Chapter 9

The attacker had stalked Mýlill through her afternoon ritual of visiting the place of water-and-starlight. He'd watched her greet some of the other elders there, before she stepped out into the busy walkway, her white tunic sparkling in the late sunshine. 

His target was a senior member of the high council who was know to fight for female elves' rights and gender equality. She was older, but still had that energetic glint in her eyes. The attacker couldn't care less about gender equality or do-gooders, or seeking solace in the tinkling of a stream.

He knew the walkway she was taking now, having passed there many times himself. He maintained a steady pace, not coming closer but keeping a measured distance between him and the elder. He kept his eye on the group of youngsters who were heading the same way and chatting excitedly. They went in between him and Mýlill, taking up his buffer space and shielding her from his sight.

The attacker hung back. He followed as the road turned into a larger walkway that crawled up the side of a giant old tree, which certainly had its roots deep in the history of this place. 

But none of this beauty could even begin to touch the cold heart of the elf pursuing his target. The only passion he felt was rage.

There were elves all around now, going about their daily business of chatting idly and lamely following the set order of society, the attacker thought. There were coughs, silly laughing and sounds of elves shuffling by. 

The group of young elves that had been blocking his line of sight peeled off now, and he was starting to think that he had lost his victim when he noticed the shine of her white dress up ahead.

She had just turned to leave the main walkway and was some way down a narrow footpath that took her around a bend, and out of his field of vision again. Turning to follow her, he noticed the little path was empty besides the two of them. Following the bend, it continued to wind its way into obscurity, shielded from anyone's view. 

The attacker hastened his pace, moving quickly up the footpath and breathing hard. He brushed his hand against the dagger underneath his heavy grey cloak, pulling his hood further over his face.

As he rounded another corner she was but a few meters ahead, walking under some old and crooked trees that had wilted and collapsed into a sort of tunnel, covering the path. The attacker got a good straight look at her tiny frame in the white sparkly thing, as stripes of sunlight peering through the trees hit her. 

'Excuse me, your eminence' he piped, managing to produce a fake smile. She turned around and looked straight at him. His eyes narrowed and grew immediately cold as he spat 'Nin gwerianneg, iell o lhûg – you betrayed me, daughter of snakes.'

Her face was blank, at first. He drew the dagger from underneath his cloak and her mouth sagged as she stared at it wide eyed for a good while. 

Then panic took over and she scrambled, her mouth still hanging open as she frantically looked around for help. But no one was there.

'Don't move, Mýlill' he barked, taking aim. But the stupid bitch didn't listen. Instead, she did something wholly unexpected. 

Desperation etched on her face, she suddenly approached him at a trot and knocked him off balance. As she passed, the blade more accidentally than anything sliced her hand that she held protectively in front of her. Caught off guard, he lost his grip on the dagger and it clattered onto the floor.

Steadying himself against one of the wilted trees, he couldn't believe what had just happened. 

His blood was pumping in his veins as his anger boiled over in all out fury. Straightening up with his dagger at the ready again, he looked around wild-eyed but the old bird was nowhere to be seen. 

Had this frail female elf really just given him the slip? She'd not only narrowly escaped an assassination attack, but she might now also be able to identify him. He didn't think so because of the cloak shielding his face, but it was a genuine risk.

The attacker cursed, and hastily made his way down the path, slinking back into the shadows of the elven realm.