"Pieces of Ella Part Four" by Steven Lee Mull

The map must have spent many years tucked in its case. Ella had to oil the back of it just to get the velum to unroll without cracking. Once she had it spread out on a small table in her room she realized what a bargain the peddler had given up. “A merchant should know his wares better.” Ella made a clucking sound with her tongue.

More light was needed to illuminate the three sheets held flat by a series of smooth stones usually used for table games. She lit a second lamp, adjusting the hood so as not to disturb her brothers who were still asleep in her bed. The dark elf girl had awakened a couple of hours ago between them. Thad was seven and deathly afraid of lightning. Last night’s storm had driven him to seek shelter in Ella’s cellar room.

Traybin was eleven and half sylvan elf like his little brother. He would just as soon die as to admit to any fear, especially to the adopted sister who chided him to wash behind his ears. He had mumbled something about making sure Thad made it safely down the darkened stairs. She had smiled to herself but said nothing as they settled down beside her. Sylvan children tended to sleep in heaps like puppies, one more custom Ella made some effort to get used to.

Ella listened to the boys a few moments. Their breathing didn’t change, slow and steady. She continued studying the faded lines that represented what had been the three lower levels of Dread Keep. A delicately tapered black finger traced two particular lines until they ended in a familiar symbol. “A door? Here?”

She walked to one end of her room. Stretching her legs, Ella attempted to pace out the distance from a load bearing wall to where a door was marked on the map. The far wall came up to her face before she was finished counting.

“This can not be right.” Ella set her feet apart again. The length looked right to her. That could only mean that the door had to be in the hall running between her room and the water room. She scampered through the other areas and up the stairs leading to a back courtyard. Stars shown bright above. Both moons were a good way from the horizon. There was plenty of time before breakfast to do a bit of exploring.

Map and lamp in hand, Ella was soon studying a section of wall at the very end of the short hall. It didn’t take long to see this wasn’t a wall. The map was true. What appeared to be a glob of mortar a stone mason had been sloppy with turned out to be hardened clay. This flaked away with some picking. Underneath was a metal ring set into a thick bronze-wood door carved to look like stone. Little wonder orcs or goblins had not discovered this passage before the present residents took over Looking Glass. The carving was that of a master craftsman and wood of this kind often lasted hundreds of years.

Ella chided herself for missing this for so many years though. A full blood elf of any kind was nearly as good as a halfling at spotting passages. The only reason she could think of was the plethora of distractions in her life here. One of the boys stirred and mumbled in his sleep. “Speaking of distractions,” Ella mused out loud. “Well, you two ought to be fine. I’ll leave one lamp aglow in case you really wake up.”

With some study of the mechanism, Ella discovered twisting the ring left should unlock it. She was ready with critter draped about her shoulders and a treated kerchief pulled tight against her lower face in case the air was bad. Ella dowsed her lamp to give her infra-vision time to adapt. Once she could discern most details by their heat the ancient door grudgingly gave way with a low groan.

Cool stone blocks making up a stairway contrasted sharply with a gentle warmth of life in the lichen and moss growing on them. Ella was surprised the air was damp but not particularly stale. With cautious steps she followed the stairs down into the bowls of the city’s foundation.

The granite slabs that formed each step were worn some in the middle. Ella slid one foot along one, figuring this passage had been in use for some centuries before being abandoned. After descending her height about ten times over, the stairs opened into a rather large room with a row of thick stone columns supporting the middle. Dust of many years covered large areas of the floor but not all. At the far end Ella could see clear paths of bare stone. Something was living down here.

She circled her end of the room while keeping her heat gathering eyes trained on the trails. This almost cost her dearly. Ella caught the toe of one boot on a low pile of debris. Nimbly, she skipped over the debris then rolled when she found no purchase to land on. With no little annoyance, the young shadow elf found herself hanging on the edge of a large basin built into the floor.

Ella poked about with her feet to make sure there was a stable bottom. After standing, she found that this wash tub came to her shoulders and had two hydrants shaped like lion heads. She climbed out the other side. A rack made of horizontal bars forced her to take a meandering rout. The debris she had tripped over must have been a similar stand for drying cloths or clothing. She noticed brass nozzles like those in her family’s water room mounted in the ceiling in one corner. A partition for this area lay in ruins near by.

Now she had a much better idea as to the configuration and use of this room. It was about twice as long as it was wide. With benches, wall cabinets and wet areas, this had to be designed for soldiers to get ready for practice then to recuperate afterwards. Something she spied by another stairway confirmed her impression. Against that wall, there were two racks full of dusty practice weapons waiting patiently for warriors long since dead.

Ella noted that most of the wall cabinets were an open design and obviously empty. The weapon racks were far more interesting anyway. There were various kinds of swords, axes and spears made of blunt metal or rotting wood. There were several shields of various designs hanging above them. These seemed more substantial. Ella set her eye on one of the smaller ones, not much bigger than a buckler and began climbing. The ascent was slow going with every support tested before she put her entire weight on it.

Once the prize was in her hands she lit a small torch to examine the shield more closely. Ella had quite forgotten the room might be occupied at that very moment. There was a simple set of images on the outside surface. Fish and water birds were chasing each other along the edge. The center was occupied by a sun partly covered by a crescent moon. She was about to climb back down with something behind the rack had caught her attention.

A long bag was hanging from a peg in back of the rack. She pulled the bag from its resting place nearly dropping it when the tie rope fell to pieces. Ella lay the ancient article gently on the stone floor in case something breakable was inside. With one deft move she split the rotten canvas along the middle. Leather and brass peeked out from the ruined container.

As Ella removed more shredded cloth she saw an elegant short sword emerge. This begged the question of what it was doing tucked in behind a row of practice weapons. A five pointed flower decorated the pommel. Perhaps an officer’s wife or daughter came here to hone her skills. Ella drew the sword and tested the balance. The grip almost fit her hand. Ivy and flowers were engraved on the blade as well. This had to be the weapon of a female.

Ella was about to sheath the blade when a low growl made her blood freeze. Whatever dwelt in this sub-basement had found her. She couldn’t tell exactly what this predator was but one thing was certain, it was not friendly.

From behind a nearby pillar a subtle form bounded into sight. From the heat being put out by this animal it was clearly agitated. When it came within ten paces, Ella could tell it was feline. Within six paces, she recognized the cat as a cave lynx. With speed and agility to match any elven warrior, a lynx was dangerous in close quarters. To make matters worse, this specimen was nearly the same size as Ella.

There was no time to run, not a spare second to think. She had little training with a blade this long. She had no instruction on using a shield. All Ella could do was react.

The wild cat leaped, all claws and fangs, flashing white hot anger. She held her shield tight against her shoulder as she slid sideways. The sword struck out strait impaling nothing but air. Rolling with the counter attack then slashing from the opposite direction, Ella missed again. The lynx was like a phantom.

Ella’s shield helped until the cat jumped behind her. Then only her enchanted cloak, she called critter, saved her skin. She spun blade first. That was another mistake. The sword sliced wide and short of the target. It was all Ella could do to scramble backwards fast enough to avoid getting torn to pieces. One good thing came of this. She now realized she was overcompensating for the length of her weapon. This wasn’t the dagger she was used to, but it was far from being a broad sword.

With the maneuvering of battle and desperate dodges Ella found she was clear to run up the stairs to her home. By using her new shield to fend of any more attacks and backing toward the doorway, chances were good she could escape. Something in her didn’t want to retreat. The dark elf in her wanted victory. It wanted to kill.

Time had passed though. Ella had no idea how much. The sun could be up for all she knew. Ella slowly began edging away. The lynx stalk her, taking swipes at her feet. These attacks came less frequently but with the same force. None the less, she was making progress and was about to allow herself a sly grin. This would have been the way the fight ended if Ella hadn’t forgotten one small detail, the basin.

At first Ella had no idea what was happening. All she knew was the floor had disappeared from under her. The realization of what she had blundered into hit her at the same instance as the bottom did. That was followed immediately by seventy odd pounds of angry cave cat!

Claws whipped around the edges of her shield. Sharp teeth snapped at her face. In vain, Ella tried again and again to press upward with the shield to put some distance between her and her tormentor but the cat was just too heavy. The ferocious animal was now clawing at the little shadow elf’s legs with its back claws.

Amid this furry, her mind barely registered blood beginning to ooze along her tunic. Ella’s throat clenched in fear. She tightened her abdominal muscles until they were like the ropes on a ship during a gale. Slowly, painfully the weight across her chest budged. Was the cat giving up or was adrenaline allowing the girl that much raw strength? Ella attempted to maneuver her blade for a clean strike but it seemed to be pinned tight. Desperately she twisted to wrench it free.

Now blood was flowing feely though she knew not from which wound. The cat’s weight prevented her from even drawing a decent breath. With one more lunge from the cat, Ella lost the inches she had gained. Snapping teeth came right against her head. Had it not been for critter’s hood, Ella would have lost half of her face.

Then everything was still.

Wiggling to the side and drawing up her knees, Ella loosened the cat’s death grip on her hood. She winced as pain shot up her side. Ella lay there for long moments catching her breath. Then she used the short sword to pry the cat’s body back far enough to free the arm under her shield. With three of her limbs mobile again, the girl was able to slide out from under and evaluate what had happened.

The fall had cracked two of her ribs. Beyond this and a few minor scratches she was no worse for wear. All of the blood had come from where the cave cat had fallen onto her new weapon. Ella’s knees wobbled when she stood. With a half dozen good tugs she got her shield and sword back and scrambled back up to the floor.

Dust swirled around her as she limped to the stairs leading home. Her side throbbed and her head ached but she was alive and victorious. Before Ella could mount the first step a soft little sound drifted too her on the thick air. No, there were two sounds together. There was a skittering like nails on stone. Then there was what sounded like a high pitched whimper.

Curiosity piqued in the dark elf girl, pushing fatigue and pain aside. Ella drew her hard won sword. She advanced warily on the corner where several trails converged. The other side of a dilapidated water barrel was a pile of old rags and fur. This was the source of the noise.

She lowered her sword then her shield when she saw the tiny wriggling fury forms. As they bounded out meowing for their mother, Ella bowed her head, cheeks wet with tears of shame. She knew what it was to be an orphan. Now she had saddled herself with the ignominy of making more. Ella began to sob softly as the kittens discovered her boot laces.

Marian heard the back door latch open again. Ella wandered in, placing the empty egg basket and some coins on the counter as she headed for the table. “You almost missed breakfast. Did you have trouble on the way to the inn? Did you have enough for them?”

“No, I mean yes, I had to take care of some things before then. Nothing serious, it just put me late.” Ella plopped down beside Abby, her youngest sibling. By the looks of things, the baby had been enjoying her mashed peas all over; all over her face, all over her chair and all over Dom’s hands.

Dom was attempting to get a small spoon into his daughter’s mouth but Abby was having none of it. “I swear she enjoys playing with her food more than eating.”

“Think she got any on the inside or is all her food out here?” Ella chuckled and took the spoon from Dom. “Let me give this a try while you eat. Your breakfast is getting cold.”

The dark elf girl had some luck with the peas. She had more success with carrots and mashed fruit. By the time Marian was clearing dishes, Abby had finally eaten a full meal. Ella began cleaning up the mess starting with her younger sister’s face, continuing with the furniture and finishing with the floor.

“You haven’t eaten yet, young lady.” Marian scolded Ella mildly.

Ella begged off breakfast saying that she would eat after doing the rest of her chores. Marian protested, pointing out that they were caught up with orders for tailored clothing and that there was plenty of firewood already chopped. Marian relented when Ella explained she needed to gather nuts from across the lake for a pie. The woman did have some suspicions when she saw Ella stuff two handfuls of meat into a folded cloth and she took a gourd of goat milk as well. Like their full blood elven neighbors, Ella was more fond of nuts and fruit than meat.

Marian sat by an open window to do embroideries as Abby took a late morning nap. She knew this peaceful interlude would not last long so she was making the most of it with a cup of hot tea and a new dress for her youngest offspring. Marian mused over the irony that after adopting three children she had actually been able to deliver one of her own. Had the gods taken pity on her for showing such kindness to other people’s progeny or was the mere presence of other youngsters enough to settle her temperamental womb? Whatever the reason, Marian was grateful for all of her young ones.

A sound of leather sliding along polished wood and the click of a bronze bolt told Marian that some one was entering the front door. She scurried toward the front room to make sure they didn’t wake her baby. Marian stopped short at the edge of the room when she saw Quin and Farhon supporting a gold elf knight between them.

Neither motion nor time was wasted. Marian opened the spare side room next to the boy’s sleeping quarters. The knight’s armor had already been loosened by the healers who had treated him. They had no trouble getting him stripped to his arming tunic and breeches. Marian went to the kitchen, returning with wash cloths and a large bowl of hot water. In the tradition of the sylvan elf women, she bathed his face, arms and feet. After making sure he was comfortable Marian provided him with a pair of moccasins and a cup of broth.

The fellow drained his cup and thanked her. When she returned from the kitchen with a fresh cup of tea he was nodding off in his chair. “You must be exhausted after your battle. I have a bed turned down if you want to rest.”

“Thank you. You are most kind my lady. I was told this was yet a savage land. It warms my soul to know that I was misinformed.” The gold elf let Marian guide him to the bed and tuck him in. As he reclined and his head settled on the pillow, a religious medallion on a chain slipped from under his tunic.

Marian’s eyes locked on the talisman. This was wrong. She glanced at his face, angelic framed by blond curls and fresh linen. His blue eyes were already closed, his breathing quiet and even. Marian studied the metal disc more closely. There was no mistake. It was the symbol of an order that had perpetrated any number of atrocities against her people, her family . . . , herself.

She rushed from the lean-to room, strait into her younger brother. Marian lashed out at him in a horse whisper. “Do you know what he is?”

“Yep.”

“And you still brought him here?”

“Yep.” Before she could protest further, Quin raised his open palm in a gesture for peace. “He fought at my side. I owe him sanctuary. By the time the bandages come off his eyes he will have learned to accept all of us or he will be on his way. In any case, he is an elf. Those in the order of Angar Heist who attacked us were humans.”

“Are you sure that makes such a difference? What if he is a zealot like the rest of his ilk? What if he brings back others of his order?”

“His order is banned from this parish. He was only passing through with a small caravan. If he wants to cause any trouble, he will be one against many. Right now he is at our mercy and no threat to any of us.” Quin placed his hands on his sister’s arms in a consoling touch.

Marian sighed in resignation. “Well, I suppose we have no choice then. But if he doesn’t accept you-know-who, I want him out of here. Understood?”

Quin inclined his head in agreement. “Understood”.

“Speaking of your daughter, I think you need to find out what she collected on her late night journeys.”

Quin knew that whenever Marian referred to Ella as ‘his daughter’ that she had most likely been exhibiting one of his bad habits. “Um, is it dangerous or just smelly?”

“I wouldn’t know, but I’d wager its something alive! You need to find out and handle it if it is dangerous.” Marian reached up and tweaked his nose before moving along to check on Abby who was waking in the next room.

Quin was left holding his nose and grinning like a fool. He wondered at iron handed sister and a little dark elf girl who, despite being no blood relation, seem to take so much after him.