by Logan Petty
Tobi looked as if he was in thought for a moment, “I’m sure you could if you asked Lady Tirinele.”
Sawain shuddered visibly at the thought of having to talk to the director again. He dropped the issue and took his breakfast to his new usual seat.
The two friends sat in their corner of the room, talking during breakfast. Tobi noticed the scroll in Sawain’s belt.
“Oh, you got your orders! What team are you on?”
Sawain frowned with a mouthful of oatmeal, “Captain Nerelis’ team.”
Tobi’s eyes brightened and a large grin spread across his face, “Really? That’s great! I’m on Mirehawk too!”
Sawain was relieved to already know someone on this mysterious team. He grinned and rolled up the scroll.
“Oh, good. We can suffer Nerelis’ wrath together.”
Tobi shuddered, “Nerelis is a mean one, but he’s the least of your worries. Mirehawk is packed with talent and ambition. I have no idea how I got on the team. I guess they lost a bet.”
Sawain looked at his half eaten breakfast as his nerves stirred again, “What can you tell me about them?”
Tobi scratched his chin, “Well, there’s Loraleth, she’s an expert with knives. She can hit every target’s bull’s eye on the range ring while running the obstacle course beside it. Very impressive, even to the instructors. Then there’s Mariten and her Pankin companion, Timbrel. There’s something enchanting about the way they play their music. Captain Nerelis calls it Bardic Power. Then there’s Loraleth’s twin brother, Banthan. He thinks he’s the best. He’s good with a sword, but a bit of a coward.”
Sawain recognized the name, Banthan. It was the name of the boy who antagonized him earlier. He tried to keep his hatred from showing while Tobi continued.
“Finally, there’s Naralei. She’s the best all around on our team. Her scores are some of the highest in the academy. She gets a lot of unfair accusations of getting inflated scores because Nerelis is her father, but I don’t believe it. I’ve seen her train. She’s as good as she is beautiful.”
Tobi had a dreamy expression on his face. Sawain smiled, trying not to laugh. He could not hold it all in and a snicker escaped his throat. It snapped Tobi back to reality and turned his cheeks red. He cleared his throat.
“Right, well, there’s the rundown on team Mirehawk. Speaking of the team, I don’t see any of the others in meal hall. We better hurry and get up to the courtyard. We’re late!”
Sawain’s heart skipped a beat as he shoveled a few more spoonfuls of oatmeal into his mouth and jumped up from the table. He quickly followed Tobi out of the meal hall and into the open courtyard. The two friends hurried to the sword ring at the far end of the grassy field. The others were standing in line while Captain Nerelis stood in front of them with his arms behind his back.
Sawain glanced at his new team mates as they entered the ring. He recognized Banthan and Naralei. The others were new faces. He noticed one of the girls had a reddish raccoon-like creature dressed in a little blue vest and beret with red trim. He assumed these two were Mariten and Timbrel. Mariten was the shortest elf on the team. She was not fat, but she was more squat than the others. She had shoulder length blonde hair that grew more wavy at the tips. Her wide blue eyes sparkled with craftiness. She had a tomboyish posture and smirk that matched her garb. She wore a green leather jerkin and matching trousers that were held up by a white sash that was more yellow than white. She also wore black boots that came up to her knee caps and a blue beret similar to her pet. A clay flute hung around her neck on a brass chain.
He assumed the other girl was Loraleth. She was tall and slender. Her nose was long in the bridge, and her chin was pointed. She had long brown hair and pretty brown eyes. A single scar ran down the left side of her jaw. Though her face was long, there was unmistakable elven beauty about her. Her hair was straight and wild, much like Banthan’s. She wore black leather armor and a bandolier of like colored leather that held six curved knives. She also wore black cotton trousers and matching boots. Sawain thought he could see another dagger hilt protruding from the top of one of the boots. When she noticed him looking at her, her eyes widened, her complexion darkened and her right hand instinctively shot up to cover the scar on her chin.
Tobi and Sawain quickly fell in line. Sawain was breathing a little harder than usual, but Tobi panted as if he just finished a marathon. Nerelis glared hard at them. Sawain’s blood boiled as he returned the glare. Nerelis spoke.
“Nice of you two to decide to join us today. We will train an extra hour past downtime for your tardiness”
The others groaned and complained. Nerelis shot them a sweeping warning glance. They were immediately silenced.
“You are a team. You are one. If one is punished, you all take the brunt. If one fails, you all fail. Now, before we get started, you have a new team mate. He is not from the forest, but you are all required by the Triumvirate to treat him as such.”
Sawain was sick of being treated as an outsider. The director’s words echoed in his ears, warning him not to reveal his bloodline, but he decided that he would rather be a hated native than a hated outsider. He boldly stepped forward.
“My name is Sawain, and I do have ties to Alfhaven, despite what you have all heard. My mother is Skalda of Alfhaven. We were torn from our native home, but I have returned. I may have not been born in the forest, but, by my mother’s blood, I am a part of the forest.”
Everyone except Nerelis gasped at the name, Skalda. There was silence for a moment as Nerelis glared long at him. It threatened to wither Sawain on the spot, but his human stubbornness took over. Nerelis eventually looked away and cleared his throat.
“Well, there you have it. The son of a celebrity. Very bold claim you make, Thrallborn. Of course, you are a liar. Skalda died years ago, before you could have been born.”
Sawain glared at Nerelis, “It’s not a lie! I grew up in Mistveil Farm on the border of Jordborg. My mother was enslaved by a human named Torval. I am not a liar!”
Nerelis placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and glared hard at Sawain, “That is enough! If I hear one more word from you, I’ll gut you myself!”
Sawain quietly stepped back into line and stood still. his mind buzzed with emotions. He made sure to glare defiantly at Nerelis. Nerelis took a moment to calm down, then addressed the young team as a whole, while he paced up and down the line.
“Today’s first exercise focuses on team building. You have a new team mate, one who is not as experienced as you. As you know, one weak link…”
He glanced at Tobi. Tobi blushed.
“Can break an otherwise strong chain. You are going to run the Thorn Trial today.”
The others shifted uncomfortably at this news. Sawain felt even more uneasy about just being thrown into a trial with no training.
Maybe this is just how they train. Nerelis could be trying to break me early too. That’s not going to happen. I’ll pass any trial he throws at me. Can’t be worse than fighting an army of undead or a giant.
Nerelis continued his speech, “You’ll have no problem with the trial if you work together. Now, follow me.”
The young elves fell in line behind Nerelis. He led them outside of the fortress walls and around the back, where Sawain could not see before. Behind the fortress was a massive tangle of briars. Sawain guessed it was roughly the size of two Dawnstar Manors. There was a narrow trail that led into the tangle. Nerelis took them straight to the maw of the thorny beast. He turned to his pupils and crossed his arms behind his back. He gave them all a cynical smile.
“In you go, now. I’ll be right behind you, watching your progress. This is a pass or fail exercise. You know what happens if you fail.”
The others nodded grimly. Sawain quietly swallowed the lump rising in his throat. He was starting to wish that they were fighting a giant instead. Naralei was the first to stride into the thorns. Banthan hesitantly followed her in, followed by Mariten, Timbrel, and Loraleth.
He and Tobi were the last ones to enter. Tobi glanced back at Sawain, with a scared look in his eyes. Sawain put a reassuring hand on his friend’s shoulder that seemed to embolden him somewhat. They both walked to the entrance of the thorn tangle. Sawain was cut off by Nerelis, who stopped him by drawing a curved sword and placing the flat of the blade against his chest. Sawain looked at him nervously as the captain spoke.
“You can’t go in there unarmed, Thrallborn.”
Nerelis tossed the sword, spinning it and catching it expertly by the blade. He offered the hilt end to Sawain, who hesitantly took it.
“Do you have anything bigger? I was sort of hoping I could learn to use a great sword while I was here. You know, to prepare me for my mission?”
Nerelis laughed coyly, “Don’t be ridiculous, Thrallborn, Do you want to die before you make it a hundred yards outside of the city? You can’t use such cumbersome weapons here. Your first lesson from me is this: Learn to adapt or die. Now, get going. Your team is waiting on you.”
Sawain glared at Nerelis, feeling his blood boil. He could not shake the notion that Nerelis was working in tandem with the Triumvirate to get him killed. He held onto the anger. He could use it to survive training and trump his adversaries behind the scenes. He shot a parting quip at Nerelis as he stepped into the briars.
“Stop calling me Thrallborn..”
Nerelis quipped back, “Give me a reason.”
Sawain grit his teeth.
I’ll give you a reason. Just watch me.
The others stood in a loose circle in a narrow clearing not far from the entrance. The thicket looked much larger from inside to Sawain. Naralei looked him over quickly then spoke to everyone as a whole.
“Alright, we’ve made it through this before, we can do it again. Remember our strategy for this situation. Mari, this is your time to shine. You and Timbrel keep us all on our toes with your song of awareness. Lora, you take point and Banth, watch for Razorthorns while we’re moving. Don’t forget to keep your distance. I’ll keep to the center to issue commands. Tobi, you just stay right beside me, don’t do anything except stay in formation. So, new boy, Sawain, right? What can you do?”
Sawain scoured his brain as his dry tongue clung to the roof of his mouth. He forced it loose as he thought of something.
“I’m good at killing things.”
Banthan snorted, “You? With what weapon, your body odor?”
Mari and Timbrel giggled at the snide shot. The others ignored him, Naralei scolded him.
“This isn’t the time, Banth.”
Banthan glared at Naralei, “It was just a joke.”
Mari chortled, “Banth would know all about jokes, Nara, since he is one! Ha ha ha!”
Loraleth tensed up, “Don’t call him that, Mari!”
Mari grinned sheepishly, “I was just playing, really!”
Naralei raised a hand to silence the feud, “That’s enough, settle down.”
She turned to Sawain again, “You’re going to have to be a little more specific. You’re new here, so let me just give you a rundown on what we are about to face. The Trial of Thorns is not your average obstacle course. It is an advanced training ground that simulates the dangers of outer Alfhaven. We’re talking about everything from Razorthorns to snare vines, shifting landmarks, and, if we’re lucky, Siethtakar or Tribals.”
Sawain remembered the name Siethtakar. It was the word Jatharr used when describing the magic infused animals of Alfhaven. He nodded, relieved that he actually knew what one of the obstacles was.
“I can handle Siethtakar. I killed a Siethtakar wolf on my way from Anvilheim with a makeshift weapon.”
Naralei hummed and looked at Sawain differently this time, “Alright, Sawain. You’ll be in the back. Keep Mari and Timbrel safe. You will keep an eye out for movement. Whatever you do, don’t fall behind.”
Sawain nodded. He did not like being stuck in the back, but he was the newcomer. He felt like Naralei was just trying to keep him out of the way.
Fine. I’ll play it your way for now.
The team took their positions in a loose circle. Sawain got behind Mari and Timbrel. Mari glanced back at him and winked slyly.
“Better watch out, Sawain! Don’t let Nara Tree-t you like a sap! Ahahah! Get it?”
Sawain shook his head, confused. Mari frowned and looked overly depressed.
“You’re no fun.”
Naralei glanced over her shoulder at her team, “Everyone ready? Let’s stick to the trees, like always. Best to not have to worry about the quicksand at all. Hope you can climb, Sawain.”
Sawain did play in the orchard trees a lot as a child. He had that experience to rely on. He smiled and nodded, mostly because he understood Mari’s pun now..
“Lead the way. I can keep up.”
She returned the smile, then made a sweeping check over her team again, “Alright, Mirehawk, let’s move. When we start moving, spread out, stay silent. If we can avoid the enemy, we’ll have fewer things to worry about. Remember, move like ghosts. The Captain is watching, so let’s give him a good show.”
Chapter 6
Naralei gave the signal. Everyone scaled the nearest tree nimbly, except Tobi. He struggled to get to the first bough. Naralei had to stoop down and pull him up. He clung to the trunk of the tree, trying to keep balance. Sawain did not make it look as graceful as the others, but he was able to climb the branch-laden tree with no problem.
He kept an eye on Naralei. She made a forward sweeping motion with her hand. The others leaped to the closest tree in that direction. Sawain assumed that was a forward command and did the same. He quickly found two branches that were close together and used the bending bough he was on as a spring board. He jumped to the nearby branch, which sagged dangerously under his weight. He reached out and grabbed a branch above his head to stabilize himself and to let some of the stress off of his supporting branch.
He quickly moved to the trunk, where the branch was thicker. He scanned the trees for his companions. They were nowhere to be seen. In a panic, he quickly looked for the next tree. He made a running jump for the closest one he could find. The bough was thick, so he had no problems with it.
He hopped from tree to tree, looking for his team. He caught a glimpse of movement up ahead and felt hope flutter in his chest. He headed in the direction of the movement while he jumped from branch to branch. The more he did it, the easier it came. He grew more confident once he knew that he could move through the trees almost as well as an Alfhaven native.
A dark figure shifted in Sawain’s peripheral vision to the right. He turned, expecting to see a team mate, but instead saw a pair of flashing red eyes. A high pitched, warbling war cry rang out from the shadowy figure and Sawain felt a sharp pain in his right bicep as a javelin flew past him and grazed his arm.
He drew his sword and pointed it at the assailant. Nerves began to take over as more of the war cries echoed in response.
These must be the tribals. Where are the others?
The tribal attacking Sawain jumped out of the shadows, brandishing a wooden spear. He looked like an elf, but his skin and hair were dark as the forest. It was hard for Sawain to trace his movements. The spear lunged for Sawain’s chest. He could see that, at least. He jumped backwards, knocking the spear away with the flat of his blade.
His feet did not find another branch when he leaped backwards. He fell and bounced off of a nearby limb before catching a low hanging bough with one arm. He swung himself onto the bough and clung to it with terrified fervor. More javelins whizzed through the darkness. They somehow missed Sawain.
He scrambled back to his feet and scanned the thick woods for movement. He could hear them, but he could not see them. Another javelin flew at him from nearby. He ducked it, then threw himself in that direction, screaming like a terror. The darkness faded as red light filled his eyes. He saw the outline of his attacker. He noticed the stunned look in her eyes as his sword cut into her flesh, spilling her bl
ood. Sawain released a barrage of slashes that caused the elf to crumple and dissipate into wisps of shadow.
He scanned the forest again. Now he could see them in the branches. He roared and climbed higher into his tree. Another tribal jumped at him, wielding a spear. Sawain caught the spear midair and twisted it, using the momentum to catch the tribal off balance. He flung the unfortunate elf from the tree. He screamed and flailed as he plummeted. He hit the ground with a surprising, almost muddy splash. Sawain looked down and saw him flailing and screaming as the ground swallowed him alive.
Sawain turned to his next target, the inner rage growing hotter. He saw another volley of javelins hurl toward him. His heightened reflexes allowed him to chop one in half and knock another off of its trajectory. The third one embedded itself into his thigh. He felt pain, but his fevered mind translated it as instigation.
He ripped the javelin from his leg and threw it back the way it came. It did not fly long before it hit one of the tribals in the chest with a loud thud. The victim of the javelin fell from the tree without a sound. Her lifeless body hit the quicksand below and sank slowly beneath the churning mire as black flames consumed it.
A flurry of knives flew past him. Most of them clanked off of trees or stuck into branches. One of them hit one of the tribals in the thigh. He yelled in surprise and quickly pulled it from his leg. He barked out in a strange language and the remaining attackers scattered into the depths of the forest.
Sawain was about to take pursuit when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He whirled around, slashing wildly with his blade, growling like a fiend. Naralei barely jumped back quick enough to avoid the deadly steel. Terror and confusion flashed across her face, quickly replaced by anger.
“What do you think you’re doing?! You broke rank and left your team! You could have been killed if this was a real mission!”
Sawain glared at her, confused. The red faded from his vision and his reasoning returned to him.
“What do you mean if it was a real mission?”
Naralei retorted harshly, “This is a training mission, we won’t actually die in here, but we are being watched and you probably just failed us for breaking rank.”
