by Brad Clark
Glaerion was far away by the time Conner finally scrambled to his feet and gave chase. The woman was surprisingly fast and agile, able to run just as fast as Glaerion. The pursuer always has the advantage as they don’t have to think about what path to take or hesitate when obstacles suddenly came into view. While the woman weaved around trees and bushes, Glaerion took a more direct route and slowly closed the gap between them.
Conner, however, could not keep up and soon lost them in the trees. Hoping that the woman’s chase kept in a generally straight line, he forged onward along a path towards the castle.
A short time later, a shrill whistle caught his attention. He looked right and saw Glaerion through the trees waving at him. Conner jogged over to see the woman sitting on the ground. Neither she nor Glaerion was breathing hard, despite their sprint through the trees. Even though he hadn’t run as hard or for as long, Conner was breathing deeply. He looked closer at the woman, studying her face. She looked Karmon, which meant she was likely a lost refugee. Certainly, one of their kind would not be a spy of the Deceiver.
“She said her name is Marila,” Glaerion said.
“She ran fast,” Conner said. “We almost lost her.”
“Too fast,” Glaerion agreed. He looked at the woman and said, “What are you?”
“I am Marila,” the woman replied meekly. “I was out foraging, and I got lost.”
Glaerion’s bared his teeth in anger and said firmly, “I didn’t ask you who you were, I asked you what you are.”
She shook her head. “I don’t understand the question. I am a Karmon.”
Glaerion reached up to touch her ear, and she flinched away. “You are not Elven. No Human could run that fast. You came from the west. You did not get lost. You came from the Deceiver’s army.”
“Glaerion,” Conner said, sending a stiff glare at his Elven friend. “She is afraid. She is one of us and just got lost.”
Marila looked from Conner to Glaerion and did her best to feign emotional distress. She tried to force tears to come because she knew that would be a common response for a Human woman. After a moment, when they did not come, she dropped her head to her chest and shook her head. “I am not from his army or anyone's army. I came from the castle.” She looked back up at Conner and added, “I am friends with Ilasha. She knows me!”
Conner looked over at Glaerion. “Ilasha?” Conner said. “Is that not Sir Marik’s lady?”
Her voice rose slightly in pitch as she quickly replied, “Yes! That is the one. She will vouch for me.”
Glaerion drew his dagger. “I think you are a spy and should be executed right now!”
“No!” she screamed, backing away and holding up a hand. “I am not! My name is Marila, and I am a friend of Ilasha’s!”
“Glaerion!” Conner shouted out, too loudly for the quiet of the mountains. “There is no need to threaten her.”
Glaerion kept his dagger out, but he relaxed his shoulders.
Conner turned to Marila and asked with a softer voice, “Where did you come from? Before you were at the castle, I mean. Before the war.”
She had prepared her answer and calmly replied, “From the city. From South Karmon.”
“Where? What street?”
Her eyes dropped to the ground. It seemed as if it had been months since she had last been in Neffenmark Castle, but it had been only a handful of days. She had intended to infiltrate the enemy, find the necklace piece of the Ark of Life, and then inform the Deceiver where it was located. Or, even better, retrieve it herself. She had gone the latter route and failed. With each breath she took, she didn’t regret that circumstance. If she had been able to take the necklace, then the war would be over by now. She also wondered if she were not better off if Roddan had sliced off her neck, ending her life, and putting her out of her misery. Instead, she had used her illusion ability to trick Roddan into thinking he had executed her. A similar illusion was now being used to hide her true self from the Human and the Elf, but she struggled to keep it going. Even though the ability to cast an illusion was an innate ability, her new-found emotions made it more difficult to keep the false image of herself going.
“Her silence convicts her,” Glaerion growled.
Glaerion’s words sparked Marila to come out of the depths of despair that she was slowly sinking into. Maybe there was a reason that she had survived the Deceiver’s attempt to get rid of her.
“Turbin Street,” she suddenly burst out.
She had no idea where the street was or what it looked like. It was the only street she knew of, for it was the street that little Allia had lived on. Allia was a little girl that she had met inside the cavern in the mountain where the citizens of the castle lived. It was where she had hidden while she spied on them. It was also where she had started to learn who the Karmons really were. Allia had lost her mother and father during the first attack but had been taken in by a group of survivors who escaped sure death and went to the other Karmon city of Tyre. When the goblins attacked Tyre, she was able to continue with the rest of the survivors and made it to Neffenmark Castle. Although she was alone in a strange place with the threat of death looming over her, the young girl had remained strong. From little Allia, Marila learned that even the littlest of people can be strong, and they didn’t have to be powerful or physically strong. They possessed inner strength to push them forward and drive them to do what was right.
“What’s Turbin Street?” Glaerion asked.
“There is a part of the city,” Conner started, but then he caught himself. “There was part of the city where the poorest of the poor lived. They lived in squalor and filth. Many of them were criminals. This street, Turbin Street, was there.” His mind drifted off to a time when he was first learning who Elissa was. She was not only a spoiled princess, but she was a young lady with a heart of gold that helped the poor and downtrodden. Rather than spending her days sitting in the castle daydreaming of the future, she went out into the city and cared for her people. He smiled at the thought of Elissa, and even though it had only been half a day since he had last seen her, he was anxious to get back to the castle and be with her again.
“One would not generally admit that they were from that part of the city,” Conner added.
Marila dropped to the ground and buried her face in her hands, sensing that this was what she was supposed to do. She was still learning how to handle and control her emotions, and female Humans crying seemed to be a typical emotional response. Her mind focused on what would happen to her if she returned to the Deceiver, and then it became easy. If the choice was sure death by Roddan’s hand or the possibility of surviving at the Human castle, she had to return to the Humans. Oddly, she suddenly found it easy to let the tears fly and allow her emotions to take over her actions.
“I think she’s telling the truth, Glaerion,” Conner said, watching the young woman cry at his feet. He wasn’t quite sure what to do. Elissa tended to weep and cry, especially since she was now with child. In those cases, he brought her into a hug and held her, but that was not something he was prepared to do with Marila.
“You’re willing to place your life in her hands?”
Conner had no reason to not believe Marila, other than they were in the middle of a war against an army led by a god-like being. Dragons flew the skies. Elves and Dwarves had joined their army and were more than just companions. A youthful Conner would have fully believed Marila and not given it a second thought, but the older and wiser Conner gave this young woman another look. She looked Karmon, and even acted as he would have expected, but when Glaerion asked him the question about placing his life in her hands, he knew he could not trust her completely. If Marila were indeed a spy, she would get her just punishment. But, regardless of how he felt or Glaerion felt, they still needed to maintain their civility, and if they allowed themselves to fall into the trap of killing everyone they distrusted, they would lose their humanity.
Conner tried to let all traces of sympathy fall from his f
ace. Despite his gut feeling in trusting Marila, they did not have the luxury of trusting every stray young woman they came across in the middle of the mountains. He also didn’t want to turn into a cold-hearted man who would never trust anyone. Like any good leader, he needed to find a balance in his decision making. He let out a sigh as he tried not to let the pressure of decision-making overwhelm him.
“We will take you back to the castle,” Conner said to Marila. “We will find Ilasha, and if she does not vouch for you, you will be executed as a spy.”
With a firm grip, Glaerion took her by the upper arm and pulled her to her feet. “If you are not who you say you are, your death will not be slow. I can assure you of that.”
Marila, streaks of tears marked on her checks, nodded her head.
“And, if you run, we will kill you,” Glaerion added, looking over at Conner.
Conner took the gaze not as a question, but as a statement. He gave a sharp nod of agreement. To Marila, Conner said, “You run, and that will prove your guilt.”
“I will not run,” she replied softly.
***
It was a long, slow trek back to the castle. The blue sky was crisp and clear of all clouds, allowing the sun’s rays to provide a warmth that made their walk almost too hot for their thick wool cloaks. Soon enough, spring would fully arrive, and there would be more warm days than cold. Buds on the trees had not started to appear, but if there were many more days like this day, it would not be long before trees and flowers would bloom. The sun had dried out the ground, but the snow melt from the top of the mountains filled all the streams, creeks, and rivers that fed through Karmon towards the ocean. They stopped several times along the way to quench their thirst and cool the back of their necks.
Conner was in no hurry to return, as he thoroughly enjoyed the outdoor life. He knew that springtime in the mountains could mean days or even weeks of constant rain, and having a clear and warm day this early in the year was special. The warm sun would soon turn the dreary and barren landscape into a land teeming with vibrant life. However, this might be the last spring that the world would ever see. If the Deceiver was able to win this war, no one knew what life would be like, but it would not be a world full of life. It would be a world full of death. He could not imagine how the world, much less the various races of the world, could survive in any way, shape or form. Soon enough, the last battle would happen and either they would survive, or the Deceiver would survive. As his mind drifted to the solemness of the moment, he grew sullen and quiet. He forgot about the blue skies and warmth. His thoughts drifted to what might be, and he didn’t like where those thoughts were taking him.
Conner was glad to see the tall mountain peak that protected Neffenmark Castle. He needed to keep his mind and body busy so that he wasn’t thinking about what the future might hold. Back in the castle, it would be time for final preparations, and he would fill any spare moment with training and archery practice. Out in the open mountains, the air was fresh and bright, giving him plenty of time to think about life and their future. He knew he needed to focus on the coming battle, so he was ready to finally be back at the castle.
Traveling from the east, the castle and its walls did not come into view until they reached the open expanse that stretched outward from the walls. A small river, fed by mountain snow, wound its way through the shallow valley between the castle and a forest that lay a mile to the east. The walls that surrounded the castle’s large courtyard were tall, much taller than what had once surrounded the city of South Karmon. For hundreds of years, Neffenmark Castle and been impregnable, but he also knew the power and might of Stone Ogres. If the Deceiver brought them with his army, it would not take them long to break through even these mighty walls. But, when South Karmon fell, they didn’t have Elves, Dwarves, and a mage to protect them. Hargon, the former Taran Emperor, had been locked in his room for days studying and learning the magic book that he guarded with his life. If it came down to winning or losing, it might fall onto Hargon’s shoulders. The Elves had the ability to cast magic as well, and they would be useful in protecting the walls, but they did not have the offensive might of Hargon. It would take each and every one of them to win this war, and he hoped the races of the earth would continue to work together and not fall victim to the infighting that had broken them up thousands of years ago.
As they neared the castle, they walked in silence, but the ambient din of the castle’s preparation for war touched their ears. The muffled sounds of voices and clang of steel on steel broke them from their peace. Atop the walls, Elves and Karmon Knights had paired up to walk the walls together, swords and daggers loose in their scabbards, ready to be drawn and used at a moment’s notice. The seemingly benign nature of the pairing was more than just practical. Elves and Humans each brought their own unique set of skills to the battlefield, but thousands of years of distrust needed to be set aside in only a few days. Although Humans had no problems with the Elves, for they were just myth and legend to them, many of the Elves still had memories of the days when Humans were their enemy. Those who had not lived during those times had been inundated with stories and tales of the evil of Humanity. The Elves had come to help willingly, taking the first step towards reconciliation. Patrolling side-by-side atop the walls showed everyone that it was possible to change minds in only a few days. Or maybe it was just that the threat of the Deceiver ruling the world was stronger than their memories.
As Conner, Glaerion, and Marila approached the main gate, a small group stepped out to greet them. Conner smiled as he immediately recognized the long, flowing golden hair of his wife, Queen Elissa of Karmon. His pace picked up, and Conner walked right up to her and took her by the shoulders and touched his lips to her cheeks. He knew it was not proper protocol to bring her into a bear hug, so he compromised. The tall, stern-looking knights who had escorted the queen from the castle looked on disapprovingly, but he didn’t care. Protocols were not something he was fond of, but he did tolerate. Fortunately, as he was married to the queen, the worst he got was disapproving looks.
Elissa beamed as he stepped back to look her over. She wore a long, loose robe, which hid the bump of her belly, but the glow about her told anyone who cared to look carefully that she was with child.
“I told you I would be back shortly,” Conner said with a wink.
“It was still too long,” she replied with a smile.
Glaerion let out his customary low growl. “Are you going to do this every time you are apart for more than five minutes?”
A voice from behind Elissa replied, “I should hope so.”
Hallendrielle, Glaerion’s wife, stepped around Elissa and approached the Glaerion. “It is good to see you, my husband.” She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. His face turned red.
“Enough of this nonsense,” Glaerion snapped. “We have this spy to deal with.”
Elissa looked at her and said, “Spy? Is this who you found? She looks familiar.”
“She calls herself Marila,” Conner said. “Said she is from South Karmon. The slums. And, she claims to be a friend of Ilasha’s.”
Elissa’s eyes widened in recognition. “Of course! That is how I recognize her. Yes, I remember you telling me that you were from South Karmon.”
Conner and Glaerion continued to look at Marila with suspicion, but they both relaxed just a little bit.
“Then, you can vouch for her?” Glaerion asked with a voice that was still firm and threatening. His body language showed him relaxing, but he wanted to make sure Marila knew that they were going to keep an eye on her.
Elissa’s soft eyes and gentle face looked over Marila, who returned a pleading look. Elissa took in a deep breath as she thought about Glaerion’s question. “She is a Karmon who suffered like all of us have. Yes, I shall vouch for her.”
Conner nodded and said, “Very well, then. Marila, you are free to go.”
Marila looked up, her eyes full of surprise.
“Come,” Elissa said with
an outstretched hand. “You look famished, and it is near dinner time. Join us for our evening meal.”
While Elissa walked with Marila through the gate and inside the castle, Hallendrielle moved closer to Glaerion. “I can see the sour look on your face.”
Conner, who overheard Hallendrielle’s quiet words, spoke in a low voice and said, “That is his normal look.”
Hallendrielle smiled and said, “It is more sour than usual.”
Glaerion ignored the attempt at humor and said, “I do not trust this woman. Our scouts picked her up far to the west, and she ran when we chased after her.”
“Running does not make her guilty,” Hallendirelle said. “Perhaps you scared her. If you snuck up behind her, you would certainly have startled her. A woman all alone in the wild? She probably thought she was running for her life.”
“Yeah, but she ran almost as fast as me.”
Hallendrielle raised an eyebrow.
“Right,” Glaerion said in response to the unasked question. “Conner runs fast, but not nearly as fast as an Elf. No Human can.”
“Maybe she is special and unique?” Conner offered as an excuse.
“The Queen has taken a liking to her, so that makes the situation even more tenuous,” Glaerion said.
“I will watch over her,” Conner said. “If I notice anything strange or unusual, I will let you know.”
“If she is a spy, you will have to kill her.”
Conner glanced at the open gate where Elissa and Marila disappeared through. “I know.”
Movement farther down the base of the wall caught his attention, and he let out a laugh at the sight of a large man stumbling and falling face-first into the mud. Still chuckling, he turned to Glaerion and asked, “Should we go help him?”
With a gruff reply, Glaerion replied, “Might as well.”
***
Lord Martin carried his large frame clumsily across the cold, muddy ground as fast as he could. Pumping his arms with each step, he tried to get his short legs to move quicker. He had been out in the abandoned village when he saw Conner and the Elf, whose name he could not remember, walking along the outside of the wall. They had someone with them, possibly a young woman, but at this distance, he could not tell for sure. At first, he had watched with curiosity, wondering where they had come from and why they were outside the castle walls. Once Queen Elissa made an appearance, he knew it might be his last chance to gain an audience with her. Despite his standing as one of the preeminent lords in Karmon, his attempts to meet with her had been continually rebuffed. At first, she offered explanations that she was too busy preparing the castle for the upcoming battle, but when he became more persistent, the excuses ended, and he was simply denied access to the queen.