Page 33 of In Darkness Forged

Back at the fire, he observed—and most definitely didnothover—as she cleaned the sole cooking pot, filled it with water from the stream, and set it to heating. She seemed to know her way around the camp, at least. And she did not find it necessary to fill the silence with endless chatter.

Eventually, Cuan rose from the ground, stretched, yawned again, and loped off into the forest.

“Looking for meat to feed his cubs?” the human inquired dryly.

Tal shrugged, unrepentant. “If we are lucky, he will help feed us. In Sion Dairach, dreadwolves have served as companions and mounts for centuries, but they are very much their own creatures.”

“What is Sion Dairach?”

Tal stiffened. How could he have forgotten that the elves had little to no contact with humans? Not since the wraith incursion over a hundred years ago. That war had not really affected his life in the far southeastern corner of the elves’ lands, but only because his grandmother had lived remotely, in a small community far from the majority of her kin.

“It is nothing worth spending your curiosity on,” he replied tersely.

Once the water was hot, the human carefully bathed her wound, clearing it of blood and debris before turning to Tal.

“May I borrow a dagger?” When he hesitated, she added, “I promise not to plunge it into your dark heart and make you into an unwilling sacrifice. I just need a bandage.”

Tal handed it over, along with the small jar of salve his grandmother had given him before one of his last hunting trips.

“What’s this?” The human removed the lid and sniffed the pungent green paste. He half expected her to turn up her nose, but she only looked thoughtful. “Yarrow, comfrey, and… marigold?”

“I’m no herbalist, human. Use it if you wish to prevent infection.”

She shot him a half-hearted glare, but she did spread a small amount of the salve on her wound before wrapping it well in strips cut from an underlayer of her skirt.

“Thank you,” she said, for probably the third time in an hour, before settling to the ground beside the fire and glancing at him across the dancing flames. “I don’t mean to be a burden, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you what happens now. Night is falling, and I know you’ll be moving on soon. Have you decided whether to allow me to accompany you?”

“Do you have even the slightest idea what Vanadar asked for?” Tal asked abruptly, feeling a stir of anger that did not seem to be directed at her for a change. “Do you understand where I am going and what I intend to do?”

“Only what was said in my hearing.” The human shrugged. “But the size of the task does not affect my determination to see it through.”

“At the base of the nearby mountains lies a system of caves that has never been fully mapped. It is known only as the Darkspring. There are many entrances, and the tunnels within have claimed more than a few night elves who entered seeking shelter, only to lose their way and die in the darkness.”

The human did not flinch.

“Within the depths of that darkness lies a horror you cannot possibly imagine. A colony of wild aranthas lurks in the shadows, feeding on bats, snakes, and any other unwary thing that comes creeping too near their lair. They can grow nearly as large as Cuan, they see perfectly in the dark, and their bite carries a poison that can lull a fully grown night elf into a dark sleep. And this colony of hundreds lives for only one purpose—to protect their queen and provide for her children.”

Her blue eyes were wide and unblinking now, fixed on his with fierce intensity.

“And of all these, the queen is the largest and deadliest. She is likely old and slow, but her fangs bear a venom with strange and mysterious properties. To those who are filled with life, it brings death, and to those near death, it can bring life. But to take that venom, one must fight through the entire colony and make his way to the heart of her kingdom. He must elude countless traps and evade unknown numbers of scouts to even gain sight of the queen. And then, with whatever luck he has left, he must kill the queen’s final guards before taking the fight to her—without being poisoned himself.”

The human blinked and swallowed.

“Only if he can kill the queen, take her venom, and then fight his way out through hundreds of enraged aranthas can he possibly hope to return with the prize he seeks.”

Tal settled back on his heels, rather impressed by his own description. All true, more or less, but stated in the most intimidating way possible. The human would now find some deeply pressing reason to be elsewhere and leave him to complete this errand alone.

“Well, that settles it.” The human rose to her feet, no doubt preparing to march off into the woods on the quickest possible road back to civilization and survival. But instead of the woods, she marched over tohimand glared, complete with an impressive scowl.

“You cannot possibly manage this task alone,” she said firmly. “You need me. Maybe you don’t know it yet, but you do. If I die, you can feel free to say you told me so, but I am coming with you. I will walk, run, crawl, or grow wings and learn how to fly, but I am coming. And you might be bigger than I am, but I’ve been arguing with people bigger than me for years, and they could tell you I don’t have the slightest idea how to quit.”

Tal knew he probably looked gobsmacked, but what other options did he have? She was so tiny and fierce and… so pathetically out of her depth. So foolishly determined. A huff of frustrated laughter threatened to break free, but he held it back. What in all the sunlit world was he to do now?

He didn’t need her. He didn’t need anyone, and he’d be hanged before he adopted yet another soft, fragile creature who needed his protection. But it would take precious time to return her to the settlement and ensure she couldn’t follow him. Besides, Vanadar had already sent her out here to die once. He might just set her loose again, and the thought of it curled Tal’s lip with anger.

The human’s mulish look only deepened. “You know, I might end up being useful.”

“How can you say that when you can’t even stand upright for longer than a minute?” he scoffed.

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