She moved up as close as she dared and readied three arrows. She had watched the motions of each dwarf during their procession. She knew when and where to strike. She fired the arrows in quick succession, each time aiming for the neck above the chest plate. Two found their mark and the dwarves crumpled to the ground. The third also would have reached its target, but fate intervened.
The arrow flew strait and true, but the dwarf decided to scratch an itch at just the right instant for him and the very worst moment for Holli. As the dwarf twisted and lifted his shoulder, his chest plate rose up just enough to protect the vulnerable spot. The arrow shattered on impact, and only managed to knock the dwarf off balance.
Holli drew another arrow, but the dwarf had dropped into a defensive crouch. He used his helmet, his chest plate, and the surrounding rocks to completely cover his body. He placed his heavy gauntlets over his face and peered through the slits between his fingers. His dwarf vision cut through the darkness of the tunnel and quickly spied the outline of the elf. Her shadow spell began to fade, and he identified his foe.
"You'll die for that," he warned in a muffled voice through his hands.
"Not by you," Holli responded. "Move your hands for one instant and you'll have an arrow in your face."
"Fah, I can wait like this for days. A goblin patrol will find us before that happens."
"Then they die next."
"And when they don't report back? The horde will come down this tunnel. Do you have enough arrows for them all?"
She didn't. With time running out and a stalemate unacceptable, Holli stepped closer to the dwarf. An arrow remained nocked in her bow and the string drawn.
"That's it," the dwarf laughed, "come closer."
Holli knew that was exactly what the dwarf wanted, but there was little else she could do. If she retreated, Ryson was dead. If she waited, they would both be dead.
She stepped as close to the dwarf as possible while remaining out of his short armed reach. She was hoping to goad him into a mistake, but he refused to move. If he lunged, she would have her shot, but he remained crouched and low to the ground. He showed monumental patience, surprising for a dwarf.
By closing the gap between them, however, Holli ultimately obtained a clear line of fire to another vulnerable area. The side of the dwarf's calf just above his boot was no longer protected by the surrounding rock. All Holli had to do was step slightly to the left and release the bowstring. The strike would create a serious wound, probably cripple the dwarf for life, but it wouldn't be enough. An arrow plunged into the dwarf's leg would be painful but not fatal, and he was sure to counterattack instantly.
Watching the elf closely, the dwarf remained as still as the rocks. He knew his legs were vulnerable, if the elf took the right angle, but he had plans of his own. He could try to reposition himself, but he would risk losing his balance. He resigned himself to the exposure and forced the elf to make the ultimate decision.
Time quickly became a factor, and Holli had committed herself. If she turned, the dwarf would leap for her. If she tried to back away, she would only be deserting Ryson to certain death. The leg was her only option, but she knew how the dwarf would respond. She crafted her own plan to protect Ryson and ensure her own survival. What would follow would be disturbing, but all the choices had been made. She stepped to the side, released the bowstring and let the arrow fly.
The shaft cut through the air and the razor sharp tip found its mark. The arrow head plunged deep into the dwarf's flesh. The damage was extensive, but not enough to alter the dwarf's plans or to keep Holli from enacting hers.
Ignoring the pain, the dwarf used all of the strength of his uninjured leg to propel himself into Holli's midsection. The elf only held a bow, and once he had her in his grip, he would tear her apart. He barreled into her just as he hoped and felt her fall back from the momentum of his lunge. He expected her to strike down with her bow and perhaps attempt to pry him away using the weapon as a lever. Such a tactic would be useless, but to his surprise, she simply tossed the bow aside.
Holli knew the dwarf would leap for her the moment her arrow was released. She also knew there was nothing she could do to escape his grip. The tunnel was too narrow for her to dodge the inevitable attack, and once the dwarf had his hands on her, he was too powerful to dislodge. If she was to live, there was but one thing to do.
Just as the dwarf struck into her stomach, she released her hold on her bow and allowed the force of the attack to press her back against the tunnel wall. She buried the dwarf's face in her midsection as she leaned over the top of him and draped her upper body down his back. With both hands, she took hold of the arrow shaft still lodged in the dwarf's leg. Whispering strange words, she focused a deadly spell upon the arrow and reanimated the once living wood.
Emerald energy fused into the fibers, and the long arrow became flexible. The shaft twisted and turned like a root snaking through the soil. Still connected to the razor sharp head, the arrow sunk deeper and deeper into dwarf flesh. The shaft turned the point upwards as it wriggled its way behind the knee and up into its victim's thigh. The feathers at the end of the arrow disappeared completely into the now gaping wound at the calf.
The dwarf erupted with pain. His eyes opened wide and he screamed in agony. He no longer cared about the elf, and he released her as he sprung to open space. He took hold of his leg, but there was nothing to grab beyond the wound itself. The arrow was now totally embedded inside of him and still working its way upward with relentless motion.
Once the arrow broke through the leg and into the dwarf's torso, his life was near an end. He wished it would be quick, but it was only marginally so. He felt his insides being sliced to ribbons, and only when the arrow finally reached its target-the heart-did the dwarf collapse.
Ryson had remained silent. He was completely helpless, wrapped in chains, so he felt it best not to distract the elf. As he watched the dwarf take his last breath, the delver could hold his voice no longer.
"That was horrible," Ryson gasped.
"Yes, it was."
Holli said nothing else on the matter. She felt no honor in casting the spell. Instead, she turned to her objectives as there was still much to be done. She stepped over to Ryson and took hold of the two locks that held the chains in place around his body. She closed her eyes and focused her last remaining emerald energy on releasing his bonds. Once the locks snapped open, she pulled them free and helped Ryson unwind from the heavy chains.
She let him rise slowly, but only after a brief moment, it was time to move again.
"We can not go back to Sterling and there are goblins ahead of us, but there has to be other passages in these tunnels. We will go forward as quickly as we can. We need to find a surface access. If we are blocked by any goblins, I will dispatch them."
She spoke with the authority of an elf guard charged with reaching safety. There would be no argument about her tactics or her decisions. The situation had become dire, and they both knew it. She took the lead, moved with elf speed, and expected Ryson to follow without hesitation.
He did, but his delver curiosity forced him to ask the obvious question.
"What happened to you?"
"Not now. I will explain it all when we reach safety."
She said nothing more. The path was dark, but not entirely. Light reflected strategically through all dwarf tunnels. She kept her focus on their path and the goblins ahead. Within moments, she was forced to stop.
"There are goblins just ahead," she whispered. "Can you tell me exactly how many?"