A slight mist was hovering above the river, clouding the bridge in the first morning rays of the sun as the prison cart neared it. From afar the bridge almost looked like a foggy illusion. Eight poorly looking elves in half-torn clothes with shackles on their hands were sitting inside the locked cart with their heads down. The old mule towing it looked quite worn-down itself. A young boy sitting on the bench holding the mule's reins. In front of the cart a middle-aged man in a redanian uniform was riding on a dark horse with a grey dot on its muzzle.
The cart reached the first small group of soldiers guarding the bridge over the Pontar river. Another group of guards was positioned in the middle and the third group – this one already temerian - at the other end of the bridge. The special forces officer following the cart in a distance was grinding his teeth as he saw how the rider flashed some badge towards the soldiers on the bridge and they've simply stepped back and let the cart continue towards the next group of guards.
Unbeknownst to the special forces officer another person was watching him from behind. But the small woman hiding underneath the cloak of a priestess was intentionally and inconspicuously closing the distance between them both rather quickly. She let the special forces officer talk to the first guards and slowed down her approach just a little bit, so that she doesn't meet him right in front of the soldiers. She heard him mumble something with apparent disgust towards the oldest of the guards, turning away and proceeding with swift steps towards the bridge's middle as well.
Keaira reached the first guards now herself. Throwing just a quick glance at the cart in the distance in front of her she turned towards the soldiers and without wasting much time, took out of a satchel a small pouch and a letter, handing it to the nearest soldier. He looked at her surprised, but then read the letter. The soldier quirked an eyebrow, but then opened the pouch and peaked inside.
She didn't say anything, just patiently stood and waited for his reaction. The young soldier was staring at her quite shocked not knowing what to do now. The oldest of the guards – obviously the commander of this group – has now approached them as he saw the dumbfounded look on one of his soldier's faces. The young one only handed him over the pouch and the letter. The old guard looked inside the pouch, shortly glanced over the letter and smiled at her:
"Of course, you may proceed." and quickly stowed away the pouch in one of his pockets. She nodded, thanked and as she was about to turn towards the middle of the bridge, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Still smiling she looked behind her. A unit of redanian special forces lead by a tall muscled man was approaching the bridge. All on horses. She counted twelve riders armed to the teeth before she quickly turned her sight back towards the bridge's middle. The smile disappearing and her lips now forming a thin angry line.
The prison cart has already passed the middle section and was now heading towards the temerian guards. She looked further away behind the bridge. The road was making a sharp turn to the left about a hundred feet away from the bridge, leading to the opposite direction as Pontar's stream, disappearing behind a thick tree line. Kea tried to quickly estimate how much time the cart would need to reach it with that slow speed it had. Then she checked the distance between the cart and the lone special forces officer and between her and the officer. A quick glance back at the large special forces unit made her quicken her pace.
She heard now the special forces officer in front of her loudly complain about something to the guards on the middle section of the bridge and saw him waving around with his arms angrily. With a few quick steps she reached the guards just as he was leaving and repeated her little trick with the letter and a pouch full of coin. Her information was good – the guards would let her pass probably even in her full elven armor if the contents of the pouch were just abundant enough... Kea noticed, that the redanian special forces unit behind them hasn't even reached the first patrol on the bridge.
Might still work out, although...
She turned back to the lone special forces officer and saw him speeding up with the obvious intent to reach the prison cart before it passes the last group of guards. He started to shout and scream something and to run as he saw the cart being waved through by the temerian guard's commander.
The temerian soldiers have not understood the yelling officer, he was still too far away, but she could hear every single word and saw how the other guards on the bridge from the middle section she's just passed start to stare into their direction. Not to mention the large unit of the special forces that has just passed the first patrol. The scene unfolded in a way she desperately wanted to avoid.
With a few strong twitches of her left hand she tore the hooded cloak of a priestess from her body while starting to run, not caring about the coin pouch she's leaving behind, revealing the armor underneath. Her right hand going for the knife on her thigh. She saw one of the guards in front of her already reacting and starting to draw a crossbow. Kea knew the same will happen in a few seconds also behind her back. She shortly glanced over to the prison cart, which has in the meantime entered the road on the other side of the bridge, while the rider accompanying the cart had just looked back at the turmoil.
A few heads in the cart turned into her direction as well. As did the lone special forces officer in front of her. She reached him with a few last long leaps with a grim face and a knife glistening in her hand. He only managed to raise both eyebrows in surprise. His mouth was agape but suddenly completely silent when she grabbed his jacket's collar with her left hand, pulled him close to her and simultaneously stabbed his torso with her right hand in an upward move to reach his heart with her blade. She used the energy of her motion to turn around with the officer in a small fluid circle while hearing some arrows piercing his back and one scratching her right thigh. Turning two more rounds closer and closer to the bridge's stone railing she put more and more power in the circling motion like a figure skater trying to gain momentum, all the while hearing the shouts of the guards, the galloping horses of the large special forces' unit and the sound of flying arrows hitting the dying officer in her grasp...
The rotating uneven pair of a dying man who's knees just started to give in and a small woman has reached the railing, bending and falling over it into the river below. The man's back resembling an oversized hedgehog pierced by multiple arrows. The bodies crashed into the river below and the water closed over them.
As Keaira released her grip on the officer underneath the water's surface, she realized he's holding on to her, grabbing her right wrist with the knife. Bubbles of red-colored air escaping the man's mouth, eyes wide open, still full of shock and surprise. She saw the shallow riverbed coming close behind his back at high speed. His grip on her wrist loosened only as his back and head crashed against the rocky bottom. She used the moment to pull the knife out of his body and grasp, pushing against his torso with all her might to counter the impact and propel herself back towards the surface.
"Try to get us behind the tree line before we draw their attention." said Coinneach to the rider accompanying them with an expressionless voice as the Scoia'tael in the prison cart turned their heads away from the bridge and focused on the road ahead.
They've all seen what happened and how Keaira killed the special forces officer who was responsible for Tighearnan's death the night before. Seen them both whirling around and falling down from the bridge. With all the guards shooting arrows at them the whole time. Most of the elves thought it hardly possible to survive a fall like this. The mood in the cart wasn't the best at this moment.
"I was wondering what she's planning when she disappeared during dawn as we've met with Alwin and his son..." murmured quietly Niall, but quickly closed his mouth as Deag's harsh look silenced him.
Deagan frowned even more as he reached inside the pocket on his pants and watched the very small metallic object of a rectangular shape in his palm, which she gave him before she left. Heavily gulping he silently put it back after a while. The thought of having to use it without her didn't sit right with him.
Alwin was the man dressed in redanian armor riding alongside the cart on Lanaer's back – an old friend of Blathnat and Cian. The merchant whom Kea has met before when bringing their horses to the merchant's family. He currently tried his best to force the old mule towing the cart to a faster pace together with his son on the front bench. His wife and second son took the elves' horses, weapons and armors, loaded them onto other separate carts and disappeared before dawn, long before they were all ready to approach the bridge. The two were waiting for them on an agreed spot.
They've managed to reach the road's curve without anyone on the bridge really noticing and the cart disappeared out of sight. Despite their previous agreement Alwin immediately stopped, dismounted, unlocked the cart and with his son unshackled everyone.
"Sorry, but I'm not going any further. Not after what happened." his voice a bit shaky as he was pulling down the uniform and changing into his own clothes hidden inside the cart.
"Understandable. Just describe to me how we get to the meeting point. We need now our weapons and horses fast." replied Cian.
While Alwin explained the necessary details to Cian and was rewarded with additional coin, Neach approached Lanaer and raising a hand he wanted to take the reigns. The horse loudly snorted as if warning him and moved his head to the side, reigns dangling now out of Neach's reach.
"Eeehm... I almost forgot – she said the horse would stop listening to me once I'm not anymore sitting in the saddle..." Alwin sounded almost embarrassed as he looked at Coinneach and handed him over the badge with the redanian crowned silver eagle and the emblem of Drakenborg on it.
Neach nodded, took the badge and hid it in one of his pockets. Then he turned back to the horse and mumbled more to himself than to the horse:
"And what shall I do with you?" crossing his arms on his chest and staring at the horse, the horse silently staring back at him.
The rest of the Scoia'tael hid meanwhile the prison cart and the discarded redanian uniform deeper in the woods between the trees, covering it extensively, so that it can't be seen from the road. Alwin, his son and the mule continued down the road to get back to Redania through a different bridge a few miles away. As the majority of the group started moving away towards Alwin's other son and his wife, who had their horses and weapons, Deagan coughed aloud, raised an eyebrow and looked at Neach expectantly from the forest's edge. Neach just glanced over at him and shrugged:
"Don't want to leave the horse here."
Keaira's head emerged from the water with a splash and she took a loud deep breath, quickly sheathing the knife she still held in her hand. She tried to swim further away from the bridge while still underwater, but as the first arrows immediately started to rain down onto her now, she knew she's still too close to all the guards. With the arrows piercing the surface all around her, she didn't hesitate, took another deep breath and dived back into the murky river.
The large mounted unit of the redanian special forces rushed on their horses towards the end of the bridge to continue the pursuit along the riverbank, but they've been stopped by the temerian guards there. Time passed as they've haggled with the soldiers. The temerians weren't so happy about a redanian special forces' unit entering their lands, but in the end they'd have to let them through. Meanwhile Keaira's head appeared again above the Pontar's surface to take another breath and quickly look around. Then she was gone.
Within this short moment above water she noticed the disagreement on the bridge from the distance and then further downstream at her left a shallow place on the riverbank behind some large rocks nearby. It was time to get out of the water – the current was getting stronger now and swimming in the river trying to keep close to the shore was quickly becoming exhausting. Not to mention that she was an exquisite target out there in the open and felt her thigh bleeding all the time. The Pontar has taken her quite far away from the bridge and unfortunately to the opposite direction of the agreed meeting spot.
When she emerged again, this time much closer to the riverbank, she reached out for the nearest rock and pulled herself over to the shore, trying to find the ground with her feet. She just wanted to sit down for a moment and calm her breathing, but couldn't even finish the thought as she spotted at the same time two drowners running towards her from one direction and hearing in the distance the special forces' horses starting to move again from the other direction. A short look down to her right leg eased her worries at least a little bit – one of the arrows has only scratched the skin's surface and although the wound was bleeding still, there was no bigger damage done. No other injuries - the special forces' officer's body took the brunt of the hit when they smashed against the river's surface.
Unbelievably lucky Kea... Dumb stunt... she thought to herself as she drew two swords heavily panting and started to whirl with them around her body to keep the approaching drowners at bay. Focusing on the immediate threat in front of her she was grateful, that there are no roads right next to the river on this side of the Pontar. The riders pursuing her had to slow down as they've tried to find a way between all the trees, shrubs and bushes to get to her.
As she cut down the first drowner by almost ripping him into two, she realized she won't be able to get away from the special forces quickly enough. An idea flashed through her mind and she quickly whistled twice as loud as she could, hoping she's not out of reach of her horse's excellent sense of hearing...
If Alwin would be still in Lanaer's saddle at this moment, it would have been quite a painful fall. Just as Deagan and Coinneach were contemplating what to do with the horse, Lanaer reared up on his hind limbs, neighed loud and started a sudden wild gallop into the woods downriver. The two elves looked at each other a bit surprised, but both quickly realized what the strange horse's behavior might have meant. Coinneach's mouth formed a large smile as they were wasting no further time and also entered the woods on the other side of the road and began to run following Cian's trail.
Keaira quickly dispatched of the second drowner as she severed his head from the rest of his body with a heavy side blow, then immediately retracted and pocketed her swords and without hesitation ran up the short riverbank to enter the forest. Calming her breath as much as she could, she focused her senses on the surrounding area. Some of the special forces' officers have left their horses at the forest's edge and were now approaching fast on foot, making their way through thick shrubs, dry leaves rustling underneath their heavy boots. Her trained ears told her, that they're trying to close a circle around her. Kea started to quietly and slowly move towards one of the sounds through the underbrush.
She heard a whisper to her left and a quiet answer in front of her as she reached a thick brush. A man and a woman. She decided to kill the woman first and moved back a bit and to the right, slightly peeking out to have a look at the woman in front of her. The woman was turned with her side to Kea, her red shining hair braided on her back reminded Keaira for a second of Eronia – her good friend from the Academy. Kea closed her eyes dismissing the thought and when she opened them again, there was only a cold look calculating the distance as she prepared to throw her knife into the woman's throat. Her hand moved silently, twitched and the other woman fell almost noiseless to the ground as the knife pierced her carotid artery and the windpipe as well. Keaira quietly made her way to the fallen body. The woman in the special forces' uniform was lying on her back, her hands at the knife's hilt in a futile attempt to remove the weapon, eyes and mouth opened wide in a silent scream.
Keaira straddled the woman's torso, cruelly placing a hand over the woman's mouth as she grabbed the woman's hand holding the hilt of her knife and twisted. A muffled wheezing sound was the last thing the dying woman was able to do as she closed her eyes and her body relaxed, the blood forming a pool under her body, painting the autumn leaves on the ground with crimson color. Kea didn't move yet and still straddling the dead body she quickly glanced around. She saw movement, but it was obvious the rest of the special forces group was unaware of what just happened as they still tried to close the circle around the spot on the riverbank. Without making any noise she moved back to the thick brush, now moving towards the man. As the officers were dispersing they were moving through the forest further to her right and past her position. Only this one was still in the way.
The man was on the move as well and she avoided being spotted by him just in the very last moment when hiding behind a large tree. No way she could get to him unseen. If she would attack him now, he would have enough time to warn the others and soon they'd all swarm around her.
The noise of a galloping horse was her salvation. The officer left his position, turned towards the approaching sound and drew his crossbow. She ran out from behind the tree, a sword already twirling in her hand. Focusing so much on the target in front of her that she hasn't noticed the running horse was Lanaer. The man started to turn to face her just as she reached him and her sword severed his wrist holding the crossbow. A terrified scream resounded through the forest and alarmed everyone around them. She grimaced unhappily, but there was no time for her to think about it now. Keaira took the hilt of her sword into both palms and hit the man with several fast blows. As his body thudded to the ground, she tried to whistle again. The heavy panting and dry lips were of no help as only a strange quiet sound left her mouth.
A horse's snort behind her back was the most welcome sound amidst the calls and yells of the rest of the special forces unit closing in on her fast. Kea turned and stared for a second at Lanaer, then smiled wide. If anyone would have seen the sight at the moment it would probably be quite disturbing – water still dropped from the small woman's body, her pants dirty from the wet soil and leaves, blood splashed all over her armor, her thigh still bleeding through the tear in her pants. Yet there was this cheerful smile on her face.
An arrow piercing the tree just inches away from her brought her back to reality. She hastily jumped up into the saddle and turning the horse around she faced her attacker. It was the leading officer. The tall muscular man she saw as his unit approached the bridge, sitting on his horse with a bow in his hands. Strangely he also had a smile on his face, but his was an evil smirk as he tucked his bow away onto his back and reached out for the sword on his belt.
Kea smirked back...
She forced Lanaer again into a wild gallop heading straight for the leading officer, sword in hand. He did the same and just before they've met, she ducked, slashed his right calf and jerked her horse away to the side. The man yelped angrily, his sword hitting only empty air, but then lost precious time stopping and turning his horse around. Meanwhile she was already on her way out of the thickest forest continuing the wild gallop on a dusty road towards the agreed meeting place where she expected the Scoia'tael to be waiting. Kea shot a glance over her shoulder to see the officer trying to keep up with her. She smirked evilly a second time. There was a reason why she's picked all those years ago Lanaer for training... With both Lanaer's parents being famous race horses the officer's mare never stood a chance and the gap between the two galloping horses was growing bigger by the minute.
The angry man realized this as well and abruptly stopped his horse. As the sound diminished behind her back, she turned her head again. Just in time to see him draw his bow and aim at her. The reins in her hands jerked again and the horse bolted to the side disappearing behind a group of trees. The leading officer slowly eased his arms with the bow, his azure colored eyes squinted and his lips curled in disgust as he had to break off the pursuit and gather the rest of his unit. He had to give her credit though as he looked down to his calf. It was clear she just wanted to get out of the situation as quickly as possible and would probably manage to do much more damage if she had the time. Sabin Udayle nodded to himself, then thought about what happened on the bridge and remembered the cart in the distance. Now he as well smirked evilly a second time. There was a connection between this cart and the woman... He decided to head back to the bridge and thoroughly question the patrols guarding it - and the secret service.
The Scoia'tael reached the meeting point in the woods – a small clearing not visible from a nearby road. Alwin's wife and his other son were waiting as agreed with their horses, clothes and weapons. They didn't waste any time, quickly redressing, saddling up their horses and taking all their weapons. Cian took Tighearnan's swords and bow with quiver, distributing them within his group without a word.
Deagan nodded thankfully to the merchant's wife as he handed her over another coin pouch, but then turned to Cian with a questioning look, motioning with his head towards Tighearnan's horse. Cian only waived his hand dismissively and turned away.
"Please take the horse as well, we don't have any use for it. You can sell the saddle." offered Deag the older woman.
The woman looked surprised, but then thanked them all, harnessed the horse in front of one of the carts, hid the saddle inside of it and together with her son moved away, back towards the bridge to Oxenfurt.
A whistle sounded from another direction shortly after the two have left, accompanied by the sound of a galloping horse. Keaira emerged from the woods riding Lanaer. They looked her over quite surprised, but an obvious relief was visible on their faces as well. Without stopping she passed them by shouting: "Hurry!" and continued her fast gallop though the next patch of trees out onto the road. They all quickly followed, spurring their horses, a group of wildly galloping Scoia'tael on the road away from the bridge. She lowered her speed a bit for them to catch up and then they turned away from the road again into the forests to disappear from sight.
Kea needed a break, so when reaching a corn field, she stopped amongst the last trees and quickly jumped down from her horse. The water soaked clothing was hanging heavily on her and she was thirsty.
The rest of the group did the same, stretching their limbs and taking refreshments.
Coinneach came to her and ignoring her wet clothing he gave her a bear hug, clutching her tightly and giving her a passionate kiss before murmuring silently into her ear: "You scared me to death, crazy woman. Told you not to do this again."
She just smiled at him: "Told you I can't promise that." and gave him a wink.
Drinking quickly some water, she took out dry clothes from Lanaer's saddlebags and without a word started to undress to get out of her soaked and muddy armor.
"You could have used the bushes." came a grinning remark from Deagan.
"Why? If you feel uncomfortable or don't like the view, then just look the other way." replied the already half undressed woman without even looking at him and smirked.
And though not an uncommon sight for an elf, the human's unabashed nakedness was quite surprising.
Deagan just shook his head, strange smile on his face as he regarded her, then just said: "Catch!" as he reached into his pockets and threw towards her the small communicator. She grasped it in the air, giving him a few 'tsks' while shaking her head. Although he noticed her wink as well.
"Finally seeing the whole tattoo." was the only remark from Niall as he turned away on his horse and started off to cross the corn field, followed closely by Deag.
Liadan stopped her though when she was about to get dressed again: "Let me have a look at that wound." as she noticed the bleeding thigh.
Kea patiently waited for the female elf to come to her, crouch down and observe the wound.
"Here, it's just a scratch, but clean it and it should be fine." handing Kea over a small bottle.
Keaira grinned at the sight of the bottle, took a scarf out of the saddlebags, drenched it in the vodka contained in the bottle and first rubbed the wound clean, then turned the scarf and tied up the wound.
She nodded thankfully when she returned the bottle to Liadan and continued to dress in her dry spare armor.
Neach was watching it all with quite an amusement and when she was done, stuffing her soaked clothes back into a saddlebag and joined him on Lanaer 's back next to his side, he just whispered: "It's been quite some time since they've seen a human like this."
"Want me to apologize?" came a sarcastic whisper back from her and he just grinned as he spurred his horse to a trot to follow the group before them.
After a few miles they've taken a short rest again with Kea bringing up the question hanging in the air since they've crossed the bridge.
"Well, what's your plan?" directing her question mostly to Grainne, Liadan, Meallan, Fionnlagh and Cian.
"Where are you going?" came instead an answer a question from Liadan.
Keaira turned towards Neach with a raised eyebrow, tilting her head with a questioning look, silently giving him the lead in this decision.
He thought for a while and then said decisively: "Flotsam. Iorveth should be there."
Now Liadan also thought for a while, then looked around and seeing agreeing nods, she replied for the whole group: "Then we should stay together."
Kea nodded with a smile, then turned to one of Lanaer's saddlebags and after a while of searching, she took out something. She motioned for them to come closer and now fully unfolded the map she had in her hands, laying it onto the ground.
The map was huge, showing a strip of the continent with Cidaris, Temeria, the Mahakam mountains, Aedirn and Lyria.
She turned it around to the other side to see the satellite images. Some of those standing closer to her looked stunned at the map with images like they've never seen before.
"This looks like from a bird's perspective." commented Deagan watching over her shoulder.
She turned her head to him and only said: "From a much higher perspective, Deag..."
They all remained silent as she raised her head, looking around to see the sun and then leaning over the map, finding the spot where they were and slightly turning the map to match the top of it to the north. Then she took a step back to see it from further away, studying it and nodding to herself, going back to the map and knocking with her fingertip on a certain spot.
"This is where we need to go. And we're somewhere here." she knocked again with her fingertip on another spot.
"That's quite a distance." came a sigh from Niall.
"Since when does that bother you?" came right away from Deagan.
She saw Grainne smirking as she looked up.
Then turned towards Coinneach: "I think we should have our next longer stop somewhere here." pointing to yet another spot.
"Maybe we can stock up on provisions, and can camp nearby in the woods. That area should give us an advantage if the special forces should catch up with us."
She was pointing to a small spec on the map, looking like just a few houses in the middle of the woods, with no real roads visible leading to it. It could hardly be called a village.
Neach nodded and shortly after they were on their way again.
The road for the next couple of days was quite uneventful. They've backtracked a couple of times, split up into different directions, then joined together, sometimes walking a couple of miles through rocky small streams, all just to make it harder for any pursuers to follow their tracks. They've hunted down a deer on their way, providing them with enough meat for quite a while. Neach tried to return to her the Drakenborg badge, but she just smiled and waved him off.
"Keep it as a memento."
He stared for long at the badge in his palm, then the corners of his mouth curled up in a grin and he nodded. It would remind him of that day on the road to Drakenborg, when his life changed so much and in a way he would have never imagined.
During the day while they were traveling, Keaira and Coinneach kept a distance behind the traveling group.
Kea was talking, telling Neach more about her life and eventually more about the world she called her home. He was intently listening, sometimes asking questions, sometimes openly laughing and sometimes shaking his head as she revealed more about herself and her friends.
When they finally reached their destination, they've spend two quiet days camping near a small river. Kea went on the third alone to the small village nearby to buy some supplies for the next part of their journey. To her surprise, the secluded village's inhabitants were mostly dwarves and halflings with just a few humans and she even found a blacksmith in one of the houses, who was willing to take care of all their equipment for a good price without asking too many questions. At dusk he was finished and she returned to their campsite.
She thought about sending another report and ask a few important questions, which bothered her since Oxenfurt, but first she wanted to speak with Liadan's group. It looked like the female elf has naturally taken the leading position in that small separate group. After Tighearnan's loss Cian was mostly silent the whole time and didn't share much of his thoughts.
"Liadan?" she approached the crouching she-elf who was cleaning some fishes they've caught in the river.
The female elf raised her head and motioned for Kea to join her.
She crouched next to her, taking a fish as well and starting to clean it.
"Where did you learn that?" asked her Liadan after a while when she observed the movements of Kea's hands.
"From an elf." was the short reply with a wink.
The female elf just nodded approvingly and continued: "Call me Lia." without looking up from her fish.
"Kea." was an even shorter answer and they both slightly smiled.
"I was wondering, what are your plans once we arrive in Flotsam?" Keaira spoke quietly after a while.
"I'm asking myself the whole time."
Kea's head shot up, studying the female elf upon hearing that. Lia's dark brown hair was tied back in several long braids, her eyes were almost darker than her hair and she had light wrinkles forming at the corners of her eyes. She was not so young anymore, but then – neither was Riordain despite his looks...
Liadan just silently continued: "What's the point in continuing to fight... We're just losing people... Family, friends, loved ones..." with that she paused for a while, a flicker of sadness in her eyes.
"We're fewer and fewer each day, soon there won't be a single elf left. And then the fight is over for good." she silently sighed and grabbed the next fish.
"What would you do, if you'd have the power to do anything you want?" asked her Kea and the older female elf studied her face for a long time, but aside from the question in her eyes, Kea's face hasn't betrayed any other thoughts.
"For me personally? Or in general for the elves?"
"That's up to you to decide, when you have the power to do anything you want, isn't it?" Kea smiled and tilted her head still expecting an answer.
"I would leave these lands, travel far away, maybe over the Blue Mountains, to Zerrikania or Haakland, take all our people and settle down there. Far away from anyone else. To live in peace." she sighed heavily as she said the last sentence.
"What if I'd tell you that you can travel even further and that what you envision is possible?" Kea still continued to smile, but her eyes were serious.
"Are you mocking me?" Lia's lips formed a thin angry line.
"No. I'm offering you in all seriousness that possibility." Now Kea stopped to smile, firmly staring back.
"Who are you?"
To Kea it was clear the she-elf figured already out, that she's not coming from anywhere in this world.
"Someone who grew up on another world, an elven world. Far away from here. A human is a rarity there. You'll never have to see one again if you wish. There's peace," she struggled a bit with herself when saying that, considering what she's going to ask of the she-elf next, but then continued: "a good life, nobody is hungry there or needs to look for a shelter in the forest. We all have a home..." she stared back at Liadan and saw her doubts.
"What's the catch?" she asked suspiciously.
"Do you still have something left in that bottle?" was Kea's only answer.
Night was falling, the sun disappearing behind the horizon. They were done with the fish and Meallan came to collect them as they were preparing the evening meal with Grainne.
"I do..." was Lia's answer as she stood up and walked away towards the river.
Kea followed, just waving dismissively towards Neach and Deag who both had questioning looks as they watched them leave.
She found Lia sitting in the grass on the riverbank, leaning against a large fallen tree and looking up at the night sky, where millions of stars were flickering in the dark. Keaira quietly sat down next to her and tilted her head back to look up too.
They remained silent for a while, then Kea raised her hand, pointing with a finger to the sky:
"Do you see that orange dot almost in the middle of those five bright stars?"
Liadan squinted her eyes, searching the sky and then nodded: "Yes."
"That's Verzuun. It is a sun much larger than yours, there are six planets orbiting around it. One of them is a world similar to this one and home to a very intelligent species. They're called Z'evelians. Quite the diplomats..." she smiled.
Liadan looked at her from the side: "And your sun is where?"
She smiled and turned towards the she-elf: "It's not visible from this side of the world. We would have to be half the world across to see that portion of the sky. And even then I'm not sure if we could see it with just the naked eye. It must be very faint at this distance." Keaira replied honestly.
"Hm, I"ve always wondered what else is out there..." replied Liadan and stared back up at the stars.
Kea did the same, but continued the conversation: "Many worlds. On average there's about four to five worlds orbiting each sun. Each of the dots you see up there and more. There's whole groups of stars, which are so far, that you perceive them only as one dot, but it's many suns with many worlds in fact." and she pointed again with her hand to the sky imagining some of the beautiful galaxies out there.
"So wha'ts the catch?" came the same question from Lia as before and a hand holding a small bottle appeared in front of Kea. She chuckled, took a few sips from the bottle before returning it back and then started to talk. Explaining everything why she's here, continuing with Coinneach's rescue and how Deagan and Niall have already agreed. Saying why she's going to meet with Iorveth and expressing her desire to find Faoiltiarna. When she was done, she looked back at the female elf and waited for her reaction.
The older female had a stern look on her face: "You look too serious to be making jokes and considering Dá Reo's attitude I'm willing to believe you."
She paused and then frowned: "But you're asking me to fight again."
"One last time. And after that you should be able to live the rest of your life exactly how you want to..."
The she-elf sighed and looked up at the night sky again.
"It calms me when I sit like this and watch the stars. It makes all of one's problems seem so... unimportant." she added.
"I agree." came a short reply from Kea – still waiting for an answer.
The she-elf snorted: "Riordain would have killed you at first sight."
"He'd be welcome to try." the sarcasm in that sentence could not be overheard.
The female elf snapped her head to face her: "You're lucky I like you." And then after another pause: "My answer is yes. And I will speak with the others."
With that she stood up and wanted to return back to the camp.
Kea's hand on her arm stopped her: "I'm sorry I arrived late in Dillingen..."
The female elf turned to look at her: "He chose his path long ago...", she slightly bowed and left.
Kea looked back at the camp site and then around the river. While they've gathered around the campfire with Neach and Deag chatting on the side with Liadan, she spotted on the other side of the small river a good spot. She crossed the water jumping over large rocks sticking out of the riverbed and used a tree stump to place her communicator there. She activated it and sat down in front of it. Two beeps sounded immediately. Keaira looked surprised at the screen upon hearing that and touched an icon on it.
The screen was black at first, it took about two minutes until it blinked and a sleepy looking El's face appeared.
"Was waiting for your call back quite some time. Trouble?" he asked right away as he rubbed his bleary eyes.
She stared at him for a while, then frowned: "We're not supposed to make vid calls here! And… where the hell is the nearest transmitter when I have such a good connection?"
"Emergency... And no mood for typing. And there's a ship in orbit above you. I've send it earlier. Will send you the call coordinates later."
She looked surprised studying his face for some time: "What kind of emergency?"
"The negotiations will take place two months earlier." he blinked the sleep away from his blue eyes and stared back at her frowning.
"I don't like it just as much as you probably right now."
"How much time do I still have?"
"Not more than five months. Any progress?"
She saw Neach and Deag crossing the river and come closer, but she showed them with a low hand to stay quiet and out of sight. They both nodded and were intently listening, standing a few feet away. As she spoke in another elven language they didn't get all of it, but the general discussion seemed to be clear judging by their faces. Especially Deagan was catching on quite quickly to muiren llinge. Most of the elven languages had the same roots and the grammar rules were the same, even some words.
"We're in Temeria, heading to a small outpost called Flotsam, have news Iorveth is alive and well and should be there with a unit. I've probably another five people, but this is ridiculously few. I guess you were hoping that by enlisting the commanders and leaders, the units will follow. At least that would be my logical guess… Considering how many are dead after the war, then about three to four hundred people or so? And that would be just the remnants of the Vrihedd brigade, not counting any other Scoia'tael..."
"That was the hope..."
"I get that – it was clear when the extension of the assignment came – in order words – enlist any elf who crosses your path… Sounds quite desperate to me El."
He shrugged: "Lhoril's order… And not just to you, all the others out there got the same. Looks to me like this was his plan all along from the start."
She remained quiet for a while, understanding, that they're gathering a much larger force from all the possible planets than originally planned. Glancing up at the two elves in front of her, they clearly understood the last bit – at least Deagan who was whispering something into Neach's ear.
"El? How good are you in hen llinge?"
"Ehm, not bad I'd say. Not as good as you and Ari though. Why?"
She now openly waved them over and motioned for them to sit down next to her. They were a bit surprised to see a face on the modern screen in front of them, but none of them showed any discomfort, so she continued.
"El, this is Coinneach Dá Reo and Deagan aep Easnillen. You've alredy got from Deagan a message before…" she spoke now in hen llinge, so that they understand everything.
El looked a bit surprised as well to see them there, but then thought that it's best they get used to this as soon as possible and bowed slightly greeting both elves. They returned the gesture.
He switched to Elder Speech as well: "Elanhar Ithraides Tarnruth. Looking forward to meet you in person when you're here."
"Major General Elanhar Ithraides Tarnruth…" she added with a wink towards the two next to her emphasizing the first two words.
El quite untypically for an elf rolled his eyes and quickly summarized what they've previously discussed, even though she knew Deagan understood already. Then he turned again to Kea, waiting.
"Still no word about Faoiltiarna, which worries me. Regarding that – I also have 'an emergency' and a favor to ask..." and she frowned with the last statement.
Elanhar quickly blinked: "Emergency?"
But she has already reached inside her belt pouch and produced a very tiny metallic object, showing it in front of the communicator's camera.
El blinked again... "What is this?"
"El, don't play me for a fool – you know what this is! It's a damn ID chip! A damn Federation ID chip! And I've pulled it from a dead elf's body, who obviously wasn't supposed to be here. Just like the other Academy agent I've met in Tretogor!" her face was grim as she growled into the camera.
His jaw went hard just like his gaze and he thought for quite a while. Then as if an idea crossed his mind, he asked: "Do you think the same as I do?"
She nodded: "Someone has sent an Academy agent here already two years ago – to hunt down some criminal from the Federation hiding on this world, but then once his job was done, he had to stay to observe the Scoia'tael. Which would be still ok for me, because he actually helped me. But how come neither you nor Ari know about this, when you're in charge of this operation here and now? Governor Lhoril or the Academy Senate should normally inform you about other operations colliding with yours, right? That's point one and what you do with that information is up to you. Point two bothers me more."
El stopped her before she could continue: "What's the agent's name?"
"Lorcan. Don't have his surname."
El smiled: "No need, one of our best. I'll check with Hastos, if they can't support us. Lorcan is usually not working alone, so there should be one or two other agents with him."
She raised an eyebrow. Lorcan hasn't mentioned anything like that to her, but then she remembered the two elves accompanying him, when they've met at the Bearded Axe and the strange gut feeling she had back then.
"He's not alone? Wait, he serves under Hastos?"
"Yes, Hastos and Klaern…"
She whistled silently: "Wow… If they can help, I'd be glad to be honest…"
Elanhar nodded and she held up again the ID chip and continued: "His name was Eirnin," the two next to her visibly twitched and looked at each other, "although I doubt that this was his real name. Doesn't bother me too much now as well, because I will find out as soon as I'm back on board of one of our ships… But what's more disturbing is, that this guy was not an agent. At least not from the Academy – no tattoo. Infiltrated in Deagan's group for over two years, because there's no mention of him in the Scoia'tael files in the Archive, which are dated about three years back. So – Federation ID chip, obviously trained for medieval worlds, no Academy agent…"
She raised an eyebrow when finishing and staring hard back at El.
"What if he started the Academy, but broke off?"
"Yes, that was my guess as well. But who brought him here El? For what purpose? He ratted us out in Oxenfurt to the local secret service!"
He frowned: "I guess this is starting to be a political game. The thought that comes to my mind is that someone in the government made a secret pact with the Aen Elle. Although I cannot see now why… The Aen Elle petitioned for a new world where they could settle right upon their admission into the Federation, but they were denied. Officially at least... And that's probably why Eredin was present when we briefed you about this assignment – governor Lhoril's request…"
She stared and him silently, thinking hard, then suddenly gasped:
"You mean that they'd get rid of the Aen Seidhe first, to then openly attack here and seize this planet?! So Eredin was just there to see what exactly will be the extent of our mission here and how much it would interfere with their plans… And Lhoril is part of that conspiracy... But… that would definitely require more than one…"
She stopped realizing the extent of what they're just talking about and how careful she'll have to be with the elves she doesn't know.
"My guess is that there will be soon another war on that world, humans turning against non-humans, incited by these agents… Let them kill and weaken each other, then march in… Divide and conquer." added El, now frowning even more.
"Yes, in good conscience that 'no Elves were harmed in the process', because there simply won't be any…" she added grimly with a sarcastic undertone.
They both looked at each other in silence for a while, then El spoke again: "You know I have good friends at the Firali."
She nodded and just quickly whispered to the two next to her: "Federation spies".
El continued: "I might be able to dig out something, because I cannot fathom how the Federation would officially justify this. But if we're right…" he paused.
She calmed herself in the meantime, then continued with a cold voice:
"The depth of our meddling on this world is unbelievable. How long has this been going on? And on how many worlds, which we officially cannot touch?"
"I don't know… But my guess is we're just scratching the surface."
She thought for a while in silence about everything he said and then asked sternly:
"El, do you realize what it means if this comes out?"
"An enormous crisis with the whole Federation in turmoil shortly before a potential war."
She sighed and looked out into the distance staring at nothing.
Then she sighed again and turned back to the communicator: "I'll investigate with you when I'm back – quietly. But I'll need yours or Ari's help, because you have both a higher level of access to information."
Before El could answer, Neach turned her around: "What will happen then in the meantime with all the other elves here? All of our brothers and sisters?" and he turned towards El: "If your conclusion is right…"
Elanhar looked back with an uncompromising gaze: "Then help her gather as many as you can and convince as many as you can to leave. I'll take civilians as well if need be – elves only! – and it'll be on my head, but that's all I can do!"
Coinneach stared back at him for a while, hard gaze as well while he was thinking. Then he slowly nodded, stood up and left towards the camp without a word, leaving Kea and Deagan behind.
She was quite impressed by this gesture from Elanhar - he just took a great responsibility and a great risk with that offer to Neach.
"You had a favor to ask?" El continued after a pause.
"Yes, regarding Faoiltiarna – I'm feeling like hunting a ghost." Deagan smirked next to her hearing that statement, just like El on the screen.
"Any chance to get the newest satellite images from Brokilon? And Flotsam… Infrared maybe as well? If there's a chance to get something from the Dillingen area about two-three month's old…"
The hint of a smile appeared on El's face as he nodded: "Is that all?"
She just silently nodded too and bowed respectfully before they ended the call.
Kea turned to Deagan. He was still sitting there without moving as if thinking something over, then he looked at her: "Can you imagine if Isengrim would have something like this and we could simply reach him now?" pointing with his hand toward the communicator.
She sighed with a sad smile: "That would make the task a bit too easy, wouldn't it."
He grinned, then he stood up to leave, but turned back to her shortly:
"Will you teach me your language?"
She nodded with a faint smile and watched him leave towards the campsite. Then took her communicator, placed it back behind the buckle on her belt and followed. All the time thinking about the fate of those they'll leave behind once they leave this world...
