Elironda

[Akirapryde]

The Long Open Road
 
Eli sat up in a tree watching the road for possible threats. She pulled her wings in to ensure that her pale flesh wouldn’t betray her position. Her wide, almond-shaped eyes, gazed through the night. Her large vibrantly colored pupils soaked in even the slightest of light. Her ears moved slightly to ensure that no sound missed her attention. The cold wind cut through the tress making a rustling sound.
 
She reached in to her pocket as the thought of leaving this band of idiots behind ran through her mind. Eli pulled her compass out. She saw that the needle spun in circles telling her that this was where she was meant to be. She thrust the compass in to her pocket with anger. She brought her left hand before her face. She knew the cost of disobeying Loki, “Getting your thrills Loki,” she said in Auran with disdain in her voice. “These fools couldn’t possibly complete this quest,” she angrily said then added, “They were defeated by simple lava!”
 
Eli’s full attention wasn’t focused on the road. She was also paying close attention to the party as they cleared the road and prepared to get underway. “We shouldn’t be doing this,” she said watching them getting the wagon ready. “We should be avoiding the King and his minions at all costs. It won’t matter that we completed that weak excuse for a challenge when the truth gets out that we murdered their guards and interfered with another group.”
 
She glanced to the side, “And you shut up! I will get you out of my head as soon as I can.” She paused as if someone was speaking to her. “As if I really wanted you in my head,” she smiled as she added, “At least you can’t take control of my body anymore. There will be no more betraying the party.” Her smile grew larger, “at least not without my consent, first.”
 
She lifted a chunk of black ore. It was the strangest thing she had seen so far. She had watched Kaleb reach for one and recoiled in pain, yet, she wasn’t hurt by holding it. It got her mind thinking, ‘Maybe it is a weapon against those who hold the light within them,’ she thought as she continued to keep a look out. “I have heard the soldiers speaking of this ore. Easy to mine, easy to forge and as strong as steel,” she whispered to herself in Auran.
 
Her attention shifted to Gar and Dimple. Her heart genuinely felt for Dimple. The soft-hearted dimwit had proven himself in battle multiple times yet sadly had the social skills of a rock. Gar was almost the same measure. She knew somewhere in that large husk of a being there was a soft, kind heart. “And” she whispered, “the complete lack of any measure of social skills.” The past few days were completely confusing to Eli. It seemed that something happened to Gar. She appeared overly aggressive.
 
“Is all started with Kaleb,” Eli continued to whisper to herself. “Sweet Kaleb,” then her lips curled in to a smile. She wasn’t paying attention before, but she thought she heard Kaleb suggesting that there was more than enough of him to go around. She cupped her hand over her mouth to conceal her laughter. After a moment of laughing she finally got herself under control. “She is in love with Kaleb!”
 
“How could she possibly hope to win his heart” she whispered. She then added, “Poor brute, she couldn’t possibly know she doesn’t stand a chance.”
 
She shifted her eyes back up and down the road before refocusing them on Gar. “It explains why she forgot about Dimble’s hatred of slavers,” she shook her head feeling pity for the large woman. “How could she have forgotten that Arwen’s family are currently slaves,” Eli added.
 
“This is a fool’s mission, it has no hope of working. Hobgobins cannot be trusted. Elves are their hated enemy and Gar thinks that they will let us walk out of there,” Eli explained as she worked through the details of Gar’s plan. “What could they possible have that we can’t discover by being sneaky.”
 
She thought for a moment then realized that the answer was right in front of her the whole time. “Gar is trying to showboat for Kaleb,” Eli finally concluded. It was the only thing that made sense to Eli. Well, it also could be completely wrong.
 
She glanced at her rock, “But first, I want to get a dagger made.” She moved the rock around wondering what made it so special. “Why do you only hurt them,” she asked looking down at the party. She then realized it was time for some research. She spread her wings and glided down to where the party was. Her eyes fixed on Arwen, “And a bit of payback for the little stoat,” she added in Auran as her feet touched the ground.