by Ben Hale
Taryn swallowed the knot in his throat and turned to Liri to ask her a question, but she was already asleep. Her blonde hair hung lightly around her pixie face, which appeared troubled even now. Bending down and gently grasping her shoulders, he moved her off the tree and onto the blanket she'd laid out. Except for a slight twitch she stayed asleep when he gingerly slid his own bedroll under her head for a pillow, brushing her neck in the process. For the first time, she smiled and seemed to be at peace.
Self-conscious at the intimate posture, he rose and scanned the camp. Not a single elf remained awake. Strewn all over the small clearing, their forms appeared as if they had collapsed where they stood, which some of them had.
He sighed and silently circled the perimeter, checking every approach. Their camp sat nestled in a small grouping of oak and fir right next to the Blue Lake with a deep ravine blocking their path west. To the north, the trees grew right to a high cliff that dropped to the lake, sunlight sparkling off its waters as it stretched away into the distance. West of them the ravine had been gouged out by a small but fast-moving river that flowed north. As he passed that side, he glanced down into the deep chasm and could see crashing water racing over large boulders. Looking at the other side, he gauged the distance and wondered if he could make the jump, but it seemed to be outside even his ability. Turning away, he continued his route, not spending much time on the north or west approaches to their hiding place. Both would be difficult to scale and very defensible. South and east were a different story.
The east approach held scattered trees as the ground slowly sloped downward towards the dark forest of Orláknia a few miles away. South, the ground climbed into large hills that he knew contained several human settlements they had passed on their journey to the Oracle's home.
Taryn found a comfortable spot on the southeastern corner of the trees and settled in to wait for dusk, taking the time to plan. Unfortunately the stop could not be avoided, even though he would have preferred to descend the cliff and cross the river during the day. The elves needed to rest, and would not have had the strength to scale a cliff in their current condition. As much as he disliked the proposition, they would have to make the attempt during the early twilight hours and hope to finish before nightfall.
A thought crossed his mind and he circled the camp again. As he came to the western edge, he saw what he'd remembered. Close to the edge of the ravine a huge dead tree about three feet thick reached into the sky. Most of its branches and bark had been broken off, and it had hardened into a pillar of smooth dry wood. Looking back and forth between the tall tree and the expanse to the west, he could tell that it was taller than the ravine was wide. It helped that the base of the tree rested only a few feet from the edge.
Taryn grabbed one of the few remaining branches and tested its strength. Using considerable force, he checked to see if it was rotted and saw that it was not. Satisfied, he held onto the branch and leaned out over the ravine. A few feet down, a small ledge, invisible from above, ran north and south. In both directions it tapered off to a few inches within thirty paces or so.
Leaning back he looked at the tree again and wondered if his plan would work. He would have to cut the tree with his father's sword in such a way that it fell across the ravine and didn’t roll into it. Tricky at best, it would still be worth a try when the time came. Returning to his post, he scanned the approaches but saw no one, so he settled in to wait, circling the camp every few minutes.
*****
The sun had already begun to set when Taryn touched Denithir's shoulder. It was a testament to how tired the captain was that it took two shakes to wake him up, but after the second he rose quickly, automatically buckling on his weapons.
"Rouse Ren and he will get the rest up and going,” Denithir ordered, his voice hoarse as he rubbed the dark rings around his eyes. “I want to be across before it gets dark."
Taryn spoke up. "I might have a better way across—if it works."
Denithir paused and looked at him speculatively for a moment, and then nodded. "Show me, but wake Ren first and have him place a few soldiers to the south and east. I don't want to be surprised."
Taryn woke the small elf and let him know what to do. Within moments Taryn returned to the elven captain's side. "Follow me.”
They came to the dead tree and Taryn explained his plan of forming a bridge, adding, "If it doesn’t work, we are no worse off, and if it does, we can cross and cut it into the ravine. Maybe it will slow the assassin."
A shadow of a smile crossed the elven captain’s face. "Wait until we are ready to leave,” he conceded, “then do it." For the first time the captain seemed to have hope in his eyes as he glanced east. Taryn could almost see him calculating how much time they might gain.
It took only a few minutes to get everyone up and ready. The ten remaining members of the party gathered at the base of the dead tree, still tired, but ready to press forward. Prudently, Denithir still had some of his elves face outwards so as not to be attacked from behind.
Liri brushed Taryn’s arm as he passed her, and he caught her eye. She smiled and raised her eyebrows, mouthing, "Good luck."
Taryn understood she was telling him it was OK if his plan didn’t work, so he smiled back, but he didn’t intend to fail. Standing to the south of the tree, he slowly drew Mazer and raised it high, gauging his strike. Blue flames erupted from the long blade as it swept down and sliced right through the tree from east to west. In a flash he reversed the blade and came again high from the west. Again magic flashed in the twilight sky as the second cut separated a large wedge of wood that slipped out and thudded to the ground, leaving the tree with no support on the ravine side. Wood creaked and groaned in protest as the ancient tree shifted and slid off its base.
The giant wooden pole hung for a long moment until it gained momentum as it fell across the ravine. A loud crack of splitting wood echoed around them as it crashed to the earth with tremendous force, bouncing off the ground before hitting again . . . and slowly starting to roll. In a flash Siarra leapt forward and swept her hand palm up. A column of dirt rose on both sides of the tree, trapping it and holding it fast. She kept her hand palm up for a moment until it stopped quivering.
Suddenly someone let out a breath—then someone else, and then everyone blew out the air they had been holding in.
Denithir shook his head. "Excellent job, Taryn, Siarra. Ren, tie a rope around Liri's waist since she’s the lightest. It might have cracked when it landed and I don’t want someone to fall.”
Taryn's throat tightened as he saw them ready to put her in danger, but the assessment was accurate. If anyone had a chance of making it, Liri, with her light form, did, so he kept his concerns to himself. Once she was ready, two elves anchored the other end of the rope to a tree, and without hesitation she stepped up onto the trunk and began to walk. Inching her way forward, she advanced across the unstable bridge.
She didn’t look down, but her shoulders were so tense they almost shook as she worked her way outward. Without warning the tree began to creak in protest and dipped in the middle, causing her to crouch and wait anxiously. When it didn’t snap she bravely moved forward, slowing even more to negotiate past a long branch that extended straight up. Once clear, she continued until she reached the other side and hopped down, already untying the rope from her waist. With no trees or rocks near enough to tie it to, she let it fall and the elves pulled it back in.
"Oracle, you next," Denithir said.
She nodded and allowed the elves to tie her the same way. Carefully she stepped up onto the smooth wood and began to advance. She reached the straight branch and held onto it for support with her free hand while she leaned out a hundred feet above death and began to edge her way around it.
A sudden flash of movement caught Taryn's eye and he took his eyes off Siarra in time to see a black figure race along the small ledge under the makeshift bridge. Before Taryn could call out a warning, a scythe snapped out and sliced through th
e earth column holding the tree in place. It instantly crumbled to the ground and the tree began to roll.
Siarra lost her balance and had to desperately grab the branch for support. Without her magic the tree began to roll faster and she almost rolled right off, but she crouched and clung to the branch with all her might as the tree accelerated towards the edge.
Half a second later she would have been thrown to her death, but as the massive tree rolled towards the brink of a hundred foot fall, Taryn leapt forward and planted himself in front of it. It smashed into him and the sound was like wood crashing into stone, but the stone held. Taryn wrapped his arm under the trunk and braced himself against the tremendous weight. Muscles like knotted cords strained against the massive bulk, and sweat immediately began to bead on his forehead. Indeed, Taryn's raised heels actually extended into space while his toes held the bare edge of the cliff.
Death appeared on the northern edge of their circle and his weapon began its grisly work. Two elves went down before anyone could react, and then Ren leapt towards him, calling for aid. Denithir shouted for his remaining soldiers to help Ren while he reached for the rope holding Siarra, but Death was too quick. Rolling around the elves he sliced through the rope before returning to the battle.
"Oracle! Get across!" The elven captain bellowed, watching helplessly as the lifeline fell away into space.
She scrambled to her feet and across the bridge as fast as she could, but ten feet from the other side the unthinkable happened. Taryn slipped an inch. Roaring in rage, he pushed against the tree with all his might and managed to slide it back, far enough for him to regain his footing—but the damage had already been done.
Siarra had misstepped the moment the tree had shifted, and her foot slid right off the smooth wood, sending her body angling out into thin air. This time there was no branch to grab, and she screamed as she began to slide into the ravine. Liri tried to reach her in time but was too slow. . .
—Another figure in black burst into view on the other side of the ravine. Quick as lightning he leapt fifteen feet out and landed in a crouch on the log. The same moment she began to fall, he reached down and caught the Oracle's arm while stabbing a knife into the tree with his free hand. Holding onto the hilt, he managed to slowly drag her back onto the log. As soon as she was safe the two of them sprinted for safety.
The precious moments to save her had a price, and two more elves paid it, leaving Ren, Denithir, and only one more elven soldier still fighting. For one breathless moment it looked like they might be able to hold their own, until Death smashed the shaft of his weapon into the last soldier’s chest so hard you could hear bone snap. A split second later the soldier’s lifeless body tumbled into the gorge.
Ren screamed in anger, "Captain, go! I will hold him off." His daggers were a blur of defensive moves as he stepped in front of his captain to forestall any protest. Denithir hesitated, but understood the situation clearly. Roaring in frustration, he turned and sprinted towards the fallen tree. Leaping onto it, he barely slowed as he raced across. Before he reached the middle, Ren finally went down under the spinning scythe, never to rise again.
The thump of his body hitting the ground sent chills of agony down Taryn’s spine, but his heart rent in two as he spotted a glittering object rolling under him. Knocked loose by Ren’s fall the memory orb bounced by, the image of the now fatherless babe smiling sadly up at him. The open blue eyes burned into his, forging an indelible image in his mind as the orb sailed into the ravine and plunged out of sight.
Never had he felt such anger at another creature, and the desire to plunge his blade deep into the assassin’s body coursed through him, lancing across his heart and mind like a delirious fever. As clear as the midday sun, he recognized in that moment what Murai had tried to tell him. Destroying such evil would save countless lives—but in that moment he was powerless to move.
Denithir hadn’t crossed yet.
Roaring against his rage and helplessness, Taryn could only stand fast to ensure the elf captains’ survival. Rooted in place, he was left to wait for Death to finish him, knowing the seconds it took for the elven captain to reach the other side were more than enough time for the assassin to get to him.
Death sped towards his helpless form, scythe rising for the killing blow—but an arrow streaked across the expanse and he paused to block it. Arrow after arrow flew towards him, so fast it actually forced him to retreat as the scythe whirled defensively. Earth rose up on all sides to smash into him and wind forced him even further back, showing Siarra had joined the fight.
The reinforcements granted him a tiny window of opportunity, and the idea of vengeance flashed red across his vision—but then he saw his friends. He couldn’t leave them alone, and if he failed, they would certainly be slain. Liri’s fierce expression as she launched missiles calmed his wrath enough for him to make the smart choice.
He had to get across the ravine.
Knowing he had only a few precious moments before Death slipped past the attacks and killed him, Taryn anchored his toes into the rock, gathered every ounce of strength he possessed, and pushed against the tree. Straining and roaring, he poured his fury into his muscles, and rolled the log far enough back to buy himself some time. In an instant, he leapt onto the log and sprinted across the tree at the same time it began to roll underneath him.
Before he’d gone half a step he felt a tug as the evil scythe tore his cloak from his body, but he never stopped to look back. Five feet from the midpoint, the log rolled into space and began to fall, taking him with it.
Gritting his teeth, he leapt forward and grabbed the lateral branch. Using it to gain momentum, he yanked on it and desperately threw himself upward. As the makeshift bridge plummeted into the ravine, he sailed through the air towards his friends and safety—but began falling just short of their outstretched hands.
Picking up speed, he did the only thing he could think of. In a flash he drew Mazer and plunged it into the stone in front of him. Blue magic flared as it cut through the vertical rock. For twenty feet Taryn fell before he extinguished the magic and the sword stopped, brutally slamming him into the wall. Wincing, he grimly held on.
Below him a sudden snap echoed up the canyon when the long tree bounced off a wall and split in two. Looking down, Taryn watched the massive pieces of deadwood continue to bounce off the walls of the canyon as they plummeted downward. Breaking apart from the force, they smashed into the rocks below with a tremendous crash that reverberated upward, sending a tremor through the stone.
Taryn closed his eyes and sighed in relief that he hadn't been with it. Not ten seconds later a rope unrolled itself beside him. Letting go of the sword with one hand he grabbed the cord and withdrew Mazer from the smoking gouge it had left. Before he could begin to scale the rope, he felt it being pulled up, and in seconds his tired form was brought to safety over the edge.
Liri crushed him in an embrace. "Are you OK?" she whispered into his ear, her throat tight.
He blew out his breath, still feeling the rush of anger and frustration pounding in his ears. "No, but I will be," he said, his eyes drawn to the still forms on the other side of the ravine.
Other worried faces appeared in view: Denithir, Siarra . . . and Jack Myst? Taryn thought the lightning movement had been familiar, but he couldn’t imagine where Jack had come from or why he would help save them.
The thief interpreted his expression correctly. "Happened to be passing through and couldn’t let a beautiful girl fall to her death, now could I?"
Siarra hit the thief on the shoulder, but he ignored her blow and rolled his eyes, "OK, OK, not passing by; I followed you."
Taryn reluctantly let go of Liri and looked across the gorge in time to see Death melting into the long shadows cast by the setting sun.
Jack sniffed. "I don't think he likes you guys."
"Ya think?" Siarra replied, and then turned to face him with her hands on her hips. “I appreciate your saving me but in the two minutes
since I have known you, you have just been annoying.”
The thief smirked at her expression and Taryn wondered what he had said to her when he saved her.
"Hey, if he comes again, I'll hold you if you get scared," the thief said with his arms out wide.
Siarra’s expression turned murderous, but Denithir put up a hand to forestall her next comment. "Stop," he said, still out of breath. "We must leave."
"He's not going to give up . . . .is he?" Liri said to herself, but everyone heard.
Taryn stood and wished he knew a better way to comfort her. "We'll be fine, Liri. Don't worry.” Even to himself his voice sounded doubtful.
Denithir muttered something beside them that sounded like a prayer, and as Taryn looked at those that had paid the price for their survival, he felt the dread in his heart, and wondered if they should all be praying.
Or if that could even help.
Chapter 24: Life and Death
Taryn's eyes snapped open the moment Denithir touched his shoulder. In an instant he was on his feet with his sword half drawn.
"Easy," the elven captain said. "You only slept for an hour and I hope it was enough. It's almost dusk."
Taryn nodded and gathered his things. They had pushed themselves through the night and into the early afternoon before they collapsed from exhaustion. Taryn had kept the first watch, but Denithir had relieved him so he could get at least some rest. Rubbing his head he tried to ignore the growing headache from the lack of sleep. It had been nearly sixty hours of running and fighting and he could feel his body protesting.
Liri strapped on her longbow beside him. "Now what?" she asked seriously. "He is going to come after us tonight, right?"
"Without question,” Siarra said with a frown. “I come of age tomorrow, and he has to kill me before then." She hesitated, and then added, "He will find us, and I don’t think he will give up until we are all destroyed."
