“If you don’t want to tell me, then don’t. Just don’t lie to me, okay?” he whispered softly, and her throat hitched in a fresh sob.
After a brief pause, she looked him straight in the eye and nodded her head. “Just give me time to work it out first, then I’ll tell you everything.”
That was the best he was going to get, and he knew it. “Okay.”
A cough interrupted their conversation and he turned to see the druid standing in the doorway behind them. “I can come back later if you want.”
Willow wiped away her fresh tears and reached for the spellbook lying on the bedside table. “No, let’s get started.” She rose to her feet and put a hand on his cheek, gave him one last weak smile, then followed the druid out the door.
He lowered his head, trying to understand what was going on. What had upset her so much? That last look she gave almost felt like someone had died. Getting to his feet, he tried to push it aside and was surprised when the door to their room opened once more. “Doesn’t anybody knock in this place?” he asked in irritation, causing Derek to pause half-way through the door.
“I’m sorry Sir, I heard that you have been asked to come to the training grounds and thought you might need assistance putting on your armor,” the squire replied, unsure if he should enter or close the door and leave.
“Might as well come in since you’re here,” he snapped. “Just do me a favor and knock first from now on.”
“Yes Sir,” the youth said as he stepped forward and immediately went to work strapping the graphene armor on. “Have you thought of what you’re going to use with your off-hand? A shield? Another weapon?”
That was one thing he hadn’t put any thought into at all. Purity was a hand-and-a-half sword and he hadn’t considered using it with a secondary weapon. He had lost his shield when the gnomes kidnapped them, and it never occurred to him to have it replaced. He shook his head and the squire immediately went into a long-winded spiel.
“A shield can come in handy, but depending on your fighting skills, you might do well using a secondary weapon instead. A sword is ideal, but so is a warhammer or a morning star. You can use a hammer to both bludgeon or pierce an enemy skull or the morning star to attach to a shield and remove it from your opponent’s grasp. I’d suggest a flail, but those things can hurt you just as much as your enemy, and I’d prefer it if you didn’t take yourself out instead,” Derek finished as he snapped his cloak into place and took a step back to make sure everything was fastened correctly.
“Yes, I’d prefer that as well,” he remarked with distain.
Derek shook his head and smiled. “Well, let’s get you to the training grounds, maybe Sir Pendoran will know what to do with you.”
Ten minutes later they were making their way down a forested path and he could hear the sounds of combat echoing towards them from a short distance ahead. His nerves were on edge and his stomach was fluttery. How well would he perform and how much training would Pendoran deem necessary going forward? He still felt like the knight disapproved of him, would he intentionally make things harder than they should be? And should that bother him? The harder he trained the more prepared he’d be when the armies arrived. Was there such a thing as being overly prepared?
They emerged onto a large field and he paused to watch the other knights training before him. The field was surrounded by trees and completely cut off the training grounds from the outside world. No one could see in or out, and he could see the advantage in not being distracted by outside influences or spectators. Along the right were hundreds of knights, paired up and dueling one another, an instructor walking along and barking praises or curses at them.
On the left he could see a very large stable. Knights were fighting upon horseback, with a combination of mounted and ground combat being violently exchanged with loud clashes of wood and steel. In the center of the field was a large structure built out of startling white stone with vines interlaced along several pillars that ringed it. The building was circular with a large door in the center. Pendoran stood there talking to another one of his knights and as the elf took notice of them, they were waved forward.
“Hello, my name’s Gareth. We met after the knighting ceremony. But I’m sure you had plenty of names to try and learn, so I won’t hold it against you,” the elf standing at Pendoran’s side teased. He was tall, well-built, with fair dirty-blond hair and sharp blue eyes. His face was smooth and slender, the eyebrows tapered off into points and were very thin.
Truthfully, he couldn’t recall meeting him, but he grasped the offered hand and smiled like he did. “Nice to see you again.”
“Let’s go inside,” Pendoran told them in a brisk tone, he was looking winded and about to fall down.
Stepping through the doorway, he was surprised to find the room sparse of any decoration or runic writing that he had seen adorning almost every piece of elven architecture since his arrival. It looked quite humble and simplistic in retrospect. There was a large table in the center of the room with several chairs arranged around it. Six doors lined the walls and he was instantly curious what lay behind them, as there appeared to be no labels to indicate what they were hiding from view. Maybe they stored weapons there? Then again, it could be cleaning supplies for all he knew.
Standing next to the table was a darker skinned elf wearing brown robes with jet black hair and brown eyes. He had a matching beard and moustache, and he seemed to be purposely awaiting their arrival.
“This is Owain, son of Uriens, and a member of the druid order. He will be helping us test your skills today,” Pendoran explained as he pulled out a seat at the table. The knight was not adorned in his armor and the clothes he wore appeared very loose upon the elf’s body. “Ah yes, still haven’t gotten used to seeing me just yet. Well, take a good hard look, because after this moment, I expect you to focus entirely on your instruction and quit distracting yourself by criticizing the appearance of others.”
“I wasn’t—,” he began, but Pendoran cut him off.
“You’ll speak only when asked while you are on these grounds. My King may have taken an instant liking to you, and maybe you deserved being inducted into our brotherhood for your supposed deeds, but as the commander of the Knights of the Realm, I should have been involved with that decision. You are untried in battle and I will not allow the lives of my knights to be put in jeopardy trying to protect a spoiled prince pretending to be more than he is. I have been ordered to see to your training, so be it. But I will not be holding anything back as our time is short and I don’t have years to make you into the knight you ought to have been before joining our ranks. Some squires train the whole of their lives for that privilege and still never get accepted into the brotherhood. Derek there has been training for ten years, how long have you been handling a sword? Two weeks, three? Despite your impressive frame, I take you for more for a bookworm than a fighter. So why pretend to be one now?” the elf asked with undisguised disgust.
“If you opposed this, then why didn’t you speak up at the ceremony?” he asked after a short pause.
Pendoran clenched his jaw and ground his teeth as he reached for a pitcher lying in the middle of the table. Pouring himself a cup of wine, he brought it towards his mouth as he snapped, “and oppose my King openly in front of the men? I may be a lot of things, but suicidal I am not. No, we had those words in private, yet he still saw fit to make you one of us.” He took a long gulp of his wine then slammed the cup on the table. “So, this is what we’re going to do. We are going to go into one of these training rooms and Owain will then enter your mind. You will not resist, or I’ll call this done and send you packing. Then we will begin testing your basic skills and work up from there. Gareth and I will observe, and once we are satisfied that we’ve reached the limits of your knowledge, which shouldn’t take too long, we will further discuss how your training will proceed.”
He bristled with anger. Now that he had his mental defenses in place, he had finally felt safe withi
n the caverns of his mind. To let someone else in there to peruse as they will—
“That is not a suggestion, it’s an order. If you don’t like it, the door is right there. You can go back to the palace and throw yourself into your books, but you will not be allowed to ride with my men into battle, King Erik’s wishes be damned. Best make that choice now, because it’s the only time I’m going to give you one,” Pendoran sneered.
“I’m staying,” he told the knight, keeping his face still and unresponsive. He was determined to do whatever it took and if that meant putting up with the knight’s bullying tactics, then so be it. There was truth in everything Pendoran said and he truly didn’t feel worthy enough to fight by their side. But he was here now and the only choice available to him was to push on.
The knight almost looked disappointed, but he looked to Owain and nodded his head. “Let’s begin.”
II
It was a shame that Kylee happened to be the one they needed to rescue, as elves had better night vision than the other races and would have made traipsing through these infernal caves that much easier, but there was nothing for it. He wished there was something they could do about the racket they were making though. Three armored warriors just couldn’t move silently in the armor they were wearing; it was impossible.
He nearly bumped into Riska several times and he could feel Melissa’s hand periodically reach out and touch his back. Suddenly an idea popped into his head and he patted Riska’s shoulder, signaling for the others to come to a halt. Moving towards the front, he nodded to Kore and took the lead position of the group.
Taking a deep breath, he centered himself, brought his heartbeat to a slow steady rhythm, then delved into his mind and searched for the multitude of futures that snaked out from this moment to the next. Letting his mind drift, he searched for the one with the most promising outcome, seeing himself take turn after turn until finally a route began to take shape. “Stay close on me,” he whispered to the orc, then began walking once more. Having memorized the route as best he could, he weaved their way forward, leading them deeper into the mountain.
After what seemed like hours, they finally begin to see a feeble light starting to illuminate the caves around them. The soft orange glow was dull but at least it was something. They hadn’t run into any of the Dark Elves yet, and Merlin was trying to ensure that he delayed any interaction with them for as long as possible.
They were approaching a large cavern and it was better lit than the rest of the cave system had been. He searched with his mind to try and detect what would happen once they entered the cavern, but once more his vision was being blocked by some unseen force. All he could be sure of was that Kylee was somewhere ahead.
They had come this far, there was no point turning back now. He motioned Kore and Reyna forward, making hand signals to communicate what was ahead. Reyna nodded and he could feel Kore’s red eyes bore into him as he worked through what he was being told. Kore’s tusks were still, indicating impatience. He knew that as soon as the ranger came into sight, the orc would forgo any attempt at subterfuge and charge ahead with total disregard for his life and those of the rest of the group.
Stepping into the large cavern, he noticed a sloped ramp that snaked down the right side to the floor below. There were torches lit and positioned on the walls, but other than a throne on the far side of the room; it appeared to be devoid of anything else. Sitting on the massive chair and secured with ropes sat their ranger, Kylee’s head tilted to the side as if unconscious. His eyes swept the room around them, sure that this was a trap, but was unable to find any sign of how it’d be sprung.
Kore could not hold onto his patience any longer as he bounded quickly towards the throne ahead. Reyna had her sword ready and was beginning to sweep left as Riska went right. He could sense Melissa on his heels and heard a sudden hiss come from her direction, making his head jerk around. The shifting of feet caught his attention and he looked towards the cavern’s roof where the sound had originated. There was another ledge above the one they had come through and lining the walls above were at least sixty cloaked individuals, bows trained on them, ready to let loose at an instant’s notice.
Reyna froze as she took notice of their attackers and he heard Riska curse in frustration. Kore was undeterred as he continued on towards the tied-up ranger; ignoring the threat from above.
Merlin began to summon his magic, but a hand landed on his shoulder and interrupted his spell. “Wait,” Melissa whispered in his ear, then turned to the figures standing above. “We have come to retrieve our friend, we don’t mean to cause any harm, and once we have her we will leave back the way we came. You will never see us again.”
There was a low hiss then a reply in a dialect that even he didn’t understand.
“No, she is not your Queen. She is the daughter of the King of Griedlok, and if you continue to hold her, her father will march here with his armies and wage war until either she’s returned or you’re all dead. Is that what you want?” Melissa asked return.
“You speak their language?” he asked in confusion, not liking that he was being cut out of the conversation.
She ignored him as another hissed conversation took place. She sighed. “Their Queen passed away a long time ago and they’ve been searching for her lost heir ever since. Their oracles have foreseen the return of their missing princess, a woman of silver hair and eyes, not unlike our young ranger over there. They aren’t going to let us just walk out with her.”
Kore had cut the ropes holding the ranger and the elf was finally beginning to stir. “Tuskar?” she moaned, and Kore shook his head in response. It looked like she was trying to choke back a sob as she attempted to get to her feet. Several arrows shifted in her direction and he prepared to try and intercede.
Kylee’s gear had been thrown on the ground at the base of the throne and as she bent over to pick them up, an arrow flew across the room and embedded in the soiled earth next to her weapons. Kore bellowed with rage, axe coming up as he challenged the attackers above. Reyna’s shield was up to block against poisoned arrows and Riska’s eyes were flying from bow to bow, trying to figure out what he could do to protect himself if they should fly.
“That’s enough!” Melissa roared.
“What are you doing?” he asked, stunned as she stepped forward with her arms wide.
She turned and glared at him with sad eyes. “Since you stepped into my home, I have been complaining about being swept along with this without ever being given a choice. Well, I am making one now. You will not make it out of here if I don’t and there is too much at stake for me to hide from who I am any longer. Damn you for putting me in this position. Why couldn’t we have just gone on and left the ranger to die? You and your noble ideals, they are going to get you all killed.”
The confusion he felt was complete; what was she talking about?
Her body began to shimmer in front of their eyes and he felt his breath catch in his throat. Her skin began to darken, her ears to elongate. Her brow shifted outward and her chin became pointed. The black hair running down her back began to lighten and as he watched, her eyes paled to an albino white.
Standing before him was a purple and gray skinned elf with white long hair, her face barely recognizable as the woman she was.
“It can’t be, this has to be a glamour,” he muttered in disbelief. He had known the witch for a very long time and not once had he been given any inclination that she was anything other than human. An increase in hissing rose from above. He could sympathize; he felt just as stunned as their attackers were.
“All my glamour is gone, my old friend,” Melissa told him. “Those magical defenses that were created to defend the Lady of the Lake, they were done by a single representative from each race of elf and since the High Elves could not be found, they sought me out to make their magic complete. I was supposed to come home to my mother when it was over, but I fell in love with the outside world and used my magic to blend in; remaining for
ever apart from my people. A few centuries ago I had word of my mother’s passing and sent Bleak to find out what he could about who would replace her; it appears that they’ve been waiting for me to come home all along.”
“That’s why you didn’t want Bleak to accompany us, you were afraid he’d reveal who you truly were?” he asked, and the witch nodded with a sad smile.
“Thought we’d be able to get the ranger and get out without having to do this, but that is no longer an option available to us. If you try to fight, you will die. Each of those arrow tips have been dipped in toxin and even the slightest scratch will weaken even the strongest foe. I would not be able to live with myself if my fear led to your deaths,” she answered softly.
“Tell Tristan—,” she began, then smirked. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter anymore.” She then looked at the cloaked figures above, the bows had lowered as whispered conversation echoed around them. “I am Solana, daughter of Lyeyeru, and I have returned home to once more be among my people. This ranger is not the queen you sought, I am. The Oracles foretold of my coming and their visions have been vindicated. I ask that you let my companions leave, as they are working to destroy the Phoenix, and that is a goal that we ourselves have always worked to attain.”
Elvish dialect began flowing between the revealed queen and her subjects as Melissa’s eyes turned to him one last time. Take Kylee and get out of here. Do not worry about me. For once, I am where I choose to be. Goodbye, old friend.
Merlin nodded in understanding and motioned for Reyna to help Kore with the ranger. Riska swept up Kylee’s weapons as the two other warriors each grasped a shoulder and began helping the wounded elf across the room. Slowly, he backed away from the Dark Elf Queen, the transformation leaving almost nothing of the woman he knew behind. With a grim smile, he followed the others up the ramp and towards the cave’s entrance that would eventually lead them back out and into the open once more.
The New Age Saga Box Set Page 74
