9. Twists and Turns
Torches sputtered in the dark, heavily carpeted chamber. Behind his desk, Lord Tel'Drath perused a partially-rolled document, jotting notes on an adjacent parchment as he read the hand-written missive from one of his spies. He nodded occasionally, cross-checking certain details in a large, leather-bound volume perched on a bookstand.
A knock at the door broke the silence, seeming almost to startle him. Voices muttered in the hallway, and his manservant entered quietly. The robe-clad butler waited patiently for his lord to look up from the documents before speaking.
"Milord Vaeksil and one of his minions request audience, master," he said. Tel'Drath nodded, placing his quill beside the papers on his desk and sitting back. He raised his hands beneath his chin, balancing his head on them. The two elves, one light, one dark, entered the room, bowing deeply.
"What news, Vaeksil?" asked the elven lord. Vaeksil shuffled uncomfortably under the gaze of his master. Jomen remained by the door, hoping the extra distance would improve his chances of surviving the dark elf's anger.
"The erudite lives, my liege," said Vaeksil, almost whispering.
The silence lasted an eternity. Vaeksil and Jomen both appeared to stop breathing as they waited for Tel'Drath's response. Their master remained unmoving, his head upon his hands, his eyes not leaving Vaeksil for a moment. Slowly, he rose and walked round the desk, stopping in front of the worried underling.
"I feared as much," responded Tel'Drath, with a sigh. "Such is the outcome when an incompetent is sent on the mission." He turned away from his minions and regarded his desk. Behind him, Vaeksil began to speak, but Tel'Drath simply raised his hand and walked back to his seat. He looked at Vaeksil and Jomen, shaking his head slowly.
"Months of planning," he muttered. "Weeks to infiltrate their brotherhood. The cost of the equipment for the orcs." He sighed again. "Thankfully, Vaeksil, all is not lost. The magician's appearance in the Faydark was fortuitous for our more competent envoys, allowing them to complete a part of their mission that would otherwise have been extremely difficult." He raised an eyebrow. "And you can wipe that smile off your face, minion."
Vaeksil looked quickly down at the carpet. He had been lucky, and he knew it. Still, he awaited his next mission apprehensively: with the group of lightbringers outside in the forest, waiting for him, and one of their own at his side, leaving the city would be difficult, no matter what his charge. Jomen shuffled his feet anxiously, obviously considering the same problem.
"Very well, Vaeksil," Tel'Drath continued, proffering a document from his desk. "Your next mission will be to act as a distraction, a small part in the final stage of our carefully-laid plans. You will leave immediately for the Faydark, where other agents and a task force will meet you. You will provide support while they stop the magician's return to the cursed elven city. We will kill two aviaks with one stone: both the erudite and her high- elven husband will be destroyed when they arrive."
Looking sternly at the dark elf as he took the document, Tel'Drath added: "Do not fail me this time, Vaeksil, or I will deal with you personally."
Vaeksil and Jomen bowed, hastily backing out of the chamber and into the corridor. Once outside, they both breathed sighs of relief. Vaeksil turned to the wood elf.
"We must be careful, and well-prepared," he said. "Failure this time will mean our heads." Jomen simply nodded, and followed his master back to the building entrance.
***
"They've been in there a while," said Ganth. "What should we do?"
"Nothing we can do except wait," replied Gueri. The group had been camped near the entrance to Neriak for at least a day - too long, in Siobhan's opinion. The warrior grumbled unhappily at Gueri's response. She didn't like to be this close to the city, with its regular patrols to avoid and all the upstart young adventurers testing their skills as the friends attempted to remain out of sight.
"Listen, Siobhan, we have no choice. You know what these inkies are like - Vaeksil won't give up until we're all dead," the erudite added, factually. Siobhan sighed and grumbled again, then rose to speak.
"Aye, that's true, Gueri. But ye're fergettin' that Vaeksil can walk right past us wi'that invisibility o'his."
The others looked at the ground. She was right, of course. Since Vaeksil had entered the city, they had little chance of catching him when he left. The combination of invisibility and the proximity of the tough tunnel guards made it extremely unlikely they would be able to stop the dark elf when he left.
"I suppose we should move away, then," suggested Eltheria. "We'll just have to keep our eyes and ears open for any sign of activity."
The friends packed up their camp. Extinguishing the fire, they all shouldered their packs and, with a last look at the accursed city, turned away and headed back towards the commonlands. Their new acquaintance, Krael, stood a moment longer, taking in all the detail of his homeland, before joining them on the road.
In the day that had passed while they waited for Vaeksil to reappear, the friends had learnt much of themselves and each other. Siobhan was furious at their former friend, the ranger, and periodically stomped away into the woods to shout and hack at the trees. Ostensibly, she was practising, but the others knew Jomen would be her first choice of target should they cross his path again.
Ganth and Eltheria had maintained several difficult conversations since the last battle. They both seemed ill at ease in the other's company, and none of their companions understood why. In his own mind, Ganth was struggling with his affection for the elven cleric, her apparent declaration of her feelings for him, and the memories of his wife. For her part, Eltheria had realised what she had said, and was struggling not only with her inner feelings, but also with the effect on her family's reputation and status in Felwithe.
Krael had been the only one to speak regularly. He was a friendly young man with an excellent sense of humour that counter-pointed that of Ganth perfectly, and the two had become closer already. He spoke openly about Neriak, dark elf culture, his boyhood and his desire to travel: all in all, he was exactly the opposite of what the group had expected him to be. Often smiling and laughing, he willingly went off to hunt for food and usually returned with new and different meats from the surrounding forest, that the team had never tasted. He was also an excellent cook, sharing recipes with Ganth.
Gueri was unusually pensive. She had been thinking about her husband and his mission for the guild. Since their failure to stop Vaeksil, she had become increasingly concerned for Rendil's safety: both he and the dark elf had spoken of the same mission in the past, and Vaeksil was still at large. She was anxious to catch the dark elf, but equally anxious to leave this place and make contact with Rendil again.
Their journey back to the friendly commonlands was uneventful, keeping as they did to the edge of the forest. They were aware of the patrols and other dangers of the forest now, and avoided them without difficulty. The group headed through the small pass, back into the daylight.
"Ahhh," sighed Siobhan, "'tis good tae see the sunlight agin!"
Their spirits lifted as they travelled back to Freeport: surrounded by friendly and interesting people travelling though the area, they caught up on all the local rumours and their smiles returned. Krael was the only one concerned at their proximity to the city, as they skirted the sandy area in front of the gates.
"Ach, now how do we get this 'ere darkie on the boat, eh?" asked Ganth. "Ain't no way them guards is going to let 'im through, ye realise?"
"Let's head to the western commonlands," suggested Eltheria. "We can keep up with all the news there, what with all the arrivals and departures at the druids' stone circle, and if we need to we can try to get someone to open a portal for us."
***
The following days passed quickly for the friends, as they camped in the relative security of the stone circle. Their wounds healed as they hunted on the open plains and rolling hills of the commonlands, tracking bear, snakes and spiders to eat, and killing the resident orcs whenever Siobhan's restlessness became unbearable. The events of the past week seemed distant to them now, as they sat around their small fire, singing songs with passing bards and sharing tales of high adventure with travellers of all descriptions.
Krael had become an accepted part of the group. His skill at cooking had encouraged Ganth to try new and interesting recipes, and his magical talents were welcomed on the battlefield. He even seemed to enjoy the constant jibes of his new friends at his poor equipment, hastily re-sewn robes and ignorance of the world outside his home city. His humorous retorts made even the barbarian laugh heartily, and helped ease the tension of waiting for a sign of their enemy.
Ganth rose from his place by the fire. He shook the last of his dinner from his bowl and replaced it in his kit-bag, stretched and announced that he was going for a short walk to digest the rather heavy bear-meat pie they had just eaten. Eltheria rose, expressing a desire to accompany him. Turning into the setting sun, the two friends sauntered away from the camp.
"Ach, makes a nice change to be able to walk away from the camp and not fear what be huntin'," said Ganth, as they passed a small camp of impressive individuals. The lights of bardsong flickered around them as they walked, the drunken voices of the powerful group reaching them.
"It is," said Eltheria. She had been even quieter the last two days, saying hardly anything in the presence of her dwarven friend. Away from the rest of their group, Ganth suddenly stopped and turned to the cleric.
"Have I done somethin' to upset ye, milady?" he asked. Eltheria looked at her feet, a small sigh escaping her lips. The setting sun lit her face beautifully, emphasising the high cheeks and her pale, human-ages-old, yet still-young features.
"No, you haven't," she replied. She turned to look Ganth in the eyes. "I've been troubled. I thought I had lost you outside Neriak, and I don't know what I'd do without you, you annoying little dorf." Ganth smiled gently. She rarely used the vulgar diminutive so oft spoken by enemies of his race, but he knew it was a term of affection.
"Aye, I remember," he said. "Milady, listen. I am but a dwarf, low-born and rude. I have no station, no money and no power, but I cannot hide my feelings fer ye. Since me wife died, I lost all interest in life. You done given me that back, but I know I can't never be what you need me to be, I can't never hope fer."
"Stop," said Eltheria, abruptly, then continued more gently. "Please. I know how you feel, Ganth. I always have." Ganth blushed profusely, but Eltheria smiled. "The stupid thing is that I have been more concerned with my family's reputation than with my own feelings." The dwarf's eyes opened wide, and the cleric looked towards the setting sun.
"I feel the same way as you do," she said.
Ganth didn't know what to do. He shuffled his feet and opened his mouth, but no words came. He searched his mind for the right thing to say, but couldn't find anything other than an immense joy. Lost, he simply turned to the setting sun and took Eltheria's hand in his own. They both smiled as they watched the last rays of light disappear behind the horizon, then embraced before turning back towards camp.
As they entered the ring of light from their friends' fire, hand-in-hand, they were surprised to see Gueri, Siobhan and Krael in intense conversation with an ogre. Siobhan's warrior instincts did not let her down, and she turned as they approached.
"Well, it's aboot time!" she exclaimed, seeing their joined hands. "Och, we've been waiting an age fer yous two tae realise your'n feelings and do somethin' aboot it!" She spread her arms wide and, with a huge grin rarely seen on her face, hugged them close, both at once. Gueri whooped with joy and joined them. Krael simply looked confused, but smiled broadly.
Siobhan released her joyous bear-hug, and Ganth gasped for breath, blushing a deep, deep red. He mumbled something incoherent, as Eltheria grinned uncontrollably and hugged Gueri. A few moments passed before the friends turned their attention to the ogre by the fire.
"This is Logrus," said Gueri. "He's a shaman from the swamps, and he may have some information of interest."
The ogre rose. He towered above Ganth, reaching almost twice the dwarf's height, and was broader even than Siobhan. Wearing beautifully crafted armour bearing some form of totemic markings, he bowed deeply before the newly arrived couple.
"Yus," he said, in the grating common used by the ogres. "Me bin travellin' down dere lots dis week, an' me done see'd lots of fings. Me fink me have seen dat inky wot yous is been lookin' fer."
"Vaeksil?" gasped Eltheria.
"Yus!" shouted the ogre. "Dat him! Scrawny lickle inky bloke wot don't like us ogres, not one lickle bit. He done tried to hurts me, but me bigger'n meaner'n him, and me done barsh hims guud. Well, til he brings dat boney, den me has to make sharp exit."
"Where was he headed? Any idea?" asked Krael.
"He dun headed for dat Faydedarkening place. Me overhears him say dat to dat uvver inky wot was wiv he. Hims say dat dey gonna amblybush some magickin at de dorf pass or sumtin'."
"Rendil!" exclaimed Gueri, fear showing in her eyes.
"Thank you, friend," said Eltheria, placing a hand on the shaman's forearm. "Your help is appreciated."
"Dat hokay," smiled the ogre, the ugliness of his sharp, unruly teeth not helped by his fetid breath. "Dat inky make me sum bear pie. Me not eat dat guud since me eat me muvver." He grinned again as the friends all cringed slightly. Bowing deeply, the ogre waved goodbye and headed off into the night.
"We need to find someone to open a portal, as soon as we can," said Gueri, sounding jittery. "And I need to get a message to Rendil. Now."
Torches sputtered in the dark, heavily carpeted chamber. Behind his desk, Lord Tel'Drath perused a partially-rolled document, jotting notes on an adjacent parchment as he read the hand-written missive from one of his spies. He nodded occasionally, cross-checking certain details in a large, leather-bound volume perched on a bookstand.
A knock at the door broke the silence, seeming almost to startle him. Voices muttered in the hallway, and his manservant entered quietly. The robe-clad butler waited patiently for his lord to look up from the documents before speaking.
"Milord Vaeksil and one of his minions request audience, master," he said. Tel'Drath nodded, placing his quill beside the papers on his desk and sitting back. He raised his hands beneath his chin, balancing his head on them. The two elves, one light, one dark, entered the room, bowing deeply.
"What news, Vaeksil?" asked the elven lord. Vaeksil shuffled uncomfortably under the gaze of his master. Jomen remained by the door, hoping the extra distance would improve his chances of surviving the dark elf's anger.
"The erudite lives, my liege," said Vaeksil, almost whispering.
The silence lasted an eternity. Vaeksil and Jomen both appeared to stop breathing as they waited for Tel'Drath's response. Their master remained unmoving, his head upon his hands, his eyes not leaving Vaeksil for a moment. Slowly, he rose and walked round the desk, stopping in front of the worried underling.
"I feared as much," responded Tel'Drath, with a sigh. "Such is the outcome when an incompetent is sent on the mission." He turned away from his minions and regarded his desk. Behind him, Vaeksil began to speak, but Tel'Drath simply raised his hand and walked back to his seat. He looked at Vaeksil and Jomen, shaking his head slowly.
"Months of planning," he muttered. "Weeks to infiltrate their brotherhood. The cost of the equipment for the orcs." He sighed again. "Thankfully, Vaeksil, all is not lost. The magician's appearance in the Faydark was fortuitous for our more competent envoys, allowing them to complete a part of their mission that would otherwise have been extremely difficult." He raised an eyebrow. "And you can wipe that smile off your face, minion."
Vaeksil looked quickly down at the carpet. He had been lucky, and he knew it. Still, he awaited his next mission apprehensively: with the group of lightbringers outside in the forest, waiting for him, and one of their own at his side, leaving the city would be difficult, no matter what his charge. Jomen shuffled his feet anxiously, obviously considering the same problem.
"Very well, Vaeksil," Tel'Drath continued, proffering a document from his desk. "Your next mission will be to act as a distraction, a small part in the final stage of our carefully-laid plans. You will leave immediately for the Faydark, where other agents and a task force will meet you. You will provide support while they stop the magician's return to the cursed elven city. We will kill two aviaks with one stone: both the erudite and her high- elven husband will be destroyed when they arrive."
Looking sternly at the dark elf as he took the document, Tel'Drath added: "Do not fail me this time, Vaeksil, or I will deal with you personally."
Vaeksil and Jomen bowed, hastily backing out of the chamber and into the corridor. Once outside, they both breathed sighs of relief. Vaeksil turned to the wood elf.
"We must be careful, and well-prepared," he said. "Failure this time will mean our heads." Jomen simply nodded, and followed his master back to the building entrance.
***
"They've been in there a while," said Ganth. "What should we do?"
"Nothing we can do except wait," replied Gueri. The group had been camped near the entrance to Neriak for at least a day - too long, in Siobhan's opinion. The warrior grumbled unhappily at Gueri's response. She didn't like to be this close to the city, with its regular patrols to avoid and all the upstart young adventurers testing their skills as the friends attempted to remain out of sight.
"Listen, Siobhan, we have no choice. You know what these inkies are like - Vaeksil won't give up until we're all dead," the erudite added, factually. Siobhan sighed and grumbled again, then rose to speak.
"Aye, that's true, Gueri. But ye're fergettin' that Vaeksil can walk right past us wi'that invisibility o'his."
The others looked at the ground. She was right, of course. Since Vaeksil had entered the city, they had little chance of catching him when he left. The combination of invisibility and the proximity of the tough tunnel guards made it extremely unlikely they would be able to stop the dark elf when he left.
"I suppose we should move away, then," suggested Eltheria. "We'll just have to keep our eyes and ears open for any sign of activity."
The friends packed up their camp. Extinguishing the fire, they all shouldered their packs and, with a last look at the accursed city, turned away and headed back towards the commonlands. Their new acquaintance, Krael, stood a moment longer, taking in all the detail of his homeland, before joining them on the road.
In the day that had passed while they waited for Vaeksil to reappear, the friends had learnt much of themselves and each other. Siobhan was furious at their former friend, the ranger, and periodically stomped away into the woods to shout and hack at the trees. Ostensibly, she was practising, but the others knew Jomen would be her first choice of target should they cross his path again.
Ganth and Eltheria had maintained several difficult conversations since the last battle. They both seemed ill at ease in the other's company, and none of their companions understood why. In his own mind, Ganth was struggling with his affection for the elven cleric, her apparent declaration of her feelings for him, and the memories of his wife. For her part, Eltheria had realised what she had said, and was struggling not only with her inner feelings, but also with the effect on her family's reputation and status in Felwithe.
Krael had been the only one to speak regularly. He was a friendly young man with an excellent sense of humour that counter-pointed that of Ganth perfectly, and the two had become closer already. He spoke openly about Neriak, dark elf culture, his boyhood and his desire to travel: all in all, he was exactly the opposite of what the group had expected him to be. Often smiling and laughing, he willingly went off to hunt for food and usually returned with new and different meats from the surrounding forest, that the team had never tasted. He was also an excellent cook, sharing recipes with Ganth.
Gueri was unusually pensive. She had been thinking about her husband and his mission for the guild. Since their failure to stop Vaeksil, she had become increasingly concerned for Rendil's safety: both he and the dark elf had spoken of the same mission in the past, and Vaeksil was still at large. She was anxious to catch the dark elf, but equally anxious to leave this place and make contact with Rendil again.
Their journey back to the friendly commonlands was uneventful, keeping as they did to the edge of the forest. They were aware of the patrols and other dangers of the forest now, and avoided them without difficulty. The group headed through the small pass, back into the daylight.
"Ahhh," sighed Siobhan, "'tis good tae see the sunlight agin!"
Their spirits lifted as they travelled back to Freeport: surrounded by friendly and interesting people travelling though the area, they caught up on all the local rumours and their smiles returned. Krael was the only one concerned at their proximity to the city, as they skirted the sandy area in front of the gates.
"Ach, now how do we get this 'ere darkie on the boat, eh?" asked Ganth. "Ain't no way them guards is going to let 'im through, ye realise?"
"Let's head to the western commonlands," suggested Eltheria. "We can keep up with all the news there, what with all the arrivals and departures at the druids' stone circle, and if we need to we can try to get someone to open a portal for us."
***
The following days passed quickly for the friends, as they camped in the relative security of the stone circle. Their wounds healed as they hunted on the open plains and rolling hills of the commonlands, tracking bear, snakes and spiders to eat, and killing the resident orcs whenever Siobhan's restlessness became unbearable. The events of the past week seemed distant to them now, as they sat around their small fire, singing songs with passing bards and sharing tales of high adventure with travellers of all descriptions.
Krael had become an accepted part of the group. His skill at cooking had encouraged Ganth to try new and interesting recipes, and his magical talents were welcomed on the battlefield. He even seemed to enjoy the constant jibes of his new friends at his poor equipment, hastily re-sewn robes and ignorance of the world outside his home city. His humorous retorts made even the barbarian laugh heartily, and helped ease the tension of waiting for a sign of their enemy.
Ganth rose from his place by the fire. He shook the last of his dinner from his bowl and replaced it in his kit-bag, stretched and announced that he was going for a short walk to digest the rather heavy bear-meat pie they had just eaten. Eltheria rose, expressing a desire to accompany him. Turning into the setting sun, the two friends sauntered away from the camp.
"Ach, makes a nice change to be able to walk away from the camp and not fear what be huntin'," said Ganth, as they passed a small camp of impressive individuals. The lights of bardsong flickered around them as they walked, the drunken voices of the powerful group reaching them.
"It is," said Eltheria. She had been even quieter the last two days, saying hardly anything in the presence of her dwarven friend. Away from the rest of their group, Ganth suddenly stopped and turned to the cleric.
"Have I done somethin' to upset ye, milady?" he asked. Eltheria looked at her feet, a small sigh escaping her lips. The setting sun lit her face beautifully, emphasising the high cheeks and her pale, human-ages-old, yet still-young features.
"No, you haven't," she replied. She turned to look Ganth in the eyes. "I've been troubled. I thought I had lost you outside Neriak, and I don't know what I'd do without you, you annoying little dorf." Ganth smiled gently. She rarely used the vulgar diminutive so oft spoken by enemies of his race, but he knew it was a term of affection.
"Aye, I remember," he said. "Milady, listen. I am but a dwarf, low-born and rude. I have no station, no money and no power, but I cannot hide my feelings fer ye. Since me wife died, I lost all interest in life. You done given me that back, but I know I can't never be what you need me to be, I can't never hope fer."
"Stop," said Eltheria, abruptly, then continued more gently. "Please. I know how you feel, Ganth. I always have." Ganth blushed profusely, but Eltheria smiled. "The stupid thing is that I have been more concerned with my family's reputation than with my own feelings." The dwarf's eyes opened wide, and the cleric looked towards the setting sun.
"I feel the same way as you do," she said.
Ganth didn't know what to do. He shuffled his feet and opened his mouth, but no words came. He searched his mind for the right thing to say, but couldn't find anything other than an immense joy. Lost, he simply turned to the setting sun and took Eltheria's hand in his own. They both smiled as they watched the last rays of light disappear behind the horizon, then embraced before turning back towards camp.
As they entered the ring of light from their friends' fire, hand-in-hand, they were surprised to see Gueri, Siobhan and Krael in intense conversation with an ogre. Siobhan's warrior instincts did not let her down, and she turned as they approached.
"Well, it's aboot time!" she exclaimed, seeing their joined hands. "Och, we've been waiting an age fer yous two tae realise your'n feelings and do somethin' aboot it!" She spread her arms wide and, with a huge grin rarely seen on her face, hugged them close, both at once. Gueri whooped with joy and joined them. Krael simply looked confused, but smiled broadly.
Siobhan released her joyous bear-hug, and Ganth gasped for breath, blushing a deep, deep red. He mumbled something incoherent, as Eltheria grinned uncontrollably and hugged Gueri. A few moments passed before the friends turned their attention to the ogre by the fire.
"This is Logrus," said Gueri. "He's a shaman from the swamps, and he may have some information of interest."
The ogre rose. He towered above Ganth, reaching almost twice the dwarf's height, and was broader even than Siobhan. Wearing beautifully crafted armour bearing some form of totemic markings, he bowed deeply before the newly arrived couple.
"Yus," he said, in the grating common used by the ogres. "Me bin travellin' down dere lots dis week, an' me done see'd lots of fings. Me fink me have seen dat inky wot yous is been lookin' fer."
"Vaeksil?" gasped Eltheria.
"Yus!" shouted the ogre. "Dat him! Scrawny lickle inky bloke wot don't like us ogres, not one lickle bit. He done tried to hurts me, but me bigger'n meaner'n him, and me done barsh hims guud. Well, til he brings dat boney, den me has to make sharp exit."
"Where was he headed? Any idea?" asked Krael.
"He dun headed for dat Faydedarkening place. Me overhears him say dat to dat uvver inky wot was wiv he. Hims say dat dey gonna amblybush some magickin at de dorf pass or sumtin'."
"Rendil!" exclaimed Gueri, fear showing in her eyes.
"Thank you, friend," said Eltheria, placing a hand on the shaman's forearm. "Your help is appreciated."
"Dat hokay," smiled the ogre, the ugliness of his sharp, unruly teeth not helped by his fetid breath. "Dat inky make me sum bear pie. Me not eat dat guud since me eat me muvver." He grinned again as the friends all cringed slightly. Bowing deeply, the ogre waved goodbye and headed off into the night.
"We need to find someone to open a portal, as soon as we can," said Gueri, sounding jittery. "And I need to get a message to Rendil. Now."