Ilyana sat huddled aside a long eared friend, eyes shifted on seeing me walking straight to her, attentive as ever she was quick to stand when I called by moving a set of fingers.
Keen to answer she passed the others, walking behind me as we went inside the bottom of the nearest tower.
With a light tug I had her pressed against a stack of wooden crates, "these are for you." I said dropping a set of armor by her feet, the sound of it hitting the floor caused a big thud, her heart bounced on impact and I visibly noted her faint muscle spasms.
If all goes well.
"You're going to act as my little spy."
She gave me an awkward nod and peered at the hefty looking chest piece, "North marches," she let out and both eyes glued to the marking on the center.
My questioning gaze had her answer,
"T- this etching, it's theirs..."
Her words escaped her chaste lips, worried she peered up.
"You know of these engravings." I asked, leaned up against the rough interior wall.
"Yeah, I do..." She kneeled by the pieces as her hand brushed over the dusty center, brushing the thick layer of grime uncovered the rather intricate mark.
"Life for elves can be fleeting, no one has seen an elf beyond the mountains for a long time."
"What do you mean?" I curiously looked down. "You elves own the lands a days march from the passes, why wouldn't one or two be adventurous enough to go through?"
"The lands are blighted in filled with tribal warlords, the cold north isn't exactly a lighthearted place to be... And us from the south," She pointed to her light fair skin. "We don't tend to do very well in lands were darkness have infested the minds," she blushed, "even ones needs are-"
"Are you saying these lands would corrupt a chaste, fair maiden. Such as yourself?"
With a cheeky grin I repeated,
"even ones needs are," letting out a soft chuckle.
I admired the fact she spoke without fear.
"Darkness, so these elves of the Northern marches? How are they able to live within a region so barren and cold, compared to the southern fertile plains."
She nodded running her hand over her exposed thigh. "They're greyer in appearance, as if never having been exposed to the sun, simply grey like that of a smooth rock of Deen'aier, purple in shade."
"Is that all, anything other than skin that makes them different?"
"... Hmm, well... The most prominent difference would be their affinity with dark magic, hence why they wouldn't mind living in blighted territory. We, southern elves like to stay clear of all that whenever possible, but as I said, haven't heard anything from the Northern marches in a long time."
"That so," I murmured and pushed away from the wall, circling the round assembly parading past half broken wooden crates and sullen flooring. "Still, it'd be best for you to put on the armor- I still want to find out if we can pass through without being halted at the opposite end."
She nodded and turned the chest piece over before fitting the parts onto her body.
As most eleven folk are same in stature, some regular clothing befitting the average ranker and file soldier can be worn by most.
"Tell me about these tribal warlords?"
"Ahh... You don't know about them, coloured in blue and often tattooed from head to toe... Haven't you heard about them, Q- Qira?"
"I have a mild understanding that a barbaric people lay ahead of us, raiders and such."
"They're certainly noxious, odors than taint your mind-" She let out a sigh and sniffed her own armpit, "Even as I haven't washed for a while, the scent of those beasts are far worse than anything I can conjure to mind."
On hearing her words and witnessing the cute way she ran her nose just over her arm, chuckling I moved to stand in front of her. "Even me?" I cheekily let out and stood still. "You think your owner is less foul in scent than some barbaric human?"
She stopped fiddling with the straps on seeing me halt, glancing shyly at the loincloth wagging before her. "Even to say us orcs are tame in comparison?"
Blushing she pivoted towards her left, "... Y- Your, stench. It isn't as bad as the others... Rather it's-"
Stopping in her words, fidgeting in her stance.
Letting out a breathe of air she leaned right and took a light whiff, inhaling the aroma floating from my centrepiece. "You, you have a peculiar scent-" A soft giggle escaped her lips before she nodded, "my, owner's... Smell, it isn't as bad as the humans past these mountains, not as I recall..."
I didn't think to ask as to why she knew all this, simply gladdened on seeing Ilyana's quick turnabout, her mind probably confused, but in a way she's owning to her new calling as being beneath an orc, possibly she won't be the only one that'll be a good submissive and help me along.
Even though I have ample knowledge that most could understand from living in a world as full as mine, the main species are known to me as it is to the rest of my orc companions, I gained their knowledge and a little more on entering this vast land.
Humans are easy to see as a nuisance, but their lesser sub-species are somewhat obscure, as are these darkened elves, and furthermore I have little knowledge in their ways and how they act or treat other races.
This is where help from others is necessary, it is no less a luxury when traveling into the unknown.
But seeing as the elves would probably not be alive, I wondered for how long this shadow of a king had been left to wallow in his ruins of a castle.
Would his subordinates even be alive?
Possibly, but I couldn't know until I'd seen the castle for myself, and wanting to scout ahead either-way, it didn't matter me if I could clear the castle if it's deemed an obstruction to my party.
If the elves past here are different, (if they're alive) they'd spot her difference in skin easily.
Whatever the case, the armour will protect her from any harm.
* * *
With the greaves firmly tout over her leather boots and light gauntlets put on, the final pieces donned, the two of us left the now livelier castle as we wandered further into the maze, soon to find the exit at where Garteth would surely stand.
On approaching what seemed to be the actual opening a sound alarmed Ilyana who took a fast step behind me, "Did you hear that?"
"Eh-hh, that sounded like a war drum, someone's out for blood." I said as if to spook Ilyana some more whilst I listened in on the fading echo, of which I knew nothing of.
*Dun, DUN, Dun... Dun, DUN, Dun..." A slow paced drumming was clear to my pert ears, but it was undoubtedly being repeated, over and over with slight miss alignments to the tune.
"Are you less afraid of a drummer when hugging my shadow?" I asked with an insulting tone, my smile showing when looking down, "you have little to fear, I won't let anyone hurt you as long as you belong to me. You hear that, Ilya."
Her nod was very slow as if beaten, though before peering forwards my eyes noticed the subtle smile which didn't last long, her cheeks rosy and body moving in an odd fashion.
I didn't know what to make of her, she's just giving in a bit too easy, unsettling me more so than if she'd taken weeks to break in, certainly a positive no matter what caused her change of heart.
Just an endearing little elf that's somewhat growing on me, though still very much beneath me; that much is certain.
* * *
Traveling towards the drumming we found the outline of a menacing castle, though from the path we'd come from we now could observe it in peace from a superb vantage point.
The nearer we got the more of a warmth could be felt emitting from within it's walls, the courtyard behind the sturdy shell was lit like a beacon at night, illuminating the night's sky.
Nearing a slope that'd take us straight down to the bottom of the nearest wall, both of us carefully lurched forwards and made sure to stay unnoticed by being low to the ground, with the light inside so strong making it made it easy to spot a set of armed guards walking across the top.
Their backs and eyes often turned towards the heart of this formidable structure, this was nothing compared to the ruin we left.
A fest of some sort seemed to be well enjoyed, wonder if they'd take kind on two travelers; as if-
I patted the rear of Ilya who'd nimbly crawled further towards the edge, she kept quiet but tensed on feeling my grip, without much strength I reeled her down beside me, "rightly as you've said, those on the inside don't seem to be elves."
"They're humans, I'm sure of it..." I agreeably nodded and crouched on nearing the slope, slowly skidding as the dirt beneath my feet made very little sound, after me came Ilya, following as she made even less noise.
"What now. . . ! Should we, attack?"
Her question brought a good point to mind, attacking would rid me of the obstacle, giving me freedom to pass in the morning, knowing that humans, (savages) live here, it'd be a fight for sure and a lot of bloodshed.
"Do you mind heights?" I asked inquisitively as my eyes drifted to a lowered part of the walls natural defense, an outcropping that had a dangerous incline but one that wasn't straight, where you could safely put strength in arms and hands to good use, climbing wouldn't be easy though it certainly looked possible.