War Of The Wildlands

by Lana Axe

“Yes, but if your father commands differently, she will have no choice but to obey. Perhaps it’s better to bargain you to your prince.”

  “I am told he is an honorable man, but we have never met. Again, I do not know what he would give for my life.”

  “Maybe I should kill you both and be done with it,” Reylin said casually. “I’ll decide in the morning.” Without another word, he walked away leaving Lisalla and Danna to ponder their fate.

  Lisalla’s heart sank, knowing that she had failed in her attempt to free Danna. She doubted Reylin would choose to send the girl as a messenger when there was a chance she could send back an army to attack them. He would not want their exact location known, and in order to negotiate, someone would have to be able to find them. She regretted being born a princess who was not allowed to learn about war and politics. She was only expected to know how to dress in the latest fashions and how to please her husband. It was truly a waste to teach a daughter such things. She vowed to herself she would teach her own daughters better, should she survive to bear children. Elven women were fighters, and human woman could learn to fight as well.

  Chapter 35

  As dawn arrived over the new Sycamore village, Yori packed up his few belongings. His worn-out knapsack had been replaced by a sturdy, oiled-leather bag crafted by the hands of his elven kin. He rolled up his animal skin clothes and placed them inside the bag. Today, he would wear the green shirt the prince had given him in an effort to blend in with the humans of Al’marr. They were more accepting of elves than the Na’zorans, but he was going to seek passage on one of their ships. He did not know how readily an elf would be taken on board, so he planned to keep his ears covered once he reached Marrel.

  “Stay safe,” his grandfather said as he prepared to leave the hut. “You’re always welcome here.” He grabbed Yori and hugged him tightly.

  Taking a deep breath, Yori turned and slipped out the door. Once again, he hoped to avoid a long goodbye. It was already hard enough to leave, and he was still unsure he had made the right decision not to join the other elves in battle. Later in life he may come to regret it, but his plan was to focus on today. Perhaps he would learn something in the Sunswept Isles that he could share to better the lives of the Wild Elves.

  Several rafts sat idly on the west bank. Yori chose the smallest one to carry him back across the river. Though he intended not to look into the water’s depths again, he thought he heard a voice coming from the blue. Peering over the edge of the raft, he looked down into the deep blue river. A silver mist danced and twinkled amidst the blue, but it took on no discernable shape. The voice faded, leaving only the sound of the rushing water to fill his ears.

  He knelt on the raft and shoved the oar deeply into the rocks below to stop its motion. Leaning in close to the water’s surface, he quietly asked, “Is there someone there?” He waited and heard no response. Rising back to his feet, he began paddling once again toward the east bank. Without warning, a fountain of water shot up next to him, sprinkling him with water. He thought it surprisingly warm, considering the season. A blue light encompassed his raft, and he gasped in surprise. Though he had stopped paddling, the raft continued steadily toward the east bank and stopped gently when it reached land. The blue light faded away.

  Yori climbed onto the shore and looked back at the river. He saw a silver light dance upon its surface for a moment before descending back into the depths. Had the River God blessed his journey? Perhaps the god had wanted him to make it safely to the other side, but for what purpose he did not know. Perhaps it approved of the choice he had made, or perhaps it thought him a coward and wanted him to leave. Yori couldn’t be sure.

  “Thank you,” he said to the river. “I hope you will watch over my people while I’m away. They may need your help.” A second fountain of water shot up from the center of the river, sprinkling water droplets in every direction. Yori smiled and felt a sense of peace. Surely this god was watching out for the Sycamore Clan.

  The forest was still dark, its thick branches allowing very little light to seep through from the overcast sky. A few unseen critters scampered beneath the rotting leaves as he made his way through the trees. Before reaching the edge of the woods, he turned and stared back in the direction of the river. He wanted to freeze the image of the forest in his mind to keep with him on his journey.

  As he arrived at Marrel, he noticed several changes to the town. Colorful banners and ribbons adorned every building and merchant stall, and a large stage had been erected at the center of town. It appeared there was some sort of winter festival taking place, but he did not intend to stay long enough to join in the fun.

  Yori stopped in the fletcher’s stall to inquire about the town of Marron. Inside, Hydon sat busily tending to his arrows. He looked up as Yori approached and said, “Good morning, Brother. What brings you here today?”

  “I’m traveling to the Sunswept Isles,” he replied. “I was hoping you could give me directions to Marron.”

  “I can’t imagine why you’d want to go there,” Hydon said with a laugh. “But Marron is at least a full day’s walk south. You might see if some of the mining wagons could give you a ride. They travel back and forth every day delivering gems. They’ll take you right to the docks where you can purchase passage to the isles. Do you have any money?”

  “I have a little,” he replied, undervaluing the coins the prince had given him.

  “Don’t let them cheat you. I hear those sea captains try to take advantage of travelers. It shouldn’t cost any more than one silver coin.”

  Yori nodded. “Thank you, Hydon.”

  “Safe journeys,” he replied before returning to his work.

  Yori hurried past the marketplace to the warehouses where he had helped Atti unload his goods when he first arrived in Al’marr. It wasn’t long before he spotted the gem wagons. Stout men were loading heavy wooden chests with iron locks onto wagons. No other goods would have need of such hefty locks, so Yori assumed they must be filled with precious gems. Approaching one of the men, Yori asked, “Are you heading to Marron?”

  “Sure am,” the bearded man replied, loading a chest into a wagon.

  “Do you think you’ll have room for a passenger?”

  The man turned and looked Yori up and down. Apparently, Yori didn’t look much like a thief. “I suppose so,” the man replied. “You’ve got to help load the wagons first, though. There’s five of them, and these chests are heavy.”

  “I’m stronger than I look,” Yori replied with a smile. He was shorter and thinner than the bearded man, but years of hammering iron and steel had provided him with a decent amount of muscle. He slid a chest to the side of the loading dock and lifted it onto his shoulder. The bearded man raised his eyebrows and nodded in approval.

  “We’ll be at this until lunchtime,” he said. “The miners will let us eat with them before we head out.”

  “Sounds great,” Yori replied, lifting another chest. The chests were indeed very heavy, but Yori did not mind the work. Offering the man coin would probably have spared him the physical labor, but he preferred to help out rather than sit back and watch.

  Lunch consisted of boiled potatoes, a small strip of dried meat, and a large chunk of bread. As soon as he saw the food, he missed the fresh cuisine of the forest. The elves collected berries that they could make into jams that kept all through the winter. The hunters supplied fresh meat nearly every day, and they drank teas from the dried leaves of dozens of different plants. He allowed his mind to wander and tried to imagine what he would be eating once he reached the Sunswept Isles. Everything he had heard of the Enlightened Elves had been negative, so he could not imagine their food being very good.

  “All set to leave?” the bearded man asked.

  Yori nodded, returned his empty plate to the cook, and tossed his leather bag over his shoulder.

  “Can you drive a wagon?” the man asked. “One of our drivers has been throwing up since last night. I thought he was drunk and ne
eded to sleep it off, but I guess he’s really sick.”

  “I can do it,” Yori replied. He had driven a wagon for his uncle many times and was not bad at managing stubborn mules.

  Along the road to Marron, Yori took notice of the landscape. The area near the city was drab and brown, but as they moved farther away, the land came alive. Fields of gold stretched on for miles, and the trees grew tall and proud. Tiny farmhouses dotted the landscape, and chickens roamed freely beside the road. Children were playing despite the cool weather, and they waved cheerfully as the wagons rolled by.

  As they neared the coast, the smell of the sea filled Yori’s nostrils. The air seemed denser and warmer in Marron, and the sound of the waves filled the air. Catching his first glimpse of the ocean, Yori sat in awe. Never before had he seen so much blue. The waves crashed fiercely against the shore, leaving a white foam behind on the sand. Fleets of cargo ships littered the coastline, each being loaded or unloaded by hundreds of workers.

  Gulls screeched noisily overhead as Yori’s caravan came to a halt near one of the ships. Hopping down from his seat, Yori walked around to the back of his wagon to help unload. The bearded man waved a hand, telling him not to bother.

  “You don’t have to unload,” he said. “They pay these men to do the work from here. They don’t want us mucking up their precious boats.”

  With a nod, Yori said, “Thanks for bringing me along.” He looked up and down the long row of ships, wondering which one to try first. The ship he was closest to seemed as good as any, so he followed the men who were unloading the chests full of gems as they made their way up the ramp to the deck.

  The ship’s captain was closely supervising the cargo being brought on board. When Yori appeared on his deck, he became visibly angry. His face reddened, and the veins in his forehead bulged as he shouted, “You don’t belong here! Go back where you came from!”

  “I’m sorry for the intrusion, sir,” Yori began. He did not have a chance to finish his thought before he was interrupted.

  “I said get off my ship!” The captain approached Yori and towered over him. The glare in his gray eyes nearly burned a hole through Yori’s head. “I’ve got to get these gems to Master Yarion, and I don’t have time for sightseers.”

  An idea burst into Yori’s mind, and he quickly removed his cap to reveal his ears. Standing as straight as he could and sticking his nose in the air, he said, “Master Yarion is my father. That bastard owes me an explanation!”

  His pretense at arrogance must have been convincing enough for the captain. “I’ll be damned,” he said in disbelief. “In a million years I’d never guess one of those haughty elves would make it with a human woman.”

  “Obviously he did,” Yori replied, still feigning arrogance. “My mother has finally told me the truth, and I will have his explanation.”

  The captain laughed and said, “Fine by me. I’d love to give that old sorcerer a shock. It’s one gold coin for your fare.”

  “Gold?” Yori said stunned. “I’ll give you a silver, and I won’t let my father blow your ship to bits as you sail away.”

  The captain eyed Yori suspiciously but bought the act. “Fine,” he said. “Just stay out of the way.”

  Yori handed him a silver coin and proceeded onto the deck of the ship. He smiled to himself, pleased with his own performance. He doubted it would be so easy to convince the Enlightened Elves that he was one of their own kind. They could probably smell the Wild Elf in his blood. At any rate, he was aboard the ship that would bear him to the isles.

  The sun finally broke free of the clouds, and its rays sparkled on the water’s surface. After what felt like hours, the ship was finally loaded and ready to set sail. Yori stayed out of the way of the sailors as they went about their duties. Wondering what kingdoms might lie far off in the blue, he leaned on the starboard rail and stared off into the vast ocean.

  As the ship began to move, the ocean breeze swept over him. His sandy hair danced on the wind, and he closed his eyes to stop them from watering. The wind was more intense than he imagined, and he found it difficult to take in a full breath. The ship began to sway, followed shortly by Yori’s stomach. Observing the magic of the sea would have to wait until he was acclimated to the motion of the ship. Despite his queasiness, his spirits remained high. Adventure awaited him just beyond the horizon.

  Chapter 36

  Snow fell in large, chunky flakes as Reylana led the Sycamore warriors to rejoin her brother’s army. The heavy snow was nearly blinding, and she was having a hard time recognizing her surroundings. Tracking the movements of his company was impossible with the fresh snowfall. It was still early in the afternoon, but the blizzard showed no signs of relenting. “Let’s make camp here for the night,” she declared. “We’ll have better luck finding them after this storm has ended.”

  The elves climbed into the trees to wait out the storm. Nat took a seat on a wide branch next to Reylana. “We should have tried harder to convince Darin to come with us,” he said.

  “He was too old for this journey,” she replied. “But we should have dragged his fool grandson with us whether he wished it or not.”

  Nodding, Nat said, “That could have worked too.”

  “We can only hope my clansmen have done better at convincing the other clans. Perhaps one of them has a rune carver. We still stand a better chance with greater numbers, even if most of our weapons are not etched with runes.”

  “All of us here have runes, and we have a few to share with our kinsmen. We could use a mage or two on our side in place of a rune carver.”

  “I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Reylana said. “I’ve never heard of any of our kind with that type of power. Shamans always focus on repairing the earth, not destroying it.”

  “I’ve never encountered a mage,” Nat said with a shrug. He grinned and added, “I’m looking forward to using them for target practice, though.”

  Reylana stretched out on the branch and closed her eyes. There was no need to keep watch. Even humans couldn’t be stupid enough to travel in this weather. Relaxing, she let her mind wander until she soon fell asleep. In her dreams, she saw the forests burning. Her kinsmen were dying all around her as magefire blasted through the air. As she made her way toward the mages, the ground in front of her erupted, sending dirt and dried leaves in every direction. Only gaping pits remained where once earth and trees had existed. With no other option before her, she retreated to find safety in the woods. Many elves joined her, running from all directions. Their efforts had been defeated by the mages, and the Wildlands were now destroyed. No forest would remain once the mages had finished. The elves had nowhere left to run.

  She awoke in a cold sweat, the visions from her dream refusing to leave her mind. Darkness loomed all around her, but the snowfall had become lighter. Though she had never prayed before in her life, she felt the urge now. If there is truly a Goddess of the Forest, please help my people. We cannot do this alone. Immediately after thinking the words, she felt foolish. She knew that there were no magical creatures out there that were willing to help. If the elves were to survive, they needed true leadership and a damn good battle plan.

  She sat up and looked over at Nat, who was fast asleep. He seemed courageous enough, having spoken out against his clan’s Overseer. Also, he had managed to convince nearly half the clan to join in the fight. She hoped he would prove wise enough to lead a group into battle, though she knew he lacked experience. She herself had not experienced battle until Na’zora declared war on her people. She had proven herself a quick learner, and so could Nat.

  As dawn finally broke, the clouds separated to allow the sun to peek through the sky. The snow had ended, leaving at least ten inches behind on the ground. Today’s march would be slow as they grew ever nearer to joining the others. Reylin’s group was on the move, but she was sure she would be able to find them.

  With a firm shake, she roused Nat from his sleep.

  Yawning, he said, “Good m
orning.”

  “Send some scouts out ahead. We need to figure out where Reylin’s group has gone. I’m betting he’ll be somewhere near Na’zora’s border and not too much farther north. He’ll want to stay central, I’m sure.”

  Nat descended the branches to find his clansmen and dispatch the scouts. Reylana descended from the tree as well. Her mind went first to the thought of food, but all she had brought was dried meat and nuts. Not exactly a feast, but it would have to suffice for now.

  One of the scouts came back within minutes of heading north. “There are elves ahead of us,” he said. “I saw tracks not a few hours old. I’d say it was a scout who turned back before he reached us.”

  Reylana sighed in relief, knowing she would rejoin her brother that day. The deep snow made their journey difficult, and Reylana cursed every time she tripped over a hidden obstacle. Her legs were beginning to ache already, and she wished for some magefire to thaw her path.

  Up ahead, a familiar voice called out. “Where’s my fiery-haired sister?”

  “Reylin?” she called, craning her neck to see ahead.

  Reylin strode her direction accompanied by a Sycamore scout. “It’s good to have you back, Sis,” he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

  “It’s good to be back. The snow was so thick last night I couldn’t tell where we were. I’m still not completely sure,” she admitted.

  “You’re not far from our old village,” he replied. “Everything looks different in the snow.” Shaking his head, he said, “Women make terrible guides. They never know where they are.”

  She punched him in the shoulder and said, “If we spent as much time goofing around in the forest pretending to hunt, we’d probably know better.”

  “Oh just stick to what you know and swing your pretty sword,” he said jokingly.

  Reylana smiled briefly, but her thoughts took a more serious turn. “Have we lost many of our clansmen since I left?”