They held it down with steel poles attached to iron rings that latched like giant carabiners. Three men to a pole. It writhed and bucked so hard they couldn't get the chains around its arms.
"Just kill it!" one of the younger men shrieked.
"No. Get Guthar. Calef, Hammer, put some spears in its back."
Easier said than done. Even with nine men struggling to pin it's neck down, the naked elvemar lashed its foot into Calef's thigh and he went down with a shout. The smith brought the sledge down full swing on its leg, but it was anyone's guess if it felt the hit. Crude indigo markings were traced over every inch of its pale turquoise skin. Its head was shaved except for a single, braided lock, though silver stubble peppered its scalp.
The clinking of chains announced Guthar’s arrival, dragging a bright steel harness. The net consisted of a half dozen chains studded with manacles. He jangled it deliberately as he approached, raising his ebony gauntlets high.
The elvemar froze, eyeing him.
"Watch it! Watch it now!"
"It's gonna jump! Hammer, get ready!"
"It's not going anywhere." Guthar strode right up to it, shaking out the harness. "Are you sweetheart?" His voice was quiet, but the hatred oozed like sweat on his skin.
It skittered around, grabbing two of the poles, and hissed at him. "Die, animals!" it said. Never taking its eyes from Guthar, it bunched its legs to lunge.
But Guthar reached out like lightning, grabbing its left wrist with one black steel glove. It screamed and twisted furiously, legs kicking out, but Guthar just smiled grimly and knelt on its arm. He casually slapped one of the manacles around its wrist, shoving the pin home. It howled in pain, but he was relentless, seizing its shoulder to pull the other arm back. Within seconds he had it trussed, arms and ankles pinned and its body laced with taut chains tightened around its neck and waist.
It lay gasping on the ground. Guthar got down on one knee, put his face close to the bound elvemar, and stared at it. "Got you, you bitch."
It calmed considerably, and met his gaze contemptuously. "My ancestors were right to treat your kind like cattle." It licked its lips suggestively.
Guthar's smile never wavered. "It's time the Mivuin hunted again. Finish what our fathers started. Wipe your demonic filth from the face of Iferwon. There will be nowhere to hide from the Black Helms."
"Captain!"
Guthar gazed blandly at its eyes for two more seconds. He was sure he had put the fear of the gods in it. Reluctantly, he heaved to his feet, glancing briefly at the mage, then away. "Artefex," he murmured, stepping back and watching the bound female coolly.
The artefex stared at him hard.
"It killed more’n twenty up at Slidley Creek," he said after a pause.
"Your kind killed my son," the elvemar shot back.
"Blood for blood, even if that were true."
"What is that, the blood of humans? Weak, thin, dead in their graves two lifetimes before my son would even have reached full stature. A thousand of you are worm food to one of The People. There is no blood for blood."
"You are oath bound then?" the Artefex interrupted.
"Fellith yanol, until death. I will slaughter you all and bathe in your blood." It spat at the mage, but he stood unmoved.
Guthar flexed his hands and clenched his jaw, but waited on the artefex.
"You will be held for the Marreschall. He will judge you."
"We owe no blood to the Marreschallein ."
"Nevertheless, his word shall bind." He turned to Guthar. "Harness a team. We ride for Rivest Keep within the hour."
"Let me get my armor."
"No. The last thing we need is to provoke a war. If she was hunting below the Boundary on a blood oath, the Orkón has released her from the Clan. She will be judged." The Artefex turned away, and the others hauled the elvemar to its feet at Guthar’s gesture.
“Take off the fire steel,” it croaked.
Guthar snarled in response, but checked himself, looking to the Artefex.
The mage paused, studying the elvemar for a few seconds. “You are bloodsworn,” he said at last. “The steel stays until we reach Rivest.” Then he turned on his heel and strode away, coat fluttering behind him.
Guthar smiled.
