Sept 2002
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I'm just borrowing them. The
story, however, is mine.
A New Beginning
Chapter 5
Gilthanas thanked the blue dragon and the woman who rode him as
they dropped him off a day's travel from the nearest settlement. The
castle Eastwatch was the nearest outpost of the Somlamnic Knights and he
lifted his hand in farewell as the Dragon sprang aloft. Gilthanas
watched with semi-amusement as he pulled a steep dive and then flew
doing antics for a few moments before disappearing from sight. How he
wished he could find his soul mate! Perhaps, just perhaps, he would
find her around this bend.
As part of the bargain the dragon and him had struck, Gilthanas had
new clothes and boots of elven make along with a fine blade of elven
steel and an elven long bow. He also had a quiver of plenty (that he
wasn't sure was something he deserved) as a gift from the dragon. He
turned back to the road and pushed his hair out of his eyes, taking the
leather band that normally secure his hair and wrapped it around his
forehead to keep his hair out of his eyes. 'I'm in drastic need of a
haircut,' he found himself thinking.
With nothing better to do but put one foot in front of the other,
he started towards the keep that loomed in the distance. He walked for
a few hours before taking the time to rest, his senses alert for danger.
A hand landed on his shoulder and he spun, his sword coming out of its
sheath as he faced the intruder. His eyes widened as he looked at the
elf in front of him.
The strange elf was almost his height and good looking, wearing the
armor and weapons he'd had when they'd parted ways years ago in the
dungeons of the blue dragon. Gilthanas sheathed his sword as a grin
spread across his face. "Leth."
"My prince!" exclaimed the younger elf, his surprise and relief
evident. He dropped into a knee at Gilthanas' feet. "I had thought you
dead."
Gilthanas grabbed the young elf in a hug before pulling away,
"You're too thin, my young friend."
Lethagas shrugged, "The years spent in the service of the dragon
army. I had heard you were taken away by the blue and feared the worst.
By what miracle are you alive today?"
Gilthanas smiled, "One that I had not thought possible. Come my
friend, we will find game and put some meat back on your bones."
Leth smiled and fell in beside Gilthanas as they continued walking
along the road. They traveled for a couple of hours before finding a
good spot to rest and set up camp. It was a small clearing with a fresh
stream that ran along the back into the woods and the hills. Gilthanas
set up the campfire and instructed Leth to set up the rest of camp while
he went and hunted for their dinner. Leth, exhausted by the ordeals
he'd been through and the unexpected travel, gratefully did as was
ordered. A few hours later, Gilthanas returned with a deer carcass
slung over his shoulders. It was starting to get dark but the prince
quickly skinned the animal and cut it up for their dinner. Leth had set
up a spit on the fire and he hung some of the meet there to cook.
"What has happened to you, Leth, since I last saw you?"
Leth winced, "Much, my prince. More than anyone elf should be put
through. The Dark knights are an order that respect their captives but
feed them little. We were fed enough to keep us alive but not nearly
enough to ensure our health. Slowly the rest of the elves that we
encountered died from sickness or beatings when they couldn't work. We
were put to work rebuilding taverns, temples and houses for the dark
knights. If you worked well you were rewarded well. If you worked
poorly you were given less then you required. Squabbling broke out
between the human captives, mostly over food and power." Leth took a
deep breath as he continued his tale, "conditions were the worst I have
seen anywhere, and elves were repeatedly beaten or scorned because we
were strong in some respects. Where the humans broke under torture we
would not. Eventually the commanders saw this and talked to us one on
one, showing us the respect due us. Their commander is a narrow minded
man though, and once he lulled you he would use and discard you. I was
thrown out of the camp this morning with no apparent reasoning behind
it. To make a long story short, sire, I would gladly face the demons of
the abyss than to go back there and face the dungeons."
Gilthanas nodded, his eyes on the flames, "My story is different
from yours, Leth. Much different. For the past few years I have been
living with the blue dragon himself."
Leth gasped, "He didn't kill you? I would have thought he would,
given the chance."
Gilthanas smiled, "No, we struck a bargain. In return for my
freedom, and Silvara's life, I was to help him enter the gray and bring
back the soul of the one companion he'd ever found to be his equal.
Last night I accomplished my part of the bargain, today I am free to
continue my search."
Leth whistled, yawning, "An amazing tale for how short you've kept
it sire. Who was this companion you were supposed to retrieve for him?"
"Do you remember the war of the Lance, young Leth? The Dragon
Highlords?"
"I know the stories, sire. I fled with my family when I was just a
young elf, but I remember vaguely the dragons and their highlords, yes."
"Khellendros was the blue Highlord's mouth during that same war.
The Blue Lady was killed near the end of the war, away from the blue who
had sworn to protect her, and her soul was lost in the gray.
Khellendros supplied me with the body and I kept my part of the bargain
in bringing her back. Her name," he looked at Leth, his eyes full of
pain, "was Kitiara."
Leth hissed, "The Blue Lady herself. Sire, you may have just
doomed us all."
Gilthanas sighed, "I know. But Khellendros has kept a watchful eye
out for Silvara in the time I was with him. He believes that she lies
ahead in that very castle. Apparently some young page was babbling
about a woman who was a dragon that scared the stuffing out of him years
ago. The page has since grown but he's adamant that the lady who rules
over the Knight's battalion there is a silver dragon. So I go to see if
this rumour is true. I must deliver what I have done to the council and
tell them of Kitiara's return. If she is not there I will know, if she
is..." he trailed off.
"You do what you must sire, I know that. I'm sorry to have
questioned you."
"Sleep, Leth, I'll keep watch while you regain your strength."
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I'm just borrowing them. The
story, however, is mine.
A New Beginning
Chapter 5
Gilthanas thanked the blue dragon and the woman who rode him as
they dropped him off a day's travel from the nearest settlement. The
castle Eastwatch was the nearest outpost of the Somlamnic Knights and he
lifted his hand in farewell as the Dragon sprang aloft. Gilthanas
watched with semi-amusement as he pulled a steep dive and then flew
doing antics for a few moments before disappearing from sight. How he
wished he could find his soul mate! Perhaps, just perhaps, he would
find her around this bend.
As part of the bargain the dragon and him had struck, Gilthanas had
new clothes and boots of elven make along with a fine blade of elven
steel and an elven long bow. He also had a quiver of plenty (that he
wasn't sure was something he deserved) as a gift from the dragon. He
turned back to the road and pushed his hair out of his eyes, taking the
leather band that normally secure his hair and wrapped it around his
forehead to keep his hair out of his eyes. 'I'm in drastic need of a
haircut,' he found himself thinking.
With nothing better to do but put one foot in front of the other,
he started towards the keep that loomed in the distance. He walked for
a few hours before taking the time to rest, his senses alert for danger.
A hand landed on his shoulder and he spun, his sword coming out of its
sheath as he faced the intruder. His eyes widened as he looked at the
elf in front of him.
The strange elf was almost his height and good looking, wearing the
armor and weapons he'd had when they'd parted ways years ago in the
dungeons of the blue dragon. Gilthanas sheathed his sword as a grin
spread across his face. "Leth."
"My prince!" exclaimed the younger elf, his surprise and relief
evident. He dropped into a knee at Gilthanas' feet. "I had thought you
dead."
Gilthanas grabbed the young elf in a hug before pulling away,
"You're too thin, my young friend."
Lethagas shrugged, "The years spent in the service of the dragon
army. I had heard you were taken away by the blue and feared the worst.
By what miracle are you alive today?"
Gilthanas smiled, "One that I had not thought possible. Come my
friend, we will find game and put some meat back on your bones."
Leth smiled and fell in beside Gilthanas as they continued walking
along the road. They traveled for a couple of hours before finding a
good spot to rest and set up camp. It was a small clearing with a fresh
stream that ran along the back into the woods and the hills. Gilthanas
set up the campfire and instructed Leth to set up the rest of camp while
he went and hunted for their dinner. Leth, exhausted by the ordeals
he'd been through and the unexpected travel, gratefully did as was
ordered. A few hours later, Gilthanas returned with a deer carcass
slung over his shoulders. It was starting to get dark but the prince
quickly skinned the animal and cut it up for their dinner. Leth had set
up a spit on the fire and he hung some of the meet there to cook.
"What has happened to you, Leth, since I last saw you?"
Leth winced, "Much, my prince. More than anyone elf should be put
through. The Dark knights are an order that respect their captives but
feed them little. We were fed enough to keep us alive but not nearly
enough to ensure our health. Slowly the rest of the elves that we
encountered died from sickness or beatings when they couldn't work. We
were put to work rebuilding taverns, temples and houses for the dark
knights. If you worked well you were rewarded well. If you worked
poorly you were given less then you required. Squabbling broke out
between the human captives, mostly over food and power." Leth took a
deep breath as he continued his tale, "conditions were the worst I have
seen anywhere, and elves were repeatedly beaten or scorned because we
were strong in some respects. Where the humans broke under torture we
would not. Eventually the commanders saw this and talked to us one on
one, showing us the respect due us. Their commander is a narrow minded
man though, and once he lulled you he would use and discard you. I was
thrown out of the camp this morning with no apparent reasoning behind
it. To make a long story short, sire, I would gladly face the demons of
the abyss than to go back there and face the dungeons."
Gilthanas nodded, his eyes on the flames, "My story is different
from yours, Leth. Much different. For the past few years I have been
living with the blue dragon himself."
Leth gasped, "He didn't kill you? I would have thought he would,
given the chance."
Gilthanas smiled, "No, we struck a bargain. In return for my
freedom, and Silvara's life, I was to help him enter the gray and bring
back the soul of the one companion he'd ever found to be his equal.
Last night I accomplished my part of the bargain, today I am free to
continue my search."
Leth whistled, yawning, "An amazing tale for how short you've kept
it sire. Who was this companion you were supposed to retrieve for him?"
"Do you remember the war of the Lance, young Leth? The Dragon
Highlords?"
"I know the stories, sire. I fled with my family when I was just a
young elf, but I remember vaguely the dragons and their highlords, yes."
"Khellendros was the blue Highlord's mouth during that same war.
The Blue Lady was killed near the end of the war, away from the blue who
had sworn to protect her, and her soul was lost in the gray.
Khellendros supplied me with the body and I kept my part of the bargain
in bringing her back. Her name," he looked at Leth, his eyes full of
pain, "was Kitiara."
Leth hissed, "The Blue Lady herself. Sire, you may have just
doomed us all."
Gilthanas sighed, "I know. But Khellendros has kept a watchful eye
out for Silvara in the time I was with him. He believes that she lies
ahead in that very castle. Apparently some young page was babbling
about a woman who was a dragon that scared the stuffing out of him years
ago. The page has since grown but he's adamant that the lady who rules
over the Knight's battalion there is a silver dragon. So I go to see if
this rumour is true. I must deliver what I have done to the council and
tell them of Kitiara's return. If she is not there I will know, if she
is..." he trailed off.
"You do what you must sire, I know that. I'm sorry to have
questioned you."
"Sleep, Leth, I'll keep watch while you regain your strength."