Rumple had continued with his rant about my fighting skills, and I ignored him as I dunked him into the pool of water to wash off the blood.
He came up sputtering. “You could have warned me!”
I frowned. “I didn’t know you could breathe.”
“Well . . .” A long pause followed. “I don’t.”
“Or feel, for that matter,” I continued. “I don’t even want to know how you see or where your eyes are. There’s too much metaphysical stuff to wrap my head around.”
“I have senses and emotions. Getting suddenly dunked felt like someone attacked my bits with icicles.”
“I didn’t want to know that,” I chided. “When we find this vault, remind me to lock you back in it.”
“Har har har!” Rumple fake laughed. “Just you wait to see who’s locking who in what, girly.”
“You don’t have hands,” I pointed out.
“Stop reminding me!”
We continued our trek for hours. My stomach growled, but I ignored it as I pressed on, knowing that I had to reach my destination.
But I couldn’t outrun exhaustion, and I needed to sleep. Curling up next to an outcropping, I rested with my head against my arms and tried to rest while Rumple kept watch.
“Something is following us.” Rumple woke me a candle mark later.
“What?” Startled, I lifted my head and searched the darkness. “Where?”
“I wasn’t sure, but it’s been on our tail for a while, staying just among the shadows.”
“Do you know what it is?” I asked.
“I don’t, but it is stealthy. I almost didn’t catch it.”
“Then how did you notice at all?”
“Uh, that’s the problem.”
I looked to my side to where I had laid the axe. He was missing.
“I didn’t catch it. It caught me,” Rumple said apologetically as I saw the great axe rise into the air above me, the holder cast in shadow. I blinked and wanted to run, but I was cornered, pressed into the stone wall at my back.
The axe turned and swung, coming right for my head.
I turned, closing my eyes, waiting for the death strike, but felt the drift of air as it passed right by me.
Opening my eyes, I saw the golden axe return as the wielder expertly spun it in their hands and took a few more practice swings.
“This is amazing craftsmanship,” the stranger said in awe. “It has to be some of your best work.”
“Put me down, you thief,” Rumple cried indignantly. “I don’t care—what are you doing? Don’t do that. It tickles.”
Honor stood in the cavern next to me, her dark hair braided down her back, a cloak made of wolf’s fur covered her shoulders, and she looked completely at home wielding my battle axe.
She spun Rumple above her head and then bent forward, easily passing it behind her back before bringing it back up. Using both hands, she tossed it over her head, aiming at the root of a tree that had grown through the roof of the cavern.
It stuck with a thud.
“I think I’m in love,” Rumple cooed. “I’ve never been handled with such strength, such dexterity.”
Honor grinned and turned to me, the dimple in her cheek showing her amusement. She tossed out a hand, and I grasped it. She pulled me to my feet before wrapping me in a hug.
“How are you here?” I asked, burying my face in her cloak, breathing in the scent of the woods and outdoors.
“You called me,” she said.
“No, I didn’t.” I pulled back in puzzlement.
“You used the mirror and scried for me.”
“We never even spoke. How could you know?”
Honor grasped my shoulder, and she gave it a squeeze. “I may be the outcast of the family, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t recognize your magical signature. I could feel your desire for help. And since Lorn and I were in the Northern Woods, it was easy for me to take a break and seek you out.”
The Northern Woods. Where the elves lived in secret.
Northern wasn’t even an apt description because that was somewhere between Rya and Kiln, but no one actually knew where it was unless an elf escorted you.
Of all my sisters, I felt it was Honor that I was the closest too. It was because of her I’d discovered my gift for alchemy and blacksmithing. When one of her throwing knives broke, I’d taken it and reforged the metal, but along with it, I’d attempted my first spell. I’d created a knife with a seeking spell, and accidentally created a deadly weapon that always hit the target.
It was Honor’s favorite gift, and even though it was my first attempt at blacksmithing, she loved it. Even now, I could see the hilt of her throwing knife sticking out of the hidden pocket in the black vest she wore over her black shirt and pants.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” I breathed out, giving her another hug. I quickly relayed to her everything that had happened over the last few weeks, and her expression never changed. It was neutral, her feelings hidden behind years of training.
“Sounds like a challenge,” she said, walking forward. She pulled the axe out of the root. “And you really talk?” she asked.
“Talk? Who needs to talk? Just hold me,” Rumple purred, and I knew he was completely smitten in my sister’s hands.
“He never shuts up,” I added.
“Really?” Honor smirked. “That sounds like he can be a pain in the axe.”
I laughed hard, my voice echoing in the cavern.
Even Rumple roared at her joke. “I like her. Can we keep her?”
I just shrugged. Honor strapped Rumple back into the bandolier and handed him back to me so I could slip him over my shoulders. Honor took the lead as we continued our trek. When we came to a juncture with two paths, she looked down into the caves, her eyes closed as she listened, and then she took a sniff of the air.
“I believe it’s the left cave.” She pointed and looked back at me for confirmation. “Am I right?”
“How did you know?” Rumple asked suspiciously.
“Rhea said the mines were working again, and I can smell a faint sulfur and dioxide scent coming from this cave.”
“Marry me!” Rumple yelled out.
“Stop it,” I snapped. “You’re a dwarf, and she was raised by elves. Aren’t you supposed to be enemies?”
“Hey, we can’t all be perfect.”
Honor shook her head. “He is a handful.”
“You haven’t even taken me into battle yet. I’ll show you a handful,” he boasted.
Honor stilled; her eyes going wide, her nostrils flaring, and she reached for the daggers in her left pocket.
With quick successive throws, she let the throwing knives fly over my shoulder. I turned just as one imbedded into the shoulder of a goblin, the other into a skull. They fell over dead.
Honor raced over, quickly searching their bodies, her face grim as she held up an arm to see a branded red mark.
“Scouts. We are definitely close. If they don’t come back, that means hundreds will be on our tail.”
My mouth went dry. How could Honor and I fight off hundreds of goblins? In short—we couldn’t.
“How much farther to Ter Dell?” I asked Rumple.