A Very Fine Line

“I don’t wish to disturb you my lord Emperor.” Commander Urnswe said, looking round the opulent surroundings.

“Then I would recommend that you refrain from entering my private quarters unannounced and uninvited, commander Urnswe, for that not only disturbs me but irks me too.” Emperor Greyfox said, pulling a robe over his naked body. He dismissed the woman from his bed with a wave of his hand, ignoring the look of relieve on her face, he would show her soon enough there were far worse fates than sharing his bed.

“My apologies, lord emperor, but you said to let you know immediately if we had any news on any of the rebel leaders; we have captured the female elf.” The words tumbled out swiftly, aided by the fear the felt in this man’s presence.

“Moonhawk?” Greyfox barked.

“So she claims, sir,” he said.

“Where did they capture her?”

“In the city, sir, my men spotted her and placed her under arrest.”

Greyfox ran a hand over his handsome face and counted to ten. “Here? In the city? You did not find that strange?”

“Strange? No, my lord.” Urnswe replied, he and his men had done what no-one else in the Emperor’s army had managed, true that had rung a bell of disbelief but you couldn’t argue with results.

“One of the most wanted people in this world just waltzed into my city, my stronghold, alone and you do not think that just a little too easy? Was she alone? Did she allow herself to be taken?”

“She was alone, sir, and I suppose when you put it like that it is a little odd, but perhaps she was just over confident, either way she is in our custody now, what harm can she do?”

“Plenty,” Greyfox muttered, “she allowed herself to be captured for a reason.”

“She did not allow herself to be caught, sir, she injured several of my men before we subdued her.”

“If she didn’t wish to be taken they would all be dead, or do you think your men better than the companies of men that have tried to capture the rebel leaders in the past?”

“She is but one person, sir, granted they have been lucky in the past but luck can only last so long. I have my best interrogator working on her right now, if there is some sort of plan we will know soon enough.”

“Your torturer is already dead. You will never get anything that way, not with her. Have her brought to my chambers immediately. I will speak with her myself. Have food brought up too.”

Urnswe nodded, thinking that his lord and master had finally lost his mind. One did not wine and dine an enemy, one punished them until they were of no further use then you killed them. “Have food sent up, enough for two,.” he ordered one of the guards outside;. mad or not, Greyfox was still the emperor, his orders still needed to be obeyed.

***** ***** *****

“Where is the prisoner, sergeant Bardis?” Urnswe asked, as he entered the cells, there was no need to elaborate as to which one; the elf was their coup over the army, their assertion that they were not lesser than those on the front lines but at least their equals, if not their betters, after all they had succeeded in capturing a rebel.

“With Bolesi, the farthest cell on the right, commander,” his sergeant replied, handing over the keys. He followed Urnswe down the corridor.

“What happened here?” Urnswe demanded, seeing Bolesi’s body lying in a heap, with the prisoner standing over the body.

“Your torturer was an amateur, I demonstrated some of the ways he was going wrong; unfortunately it proved too much for him,” Moonhawk said, a pleasant smile on her face that never touched her eyes.

“Shackle her,” he ordered Bardis, “the lord emperor wants to see you,” he added to the prisoner. He grabbed her hair, pulling it hard as he lowered her head down to his level, “I will see you pay for killing Bolesi,” he whispered. There was no pain in her eyes, nor fear, if anything it was amusement that flashed in them, like lightening. He shuddered involuntarily as he released her.

“You live only because I have use of you, commander; believe me when I say that will not keep you safe for long,” Moonhawk said softly.

Urnswe suppressed another shudder. He couldn’t explain why but he believed her; even shackled he could see her for the threat she was. Perhaps Greyfox wasn’t so mad after all. There was no doubt in his mind now, she was here because she chose to be, as was he.

“My dear Moonhawk, please join me,” Greyfox said, “Urnswe, where are your manners, release my guest from her bonds, they are pointless anyway.”

“Here,” Moon said, handing Urnswe the restraints, another reminder of how little control they had over her. “Hello, Greyfox, long time no see, of course I had thought you were dead so forgive me not keeping in touch.” She was trying to hide her surprise, Greyfox hadn’t changed in appearance since she had last seen him, nearly eight centuries ago.

“I had a similar hope in regards to you, so none taken.” Greyfox said, “Though I’m curious, why were you sneaking round my city?”

“I wasn’t sneaking, I was wandering through market, getting the lay of the land, the sneaking would have come once I’d learnt your main base of operations.”

“When you came to kill me?”

“Yes. I do hate repetition but in your case I chose to make an acceptation.” Moonhawk admitted.

“Commander, see to your duties; you can leave us.”

“She is a threat, sir, I see that now.”

“You killed Bolesi I take it.”

“He was rude, you know I cannot abide rude.”

“Commander, I know the risks, now leave us or I will let her kill you.”

“You would give me such a treat, why?”

“I am getting a bit of a reputation, if you killed him it wouldn’t reflect so badly on me.”

“Fair enough, I suppose.”

“Please join me, you must be hungry and the food is good,” Greyfox said, as Urnswe left them, “ I swear it isn’t poisoned.”

“Even you know better than to try that.”

“It would be a waste of perfectly good poison, I assume you can still neutralize all known ones instantly,” Greyfox said, smiling. “Please, sit,” he added, with a languid gesture of his hand.

Moonhawk sat, watching her enemy for any sign of a threat.

“I am not afraid of dying, Moonhawk, I’m afraid of dying with regrets, and you are by far my biggest regret.” Greyfox said, taking a delicate bite of cheese, Moonhawk wondered if he had known how similar to her mothers’ dying words that had been, she assumed he did, it was his way.

“It is easy not to fear something that will never happen. You are an immortal, you will never die, regrets or no,” Moonhawk said; he had not aged in the last eight hundred years, no human had that power; even the best mages could only extend by a centaury or two.

“I’m not an elemental or even my mother, I live long, true; immortal I do not yet know for sure. You and Sun did a lot of damage, enough that would have destroyed a pure mortal. I do not know how or why I survived. You were so full of rage, such power even then.”


“Witnessing a massacre and not killing all involved tends to do that,” Moonhawk said, “strangely enough, time and apparently distance, don’t matter or maybe it is just you, either way I still want to kill you.”

“Perhaps this time you will…” Greyfox said, his hand finishing the minute gestures needed to complete his spell. There was a hint of hope in his voice, a sense of tiredness and then darkness enveloped Moonhawk.

**** ***** *****

Moonhawk stopped, a quick glance at her twin Sunhawk confirmed her suspicion, “ambush,” she said aloud.

“Don’t be nervous, young ones, this is a well travelled route,” the commander of the guards said, looking to his six men, each shook their head, they sensed nothing.

“Hold, commander Greyfox,” Starhawk ordered. Her children were many things, nervous was not among them. Twins were extremely rare within elven society, less than four hundred ever recorded since records were kept which had been over thirty millennia. They were said to be doubly blessed, each having the gifts of the god but with an ability to link themselves so as to make that gift more powerful than they would normally be capable of even if they joined forces. More than the sum of their parts, she had heard it called. If they sensed danger, there was danger, that much she had come to know of them. “Get them to safety, if it is merely bandits a few well aimed arrows will deter them sure enough.”

“They do not come to rob, they come to kill, they cannot be deterred. Mother, you must come with us,” Sunhawk said, ‘they come for us, Moon, beware.’ He saw her dagger drawn and knew she understood, she fought as they were ushered away from their mother, into the relative safety of the woods behind them.

“My lady, this is foolishness, they are too young to know danger, perhaps they sense a bear, if anything, are we to run from the creatures of the forest like humans?”

“You seem to mistake my order for a suggestion, Commander, I assure you I am aware of the delay, as you should be aware of the chain of command.

Arrows rained down around them before Greyfox could answer. Starhawk fell; two shafts sticking out from her back, a third from her thigh.

The twins run from the cover they had been forced to by Greyfox’s men, evading all attempts to stop them. Arrows bounced onto an invisible force as they charged forward.

“Sun, take the shield, I’m better at healing than you and I cannot do both.”

“My children, my little miracles, so brave even now, go back and be safe, I am beyond even your skills,” Starhawk said.

“You do not know that, let me try.”

“I am not afraid of dying, little ones, I’m afraid of dying with regrets. I have none right now, but if you stay and die because of me..” Starhawk stopped as a coughing fit took her. Moonhawk saw the blood covering her mother’s hand as she pulled it away. “You two have given me nearly a century of happiness, and a pain free last few moments on this world, carry that with you from this day not the anger I sense brewing. The gods will look after you, as will I.” She added, coughing one last time before laying still.

Moonhawk stood, Sunhawk moved back a pace as he caught sight of her rage. “Sun, get the others clear.” She said, her voice calm.

“They are safe, those that survived, anyway. We are in this together,” Sunhawk said, sending out a probe into Moon’s mind, he felt the connection like a physical blow, her rage was so strong. He absorbed it allowing it to give him strength.

“Glithnenig.” They whispered together, forming the pattern that completed the spell as one, as they spread their fingers wide toward the attackers.

Lightening shot from their fingers and from the sky; neither heard the screams, nor did they register the acrid smell of burning flesh that permutated the air, all they saw was the pattern; all they were aware of was the magic coursing through them like a living entity.

The assault ended only when the strength began to wane, to continue would risk losing control of it, both instinctively knew that and pulled away. Ahead of them lay nothing but ash for several hundred yards. Small fires still burnt around, but they too had begun to die.

The twins collapsed beside their mother, impulsively reaching out to her and each other.

“Look out,” Greyfox bellowed, letting an arrow loose as he spoke.

A badly burnt survivor approached the twins, sword drawn. Greyfox’s arrow missed its mark by a small margin.

Moonhawk stirred herself with effort, once again drawing her daggers she faced the attack. “Take your life and leave or I will take it from you,” she hissed.

“Die,” the man spat the word as a curse, his sword raised.

Moonhawk moved automatically, dodging aside from his clumsy attack she slashed at his throat with one dagger, the other she used like a shield, in case he could use his sword again. It was unnecessary.

Moonhawk fell to her knees, she had never known such weakness before, nor did she wish to again. She was aware of Sun beside her, his words offering comfort if not the strength she needed.

“Is she…” Greyfox stopped short of asking the question.

“I am fine. See to your wounded and dead, we will do the same.”

“We are on the same side, child.”

“Are we?” Moon asked.

“I had to retreat. I could do nothing dead,” Greyfox said, looking at the twins, a momentary panic gripped him, could they penetrate the blocks he had set up? They had just performed magic beyond any single mage he had known, beyond either of their considerable abilities even, proving the legend of elven twins true; did their psionics reach such heights too? He shook himself back to what was happening now, he was in control once more.

“He makes sense, Moon.” Sun said aloud, ‘I too have suspicions, now is not the time,’ he added silently.

“I’m sorry,” Moonhawk said. “I am covered in blood, exhausted and just a little concerned as to who set this up.”

“I do not know that, but I do not believe it safe to return home, I know a place we can be…” He stopped, he was about to say hide, they would never go for that. “ A place we can regroup and gather intelligence,” he finished.

**** ***** *****

Moonhawk jolted awake, a quick glance confirmed her fears, she was still Greyfox’s chambers, laying on the soft bed. It had all been so vivid, so real, like the anger that now filled her.

“Welcome back, Moon, I thought perhaps I had done more damage than I had intended,” Greyfox’s smooth voice came from the shadows.

“Even now you would try and recruit me? I made my choice long ago, we both did.”

“You didn’t choose, Moon, you sat on the fence. Sunhawk chose, he put aside his rage and followed good, what did you follow Moon? Your sword?”

Moonhawk glared at him, it was then she felt it, or rather didn’t, the magic was gone, her psionics too.

“Do you really think I would keep you here without neutralizing those? You always did underestimate me,” Greyfox said, “tell me what part angers you the most, the manipulation or that you didn’t join me? I can see into your heart, you have the same drive, the same desires as I do. They are not shameful, they are not even evil. I have benefited this world, you can see that, they love me here, how can that be evil?”

“If they love you so, how come we have amassed a sizeable army in only a few months? It is easy to assume they love you when none speak against you, seeing as you kill all those that dare. That is not love it is fear.”

“Maybe, but who was it that brought war to this world? I didn’t.”

“No, you just brought me, knowing it would have to come to this. You have grown weary of this world and have found yourself as trapped as your mother was by the gods.”

“Join me, Moon, complete that journey I set you on long ago.”

“A word to the wise, old friend, it would have been easier for you to recruit me if you hadn’t shown me so vividly why I turned from you in the first place. You murdered my mother and a dozen of your own men just to see if a legend was true. I may once have been swayed by your words, which seemed to hold much wisdom to one so young, and I am the first to admit I have done deeds that I am not proud of, but to ally myself with my mothers killer? Even I have my limits.”

“That was eight hundred years ago,” Greyfox said, “I made you forget once, I can do so again, I’m stronger now.

“Another moment of my past I could do without reliving,” Moonhawk said, recalling how strong her feelings had been for the illusion he had created for her, she shuddered slightly.

“You cannot deny the connection we have, you loved me once, even you cannot deny that, I still love you, it is why I sense your presence, why I brought you here. I want to share this with you,” Greyfox said, gently brushing aside a lock of Moonhawk’s hair from her face. He moved away swiftly as Moonhawk went to grab him.

“I did love you once, at least I thought I did,” Moon agreed, “but the truth came out. As to your sensing me, that is down to the blood oath I swore on my mother’s grave, not a connection between us. I am here because of it, I was a liability.”

“You brought the others?” Greyfox asked, he sounded genuinely surprised, hurt even.

“No, they brought themselves, I just had to keep you focused on me.”

“You really should do a two way block on magic, I’m surprised you hadn’t thought of it,” Sunhawk said, stepping from the shadows.

“It makes no difference now, you cannot use magic in here,” Greyfox said, doubt in his voice. It was one thing to think you wanted death, quite another to have someone threaten to do the deed.

“Who needs magic,” Moonhawk said, holding her hand out ready.

Sunhawk threw Hawkblade, her sword, without hesitation she caught and swung the blade toward Greyfox, slicing into his abdomen, she reversed her thrust and severed his head. “Let’s hope he stays dead this time.”

“Moon, do not take what he said to heart, you did choose, you chose balance, there are very few who understand the need for balance, those of us that do know that they need each other to survive only neither of them seem able to see that. You know evil and you know good, you see how both can be dangerous if allowed to go unchecked, as do I,” Sunhawk said, resting a hand on his twin’s shoulder.

“I was tempted,” Moon admitted, “it made sense what he was saying.”

“That is the nature of evil, it seduces; it appeals to our desires. Do you think Greyfox believed he was evil? I have faced many who we call evil and one thing they all had in common was the belief that they were right. The line between good and evil is closer than most think.”

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