The Companions of Tartiël

by Jeff Wilcox

  “No need to tell me twice,” Wild said, recovering first. “Where to?”

  “Follow.” Without further ado, the wolf trotted away from the “treasure hunter’s” house and toward the edge of town. Kaiyr, after a moment’s consideration, did as the creature commanded, and the others fell in alongside him.

  As the wolf led them all through the streets, through a hidden tunnel dug beneath the wooden palisade, and deep into the woods, Kaiyr, in a spare moment when he did not feel immediately threatened by the townsfolk, marveled at how the other two seemed to look to him for leadership, advice, and tactical appraisal. He was not used to such a role, having been a student to his father for more than a century, but he found that the role was not one too large for him. He could only hope it would stay that way.

  “We’re safe,” breathed the wolf, slightly out of breath, as it slowed to a trot about the speed a human could walk. “They won’t follow us this deep into the forest, at least, not for a while.”

  Caineye caught up with them, followed hard by Wild, who struggled to keep pace. “Who won’t follow us?” the druid asked. “Why are those elves so…?”

  “Hostile?” the wolf finished for him. The creature led the way into a clearing and finally stopped, glancing around. “We don’t know. But one day, a good while ago, the elves in Andorra suddenly stopped recognizing us, instead hunting us.”

  Kaiyr glanced around, noting movement in the underbrush. “There are more of your kind?”

  Instead of the wolf in front of him, a voice from the bushes answered, “Yes, there are, thee of the Fair Folk. We are the Terth’Kaftineya.”

  Kaiyr blinked, surprised to hear such perfect and ancient Elven ring from the trees. Then, another wolf—Terth’Kaftineya—emerged from the underbrush, this one even larger, with dark gray fur and silver patterns born of great age. “Excellent work, Mateus,” said the newcomer, still in ancient Elven. Then he looked at the adventurers, holding each one’s eyes for a long moment, and the adventurers could see the wisdom and the pain behind those canine eyes. “I welcome you travelers to my domain. I am Kathir.” As Mateus retreated to join a number of other Terth’Kaftineya entering the clearing, Kathir padded up to stand before the humanoid companions.

  Kaiyr bent at the waist into a deep and formal bow. “My presence is exalted,” he said, also in the ancient dialect of Elven. “I am Kaiyr, a blademaster from Ivyan.”

  Kathir seemed both amused and impressed by the elf’s display of protocol. He initiated a wolfish bow, bending his forelimbs slightly. “My presence is also exalted, Blademaster Kaiyr. Be welcome in our glade.” Rising, Kathir looked at Wild next.

  Wild nodded and waved. “I’m Billcock Wild. Most just call me Wild,” he said cheerfully, and Kathir returned the nod.

  Finally, he looked at Caineye. The human druid seemed in awe of the creature, canine but with an intelligence to match—and quite possibly exceed—his own. “I-I am honored to meet you,” Caineye said in Elven. “You may call me Caineye. And this—”

  “Is Vinto,” Kathir said with a knowing grin. “It is a pleasure to meet all of you. And, while I would like to invite all of you to join us in the hunt, there are much more pressing matters at hand. Mateus has been tracking you through Andorra since your incident at the temple—yes, we know about that,” he said with a look of approval in Wild’s direction. “You are also not the first to try and enter that house, but you are the first to survive its entrance. What those creatures—I dare not call them elves, for they do not seem to be so—desire within, I cannot fathom. But I have a feeling that allowing them to find what they seek would be a tragedy for us all.”

  Kaiyr nodded. “Please, tell us of what has transpired here. As you probably know, we recently arrived by airship.”

  “An experience I could have done without,” Wild muttered.

  Ignoring him, Kaiyr continued. “Our aims are one and the same. If we cannot escape it, then we must fight it. Please, tell us what you know.”

  Kathir ordered his lieutenants to leave and better secure the area. Then he sat down to explain what he understood of the state of affairs. “Yes, things have been like this for nearly six months, now. The elves seemed to change overnight, and it all happened the day that temple to Alduros Hol was erected. We used to be welcome in the town. But they cast us out, built a wall, and then constructed various buildings near the center of town. Most of them seem to be storehouses for equipment and provisions, almost as if they were preparing to welcome and resupply an army.” The Terth’Kaftineya shuddered. “Then there is the large building at the center of town. Some nights, a creature of pure darkness emerges. Sometimes it wanders off, to wreak havoc elsewhere. But other times, it hunts us. We have lost many to its fangs and strange, deadly breath.”

  Caineye gasped slightly. “Is it… Does it look like a dragon? Without wings?”

  Kathir nodded. “It is a fierce creature, and not natural in the least. We have hurt it in the past, but never enough to bring it down.”

  Kaiyr nodded slightly to himself; he now realized that what he had mistaken for patterns in Mateus’s fur were mostly scars and some wounds that had yet to heal. “This is grave news, indeed,” he said. “I know not whether we can be of any aid against the dark dragon, but I must return to the trapped building and ferry what is hidden there to safety.” He turned and looked back toward the strange town. “I shall return to the area near the town. I must know what sort of pursuit we shall face, and I must also find a way back into that place. I move quickly, so they shall not be able to catch me, even if they do find me.”

  “Wait,” Caineye said, holding up a hand. “We’re in this together. Where you go, I go. I can help.”

  Wild waved at Kaiyr, too. “And I’m too damn curious for my own good. Besides, you know you couldn’t really ditch us, even if you wanted to.”

  Kaiyr fixed them both with a serene look of gratitude. “My thanks, Masters Wild and Caineye. I do not intend to leave you, but this is part of my own mission. You need not join me.”

  Caineye shook his head. “We’re in this together. You might need our help. Now, let’s go see what we can do.”

  Kathir nodded. “I will send Mateus with you.” He let out a long howl that rang through the trees and then turned back to the adventurers. “He will meet you at the forest’s edge. Good luck.”

  *

  “This is the second time today you’ve almost gotten killed,” Caineye cautioned Wild as the group, with Vinto and Mateus, crouched in the underbrush barely one hundred yards away from Andorra’s palisade. “Déjà vu.” The sky was darkening, and under the forest canopy, it was nearly as dark as night.

  Wild, panting for breath, winced as another arrow buried its point deep into the bark of the tree behind which he was currently hiding. “Yeah, I know,” he replied with a grin, “but it’s just oh-so-much fun.”

  The druid shared a glance with Vinto, and the former rolled his eyes. “I can’t even tell if you’re being sarcastic or serious.”

  “Isn’t that the point?” Wild dusted himself off and caught his breath before glancing the other way. “So, Master Kaiyr. I guess there’s your answer. They don’t seem too keen on letting us near the town. I’ll bet a gold for every copper you wager security’s even tighter at the breach. Which, I might add, is getting smaller by the hour.”

  The blademaster, who was intently watching Andorra for any signs of movement, did not take his eyes off the town. “Indeed. Unfortunately, I do not believe we shall have an opportunity to exploit that weakness.” The light of a torch wending its way through the trees caught his eye. Staring at the light source, Kaiyr whispered to the others, “Let us move farther out of sight of the wall. Someone approaches.”

  The group faded back into the forest and waited, breathing through their mouths, as the torchlight slowly made its way closer. It finally stopped at the edge of the woods right where the five of them had been hiding just a few minutes ago. “They have to be close,” said a voice.
“These tracks are only minutes old.”

  “A tracker,” Mateus breathed, the word almost a curse. “We can’t let them discover the pack. How many of them are there?”

  Kaiyr, watching the torchlight, calmly whispered, “Two. One carries the torch, while the tracker follows our trail. I will confront them.”

  “Wait!” Caineye hissed but a moment too late as the blademaster glided away from their place of hiding before rising up and striding toward the pair, his hands empty.

  “Greetings,” Kaiyr said as he stepped out of the bushes near the trackers. “I seek no—”

  “Kill him,” said the torchbearer, a female elf. She and her partner both drew swords and advanced on the unarmed blademaster.

  *

  “Well,” Matt said with a shrug, “I guess there’s our answer.”

  Xavier and I both nodded, and I followed that up with a grin. “Let’s flatten ‘em,” I said, rolling initiative.

  *

  Not bothering to even finish his sentence, Kaiyr blazed into motion with speed and precision known only to blademasters. Before the woman, the closer of the two, had even settled into a fighting stance, Kaiyr manifested and swung his soulblade in a glittering arc. His blade crashed into hers, and she lost her grip long enough for the blademaster to continue the swing and wrench the weapon from her grasp. The sword flew away, end over end, landing point-first in the ground nearby.

  Kaiyr did not even blink as a crossbow bolt whizzed by his nose to narrowly miss the other tracker. Behind him, Wild let out a curse and began winding up his weapon for another shot. Both canines leaped in to support Kaiyr, Vinto nipping at this adversary’s heels while Mateus kept the other one occupied.

  When his foe went for her weapon, Kaiyr harried her with his soulblade, severely wounding but not quite severing her fingers. He jerked his head out of the way as Caineye let loose with a spell he had recently learned through his commune with nature; a long, sharp spar of wood shot from his fingertips and buried itself in the chest of the foe engaged with Mateus. That one went down as Mateus jumped up and locked his jaws around the elf’s neck, squeezing the life out of him.

  Kaiyr kept forcing his enemy to retreat, and Vinto kept her from getting away. Upon noticing the other elf fall, the blademaster called to his companions: “Take this one—” He paused as another bolt from Wild transfixed the she-elf’s skull. With a cross-eyed look, she toppled to the ground, limp and very much dead.

  “—alive,” Kaiyr finished, deflating. The halfling shrugged apologetically as Caineye stepped forward and doused the torch on the ground with a bit of conjured water.

  It was as the group was turning over the bodies in search of anything useful that it happened. The bodies of the elves seemed to sigh, and in that moment, something of a dark cloud lifted from them. Their features changed, becoming softer, and distinctly… more elven.

  “Okay,” Wild said, pocketing his share of their deceased foes’ gold, “now I’ve seen everything.”

  Kaiyr couldn’t find it in himself to disagree. “This is most disturbing,” he mused in his deep voice. “What could it mean?”

  Caineye bent over the bodies, inspecting them and their wounds. “Wow. This is really strange. The changes are subtle, but… Look, Master Kaiyr. These are most certainly elves. But the forms they inhabited before they died were also elven. Now that I think about it, they looked a little off, as if they weren’t quite elves.”

  Kaiyr crouched beside the druid. “So whatever is causing these changes is some sort of magical affliction, then? Do you suppose there is any way to remove it without killing them, Master Caineye?”

  His lips drawing into a line, Caineye shook his head. “If there is a way, I do not know of it. We would need access to someone with more potent curative spells or knowledge, such as a cleric or a wizard.”

  Nodding, Kaiyr frowned. “And the nearest such people are…”

  “… in Andorra and under the effects of this transmutation, whatever it is,” Caineye finished for the elf with a sigh.

  Mateus padded over to them after seemingly having a conversation with Vinto. “My people also have not been able to determine the cause of this curse. We have killed more than we wish we have. Upon their deaths, they revert to forms we recognize, many of them once good friends.” He hung his head in regret for what had had to be done.

  Kaiyr’s expression softened, and he gave Mateus a pained frown, then looked down at the bodies.

  “Aren’t you going to bury them?” Wild asked, noting the blademaster’s gaze.

  The elf shook his head. “We do not have the time. If we emerge from this situation victorious, I would like to do so, to honor the fallen.” He bowed his head and inhaled deeply. “May Arvanos welcome them to the Everwood,” Kaiyr murmured softly. The others nodded their agreement. All stood still for a minute of silence before Kaiyr broke it, returning to the task at hand. Looking up at the others, he told them, “Everyone should rest. I shall stand vigilant even as I take my own rest. Let us see Andorra’s next move upon realizing their scouts will not return. If we can steal our way inside, then let us do so. If we cannot, we should retreat and discuss our next option.”

  XVII.

  “Ah, crap,” Matt said, dropping his pencil and scratching his head in frustration. “We’re not getting anywhere, guys.”

  We had spent the entire in-game day casing the town and trying to find a way to get back inside, steal the artifacts, and then extract ourselves from what would likely become a gruesome mess. It had not gone well, and thus far, we had nothing to show for our efforts. Wild had been shot at and missed a few dozen more times, but security was tight.

  I looked at Matt and Xavier. “Well, I vote we head back, like we planned, and see if we can work something out. Maybe we could find a way for the talking wolves to help us.”

  “Terth’Kaftineya,” Dingo corrected me.

  I threw him an annoyed glance for correcting me for the tenth time. “You know we’re never going to remember that.” Then I turned back to the others. “What do you think?”

  Both of them nodded. “Yeah,” Matt said, “let’s see what the wolves have to offer, if they offer anything.”

  Resettling in my chair, I looked back at Dingo. “All right. I’m going to tell Mateus that we’re going to head back into the woods, and I ask to speak with, uh, what was it again, Catheter?” We all laughed.

  “Kathir,” Dingo said, correcting me again. “Douche.”

  He should have known better than to give me more ammo. “Douche?” I asked, looking at Xavier, who was barely containing himself. “That’s a really odd name for a character. I dunno, maybe we should revoke your nomenclature license, Dingo. First we get Catheter, and now Douche. Man, what were these guys’ parents smoking, anyway?”

  At that, all of us, Dingo included, burst out laughing. Dingo covered his face with his hands at having been defeated—don’t worry, the score between us is pretty much even. I let him win sometimes.

  “So,” I said, “about that D&D game we were playing…”

  “Right,” Dingo agreed. “Let’s see. Mateus nods and tells you to follow him. He heads deeper into the woods before letting loose with a howl. In a few minutes, Kathir and the others arrive.”

  *

  Kaiyr bowed his head toward Kathir as the powerful creature entered the small clearing. “Master Kathir, my presence is exalted once more.”

  “As is mine, Blademaster Kaiyr,” said the Terth’Kaftineya. “What is it that I can do for you and your companions?”

  Folding his arms in his sleeves, Kaiyr related the party’s troubles in gaining access to Andorra and to the pieces of Ministriel’s Regalia. Kathir listened patiently to the results of their attempt, alternately watching Kaiyr and Mateus, seeking confirmation from his lieutenant.

  When Kaiyr finished, Kathir padded closer to the party. “So you have come back to request more aid?” he asked wryly, raising an eyebrow. The party tensed at the creature’s tone of vo
ice. Then Kathir nodded. “A wise decision. Come back to our den, and we shall discuss matters there.”

  “Very well,” Kaiyr replied. The trek from the clearing to the Terth’Kaftineya den was not a long one, and twenty minutes later, the group seated themselves around a ring of stones set deep in the recesses of a small forest cave. Several hundred of the wolf-like creatures resided within and around the cave; those inside consisted mainly of nursing females with their cubs. The three companions made a brief meal of trail rations and water before discussing business with the Terth’Kaftineya.

  Kathir brought over a large, rolled-up scroll in his mouth and set it on a flat stone in the middle of the group. With paws more adroit than those of the average wolf, he unrolled it and placed smaller stones at the corners to hold it open. “This,” he said, “is a map of Andorra. It is old, but we have updated it to include the palisade and most of the new buildings.” Kathir tapped one building set mostly away from the others. “This is the house where your artifacts are being kept. Here is the breach in the wall; we estimate that we have at least two more days until it is complete. And here is the tunnel through which you escaped and through which you must return, unless you find some other way inside.”

  Kaiyr frowned. “This we know. Finding a path to lead us inside is not where our problem lies; it is the sentinels on the wall. At this rate, we may gain access, but the moment we are discovered, the entire town would descend upon us.”

  The Terth’Kaftineya nodded, odd to see coming from a canine creature. “That is where we come into play. We will stage a raid on the breached section of the wall. The security there is as tight as ever, but it will at least draw attention away from the four of you.” The way Kathir looked at Vinto left no doubts as to the wolf’s inclusion in his count.

  “To that effect,” the leader went on, turning around and sauntering a short way to a small pile of goods in the corner of the cavern, “I have something that might aid you.” He returned bearing two small amulets in his mouth and set them down on the map. Both were exactly the same and were of simple design: a jet stone carved into a circle, with the Draconic rune for “speak” inscribed thereupon. “As Terth’Kaftineya, we have little use for such devices when we can howl and be heard many miles away. But these amulets may help you coordinate your efforts, especially in situations where you must split up to accomplish your goals. Go on. Take them. Consider them our repayment for helping us keep our families safe and for bringing peace back between the Terth’Kaftineya and the elves. Merely think the words you wish the wearer of the other amulet to hear, and your message will arrive instantaneously.”