It was a simple place: twenty feet by perhaps thirty; two thick vertical beams of wood supported the roof and a comfortable hammock swung between them. One corner had a chimney and modest fireplace with a pot and hanging hook for cooking. Next to this was a long table. I saw the chamber pot in the other corner next to a plentiful stack of firewood. There was also an assortment of quilts and other blankets that hung from a rope running from one of the beams to a wall. A small desk sat in the last corner, topped with an oil lamp, pile of parchments, ink vial, and quill.
“This is our guest home. Please be welcome. A friend of Nyarathe is a friend of ours. Even if he is an O’Baarni. Our leader may wish to speak with you, but will wait until after you have eaten.”
“Thank you.” He nodded and left. I felt uncomfortably light without my burden. I hated waiting and now I would have to abide by the Elven timetable.
But at least they had not attacked me.
I paced the small cottage for a few minutes and then sat on the hammock. It was comfortable and I had to pry myself out of its embrace to keep from falling asleep. I had not believed that I was exhausted, but spending time in the wilderness traveling, running from my kin, and tracking Iolarathe never gave me a chance to fully relax. The muffled conversations of the Elvens and the babble of the distant river were soothing. I knew if I dared to touch the hammock again I would quickly fall asleep. Maybe for days.
There was a constant shuffle of footsteps and whispers outside of the cottage and I occupied myself for a few moments attempting to make sense of the conversations. Most of it was small talk of weather, harvest plans, and salutations. I listened half-heartedly for a quarter of an hour and then decided to occupy myself with lighting a fire in the hearth. As soon as I finished stacking the wood and set it ablaze there was a knock on the door.
“Greetings, O’Baarni. I have brought you dinner.” The woman stepped into my cottage and I felt the air leave my lungs.
All the Elvens had a graceful beauty to them. They were slender, with smooth skin, well-formed muscles, and luxurious hair. They were elegantly-featured, with sharp almond-shaped eyes and delicate pointed ears. Iolarathe was the most beautiful woman of their kind and perhaps having the memory of her murdering my family had kept me from granting the rest of her species any sort of forgiveness.
The woman that stood before me was just as beautiful as my lover. Her hair was a dark black that shimmered blue in the firelight. Her eyes were also blue, deep like the darkest part of the sea and just as full of mystery. Her skin was the color of light honey and looked as delicious. She wore a dark green cloak over a tan tunic and leather pants. In her arms she held a tray laden with metal covers and a pitcher of water. I could smell the scent of roasted meat and cooked vegetables, but for a brief second I wasn’t hungry for food.
She moved with such grace, she seemed to float into the cottage. I took a few steps back; her movements were so smooth they almost seemed unnatural. She set the tray down on the table next to the fireplace and then stood before me again. Her eyes never left mine and my heart began to race.
“I’ve served you a roast pork loin with buttered sprouts mixed with garlic, salt, oranges, and cranberries. There are is also a baked yam and a sugared apple for dessert.” She didn’t take her eyes from mine while she spoke and my head began to spin.
“Thank you. It is very kind of you.” My mouth was dry and I felt incredibly thirsty.
“Will you require anything else tonight?”
“No. Thank you again.” I forced the sentence out and tried to tear myself from the unnerving beauty of her gaze.
“When will you be leaving us?” The words could have been meant in many different ways, but she seemed more curious than demanding.
“Tomorrow morning. I hope to speak to your leader before I leave. I was told that I would be given information.”
“Who told you that?”
“Nyarathe.” My head felt like it was lifting off the ground and I struggled to pull myself back to the wood floor of the cottage. I focused on the smell of the food and it helped to divert my attention from the woman’s stare.
“What do you wish to know, O’Baarni?” My vision cleared and my brain fought through the effects this woman’s presence had on me.
“You are the leader here?” I already knew the answer.
“Perhaps.” She smiled and I was back in control of my emotions. She was still very beautiful, but my wits were not impacted anymore.
“I wish to find Iolarathe,” I said. The woman continued to stare into my eyes but made no movement to indicate that my request surprised her.
“Why?”
“I love her and want to spend the rest of my days with her.” I debated lying, or telling the blue-eyed Elven that it was my own business. Honesty seemed like the best strategy though. This Elven had a power I could sense and I wanted her as a friend and not an enemy.
“That is a good answer, Kaiyer.” She smiled and the room grew twice as bright. I told no one my name. Nyarathe must have left a note explaining who I was secured in the baggage I carried. I never bothered to search the contents, but it did not matter. My mission was to find Iolarathe and not to understand what methods the Elvens were using to keep themselves hidden from my people.
“I am glad you approve. Will you tell me?” I asked.
“Please eat or your food will get cold. We can talk while you dine.” She indicated the plate and I moved over to the table.
I took the lid off of the single plate and inhaled the divine fragrance of the meat and vegetables. The pork loin was glazed with what smelled and looked like apricot preserve and the small green sprouts were drenched in butter and garlic. There was a large glass of white wine next to the pitcher of water and I took a sip of the amber liquid before I began to eat.
“Is the food to your liking?” The woman sat upon the hammock and swung her feet above the floor lazily. I guessed she already knew the answer from the speed with which I devoured the meat and set into the vegetables. I had kept myself adequately fed during my trip by hunting, but this food tasted unlike anything I could ever prepare for myself, especially around a campfire. My cooking skills were limited to throwing salt, pepper, and maybe a few scented herbs on roasting deer or boar. The creation of this dish was beyond my comprehension.
“Yes it is wonderful. Elvens do know how to cook.” I regretted the words as they left my mouth. I had intended them as a compliment, but this woman knew who I was and might take them as sarcasm.
“Not all of us, but most can get by in a kitchen.” She smiled again and I continued with the last part of my meal. Once I had finished I pushed the plate away, drank the rest of my wine, and then turned my attention back to the beautiful Elven. It did not escape my notice that her magnificent body was draped over my hammock.
“Thank you for the meal.” She nodded at my words and continued to stare at me. The minutes seemed to pass and I felt the discombobulation begin to return.
“I am afraid you never told me your name,” I finally said.
“Relyara. I have actually wanted to meet you for a long time.”
“That is something I never thought I would hear from an Elven.” I forced a smile to my face and attempted to detect any sort of threat from outside the cottage. The sounds were the same as when I first arrived, but I was suddenly cautious. This woman knew who I was and must have held some animosity toward me.
“I was of the Laxile tribe. I was Iolarathe’s handmaiden and her confidant while she lived with her father. When she became the leader of our forces I took on the role again and was responsible for the logistics of the entire army.”
“Ahh.” I searched my memory but could not recall ever seeing the woman.
“I know about you from Iolarathe’s perspective.” She gracefully raised a hand and gestured toward me with outstretched fingers. “She’s told me much about you.”
“Then you know why I am so desperate to find her.”
“She thinks y
ou are dead.”
“That is what her sister told me.”
“Ahh.” Relyara nodded. “I do not believe that you will be able to catch her in time.”
“What do you mean?” My heart skipped a beat and I felt panic spread through my stomach.
“She is running from something more powerful than you.” Her beautiful face frowned.
“My people?”
“I would like to offer you a boon that you may not have considered.” She adjusted her position on the hammock to face away from me and then lay her head down on the edge of the canvas so that her hair dripped behind her like a dark blue waterfall.
“Will it help me reach Iolarathe?” I guessed that this Elven woman was about to tell me something I did not want to hear.
“No. But it won’t interfere with your quest. You may leave tomorrow morning if you wish. We will prepare some dried foodstuffs for your journey.”
“Good.” I felt the tension leave my shoulders, although I didn’t know if I could actually trust the woman. Perhaps knowing what I was capable of, she wanted to be rid of me as soon as possible.
“But even if you leave tomorrow, I doubt you will catch my mistress.”
“She cannot continue to run forever. I will find her and we will be together.”
“I appreciate your confidence and I believe that Iolarathe would too, if she knew you were following her. Our network of people cannot seem to stay ahead of her, unfortunately, and she intends to escape this world.”
“How?”
“Magic. Old magic I possess little knowledge of.” She smiled at me but her beauty did not appease my anger. Part of me wanted to grab the woman and make her tell me what she knew, but I guessed that she was trying to be as forthcoming as possible without putting her own people at risk.
“Will you tell me where she went? How long ago was she here?”
“She was here six days ago.”
“I am right behind her then.” Excitement gave me sudden energy and the weariness of traveling alone through the endless wilderness with the heavy load faded from my shoulders.
“But first, hear my proposition.” She sat up in the hammock with little effort and the stretch of her clothes around her body reminded me of how close we were. The desire I felt for her was muted by my need to have Iolarathe here with me.
“I do not believe that you will catch up to her in time. I will tell you where she is going, but you will not be able to find her.”
“Why should I believe you?” I crossed my arms and sat back.
“I love her. I have been jealous of her feelings for you throughout most of our relationship. I have felt her love for you as well.” I stared into the woman’s strange blue eyes but couldn’t tell if she spoke the truth. “I wish to offer you peace and tranquility. It is something that you do not have at the moment,” she continued.
“What do you mean?”
“We have a home here. We have plenty of food, clean water, and protection from the mountains. There is little we require from the outside world save for the occasional shipment of salt and information from Nyarathe. But I need someone to help us breed horses, care for them, and serve as a guardian in case the O’Baarni ever discover us.”
“Are you saying that you wish me to remain here with you?”
“Yes.” She nodded and smiled.
“Even though I am Kaiyer? I’ve killed thousands of your kind.” My mind spun at her offer. It didn’t make much sense to me.
“Do you still wish to kill us?” She raised a single eyebrow in a beautiful arch.
“No.” I spoke the truth, although I would destroy anyone—human or Elven—who stood between Iolarathe and me.
“Consider your life now. You have roamed this world for more than a dozen years searching for her. Your own people wish you dead and are always a few steps behind you. What if she was gone and there was no way you could follow her? What would you do then?”
“I will find her.”
“Perhaps. I would prefer that you just give up your chase now and stay with us. We have two newborn horses and we could use your expertise. We are also mid-harvest and your strength would be a tremendous aid. However, I can understand that you will not want to give up your search for Iolarathe. During our war I spent many years in similar pursuit.”
“I will not stay here. It has been so long since I cared for horses or did anything as domesticated as harvesting. I would not be of any use to you.” This conversation seemed insane, but I tried not to let my disbelief show on my face or in the tone of my voice.
“I understand. But you will not find Iolarathe. You will wander. Eventually you will want a home. Consider returning here. I will give you a home, Kaiyer.” Her eyes bored into mine with a strange intensity.
“You spoke of magic before. If there is a way to find her, then I will.”
“What if there is no way to follow her?” The smile faded from her full lips and I noticed their moistness in the firelight.
“There will be a way. I have overcome impossible odds before.”
“If she is dead?”
“Then maybe I will consider your offer.” I sighed and suddenly wanted to be rid of the woman.
“Good. Then I will leave you to rest.” Perhaps she sensed my frustration with her or maybe she had run out of ways to try to convince me to stay. The woman rose from the hammock, brushed past me to pick up the tray, and then took the last steps toward the door.
“Thank you for speaking with me. I will have extra supplies and a map ready for you tomorrow morning. Is there anything else I can provide you with tonight?” she said the words in a way that made me think that I could ask for her body. Then again, I may have just been bewitched by her appearance.
“No. I am fine. Thank you again.” I would have enjoyed a bath, but I knew it would require too much work for them to heat water and deliver it to me. I would have even been happy to go down to the river and wash there but that too would have required them to escort me. What I really needed right now was to sleep and leave as early as possible tomorrow morning after Iolarathe.
“Very well. Good night, Kaiyer.” She tilted her head slightly and smiled.
“Good night, Relyara.” She opened the door and seemed to float out of the cottage like dancing fog. I shut the door behind her and then removed my worn boots and socks. I was dusty and reconsidered asking for a bath. Then I shrugged and lay down in the hammock.
I closed my eyes but sleep did not come easily. I hated the idea of Iolarathe being lost to me forever. Relyara’s offer confused me, but thoughts of my lover began to fill my consciousness as I drifted off and her warm embrace carried me into sleep.
Chapter 35-Kaiyer
A hand touched my shoulder and I awoke from the thoughts of Iolarathe.
“Shhh,” Telaxthe whispered from the other side of her bed. “Guards approach.” It was deep night but one of Turnia’s warriors would often check on us during this hour to ensure that we had not somehow escaped. I heard a pair of footsteps descend the stairs and scuff across the floor of the empress’s pavilion. We both knew the routine and she slid through the satin sheets and into my ready embrace.
The curtain that partitioned off the back quarter of the tent moved aside and I gave my best look of annoyance to the O’Baarni woman who entered. Her name was Optira and she was one of the guards that had accompanied the leader of Two Bears during the brunch a few days ago.
“What do you want?” I mixed the perfect amount of boredom with feigned exhaustion into my question. Telaxthe stirred in my arms and nestled her face into my shoulder. It was her hinting that she didn’t want me to push the matter with the woman right now.
“Making sure you are still here.” Optira nodded. I knew she was annoyed with the duty, but various conversations I overheard during our nights and daily marches indicated that Turnia was only comfortable trusting one of these two women with the task of watching over Telaxthe and me.
“We are. You check every nig
ht and we are here. Perhaps you have other motives? I wouldn’t mind having two women at once.” I stuck my tongue out and she recoiled in disgust. Telaxthe’s nails sunk into the skin on the sides of my abdominal muscles and I fought back a laugh. The empress was probably worried that Optira would take me up on that offer and then the Elven woman would actually be forced to fuck me.
“No, Pretender. Be happy with your Elven bitch. Soon you will be experiencing horrors beyond your imagination.”
“So your leader has said. And I believe her, so if you don’t mind, I would like to get back to enjoying the last few weeks of my life.” The tall woman nodded and then walked away.
“You play a risky game.” Telaxthe whispered in my ear after Optira had ascended the stairs and we were confident she could no longer hear us.
“She won’t take me up on the request. It just makes them leave faster.”
“If they didn’t believe you were a Pretender, they would gladly be your lover.”
“Are you flattering me, empress?” Our eyes met in the darkness and I still had my arms wrapped around her. We both wore our undergarments but my manhood pressed against her leg when we lay like this and her firm breasts were pushed against my chest.
“No.” She wiggled away from me and I let my arms loosen. “You are handsome though, for a human.” She turned over and lay on her side facing away from me.
“Were you listening to the camp?” I asked the obvious question. It was how we had planned the last few days. We observed the flow of the small army as we traveled and then listened at night with hopes that someone would mention the Ovules.
We were almost positive that they were secured in a chest in Turnia’s tent.
“Yes, but there is no new information,” she whispered.
The Destroyer Book 4 Page 42
