Lovely Dark Things

EIGHTEEN (ISELEN POV)

"We're almost there..." Ruby whispers while guiding my up the main avenue riding her horse slowly and confident, she looks comfortable despite the black guards are a bit nervous. But it's true that she knows this city well and has seen the suitable places to set a trap before.

"How long did you live here?"

"Around 200 years..." she answers after thinking for a second.

"You must have a lot of friends in the city."

"Iselen, people don't make friends in the City of Witchcraft, quite the opposite. Students live in barracks together but we always slept with one eye open to watch our mates and stop them from stabbing our backs, instructors encouraged us to betray other applicants every time we could, setting traps and forging partnerships that would end up with one of us wounded or dead..."

"They didn't give you enough food but you were punished when they caught you stealing from the kitchen, they only gave you one blanket to force you to learn how to stand cold temperatures, discipline and rigour were imposed, you grew up in an environment of competitiveness, you were cruelly punished if you couldn't repeat the difficult lesson every morning..."

"How do you know that?" Ruby looks at me perplexed before frowning angrily. "Maybe a dark elf has been shooting his mouth off about our secrets and now it's common knowledge among humans on the other side of the sea..."

"No, it's because there was a city in my world called Sparta that raised young kids the same way. They became feared soldiers and the best warriors."

"And what happened to them?"

"Well, it was a very hard life and only a few children used to survive to be adults, that was the reason why their army wasn't that big and besides, they were too attached to their traditions and, while other armies adjusted to new weapons and strategies, they kept fighting the same way. Light infantry troops destroyed their heavy infantry and cavalry troops easily."

"That won't happen to dark elves... that's why you're here, to teach us new techniques and design new weapons... Let's go..." Ruby points and the entrance door of the smaller inner wall that protects the sanctuary of the War God and the Tower of Prophecy: it's time to meet Sryne and pray for her to like me, otherwise she could make my stay here very uncomfortable. If she's determined to drag me to the sacrificial altar like Shurien and Helien did, I'll throw up on her boots and won't live to see a new day.

*****

"Saint..." I bow my head respectfully but I don't keep my eyes on the floor because I'm too shocked and can't help looking at the elven lady's face when she moves closer smiling kindly at me.

"Welcome, Iselen... please, sit down." The beautiful woman hugs me quickly and points at a comfortable couch near the fire, a slave pours us some warm wine with spices while Sryne greets Ruby and asks her to sit down next to her and in front of me. The Head of the God of War's Brides is everything I was expecting her to be and the total opposite at the same time: tall, slender, with toned muscles, she moves gracefully like a dancer but I bet she's lethal. Her body's flawless and the see-through silk tunic she's wearing does nothing to hide it, of course... I should be used to see half-naked elven warriors around me by now and stop blushing like a teenager but Sryen stands out for her beauty and sensuality even in a kingdom full of pretty women. Her luscious dark hair is up in a high ponytail embellished with brooches made of silver and bone... In fact, I think they're phalanges of a hand, real bone but not human, maybe from their enemies the light elves.

I wasn't expecting her to be kind to me, her honest smile and sparkling violet eyes, gorgeous but they also make me feel awkward since she's a good observer and doesn't miss a single detail of what's happening around her. She's looked at me from head to toe while judging me although I think the balance is positive for me: she's delighted with my presence here and can't wait to chat a little, she's not trying to intimidate me like all the elven lords I've met have tried to do. Sryne sits down next to Ruby, very close to her, and seems relaxed while asking the slaves to bring us food. My girl also looks at ease, more than usual, they both talk with informality, they know each other well and I think trust each other too, something uncommon in this kingdom. I remember the etiquette rules the assassin taught me: the personal space and closest proximity is reserved to lovers and mortal enemies. I'm reasonably sure they're not going to stab their backs suddenly judging by their body language so the first option is the right one: they were lovers... maybe they still are, as far as I know. Damn it...