by F. P. Spirit
Glo suddenly felt something soft on his shoulder. A sidelong glance confirmed that Elistra had laid her head on him. Not looking up, the seeress whispered, “Penny for your thoughts.”
“Oh... nothing in particular. Just enjoying the show. I guess I’m also relieved to have gotten that dream off my chest.”
A contented sigh escaped her lips. “Good. It’s about time you relaxed.”
Glo laughed softly. “Me? Relax? Not likely. Not when we have no idea what’s really waiting for us at the monolith.”
“Well, there’s a simple answer to that!” Elistra lifted her head, then suddenly stretched out and laid it on his lap. Glo was momentarily startled, but grew calm as he stared down into those violet eyes.
“And what might that be?” he replied taking the bait.
“Why, it’s destiny of course.”
She stared up at him, her expression gravely serious. Glo stared back at her with uncertainty. Abruptly, Elistra burst out laughing. She rolled off his lap and onto the deck, giggling the whole while. “Oh, stop being so serious!”
Glo was completely taken off-guard. “I’ll give you serious!” He leapt forward, grabbed her, and started tickling her mercilessly. It turned out that she was very ticklish. Elistra squirmed this way and that, giggling uncontrollably as she tried to get away from him. Glo, however, was unrelenting.
“Stop!” she cried in-between fits of laughter. “Sto... oo... op!” she cried louder.
Glo stilled his fingers. “Do you give up?”
Instead of answering, she tried to wiggle away once more.
“Oh, no, you don’t!” Glo resumed moving his fingers. Again, Elistra squirmed and giggled, thrashing around underneath him. Once more, Glo stopped. “Do you give up?”
“I... I give... I give!” she cried this time, almost out of breath from laughing so hard.
Glo began to laugh as well. Without warning, Elistra threw her arms around his neck, dragged him to the deck, and rolled on top of him. The two of them lay there in each other’s arms, laughing like two little kids. Glo suddenly realized that it had gone quiet around them. He gazed up and saw that everyone was now staring at them. Even Ruka had stopped strafing Donnie. The hawk had landed on a beam and peered down at them, twisting its head from side to side almost quizzically.
“Get a room!” Donnie shouted.
“Maybe we should!” Elistra shot back, not missing a beat.
She gazed down at Glo and gave him an exaggerated wink. Glo felt the blood rise to his ears. This enigmatic woman had a way of keeping him completely off-balance. Elistra began to laugh once more. She slowly got up and went to sit back down, gleefully chortling all the while. In the meantime, Elladan played a jaunty tune about a sailor and a tavern wench who was his eventual undoing. As Glo retook his seat, he saw that Donnie had taken Alana by the hand and was dancing around the deck with the lovely lady knight—that is, until Ruka dove off her perch and began buzzing him once again.
“Ruka! Enough already!” Donnie yelped, letting go of Alana and dodging those swooping claws.
“Ahhhhh, young love,” Elladan crooned, wearing that all-too-familiar half-smile.
The door to the cabins opened behind them. Lloyd stepped out on deck, stretched his arms wide and yawned. “What’d I miss?”
Elistra wore a mysterious expression as she answered his query. “Not much. Just a touch of spring fever.”
Up the creek
Ruka’s hair rose on its own accord, the crackling glow of electric arcs dancing across her body
It was late in the day when they entered the Darkwoods. The vegetation grew gradually thicker on either side of the river. Tall dark trees shot up on the banks, their long branches extending out over the West Stromen. Before long, the sky all but disappeared, except for a thin blue strip down the very center of the river. The rest of the sky was blotted out by a dark canopy of branches and leaves. Elladan stood at the railing with Donnie and Glo.
“Do you feel it?” Glo asked, the wizard’s voice low.
“It is somewhat oppressive,” Donnie answered, his voice equally soft, his quick eyes keenly scanning the passing shoreline.
“It reminds me of a somber tune,” Elladan commented. He took out his lute to play, but then stopped himself. He felt uncomfortable out here in the open, not being able to see beyond the trees on either bank. “Maybe this is not the best time,” he murmured, putting his lute back away.
“It almost reminds me of the Dead Forest,” Glo said, his voice still hushed.
Elladan nodded. “I remember that place.” They had passed through the forest on the way to the ruins atop Stone Hill. Those woods had felt stifling, almost as if they were trying to suck the life out of you. He felt a brief shiver pass up his spine as he recalled the memory.
Donnie shifted his gaze away from the shore to his companions. “Didn’t we pass through those woods on our way to Vermoorden?”
Glo nodded. “Yes. It’s not the kind of place that is easily forgotten.”
Donnie shrugged. “It didn’t seem quite that bad. I have seen worse places, like this one time...”
Without warning, the ship pitched forward. The three elves grabbed onto the railing just in time to avoid being thrown overboard. The Rusty Nail came to a stop, its sudden halt accompanied by a loud grinding noise. As the ship righted itself, Martan yelled down from the crow’s nest.
“There’s a giant chain across the river!”
Elladan leaned out over the railing. Sure enough, a length of thick chain stretched across the front of the ship, holding it firmly in place. Elladan followed the chain with his eyes—it ran all the way to the shore and disappeared in the trees beyond both banks. Glo sounded as incredulous as Elladan.
“How in the world did we miss seeing something like that?”
Donnie, on the other hand, did not seem surprised at all. “It’s an old river pirate trick,” the slight elf explained. “You lay the chain just under the surface and when a boat hits it, it gets pulled taut.”
Any further discussion was cut off by Seth’s cry from above. “Incoming!”
They all ducked just in time. A hail of arrows flew overhead, embedding themselves into the deck behind them. The Rusty Nail suddenly looked like a pincushion. From the angle of the shafts, the volleys had come from both sides of the river.
“We’re surrounded!” Elladan warned the others. A sudden screech from above caused them all to glance upwards. A familiar white-tailed hawk launched itself from the crow’s nest and flew swiftly toward the southern bank.
“There goes Ruka!” Alana yelled.
“She won’t go alone!” Donnie shouted in response. He leapt up and ran for the bow, nimbly dodging the next volley of arrows. When they were done, Donnie vaulted up onto the railing and launched himself off the boat, landing deftly on the length of chain that held them fast. He balanced precariously on the thick chain for a moment or two, then took off at a dead run toward the south bank.
“Glo, Lloyd, quick! Take the other bank!” Aksel’s voice range out across the deck.
“Already on it!” Lloyd replied as he rose up into the air.
“Same here!” Glo added, also rising off the deck.
“Wait for a song!” Elladan cried. He swiftly invoked the magic that made his lute appear and played a tune to inspire them. The pair hovered there for a few moments, then shot upward as the next hail of arrows whizzed overhead. Elladan had to duck down to avoid being skewered—when he looked up again, Lloyd and Glo hung unharmed in the air just above the mast. With a brief wave, the duo flew off toward the north shore, quickly gaining the cover of the trees.
“I should be helping them.”
Elladan turned and saw Alana and Elistra at the rail behind him. The lady knight stared intently at the south bank, her body tense with frustration. Ellad
an felt a sudden pang for her. Though a full-fledged knight, she was obviously still young and her growing feelings for Donnie were clouding her judgement. Elladan reached over and laid a hand on her shoulder.
“Trust me, Donnie can handle himself.”
Elistra placed a hand on Alana’s other shoulder. “And he has Ruka with him.” As if to accentuate the statement, the south woods suddenly lit up with a blinding flash. A crash of thunder followed shortly thereafter. Elistra nodded her head toward the shore. “Looks like she’s already at work.”
A thin smile spread across Alana’s lips, though her knuckles were still white where she gripped the rail. Abruptly, the sky behind them lit up. They all turned as a second crash of thunder reached their ears.
“Glo as well,” Elladan said with a smile.
Aksel’s voice suddenly rang out across the deck. “The arrows have stopped.”
He was right—there were no more arrows coming from either shore. It was a good sign. Elladan chuckled softly. “Looks like they’ve got their hands too full to be taking pot shots at us.”
Any further comments were interrupted by a voice from above.
“Is Seth down there with you?” Martan called down to them.
Elladan glanced up and saw the archer hanging over the edge of the crow’s nest, looking down at them. The companions scoured the deck, but Seth was nowhere to be seen.
“There he is,” Elistra called out.
She was pointing toward the north shore. Elladan followed her gaze, but still saw no sign of Seth. His eyes narrowed as he struggled to see the halfling, but to no avail. “Where?”
Elistra shifted her gaze toward him, her expression swiftly changing to one of surprise. “Oh, I’m sorry. He must be invisible. He’s walking across the chain. He’s almost at the shore.”
Aksel strode up next to them, leaned over the railing and gazed intently at the north shore. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” His tone was filled with exasperation. “Oh, well. One of these days maybe he’ll learn to tell me before he goes running off on his own.”
Elladan placed a sympathetic hand on the young gnome’s shoulder and shook his head. “I wouldn’t hold my breath.”
When Donnie reached the south shore, he leapt off the chain and vaulted into the woods. As he rushed through the thick underbrush, the sky in front of him lit up and the forest reverberated with the crash of thunder.
That has to be Ruka. She’s in trouble!
The agile swordsman pushed himself even harder, afraid of what he might find ahead. Seconds later, the underbrush parted and Donnie screeched to a halt. Ruka, her back to him, stood not twenty yards away, surrounded by a number of small figures. They didn’t look much larger than Aksel or Seth, but were definitely not halflings or gnomes. These creatures had orange-hued skin, beady yellow eyes, and sharp, pointy teeth. Their ovoid-shaped heads appeared far too large for their small bodies.
Goblins. I hate goblins.
Goblins were foul, man-eating creatures. They were cunning and ruthless, and not to be taken lightly, despite their diminutive size. Five goblins stood in a circle around Ruka, armed with wicked little curved swords. A sixth lay dead at her feet, its small body burnt and still smoldering. Ruka stood calmly in the center, brandishing her sword, her voice rather nonchalant.
“Ok, who’s next?”
The goblins hesitated, having seen what that blade could do. Donnie used those moments to his advantage, noiselessly drawing his own weapons and slowly moving forward across the clearing.
If I can just take a couple by surprise...
Any further thoughts were interrupted by a deep growl emanating from the bushes on the opposite side of the clearing. Donnie froze in his tracks, straining his eyes to see what was hidden there. Moments later, a large figure erupted from the brush and slowly shambled into the clearing. It had a brutish face, a short wide neck, broad shoulders, and mottled green skin. The figure carried a huge wooden club in its right hand, easily the size of one of the goblins.
Troll!
Donnie felt a slight fluttering in his stomach. He had run across his share in the past and it had always been deadly. Not only were trolls as strong as they looked, they were also fast. Even worse, if you cut one, the wound would immediately start to heal. Donnie pushed down his nerves—he needed to keep his wits about him if they were going to survive this encounter.
The troll stopped at the edge of the clearing, its beady red eyes surveying the area. Its gaze swiftly settled on Ruka, an evil grin forming across its cruel inhuman face. Those crimson eyes then dropped to the smoldering form lying on the ground. The grin on the creature’s face quickly disappeared. It threw its huge head back and lifted its arms up into the air, a savage roar bursting from the beast’s mouth.
Well, this just keeps getting better and better.
A regular troll was bad enough, but an enraged troll was even stronger. Donnie’s mind raced as he adjusted his strategy. His swords would do no good against the thick skin of the troll. Plus, it was on the other side of the circle and he would have to get through the goblins to get to it. The goblins had to working with the troll or they would have already bolted and run. So his best bet would be to distract the nasty little creatures. If he could keep them off Ruka’s back, she might be able to keep the troll at bay with that short sword of hers, at least until help arrived. Admittedly, it wasn’t the greatest plan, but it was the best he could do on such short notice, and they had just run out of time.
The troll stopped roaring, dropped its arms, and glared at Ruka. Strangely, the young teen didn’t even flinch. The goblins, not the bravest of creatures, had been startled by the troll, even though it was on their side. Now, having regained their courage, they jeered at Ruka.
It’s now or never!
Donnie threw caution to the wind and launched himself toward the nearest two goblins. The creatures heard him coming too late. He slipped between them before they could bring their weapons to bear, his swords neatly skewering each creature through the neck. Both goblins dropped to the ground clutching their throats.
“Nice move, Donnie!” Ruka yelled over her shoulder.
“Thanks, milady!” Donnie grinned, though he wasn’t quite sure how she knew it was him. The thought quickly left his mind as the three remaining goblins turned to face him.
Donnie fell back into a defensive stance and slowly backpedaled, hoping to draw the creatures away from Ruka. It worked like a charm—he had garnered the undisputed attention of the single-minded little pests. Donnie managed to pull the goblins a good ten feet away before the troll charged. He watched in horror as the huge creature rushed the girl. The troll was on top of Ruka before Donnie could move a muscle. Every nerve in his body screamed as it swung its club at her.
“Ruka!” Donnie cried in anguish, expecting to see her crushed under the weight of that club.
Time appeared to slow as the weapon closed upon the girl’s skull, yet Ruka did not attempt to move out of the way. Instead, she dropped her sword and threw both of her hands up in front of her. What happened next was impossible—Ruka stopped the troll’s club in mid-swing. The clearing went silent. Everyone froze, staring in disbelief. Donnie, not believing his eyes, blinked and looked again. Ruka still stood there, the troll’s club held firmly in her outstretched hands.
She caught the club! Ruka caught the troll’s club!
Donnie was so elated he nearly missed the faint golden glow that surrounded Ruka’s body. It was just barely visible, but it was there. There was no time to think about it now though. The troll had been thrown off-balance by the abrupt halt of its attack. It grunted angrily as it righted itself, then tried to yank its club back. Try as it might, though, it could not budge the weapon.
Donnie watched on in awe as Ruka’s hair rose on its own accord, the crackling glow of electric arcs dancing across
her body. The arcs swiftly grew in intensity, abruptly flying up the handle of the club. They reached the troll in moments, racing up its arm and engulfing its entire body. The troll screamed with rage as the electricity danced across its torso, burning it and singeing it in numerous places at once. Yet, try as it might, it could not let go of the club.
Donnie shook himself, realizing there were still three goblins standing in front of him. The little creatures were rooted in place, mesmerized by the spectacle taking place before them. Donnie silently dispatched one of them, the other two not even noticing.
Meanwhile, Ruka had finished her onslaught. The arcs of electricity died down around her and then disappeared completely. The troll, finally able to let go of its club, staggered backward, blackened scars still smoldering on its green mottled skin. The large creature stared down at the girl, growling and snarling with rage.
The two remaining goblins finally moved. They dropped their swords and backed away from the girl and the troll. One of them backed up almost directly into Donnie. He took the opportunity to slit its throat.
This is almost too easy.
Meanwhile, the troll glared at Ruka. It appeared as if it was gaining the courage to attack again when the creature’s eyes suddenly went wide. Its shoulders drooped, and just like the goblins, it also began to back away from the girl. The troll only took a few steps when it spun around and started to run. Donnie didn’t have time to question the strange spectacle. The last goblin, spurred on by the troll, decided to run as well. Yet as it turned to flee, Donnie caught it and quickly dispatched the foul little creature. He looked up just as Ruka cried out after the retreating troll.
“Oh, no, you don’t!”
Ruka dropped the huge club, and instead of retrieving her sword, pointed a finger at the fleeing monster. A bolt of electricity erupted from her hand and flashed across the clearing, slamming hard into the back of the creature. Thunder boomed around them as the troll dropped to its knees.
Ruka glanced briefly at Donnie, her features unreadable, then swiftly snatched up her sword. She pointed it at the kneeling creature, the blade already beginning to glow.
