The Elf and the Amulet

by Chris Africa

  "You don’t want to overload your mounts if you’re going through the Blackwood." The shopkeeper looked like he was trying hard not to smile. "You’ll want to offload some of the weight, or you’re going to be in the wood a lot longer than you’d like."

  "But we don’t have a donkey," Andrev argued.

  The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow and looked at each of them. "Well, then," he said, "you’ll be wantin’ a trade-up to the lighter wood. That’ll cost y’ the rest o’ that gold piece. But at a third the weight, it’s well worth it."

  Chassy almost cursed when he remembered the wool clothing in their packs. Wearing Waet silks was not going to help their bargaining position.

  "That’s all the coin we have," Chassy said. "If we spend it all now, how do you expect us to eat? Better you take the clothing from our backs than our last ten silvers."

  The shopkeeper considered for a moment. "Well, so long as yer offering... I’ll take that tunic he’s wearing." He pointed to Andrev. "And three silvers."

  "My tunic? Why not give him yours?" Andrev clutched his tunic and scowled.

  "I'm already giving him my coin," Chassy said. "Come now, you know the tunic is worth far more than seven silvers. The tunic for the torches."

  The shopkeeper frowned and scratched his chin for so long that Chassy thought he would reject it. Finally, his face brightened.

  "Bargain made!" he said "Ha! You were born a merchant’s son, or I’m a bull’s gad!"

  Chassy nodded to Andrev, who flung the tunic at the shopkeeper. This time, Chassy was able to throw the sack over his shoulder, though he wrestled with it all the way back to the inn.

  "What’s a bull’s gad?" he asked Andrev as they wound their way down the street yet again.

  "It's not something to be discussed in the company of women," Andrev said, nodding at Nita.

  Nita kicked him in the leg. "You're such a pig sometimes. Like any impolite subject is more impolite just because I'm a woman! Chassy, I'm sure glad you paid attention to your father and Mayvis."

  "I just hope it was truly a good deal for us, since I don’t know the value of Waet silk in this market," Chassy said.

  "I'm sure it was a bargain for the shopkeeper. If he could afford a Waet tunic at its true value, he wouldn’t buy it off my back," Andrev said. He had pulled on the wool tunic from the priestess, but kept shifting around in it and sighing loudly to make sure they knew his discomfort.

  That much was probably true, but Chassy didn't admit it out loud. "You know, I think Lidora was right. I’m sure we could have gotten a better deal if we hadn’t been dressed like this. We’ll have to put on the wool things she gave us."

  Back at the inn, they changed their clothing and saddled up the horses, dividing the torches evenly among them. By the time they rode out of the city, the sun had passed its peak and was already halfway to the horizon. Less than a hundred feet away, the Blackwood rose ahead of them, its broad path hardly welcoming. In a few minutes, they plunged into the darkness.

  10: The Blackwood

  Chassy lit the first of their torches. It cast a stunted glow, but the shadows it threw spread out in front of them to blend with the trees. The road was level and wide enough for two broad wagons, but the trees pressed in uncomfortably from both sides. Fungus and decay filled Nita's nostrils.

  "Phew! This smells almost as bad as the Maiden’s Blush." She rubbed her nose vigorously, recalling the nasty odor of the man vomiting. That was definitely worse than this.

  The further they went into the wood, the colder she became, and eventually she had to don her heavy wool cloak. Andrev was wearing his remaining Waet clothing underneath his new things, with his cloak over it all. At night, they huddled together around a sputtering campfire that shed no warmth. In fact, Nita thought, smoking leaves and twigs barely counted as a fire and were almost more disgusting than helpful.

  Two days in, it still felt like they were barely moving.

  "The road is so straight and everything is so black and still and the same, I hardly feel like we’re moving at all," Nita said. Her horse's hooves swished like they were walking in sand. "And there are no sounds. No birds or anything. Andrev, where are the other travelers?"

  "Once we're further in, I'm sure we'll meet plenty of people," Andrev said.

  Nita couldn’t tell if he was speaking softly or if the Blackwood was swallowing his voice.

  "How many days is it to Sunoa?" Chassy asked.

  "At least a decan, perhaps two days more," Andrev said.

  "Twelve days? That's forever. You can't even tell when it’s nighttime," said Nita, "or when it is time to wake or eat."

  "I suggest," Andrev said, "that we eat, sleep, and rest whenever we feel the need. What difference does it make what time of day it is?"

  "Do you feel damp?" Chassy felt his tunic. "I feel cold and wet through, but I’m really not. And I swear, everything is heavier here, like carrying soggy saddlebags."

  "It's this place." Andrev looked around him with distaste. "Everything is damp and moldy. The original settlers of Orchard Vale who came north through the Magnala Valley tried to use wood for furniture. But the wood is brittle after it finally dries. They tried using it for firewood, but it made thick smoke that choked them and left a black film on everything. So the wood they cut was good for nothing. That’s why the trees grow almost up to Orchard Vale and this single road is the only one through the Blackwood."

  Nita looked around uneasily. She could barely see five steps ahead, despite the torch.

  "I've been thinking," Nita said finally. "When we find Lyear, we probably need to be prepared to fight. I don't think he's just going to give up that amulet, if he's as greedy as Vornole said."

  "Fight?" Andrev scoffed. "You're too small to fight anyone."

  Nita glared at him. "You're the one who can hardly carry your third of the provisions. I bet I could knock you down right now and clean that smirk off your face." She'd done it before. Andrev's smirk melted into a scowl. He was undoubtedly remembering the last time he had told her kitchen chores were a girl’s job, and she laid him flat with a well-placed punch. Andrev had nursed that black eye for a week.

  "I should think we would come up with a plan that's a bit more... stealthy," Chassy suggested.

  "Chassy's right, we're not exactly fighters," Nita agreed grudgingly. In Andrev's stories, elves were always known for their hand fighting prowess, as well as their skill with a bow. "We need to find a way to trick him."

  More importantly, how would they save the village, without even knowing what danger it faced? She jumped as she thought she heard a noise.

  "What was that?" she wondered.

  Chassy and Andrev stopped and listened.

  "It was nothing, just some birds or something," Andrev said. "We're not really in danger here. Merchants and traders are in the most danger. According to the stories, thieves tend to venture in for a few days, pull a large job, and get out as fast as possible. But if we would get attacked—and I’m not saying we will—you should remember to run like mad and make a lot of noise."

  "A lot of noise? That’s supposed to scare away a band of thieves?" Nita asked. "That sounds completely made up."

  "Actually, yes," he said. "Most merchant caravans hire armed guards when traveling through the Blackwood, and they will often help fellow travelers."

  Nita jumped at a sudden clatter from the darkness behind them and almost screamed. The clatter was followed by a curse and the sound of horses’ hooves and men talking.

  "We have to hide," she whispered, pulling her horse to a stop and looking around for somewhere to hide. She couldn’t tell whether the voices were in front of them or behind them.

  Andrev talked in his normal, arrogant voice. "Thieves wouldn't be this loud. I say we announce ourselves before someone—"

  A dagger tip appeared at Chassy's throat, and a shaggy face came into view. Nita recognized it as belonging to one of the men who had been on guard at the Maiden’s Blush. Scars crisscrossed hi
s wrinkled skin; he'd definitely seen more than one fight. Another guard hung back in the shadows, his sword at the ready.

  "Who is it?" called a younger man’s voice. It was a deep and serious, a voice used to commanding people and being obeyed.

  "Three travelers from Orchard Vale," Andrev said sharply.

  "We’re friends." Chassy said through his teeth. Nita silently urged him not to talk. That dagger looked like it could puncture his throat if he moved the wrong way.

  A torch appeared above them, as the man with the young voice rode into view on a horse so dark it melted into the wood. Its rider was barely older than Andrev, with wavy, pale hair and blue eyes. His skin was as smooth and fine as Waet silk, and when he flashed her a smile, his teeth shone like pearls from Across. Nita had never seen someone so perfect. She dropped her eyes, feeling a blush rise in her cheeks.

  "You’re no friends of mine," he said. "How do I know you weren’t lying in wait to rob me?"

  "These three left a day before us, William," the old guard said. "They’re the ones from the market, the ones as tried to sell the godsilver mirror."

  William threw back his head and laughed like he’d just heard a joke. "Then these are too stupid to be brigands. Someone must have warned them to put away their fine silks, at least. Leave them, Bruno. Let someone else kill them." Bruno lowered his dagger.

  Nita felt her face burn with the insults. Were these the so-called friendly merchants who were always willing to help a fellow traveler? Someone should teach them a few manners — "a lesson from the back of the spoon," as her mother liked to say.

  "Would you like some company on your way through the woods?" Chassy said. Nita poked him in the back for being stupid.

  "Oh, I see," said William in a light voice. "You wish to travel with us, use my guards for protection, and for what? What do you have that I might want?"

  "Ten silvers," Chassy blurted.

  "Good haggling," Nita muttered. She was no merchant's daughter, and even she would have been smarter than to tell exactly how much coin they had. If William demanded all ten silvers, they would all be relying on her hunting skills to feed them for the rest of the journey — though she hadn't spotted any animals at all, so they might also starve. And there would be no more hot baths.

  William came closer, leaned down and smirked at Chassy. "This is how you bargain?" He looked at their packs, and then he turned his eyes on Nita, and she felt herself blush again. "All right, we’ll take all of the torches."

  "The torches?" Andrev asked. "Why do you want the torches?"

  "Twice the light that we have now. And that means no light for you, should you decide to become thieves," William said. He turned and smiled at Nita. "And I’ll name the rest of my price when this cursed wood is behind us."

  Nita's hands went cold. He may be handsome, but she wasn't interested in becoming one of his belongings. Chassy glared at William, and she hoped he was thinking the same thing.

  "Don't look at my sister that way," Andrev growled, but William just grinned.

  Bruno snatched the torch from Chassy's hand, forcing them all to follow the light.

  "I need a minute," Chassy said.

  He pulled Nita and Andrev aside a bit. "What do you think?" he asked in a low voice he hoped William's company couldn't hear.

  "Don't do it," Nita whispered. "These guys are creepy."

  "They're probably going to take our stuff anyway, and we could use their protection," Andrev said.

  Chassy put his hands over his ears and shook his head as though trying to dislodge a bee. Then he slumped forward on his horse, muttering with his eyes closed. Nita couldn't understand what he was saying.

  "Chassy?" Nita reined her horse up close to him. "Chassy, what's wrong?"

  He did not respond but continued mumbling.

  "What's he doing? What's going on over there?" Asked the guard with the dagger. He looked warily from Nita to Chassy to Andrev.

  William moved in closer to Chassy. "I think he said ‘white eyes,’ but I’m not sure. Does he do this often?"

  "It never—never before—" Nita’s swallowed hard to keep the panic down. "Chassy! Chassy, what is wrong with you?"

  Andrev grabbed Chassy’s arm and shook him violently. Chassy opened his eyes.

  "What's this nonsense? You're scaring Nita," demanded Andrev. His eyes were wide, and Nita could see his hands shaking.

  "I felt... faint," Chassy said. He took the sip of water Nita offered. "If the offer still stands, we accept your proposal to travel with us."

  He was shaking though, and his voice sounded hoarse. Had this William cast some kind of magical spell on him to force his hand?

  But William was looking at him warily now. "I knew a man once, used to talk to himself occasionally. My father indulged him—said he was only sick—and allowed him full access to our home. Right up to the moment that he killed one of our servants. How can you be trusted?"

  Surprisingly, it was Andrev who spoke up. "If you’re as smart as you seem to think, then you’re also aware that the Blackwood has odd effects on men." His voice was irritated. "You can set an extra guard on him if it makes you feel better."

  William nodded reluctantly. "I may well do that. Bargain made, then."

  "Bargain made," Chassy agreed.

  "Good! Let’s move, then. I am William of Fort True, and these are my personal guards, Bruno and Dalshess. The rest of my crew has hung back with the wagon. Let’s go meet them."

  11: Vision or Hallucination?

  Chassy followed William back down the road a bit, where a wagon and six other armed guards waited. He didn't understand why Nita was frowning at him. She obviously liked looking at William. And Andrev was right—they could use the protection. She would probably understand better if he could tell her what he had seen, but he wasn't sure he was ready to do that yet. He wasn’t sure himself whether he was sick or having a true vision. Certainly, he couldn't speak in front of these strangers.

  The man in chainmail towered over Nita, with eyes so white the moons were a pale reflection by comparison.

  Chassy was in a meadow watching William chase Nita around an enormous willow tree. They ran in and out between the drooping branches, laughing and teasing, until Nita tripped and fell. Chassy saw the world through her eyes, then. A dark man in chainmail stood above, brandishing a sword, and William was gone. The dark knight sheathed his sword, reached down and grabbed her by the hair, and yanked her head up so she was forced to stare into his cruel face. Nita's face looked odd, like she was wearing some kind of silvery mask, and her hair was short. She glared at the dark knight, apparently unafraid.

  Then a red line stretched across the knight’s throat, and a look of surprise replaced his grin, as he fell backward. William stepped up, wiped his blade, and reached for her hand…

  Chassy shook his head, overcome with the feeling that William would save Nita's life one day. But the whole thing left him shivering. He pulled his cloak tighter, trying to regain some warmth.

  "This is the rest of my retinue," William said, waving an arm to include them all. Each one nodded or lifted a hand as he listed their names: Toad; Yosef and Yasmina, who were married; Robert, Bert, Gregory, and the driver, Strato, who showed at least four black teeth when he smiled (which he seemed to do a lot). Chassy had never met so many new people at once, and he struggled to remember their names. Besides the driver, it appeared that three of them rode in the wagon with the goods.

  "I’m Chassy. These are my friends Nita and Andrev. We’re… travelers."

  William smirked. "Really? Travelers?"

  "Our business is our own," Andrev added, at the same time Nita said, "We’re honest folk."

  "We shall have very little to talk about, then—you with your secrets, me with mine." William shrugged, sizing them up with his eyes.

  "Eight armed guards for one small wagon?" Andrev wondered. He approached the wagon, apparently oblivious to the guards closing in on him, casually readying their weapons. Bruno
and Dalshess moved their horses in front of him, scowling.

  "Dismount. We make camp here tonight." William dismounted and tied his horse’s reins to a black tree trunk. "Don’t ask questions about my business, and stay away from my goods. Yosef, get them some weapons."

  "Weapons? We've never used weapons before." Chassy dismounted and tied his own horse beside William’s.

  "That’s quite obvious. But there’s no better time to start than now. You are traveling in the most dangerous wood in the known world," William said, eyes narrowing.

  "Here," said Yosef. Chassy remembered him as the guard from outside the Maiden’s Blush.

  Yosef tossed Andrev a sword, which almost skewered him before sticking in the ground. Someone else tossed Chassy a dagger, which he caught clumsily by the handle. It was heavy.

  "Yosef is an excellent instructor," said William. "Let's break for a bit while he acquaints you with your new weapons."

  The group seemed to relax as everyone dismounted. Strato tied the horses on the wagon and fed them bits of something out of his palm.

  "So, you've never used a dagger, eh?" Yosef’s tone seemed pleasant enough, but numerous scars on his face and neck warned that he could be unpleasant if provoked. Two were particularly fearsome: one split his face in half diagonally, and the other made thick white tracks across his throat.

  "No, sir," Chassy said.

  "You just call me Yosef, not sir. Have you ever used any kind of weapon at all?"

  "I’m one of the best marksmen in my village," Chassy said with some pride. "I came in second in the archery competition at the Harvest Fest last season."

  Yosef rolled his eyes. "Of course, the archery competition. Ever play darts or wrestle with your friends? Ever play swords with sticks?"

  Two more negatives. Chassy had never cared about those kinds of games, preferring to spend all of his free hours climbing trees and making mischief with Nita.

  Yosef sighed heavily. "Here’s the thing, Chassy. We have to find the right weapon for you. Me, I’m an axe man. But Bruno, he uses daggers, and Toad don’t use no weapons at all, ’cept his hands and feet. Being grounded and all in the middle of the forest, with close fighting, the bow won’t be your best defense. Seems to me you might do better with something light," he felt Chassy's arm for emphasis, "like knives or daggers. What do you say?"