Post #2815495 in The Gala-Dor Expedition, a roleplay on RPG

"It's rude to answer for other people."

Hilgur’s face scrunched up in response.

"I love your necklace! You simply must tell me where you got it!"

The drow acted just as Anais had predicted - she jerked back defensively as the scholar intruded into her space. Her bare foot slid across the stone road and her knees bent into a position to either lunge or run. Hilgur tugged the chain, something she flinched against. Then came the clanging of sabatons, and she froze. The visage of a frightened, abused animal dropped. The drow glanced over her shoulder at the guards calling for her master’s attention, then looked back to Anais, her chin lifted.

“The Sacred Flame,” the drow answered, unusually accented, with something that could be construed as pride.

“Hold there!” One to the guards commanded. Hilgur straightened up, passing a dirty look to Anais on the way. ”Yes, guard. What can I help ya with?” His growl barely coming through gritted teeth.

The other guard glanced at the dwarf’s ‘companion’. His body stiffened up at the sight of the chained drow. “Sir, I need to see the papers for your servant,” he demanded, his voice calm yet wary. The drow stared Anais down through it all with open resentment for the situation.

Hilgur rolled his eyes. ”Hmph! Is it cause I’m a dwarf? You think I’m not respecting your laws, son?” He muttered and fumbled into his pockets. And fumbled some more. And a little more. His brows furrowed, and the colour left his face. ”Err, I must have misplaced it back in the Jackalope. I… didn’t expect the need to lug the blasted things around, you see.”

The guards seemed unimpressed. One of them rested his palm upon the hilt of his arming sword. The drow blinked. She glanced from Anais between Hilgur and the guards, mind alert behind those bright blue eyes. Doubt. There couldn’t be -

The dwarf cleared his throat and shrugged. ”Look, I acquired her lawfully from one of your Captains. Jean-Pierre-something-or-other. Take it up with him if you don’t trust me, aye?”

The guards eyed him for a moment. Their helmets obscured all emotions, but their guarded posture showed no evidence of trust. “Stand aside, citizens. We need to inspect the property.” One guard drew his blade, keeping an eye on the latter as he approached the drow. She drew back and up to her full height, eyes fixed on the blade, Her chest rose and fell quicker as he came closer. The lines on her neck tightened. She didn’t dare move her feet. A thick leather glove reached for her hood and pulled it down.

Hilgur breathed a sigh of relief. The drow shut her eyes, with futility and embarrassment.

There, upon the nape of her neck, seared into the flesh. The ring-shaped scar like an eclipse against her dark skin. A mark reserved only for the worst of transgressors. The mark of a murderer. Her eyes flashed open at the guard with his hands on her, and bared her teeth at him, canines flashing. A warning growl omitted from her chest, ending in a sharp click, click, click of her tongue. Sounding more like the purr of a beast and chatter of an insect than a person. He backed off immediately.

“Whoa, there,” he hushed her, then gave Hilgur a concerned look, “You have a lot of faith in that chain considering the severity of that mark. What was she branded for?”

Hilgur glanced towards Anais and answered.

”The Ducard family.”

The guards recoiled, in the exact same instant that the drow dashed into action. Her hand gripped the chain as she darted to Anais faster than Hilgur could pull her back. The chain spun around the scholar’s neck and pressed against her back, her pointed chin digging into Anais’s shoulder.

“Ri’gat uns’aa alu!” The drow shouted, over the clamour of drawing swords. She tugged at her hostage, trying to ease them both out of Hilgur’s grasp. The chains around Anais’s neck were uncomfortable, but not biting. Her furious glare fell on Hilgur. “Dos orn ri'gat uns'aa alu, gorra'h, xor usstan orn nau'thal dos ulu straek. To death!” Steel flashed in her peripherals, and she spun, hissing at the approaching guard and pulling the chain. With restraint. Anais felt it. The drow was being careful with her.

The pedestrians, once content to ignore the private dispute, instantly scrambled and screamed for the guards. The Order’s clerics and knights emerged on either side of the bridge and brandished their maces, swords, and shields, closing off any avenues for escape.

The two guards closest to Drei and Anais raised their shields and assumed defensive postures. One of them raised his voice. “Drow! Let the woman go, or you won’t have a neck to be branded tomorrow!”

Hilgur had remained utterly calm through all this. He stared down the drow, with pitch-black eyes that sucked in all light. ”Keep yer britches on.” His shoulders shook up and down as he chuckled. ”She ain’t gonna hurt anybody.”

The other guard glanced at Hilgur from his peripherals. “This is not the time to peddle your nonsense, dwarf.”

Hilgur folded his arms, turned towards Anais, and quirked one brow.

Snippet #2815495

located in Zoltia, a part of The Gala-Dor Expedition, one of the many universes on RPG.

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