Melia nodded, loosening the fasteners that held her crossbow in place across her back. Her stores of bolts had dwindled substantially after being washed away in the river. Only a handful remained in its pouch and she was not happy of this fact. They were hard to replace at the best of times and out here in the middle of nowhere, this was all she had. Aeron helped her mount the horse since she was used to doing it with stirrup before he climbed up in front of her.
‘We must move now,’ Aeron suddenly exclaimed, digging his heels into the horse's flank and sending the animal surging towards the cover of trees.
She did not need to ask why. The sun had disappeared behind the mountains and though there was some light left, it was not near enough to keep them safe. No sooner than he had spoken, a band of goblins burst out of the bushes near the embankment. The closest one ran across the ground with surprising speed towards them, brandishing a cruel looking mace that was meant to disable their horse. Melia raised her crossbow without thought and let fly a bolt of steel. It embedded itself in the goblin's forehead and the creature barely had time to shriek before dropping dead where it stood.
Aeron had already gotten them moving but the horse was struggling to pass the goblins who were quick to bar its way. Breaking into a gallop nonetheless, the steed’s pace struggled for haste as its hooves sought firmer ground than the soft shale of the embankment. Nostrils flaring, the horse neighed in dislike at the goblins in its way, stamping its feet as it charged through them. The orkish creations withdrew only a little but orchestrated themselves to push Aeron and Melia off the animal to prevent their escape.
From the corner of her eye, beyond the chaos caused by the goblins in front of them, Melia caught sight of two of the foul creatures closing in from the rear. One rose a dagger to impale either the horse or its ride prompting Melia to aim her bow and putting an end to the threat of him once and for all. Meanwhile Aeron kicked another and returned his attention to escaping the vulnerable position they found themselves. He reached for one his own daggers, tucked neatly with his bow and slashed wildly at the horde attempting to converge upon them.
‘Back you foul things!’ Aeron cursed and slammed a boot into the jaw belonging to one of them, shattering bone with his heel. Another swung at him but the elf turned in time to catch the blade, returning it with a far better aim. Melia was shooting her steel bolts at the enemy but he could tell by that taut expression in her eyes that she was running out of them. They needed to get away from here now.
Suddenly a glint of moonlight caught something speeding towards the Prince. Melia saw it an instant before it struck. She pulled Aeron out of its path without thinking and they both fell off the horse just as the creature broke into a run, dragging goblins with it in its desperate attempt at escape. The arrow that would have killed her Prince was now embedded in the steed's neck, blood staining the white of its hide. The goblins that had succeeded in unseating the elven Prince and his companion were now closing in for the kill. Aeron knew that if they were allowed to be trapped neither he nor Melia would live to see out the hour.
Anticipating the retreat to the river, the goblins ensured that path was closed to them and they before they were completely surrounded, Aeron grabbed Melia’s hand and started towards the trees. In the wood, there was a chance of escape he could lose them amongst the trees. A goblin attempted to intercept them but Aeron made quick work of it by swinging his blade at the creature and tearing open its insides. Melia was also accosted but she reacted just as swiftly, slamming her crossbow, now exhausted of its supply of bolts across the face of another.
The action gave them the precious seconds of a cleared path and both took advantage of it, running faster than either had ever run in their lives. They could hear the goblins falling into pursuit behind them as they tore through the woods, running through the foliage. While Aeron left no tracks, Melia certainly did and those tracks were unfortunately followed by the enemy. Had they the time, Melia would have been able to disguise her path but their main goal at this moment was too put as much distance between them and the enemy as possible. Dusk was finally upon them and there would be no safety until sunrise.
Trampling through the forest, the terrain towards the mountain was hard and it was with dismay that Aeron saw the canopy of trees would soon come to an end. The goblins would move with greater speed over the cleared terrain and Aeron and Melia would have no place to hide. He could feel their presence behind them, relentless in their pursuit. It was with surprise that he realized that they were ravenous from hunger and were on the verge of turning upon themselves. He could feel the deep growling in their stomachs and the craving for food that was driving them so desperately to catch the two travellers.
If he and Melia did not find a place to hide, they would die in the belly of the enemy.
They were close behind and as he came to a stop, he saw that Melia knew it too. Her fear was great but she was too proud to show it. This journey on foot would not do, Aeron realized and he searched the trees. They were as strong as they were old. Some of the branches were spread out like giant palms upturned towards the sky, their leaves a blanket of green. The branches were thick enough to hold their weight and if there was to be any escape tonight it would be have to be in trees. In the bosom of the meagre woods, they might be able to double back the way they came and reach the safety of the river.
‘Follow me,’ he instructed as he reached the tree that would suit their purpose. ‘Put your foot where mine has been and nowhere else. Fail in this and we will both die tonight.’
Melia did not doubt his claim for an instant. Aeron started up the tree, scaling its branches with such speed that he almost look like he was flying. He was well off the ground when his hands reached for her and he pulled her up into the cover of the leaves above her head. Poised on the thick branch, they moved as silently as was possible, the slight rustle of leaves making too much sound as they retreated into the forest once more. Below them, they could hear the goblins spreading out and when those noises drew too near, they froze in silence, praying that they were not betrayed by circumstance or any failing of their own.
Aeron seemed made for the trees as he remained crouched within its branches, blending in as if he were one with its life . She watched him, still as the night air, eyes burning in the dark while watching everything. He was an image of beautiful concentration. She realized at that moment he would always be this way. It gnawed at her as she felt the callused palms of her hands and the scars on her skin that would never fade. The aches would become more acute, joined with wrinkles and lines, markers that time was catching up to her. He said she was beautiful but she knew it would only be true today.
Tomorrow, she would be old.
‘I think it is safe,’ Aeron whispered finally, breaking the silence after what seemed like hours. ‘We should remain until sunrise.’
Melia could not hear the goblins but that meant nothing. Goblins knew the art of stealth as well as they did. She looked up into the sky and saw that the indigo night was well underway.
‘Then what?’ She asked softly. ‘Do we continue?’
‘We must,’ Aeron nodded. ‘We must put some distance between ourselves and the goblins for they will be roaming these woods as soon as the night falls again. Without the horses it would take too much time to retreat. We are safer continuing ahead.’
‘I have never known them to be so relentless,’ Melia declared, somewhat mystified.
‘They are hungry,’ Aeron explained. ‘Did you not notice how there are no large game here? All the life we normally expect to find in a wood this size is absent. I have seen nothing larger than a rabbit. Such a diet cannot be enough for goblins who are used to larger fare for their bellies.’
‘It was the same in the Frozen Mountains,’ Melia remarked, remembering how barren it had been in the foothills before Arianne, Celene, Keira and her had actually reached the mountain range. They would learn however, the aberration was a result of the worms that lived there
. ‘But that was caused by the worms.’
‘There are no worms in the Gahara,’ Aeron said simply. ‘However, there are the krisadors.’
‘Krisadors?’ She cursed before realizing that they needed to remain silent for their own safety before asking, ‘What are those?’
‘Predators that dwell on the plateau,’ he explained, ‘but I prefer to take my chances with them than the goblins.’
Melia smiled despite herself, ‘I admire your ability to make so measured a choice.’
Aeron gave her a little smile before his expression sobered again and he continued his vigil over their hiding place. He could not see the goblins but he could feel their presence near. Very soon they would discover that there were no more tracks to follow and be certain that their prey had taken a different path to escape, which meant they would come back. The shelter they had taken in the trees would not last because eventually the goblins would deduced there was nowhere else they could hide.
Chapter Fourteen:
Tamsyn
It did not take long for his worst fears to be realised.
His superior senses heard their return. Against the serenity of the forest, their harsh language and their brackish natures were easy to locate. They were trampling over everything that lived, hacking away at living plants out of sheer spite as they sought their prey. They were coming back this way and though Aeron was not as fluent in their speech as he liked or was comfortable with, he understood their words clearly enough.
The goblins knew they were in the trees.
‘We need to move,’ Aeron replied quickly, working his way across the long branches with Melia following closely. ‘They have guessed where we are.’
‘That was inevitable I suppose,’ Melia replied as she followed him and watched his movements closely, remembering what he had said about repeating his every step. Elves knew more about stealth than Melia would ever learn in her entire lifetime.
‘Watch out!’ Aeron turned around sharply as his senses warned him of danger.
The arrow came out of nowhere and impaled her thigh.
Melia let out a cry of pain as the metal splinter tore through her flesh, upsetting her balance on the branch she was standing. Aeron watched in horror as she slipped of the perch and tumbled to the ground. He made a desperate effort to catch her but failed to reach her in time. She landed heavily in the centre of the goblin raiding party; the arrow still embedded in her thigh. There were at least ten of them but the two nearest her were archers and one almost certainly was the architect of her injury.
Still on his perch, Aeron immediately armed his bow with two arrows. Positioning them carefully, he let them fly and felt some measure of satisfaction when both struck their mark as he leapt out of his hiding place to help the woman he loved.
The pain in her leg was beyond belief but fear had shunted it aside as she saw the goblins coming towards her. Rising to her feet far quicker than she thought herself able in light of her injuries, she saw a goblin raising a weapon to her and could do little more than block the blow with her crossbow. The construction of her weapon was made from steel and the heaviest wood known to Eastern Sphere and beyond it. It was her father's and it was old when he had received it. Her father said it could stop a blade and Melia prayed he had not exaggerated.
He had not.
With far more determination to survive than the goblin had to kill her, Melia shoved the creature backwards and wielded the weapon as if it were a club, smashing the crossbow's full span across its body. The goblin was sent reeling backwards in pain. She wished more than anything she had a bolt to arm the thing with but they had all been exhausted at the riverbank. Unfortunately, use of the crossbow in this fashion had left her wide open for attack. The other goblin barrelled though her, tackling her to the ground. With the pain in her leg, she was able to do little to stop him.
She winced when he struck her across the jaw hard but it was not quite enough to disorientate her from retaliating. She struggled hard to dislodge him from the straddling position he had taken over her body and damn near succeeded until the vile thing grabbed the arrow in her leg and shoved it in deeper. The white hot agony it produced was beyond belief and Melia screamed in pain.
Aeron heard her cry and slashed the dagger through the neck of the goblin closest to him. The other that was sneaking behind him during the confusion soon found the Prince of Eden Halas glaring murderously at him before a foot in the chest sent him flying backwards. Aeron threw his other blade and finished off the goblin by impaling it to a tree. Black blood spurted forth from the wound, staining the sword's blade. Retrieving his weapon, he resumed the bloody task of killing anything that stood between him and Melia. Goblins knew nothing of skill in battle, their only strategy was to overwhelm by sheer numbers.
Fortunately, he was never held back by such deficiencies.
Aeron had fought at Astaroth when Balfure used everything in his arsenal to keep them away from his Iron Citadel. After that battle, Aeron could make short work of these goblins if his fury was sufficiently provoked and Melia’s scream had done that and more. With dagger and sword, he fought without pause. Swinging his blade with such fury that it more or less killed on the first blow. With the two weapons in his hands, the battleground was soon covered with goblin corpses.
There would be more coming, he did not delude himself on this as he took the head from one of them. The creature's head spun in mid air before hitting the ground hard with a loud squelch that would have made him shudder if he had cared enough to notice. He did not. His attention was focused on Melia who still struggling to keep the goblin poised on top of her from bringing down its blade against her throat. Her face was contorted in pain as her assailant kept a firm grip upon the arrow in her leg and continued to twist viciously.
‘AERON!’ She screamed desperately for help, her strength faltering.
Aeron wasted no time in reaching her now that the way was clear. The goblin turned around, just in time to see his sword plunging through its back. Aeron shoved the creature off Melia and dropped to his next to her. Melia was on her back still, groaning in pain, her hand clutching her leg.
‘I am here,’ he said slipping his hand underneath her to help her up and succeeded in being on the receiving end of a heartfelt embrace.
‘I almost was not,’ she said gratefully, tears in her eyes from pain and the relief at her survival. ‘Thank you.’
‘I promised you that I would let nothing harm you,’ he said softly as their lips met in a soft kiss.
‘Yes,’ she murmured, taking comfort from his mouth against hers. ‘I should learn to believe you by now.’
‘Can you walk?’ He asked softly, hating to disengage from her arms but the urgency of the situation demanded it. Examining the wound briefly, he was grateful to see that while it appeared painful, nothing vital had been severed.
‘I think so,’ she nodded as he helped her to her feet. ‘Best to leave the arrow where it is,’ she suggested, looking at the sliver of wood protruding from her thigh. ‘I can manage until we reach the river.’
‘Are you certain?’ Aeron asked not at all happy about that. Goblin arrows were known to be poisonous and the one lodged in Melia's thigh was causing her a great deal of pain, though she would not admit it. Unfortunately, if he attempted to remove the arrow now, he would have to treat the wound immediately and they could ill afford to do that. Not when more goblins would be coming after them and Aeron’s ability to fight them all was debatable. Even now, he could hear their distant voices and the soft thrum of their war drums echoing through the Gorge, a call for more of their kind to come aid in the hunt.
‘Yes,’ she answered slipping her arm around his shoulder. ‘I cannot hear them as well as you but I know that they are coming.’
Aeron shifted his eyes away from hers for a moment, having no heart to tell her that the goblins were nearer than she believed when she was already trying so hard not to be a burden. If she knew how truly close they were, Aero
n had no doubt that she would attempt to do something selfless and undoubtedly foolish to save his life.
‘They are,’ he nodded grimly; ‘they are calling for reinforcements.’
‘I shall keep up as best as I can,’ Melia grunted, trying to force away the pain as she hobbled forward with his help. She did not wish their escape hindered by her injury and grit her teeth to endure the white hot agony that surged through her each time she made a tentative step forward with that cursed arrow stuck in her leg. If she removed it now, she would bleed out unless he bound the wound immediately and they did not have time for that.
‘I will carry you,’ he offered.
‘No,’ Melia retorted hotly. ‘You need to keep your hands free in case they come upon us far sooner than we think.’ She kissed him lightly on the cheek. ‘Thank you for the thought.’
‘We will survive this,’ Aeron assured her as they left the dead bodies behind them. ‘I promise you.’
‘I expect to be killed by something far fouler than goblins,’ Melia replied bravely as they moved through the trees.
Climbing into their branches was beyond her now. There was no way she could maintain the poise or agility required to stay aloft and so they were forced to take this course. Aeron tried not to think about what would happen if he could not get her out of these woods before the beating of those distant drums brought the swarm he anticipated it would. The worst they would do was kill him. The worst they would do to her was keep her alive.
‘I am glad you have some preference in the matter,’ he replied.
They kept a brisk pace despite her injury and Aeron tried to ignore the pain he saw in her eyes each time she took a step. Unfortunately his efforts to convince her to allow him to carry her were met with strong refusal and in truth, there was a good deal of sense to her desire that he be free to fight if the enemy caught up with them. If they could reach the river, then perhaps they might survive this night but as he heard the rushing water grow louder, he grew even more wary at their chances of reaching it alive.
Avalyne Series 02: The Easterling Page 20