The Merchant and the Menace (10 page)

“No,” replied Teeg. “That is Manfir’s warhorse.”

“Oh. Makes sense I suppose. It takes a young man to
handle a horse like that,” said Kael.

“Ha,” laughed Teeg. “I say again. Fables are built
on fabulous truth and life is full of surprises!”

Ader finished talking to Manfir and walked toward
them.

“Kael, you will ride the chestnut with the packages
on it. The other is for Aemmon when we reach him.”

Ader turned toward the stables and a look of concentration
crossed his brow. Kael heard a deep whinny and the stamp of a hoof. Another
stallion pranced from the stables. Kael stood mouth agape. Manfir’s black
stallion was huge, but Ader’s steed stood a full two hands taller with
considerably more bulk. The horse pranced over to Ader and nuzzled his chest.
The stallion was dark gray in color and bore a strange, five-point marking upon
its forehead.

As Kael stood marveling at the beauty of the
creature, it turned and eyed him. Its huge nostrils flared and it took in the
boy’s scent. The horse let out a low rumbling whinny, approached Kael slowly
with its head lowered and nuzzled his chest. Kael’s body was rigid and his arms
lay locked to his sides. The boy’s wide eyes danced between the giant stallion standing
before him and the amused grins of his companions. Slowly he raised his hands,
took the huge head into his arms and gently stroked it.

“I’ve never seen Tarader allow any other to handle
him but you, my lord,” said Manfir approaching the group.

“It seems he is intrigued by the lad,” said Ader
smiling.

“Truly remarkable,” stated Teeg.

Kael released the horse and mounted the chestnut
mare, a fine Erutre horse in its own right. Manfir mounted the black stallion
and moved toward Ader. Ader spoke briefly to Teeg then turned to Tarader. The
horse dropped on its front knees and the old tinker mounted. With no effort at
all the horse rose and moved toward the opening to the street beneath the
castle walls. Kael and Manfir followed.

“Thank you for everything,” called Kael over his
shoulder to Teeg.

The old Elf smiled and bowed.

The trio created quite a stir as they traveled
through the city streets. Elves, young and old alike, bowed heads and placed
their hands on their hearts.  They finished their greeting by extending their
palms upward. Ader’s face remained stern and occasionally the trader bowed his
head, extended his right hand and mumbled something. The Elves smiled and bowed
in gratitude, but Kael swore he heard the words “ridiculous” and “nonsense” in Ader’s
ramblings.

They passed through the gate in the wall of giant white trees and
through the outer city streets. Soon they were out of Luxlor and on the Nagur
path. They made excellent time to the bridge and dismounted to lead their
horses across its narrow expanse. Kael glanced about the woods and after
concentrating was able to discern at least a dozen figures hidden within its
shadows. He noticed Diom covered in his Elven cloak, motionless amongst several
brambles to his right. The Elf’s face was colored to match the patterns of the
brush.

Kael smiled broadly at the Elven soldier and waved
heartily.

Diom remained like a statue save for the tightening
of the muscles in his face. The trio reached the northern side of the Efer and
mounted to ride on.

“Kael, never embarrass an Elf,” frowned Ader.

“I wasn’t trying to embarrass anyone,” replied Kael
returning the frown. “ I wanted Diom to know I hold no ill will from our
encounter.”

“The Elves take pride in their stealth,” returned
Ader with a slight scowl. “By pointing out Diom, you shame him before his men.”

Kael furrowed his brow.

“That is ridiculous. They were all clearly
visible.”

“How many did you see?” asked Ader arching a brow.

“All of them, I assume,” returned Kael. “About two
dozen.”

“I counted fifty Elves at the crossing,” replied
Ader with a grin. “They doubled the garrison after Eidyn’s report to the
council.

The old man turned from the boy and let his mount
canter ahead. Manfir pulled up alongside Kael.

“Ader tries to teach you respect,” said Manfir in
his deep, stolid voice. “The world is a dangerous place. Confidence is an ally,
but it can also become an enemy. What you
know
is important and
certainly assists you in times of trouble. However, it is what you do
not
know
that will get you killed. That and pride. Pride is the foolish man’s
executioner.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to be disrespectful to
Diom,” said Kael drooping his head. “It’s just that the last day has been so
... serious. I’m happy to be going home.”

The boy flushed as he considered the Elven soldier.

“I’m the one who should be embarrassed, thinking
myself as capable as experienced men. I must sound like a fool trying to prove
how many of the Elves I spotted while men like yourself find such tasks
commonplace.”

The big man’s face remained placid as he glanced at
Kael then spurred his giant black stallion forward to keep pace with Ader. He
turned over his shoulder and called back.

“Me? I saw no Elves, Kael. That is why I am ever
vigilant.”

The trio trotted on in silence. After some time,
Kael pulled the chestnut alongside Ader. He was curious about many things and
was put off for too long. He needed answers. Kael started out cautiously.

”Ader, where did you come upon such a beautiful
horse?”

“He was a gift to a friend,” answered Ader. “I am
sometimes allowed the use of his strong back.”

Kael assumed the queen of the Elves gave the old
trader the mighty stallion.

“Where did he get such a curious name?” asked Kael.

“Kael, do you know the old tongue?” Ader inquired.

“Some,” said Kael.

“‘Tar’ means?” questioned Ader.

“‘Tar‘ is the word for ‘mountain’,” answered Kael
brightly. The boy took a moment then grinned. “Ah, I see. He is ‘Mountain of
Ader’. That is clever.”

“I never approved of it,” said Ader frowning. “He
isn’t mine anymore than he wants to be. We are friends. When I need him, he
helps me. When he needs me, I help him. Others contrived that name a long time
ago, but I don’t use it.”

“Why do you call yourself ‘Ader’ among these
people?” prodded Kael abruptly.

“It’s my name here,” replied Ader.

“What do you mean ‘here’?” countered Kael.

“Just what I say. I’m known in different lands by
different names. People sometimes speak a different tongue in faraway lands.
They change your name to suit their taste. I’m a traveler and a tradesman. I
must change my name to fit in comfortably with those I transact business.”

“But you don’t simply ‘fit in’ at Luxlor. You’re a
guest of the king and queen,” exclaimed Kael.

“So were you,” returned Ader. “The Elves are a
hospitable people.”

“That’s true,” frowned Kael, “but I didn’t burst
into the royal court and begin to order princes and kings to do my bidding.”

“The Elves are an isolated people, Kael,” replied
Ader.  “Their news of the world is limited. They treat me well because they
seek to learn about the world outside their forest. They seek my counsel
because I’m old and world wise. They pay me with their hospitality and a
certain tolerance of my rough behavior.”

“I’ll accept that, but you must admit that you’re
not the poor trader you portray in Kelky. This horse alone must be worth
hundreds of gold coins,” stated Kael.

“I said, he isn’t mine to trade or barter. Besides,
if I arrived in Kelky as a wealthy man, the people would buy none of my goods
for fear they were overpriced by a money gouger. Then they would try to sell me
theirs at an inflated price, surmising that I held enough coin to be gouged. If
I look poor, the locals, including your kindly father, keep their prices fair.
That is how the world works, Kael.” said Ader.

Again they rode on not speaking, but the forest was
alive with sound. They traveled some time and Kael felt an uneasiness creep
over him. A chill shot through his body and his heart raced. Ader abruptly
stopped. The old man raised a hand as a signal for the others to follow suit.
There was an ominous silence.

“What is it?” whispered Kael.

“We are close to where you parted with your
brother,” said Ader without turning.

The old man’s eyes scanned his surroundings

“I see nothing,” stated Manfir flatly.

“You need not
see
something to be alerted to
its presence,” said Ader. “Proceed cautiously.”

They trotted forward, cresting a small hill in the
path. Kael noted a thinning of the trees ahead. He knew they were close to the
northern end of the Nagur. Ader cautiously led them forward.

“Ader, what is it you fear?” asked Manfir.

“A great evil is present here.”

Manfir drew his broadsword from the scabbard
strapped to his back. He clutched his horse’s reins with one hand and held the
blade out with the other. As the group moved along the path, all the horses
grew skittish. Kael leaned forward and spoke soothingly to the chestnut and the
little horse calmed.

A breeze rustled through the trees from the path
ahead and the smell of death filled Kael’s nostrils. The boy’s breath quickened
and his cheeks flushed. They rounded a bend in the path and were able to see
the opening of the forest to the fields beyond. The light from the opening
illuminated the path ahead and Kael saw lumps strewn about the road. Immediately
he knew they were the bodies of the Elven squad sent by General Chani. His
stomach twisted into knots and he covered his mouth and nose to prevent from
getting sick.

 The trio reached the battle scene and Ader
motioned them to halt and dismount. Manfir dropped from his horse and removed a
long shield strapped to the side of the stallion. His eyes never stopped
scanning the forest around them. Kael slowly slid from his horse and staggered
toward Manfir.

 The ground was covered in Elven blood and bodies. Many
were so savagely mutilated that they were unrecognizable. The bodies were
scattered across the road and into the woods on both sides of the path. Ader
bent close and examined the remains of one of the Elves propped against a tree.
The body was burnt beyond recognition and the tree trunk was charred black.
Manfir approached.

“A surprise attack,” stated Manfir. “It’s evident
by the way the bodies are spread throughout the area, defending no single
position.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Kael fighting
nausea and panic. He averted his eyes from the horrifying corpse.

“When you are aware an attack is imminent, you choose
a location and defend it,” replied Manfir. “These men are strewn about the
locale haphazardly. Some men are on the north side of trees, some on the south.
Some are on the east of the road, some on the west. These men were surprised
and forced to defend themselves with the enemy in their midst.”

“I don’t care how this happened!” exclaimed Kael,
squeezing his eyes shut. “What of Aemmon?”

 “I don’t see your brother among the bodies,”
replied Ader solemnly. “A closer inspection is in order.”

 Kael’s chestnut reared on its hind legs, tearing
its reins from the boy’s hands. Its hooves flailed the air. Kael’s eyes snapped
open and he struggled to retrieve the reins. The horse spun and bolted out of
the woods into the fields beyond. Tarader and the black stallion whinnied and
backed toward the forest opening. The trio of men followed the animals’ gaze
back down the path into the forest’s interior. Thirty yards away, a large
creature emerged from the woods on the east side of the path.

It was huge. Kael guessed the beast was at least fifteen feet long.
Although it stalked forward head held low, its shoulders were almost as high as
the head of Manfir’s stallion. Patches of scraggly hair covered its scaly black
body. Its head was like that of some giant hound, a short, wide muzzle and a
large, black maw. Its dark coloring made it nearly invisible as it emerged from
the dark wood. Deep, blood red eyes bore down on the men.

Those eyes approached slowly and confidently.
Manfir readied his broadsword and held his shield up.

The boy noted something hanging from the great jaws
of the beast. The monster dragged it along the ground, a scaly bell partially
obscuring its burden. When the beast crept to within fifteen yards of the men
it dropped its load and rose to its full height. Aemmon’s body lay on the
forest floor.

Kael froze in fear and shock, unable to scream. The
creature crouched and licked the blood seeping from puncture wounds on Aemmon’s
broken neck. Its malevolent eyes drifted to the travelers and the right side of
its mouth curled into a snarl. A harsh guttural voice called out.

“This is not the one we seek. I judged it might be,
for it possessed power,” the beast nodded into the woods where Kael’s keen eyes
saw the lifeless body of another of the creatures with its head neatly severed.
“My brother Quirg fell, but its power was no match for Methra.”