From Embers

19 - Double Trouble

"This stinks." Rhistel sniffed the shirt she'd stolen from a drunk human.

It hadn't been hard; the poor man was so out of it that he barely registered that she'd undressed his top half in less than thirty seconds.

She snickered thinking back to the stunned face he'd made as he stood shivering. But, Rhistel's face grew into a scowl when she got a whiff of the shirt again.

"Did he ever shower? Gods that's awful." Alanis pinched her nose and walked several steps away from her sister.

Rhistel glared at Alanis. "How'd ye get the clean shirt? This canna be fair."

"Going to tell Ma on me are ye? Always was a tattler."

Rhistel waved a hand, and Alanis squealed as an edge of her shirt started to smoke. A minute later, steam began to erupt from Rhistel's ears. Water squished between her toes every time she took a step. The water evaporated as Rhistel heated her body.

"And this is why a said we shouldn't use our powers on each other," Rhistel grumbled.

Alanis smiled and winked at her sister. "Ye started it. A only finished it."

Would it really be so bad to hit her a couple of times? But an image of her mother chasing her around the house with her rolling pin in hand stopped her.

"Am not quite sure where we go from here," Alanis said as she looked around a building corner.

Rhistel strolled out into the street casually. "For starters, looking in the ashes will do us nae a wee bit o' good. A say we mingle with the locals."

"D'ye mean de humans? Have ye lost yer mind? We'll be caught in no time." Alanis lifted her cap and pointed to her ears.

"Ye heard what Fangs said; these people are drunker than Aunt Cecile at any family gatherin'. They wonna notice even if we walk about without our bonny hats." In jest, Rhistel twirled her hat in hand and bowed to her sister.

"Intruder!" Someone screamed behind her, "There's a-."

Swiveling on her feet, Rhistel stared in shock as Alanis shook her fist, face twisted in pain. The human lay passed out, a bright red mark on his cheek.

"Bloody hell, a punched wrong. Won't notice us, eh? Wot a plan tha' was."

"Well, who said all me ideas have to work out? Never said a was perfect, did a?"

Alanis rolled her eyes and pushed her sister's shoulder softly. Grabbing Rhistel's hat from her hand Alanis shoved it back on her head, covering her ears.

"Whatever we do, hats are must."

Rhistel saluted her. "Yes, Ma. Whatever you say, Ma."

Alanis scoffed at Rhistel while heading towards the sound of the festivities. Rhistel took one last look at the smoldering embers behind them, heart aching for her fellow kind that lay beneath. She was not blind to the effect war had on people, but it had never sat well with her. It had been a great source of conflict between Daeron and her. Both had very different views on how far one must go for home and country. Hearing her sister whisper for her to hurry up, Rhistel trodded along. I'll get your revenge. She promised the lingering souls.

Before stepping out into the bonfire's light, Rhistel could see her sister mentally preparing herself. If they were found out, it could mean death for not only them but the others. Being found so early in their mission could be detrimental.

Rhistel too took a deep breath before grabbing a cup from a passer-by. She staggered as she chugged the liquid. The alcohol burned her throat, but gave her the extra backbone to steel her nerves and mingle with the humans.

"Hey you," a gruff voice called to her.

Rhistel spun around and gulped; she couldn't have blown their cover already, could she?

The man stared at her, and she avoided his eyes by focusing on the droplets on his beard after he took a drink.

"You're cup looks empty, my friend. Let me fill it for you."

It felt as if the weight of a thousand boulders had fallen from her shoulders. "Of course, my friend," Rhistel said awkwardly stumbling over her pronunciation. She tried to match the man's accent, but the Scottish twang in her voice was hard to mask.

Sensing her sister behind her, Rhistel took another gulp from her now refilled cup. Alanis shook her head and took the cup. "Now isn't the bleedin' right time to get drunk."

Rhistel shrugged. "If not now, then when? Ye said tae mingle, am mingling."

"Ye canna handle your alcohol, and ye know it verae well. Don't ye remember the last time?"

"A don't need a remindin' of that day every time a drink. Ye canna drink either, so don't be casting stones."

Alanis opened her mouth to retort, but two humans came and linked their arms together. Both twins tried to pull away while the men had formed a circle. The jolly men kicked their feet in the air, singing off-key.

Rhistel unlinked herself before grabbing their arms again. She spotted ten well-armed men walk by, who were not drunk. Uniforms in pristine condition and looking down their noses at their drunken companions.

Yelling incoherently with the men, both girls tried to lower their heads and blend in with the wasted humans. Five minutes later, the group of sober soldiers had left.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Alanis unhooked her arm with Rhistel and grabbed a passing human. She inserted him into her place and looked over to a nearby dark corner before glancing back at her sister.

Rhistel understood the hint and followed her sister's example. The two continued to dance as they backed away, trying to match the men's enthusiasm so none would be suspicious. Once tucked away, Rhistel grinned at her sister.

"Ye're tipsy aren't ye?" Alanis tapped her lightly on the head.

Shaking her head, Rhistel clasped both hands over her reddening cheeks. "Maybe a wee bit. Now look, it wasn't ma fault. Not even a smidge."

"Ye'll certainly blend in well now. Ye're near as big a lightweight as those men out there."

Rhistel placed a finger to her sister's mouth, shushing her. "I havenna found anything about the heart yet. We need tae go back."

"A'll go back." Alanis removed Rhistel's finger. "Ye need tae drink water and sober up before joinin'."

The tattooed elf shook her head. "Ye canna go by yerself."

"A can and a will."

Hiccuping Rhistel knew that she wouldn't win this fight. "Fine, well all dim their fires, so they don't see yer face. And here." she walked towards the remains of a house. Wiping her hand on the stones, she came back with blackened hands. She smudged a thumb over each of Alanis' eyebrows. "Now your eyebrow color won't give ye away. Regular human ye are now. A'll pick off a straggler and see if a canna interrogate any information from them."

Alanis clasped her sister's hands in thanks. Wiping the soot that had transferred from Rhistel's hands, she walked away, "If am not back in two hours, leave without me."

"Never."