Chapter Text
'You are coming with me now. the king wishes to speak with you.'
Terri Mika pulled against the grip of the elf's hand around her arm
'No I'm not going.'
'Yes you must.'
'But I'm not.'
He pulled her along and she pulled against him. Her boots squeaked on the slick stones under her reluctant feet.
He was tall and clothed in green his dark brown hair flowed down his back. He was captain of the guards and terri was perplexing to him.
'You don't seem to understand that you must come with me. You have no choice in this.'
'You do not seem to understand that I'm not going. Yes I have a choice. I'm not going is what I choose.'
'You may say that you are not but you actually are. You are very contrary and stubborn are you not?'
'You have no idea.'
At that terri grabbed the cloak of a sentry who she was being pulled past. He stood by a dark doorway and was wearing a long green cloak. Terri grasped and held onto it. This stopped all forward movement.
The sentry reached down to pry Terri's fingers loose.
The old woman's grip was surprising strong.
'Now you must let go of Idreth's cloak.
Can you get her to let go?'
'No and I don't want to hurt her. I've never been around the atani, her fingers are small but surprisingly strong.'
Terri looked at them both grimly.
'There is a pressure point try that.'
'Must be different on atani.'
'Ah, just take off your cloak. Let her have it.'
The sentry did and Terri was once again being pulled along.
She threw the cloak down.
'Let go of me.'
' I cannot because I fear you will run off. And I don't want to chase you through these halls. It would reflect on my ability as captain of the guard.'
'Let go!'
'Don't you want to meet a great king?'
'No, he executed those other guys.'
'Well yes, very sad, but they were not very nice.'
'Yeah….we don't have kings where I live. We don't like kings.'
'You don't have kings? What do you have?'
'Chaos,' answered Terri
'Besides we revolted against our king.'
'You revolted, this doesn't surprise me. why?'
'Our king was a dick.'
'Colorful idioms. I am not understanding you.
He was a dick?'
'Yes and he sucked.'
'I'm not sure i understand you
But ours is a great king and very kind. You should be honored to be able to meet a great silvan king.'
'Yeah, like those guys he executed.'
'Yes, tragic. But we must protect our realm.'
Terri then stopped and pulled hard against the captain's grip.
'I am going to punch you in the head if you don't let me the hell alone.'
The captain stopped and looked down at the old woman.
'Have you ever fought an elf before?'
'No, I never saw one until a week ago.'
'I thought so. Might be more difficult than you expect.'
'Yeah, have you ever fought someone like me before?'
The elf captain looked at her. Then rubbed his chin.
The old woman who was barely as tall as his chest in worn boots with her silver grey hair coming out of its braids scowling fiercely at him.
'No, I cannot say I have.' Then he scowled back.
'I am tricky and fight dirty.'
'Dirty? Hum another idiom perhaps. You are unarmed. I took your little pink folding knife and that other odd weapon.'
Terri made a fist.
The captain then had an idea. He held up his hand in a gesture of peace.
' What if the king had invited you to an audience with him.' He smiled, raised his eyebrows and cocked his head.
Terri said suspiciously. 'An audience? to meet him.'
'Yes.'
'He's inviting me to meet him.'
'Yes.'
'What about the executed guys?'
'they may have been merely detained.
But the king sends his greeting and an invitation to meet him.'
Terri visibly relaxed
'That might be OK. Will there be refreshments?'
'Oh I'm sure there will.'
'That's good because i am thirsty.'
They looked at each other, seriously.
'Do I look alright?' Terri said.
'Well we can stop and you can wash your face and comb and rebraid your hair. And get a cup of water.'
'I have no gift.'
'You can give him the little pink folding knife. And we can steal a bouquet of flowers.'
'Ok.'
And then the two turned and walked off to meet the king.