by Toni Cox
We thundered around the bend. The horses baulked, nearly unseating me from the saddle.
Ahead, a horde of goblins, and their wagon with human goods, blocked the path.
Chapter 18
The goblins yelled in surprise but recovered instantly to spread out to block my path.
Frightened, Lorelei pulled on the lead rein, and it took all my strength to hold on to her. Lazuli threw her head and pranced beneath me, snorting her fear at the strange people before her.
Behind me, the elves rounded the corner, coming to a sliding halt, spraying sand in all directions. Darven laughed when he took in the sight before him.
“You have nowhere to go, Princess.”
I sent every bit of fae magic I had in me to the horses, to give them courage, and I rode straight at the ox wagon. A shout went up from the goblins, but I screamed back at them.
Pushing the mares, they ran at the wagon, then leapt over the tongue of the cart between the driver’s seat and the oxen, and landed on the other side on the empty path.
I didn’t dare look back. Undoubtedly, the elves would follow my example, but for now, I had the path in front of me and the horses ran free.
Twisting and turning, the narrow trail carried on. The horses slogged through the heavy sand, their breaths rasping in their throats.
The hoofbeats behind me persisted, although they didn’t get any closer. Their horses were surely as tired as mine.
Something had to give… and I didn’t want it to be my horses. If I carried on riding them like this, they would surely fall dead on the spot.
White sweat lathered their necks, sweat dripped from their faces, and I could see in their eyes they only kept running for the love they had for me.
We rounded another bend, and I noticed the trees around me. I pulled the horses to a stop. They stood with heads hanging down to the ground, their bodies heaving.
Enough. No more. My nostrils flared as my anger surged, and my magic bubbled beneath the surface.
When the elves came around the corner, I saw their horses were on the verge of collapse. One stumbled when the elf pulled him to a halt.
“Stop,” I yelled, holding up my blue palm.
Darven urged his horse towards me, but it refused to move. It stood quivering beneath him, barely hanging on.
“Give yourself up, Princess,” Darven called over.
“Never.”
He laughed. “Your kingdom is surrounded. What do you hope to accomplish by fleeing from us?”
I glared at him.
“Our army is invading Draeguard even as we speak. If you turn your back on them now, there will be nothing to go back to. Will you not save them, Princess? It is in your power.”
It had to be a trick. What did they want with me, and how could I save the kingdom?
“Your lies are as tired as your horse,” I spat at him.
Darven chuckled. “You may believe what you want. The fact is that if you come with us now, we might still be in time to stop the assassins sent to kill your father.”
“My father isn’t that easily killed.”
“Have you no desire to save your people?” Annoyance now tinged Darven’s voice. “All we need from you is to bring us the moonstones. Do that, and we will leave the fae alone.”
“You underestimate the fae. We will not give in that easily.”
With a hiss, Darven got off his horse. The other elf did the same. Stalking towards me, they drew their swords. Behind them, one of the horses sunk to its knees.
“Negotiations are over,” Darven hissed under his breath.
Once more, I considered fleeing now that they were off their horses, but it wouldn’t get me far. My horses were as tired as theirs.
Suppressing the nausea I felt at what I had to do; I waited for the right moment. The elves came nearer.
“If you value your life, you will pursue me no longer,” I tried to warn them.
They laughed; so close now. I lifted my hand. The elves looked at it warily but continued their march through the sand towards me.
Holding my breath, and cringing internally, I sent a massive blast of blue energy into the trees. The elves laughed, but I had hit my target.
Before the elves could react, the old, rotten pine tree I’d singled out crashed across the path, burying the elves beneath it.
The horses shied, and for the first moment, I had my hands full to calm them, but they were so tired it didn’t take long for them to settle down.
Then, the full impact of what I had done penetrated my conscience.
I stared at the huge tree; its bulk blocking the entire path. I could not see the horses on the other side. No sound came from beneath it.
Darven and his man might have been evil, might have had evil intentions, but they had still been people. Now, they were dead. What did that make me?
Dry sobs rose from deep within my chest. I had no tears for these men, but the ache within me was real.
Shaking, I turned the horses around. At a slow walk, we rode away from the place where I had just killed two elves.
***
It took a long while for the horses to recover their breaths, but we ran into no further trouble along the road. By nightfall, I guided them off the path into the forest so we could all sleep.
Total exhaustion kept me from having nightmares, for which I was glad. After a few hours of rest, even the horses had regained the spring in their step.
We carried towards Oaktown before sunrise. I dreaded going back into Raven Hall Forest, but it was the only way. I only hoped I had rested enough, so I would have enough energy to spread my fae magic to keep the forest happy.
What Darven had said troubled me, and I kept thinking about it. My father had said an army of the size camped outside Draeguard’s walls was nothing to worry about, but what if reinforcements were on their way?
I also didn’t know how many elves had made it into Draeguard. I had only seen seven, but there could have been thirty, for all I knew, plus they had that sorcerer with them.
The thought of what could be, and what might happen, chased each other around in my head as I rode along. There was nothing I could do, but pray the captain had done his duty, and my father was right about the army.
The outskirts of Oaktown were quiet, and we rode by unseen. When we entered the forest, it was as dark and malicious as I remembered it. Shivers trailed their cold fingers down my spine.
I soon found the main road that led south and followed it. Lorelei took the lead once we were on it, and I figured she would know the way. It used to be her home, after all.
The forest darkened around us as the sun slowly set. Strange creatures scuttled about in the undergrowth, and some of the noises I could not identify.
The light from my palm illuminated our way, and it gave us some comfort in the oppressing darkness of this forest.
We could not ride forever, though, and I searched for a place where we could rest. In most areas, the undergrowth was too thick to penetrate, but I didn’t want to sleep on the road.
Eventually, I found a deer trail, and we followed it only deep enough into the forest so we could not be seen from the road.
I tied the horses to a tree and looked around. I could think of more pleasant places to sleep, but I’d have to make the best of it.
Earthmagic only worked on natural things, and we often used it to grow plants. I now offered the forest to help it develop new shoots if it let me rest for a bit.
Spreading my arms, I let my fae magic spread from me in wisps of white. The forest’s energy responded, agreeing to my terms.
A few steps further away, I asked the ground to reveal what seeds it held. Using similar magic, I then made them sprout and grow. I could feel the energy of their new life tingle along my skin.
Soon, green shoots shot through the brown brambles, making the area a friendlier place. I sat down beside them and closed my eyes, knowing that, for a while, at least, the forest would look after me.
In my dreams, I struggled to breathe. My chest felt tight, and I couldn’t move. Panicked, I woke with a start, only to find myself bound and unable to move.
Dark roots and ground vines slithered across the forest floor towards me. My subconscious recognised it was morning.
Tight tendrils coiled around my chest, while others bound my arms and legs. I kicked and wriggled, but they only pulled tighter.
The horses became nervous at my panic and milled around, pulling on their tethers. The vines reached up, gently touching the horses, testing them.
I struggled harder but found it worsened my position. The plants would choke me to death. Already, I could barely breathe.
Lazuli whinnied in fright as a coil attached itself to her leg. She kicked out furiously. I had to do something now.
Closing my eyes, I forced myself to be calm and let my fae magic spread from me. The roots coiled around me, slithering and invading, but I remained still, with only soft, wispy-white magic flowing from me.
My heart pounded loud in my ears as the moments passed, but then the movement of the tendrils stopped. I stayed still. The coils retracted.
I sat up and watched the last of the vines retreat into the forest. They had let me sleep through the night. I must have overstayed my welcome, and now it was time to leave. The shoots I had asked to grow had shot up to over a yard tall already.
I wasted no more time; the forest had made itself clear.
We found our way back to the road and, after making sure there was no-one else on it, carried on our route.
Lorelei led us unerringly to the spot where the dark elf had first revealed the magical forest. We halted there, and I spoke the words in the fae tongue, mixing the two spells, hoping it would work from this side.
The world around us shimmered, slowly revealing the other forest through the magical tear. It took longer than before, and considerably more energy.
I wondered if that was because I came from the other side, or because they had shored up their defences. Either way, when the horses stepped through into the elven forest, I hung weakly in the saddle, trying to regain my strength.
The atmosphere in this forest was instantly different. The two parts of Raven Hall could not be more dissimilar. Once this forest had recognised me as its friend, the goodwill it showed towards me was palpable.
By pressing my palms to a tree, I let the forest feel my energy and apologised for my weak state. It let me pass on a promise to do some healing of its sick plants as soon as my strength returned.
The road to the elven compound seemed longer than I remembered. It left me too much time to think, and my mind wandered back home, hoping I’d made the right decision.
Once my strength allowed it, I healed the ailing plants I passed, wondering what had befallen them that made them ill like that. I could find no cause for the sickness within the soil.
It also made me think less of the elves for caring so little for their forest that they should neglect it so.
As day turned into night, I began to question whether I was on the right path, but Lorelei kept walking undeterred forwards.
I was sure it had not taken us this long the last time; the elves must have put up additional spells or protections around the forest to mislead intruders.
Only, it didn’t work so well on Lorelei. I trusted the mare to lead me true, and I eventually saw lights flickering through the trees ahead.
I dismounted and led the horses forward with caution. Before we got too close, I guided the horses off the path and tied them to a tree. They would have to wait for me there.
Alone, I carried on through the darkness, keeping to the edge of the forest. I soon reached the edge of the courtyard where we had dismounted when the goblins had brought us here.
Voices drifted over to me, and I cowered under a fern, remaining motionless. The voices continued at the same tone; they didn’t notice me.
Peering out from behind my fern, I tried to assess the situation. Most of the area remained in darkness. From what I remembered of the layout, the house was to my right.
The sound of the waterfall confirmed my assumption. Only two lights lit the upper story of the beautiful dwelling, keeping the rest completely hidden. One dim light at the bottom I guessed to be the entrance to the goblin quarters.
Ahead of me, a patch of complete blackness stretched for at least a hundred and fifty feet before several lights lit a row of smaller houses. The voices came from there.
I tried to remember what was between here and those houses, but I didn’t think I paid attention to that the last time I was here.
Sneaking out from behind the fern, I carried on towards the house. Once I reached the courtyard itself, I pressed my back against its dark wall and crept along it.
A laugh broke the silence, and I froze, my heart racing in my chest. By the guttural sounds of the raised voices coming from the other side, I could now tell they were goblins.
They were in good spirits, laughing, singing, and someone played the flute. No doubt celebrating the absence of the elves. I’d celebrate, too, if I were them.
I waited a moment longer, giving my heart some time to slow. In full control of myself again, I padded forwards.
Halfway across the yard, the darkness pressed itself on me, leaving me feeling vulnerable out in the open. The temptation to light my palm was nearly irresistible.
I focussed on the dim light ahead of me. From this distance, I could now see that it illuminated the green exit door of the basement section of the elf-house.
Something inside me told me I was going to make it. Hope had been such a fickle thing these past few days. A hesitant smile spread across my face as I walked towards the door.
An arrow whistled past my ear and bounced off the wall with a clang. A man yelled, even as I ducked, shielding my head with my hands.
Terrified, I looked around to find where the threat came from. The man yelled again, telling me not to move.
I looked up and found a guard standing on a balcony of Darven’s house, aiming his bow at me.
Chapter 19
I stared at the guard on the balcony, and something snapped inside of me. I had come too far to give up now. Standing up straight, I sent a well-aimed blast of light right at him.
Without waiting to see what happened to him, I sprinted for the door and yanked it open. A lamp in the middle of the corridor cast enough light for me to see by, and I went straight to the room where they had tortured Thomas.
Blood still stained the floor, and shackles still hung from the ceiling. It reeked in here. Wrinkling my nose, I wasted no time in the room and stepped back into the corridor.
“Thomas,” I called out. I didn’t care if anybody else heard me. “Thomas.”
“Here.” The voice was soft, but unmistakably his.
“Thomas, where are you?”
He hit his fist on his door, and I followed the sound.
“Thomas?” I pressed my ear against the door.
“In here,” he answered, his voice a little louder now.
“Stand back; I’m going to blast it open.”
I stepped back across the corridor and then aimed a blast at the door lock. The area around the lock splintered, and the door swung open. My confidence definitely made this magic work better.
Thomas appeared in the opening, and I cringed at his appearance. He didn’t wear a shirt, and cuts and bruises covered his entire torso. His face looked no better.
“Goddess, what have they done to you?”
“I’m alright.”
After everything that happened, with everything that was going on, my mind was obviously not thinking clearly, for I now stepped forward and took Thomas in my arms.
He hugged me back, but the seconds drew out, and the awkwardness became tangible. We stepped apart, my face aflame. I turned to hide my embarrassment.
“You smell bad,” I told him.
“I know,” he gave a tired and weak chuckle.
“Let’s get out of here.”
The moment we turned down the corridor towards the exit, we heard boots coming down the stairs behind us. We needed to hurry.
The darkness of the exit loomed ahead of us, and we sprinted through it. Even with his injuries, Thomas kept pace with me and was only half a step behind when we broke out into the yard.
We slid to a halt as a group of dark figures surrounded us. Thomas grabbed my hand and pressed his back to mine.
Fire flared, and a goblin lit torches, which he passed around. Twenty, or more, goblins had us surrounded, their weapons drawn. They stared at us in creepy silence.
“Did you think you were going somewhere,” a voice behind us said.
Several elf guards spread out around behind the goblins, while another pushed his way through the goblins into the middle of the circle.
“Darven will be pleased with our little catch. You shouldn’t have come back for your boyfriend.”
“He is not my boyfriend, and we are going somewhere.”
I didn’t wait for the guard’s reply. Pushing my right hand in front of me, I blasted the goblins who were in my way.
As if by some signal, the rest attacked. They didn’t even wait for the elf to give an order. I handed Thomas the knife from my pack, which I had brought for him.
Shooting blasts in all directions, we managed to creep across the yard, getting closer to the forest. The elf guard evaded my attacks by hiding behind goblins, then sneaking closer. Coward.
Thomas defended himself the best he could, but in his weak state, he stuck to the back of me, slicing at anyone who came too close.
We’d almost made it all the way across when I heard the elf shout.
“Sorena, a little help.”
I wondered if he was asking his goddess for help when I saw the female elf that had tortured Thomas. The same elf that had taken away my magic. The sorceress.
She walked towards me now, mumbling under her breath and focussing her eyes just on me. I couldn’t look away, worried about what she was going to do, and then, she made the motions ~ the same waving of the hand she’d made in the torture room.
