“I did not say—the gods of the shadows drag you to the darkness, Dathor.” Elrion clenched his hands into fists. “What do you want from me?”
“Not much,” said Dathor. “I only wish you to write letters to men that you knew in your youth, men you went touniversity with, men who might be sympathetic to an alliance with an orc army if it meant that High King Findas was dethroned. I understand you’ve never been much of an admirer of the man yourself.”
Elrion swallowed. “Aerhril? You told him this?”
“He has ways of getting me to talk,” she breathed.
Dathor smiled a smiled full of teeth, a wolfish smile.
Elrion shuddered. “Just letters?”
“You must let Igbar see them before you send them, of course,” said Dathor.
“Igbar,” breathed Elrion, hand to his chest. “He was to mail the letter. If you intercepted him—”
“Is it a surprise to think that your orc slave wishes to be free?” said Dathor.
“They are not slaves. I pay them,” said Elrion.
“Oh, yes, a pittance of what you pay your elf servants,” said Dathor. “I remember this from when I was to come and live here, with you. I was told all about what it was like to be ‘rescued’ by Elrion nae Nilriane.” He chuckled a nasty chuckle.
“There are precious few men who are sympathetic to the orc cause at all!” said Elrion. “And you will not find them more amenable to you orcs rising above your station—”
“Well, that’s all right,” said Dathor. “Do tell them that we orcs are primitive and idiotic about the way we’re running this little revolt of ours. Tell them that we’d be easily manipulated to use against Findas, and that they could make use of our brutality and sheer strength for their own benefit.”
Elrion swallowed. “You are a scheming fiend of an orc. Your elf blood makes you intelligent in some evil way—”
“Yes, because as we all know, orcs are evil,” said Dathor sarcastically. “Thank goodness we’re incredibly stupid, however, so it balances out our terrible, terrible tendencies.”
Elrion’s face fell.
She knew that he did not agree with the idea that any being was born evil. He thought it was all learned, influenced by traumatic experiences in one’s formativeyears, that sort of thing.
And yet, strangely, he still held these ideas that elves were superior to orcs, or that he was superior to his servants.
She did not understand Elrion. He was a collection of contradictions.
On the other hand, maybe she was, too.
She looked up at Dathor’s face, and she knew that it didn’t matter if nothing in her life made any sense or if her actions didn’t make any sense or if she didn’t properly align with any philosophy or set of ideals. As long as it was her and Dathor, that was all that mattered.
“Fine,” said Elrion. “I’ll write your letters. I know who I can write to. Who should they get in touch with?”
“I’ve thought about that,” said Dathor. “I cannot endanger the orc cause by revealing locations. So, you make a list of the men you will write to, and you tell them to expect communication from me in two weeks’ time.”
Elrion nodded. “And this is all that you require of me.”
“For now,” said Dathor. “We’ll see if that changes. Do we have an agreement?”
“Leave her behind,” said Elrion. “Leave her here with me.”
“She belongs to me,” said Dathor. “I cannot let her go.”
Elrion swallowed. “She doesn’t deserve…” He met her gaze. “I am sorry, Aerhril. I am so sorry.”
“It’s all right,” she said. “You keep Raclahad safe, though. You keep my sister safe.”
“I will protect her with my life,” said Elrion.
