The following morning the group ate some strips of meat from the venison the evening before, but already it was starting to turn and wouldn’t last the day. They packed, mounted and moved on, the four of them quietly winding their way through the forest, making sure they didn’t travel any roads. There were too many unknown factors now, much safer to travel their own path. The going was a bit slower but at this moment they had time and staying out of eyesight was the most important thing. The morning’s ride was uneventful other than disturbing a Razorback in a bit of undergrowth that sent him squealing and running off.
“
Hey Dark, how are you holding up?”
Dark looked up and smiled back,
“
Just fine thanks.”
Around midday they stopped again, this time they sat down and pulled out some dried fruit. They would need to find some more substantial food before the day’s end, a little hunting trip would be on the cards soon. Keera looked around from their vantage point. They were at the edge of a forest with an open field before them. It was maybe a hundred yards wide and extending for almost as far as the eye could see. It had obviously once been cleared either for timber or farming at one time but was now overgrown and grazed by whatever animals lived in the forest. She was tired of venison, maybe there was a wild cow running loose here?
Then she spotted him, a man in all black on a jet-black horse, the rider had long white flowing hair. Strangely beautiful he was, Keera quietly called out to the others,
“
Beware!”
The others immediately switched to full alert, only Wollfen sat quietly eating not paying attention. The rest looked on and Justin commented,
“
About 200 yards distant, I could take him with my longbow.”
The rider stood silently in the middle of the clearing side on to them as plain as day, not moving but watching.
“
He must have just come across us,” Keera announced.
“
No.” Wollfen got up, “He has been shadowing us all morning.”
“
You knew and didn’t say anything? None of us saw him.”
“
And you wouldn’t, he didn’t want to be seen. He is Elven, a true master at the art of concealment.”
Justin spoke before he thought,
“
But you knew he was there?”
“
Yes.”
Wollfen didn’t care to elaborate. Dark gave a little smile, this man is still full of surprises she thought.
“
So what does he want?” Justin quipped.
Wollfen looked out at the rider who now turned his horse to face them but still did not move, quietly waiting.
“
He wishes to parley.”
At that moment Wollfen stepped out into the open and strode across the meadow a good twenty yards. Then, stood hands hooked into his belt, turned slightly with one leg slightly bent, watching the rider. Justin made a move for his longbow and Dark lifted her hand motioning him to stay. They stood there and stared.
The rider watched that man dressed in black and brown step out and stand in invitation to him. He moved forward quietly but alertly not watching the lone figure but the others in the trees. The Elvish warrior knew where he stood with that man. It was the others in the trees he was concerned about. He could sense a couple of them were skittish. As he approached he saw deeper into the man’s eyes and he could sense an underlying power. He was right to make his presence known, this man had purpose in the world.
Wollfen greeted the elf in Elven tongue much to the rider’s surprise. A little taken aback, he returned the favor in the Kingdom’s tongue and Wollfen raised an eyebrow. He looked this elf up and down. His clothes were spotless and perfect. He saw a sword on his hip, not the sort of thing elves would normally carry. The bow on his back went without saying. All elves were brought up to use a bow, male or female. The horse was something altogether different. As the rider approached he could tell this horse, black as the night, was of some purer strain than he had ever seen before. Wollfen wasn’t aware of such elven breeding.
The elf noticed how Wollfen scrutinized his mount.
“
He has Dragon’s blood in his veins.”
Now Wollfen was truly surprised.
“
Oh? And he is still alive?”
He reached up to touch the horse’s nose and let the animal smell him but the creatures eyes glowed red and it snapped at his hand.
“
Careful! He will not allow the touch of any human hand.”
Wollfen took this in and was more curious. He stared into those reddish glowing eyes, entered the mind of the beast, then slowly raised his hand again. This time the horse did not react. It allowed him to stroke his nose and snorted appreciatively.
The elf looking on could not help but be surprised,
“
You have Elvish blood maybe?” He queried.
“
No, not at all,” and Wollfen left it at that. “So, what may we be to you?”
“
I wish to join your group. With what passes through this lower land at present, I believe we shall be safer in numbers. I mean you no ill.”
Wollfen contemplated the elf's words,
“
Yes, you speak truthfully; my name is Wollfen, what is yours?”
“
It is in human speak, Eldoron, and in Elven…..”
An unutterable flow of syllables came out of which Wollfen immediately lost track.
“
Yes well Eldoron, I may speak Elven but I’m afraid names still manage to be beyond me, anyway you are welcome to join us.”
“
I thank you Lord Wollfen.”
Lord Wollfen? He decided to let it slide for now. Only one other had ever called him that and if this elf was some sort of emissary or agent of them then it could be addressed in good time. Wollfen turned with the elf slightly off to one side and back a bit they approached the other three exchanging greetings.
“
So elf, what are you doing in these parts anyway?”
“
I have traveled for a number of years around this land, learning as I go. No I am not an outcast. I chose to be away from my own kind. I grew tired of the so-called perfection and purity. There is a certain emptiness to it.”
Wollfen had never heard an elf speak so before. This was something new and it intrigued him.
The others were full of questions bombarding him one after the other and the elf was gracious enough to spend his time answering. None of the others had ever met a real elf before, they had only heard stories told in taverns of fleeting glimpses and of eerie stories.
Wollfen watched on quietly, carefully studying him. Keera was studying him too, looking at his crisp black riding clothes. It looked like he had just stepped out of the tailorsmith of some city rather than traveling out here in the grime of the outlands. His sword was interesting too. The scabbard she could see was of hard leather engraved with glyphs over its entire length and polished black. The grip too was wrapped black leather with silver highlights on either end and more glyphs. Both the pommel and the cross carried them, it was beautiful to look at and she was sure even nicer to wield.
They chatted for a bit more. The elf seemed fine to Wollfen and he had no reason to distrust him. Elvenkind were a moral race except for the rogues. Rogues rejected everything elves stood for and even went out of their way not to look like them, usually dirtier and rougher looking, this one here was no rogue.
“
It's time we move.”
They all finished their talk and began preparing for the next leg of the journey. They all fell into position, Keera and Justin out front. Wollfen and Dark following, the elf bringing up the rear. On they trekked southwesterly, keeping their eyes open and ears pricked listening and watching for anything out of place. The further they traveled the more likely they were to run into the enemy.
Wollfen leaned over to Dark,
“
Would it be okay if I spoke to the elf for a bit?” Dark nodded and motioned to the elf to take her place and she fell back. “It’s time we talked Eldoron.”
“
Yes, I have a message for you. I have been sent to contact you and offer my services.”
“
I was expecting the message but not your offer. Under what terms do you offer it?”
“
I am here of my own free will in service of the powers that be, to serve all beings and future health of this land and I know that is your goal too.”
“
Well said, did you rehearse it?”
The elf actually cracked a little smile.
“
A bit much? It usually works very well on humankind, you are a wise one for a person so young.”
To the elf, Wollfen, being human, would seem young indeed. They were a much more long-lived race than humans, and that also meant they developed a lot slower too. Two hundred and fifty years was a reasonable age to live to for them. Wollfen looked across and studied his face more closely, how old was he?
“
Eighty-five if you must know, I am still a young male.”
Wollfen looked at him and replied,
“
Then you are a wise one indeed for such a young age.” They both laughed. “Well the girls had better watch out for us when we hit the next town eh?” quipped Wollfen.
Dark looked up and gave him a glowering look. The elf decided not to respond, he knew better!
“
What of the message?”
“
King Elyssur sends his regards and understands that you will soon be putting your plan into action. As such he wants you to know that if you need to seek counsel at any time, he is ready.”
Wollfen thought about it for only a second,
“
In view of the changing circumstances it’s rather a redundant statement isn’t it?”
The elf could not agree more,
“
It was my duty to give you the message so I did. I think though my services would be more important now.”
Wollfen agreed,
“
Yes I will certainly be able to use your talents very soon.”
Further to the Northwest, Nightwing and Loranda were cantering along at a steady pace, they needed to move quickly but they also needed to preserve the horses too. There was no point in making them go lame thirty miles from their destination. They were only two days’ ride from the coast and then they would need to locate the King’s entourage. That would not take too much, a King’s presence wasn’t something that was subtle. Especially this one, he liked his big tents and flashy troops, always on show for the local populace. Some said he was a bit prissy. Night had even heard gossip that he had the occasional male lover too. She knew he spent half his time getting his hair done, fingernails and toenails polished and painted then choosing what to wear.
She shook her head. That had been her life once, an Earl’s daughter in waiting. She had grown up learning to resent it. By the time she had hit her mid teens, well, she had hated it. She had left for a number of reasons, her father didn’t know what to do. If he had known what had happened in the months before she left, he would have chased her. She sometimes sent a letter and he knew she was alive and well at least.
These rides always gave to contemplation, especially now under the circumstances. So many things had happened in the last three days and all of it bad, but at least they had a focus and were attempting to address it. It was more than could be said of the government Wollfen had sent her to warn. She already knew how they would react. A committee would need to be formed and people sent out to investigate, if they didn’t come back after a couple of weeks then more would be sent out. If what was claimed was found to be true then there would have to be more committee meetings and blah blah blah. She knew this wasn’t going to turn out well but as Wollfen had said, we have to try. Yes, on that part he was right, maybe, just maybe something would happen.
Night took her mind off of it and looked across at Loranda, her beautiful Loranda, young and nubile, such a sweet person too. The strength she had inside was an added bonus, it reflected Nightwing’s need for that same strength in herself and she always aspired to be more than what she had been. Loranda was a gift, they had come together one night after a speech made to them all by Wollfen. It had seemed so natural, so easy. The wine that night had probably helped, but it had been more than that. Sex and intimacy with her was more complete and more fulfilling than anything she had ever experienced with any other woman. Loranda looked up at Nightwing and caught her checking her out. She smiled, winked and blew a kiss. Nightwing returned the compliment.
Back inland Kane and Solynne had started tracking a large force of men heading in a South-easterly direction, numbering maybe 400. They had obviously been one of the groups that had hit one of the towns as there were a few riderless horses at the back of the column. The enemy had taken a few losses, that was comforting. The local constabulary had put up some sort of fight at least. It was interesting to note that they didn’t take their dead with them. That information might be of use to them sometime in the future and was worth noting.