by Tony Roberts
They went on, and then came to the first watercourse they had seen since entering the forest. It was a small stream, winding gently through the trees, the banks coated in moss and lined with ferns, fallen logs and reeds. It was only a large step wide and lay a foot below the level of the ground.
There were a number of tracks along the banks where the soft light brown earth had been disturbed. Faer looked at them in bafflement but Via pointed out deer, badgers, wolves and something else more disturbing. “Loscur tracks.”
“Loscurs?”
“Not pleasant. Intelligent – or half intelligent at least. Cunning, vicious, brutal. You don’t want to stumble across them on your own.”
Faer looked at the prints Via indicated. Large footed indentations, with marks beyond the toes. Via said they were claws.
“Two-footed, tall, ugly. Loosely grouped into tribal bands but only when a strong leader is present. They do have shamans amongst them who use a rudimentary form of magic, and they are held in awe by the ordinary loscur tribesman. They use weapons and some form of armour, but only those they loot. They’re not able to make their own.”
“And are we following a loscur?”
Via shook her head. “No – this is probably human.”
“Oh?”
Via stood up. “Or elf, or dwarf. Someone who uses boots. Let’s go.”
The day went on and as evening approached, Via called a halt. “It’s getting too dark to see the tracks any better, but we’re still on the right path. I think we’re deep enough in the forest not to worry about scouts now. If we stumble across one it’ll be our bad luck. I’m looking forward to a hot meal.”
“We should pick a ditch then, to conceal the fire as much as possible.”
Via agreed. They searched around for a moment then found one off to the right. Two tall trees blocked one edge of the ditch which was about four paces deep, fifteen long and ten wide. They dragged a few stones and rocks from the surrounding area and formed a rough circle, and there were plenty of sticks, twigs and logs to provide wood for a fire.
“So you got fire lighting equipment?” Via asked.
Faer grinned. “Don’t need any.” She pointed at the pile of wood, concentrated, and sent a small flame into it. Two pieces fell over, and smoke spiralled up lazily, but the flames didn’t take. Via smirked, so Faer pulled a face, and repeated the action. This time it worked, the twigs catching.
“Useful trick that,” Via commented. “What do you do for parties?”
“I generally get drunk at parties,” Faer said, unwrapping her food bag. “And behave terribly badly.”
Via laughed. “That I’d like to see. Let’s get some water boiled. I’ve got some infusion leaves here.”
They put water in a pot Via had and she sprinkled leaves into it. It was suspended over the fire and Faer then looked about at the flora scattered along the forest floor. She made a sound of triumph and scampered off to one side, picking up a long leafed plant. She brought it back, slicing off the top, and the dangling roots at the bottom where it formed a bulb of white.
“Smells interesting,” Via wrinkled her nose.
“Allium. Pungent taste but good for flavouring in stews and its good for the blood, so I’m told.”
“You a cook or something?”
“I know how to, if that’s what you mean.” Faer sliced up the allium and popped it into her small pot. “More water in here and boil it. It’ll form a weak soup but flavoured.”
Via sat on a handy flat topped rock. “You’re turning out to be a useful little thing.”
Faer glanced up, then resumed her slicing.
“No offence meant,” Via smiled.
“None taken,” Faer said without inflection. She popped the sliced plant into the pot, filled it with water, then placed it on the fire, on the edge. As they waited for the two pots to come to the boil, Faer looked at Via. The light was now fading. “So you’re really the captain’s servant? I have my doubts.”
“And why is that?”
“You’re too confident and assertive. You’ve commanded. A servant would be different. I’ve had a slave, and I’ve seen servants in Blade Mountain. You’re no servant.”
Via grinned in the gloom. “Not stupid, are you? We’re lovers. When other people are around she takes control. I’m happy to play the part of her ‘slave’. Helps the relationship. Away from people we’re much more equal. I’m actually a lieutenant. I’m in charge of a scouting company – we spy on enemies, check the land before the army moves in, work out the best places to march, spot any trouble, report back and so on.”
“I thought so,” Faer said in satisfaction.
“So you don’t seem repelled by the thought of two women being lovers. Some people get quite funny about that sort of thing.”
Faer shrugged. “I’m part dark elf. Dark elves – especially the women – don’t seem to worry about that sort of thing and will quite happily indulge in relationships with either sex. It’s probable I’ve inherited that lack of discrimination through my elfin blood.”
Via regarded Faer for a long moment, then turned her attention to the pot of infusion. “Captain Sherea is also my commanding officer so if she ordered me to go to bed with her I would. And I have.”
“Is that common in the army then?”
“Oh no,” Via chuckled. “But we both knew about each other’s preference as far as that went, so it was not so much an order as a confirmation of what we both wanted. The men know about it and they accept it – they also leave the two of us alone which is a big bonus. We’ve both made it clear neither of us are interested in men.”
The infusion was ready and they drank with appreciation. It warmed them up. The allium soup was also enjoyed and both prepared their beds, on either side of the fire which was stoked up and added to. The flames lit up the ditch but the light hardly spread beyond into the forest.
Via lay facing Faer, her head propped up on one elbow. She kept on regarding the half elf who settled down in her blankets and faced the fire. “You want to share my bed tonight?” Via suddenly asked. “It would make us warmer.”
Faer’s heart thumped. Inside she heard a shout of glee. Her dark elf side was positively delighted. “What of the captain?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
“She doesn’t need to know.”
Faer paused, then slipped out of her blanket and carried it round to Via. Laying it down alongside, she slid back under the blanket, and felt Via move, linking both blankets, then she pulled Faer to her. “Not been with a woman before?”
Faer shook her head.
“Well I’ve never been with a dark elf before – even a half dark elf.”
Faer smiled and put her arms around Via.
___
The morning saw them making their way through more rugged terrain. They crested a steep rise and surprised some rooting wild pigs what took off squealing in all directions. Faer grinned and nodded towards the boar. “Lunch?”
Via shook her head chuckling. “They’ll be well away by the time we get after them. At least we’ve seen some life. I was wondering whether this forest was empty or not.”
Faer’s ears picked up another sound. She whirled. “Watch out, company.”
Via turned. Coming towards them were eight rugged looking beings, two-legged, burly, dressed in rough untidy clothing. Their faces were dark, dominated by large flat snouts and protruding teeth. They carried a mixture of weaponry, spears, clubs, swords and axes, and five had shields.
“Loscurs?” Faer hazarded.
“Yes and they’re after us. Think we can take them?”
“Yes. Spread out. Watch.” Faer took over. She crouched, her arms wide, eyes narrowed. The loscurs were coming up in one pack, with just two standing back. Faer ignored them for the moment. They split into two groups of three, intent on taking the two intruders who had dared to step into their domain.
As they approached, Faer sucked in a deep breath, forced her power up through her
veins and screamed as she released the energy in the form of a fireball. It smashed into the nearest loscur, enveloping him, turning him into a blazing inferno in a heartbeat. The loscur cried out in terror and pain and went tumbling back down the slope. Grabbing her sword, Faer launched herself at the second, one wielding a large misshapen club.
The loscur swung it two-handed but Faer countered similarly, and the keen edge of her sword sliced through the wooden implement, leaving the nonplussed humanoid gripping a short stick. Faer came on, her sword whirling. A down-stroke took the loscur’s head and she carried on at the third which was holding a spear. It pulled its arm back ready to throw so Faer thrust her left palm forward, sending a wall of force at it.
The loscur was jerked up off its feet and sent head over heels down the slope. Now Faer turned on the three coming for Via. Screaming a war-cry, she waded into the group, spinning round and round. The first blow ripped through the nearest one’s gut, opening it to the air. The creature sank to its knees, trying to keep its insides where they should be. Her second blow came down on the next one’s chest as it turned to meet her. The sword sliced into its body through the rudimentary armour it had on.
The loscur felt a deep burning pain and shivered. Something else passed through it, something that sucked its life force out through the blade of the sword. It sank to the ground, blood pouring from the wound.
The last one received Via’s sword through its chest and fell to the ground, eyes bulging. Via stepped back and eyed Faer. “That was something! Watching you do that!”
Faer kissed her and turned back to face the remaining creatures. Via smiled and moved up close behind her new lover. She was turning out to be some woman! Very interesting indeed.
The three surviving loscurs stood still. This was not what they had expected. The biggest one turned to the other that had not gone up the slope. The big one grunted and growled, and the other stepped forward and raised its hand.
“Shaman – look out,” Via warned, crouching in reflex.
A cloud of something dark flew towards Faer who flinched, but the cloud merely flew about her before dissipating. Faer set her lips firmly and took two steps towards the shaman which was waving its hands intricately once more. Another wave of energy came for Faer, this one visible as a slight distortion in the air. There came a faint tingling, then nothing. Hundreds of tiny spines rattled to the ground inertly.
Via gaped. She knew what that had been – a thorn wall assault. It immobilised victims and often killed them. It had just bounced off the half elf. Was she truly magic resistant?
Faer slid her sword home and then brought both hands together and pointed them at the shaman. Fire shot from her hands. The creature exploded into flame and screamed, twisting and flailing as it was turned into a charred husk.
The last two, the biggest one and the other that had been sent down the slope, turned and fled, yelling incoherently.
The two women stood triumphantly on the ridge top, watching the last two flee into the trees. Faer dropped her arms and turned to face Via. “Alright?”
“Yes – that was incredible.”
“That’s why Capel hired me for this job, Via. I’m no ordinary mercenary.”
Via puffed out her cheeks. “So I see. Let’s go check the bodies – they may have something of value on them.”
Faer left Via to check the three who had gone for her. She knelt by the one whose head she had lopped off. There was a belt which she checked. There was a worn pouch attached to it and she found the top was tied by a small piece of string which she cut. Inside were a few coins, some tinged with green, others with black. They hadn’t been looked after that well. Faer pocketed them. The creature’s stinking clothes hid nothing else.
She moved onto the one she’d incinerated. He was still burning so she avoided that one. At the bottom of the slope the shaman had a burned head and upper torso but from the waist down was untouched. Averting her head and holding her breath, she rummaged through the pockets and small bags of leather. She pulled the two leather bags free and walked back up the slope where Via was standing, waiting for her.
“Find anything?” Via asked.
Faer held up the two bags. “I’ve not looked in these but apart from a couple of coins, nothing else. You?”
Via tossed a bag in her hand. “Coin. Enough to buy lodgings for a week. Not a king’s ransom.”
Faer smiled and came alongside the scout. She opened the neck of the two bags and upended the contents into her hand. The first contained a few coins and a pair of small gems – yellowy-green ones. Via identified them as peridots. The second bag revealed a silver chain and a pair of jewel-encrusted rings. Both looked up and locked eyes. “Ooh!” Faer said. “These could be worth something.”
“Wonder what the rings are,” Via said. “They from the shaman?”
Faer nodded. She passed one peridot to Via. Then she held out the rings. “Take one.”
“What – for me?” Via was genuinely surprised.
“I do that – I share treasure with my companions. Here, pick one.”
Via hesitated, then picked up one and studied it in the light of the day. She smiled in wonder, pocketed it and gave Faer a long, lingering kiss. “You lovely thing,” she said. “Nobody’s done that for me before.”
“You’ve never adventured with me.” Faer looked at her two items. The silver chain she slipped into a pouch, then looked at her ring. It was of gold, with an intricate design of diamonds in green and red patterned all round the outside. There were three white gems which looked like diamonds inset in a triangular shape on a tiny plinth. “Wonder if there is anyone who knows the value of this.”
“In Gorradan there are a few. Jewellers, sages and the sort. But I think it would be wise to check to see if they are magical first. So many rings are imbued with properties, and to wear one without checking it first could be dangerous. You see a sage or advisor without a ring? No – most wear ones with magical abilities. Enhances their power.”
Faer looked intently at her ring. It seemed inert but that could be a false impression. She closed her eyes, concentrated on the air around her body, and slowly opened her eyes. The air had changed colour, it was now a shimmering faint blue colour, and Via and her own body a glowing yellow. The ring in her hand shimmered with a faint red tinge. “Put your ring in your hand, Via.”
The scout pulled her ring out and opened her palm. Faer looked at it, but there was no such glow. “Yours would appear to be normal.” She stopped concentrating and the tingling over her flesh subsided. The colours faded. She regarded her ring. “This, though, has a faint touch of power.”
Via stared at Faer’s ring. “Then it is best to keep it safely hidden away. Until you know what effect it has it is best not to wear it. It might even be a cursed ring. As for my ring – even though you say there’s no aura I think I’ll have it checked once I get back to Gorradan.”
Faer agreed. It was wiser to be absolutely sure. She looked across the ground towards the far side of a large clear space. A rocky rise stood there, and a gaping cavern yawned at them. The ground before it was disturbed and earth lay in piles all around it. “A lair?”
Via nodded. “The tracks we’ve been following go right towards it. This must be where whoever it is has their base.”
“Then we will be under observation.”
Via turned slowly. “I don’t doubt it. Two women are not a threat, normally, but they will have seen how we’ve dealt with those loscurs, and will be keen to bring the news to whoever is in command down there.”
“You’re the officer,” Faer said. “We go now or later?”
“No time like the present. I also think we may force them to reveal themselves if we move in on the cavern.”
Faer loosened her sword and looked around again. There was no sign of anyone. “If it was dark I’d be able to see.”
Her companion grunted with agreement, then led her towards the dark entrance of the cavern. She looked at the ground, t
rying to make sense out of the multiple tracks that lay everywhere. Human, no doubt of it. Faer kept on looking left and right, but it wasn’t until they got to within twenty paces of the cave that suddenly a shout went up, ordering them to stop. Suddenly men rose up from above the cavern and others came scrambling down trees on long ropes. Others stood with bows pulled back, ready to loose on them.
“Think we’ve attracted their attention,” Faer commented, turning around so she was back to back with Via.
“Can you do something to get us out of this?”
“Too many. All round us, too. I might if they were all in one place.”
“I thought so – there’s always limits to someone’s ability. We may as well see who it is who wants us then.”
The ambushers came closer, led by a tall man in black leather armour. He was dark haired and fair skinned. He looked the two over carefully. “What are you two doing here? Two women on their own? I bet you’re with that army lot out by the bridge, aren’t you?”
“Who’s asking?” Via asked truculently.
“Less of the clever talk,” the man snapped. “I want to know who you are and what you’re doing here.” He looked at Faer. “Well, well, well. What have we here?” He stepped to one side and examined Faer, still pressed against Via’s back, her sword in both hands. “A girl with elf blood in her. Dark elf? Never seen one like you before, darling. A pretty one, too. Might use you to give my men some sport. Not had a pretty one for a long time.”
“You’re not man enough,” Faer answered.
The man looked at her with incredulity, then burst out laughing. “Oh? A challenge, I’ll wager. Well, for the moment we’ll have to let that wait. The boss will want to see you.”
Via looked at some faded insignia on the warriors’ outfits, a round tower with battlements. “Former royal army of Gorradan,” she said.