“We’ve done it,” she said. “We have eluded them!”
“Halt.” The order came from an elven woman who appeared on the path twenty paces in front of them, an arrow aimed directly at Kain’s heart. Two other elves, a man and a woman, stood behind the first, also with arrows at the ready.
“You had to say it,” Kain muttered. “You had to tempt fate by saying we had eluded them.”
Alique frowned. “You are not so superstitious as that are you, general?”
“All soldiers are.”
“Cease the talk and dismount before I place this arrow between your eyes, kingdom man,” the first woman said. She was tall and lithe with short dark hair that curled around her ears. The customary elven breeches and tunic fit her like a glove, displaying her long muscled legs and tiny waist to great advantage. Alique suppressed a stab of envy. If only she could carry off the costume with such aplomb. If only she had such thighs!
The elven woman studied them as they dismounted. “Step forward so I can see you.” Her voice held all the authority of a queen.
Alique and Kain dismounted and made their way forward, as sounds of the fight still carried through the trees. The elven woman didn’t look familiar. Had she been with the party who had taken them hostage?
“You are a long way from home,” she said, lowering her arrow a fraction. The others didn’t follow suit.
“Not so far,” Kain said, standing with his hands on his hips, feet apart. Alique glanced at him, so calm and cool beside her, while she trembled. Who were these people?
“And this woman with you?” the elven woman said. “Who is she?”
Kain frowned. “Who the hell are you first?”
Alique was confused. The woman’s words seemed to imply that she had not been with the elven group who had held them captive, and yet—
“I am Gwaethe Arenil, kingdom man, and you still have not answered my question.”
“My name is Kain Jazara, and the lady with me is Alique Zorba, but you should know that.”
“Why would I, when we have only just met?” She nodded at Alique, her eyes running over her elven clothing. “The costume suits you well, my lady.”
Alique’s breathe caught. “Thank you,” she said, feeling silly that she could not think of any compliment in return.
“I have looked long and hard for you, General Jazara,” Gwaethe said, her dark gaze shifting back to Kain. “You will please come with me and know I mean you no harm.”
Gwaethe turned and strode up the path and the other two elves stepped back, arrows still trained, to allow Kain and Alique to lead their horses past. Whatever Gwaethe said, they were still prisoners.
Chapter 8
Kain followed the elven woman, Gwaethe, as she strode before them up the narrow trail, his mind mulling over reasons for her intervention. He was almost positive she hadn’t been in the original group. Was it her people who had attacked Faenwelar’s party or was Gwaethe simply taking advantage of the confusion? If so, why? There was a teasing familiarly about her which he couldn’t place. She had volunteered she meant them no harm, and had been polite to Alique. But no matter how she appeared, Kain couldn’t afford to relax his guard.
Gwaethe veered off the narrow track and onto an equally narrow path which began to wend its way to the southeast. Before he could ask any questions, the track opened out into a small clearing beside a brook. A number of other elves were waiting there with horses, including three without riders. Gwaethe marched straight up to a golden stallion with silver mane and tail and ran her fingers through his blond forelock.
The elves on foot behind them moved to the right and left of him and Alique, arrows still nocked and trained. The elven woman had short white hair and wore tight black leather leggings and tunic. Her eyes were a brilliant pale blue, like the sky, but they were cold as a winter’s night. The man was unremarkable, typical dark skin, short black hair and dark eyes.
Kain waited with impatience while Gwaethe greeted her horse. Finally she sighed and turned to face him, folding her arms across her chest, accentuating generous breasts – very generous for an elven woman.
“As I said, I have searched long and hard for you over many months and now I have you before me, I do not know how to begin.” Her face looked troubled which made her appear very young.
“At the beginning is usually a good place,” Kain said, his frustration growing. This elven race could try the patience of a holy man.
“Not here,” Gwaethe said, turning to vault onto her horse. “Mount up, we ride for our camp.” So saying, she spun her horse about and left the clearing via another narrow trail on the north-eastern side.
*
They galloped through the dense forest, angling to the north. Kain imagined they were now moving to a position due north of Wildecoast. His gut was in turmoil. These elves were similar to the other Lenweri who had taken them hostage, and yet subtly different. For one thing, there were female elves who were apparently warriors. Gwaethe seemed to be in command of the group, which grew with the addition of another dozen riders about an hour after the ambush. Some carried wounds. They gave a hushed report to Gwaethe and then took up position in the band.
Apart from a short break for a meal, they rode non-stop until it was near dark, alternating between walk, trot and gallop to save the horses. Alique looked ready to drop from the saddle by the time they rode into a large clearing surrounded by burning brands on poles. Several tents had been erected, and there was a long picket line where a handful of horses were already tied.
“See to the horses,” the silver-haired elven woman said as she slipped to the ground and came to stand beside Gwaethe. Six elves scrambled to do her bidding.
Kain dismounted and helped Alique down from Ebony. Gwaethe joined Kain, patting Snow on his velvet nose.
“He is a beauty,” she said.
Kain frowned at her. “I assume you didn’t bring us here to admire our horses, Lady Gwaethe.”
She looked sharply at him. “You use sarcasm to your advantage, general. I like that.”
“I don’t care what you like, I wish for an explanation.”
Gwaethe shook her head. “In case you had not noticed, you are our guest. You will not be making demands.”
“What am I,” Kain asked, “guest or hostage? Have I left the frying pan to jump into the fire?”
“That is for you to decide.”
“Cease the cryptic comments and tell me who you are and what you want,” Kain snapped. Alique put her hand on his arm as if to calm him. He flashed her a look and her hand dropped away.
“What do you know?” Gwaethe asked. “Why were you taken by the other Lenweri?”
“You would have to ask them. They also said they searched for me. They wanted information about the kingdom’s defenses, some rubbish about taking their rightful lands back.”
“Did they tell you anything else?” Gwaethe asked, seeming a little desperate.
“Some story about me having elven blood,” he snapped. The idea still made his gut churn and his hands shake.
Gwaethe took a deep breath. “It is true,” she whispered.
“It can’t be true!” Kain stalked back and forth across the small space, needing to find an outlet for the frustration and fear inside him. His life had been certain before this and that was the way he liked it. He arranged his life to suit himself and he ordered others to do the same. Now he felt as if he were suspended over a chasm and all that held him was a thread of cotton.
“You look so much like him,” Gwaethe said, her voice low as if talking to herself.
“They said that too,” Kain said, “that I looked like some elven king.”
“Orionkael,” Gwaethe said, “that is his name. He was my father.”
She stalked over to a nearby fire and sat gazing into the flames, her arms wrapped around her body. She looked young and vulnerable, too much so to be leading a raiding party through enemy territory. Despite his reluctance to deal with these people, Ka
in joined her.
“I look like your father,” he said. “And are you saying that this Orionkael is related to me?”
Gwaethe nodded. “We share a father. It is why I have sought you. Orionkael is dead, and our people need a leader – someone who can guide us through our troubles and help us find a place in this world.”
“You think that person is me?” Kain’s mind refused to accept that here was his half-sister. He looked across at Alique who was studying them both, her eyes narrowed. She raised her brows and shrugged.
“All I know is that it cannot be me,” Gwaethe said. “Females are not given positions of leadership amongst our people, at least not the role of supreme leader.” She looked at Kain searchingly. “But I should explain myself.”
“Please do,” Kain said, making no effort to water down the sarcasm. The last few days had been the craziest he had ever endured and it seemed his world was about to be further turned upside down. What would all this mean for his life, his family, if it were true?
“You have met Faenwelar,” Gwaethe said. “He leads the Sis Lenweri. Sis means ‘chosen’ and they are dedicated to regaining the lands of our people lost to the kingdom. If the truth be known, he intends his reign to extend further than that, but that is his starting goal. Bitterness drives him, and now he has passed his bitterness on to me, for he killed my father.”
“I’m sorry,” Kain said.
“Faenwelar and Orionkael never saw eye to eye. Faenwelar was influenced by a powerful wizard who drove him to conquer the lands of men. With increasing raids by Sis Lenweri forces, my father traveled from deep in the mountain forests to the north to meet with Faenwelar in Elvandang, the city you call Amitania.”
“I know it,” Kain said. “It was where we were headed when you raided the party.”
“Correct,” she said. “The two leaders fought and my father was wounded.” She swallowed hard several times before she could go on. “When he made it back to his mountain home he was near death from blood loss. I did what I could for him, but after lingering for a week he finally traveled to the halls of the dead.”
Kain reached out to grasp Gwaethe’s shoulder which vibrated with a fine tension. “It must have been hard losing him.” The words felt inadequate.
“The only thing that kept him going until he reached home was the message he carried to me. He had one last request to make on his death bed. One last troubling announcement.”
“Which was?” Kain asked, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up.
“That he had a son somewhere in the kingdom, born of a woman he had loved decades ago when a young man. My half-brother. You.” Gwaethe stared at Kain. His heart pounded what sounded like a death knell – a death knell for his world as he knew it. If this was true—
“I assume you can prove this,” he said.
“No, I cannot, not yet,” Gwaethe said. “I only hope your mother is still alive to confirm that she had a son by Orionkael. She might not even have known he was an elven prince then.”
“My mother lives.”
“Thank the Goddess,” Gwaethe breathed. “When can I speak to her?”
Kain shook his head. “You won’t speak to her. I’ll do it.”
“But there is much I would ask, not just about you, but about my father.”
“A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then, if this is true. My mother might not wish for her mistakes to be dredged up.”
Gwaethe started. “You think your birth was a mistake?”
“What else could it be? My mother could not have wanted a half-breed child to tarnish her life.” Disgust and anger threatened to rob Kain of his breath.
Alique spoke. “Kain, you don’t know the circumstances. Can you not reserve judgment until you speak to your mother?” She could be soft at times, more gentle than he had ever anticipated.
“How could she do this?” Kain snapped. “My whole life she has lied to me.”
“Kain!” Alique said, gripping his forearms.
He shook her off. “You don’t know how it feels to find out your life has been a lie.”
“This might be a lie too,” Alique said, glaring at Gwaethe. “We only have her word for it.”
“She seems sincere.”
“So you would take the word of a strange elven woman over that of your mother, your family?”
“You all keep saying how elven I look.” Kain pointed at Gwaethe. “She says I look like her father. Faenwelar says I look like the elven King. All my life people have remarked on how I look nothing like my father and not much like my siblings. I didn’t think anything of it, laughed it off. Now I begin to understand why I might seem the odd one out. But it’s not only that.” Kain thought of the trees and their murmurings. His abductors had heard that. It was just another reason to believe he had elven ties. He turned to Gwaethe. “You hear the trees, don’t you?”
He felt Alique stiffen beside him.
Gwaethe inhaled sharply. “All elves hear the forest whispering. They listen to the trees from childhood. It is integral to our being.”
Kain closed his eyes, trying to take in this latest confirmation of his heritage, the strongest evidence yet that his father was elven.
“Why did you not tell me what you were experiencing?” Alique said. “All this time when you were acting strangely you were listening to the trees?” Kain looked at her to find her eyes narrowed. “You didn’t trust me! Thought I would judge you! I deserved to know what was happening to you.”
“This isn’t about you, Alique!” Kain snapped. “I was hearing voices, being accused of elven heritage and of being a traitor, dealing with being taken hostage, and trying to keep us alive. I had to hold something close to my chest, to allow myself time to process it. I’m sorry if that upsets you.”
Alique stared at him, hurt blazing from her eyes. “Just do not make a judgment until you have spoken to the woman who gave you birth.”
“I’ll think on what you’ve said.” It was a hard possibility to swallow, that the most important woman in his life had kept such a significant secret. Lies! Kain hated them.
He looked from Alique to Gwaethe, who stood with arms crossed, watching his reaction. “What now?” he asked.
Gwaethe let out a long breath and dropped her arms. “We escort you back to your home in Wildecoast. Perhaps you can find me somewhere to stay while you talk with your mother. I would like to know the outcome.”
Kain swallowed hard. This was getting more complicated by the second. His half-sister wanted to hang around to find the truth. He’d give anything for this not to be fact but something deep in his gut told him Gwaethe’s declaration was true. “So we’re still prisoners?”
Gwaethe shook her head. “Of course not. I would never hold my own brother hostage. However, you are still not safe and I must insist on this escort. There were some survivors of our raid on Faenwelar’s party, including the high prince and his son. They will not give you up easily.”
Kain considered. He didn’t have much choice in the matter and Gwaethe was correct in saying that the other elven faction was still a threat. “Lady Alique and I would be grateful for your help in getting us back to Wildecoast. As to your accommodation, I will think on it, but it must be only you and perhaps one other. I cannot have Wildecoast swarming with dark elves. The King wouldn’t appreciate that.”
Gwaethe grinned at Kain’s words but there was no answering mirth in his heart. The need to escape these people and mull the revelations over in his head rose to engulf him.
Chapter 9
Alique was filthy and exhausted, but uppermost was fear as she rode with Kain toward the gates of Wildecoast. They had traveled for almost three days south with Gwaethe’s party, leaving the elves in camp in the forests just to the north. They would not be safe there for long. Kain was to deliver gowns and bonnets for Gwaethe and her diminutive silver-haired companion, who turned out to be her cousin, Isiloe. They would enter the city and stay in one of the inns in the northern
quarter. The remainder of the party of elves would then retreat further north to await Gwaethe and Isiloe’s return.
Alique thought it a plan fraught with flaws. At any time the King’s patrols could happen across the larger party of elves as they waited in the forests, and the elven women would hardly fit right into the streets of Wildecoast. Their skin was too dark for one thing, and Isiloe’s hair shone like a beacon, guaranteeing her plenty of attention. Alique had tried to say as much to Kain, but he had been almost completely silent with her since the conference in the forest after their rescue. She supposed he had much to think about, but it upset her after the closeness they had shared.
She tried to focus instead on her family. After days of being on the road and not knowing, now she was within hours of discovering their fate. They had to be well, they just had to be.
The city gates loomed above them and a rotund sergeant held up his hand.
Kain emerged from his silence. “Ho Grif!”
“General Jazara!” Grif saluted, a broad smile creasing his face. “The King has half his army out looking for you and here you turn up at the gates unannounced. Glad I am that you and the lady are safe.” His gaze found Alique but he didn’t quite meet her eyes. “My lady, you will be anxious to know of your kin. They are well, although some received burns. Your father was a hero, ensuring all escaped the barn.”
Alique let out a sigh and looked to the heavens. “Thank the Goddess, sergeant, and thank you for relaying the news so quickly. I have been sick with worry.”
Grif still looked uncomfortable. There was something he wasn’t revealing.
“What have you not told me?” Alique asked.
Grif avoided her gaze and instead looked to Kain. “General, I think you and the lady should speak with the Queen.”
“Just spit it out, Grif,” Kain snapped. “We don’t have time or patience for your games.”
The Elf King’s Lady: Wildecoast Saga Book 2 Page 10
