Sir Thaydrin the High Elf

by Shawn O'Toole

  Chapter 4

  “Rain of Water, Rain of Blood”

  Morning: Aya and Thaydrin were eating breakfast when the woman reached over and played with the elf’s ear. She giggled. “Little Aya, does my ear amuse you?”

  “It’s pointy.”

  The he-fay hugged the woman. “You are warm and soft,” he snuggled. He kissed her head and sniffed her hair.

  Aya listened to the strong yet restful heartbeat of the great elf. “Thaydrin?” He did not respond. He was listening. “Thaydrin, will you take Aya with you... to your world?”

  “Does my little Aya truly wish to leave this world?”

  “Yes. This world is horrid.”

  “Horrid? I watched you. I watched the people of your friendly village. I felt warmth. I could see love in many smiling faces.” Thaydrin waited. He knew Aya was reminiscing. “Take heed, mortal woman: To leave this world is to leave this life. Do not forsake the faces that smile when you are near.”

  “I don’t want Thaydrin to leave me.”

  “I shall not forsake you.” He kissed her.

  The next day was dark and rainy. “We won’t need a bath,” the woman joked about the downpour. She laughed when Thaydrin drank from his flask. “Just open your mouth and look up!” Aya playfully followed her own advice. The elf grinned and the two moved on.

  They eventually happened upon a village... that was strewn with bodies! Thaydrin enquired, “Do you know this village?”

  Aya shook her head. “Aya doesn’t know these people, but she still doesn’t like what happened to them.” She looked about at the corpses of men and women, young and old and children. “I should look around. There might be survivors; maybe even children.”

  “There are no survivors.”

  The woman was stunned by the elf’s eerie certainty. “Elves?” she suspected were the culprits.

  Thaydrin was inspecting bodies. “Yes. Tell me why you ask.”

  “Nothing was burned and nothing seems to have been looted.”

  “Burned? It is raining.”

  “Yes, but humans usually don’t make an attack like this in the rain. Besides: I think these people have been dead since yesterday.”

  “My little Aya is keen both of eye and of mind. Elves have indeed done this. The swordplay of man is typically to hack and slash. Many of these people were stabbed. The arrows are also elfin.”

  “Why did dark elves massacre a village? Are they invading?”

  “No. I believe someone from this village, perhaps hunters or curious boys, spotted the dark elves’ camp. If any escaped to the village, then all here would be put to death.”

  “Why?”

  “Secrecy is the survival of all races who are not men.”

  “Would high elves have done this?”

  “Perhaps.”

  “What do you mean?!”

  “Your kind are savages who conquer wheresoever they go. We are the People of Peace. We shall defend that peace, by the sword, if we must.” Aya scowled at him. “Be at peace, dear woman. I shall not harm your friendly village.”

  The he-fay and woman moved on, leaving the dead to lie in the rain. Unbeknownst to them, a Dark Ranger had been watching! The camouflaged Hunter returned to the depths of the forest, mounted his horse and rode off.

  The pouring sky darkened and rumbled with thunder. Lightning flashed in the distance. “A storm is rising,” Thaydrin told Aya. “Do you feel it?”

  Aya stared up at him. “What do you mean?”

  “A dread has befallen me. Tell me, Aya, what do you feel?”

  “Ready.”

  Thaydrin chuckled and stroked her wet hair and caressed her cheek. “You are warmed by the Burning Blood. Come.” He pointed at a shrine up on a hill. “Let us seek shelter.”

  The shrine: Thaydrin and Aya watched the lightning and downpour and listened to the crack and felt the boom of thunder. “Thaydrin?”

  “Yes, Aya.”

  “Would you really kill everyone in a village?”

  “I do what I must do.” The woman sulked. “Tell me, my dear: What has soured your countenance?”

  “Thaydrin, you’ve met Little Yuka. Would you kill Little Yuka just because she saw your camp?”

  “Perhaps.”

  “Why?!”

  “I do what I must do.”

  “Thaydrin was going to kill Kamiko, but Aya stopped him! Sometimes even Thaydrin is wrong. You can’t kill people if you might be wrong!”

  “Tell me, assassin: Why did you kill?”

  “To protect my clan.”

  Thaydrin outstretched his arms and nodded.

  “That’s not the same!” Aya claimed. The elf arched an eyebrow and waited for her to explain. “It’s not. Aya never killed anyone innocent.”

  “Nor have I. Nor have I ever shed human blood.”

  “But Thaydrin would.”

  “Perhaps.”

  “Perhaps?!”

  “Though my fate is unknown to me, my path is clear. You are a woman who follows her passions, thus, you meander as feelings do.”

  “It’s our feelings that make us human. Do you have feelings, Sir Thaydrin?”

  “Little Aya, whereas you feel, I am aware. I am the wiser.”

  The woman huffed and looked away. She sobbed.

  “Aya.” The woman ignored him. The he-fay lay down. “When you are drowsy, rouse me from my nap.”

  “It’s still morning.”

  “Yes, but the tempest soothes me.”

  Thaydrin awoke only to find Aya sleeping next to him. He caressed her cheek, “Aya.” The storm had lessened to a light rain. The elf sat up and helped himself to their food and water.

  “Thaydrin?”

  “Aya.”

  “Sorry I fell asleep.”

  “All is well, my dear woman.”

  “Are you upset?”

  The elf’s inhuman green eyes stared into the woman’s soul. She shivered. “All is well. Join me for lunch, my silly woman. I wish not only to eat, but also to enjoy your company.” Thaydrin handed her food and drink.

  “Thank you.”

  The elf smiled and nodded.

  After lunch: The rain lessened to a mere drizzle and eventually ceased altogether. Aya asked, “Are we going to go now?” The sky was still gray and gloomy and thunder still rumbled in the distance.

  Thaydrin stood and smiled down at the woman. He offered his hand and the two continued on.

  The woman and elf were crossing a field when Aya suddenly ducked down within the tall grass. Thaydrin did likewise. The woman asked, “Did you see them?”

  “I saw movement.”

  An unearthly, resonant, feminine whisper called out, “Thaydrin.”

  “Marmora,” the he-fay recognized. “Foul death witch.”

  Aya gasped when Thaydrin stood. Columns of elves clad in sleek, black armor were riding towards them on black horses. Three Hunters rode ahead of them, as did a tall, female elf mounted on a white horse. All but the nymph readied bows or swords.

  “Marmora?” Aya pointed at the female. Even from this distance, she could tell the nymph was smirking. The dark elf raised her arm and waved it forward. Neither command nor battle-cry was shouted. The earth rumbled as the black horses charged!

  Thaydrin told Aya, “Run.” The woman looked up at him, but would not leave his side. “Run!” Thaydrin slapped her buttocks. He drew his sword.

  “Thaydrin!”

  “Flee or else you shall be the death of me!” Aya ran. Thaydrin charged! The woman glimpsed the nymph on the white horse gesturing for the three Hunters to give chase. They nodded and were in swift pursuit of Aya!

  The woman could hear the Hunters following her into the forest. She dashed for the thickest brushwood. A horse jumped out in front of her! The rider swiped at Aya with his sword. She dove to the ground. She peeked up. The Hunter leaned from his saddle and jabbed at her! She rolled
out of the way then lunged up and slashed the enemy’s neck! She struck again and he toppled out of his saddle. The other two elves ducked and wove as they rode after her. Aya ran. Spotting a low branch, she jumped up to it and climbed the tree! A Hunter drew the shorter of his two bows and nocked an arrow. He circled the tree as the woman sought cover behind the trunk and branches. The other dark elf soon joined him and readied his own shortbow. The two sneered up at Aya, their slanted, bright green eyes burning with malevolence. One of the Hunters rode around to the other side of the tree. Aya sprang from the branches and almost knocked him off the horse! The elf flung the woman to the ground. She then sprang up and stabbed him! He wailed! Aya yanked her sword out and ran as the other Hunter rode around and chased her. An arrow zipped past her shoulder! Aya dove behind a tree. She heard the enemy stop. Aya waited and waited. When she peeked around the trunk, an arrow nearly struck her in the face! The elf chuckled. Aya charged! The horse reared back as the woman shouted and swiped at it. Aya dove under the animal and cut through its belly with all of her might. She jumped away as the thrashing beast and its hapless rider went down. The Hunter looked up only to see and feel the blade of the woman’s sword.

  The grassy field: Thaydrin cut another Dark Knight out of the saddle then parried the thrust of another. The olive-faced warriors circled him, slashing and jabbing. An enemy yelped when the high elf stabbed him. The horse was pulled out of the way and another rode into the gap. Thaydrin was trapped! He parried a volley of heavy blows and forceful thrusts. He had to escape! He stabbed an attacking rider then hacked the face of his mount! The wounded horse reared and kicked. Thaydrin darted out of the cluster of enemies and dashed for the forest! The open field was death. Thaydrin had to reach the trees! The thunder of hooves followed him. Never had he ever fought as hard as he now ran!

  Thaydrin stumbled through bushes as he fled into the depths of the forest. “Thaydrin!” he heard a high, sweet voice hail him. “Thaydrin!” Aya was ahead waving at him! He turned. The Dark Knights were riding into the woods. Thaydrin rushed them and chopped one of them off his horse! He swung around, ducked then ran another through! The other knights closed in, jabbing and slashing at poor Thaydrin. The high elf ran. The dark elves gave chase, but the forest was no place for a mounted charge. Thaydrin turned and felled another then another pursuer. He then ran, using the trees and bushes as cover.

  A Dark Knight rode ahead of him and readied a bow. Thaydrin walked briskly towards him. The dark elf loosed an arrow, but the high elf dodged it. Thaydrin charged! The mounted warrior dropped his bow and went for his sword, but was too late: The high elf skewered him out of the saddle! Thaydrin stepped on his foe and yanked his sword out of him. He ducked, barely evading a swipe at his neck. He stabbed the attacker then tried to flee. The enemy now encircled him!

  A Dark Knight readied his bow and aimed at the high elf. Suddenly he felt a stinging pain sink into his armpit! Aya pulled her sword out and scampered into the thicket before the other dark elves spotted her.

  A knight noticed a companion slumped in his saddle. What had happened? The concerned elf rode up to his friend. Suddenly he felt something punch through his armor and sink up into his side! Aya scurried back in among the bushes.

  “You!” a dark elf spotted the woman. He rode up and leaned from his saddle, poking into the bushes. Aya rolled, tucked and crawled, but could not escape. She tried to climb a tree, but dropped back to the ground when nearly stabbed! She darted in among thick bushes. The elfin knight hacked his way through! Aya swiped at him. Her blade scraped across his armor. He jabbed at her. The woman leaned aside. He swung at her. Aya staggered parrying the strike. She ran! The elf gave chase. She dropped as he rode by, his sword almost hitting her!

  As the knight turned back around, he saw the woman climbing up into a tree. He rode up and poked at her. “Climb down to me, woman, that I may deal you a swift death... after I have my way with you.” Aya climbed higher. The tall elf stood up in his stirrups and pulled himself up into the tree! “I am coming for you, my desperate little monkey.” He climbed higher. Aya was trapped! The he-fay poked at her. He laughed... until the woman struck his wrist! She then punched her sword into his face! The elfin knight thrashed about... and fell out of the tree! Aya climbed down and finished him.

  The woman crawled and scurried about as she sought Thaydrin. The dark elves were still scouring the forest, so the high elf was probably still alive. “Aya,” Thaydrin called from concealment.

  The woman crawled over to him. She pointed, “We have a horse.”

  “No. We must be light of foot, not swift of hoof.”

  Aya wiped blood off of the elf’s face and chest and was relieved that it was not his. “All is well,” Thaydrin assured. “I have slain thirteen of the False Queen’s knights this day. The blood upon my flesh is the blood upon my sword. Come.”

  “There!” an unseen voice shouted. Thaydrin and Aya wove through the thick growth while horses and riders struggled to pursue. Arrows zipped about, but were lost to the forest. Woman and high elf ran and ran. They splashed across a brook and passed up and over hills and through valleys. They ran and ran!

  Eventually: “We got away!” Aya cheered.

  Thaydrin looked about and listened. “So it would seem.”

  “How far will they follow us?”

  “Not far. It is too dangerous to wander the World of Man. Come.” Thaydrin walked.

  They eventually settled to rest on the rocky slope of a hill. Aya gazed out across the world below and the hills beyond.

  Thaydrin assured her, “They have given up the chase. Killing me was not their quest, only what they believed to be an opportunity.”

  “Who is Marmora?”

  “She is a necromancer and a favorite of the False Queen. Lady Marmora begat Sir Gannin and Sir Gannin begat Kamiko.”

  “Kamiko? Lady Marmora is Kamiko’s grandmother?”

  The elf thought about the question. “Yes,” he finally answered.

  “I hope Kamiko is all right.”

  The elf hugged the woman. “My beloved Aya has survived this day. All is well.”

  “Thaydrin survived, too.”

  “I have survived.”

  Aya sighed and looked away. She choked, “Is Thaydrin going back to his world?”

  Thaydrin gently turned Aya’s head and lifted her chin. He stared into her eyes and noticed his own reflection within her widening pupils. He wiped away her tears. “I shall go where we shall go. I shall stay where we shall stay.”

  Aya hugged the he-fay and sobbed, “Thaydrin.”

  “All is well,” he embraced her. “Aya.” The woman looked up at him. “I love you.” The great elf held in his arms and to his bosom the very warmth of his heart.