Page 18 of Sun Elves of Ardani

“Maybe they’ll finally start to think twice about wronging us if we start fighting back.”

Eliyr was watching Kadaki intently. She would not go as far as to say that the look he was giving her was hopeful, but clearly he realized she was the closest thing he had to an advocate.

Roshan approached behind Kadaki. “I see you’ve met one of my guests,” he said in his disarmingly friendly way.

His presence seemed to reel back the anger in Sergio’s expression. “Guests?”

“New visitors from Ysura. They’re here on some kind of mage business.”

“Investigating a possible undiscovered axis,” Kadaki said.

Sergio frowned. “A what?”

Roshan cut in while Kadaki was still drawing a breath to explain. “They’re trying to dig for magic.”

“You can do that?”

Roshan shrugged. “No idea. I don’t much care whether they actually find what they’re looking for as long as they keep paying us so well to do it. This is Eliyr, their mage assigned to the project. He’s not causing trouble, is he?”

Kadaki did not miss the way they all reacted to the mention of pay. They’d just realized that Eliyr and the others were the reason that the local miners were in such good spirits that night.

Sergio finally let go of Eliyr’s coat. “He was slinking around alone in the dark. Naturally, we guessed he was up to something nefarious.”

Roshan looked at Eliyr. “Were you?”

Eliyr reached up to straighten his clothes, indignant. “Of course not,” he spat. Kadaki guessed he was offended by the implication that he’d been “slinking” anywhere. Ysurans always walked perfectly straight, like they were trying to make themselves as tall as possible, or possibly like they had something stuck up their asses that they were trying not to dislodge.

“You’ll have to grant our guests some grace while they find their footing here,” Roshan said to the other Ardanians. “I’m sure this won’t be the first time one of them loses their way in town. I’ll escort him from here to make sure he finds his way home.”

Sergio gave Eliyr another hateful look, but turned to leave. “Take care, Roshan.”

“You as well, Sergio.”

Eliyr watched the group leave, then turned his suspicious gaze on Kadaki and Roshan. “I hope you’re not expecting some effusive outpouring of gratitude,” he sneered.

“Not at all,” Roshan said dryly. “Are you all right?”

“Of course I am.” He angrily straightened his clothes again, unnecessarily. Kadaki noticed, when he stopped moving, that there was a slight tremble in his hands. “Your magistrate or baron or whatever it is you have needs to keep their citizens on a tighter leash.”

“We don’t have a magistrate or a baron, actually,” Roshan said. “Refka is mostly independent, like much of Ardani. We govern ourselves with a small town council. The only ruler we answer to is the queen.”

“Whatever. I don’t care about your local government. I was hoping to find Rhian here, but I’ve suddenly lost my appetite for this place. Just tell me how to get back to that hovel you call a house.”

“We’ll escort you back to the hovel,” Roshan said. “I suspect you are not actually up to anything nefarious, so I don’t see the need to supervise you, but I’d be a poor host if I didn’t show you the way myself.”

Eliyr gave him a long look. Kadaki got the feeling he was trying to decide whether he was shaken enough that he was willing to accept help from an Ardanian. They all knew Roshan was offering him protection, though he had been careful not to say it outright, thus softening the blow to the elf’s ego.

“Very well,” Eliyr said tightly. “You may accompany me, if you wish.”

“Thank you,” Roshan said, gesturing for Eliyr to go ahead of him.

They started back down the road. Roshan fell into step with Kadaki.

“I’m getting premature grays from living here,” he murmured to her. “Really. I checked. I found a whole patch of gray hair on my temple that wasn’t there a month ago.”

Kadaki smirked. “I don’t see any grays. But if anyone could be excused for having them, it’s you.”

She slowed as they passed The Smiling Dragon: the very same tavern where she and Roshan had reconnected a little over a year ago. It was as lively as ever. It looked warm inside, and everyone inside was smiling and laughing and dancing. All of them were human.

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