The White Shadow Saga: The Stolen Moon of Londor (37 page)

Helfare came from the back of the group and,
reaching Randor's side, said, "I hope you know what you are doing
here, Randor. We are outnumbered a hundred to one, and their
dislike for you does not help the rest of us much, either."

Randor did not respond, and Helfare
unobtrusively slipped his hand into the inner lining of his coat,
keeping his index finger on the hilt of his sword as a
precaution.

"Captain Cailen," Randor announced loudly, "a
moment of your time, if you please?" He halted at the rim of the
circle and clasped his hands together in front of him.

"You are brave in coming here, Miithra,"
Cailen said. "I do hope you bring good tidings. It would be
shameful to do away with you and your friends."

"I have come to a decision, if it would so
please you."

"Then you shall tell this to me at once."
Cailen crossed her arms and stood tall.

"Since my magic has foiled your immediate
departure from Eln-Radah, we shall aid you against the last of the
Argos. In time we will all emerge victorious to see the sun once
more."

"So this is your great plan, Randor?"
Helfare asked. It was not the decision he had hoped for. "What
about
our
plans? Have you
forgotten about those?"

Cailen brought her colleagues to silence,
intrigued with Helfare's slip of the tongue. "What plan do you
speak of? You have not told me of your business here, Miithra."

"I do not wish to burden you any further--not
yet, anyway. It will only cloud your affairs," Randor said.

"Tell me or else," Cailen said boldly.

"Or else what?" Helfare replied, giving the
elf captain a cold stare.

"Please, Helfare," Randor intervened. "Do not
anger her so."

"Is it too important to share?" asked
Cailen.

"The world is saddened by this loss. I ask
you to withhold your questioning about its illness until it is
truly necessary."

Cailen had no clue to Randor's meaning, and
she was unable to look into the wizard's impenetrable mind. And
yet, she had to know. "Do your absolute worst and explain what has
happened to Londor. You have already grieved me enough. I am sure
these added ill tidings won't be too much to bear."

Randor drew a long breath and told as much as
he knew about the disappearance of the moon, and the adventures he
and his company had endured to this point.

Cailen and her advisors were overtaken by a
long and sad silence.

"Now we stand before you until we ascend from
Eln-Radah and continue on our journey. Our paths lie together, and
you have our alliance. Do not dismiss it lightly." Randor stepped
back humbly into his line of companions.

"Beldas is gone?" Cailen whispered. "What
evil did this Adian conspire with to lay death to the world?" She
rubbed her weary golden-colored eyes, dismayed at hearing the
wizard's stories. "I must see the sun once again. The Darnoth army
will see to it that the moon is returned."

"After a short rest," Randor began, "I think
we should move toward the Argos--and end this once and for all. The
Argos were defeated in the Dark War, and we will defeat them
again." He looked sternly at the captain. "My companions and I
shall assist you whenever you are ready." Randor bowed in respect
and then turned to the masses behind him. "Seth, would you and Lorn
be kind enough to scout a campground for us?"

"It would be an honor."

"There will be no need for that," Cailen
said, raising her hand. "Please join me here for the duration of
our idling. I still desire your fellowship."

Randor smiled. "I will enjoy my time with you
as long as we remain together."

"I would much like to hear some of the tales
you have, but I pray you, speak only of happier times than
these."

"Indeed, I will."

The company and Randor sat close to the fire.
Cailen looked to the wizard, who pulled out his pipe, with Gildan
joining him as usual. Cailen had not seen the likes of tobacco
since the beginning of the war. Seeing the elf's longing
expression, Lorn extracted the pipe from his pocket.

"Going to join us for a change?" Randor asked
Lorn.

"No," the dwarf replied as he looked to the
Darnoth commander. "Here you are, Captain," he said, and held the
pipe out.

Cailen was amazed; never had a dwarf given
her anything before. "Why do you give something of your own to
someone…not of your own kind?"

"I am not using it at the moment, and I can
see your look of longing for the taste of a pipe." He sat upright
and stretched his arm as far as it could reach. "Here, Captain,
please use it as your own."

One of the captain's advisors took the pipe
from his hand with delicacy and placed it in Cailen's palm. The elf
captain admired the briar's deep auburn color. "This means a great
deal to me…It connects my soul with the olden days of Darnoth,
sitting beneath the stars on a clear night as I rested my head upon
the heathered hills of Montethen. Those were times of endless
peace. I would always take leave after sunset and lie there beside
a campfire, writing poetry and blowing smoke rings up toward the
moons--it made my life splendid indeed." She laughed as images of
her homeland came alive again. After drifting with her memories for
a few moments, she said, "The flowers are in bloom--the sweet smell
lingers in my nose…In the distance I can see mighty ships returning
home from their voyages. The moonlight dances gracefully upon the
ocean." She trailed off deeper in thought, and her words softened,
becoming indistinguishable.

"Captain Cailen?" said Lorn, breaking the elf
free of her reverie, "you will need tobacco before you begin."

"Indeed," Cailen said.

"How about a nice bowl of Goldtrine?" Gildan
offered.

"You have
Goldtrine
?" Cailen asked, and Gildan nodded,
grinning. "Bless my being, it still grows!"

"The finest you shall ever have."

"Very hard to get hold of, I would
guess."

"Not if you know who to barter with," Gildan
boasted, passing the pouch of tobacco to the elf captain.

"Then Goldtrine it shall be," Cailen said as
she poured the shimmering leaves into her pipe. Lighting it with
the fire, Cailen took a long draw and closed her eyes, almost
falling backward from the overwhelming bliss that it brought her.
"Very rich and soothing; it is just as I remember." She looked to
Lorn and nodded. "I thank you, sir."

"You are more than welcome."

"It is good to see others of my kinship with
you, Randor. Princes, more or less, and I take the latter of the
elves as a mercenary."

"Correct you are," Gildan replied, pleased.
"The greatest mercenary in the world."

"Are times so horrific that royalty must
leave the comfort of their palaces to aid those in need?" Cailen
asked.

"We are here in defiance of the Council,"
Arnanor declared. "They completely forbid our being here, and great
trouble would come to us and my kingdom should they catch wind of
our being here. It is ultimately my choice to take this necessary
journey."

"This Council has such laws?"

"The Council only mean well for their
citizens," Seth said in defense of his masters. "Our numbers are
small, and their help was much needed. I am confident the Council
will never know."

Arnanor laughed in agreement.

"I have much to learn," Cailen admitted,
thinking this new age had many strange laws.

The fellowship continued for a long while as
all within Cailen's firelight told stories--except for Malander,
who had no wish to communicate and left the confinements of
Cailen's inner circle. Cailen enjoyed every story as she puffed
away on Lorn's pipe, though she was particularly drawn to Lorn's
tales of Beowulken. The elf captain hid her misery deep inside and
somehow mustered a smile so as not to worry her companions, though
she began to despair that Randor and his doughty little company
could ever help her in her lifelong struggle. Cailen had not yet
revealed to her newfound friends the greatest strength the Argos
possessed--the one power that kept their numbers well above the
Darnoth's. An ancient, powerful evil ruled Eln-Radah, and nothing
thus far could bring the terror down.

Chapter Fifteen--Twisted Ways

Randor then began to think of Malander.
Everyone around him slept in the warmth of the fire, but he
preferred to sit up and let the constant radiating heat relieve the
shivers that plagued his body. The wizard rose from the fire,
tipped his hat to his sleeping companions, and set off in search.
Weaving through the army, Randor scanned the area, finding no trace
of the grim knight. As he continued steadily onward, his mind
drifted to thoughts of the moon and how the outside world was
enduring the great tribulation. Many days had passed since he was
bonded to the winds, and he could not guess how many prayers filled
them.

At the edge of the Darnoth battalion, where
many soldiers patrolled the perimeter, Malander sat on a large rock
with head lowered. Malander's sword rested against his leg, blade
down, as he whetted its edges with a small, dark stone, making a
rhythmic grinding sound. The knight's back was to Randor, and did
not hear the wizard's approach.

"Malander?" Randor said, receiving no
response from his cohort. "Come and join me, would you?"

"I am a failure," Malander sighed. His pain
radiated strongly, and Randor could feel it in his chest,
amplifying his own torment. "How could Bharot contend with my
abilities?"

"One cannot always be the victor," the wizard
replied.

"Yes, one can. If it concerns physical
prowess, then victory will always be mine."

"You fought well. Can you not see that?"

"It was not a victory for me. That fight was
a complete loss!"

"Why are your skies so filled with gray?"

Malander remained solemn.

"Will you not let me ease your mind?"

"Let me be empty," Malander replied.

Helfare appeared silently from behind the
wizard, his pipe smoke the only clue to his presence. Randor turned
around to see him strolling toward them in an easy manner. "You
were quite foolish back there against Bharot, Malander," Helfare
said. "I noticed two things wrong with your managing of the
enemy."

"Let me handle this, Helfare," Randor
said.

"I assure you, good sir, I will let you do
your work here," Helfare replied. "I come only to enlighten our
friend for future reference. I am sure we will see that wretched
man again." He puffed on his pipe, studying Malander's sad form. It
was only natural and habitual for Helfare to advise great warriors,
and it was a hard habit to let go of. "Do you hear me, sir?"

"I have nothing to say to you," Malander
snapped.

"Well, then, let me speak to you for a
while." Helfare watched Malander twist his head around and glare at
him with cold blue eyes. "How do you find it logical, Malander, for
a soldier to take arms against a greater, more powerful foe? Did
you not see he is a more diverse warrior than yourself? Are you
suicidal?"

"Indeed I am."

"You are truly mad, and I think it wise that
you withdraw from service in this company. As much as I'd like to
deny it, we are facing a powerful enemy. Lord Adian and his army
will be no easy match for us. You, sir, are most unpredictable. I
can already see this." Helfare continued puffing on his pipe as he
strolled in circles around his unwilling pupil. "Perhaps it would
be best for all if you left after we escape Eln-Radah." He stopped
in front of Malander, knelt down, and blew a great cloud of smoke
in the knight's face. Looming ever closer to Malander, Helfare
smiled. "There is a small part of me, however, that wishes to see
why you shroud yourself in such darkness and misery."

"You wouldn't understand," Malander replied.
"Now, take yourself from me or pay for your trespass."

Helfare stood up, amused by the threat, and
flipped back his jacket and brandished his sword, holding it at
Malander's throat.

Malander's brow furrowed.

Randor quickly moved over and placed his hand
firmly on Helfare's shoulder, pulling him back, and the sword drew
back from Malander's neck. Then Malander shot to his feet like a
coiled spring, with his own sword in hand, holding it toward
Helfare, more than happy to return the intimidation.

"Pray that your blade does not fall in my
direction again," said Malander. "I will not spare you; rather, I
will run this sword so deep in your chest, it will take a team of
oxen to pull it out."

Helfare persuaded Randor with a sincere look
and was released from the wizard's grasp, laughing softly as he
walked away in amusement. "I'd love to see that, really. As a
matter of fact, I'd pay to see you try."

"Cross me again, and you truly will pay! This
is your only warning."

Randor intervened once again and pointed in
the direction of the camp. "I want both of you at the head of the
battalion now! If either of you continues this nonsense, he will
deal with me."

Malander sighed, shaking his head as he
marched away, Helfare's words still ringing in his ears. When he
reached the rest of his old company he drew dangerously near the
edge of the cliff and stared outward into the abyss. Everyone
around the elf-captain's fire was now wide awake, curious to see
what the commotion was about.

Randor and Helfare reentered the circle,
where the wizard resumed the spot where he had sat before leaving
in search of Malander, but Helfare had no thought of rest. Rather,
he grabbed Malander's shoulder and spun him around. In reflex,
Malander swung his sword upward, barely missing Helfare. Also
acting reflexively, Helfare kicked Malander in the chest, sending
the knight tumbling backward over the cliff edge.