章 37: Thievery?
"What should I do now... Just die, you damn necromancer." She swung her brittle sword and took the necromancer's head.
"How unlucky am I to stumble upon a necromancer in these mountains. I was here to find a skilled blacksmith who should be mining some ores in a mine in one of these mountains. And what do I find? A freaking undead army."
She began to swing her sword around, and it snapped in two. "Damn it. I knew I shouldn't have used my sword here. It's been way too long since I last got it fixed."
The woman spent some time resting before continuing her search for the blacksmith. "Damn it. They're not on this mountain. This is the second mountain. How unlucky. Well, one more to go." After spending a day's time, she finally heard a sound of clinking in a cave. "This must be the blacksmith," she murmured to no one.
She walked deeper into the mine and saw a shadowy figure striking the cave wall with a pickaxe. A dwarf, a bit smaller than expected and slightly curvier? Oh, is he a she?
"Hello there," she called out to the shadowy dwarf. The dwarf flinched and turned around, ready to strike with her pickaxe.
"Easy now. My name is Elara. I am here in search of a blacksmith named Tominian." The dwarf looked at her with a doubtful glint in her eyes and asked, "Why are you seeking this Tominian?"
Elara started smiling and showed the dwarf her broken sword. "I am in need of a new sword, and I was told in the village that a skilled blacksmith should be in the mountains mining for minerals."
"I see," the dwarf murmured. "Yes," she then spoke, "I am Tominian, but just call me Tomi."
Elara bowed slightly and asked, "Master blacksmith, can you help me out? I need a new sword, as you can see. I have the materials needed for the new weapon; what I'm in need of now is a skilled blacksmith."
Tomi's eyes shimmered as she looked Elara over once more. "Hmmm, you are an interesting one, Elara. Tell me more about yourself first, then I'll make my decision."
Elara smiled. "Me? I'm just a wanderer, an adventurer forgotten by time. I have lived in this world for 150 years by now, if not more. Time becomes blurry the longer one lives."
Tomi looked at Elara and spoke out. "I see, you are speaking the truth. Though it is somewhat hard to believe since you seem to be human, and they do not live more than 40-60 years, sometimes longer depending on the region, I guess. Are you some kind of elf, or demon?"
Elara smiled. "I am not a human, nor am I an elf or demon. I am just a wanderer."
Tomi studied Elara's face, the lines and scars telling stories of countless battles and journeys. "A wanderer, huh? Well, there's something about you that makes me believe your tale, strange as it may be."
Elara's smile widened. "Thank you for trusting me, Tomi. My sword has seen many battles, and I have faced many foes. But now, I need a weapon worthy of the challenges ahead."
Tomi nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, Elara. I'll help you. Show me the materials you have, and let's see what we can craft together."
Elara reached into her bag, pulling out a bundle of rare metals and enchanted stones. Tomi's eyes widened at the sight. "These are some of the finest materials I've ever seen. With these, I can forge a sword unlike any other."
...
"Elara, wake up! Wake up, Elara!" Lilith yelled out in panic. Elara's eyes opened wide. "What's wrong, Lilith? Are the hangovers getting you again? I told you not to drink that much."
Lilith, with a trembling voice, said, "It's the necklace. It's gone. When I woke up," she explained, "the window was wide open. So I closed it, then I felt it. The necklace is not around my neck. I checked everywhere in this room, and I think a thief might have stolen it."
Ella started to wake up too and asked about the noisy morning.
Lilith began to tell the same story to Ella.
"This is not good," Elara said, thinking hard. "We should go to the tavern and look for clues, and maybe check some of the not-so-clean areas in the capital. But it could be anywhere."
Ella nodded in agreement. "Yes, let's go to the tavern. After, if we don't find it there, I can scout around."
The three women quickly got ready and made their way to the tavern, where the morning light was just beginning to filter through the windows. The tavern was still quiet, with only a few early risers and the innkeeper bustling about.
Elara approached the innkeeper, a burly man with a friendly face. "Good morning. We're looking for information about a thief who might have been around here last night."
The innkeeper frowned, thinking. "A thief, you say? There were a couple of suspicious characters here last night, but that's not uncommon. What exactly are you looking for?"
"A necklace," Lilith interjected. "It's very important to me. It was stolen from our room."
The innkeeper nodded slowly. "I see. I did notice a man lurking around who didn't seem like he belonged. He left shortly after midnight. If he's the one you're after, you might find him in the slums or near the old docks."
Elara thanked the innkeeper, and the group headed towards the less reputable part of the capital. The streets were narrow and dirty, with shadows lurking around every corner.
Ella took the lead, her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. "I'll scout ahead," she said, disappearing into the maze of alleyways.
Elara and Lilith continued their search, asking anyone who would talk if they had seen the necklace or the suspicious man. As the morning wore on, their hope began to wane.
Suddenly, Ella returned, a determined look on her face. "I found a lead. There's a man in a rundown building by the docks who matches the innkeeper's description. Let's go."
They hurried to the location Ella had found. The building was decrepit, and the door hung loosely on its hinges. Elara pushed it open cautiously. Inside, they found the man rifling through a small chest.
"You there!" Elara shouted. "Hand over the necklace, and no one gets hurt."
The man spun around, eyes wide with fear. "I don't know what you're talking about!" he stammered.
Lilith stepped forward, her voice steady despite her anger. "The necklace you stole from our room. Give it back."
Realizing he was cornered, the man sighed and pulled out the necklace from his pocket. "I was going to sell it," he muttered.
Elara took the necklace and inspected it closely. "This is not the necklace," she said sternly. "What else are you hiding? Where did you steal it from?"
The thief gulped and admitted, "I stole it from an inn near the merchant district."
"The merchant district?" Elara murmured. "So you were not in the Golden Acorn last night."
"No, no way. It's known for housing adventurers there. I'm not that stupid to steal from adventurers. I'm just a low thief stealing for my needs," the thief confessed.
"Lilith," Elara spoke, "I guess we have to go back. Let's find some guards and hand him over to them."
Lilith nodded sadly. "I don't know what to do, Elara. I feel empty without Aurora."
Elara hugged Lilith after tying up the thief. "I understand, Lilith. We will find her, don't worry."
"Ella, can you fly out and find some guards on patrol and clue them in about this thief? We will walk towards the inn."
Ella nodded and took off. Elara, with the thief in front of her, began to walk while holding Lilith's hand. After they left the docks, they met up with Ella again, who had found some guards. They handed the thief over to them and left.
"It's getting late," Elara said. "Let's go back to the inn. Ella, you can fly ahead. I know you are looking forward to meeting Emy again."
Ella nodded and flew off. Elara hugged Lilith again and said, "It's going to be okay. Let's go back and get some food and think about who else could have taken it."
As the duo entered the inn, they heard giggles and laughter from the counter. It was Ella and Emy chatting and laughing, and around Emy's neck was a familiar necklace.
Lilith, who saw that, rushed over. "Emy, where did you get this necklace?"
Emy, a little shocked, spoke up, "I found it upstairs in a corner, and... and Ella told me," she stammered, "that it was yours and you would be very happy to see it again."
Lilith nodded, her tension easing. "Thanks, Emy. I am indeed very happy."
"Oh, Lilith, you fool," Elara remarked, shaking her head. "You dropped the necklace when you tripped on the stairs last night! You need to be better at handling yourself and your belongings," she scolded.
Lilith nodded with a sad smile. "I guess I do."
Elara started laughing. "Oh well, as long as you learned something from this."
Then they all laughed, the tension of the day melting away in the warmth of their shared relief and camaraderie.
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