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The Half-Elven tumbled onto the beach at sunset, their clothing and hair smoldering. As soon as their knees touched the sand, Hattenel lifted them both into the surging waves where the remains of their charred shirts and her binding floated away, leaving her bare breasted but unharmed. The hair on Voron’s chest smelled like burnt chicken feathers. Their thicker breeches were scorched but in one piece.
“You could have given me a chance to take my new boots off.” Voron grumbled, staring at her breasts.
Hattenel chuckled. “Be glad your bacon didn’t get sizzled.”
“How do you know I’m not maimed under the leather?”
“Your breeches would be in as many pieces as your shirt.” Hattenel grinned. “Where’s the nearest bath? I’d like to be presentable when we learn “when” we are.”
“You’re certain we’re safe from the dog-heads?”
The thought of the creatures following them sent shudders through her as she stumbled to her feet, using his shoulder as leverage. “Come. We need to close the cave entrance first.”
Gathering energy from the wind and waves, they built a ball of flashing, but contained power. When Hattenel judged the ball as large as it could be and still roll through the cavern, she held up her hand. “Link to me. We’ll push the ball down the tunnel. Then, we’ll engorge and explode it.”
The minutes dragged as they guided the sparking sphere through the depths of the earth.
“We should have located the other entrances,” said Voron.
“I think we can destroy enough of the bluff for the whole system to collapse.”
“How can you be certain?’
“I assume it’s much the same as blowing up a sea wall.”
“I try to stay friends with the people I meet on my voyages.” Voron clasped her shoulder to allow his energy to transfer to her easier. “Make more money that way.”
“Don’t exhaust yourself, but give me all the power you can spare. Now!”
The explosion ripped the hill apart. Dirt and rocks flew into the air and rained down on them. Their ears buzzed when the hill imploded into a crater that consumed the bluff. The slanting rocks landed inland where they toppled to the ground, laying like coffins in the sandy soil. Voron sank to his knees. Hattenel leaned over, drawing in great gulps of air as she rested her hands on her knees for support.
When their breathing returned to normal, Voron searched the empty beach. “We can’t be too far away from when we were, can we?”
“Depends on how true the stories are.” Hattenel refrained from commenting that shifting planes was illegal, one of the few capital offenses among the Half-Elven for fear of angering the true elves. In all her years of service, she had never broken the rules so flagrantly. “If we’re lucky, no one will ever guess where or when we’ve been.”
“What if a ship was close enough to see the explosion?”
“Hopefully, we’ll be gone before they can arrive.”
With a step forward, Voron picked her up and transferred to a cottage on the western shore of the Marches. Gulls wheeled in the green-tinged sky, and a curious seal poked its head out of the rolling waves. Across the bay, Hattenel saw thousands of birds dart back and forth along a sheer cliff face. When she took a deep breath, she knew Voron had spoke from experience about bird stink. Instead of the warm bath she wished for, Hattenel got dumped in the stream behind the shack where a waterfall made a rocky pool before flowing down to the beach.
Hattenel cursed at the unexpected cold. “You didn’t give me time to take off my boots.”
“Tit for tat, woman.” Before she could snarl back, he transformed back into the doughy version of himself as pebbled came bouncing down the cliff. He shoved her towards the cottage. “Inside. Quick.”
Surprising herself, she obeyed.
A wizened sailor came sliding down the bluff in his haste. “Voron, where the blazes have you been? I’ve been here twice trying to warn you.”
“Why do I need a warning? We don’t sail for several days yet.”
“That Captain Hattenel, who went looking for you, disappeared. If she don’t return to duty tomorrow when her leave is over, the scouts are going to skin you alive. Her aide’s threatening to nail your privates on a pole in the middle of the ranger camp.”
As the sailor ranted about the dire fates waiting for Voron, Hattenel relaxed. They had only been gone three days, but Voron still needed her at his back. Quickly she stripped. Pulling on a man’s shirt she picked up from the floor, Hattenel made certain it was obvious she was naked underneath.
As she stepped into the last of the sunlight, she assumed a soft, puzzled manner. “Is there something wrong, Voro?”
The sailor stared at her opened mouth before he tugged at his ear. “Oh, strike me down for a fool. Sorry, Captain. Won’t take no more of your time, sir. I’ll jest get me going.”
With a wave of his hand, he clamored back up the bluff. Both watched as he scampered to the top, too bemused to dodge the falling scree.
“The man gossips like a fishwife. The entire Marches will know you’re with me within the hour.” Voron swallowed as he paled. “The gossips’ll assume you spent your leave with me.”
“Didn’t I?” Hattenel arched an eyebrow. “I like that explanation rather than the truth.”
“Don’t you care for your reputation?”
Hattenel’s shoulder shook. “Look on the bright side. You get to keep your privates.”
The two exchanged uneasy glances until their lips started twitching. Hattenel tried to contain the annoying tug at her scar but could not resist the wave of merriment caused by getting home free of blame. Both were roaring with laughter when Voron shed his glamour and pulled her into his arms. Hattenel stiffened, then relaxed and returned his kiss.
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Thank you for buying Cavern Between Worlds. If you would like to read more about the Far Isle Half-Elven, look for the sample of Taking Vengeance at the same venue. Taking Vengeance blurb: When privateers murdered their daughter’s family, Mariah and Ashton go hunting for vengeance, but the pirates present a greater danger to the Half-Elven than they imagined.
M. K. Theodoratus blogs at https://kaytheod.blogspot.com. The Half-Elven website can be found at https://www.half-elven.com.
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