Burning Bridges

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“The Hurricanes Eye” creaked and groaned under the pressure of the shifting waves. Despite her age, the ship was in top form and ready to meet any challenge the seas could bring upon it. It was a clean ship, with an equally spotless brig. Aradir Skyblade was a man of honor and if nothing else, he had good taste. The cells were simple enough – polished oak made up the floor, ceiling and walls and the cot that hung from the wall was clean and adorned with a single silk pillow and a soft fleece blanket.   Of all the places Dartimien had ever been locked away in, this was by far his favorite.   The plucky thief was draped lazily over his cot as he enjoyed his second favorite activity – sleeping. Aradir’s Steel Dragoons were getting better and better at catching him, though he didn’t care for the way he had been manhandled upon his discovery. The creaking of the ship continued, hiding the sound of Aradir’s footsteps as he entered the ship's brig.   Like Dartimien, Aradir was a Wood Elf of Iorill. To look at them both one might think they were related. When seen together they were often mistaken for brothers. The only striking difference was Aradir’s pearl white hair that hung straight just past his shoulders. Dartimien’s was a dark blonde he wore in a similar fashion. They could have been twins, and in a sense they were.   He stood before Dartimien’s cell, smiling with no small measure of pride. “You never seem to get tired of this….” Aradir said jokingly.   Dartimien didn’t move. “I could say the same about you.” The thief replied amidst a yawn.   Aradir sat down with his back to the bars, crossing his feat. He pulled a dagger from his belt and began absently juggling it with a single hand. “…yes, I suppose I don’t.”   “I was just tired. Besides, this seemed like as good a place as any to have a nap and the best part is Cassandra isn’t here to steal the blankets.” Dartimein turned over, with his back to the Dragoon commander.   Aradir chuckled quietly to himself. “And how is Cassy these days?”   Dartimien sighed heavily. “She’s alright. That kid I took in turned on us and damn near killed her.”   Aradir raised an eyebrow. “Really?” he nodded thoughtfully, pausing his juggling act for a moment. “That explains why she isn’t here then.” He smiled. “A pity.”   Dartimien rolled his eyes. “Yeah, it’s a damn shame. I’m sure she regrets not being here to have you hit on her every five minutes.”   Aradir turned his head slightly towards Dartimien. “Such a flawless gem deserves better.”   Dartimien waved a dismissive hand at Aradir. “Yeah, I’m sure she’d have much preferred life as a trophy. Besides, she’s not your type – she can read.”   The Dragoon turned away grinning. There was a long silence before either of them spoke. Both men sat, listening to the familiar sounds of the ship. Their thoughts drifting back through the years to conversations like these, the games they used to play and the foolish bravado of two boys who got to play pirate for real. For a moment, both Aradir and Dartimien were two mischievous children again, aboard a ship called “The Blind Albatross”.   “Have you talked to Dad recently?” Aradir said with a distinctly timid whisper.   Dartimien sat up and walked to the bars of his cell. He leaned his elbows on the support struts and stared blankly ahead of him. “Yeah…” was all he managed to get out.   Aradir nodded. “We should have been there. It’s not fair what happened to him. He took us in and when he needed us the most we were fighting.” Aradir again turned to Dartimien. “…We should be the ones on the run.”   Dartimien closed his eyes, and hung his head ashamed. “Yeah…It should be.”   Aradir sighed. “He had a kid…”   The thief sighed. “I know, a daughter, Rilian. She has the Albatross.”   Aradir looked up at his friend in shock. “She’s taken up the blade then?” Rhiven had commanded them to keep an eye out for their surrogate sister. She was under no circumstance to follow in the footsteps of her father or his two apprentices.     Dartimien nodded solemnly.   Aradir stared straight ahead, the color draining from his face. “Rhiven is going to kill us.”   Again Dartimien nodded. “Probably.”   Aradir went back to juggling his dagger, and Dartimien withdrew back into the cell and pulled the hat from his head. He slipped the blue feather between his thumb and forefinger, marveling at how a hat that was over a century old still looked new. Dartimien smiled, his thoughts traveling back farther still to the warm summer afternoon in Qualossi when it was given to him.   Aradir frowned. “You know, this wouldn’t be happening if you hadn’t run off with that awful drow…” Aradir felt something grab the back of his shirt and pull him into the bars. Before he could react a thin cord whipped around his neck then pulled tight. He struggled to free himself but to no avail. To his shock Dartimien’s face appeared beside his with a hate filled glare he didn’t think his friend was capable of. A hand reached from behind him and turned his head, exposing his neck. The other hand put a dagger's edge to the skin, pressing deep and dangerously close to Aradir’s artery. Aradir stopped struggling and tried to calm down, realizing that it wasn’t Dartimien’s intention to kill him at least, not yet.   To Aradir’s surprise he also heard his friend chanting words of magic.   “I thought you couldn’t use sorcery!” he choked.   Dartimien’s eyes narrowed. “Always keep an ace up your sleeve!…Buddy.” he hissed.   Aradir’s eyes widened in shock. The treacherous witch had taught him a few tricks.   “I warned you once to leave her out of this Aradir, and don’t think for a moment that I wouldn’t kill you, Rhiven or anyone else over this.” The magical hands tightened the makeshift garrotte. “…This was not Andriel’s fault.” Dartimien pressed the dagger harder still into Aradir’s neck. “Rhiven knew this…”   Aradir gasped desperately for breath. “She…poisons ... ..your mind… still..!” he wheezed.   Dartimien’s very being trembled in a fit of rage. “I’m the one who left Aradir… Andriel didn’t want me to, but I did.” He turned his friend’s head to face him eye to eye. “If you want to blame someone for this misery, blame me.” He growled. “…now say it.”   Aradir stared down Dartimien in defiance that was diminishing as quickly as the air in his lungs. “I…blame you.” He hissed.   Dartimien’s vision blurred red with anger. He pulled the knife from Aradir’s neck and slammed the pommel down square on the top of his skull. “Say it!” he screamed.   Aradir’s limbs started to feel numb and he was growing more and more light headed. Finally he decided that air was more important than his wounded pride. “This isn’t Andriel’s fault!” he cried out with his last breath.   The garrotte released and Aradir scrambled forward for air and fumbled blindly at his belt for his rapier. He spun around and drew the weapon, but was met with his still caged friend holding two daggers now, ready to meet his former comrade in battle.   “Perhaps it’s time to finish what we started that day on the beach.” Dartimien said flatly.   Steel Dragoons from the upper decks, having heard the screaming, began pouring into the brig. Only to see their captain holding a sword to a caged elf. Aradir quickly glanced at his men then returned his gaze to Dartimien.   “Perhaps it is time to settle things, old friend…” he replied. “…but not today.” He lowered his weapon, and turned to walk away. “…I’m giving you to the Estanian’s. I believe you’re awaiting the death sentence there? Then I think I’ll have a talk with Cassandra.”   Dartimien clenched his teeth. Attacking him with a thrown knife would surely mean his death. If he was handed over to Estania’s Royal Lance Corps there was a chance he could escape. He dropped his daggers. Aradir glanced at the Dragoon captain next to him, nodded gesturing behind him at Dartimien and left the brig. Another Dragoon unlocked the door and Aradir’s men filled the cell, they grabbed the elf and beat him into submission.   Dartimien quickly fell, but their assault continued. Silently, Dartimien vowed vengeance. Aradir was his brother no more. He would pay dearly for insulting Andriel’s memory – with his life if need be.   Then the darkness took him.