The Warrior Elf

by Morgan, Mackenzie

  Cpt. Garen paused. “She won’t be safe as long as that man’s alive. Hiding her isn’t the answer. The only thing that’ll keep her safe is for her to become good enough to defend herself. We can’t help her do that. All we can do is try to keep her safe while you get her ready to fight him.”

  “You really want to see him dead.”

  Cpt. Garen didn’t respond, but Dani said, “You hit on something there. Ask him about his family.”

  “Are you married?”

  Cpt. Garen nodded.

  “Any children?”

  “Two, a son and a daughter.”

  Kevin looked at Cpt. Garen for a moment. “They’re still young enough to be living at home, aren’t they?”

  Again, Cpt. Garen nodded.

  “Is your family in Trendon?”

  Cpt. Garen shook his head. “They live in a small village along the Serenity River.”

  “Where’s the Serenity River? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it.”

  Cpt. Garen hesitated. “It flows into the Kivee.”

  “North or south of Glenarbour.”

  “South.”

  “So they’re in Nandelia.”

  Cpt. Garen nodded.

  “If you were living and working at the castle, why is your family in Nandelia?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  “Well, I’m not going anywhere.”

  Cpt. Garen nodded. “Before you took your seat, Rolan sent us a message that he was watching over our families to keep them safe, which was his way of reminding us they were within his reach. He said as far as he was concerned, the only acceptable reason for us to fail to kill you before you were seated was our deaths, so if you attended the April meeting he’d assume we were dead and our families were his to do with as he pleased. He said he’d sell them in Glenarbour for whatever he could get.”

  Chris let out a low whistle. “No wonder you’re not very fond of him.”

  Cpt. Garen nodded towards Chris. “When you made it to that meeting, Rolan told Cpt. Yardner to sell our families in Glenarbour. Cpt. Yardner made the necessary preparations, but before they reached Glenarbour, they were intercepted by four of my men.”

  “And Rolan’s men let your men have them?”

  “Let’s say they had more sympathy for us than loyalty to Rolan.”

  Kevin nodded. “Why did you only send four men? Why didn’t all of you go?”

  “Two reasons. First, we didn’t want news of their escape to reach anyone in Trendon. We knew the men escorting them to Glenarbour wouldn’t say anything, but if we’d all traveled together, we’d have been noticed and someone would have started asking questions. After my men got the women and children across the river into Nandelia, they split up into four groups and went in four different directions.”

  “And the other reason?”

  “We thought Rolan might show up here to gloat.”

  “So how do you know where your family is?”

  “Before my men left, we agreed on a meeting place, outside a small town along the Serenity River. Once all the families made it, one of the men came back to let us know they were safe.”

  “So why are you still here? Why didn’t the rest of you pack up and join your families?”

  “That was the original plan,” Cpt. Garen said.

  “So what happened?”

  “Alyan didn’t make it back until towards the end of September. At that point we started getting ready to move out. Most of the single men had already decided to take off on their own and find work somewhere else, and as soon as Alyan got back, they left. But before the rest of us could get everything we needed together, some other men arrived. If we hadn’t been camped where we were, we’d have missed them, and there are times when I wish we had. I recognized one of them, and the last time I’d seen him he was with Rolan, so we decided to stay put until we could figure out what was going on.”

  “Do they know you’re here?”

  Cpt. Garen nodded. “After someone took a shot at Landis last fall, I introduced myself and asked a few questions. They haven’t met any of my men, but they think there are still seventeen of us. My men know who they are though. We’ve been keeping an eye on them. But even if I hadn’t introduced myself when Landis was attacked, I’d have had to a few days later.”

  “Why?”

  “I had a message from Rolan reminding me I was still under orders to kill you. He wanted me to let him know about any other assassins in the area, especially anyone from Landoryn, but I figured I’d better let him know I knew about the ones he’d sent down, too. He also said I should feel free to work with anyone else who had the same orders, so I thought I’d better find out what orders his assassins had, although I was pretty sure at that point they were here to kill Landis.”

  “Do you keep in contact with them?” Cpt. Garen nodded, but he had a strange look on his face, so Kevin asked, “What’s he thinking about?”

  “Something happened last fall, something that looked like a trap to him, but none of the assassins were captured. He thinks you must have been behind it, but he’s not sure he should mention it.”

  “How often do you see them?”

  “I drop by their camp maybe once every couple of weeks.”

  Kevin nodded. “All right. I want to go back to the families. Do any of your men have any family left in Trendon?”

  Cpt. Garen shook his head.

  “No parents, brothers, sisters, no one?”

  “When Rolan took over, things changed. Trendon wasn’t the town it used to be. Under Tsareth it was a good place to live, a nice place to raise your children. But all of that changed. After Rolan banished his brothers and sisters, he started banishing anyone who’d ever been friends with them. That’s when most of us in the guard started urging everyone except our wives and children to get out, to go somewhere else. For one thing, we didn’t know when we might have to leave, and it would be a lot easier if we had family already living somewhere else.”

  “And they all just packed up and left?”

  “You don’t understand how much things changed. No one trusted anyone else any more. And if you had a daughter, you wanted her as far from Trendon as you could get her. Rolan has a tendency to consider anyone living in Brendolanth his property to be used as he sees fit. He takes whatever he wants, whether it’s food, horses, or people, and he likes girls, especially young ones.”

  “Didn’t you say you have a daughter?”

  Cpt. Garen nodded. “Kyali. She turned fourteen shortly after I got my orders to come here. While I was there, working in the castle, he wouldn’t have dared lay a hand on her. I’d have killed him and somehow he knew it.”

  “He thinks that may be why he was sent here with orders not to come home until you were dead,” Dani said.

  “Think that might have had something to do with his sending you here?”

  Cpt. Garen shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. I had a feeling... but he may have just wanted a captain in charge of this particular assignment. I was one of his two captains. The other captain, Cpt. Yardner, is still there.”

  Kevin nodded. “You mentioned earlier you and your men have been in and around Milhaven for a couple of years now. You know people in town and they know you, right?”

  Cpt. Garen nodded.

  “What cover story have you used for who you are, why you’re living like you are, why you don’t have families?”

  “We told anyone who asked we were freelance soldiers.”

  “And everyone was all right with that?”

  “Actually not that many people have asked, and most of the ones who have were just making conversation. When anyone asked where we were staying, we said we had a camp near the mountains.”

  “So if you were to pick up and leave it wouldn’t cause any concerns.”

  “Well, that’s not entirely true. Most of us could leave and chances are no one would notice, but there’s one who can’t just up and leave.”

  “Why not?”


  “He’s seeing someone in town, and from what I understand, they’re considering marriage. His absence would definitely be noticed.”

  Kevin frowned. “Who?”

  Cpt. Garen hesitated, so Dani said, “Petar is seeing Callie, whoever they are.”

  “Let me guess,” Kevin said. “Petar.”

  Now it was Cpt. Garen’s turn to frown. “How did you know?”

  “I didn’t. It was a guess, but I know he’s been seeing Callie and last week when Cpt. Lawrence went into Fenway’s you were sitting with them.”

  Cpt. Garen grimaced. “Careless of me.”

  “But back to Petar and Callie. That’s going to be a bit of a problem.”

  “The way I see it, it’ll force him to either ask her to marry him or tell her it’s done.”

  “Anyone else in your group involved with anyone in Milhaven? Close friends? Working on something with someone?”

  Cpt. Garen shook his head. “Only Petar.”

  Kevin nodded. “I’ll be honest with you, Cpt. Garen. I believe your offer is sincere, although I’m not sure whether your goal is to protect Landis or get rid of Rolan.” Garen started to speak, but Kevin shook his head. “I know, you see them as the same. Anyway, there are several people I need to talk to before I make a decision, but the first person I need to consult is her foster father. Unless he agrees we should tell her what you’ve said, I won’t do it.”

  Cpt. Garen nodded.

  “But regardless of what I decide, I think it’s time for you to join your families. You have a lot to discuss. If you and your men join Landis, you’ll have to stay where she is until she’s ready to leave, and that place is totally isolated. There won’t be any changing your mind once you get there either. And we’re talking years, maybe as many as seven or eight.”

  Cpt. Garen nodded again.

  “How many of your men are single?”

  “Three, counting Petar.”

  “They’ll have to leave when you do.”

  “We discussed that before I approached Cpt. Lawrence.”

  “And Petar went along with it?”

  “I asked him specifically. He said he was in.”

  Kevin nodded. “You’ll need something to tell the assassins. If you just disappear, they’ll probably notify Rolan, and the last thing I need is for him to send more men down here.”

  “I’ve already thought about that. I’ll tell them we heard there was a young red-headed apprentice in a small valley north of here, up near Jonquin’s cave. I thought I’d ask them if they want to go check it out or if they want us to. I’m betting they’ll choose to stay here and let us take the chance of irritating Jonquin.”

  Kevin grinned. “And if they choose to go off chasing the rumor, that’s fine, too. Now, what about the townspeople. Some of you will have to go into town tomorrow and let it be known you’re leaving the area so no one will go out looking for you. Any thoughts about that one?”

  “We could say we’ve accepted a job and leave it at that.”

  “That’s as good as anything else, but I’m not sure how Callie will feel about it.”

  “I don’t know either.”

  “I guess that’s for them to work out,” Kevin said. “Now, any questions?”

  Cpt. Garen nodded. “One, but it’s a big one. If we do join Landis, will our families be able to go with us? I mean, if we can’t leave, and we’ll be there for several years...”

  Kevin nodded. “If I end up taking you to join Landis, it’ll be up to you as to whether or not your families go, but they need to understand that once they’re there, they’re staying. No one leaves until she’s trained.”

  “I understand.”

  “And I would suggest you let each family make its own decision. Some of the women might not be willing to commit to living in a remote and isolated area for years on end. I’ll bring food and supplies in on a regular basis, but there won’t be anywhere for them to go. And please believe me when I say you won’t be able to leave, not until Landis does.”

  Cpt. Garen nodded. “When do you want us to be ready to leave Milhaven?”

  Kevin thought for a moment. “Thursday afternoon, right after lunch.”

  “Guess I’d better get back. We’ve got a lot to do,” Cpt. Garen said. “And Myron, no matter what you decide, thank you for hearing me out.”

  Kevin nodded and turned to Chris. “Can you take him back?”

  “Where to?” Chris asked as he took out the key.

  “My office.” He looked at Cpt. Garen. “When I get back, you can show me where your camp is.”

  Chris took out his key as Cpt. Garen put his hand on Chris’s arm.

  As soon as they were gone, Dani and King Merdin made themselves visible.

  “So, what did you think?” Kevin asked.

  “Everything he said was true,” Dani said, “but you’re right that he may be more interested in seeing Rolan dead than protecting Landis, although in his mind, the two things really are the same.”

  Kevin nodded and looked at King Merdin. “What did you think?”

  “From the bits I’ve gathered, it sounds like the girl needs protection, but I’m sure you’ve got that covered.”

  “He does. She’s with Glendymere.”

  “Dani! No one’s supposed to know that.”

  King Merdin laughed. “You were talking about her at the meeting last month. Every telepath there would have picked up on it. But don’t worry. None of us will tell anyone. Your secret’s safe. But if she’s with Glendymere, she’s as safe as she can be. Why are you thinking about making other arrangements?”

  “Because I can’t leave her there. He says it’s all right, but it’s not. She’s been living with the giants since early last fall. They’re good about it, but it’s an imposition. I need to move her somewhere else, and when I do, I’ll need someone to provide protection. I was thinking about using some of my guards, or maybe some of our soldiers, but if these men are serious, they might be my best option.”

  “I don’t know if it means anything, but when you mentioned her foster father, the name Hayden flashed through the captain’s head.”

  “That’s her foster father. They must have known each other. That’s good. Hayden will have an opinion about him.”

  “The sincerity is there, at least on his part. Can’t say as far as the others are concerned.”

  “Thanks for checking him out for me, Dani. You have no idea how much that helps. I appreciate it.”

  “Anything else?” King Merdin asked. When Kevin shook his head, King Merdin took out his key. “Then we’ll be on our way. Just hang the chimes if you need us again.”

  “Thanks,” Kevin said as King Merdin turned his key.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Cpt. Garen and Chris were sitting in Kevin’s office quietly talking when Kevin got back.

  “Everything okay?” Chris asked as he handed Kevin the key.

  Kevin nodded and looked at Cpt. Garen. “Ready to go?”

  Cpt. Garen stood up and put his hand on Kevin’s arm. Kevin held the key out to Cpt. Garen. “You know how to do this, right?”

  “Concentrate on where I want to go and turn the key.”

  “Right.”

  “I think it might be better if we don’t go directly to the camp though. My men are probably a bit on edge wondering what’s going on and I’m not sure how they’ll react if we just suddenly appear.”

  Kevin nodded.

  A few moments later they were on a narrow road that wound its way up the side of a mountain. Cpt. Garen pointed to a trail that looked more suited to animals than humans. “Our camp is a hundred yards down that path.”

  “Do you want me to go with you now? Or would you rather talk to your men alone.”

  “We can do it either way. It’s up to you.”

  “Why don’t you talk to them now and I’ll drop by this evening to answer any questions?”

  Cpt. Garen handed Kevin’s key back to him. “We’ll look for you around sunset.�
�

  Kevin nodded as he turned the key and left for his office.

  After Kevin was gone, Cpt. Garen followed the trail to the camp where he and his men had been living for two years. Just as he expected, they were all there waiting for him.

  “So, how did it go?” Petar asked at the same time Synead asked, “Did you talk to Myron?”

  Cpt. Garen held up his hand for them to stop and give him a moment. “Is there any coffee?”

  Tyler laughed and headed over to the fire ring to get the captain a cup while the others found seats on the various stumps and logs they’d been using as chairs. Once Cpt. Garen had sipped some of his coffee, he said, “We’ve got a lot to do over the next forty-eight hours.” Then he told them about his conversation with Myron and the current plan to reunite them with their families. “We may or may not be joining Landis. He hasn’t decided one way or the other about that yet. But each of us needs to decide whether or not we’re willing to do it if he does make the offer. From what he told me, if we join her, we’ll be in an isolated location, and he won’t let any of us leave until she’s fully trained, and as you know, that takes years.”

  Cpt. Garen drank some more coffee. “So, once we join our families, you need to talk to your wives and figure out what you want to do. If you want out, that’s fine. No hard feelings.” He looked at the three single men. “You need to decide if you’re willing to put off finding a wife and having a family for that long. There won’t be any extra women around for you to court. And really think about that before you say it doesn’t matter. Six or seven years is a long time.”

  Cpt. Garen took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “But between now and Thursday lunch, we have to get ready to leave Camden.”

  “I need to go into town.” Petar stood up. “I’ve got to talk to Callie.”

  “Before you go,” Cpt. Garen said, “we need to go over the reason why we’re leaving here.”

  Petar shrugged. “We were offered a job, one that’s too good to pass up, and we need to get moving or they’ll hire someone else.”

  Cpt. Garen nodded. “And that has the added advantage of being true.”

  “What are you going to tell those other men from Trendon?” Alyan asked.