Gewey took a deep breath. He knew Linis was right. Hemust be able to think clearly. He reached out once again, attemptingto touch Kaylia's mind, but the result was the same. No matter howhard he tried, he could only sense that she lived. Whatever blockedhim was indeed powerful. He prayed they would not harm her.
“Why would they take her, anyway?” askedGewey. “Why single her out?”
“I can only imagine to get to you,” Linisreplied. “Strong leverage.”
“If they harm her…” the words stuck inGewey throat.
“You cannot let such thoughts enter your mind,”said Linis. “They will cloud your judgment and cause you tomake a mistake that could cost both your lives.” He handedGewey a rag. “Clean your sword and recheck your gear. Makecertain you have what you need.”
Gewey nodded and obeyed. He realized he had not broughtclothing for Kaylia. She might need it. He searched her room andrummaged through her wardrobe until he found a set a travel clothes.He could smell her scent everywhere, and tears welled in his eyes. Hefocused his mind and swallowed hard. When he finished, Theopolou hadreturned. Chiron, Bellisia, Syranis, and Eftichis stood beside him.
“Where are the others?” asked Linis.
“Lord Aneili was slain,” said Theopolou.“Lord Endymion and Lady Leora were injured in the fray and arebeing tended to. The rest are gathering nearby.”
“Have you figured out who is responsible?”asked Gewey. “Not yet,” answered Chiron. “But wewill.”
“We should join the others,” said Eftichis.
“Indeed,” said Theopolou. “Butfirst… what to do with our captive?”
“I would like the chance to question him,”said Chiron.
“As would I,” agreed Bellisia.
“As you wish,” said Theopolou. “But Idoubt you will learn anything I have not. I do not think he has anyanswers that can help us. Those who planned this attack would nothave allowed anyone to know too much.”
“All the same, I will try,” said Chiron.
As Bellisia, Syranis, and Chiron approached the captiveelf, Bellisia noticed the wounds on his chest. Her eyes met Gewey'swith disapproval, but he met her gaze unmoved.
Chiron knelt beside him. “What is your name?”
The elf looked broken and weary. “I have told youall that I am willing to say.” He turned his head and lookedaway. “Kill me and be done with it. Or better yet, give me tothe human. I'm sure he would love to make sport of me.”
“You attacked your own kin,” said Bellisia.“And you took a captive, one bonded to this human. You arefortunate he is humanand not an elf. An elfwould have made more of you than sport.” She moved closer. “Anelf would have you screaming so loudly, it would wake yourancestors.” She moved even closer, forcing him to meet hereyes. Her voice dropped to a whisper “And if Kaylia dies… Iwill give you to him.”
Fear struck the elf, but he forced it down. “All Iknow is that you have a traitor among you.” He closed his eyes.“I will say nothing more.”
Bellisia stood up and turned to Theopolou. “Killhim,” she said lowering her head. “But do it withoutpain.”
“No,” shouted Gewey. “His life ismine.”
“And just what will you do with it?” askedBellisia. “Will you kill him? Do you wish to torture himfurther?”
Gewey was speechless.
“Then allow this elf to die,” said Bellisia.“Without pain.”
“Release him,” said Gewey.
The elders stared at Gewey, stunned.
“Release him?” exclaimed Syranis. “Don'tbe a fool.”
“Linis and Theopolou were right to stop me when Iwas torturing this elf,” said Gewey. “Though I did notsee it.” He closed his eyes and steadied his nerves. “Iwill not kill him… I will not murder a helpless person. That willnot be on my soul.”
Linis placed his hand on Gewey's shoulder. “Is itthe best way? If we let him go, our enemies will gain knowledge.”
“Then keep him captive,” offered Gewey.
“How shall we do this?” asked Theopolou. “Wehave no prison. Our people are reeling from the attack. Where shouldwe keep him?” He drew his knife. “Unless you intend totake him with you, there is nowhere for him.”
“It just feels wrong,” said Gewey.
“Did it feel wrong when you were cutting into hisflesh?” Bellisia challenged. “If Linis and Theopolou hadnot stopped you, would you be so kind now? This elf attacked his ownkin and abducted your bonded mate. His death is warranted. ”
“You're right,” said Gewey. “If I hadcontinued to hurt him, my heart would have changed. I see that now.And I'm grateful I didn't.” He met Bellisia's eyes. “Howcould I face Kaylia with a stain on my heart?”
“If you wish him to live,” said Bellisia,“you can only release him.” She looked down at theircaptive. “Would you like that? Would you simply wander off, andnot warn your kin that Gewey is coming for them?”
The elf squirmed and shifted until he could meet Gewey'seyes. “If you wish to let me go, then you have nothing to fearfrom me. I will not interfere. I will go east. This I swear.”He lowered his eyes. “But they are right. You can only kill me.It is what I would do in your place.”
Gewey's eyes narrowed, then he straightened his back andsaid, “You will wait until I am gone three days, then releasehim. If his word is good, then he will not follow. If not….he hadbetter pray that we do not meet again.”
“I do not agree with this,” said Theopolou.“But I will do as you ask. I will have what remains of my guardwatch him.” He called outside and two elves entered. Heinstructed them to guard the prisoner.
“We should meet with the others,” saidChiron.
They made their way through the smoldering ruins of thecamp, to the field near the bridge. There Gewey could see more than ahundred elves gathered in a loose circle.
Several yards away, a pavilion was being erected tohouse the wounded. From the crowd Akakios limped toward them,carrying a bundle under his arm. His leg was bandaged and his leftcheek bore a deep gash.
“My lord,” said Akakios. “It is goodto see you unharmed.”
“Thank you,” said Theopolou. “I fearedyou were slain.”
“I nearly was,” he replied. “I onlyjust bandaged my leg. I was caught in the tempest Gewey unleashedwhen you made your escape.”
“I'm sorry,” said Gewey. “I didn'tmean-”
Akakios held up his hand. “You saved the life ofmy lord and an elder of our people. A small price. Besides… Ilive.” He smiled. “I do have a bit of good news, my lord.I was stopped by Felsafell just before I entered the Chamber of theMaker. You had already descended to the floor.” He handedTheopolou the bundle. “He gave me this and told me to give itback to you.”
Theopolou unwrapped it and his eyes widened. “TheBook of Souls,” he whispered. “This isgood news.”
“But that means Felsafell must have known of theattack,” said Chiron. “And that he refused to warn us.”
“Perhaps,” Theopolou replied. “Perhapsnot. I do not pretend to understand the motives of Felsafell. Butthat he safeguarded the Book of Souls means we have not lost hope.”He turned to Gewey. “I must ask one more thing of you beforeyou leave.” He handed Gewey the box containing the Book. “Youmust open it and read from its pages.”
Gewey ran his fingers over the smooth, polished wood.“Then we must do it now. I will not wait much longer.”
“Agreed,” said Theopolou. “Come.”
“I must see what has become of my seekers,”said Linis. “I must know if they live. And I must find thetrail of our attackers. I shall return soon, Gewey. Then we willdepart.”
Gewey nodded, and Linis dashed off over the bridge.
Theopolou led the group to where the elves gathered. Alleyes turned to them as they drew near.
“He has brought this on us,” called a voice.“He must leave.” This was met by loud shouts ofagreement.
“He willleave,” said Bellisia, her voice rising over the crowd.
“Hewill pursue our attackers and free Kaylia. While you bicker andargue, he will take action.” The crowd became silent.
Theopolou nodded to Gewey. “I think it is time foryou to speak.”
Gewey squared his shoulders and stepped forward. He wasunsure what he was going to say. All he could think about was goingto save Kaylia, and he could feel the seconds slipping away. He tooka deep breath and began to speak.
“I am Gewey Stedding and I am here to ask for yourhelp. A dark force is rising in the land of Angraal. Aforce that threatens to destroy both humans and elves alike. A forcethat turns brother against brother. A force that willnot stop until it has conquered the wholeworld. I know that you have been promised your lands, and the freedomto rule them. Some of you may believe this promise, others may not.Some of you think you should join Angraal, and some thinkyou should stay out of it entirely. But I think that today's attackshould tell you that there is no way to do either.”
“We do not know that the King of Angraalhad anything to do with this,” said a tall, silk-clad elf.
“So you think it's a coincidence that your own kinattacked you while the north gathers for war?”
“I am saying that we do not know,” retortedthe elf. “I am saying that we have as much reason to suspectthat you were involved as we do to accuse Angraal.”This brought murmurs of agreement. “I am Marinos, lord andelder of the western isles. We too have been offered lands that wealready hold, just as the human says. But what he does not say isthat it is the human threat that spreads like a plague. They moveever closer to our lands and keeps. They disregard our borders andpoison the spirits of even the most wise.” His eyes fell onTheopolou. “Now you say that Angraal is gathering forwar. You tell us what we already know. You pretend to offer us a wayout of danger, but you only offer us destruction. If we join you, theLord of Angraal will sweep down upon us like a storm. Therewill be nothing of our people left to save.”
“I had nothing to do with this attack,” saidGewey. “Have you forgotten that they took Kaylia from me?”
“Exactly,” Marinos countered. “Why wasshe not killed? The field is littered with the dead. Why did theyspare her? Perhaps that was what you intended. Perhaps she awaits younow.”
Gewey's anger swelled, but he managed to keep it at bay.“If that is so, then why didn't I kill Theopolou, or any of theother elders? Why did I help them escape? Why am I still here?”
“Who can know the motives of a human,” saidMarinos. “If that is what you are. We all saw you in theChamber of the Maker. What human can control so much of the flowwithout destroying himself?” More murmurs of agreement.
“I told you all that I would reveal who and what Iam,” said Gewey. “I have told you who I am. I am GeweyStedding and nothing more. As for what I am…” He held up thebox containing the Book of Souls. “I assume you know what thisis.”
Marinos glared at Theopolou. “You recover whatyour family was sworn to protect, only to put it back in the hands ofa human?”
Theopolou stood expressionless.
“You have heard that only one that possesses thepower of heaven can open the Book of Souls,” said Gewey.
Marinos let out a mocking laugh. “So you proposeto open the Book of Souls? You claim to possess the power thatresides in heaven? Do you even understand the claim you are making?”He turned to the crowd. “A God. The one the prophecies speakof. Here, among us.” His gaze returned to Gewey. “Ahalf-man, most likely. You cannot open the Book with the dilutedblood of a God in your veins.”
Gewey decided this was enough. He grabbed the lip of thebox and pulled. At first, nothing happened, but then the lid moved.Gasps could be heard throughout the crowd as the box slowly opened. Astrong wind blew across the field and the only sound to be heard wasthe flapping of the nearby pavilion.
“You…” Marinos stammered. “How isthis possible? What trickery is this?”
Gewey reach in and pulled out the Book of Souls. Thecover shimmered like gold and radiated a soft light. Intricatewriting covered the spine and the cover, in a language that not evenTheopolou could recognize.
“Can you read it?” asked Theopolou.
Gewey looked at the cover. At first, the symbols made nosense, but slowly he began to understand them. “I can.”
“What does it say?” asked Chiron.
Gewey ran his hand over the cover. “It says: Within these pages is written the true historyof Heaven, of Earth, of Man, of Life, and of Gods and Elves.”He looked out on the crowd and said. “Nowyou know what I am.”
“How is this possible?” asked Bellisia, inwonder.
“I don't know,” admitted Gewey. “Infact, I know almost nothing. I only know what I am, and what I mustdo.”
“Do you expect us to follow you?” askedMarinos. “If this is true, then it was your kind that causedour people to fall. By all rights we should kill you, here and now.”
“The Gods had nothing to do with the split,”Theopolou said. “All of us that are old enough to have foughtin the Great War know this. It is time that the lie was exposed. Itis time for us to become the people we once were.”
“So you would have us follow this….creature?”asked Marinos. “You would have our people mix their blood withthat of humans?”
“I would have us become a better people,”Theopolou replied. “The idea of mixing with humans is asdisturbing to me as is to you. But how much different are we really?We plot and scheme against one another. We kill our own kind. We lieto ourselves and deceive our children. In fact, is there one of youthat sees the virtue and grace of our ancestors in the people we aretoday?”
No one spoke.
“Gewey Stedding has shown me much,”Theopolou continued. “Though he is not a human, he was raisedas one. He has defended our people, upheld our values, and kept hisword. He has shown courage and determination. He has placed the livesof others ahead of his own. And he has bonded to my kin.
“I am not fool enough to believe that all humansare as he. But he does represent what is best in man. Perfect? No.But honorable, strong, and true. Something I have not seen in elvesof late.” He looked Gewey in the eyes. “I admit that whenI started this journey, I had hoped for you to reveal yourself to befalse. The idea of one such as you leading my people into a newfuture repulsed me. My mind has been changed. I pledge my house andmy family to your cause.”
“As do I,” said Chiron.
“And I,” said Eftichis.
“There is still the matter of the traitor,”said Bellisia. “Before I make any decision, I will know how wecame to this pass.”
“The traitor is among us,” said Theopolou.“And I know who he is.”
“Who?” shouted several voices.
Theopolou let his eyes scan the gathering, until theycame to rest on Akakios. “The Book of Souls was never in thepossession of Felsafell. It went missing just after we arrived.”
Akakios opened his mouth to protest, then lowered hiseyes. “I did it to protect you, my lord. Forgive me.”
The crowd erupted. Two elves seized Akakios and disarmedhim.
“Traitor,” Eftichis roared, as he drew hisblade.
“Stay your blade, Eftichis,” Theopoloucommanded. He turned back to Akakios.
“You pretended to befriend Gewey. You wereinstrumental in the slaying of dozens of your kin. You betrayed yourlord, and dishonored your name.”
“I did what I did to help you keepyour honor,” Akakios replied, angrily. “You would have usbow to this… abomination. You would lead our people to their doom.Don't you see? I was protecting you… from yourself.” Tearsstreamed down his face. “But I swear I never meant for so manyto die.”
“For one elf to die by your actions isunforgivable,” said Chiron, furiously. “You have sealedyour fate.”
“No,” said Theopolou. “Gewey hastaught me a lesson this day. Akakios is in my service, and I willdecide what is to be done with him.” He walked close to Akakiosand leveled his eyes. “He is to be questioned. Then release himwith the prisoner i
n three days. He is exiled to the east. If he hasany honor left, he will abide by this decision. If not, so be it.”
“Is that wise?” asked Chiron.
“Probably not,” Theopolou admitted. “Butwe must be better than those who oppose us. We must not succumb tovengeance or hatred. I will see elves return to grace, even if thatmeans showing mercy to our enemies.” He stepped back and thetwo guards took Akakios away.
“What now?” asked Chiron.
Gewey handed the Book of Souls to Theopolou. The old elfgazed at it for a full minute before he looked up again.
“I have to leave,” said Gewey. “I haveto rescue Kaylia.”
“I understand,” said Theopolou. He put theBook back inside the box and closed it. “I will guard this foryou until you return. In the meantime, we have much to discussamongst ourselves.”
“I will come with you, Gewey Stedding,” saidEftichis.
“No,” said Theopolou. “You are neededhere. Many are still not convinced that this is the way. I will needyour help.”
“He's right,” said Gewey. “You musthelp Theopolou. Linis and I can track down the elves that tookKaylia.”
“But you will be outnumbered,” Eftichisargued. “At least let me send some of my guard with you.”
“Thank you,” said Gewey. “But I thinkLinis is all the help I'll need. If it comes down to a fight, I'drather not risk more lives than I have to.”
As if on cue, Linis returned, his face grave. “Thereare no signs of my seekers.”
“Perhaps they were driven away,” saidEftichis.
“Perhaps,” said Linis. “Whatever thecase, I have no time to look for them. I found the attackers trail.They flee north at great speed. Some on horseback. We must leave now,or we will struggle to catch up.” He turned to Gewey. “Areyou ready?”
Gewey checked the pack and sword. “I'm ready.”
“Good,” said Linis. “You can tell mewhat happened while I was gone, later. I'm sure it is worth hearing.”
“Indeed it is,” remarked Chiron.
Gewey placed his hands on Theopolou's shoulders. “Iam in your debt, and I promise that Kaylia will be safe.”
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