“It is.” Her voice held a question in it. “What are you getting at?”
“I want you to finish teaching me how to use a sword. I know the forms are incomplete, you made sure you weren’t teaching me everything. The movements cut off at key places, so, the deal is this. You teach me the rest of the forms, and I will not only give you this sword, but I will pay to send you back to wherever it is you come from.”
She threw herself at the chains again, “fool, I can never go back there. I was cast off, banished when Vexi turned tail. Her shame is mine as her squire.”
“Alright, then wherever you choose. Look Torga, I am trying to help here. I know none of the shit that happened to me was your fault, not that you helped me, but still. Pretty messed up, especially our last day together.”
“Better you kill me now, my life is forfeit if another Harekin so much as sees me.”
I smiled. “Then stay with me, be my sword instructor. I have seen you fight, your good, great even. I think Vexi cast you aside because she knew one day you would be better than her if not already. There are no Harekins in my lands, and never will be, unless you want to be there. I mean, I don’t have much, just a farm really, but you do seem to like the carrots that come from there. Bend the knee, become my first guard. What do you say?”
I could see her red eyes swirl with hatred, but I did not know how it was for me or Vexi. “I’ll even pay you, feed and house you. And this is a really nice sword, right?”
“Give me that sword and I will split you in two.”
“That’s the spirit,” I said cheerfully. “But you didn’t answer the question.” I hardened my face and stared her down. “I may not know you well, or your culture. You may have your vengeance against Vexi, if that is what you wish. I will not be a farmer forever, Torga, another Campaign will come, and I will have mine against her as well. That, I promise you, you can join me, or you can die knowing that the imbecile slave you once underestimated, not only outwitted you. But is going to kill the person you hate most in this world. So, I ask again, what say you?”
“You have as much chance of killing Vexi as I do of flying. You think I am a better fighter, ha, she is twice the warrior I am. She never taught me all she knew, for she knew one day I would challenge her and take up her mantle. We might have underestimated you, but she is just as smart, if not smarter. She will not make the same mistake again, she never does. You will never best her with a sword.”
I smirked, “I never said it would be with a sword. I said I would get my vengeance; I didn’t say how.” I dropped the smirk from my face. “I will not ask a third time and you have no other options.”
Her answer was not what I was expecting, and rattled me deeply. “I will not be your guard, if you want me by your side, then take me as your wife. Knight me, for I will be nothing less than your equal.”
“I ah, you want to marry me?” I shook my head in disbelief. There were a lot of complex thoughts, revisited memories of myself tied to the wagon as I listened to her moan in pleasure. I did not hate Torga, in fact she was the only person from the Dark Lands that I kind of liked. There had been a time while I was a slave, I might have even joined them both. But now, all I could say was, “I will have to ask my wife first.”
To my surprise, it was Avashay who had the winning idea, a courtship by battle until Aylana returned. I was even more surprised when Torga agreed by saying, “it will be as it will be. You are safe from my blade, Jaeger Persik, until such time as your wife decides. I will be your knight.” Just like that, she was added to our merry band of ex slaves.
That night we heard the low baying of an Elven Horn, and Brandon was in the dining room in a flash. “It is the Army and they have fashioned a white tent. Ava says it’s the sign for parole, they want to talk to you milord.” His mouth was moving just as fast as hit little legs had been.
“Well, let’s get this party started.” We had already made another trip to the Armory to get Torga outfitted as best as we could and she didn’t look the least bit happy at the options available. She was decked out in a mismatch of rusted armor, a far cry from the gear she had before, but she still looked fierce, at least to me.
We headed to the elevator and Brandon manned the winch system. “I’ve always wanted to try this.”
“Don’t kill us.” I said back to him and put on my game face. There could be only one reason why they were camped out at the base of the tree, and that was Aerathrel had failed, been captured or killed, my only hope was Aylana was still alive.
With Torga by my side, we walked the hundred yards to the pavilion and two guards in the silvery blue tabards of House Dinhel, parted the flaps so that we may enter. But before we could enter, the one on the left stated, “no arms are permitted within.” I looked inside and could see that was not the case by the Elven Nobility.
“Huh, it would seem your Lord did not get that message.” I locked eyes with the taller elf. “I will wait for the Lords of the Middle Realm Alliance to disarm themselves.” I crossed my hands over my chest.
The guard looked confused, but a call from the tent said, “you are permitted. Enter, Lord Persik.”
I glared at the guard, “I hope you get crotch lice.” I said as I walked past him. When I entered, I noticed that not a single one of them stood, and there was a dark cloth over several round objects. I didn’t bother following protocol, this was not a meeting of lords. These were conquerors and they were about to make demands.
There were familiar faces in attendance, the Lord who had sat with Aerathrel during the tournament, Ayeshoot and Lathura. The latter had a smug look on her face and Ayeshoot appeared bored out of his mind. But he stood and said, “welcome Lord Persik, as you can see, the Middle Realm Alliance is at your doorstep, Aerathrel has fallen.”
“Really? I just came from there and it's still in the trees.” Ayeshoot looked as if he was about to choke with laughter.
He coughed into his hand and continued, “As Bow Master of the MRA, I will Mediate this counsel of terms. Would you please introduce the female behind you, for the record?”
“No, she is not of their concern.” I stated. I gazed into the eyes of each of the Lords and Ladies before me. “You called the Parolee, I am here, speak your terms.”
The Bow Master pursed his lips, as if he were trying to give me a thumbs up. “The terms are simple, you will surrender Aerathrel, you will return to your lands and provide sustenance to the MRA for your lifetime. Your wife will be released after a year of homage paid.”
I put on my most flattering smile, “is that all, well, to be honest, I thought this would be hard. My answer is no.”
“Lord Persik, we all understand you are new to being a lord, but think of Aylana, you will sentence her to death.” The kind Lord from the tournament stated.
I shrugged, “she will die anyway if I leave here without her. Your terms as thus, give us all your stuff and we will let you leave, we will kill your wife and make up some excuse. Sound about, right?”
Ayeshoot’s eyes raised in surprise. “I ask you all this, each of you were at the tournament, who was responsible for the attempt at my wife’s life? Funny how all three slaves were released at once, and one of them with an actual blade. Yet, this didn’t happen to a single one of your daughters now did it? Interesting when you think about it, how I spilled one glass of wine on Lady Lathura and you were about to go to war against Atheria. Yet, one of you attacks one of your own, and what? You kill the father of a daughter who was attacked? You elves have a warped sense of justice. No, I think I have a third option for all of you.”
“I will, surrender the city, only once my wife is given to me. I will supply the MRA with produce and grains, at a reasonable price as long as our two nations are friendly, through legal means, of course. I will leave this Island and never return.” I gazed at each of them. “Or I will raze Aerathrel to the ground and you will have nothing of my crops. Ever.” I gave them time to let my words sink in.
“We are all Gentry here, whether from the MRA or Atheria, it makes no matter. The choice is yours, gentlema...elves.”
“The Human lies.” Lathura stated.
“No, you do, I have never been anything but honest to you all.” My eyes bore into hers, “and one more outburst like that, Lady, and I will add on to my terms, Dinhel will never receive a single piece of food from my farm.” I looked to the rest of them. “I have a friend that is watching, right now. This friend is your enemy, an Earth Sage. It will be she who will tear down Aerathrel, and she will do it with a smile on her face. The choice is yours to make.”
They were not happy, and I might have pushed my luck a little too far with Lathura. “This is preposterous, cut him down and we can take the city.” I heard Torga’s hand loosen her blade in the scabbard.
“Dinhel does not speak for the MRA. You have cost us quiet enough already.” One of the lords said. “Lord Persik offers reasonable terms, the MRA will benefit with open trade between our two nations.”
They argued back and forth, I was starting to get a headache. One Lord stood and slammed his hands down on the table. “We are the MRA, he is a Human, you act as if he is Lord of Aerathrel. He is not and has not rights to act so. I say we take him, ransom him to Atheria. To the underworld with all this debate, there is only one action to take here.”
“Oh yes, the Alliance.” I said after him. “Was not Aerathrel also apart of it, and let me guess, that’s his head under the cloth. I wonder, is it not your tradition, your protocol that the House falls to the last remaining heir? Well, if Afendor’s head is next to his fathers, then by your traditions, I am the Lord of Aerathrel. By marriage, a marriage you all voted for. You all made me the Lord, by your very votes and by your actions against my now dead father-in-law.”
I decided to push even harder, “and once these naysayers are done with me, which one of you is next. Curious, the wheel of war is already turning, with Aerathrel out of the mix, which house will the army turn to next? Dinhel, Gorithai, maybe Poreshel? I am but a Human, and I am an Elf, but I am not blind. I see what is going on here. Who will sit atop the throne of the Isle of Trees? Which one of you will it be?”
That got them going, and if looks could kill, Lathura would have killed me a hundred times over. “Lords, this is a discussion for another time, please focus on the terms at hand.” Ayeshoot roared. He gave me a pained look and mouthed the word, “why?” I only winked at him. “Each will cast their vote, as there is an even number here, I will cast for Aerathrel, unless this is not agreeable?” No one voiced their concern with him. “Lord Persik, if you would leave us for a moment.”
As we moved about twenty yards away, Torga said, “be wary, there are more than a few bows with arrows nocked.” I nodded and turned toward the camped army, I wanted to see them before I ran. “You did well in there, I see you were not lying about being a lord.”
“Impressed?” She snorted in answer. Seeing how we had a little time alone together, I asked, “so why do you want to marry me?”
Her red eyes were searching around, so when she answered, she was not making eye contact. “I told you, I will be no less than your equal, as a Lady and Knight, I will be thus. If you think it is because of some silly notion of love or attraction, you are a fool. While you might be easy on the eye, I have lain with worse looking beasts.” I cringed when my mind went back to my time as a slave. “I am a Harekin, and if you didn’t notice before, we have a high desire to fornicate. It is in our blood, so you must be ready for that, if your wife agrees, but do not try to lay with her and I at the same time. I will never share my bed with an elf, I would rather go down on an orc.”
I cringed again, I had seen what orc’s looked like and couldn’t imagine what the man sausage was like. I didn’t want to. “The Lionkin, however, I wouldn’t mind taking a turn at her. There is a treasure under those loose garments, I bet my ears on it.”
It was weird how easily she had opened up to me, was it because she was scared of what might happen in a few moments? Or was it something else, was there something more between us that I wasn’t picking up on. She had offered back in camp when I was a slave, to take care of me, and I didn’t think that was because of some obligation to Vexi. She had never offered to do so with any of the other slaves or the guild. Before I could ask her, the flap opened and Ayeshoot beaconed us in.
Standing once again before the assembly of lords, I waited patiently with my hands behind my back. “Lord Persik, it is this counsels desire to agree with your terms. Your wife will be brought to you shortly, and arrangements will be made to have you escorted safely to your lands.”
“And her weapons, will they be returned to her?” Ayeshoot looked confused. “Her bow in particular, it was her mothers.”
“It will.” One of the Lords said.
I nodded, “then by these terms I surrender Aerathrel. You may write my Mediator, Lady Hana Webberly, she will take care of the legality of our business.” Ayeshoot inclined his head. “Oh, and while we are on the subject, the Ever Storage Boxes that are made here, is there a certain lord, or does the MRA control their production?”
“Carpenters make the box, enchanters enchant it, why?” One lord asked curiously.
“While I see myself making a profit from our contract, the MRA would be eating, but spending their silver one way. I wish to remedy that, while I do not know all of what this Isle has to offer, that one resource, I know will be a hit. Especially with Adventurers. Both our nations would profit and my crops won’t spoil before citizens have a chance to eat them.”
“I see you are not a simple farmer, Lord Persik, we will be sure to make the proper additions to the contracts we will send to your Mediator.” The Lord who I had talked to during the tournament said, with a bob of his head.
“You will be reunited with your Lady wife, first thing on the morrow. Please take this time to collect any and all possessions you may have. Be ready to leave this Isle with the sunrise.” Ayeshoot said with a heavy voice, one of warning. “I believe this course of action, between our two nations is the best for all. While many will benefit with the trading, I believe this is the first step of many, may the gods bless our union.” The assembled lords made a gesture above their heads, one I had not seen before. But Lathura never stopped glaring at me.
“Once I receive my wife, I will quit the city. Lords, Ladies, while I cannot say my time here has been pleasant, I pray that our future together will be.” I bowed and exited the tent. As we went to the elevator, I whispered to Torga, “get ready, they will come tonight.”
“But they…”
“No, they will. I called someone out who didn’t want to be called out. Ruined a plan so easily seen, no one could see it. When we get up top, warn the others. Rest while you can, eat and drink your fill. There will be blood tonight and it won’t be ours. Tell Belenae, it is time to extract her revenge.”
They came with the setting of the moon, shadows amongst shadows. It was Brandon’s telegraphing ears who first heard the sounds within the trees. Thankfully it had not been windy tonight, for I had to strain my hearing just to pick up the slightest of movement. “May I borrow that a moment?” Torga asked and I handed her the black bow of the Warden. “Arrow?”
She closed her eyes as her bow arm seemed to hone in one nothing but the inky darkness of night. She let the arrow fly, followed by a grunt and then a cry as the Elf fell from the trees, it ended in a heavy thump far below us. “Nice shot!” I said.
“I hate bows, take the honor out of war. But they have their purpose I suppose,” she handed me back the bow and I could see her eyes glowing in the fading moon’s light. “Makes it easy to kill the tree rats.” She turned from me then, “happy hunting lioness. Remember, their armor is weak at the neck and pits.” A terrible smile appeared on Avashay’s face and it was like a cloak was pulled over her. One moment she was there, the next she was gone.
“They come from the north, thinking to take us from s
urprise.” Belenae said with her hand on the tree. “That was merely a scout, with your permission, Lord Persik, I will have my revenge now.”
“Knock yourself out.”
“Why would I knock myself unconscious? I cannot have my revenge while I am not able to think?”
I didn’t feel like getting in a heated debate right now. “True, you have my permission. Let loose the justice of nature.” She regained her feet slowly, her light green eyes wide.
“Oh, I like that...justice of nature. His lordship shall have all the justice he can stomach this night.” As she walked away, I could see her chestnut hair begin to float in the air, a wind of power that only affected her.
“Many will die this night; you have just given a serial killer permission to go wild. Even provoked her out of her control. You are a dangerous man, Jaeger and may the dark gods watch over us that she does not rampage and kill us too.”
I looked at the Harekin, “you, scared of a little elf?” She was little, the smallest of the Elves I have seen yet, only a few inches shorter than me.
“You would be too, if you knew what a Nature Sage was capable of. We have our fill of them in the darklands. And it is why we Harekin are known to fight naked under our armor, to wear clothes made from cotton, hemp or wool. Is to press your own blade to your throat.” There was a twinkle in her one large eye one my side of her face. “That, and for easier access when the battle lust rages within our bodies.”
“Everything is sex, sex and more sex with your kind, isn’t it?”
“It is how the gods made us, don’t not worry your little head about it. You will benefit from all the knowledge I have from such things. Enough to make your head spin and your legs weak.” There was a promise in her words, one that any man would be hard to pass on. But my body was not in the mood, not right at the moment, not when I could lose these people who I had come to count as friends.
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