My first impression of Meranvale was a sleepy backwater town. The current sight before me betrayed my original impression. Scattered around the outskirts of the town was a plenitude of tents. The atmosphere around the town was teeming with bustling activity. Temporary stables were constructed on one side, though the number of horses in the stables were less than twenty. Going by the number of tents, Merrick would have brought somewhere between eighty to hundred and fifty pursuers. Obviously, not all of them would be a part of the War band or the hunting party in this case. Some would be support staff. Still, the number of horses was low.

From my hiding spot, I ducked low again and let the thick foliage cover my presence.

“Big dogs there Mistress,“ Taltil stated while hiding next to me.

I did a mental calculation on the logistics required for a hunting party of this size. Obviously, Merrick knew that horses would not be ideal in a chase through the thick woods. so he brought more rangers, scouts, woodsmen and hooligans.

I peered again from my hiding spot. After searching for a bit, I spotted the object of Taltil’s fear. On a side, separated away from the stables, were grounds for the Hounds. They were a varied breed. The majority of packs were made of sleek hounds. These hounds would be the coursers. But the real threat came from the bloodhounds. Their droopy dull face is a false facade concealing the real threat. These would be the scent trackers. Here and there, I could spot a Mastiff or a wolfhound. They might be the pack leaders.

To organise such a hunting party in a short while requires a measure of leadership. Merrick has proven himself to be a capable organizer. Even though we are on the opposite sides at the moment, Merrick would be a wonderful ally to have. In another kind of situation, perhaps, before my shorning, I might even have given this Merrick a commission and taken him under my wing. In the end, identifying talents is a basic requirement to lead a drow house.

Merrick himself, might not stay in the camp. He should have been offered a residency at one of the cosy inns or a house in the town. Hence meeting him in private at this instance might be out of option. My only hope lies in negotiating with Merrick when he is in the forest.

My hopes were crushed the moment I saw a rider manoeuvre his horse towards the town entrance. It was not the rider nor his horse that caught my attention but rather the rider’s surcoat. It had the thorny bramble signet. The signet of the house that I made mental note to avoid.

The ebb and flow of events would have been Vangere’s definition of my predicament. That old fool. He was my only human friend and I would have loved to have his counsel now.

Having seen my only hope for a peaceful resolution crumble, I silently backtracked my way to the forest with Taltil quietly falling behind my steps.

*****

“I should have realised sooner that you would be involved in something like this,” a voice proclaimed.

I had no need to look in the direction of the voice to infer the identity of the speaker. Someone capable of sneaking up in the forest and the accusatory tone gave away the owner of the voice.

“Arlene, I wish I could say that I was happy to meet you again. “ I said doing my best snarky impression.

Without stopping she continued, “So what did you do this time to bring the whole army behind your heels? Wait don't say, did you kill old paedrag. Not that I have any love for the degenerate mayor. Or is the guard Captain? Drows could never remain innocent. You have to go and off someone’s head. “ saying that, she started twisting the knots of her waist sash restlessly.

“Well, Apparently, it was some Lord Korvanor’s heir who was murdered,” I said without any emotion to my voice. I was hoping to catch her expression and she never failed to amuse me even in nifty situations like these.

“That is a big hit. I know you are trouble but that is far beyond anything that I imagined.” Her voice filled with excitement.

“Not that I am supporting whatever brutal plans you spin but I know that sod will get himself killed. He always knew how to fall in with the wrong sort. So how did you do it?”

“For where I stood, He died with an arrow shafting sticking out of him but it was not my hand that loosened the arrow. I was only unfortunate to be there at that time.”

“I only killed a few cultists.” she paused for a bit as if searching for words, “I killed those cultists to save helpless innocent victims. I know nothing.”

Innocent victims? Since when was I an innocent victim in her view? That was some sudden change in her perspective. From a brutal vile creature to an innocent victim. Not surprising since she controls the narrative now.

“And I suppose you also already made friends with the goblins? “ Her glanced followed the direction of Taltil. Taltil stood her ground. Her gait was neither welcoming nor antagonistic towards Arlene. From her posture, it was clear their hatred is mutual.

Arlene dusted her boots and checked her cloak. She was preparing to leave.

“After I dropped little Esme, I heard that Lord Korvanor has put out a notice. Normally, I pay no respect to any pompous dolt, but Since it is Merrick who is leading and the pay is good, I thought I might as well go and offer my services as a tracker. Guess how surprised I was to learn that their object of pursuit was a dark elf? I pieced the things together and figured it would be worth a while to give you the last bit of parting advice. In the end, after saving your life, I would hate to see you getting killed on the gallows. Now if you will excuse me, I have to offer my service to a certain hunting party.”

She started to jog in the direction of the camp without waiting for my response.

“Wait,” I screamed after her. “We are in this together.”

She stopped in her tracks and her next words seemed to be meticulously crafted. “Look, I wanted to save innocent folks from loathsome cultists. which I did effectively, if I may add. I know nothing about an heir or lordling. Look, I can buy you maybe two days of extra time. I can mislead the party to give you a head start. You are alone and you move fast. If I were you, I would not waste time with these goblins.”

Hearing Arlene suggest abandoning the goblins made Taltil snarl. And she made no effort to hide her disapproval. She squatted and bared her fangs at Arlene. Arlene, on the contrary, exhibited contempt.

“That is neither agreeable nor an acceptable solution, I am afraid. Just like how you felt responsible for my life, I feel the same for these goblins. Even if I flee, Nobles have an extended range of influence and it would be a matter of time before I am hunted again. So fleeing is not a wise solution. I need to sort this problem here and now, and that is why I need you with me.” I hoped that my argument would convince Arlene.

“Why do you even worry about these goblins? The only good goblin is a dead goblin.” She was clearly aggravated. And so was I.

A strong gust of wind blew in our midst breaking our intermediate silence.

Arlene made a sigh of exasperation and her feet carried her away from us.

“Is that what they said about you? The only good half-breed is a dead half-breed.”

Arlene pirouetted midstep. Her bare knuckles paled as she gripped her knife handle. The muscles of her jawline pulled tight. A feral fury was painted on her face. She seemed at loss for words. Her chest moved heaved and dropped as she struggled with erratic breathing. And finally, she spoke. Except it was a verbal scream.

“I am nothing like these scums. Do not presume to know me. You know nothing about me. I neither steal nor do I covet. I earn honorably, even when I am subjected to unfair bias. Yet I held on. I was discriminated against. I still held on. Human. Elves. They all presume to know me and in the end, they know nothing. You know nothing about me.” Her voice rose with every syllable and in the end, she trembled and gasped for breath. Yet the feral rage never left her face. In fact, while screaming she closed the gap between us and her knife was now unsheathed.

The slender blade of her knife was poised against my neck. Her face, close enough that I could feel her rage-fueled warm breath on my face.

“You are right. I do not know anything about you.” I uttered calmly while signalling the now ready to strike Taltil, to halt with my hands. “But I know where the path you take will lead. I have been in your situation, have made decisions and lived with it. You go down this path and one day you will not see your own reflection. You will wake up, look in the mirror and only see the very creature that you loathed.”

A cool breeze flew from the nearby trees and lingered around Arlene as if calming her mood.

“You take moral superiority over these goblins while screaming unjust treatment that you have suffered. Whatever happens with Merrick and Korvanor, these goblins have nothing to do with it. Yet, they would become collateral in the hunt. Don’t think for a moment that those huntsmen will leave these goblins alone while combing the woods for the perpetrator?”

Beld’s sorrowful monologue echoed in my ears. Goblins. Always the first casualty.

“Go ahead leave these goblins. Join Merrick. Follow your own morals. Will not make you any different than those humans and elves.” I nearly blurted out that it was her hasty actions that lead to this hunt. But I stopped myself from uttering those words. Pointing the blame will not help when trying to survive.

“You should listen to the Matriarch, Vagrant little one.” The sudden voice caught us both off-guard. Arlene’s expression was more perplexed than my own. The voice seemed to come from everywhere. It was as if the wind itself whispered. From the expression on Arlene’s face, it was clear that neither was she able to find the owner of the voice. The voice was soft, gentle and mature. Yet there was a hint of suppressed authority to it.

Only Taltil cowered and shouted, “Mistress, Magic Person, We leave. Now. Please.”

And then she materialised.