Kuan took another long drink from his water bottle. “You need to get back to the camp Gareth. There’s a problem. You’d better hurry.”
“Wokeg?” Gareth asked, and Kuan nodded.
“How did you know?”
“A little bird told me.” He looked over his shoulder. Chiu, attuned to his thoughts, had already changed into a sabertooth. “We’ll go on ahead because we’re faster. The elf is Eriato Southorn and the dwarf is Darbuk Casktoe. Guide them back to our camp if they would like to come. We’ll meet you there.”
Kuan took Gareth’s arm in a firm grip, his usually smiling face serious. “Hurry.”
The three didn’t so much jump out of the woods and run towards the beach, as flow. One moment they were running animals, the next instant human. The sailors took one look at their faces and stepped back from what remained of Wokeg. To Gareth it looked as though the young man had gone through a meat grinder. His right arm hung by a single scrap of muscle, just below the tourniquet a considerate sailor had tied. His face was slightly lopsided from a blow, and his left eye bulged somewhat in its shattered socket. Bite-sized chunks of meat were missing from his legs, and blood dripped from myriad wounds on his torso. As Gareth approached Wokeg opened his good eye and tried to smile. Several of his teeth had been knocked out. On his other side Chiu gently touched his shoulder, looked up at Gareth, and with a look of pain, shook her head. Somewhere out of sight Lyndra sobbed.
“Things…” Wokeg croaked out, “didn’t go quite as I planned.” Blood dribbled down his chin.
“Stay still, my friend. We’ll fix you up.” Gareth lied.
“Nice try.” Wokeg shut his eye for a moment, and his breath rattled in his chest.
Athena! Gareth pleaded. Is there anything that we or you can do for him?
I can welcome him home in a few moments, and ease his passing. His body is beyond your ability to repair—or mine. Gareth was somewhat surprised to hear the pain in her voice.
In his mind Gareth howled as he watched his friend die before him. I should have kept him from going. It was my mistake. As he held Wokeg’s remaining hand he could hear the breathing get shallower and shallower. Tears rolled down his cheeks. “I’m sorry my friend. I failed you.”
Wokeg coughed, and a bubble of blood broke on his lips. He opened his eye. “Bullshit!” He whispered. “It was my mistake. The ogres were like mad dogs… without thinking and without reason.” The bloody grin came back. “What’s left of them will remember me. Your staff techniques are as effective with ogres as they are with humans.” His human face spasmed in pain. “Goodbye my friends.” The eye closed and his breathing slowed and finally came to a gurgling stop. The broken body wavered for a moment, before it vanished.
I’ll take care of the body. Athena said softly, and from the stunned expressions Gareth could tell that Chiu and Lyndra both heard the comment.
Clenching his fists, Gareth threw back his head and howled in agony. As hands touched his shoulders, two other voices added to his in a wail of grief at Wokeg’s passing.
I should have… He began.
Don’t go there. Chiu cut his thought short. You did what you could. It was Wokeg’s choice to see his people. HIS CHOICE! He knew that, and in the end he knew it was a mistake, but it was his mistake and not yours. I will not let you hold yourself to blame for something you couldn’t have done a thing to prevent. Try blaming yourself and Lyndra and I will personally kick your ass. There was real anger in her voice.
Unfortunately, another presence broke in on their conversation. you ladies will have to stand in line. Athena’s voice was cold, and just as angry as Chiu’s. Wokeg himself as he passed to the other side asked me to make sure Gareth didn’t blame himself. Get drunk if you wish, but honor your friend’s life and passing by not assigning blame. Wokeg didn’t know what his people were like, and neither did you, Gareth. Have I made myself clear? You had a phrase where you came from that fits this situation; ‘Suck it up, marine’. Gareth began to laugh, and kept laughing until tears ran down his face. Chiu and Lyndra looked on worriedly for a few moments, and then joined in. I have something for you. Athena’s much gentler thought came to them. A dimly glowing two liter wineskin appeared on the ground before them. You might have heard of this before; this is Ambrosia.
Gareth picked up the wineskin, but didn’t open it. Wokeg was your friend too, I suspect. Will you join us?
I will, but not there. Your sailors have had enough shocks for one day, I think. When Wokeg returned, he stumbled out of the jungle as an ogre, and then you burst out as sabertooth tigers. They don’t need a glowing woman adding to the confusion. Gareth blinked as he recognized the familiar white formless room. This time there was a circular firepit in the center, complete with merry flames, and a scattering of large pillows on the floor surrounding it.
He chuckled. “A gas firepit Athena?”
She was wearing a lowcut black Grecian gown, and her hair was coiled into a severe bun. “I thought it appropriate for the telling of long stories.” She gave the three a warm smile as she settled gracefully to a cushion. The flames of the fire lowered, and the bright white walls and ceiling dimmed. The shadows that now surrounded them, however, were not threatening but emphasized the closeness of the small group. As the three travelers settled to their pillows a golden goblet appeared at the elbow of each, and in that goblet was filled a golden liquid from which phosphorescent radiance seemed to rise.
Gareth lifted his glass and smiled. “Called The Divine Exhalation of the Earth and brought to the Gods on Olympus by doves, Ambrosia is reputed to confer long life, or even immortality.” He gave Athena a questioning look, to which she replied with silence. “Have it your way then.” He lifted the goblet high, so that it caught the flickering of the fire. “To our friend Wokeg.”
Three other glasses raised. “To Wokeg.” Three other voices said in unison.
Gareth drank. Afterward, and despite how hard he thought, he couldn’t remember, exactly, what the drink tasted of except that it flowed into him like a cleansing fire. “It was his eyes that struck me when I first saw Wokeg, locked in his cage like an animal. Those were so sad and so full of intelligence. He never expected me to open the cage and let him free.” Gareth chuckled.
Chiu sipped from her own glass. “I remember the first time I ever saw Wokeg. We were deep into the Shattered Plains, and he was walking in from the darkness, carrying…” The stories continued as the evening progressed, Gareth, Chiu and Lyndra sipping from their seemingly bottomless goblets. At one point Gareth looked up, and on the other side of the fire, standing in the shadows stood Wokeg. Gareth raised his glass in a mute salute, and in the shadows Wokeg raised his. When he lowered his cup Wokeg was gone.
Like awakening from a dream Gareth looked around him. The fire still crackled in the firepit, but Chiu and Lyndra were curled up back to back on a mound of pillows, fast asleep.
“You should sleep also.” Athena said softly at his side. The sable-clad woman appeared to have moved much closer. He swallowed, and took another drink of his Ambrosia. Despite her dark raiment, or maybe because of it, she looked more human and desirable than he’d ever seen before. Sliding closer still, until their hips touched, he leaned over and kissed her. Her tongue teased his, and Gareth felt her hands on the back his head, drawing him closer as she put her back into it. She tasted of strawberry. To Gareth it felt like he had kissed a lightning bolt, and the very hairs on his body stood on end. After a minute or so he broke the physical contact to sit panting slightly. Athena, despite her pale perfection, looked flushed.
She gave him a smug little smile. “I think we’ve both been wanting to do that for a very long time.” She touched his cheek with a soft hand. Faintly, Gareth could smell the lilac soap on her skin. “You should sleep now.” At that moment sleep was the last thing on Gareth’s mind. Reading his thoughts, her smile widened. “Sleep. You still have a very long road ahead of you, and many travails. There will be other times.”
&nb
sp; Gareth felt the tug of sleep on his eyelids, thought about fighting it for a moment, then finally gave in, letting sleep take him.
Chapter 7
TRAILS
Gareth had the sailors begin to break camp, and within an hour the last three explorers showed up. Considering all they had seen, the sailors took the arrival of the elf, with her dead brother, and the dwarf in stride. Now, with the dwarf, who was a poor sailor, and the elf who was an exceptional sailor, the ship headed for distant Draealea, in the Realm of Urruthra, to find a lost city. Gareth hoped that it would be Jafelon, but with the way their luck had been running he almost knew it would be Azheles.
Gareth and Chiu stood at the polished taffrail, staring south as the Arrow fled north. Lyndra was still sleeping in the owner’s cabin. It was apparent that Athena had diddled with time again, because the three arrived back at the beach camp at the very moment they left. The sailors blinked, knowing that something odd had just happened, but not sure exactly what. He felt sympathetic because he knew the feeling well as he reached down to pick up the wineskin of ambrosia that sat at his feet.
“Good morning Captain Athan.” He called to the weathered sea captain as he mounted the quarterdeck stairs. “It’s a good day.”
Athan gave him a long look. “I’m sorry fer the passing of your companion. He was a good man.” The captain blinked and frowned. “Though the lads say he was really an ogre.”
“He was a friend, Captain Athan, whatever his shape or color.” Gareth rumbled.
“Aye, I’ll agree with that.” The tall man glared at the dolphins cavorting just off the bow of the ship, their slick gray backs glistening in the sun. “Now if the bloody fish would just leave us be.”
Glancing at the dolphins, Gareth sighed. “I guess we’d better have this out right now, Captain.” He said, leaning against the rail. “Dolphins are not fish. They are warm blooded, and as intelligent as you. You will not harm the dolphins, and you will not let your men harm the dolphins.” He glanced out to sea, noting that where the dolphins had been previously cavorting, they were now gliding as close as they could get, listening to his words. “It is a long walk to land from here, Athan, and if a man purposely hurts a dolphin he will bloody well walk home. Have I made myself perfectly clear?”
The pale captain nodded. “As crystal, Mister Gareth.”
“Good. And another thing, once the dolphins know that you won’t harm them, they will do their best to steer you out of harm’s way. If they should bump the boat one way or another, it would be best to follow their lead.”
Athan stared down into the water where the dolphins were beginning to frolic again. “It seems we live in a world that is a lot stranger than I imagined.”
“We do indeed, Captain.” Gareth murmured as a dolphin beside him shot out of the water and did a perfect flip before sliding back beneath the surface with no more than a ripple.
The next day, under heavy gray clouds, Eriato buried her brother. When she solemnly carried him up on deck he was wrapped in what looked to Gareth like spun silk, or perhaps Qual silk; a finely woven cloth that shimmered silver with an inner radiance. It was quite possibly the most beautiful material he’d ever seen, on this or any world. Eriato moved slowly to the amidships railing, murmured a few silent words and committed his body to the deep. She stood there staring for a long time before she made her way back to her cabin. Gareth thought of many things he might say to comfort the young elf, but none seemed appropriate. Finally, he lit on a tried and true solution. Athena, could you please provide me with a nice goblet? There is someone here that could use a shot of the ambrosia you left with us, very much, if I’m not mistaken. He grinned to himself. And one more thing… That material Eriato had her brother wrapped in was the most beautiful stuff I’ve ever seen. It struck me that it might, just barely, be appropriate for a gown for you. No woman he knew could resist an offer like that. Athena was many things, but she was one hundred percent woman.
The voice, when it came, was close enough that he felt her warm breath on his ear. He didn’t have to look to know that time was frozen around the two of them. Athena held out a goblet for him, but Gareth stood frozen. The silver white gown Athena wore looked to be velvety gossamer, even more radiant than the material Eriato had used. This material appeared soft and clinging, and slightly translucent, almost but not quite showing the perfect body it covered. “Your Ambrosia, Gareth.” She said with a smile as she held out the cup.
He blinked as he took the cup. “I was wrong to suggest that dress to you, Athena. You look like the reason the riot started.” He grinned, catching his breath. “And I thought that you were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen before… now you’re mind bogglingly gorgeous.”
She did a little pirouette before him, her perfectly rounded arms extended. “Do you really like it?” It was painfully obvious to Gareth that she didn’t need or care to wear underwear. “Your pulse and respiration say that you do.” She brushed his cheek with her fingertips, and he felt the electricity of her touch. “I haven’t felt the need to have new clothes for centuries, and now look, I’ve had two new outfits this week.” Her violet eyes seemed to see into his soul. “When this is all over we need to sit down and have a long talk.” She gave him a thousand-volt smile. “Ta ta.” She was gone. Gareth glared at the space where she’d been standing. He might be mistaken, but her final comment had all the earmarkings of a new job. Cloud the victim’s thinking with hormones, and put the hook in before he has time to object. He didn’t need to actually see the hook to know that Athena had caught him.
“Who is it?” Eriato called through the closed door.
“Gareth. I brought you something that might make you feel a little better.”
The door cracked open, and the elf’s golden eye peeked out. “Wine?” Her voice was bitter.
“This has a bit more punch.” He grinned. “This is Ambrosia.”
“Right.” The door swung open, but Gareth didn’t move. “Well… come in.”
He nodded and stepped in. The cabin was tiny and neat, with no indication of who might be sleeping here. Eriato and her brother’s small packs sat beneath the bed. Without another word, he handed her the heavy golden goblet.
“Where did you get this?”
Gareth chuckled. “The same place I got the Ambrosia. I have friends in high places.”
The elf frowned, pushed her silver hair out of her face and took a tentative sip… the sort of sip one takes when one intends to sample something that might taste less than appealing. The bottom of the goblet went up, and up, and up. A moment later Eriato set the glass down… empty. “That was the most wonderful drink I’ve ever tried.” She looked up at Gareth. “Was it really Ambrosia?”
He nodded as he picked up the goblet. Thank you Athena. The glass vanished from his hand.
“What did you do?” Eriato’s eyes were wide.
“Sent the goblet back to its owner. It was only polite.” His smile was crooked.
“But it was gold!”
He shrugged. “Gold is overrated.” Eriato’s mouth worked soundlessly, like a fish out of water. “Sleep.” Gareth said softly. “Let the Ambrosia take away your hurts.” He could see the sleep stealing over the elf and almost against her better judgement, she lay down.
As he was about to turn for the door, she called out. “Gareth! Thank you for the Ambrosia, for everything.” She bit her lip. “My friends call me Ria. I would be honored if you would too.”
Gareth smiled. “Pleasant dreams, Ria.” He shut the door behind him on the way out.
At first he thought the light tapping on the cabin door might be a woodpecker. When the noise continued unabated, he grudgingly pulled himself out of his comfortable dream and sat up in the bed, prying his gritty eyes open. Beside him Chiu grumbled, and pulled the blanket up over her tousled head. Without thinking about it he leaned over, pulled the blanket aside, just a little, and kissed the warm patch of her neck that it exposed. Beneath the cover he heard her gi
ggle.
With a sigh of regret, he stood and pulled on his pants. This had better be good, he thought to himself as he opened the cabin door. His eyebrows went up when he saw Captain Athan standing before him.
“We have a problem.” The captain of the Arrow said, not being prone to apologies. “An hour ago the dolphins began te edge the Arrow off te starboard. Now… well ye’d better see what they were pushin’ us toward.”
It was snowing lightly, and from the whitecaps Gareth guessed the wind speed close to twelve knots. Athan just stared at him. “Ain’t ye just a little cold?” He indicated Gareth’s bare feet and shirtless torso.
Gareth shivered, watching a wave of goosebumps raise the hairs on his arms. “Not enough to matter.” He replied, all his attention on the churning lead colored ocean. The tang of the sea was sharp in his nostrils.
Athan touched his shoulder. “There!” He said, pointing. Perhaps six or seven cables distant on their starboard side a black tentacle lifted into the air, and then another.
“I was afraid of that.” Gareth said more to himself than to the petrified captain beside him. “Have you men turn the Arrow toward the kraken. This I’ve been trained to handle.” His grin was sour.
“Toward??” Athan stared at him.
“Toward.”
Chiu and Lyndra had the blankets pulled up to their chins when he entered. “Need any help?” Chiu asked as he slipped on a shirt, belting the Colt over it.
“It seems that the dolphins are having a problem with a kraken, again.”
Chiu pulled the blanket down to reveal that both she and Lyndra were already dressed. “In that case you might need a hand.” Smiling, she reached under the bed to draw out two crossbows with a pair of full quivers of barbed-headed bolts. Gareth couldn’t help but smile. Having partners who could read your thoughts was often disconcerting, but it did avoid long drawn-out explanations.
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