by B N Miles
“What is your name, shaman?”
“Cam,” he said.
Haesar nodded. “These are my Blades,” he said, gesturing at the Elves around him. “We’ve traveled far to track this band of Weres, and only just arrived in time to help your people. My only regret is that we did not arrive sooner.”
Cam frowned and tilted his head. Something in the man’s tone suggested he didn’t actually care one way or the other.
Dagan spoke up.
“On behalf of my village, I thank you, Haesar, Lord of the Swapine Clan,” Dagan said. Cam buried a smile at the formal tone the Elder adopted. He’d never heard the man speak like that in his life, but there was something about the Elves that demanded a stiff formality.
Haesar inclined his head again, though only slightly. There was a long, tense moment as the Lord of the Elves stared at Dagan and Cam, not speaking, his face perfectly neutral. Miuri’s smile slowly faded as she looked up at her Lord, then stepped forward and gestured toward Cam and Dagan.
“Come share a drink with us,” she said. “We can talk more. It’s been a hard battle, there’s no need to stand here in the sun.”
Haesar frowned at Miuri, and for a moment, Cam thought he might contradict her. Instead, he turned back to Dagan and nodded very slowly. “Yes, my daughter is correct,” he rumbled. “Please, come and share our drink, and we will speak of what comes next.”
Dagan said something but Cam didn’t hear. He was too busy staring at Miuri, his mouth hanging open as she grinned at Cam and shrugged just a fraction of an inch.
The daughter of the Elven Lord. He’d just had sex with the daughter of the Elven Lord. His heart hammered in his ears and he felt blood rush to his face. He felt like a fool and for a moment, he wondered if he’d damned his entire village by touching the girl. He hadn’t thought beyond his own desires in the moment, and the Need pushed him further than he’d ever consider going on his own. And yet still, he’d slept with the Elven Lord’s daughter, and he knew that could only mean trouble was coming.
Dagan began to walk forward and Cam pulled himself from his stupor. Haesar barked orders in their strange tongue and his Blades began to move. They produced brightly colored blankets woven with geometric shapes, circles within circles with triangles and crescent moons dancing around them. The patterns seemed to shift and shimmer in the light. They spread the blankets on the grass in the shade of a large oak, just at the edge of the forest on the far side of the cart track. Haesar sat down on one blanket, Miuri sat next to him, and the red-haired Elf sat on his other side.
Cam and Dagan sat on a different blanket with similar patterns across from them. Their warriors lingered, standing like the other Elves, as jugs and small wooden bowls were brought out. Haesar barked something, and a deep amber liquid was poured into the bowls. He raised one to the sky then offered it to Dagan, who accepted it, then repeated the gesture and offered the other to Cam. He took the bowl from the Elf Lord, who bowed his head.
“Please, drink first, guests,” he said.
Cam glanced at Dagan, who just shrugged and took a sip. Cam followed, pressing the bowl to his lips.
It was some kind of wine, the flavor sweet and rich. He frowned as he swallowed it, and the taste turned into a strange, floral bitterness that reminded him of the strong ale the village brewed in the summer months. The Elven Lord reached for his own bowl, followed by Miuri then the red-haired Elf. Each of them drank in turn, and when the red head finished, they placed their bowls back down on the blanket. Dagan glanced at Cam then followed suit. Cam hesitated, put his bowl down, and that seemed to finish the ritual as the other Elves began to sit down and relax around them.
Dagan glanced back at the warriors and pounded the ground. Godug hesitated then bumped against the man beside him, and slowly they lowered their shields and sat on the earth.
“Elder Dagan, Shaman Cam, this is my First Lieutenant, Gwedi.” Haesar nodded at the red-haired girl to his right. “And this is my daughter, Miuri.”
“Good to meet all of you,” Dagan said.
Cam couldn’t stop glancing at Miuri, who kept grinning and staring at him, not even trying to hide it. The red-haired Elf scowled at them and said nothing, but Miuri leaned forward.
“I’m happy we could share wine together,” she said. “And I hope our people can find peace and common cause.”
Haesar frowned slightly but inclined his head. “Yes, my daughter speaks true. Our people have a common enemy, and I believe it’s time we speak of what your village is doing out in the forest like this, with the wolves closing in all around.”
Dagan took a deep breath but Cam spoke up. He felt it was his duty to explain, as it had been his idea, and he felt responsible for everything that had followed.
“It began two days ago. My father and I were hunting in the forest around our village when wolves attacked us. He was overwhelmed and killed… and that forced our village to make a choice.”
Haesar frowned. “You chose to leave your village behind over the death of a single man?”
“His father was our former shaman,” Dagan said, voice hard. “Cam hadn’t yet come into his own abilities as he has now. We were under the impression that we had just lost the village’s greatest defense.”
Gwedi snorted and shook her head. It was the first time she openly reacted since they’d approached the Elves, and Cam got the distinct impression that she wasn’t happy with their situation. “Even still, leaving the protection of your village was foolish,” she said.
“It doesn’t seem so foolish now,” Cam said, looking over at her. “Though we had walls, we were also cut off. And with more Weres on the way, we would’ve been overrun sooner or later. At least this way, we have a chance.”
Gwedi glared at him but Haesar held up a hand to stall her reply. “Very well. We won’t argue over the choices of the past, as it does nothing to change them.” He tilted his head and inclined it slightly. “Tell me more of what happened, Cam.”
Cam glanced at Dagan who put a hand on his shoulder. Cam took a breath and told Haesar the story of their flight from the village, the first battle with the wolves, and how they ended up in this spot. He left out a few small details, like the wolf girl Felin and Arter’s desertion, but overall, he made sure Haesar understood just how desperate they were to reach the Mansion and just how hard they had fought already.
The Elf Lord listened with a frown and sipped from his wine bowl again. Miuri cocked her head and looked up at her father, then leaned back on her hands like a girl at a picnic. She crossed her legs in front of her and smiled, shaking her hair. Gwedi continued to glare at the Humans, sitting up with her back straight and her arms crossed over her chest, her fiery red hair blowing in the gentle breeze that wafted the smoke away from the battleground.
“I see,” Haesar said once Cam finished his story. “And now you are halfway to your destination and it seems you may not make it any further.”
Cam winced but he nodded. The truth wasn’t pretty, but he knew it was the truth. “It seems that way, yes.”
“We still have some strength left,” Dagan said, leaning toward the Elf Lord. “But you can see our losses out on the field.”
“Too many gone,” Cam said, his voice low.
Haesar sighed. “We have losses of our own. I will mourn yours as well as ours. Any that fell today beneath the wolves deserves a warrior’s burial.”
“Thank you for saying that.” Dagan lifted his wine bowl to his lips then gently placed it down. “We honor your fallen as well. But what worries me more are the living.”
Haesar let out a little grunt and his eyes moved across the field again. “How many did you have in your village?”
“Eighty-seven at my last count,” Dagan said. “Forty of them were warriors, able to fight. Though only thirty of those had any training. Ten were young men that had only held a spear for a short time before we left the village.”
“Ah,” Haesar said. “Your village was growing then.”
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Cam was surprised by his astute observation. “We’ve been taking in refugees from the fighting in the north,” Cam said. “Anyone running from the battles was allowed into our village, so long as they promised to start a family and settle down.”
“Interesting,” Haesar said.
“It was my father’s idea. He wanted the village to grow bigger, stronger, and the best way to do that was to bring new people into the fold. There were arguments at first, but it became clear that new people meant more hands to defend the walls, more hands to pull the ploughs.”
“Your father sounds like an interesting man,” Haesar said. “What was his name?”
“Galerick.”
Haesar looked surprised for a moment. Miuri’s eyebrows shot up and even Gwedi’s mouth hung open a fraction of an inch. The Elves quickly recovered and Haesar shook his head slowly. Cam wasn’t sure if he’d accurately read their reaction or if he was making things up in his head, but he was unsettled.
“I know of that name,” Haesar said.
“You do?” Cam frowned and leaned forward eagerly. “What do you know about my father?”
“Not a lot,” Haesar said, glancing over at his daughter. Miuri was staring at Cam with her eyes narrowed, like she was seeing him for the first time. “He was a fighter, a traveler. A shaman with great power. I didn’t know he was still alive. Thought he had passed on years ago. Your mortal lives can slip past so quickly, sometimes we lose track of the seasons.” He gathered himself and sat up straighter, if that was even possible. His jeweled fingers glittered as he lifted his bowl. “A toast to your fallen father. To Galerick.”
Cam nodded gratefully, lifted his bowl, and drank with all the others.
“Haesar, I don’t mean to seem like I’m not grateful for this welcome, but we need to speak about what we’re going to do moving forward,” Dagan said as they lowered their bowls and placed them down on the blankets again. He put a hand on one knee and clenched his fingers. “I wish to keep my people here for the rest of the day and the night, but in the morning, we need to move on. But I don’t believe we have the strength to hold back another attack, if one is going to come.”
Haesar nodded slowly, a rumbled agreement in his chest. “I think you are correct, Elder Dagan.”
“You’ve done so much for us already. I don’t wish for the village to be further in your debt. However…” He trailed off and stared down at the blanket, which shimmered in the light of the afternoon sun. His jaw tensed, and Cam could tell he was struggling to get out the words.
“However, I believe Elder Dagan wants to request your help,” Cam said for him.
Dagan nodded once, his eyes hard. “Anything you can offer. Bandages for our wounded, food for our people, supplies, scouting.”
Haesar let out a soft sigh. He glanced at Gwedi, who was frowning at Dagan like he was a mangy animal. She shook her head once and didn’t look away from the Elder.
“It’s too much of a risk,” she said before the Elf Lord could answer. “I argued against helping your people to begin with. We have our own clan to worry about.”
Haesar nodded to himself then turned to Miuri.
“And what do you think?” he asked, though his tone suggested he already knew.
“We’re stronger together,” his daughter said, the smile returning to her lips. “If we help the Humans now, they may help us in the future. The Weres are coming, Father, whether we like it or not, and if we don’t fight with the Humans, we’ll be forced to fight alone.”
“Let the Humans fight their own battles,” Gwedi snapped. “This was foolish to begin with. We saved a few, but lost some of our own warriors, and look at them now. Even with that baby shaman, they won’t last the night. They won’t—”
“Enough,” Haesar snapped, his placid calm slipping into annoyance. Gwedi stopped speaking instantly and turned her head away. The rebuke hung in the air, and Cam got the sense that this was an argument they’d had before.
Gwedi stood up suddenly, graceful and flowing. She stared down at Cam and Dagan, pure rage in her eyes, before turning and stalking off. She slipped through the ranks of Elven warriors assembled behind them and disappeared into the forest.
Haesar let out a breath and gestured toward his departed warrior.
“I apologize for Gwedi,” he said. “She is a good Lieutenant, a great warrior, and very loyal. But she also has a temper.” He turned back to Dagan and Cam. For a moment, he looked conflicted, and Cam could guess the argument he was having with himself.
He slowly reached out and picked up his wine bowl. “My daughter is right,” he said. “For a long time, the Swapine clan has survived without needing the aid of any Human or Godling race. But the hordes that spill down from the north threaten everyone’s lives, and I fear we won’t survive what’s coming if we are unable to band together.”
“It’s a relief to hear you say that, Lord Haesar,” Cam said.
Haesar smiled, just a slight upturning of his smooth lips. “Please, just Haesar. The truth is, Cam, for most of my life, I would have agreed with Gwedi. That’s part of her frustration, you see. I’ve softened in my old age, or more accurately, my young daughter has softened me.”
Miuri beamed. “I’ve just made you think beyond your own little world, Father,” she said.
He laughed and patted her arm. Cam looked between the two of them, unable to hide his brief confusion. Miuri looked about Cam’s age, though it was hard to tell with Elves, and Haesar looked no older than his mid-thirties at most. In fact, all the Elves looked youthful, and it was hard to say which were the old grizzled veterans and which were the young green recruits. They spoke as though Haesar had lived a lifetime already, but he didn’t seem that old. Cam pushed the thought away and made himself focus on the moment in front of him.
“This is what I will offer,” Haesar said. “We will stay with your village and we will help escort you to the Mansion. And once you arrive, I wish for you to bring me to see Lord Remorn.”
Cam looked at Dagan. He wanted to jump on that offer, and not just because it would mean he’d get to spend more time with Miuri. With a clan of Elves to help escort them to the Mansion, they might actually make it in one piece. And really, they had no other choice. Their numbers were so heavily depleted that they wouldn’t survive another attack, even if Cam could call on his magic again to burn the wolves to cinders. He was a powerful weapon, but he was untrained and untested. He was afraid his magic would fail him or that it simply wouldn’t be enough.
Dagan nodded and took a deep breath. “We would be honored for your assistance, Haesar, and I will personally ensure that Lord Remorn speaks with you as soon as we arrive. Though I’m curious why you need our introduction.”
Haesar’s small smile returned. “I’ll admit, Elder Dagan, that the relationship between Humans and Elves in this region has not always been kind. Though we’re at peace now, I know Lord Remorn does not trust me, and would not likely speak with me without a fellow Human to vouch for my honesty.”
Dagan grunted in reply. “All right then. You help us get to the Mansion, and I give you my word that I’ll vouch for you. I just hope that will be enough.”
“Then it’s settled.” Haesar lifted his bowl. “To a new partnership between Elves and Humans. I pray to our goddess that it enlightens and lifts both our peoples up.”
Cam raised his bowl along with Dagan and Miuri. The group drank, and dregs of wine slipped down Cam’s throat, warming his stomach. He felt light and good for a brief moment as Miuri looked at him, a blush on her cheeks. His time with her in the woods came back in a sudden flash and he forced himself to look away, his hands moving over the blanket, its soft but tight weave rolling between his fingers.
“We should return,” Cam said. “There’s a lot of work to do.”
Dagan grunted his agreement. “Thank you, Lord Haesar. We will not forget this.”
Haesar bowed his head. Dagan stood and Cam followed. They stepped gingerly off the blanket, an
d two Elves appeared to fold it and take it away. Haesar and Miuri didn’t move as the rest of the men got to their feet, clumsy and exhausted compared to their Elven counterparts. They lifted their shields and spears, gathered into formation, and began to walk back toward camp.
Cam lingered a moment as Dagan took point. He looked at Haesar and Miuri, and he found Haesar giving him a strange, appraising sidelong stare. He frowned and tilted his head, trying to read his expression, but the Elf Lord seemed like still waters, deep and mysterious.
The way Haesar had reacted to his father’s name was still bothering him though, and he wanted to ask more about what they knew. Cam heard stories about his father fighting up north before the great wars had begun, and he knew his father had done some incredible things as a mercenary. He’d been given the name Galerick the Great by the former Mansion Lord, the current Lord’s father, and the stories suggested he’d earned it ten times over.
He just didn’t see why Elves would know about his father. He realized there was so much he didn’t know about his own lineage, and so much he wanted to learn.
Cam gave the Elves a sharp wave and a small bow, which the Elven Lord returned, then turned and followed the Humans back to camp. He promised himself that he’d ask Miuri about what she knew as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
For now, he needed to take care of the living.
27
Cam returned to camp with the others and got to work.
The field still smoldered and the mud still sucked at feet and held the dead wolves. Cam worked to pull any dead Humans he found from the muck and carried them over to the stream to be washed. The living were tended to, wounds patched and stitched where possible. Some of the survivors wouldn’t last the night, though as the final count became clear, the numbers weren’t as bad as they all feared.