Flight From Sorrow's End Part 6
"Rayek! You'll make me spill the water." Leetah accused, giggling as she glanced back at her lovemate.
"How long will you torment me, Leetah? I've asked you to be my lifemate. Any maiden here would have said yes."
"So why pursue me, my arrogant one?"
Though she was teasing him, her tone was still laced with affection. It was always the same with them, They were so well balanced, why was it she never seemed to accept that? "Because you are the only one worth having." He slid his arms around her waist, pulling her close.
"Oh! You're holding me too tight! Let me catch my breath and I'll give you an answer!"
Though a part of him suspected it was another ploy, he'd let her go slowly. "Very well...I release you!"
With a bright laugh, Leetah ran forward - obviously planning on avoiding the discussion once more.
"Leetah!" He called after her, partly frustrated at this neverending cycle of theirs. But frustration was quickly replaced with worry when a scream drew his attention - and an unfamiliar form loomed forward.
They had tales of humans. Rayek had never been certain he believed them. For a moment time seemed to freeze. Leetah's laughter had halted as she stared at the man towering over her. He'd layed aside his spear to speak to her earlier. As the human raised his weapon to strike he found it in his hand without even realizing he'd picked it up. "Leetah!"
The water crashed to the ground as sense enough returned to the Sunfolk Healer to back away. It gave Rayek time and space to get between them, his spear thrusting forward in a deadly strike. His lovemate stared in horror as the human fell. Despite feeling shaken himself at what he'd done, he reached out to turn her away. "Run! Go to Savah!"
He was surprised when she obeyed, part of him wondered what terrified her more. The human's attack, or his own deadly response.
Another scream - this one cut short - brought his attention back to where the first human had come from. More were there now - and atleast one villager lay unmoving at one's feet. A cry of rage escaped him, and he ran forward - his spear once again striking true. Another moved forward, and he froze it with his gaze. Even so he barely managed to dodge an attack from a third. More were coming - he saw two slip by him into the village. Screams began to fill the air and he saw some of his folk flee the invaders.
"Rayek! Rayek, what is happening?" A familiar voice made him turn.
"Suntoucher! Humans! Stay back!" He shouted a warning, but it did no good. Even as he managed to freeze one human with his gaze, another let loose an arrow at the blind elf.
"Father!" Shenshen's scream punctuated the moment in his memory.
Pulling out his knife - he threw it with deadly accuracy at the human archer. Now left with only his spear, though, he could do nothing as more archers arrived.
"Daughter - go! Run!"
"Mother!"
He had not witnessed Toorah's death. But Shenshen's second scream still echoed in his mind. The battle was a blur after that. He only knew that no matter how hard he fought, he was pushed farther back. There was always another human to fight, even as his spear found its mark time and again. He briefly remembered seeing other villagers attempt to fight. But, untrained, they were no match for the human warriors. Human weapons made it through his own defenses - but the longer the battle wore on the less pain seemed to matter. Until a sword cut deep into his side - forcing him to his knees.
"Rayek!" He heard Leetah's scream, and remembered thinking how much it sounded like Shenshen's had.
"Rayek!" Another voice shouted, and as the human's sword came down for the final blow it jarred against an invisible wall. His eyesight blurred as he turned a shocked gaze on Zhantee - who stood nearby with his hands outstretched. The potterer seemed as shocked at the magic as he was. Leetah ran forward to pull him away. The human gave an outraged cry - beating on the shield. Sweat peppered Zhantee's face as he began to back away.
"Flee, Sunfolk! Sorrow's End is lost!" Ahdri's voice seemed to come from far away.
There was a familiar rumbling sound, and he opened his eyes to see some of the village zwoots charge the humans - allowing Zhantee to break his shield. He hurried to Leetah's side to help her carry him to where other zwoots waited.
"This way, quickly!" He heard Shushen call. Adept at herding the animals, he must have somehow gotten them to charge the humans.
"Ahdri, help us quickly!" Leetah called, and he was lifted onto Savah's handmaiden's zwoot.
From it's height he could see the humans recooperating quickly - and some Sunfolk nearby them, too panicked to follow Ahdri's command, or Shushen's instructions. "Mustn't leave them..." He whispered weakly.
"We have no choice." Ahdri told him.
"Leetah, Zhantee - up here!" On the largest of the zwoots, Dodia helped the other two up as the humans began to shoot at them.
"Savah...where's Savah?" He grasped Ahdri's sleeve.
Her look pained, the handmaiden had only turned the zwoot away - following Shushen and Dodia's path from the village. "Hurry everyone! Follow!" She shouted to those they passed. Some hurried to follow, but Rayek saw many falling behind - unable to keep up. He could still hear their screams as darkness overtook him.
Rayek awakened with a gasp, for a moment too disoriented to figure out where he was. For a brief second he thought he was back in his hut at Sorrow's End - the terrible vision no more than a dream. But the bitter cold and daylight filtering through the cloth walls of his hut in Rootless brought with it the harsh reality. Not a dream; a memory.
The flap to his hut was pushed open, and Redlance's wolf peered inside, its eyes fixed on him. Since he'd used his gaze on it, the wolf had not threatened him again. It had given a soft growl when Zhantee and Leetah had helped carry the wolfrider into her hut. But a word from him, and the wolf had quieted. Denied entrance to the healer's hut, it had stayed by his side instead.
The Sunfolk, still endlessly curious, had bombarded him with questions - several staring in awe at the wolf. He'd told them he had met the wolfrider when hunting and that he was injured badly. No more. Tired of the endless questions, and still feeling weakened from the denied calling of recognition - he'd retreated to his hut. He must have fallen asleep, though he did not think he could have slept too long - judging by the light outside.
The memory of the fall of the village had done nothing to lighten his mood. He exited the hut, noting that the sun would set soon. The wolf looked into the village - giving a soft whine. Rayek follow its gaze. "Let's see..." He spoke to it absently.
Though busy preparing for the evening meal, the Sunfolk still found time to gawk as the wolf followed him through the village toward Leetah's hut. Zhantee sat outside of it, he met his eyes and shook his head. Leetah must still have been at work. Whatever had been wrong must have been serious indeed.
The wolf gave another soft whine, but Rayek turned to it sharply. "No! We mustn't disturb the healing." It struck him then that he kept speaking to it as if it could understand him. And the hurt look the wolf sent his way seemed only to emphasize it.
'The elves have wolf blood...perhaps the wolves have elf blood?' The thought was rather disturbing to him. 'Or perhaps they were intelligent to begin with and that was why their high one chose that form?' He was tempted to shake his head to clear it of such wandering thoughts.
"Lead Hunter?"
The title was still new to him. It took him a moment to turn to the young girl who was waiting for him. It took him another moment to recall her name. "Behtia, wasn't it?" Her father had died in the fall of the village, and her mother had not lasted to receive Leetah's care.
She broke into a smile, nodding. "Yes, I'm Behtia. Ahd - that is - the Daughter of Memory requests your presence, Lead Hunter."
'That's right...Ahdri took her in.' He recalled. He could easily guess the subject Ahdri had called him to discuss. His gaze wandered back to Leetah's hut, and he nodded. Lead the way."
To Be Continued...
Han Xiang