Island of Darkness

by Richard S. Tuttle

  “There will be no need for that, Shel,” smiled Lyra. “Things have taken an unexpected turn for the good.”

  Lyra watched as Shel nearly jumped off the ground. The woman spun to face the center of the marketplace and locked eyes with the Star of Sakova.

  “Are you sure, Lyra?” asked Shel. “I am not one to trust authorities. Aren’t they planning to publicly execute you?”

  “No,” Lyra replied as the general hopped up on the stage and held up his hands for silence. “Listen.”

  Lyra broke the air tunnel as the crowd grew silent. The general dropped his hands and addressed the audience.

  “Citizens of Gatong,” shouted the general, “Mayor Robit has some important words to deliver to you today. Before he speaks, I want to impress upon you the large numbers of Imperial Guards around the market. Many of you may not like what is about to be announced, but the mayor and I have agreed that we must make a decision concerning the welfare of the people of Gatong. It is a radical change that will be made, but I assure that it is for the better. I expect you to listen with an open mind. I also expect you to obey the law. I will not have riots in this city.”

  Many a glare was directed at the general, but no one spoke. The mayor hesitated before speaking. He inhaled deeply and clenched his fists several times as if that would release some of his nervousness.

  “Citizens of Gatong,” the mayor said loudly, “all of you know that Omunga is currently at war with the Sakova. Unlike other attempts at war with the inhabitants of the interior, this war will be fought until one side claims complete victory over the other. The city of Gatong is now embroiled in that war. This woman beside me is Lyra, the Star of Sakova. She is the leader of the Sakovan nation. Some of you may have heard that we arrested her earlier today. Others may have heard that the ship that arrived full of food was directed to come here by her. Both statements are true.”

  The mayor hesitated as he tried to gauge the people’s reaction, but the crowd was stone-faced. He swallowed hard and continued.

  “General Papper and I have spent some time today discussing the future of Gatong and what course of action is best for the citizens of this fine city,” continued the mayor. “The Star of Sakova has asked that we defect and become Sakovans. She promises to restore our fields and provide free food in the meantime. It is a generous offer, but it entails a degree of risk to Gatong. Were we to defect, the Katana will most assuredly seek to punish us.”

  “Let him try,” shouted a citizen.

  “Yeah,” shouted another. “He will find an army of citizens in addition to our troops.”

  “Let the Katana stay in Okata with his food,” shouted a third citizen. “If he comes here we will dig a hole for his body.”

  All of the people started shouting threats to the Katana as Mayor Robit turned and stared at the general with disbelief. General Papper’s eyebrows rose in surprise as he listened to the crowd.

  “This is going to be easier than I thought,” the general commented softly. “Hurry up and tell them the news.”

  The mayor nodded and raised his hands for silence. It took several minutes before the crowd quieted. Mayor Robit grinned widely as he waited.

  “Your voices speak loudly of what you want,” declared the mayor. “Let it be so. From this day forward, Gatong is a city of the Sakova.”

  The mayor stepped a pace and bowed low to Lyra. The general followed the mayor’s lead as the crowd cheered wildly. Suddenly, citizens in the marketplace began to bow. It began with those closest to the table that Lyra was standing on and spread out like the ripple from a pebble thrown into a still pond until every citizen and Imperial Guard was bowed before the Star of Sakova.

  Chapter 26

  Shark Food

  Mistake crawled into the dark cave and bumped into someone’s leg.

  “Sorry,” Mistake said softly. “I really can’t see in here.”

  “You didn’t hurt me,” chuckled Eltor. “What did you see out there?”

  “Nothing,” answered Mistake. “Absolutely nothing. There are no campfires visible, and I saw no army patrols. Is it possible that they gave up looking for us?”

  “I doubt it,” replied Eltor. “I would suspect that the patrols would be fewer at night, but I am willing to wager that there are some out there.”

  “Well this is the best report we’ve had in days,” said MistyTrail. “I say we attempt to escape tonight. Our food is running low and won’t last much longer. How do you feel, Caldal?”

  “I feel great,” replied Caldal. “Certainly better than I have in a long time. I am with MistyTrail. If we are going to try to escape, tonight sounds like a decent chance.”

  “There will still be kruls out,” warned Eltor. “They do not return to the cities at the end of the day.”

  “Where do they live?” asked Mistake.

  “I am not sure,” answered Eltor. “They do congregate. I supposed there might be krul cities in the forest, but I really don’t know.”

  “I would guess that they eat and sleep close to where they are assigned to work,” offered Caldal. “The kruls don’t mix well with people. They would tend to avoid the cities.”

  “There might be a group we have to get past then,” frowned Mistake. “Kruls were clearing the forest between the jungle and this mountain when MistyTrail and I arrived.”

  “We will have to chance it,” asserted MistyTrail. “We cannot stay here until the whole forest is cleared. I vote we leave now.”

  After a moment’s hesitation, the group agreed. The four elves crawled out of the cave and began the descent. The moon was half full as Mistake led the way down the side of the mountain. She handed one of her knives to Eltor. MistyTrail, who was at the rear of the procession, saw the gesture and handed one of hers to Caldal.

  “You two are going to be real visible in those red uniforms,” MistyTrail commented softly. “Maybe we should have dyed them.”

  “It is too late for that now,” replied Caldal. “We must keep moving.”

  As they got further down the mountain, the slope eased somewhat. Mistake saw the section of cleared forest where they had run into the kruls. Her eyes scanned the area looking for signs of an encampment. She saw none.

  They continued down the side of the mountain until they reached the forest. The forest was dark, but there was enough moonlight to navigate safely. Mistake picked up the pace, keeping her ears tuned to any noises beyond their footsteps. It was a quiet trek, and in less than an hour they reached the edge of the cleared area. Mistake halted and gazed across the open ground. The stumps that dotted the landscape caused her to check and recheck each area. Eltor silently tapped her shoulder and pointed off towards the right. Mistake nodded as she saw the dark lumps.

  “Kruls,” she whispered. “Several dozen of them.”

  “They appear to be sleeping,” Eltor said softly. “Should we cross together or singly?”

  “In pairs,” offered MistyTrail. “That way the concealed pair can create a distraction, and the exposed pair can split up to confuse them.”

  “I do want to learn more about the Sakova,” Mistake responded. “I like the way you have learned to think.”

  “You and Eltor go first,” suggested MistyTrail with a grin. “Caldal and I will wait until you are safely across.”

  “No,” replied Mistake. “You are the one used to sneaking around in the forest. I want to see how you do it. Eltor and I will go second.”

  “Alright,” nodded MistyTrail as she edged past Mistake.

  She waited while Caldal moved to the edge of the clearing. She grabbed his hand confidently and squeezed it.

  “Just follow me,” she whispered to Caldal.

  “I am an elf,” retorted Caldal. “I know how to be quiet.”

  MistyTrail smiled and nodded as she stepped into the open. She did not try to race across the open area, but instead moved silently. It was an excruciatingly slow pace for Caldal, but he stayed right behind MistyTrail. They made it across the cl
eared area and hid behind a tree. MistyTrail wove an air tunnel towards Mistake.

  “It is your turn,” whispered MistyTrail. “Do not try to rush. Be as quiet as you can.”

  “I will,” promised Mistake.

  MistyTrail broke the air tunnel and stood watching as Mistake and Eltor stepped into the cleared area.

  “You move very quietly for an elf who has never been to Elvangar,” complimented Caldal. “There are still a few things that I could teach you, though.”

  “Are there?” replied MistyTrail. “You could have done better?”

  “Not better,” Caldal shook his head, “but faster. Your movements were excellent and silent, but there is a way to be just as silent at a faster pace. I will show you when they arrive safely.”

  “I would like that,” smiled MistyTrail. “There have been times when I wanted more speed.”

  Mistake and Eltor were over half way across when one of the dark lumps suddenly stood up and stretched. Mistake and Eltor saw it and stopped. They crouched low hoping to blend in with the numerous stumps that doted the land. The Krul gazed skyward as he stretched, but his body was facing Mistake. MistyTrail knew that when he looked down, he would probably see the elves. She quickly wove an air tunnel and directed it far beyond the krul. She bent down and picked up several dried branches. She broke one over her knee and the sound appeared to come from the other end of the air tunnel. The krul instantly turned and gazed towards the sound.

  MistyTrail directed the air tunnel further away and broke another stick. The krul scratched his head and started walking away. Mistake and Eltor rose and continued their trek across the open area. For good measure, MistyTrail moved the air tunnel one more time and broke another stick. Mistake and Eltor arrived before the krul grew tired of his investigation.

  “We need to move away from here quickly,” advised Eltor. “There is absolutely no breeze right now, but if it picks up the slightest amount, he will smell us.”

  Caldal nodded and took the lead. He moved swiftly, but silently, and MistyTrail studied his movements. Caldal stopped and waited for the others to catch up and then took off again. By the fourth stop, MistyTrail had figured out what Caldal was doing to achieve the extra speed. When he took off again, she kept pace with him. When he turned to see how far back the group was, he let out a small gasp.

  “You learn very quickly,” he smiled. “I did not hear you behind me.”

  “It must be in my blood,” grinned MistyTrail. “Explain your movements to Mistake. We will cover much more ground that way.”

  They took a short break while Caldal explained his movements to Mistake. Eltor stood next to MistyTrail and sighed.

  “What is the matter?” asked MistyTrail.

  “How much farther do we have to go?” asked Eltor.

  “We have hours to go,” answered MistyTrail. “This forest will eventually turn into jungle. We will still have several hours to go when that happens. What is bothering you?”

  “We are heading westward,” announced Eltor as Mistake and Caldal turned to listen. “Based on what you have just told me, this house that we are heading for is on the western coast of the island.”

  “What is wrong with that?” asked Mistake.

  “Elvangar is to the east,” answered Eltor. “What Caldal is pointing out is that we will be on the wrong side of the island.”

  “And we will have to sail around either the northern or southern end of the island,” added Caldal. “That means that we will have to pass at least one major city. The odds of us affecting our escape have diminished greatly.”

  “We are not going back,” Mistake declared adamantly. “I don’t care if we end up going in the wrong direction, we are leaving this island.”

  “I agree,” nodded MistyTrail. “We will sail outside the limits of their sight before turning to go around the island. You can do that, can’t you? You said you were sailors.”

  Eltor hemmed and hawed, but Caldal nodded his head.

  “We will do it,” Caldal declared. “Get me to that boat, and I will get us home somehow. I just wish the house you found was on the other coast. Let’s continue onward.”

  MistyTrail took the lead and kept up a swift pace. It took Mistake a while to put into practice what she had learned from Caldal, but the elves were soon moving silently and swiftly. The hours sped by quickly as the forest turned into jungle. The wind began to whisper softly at first, but it escalated steadily until a strong breeze blew against the backs of the four escapees. Clouds began to drift across the sky and at times the moonshine was totally eliminated causing the jungle floor to darken considerably. MistyTrail called a halt.

  “I can’t see well enough to continue at this pace,” MistyTrail said softly. “We will have to go slower.”

  “Let’s take a rest,” suggested Eltor. “We have been making good time. We do not want to be tired when we reach the house on the beach.”

  “What are we going to do when we get there?” asked Caldal. “You said there would be four soldiers there. If they are watching the sea, we cannot steal their boat.”

  “I doubt that they would keep watch at night,” shrugged Mistake. “What would be the point? They sure would not be able to see a ship passing by.”

  “That may be true at night,” Eltor pointed out, “but we may not arrive there until morning. You did say that it was quite a trip.”

  “We have been making good time,” replied MistyTrail. “I am sure that we will be there before dawn. Maybe we should start walking again.”

  “A few more minutes,” Eltor shook his head. “Caldal has just recovered. I do not want to tax him.”

  “I am fine,” countered Caldal, “but a few minutes break is still wise. Navigating through the reef will take its toll on us. We need to be fresh.”

  “Especially if this wind keeps up,” frowned Eltor. “It is turning into a strong easterly.”

  “That will be good for getting away from the island quickly,” commented Caldal, “but it will make the trip to Elvangar near impossible. We may be at sea for many days. Will it be possible to get some rations at this guard house?”

  “I will try,” offered Mistake. “They sleep on the second floor so I should be able to raid their kitchen.”

  “That means we will need more time,” interjected MistyTrail. “We should continue now. I want to be away from this island before the sun rises.”

  There were no arguments as MistyTrail took the lead. She kept the pace slow until the moon peeked out from behind the cloud and then accelerated to a faster pace. She noticed the shadows growing longer as the moon began its descent. She increased the pace a tad as she began to worry about the setting moon depriving the jungle of light.

  A couple of hours later, MistyTrail slowed down a bit. Even with the strong wind at her back, MistyTrail began to hear the breaking of the surf. A sense of excitement shot through her body as she realized that their journey was almost over. She slowed to a walk as she caught a glimpse of the sea through the jungle foliage. Within moments the four elves were standing at the edge of the jungle gazing at a thin strip of beach.

  “The house should be a short distance to the left,” announced Mistake. “Let me lead.”

  Mistake stepped out of the jungle and walked along the beach. The others followed silently. Within five minutes Mistake halted and crouched down. The others joined her, and Eltor and Caldal got their first look at the guardhouse. The windows were shuttered, and the building was dark. Caldal’s eyes swept over the water and stared at the waves breaking over the reef. He tapped Eltor’s shoulder and pointed.

  “Watch the breaking waves,” he whispered. “Do you notice the area where the breakers are not?”

  “I see it,” nodded Eltor. “I suspect that is the way through the reef. How do you want to approach this?”

  Caldal’s eyes passed over the anchored boat and landed on the rowboat sitting on the beach. A plan formed in his mind.

  “You and I will swim to the sailboat,”
Caldal began. “I will raise the anchor while you get the short sails set. Then I will swim out to the reef and verify the pass. You hold the ship steady while Mistake and MistyTrail row out in the small boat. When they reach the sailboat, I should be ready to guide you out.”

  “We will have to sail flat out,” warned Eltor. “When the guards wake in the morning and find their boat gone, they will sound the alarm. We will not have much of a head start.”

  “Then we should not waste time discussing this,” shrugged Caldal. “Do not take chances getting the food, Mistake. Eltor and I will not be in a position to protect you. Just get in the rowboat and head for the sailboat.”

  Without waiting for a reply, Caldal dashed silently into the water. Eltor quickly followed. MistyTrail watched the men swimming towards the anchored sailboat and then she started creeping towards the rowboat. She knelt by the rowboat and waited for Mistake to appear on the other side so that they could work together dragging the rowboat into the water. When a few moments passed and Mistake had not arrived, MistyTrail turned to look back. She saw Mistake at the door of the guardhouse. She sighed deeply and then raced to Mistake’s side.

  “What are you doing?” whispered MistyTrail. “Forget the food. We will need every minute of darkness to get far away from here.”

  “It is more than the food,” Mistake whispered back. “We cannot afford to have an alarm issued in a few hours.”

  “What do you mean?” asked MistyTrail as Mistake produced a thin strip of metal and began working on the lock.

  “Look at that sailboat,” explained Mistake. “It may be larger than the one we arrived on, but it is not the fastest boat around. If the alarm is issued and they know that we escaped on a boat, they will be after us for sure. We will never make it past the large cities even if we keep the island out of sight. They will come looking for us.”

  “Are you planning what I think you are planning?” asked MistyTrail.

  “It is the only way,” nodded Mistake as an audible click rent the air. “You can wait by the rowboat. I won’t be long.”