Page 176 of I Ran Away to Evil 2
Brownie
The Hollow was a huge circle with the giant green oak hanging over much of it. The road led straight down a slope and far off to the dungeon tree, but otherwise, the center of the city was covered in rolling fields and garden beds. The majority of the buildings stretched around the outskirts in a crescent shape against the tree.
The road ahead branched off into hundreds of paths that wound through the green, like the roots of a tree.
There was a delegation waiting on the other side of the gate.
“Greetings, Commander General Rufus.” The leader had long brown hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, and his eyes were green. He held himself with noble bearing, nodding politely at Rufus.
Rufus nodded back. “Sir Vainbark.”
“You arrived early,” the prim and proper elf stated. “Sorry about this.”
“About what—?”
An arrow whizzed through the sky, and Knolith reached out to catch it just before it hit Donna. The horse reared up and kicked the air twice in surprise.
Rufus promptly took a step to shield Brownie with his body and his skill. “[Protector].”
“This belongsss to a Blackfog ssspy,” Knolith said, inspecting the arrow.
“So it would seem.” Rufus sighed.
“They came in this morning, and they’re proving to be anuisance. Every time we’re about to catch them, they portal elsewhere.” Sir Vainbark frowned. The elf made a symbol with his hands, and a volley of arrows shot from the top of the wall above us, landing somewhere in the gardens below. The elven group formeda shield in front of their wagon, facing toward the assailants. Swords were drawn and bows ready.
“Why didn’t you report this to the castle?” Rufus spoke through ground teeth. “What about the festival?”
Sir Vainbark looked at the beastman with disdain. “Any guest of importance who was invited early is safely in the estate. You need not worry aboutouraffairs; if we don’t find them today, Duke Briarthorn will ask Lithnilheim to deal with it.”
There was a scream in the distance.
The elf knight sighed. “Come back tomorrow when we’ve cleared them all out.”
“Honestly,” Rufus replied, “I’d rather face off against assassins now than travel back through the storm.”
Brownie agreed; she summoned Danielle into her hands under her cloak. The magical rain wasn’t the best on her strings, but they played in some semblance of key. She promptly activated her buff skills, affecting Rufus, Knolith, and the city elves in front of her.
Except, she noticed, that Knolith wasgone. Brownie had no idea when, but as she opened her mouth to say as much, Rufus spoke first.
“I’m assuming that Duke Lector made it here with his entourage?” Rufus asked, blocking an arrow that splintered against his shield.
“Yes …” Sir Vainbark turned from giving more hand signal orders to staring at the beastman. “He’s at the banquet now … Why?”
“I’m here to arrest him for illegal international assassination, use of molten ash vane, and cavorting with Blackfog spies,” Rufus replied, waving a hand toward the general direction of the assassins. The lightness in his tone as he blocked a third missile—this time an axe—made the elf leader frown.
“He’s currently having dinner with Duke Briarthorn and Lady Amy,” Sir Vainbark said, alarmed. “I must get back. Lady Hazelglade, notify the green guard to protect the duke.”
“What about the assassins?” An elf woman separated herself from the group, her eyes suddenly glowing green.
“What about the assassinsss?” Knolith repeated, landing in front of everyone on the path. He held two black-clad figures by the scruff of their tunics. He tossed the pair to the ground in front of Sir Vainbark. “Those were the only ones shooting at us.”
The elven knight nodded, raising a hand and issuing another silent order.
“Everyone, follow me.”
The elves used some form of quick step that let them all disperse at not-Donna-speed down the main road.
“Are we helping them?” Brownie asked, picking up Donna’s reins as if she were driving.
