by Brad Clark
“Yes, of course. But that does not mean we should abide by it.”
“Now you’re talking about a revolt against the council? I may be a rogue Elf, but to go against the council would mean certain exile. Or worse. They could call that treason and have you executed.”
“I think it’s worth the risk.”
“You have shared these thoughts with others?”
Hallendrielle nodded. “Yes. Others that I trust.”
“If one of them spoke to the council, just talking about disobeying their commands could get you in trouble.”
“Do not worry. I trust them. We are a small group, but we do not have a voice. We need others that have a voice that carries.”
“I have already decided to return with Conner and Elissa.”
“I know.” She said, her voice showing the sorrow she felt in her heart. “I know you! I’ve known you for a lifetime! I did not doubt for a moment that you would leave once again. But you do not have to leave alone.”
“A few may be willing to disobey the council’s ruling. But not many and not enough.”
“Are you sure?”
Glaerion hesitated for a moment and looked carefully at his wife. She had a slight smirk on her face. “You know something? What is it?”
“There are more than you might think, but they need a voice. A strong voice that everyone looks up to.”
“You mean me, of course.”
“You are looked up to and probably more than you think. Your voice is what is needed.”
“So, we should just call all the Elves together, and I give some sort of great speech that will inspire many of them to commit treason?”
“Well, it might work.”
Glaerion laughed. “Well, not only are you overestimating my oratory skills but calling together all the Elves is not something that the council and the king would support. They would know what our intentions are.” He was watching his wife while he spoke and noticed that her lips turned up into a wry smile. “But you’ve already got that figured out.”
“Of course. That brings me to the other reason why I could not sleep last night.”
“Oh?”
“I will have a favor to ask of you,” Hallendrielle said. For several minutes she spoke. At first, Glaerion had a blank expression on his face as he was not able to believe what his wife was asking of him. By the time she was done speaking, he was smiling, knowing that it was a crazy idea, but it was certainly the right thing to do.
***
Conner glanced back at Glaerion, who was standing at the edge of the trees, partially hidden by shadows cast by the late morning sun. His heart was pounding, and he had a hard time breathing. The air around him seemed to spin as his mind was a mess of emotions. Glaerion had spoken to him for some time, but in reality, Conner did not need to be convinced to do what he was about to do. Despite all the fear and emotion that was swimming in his head, he knew it was the right thing to do. And it was what he wanted.
For one last moment, he thought about his Elven friend and how far their friendship had come in such a short time. Their lives were now intertwined in so many ways that he could really consider him his brother. And now, his brother had given him advice that only a brother could give.
Glaerion gave him a nod of encouragement and his lips even curled up into a slight smile. Conner gave a quick wave and turned away to find Elissa. The ringing sound of steel on steel told him where to find her, and he walked quickly in that direction.
She was in the center of a small clearing that was devoid of grass. The ground was hard and dusty, which kicked up as Elissa and her opponent moved about. She held a very long dagger that was almost as long as the wide-bladed short swords used by Taran Centurions. She held it with two hands, deftly parrying blow after blow and even counter-attacking with surprising grace. Her opponent was a male elf, but only a few inches taller than Elissa. He held a dagger in one hand and a small shield in the other. He attacked with quickness and defended her attacks with the shield. As graceful as Elissa was, the Elf was even more so. He moved so quickly that he his was in position to parry her attacks even before they arrived. While Elissa’s hair was matted with sweat and the collar of her robe was soaked, the Elf hardly looked like he was working.
His eyes darted over to see Conner and he spoke three quick words in Elvish. They were words to tell them both that their practice session was over. Elissa took a step back, her chest heaving with exertion. She looked over at Conner and her eyes narrowed in annoyance. She did not need another lecture about training to fight. Even though Conner had given his blessing, she knew that deep down he disapproved.
The Elf looked at Conner and gave a brief bow of greeting.
“What is it?” Elissa asked, a bit too harshly.
“I did not mean to interrupt,” Conner said. “You are getting very good. I am proud of you.”
Elissa dropped her eyes. His encouraging words made her feel even worse for snapping at him. “Thank you,” she replied softly.
“The lady has the instincts of a soldier,” the Elf said. “And she is a quick learner. She will need to continue to practice to build up her strength.”
Conner nodded. “Of course. We will have some time on the ship back to our kingdom to continue to practice.”
“Really?” she asked, eyes wide with surprise.
“Of course,” Conner said. “I fear for your heart and that it would be tainted by the sight of death and having to kill. I have done it, and it haunts me. I just did not want you to feel what I have felt. It is a horrible feeling to have those memories stick with you.”
“I cannot just sit by and see my kingdom taken from me. I must fight for it.”
“I know.” He stepped forward and took her into a hug.
“I smell,” she said, pulling away from him. “It is hot, and I have been sweating.”
Conner laughed. “I know, but I do not care. I love the scent of you whether you just came out of a bath or after you’ve been training in the hot summer sun!”
“The swords,” the Elf said, interrupting their moment. “They are the king’s?”
Conner glanced over at the Elf, a bit annoyed at his big moment being interrupted. He nodded his head. Both his swords were sheathed in scabbards strapped to his back. The king had given him the scabbards as well.
“They are the weapons of the Sak’hurai?”
“Yes,” Conner replied, still trying to keep his tone in check. He wanted the Elf to just go away so that they could be alone, but the Elf seemed to have other thoughts. “They are true Sak’turana’s. King Illichian told me they were given to him as a gift.”
The Elf nodded his head. “Yes. Some four hundred years ago. The Hurai and the Elves had a misunderstanding, and as a part of their reconciliation, a number of precious items were traded. Those swords were given to the king, and in return, we gave them a set of ancient daggers.”
“Misunderstanding?” Conner asked. “It seems there must be a good story there someplace. I thought the Elves were in exile.”
“We are,” the Elf replied. “My name is Ryshak, and I am one of the twelve soldiers of the Elven Guard who helps to protect our exile. Part of our duties includes traveling to lands that are nearby to ensure that we are safe. It was during one of those excursions that the misunderstanding happened.”
“Misunderstanding?”
“Soldiers are all temperamental. Even Elven soldiers. It is a story not worth retelling, but several lives were lost, and for the first time, our exile was threatened. King Illichian himself traveled to their land to prevent worse from happening.”
“You were there? And you fought Sak’hurai?”
“Indeed,” Ryshak said with a firm and even tone.
“You survived?”
“I was one of two of our party to survive.”
“Against Sak’hurai? You killed Sak’hurai?”
“I was severely wounded. If not for the other surviving Elf having skills of healing, I would
have died as well.”
“I trained under a Hurai named Master Goshin. He tried to teach me to be Sak’hurai.”
“He taught you to be Sak’hurai?” Ryshak repeated with a slightly higher pitched voice that revealed surprised.
Conner slowly shook his head. “He tried, I said. But he could not. He taught me to be Kin San, though.”
“An honorable soldier of the Hurai. But Kin San do not use two Sak’turana’s. They may use only one or even a wide-bladed sword with two edges as Humans have been known to wield. Only Sak’hurai use two swords.”
“I am not Sak’hurai. I could never attain their discipline. Master Goshin taught me well, and he taught me my limits. I can wield these two swords as well as any Sak’huria, but I am not one.”
“Show me.”
“What?”
“Show me how you are not Sak’hurai.”
“How can I?”
“Glaerion spoke well of you and your skill with the blades of the Hurai. He tells tales that I would not otherwise believe, but they came from his lips. If I am to fight at your side, then I must know who you are.”
Conner gave Ryshak a second look. “Fight at my side? But the Elven Council has decided not to help us.”
“The twelve of the Elven Guard are solely commanded by the king and not by the council. He has asked that we volunteer to accompany you back to your homeland. I will do so, but only if I know that you are who you say you are.”
“I only found out recently that I was Hurai. I did not know growing up or while I was training. It was Glaerion that told me.”
“Draw your weapons and we will spar. I will see with my own eyes what you are.”
Conner carefully drew his new swords. It was the first time he had actually unsheathed them to be used. The leather wrap of the handles fit his palm comfortably. They were light, much lighter than the swords that Master Goshin had given him. He already knew how strong they were so he didn’t have to worry about breaking them.
“I do not wish to hurt you,” Conner said.
Ryshak grinned. “Nor I you.” He tossed his shield aside and drew a second dagger. Then he crouched into a defensive stance.
Conner slid into combat position, swords held up, ready to either attack or parry. Just as Conner was taking in a breath, Ryshak leaped forward, his daggers coming down for his neck. With a quick twist of his body, he dodged the blow and quickly swiped his sword at Ryshak. The Elf was quick and deftly avoided the blow.
The blades seemed sluggish in hands as he sliced and stabbed. Partly he was trying not to hurt the Elf, but they also seemed almost out of control. The blades moved so quickly in his hands that he found himself almost clumsily attacking.
After several minutes of back of forth, Ryshak disengaged. “You are holding back.”
Conner’s breathing was heavier than normal, but he was far from gasping for breath. He could keep this up for a long time. “A little,” Conner replied. “I do not want to hurt you.”
Again, the Elf grinned. “Do not be afraid of hurting me. You are too skilled to hold back as you are. Let yourself loose and fight like you are trying to kill me. Trust me, I have spent thousands of years training.”
Conner attacked, letting his mind free. His hands and feet moved with a swiftness that he had forgotten he had. He danced with the swords, letting them flash down and across in a blur of motion. But Ryshak was there to block each attack. Conner pressed harder, pulling all his training and instincts from the very bowels of his soul and still he could not break the Elf.
However, he could see that Ryshak was starting to breathe harder, and sweat was dripping down his cheeks. He could feel himself become faster, or maybe it was Ryshak became slower. He knew it was not going to be long before he would finally find an opening and when it did, it came so suddenly that he almost missed it. Ryshak feinted a thrust with his right hand, but Conner was ready and blocked it. Instead of attacking with his swords, he stepped in close, knocked aside a left-handed strike and put his sword right against Ryshak’s neck.
Both Conner and Ryshak were breathing hard.
“I got you!” Conner said triumphantly.
Ryshak laughed and pushed the pommel of his dagger deeper into Conner’s side. Conner looked down to see the Elf’s right hand holding the dagger. The blade was pointed away, but the pommel was right against his side. If he had been holding the dagger as he should, the blade of the weapon would be deep inside Conner.
“For a moment, you forgot that I was fighting with two weapons,” Ryshak said.
“I was sure I had you!”
“If I were a Sak’hurai with two swords of length, then yes, you might have beaten me. But I held a small dagger in my right hand, and that is what will kill you. It will not be the obvious strike, but it will be the one that you do not see.”
With tender care, Conner sheathed his swords. “I have never fought anyone as fast as you.”
Ryshak gave a slight bow. “Nor I, you. I not only fought them, but I also trained with the Sak’hurai for some time. I know their style. And that is not what you showed me.”
“But…”
Ryshak held up a hand to silence the excuse that was about to come out of Conner’s mouth. “You had me fooled for much of the fight. Your skill is very good, but your instincts are amazing. When your skill matches your instincts, even I will not be able to stop you. You do not fight like any soldier I have seen. There is Sak’hurai in you, but also much more. You have made your own style that will be hard for anyone to match.” He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “For thousands of years I have trained and studied, and with all that, I could barely defeat you. You may not call yourself Sak’hurai, but what I see with my eyes is Sak’hurai. I would be honored to accompany you on your journey back to your kingdom.”
“Thank you,” Conner replied, unsure what else to say.
Ryshak bowed low again and glanced over at Elissa who was walking up to them. His eyes drifted to Glaerion, who was still visible within the trees far off in the distance. An unspoken word was passed between the Elves and Ryshak calmly announced, “I shall take my leave. I will see you tomorrow on the ship.”
“Wow,” Elissa said. “You really impressed him. I didn’t think Elves are that easily impressed.”
“He was good. And fast. I don’t think I could have lasted much longer.”
“I don’t think he could, either. He was tiring as you were. You both were too fast to follow!”
Conner didn’t really hear what she was saying. His mind started to think about the words that he had tried to put together after his chat with Glaerion. They were rehearsed over and over in his mind and yet he could not seem to get them the way he wanted. Just when he thought he had it perfect, doubt crept in. What if she said no?
Elissa could sense a change in his demeanor and looked at him smiling and asked, “What is it?”
“Well, Elissa…” His words got stuck in his throat. His neck became hot, and he started sweating more than when he was sparring with the Ryshak.
“Conner? What is it!”
For a moment, his knew he shouldn’t go through with it. All the fears of such a momentous decision suddenly filled his thoughts. Who was he anyway? He was just a peasant boy, a commoner of no consequence. There was no reason that someone like himself could ever measure up to the queen of a kingdom.
Elissa stepped closer to him and took his hands in hers, and looked up at him with her large green eyes. The smile that came across her face melted his heart, and he knew then that he had no choice but to go through with it.
He dropped to a knee. “Elissa,” he said softly.
“Conner?” she replied, tears starting to form at the edge of her eyes. “What are you…?”
He cut off her words before he lost his nerve. “I know that the world is falling down around us, and there is a good chance that we may never see the turn of a new year. But I think it is for that very reason we need to, we should…” His mind became blank,
and he could not think straight. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Was he really going to go through with this? He took in a deep breath and continued, “I mean, Elissa, I have loved you from the moment I first saw you, and although it might have only been a boyhood crush at first, the love I feel for you is real. And it is something that I know will never go away. I want to share my life with you. All my life with you.”
“Um, Conner? What are you saying?” Elissa said with trembling lips.
“The Elves have a ceremony of…” the word stuck in his throat once again as he choked back tears. He could not believe the emotion that he was feeling. It was a mix of fear and excitement, and it was causing his body to shake. “It is a ceremony of marriage. It is nothing like the ceremonies of Karmon. It is where we not only commit to living our lives together but commit our souls to be bound together for eternity. The vows of Elven marriage are permanent and cannot be broken.”
“But, Conner…”
Conner shook his head to silence her. “I do not wish to be your king. I don’t even know if you will have a kingdom to come back to. But I know that I love you, and I want to marry you. So, Queen Elissa Thorndale, will you marry me?”
Tears flowed freely, and she dropped to her knees and hugged him. Through tears, she said, “You don’t even know if we will survive this war.”
“I know, and that is why I want to do this. And now. Glaerion said that the Elves hadn’t had a ceremony of marriage in many, many years. He thinks that it would also be a good way to start to build a friendship between our races.”
“He put you up to this, then?”
Conner laughed with tears streaking down his cheeks. “He did mention the idea, but as soon as he said it, I knew it had to happen.”
“Yes,” she said.
“Yes?”
Elissa nodded her head. “I have loved you as long as you have loved me, and I know this is right. I don’t know if we will survive this war or if my kingdom will survive, but I want nothing other than to be with you for the rest of our lives.”
Conner let his own tears flow as he squeezed her as tightly as he could.
