by Shawn Keys
Helleanna moaned in sorrow. “How long until you speak the words of marriage?”
Jyliansa all but snarled, baring her teeth. “And give him my hand and body? May death come first. My father knows of my heart, and he has evaded any effort to set a date for a ceremony he might attend. I am trapped between two worlds, unable to leave and yet unwilling to commit to this realm forever. My father, however furious he might be that I am cursed to the shore, dares to pull back his promise and enrage a sun elf king.”
Callistia sighed. “Perhaps we share more in common than our noble blood.”
Jyliansa acknowledged, “It is a strange thing to see you here.”
“The trials of the court have grown too terrible for me to bear. This knight claims to have set forth on a quest, both noble and arduous. He has laid out his life to see me this far, and claims he will shelter me no matter the storm. And there will be a storm, for he holds the key to a magic my brother wishes to possess. We need safe harbor for the night. But then, passage from the city on a ship with a captain we can trust.”
Caution entered the sea elf’s reply. “What ship would take on such a burden? And what friend would you condemn like that? The King will sink any vessel that dared help you.”
“Then we need a ship of our own, and a crew to sail it. Or, perhaps better, a teacher who can show us how. A fast ship, but small enough to handle among us.”
“You ask for no small thing. Every ship has its captain or owner, and they are guarded jealously.”
Helleanna stepped in, “I brought them to you, Jyliansa. This is on me. If I was not so desperate, I would not strain our friendship like this. But it is no callous request. My Princess’s life depends on it.”
Taking a long breath, Jyliansa answered, “If it must be this way, then I shall help you. Give me the night. Let the first rage of the King blow over. He will summon hunting parties, and the town will be emptied of many watchful eyes. Be ready to leave with the dawn. Our departure will not be missed, so we will have to be swift and expect a fight. All the fury will boil after us into the sea in pursuit.”
She retreated into the shadows and vanished back into the manse.
Behind them, Krizzilani coughed in pain.
Helleanna turned and darted to her side. “She’s awake, but there is much to do. Hold her? I must stitch these wounds before they fester.” Unspooling some gut-line and affixing it to a needle, she got to work.
With the first prick, the dark elf’s eyes bolted open in terror.
Ajax held her firmly while Callistia struggled to contain the wild thrashing of her legs. Ajax filled the dark elf’s vision. “Peace, Krizzilani.” Blazing questions filled her eyes, and Ajax rushed to answer them and spare her the breath, “Your tormentors are gone. We are mending your flesh to stop any rot. It’s me. Hear my voice. You know I wouldn’t lie.”
Her struggling ceased and she settled back onto the crate bottom. She sucked in a few ragged breaths, trying to ignore the pain of the needle sewing her skin shut. Gritting her teeth, Krizzilani hissed, “Do I really? You’ve tricked me before and nearly cost me my life.”
Ajax’s eyebrow crept upward, a mute and amused challenge. “After you stole a priceless treasure then betrayed me to a mad king?”
The dark elf snorted. “The pendant I took was as much a treasure as my last stool.”
Ajax’s chest vibrated with a deep chuckle. “Such language! And you insult the craft of the illusionist who ensorcelled it. He did fine work that fooled everyone better than I hoped.”
“And nearly got me killed.” Her anger frittered away, knowing she really had no claim to innocence in all this.
Ajax shrugged. “There is an old saying about living by a sword and then dying by it. Seems to suit a dangerous game of lying equally well.”
“But you pulled me out of that fury hole.” She clearly wondered why.
Ajax didn’t both with complex answers. He simply said, “No one deserved that.”
Murmurs of agreement came from the other two women.
Krizzilani went still, peering down at the others. A sun elf and moon elf, joined with a human in trying to heal her, honestly believing that risking their lives to save a dark elf had been a worthy cause. Silence came as emotion tore away any sarcasm or distaste left inside her. In the end, she merely whispered, “Thank you.”
Ajax rumbled his approval. “It was only right. There are no chains on you. But we seek to leave these shores, and right soon. Lend us a hand, and we’ll do right by you. Leave when you wish as long as you don’t give us away. But tonight would be a poor night to flee. They’ll be scouring the forests for leagues in every direction to find us.”
Helleanna added, “And for now, you need rest. More so than the rest of us.”
Krizzilani considered that for a long moment. Then, she said, “On one condition.”
Ajax once again raised his eyebrow, amazed she was bold enough to set terms. “Which is?”
She grinned. “You find me some clothes I haven’t bled on so much.”
***
Krizzilani wasn’t the only one who needed new clothes. Their fight in the castle dungeons followed by the long swim and then hiding in the dusty storeroom had rendered all of their clothes into ragged messes. Ajax’s leather trousers and rugged shirt had held up the best, but he could feel the grime against his skin.
Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait for Jyliansa’s aid. Scrounging through the storage room, they found stacks of utilitarian clothing intended for ships’ crews. Trousers and shirts for men and plain dresses with loose skirts for women. They were beige, breathable, unimaginative, but allowed for free-enough movement. Cheap to produce by the hundreds.
They also located a wash basin and the well they could dip for water. The resulting bath wasn’t even in the same realm as the opulent bath Ajax and the two elves had shared the night before, but it let them wash away the worst of the filth before donning their new outfits.
While exploring deeper, they found a single window that opened into the inner training compound. Most times, they steered clear of it. The danger was obvious. Once in a while, one of them ventured over to catch word of loud orders being shouted. The first few times, it was a call to change the guard. Nothing more. Then, there was a summons to action. It was more frantic, and the stomp of feet felt like every warrior, hunter and sailor in the whole manse was being roused.
The hunt for them was on.
An hour later, relative quiet descended. Callistia wandered back over to the window.
Ajax was giving a wide berth to the end of the storeroom that had become their temporary hide-out. Krizzilani and Helleanna had refreshed the bath, and were working at cleaning her wounds again. The knight had been intimate with both, yet he wasn’t sure that gave him the privilege to linger around while they stripped and bathed.
Deciding not to press, he had drifted away. The sight of Callistia drew him toward her. As she lingered near a window, a small shaft of light was reflecting off her skin. Ignoring the common sense of hiding, Callistia remained in the shaft of sunlight, closing her eyes in pleasure.
Ajax settled nearby, leaning against a wall. “Second time I’ve seen you in the setting sun’s light. It becomes you.”
Her eyes didn’t open, but amusement touched her features. “I suspect the rest of this night will not be nearly so memorable as the last. Despite your charming efforts.”
Ajax enjoyed the fantasy of seducing her, but agreed this was not the time. Cries of passion would summon death from the manse above quickly enough. Having Rasharann break in to find him coupling with the sun elf princess might provoke the Commodore into giving him one of those fabled ‘fates worse than death’.
Callistia’s eyes then opened, a warning mingled with regret lurked inside them. “Even when away from here, you would be wise not to try.”
Hearing her say that hurt more than Ajax thought it would. Of course, it shouldn’t. The very idea of a sun elf bedding a human was r
idiculous. What they had shared was the only defense they had against the outrageous actions of a mad king. But it still hurt to hear.
She pressed, “You see it, don’t you? Even if I run, I am still a sun elf princess. I am still the scion of this realm. I still want to find my match, and for that… more than ever… I need my purity.”
And why does she sound like she is doing her best to convince herself? Ajax wondered. He answered her, “Of course I see it. You’ve come to help me. In exchange, I’m taking you away from here. But you heard what I said to Krizzilani. We’ll stay together as long as it makes sense. There are no chains on any of us. None of us started out to become vagabonds forever.” He smirked a little. “Except, well, maybe the dark elf would be happy with that.”
Callistia smiled in gentle amusement. “Helleanna could happily wander. Her spirit is bright.”
Ajax laughed too, but shook his head, “She’ll go where you lead. But I understand you want to one day find a new home for you two.”
Callistia tilted her head. “But not for you?”
Ajax was caught off-guard. “Hmm?”
“You served your last lord well until he betrayed the belief you placed in him. I have to believe there are sun elf lords worthy of our respect. Worthy of my devotion, even if not my love. If I found such a one, would that change your mind?”
“If you did, you would consider giving yourself to him?”
Callistia’s face fell with sadness. “If I were so fortunate, yes. But my fallen state may make such a thing impossible. Only if he can see past the misery that brought me to his doorstep, then he might win my hand.”
Ajax pictured that.
Then, returned a sad smile of his own. “Then no, Callistia. I would not stay. I’ll guard you with my life as long as we are together. Never doubt that. But when I finally bring you to a new home, I could not bear to stay.”
Callistia challenged him, “Because I wouldn’t go to your bed?”
Ajax shook his head. “Make no mistake, Princess. I want you. From the moment I saw you, and I’m not sure I will ever stop. But no, if you found another’s arms because you loved them, I would wish you well. I’d leave because I couldn’t bear to see you give yourself to any man you don’t love because of tradition. No matter who you found, I couldn’t help but think a part of you would be doing it because that is what is expected of you. Always tradition.”
She insisted, “It has to be. Immortals cannot do any less with our bloodlines!”
He nodded in pain. “Aye. As you’ve said. And who am I to say otherwise? But don’t ask me to stand by and watch you do it. Not after we fought so hard to get free of this place. That would drive me mad.”
He turned and left her there standing in the sun. Heart-breaking in her beauty. Impossible to hold again. He was not a man who enjoyed regret, and following the path of fantasy surrounding her could only lead to more of it.
Chapter 8
The distance was less than a hundred feet, but the trip to the docks was the hardest part. Every shadow could hold a lurker. It didn’t even need to be a soldier. Any random townsfolk bellowing in surprise would give them away.
Helleanna led the way, deflecting a few late-night wanderers. There was a curfew in place, and she used her elfish heritage heartlessly, berating the humans for ignoring lawful commands. Next, she ran off a pair of drunks who might have crowed a warning.
Krizzilani hadn’t been pleased with remaining near Ajax in the back. “Should be me out front in the dark,” she had insisted. Seconds later, her legs had seized up with a spasm of lingering pain.
They had all noticed, and even she admitted this was not the time for risks. Ajax had consoled her with the promise, “If we are ever fleeing for our lives in the night again, you’ll be on point.”
And so, they went, with Ajax half-supporting their dark elf ward with Callistia and Jyliansa creeping along by their sides. They veered away from the decrepit dock they had first climbed upon, aiming instead toward the wharfs controlled by the realm’s navy.
Settling in behind some storage barrels, Jyliansa pointed to the closest of those docks. “Do you see her? Dark blue hull with the white accents? That’s the Wavesword. Fastest ship on the seas.”
Ajax growled. “A difficult target.”
“On any other night, perhaps. But most of the crew is out on the King’s hunt. And there are two factors that make her the best choice. The first is that she’s armed, unlike any merchant sloop you might steal.”
Ajax gave a grim smile. “Aye, it will be nice not to be helpless.”
Helleanna whispered, “And the second?”
Jyliansa explained rapidly, “Navy ships are meant to survive deep into a battle. Fortified along the hull, and with extra pulleys and lines run so that if most of the crew is dead, the ship might yet flee or fight. Not to its full potential, but not adrift and stagnant, either. We can handle it between us.”
Ajax caught her use of the word. “’We’, is it?”
Jyliansa was quick to say, “You need my help to set the sails. None of you have the talent, and there is no-one else you can trust not to betray you in a moment of weakness.”
Helleanna asked, “But what of your oath?”
Ajax realized the loophole. He laughed as loud as he dared in the night. “We’ve given you the way, haven’t we? You told him you would not dive into the ocean from this coast. But you never promised him that you wouldn’t sail away on the surface.”
Jyliansa was almost embarrassed as she fought down a manic grin. “Just so. If there is a curse, then this is my way past it. I remember a time when I would not split such hairs. But though my father won’t risk the King’s ire, I won’t be trapped here. I will not be their sacrificial lamb any longer.” Another small wave of embarrassment swept over her. “If you will have me with you, Princess.”
Callistia gestured toward Ajax. “Though he is my knight, this is his quest. As much as you, I am here as a refugee sworn to help him succeed.”
Ajax was surprised at the gesture. To defer to him instead of her royal rank was a huge gift. “Enough talk, or they will find us here jawing in the dark.” Nothing else needed to be said. The decision had been made the moment Jyliansa had concealed them from the guards inside her own home. She was one of them.
Jyliansa unsheathed a hooked knife, and her grin was just as wicked. “You shan’t regret it.”
Krizzilani also took hold of herself, grasping two of the throwing knives she had taken from the storage room. “Time I started pulling my own weight.” She looked annoyed at herself for being so weak for this long.
The two melded into shadows and set off toward the wharf.
Not long after, the guard standing at the head of the jetty was tugged into the darkness with a strangled “urrrk!”
Ajax left his hiding spot and loped down the wooden planks. There were four ships tied up to the long wharf – they were similar in class, probably the four ships of Rasharann’s interceptor squadron. There was a deck watch on each, but none of them were being alert. After all, this was home port, where the most exciting thing to happen was to have a drunk sailor attempt to stumble on board with a whore on each arm aiming to use the lower decks for his fun.
Keeping his steps soft and staying well away from the lanterns spaced down the dock, Ajax made his way to the gang-plank leading up onto the Wavesword’s deck. He paused again, listening into the wind and scanning the dark.
He thought he saw a blurry shadow crawling up the bow-line. The spidery shape was holding a knife in her teeth and bent on causing trouble. As nimbly as a squirrel, she was over the bow rail and onto the ship. Ajax moved a second later, racing onto the ship so he could help face whatever resistance they found. Krizzilani was his dark shadow, coming right behind him and then darting off toward the stern.
Ajax wasn’t fond of attacks in the dark, preferring an open battle. But they were at a woeful disadvantage. They didn’t have time for niceties. He rounded the main mast
and found two marines sharing stories over a cup of coffee. A single swipe of Skyreaver ended the first. A meaty fist to the face stopped the second from shouting, then he buried the sword to the hilt in his chest, finishing the job. He stalked onward. The upper decks were clear, so he headed into the hold below.
He was barely clear of the steep ladder when three sailors ambled from the back hold. Fortunately, their first instincts were to gasp in surprise rather than scream in terror. Neither would have kept them alive, but screams might have helped save the ship.
Taking the advantage, Ajax ploughed his shoulder into the first, crushing his lungs against a support pillar. His sword cleaved the second’s head off his shoulders in one swipe. The last struggled his sabre free, aiming to make a fight of it. A throwing knife lodged in his throat before he could bring it to bear. He tumbled to the ground in a gush of blood.
Ajax looked over his shoulder as his dark elf shadow rejoined him. “Well thrown.”
“Benefits of a life of misdeeds.” She flashed a white-toothed smile from behind her night-black lips. Her golden eyes were as radiant as a feline’s in the dark hold.
“The upper decks?”
“Jyliansa cut down two, and I harvested one from the after castle. Unless we find any more below, the ship is ours. Helleanna and Callistia are already aboard.”
“Excellent.” He meant it. This whole gambit relied on speed, stealth and whole ton of luck. “Can I trust you to finish the sweep down here? Jyliansa might need a hand with the sails.”
