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Chapter 8 - "The Colds Embrace"

"He's a fucking cheat! I'm tellin' ya!" a voice cried out near the fountain. Raku's ears honed in on the shouting as he made his way to the source seeing two men about to fight. Seems the arm wrestling wasn't going so well. Over the heads of most of the people, who also stopped to see what the commotion was about, Raku could see the large man challenging others was now being accosted by his latest challenger. He stood to match the angry man.

"Oh yeah? And how would I do that?" he replied, holding his arms out wide for all to see. He was bald and built like a brick house. A simple brown hooded tunic with the sleeves torn off and trousers made the man unremarkable at best.

Something didn't sit right with Raku though. Nostrils flared for a moment catching a trail of something otherworldly. Like the smell of lightning in the air. Though there was no storm to be seen, no this was the scent of magic. It was then Raku noticed a small chain dangling around the man's neck, hanging from it looked to be some sort of signet ring. Raku was quickly connecting the dots before things got too out of hand and stepped forward just as the losing challenger threw a punch hitting the large man in the jaw.

"You're dead, cunt!" the large man replied balling up his fist. Raku stepped forward and caught him by the wrist before he could follow through, however. "The fuck? Who are you beast?" He growled ripping his arm free from his grasp.

"I can prove your innocence," The wolf stepped forward from the crowd.

The man relaxed a little his angry demeanor switching to that of suspicion. He listened as the beast raised his voice for the gathering crowd to hear. As Raku looked around to address the many faces that were forming a small circle around them, a familiar dwarf rudely pushed his way to the front. Raku turned round to face some of the others. "It is common knowledge that no man's strength matches that of a beast is it not?"

The large man's eyes narrowed "what was this beasts game?" he wondered noticing the collar on its neck. This brought a grin to his bruised lips. Heads all-round began to nod in agreeance some whispering to one another.

Raku turned his attention to the large man once more.

"I challenge you. By all rights, I should easily win proving you can be beaten."

"And what's to stop me from throwing the game?" The man crossed his arms.

Raku looked to the bulging sack of coins. "If I win, I take whatever my coin purse will hold from the pot you've collected." He patted the empty pouch on his hip.

"And if you lose?" the man sneared puffing out his chest as he sized up the beast.

"You take your winnings and leave." Raku flashed his best business smile.

"Nah if I win...you're mine, slave." The man popped his knuckles on each hand as he sat down. "Where is your master?" The man asked only briefly looking around.

"I've been sent to fetch coin for her coffer, it will be a lashing if I return empty-handed" Raku lied.

"You're in over your head beast."

Raku sat down locking hands with the muscled brute. His hand dwarfed the humans in size but the human had him beat in sheer muscle definition. As they locked eyes one of Raku's fangs appeared from under his chops in a sly smirk. One of the many talents a bandit often would master was pickpocketing. Having distracted the man during his punch Raku had lifted the ring and necklace from the man's person. Now sitting tightly in his off-hand he felt it over with his thumb and forefinger. A strange tingling sensation rippled through his core causing the fur on the back of his neck to raise.

"On my mark." the man muttered. "Go!" An age-old battle began as their arms flexed, man against beast, civilization vs the untamed wild. It started as a momentary deadlock between them. Raku kept the man's arm level at first with relative ease but it was all a ruse. The wolf's arm started to shake and give a little, then a little more. He put his full strength into it now pushing the human's hand back up. He could see the man's face start to redden as he doubled down. Pushing the wolfs arm down slowly again. That tingling sensation suddenly turned into a burst of strength as Raku gave one last push with all his might.

The human's arm rotated so abruptly there was a muffled crack and tearing sound. Raku slammed the man's hand to the table. But instead of cheering the crowd erupted in gasps and whispers. The human collapsed to his knees clutching his arm to his side as wobbled awkwardly, jagged bone pierced the flesh of his bicep. A steaming rope of blood spilled across the sack of gold as the man howled in pain. All the commotion drew the attention of a few nearby guards. The scene they stumbled upon wasn't good for the wolf as he was forced to the ground at spear point. A heavy boot rested on the back of Rakus neck pressing his muzzle against the ground.

"What happened here?" one guard shouted

"He broke my fuckin' arm!" the injured man was trembling now.

"You were attacked?"

"YES!" the man cried

This is it Raku thought. Done in by damned human and his magic ring. From his horizontal position on the cobbled road, he could see a small stream of blood coursing through the gaps in the stones. The crowd started to thin out either from the gore or simply not wanting to be involved. A single snowflake tumbled through the air before resting on the wolfkins snout, melting into nothing. It was the first of many as soon the sky was full of them. Raku closed his eyes awaiting what was to come next.

"Stop!" a voice from the crowd called behind Raku. He tried to turn his head to look but the boot just pressed his head harder into the stone. The tip of a spear dug into his back a little more as well.

"Garrock, you saw what happened?" came one of the guards voices again.

Raku knew the voice from somewhere but couldn't quite put a finger on it as his eyes opened again hearing footsteps approach.

"I saw the whole thing, let em up, let em up." Garrock replied. The sudden scent of dwarf gave it away. It was the gate guard! Raku's deduction was confirmed as the dwarf stood before Raku with a wide grin. Unlike on the wall where one could only see the dwarfs head poking over. Raku took in his features as he was allowed to stand and dust himself off. Garrock wore strange metal bracelets on each wrist each adorned with unfamiliar runes. A brown padded tunic sat under his chainmail shirt that hung nearly to his knees as well. Matching trousers also lined with mail were tucked into a pair of sturdy looking boots.

"You've got a keen eye, dog." He snatched the wolf's coin purse from his side and stuffed it full of coins before handing it back. He then looked to the man still on his knees. "Take this wailin' wee babe to the prison, get em a doctor too. He won't live long with that wound. Oh, and uh, confiscate his gold its all ill-gotten goods anyhow."

"Yes captain!" The guards shouted in unison.

Garrock held out his hand to Raku. The wolf hesitated before finally relinquishing the ring to the dwarf.

"This is why you don't mess with dwarvin magic!" He scolded, poking Raku in the chest eliciting a suspicious brow from the wolf.

"How did-"

"Because it's mine, dog! Been lookin' for this bugger fer over a month! It's only been in ma family for 3 centuries!" Garrock ripped the chain off the ring tossing it to the wayside before slipping the ring on the middle finger of his left hand. He opened and closed his stubby hand a few times examining the ring making sure it still fit before smiling up at Raku again. "I believe I owed ya drink!" Garrock started leading Raku off down the street. "Come on, I know of an Alehouse that just got a few new barrels o' sumthing special." Raku just sort of nodded his head at the eager little dwarf.

"If you insist," he replied

Garrock and Raku walked for some time turning down various streets before coming up to a large building in its own culdesac. Several tables and chairs were scattered on a portion of the street out front. A bar sat in the far back underneath the second floor of the Alehouse that served as an overhang. This allowed for more customers and made the main floor feel much bigger since it spilled out into the cul de sac. The snow was making a soft white layer on a few of the outermost tables.

"So this is where you spend your time and coin, dwarf?" Raku gestured towards the Ale house. He couldn't help but pick up onto and savor that familiar odor of fine dwarven ale. Hopefully a drink didn't turn into many. Surely a Dwarf could drink him under the table, but he'd rather not find out.

Garrock chuckled"A lot actually, it's the only place that serves a real dwarven stout! It's black as night and stronger than dragon's fire!" The dwarf laughed so hard he wheezed a little. It left something to be desired seeing someone get such a kick from their own jokes. He came off kind of desperate, lonely even, or perhaps that was just the nature of a dwarfs sense of humor.

Raku shook his head, half-smiling. "You've got good taste." Raku had seen many times before the lack of appreciation for such a potent drink. He saw it with Reecie, her father, and many others. Not Garrock though. This dwarf had class, at least as much class as a wolfkin could assume.

The dwarf laughed as the two of them entered under the partially overhanging alehouse. He was clearly a regular, the moment the bartender saw the dwarf he pulled two tankards from a shelf and moved to fill them from one of the many stacked barrels behind him forming their own wall of varying ales.

Garrock slid onto one of the smaller bar stools, Raku took the one next to him as the bartender set a tankard of that familiar smelling ale before each of them.

"So tell me, dog," Garrock took a giant gulp of the ale leaving a bit of froth on his upper lip. "Howed the beast that rolled the head of that insufferable lion end up in collar like that? Weren't on ya this morn." Garrock tapped the side of his forehead as if to reference this vault like memory he bragged about earlier. "Got somethin ta do with firebrandt bein dead don't it? Ya aren't in trouble are yeh?"

Raku shifted on the seat slightly, slipping a hand around his tankard. "It's a long story." He shook his head dismissing the question. The dwarf didn't seem to be swayed however as Raku took a drink himself. Putting his tankard down he saw the dwarf's grey eyes staring, waiting.

"Ah've got time." Garrock took another gulp. The least the beast could do was entertain him. Besides how could the demise of the Bandit King be boring by any stretch. More so the story behind the creature that pulled it off and lived. Like a child stubbornly waiting for a bedtime story, he would not be satiated until he got his fill.

Raku hesitated for a long moment his eyes watching his claws drum anxiously on the side of his tankard while he spun some yarn in his brain that was less incriminating than the truth. After all this was the gate guard. However, he might be able to exonerate him from any involvement in Firebrant's death. With that in mind, Raku began his story with his encounter with Titus a few days prior.

Back at the Tailors Reecie had spent a fair amount of time looking at some of the elegant dresses on display, petticoats, boots, decorative tunics, cloaks, capes you name it this tailer had it all and along the wall parallel to the window were countless bound lengths of cloth each in its own neat little slot. Several mirrors were scattered around the shop and in the far corner was a small dividing wall for people to change behind. As she was looking in that direction she noticed the shop owner, an elderly human woman, step out from behind it followed by a tall slender elf with shimmering blond hair that draped around his shoulders and crystal blue eyes step out as well. The old woman pointed to one of the mirrors. The elf moved in front of it examining what must have been his new clothes.

A Sterling white shirt with poets sleeves. Tight black trousers with gold lacing down the side of each leg and a pair of exquisite black knee-high boots with dark red trim. An unmarked tome hung from a strap on his belt on his right hip and short sword on the other. What really caught her eye, however, was the long silver sword strapped to the elve's back. I wonder if he is one of those Luthalves Raku warned me about. She thought.

"Are cin going na i asar sui eithel wood dór?" The elf asked the mirror. Are you going to the festival as well wood lander? Reecie suddenly realized he had caught her staring and was looking back at her through the mirror.

"Nin? baw im... im'm ust lodin, ha's mui erui anand hi." She smiled for a moment before averting her attention to one of the dresses on display. Me? Oh-oh no I... I'm just looking, it's my first time here.

" Shame, it's quite the event I'm told and this will be the first year King Locke has asked the Luthalve order to watch over the event. Foolish he hasn't done so earlier, then again he is only a human. Such short sad lives they live." The Luthalve adjusted the strap holding the large sword before brushing his sleeves off and messing with his shirt collar for a moment... Few could get away with mocking the king, Luthalves were among them.

Reecie closed her eyes as the elf passed behind her to leave just wanting the interaction to be over. Alas, he stopped behind her turning his head.

"That's quite a powerful amulet woodlander. I haven't felt an energy like that since the fall of the ancients. Even their artifacts have faded in strength over time. But that seal, that seal is new. Who are you?"_ _ The elf put a hand on her arm.

She hadn't expected his touch to be so abnormally cold. Reecie dropped the amulet in her top hiding all but the chain as she spun around to face the elf pulling away from his frigid fingers.

"That's none of your business!" She angrily spoke no longer caring to entertain this bigot. The elf just smiled at her moving his hand to the tome on his hip, his eyes narrowed slightly. Up close Reecie could see a jagged scar that ran down the side of the elve's nose.

"Oh but it is..."

Reecie felt the amulet begin to vibrate softly. It was nothing near as intense as the prior night but it scared her just the same. Without another word, she swung the door open and left at a brisk pace. It must have started snowing as the sudden rush of cold air and snow sent shivers down her spine. A knot formed in the pit of her stomach as she walked she could feel the elve's eyes on her back.

"We will find you!" he called from the front of the tailors. A sudden chilly gust tossed his hair about the frame of his face. His crystalline eyes glowing for a moment. "Scurry my little, Squirrel, I'll skin you soon enough," he muttered through a smirk. "You can't just hide that kind of magic, not from us," the smirk changing into a grin that slowly crept across his pale face. Centuries of training made his threats far from hollow. Luthalves never tire, Luthalves never quit. The order would not be ignored forever.

Reecie didn't so much as look back and to her relief, as she put more distance between herself and the Luthalve the amulet seemed to calm down as well going silent once more. She needed to find Raku. Perhaps he knew more about this amulet than he led on or worse... _If he doesn't, then what sort of danger did he unknowingly hang around my neck? _