Note: This short story was first published in the Wire Harp as an after piece, modeled after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Silverblade, one of his mysteries featuring Sherlock Holmes. While the concept of the story and the basic merit of the characters was enough to get the story in, I was not satisfied how it turned out. So I spent last Spring Break finishing the story, since what I had put in there was an excerpt. However I still was not happy with the finished product. A couple of examples of this would be the characters were not how I had pictured them and the story itself was in first person, which I am not a fan of writing. Needless to say, I have spent the last week revising the story and I have it to where I am comfortable walking away from it for a little while...
Below is the first part of the story.
I
The dwarven priest Watson Silverhammer turned to the door. His blue beady eyes watched as his detective friend entered his apartment and removed her plum colored fedora, revealing her pointed ears and long and curly black hair . "Ah Falfaren, what a pleasant surprise," the robust, black bearded dwarf greeted with a smile. "What brings you here?"
Ireniana Farfalen quickly placed her coat on the rack near the door and brushed the dust off of her studded leather tunic. She turned to her friend as he was scratching his chin. "I am afraid Watson that I will have to keep my visit short," she said in her soft voice. "I have a new case."
A loud whistle sounded off from the kitchen, alerting the dwarf that his tea was ready.
"It's all right Watson," Falfaren said as she gracefully walked over to the wooden rocking chair near the window. "Grab your tea, and pour me a cup if there is enough."
Watson smiled once more then entered the kitchen, grabbed the teapot and two cups, then returned to the living room. His shoulders rose as he poured as the tea. "The usual amount of sugar and milk."
"You don't I don't like sugar and milk in my tea," Falfaren said as she took her cup. "You wouldn't happen to have any brandy?"
"Not since you drank my last glass," the dwarf remarked quiety. After sipping his tea, he leaned back in his chair. "So which case are you working on?"
"I have decided to take the offer to travel to Manatreese to look for the king," she answered.
Watson was not surprised. For the past week, emissaries from the troll kingdom had attempted to persuade him, and Falfaren to find their missing king in the Manatreese ruins, a place that is said to house demons and other evils
"I would be most happy in going with you to the ruins," Watson said, breaking a moment of silence. "Providing you don't think of me as a distraction."
Falfaren stood up and placed a warm hand on the dwarf's shoulder. "My dear Watson nothing would make me happier. I could use your healing magic and war hammer as you could use my keen skills and sword techniques. Now, let us enjoy our tea and then we will be off."
To read the rest of the story, follow the link to my fiction page:
Al's fiction drawer.
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