The Wood Knot Warrior Pt. 02

"Do you have a home to return to?" Kharza asked.

"I don't know."

Kharza frowned. "How can you not know?"

The female bent at the waist to bring her face close to Kharza's. She tapped her forehead, where a faint scar could be seen. "I got hurt. I don't remember when or anything about before."

"Do you remember your name?" Kharza asked carefully and got a big smile.

"Opphai WinterVale," the blonde said. "This was written on the note my master—former master, received with me." Kharza shook her head in surprise.

"You remember the man who spoke with the HooBess bandits?" Kharza asked.

White hair bobbed as she nodded. "Mitch Taggart. He said he was Chief of Security for Lucien Warrick."

"How do you know this?" Kharza asked.

"I have very good hearing. Like now, many men are coming to the door," she said and pointed.

"Which way to the back door?" Kharza asked urgently. She wanted to release her battle axe, but she'd promised.

"This way," Opphai said and dashed through a curtain at the far end of the bar. They went through the kitchen and slammed out the back door. It crashed into the face of someone preparing to rush inside. Opphai pushed him aside and the one behind him, slamming them into the alley walls. Kharza rushed around her, glanced at the unconscious men, then grabbed Opphai's hand to pull her along.

"We have to get to the Wood Knot Inn quickly," Kharza said as they ran. She could hear shouting in the distance behind her.

They made it past the darkened streets Kharza had hunted through but ducked into an alley before crossing a wider avenue as Kharza spotted a group of Grennesh Guardsmen ahead.

"We can't be sure if these active Guardsmen will help us or fight us like the men in the bar," Kharza said quietly.

Opphai glanced across at the four men. "Finley, Hollis, Jonish, but the fourth man has never been to the bar."

Kharza looked up at her in surprise. "You recognize them?"

Opphai smiled at her. "I remember faces, names, what they said, and when they visited. I don't remember anything from before," she touched her forehead, "but I remember everything I see and hear now. I am good with customer orders in the bar. Gennie had trouble remembering things when she got mad. I tried to help her, but she didn't like that."

"Gennie was the dwarf girl?" Kharza asked and got a nod.

Opphai frowned sadly and looked back. "The bad men are getting closer."

Kharza glanced up the street. "We need to get these men to move away from this intersection."

Opphai looked up the street and nodded. She picked up a large rock near her feet and threw it high into the sky over the roof of the building next to them. Seconds later, a terrible crash occurred as the rock came down on a window ledge up the street, shattering the glass.

Kharza watched the guards run up the street to investigate. She grabbed Opphai's hand with a grin and raced out of the alley, across the avenue, and into the next darkened street.

She kept up their pace, carefully crossing intersections and wider streets, always watching for the Guardsmen until she saw the gate exiting the south side of Grennesh. Two men were inside the door, and she knew two would be outside.

"Do you recognize the two men by the door?" she asked Opphai.

The tall female looked, then shook her head.

Kharza nodded. "We'll take a chance and walk casually past them and out the door. There will be two more outside. We'll just have to hope for the best. Once we get past them, we run down the hill and don't stop until we get to the inn. We'll be safe there."

Opphai looked at her and nodded seriously as they stepped out from the shadows and walked across the wide-open space to the small door in the main gate.

"Good evening," Kharza said, but their eyes were locked on the tits and ass of her companion. She smirked and continued through the door. Opphai had to duck to squeeze through the exit, but once she was out, she froze as she locked eyes with one of the two standing there.

That man's body language was stiff, but his partner was enjoying the view of Opphai's bosom.

Kharza watched emotions flash by on her tall friend's face.

"Wexly! I am a free being now. I am my own master, no longer a slave. You can't touch and hurt me anymore like you did! Never again, you ugly, mean man!"

Kharza examined the older man whose mouth was opening and closing in embarrassment as his partner smirked, watching him being put in his place.

Finally, Wexly had taken enough and got mad. "How dare you speak to me like that, you stupid bitch!" He grabbed Opphai's nipple through the tight fabric and twisted it cruelly.

Then he wasn't there.

A plume of road dust tossed up by his body rocketing off into the darkness was the only evidence of his passage.

Opphai gently held her sore breast as a tear ran down her cheek.

Kharza sent a quick look in the direction Wexley had been slapped, but there was no sign of his body. She refocused on her new friend. "Are you okay, Opphai?" she asked as she moved to her side to prepare her to run.

The tall woman nodded but looked sad.

Kharza looked to the other guard, who was standing still, gaping at the spot his partner had been just seconds ago. She got them moving while the guard was stunned, and they slipped away into the darkness.

Once Opphai could move quicker, they picked up their pace and hustled down the hill until they could see the light of the inn's torches ahead.

Karter was standing by the door as they climbed the stairs. "Who's your new friend," Karter asked politely, and Opphai gave him a happy smile.

"Karter, this is Opphai WinterVale. She could be your new server if she'd like to work here. She has perfect recall," Kharza explained as she led them inside and down the hall to Karter's office.

The entire way, Opphai's large eyes were wide with wonder as she took in her new surroundings. "I could work here?" She turned to look at Karter with an eager expression. "I have an excellent memory. I am a very good server." Her eyes looked up at the ceiling, and she stopped hunching over as she suddenly realized she had space to stand up straight. "My, your ceilings are high! And your doorways!"

Karter walked around them as they entered his office, and he took his seat behind the desk. "The building was designed to be comfortable for people of all sizes. That said, I don't believe I've ever met someone who looks like you. You have very distinct eyes and ears. What are you?"

Opphai's eyes darted to Kharza as they took seats across from Karter. "I don't know."

Kharza picked up the thread. "She suffered an injury to her head and lost the memories of her past, but her memory of the things she's seen and heard at the First Priv bar at the north wall is very extensive. The bartender was keeping her and a dwarf girl as slaves. Lots of ex-Guardsmen were there, and the HooBess squad was there earlier. Lucien's security chief met with them and hired them."

Karter looked at Opphai. "You saw this meeting happen?"

"Yes, I saw it and heard their words. I have excellent hearing. Someone is approaching the door," she said, and everyone looked as a gentle knock sounded.

"Come in," Karter called out, and Eryllis stepped inside. She stopped when she saw the stranger.

"Eryllis, this is Opphai WinterVale. She's a witness to Lucien's security chief hiring the bandits. Opphai, this is Eryllis Harrowane."

"Hello! My, you're so pretty! Oh! You have big breasts like me! Well, almost like me," Opphai gushed.

Eryllis' face flushed with embarrassment as she saw Karter and Kharza grinning.

"She said she'd like to be our new server," Karter added.

"Yes, please!" Opphai said with a wide happy smile.

"We need to get Dell back before we can make any decisions about the restaurant," Eryllis said with a serious expression. "Do we have enough proof to push the commander to press charges against Lucien to make him talk?"

Karter sighed. "I'll ask him to visit tomorrow." He turned to Kharza. "Where does Opphai live?" he asked.

"She doesn't remember. For now, she can share my bed with Ket and me."

Opphai looked at her curiously. "Who is Ket?"

"My son. He's two," Kharza said proudly.

Opphai's face lit up with another happy smile.

"Look who's jealous of a two-year-old tonight," Eryllis said with her eyes on Karter, who jolted from his thoughts as his face reddened.

Eryllis smiled as she left. Revenge is sweet.

Chapter 8

Dell blinked the sleep from his eyes as he woke slowly in a strange place. The walls were a pale, tan wood, as was the ceiling above. He was lying on the floor, but there was some kind of woven mat under him that added some cushioning to the flooring, which was also tan wood.

He did a quick inventory of his body and felt much better than when he arrived. He did have a strange aftertaste in his mouth.

Tilting his head up, he looked down at himself and saw he was wearing a gown of some kind of soft cloth... something was sticking into the inside of his left arm just below the elbow. It looked like a thin stem of a plant. As he followed the green line upward, he saw it terminated in a bright, colorful flower. He reached over with his right hand and pulled the stem from his arm. A small droplet of blood beaded up on the spot.

His head swam for a moment, but he took deep breaths, and this went away.

"Good, you're finally awake!"

Dell pushed himself up onto his elbows, looked toward his feet, and saw part of that wall of his... cell looked like a mesh of tough tree roots. Behind it was an older male with wings like Tawna.

"What is the nature of your link with this weapon?" the male demanded.

Dell frowned and pushed himself to a seated position, crossing his legs as he stared at the being. "Am I a prisoner?"

This brought a scowl to the face of his interrogator. "Answer my question!"

Dell's temper began to bubble. "Answer mine, and I may answer yours."

"You stole our princess and invaded our most sacred place in the very presence of our Queen! Armed! You're in a cell! Of course, you're our prisoner," the male yelled at him.

"Hey! I didn't steal anyone or invade anything! I have no idea how I got here! I was near Grennesh on a rescue mission. We took out the bad guys who were ambushing and killing travelers on the trade route from Portoa to Grennesh. We discovered a young female in a tent tied up with silver thread. I cut her loose, became covered in blue butterflies, and suddenly I'm here passing out. I've done nothing that warrants being taken prisoner!" Dell snapped.

The male on the other side of the bars was red-faced. "The sword! Why can't we move it further than this from you!"

Dell looked at him in frustration. "It's fucking enchanted, okay? It's linked to me. Not by my choice, but there you have it. It goes where I go."

"How do we remove the enchantment?" the interrogator barked.

Dell stood and looked down at the shorter being. "You don't. You don't need to because I'm not your enemy!"

"If I have to use flames to extract the answers from you, don't think I'll hesitate!" the other snapped, clearly not listening.

The threat was all the sword needed to suddenly appear in Dell's hand. The Pixie squeaked in fright, then raised his hands in preparation to blast.

Dell spun the sword once in the small space, then slashed the wall next to the door. The wood exploded outwards, pelting the Pixie, who closed his eyes and covered his face with his arms. When he dropped them to look, Dell's fist plowed into his nose, knocking him onto his ass.

Looming over the prone and stunned Pixie, Dell made a show of putting the sword back into the scabbard that was now hanging on a belt, which appeared around his waist. He then took a seat facing the blinking male who was touching his sore but not broken nose. "Yes, I pulled the punch."

Dell gave the male a frustrated expression and did his best to hide how dizzy he felt.

He hoped the ones who came to investigate the noise were more reasonable.

-=-

Tawna ran after her oldest sister Marlah as they'd heard a terrible noise ahead. Her imagination tortured her with images of the big warrior, Dell, blown into little pieces by the magic of the Queen's servant

Turning the last corner, they were stunned to see Dell sitting outside his cell, the sword on his hip again, and the grand inquisitor picking himself up from the floor with a bloody nose.

Marlah rushed forward, preparing her attack.

Dell just looked at her wearily. "I'm not your enemy."

Tawna caught up and reached out a hand to stop her sister from launching her spell. "Wait!" she called out desperately. Marlah looked back at her incredulously.

"It's true. He... freed me. He wasn't part of the group who... He didn't." Tawna was struggling with her words. Images were flashing by in her mind, but she shied away from them. She glanced at the big male and saw he was watching her with concern in his eyes. She looked away. Tawna couldn't be sure of his intentions as he was a stranger. Her instincts told her she could trust him, but he was so big and different. Plus, he was a warrior, and she had little experience talking with them. She was conflicted.

"I think it's horrible that someone abducted the princess, but Eryllis and I weren't involved in that, nor would we ever be. We were just asked to deal with the bandits killing travelers on the trade route. We stumbled upon Tawna in a tent and discovered she was being transported in a courier pouch. I freed her from her bindings and somehow ended up here. I'm not your enemy. My name is Dell du Krane, and I just want to go home."

Marlah looked at her sister, who nodded to confirm she believed Dell.

Tawna watched Marlah reach a decision. "It seems there was a great misunderstanding. Please join me as we visit the Queen to inform her of the truth. Perhaps we can assist with your return."

Dell smiled and relaxed. He nodded to her and stood.

Marlah assisted the grand inquisitor out of the room, leaving Dell to follow with her younger sister.

Tawna looked over at him and saw he was not entirely restored. She'd insisted they do something to replenish his energy reserves after she stole this vitality.

"Sorry for being so quiet. I don't seem to have much energy at the moment," Dell said, and a spike of guilt rushed through her.

"It's my fault."

Dell looked at her curiously, and she looked away.

"I was so frightened. So far from home, surrounded by strangers whose intentions I couldn't know." She looked into his eyes, desperate for forgiveness.

"The royal family has a spell we can use to escape back to the palace, but I was too weak to power it." She looked up at him with dread. "I used your vitality to power the spell, but for that to work, you had to come with me."

"Oh!" Dell exclaimed as they continued to follow Marlah.

Tawna found herself holding her breath as she watched his face. She saw surprise, anger, and disappointment pass by to finally settle on grudging acceptance.

"I guess I can understand how you'd feel that way. I wish you'd talked to us, but considering your state at the time, I get it," Dell said with a sigh. He looked at her cautiously. "This drain on my vitality isn't permanent, is it?"

She was so relieved she reached out and placed her hand on his arm. "No, you'll begin to feel better after a few meals and some rest."

He smiled in relief. "What was that flower stuck in my arm?"

Her smile widened. "That was to ensure you stayed hydrated until you regained consciousness."

"How long was I asleep?" he asked.

"No more than two days," she said.

He looked like he was going to say something, but he froze as they left the corridor and stepped out into open air. Dell pressed himself back against the trunk of the tree they were halfway up. A walkway encircled the outer surface of the massive tree with a gradual slope upwards.

Tawna stared at Dell in concern. "What's wrong?"

Dell took some deep breaths. "We... we're so high up, and there is no railing."

Tawna looked out at the edge of the path and realized to someone who couldn't fly, that might look dangerous.

"What's wrong?" Marlah asked with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Our guest wasn't prepared for the height. Remember, he cannot fly," Tawna replied firmly. She moved to Dell and reached out to take his hand. "Stay close to the inside edge and keep your eyes on the trunk. That should help."

Dell nodded, and they got moving again. After a moment, Tawna saw he was braving a look out over the forest. The surrounding giant trees were all linked together by walkways and strings of glowing lights.

"It's beautiful!" he sighed, and she smiled at his appreciation. "I wish Eryllis and Kharza could see this and my kids, but they're too young to appreciate it."

Tawna watched his face and saw his longing there. "I met Eryllis. She's very lovely. Who is Kharza?"

Dell smiled self-consciously. "Uh, she's my other partner. She's an Orc."

"You have two partners? Is that common for your people?" Tawna asked.

"No... I wouldn't say so. It just kind of happened. I met Kharza first, and we enjoyed each other's company. Then I met Eryllis, and it was love. We have three children. I also fell in love with Kharza, and we had a boy." He was smiling happily when he glanced back at Tawna.

Her mind was spinning. He had four children! She hadn't witnessed four births in her thirty-five years.

"Is everything all right?" he asked in concern.

"No­—yes! It's fine! It sounds like you have a lot of children!" she asserted.

Dell grinned. "Yeah, Dad says that's my Human heritage. Wood Elves don't have as many as Humans." He glanced at Tawna self-consciously. "I'm a Halfling."

She nodded as her mind spun.

They climbed the slope and re-entered the tree. After traversing a few more hallways, they entered a vast chamber that housed the Queen's Court. Tawna glanced around and spotted all the senior members of each house. The most important Pixie families were represented here. Up on the podium at the other side of the room was the throne of the Queen.

They marched directly across the center of the floor toward the dais.

Tawna could see Dell was keeping an eye on the nervous guards, but he was also keeping his hand away from his sword.

Marlah began the introductions once they reached the foot of the podium. "Queen Sa Lih Pish Stella, may I present to you Dell du Krane, who rescued Princess Sa Lih Pish Tawna from her abductors and assisted with her return.

"Greetings, Dell du Krane, and thank you for returning our daughter to us. If there is a reward within our power to grant, you may ask."

Dell bowed deeply, and Tawna saw the smile on her mother's lips for his manners.

"Thank you, but all I would ask for is assistance in returning to my home. I miss my family, and I'm sure they are worried for me," Dell replied.

"Where would home be for you? I believe you bear some resemblance to the Elves of a nearby nation, but your coloring is different, and you are larger than any Elf I've seen," the Queen asked.

Dell nodded. "I'm a Halfling. My mother was a Wood Elf from the Mistveil Woods on the western coast of Leinyere. My father is a Human who lives near the city of Grennesh. I received these gifts from both of them, but neither race is comfortable with me as, in their eyes, I'm too much of the other." He gestured to Tawna. "The princess has met my partner Eryllis, who is pure Wood Elf."

Tawna felt her mouth working before her brain understood what she was saying. "Yes, mother, I met her. She's the mother of three of Dell's children, and he has another with his Orc partner, Kharza."

Dell glanced at her in annoyance and embarrassment, then noticed the sudden interest in everyone's eyes.