Megildur decided to advance down to the river to survey the waterway for the crossing tomorrow morning. He could spot a low point in the river downstream just a bit where they could cross. The water came to their knees but the wagons could traverse that height. Megildur stood on the riverbank. He felt uneasy, as if he was not alone. He examined his surrounds carefully but could not spot anyone, or anything else, around him. Still the feeling grew more prominent the longer he stood there. Finally, he spotted a reflection of light on his left side and then an arrow was visible. He reached for his sword only to realize his weapon was missing from his side. The arrow flew right past his shoulder, narrowly missing him. Apparently, the arrow did strike its intended target. Megildur heard someone yell out in agony. When the Aelfborn looked to his right side, he observed someone appear out of thin air with an arrow in his arm. He followed the path of the arrow back to its origin, where one of his own Scouts stood with a bow. Megildur bowed his head in appreciation for the well-placed arrow that saved him from the Thief. Upon further inspection of the Thief, Megildur realized he was the one who had relieved him of his sword.
“On your feet!” Megildur commanded, grabbing the Thief. He retrieved his sword and the Scout bound the Thief’s hands. More of the scouting party arrived to disclose the Thief’s identity. One of the Rangers removed the Thief’s hood, revealing his face. The Thief had pale pasty gray skin and sunken inward black eyes, black as coal. He was also lacking hair, on either his head or his face. He did not even have eyebrows.
“A Shade!” The Ranger snarled, pulling out a blade and held it to the Thief’s throat.
The Shade snickered, “Go ahead Ranger, I am sure your mother would enjoy some more time with me!” This caused the Ranger to press the blade deeper into the Shade’s neck. The force against his neck made him wince in pain. The Shade grumbled under his breath, “Not back to my Tree of Life again.” The Ranger, void of sympathy, was about to begin slicing.
Megildur commanded, “Stay your weapon. I want this one alive for questioning.” The Ranger just stared at Megildur and finally withdrew his blade from the neck of the Thief.
The Ranger resounded, “As you command, Lord Megildur.” He yanked the Thief forward and escorted him back to the camp.
Megildur followed close behind, while the Ranger dragged the Shade into a tent off to the side of the encampment. Many of the other servants and Warriors watched the Ranger heave the freakish looking Thief into the tent. “Fetch a healer,” Megildur commanded one of the servants nearby when he entered the tent. The servant bowed and exited the tent to carry out the Aelfborn Lord’s order. The servant returned with a Priest, as Lord Megildur commanded.
The Priest scoffed, “What do you wish done with this, abomination, Lord Megildur?”
“Remove the arrow from his arm and heal his wound,” Megildur instructed the Priest. The Priest, Ranger, and Thief all looked at Megildur in disbelief at his request.
The Priest gibed, “M’Lord, this, thing, is an unholy abomination and unworthy of saving. His kind does not even believe in the All-Father nor do they pay homage to Him.”
“I did not ask for you to convert his faith,” Megildur countered, with a growing irritation in his voice. “I commanded you to remove the arrow and heal his wound! If you are unable, or unwilling, to do so then I will replace you with someone nobler who will carry out my commands!” Megildur’s defiance shocked the Priest. Most normally do not argue with Priests.
The Priest conceded, “My deepest apologies for my insolence, Lord Megildur. I will proceed in healing this…individual.” The Priest turned to his patient and broke off the tip of the arrow. He pulled out the arrow and the Shade winched. Once the Priest removed the arrow, he began to wave his hands and focus on the hole in the Shade’s arm. Megildur watched the wound vanish in amazement. He had heard of the healing process before, but he had never seen it with his own eyes. The Priest stood, turned to Megildur, and bowed. “I have healed his arm. May I be of any other service, Lord Megildur?”
The Shade jested, “I don’t suppose you would like to dance for us, would you?” The Priest leered at the Shade and returned his attention to Megildur.
“Thank you for your services,” Megildur replied. “You’re dismissed.” With that said, the Priest exited. Megildur turned to the Ranger and commanded, “Leave us.”
The Ranger replied in astonishment, “M’Lord, you cannot trust this Thief.”
Megildur replied, “I did not say I trusted him, I just commanded you to leave us.” The Ranger bowed and left, leaving the Shade Thief and Megildur alone. The Aelfborn Lord turned to face the Thief, who just stared back unsure of his intentions. “So, why were you trying to steal my sword?”
The Thief countered, “Because a Chaos sword like that could fetch a hefty price in Sea Dog’s Rest, and I need all the gold I can get.”
In a puzzled tone Megildur inquired, “I have never seen your race before. I heard the Ranger call you a Shade, is that true?” The Thief nodded but did not reveal any more details. Megildur, wanting to know more about this race, asked for more information. “So where did your race originate from?” The Thief said nothing, so the Aelfborn attempted another approach. “What’s your name and why are you so hesitant to return to your Tree of Life?” Megildur inquired. The Shade Thief glared at him, not wanting to give out any more knowledge. “You know I could always turn you over to the others. I am sure my Warriors would love to rip apart a Thief.” Megildur grinned at the Shade, knowing his interrogation was preferable than torture at the hands of his army.
Reluctant, the Thief admitted, “The Tree of Life where I’m still bound is the one where my birth parents abandoned me as an infant. Maelstrom Isle is worse than this place. I was traveling to the Carloon Outpost where they accept ‘my kind’. You just happened to be along the way and I had not eaten in some time. As for Shades, they call us the Pales Ones, for obvious physical traits.” The Thief raised one of his shackled hands to display his pale skin tone. “Our race emerged after the Turning. We are the offspring of normal Human parents. Nobody knows where we came from.” The Shade was even more perturbed than when he first arrived. “Oh, and my name is Gaal. There, are you satisfied now?”
“Carloon Outpost? I have heard of that place,” Megildur responded. “They also refer to it as the Thieves’ Den, correct?” The Shade Thief nodded. “Well, I guess that is all I needed to know about you. Guard!”
Gaal exclaimed, “Oh I see how it is! First I tell you what you want under the terms of not giving me to your Warriors and then you betray me by handing me over!” The Shade Thief looked terrified when the same Ranger, who dragged him there, now entered the tent.
“You are to replace the prisoner’s bindings with a leg shackle so he may move about the tent,” Megildur instructed. “Then, have some bedding placed inside to make his stay comfortable. I will send my personal servant over later to bring him some food but she is the only person allowed to see the prisoner.” The Ranger agreed that he would carry out the instructions. Megildur turned to Gaal, “We will care for you but leave you in shackles, until I know I can trust you.”
Gaal shrugged his shoulders in disbelief. Megildur left and went straight to his tent.
CHAPTER 14: The Crossing
As the new day began, Megildur walked outside to see Maethorion, Atreus, and Zeristan strategizing how to cross the river. Atreus wanted to cross near the neck of the river where it attached to the bay but Maethorion found this part to be too treacherous. Maethorion wanted to cross further downstream at a low point but Atreus was thinking this would be too far away. As for Zeristan, Megildur thought he would most likely just hover over the river and not get wet at all.
“Alright. Let’s calm down and discuss what is best for all,” Megildur interjected before the two leaders went at each other’s throats. “For the sake of the wagons and servants, we need to cross at the low point downstream.” He turned to Atreus and said, “It’s not too far away. Now, let’s
finish getting packed and head for the river.” Both leaders bowed and went off to prepare for the crossing.
“Nice diplomacy, Lord Megildur,” Zeristan responded, placing a hand on the young Aelfborn’s shoulder. “With tactics like that I can see why the All-Father chose you.” He started to walk away but Megildur grabbed his arm before he got too far.
“Zeristan, why did you not take control back there?” Megildur inquired. “With your experience and wisdom you could have made them cross wherever you wanted.”
“While it’s true that experience and wisdom go hand in hand, so does knowing when to stay out of the way. This is not my fight,” Zeristan explained with a grin. “Besides, it was the perfect opportunity for you to gain some wisdom through experience.” Zeristan wandered over to the horses and prepared to cross the river, Megildur followed close behind. The Aelfborn looked at Maethorion and Atreus who both signaled they were ready.
“Let’s go!” Megildur bellowed and the entire army advanced forward. Since the river was already within view of the camp, they reached the river in a matter of moments. Megildur led them straight to the spot where he wanted everyone to cross. He stopped the troops and turned to address Maethorion and Atreus. “You two lead the army forward, across the river, while Turwaithion and Thaddaios cover the midsection. Zeristan, Bowen, and I will cover up the rear making sure everyone gets across.” Everyone agreed and took their positions.
Maethorion and Atreus went into the river first and found the current was a bit strong, but nothing those two could not handle. Some of the Warriors slipped on the rocks below the waterline but still nothing too treacherous so far. By the midsection, with Turwaithion and Thaddaios, the support groups began to enter the water. Megildur worried most about them, since the wagons gave more resistance to the river’s currents. Also, the support personnel were not as strong as the Warriors, but they were handling themselves just fine. The front of the pack was finally emerging from the river on the other side just as the last of them entered. Megildur could see Gaal was not too happy with having to cross the waterway. Shackled to the back of one of the wagons did not improve his disposition. While Megildur was watching Gaal act like a beast getting an unwanted bath, the Shade distracted him from the wagon directly in front, which had stopped suddenly. The last wagon collided with the afore mentioned wagon forcing everyone forward. Megildur quickly scanned the wreckage only to find Marie was missing. She plunged head first into the rapids.
The backside of the wagon collapsed on Gaal, pushing him down river also. Megildur did not hesitate but he knew he could not save them both. He shouted to Zeristan, “Get Gaal, I will save Marie!” She managed to grab onto a log protruding from the water but Megildur knew this would not hold. He dove in, risking his own life, and battled the raging current to reach Marie. He wrapped his arm around Marie but she slipped from his grasp. Knowing he only had one chance left to save her, before being dragged out to sea, the Aelfborn Lord clenched the back of her cape and swam with all of his might back to the river’s edge.
Gaal yelled, “Get me out of here!” He reached for a nearby rock but was unable to hang on. The Thief felt an arm reach into the water and lift him up. Zeristan hovered above the river with the Thief dangling by his boots. Gaal’s bald head skimmed the water like a skipping stone. Zeristan dropped the drenched Shade on the riverbank and turned to check on Megildur, who by now was ashore as well.
Marie exclaimed trying to catch her breath, “Thank you, Sir! I thought I would drown in that river since I never learned to swim.” Marie gave Megildur a quick embrace.
All he could muster, at the moment, was a half-smile. He escorted her back upriver to see that the rest of the Warriors had fished the wagon out of the water. The lead blacksmith arrived to assess the situation.
“It will take a few hours to repair, M’Lord, but we can fix it,” the blacksmith advised Megildur.
“Very well, please start right away.” The blacksmith summoned over his assistants to start with repairs. Megildur turned his attention to Maethorion. “We will rest here awhile to give the blacksmith enough time.” Maethorion agreed and tended to the troops while Megildur tended to Marie. He motioned to some handmaidens to assist her. “Help her change out of her wet clothes and have her sit by a fire to recover.” He turned to a few of the male servants not helping with the wagon repairs. “Start the fire for our drowning victims and take this wet sack with you,” he commented with a smirk while patting Gaal on the back to follow the servants.
Gaal managed to let out a small “Thank you” under his breath to Megildur and Zeristan. He gathered what little remaining composure he had left and cleared his throat. “I despise being indebted to anyone, so my life is yours…until I can repay the debt I owe you.” He turned to follow the servants and sit by the fire.
“So much for no honor among Thieves,” Zeristan beamed while he joined Megildur to check on the rest of the army.
Maethorion already had Turwaithion checking on the rest of the wagons for any stress from the crossing but they found no more damage. After a few hours, the blacksmith completed the repairs and everyone loaded the wagons and got back on the road to Aelarnost. They traveled along the southern shores of the bay. The weather was pleasant, but getting colder with every turn north toward the Elven fortress. They lost a lot of time at the river with the accident, so they all decided to make camp early and make one more push tomorrow for Aelarnost. Megildur was eager to get some rest. The day exhausted Megildur, with the mishap and all the traveling they had endured. The most he had traveled before this whole quest began was to New Mellissar for supplies with his father.
While the others setup the tents, Megildur decided to take one last visit to the bay, since he knew after tomorrow they would be out of sight from the calming shores. He found a spot to sit down and stare out into the bay. He found this relaxing, until his mind began wondering about saving Aranel. The Aelfborn’s thoughts next shifted to his rescuer, the Desert Flower, Zabrina. With just one thought, he could smell her sweet scent. He could sit there for hours, and he did.
Marie whispered when she approached Megildur, “Am I disturbing you Sir? I can leave if you would prefer.”
“No need to run off, sit down a while,” Megildur insisted since Marie was leaving to respect his solitude. “How are you feeling after your little swim in the river today?” Megildur made the sarcastic comment with a slight smirk.
Marie answered, “Better, thanks to you, Sir. You had no reservations about jumping in to save me, I will always be eternally grateful for your bravery.” She blushed, turning from Megildur to look out into the bay.
“Brave? It terrified me to jump in that water,” Megildur replied. This shocked Marie and she stared at Megildur in disbelief.
“If you were so terrified, why did you jump in the water?” Marie asked. “You could have ordered one of your Warriors into the water to rescue me.”
Megildur admitted, “Honestly I did not even think about it, I just jumped down from my horse and dove in.”
“That is what makes you brave. That must be the reason the All-Father chose you as his champion,” Marie proclaimed, standing up and placing her hand on Megildur’s shoulder. She smiled and went back to the camp.
Megildur sat there thinking of what she said. Marie was not the first one to mention a reason for the All-Father choosing him. He just hoped he could live up to everyone’s expectations of him, or that he even lived long enough to save his sister.
CHAPTER 15: The Aracoix
Megildur awoke to the sound of birds chirping. However, the longer he sat there listening the more he noticed the light chirping sound changed into more of a shriek. He emerged from his tent to find nobody remaining in the camp. In fact, he could not detect any evidence that anyone ever existed in the camp. Megildur could see a few trees off in the distance with birds flying around them and he felt compelled to investigate. The closer he got to the trees, the louder the birds squawked. Getting louder and louder until
the noise was so intense Megildur covered his ears and dropped to his knees. The birds continued their deafening assent to the point where Megildur thought he might lose consciousness, and then it ceased, leaving him in silence. He stood up and examined the area but all the trees were void of any birds.
“M’Lord! Sir, you must come with me now!” Megildur was in shock. He turned to see the voice was not that of a person but of a beautiful sparrow on a branch. He leaned in closer and the bird’s mouth opened wide enough to fit his entire head inside. The bird screamed “Megildur!” He awoke to see Marie standing over him and he was on the floor.
Marie pleaded, “Sir, we must flee to safety.” Even though Megildur struggled back into reality, he managed to scrambled to his feet, hastily put on his armor, grab his sword, and dash outside. He could see that the noise was not from ordinary birds but from giant birds, in the form of men, flying through the sky. Each appeared Human in shape from the shoulders down; however, above the neck, they possessed the head of a bird. In addition, feathers covered their bodies. “Aracoix,” the Aelfborn Lord thought to himself. Megildur’s father told him tales of when they first appeared in Aerynth around fifty years after the fall of Cambruin. It took several years to contain their infestation. This took less time than most threats, such as when the Dark Chaos Lords invaded Aerynth during the Age of Days. Even the Gods themselves had a difficult time casting them back into the Void from which they came.
“Look out!” Marie screamed when an Aracoix Warrior dropped from the sky in front of Megildur. The Aracoix raised his sword and swung at Megildur, who was able to deflect the blow with his sword.
Shadowbane: Age of Aelfborn Page 9
