaking a sssweat."
"Mornië would be quite annoyed if he were forsssed to deviate from hisss main objective becaussse you could not sssolve your own domessstic unressst."
Vrayon fell silent again, acknowledging that the statement was far closer to the truth than he would like to have admitted. The General could almost hear Mornië chiding him, the smooth baritone seething with barely contained rage.
"Fine," the vampire finally spat. "I vill ssseassse my attacksss on you, for ze time being."
"Zer, zat vasss easssy, no?"
Vrayon glared at Lynza.
"Sssecond," the woman continued, "you vill give me free range to attack ze Lychensss, vith ze sssupport of your troopsss."
"Zat isss completely inane. Vhy vould I do zat?"
Lynza smiled victoriously at the other vampire. "Becaussse I can help you."
Vrayon grinned as well. "Asss if your help wasss needed."
"I have detailed mapsss, keysss, and battle hissstoriesss of Khazad," Lynza countered.
This information brought Vrayon into stunned silence. He resumed pacing as his mind raced. Khazad, the final stronghold of the dwarves, was rumored to be the resting place of the most powerful of the dwarf rings. It was Vrayon's assignment to acquire that ring, no matter what the cost.
Mornië's exact words; 'no matter the cost.' The Drow mage had confided in Vrayon that the Lychens were just pawns, and had no real use other than as cannon fodder and brute strength. Therefore, he would really not be doing the Remnant a disservice. And, if Lynza spoke the truth, he would obtain the ring, which would give him more credit in Mornië's eyes. If the Drow had no idea that Vrayon's troops had assisted, or if he claimed that they had acted on their own will – he could even have them all executed afterward – then the General would come away unscathed. He had always loathed Garulf anyway.
On the other hand, if he were caught and Mornië was displeased...the vampire shuddered to think of the destruction that would befall the entire race of vampires. But, if they were not caught, the Lychens would no longer be a thorn in the empire's past, and a stumbling block to their future.
"How did you come upon zessse keysss and sssuch?" Vrayon asked, still mulling the choice over in his mind.
"I am ssspecial, and you are not. Doesss it matter, if zey work? I happen to have a very powerful essspionage sssector."
Vrayon smiled grimly. Lynza had known that Khazad interested Vrayon, a fact that very few of his own soldiers were aware of. "It vould appear ssso."
The question of trust remained in his mind. He would never forgive himself, nor would Mornië, if he blindly followed Lynza into a trap. "Do you have zessse itemsss on hand?"
Lynza slowly removed the pack she wore on her back, plunged her hand into it, and a moment later, withdrew several rolls of parchment and a set of gargantuan, glowing keys.
Vrayon inhaled slowly, then let out a sigh.
"It isss a deal. Give zem to me."
"Vone lassst thing," Lynza added.
Vrayon let out an impatient hiss.
"My troopsss asssissst yoursss vith acqviring ze ring."
The General was far to experienced to put himself in such a situation as having the enemy fighting alongside your own soldiers.
"No."
"Zen ve at leassst asssissst in ze battle," Lynza bargained.
"Vhy?"
"Ve have encountered ze dwarvesss before, and ve owe zem a few favorsss," the vampire explained.
Vrayon pondered again; he did not trust Lynza to such extent. However, if her troops were all killed in battle, which he could quite easily arrange, he would no longer have to worry about the Lychen issue.
"Done."
Lynza nodded and bowed slightly. "Pleasssure doing busssinesss vith you."
"Get out of my sssight before I run you through vith my sssword."
"Tempting thought, I will admit," Lynza commented with a smile. "Ven do ve attack Khazad?"
Vrayon sighed. "Tonight. Jussst before dawn."
"I vill sssee you zere."
"You have my vord."
Lynza laughed harshly. "The vord of Vrayon isss vorth lesss zan my boot."
"I would argue zat; zose look like cheap bootsss."
"You are a general, not a comedian," Lynza chided. "Until dawn," the vampire said with a small bow.
"Until dawn," Vrayon responded. "And commend your sssnipersss. It isss not every day you encounter vone who can bessst an elf."
Lynza noted a sinister gleam in the General's eye, but showed no sign. She wondered if he suspected that she was in league with Mordae and Celebdraug, but quickly ejected the thought from her mind.
"I shall. Farewell."
With that, Lynza transformed and whirled back toward the forest, where her three friends awaited her.
