Theopolou emerged from the gathering a few minutes later, a bright smile on his face. “You are clearly not telling us everything, Jayden. Nevertheless, as things are, they can find no cause to hinder you. I told them about the courage you showed.”
On hearing this, the two guards immediately withdrew without further prompting.
“Thank you,” he said.
“What will you do now?”
“I really don’t know.”
He had to find a way to make his father remember. But to get near him seemed impossible. He’d considered telling the elves the truth, but they would probably think him mad…or a liar. From the best he could tell, they were somewhere south of the Old Santismal Road. Elf lands were far to the west. Not that going there would accomplish anything. He had to face a hard truth: he was without a plan, without resources, and seemingly without any hope of saving his mother.
“You’re welcome to join us,” Theopolou suggested. “We’ll be gathering a few days’ march from here for a fresh assault on the Bull’s forces. Perhaps someone will recognize you along the way.”
“I’m no warrior,” he replied.
Theopolou laughed. “You certainly possess the courage of one. But you need not fight. Your skills with healing would be a tremendous asset.”
“Are you sure I’m welcome?”
When he’d first arrived at the camp, much suspicion and animosity had been leveled against him. Most believed him to be a deserter, and only Theopolou’s objections had kept his head on his shoulders.
“No one will move to harm you,” he assured. “I have told them how you healed my wounds. Even those who would not want you among us can see the value of your skills. You have my word.”
The camp of roughly two hundred tents was scattered loosely throughout an area of tall grass, a far cry from the orderly rows Jayden had imagined a military camp to be like. Warriors were sitting around small fires tending their weapons and talking casually. A few cast him disgusted glances, and no one offered a single friendly word. Deserters were not well-loved. Though he had certainly proven his courage, this did not go far to changing attitudes.
Theopolou showed him to a tent and provided him with a fresh set of clothes, plus a few other odds and ends.
“I’ll need to get you a weapon,” he said, detaching a dagger from his belt and handing it over. “This will have to do until I can find a proper sword.”
The elves he had known typically carried long knives. Although Linis owned a sword, Jayden was well aware that he too preferred smaller blades.
“He won’t be needing any weapons,” a voice said.
Standing in the entrance was a tall young woman with jet-black hair and dark eyes. Her features were angular and almost delicate, though her posture was one of strength and confidence. Clad in a worn set of light tan leathers, she had a bow strapped across her back.
Theopolou turned to face her. “Gia. I thought we agreed that you would stay out of this.”
“You agreed,” she retorted. “I did not. The deserter is to come with me.”
“I’m not a deserter,” Jayden insisted.
“So you say.” Her gaze remained fixed on Theopolou. “Do not interfere. Lord Nambis has made his decision. This newcomer’s presence will cause unrest, and that is something we most surely do not need before battle. Better that he come with me.”
“Your brother would never allow this,” Theopolou snapped.
“My brother isn’t here.” Her tone was hard and even. If her intention was to anger Theopolou, she had clearly succeeded.
“Do not think you can defy his wishes,” he told her. “Just because he fights in the east, that does not make you head of your family.”
“I am of age. I can do as I please.”
“And does Lord Nambis condone this?”
“He insists on it.”
Theopolou let out a low growl. “We shall see about that.” He stormed from the tent, giving her a furious look as he passed.
Gia turned her attention at once to Jayden. “Can you fight?”
Stunned by the scene, he took a moment to reply. “Yes.”
“I have heard that you possess healing talents. This is true?”
“Yes, but I’ve only just discovered them. I’d never tried to heal anyone before Theopolou.”
“And how do you know this? Did you not tell us that you have no memory?”
When Jayden did not answer immediately, she waved a dismissive hand. “It matters not. You are not the first elf to lose heart. Since the Bull of the West appeared, many have fled.” Her eyes narrowed as she locked them onto his. “But be warned. Should you do so again, you will not live long enough to stand judgment. That I promise.”
Her words were chilling. Anxious to change the subject, Jayden asked, “Where are we going?”
“On a mission to save our people,” she told him. “We go to find the Eldest. There’s a weapon that only he knows how to find, one that can lay low the armies of the Bull.”
“Where do we find him?”
“The Spirit Hills.”
Felsafell, Jayden thought. He had heard the stories of the First Born many times. They said he was the oldest living being in the world. According to his father, Felsafell had been granted mortality as a reward for his service during the war with the Reborn King. This had confused Jayden. He had never quite understood why the chance to die would be measured as a reward.
“Why are you taking me if you think I’m lying?” he asked.
“For that you can thank Theopolou. He has told us how powerful you are with the flow. He claims you are even stronger than I. That is why his protests will fall on deaf ears. Only those strong in the flow have any hope of finding the Eldest.”
Jayden did not want to leave. He needed to stay near his father. But without allies, he could not hope to accomplish anything. Complicating matters even further, the only possible allies he might be able to recruit were the mortal enemy of the very person he had come to find. With each passing , it was feeling more and more as if the odds against him were insurmountable.
“I must ask,” said Gia. “Why did you save Theopolou?”
Jayden furrowed his brow. “Because he was hurt. If I hadn’t stopped to help, he’d be dead.”
“We do not risk many lives to save one.”
“I only risked my own life,” he pointed out. What the hell was wrong with these people? “Do you really leave your wounded behind?”
“It was not always so,” she answered, a touch of sorrow seeping into her voice.
Then, as if sensing trickery, her tone quickly became skeptical. “Enough of this. You will not deceive me as you have Theopolou. I do not believe you cannot remember. Though I must admit, there is something different about you.”
Despite her sharpness, Jayden was not deterred. Having detected a brief glimpse of her less abrasive side, he pressed the subject. “Can’t you at least pretend I’m telling the truth for now? Why do you leave your own kin behind? I want to know.”
She regarded him for a long moment, then gave a sigh. “Very well. Our numbers have dwindled, and our forces are now in a constant state of retreat. We cannot afford the luxury of sentimentality. Though every life lost is a tragedy, every elf life saved keeps us that much farther from extinction. The Bull has vowed to wipe us from the face of the world. And as it stands, he is succeeding.”
This was a history Jayden had never heard before. The elves had been defeated; that much was common knowledge. But they had never been on the verge of extinction. And his father – the Bull of the West. Why had his name never come up? Had everything changed? What if by him coming back, his mother was never born? But then, if that were so, would he himself not simply vanish?
The questions were making his head ache. None of it made any sense. At least, nothing that he could wrap his mind around.
Just then, the tent flap opened and Theopolou returned. Positioning himself directly in front of Gia, he threw up his hands.
“You are truly maddening. You imagine you can just stroll into the Spirit Hills and the Eldest will simply hand over the weapon? This has been attempted several times already. Three of our kin never returned.”
“Why don’t you tell my brother?” she mocked. “Though seeing as how I am leaving right away, I doubt you could reach him in time.”
He turned to Jayden. “You should know that Gia is not being truthful. You are not compelled to go with her. You can remain here if you choose.”
“No. If I can help, I’ll go.”
It had occurred to him that perhaps Felsafell would have the answers he needed. If there was anyone who could help him understand what was going on and point him in the right direction, surely it would be the First Born.
“I take it Lord Nambis forbade you to come with us,” Gia said.
Theopolou’s face turned crimson. “You know full well he did.” Removing the sword from his belt, he handed it to Jayden. “Regardless of what Gia says, you might need this.”
She merely shrugged. “If you think bringing a sword along when seeking the Eldest is wise, suit yourself.”
“Should you not be preparing?” snapped Theopolou.
“I am prepared,” she told him, still maintaining a level tone. “But I will go if my presence is unwanted.” Turning to Jayden, she added: “We leave at sunset. Be ready.”
The moment she had exited the tent, Theopolou let out a yell of frustration.
“Don’t worry,” Jayden said. “I won’t let anything happen to her.”
The elf plopped down on a bedroll and ran his fingers through his hair. “You have no idea the trouble she has caused me. I swore to her brother that I would keep her alive. And thus far she has done all she can to make that as difficult as possible for me. I have never known anyone as stubborn…or as determined to get themselves killed.”
Jayden sat down opposite him, carefully placing the sword across his lap. It was similar to the one Linis had given him, though more ornate. The sheath was made from polished black leather that had been engraved with the image of an elf woman holding a silver orb aloft. The handle was wrapped in a soft material that Jayden did not recognize, and the pommel capped with a large emerald.
“I could go alone,” he suggested. “Maybe Lord Nambis would –”
“Lord Nambis is even more stubborn than Gia. Once he has made up his mind, there is nothing more to say.”
“Why wouldn’t he let you come?”
“He intends for me to accompany those traveling to contact the elves from the Steppes.”
Jayden recalled that the elves from the Steppes had refused to aid their kin in the Great War. He considered telling Theopolou that it was useless, but could not find a way to do so without revealing the truth – a truth that he knew would not be believed.
“Can’t you just refuse?” he said.
Theopolou cocked his head. “You cannot be serious. You must have really lost your memory if you imagine I could do such a thing without ending up before the council of elders and finding my neck stretched out beneath an axe soon after.”
“I just have a feeling that going to the Steppes will be a waste of time.”
He eyed Jayden curiously. “It’s comments like those that tell people you have not been honest with them. Perhaps it is the Steppes from where you flee? Am I right?”
Jayden longed to tell him the truth, but to say any more than he already had might prevent him from accompanying Gia to see Felsafell. And as he had no other plan, he felt that he must go.
“No. I’m not from the Steppes,” he replied. “Just know that if I could tell you more, I would.”
Theopolou flicked his wrist. “Very well. Keep your secrets for now. I will find out the truth eventually, as I am sure will Gia. She could convince the Creator herself to give up the very secret of life.” He pushed himself to his feet. “We should gather what you will need for your journey. The Spirit Hills are far, and there are none of our kin along the way to give you shelter.”
He found Jayden a few changes of clothing and enough provisions to last several days.
Once packed, they sat in the tent together waiting for dusk, while a rather wistful Theopolou took to describing his home in great detail. The magnificence of his family manor was of particular interest to Jayden. His mother had told him of exactly such a place that once belonged to her uncle. He was now convinced that this had to be the same person. Which meant he was now speaking to his own great uncle. What were the odds of that? Then again, just about everything thus far in this bygone world had defied probability.
“You should go now,” Theopolou said as soon as the daylight began to fade. “Gia is not known for her patience.”
Jayden threw the pack over his shoulders and checked that the sword was secure around his waist. “I’ll give this back to you when I return,” he promised.
Theopolou smiled. “It is yours. Consider it a gesture of my appreciation. May it serve you well…though hopefully the need to use it will not arise too often.”
“Thank you. And don’t worry about Gia. I’ll take care of her for you.”
Theopolou sighed. “If you can, then you will be a better elf than I.”
She was already waiting for him just outside the tent. Apart from the bow slung across her back, her only weapons appeared to be a pair of short daggers. Jayden knew that in the hands of a skilled elf, daggers could be deadlier than the heaviest sword. Even though far less useful in a full-on battle, their intention was stealth. This thought made the sword hanging at his side suddenly feel heavy and awkward, and for a moment he considered leaving it behind.
The temptation was quickly rejected. If they did happen to run into trouble along the way, he might be grateful to have it with him.
“I was beginning to think you weren’t coming,” Gia said.
“You really think I’m a deserter?”
“I think there’s more to you than you are telling us. You speak like a human, you move like a seeker, and you have the ability of a great healer. Any elf with such powers would be well known among us. And yet no one has ever heard of you.”
“Isn’t it enough that I’m on your side?”
She sniffed. “That remains to be seen. Just know that I did not want you with me. It was the will of Lord Nambis. And unlike Theopolou, I will not question his decisions.”
Jayden was about to respond, but Gia cut him short.
“I have no desire for conversation. Unless, of course, you wish to tell me the truth about who you really are.”
“You know who I am.”
“I know who you say you are. Until you speak honestly, I will continue to think of you as a deserter.”
She started out at a quick pace, forcing Jayden to run to catch up.
“And I have no love for cowards,” she added.
Chapter Eighteen
The first two days were spent in almost complete silence. Jayden tried to strike up a conversation on several occasions, but as she had already told him, she had no desire to speak. They traveled at night to avoid human patrols that might be in the area.
He tried to picture in his mind where they might be. The maps he had studied while still a boy dreaming of leaving his farm were of some help, though not as much as he would have liked. He had concentrated mostly on the more modern maps – only glancing briefly at those drawn before the Great War. Since then, many names had changed. Entire cities had been razed, abandoned, or completely rebuilt elsewhere. Even the kingdoms were different. Some were greatly diminished, while others, either by force or agreement, had united with neighbors to create a larger, far more powerful dominion. A few, having suffered losses to the point of eventual collapse, had even disappeared to the point where there was now only a vague knowledge of them ever existing at all.
Great War indeed. It had altered the very face of the world.
The evening of the third day found them in a rocky area where, even with his skills in the wild, Jayden found himself having to
step with caution. Gia, unsurprisingly, was sure-footed and nimble, easily navigating the rough terrain. Several times she raced far enough ahead for Jayden to lose sight of her, only to find her some minutes later waiting on the other side of some tree or bolder, an irritated scowl on her face.
“You must move faster.” These were the first words she had spoken in some time. “Why do you not use the flow? Or was Theopolou mistaken, and your presence here is just a useless annoyance?”
Sayia had explained to him that, in time, using the flow would become second nature. However, at present it was still far from that. Nonetheless, he began to concentrate. To his great relief – and with a touch of surprise – this time it came to him rather quickly. Soon the aches and pains of hard travel were washed away.
Gia’s mouth momentarily curved into a smile, though it vanished as quickly as it appeared. “Much better,” she remarked. “Now perhaps we can get there before the war is over.”
In an instant, she turned and started out. This time Jayden was able to keep pace. In fact, he was actually starting to enjoy himself. It wasn’t the sensation of added strength that he found to be the most pleasing, more the freedom with which he was able to move and experience his surroundings. A memory of the way Linis would smile when they were tracking a deer flashed through his head. It was a look of pure joy. Though unaware of it at the time, he was now sure that the elf had been using the flow.
As dawn broke, the ground was beginning to level. Gia found an area of dense shrubs that would serve to conceal them from passers-by. They removed their packs and squatted on the ground.
“We have been fortunate so far,” she said. “But from here on we must be wary.”
That she had spoken at all was in itself a touch surprising to Jayden. “What do you mean?” he asked.
“Humans are fearful that we plan to march south. Of course, we have no intention of doing so. At least, not for now. But they have increased their watch. The Bull has sent five thousand men to the garrison north of a human village called Vine Run.”
The Godling Chronicles Page 30
