He glanced down at the precious bundle beside him. Jayden was staring back, sucking on three of his tiny fingers. Linis had never been responsible for the care of a baby before, a fact that had only occurred to him once beyond the manor grounds. He chuckled softly to himself.
“I have faced down the Vrykol and armies of evil men,” he said, reaching down and touching the child's cheek. “But you cause me more fear than all of them combined. Will I be so frightened when I care for my own children?”
The thought of Dina scolding him for even thinking such thoughts brought forth a sudden burst of hearty laughter, quickly followed by a deep longing to be with his wife.
“At least when we get there, someone will know how to care for you properly,” he said softly.
Jayden smiled and kicked his legs.
Sighing, Linis rose to his feet and began gathering wood for a fire. Not willing to let the baby out of his sight, he made do with a few twigs and thick branches that were scattered nearby. Soon a small fire crackled and popped. Linis knew this risked drawing the attention to any pursuers, but the night air carried a chill that was unhealthy for an infant. Or in his mind, that seemed to be a reasonable assumption. Besides, if elves or Vrykol were in the vicinity, the sound of a baby would be enough to give away their location. And any humans who might have ill intent would be sure to make plenty of noise and give him ample warning.
He withdrew the milk bladder from his pack, hoping that the contents would be enough to last the full journey. After spreading a blanket on the ground, he took Jayden in his arms and drew him close. Linis had heard that babies would cry if away from their mothers for too long, but up until now the child had seemed to be perfectly content. If only this will last until we arrive, he thought. Soon after being fed, Jayden fell into a peaceful slumber.
After laying the baby down, taking extra care not to jar him awake, Linis ate a meager repast of jerky and flatbread. He could hear rabbits scurrying through the underbrush not far away and longed to hunt. The thought of fresh rabbit and wild herbs made his mouth water. But that would have to wait for another time.
The kitchens in Valshara produced wonderful elf dishes these days, but Linis was a creature of the forest. Simple meals and open spaces were far more to his liking. Memories of wandering the land with his group of seekers washed over him, followed by melancholy as each face – all of them now dead – flashed up then slowly faded. Those days were behind him. And even if the tragedy of betrayal had not befallen his fellow seekers and dearest friends, his life had moved on. He was different. The elf tribes no longer needed his kind to act as their guardians. And though his heart would certainly continue to linger on days past, he now had a more important role to play. One that in time, would be far more demanding…and rewarding, than any he had taken upon himself thus far.
He watched Jayden sleep for a time, then spent the rest of the night listening intently for any hint of enemies. Once he thought he caught the sound of distant footfalls, but even with his finely tuned skills he could not be certain. A seeker perhaps? He hoped not.
Jayden woke just once during the night, but after a quick feed went immediately back to sleep. By the time dawn broke, Linis was packed and ready. He had constructed a makeshift sling in which to carry the baby, so as to leave both hands free should he need them in an emergency.
“Let us hope I do not,” he whispered.
Gently, he slipped Jayden inside the sling and tied it securely before starting out. The air was unusually cool, with a thick fog covering the base of the trees. Linis did his best to keep Jayden’s exposed face dry with a strip of cloth, but it was a never-ending task. In less than an hour, his own clothes were soaked and droplets of dew were dripping from his hair. Thankfully, Jayden was faring a little bit better. The sling had been made from a piece of elf blanket, and so possessed some resistance to moisture.
Fortunately, the heat of the day soon arrived. By mid-morning the fog had lifted and his clothes were dry. The sunlight, split by the high branches, was a welcome friend and lifted his spirits somewhat.
By noon there was still no sign of enemies. Regardless, Linis was careful to continue making his trail almost impossible to follow. Even a seasoned seeker would need to slow his pace considerably in order to notice that anyone had passed. He drew in as much of the flow as he was able to, sharpening his already acute senses. His training with Nehrutu enabled him to utilize more power than ever before, though still not as much as Kaylia, and nowhere near as much as Nehrutu himself. Aided by this extra ability, the details of Linis' surroundings now burst magically into life, and he spent the next few hours singing songs to Jayden. The child certainly appeared to be enjoying the entertainment, laughing and cooing with each new verse, and even looking unhappy when the singing stopped.
The day was so pleasant, Linis wasn’t even annoyed by the frequently needed stops for feeding and changing. In fact, by late afternoon, he found that he was actually enjoying caring for the child.
This is something I will definitely tell Dina, he thought with a smile.
Suddenly, he was more than grateful for this opportunity to experience a few parental responsibilities – regardless of the dire circumstances. Until now, ‘Linis the seeker’ had been more than wary of becoming ‘Linis the father’. And though Dina was not yet with child, each time she had brought the subject up, he would feel even more inadequate than on his first day of seeker training under Berathis’ critical eye.
The remainder of the day passed uneventfully, raising Linis' hopes that Kaylia’s kidnappers were being truthful over their willingness to leave Jayden alone - also, that the elves who had attacked Theopolou's house had given up their mission in light of the slaughter unleashed upon them by the Vrykol.
The next morning, he arrived at a point where the forest started to thin and the ground became ever more rocky and uneven. The sun glared down, but a cool westerly wind blew dry any hint of perspiration forming on his forehead. Jayden seemed to remain in good spirits too. He certainly wasn’t crying at all, which as far as Linis was concerned, was confirmation that all was well.
So far they hadn’t encountered anyone. There had been sounds of a few wandering humans off to the north, but they seemed involved with their own affairs and posed no threat.
During a brief halt, Linis’ mind wandered to the beginning of the second split. Back then, he and his seekers had been outcasts and renegades, constantly on the move in order to remain free from the vengeance of the elders. But these days it was those who sought to destroy the peace between human and elf who had become the outlaws. And even if Gewey were to fail and the Reborn King unleashed his power upon them all, for a brief moment, the future of both races had been bright.
He glanced down at Jayden, whose eyes were fixed on his own. “But your father won’t fail. He will triumph, and you will grow up free from hatred and fear.”
At that moment, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Elves, more than a dozen of them, were closing in less than a mile ahead. As quickly as he could, he bundled Jayden and turned to backtrack. But after only a short distance he sensed more elves coming from the other direction. A chill shot through him. They were surrounded. But how? How could he not have noticed?
They must have known…or guessed...where he was heading. If they were seekers, and Linis thought they must be, they would know how far away to stay in order to avoid detection.
He assessed the situation. There was no way to fight, nowhere to run, and no place to hide. He pulled his long knife free and waited. The moment the elves came into view, he nodded a greeting, but none returned his gesture.
“Who among you leads?” shouted Linis.
All but one halted their advance.
“I lead,” shouted back a tall, red haired seeker. “I am Tallio. And you Linis, can go your own way in peace…if you leave the child to us.”
Linis sneered and spat on the earth. “You would harm an innocent baby over your bigotry and hatred?”
>
“I will do what I must to preserve the honor of our people,” he replied.
“Then you disgrace the name of elf with such bile in your heart. And you know nothing of me if you believe I would abandon Jayden to you.”
“I did not think you would do so,” Tallio replied. “And I would have you know that, in spite of your crimes, I still hold you in high regard. Only Berathis was your better. And only he, more widely known among our people.”
Linis could hear the ominous creaking of bowstrings being drawn behind him. His mind raced, but he could see no way out.
“I would not have you shot down like an animal,” Tallio continued. “Give up the child, and you may yet live. Or at least, be given the opportunity to die with dignity.”
“So you wish to challenge me?” Linis asked. A small hope sprang.
“I do,” he answered with a slight bow.
“And if I prevail?”
“Then you will live.”
“And the child?”
Tallio shook his head. “The child’s fate is sealed. Only you have hope for life.”
“Then there is no hope for either of us,” Linis shot back fiercely. “Once Darshan finds you, he will flay you alive, then hang your bleeding carcasses from the walls of Althetas.”
Tallio shrugged. “Perhaps. But I think it more likely that the Lord of Angrääl will dispatch him. And even if I am wrong and Darshan prevails, one thing we have learned is that he is not invulnerable. He may kill some of us. But we will find a way to slay the so called god. Of that you can be certain.”
“You are a fool,” Linis scoffed. “A delusional fool. Your small band that attacked Lord Theopolou’s manor was slain by a mere shadow of the power Darshan wields. He will look into the mind of every living elf and rip the identity of the culprits from their very spirits. He will be upon you, and all those who follow you in your folly, before you even know he is there.”
Fury burned in Tallio’s eyes at the mention of his fallen comrades. “They were slain by the creatures of the Reborn King – not the feeble defenses of a dead traitor. And if Darshan chooses to let loose his rage over the death of his son, he will quickly find his mindless worshipers turning into determined foes.”
Linis sniffed. “So is that your great plan? To bring down death upon our people in order to turn them against Darshan? Or do you even have a plan worthy of the name? Could it be that you are so blinded by hate, you have forgotten what it means to be a seeker and an elf? We never act impulsively or rashly.”
“My plans are my own,” snapped Tallio. “And they are far beyond your understanding.” He took a menacing step forward. “I have wasted enough time on fruitless banter. Will you face me or not?”
Linis guessed that Tallio’s plans must have fallen apart when his attack on the manor failed. Now he was acting out of sheer fury and vengeance. But this only made him more dangerous. Under the circumstances, there was only one thing left to do. Run and pray.
His muscles tensed, but before he could take a single step, the snap of a bowstring sent an arrow thudding deep into his left thigh.
Grunting under the impact, Linis dropped to one knee. He clutched Jayden close to his chest with his left hand, while still gripping his long knife in the other. He would fight to the very end.
Every elf but Tallio charged at him. The instant they were within reach, Linis slashed and hacked for all he was worth. But the disadvantage of holding a child, combined with his injury and the skill of his many foes, made it impossible to inflict more than a few minor wounds before being overcome.
Letting out a series of feral screams, he struggled in vain against his enemy’s strength. He could no longer feel the arrow digging in his flesh as the child was ripped from his arms. He could only watch in terror as one of the elves brought Jayden to the waiting Tallio.
“Please!” cried Linis. “Don’t do this! I’m begging you!”
Ignoring his pleas, Tallio drew a short dagger from his belt. “I am truly sorry. But this must be done.”
Time stood still as cold steel hovered above innocent flesh. And yet through all of this, Jayden had not made a single sound. Tallio stared down into the child’s eyes and hesitated for a moment. Then, shaking his head as if coming out of a trance, he pressed the dagger against the baby’s throat.
“Stop this at once!” a deep male voice boomed out from behind Linis’ position.
Tallio looked up and his eyes flew wide. At first he said nothing. But after a few seconds he lifted the deadly blade and tucked it back into his belt. “Why are you here, father?” he asked.
“To stop your madness,” the voice replied.
Linis thought the voice sounded familiar, but it wasn’t until the man advanced and glanced down at him that he was sure. It was Kaphalos. He had met him only briefly on their way to the Chamber of the Maker, but there was no mistake. He stopped just in front of his son.
“But father,” said Tallio, suddenly now sounding like a troubled child. “This is what you said must happen. This is what you wanted.”
Kaphalos stiffened. “This? How could you possibly think that the murder of an innocent child would be something I desired? Have your senses completely left you? Are you so crazed by hatred that it has led you to this?”
“You said yourself that the gods are evil,” Tallio countered, a small amount of defiance creeping back into his voice. “You said that the only way for elves to survive would be for the gods and their human cattle to be driven from existence. Those were your words.”
His shoulders slumped. “Yes…they were. But they were words spoken out of fear and regret. The sunset of my life has come too late. I should never have witnessed the things that have come to pass. I am too old and filled with memories.” He touched Tallio’s cheek. “I have sinned many times in my life. But my greatest sin was passing my hatred on to you…my beloved child.” He glanced down briefly at Jayden. “That I have driven you to murdering innocents is inexcusable. And yet I still beg for your forgiveness.”
Tears began streaming down Tallio’s cheeks. “But father. You are dying because of what they have done to our world. How can I....?”
“I am dying,” he said, cutting his son short, “because I am rotted away and empty. Only my love for you has kept me alive in recent years. And I understand now that I was selfish to cling to life for so long. There is no place for me in this new world.”
“That is not true,” Tallio whispered. “You are the wisest and most honorable of all the elves. It is your guidance that the people should follow now. Not that of traitors such as Theopolou, Chiron, or any of the other elders. They would see us corrupted. They would have us believe that we are a mongrel race.”
“And perhaps we are,” said Kaphalos. “Perhaps it is I who am wrong.” He lowered his head. “But it makes little difference. I am spent, and there is no turning back…for any of us.” He looked over his shoulder. “Release Linis!”
Linis could feel the uncertainty of the elves holding him.
“Do as my father says,” Tallio told them.
Slowly, they released their hold and Linis struggled to his feet. Reaching down, he gripped the arrow and in a quick motion, pulled it from his thigh. Blood poured from the injury almost immediately.
“Bind his wound,” Kaphalos commanded.
Linis waved them away and instead tore a strip of cloth from his tunic. Soon, the leg was wrapped and the bleeding contained. Without asking permission, he then headed straight toward Kaphalos and Tallio. No one tried to stop him.
As he limped over, he regarded the father and son for a moment. Tallio’s expression was one of hurt and confusion, while Kaphalos’ face reflected inconceivable sorrow. Without saying a word, Linis gently took Jayden away from Tallio. As soon as he had the child in his arms, he drew back a few paces.
After seeing Jayden safely returned, Kaphalos reached out to embrace his son. But as he did so, his legs crumpled beneath him. Tallio was only just able to catch him and lay
him carefully down on the ground.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his tears starting afresh.
“My strength is spent, son,” Kaphalos replied, somehow mustering a fragile smile. “I used it all to catch up with you and your brethren. I am done now.”
“No,” he cried. “You will live. We can still leave this place. Others are gathering in the desert. We can go there…together.”
His fluttering fingers sought and then found his son’s hand. “I am sorry, Tallio. That cannot be. I must leave you now. I want only one thing from you before I make my final journey.”
“Anything,” he whispered.
“Your forgiveness.”
Tallio buried his face in Kaphalos’ chest, sobbing uncontrollably. He could hear the slowing of his father’s heart as the life gradually ebbed from his body.
With a desperate expression, he looked up to where Linis was still standing. “It is said that you are a great healer. And that you have learned skills from those from across the Abyss.” His eyes were pleading. “I have no right to ask after what I have done, but…”
More sobs choked off any remaining words.
Without offering a reply, Linis knelt beside Kaphalos and placed his hand over his eyes. The old elf shook his head, but was too weak to stop him. After a minute, Linis removed his hand and drew a deep breath.
“He is beyond my skill,” he said. “I am sorry.”
As the harsh reality sank in, Tallio's face went pale. Great sobs fell from his mouth, each one sounding more desperate than the previous.
“There is one thing I can do for you,” offered Linis. He touched Kaphalos’ chest, then took hold of Tallio’s hand.
The flow came to life all around them as Linis guided the spirits of both father and son closer and closer until they were actually touching. Once joined, he allowed them to remain together until every last bit of life had faded.
“Thank you,” wept Tallio when it was all over.
Linis got to his feet and stared down at the scene. In spite of the terrible atrocity Tallio had been intent on committing, he could now feel nothing but pity for him.
The Reborn King (Book Six) Page 10
