I fixed a couple of typos and reworked a sentence or two during the fight scene near the end, which some people had indicated was a bit confusing the first time.
Untitled
Daneera paced.
Like a caged animal, or perhaps more accurately like an animal about to step into its cage, Daneera walked back and forth in front of the gate to the great stone keep, the mountainous fortress that housed the Fae Courts. It had taken her nearly a week to reach it from the Rever Marsh, even with shortening the trip by planeswalking away from Morvata and back to Kerik’s now-empty cabin. The Bladǎri was just that massive. And with virtually no game remaining in the forest, she had hardly eaten in that time, apart from an occasional meal of nuts, berries, and herbs. She was hungry, and tired, and increasingly furious at the reason for her journey.
But right now, she was mostly just impatient.
When she had approached the gate of the keep, the Fae guard had stared at her in disbelief. His eyes had been drawn, unsurprisingly, to the gold crown resting on her head. Daneera had felt, and still did, downright silly to be wearing the thing. Even in her youth, she had never been one for needless adornment. The Fae crown, of course, was hardly needless. She had been told in no uncertain terms on her first visit to these gates that she would not be allowed in without one. When she had returned, Fae crown resting atop her disheveled hair, the guard had not known what to do, and so had retreated inside to ask the advice of those who knew better.
And Daneera had been waiting ever since.
Finally, just when Daneera was considering summoning a crash of rhinoceroses to break the gate down, it opened on its own. Through the now-open gate, several Fae stepped forward, two in front of the others. One was the wide-eyed guard Daneera had first spoken with, and the other was an elderly Fae woman whose gossamer wings drooped behind her and who walked with the aid of a twisted wooden staff. This woman came to stand just in front of Daneera, and cleared her throat.
“I am Jenore Windsong,” her Fae insect antennae twitched as she spoke. “I am the Speaker of the Historians of the Houses. And you are?”
“Daneera.” The huntress paused, then reached up and laid a single finger against the Fae crown. “Lady Daneera.”
“Forgive me,” Jenore said, “but I am afraid I have never heard of you before.”
Daneera shrugged. “That doesn’t matter.”
“Ah,” the elderly Fae said. “But, I’m afraid it does. You see, no one is allowed within the Fae Courts but the nobles, and those they themselves allow.”
“I am a Fae noble,” Daneera said.
“Ah,” Jenore said. “But, you see, as Historian of the Houses, I know of all the nobles, but have never heard of you.”
“Fae nobles have Fae crowns, don’t they?”
“Of course, but…”
“And those with Fae crowns are Fae nobles, aren’t they?”
“Well…”
“Unless you believe this crown to be fake, of course,” Daneera said, confidently.
There was a collective gasp from the Fae behind Jenore Windsong, and the Speaker herself seemed aghast at the suggestion. “That is a grave accusation, Lady Daneera. The crowns are indisputable, and no one would dare to even attempt a forgery.”
“Then why are we having this conversation?” Daneera asked, taking a step toward the woman. “I have a Fae crown, and that is all the proof of my claim I need.”
“I…” Jenore began, then paused, finally hanging her head. “Yes, of course. Please forgive me, Lady Daneera. I did not mean to question the validity of your claim, but rather the completeness of my own knowledge of the nobles.”
“I’m sure your knowledge of the nobles is most complete,” Daneera said, which brought a surprising look of relief to the Speaker’s face. “And because of that, I’m sure you can help me. I need to find Glim Murkwisp.”
Another gasp sounded from the gathered crowd, and Daneera rolled her eyes. If public displays of shock were this commonplace in the Fae Courts, she was going to fit in even less than she had imagined.
“L-Lady Daneera,” Jenore began hesitantly, “His Excellency Glim Murkwisp is at the Palace, of course.”
“Good,” Daneera said with a little nod. “Where’s the Palace?”
“No one goes to the Palace anymore, at least not without an invitation from His Excellency.”
Daneera narrowed her eyes at the older Fae. “I didn’t ask for the guest list. Just tell me where the Palace is. I have…business…to discuss with Glim Murkwisp.”
“I…I cannot…in good conscience…” Jenore stammered.
Before she could get further than that, a young Fae man stepped forward from the crowd and laid a gentle hand on Jenore’s arm. “Don’t worry, Speaker Windsong. I’ll show her to the Palace.”
Jenore looked over at him. “Faron, I do not think your Master would…”
“You let me worry about that,” the man said, glancing over at Daneera. “Besides, Glim Murkwisp prides himself on knowing each of the nobles personally. I doubt he would reject a visit from such a…unique one.”
Daneera glared at the man, but eventually nodded. “Lead on, then.”
Faron nodded, and indicated toward the crowd, which parted for them as the Fae led Daneera through and toward the mountainside. For a long time, neither spoke. Once the crowd behind them had melted away and the last of them had stopped following behind, the man spoke, his voice low and quiet.
“You’re making a big mistake, you know.”
Daneera didn’t even glance his way. “Am I now?”
“It’s not hard to tell that you have no love for Glim Murkwisp, but take my warning. Do not try to oppose him. He is far too powerful. The entire Court fears him, and with good cause.”
“I would expect his servants to extol his virtues.”
Faron spat on the ground at the words. “That man has no virtues. And I am not his servant.”
“The Speaker said he was your master.”
“He is,” Faron’s lip twisted upward in disgust. “But there are servants and then there are servants, if you catch my meaning.”
“Not in the least,” Daneera said bluntly.
Faron frowned. “I fear you will do poorly in the Fae Courts, Lady Daneera.”
“I have no intention of staying long,” the huntress said. “Glim Murkwisp has something I want, and I may have a thing or two to give him in return.” As she spoke, Daneera found her hand had drifted to the hilt of her long knife.
Faron glanced over at her hand and shook his head. “If he were that easy to kill, he’d be dead a hundred times over. Hells, I’d have killed him three times myself today alone if it were that simple.”
Daneera shot him a sideways look. “I wonder how Murkwisp would take to hearing you talk like this about him.”
Faron laughed. “If Glim Murkwisp doesn’t already know that I hate him beyond all reason, then he is a great fool indeed.” The Fae stopped suddenly and turned to Daneera, his face instantly transformed from jovial to deadly serious. “And Glim Murkwisp is no fool.”
Daneera stopped as well, and squared up to the Fae, who was a bit more than a head shorter than she was. “Who are you, anyway?”
The Fae lowered his head. “I am Faron Rainglow. My father was a Fae noble, inheritor of a crown, much like the one you wear. But it was stolen from him, and now I am a servant.”
“Stolen by Murkwisp.” Daneera said simply.
Faron nodded. “He was born into the nobility, as well. But the Patriarchs and Matriarchs of each House decide who is and who is not noble. His line was cut and his crown lost, but that only began Murkwisp’s scheming.” Faron turned away and continued walking. Daneera followed. “My father was a good man, but a rotten noble. He did not play the game well. He trusted Murkwisp, took pity on him when his nobility was lost. But now my father is dead, and the Rainglow crown atop a Murkwisp head.”
“Why don’t you steal it back?”
“Because Glim Murkwisp does not play the game poorly.” He glanced over at Daneera. “My dreams are dominated by the day I steal back that crown, and Glim Murkwisp knows it well. That is why I am kept in his house, where he can watch me, and he does. Constantly.”
“Is he watching you now?”
“I am no threat to him now. The moment I, or anyone else, for that matter, get close to him, his guard will be up again. He has sworn many times that no one will ever take from him again what was taken from him before.”
“We’ll see about that,” Daneera said confidently.
Faron rolled his eyes. “I do not claim to know you, Lady Daneera, but already I can see that subtlety is not your weapon of choice. You will never fool Murkwisp. He will suspect your intentions from the moment he learns of your existence.”
“He can suspect anything he wants,” Daneera said. “When my knife slides into his heart, those suspicions will be confirmed.”
“That is not how the game is played,” Faron said. “And besides, Fae laws protect him. If you murder him outright, even if you could get to him, which is all but unthinkable now, the rest of the city will be compelled to come down on you. And if you somehow escape, which is equally unthinkable, you’ll be hunted in the Bladǎri forever.”
“Your Fae laws must have some way to answer for injuries, don’t they?”
“Sure,” Faron shrugged, “but Murkwisp’s Great Trick has placed him beyond most laws, and the ones that still bind him are the ones he is bound to win anyway. If he is tricked out of his crown, of course, the tricker is protected by law, but Murkwisp will never give it up willingly.”
“What if the crown is taken by force?”
“Can’t be. That’s not a trick. The crown’s own magic would prevent it, to say nothing of Glim’s.”
“What about speed? What if someone were to move quickly enough to grab the crown off his head? Is that good enough?”
“Well, yes and no,” Faron said, considering. “Mostly ‘no.’ Fae law is clear on this. You can only obtain a crown in two ways, by being given it, or by tricking a noble out of one. To simply grab it off his head is not nearly enough. It is the precise reason why I could not simply grab yours and regain my nobility. Now, if I were to take yours without you noticing…”
Daneera’s grip around her knife’s hilt tightened. “Just try it and see what happens.”
“No, thank you, Lady Daneera,” Faron said with a slight laugh. “Besides, at the moment, I would not be much better off as a noble than as a servant. Glim Murkwisp has the Courts in a stranglehold, and even the nobles serve him. They were given no choice.”
“Why is that?”
“See for yourself,” Faron said, indicating the massive stone structure they had just arrived at. Despite herself, Daneera gaped at what she saw. The Fae Palace was gigantic, and carved into the very side of the mountain itself. She could not even comprehend how long it must have taken to shape, or how many hands must have been required, but the sight was breathtaking. Stone towers jutted from the mountainside, supported by natural stone buttresses smoothed and rounded flawlessly. The doors into the palace were at least three stories tall and ornately designed with Fae writing. But what most drew Daneera’s attention were the long stone steps leading from the street to the door.
They were lined with countless forest beasts with glowing yellow eyes.
Near the bottom of the steps, there were smaller animals like squirrels, rats, and rabbits, none of which seemed the least bit concerned at the presence of the others. The beasts grew in size the further up the steps they went, from foxes and badgers to wolverines and wolves. Further still were the great cats, panthers from the Rever Marsh and leopards from the Bladǎri Forest. Above these lounged bears and gorillas. Looking even further up, Daneera spotted the birds, perched like sentinels all along the towers and wall, from the small hummingbirds to the hawks, falcons, and even eagles on the highest parapets.
“You see now why few dare to challenge Glim Murkwisp,” Faron said sadly. “And he has more dangerous beasts yet inside.”
At this comment, Daneera set her jaw. She had an idea of what they were. “This ends.” She turned to stare at the Fae. “Take me to him. Now.”
Faron gulped, but nodded. “I…I can’t promise that the beasts won’t…”
“Just take me to him. I’ll worry about the beasts.”
The Fae nodded, and slowly, the two made their way up the stairs and through the frightening menagerie of beasts. Those closest to the small path remaining up the large staircase made a show of paying attention to them, but none moved to attack. Still, Daneera kept her hand on her knife and her mind on her mana, knowing that any moment, one or all of them could lash out. If they were all under the control of Glim Murkwisp, as seemed to be the case, it seemed like a simple whim on the noble’s part could send them all into a murderous frenzy.
Finally, though, they reached the top of the stairs without incident, and the heavy doors were opened for them. Moving a bit more quickly than he had up the stairs, Faron moved through a series of cavernous halls until they came to a set of double doors even more richly decorated than the great doors of the palace had been. Faron stopped here and took a deep breath. With both hands on the door, he glanced over at Daneera.
“By now, he’ll know you’re here. Are…are you certain about this?”
Daneera said nothing, but simply glared at the Fae. He nodded, and swung the doors open. The room on the other side was unlike anything else Daneera had seen in the Palace or anywhere else in the Bladǎri. The floor was a finely polished black marble that dully reflected the great columns that supported the high vaulted ceiling. The columns themselves were pure mountain stone, with visible streaks of copper and iron running through and along them. On both the left and right sides of the room, numerous statues stood along either side of great, stained glass windows, both the statues and the windows displaying images of Fae in a variety of strange poses. Down the center of the hall was a long, dark green carpet that led to a small dais, upon which sat an ebony throne.
And on that throne sat Glim Murkwisp.
He was much as Daneera had pictured him. Thin like most of the Fae, but with an expression of permanent arrogance plastered on his clean-shaven face. His hair was dark, just a few shades off black, and the very beginnings of gray appearing at the temples. His clothing was dark and extravagant, with gold accents and several long, thin golden chains wrapped over his right shoulder like a military sash. Atop his head was a golden crown much like Daneera’s though set with a blue topaz rather than an onyx. He was softly petting the head of a particularly large Marsh Panther that was lounging next to him, its eyes glowing that same eerie yellow. He was watching them intently, though as they drew closer it became clear that it was Daneera, not both of them, that he was focused on.
“Lord Murkwisp,” Faron said with a hint of annoyance. “May I present Lady Daneera, Fae Noble.”
Murkwisp’s mouth twisted upward in a confident smirk. “Why, Lady Daneera. I have been wondering when you were going to show up.”
“Have you?” Daneera asked, stepping closer.
“Indeed. I have extended you so many invitations, I was beginning to think you were ignoring me.”
Daneera did just that. “You have something that belongs to me.”
Glim laughed. “If I have something in my possession, then it belongs to me. That is the law.”
Daneera took another step closer, her knuckles whitening around the handle of her knife. When she spoke, her voice slow and frightening. “I’ll break the law, and I’ll break you, and I’ll break this whole damn mountain, if you don’t give me what’s mine.”
“It is unwise to threaten me so openly, Lady Daneera,” Glim cautioned with no hint of fear. When Daneera took another step closer, the Marsh Panther stirred and began to growl softly. “My pets would take it poorly, were you to attempt any violence.”
“It wouldn’t be the first of your panthers I’d have killed,” Daneera said.
“Nor would it be anywhere near the end of what I could send against you,” the Fae said. “Perhaps you would prefer another round with the gorillas? No, wait, what am I thinking? You must have preferred the wolves, of course!”
Daneera had her knife out and was moving before she even realized it, and the panther sprang to place itself between her and its master. Daneera knew that she could have gone straight through the cat, but the motion brought her back to herself enough to stop. This was precisely what Faron had cautioned her against, and Glim would not be so foolish as to antagonize her with nothing more than a single panther to protect himself. Reluctantly, Daneera stopped, but did not sheath her knife.
“You sent them against me intentionally.”
Glim’s smile widened. “More or less. The attack on your wolf friends was incidental. They were not falling under my control for some reason. And for my Great Trick to be truly impressive, I wanted everything. So my panthers killed them. And of course, you killed my panthers. Small loss, really, but it did clue me in on an interesting tidbit. There was a Worldwalker in my forest.”
“You know about planeswalkers?”
Glim Murkwisp leaned back. “The Fae nobles have some knowledge on the subject. Rumors say that it was a Fae Worldwalker who built this very palace, though there is little proof. Still, we remember what your kind are, and what you are capable of.”
“And yet, you made me your enemy?”
Glim’s smile faded. “There is to be no power within the Bladǎri other than me!” He yelled, his stern face again cracking to a disingenuous smile. “Besides, we Fae lie by nature. Undoubtedly, our histories over-exaggerate the power of Worldwalkers, likely to justify their own weakness against them or some other forgotten piece of history. It hardly matters. What matters is that you are not welcome in my forest. I have done what I could to persuade you to leave, but I am afraid you did not take the hint.”
“You want me to leave?” Daneera said, her eyes hard. “Give me back Kerik, and I’ll think about it.”
“Kerik?” Glim asked. “Oh, the werewolf, you mean. Ahh, you named him! How adorable.”
Daneera started moving forward, but the Marsh panther growled. Glim Murkwisp laughed. “I am afraid I cannot give you the werewolf. You see, most werewolves cannot control when they are wolf and when they are not. As such, I cannot control them once they transform back into whatever they were. But your, Kerik, was it? I can keep him in wolf form indefinitely. He’s far too unique for me to give away.”
“Give him to me, Murkwisp, or I swear…”
“You have nothing to bargain with, Worldwalker!” Glim yelled, suddenly angry. “I win!” He breathed heavily for a long moment, then seemed to calm down, his mocking smile returning. “You are welcome to stay at the Courts, however, since you have somehow managed to get yourself a title here. If anything, it will give me the opportunity to take whatever you have remaining from you.”
Daneera cocked her head to one side. “Wait a moment, you don’t know how I became a Fae Noble?”
Glim Murkwisp made a show of yawning. “No, and I’m certain I don’t care.”
Daneera grinned. “Oh, don’t you? Well, it seems you’re not the only one who can take things that were intended to go to someone else.”
Glim shook his head. “What is that suppose to…” He stopped in midsentence as his eyes drifted upward and fell on the Fae crown Daneera wore. Instantly, his eyes widened, his face reddened, and he began to shake. “Where did you get that crown?” He screamed, scrambling off his throne and toward her, his arms outstretched. As he reached his Marsh Panther, Daneera held out her knife in warning, and he froze.
Daneera’s grin widened. “Fae law. It doesn’t matter where I got it. I have it now, and by your own words, that means it belongs to me.”
“That is the Murkwisp family crown! It should have come to me, if not for the delusions of a decrepit old woman! Give it to me. I order you!”
“Maybe I’ll trade you,” Daneera said slyly. “Give me yours first.”
“Do you truly think I would be so incompetently stupid as to hand you my crown?”
“You mean, the Rainglow crown,” Daneera challenged.
“It’s mine now,” Glim growled.
“As this one is mine.”
Glim Murkwisp stood fuming, and when he finally spoke, his voice was a dangerous whisper. “I will see your pet dead before I return it to you.”
“If Kerik dies, you die.”
Glim smiled. “I know you won’t kill me. If you did, all the Fae would hunt you down. Even you can’t survive that.”
Daneera flashed a predatory smile to match his. “I don’t have to. I’m a ‘Worldwalker,’ remember? I can just ‘walk away.”
The smile faded slowly from Glim’s face, and for the first time, Daneera saw the smallest hint of actual fear in his eyes. Evidentially, he had not considered that possibility. “You wouldn’t dare…”
“If Kerik is dead, I have nothing more to keep me in the Bladǎri, and no reason to fear reprisal,” she paused, making sure she had his full attention, “from beyond the grave.”
Glim gulped slightly, and took a step back from her. They stared at one another for a long time before Glim Murkwisp’s smile returned. “Quite the fascinating impasse we are at, Worldwalker. You cannot kill me, because if you do, you will be killed before you can save the werewolf. I can’t kill the werewolf, or you will kill me. So, the only options left to us are for me to kill you, or…”
“Go ahead and try,” Daneera challenged, holding up her long knife again.
“Lady Daneera, you don’t know…” Faron began from behind her before Glim interrupted him.
“Silence!” The Fae nobleman hissed before refocusing on the huntress. “You realize that I was challenging you to a duel, don’t you? And that you have just accepted?”
“Fine by me,” Daneera sneered. “What stakes?”
“If I win, that crown you wear is mine, as it always should have been. If you win, I will release your pet from my control…”
“Deal,” Daneera said, and she could hear Faron groan from behind her.
“…for precisely one hour,” Glim finished, grinning. “And you have already agreed.”
Daneera nodded slowly then, moving faster than anyone could react to, she activated her auras and struck. With her left hand, she caught the Marsh Panther under the jaw, sending it spiraling through the air and into one of the statues, where it slumped to the ground, unconscious. Then she sprang forward and tackled Glim Murkwisp hard to the ground, bringing her blade down, its flat edge against his throat.
The huntress straddled the surprised Fae and leaned in close. “Know this,” she said, her eyes wild. “If I even suspect you’re cheating in our duel, I’ll kill you. Slowly. Painfully. Are we clear?”
“This is not how duels are…”
He gagged on his words when Daneera pushed the blade down against his neck. “I asked if you understand me.”
“Yes,” he managed in garbled speech.
The huntress stared at him for a long time, then withdrew her blade and climbed off of him. Glim scrambled backward to his throne and used it to help climb to his feet. He took a moment to compose himself, took a deep breath, and spoke, staring icy daggers at Daneera. “We will fight our duel the Fae way, in one hour.” He turned to Faron. “See to it she understands the rules. And let the nobles know that there will be sport today. I am certain they will find this both entertaining, and educational.”
Faron gave one of the slightest nods Daneera had ever seen, and Glim turned to leave through a door behind his throne, giving one glance to the unconscious panther lying on the floor beside him. Once Glim had retreated from the room, an exacerbated Faron turned to Daneera with shock in his eyes.
“Lady Daneera, are you insane? Didn’t I warn you? I told you that you cannot trick Glim Murkwisp! Few have ever played the game as well as he does. He has you precisely where he wants you. You even let him set the stakes for the duel!”
“It won’t matter when I win,” she said, flexing her grip on her knife.
Faron threw his hands in the air. “You aren’t going to win the duel! That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Do you think Glim Murkwisp is foolish enough to fight you himself? Of course not! Fae duels are fought by proxy, always! Your creature against his! And despite your threat, Lady Daneera, he will not fight fair. He’ll throw everything he has at you, and everything he doesn’t.”
Daneera’s smile widened. “I figured as much.” She paused for a moment, looking around the cavernous room. “Tell me something, Faron. It must take a great deal of concentration for Glim to cast the spell that keeps those beasts in his thrall, doesn’t it?”
“Of course,” Faron said, rolling his eyes, “but it won’t work, what you’re thinking. He protects himself better when casting and maintaining his spell than any other time.”
“I have no doubt about that,” Daneera said. “What is the source of his spell?”
“Well, the spell he uses is a royal spell, from the ancient Fae kings and queens. Only the nobles have access to it, but no one has ever dared to cast it on this scale before.”
“Why not?”
“Because to do so is tantamount to declaring oneself king, something the rest of the Court would frown upon. Often lethally. Glim was able to get away with it mostly because nobody thought he would succeed. He surprised us all.”
“Hmm,” Daneera said, strolling over to the Marsh Panther. Its fall had knocked the Fae statue over, and the statue’s stone arm, crown, and wing were lying atop the creature’s black body. Daneera moved the debris out of the way slowly, one at a time, and then laid one hand on the cat’s side. After a moment or two, she nodded. “It will live.”
Faron sighed. “I do not understand you, Lady Daneera. Subtlety, decorum, manipulation, you cast them all aside in favor of, of whatever it is you are. I do not understand.”
Daneera stood and squared up to the Fae. “Then you had better spend some time over the next hour thinking about it. Think hard about why these things I set aside are so important to you.”
She started making for the far door. Faron shook his head. “I tried to warn you. You will not outplay Glim Murkwisp at his own game.”
Daneera shrugged. “That’s why I’m playing an entirely different game.” She stopped and looked over her shoulder at him. “What game are you playing?”
Before he could answer, Daneera had disappeared through the door. She had preparations to make.
* * *
The hour passed quickly, and soon Daneera found herself on one jutting balcony high above a large dirt arena. Directly across from her, on a similar balcony, sat Glim Murkwisp, who was staring across at her with abject and obvious hatred. Lining the balcony in front of him were numerous Fae guards, as well as several of Glim’s beasts. Behind him were rows of servants ready to answer his every demand, and behind them were yet more guards protecting the door into the room beyond. There were also guards lining Daneera’s balcony, but she noted with mild amusement that while Glim’s guards faced outward, hers were staring straight at her.
The stands on either side of the arena were filled with Fae nobility and their guests. The news of the duel had spread quickly, and Daneera guessed that most if not all of the Fae Court had shown up. It must have been a once-in-a-lifetime event, after all. A new Fae noble, who was not even a Fae, coming to the Courts to challenge the man who had all but named himself king, was too strange an event to miss. Daneera recognized no one in the crowd, nor had she expected to. They were all Fae, after all. They were nothing but a sea of people, a sea of witnesses to whatever was going to happen. And whatever that was, Daneera wanted it witnessed. She wanted the rest of the nobility to know what happened there that day.
Once everyone was in their positions, Glim Murkwisp stood from his seat and walked to the railing of his balcony, the guards stepping aside for him as he did. As he spoke, his voice rang through the arena like a hammer striking an anvil.
“Fellow nobles,” he began, “I believe you know why we are here. This upstart noble, Lady Daneera, has insulted me, and I have demanded satisfaction. You are all privileged to witness that satisfaction. Lady Daneera, present your choice of champion.”
Daneera stood up, walked to her railing, and closed her eyes. She drew on the rich mana of the Bladǎri and, from a far-off forest on another plane of existence, she called forth a creature that none in the Fae Courts had ever seen before. It was a gigantic creature of muscle and scales and predation, lined with spikes and ready for combat. There was a collective gasp from the crowd, and this time, Daneera could forgive the reaction. After all, no one on Morvata had ever even heard of a baloth before.
When the crowd had calmed down, Glim spoke again, his voice far too confident for Daneera’s liking. “That, Lady Daneera, is a fine trick. I don’t know what that thing is, or how you managed to get it into my citadel, but I congratulate you. You have chosen your champion well. Truly, a fine trick.” He paused, and Daneera could see his smile widen even across the distance of the arena. “Now let’s see mine. I wonder, Lady Daneera, if you remember earlier today when you were foolish enough to accept this duel. You interrupted me. I said that you cannot kill me, and I cannot kill your werewolf, so the only options are for me to kill you, or…” the gate beneath the Fae opened and a large shape started walking through, “for you to kill the werewolf.”
Daneera’s breath caught in her throat as Kerik, still in his werewolf form, appeared from the shadows beneath Glim Murkwisp’s balcony. He looked just as she remembered him, strong, heavily muscled, and ferocious. And, as with the last time she had seen him, his eyes, once a staggering dark gray, were glowing faintly yellow.
Glim Murkwisp grinned. “If you wish to win this duel, Lady Daneera, you must kill the very thing you fight to obtain.”
Daneera leaned forward over her railing, but the Fae guards on either side of her grabbed her wrists and leveled weapons at her. After a moment, though, she relaxed, and smirked. “You have a short memory, Murkwisp.”
The nobleman scoffed. “Your barbaric threats? They do not concern me. I am more than protected from the likes of you.”
But Daneera shook her head. “I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about a wolf named Shuru that you sent to murder me. I would have thought you would have learned from that.” She looked down at Kerik who looked back up at her and growled. “I would rather those I love die,” she said, her voice breaking slightly. She looked back up at Glim Murkwisp. “Than live as your slave.”
Daneera’s baloth roared, and Daneera backed away from the balcony to sit down in her chair. She did not want to watch what was about to happen. Glim also returned to his seat, the shock registered on his face. Then, without warning, Kerik charged forward at the great beast towering over him. The massive baloth swatted the werewolf aside, and Kerik crashed hard into the wall. But Kerik’s curse was not without its benefits, and he shook off the strike and moved in to attack again. He swiped his razor claws at the baloth’s hide, but they barely made a scratch in the hard scales. The baloth struck again, and Kerik dodged to the side, but could not avoid its second strike, which again sent the werewolf spiraling across the arena.
Kerik sprang back to his hind legs and assaulted the titanic beast again and again, but the baloth continued to shrug the much smaller foe away. It struck at him occasionally, and Kerik was always able to dodge one direction or the other when it did, but the werewolf was clearly outmatched. Had he been in control of his own faculties, Kerik would surely have tried to run, if such a thing were even possible from the arena. But Kerik was still under Glim’s control, and his orders, undoubtedly, were to fight to the death.
From her seat above the arena, Daneera tried to follow the combat as little as possible. Instead, she had her sights on Glim Murkwisp, who had two fingers of his right hand against his forehead. It was difficult to tell from this distance, but Daneera’s sharp eyes could just make out a slight yellow glow around his head. Daneera smirked and glanced at her baloth. Massive, strong, predatory, and most importantly, reptilian. Thanks to Denner Fabellian, Daneera had discovered in the Rever Marsh that Glim Murkwisp could not control reptiles. And she was betting on the fact, having never seen a baloth before, Glim would try to do just that.
An echo in Daneera’s memory recalled something that Kahr-ret-Taris had said on Arbagoth, when he had agreed to pay Fisco Vane’s exorbitant price. He had said “always trust a thief to steal and a liar to lie.” And Glim Murkwisp was a thief and a liar. He was also a cheater, and Daneera expected him to cheat. Daneera could just make out the first signs of confusion and frustration creep on to Glim’s face, and Daneera smirked more.
“What’s the matter, Glim?” She called over the commotion of the battle and the crowd. “My champion harder to control than you thought?” Another gasp from the crowd caused Daneera to roll her eyes. Then she focused back on Glim, who was furious. “It’s funny, he usually does what I want him to.”
She sent a mental request to the baloth, and she felt it agree. Suddenly, the beast lunged forward, past the attacking Kerik and directly toward Glim and his balcony. Glim’s guards formed a line and leveled their weapons, certain that the baloth was going to attack the balcony, which it could almost reach. Instead, the baloth wheeled around and bent low. With the distraction, Daneera sprang into action, activating her strength and speed auras and vaulting straight over the guards tasked with keeping her where she was. The huntress landed hard on the dirt arena floor in a crouch. She took a second or two to recover as the entire Fae Court erupted into chaos, and then she took off running right past Kerik.
When she reached her baloth, she quickly scaled it up to its head, and the baloth raised itself to full height, bringing Daneera within reach of Glim’s balcony. The guards massed to prevent her from reaching the Fae nobleman, and with their long spears, they were able to hold her at bay for a time. Behind them, Glim was panicking, now with the middle and index fingers of both hands pressed against his head. The yellow glow was clearly visible around him now as he concentrated as hard as he could, trying to take control of Daneera’s baloth and finish her once and for all. Daneera bided her time, feigning a strike here and there at the guards and their spears, and trying to make it appear as though she were actually trying to break through their line. Several minutes of this charade passed before Daneera finally saw what she was waiting for. When she did, she delayed for nearly a minute longer before mentally signaling the baloth, who brought its head down, and then quickly back up, launching Daneera over the Fae guards and directly in front of Glim Murkwisp.
Before any of the guards could react, Daneera grabbed the Fae by his shirt, pulled him from his chair, and spun him around. The guards turned around and leveled their spears at Daneera, but she was behind Glim now, her knife to his throat again, but this time, it was the knife’s edge pressing against his skin. Daneera leaned in and spoke to him, her voice chilling.
“If you want to live, tell them to stand down.”
“You wouldn’t dare…” Glim said, his tone unsteady.
“Try me,” Daneera said.
Glim swallowed air, which pushed the razor-sharp edge of her knife just slightly deeper into his skin. That was all the convincing he needed. “Stand down!”
Reluctantly, the guards obeyed, and pulled up their spears. Daneera nodded at them. “Now stand aside.”
Again, the guards obeyed, and slowly moved away from the balcony. Daneera pushed the Fae forward roughly, and then forced him to climb over the balcony and onto the baloth’s head. The baloth then lowered them down to the floor of the arena, and Daneera leapt off of her creature, slamming Glim Murkwisp face first into the dirt. The crowd took one more collective gasp, but this time Daneera simply ignored it. She turned Glim over onto his back and once again pressed her knife to his neck. With just a glance over her shoulder, Daneera thanked her baloth.
“I guess I don’t need him anymore,” she said with a smile, sending her friend back through the æther before refocusing on Glim. “Now, I believe we have the little matter of our duel, yes?”
Glim was wide-eyed and shocked, but slowly, as her words began to sink in, his shock dissolved into his usual smiling arrogance. “Yes, Lady Daneera. I suppose we do.”
Daneera was just about to respond when a heavily muscled and fur-covered arm wrapped her up around the waist and pulled her roughly off of Glim. Her long knife flew from her hand from the sudden motion, landing on the ground next to the Fae nobleman, who was already scrambling to his feet. Daneera struggled briefly against Kerik’s grip, but she knew that in his werewolf form, he was simply too strong. Instead, she just stared at Glim, who was brushing himself off theatrically as the Fae Court around him waited in hushed silence to see what would happen. After a long moment, Glim Murkwisp turned toward Daneera and smiled a wicked smile.
“Your champion is gone, Lady Daneera. Mine remains. That means that I am the victor in our little duel. So, even if your pitifully uncivilized behavior hadn’t already disgraced you enough, your brief time as a Fae noble is over. My prize for this duel, as you no doubt remember, if that crown atop your head, and the title it represents. The crown is now rightfully mine, and you, Daneera, are untitled.”
Daneera nodded. “You think you’re pretty clever, don’t you?”
Glim laughed. “I know I am, but more importantly, you are a fool. What did you hope to gain from any of this? Even if you had won, you would have lost your precious Kerik anyway. Did you really think you could outplay me in this game?”
Daneera slumped her head. “No,” she said sadly.
Glim laughed again. “Let her go. But if she makes a move toward me, kill her.”
Daneera felt Kerik release her from his grip, and she risked a glance up at his sweet, lupine face. He looked down at her quietly, his gray eyes sympathetic. Daneera smiled up at him.
Glim scoffed. “I admit, I had expected more from you, Worldwalker. All of the tales I have heard of your kind, all of the stories of the powers you could bring to bear, I thought you would make a better adversary for me than this.”
“Sorry to disappoint you,” Daneera said with a smirk.
“You should be,” Glim admonished. Then he straightened his shirt and his stance, then held out one hand. “Now, give me my crown.”
Daneera reached above her head and took off the golden crown that had, until recently, denoted her as a Fae Noble. Then, intentionally, she indicated above Glim’s head. “Which one are you going to wear?”
Glim scoffed. “Whichever one I wish, now please, do not embarrass yourself any further. You played the game poorly. You could never have beaten me.”
“Maybe not,” Daneera said. “But you did make two very big mistakes.”
“Quit stalling, Worldwalker,” Glim said, growing impatient.
“What stalling?” Daneera said with a laugh. “The game’s over.”
“On that, and that alone, you and I agree.”
“Oh, we agree on one other point,” Daneera said. “I never had a chance at beating you at this political game you Fae play. But that was your first mistake. You thought I was trying to.”
Glim’s smile faded. “What are you talking about?”
Daneera shrugged. “I would have been a fool to try to beat a Fae at their own game. For that, you need another Fae, one who does know the game.” At this she turned her head back and upward, projecting her voice up toward the balcony Glim had been sitting in. “Isn’t that right, Lord Rainglow?”
All eyes, especially the wide eyes of Glim Murkwisp turned toward the balcony, where Faron Rainglow stood proudly, his ancestral crown once more resting on his brow. “That’s right, Lady Daneera,” he said, shifting his attention to Glim. “You failed to notice, Glim. The law is quite clear on this point. This crown is mine now, as it was meant to be.”
Shocked, Glim reached above his head to feel his crown. He grabbed it and pulled it off, staring in fury at the stone crown from the broken statue in the throne room. He was shaking in rage as he looked back up toward Faron. “You will pay for this, Rainglow! I will not forget this humiliation!”
“Good!” Faron answered. “Because you would do well to remember that I have a crown, and thus a title. You, however, have no crown. It is you, Glim Murkwisp, who is untitled, now.”
“No,” Glim breathed, unbelieving. Then, though, his eyes lit up again. “It hardly matters anyway! Enjoy your slim victory, Faron. I am still a Fae noble! I won the duel! The Murkwisp crown is mine!”
Daneera coughed once. “Remember when I said you made two mistakes?” She glanced up at Kerik, and smiled. “You named the stakes, and played for this crown. But you never stipulated the condition the crown would be in, did you? Kerik, would you do the honors?”
The werewolf growled as Daneera handed him the Fae crown. As the entire Fae Court stared in awe, Kerik brought his massive paws together, shattering the crown into pieces. The scream that escaped from Glim’s mouth would have been heart wrenching, had it come from anybody else. The Fae fell to his knees and scurried over to the remains of the crown, picking them up with shaking hands and staring at them through tear-smothered eyes. Daneera looked back up toward Faron Rainglow, who was grinning with almost sadistic glee at the pathetic form of Glim Murkwisp.
“What do you say, Lord Rainglow? Is Glim Murkwisp still a Fae noble?”
Faron pretended to consider the issue. “Well, it seems the entirety of the Fae Court is gathered. I think perhaps we should cast our vote. I, for one, say that a broken crown means a broken line. All who agree?”
The crowd erupted in a roar of “yeas.” Faron nodded.
“All in disagreement?”
The crowd was silent, so silent in fact that they could hear the sobs of Glim over his broken prize. Faron nodded again.
“Very well. Glim Murkwisp, pretender to the forgotten throne, you are hereby declared by the Fae Courts to be untitled. And, as no noble has invited you into the Citadel, you are trespassing on noble lands. Daneera, as our honored guest, I leave the decision of his punishment up to you. Death?”
Daneera stared down at Glim, who looked back up at her with abject fear. Daneera grinned. “No. He’s caused too much suffering for us to just end his here. His punishment? I hear you Fae are quite good at magic. Can you strip him of his?”
Faron smirked. “Easily, now.”
Daneera nodded, then turned back and crouched down to get to eye level with Glim. “Then strip him of his magic, and exile him from the courts. Let him try to survive in the Bladǎri with the beasts he likes so much.”
Faron laughed. “Done!”
* * *
It took hours to sort out the chaos that resulted from Daneera’s duel with Glim Murkwisp. From the moment Faron Rainglow had stolen the crown, Glim’s spell began to weaken, and eventually broke. This left a large portion of the Bladǎri’s beasts coming to their senses in the middle of a massive, and enclosed, stone city, surrounded by both their prey and their predators. The result was predictable and ugly, but eventually the Fae were able to get most of the creatures out of their citadel and back into the forest. Cleaning up the mess was going to be a much longer process, however.
Glim Murkwisp was also ushered unceremoniously out of the Fae citadel. The untitled man was too shocked by the developments to even swear his revenge as he left. Instead, the Fae nobles and their guests and servants watched as their former tyrant stumbled and staggered his way through the stone streets and finally out the door, his title, his magic, and his pride all taken from him. Daneera found herself briefly wondering how long he was likely to survive alone in the forest without magic, but she quickly decided that she didn’t care.
The huntress spent the entirety of those hours after the duel with Kerik, who nuzzled her affectionately for the first half hour or so before he finally transformed back into his human form. The transformation was painful for him, far more than it ever had been before. He had never spent more than a night in his werewolf form, but he had been forced to remain bestial for weeks, and his body was growing accustomed to the form. Daneera was there to comfort him and ease his pain as best she could, and Faron Rainglow was kind enough to provide clothing for him.
Lamentably, Kerik remembered everything that had happened during his enslavement. At first, he could barely stand to look at Daneera, after having tried to kill her once again, but the huntress put a stop to that immediately, telling him in no uncertain terms that she would not tolerate any guilt on his part. She told him about Shuru and what she had had to do, as well as everything it had taken to get him back, and she wasn’t going to deal with him feeling badly about something he had no control over. Kerik’s bruised pride over being batted around by Daneera’s baloth, on the other hand, was something the huntress continually encouraged. Kerik took her jesting well, particularly when he reminded her that after everything, he had in fact won that duel.
After Kerik was rested up and ready to travel, Daneera bid farewell to Faron Rainglow, who thanked her profusely for everything she had done. He made it clear that, although Daneera had lost her crown, as the Patriarch of the Rainglow family, Faron would always count her as a member of his family. As such, she would always be a Fae noble, and welcome at the courts. Daneera thanked him for the gesture, but warned him not to expect her to visit often. Faron laughed, looking around at the mess left by the animals, and admitted that was probably for the best.
And that was that. Daneera and Kerik left the Fae citadel and started the long trek back to Kerik’s cabin. During that time, the two never strayed far from one another. They talked, they laughed, they hunted, and they slept in each other’s arms. It took nearly a week to cross through the Bladǎri and back home, but the time passed quickly for both of them. The cabin was pretty much how they had left it. The one benefit to Glim Murkwisp’s control of the forest beasts was that none of them had been around to take up residence in the abandoned cabin.
Kerik was reaching for the door handle when he stopped, hung his head, and turned back to Daneera. “Daneera, without you, I…”
“Don’t worry about it,” Daneera interrupted.
“But I would never…”
“It’s alright,” Daneera interrupted again.
“I have so many things I need to say,” Kerik said softly.
Daneera just shook her head. “There’s only one thing you need to say, Kerik.”
He looked down at her, his gray eyes wavering as if on the edge of tears. Then, slowly, he nodded. “Will you stay?”
Daneera pulled his head down toward hers and kissed him, a long and longing kiss. When she finally pulled away, she was smiling. “Of course. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”
Kerik placed both of his hands on the back of her head. “I love you, Daneera.”
“I love you, too, Kerik.”
Together, they walked into their cabin and closed the door. They needed fresh water, and food, and firewood. They needed a long night’s sleep and a reprieve from Fae politics. They needed a return to their lives and some sense of normalcy. But, most of all, in that moment, they needed each other.
And that was the one thing they knew they had.
