by K. M. Bonde
“Piss off,” the other yells back, throwing the cup after him.
The bandit laughs as he stalks off toward the bushes. Just as he loosens his belt, Drake drops from the tree, and in a single move, leaves two blade marks on the bandit’s throat. Blood pours to the ground.
Drake makes his way back to the other bandits, and this time, he’s impatient. Instead of waiting, he lets his daggers soar through the air toward two bandits. They fall to the ground, unaware of what even happened. And as they bleed out on the ground, Drake breaks the neck of the third man.
Drake stands and pulls out the daggers from their throats, wiping the blades off before sheathing them. He looks around the camp and, satisfied, takes all the coins and other small valuables that he can pocket.
“Justice has been served,” he says as he walks away, smiling.
Chapter 25: The Healer
As the party nears the lake, Eadric looks over his shoulder and grins.
“Drake’s back!” he exclaims, waving to the master thief. The rest of the party turns and waves, too, and Drake puts his hand up in return.
The thief trots down the hill to catch up, and soon, they are all together again in front of Lake Uriel. Run-down shacks line the docks, and ruined boats float in what looks like a very old harbor.
“Must have been ages since someone lived here,” says Elof. He kicks at some debris in his path and sighs. “Seems like this place now only hosts rats, broken wood, and rusty nails.”
“Let’s see if we can find something we can use to get to the island. It’s is too far to swim, especially with Ryan in the state he is,” Arddun says.
“Is he doing any better?” asks Drake.
Elora shakes her head. “No… the fever has risen, and the poison is spreading up his arm rapidly.” Drake puts a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.
“We’ll get him there, don’t worry, my Queen,” says the thief. He joins the others in bringing what wooden planks and cloth they can find to build a raft. It takes a while, but under guidance from Eadric, they soon have something that resembles a raft.
“It’s not pretty, but it should be enough to bring us to the island dry and in one piece,” Eadric says.
“Let's go,” Elora says. “We need to get Ryan to the healer as soon as possible.”
The party starts to board the raft, but before they all pile on, a commotion over the hill grabs their attention. Drake and Arddun look back, worry plastered on their faces. Elora looks back and sees horses and a few men, but the noise is too loud to be just a few.
“It’s too dangerous for us to linger here any longer,” Drake says quietly. “It could be an ambush, and since we have the lower ground, it will be hard to defend ourselves.”
“Can they see us?” Elora whispers. Please, don’t see us, she thinks. We just need to get Ryan to a healer.
“Probably not,” Arddun says. “I think we’re hidden enough by the buildings and junk around here. Now, let’s go.”
They rush to get everything onto the raft, and soon, they are paddling away toward the island. As they leave shore, the riders are coming over the hills, the sun setting behind them.
Drake sighs. “It’s good we left. I recognize the riders. They’re part of the feared Wolf Raiders, a bandit group ravaging these lands. We are fortunate, most likely they didn’t see us or know about you.”
“So, why would they be coming here?” Elora asks.
“It looks like they’re searching for other bandits intruding on their land. After all, they’re the sworn enemies of the Red Baron. These lands, west of the city and north of the mountains all the way toward the marshlands in the north, are being fought over by these two bandit groups. They are both extremely dangerous.”
“Eh, I bet we could take ‘em,” says Elof as he helps Eadric paddle.
Drake rolls his eyes. “Anyway, as I was saying, the Wolf Raiders do not take prisoners, and as I said before, usually leaves the farmers alone. The Red Baron, on the other hand, takes prisoners. He toys with them and forces them to compete in life or death games for his own amusement.”
“How horrible,” Elora says. Will people like that even accept me as their new queen? How am I supposed to deal with such nasty criminals?
The party goes quiet, carefully paddling toward the island and trying not to draw attention to themselves.
After a while, Drake sighs and smiles. “It seems were are safe,” he says, motioning toward the coastline. “The Raiders are continuing down the coast, away from us. They did not notice our party.”
Elora watches as the Raiders disappear back over the hills, and she sighs. At least now she can focus on the island and healer again.
The island is so close now, it will only take them a few more minutes of paddling to get there.
“Did you see that?” Elof asks suddenly, looking around the raft.
They all look at Elof and at the water around them. It’s quiet.
“No?” says Eadric, more of a question than a statement.
Elof frowns. “There was something in the water, something big. It was swimming behind us for a while.”
Eadric shrugs. “Normal fish behavior, really. Perhaps it was a very large fish.” Still, he and Elof paddle a little faster.
As soon as they reach the shore, they disembark on the island.
“It’s so small,” Elora says.
There isn’t much here, just a few burnt down trees near the water and a rowing boat. A small trail leads up toward the hill in the middle of the island. They start walking up, and as they make it to the top, they see a small cottage. Smoke rises from the chimney. Green grass covers the roof, the common style here, and tall trees grow around the house. At least it’s peaceful, Elora thinks to herself. They walk up to the house and knock on the door.
The door slowly opens, and a voice speaks from within. “Enter, please.”
They slowly enter, Drake and Eadric first, hands on their weapons. As they enter, they see an older man standing near the open fire, warming his hands and what seems like supper in a bowl. The cottage is small, warm, and welcoming. Ornaments, books, vials, and jars are spread out all over the room, and there’s a small bed covered in furs in one corner. A chandelier in the middle of the room hangs down from one of the wooden nooks, its candles casting a warm glow on the room.
The man turns around from the fire. “Welcome to the Island of Virana. How can I help you? I trust you had a safe journey over the lake to come to my island?”
Elora steps forward, a little hesitant as she is not sure which question to answer first. “Thank you, the journey was fine. We’re here seeking help from a great healer. Are you him?”
The man looks at Elora. “I am a healer, yes. My name is Kvenalon. I have not had visitors in a long time. How can I help you?”
Elora motions for Eadric to bring Ryan in, and he brings the injured man in front of Kvenalon. The healer looks at Ryan and back at the party. “He does not look good. Why did you not bring him here earlier?”
“We had some challenging moments during the trip here,” Elof mutters.
“He was scratched by a Wyhrmein, and the poison is spreading,” Elora says.
Kvenalon looks at Elora, his eyebrows raised. “Oh my! Why would you ever go near one of those horrible monsters? They are quite dangerous you know,” nodding his head to himself. He walks over to some of his jars and pull out some herbs and other items. He mumbles to himself about why anyone would be so crazy, “A Wyhrmein? Outrageous. Those are so dangerous,” he says again.
Elora looks at Arddun, and the mage shrugs.
Kvenalon continues speaking, and Elora guesses he’s talking to himself. “I need some elf blood for healing, some frog skin for mental relief, and some crow eyes to relieve pain.” He continues picking things out of jars and putting them into a big pot over the fire. He looks at Elof. “Could you hand me those leaves in the jar behind you, please?”
Elof gives him the jar. “To cover the wound?” he asks.
Kvenalon looks at him and takes the jar and grabs a leaf from the jar. “No, of course not! These are opium leaves,” he says, putting one in his mouth, “for my wellbeing.” He starts chanting and picks up a wand next to the pot, magic flowing into the pot.
When he takes the fluid from the pot, Elora can’t help but gag a little. It neither looks nor smells good. But he is the healer, he knows what he’s doing, she reminds herself.
Kvenalon walks over to Ryan and puts a white cloth over his arm, pouring the fluid on top. He presses his wand against the wound and mutters something under his breath.
He turns around and looks at the surprised party. “It's a healing spell to draw out the poison through the cloth,” he explains. “The fluid enters his system and is pulled back by the healing spell. The fluid will absorb the poison.” A moment later, fluid begins dripping from Ryan down onto the floor.
Kvenalon continues chewing on the leaves. “Now, let him rest. We should know by the morning if it worked. As long as the poison has not reached any vital organs, he should be okay.”
“Let’s go outside,” Eadric suggests.
Elora nods, but steps over to Ryan and places a quick kiss to his forehead. “I love you, stay strong,” she whispers before following her group outside.
They walk around the island. It’s small, so it doesn’t take long to walk to the other side, and soon, they find themselves back at the cottage again.
“Let’s build a fire,” Drake says, motioning to a small fire pit. He lights the fire, and it crackles to life. Elora looks carefully at the rest of the party, trying to discern their feelings about being on this island and helping Ryan. She knows that this has put an extra burden on the party and that they are eager to continue their original mission.
“Friends,” she says quietly. “We need to make it to the mountains, and soon. As soon as Ryan is well enough to travel, we should leave immediately.”
“It is quite far still,” Elof replies. “We need to make it back to the main road, and this might have set us back for days.”
Arddun sighs heavily and rubs her forehead. “I wonder how far the Dark Forces have made it. We need to reach the mountains before they get here, and we will only be safe beyond the mountains.”
“Not to mention we have to be careful on the road to avoid any confrontations with the Baron,” adds Drake.
“We’ll do our best,” Elora says unconvincingly. She knows doing all of that successfully will be easier said than done.
“Let’s rest, now,” Arddun says gently.
Elora finds as comfortable a spot as she can near the fire and lays down, falling asleep quickly.
The sun is barely starting to rise when the door suddenly opens and out comes Ryan. Elora sits up, eyes wide. He grins at her, and she jumps to her feet. “How do you feel?” she asks as she throws her arms around him.
Ryan holds her tight for a moment before answering. “I'm doing better. It was scary,” he says, his voice weak. “My body ached so much, and I really thought that I would die. Towards the end, before I got the medicine, I could hardly hear you, my senses seemed occupied with the venom rushing through my veins. I was drifting away and then… I must have passed out. It was like a dream.”
The rest of the party begins to get up, and Ryan smiles at them. “Thank you all for your help, thank you for saving me.”
Kvenalon emerges from the cottage and walks up to Elora. “Please accept my services as I want to join your party.”
Elof mutters under his breath, “Crazy old people sucking on leaves will soon be a burden.”
“Why do you want to join?” asks Elora.
“Ryan told me who you are,” Kvenalon says, “and I have a life debt to the old queen for saving me a long time ago. It is my duty to protect the queen.”
Elora looks at Arddun, who nods. She turns back to the healer and smiles. “We are on our way to the Mountain Clan in Silvburgh. You are welcome to join us.”
Kvenalon looks at her and then at the rest of the party, and his gaze finally settles on Elof. “Silvburgh has a horde of those pesky ale drinking dwarfs that have a hard time communicating. It is also a very treacherous road filled with peril and possibly death. Did you know that you have to cross over Death Pass?”
“Do you wish for my axe that much?” Elof growls, his face bright red. “I will gladly sink it in your foul mouth.”
Eadric catches Elof’s arms, holding him back from his advance on the old healer.
Elora sighs and moves between them. She looks at the newcomer first. “Calm down! Kvenalon, if you are going to be part of this group you need to respect everyone. Elof is a friend and a great warrior,” she says.
“Sorry, my Queen,” Kvenalon says, bowing slightly. “I will do so.”
“And Elof,” she says, turning to face the dwarf. “Just because someone says something nasty doesn’t mean you have to fight. Let’s all try to stay calm and rational, okay?”
Eadric lets go of Elof, who sighs. “As you wish, Elora,” he says. “I will do my best.”
Elora nods, satisfied. “So, what is Death Pass?”
Drake and Arddun start talking at the same time “It is a bridge near the mountain and...” the thief pauses, then motions to Arddun.
“... Death Pass is the gorge underneath,” Arddun continues. “It is so deep that you cannot see the bottom. It’s said that it was created during the Great War, that the magic wielded that day caused a crack to open in the lands, and it has never closed. It stands as a witness to the massacre that happened that day.”
Ryan sighs and takes a seat on the ground. “Great, just when I thought the worst was over.”
Elora sits down with him, holding his hand and looking up at the rest of the party. “Don't worry, we have to make it. The future of this kingdom depends on us.”
Kvenalon bows to his queen. “Please, let me get a few things,” he says and enters the cottage. Soon, he reemerges with a backpack and a wooden staff.
Drake, who has been fidgeting with his daggers, sheaths them again and looks to Elora.
Elora stands up. “Gather your things,” she says, “and let’s get going.”
As the rest of the group moves forward, Arddun puts her hand on Elora’s shoulder. Elora looks at her curiously, and Arddun smiles. “Your magic has grown, but so has your confidence,” she says quietly. “You are becoming more like a queen every day.”
A blush creeps over Elora’s cheeks. “Thank you, Arddun,” she says. “That’s a relief to hear… I’ve been worried.”
Arddun simply nods and motions for them to go forward. “Everything will come with time,” she says. “Be patient, Elora.”
As they near their raft, an enormous green creature jumps out of the water, crushing the raft and the rowing boat in one big splash. Everyone draws their weapon and prepares for a fight when Kvenalon holds out his hands.
“Sheath your weapons!” he cries. He walks up to the creature and pets it, then looks at the party. “Sorry, this is Biddlewim,” he explains. “He does not like it when I leave the island; he is very protective. He is very kind, don't hurt him.”
Biddlewim grumbles and licks Kvenalon with his big tongue.
“He looks like a mix between a fish and a frog,” Ryan says, looking at Biddlewim curiously.
Elora sighs and goes up to Biddlewim. She pets him, and he seems to like it. “Sorry Biddlewim,” she says. “I still like Felan more.”
Elof puts his axe away and gestures with his hands toward the mess. “So how do we get of the island now?”
Suddenly, the air feels colder, and Biddlewim dives back into the water as if he’s escaping something. The party looks around, except Arddun, who simply smiles.
Elora walks toward the water, putting her staff in it. Her hands glow blue, like ice and frost, and the shivering cold moves down the staff and into the water. The water freezes solid, the ice stretching toward the main land. Soon, she has created a bridge of ice on the lake. “Go!”
she instructs the party. “Run to the other side while I hold it.”
They all run, except Arddun, who stays with Elora. Once the others have reached the other side of Lake Uriel, Elora and Arddun begin venturing over the bridge of ice.
“Your powers have grown,” Arddun says as they run over the bridge. “Continue like this, and you will soon be the master of all water and ice.”
The ice bridge creaks and breaks behind them, making them run even faster. In a few moments, they reach safety on the main land, and the bridge falls apart behind them, leaving no trace of a bridge.
Drake points toward a nearby hill, in the direction of the mountains. “Let's make it to the forest beyond the hills.”
The group starts walking west, and Biddlewim surfaces and splashes at them. They wave to him in return, and Elora catches the sadness in Kvenalon’s eyes as he leaves his friend behind.
Chapter 26: The Raiders
As they continue toward the forest on the other side of the hills, Elora sighs.
I’ve seen so many wonderful things here, she thinks as she takes in the beautiful landscape. But so many horrors, too. How can I be the ruler of such a divided land? Will I ever be able to unite and bring peace to the kingdom and all its inhabitants? She ponders this as she walks up the hill.
She overhears Elof and Drake exchanging words of advice regarding weapons and battle, one favoring brute force while the other relying on agility and sneak attacks. It doesn’t seem they can agree on the best method to win a battle.
Ryan takes Elora's hand as they walk. “Thanks for saving me,” he says quietly.
Elora looks at him and smiles. “Of course,” she says. “I love you, and we take care of each other. You would have done the same.”
Ryan grins and squeezes her hand. “Any day.”
The hill isn’t too steep, and soon, they reach the top. The view is wonderful; forests and waterfalls intertwine with majestic mountains in the background.
Eadric points toward one of the peaks. “There, near that peak in Silvburgh, lies the city of Dal'Mora, host of the Mountain Clan. We should be able to reach it within a couple of days. Unfortunately, the only way there is past the tower and Death Pass.”