by MJ Schutte
Chapter 10
‘JACLYN, STOP IT!’ Robyn shouted.
Jaclyn did not take any notice of Robyn. She hit Lilian hard across the face with an open hand.
‘How dare you try to use your gift on me?’ she shouted.
Lilian struggled against the big elf holding her arms behind her back, but it was in vain. She tried to use her gift on him, but it did not work either.
‘Leave him alone!’ she screamed as Jaclyn picked Thomas up.
Robyn clutched Clarissa to her chest and turned her back, hoping that Jaclyn would not notice the little girl. Jaclyn ignored the old woman and started walking away.
Lilian’s black energy link raced across the room towards Jaclyn. The hilt of a sword struck Lilian behind her head and her world went black.
‘Put them in a cell and make sure it’s locked,’ Jaclyn said to the elf.
The elf escorted Robyn to the prison cells, dragging Lilian’s limp body behind him. Robyn knew she could not fight against this, so she willingly went into a cell. The elf dropped Lilian on the ground and left. Still clutching little Clarissa with one arm, Robyn lightly slapped Lilian’s cheek and said, ‘Lilian, wake up.’
It took a while for Lilian to regain her senses. She opened her eyes just a sliver.
‘Where am I?’ she mumbled.
‘We’re in Jaclyn’s palace in the elf forest,’ Robyn answered.
Lilian’s eyes snapped open as she remembered what happened. She tried to scramble to her feet but the darkness threatened to overwhelm her mind again.
‘Take it slowly. That elf hit you very hard,’ Robyn cautioned her.
Slowly Lilian sat up.
‘Jaclyn took Thomas,’ she said slowly, rage building in her.
Her hand slipped down to the secret pocket between the folds of her dress.
Thank you, Brac ran through her mind.
Brac stood looking at the desert in front of them.
‘I’m glad we decided to get a wagon and some supplies,’ he commented.
‘How long do you think it will take to reach the elf forest,’ Adri asked impatiently.
‘I have no idea how far it is, but we have water and food for at least fifteen days. I’m hoping it will be enough,’ Brac answered.
He quickly checked the horses’ hooves for stones before he climbed onto the wagon. Slowly the wagon started rolling forward. Brac kept leaning over the side to see whether the wheels were sinking into the sand.
‘I must admit, when that merchant told us this was a special desert wagon, I thought he was talking nonsense. I see now how these extra wide wheels are necessary to keep the wagon from getting stuck,’ he commented.
‘I told you the man was being honest,’ Adri replied.
‘It is a good thing you were with me when I bought the wagon. I would have taken one with normal wheels. That would have been a huge mistake,’ Brac smiled at her.
They made slow but steady progress, not stopping when darkness fell. Adri slept in the back of the wagon while Brac continued driving through the night. She woke up just as the sun was about to make its first appearance of the day.
‘Morning, my love,’ she yawned.
‘Good morning,’ Brac said, trying to sound cheerful.
He could not hide the tiredness in his voice.
‘You should take a break. I can drive the wagon for a while,’ Adri offered.
Gratefully Brac handed her the reins and settled down in the back for a rest. Adri was still talking to him when she looked back and noticed he was fast asleep.
A low growl came from deep within the cat’s throat.
An elf pointed at the cat and said, ‘Shoot.’
Another elf held up his hand and shook his head.
Pointing at the first elf’s bleeding arm, he said, ‘Deserve that.’
An angry flurry of hand movements came from the first elf explaining that he was merely trying to see if the man and the cat were alive. All four of the elves retreated a few steps. Brighton felt a rough, dry tongue licking his face.
Slowly he opened his eyes. White eyes looked down at him.
‘Hello boy,’ he croaked.
Mischief looked up and growled at the four elves again. He took a protective stance in front of Brighton. Slowly the big man sat up. Mischief looked ragged. Brighton could see that the cat was exhausted and it took all of his willpower to remain standing.
Looking at what seemed to be the leader of the four elves, he said, ‘Water?’
The elf unhooked a water skin from his belt and tossed it to Brighton. He also tossed a small bowl over and said, ‘Panther.’
Brighton filled up the bowl for Mischief before taking big gulps from the water skin. Keeping his white eyes on the four elves, Mischief lapped up the water. Patiently the elves waited until Brighton and Mischief stopped drinking.
Brighton tossed the empty water skin back to the elf and said, ‘Thank you.’
‘I’m looking for Tolan,’ he said to the elves as he rose.
The leader turned his hands up in a questioning gesture.
‘Theodor and Eleda sent me,’ Brighton replied.
The leader of the group touched his cheek and said, ‘Tolan.’
Brighton repeated the gesture and said, ‘Brighton.’
Next, he touched Mischief’s head and said, ‘Mischief.’
All the elves burst out laughing at the thought of a dangerous, wild animal having a name.
Tolan pointed to the forest in the distance and said, ‘Safer.’
He turned and all four elves started walking. Brighton followed with Mischief staying close to his side. It took the rest of the day to reach the forest. Both Brighton and Mischief were exhausted when they finally sat down between the trees. Brighton called his gift forth and tried to connect to the forest. Even being between the plants, he was still unable to get any energy. He tried the four elves.
He was able to gain small amounts of energy from them. It was not much, but he felt better immediately. He put his hand on Mischief’s big head and shared some of the energy with the panther.
Tolan made some gestures and the other elves disappeared into the forest. He sat down at a respectful distance and, pointing to himself, said, ‘Why?’
Eleda told him to trust Tolan, so Brighton decided to tell the truth.
‘Jaclyn took my wife and children. I have come here to fetch them,’ he replied.
Tolan slowly nodded. He asked a few questions to which Brighton gave honest answers. It became clear to Brighton that Tolan was most interested in finding out as much as he could about Brighton’s encounter with Theodor and Eleda. Becoming slightly suspicious, he used his sense to locate the other three elves. All three were approaching so quietly from behind that even Mischief did not hear them.
There were also six more elves close by. Brighton casually got up using the walking stick for assistance.
‘Is there any water nearby? I would like to wash off and have some more to drink,’ he said to Tolan.
The elf shook his head and said, ‘No water.’
Brighton sensed two of the elves behind them leap forward. He spun around, swinging the walking stick in a wide arc. The oak made contact with the one elf’s jaw crushing the bones. The man lost his grip on the net they were trying to cast over Brighton and Mischief. The big cat was up in a flash but before he could leap, four arrows sped out of the trees.
All four elves went down, an arrow in each of their chests. Brighton peered through the trees. He knew the six elves he felt before had surrounded them. Mischief growled menacingly.
‘Stay calm, boy. We don’t know if they are friend or enemy,’ Brighton said to the big cat.
He said it loud enough to make sure the six elves heard. Mischief stopped growling and sat down next to Brighton. An elf stepped out of the undergrowth. He planted his sword in the ground and stepped back. After greeting Brighton in the traditional elf way, he introduced himself.
‘Tolan.’
Br
ighton pointed to the dead elf behind him and said, ‘He also said his name was Tolan.’
The elf showed Brighton both his hands and softly said, ‘Unarmed. No threat.’
‘There are five more elves aiming arrows at me,’ Brighton growled at him.
The elf lifted an eyebrow. Brighton used the walking stick to point out the other five elves in the undergrowth. Although he could not see them, he knew exactly where they were.
The elf’s eyes went big.
‘Reveal,’ he shouted.
Five elves appeared out of the woods. They placed their weapons on the ground and turned their empty hands up for Brighton to see.
The leader touched his cheek again and said, ‘Tolan.’
‘If you are Tolan, who is that?’ Brighton asked pointing at the dead elf again.
Tolan spat in the corpse’s direction and said, ‘No honour. Liar.’
Brighton wished Adri was with him. Her talent would have been extremely useful in this situation. Brighton decided to test Tolan.
‘Theodor and Carmen sent me,’ he said.
‘Eleda,’ Tolan corrected with a smile.
‘I met them at Clarissa’s house,’ Brighton tried again.
‘Robyn,’ Tolan corrected again.
Brighton touched his cheek and said, ‘Brighton.’
Tolan bowed his head and said, ‘Defeat Asdargh.’
Brighton relaxed. It seemed that he’d made contact with the real Tolan this time.
‘Is there any water around?’ he asked Tolan.
Without a word, the elf retrieved his sword and led the way to a small stream. Brighton washed all the sand off himself and took big gulps of water. Mischief also ventured into the water hesitantly.
Feeling refreshed, Brighton stepped out of the water and said to Tolan, ‘We need to talk. Jaclyn took my wife and children and I am here to get them back. Will you help me?’
With a grave look on his face, Tolan said, ‘Took Robyn too, help each other.’
‘That sounds fair,’ Brighton replied.
He followed the elf to a small house deep in the woods. The other elves disappeared, but Brighton knew they stayed close to guard the perimeter. An elf woman offered Brighton some food, which he gratefully accepted. She also cut a large piece of raw meat and carefully held it out to Mischief.
Smelling the food, Brighton realised how hungry he was and quickly cleaned the plate. Without asking, the elf woman dished up again and returned the plate to Brighton.
‘Need strength,’ she said with a smile.
‘Thank you,’ Brighton replied.
He ate the second plate a little slower, savouring the taste.
Tolan, who had been patiently waiting, made a hand signal at Brighton.
‘Yes, let’s talk. Do you know where Lilian, Robyn and the children are?’
‘Palace. Prison,’ the elf replied.
‘Can we get in there unseen,’ Brighton pressed.
The elf made some gestures indicating that the guards might not see them but Jaclyn would know that they are there.
‘Leave Jaclyn to me,’ Brighton said softly, struggling to keep the hate out of his voice.
‘Tomorrow. Rest.’ Tolan said and got up.
He showed Brighton to a small room with a single bed.
Mischief curled up next to the bed, falling asleep almost immediately.
Brighton flopped down on the bed and closed his eyes. He could not remember ever being this tired.
Robyn shook her head.
‘Escaping would be useless. Jaclyn would know where we are and send elves after us,’ she argued.
‘That witch took my child! I have to do something,’ Lilian shouted.
‘Yes, I know, but we need to think carefully about it. Trying to take Jaclyn on would only mean your death and possibly the death of your children. Perhaps Brighton will come as you’ve suggested before,’ Robyn said hopefully.
‘He will come,’ Lilian replied confidently.
She tried to use her sense again to find out if Thomas was still near.
‘Why can’t I sense anything?’ she screamed in frustration.
‘I’ve told you already. Jaclyn constantly weaves a protective barrier around the palace with her gift. It renders our sense useless in here,’ Robyn calmly answered.
‘Can Brighton sense us?’ Lilian asked hopefully.
‘I don’t know,’ Robyn answered.
An elf opened the door and motioned for them to follow.
‘I wonder what that witch wants now,’ Lilian mumbled.
Lilian picked Clarissa up and followed Robyn out. The elf led them to a large balcony overlooking the road that lead to the palace. Jaclyn was sitting at a small table having some juice. Asdargh stood behind her holding little Thomas.
‘I wanted you to see something,’ Jaclyn smiled at Lilian.
She gestured over the railing. Lilian handed Clarissa to Robyn, stepped closer and looked down at the road.
Brighton and Tolan were both on their knees, hands bound behind their backs. They were surrounded by a number of elves pointing crossbows at them. Five dead bodies lay next to the road.
Lilian gasped and her hand shot up to her mouth. She could see dried blood on Brighton’s face.
‘They tried to sneak into the palace this morning. Your husband’s gift is useless in this forest so my guards were able to capture him and his conspirators easily.’
‘Why are you doing this?’ Lilian whispered.
‘If Brighton agrees to stay here with me, I will let you and your children go, ’Jaclyn sneered at her.
Lilian looked down at her husband with tears in her eyes.
Brighton looked at the ground. He could not believe how easily they were captured. There were just too many elves for him, Tolan and the others to fight off.
Desperately he tried to connect to the forest to get some energy, but still he could not. It was as if the forest was rejecting him. He tried the elves again, but he had already taken what he could from them.
Mischief was close. Silently he begged the cat to stay away. There were far too many elves around for the panther to handle.
He felt Lilian’s energy on the balcony. He knew that Robyn and the twins were there too. Slowly he looked up.
As their eyes met, a tear rolled down Lilian’s cheek. Lilian shook her head at something Jaclyn had said. He could not quite hear, but by the way Jaclyn was shouting, it must have made her angry.
Brighton strained his neck to get a better view. He noticed Asdargh holding Thomas. Slowly the elf bent down and put Thomas on the floor. The little boy tried to run to his mother, arms spread wide to keep his balance.
Asdargh brought a crossbow up and pulled the trigger. Desperately Brighton tried to manipulate the energy in the bolt to deflect it from his son.
He heard Lilian scream.
Thomas’s energy flickered out as the crossbow bolt hit him in the back.
Rage exploded in Brighton. He connected with the very core of his talent, the instinct for survival. He did not ask the forest for energy, he demanded it.
The forest opened up to him, surrendered to him and answered his call. Lightning bolts shot from everywhere connecting him to the forest. Brighton felt power surging into him like never before.
He pulled his wrists apart, snapping the thick leather straps as if they were not even there.
A thick bolt of energy shot from his hand taking Asdargh’s head completely off his body.
Twenty elves pulled the triggers on their crossbows.
Lilian watched in horror as Thomas fell forward, the crossbow bolt sticking out of his back.
‘Kill them all,’ Jaclyn commanded Asdargh.
When he did not respond, she looked around. She was just in time to see his headless body tumble to the ground. Snapping her hand up, she shot an energy link at Robyn and Clarissa.
Lilian’s left hand also came up, black smoke racing forward. The two energy links collided in mid air, fighting for su
premacy. Jaclyn concentrated hard but she could not break through Lilian’s black energy link. Lilian’s determination was fuelled by the need to protect Clarissa, having already seen Thomas murdered.
Slowly the black smoke pushed closer to Jaclyn’s outstretched hand.
Three guards stormed onto the balcony. One took aim at Lilian’s head and pulled the crossbow trigger. Lilian snapped her head back avoiding the deadly projectile.
This interrupted her concentration momentarily and Jaclyn’s white energy link surged forward. Lilian felt for the small knife in the secret pocket between the folds of her dress. The blade flashed through the air.
Lilian aimed for Jaclyn’s throat but her aim was a little off.
The blade buried itself deep in Jaclyn’s shoulder. Jaclyn cried out in pain and dropped her hand. The black smoke slammed into her head. Jaclyn screamed at the guards to kill everybody on the balcony.
Lilian had no choice but to break the connection and turn her attention to the guards. She lifted her hands. It was enough to discourage all three elves immediately. Quickly they retreated into the palace.
‘How did you do that?’ Robyn gasped.
‘I was not going to let her kill Clarissa,’ Lilian choked out, looking down at Thomas’s small, lifeless form on the ground.
She sat down heavily next to him and said, ‘I am sorry, my son. I could not protect you.’
Stroking his fine, blond hair, she started sobbing uncontrollably.
Twenty crossbow bolts raced towards Brighton. All twenty hit a white energy barrier and dropped harmlessly to the ground. Brighton snapped the leather straps around Tolan’s wrists. The elf shot to his feet and took up a defensive stance with his back toward Brighton.
Quickly the elves reached for their swords. One elf rushed forward and thrust his sword at Brighton.
Brighton sidestepped, caught him by the wrist and twisted it violently. He slid his hand down and caught the sword. The elf dropped to his knees, pleading eyes looking up at Brighton.
He grabbed the elf by the throat and instantly drained the elf’s energy. It seemed that when the forest surrendered to him, so did the elves’ energy.
