Chapter 9: The only certain thing in life…

The life within the harem was getting rather tense now, the mourning period was soon over and the Sha'al was planning on several banquets and parties, to make up for wasted time. It didn't appear as he was missing his sons overly much, since the queen apparently was with child he was probably certain that he would produce new heirs soon enough. Maglor and the others were training vigorously, just to stay focused and keep their minds occupied. Negus was as always a ball of sheer energy and Harbal had managed to manipulate Belerur into letting the dwarf organize the purchase of new cloth and jewelry. Negus found the task very rewarding and soon the entire harem was transformed, new colors and furniture and new clothes which gave them all a whole new look.

This in turn did bring some unwanted side effects, since the Sha'al now didn't mind letting others borrow his toys except from Maglor they all had to go to entertain his followers rather often. The good thing was that they got a lot of gifts but the bad things were the things they had to do to achieve this. Some of the followers were nice, they just wanted a dance, or a pleasant conversation. Some wanted sex but of the more gentle sort and they could be both loving and affectionate but then they had the other type, the type who loved to dominate and hurt. Some were as sick as the Sha'al himself and Maglor had to sit one entire evening with a weeping Demetry in his arms, the young man had been forced to watch as the man who borrowed him brutally raped several very young girls and boys and Demetry had to dance the whole time, watching the horrible scenes. At the end he had to suck off the monster and Maglor just knew that the perversions which were brewing within this court only would grow now. The Sha'al was losing his grip, that was the nasty truth behind it.

One evening Aodh and Aerhan was called to a party thrown by the queen, they were to dance and Maglor did feel a twinge of worry right away. But he could do naught but sit there, hoping for the best and the sense of being utterly helpless had grown in him lately, until it became almost an obsession. If he really was to make a difference it had to happen soon! He would end the sha'al's the prophecy had said, how? He still got groomed by the sha'als slaves every morning, they collected his sweat and urine and he used the ointments the Tha'vaal had given him but did it have any effect at all? He was starting to doubt it all and Artemar had a hard time cheering him up. The only one keeping an optimistic attitude was Negus, the dwarf was high and low and his artistic ideas seemed to be without boundaries. He had made a sort of suit made from beads threaded on very thin line and Maglor had to wear it while he was dancing, in the dark it looked as if his body was made up from tiny shimmering stars and it was absolutely stunning but very uncomfortable. It squeezed his cock and crept up into his ass crack but otherwise from that the effect left everybody in awe.

Negus even added some new elements to the shows, he had a very wide knowledge of cultures and one thing he did manage to get his hands on was some odd shoes which made the one who wore them look almost ridiculously tall, and clumsy! They were heavy as fuck and very uncomfortable but apparently courtesans of the very far east wore them and Negus had Demetry put into a sort of very tight kimono and painted white all over. The odd make up with small red lips and kohl around the eyes sent some of the emissaries from the emperor into a frenzy, Maglor was sure at least one of them came just watching Demetry staggering around in a very helpless manner. He did come up with other odd additions too, leather harnesses and riding crops, he added some very comical scenes to the shows, made them sing some very rude drinking songs he had Kherfem translate and Maglor knew that Negus perhaps was the one who could make it there, because he had hope of getting out.

Aodh and Aerhan returned from the party the day after and both were very shaken and in obvious distress. Artemar had them both sit down and tell them of the party and Aerhan shivered and swallowed a glass of wine rather fast. "It was not too bad, at first. We danced and it was normal, we followed the routine we usually use."

Aodh looked very tired and he was a bit pale. "Yes, the queen sat behind a screen but her maids were uncovered, and very drunk. I never thought women could be that rude"

Maglor had to grin, women who felt that they were safe could be just as foul mouthed as men. Aerhan continued. "We danced for a while and there was a lot of drinking going on, we were given some wine and then…"

Aodh swallowed hard. "They had drugged the wine for sure, for suddenly…I cannot even describe the feeling, it was like fire in my blood, I have never craved to be touched more."

Aerhan nodded and he did look a bit scared. "It made us both so horny we couldn't even think, and a couple of the ladies in waiting entered the floor, buck naked."

Artemar looked as if he was very tired, not shocked at all. "You fucked them"

Aerhan nodded, he did look very ashamed. "Yes, both, we even switched. And then..I…"

Aodh looked as if he was ready to cry. "It was insane, like we couldn't get enough, couldn't find any satisfaction even if we did come. It is a haze now but I think we did do all those maids. "

Artemar frowned. "While the queen watched?"

Aerhan nodded. "Yes, she was behind the screen, the whole time. I heard someone move there and heard voices. Oh Gods, it was like I had no control over my own body, I just needed to fuck! It felt as if I would die if I didn't"

Artemar sighed. "They are skilled in the use of drugs then, it was probably a mix of several substances. Were they hand maidens or noble ladies?"

Aodh made a grimace. "Hard to tell, only a couple wore a slave chain, most were the queens ladies in waiting I guess, at least of high birth if not noble women. But they all were willing, and eager."

Artemar smiled, a devious grin. "They had been given the same drug for sure, the queen have a grip on them now, she know they allowed two slaves to fuck them. If she tell their families they will be disowned, or worse."

Aerhan swallowed hard. " I suspected something like that. Some of them could hardly wait to get a cock in them, and by the Gods, I think a few of them were virgins."

Aodh nodded. "I know at least one of the women I took was untouched, she was screaming like mad but didn't allow me to stop. It was a nightmare!"

Aerhan looked at Artemar and his eyes were even darker than normal. " I didn't want it Artemar, I didn't want it at all. But I had no choice!"

Artemar smiled and caressed his cheek. "You were abused, that is the truth. Don't feel guilty, you just did what you had to do."

Aerhan sort of sobbed. "I am sore, can you believe it? My cock feels as if it has been skinned and my stones ache like crazy, I have no idea of how many times I did come, it hurt horribly at the end and yet I couldn't stop it"

Aodh made a grimace. "Likewise, and in the end some new females did join the party, just three but I think they were someone of importance, their skin was softer and they had more expensive jewelry"

Artemar tensed up. "Were the others there then?"

Aodh shook his head. "No, they left and then these three entered. We had to do them too, we both did."

Artemar was silent for a moment and Maglor saw a glimpse of pure horror in his eyes. "Was there anything special about these three, other than the obvious status?"

The two stared at each other, blinking. "No, or…yes, they had a small tattoo, on the inside of their right thigh."

Artemar sighed, closed his eyes and Maglor just stared at him, confused and worried. "What?"

Artemar seemed to shrink a bit, his shoulders slumped forwards and he swore. "She wanted Aodh now didn't she, so she found a way to get him."

Aodh stared, eyes getting huge. "No? you cannot be serious, it wasn't?"

Artemar shrugged. "It was, she pretended to be one of her own courtiers, it is a common trick among the royals of that realm. Nobody will bother to assassinate a mere hand maiden. It was one of her slaves sitting behind the screen."

Aerhan let out a gasp. "Oh may the Gods protect us, did we…we did fuck the queen?!"

Artemar nodded. "Oh yes, did you please her?"

Aerhan wetted his lips. "Uh, oh I don't remember, it was all a blur. But I know I made all three come."

Aodh nodded too, looking horrified. "Me too, one of the even squirted at me, I was wet up to my chest."

Artemar sent them a somewhat sardonic grin. " Good, at least you did what she brought you there to do. To satisfy her. She will be pleased then, and ask for you again"

Aerhan moaned. "Oh no! If he find out…"

Artemar shivered slightly. "If he find out about this we all will be in mortal danger, he will have the whole bunch of us tortured and killed beyond any doubt"

Maglor felt ice cold, felt how horror crept up along his spine and he felt a desperate need to flee, to be gone, to save himself. But he couldn't, there was no escape. He whimpered and Artemar suddenly looked old, worn and tired.

Aerhan was shivering like a leaf. "But the queen is pregnant? None of the women showed signs of being with child?"

Artemar laughed, a dry laughter without humor. "Do you really think that a daughter of the great emperor finds a simple Sha'al worthy of her womb? Do you think she wants to ruin her girlish figure with a swollen belly and aching breasts filled with milk? Oh no, she isn't more pregnant than I am!"

Maglor had to blink. "But…?"

Artemar sneered. "I still have contacts within the women's part of the harem. There is this one slave girl there who is so alike the queen nobody will be able to see the difference when she's carrying the wife's veil. She is pregnant yes, inseminated with the Sha'al's seed and when the child is born the queen will claim it is hers. It is common for women of her culture to isolate themselves completely from the world the last four months of the pregnancy, to prevent evil spirits from seeing them and possessing the unborn child. The Sha'al will only see her a few times with a pillow under her dress and then he will be presented with a child, born by a mere slave but absolutely his blood"

Maglor took a deep breath. "And in the meantime she can do whatever she fucking like and even sleep with other men?"

Artemar nodded. "Pretty much yes, the Sha'al only sees her during parties and banquets, it is not exactly a marriage based upon love. They probably loathe each other but an heir is needed and she knows that very well. It is her one task, and one she gladly orders her slaves to do for her."

Aodh frowned. "The other two women?"

Artemar sighed again, leaned against Maglor and the elf did notice that his skin was very warm, did he run a fever? "Her body guards, women of a special clan, born and bred as assassins. They have probably been her confidants and friends for years, the only ones she can confide in. Such are even trained to withstand torture, nothing will make them reveal any secrets"

Maglor swallowed. "So the queen has her fun with other males than her husband, I wonder if this is the first time she does this?"

Artemar had a cold expression on his face. "It is not, one of the servants I use to gather information had once seen her being taken by one of her own guards. The servant had been in one of the small closets looking for clean linen and saw through a crack in the wall."

Aodh frowned. "Her guards? Those huge dark skinned ones? They are eunuchs!"

Artemar sniggered. "Seemingly yes, they claim to have had their balls taken out and when examined they do have an empty sack and a scar. But males can train themselves to pull their stones up into their abdomen. Some warriors do that to prevent themselves from being harmed by a kick to the groin. Those guards are still men, and they are still as virile as anyone. I bet the queen enjoys them rather often"

Maglor scoffed. "A fake castration, now I have heard that too!"

Artemar nodded. "Yes, a cut to make a scar and that is it. Very useful when their owner wants to be rammed hard and often and hates her husband."

Maglor sighed, "Oh Eru, what a mess. Is there a chance the Sha'al will find out?"

Artemar shrugged. "I have no idea, the slaves and servants of the queen are extremely loyal to her, they have to be to still have a head on their shoulders. They won't tell, but if one of the Sha'al's servants were to witness something like this? Oh the situation would turn very violent very fast."

Maglor shivered. "Then let us hope that he never does learn of his wife's escapades."

The albino sent them a skew grin. "This place is about power dear, if one sees an opportunity to gain more influence one seizes it. This is like dancing on a razor's edge, and the only certain thing in life is death"

Aodh swallowed, he was very pale. "Gods, I did spill in many of those women, what…what if…"

Artemar waved a hand. "Don't worry, they use herbs. I strongly doubt that any of them will become with child after this. They would protect themselves from such mishaps."

Maglor had to concentrate on breathing, if the Sha'al was told of this…He couldn't bear the thought. Something had to be done, but by Eru, what?

For the next day they were walking as if on broken glass, expecting the guards to rush in and grasp them, drag them away to a gruesome death. Artemar was hardly moving away from his rooms, he wasn't even training and Maglor got very worried. Then they suddenly got a new thing which gave them even greater reasons for worry. The Tha'vaal passed away. Harbal told them, he came running into the harem early in the morning, obviously upset and Maglor almost passed out there and then, sure the Sha'al had found out about the orgy the queen had arranged. Harbal sat down, gasping for air and Artemar came walking from his room, he did look very frail and Maglor was certain, something was very wrong with him,

"The Sha'al's mother is dead"

Maglor felt a surge of relief, it was shameful and just terrible to be glad someone had died but at least it didn't mean that they were in danger at the moment. Artemar swallowed some wine and his eyes were hazy and distant. "How?"

Harbal swallowed. "We are not sure, I have spoken to the royal physician and he doesn't think it is foul play. He believes that she has suffered a stroke during the night and just passed away"

Maglor took a deep breath. "Oh Eru, what blessing. At least she wasn't killed by someone"

Harbal nodded. "Yes, she was no longer a young woman and she was obese. She is at peace now, safe among her ancestors"

Maglor felt a sting of genuine sorrow, he had respected the woman and liked her. Now they were without her protection and help, it was not a good situation. "What will happen to her body?"

Harbal shrugged. "I don't see the Sha'al bothering with arranging a grand funeral for a mere woman, even his own mother. I doubt there will be even a day of mourning. I think they will just carry her into the desert and bury her there, in an unmarked grave like some slave."

Maglor swallowed, he felt tears sting his eyes. "That is so undignified, and just…there is no respect in it. It is his mother damn it"

Artemar made a grimace. "These men spend their entire lives trying to forget that they were born between the legs of a woman. She is worthless to him, just a reminder of his own human nature. I bet he is glad he is rid of her."

Maglor almost keened. "But she did support him?! She did stay by his side, did her best to please him? Doesn't that count for anything at all?"

Artemar smiled, a sad smile. "No, because that is what a good woman is supposed to do, it is taken for granted. Now he can forget about the fact that he is born out of flesh and blood"

Maglor cursed. "The ointments, what about them?"

Harbal looked down. "It is just a jar left, and it isn't that strong. Her plan failed Maglor, I am sorry. Death claimed her before it could claim her son"

Maglor took a deep breath. "Then what, what are we to do? The Sha'al has to die!"

Harbal bit his lower lip. "Yes, but at the moment there is nothing we can do, I am sorry. I don't know the recipe for the ointments, it was a secret of hers and one she most certainly have taken with her to the other side. "

Artemar sighed. "The Sha'al's daughters? What about them?"

Harbal smiled. "The Tha'vaal sent them off to some famous noble woman to be taught about the etiquette of the emperor's court. I think the Sha'al planned on getting them married to one of the emperor's sons. The emperor would of course not agree on such a union as the princesses would be of a way too lowly birth to be wed to an offspring of his but he would probably pretend to be willing for a while"

Maglor sighed. "Then they are safe, at least for a while"

Harbal nodded. "Yes, and I bet they will disappear from that noble woman's hands pretty fast, out there you can get away from this realm unseen."

Maglor sighed. "I wish that was true also for us"

Artemar hugged him. "But it isn't, we are trapped like birds in a cage and we can only pray the cage won't crush us"

Maglor continued to use the poisoned ointments until they ran out and then he just used normal ones and the rumors said that the Sha'al felt a lot better after his mother died. Some suggested that she had been a witch and that she had tried to subdue her son through spells to claim power for herself and Maglor felt a terrible rage within hearing that this good woman's name was being slandered thus but he couldn't say anything to defend her honor. There were banquettes and feasts like before and they had to work hard and yet the followers were allowed to borrow them and now the Sha'al allowed his followers to join him while watching the orgies. He even allowed some of them to participate and Maglor felt how despair tore at his heart watching his friends being forced to lay with these men. Some acted worse than orcs and he was glad the Sha'al didn't allow anyone to fuck him. He watched how two sweaty grinning men took Noolar at the same time and heard his helpless cries of agony. The anger which already burned in him turned white hot and he had no idea of how to vent it. Negus were forced to dance too, he pretended to be stupid and brutish like a beast and the men loved to throw burning candles at him or even sharp daggers.

Negus was very agile and fast and he did avoid being badly burned but Harbal had to fix cuts and burns rather often. They treated him the way people of the street would treat one of the poor chained bears some showed off and Maglor's heart was weeping. Artemar didn't dance as often as before, and when he did he did take a smaller role. His dances were as spectacular as before but he was exhausted afterwards and Maglor did notice that he was coughing a lot. It was a nasty cough, hard and raw and deep and one evening after a performance he did see that his lover did toss some pieces of fabric into the trash. He had used them as handkerchief's and Maglor saw a hint of red color and his heart leapt in his chest. He pulled one of the pieces out of the deep barrel and he gasped when he saw that it was soaked with blood. He felt heavy, then cold, and then heavy again and he felt a shiver running down his spine. Artemar was a mortal, he could get ill and Maglor went to Artemar's room, this time he would demand an answer. Artemar laid on the bed and Harbal gave him a cup with something in it, Artemar drank it with a grimace and Harbal saw Maglor and jerked. "Oh, Gods, you elves are so silent, I didn't hear you"

Maglor sat down next to Artemar and Harbal sent him a very sad glance. He bowed his head and left the room and Artemar sighed and looked down. Maglor reached out, almost reluctantly, stroked the soft white hair. Artemar looked terribly vulnerable, naked in a manner which was so much more profound than physical nakedness. "Artemar, please, are you ill? You are coughing blood!"

Artemar closed his eyes, took a shivering breath. He swallowed and held Maglor's hand, he could feel that the pale fingers clinging to his own were trembling. "Maglor, I am so sorry, I should have told you but…I couldn't"

Maglor swallowed hard. "Tell me what? That you are ill?"

Artemar smiled, a very sad smile. " I am not ill Maglor, I am dead"

The elf just stared at him, eyes wide and he felt an odd sensation of not really being there, as if nothing was real anymore. "What?"

Artemar sighed. "There is only one end to this my dear, it is a slow lingering death but it is unavoidable. Like I said, death is the only thing certain in this life."

Maglor had to take some deep breaths, he was staring to shake. "No, you are ill, but there has to be a cure!"

Artemar reached out, stroked his chin. "Oh my beautiful minstrel, there is no cure, no salvation. Harbal has kept me alive this far, held it in check but it is getting stronger now, the medicine won't work that much longer. I have some weeks left, not more"

Maglor stared, mouth open, heart beating like a drum. "No, it cannot be true, say it is a lie"

Artemar sighed. "I wish it was, but there are no lies left now my dear. Harbal can keep me looking seemingly healthy until the very end, but it is inevitable."

Maglor keened, there wasn't air there, he was choking, it couldn't be so. "What…what is it? What disease is so horrible?"

Artemar held him close, Maglor could smell it now, an odd alien scent which was just wrong. Artemar's perfume had masked it before, he realized that now. "It is in the lungs, it is eating them away. Many catch it and nobody survives. But if you are strong you can live for a while, for some years at least."

Maglor felt tears swell up in his eyes. "How, how did you get it?"

Artemar sighed. "From one of the Sha'al's followers. The man coughed straight at my face, I didn't think of it then but after a few months I realized what I had been given. A death sentence, a very slow one too."

He held the elf close. "That is why you are so important my friend, that is why I had to teach you everything I know. I cannot let that knowledge follow me into the afterlife. "

Maglor sobbed, tears swelling in his eyes. "The others, do they know?"

Artemar nodded. "Yes, the only one who doesn't know is Belerur, and of course you and Negus. But now you know, I am sorry to have held this from you, but I felt that if I could pretend to be well it would make this …less real"

Maglor gasped for air. "Artemar, I love you"

Artemar smiled, a smile with such melancholic tenderness and sadness it made the elf gasp. His eyes were soft and he reached out and cupped Maglor's face between his hands. " I know, and cursed be the Gods for blessing us with such feelings for it is a love born to die."

Maglor gasped, tears streaming down his face. " Please, there has to be something we can do"

Artemar shook his head. "No, there is nothing anyone can do. I have accepted it, I knew it the day I entered this place that I would die here and so it shall be. I only wish to die as I have lived, in beauty."

Maglor let out a wail, his heart beating so hard, so fast. He hadn't felt such a horrible feeling for years, not since that awful day outside of Sirion when he watched the bonfires consume the bodies of his two youngest brothers. Not even the day when Maedhros in madness and grief chose to end his life in that fiery gorge had felt so awful. He shook his head slowly, in agony. Artemar sighed, stroked his hair gently. "Maglor, do not mourn me. I am not dead yet you know, please, let my last weeks here be good ones, let us celebrate life instead of embracing death"

Maglor gasped. "I don't know if I can. You are…"

Artemar sighed and kissed his brow. " I know, I feel the same way, damn it elf, the moment I saw you being dragged in here I knew I loved you. But here love is like poison in honey, it can become a lethal thing unless it is kept as a secret."

Maglor swallowed, his nose felt clogged and he was shaking. "What are we to do without you?"

Artemar smiled and kissed him again." Go on, life doesn't end with this, you have learned all I know, you will be the new leader here now. I trust you to protect them all."

Maglor hid his face against Artemar's neck. "Oh Eru, I don't know how I can do that!"

Artemar almost purred. "You have it in you, I couldn't ask for anyone better to take my place here."

Maglor sobbed again, this couldn't be real and yet it was. "You should have been our leader for many years still"

Artemar scoffed. "Maglor, I am too goddamn old, believe me! Soon the Sha'al would have sold me and then I would have ended up as someone's toy until I perished from abuse. This is better, this is at least something I can control to a certain degree."

Maglor had to lift his head, stared at Artemar. "You are not old, you look like a young man still"

Artemar giggled. It was absurd to hear that sound from him considering the grave situation, but perhaps the drugs did change his perception of what was normal or not. "Maglor, I am well over thirty, they lied when they sold me back then. And I lied to the slavers too, here a man is old if he lives to see his fortieth birthday"

Maglor had to cringe, forty years, what was that to him but a mere blink of an eye? "Oh Artemar, I…I wish I could accept this but I can't."

Artemar smiled and stroked his hair, caressed him. "Listen, all I ask of you is to be with you now, until the end. To be in your arms every night, to forget in the fire of your spirit. You make me feel as if there is hope in this world, don't let me down by giving up. I will be safe my love, where nobody can harm me anymore. "

Maglor heaved for air, held Artemar as if he was afraid the albino would vanish into thin air there and then. " Oh by the valar, I…"

Artemar laid his arms around the trembling elf. "Don't speak love, I know death is so hard to accept for you and your kin, after all, it was never meant for you. But for us mortal beings it is the one thing we do know will get us in the end, no matter what. Just promise me to be there when the Sha'al meets his end"

Maglor nodded, unable to say a single word out of fear of bursting into tears once more, of wailing like a child. Artemar sighed. "Good, and when he goes make sure you send a curse after him for me as well."

Maglor had to swallow and swallow and Artemar kept stroking his hair. "My poor beautiful one, I need you to be strong now, for me. You have to keep your head straight now these weeks, to prevent Belerur from finding out. If the Sha'al learns of my illness I will be sold, before the news can spread, while he still is capable of earning good money on me"

Maglor gasped for air. "I will do whatever I can, I swear!"

Artemar smiled gently. "Great my love, that is all I can ask for, and that you love me like you have since you arrived, without worrying for tomorrow"

Maglor kissed the albino, desperately. He could taste some bitter medicine on his lips but didn't care, he suddenly needed to hold him, to have him, to absorb every aspect of him so that he may never be gone, never completely. Artemar sort of groaned into the kiss and before Maglor knew it he was on his back, Artemar on top removing his clothing. "There is one good side effect of the drugs I am using, it makes you so much more sensitive"

Maglor could only moan as Artemar slid down his body, starting to tease him with the usual expert technique but this time there was a hint of desperation to it, like he was afraid this would be the last time and wanted to make it a memory to last. Maglor had never seen Artemar thus, so uninhibited, so free. This was no longer about teaching but about enjoying and he surrendered completely, praying that the passion would remove every dark thought and every fear from his heart.

A couple of hours later they laid there in a heap, sweaty and sticky and gasping for air. They had sought each other again and again, as if they couldn't get enough, as if the body of their lover was water and they had been thirsting for days. Artemar nuzzled Maglor's neck and closed his eyes, drifting off into a deep sleep while still laying more or less on top of him. Maglor just laid there, listening to the albino's heartbeat, his unsteady breathing, the rasping sounds he wondered how he had missed previously. He waited until Artemar was sleeping soundly, then he silently wept until fatigue overcame him and he too fell asleep, wishing that this day never had come, that he could wake up and find that it all had been a cruel dream. But he knew it wasn't, he knew it was all too real.

The realm of the Sha'al did reach way out into the deserts, and there were paths through the dry ocean which travelers often used. Caravans transporting goods used them, slave traders too, and ordinary humble travelers and even pilgrims seeking the grand temples. This night a small camp fire could be seen close to a cliff a few hundred yards from the most used north eastern route. Some figures were moving and voices could be heard. Two men laid on the ground, neither was moving and the reason was very obvious. One had an arrow protruding from his back and the other a huge gash in his head. Three hooded figures gathered by the small fire, checking their weapons. "Brima, you didn't have to smash that man's skull. We could have just tied him up and left him here!"

The dwarrowdam in question frowned, she was short but stocky and her hair had an auburn tint. "He could have warned someone we were coming, easier this way Jarna"

Brima smashed the war hammer she was wielding into a rock, just to put some power to her statement and the third one shook her head. She was a bit taller and blonde and she had striking blue eyes and wore a very elegant armor with some nice Mithril details. " Well, we did get what we wanted now didn't we? Your fiancée is most definitely in the capital, and it should be easy enough tracking him, dwarves are not usual in these lands"

Jarna just growled, she carried a small crossbow and some long knives and she had a dwarven axe strapped to her back. As a warrior she knew better than to go anywhere without weapons and she knew that they had to stay together. A single dwarrowdam would be easy prey, even if she knew how to fight. All three were still young and even to a human being they would be regarded as very attractive since they hadn't yet developed the bulk more mature females got. Neither were their beards all that thick yet and they were bustier and more hourglass shaped than most other females, both humans and elven. Jarna knew that she and her two bridesmaids were in danger of sharing the fate of her fiancée but her honor did dictate that she did whatever she could to help him. Her clan didn't approve of this rescue mission since he was of a clan with lower status than her own but she didn't care. She loved him and to a dwarf such matters are taken very seriously. You didn't abandon your one, no matter what happened. Since females were so few among the dwarves and so very valuable Jarna had simply lied to her family and told she was going to visit some kin further west in the mountains but instead she had turned south and east, towards the area where Negus had been when he disappeared.

Careful intelligence had revealed that slavers had been seen in the area at the time he went missing and it was easy to put two and two together to find the answer. He had been taken and Jarna was furious. Nobody touched her husband to be, absolutely nobody! She would walk through hellfire to rescue him, yes, bring the very bane of Durin and she would face up to it. Her two friends were warriors too, skilled and trained and Sapphire was the oldest of them. She had travelled outside of the Orocarni a few times and knew the ways of humans well. Jarna walked over to the camel the two men had been using, the animal was tied down and stared at them with a mix of sheer hatred and mistrust. Camels were like that, they didn't do diddely-squat unless you forced them to. "Do we ride this lumpy beast or do we release it?"

Brima cocked her head. "We ride it, I am tired of walking and it is faster than us. We can get there faster on its back"

Jarna removed the ropes and got up. The saddle was narrow and hard and the two others sort of clung onto it and the ragged hide of the animal. Jarna had never ridden a camel before but she had seen how the humans did it. She kicked the flanks and yelled " Chee Chee, up you moldy piece of spoiled pork, get up!"

She used the whip the man Brima had killed had worn in his belt and the camel sort of groaned and let out a long array of awful belching sounds before it slowly and with rolling eyes managed to get up. It looked as if it was plotting on throwing them off but Jarna grasped the reins and gave it a few good kicks and it let out another angry sound and started trotting. They left the two bodies there, both had been highwaymen trying to rob the three dwarves and Jarna had at least gotten some information out of them before Brima lost her patience and practiced her war hammer skills using the man's head.

It was shaking like mad, the camel was swaying like a ship caught in a squall but it went forwards and faster than they could run so it was a good thing they had come across these two idiots. They had probably never imagined that females could be dangerous but anybody who knew dwarves would know that a dwarrowdam will be like a mother bear when she is defending her beloved ones, and between her and that person is the one place in the world were you definitely don't wanna be. Jarna had sworn to find Negus, dead or alive, and if he was dead she would avenge him, and that vengeance would be one to be remembered through history. She kept her eyes on the horizon and smiled to herself. "I am coming for you my love, just you wait and see, I am coming for you!"