История Королевы Эльфов / The story of the Elf Queen: 22. Сородичи агента королевы эльфов

The kin of the Elf Queen's agent.

Camrad_RIP 11.04.24 в 11:50

* * *

Camrad_RIP 11.04.24 в 11:50

"Wow..."

Camrad_RIP 11.04.24 в 11:50

With this short phrase, the eldest of the dwarf masters summarized the story of Nicholas Meyer told by Luaval. There was silence in the small stone hall as the former prisoners silently considered what they had heard. The faces of the young ones were especially beautiful. Even through the odor-repelling ointment, one could see how red their faces were from the savory details. Ciara was the first to break the long silence:

Camrad_RIP 11.04.24 в 11:51

"I have to say, your version is much more... detailed than the one I was told during my studies."

Camrad_RIP 11.04.24 в 11:52

Grinning, Luaval replied in a calm voice:

Camrad_RIP 11.04.24 в 11:52

"This case had made a lot of fuss in its time, both among the surface dwellers and the inhabitants of the Underworld. The Forest was no exception, paying close attention to the story. Well, that's enough stories for today."

Camrad_RIP 11.04.24 в 11:53

In one cohesive motion, the dark elf rose to his feet.

Camrad_RIP 11.04.24 в 11:53

"Get some rest. After you sleep, we'll recharge the amulet batteries. I'll take another look around. Don't go anywhere without me. No noise. I've explained how to go to the latrine."

Camrad_RIP 11.04.24 в 11:54

There was no one willing to argue, and everyone began to get ready for bed. It was quite warm in this part of the Underground, so they all lay down on top of the bunks without covering themselves. The prisoners that Luaval had rescued looked pathetic and funny at the same time. They were all grimy, with sticky hair and beards. While they were sleeping on the hard stone floor, which could be felt even through the fabric of the beds, the dark elf activated the cloak and left the observation post where they were stationed. It took almost an hour to survey the surrounding area, during which time Luaval silently and invisibly shadowed all the entrances and exits to the caves that led to the post, as well as the areas around them. At the same time he placed beacons and alarms in the most inconspicuous places. He'd have to spend time collecting them later, but better that than to be caught unawares. He would have chosen another place to sleep and rest, but with a load as heavy as the ground squad, that was impossible.

Camrad_RIP 11.04.24 в 11:55

When he had finished his rounds, Luaval returned to the observation post. By now, most of the rescued men were asleep, and the rest were dozing. After making sure that everything was in order, the dark elf went to one of the corners of the stone hall. There he easily found small special paired holes, made in the walls at different heights and at regular intervals. Luaval hooked his hammock, made of a very thin but strong fabric, into the holes. Once in it, Luaval closed his eyes and lay still for a few minutes, closing his eyes and listening to his surroundings. Home, sweet home. Just like when he had been a young boy, when he had first learned the hard work of a Hunter, along with his brothers and the few sisters who had also chosen this path. Now, almost none of them are alive anymore. And he still...

Camrad_RIP 11.04.24 в 11:57

The awakening came suddenly, on pure reflexes. Luaval jumped out of the hammock in a single movement and landed silently on his feet, drawing his weapon. A moment later, his mind, torn from the embrace of sleep, recognized the reason for the sudden awakening. One of the signaling amulets had been triggered. Slipping under the cloak to the edge of the breach, Luaval froze against the wall, peering out cautiously. At that moment, another signaling amulet went off. Not good.

Camrad_RIP 11.04.24 в 11:57

* * *

Camrad_RIP 11.04.24 в 11:57

Take it easy. Easy. Breathe in. Breathe out. Slowly. Inhale. Exhale. A Hunter is calm at all times and in all places. That's what his mentors always said, and Giasar had heard the phrase thousands of times over the years. And it got to his liver. Easy for him to say! Try being calm when your prey is so close. Grabbing a short, curved blade, the dark elf glanced at his brother, who was sheltering in the shadow of a huge stalagmite. He was perfectly still, and practically invisible. Unless one knew where to look, it wasn't easy to spot. But Giasar knew, and his keen eyesight could easily make out how tightly the fellow clutched his weapon. Tense, too. It was good to know he wasn't the only one. When will they be back? Why are you digging so hard? Or have they been discovered? No, then they'd know. And if-- No. Calm down! Take it easy. The Hunter is never in a hurry. That's the victim's lot. The Hunter will wait as long as it takes.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 11:35

Breathe in. Breathe out. It was so hot and humid here. Even in the hunter's clothes... Finally! One of the two men who'd gone on ahead appeared at the wall of the cave where the tracks of their prey led, and all unnecessary thoughts went out of his head. Standing in the shadows, the scout quickly made a few hand gestures. Prey. Ours. Sleeping. Signaling threads. Cloaking. No one on duty. No sign of dark elves. Whereupon, the scout disappeared once more into the shadows of the cave. At last!

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 11:38

After exchanging a brief gesture-sign with his fellow, Giasar moved forward cautiously. It was strange, of course, that the groundlings were here alone. But it couldn't be that the escort squad they'd been warned about had left no trace. It doesn't work that way. So they are alone. That's weird. Okay, we'll figure it out. When the dark elves approached the wall of the stone hall, in which the illusion concealed the breach of the observation post, they were joined by two more of their brethren, who appeared as if from nowhere. Without a single sound, all four of them activated their levitation amulets with almost synchronized movements, practiced by dozens of training. Then, at the same time, they took a short run up the almost sheer wall, clinging to the ledges and crevices on the edges of the breach, so they could not be seen from the inside. This was done without a sound.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 11:39

Hanging back, the four young hunters froze in anticipation. A second passed. Two. Three. Silence. After a brief exchange of signs with his fellows, one of them carefully activated a small amulet, placing it against the wall at the very edge of the breach. At the same instant, all four heard the loud, by elven standards, themselves, sniffling of those sleeping. Several people. Five. A couple of dwarves. One breathing a little heavy. Everything was as they said it would be. At that moment, the two brethren who had come in from the caves activated their amulets. Immediately, the traces of the camouflage amulets that the fugitives had used to cover their resting place became clearly visible in their magical vision. But no sign of the kin they had been warned about before they went hunting. Not a single hint. Strange. And no one on duty. Relying on their amulets? Such carelessness!

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 11:42

A brief exchange of glances and signs resulted in a unanimous decision - to storm! At the command, almost simultaneously, the four dark elves silently rushed inside through the breach, with a move practiced in countless training. At the same time, right in a leap, throwing at the sleeping groundlings immobilizing amulets, which should have paralyzed them. Four enchanted metal balls whistled through the air and... went straight through the bodies of the sleeping men. A moment later there was a ringing sound from the impact with the stone floor, and the amulets discharged. This caused the sleeping groundlings to ripple and blur. Illusion! Ambush! The thought arrowed through Giasar's mind. As soon as his feet touched the floor, he immediately tried to do a sideways somersault, avoiding the unknown enemy. But something went wrong. In the last instant, the floor was sharp to the side, swapping places with the ceiling, and his consciousness was burned by a cruel pain, replaced by darkness.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 11:47

* * *

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 11:42

Aah! The sudden and sharp pain that pierced his head and dispersed the darkness made him instinctively want to twitch and jump to his feet. But this was not possible. For the reason that his hands and feet were bound. What the... The words that were about to roll off his tongue froze in his throat. where the tip of a sharp blade had been thrust into his throat. A hunter's blade. Giasar stared for a few seconds at the tall stranger, dressed as a Hunter, without any insignia or symbols of the House. His face could not be seen in the darkness beneath the hooded mask. My heart was squeezed by the cold hand of horror at the realization of death coming. No, impossible, not like this...

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 12:06

"Dead."

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 12:04

Giasar blinked and opened his eyes wide, staring at his captor. His voice was completely devoid of intonation and depersonalized, obviously with the aid of a special masking and distorting amulet. Taking a step to the side, the unknown man repeated:

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 12:06

"Dead."

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 12:04

Slanting his eyes, the dark elf realized he was sitting on the floor with his back to the wall, right under the breach through which they had stormed. And to his left were five of his fellows, just like him, bound hand and foot, their hoods torn from their faces. And with equally dazed faces. Two of them had bruises on their faces, the one on the far right had a swollen left eye, and the closest neighbor had a broken nose with blood dripping down his chin. In the center of the observation room, right on the floor. Their weapons and amulets were neatly laid out. Including some that were concealed carry. The unknown man walked along the captives, stopping in front of each one and touching the tip of his blade to their throats. And repeating the same word:

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 12:07

"Dead."

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 12:05

"Dead."

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 12:05

"Dead."

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 12:05

"Dead."

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 12:05

Whereupon he stood in front of them and a distorted voice growled:

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 12:07

"Brainless idiots! You juvenile bastards! What were your orders?!"

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 12:16

What? What? Blinking, Giasar stared at the strange Hunter in incomprehension. And so did the rest of his fellows. He leaned forward in an elusive movement, grabbed the leader of their party by the pecs, and lifted him to his feet. Then he gave him a good slap.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 18:51

"I said, what were your orders, you brainless morons?! Or do you have a hearing problem in addition to a skill problem?"

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 18:59

"Uh... I... well..."

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 18:59

"Why are you mumbling like a drunken bearded man who's had too much Mohlam's moonshine?! Are you a Hunter or what?!"

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 18:59

Another slap and a vicious growl from the unknown man affected the Leader, bringing him back to consciousness. He pulled himself to a standing position and reported in a clear voice:

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 19:00

"The orders were to search the Neutral Territories for signs of surface fugitives. Five humans and two dwarves. To be extremely careful, as they are accompanied by a squad of experienced Hunters. If any tracks are found, report to the Senior and await orders."

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 19:00

As soon as the Leader had finished speaking, he was once again hit with a thud, so he nearly fell over.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 19:01

"What did you idiots do?! Answer me!"

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 19:02

Giasar, sitting on the floor, began to make sense of what was happening, and he could barely keep from breathing out a sigh of relief. But then, realizing what an ass they'd gotten themselves into, he hurriedly gave himself as indifferent an expression as possible. The Leader, who had received another slap, continued to report:

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 19:03

"We found the fugitives' trail. We followed it for one short crossing. We moved with extreme caution. We found no trace of the hunter companions. Only the tracks of the landers. We decided to make one more small crossing. The trail got warmer, but still no sign of the hunter-companions. We reported to the Senior. She ordered us to follow the trail with extreme caution. She said she'd catch up with us. So we reached this hall. Here the trail led us to an observation post. We took it under observation, without approaching it, and waited. When the Senior arrived, she ordered us to reconnoiter. We were convinced they were the fugitives we were looking for. But there was no sign of any other Hunters. The decision was made to storm the place.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 19:05

The Leader finished his report, and a tense silence settled over the observation room. Giasar and the others stared tensely at their captor, waiting to see what would happen next. He sighed heavily as he lowered his weapon, then suddenly bellowed:

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 19:06

"You brainless idiots! Have you ever learned anything!? You're a disgrace to the House, not Hunters! How did you even pass the First Initiation?! Kneeling on your knees and working with your tongues?! You empty-headed bastards, who let you out of the nursery?!"

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 19:07

Despite the torrent of profanity, Giasar felt not even a stone, but a mountain, fall from his heart. Thank you, Lady in the Dark, he would not be killed. And he'll endure any abuse he can get.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 19:08

"You were told, you juvenile retards, that the Earth fugitives were being escorted by a squad of Hunters. You were on the trail, good for you. Next thing you knew, they were going unaccompanied. Earthers. Through the Underworld! That should have made you suspicious, you idiots! Then the trail led you here. To the observation room. Where you can see the whole area! Where it's almost impossible to approach without being seen! It's obvious to a child of 20 years old that this is an ambush! But not you knuckleheads! None of you even noticed my signal traps! You flashed the one at the entrance to the cave! You snagged the one between the fallen stalactite and the thicket of shimmering lichen. And you didn't even notice it, you morons!"

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 19:09

His brethren twitched in annoyance and humiliation, but quickly regained as much composure as possible. As they were scolded, Giasar's initial relief was replaced by more and more fear. As the realization came of just how badly they had blundered, and what would come of it. The word rest would likely be forgotten for the next fifty years. Judging by the faces of his brethren, they also realized it.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 19:10

"And then you stormed off! And you did it brilliantly! Through the breach! Without covering each other on the approach! No running! You were visible for a whole run! Did it ever occur to you that if there'd been one good marksman under the illusion you wouldn't have made it to the halfway point? Of course not, you idiots! All right. You came up like a bunch of idiots but how did you storm the place?! How many times do I have to tell you idiots?! The battle amulets go in first, then you! Fucking idiots! Get up!"

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 19:12

The squad executed the last command with perfect synchronization, jumping to their feet in one united movement. The infuriated senior mentor (he wonder which one?) strode along the line, cutting the bonds with a single swing of his blade:

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 12:54

"You failed the test. When you return home, each of you will receive three Full Redemptions. And I'll talk to each of your mentors separately. I think they'll have something for you, too, when they hear how you've dishonored the House. In the meantime, I'll give you a new introduction and a chance to wash away some of the shame. You were taken prisoner, but by the grace of the Lady in Darkness, your captors were even bigger morons than you. You managed to escape. No weapons. No amulets. Nothing but your empty heads! The chase is about to begin."

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 12:53

Taking out a large amulet timing device from the pocket of his robe, the mentor activated it.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 12:53

"You have four hours to get to the House. All of you. If one falls behind, it's considered a failure for everyone. Understood?"

Camrad_RIP 12.04.24 в 12:52