Chapter Fifteen

While the others slept, Dyl risked a journey into the city streets and visited again the hidden room in The Painted Window where they found a few items that clearly had been missed in their haste days before. Of note, clothing still hung in the wardrobe and Dyl smirked as they drew out garments that would serve as a decent disguise for them. A few hours later, as the full moon shone down on the streets, they sat at a table by a banked fire and considered the cards in their hand and then the two figures across from them. One was wiry and wore a deep-hooded cloak, with hands wrapped in strips of a dark cloth, he kept the hood up and spoke little but they judged he was human by what they could see of him; and the other was a dwarf wearing an outfit of dark reds and browns, a brass chestplate visible under the furry cloak that hung from her shoulders. The dwarf looked at Dyl with a cunning light in her eyes before pushing a few coins onto the table wordlessly and the man sighed and set his cards face down on the table.

"I'm out, you've taken enough of my coin Druella," the dwarf snickered in answer to his words, turning to give him a cherubic smile.

"What's the matter Ziggy?"

Her companion huffed and gestured towards Dyl, "Don't think I can't see through that smile of yours; I'm not losing my pants tonight, you devil."

She laughed - as did several other patrons who were close enough to hear this exchange - and the man called Ziggy crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair to watch the game continue without him.

Dyl considered the dwarf, rolling their shoulders and reached for their cup as they pondered the bet - this had been going for a while, and their purse was decidedly more on the table than not at the moment, which was only slightly irritating - most of it was in the pot at present. Setting the cup down again, they dipped their head in silent assent to the wager and set the coins before the pot. They watched as the dwarf beamed, standing up to hold her cards before their face and then turned to show her companion who groaned and slumped back.

"You saucy little-" he began to accuse her then forgot his insult as he saw Dyl's smile and quickly leaned forward to see their hand.

Silently, they turned their cards over one at a time and watched the disbelief on the face of their opponent. She stared then turned towards the dealer with accusation but her companion was already flipping through the deck with a dumbfounded expression.

"How in the damned blazes do you have three aces?!" Druella roared and banged her fist on the table but Dyl sat back calmly in their chair and watched her.

"Well, I guess that chance prefers me tonight, Chuckles," they finally answered and smirked as her eyes widened slightly at the nickname - one that was usually reserved for a far different place.

She sat back into her chair and started to laugh, "Ah, spirits take you and your damned forest. I didn't recognize you in that dress, kid… you look good!"

They shrugged and reached forward to pull the winnings towards them, "Losing your edge?"

Druella eyed them for a moment then turned to her companion, "Ziggy, let me and my 'old friend' chat for a minute?"

Ziggy glanced between the pair, then nodded and rose - he was shorter than Dyl expected and had a bad limp. They watched him walk towards the bar and turned back to Druella as she leaned over with a smile that did not reach her eyes.

"Three questions," she started ticking off fingers. "Where've you been? Where's the kid? And what take has you showing your marks?"

"Hunting, taken sanctuary, and a problem for us all," Dyl answered quickly in a low voice as their smirk faded entirely; they watched Druella's face grow serious at their words. "I have to get word to the Lodge."

"The Lodge? Look, I know you have your reasons for disappearing like that but he's still angry as hell at you - you realize you're lucky there's not a bounty to haul you back there? If you send a message, he'll just stab the messenger out of spite."

"Then I guess I'll have to deliver it myself." They sighed.

She sat back, looking worried, "Are you sure that's necessary?"

"Yes." Dyl stared at them.

"Well, shit… alright, Grey," Druella rubbed a hand over her face. "Alright, I'll go. What's this all important message of yours?"

"The Pack is back, organized, and it has help - one of us, a man, a traitor." Dyl saw the look of disbelief and leaned over the table towards her. "He hunted down a girl - bitten - took her back to the forest, turned her over under the moon. I saw it with my own eyes."

The dwarf stared, her ruddy face going pale as she absorbed the meaning of the words, "A traitor? Are you sure?"

"He bested me, tried to convince me to join him," Dyl's face twisted into a disgusted scowl and Druella's frown deepened as she realized what they were saying.

"You refused?" They nodded and she looked pleased.

"Tried to stop him, but the Pack…" Dyl hesitated, uncertain how to explain without giving away their intent. "They were distracted by the girl."

She leaned over the table and tapped her fingers on the wood, hissing in answer. "Okay, I'll get the message to the Lodge Master. Are you staying in this city?"

They had finished moving the coins to the purse on their belt and stood up, shaking their head. "No, he knows this place but Dru, be careful. There's false bounties coming up; something's not right about all this. Keep your friend safe."

As they stepped away, Druella caught their wrist and looked up at them with a serious expression, "You haven't heard? Bounty master was found the morning before last, dead in his bed and bled dry; there were attacks in the city during that night as well. Word is the magistrate's furious and the guard is preparing to push into the woods for a hunt, too." She noticed how their face tightened at this news and her hand tightened on their arm. "Don't be stupid, lay low and I'll head out in the morning for the Lodge. You just take care of that kid of your's."

Dyl yanked their arm free sharply, "Ebon's his own, not mine."

The dwarf sighed as Dyl stalked off and disappeared into the night. They recognized and lost two tails on the road from the tavern and picked up a third just before they crawled into the sewers but delivered the poor soul through a passage directly to the main guard house, and doubled back to get their furs before they headed for the Temple again.

Slipping back into the subterranean room, they found the goblin sitting at the foot of their own bunk. He eyed them as they entered but Dyl didn't say anything before they moved towards the blankets and crawled into them without a word. They heard a soft huff then felt the bed shift as the little man stood up and walked over the covers to crouch by their shoulder.

"You being the leader," he whispered in their ear, "and them counting on you, can't be leading if you're not trusting us."

"I trust Ebon, and we need information." Dyl glanced at him and shrugged slightly, "They're not looking for me, yet."

"Yet," he answered thoughtfully, "I'm wondering why not. You?"

"I don't like it," they grunted and rolled onto their side. "Can't guess for the reason, yet."

"Yet." He agreed again and hopped off the bed to return to his own. Dyl considered his words and the deep suspicions that had filled their mind since the news of Torvig's death; unblinking golden eyes came unbidden to their mind. They shuddered at the memory of his wicked smile and contemplated the traitor's last words to them in the snow as they drifted off to sleep.

~~~

They dreamt of smoke and blood, screams filled the air while ash and snow drifted down from a dark sky; figures moved in the gloom, formless shapes rushing this way and that but it was chaos. Their chest was tight, too tight with the bundle strapped beneath their armor, and their fingers were bloody but still they drew back the bow again, tracking a huge shape along the wall and loosed the arrow. It struck home and there was a howl but the beast did not go down and they reached up for another arrow; but there was nothing - the quiver was empty so they reached towards the body of a man who had been sitting at their fire a scant few hours before, laughing as he shared stew and jokes with their family. He was broken, staring lifelessly at the sky and they did not pause to mourn him but snatched up the handful of arrows scattered around his body and began to send them flying into the shadows, feeling as their fingers began to bleed but did they could not stop until every arrow was gone, sent into the night along with their hopes.

"Your son, my son, your brother, my father," they whispered a promise with each arrow they loosed, assuring the man they did not forget what they were fighting for even as the wind shifted and filled the air with embers and smoke about them.

The platform they were on lurched suddenly, they threw out their arms with a cry of alarm and tried to steady themself but then the boards creaked and groaned, they felt the thrum of the low growl and turned. Before them stood a monstrous sight, a beast shaped like a wolf but larger than a bear as he raised himself on powerful back legs and let out a howl like a dragon's roar. Their bow would not help them now, and they dropped it and stooped to snatch up the sword from their fallen friend; the creature stared at them, snarling and snapping as it slowly lowered itself back to all four feet and crouched. They braced and ducked under the first strike at them, slashing desperately with the blade but were not sure if they managed to hit.

Something dug into their back, ripping up and tearing through leather and flesh equally. They screamed and fell forward, catching the fall with a hand, then twisting away as the ruined armor slid down their shoulders. The monster before them snapped his jaws and then froze, their heart stopped as the wail of an infant cut through the air and for a moment, silence reigned as the two combatants stared into each others' eyes, Dyl's free hand pressing the bundle to their chest again.

"No!" The word was a prayer breathed to the gods, a challenge screamed against the fates, it was the first stab of anguish that would never leave them.

Gold eyes flickered in the firelight, and the beast pounced.

Dyl's hand shot out and silver flashed in the dim light of the fireplace but was caught short of connecting, they froze as they saw the wide blue eyes staring at them and slowly his words brought them to their senses.

"Dyl, it's alright. It was just a dream."

Ebon held their wrist several inches from his throat, and the young man did not look angry at them but instead worried. Horror swirled through their chest and with a soft cry of realization, they dropped the dagger and fell back against the pillow and covered their face with their other hand. He closed their hand between both of his and leaned close to catch their eyes, "Hey, no harm done. I've got a good teacher, after all."

His grin dragged a soft sobbing laugh from them as their vision blurred. He noticed but they turned away from him, unable to hide their shame and unwilling to let him see how deep the hurt they felt truly ran.

Ebon's voice dropped to a soft whisper, full of worry, "What is it?"

But they only shook their head and shut their eyes to conceal the tears that they could not hold back. He withdrew and they heard him sit back on another bunk, there were no other voices but the bunks shifted and they wondered if they had shouted in their sleep as the others slowly settled again into their own beds.