by D E Boske
with any of the patrons.
It was getting late and the Gor Li’ Khan were about to retire when Kelindril heard a muffled whimpering from behind the long counter. He did not know why, but he went to inspect. The girl who had served them was being held down against her will. A big beastly looking man had her on her knees.
“Please, don’t do this,” she cried, trying to stop him as he pulled his belt off.
“Excuse me,” Kelindril grated. “I heard the lady say no.” Kelindril held no interest in the girl, but he hated men who did this to women.
“Back off! Mind yer own business afore I hurt ye!”
“I don’t think so.”
The man pulled his pants up and came around the counter, a big meaty fist pounding the wood. Before he could defend himself, Kelindril drew his sword slashing his arm. The man howled in pain and anger.
The Gor Li’ Khan stood back and watched their leader. He circled the Ni’ Kulana, dancing out of his way. He struck with the flat of his blade hitting the brute between the legs. As predicted, he folded like a sack of dirty clothes and went down hard. The elf put the point of his blade to the man’s neck.
“Leave her alone. She said no. Do not bother her again. Understand?” Kelindril snarled, putting pressure on his blade until the man nodded carefully.
The man got up, making his way for the door. “You can have her you crazy bastard!”
She threw herself into Kelindril’s arms crying and burying her face in his chest. He did not know what to do. He did not want her to touch him.
“Where is the innkeeper?” he asked, putting her at arm’s length.
“He always has me close up alone. He retires right after supper. Thank you for… Thank you. If you didn’t come when you did… He…” Tears streamed down her face. Kelindril sat her down in a chair, poured some water for her, and waited for her to regain her composure.
“Where do you stay? I will see you safely home.”
“I live here, the innkeeper is my uncle. My room is upstairs.”
“You will take me to your uncle first. I will tell him he has no business letting a young girl like you down here by yourself with all these men.”
She took him to her uncle’s room where the elf proceeded to do exactly what he said he would. Her uncle was furious about what happened and promised to never leave her alone again.
Kelindril walked her to her room afterwards. “Would you like to come in?” she asked hopefully.
“Nay. I must get back. I only wanted to make sure you were safe,” he replied and meant it.
“Well, thank you. I know you didn’t have to get involved and I appreciate it.” She leaned into him, kissing him softly on the lips. He did not know why he let her. He could tell from her posture what she’d been going to do. He returned to his room locking the door, slipping into Ru Nay’ Sha soon after.
It had snowed all night. Dawn showed that it was snowing still. Another foot of fresh white powder lay on the ground. They could not stay another night. The same young girl from the night before served them breakfast.
“Morning boys,” she smiled happily. “Care for coffee?”
“Nay. Do you have tea instead?” asked Kelindril.
“Of course. Breakfast will be served shortly.” She smiled as she walked away.
She returned with their tea quickly. When Kelindril attempted to pay her, she gently refused.
“This morning’s fare is on the house, for your kindness last night,” she informed.
“That is not necessary,” he replied uncomfortably.
“I must show my appreciation one way or another. After all, you did not have to step in. And I will be eternally grateful to you.” She walked away without waiting for a response.
When she returned with the food, they were pleasantly surprised. Fresh eggs, bacon, and thick slices of toast with freshly churned butter. The elves were hungry and there was no talk as they ate. This would very likely be the last fresh meal they would have in a while. Duty was sometimes a vindictive bitch.
When they were finished, they left quietly, leaving Mishkalan behind. Passing through the gates, they were gone before the girl made it back to their table to clear it.
She did not know why, but their departure made her sad. She picked up the plates, starting to walk away when something caught her eye. Three gold pieces lay under his plate. She realized she didn’t even know his name. She smiled as she picked the gold up adding it to her pocket. He overpaid. It was little more than one gold piece. She smiled to herself as she made her way back to the kitchen.
“Kelindril, that girl seemed to like you. Why’d you save her anyway?” asked
Nymdal.
“Because, I hate men who force themselves on women. I find it utterly appalling.”
“Did you taste her sweetness?” queried Nymdal.
“No. She is Ni’ Kulana Nym. I did not touch her,” Kelindril looked uncomfortable with Nym’s line of questioning. “Why are you so interested?”
“Dunno. Just curious. Never seen you with anyone before.”
“Most times I prefer my own company. Sometimes, I give in. But it’s always been an elf.”
“Well, our previous location did not give us much diversity,” Nym responded.
“What do you mean? We traveled all the time,” Kelindril replied.
“Yeah, but we were always working. I never let myself get distracted on a mission.”
“We’re on a mission now Nym,” Kelindril reminded.
“Right. What about Kiri A’ Nouell? Do you really plan on staying?”
“Of course. We were ordered to protect Nephraete. Would you go against Thelarki?”
“Kelindril, what if Nephraete wishes to return to Kaleika Bay?” Nym asked.
“Then we will see her safely home,” Kelindril responded automatically.
“What if she wants to remain in the forest?” prodded Nym.
“Then we will remain as we were told. Do you have something you wish to tell me Nymdal?” asked Kelindril, informality gone.
“No.” Nymdal shut down, going quiet once more.
“Try not to be too hard on him. I think we all are a little uncomfortable with the idea of being away from home. Maybe even for the rest of our lives. What kind of ruler is Galavad, do you think?” asked Stilhan.
“I can tell he cares for his people. He will protect them with his life. And that’s saying something. Thelarki would ne’er do such a thing.”
“Of course not. That’s where we come in.” Stilhan hid his contempt well. He could not let Kelindril see his inner turmoil. Else, he would kill him quickly. And not painlessly. He desperately hoped Nephraete did not wish to return to Kaleika Bay. He suspected she did not. Otherwise, she would have already.
Stilhan wondered at the course their lives would take now that they were far from their home. As a Gor Li’ Khan, he was used to being away from the Bay for extended periods of time. But he wondered if they never returned, would he be relieved? Or would he yearn to see the ocean once more? He was sure he would not know until they completed their mission.
Would Nephraete be happy to see them? Stilhan doubted it. She was probably already aware of their imminent arrival. She was T Ama’ Ro after all. He wondered if she’d left because Thelarki was going to force her to marry Kryndale.
T Ama’ Ro always took their Crebellan as their lover. He knew Nephraete would have taken Calisha if given the chance. Thelarki robbed her of that choice, along with her freedom. He’d taken to keeping her locked inside her room, rarely letting her out. The proud Gor Li’ Khan disagreed with Thelarki, but what could they do? They could not risk openly going against him. Besides, not many Gor Li’ Khan would turn away from Thelarki and Kaleika Bay. Or would they?
Briefly, Stilhan wondered how many Gor Li’ Khan enjoyed what they did anymore. Yes, he enjoyed killing and being in total control. He reveled in the bloodshed. But he no longer wished to work for Thelarki. Lately, their targets were not exactly ch
allenging or threatening. If Kelindril even thought any of them were weak, he would kill them outright.
Stilhan looked forward to remaining in Kiri A’ Nouell. He was anxious to meet up with Kyler and company. He wondered how Kyler would react to them. He hoped they would be accepted without a fight. Although, he knew some of the Gor Li’ Khan hoped otherwise. Only time will tell, he thought.
12
Kyler awoke sharply from Ru Nay’ Sha. He felt, then heard the communication from his father. It was early, before sunrise. The words spoken by his father disturbed him. He was angry and upset, but there was nothing to be done. Nothing but wake Darian and tell him the wonderful news.
“Darian,” Kyler whispered so as not to wake anyone else prematurely.
The Mage opened his eyes just before Kyler put his hand on him. “What is it?” he asked, sitting up at once. Kyler motioned to him to enact a shield and Darian did it without taking his eyes off his friend.
As soon as the elf felt the shield slide into place, he spoke. The words coming out in a rush. “The Gor Li’ Khan are on their way. Father said there are fourteen of them.”
“What else did he say?” asked the Mage, wide awake now.
“He said they do not come for Nephraete, but did not say much else. They left this morning. They have supplies and a map.”
“You are angry, Kyler. You need to calm down. Obviously, your father felt they were not a threat. Maybe they can be of some help to us. If they get here in time that is,” replied the Mage.
“Maybe,” Kyler agreed.
“You know Galavad would not tell them a thing unless he felt it was safe to do so. Why do you worry?” asked Darian.
“I do not know. These Gor Li’ Khan are different from Kryndale. What if they hold malice in their hearts? Even Kryndale said they were bloodthirsty killers. Will we ever be able to trust them?”
“I do not know my friend. These are things we will not have answers to for some time. We will have to wait and see. They are elves. They are your people…”
Kyler cut him off, “Our people. You said your, they are our people. You are my brother Darian. Though you did not come from my mother’s womb, I could not be closer to you if you had.” Kyler spoke quietly, knees drawn up to his chest and arms wrapped around them.
Darian grinned, “Our people,” he corrected himself. “That’s what I meant to say,” the Mage said quietly. Then a horrified expression crossed the Mage’s face. “This doesn’t mean Tynuviel’s my sister, does it? Please tell me she’s not my sister!” Darian shook Kyler in mock desperation.
“Ah no, she’s not,” Kyler replied, grinning.
“Thank the gods! Because the things I want to do to her are totally inappropriate if she were.”
“Thanks Darian. Now that’s too much information. Please do not put those thoughts in my head,” Kyler said, smiling.
“Remember, we have Kryndale to watch our backs. He won’t let anything happen to us,” Darian replied seriously.
“I know. They are loyal to Kiri A’ Nouell,” the elf responded.
“I will never let them take her away from you. You must know this,” the Mage said direly.
“I know, Darian. Thank you.”
“For what?” the Mage asked, shrugging his shoulders in confusion.
“For everything. Your friendship, our conversations. You know, everything.”
“Kyler, I haven’t done anything spectacular since we met. You owe me nothing. In fact, I owe you. You offered a total stranger friendship. And that still blows me away. I know you understood the consequences of your actions. And still you befriended me. Never underestimate how much that means to me. Never.”
Kyler had the distinct impression that Darian was quite serious. He was speechless. He didn’t know how to respond to his friend’s admission. He was touched, deeply so. It was one thing to know how your best friend felt. Completely another to hear him speak it aloud.
The camp had come alive while the two had been talking. Breakfast was almost ready. The water was boiling for tea. Nephraete looked so beautiful. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, long silver hair reaching below her perfect bottom.
The elf prince smiled as he watched her. He couldn’t help it. He caught her by surprise, wrapping his arms around her slender waist. He turned her to face him, pressing his lips on hers. She did not fight his advances. Leaning into him, she kissed him back. The rest averted their eyes, trying to give them what privacy could be had in such close quarters.
“I can’t wait to get back home,” he whispered in her ear.
“Me neither,” she said, pulling him into a passionate kiss.
After breakfast, Stryker moved to open the door. At first, it would not budge. When he was able to open it, fierce winds and snow blew into the tunnel. They were walking into a terrible snowstorm. Stryker and Kibblewolf somehow managed to shut the door against the cold, wet snow.
“I’m sorry, but we ain’t goin’ nowhere’s ‘til the storm’s passed. We canno’ make it. We’ll have to wait it out.”
“Damn it!” the Mage hissed, slamming his fist into the stone wall. “She can’t afford any more delays!” Kyler was beside him at once.
“Darian, calm down. If we go out there now, we’ll all die. You know that.”
“I know. I just…” he trailed off, feeling utterly hopeless.
“I know. But we have to believe that she will be alright. That we’ll be in time…”
Everyone just stared at the Mage. He teetered on the brink of maniacal rage. It was in his eyes. They all saw it. They all feared it. Kyler gripped Darian’s arm. The Mage looked into the elf’s eyes, letting his anger go. It bled out of him like a cankerous pus.
Everyone relaxed then. They felt the Mage’s anger drain away as if it were a palpable force.
To his credit, Torgyn began to sing a song, pulling the attention away from Darian. Of course, the Mage did not even acknowledge the bard. Why would he?
Torgyn’s pure, strong voice captured their attention. He told stories and sang to pass the time. Mordinian was quiet, eyes missing nothing. The Mage was unraveling after all. He was becoming more and more dangerous as the days passed by. Just when he thought he’d solved the puzzle that was Darian Brade, a whole new layer became visible.
Kyler had some kind of impact on the Mage. As soon as the elf touched his arm, the storm clouds disappeared from his eyes. The Knights watched the elf prince and the Mage closely. They held some bizarre interest in them. He wanted to know what it was. Tansher especially. That one was as curious as himself. He watched everyone and everything.
“Is he okay?” asked Rohn, sitting by his sister.
“He’ll be fine. He’s just upset right now. We’ve come so far…”
“Nephraete, Kyler… Do you love him?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Will you marry him?” he asked.
“If he but asks, yes. Why are you asking me these questions Rohn?”
“I just want to know your heart. I want you to be happy.”
“I am. And now I have you back.” She reached out, grasping his hand in hers.
“Many of us will likely die in the mountain,” Rohn whispered.
“You will not be one of them, Rohn. I didn’t find you again just to lose you forever.”
“I just need to know that you’ll be taken care of if…”
“Do not speak those words aloud Rohn,” the tiny seer warned, with more steel in her voice than he ever remembered. He smiled at her, for what else could he do? He held her tightly, her head on his chest. They talked long into the night until finally, she drifted into Ru Nay’ Sha in her brother’s arms.
Shaz listened to the stories and songs, gaining insight into the world of the elves. They were so very different from him. Their beliefs, their moral character… Everything. He could not understand it. He still did not understand why Kyler had been upset with him when they first met. He thought he would remain behind because of C.J.. From some of th
e songs the elves were singing, they did not take sex seriously either. So why had Kyler been angry?
The elves were immortal. They witnessed the birth and death of generation upon generation of humans. He’d heard many of them talking about how many lovers they’d had. So why the attitude from the elf prince?
The elves would have many relationships in their lifetimes. He could not imagine being with the same woman for a week let alone a thousand years. The thought was deeply unsettling to him. Almost as unsettling as all this rock over his head. Fah! He could not wait to get out of here.
This adventure was turning out to be much more than Shaz had bargained for. He would see it to the end though. He wanted to know everything about Darian. Everything. He wanted to know all his secrets.
Lately, the Mage had become more unpredictable than usual. Like tonight, the way he hit the wall… He did not even seem to notice the bloody torn mess his hands had become. Shaz wondered briefly if he could cast magic as well with torn hands as he could when he wasn’t hurt.
Hey, it’s a legitimate question, Shaz thought. Why should we all die because he cannot control his sexual
impulses? Shaz knew how the Mage felt. It had been too long already. He needed the touch of a woman. There were only two with them and he didn’t think either of them would give him the time of day. Nephraete was too busy mooning over Kyler. Tryllia was with Tryndil. And Shaz would not mix with the Gor Li’ Khan. A shudder ran up his spine at the mere thought of them.
He lay down, wrapping himself in his blanket and was soon fast asleep. He was unaware of the figure that watched him from the shadows. Calisha watched the bounty hunter closely. He did not trust him. Nor did he like him. His thoughts were foul. He’d been thinking of Nephraete again. Even with the warning he’d given him. The Ni’ Kulana just could not help himself. He would not let the bounty hunter out of his sight.
He watched Rohn and Nephraete talking and laughing. Rohn had returned. Calisha wondered why he hadn’t taken Nephraete with him. If he felt so strongly… How many of the other Gor Li’ Khan felt the same? Kelindril… That one would not be turned so easily. Kelindril was as close to evil as an elf could get. He was good at what he did. And he enjoyed it.