The group paused, if only for a moment, at his observation. Then, resuming his serving himself with his left hand, Animir quietly asked, “Are you planning on leaving soon?”
“We need to be gone before the snow falls,” Piers replied. “Otherwise, we’ll be trapped here all winter, and I dare say we wouldn’t wish to impose on the Lady Cilithrand or her people for so long.”
“I assure you my queen would be most displeased at your departure,” the elf replied, turning his gaze to the girl seated next to him. “She is most fond of you, Lady Amicia.”
Ami swallowed hard at the formality of his addressing her. Seeing the covert glances between the men, she faltered, “It was very kind of your queen to make such bold offers, but I belong with my friends. It is their wish to leave the Kingdom of Eriden, and I must aid them in that endeavor,” she informed him noncommittally. She had no intention of leaving with them, but at that moment, she saw no need to split that hair, as getting away from Jerranyth would be their first concern.
“Offer?” the Mate asked in mid bite. “What offer?”
Glancing around, guilt washed over the girl’s features. She should have shared what had taken place in the queen’s palace right away. Now it appeared that she had been hiding something, as in fact she had. “The queen has offered to make me her princess and heir to her throne should I remain in the city of Jerranyth… as one of her subjects,” the girl supplied, using her napkin on her lips after she did so.
“Really,” Rey spat, hurt that she had lied to them. “And when were you going to tell us?”
“And more importantly, why would she make such an offer?” Piers snapped. “This was serious, Ami!” his voice grew loud as he poked the table with a stiff digit. “The very idea of it screams of treachery.”
“I didn’t accept the offer,” Amicia replied angrily, then back-paddled, “I mean, I did, but I didn’t actually mean it. When we are all ready to leave, I’m going with you,” she assured. “I have no intention of crossing you, if that’s what you wish to imply.”
“Go where?” Animir came at her from the other side. “You can’t leave Eriden. No one leaves but the dragons of the air.”
“What do you mean ‘dragons of the air’?” Piers cut in once more, having pushed his plate back in dismay. Demanding clarification, he suggested, “Surely there is a way out of here.”
“I’m afraid that’s the only way out,” the elf supplied with a shrug. “The land is enchanted. You can’t sail away, even if you have a ship, which I’m assuming that you don’t. Vessels are sunk well before they reach our shores.”
“Aye, by the dragons,” Rey surmised, also dropping his fork and folding his hands in front of him to lean on.
“It doesn’t matter, we’re going to build one,” Bally chimed in, still eating as if the conversation were perfectly normal.
His mouth open slightly in disbelief, the elf persisted, “The three of you. You will build a ship.”
“Four,” Ami clipped, dropping her cloth on the table and glaring at him. “I’m not a helpless elf maid. I’m capable of hard work as any man, and if we must build our own vessel, I am perfectly able to lend a hand.”
Reynard grinned at her covertly, proud of her stamina, or what he had seen of it. Nodding, he agreed, “We’ll find a way off and a way home. To the rim of the mortals, where we belong,” he stated firmly before taking a swig of his wine.
“You’re mad,” Animir quibbled, trading his glare between them. “The queen will never let you leave. If she intends to have you as her heir, she would kill any who stood in her way.” His lips pressed into a thin line, his grim warning hung in the air.
Studying him with clear green eyes, Ami’s heart pounded heavily within her chest. “And will you tell her of our desire to depart?” She realized that if he said yes, that would leave them little choice as to what they must do next.
Blinking at her, she could see him arrive at the same conclusion. “I suggest we leave tonight,” he stated calmly.
“Leave tonight!” Baldwin exclaimed, only then dropping his fork in surprise. “Are you coming with us?”
“Apparently, I am,” Animir replied, not breaking his connection with the girl. “But we must hurry. I can get us out of the city, but only if we are unseen.”
“Where will we go?” Bally insisted, confused as Rey and Piers left the table, their plates hardly touched. Bumping his finger against his chair when he tried to stand as well, he winced in pain, shaking it as unshed tears formed. “Son of a bitch!”
Swallowing, Ami didn’t move. “Are you really going to help us, or is this some kind of trick to get my friends killed?” she accused, her eyes narrowed into thin slits. The queen had wanted her, and it would stand to reason her friends were expendable if they stood in the way of her achieving that goal.
“No trick,” the elf shook his head slowly. “I promise, I will do all that I can to help you get away from here… on one condition. Take me with you.”
“And why would we want to do that?” Piers demanded, returning from his room as he shoved his gear into the bag he had carried when they fled Riran.
“Because I’m no good at being an elf,” Bally’s friend confessed with a small pout. “I am tolerated among my people. I’m of the line of nobles, but I serve in the armory as a common serf. I am forbidden to ever marry, and my life holds no meaning within the walls of Jerranyth. Please, do not leave me here. My humiliation is not to be borne!”
“We’ll take you,” Amicia agreed, leaping to her feet while yanking at the ties of her dress. “Rey, help me out of this thing!” she shouted, stomping through the door to her bed chamber. Grabbing Bally’s clothes from her table, she unfolded them and dropped them over the sweater on the back of the chair.
Arriving to help, Reynard pulled at the laces so they could remove the gown. Unable to loosen the knot, he picked up the girl’s dagger and removed it from the metal sheath. “Hold still,” he commanded, cutting the strings and helping her hoist the material over her head.
Pulling the shirt into place over her underclothes, she shoved her legs into the pants and worked them up. Then, each foot slithered into a wool sock, and she applied the boots, stomping her foot into them angrily. “I can’t believe we’re leaving like this,” she hissed.
“Like what?” Rey demanded, helping her to pack her bag by dropping the dagger, brush, and mirror in the bottom.
“Just once!” she replied loudly, then softened her tone, “I’d like more than five minutes to pack before all hell breaks loose and I have to run.”
Rey laughed in spite of himself. “Well, stop pissing off dragons and elves, and maybe you’ll get a few more minutes to pack,” he taunted.
“I’m going down after the caretakers,” Piers informed her from the door of her room.
“What? Why?” she gasped, following him across to the stairs.
“They’re going to know we left. We’ll bring them up and lock them in a room. Don’t worry, they’ll be fine. Sadrir will discover them in the morning and let them out.”
Breathing heavily, Ami agreed, “Good thinking. Go, and we’ll be ready to leave when you get back.”
With a quick pass around the suite, each made sure they had everything they would need, including the leftovers from their meal. Scrapping them into the napkins, Amicia added them to her pack, then announced, “Everyone, take a blanket from your bed and roll it up as well. We’ll tie them up to carry for now, but they will come in handy if we see any snow out of that storm we saw building,” she advised.
Dodging back into her room, she snatched the striker from its shelf below the lamp and shoved it into her bag, then set to work on her quilt. Pulling the strings out of the dress that Rey had cut, she used them to tie the bedding into a tight roll.
Noticing the merdoe still on the table, Baldwin grasped it firmly and offered it to the girl. “Don’t forget this!”
“Right! I can’t believe I almost left it,” she gasped, thinking o
f Olirassa, who had given it to her as she replaced it around her neck and hid it between her breasts.
“Orb of truth, my ass,” she seethed. She wasn’t sure how the elf queen had done it, but she felt certain the siren had never had any intentions of harming her or her friends. Now if we can just get out of here before the elves find us, she mused, throwing her pack over her shoulder and waiting anxiously for the others.
Running in the Rain
“I said move!” the Mate shouted, his sword drawn as he followed the two small elves who had cared for their suite up the stairs.
“Piers, please,” Amicia whined, offering her hand to help the old woman up the last few steps. “They’re coming as fast as they can. I’m sorry,” she whispered, catching their prisoner’s gaze.
“Over here,” he ordered, ignoring her plea and placing the couple in his own quarters. Once they were inside, he closed the door and used a chair to wedge beneath the handle to prevent their escape.
Her eyes wide, Ami recalled the first time she had entered the room and realized that the hinges were on the wrong side. “Do you think they lock people in these rooms often?” she observed.
“Well, they’re built for keeping people in rather than out,” Rey observed, hoisting his filled pack onto his back. “Is everyone ready?” he asked as he positioned a second sack on his front, empty at the moment.
In a fit of genius, he had removed one of the feather pillows from its linen case. Cutting leg holes in the bottom, it made the perfect pouch for carrying around miniature mermaids. Using the rope ties, which normally secured the drapes, he had hung the sack from his shoulders, so he could carry Oldrilin but keep his arms free as he did so.
Ami held the bag open while he lifted the siren and placed her in her pouch. For once, she didn’t argue and accepted being strapped to his chest without a word. Perhaps the knowledge they were leaving the elf city was enough to convince her to do as she was asked.
Glancing at the elf, Ami sighed, “I’m sorry, Animir. We can’t risk letting you go home for anything.”
“We must pass through the armory,” he informed her. “All I will need is in there.”
“Weapons,” Rey surmised.
“Yes. A bow and many arrows that I can carry for myself,” he agreed.
Nodding, Rey slapped him on the shoulder, officially welcoming him to their group. “Good man.”
“He’s actually talking pretty good, even without the magic trinket,” Baldwin observed, joining the trio in the “ready to leave” category. He had gathered all that they came with, and his bag held the ropes, weapons and a few odds and ends, as it had before.
“Yes,” Ami agreed, still slightly suspicious of that fact. Choosing not to voice her concerns, she followed along with the others as the Mate led them down stairs. On the ground floor, they paused in the entrance room to their spire.
Leaning against the arch, just inside the door, their leader peered anxiously up and down the path. “When do they put out the lamps?” he asked, briefly flicking his gaze at Animir.
“Soon,” the elf replied, licking his lips. “The rain falls, most stay in. The lamp-lighter will put them out to conserve fuel.”
On the far side of the community, down the slope, Piers could see lights disappearing slowly, one at a time. “Speak of the devil,” he whispered. “He comes this way,” he announced. “Everyone sit on the stairs and remain quiet. He will pass without ever knowing we are here.”
Obeying his command, the group hovered on the stone steps, ready to fight if they must, but hoping to hide if they could. His feet scuffing along on the wet cobblestones, the elf approached, pausing at each lamp with a long wooden rod in hand. On the end of his staff was a brass cup that he used to snuff each flame. Practiced at his task, he only took a few seconds to extinguish each one and move on to the next.
Shivering in the damp air, Oldrilin’s teeth chattered as she burrowed against Rey’s chest. Taking pity on her, he unrolled his blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders, forming a tent over her to keep in the warmth.
“What’s wrong?” Ami whispered when she noticed his doing so.
“Nothing,” he replied, “she’s cold. so I think it will keep her warmer. I don’t think she’s ever seen actual winter before. In their lagoon, it’s always summer.”
Nodding, Amicia smiled at his thoughtfulness and wished for a moment there would be someone who could carry her. The picture of such a thing cause her to giggle before she dismissed the thought and refocused on the task at hand.
Shifting to the other side of the entrance, Piers continued to observe the lamp-lighter, or in this case snuffer’s progress. Once he had disappeared from sight, their leader commanded, “All right, Animir, you’re up my friend. Through the armory, you said?”
“Yes, follow close,” the elf instructed with a beckoning motion. Forming a single line, they did as they were told, each walking upright and calm so as to not draw attention in case they were spotted.
In the center of the group, Rey followed behind Ami and Bally, who took the spot right behind his friend. Behind him, he could hear the Mate’s firm boot-clomps as he brought up the rear. Beneath the blanket he had wrapped around him, he could feel the siren strapped loosely to his chest, and felt thankful his device had held.
Opening his covering, he smiled down at her, noting that she had fallen asleep in the warm pocket, reminding him once again of a child rather than a woman. Folding his blanket around her snugly, he frowned up at the sky as drizzle dampened his hair and beard. “What a miserable night,” he mumbled.
“We’ll take it,” Piers replied from behind. “More chance no one will be out to notice our departure.”
Arriving at the fountain, the group ambled along, taking the southern path. The armory lay at the end of it, and they entered the dark building without having seen a soul yet. “Perfect,” Animir breathed, his air frosting as he paused to allow his eyes to adjust to the dark. “Should we dare light a few lamps?”
“I think we can risk it,” Piers agreed, then commanded, “Bally, you and Rey stay by the door. Anything moves up the path, you be sure to let us know well before they get here.”
“Aye,” the two younger men agreed in unison as Animir lit a few of the torches that added a soft glow to the chamber.
Moving quickly, he then pulled down a few of the bows, trying the strings until he found exactly the one he wanted. Then, he gathered arrows and placed them into a quiver with a sling that would hold them across his back. “Anyone else want one?” he asked when he was done.
“I’ll take one,” Ami agreed, following his example and trying out a few until she found one that she could draw easily. When she had made her selection, the elf presented her with her pack of arrows, which he had prepared for her. Helping her slip them over her back, it rode on top of her pack and quilt in a large lump.
“You carrying enough?” Bally asked with a laugh as he joined them.
“You want to carry some of hers?” Piers demanded, punching the younger man in the chest.
“No, I just thought it was funny,” the boy replied, rubbing his injury while avoiding catching his stitches on the frilly cloth of his new shirt.
“Well, don’t,” the older man growled. “Let’s move!”
Putting out the lights, the group continued on, out through the forge. Soon, they came to a narrow trail that disappeared into the forest. “We go this way,” Animir informed them, indicating the path.
“Where does it lead?” the Mate asked, eyeing the specified route warily. Heavy forest, their progress would be slow, and the wet ground would add to the danger of that route.
“Esterbrook, more or less,” the elf supplied calmly. “Realm of the nymphs and satyrs, south and west of here.”
“Oh,” Amicia chimed in. “The queen said they are an enemy of the dragons. Surely we will find solace there.”
“All right, we head for Esterbrook,” Piers made the choice, assuming he would still be in comm
and of the group even if they were following the elf. “We push as far as we can into the night and tomorrow and hope they don’t know where we have gone when they wake up in the morning. With any luck, they’ll think we’ve returned to Riran.”
Following the elf through the narrow trail, the limbs of trees pushed in around them, catching on their packs and slowing them significantly. “Try not to break the limbs,” Reynard suggested. “If we do, it will just leave a trail better for them to follow us.”
“True,” Ami agreed, slowing her pace and taking care when she became snagged on a branch.
Ahead of them, Animir kept moving, pushing forward as his mind raced. “My Lady Cilithrand,” he mentally called into the darkness.
“I’m here,” came her disembodied reply.
“I have our guests,” he informed her. “What is your wish, my queen?”
“You are on the southern trail, leading into the dark forest before the meadow?”
“Yes, your highness.”
“Good. Take them through the Shadowlands and down to Esterbrook. There, await my further instruction.”
Tromping through the dense woods, the group followed Piers, despite their exhaustion. They had left the elf city shortly before midnight and had yet to take a real break. Driven by fear of being caught, none of them dared to complain, but their leader could tell they were getting tired.
“I think we’ve pushed about as far as we can,” Piers finally announced a few hours after sunrise the following morning. Gathering the group in a clearing in the trees, a selection of large rocks created a natural stone garden of seats, and he indicated them with an outstretched hand, “Everyone rest. I’ll check the access to the brook over to the west. If we can get to it, we’ll eat and have a good drink before we push on.”
“Push on,” Bally groaned once he disappeared. “The man is a sadist, I swear it.”
“He just wants to be sure they don’t catch up to us,” Rey corrected, opening his blanket and helping Oldrilin to the ground. As soon as her feet were planted, she scurried away.
Whisper of Suffering Page 24