“Rash,” said Millet. “Very rash. But I must say, he is handling his situation remarkably well, all things considered.”
Lee sat down. “How am I going to keep him alive long enough to get him ready? It’s been less than a month, and already he’s nearly been killed.”
“Yes,” Millet replied. “But he wasn’t killed, was he? The boy will learn, just as you did.”
“I almost failed,” Lee said. “When I attacked the bandit camp, I chased two of them down. That’s when Gewey got hurt. When I left him alone.”
Millet nodded. “That sounds familiar; you never could stand to let anyone escape.”
“It’s all too familiar,” Lee agreed. “It almost got Gewey killed. If I had just let them go, the boy would have never been injured. I keep making the same mistakes, over and over again.”
Millet smiled softly and placed his hand on Lee’s shoulder.
“You’ve always expected too much of yourself, Lee Starfinder. Your job is one of a protector, but you are also a teacher. The boy survived, and learned from the experience. If you think he can learn without danger, you’re wrong. Even I know that. You can’t protect him from everything, and you shouldn’t try.” Millet stood up and walked over to his blanket. “I believe in you, and I believe in the boy,” he said as he lay down. “You should too.”
Lee remained by the fire, mulling Millet’s words over in his head.
Meanwhile, Gewey wandered aimlessly, hoping to find Kaylia.
“Kaylia,” he called out in a whisper. He repeated it several times, but there was no reply. He was about to give up and start back to the camp when he realized he was hopelessly lost. After meandering for a bit longer, he decided there was nothing to do but sit and wait for daylight.
Gewey heard a voice from behind him. “You’re very foolish.
You know elves wander these woods, yet you venture off alone in the dark.”
Gewey was startled and quickly got to his feet; turning around, he was able to make out Kaylia’s features in the darkness. “I was looking for you,” he said. “And besides, you told us they wouldn’t attack.”
“You continue to take my word on its merit,” said Kaylia. “The word of an elf. How strange.” The elven woman sat on the ground and crossed her legs. “Sit.”
Gewey sat across from Kaylia. After looking him up and down for a moment, she began to speak. “You’re not like other humans, are you? And I don’t just mean your attitude towards my kind. There’s something else different about you. Something that your friends are afraid I’ll discover.”
“Yes, there is,” Gewey replied nervously. “And believe me, I would like nothing more than to tell you.”
“So why don’t you?”
“I can’t,” Gewey insisted. “I don’t think you’d like what you’d find out.”
“I’ll make you a deal,” Kaylia proposed. “We’ll sit here and talk for a while, and I’ll tell you about my people; after that, you can decide the wisdom of sharing your secret. That is what you want, isn’t it? To know more about elves, and our ways?”
“I would love to know more about your people,” Gewey agreed. “And you.”
“Then we have an agreement,” she said, pulling back her hood.
“You asked how old I am: I am one hundred and three years old.
That is young for my kind, in fact not much older than you by our standards. We can live for well over five hundred years. My father, who fought in the Great War, died eighty years ago. I’ve wandered ever since.”
“Why are you wandering?” asked Gewey.
“I search for my destiny,” Kaylia answered. “I was given a task when my father died, and I seek to complete it.”
Gewey was intrigued. “What’s the task?”
“My father was great among my people, and had the power of foresight. As he lay dying, he told me that it was my task to find redemption for my people, and that I should never stop looking for it. He said that one day the elven people would be healed by my hand. Since then, I have sought the meaning of his words.”
“You’ve wandered for eighty years?”
“I have,” she replied. “I hope to one day fulfill my destiny and help my people become great, as they were before the Great War.”
“Lee told me your kind hate humans,” said Gewey. “But the war has been over for five hundred years. Certainly enough time has passed to move on.”
“You wouldn’t understand. The Great War changed us. You would have to know what we once were to comprehend how devastating it has been for us.”
“Then we should start there,” Gewey said enthusiastically. “Tell me about your people.”
“A tall order,” Kaylia responded. “And a tale longer than time will allow. But I will tell you enough to satisfy your curiosity.”
Kaylia got to her feet to look at the night sky. The stars twinkled like fireflies over a lake, and the half-moon lit her face, making her features soft and radiant.
“The story of my people begins with the creation,” she began.
“Unlike you humans, we believe that the world was created by a single God. In the very beginning, there were only elves and the earth. Our ancestors were charged as caretakers for all living things, and for thousands of years we lived in harmony with nature. God blessed us with dominion over all things and the wisdom to keep the world in balance. But as time passed, we became arrogant, and forgetful of our duties. As a result, the One God sent the many gods, and with them…man.
“We prayed and lamented in hope that God would take pity on us and forgive us our sins, but God heard our prayers and knew them to be prideful. The many gods were now the keepers of the world, and man was favored above us. God could see the anger behind our prayers and removed his blessings. We lost the ability to speak with the Father of All Things, and my people fell into despair. But then he took pity on us, and sent the spirits and angels down to carry our prayers to him. They watch over us and guard the souls of our kin until the day God returns to pass His judgment. On that day we will see the Father, and we will both answer for our sins and be rewarded for our good deeds.
“You are the first human in over five hundred years to hear these words,” Kaylia said. “There are many stories about the time before the gods came, and I promise I will tell them all if you wish to hear them-but for now, you know enough to understand the faith of my people.”
“Thank you,” said Gewey. “I would love to hear as much as you can tell me.”
Kaylia smiled warmly. “If all humans were as open as you, I doubt the Great War would have ever happened.”
“Do you hate humans?” Gewey asked.
“No,” Kaylia answered. “But I pity them.”
“Why?”
“They put their hopes in gods that are selfish and cruel,” she explained. “The gods have enslaved man, and made them their dogs. They gave them the gift of victory over the elves and have allowed them to become powerful, and then denied them the wisdom to use that power. Such beings are not worthy of worship. The gods saved the humans from annihilation that would have been caused by their own arrogance; then, instead of reigning in their destruction, they set them loose to burn the world…and destroy my people.”
“You’re talking about the Great War,” Gewey interjected. “Lee told me a little about it. He said that the gods intervened so that man could win.”
“They did more than you could know,” she said. “Long ago, my people were vast in number and bound together by strong nations. The gods cast fear and doubt into our hearts. Our armies splintered, and we turned on one another. Kin fought kin, and man took advantage of our weakness and destroyed us.”
Gewey looked perplexed. “But Lee told me that the elves fought each other after they made peace with man.”
“The half-man only knows what human lies have told,” Kaylia said. “Mankind was beaten. There were no more battles to be fought. His armies were smashed, and his cities in ruin. My people had but to march across the land and slaughter th
e few that remained, and man would have been gone forever. But instead, we took pity on the humans and left them in peace. It was then the Gods cursed us. We knew hatred for our own kind for the first time, and it consumed us. We prayed to the spirits for help, but the Gods imprisoned them, holding them until we had lost all hope. The humans did not show us the pity we had shown them. Man waited until we had all but destroyed ourselves, then swept down on us like a plague. The few who escaped found refuge in the forests and mountains where humans seldom went. Since then, we have struggled to rebuild, and free ourselves of the curse the Gods put on us.”
“I’m sorry,” Gewey said. “I had no idea how much your people have suffered.”
“Don’t be,” Kaylia responded. “My people will rise again. The suffering of my kin will make us wise-worthy to face the Father.”
She sat back down. “Now you know about us. I have shared secrets known to no other human. Will you not share your secret with me?”
Gewey felt ashamed. It was his kind-the Gods-who destroyed her people. How could he tell her what he was? “Now that I’ve heard your story, I’m even more afraid to tell you.”
“If what I’ve told you isn’t enough, then know this,” said Kaylia, her eyes on fire. “I travel with humans. This I told my kin, and I bargained to save your lives. It is forbidden, and one day I will face judgment and probable death. In the eyes of my people, there is nothing worse I could do than have human companions.”
Gewey gasped. “They’re going to kill you? When?”
“When my journey with you ends, I will return home to answer for my crime,” she replied. “It’s how I prevented my kin from attacking. Knowing this, what could you possibly tell me that would alter the path I have chosen?”
Gewey made up his mind. “I’ll tell you, but please understand that I only found out myself a short time ago.” He took a deep breath and steeled his nerves. “You said that there is nothing worse than having a human as a companion, but there is. I’m worse.”
Kaylia looked confused. “You’re dancing around the issue,” she said. “Just be direct and let me be the judge.”
“The boy is a god,” said Lee from the darkness. He walked up slowly and stood beside Gewey. “I had a feeling you’d do something stupid, boy, so I came to find you.”
Kaylia laughed loudly. “You don’t say,” she teased, seemingly not surprised by Lee’s sudden appearance. “A god! A living, breathing god, here in my presence. You’re right. That would be worse than traveling with a human.”
“This is no joke, elf,” Lee warned. “The tale you told makes me even more certain that you should not know what the boy is. But now you do. The only question is what happens next.” Lee drifted in front of Gewey and slid his hand to the hilt of his sword.
Kaylia’s face shifted from amusement to rage as she realized Lee was serious. “You speak the truth.” Her hand touched her sword, but she did not grab it. “I must ponder this. Go back to camp. If you see me in the morning, I expect you to tell me all that you know.”
“And what if we don’t see you?” Gewey asked. “I can’t help what I am, and I didn’t ask for it. I would never do anything to
harm you, or your people.”
Kaylia said nothing.
“Come,” Lee said, lifting Gewey to his feet. “Leave her be.” Lee guided them back to the camp where Millet sat by the fire waiting.
“How did it go?” asked Millet.
“Not as bad as it could have,” Lee answered. “We’ll know by morning.”
“Things will work out,” said Millet. “Don’t worry.”
“Lee-” Gewey started, but Lee immediately cut him off.
“Go to sleep,” he advised. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Gewey lay down, but was unable to stay asleep for more than a few minutes at a time. He kept hearing Kaylia’s story in his head, and seeing the rage on her face when she found out what he was.
‘How could the Gods do this to her people?’ he thought. ‘I’ve got to find a way to make it right.’
Gewey was awake to see the dawn. Lee and Millet were still asleep. He hoped to see Kaylia, but she had not returned. He hated himself for telling her. He hated himself for what his kind had done.
Most of all, he hated the Gods for creating this mess in the first place.
“I’ll hear your tale, young one.” It was Kaylia. She was standing by the wagon, her eyes fixed on Gewey.
Gewey got up and began to walk toward her.
“Stay where you are. I said I would hear your tale, not suffer your company.” She paused. “At least, not yet.”
Gewey looked at the others still sleeping soundly. If Kaylia decided to attack, there would be nothing to stop her.
Kaylia sensed his fear and said, “I have no intention of harming you. I gave you my word, and I’ll keep it. But know this. If my people find out about your existence, they will hunt you down until the end of creation. Whether or not I will tell them depends on you.”
Gewey nodded slowly and began telling his story, leaving out no detail. He told her about how he grew up, about his father, about how he found out about his true nature and, of course, about the Dark Knight. When he finished, Kaylia looked at him thoughtfully and walked over.
“I find no guilt in you. I will help you complete your task. I swear to this.”
“Thank you,” said Gewey, clearly relieved. “But why? Won’t your people kill you if they find out?”
Kaylia smiled. “They’re going to kill me anyway,” she said. “And I can only die once. Besides, from what you have told me, it is unlikely I will live to face their judgment.”
Gewey bowed his head and sighed with relief. He heard Millet stir.
Millet rose and turned toward Gewey, stretching the stiffness from his joints. “Up with the dawn, I see.” He noticed Kaylia standing there and smiled. “I see you’ve decided to join us. Wonderful,” he beamed. “Absolutely wonderful.”
Lee was the last to rouse. He pretended not to notice Kaylia’s return, but Gewey suspected he had been awake to hear their whole conversation. After eating, they packed up and continued on their way to Kaltinor.
Chapter 8
Gewey returned to his seat in the back with Kaylia. He kept the conversation light, telling her about his youth and life in Sharpstone.
To his surprise, she seemed to take great interested his past, asking questions about the way he lived and the people he knew. Gewey had never thought of village life as anything other than dull and common, but Kaylia seemed to enjoy hearing about it.
“It must have been difficult to leave such a wonderful life behind,” said Kaylia.
“Actually, I’ve just learned to appreciate what I’ve lost,” Gewey admitted. “Still, I don’t see how my life would impress you.”
Kaylia leaned back and explained, “A simple existence is what elves long for, though it doesn’t surprise me that humans find such a life common and unfulfilling. But then, you aren’t human, are you? Perhaps there is hope that you can learn to appreciate simple things.”
“The simple things will have to wait,” interjected Lee from up front. “He needs to learn to tap into his power. From now on, midday meal will be preceded by lessons, as will supper. Your training has been delayed far too long, and we’ve got a lot of catching up to do now that you’re more or less healed.”
“I would be happy to assist,” Kaylia offered. “I may not be a half-man, but I am not without skills.”
“Your help will be welcome,” said Lee. “And you,” he said, turning to Gewey, “will do as I and Kaylia instruct. Do you understand?” Gewey nodded happily, beaming with anticipation.
“You may not be so excited when you find out what’s in store,” chuckled Lee.
Kaylia giggled almost girlishly, but with a sinister grin on her face.
“Elf training is hard, young one. Believe me when I tell you that if you were human, you would never survive it.”
“That settles it, then,”
Lee said. “We start today.” Gewey could hardly contain himself. Finally, he would learn to fight. He had grown tired of feeling as if he was weak and helpless. If danger came, he needed to be able to fight, and he was determined to prove himself. Whatever the future held, he would be ready.
When they stopped for midday meal, Lee told Gewey to follow him into the woods. He was already out of the wagon when he remembered his sword and started back for it.
“You have your sword ready when I’m ready, or not at all,” yelled Lee and marched into the woods.
Gewey obeyed and followed Lee, unarmed.
They soon found a clearing and Lee came to a halt. “Attack me,” he said.
Gewey stared but did nothing.
In a flash Lee stepped forward, moving his leg behind Gewey’s and bringing his arm hard across the boy’s chest, sending him to the ground. “I said attack me,” he yelled again. “Or I swear you’ll wish you were never born.”
Gewey jumped up angrily and ran straight at Lee. With uncanny speed, Lee stepped aside, grabbed Gewey’s shoulder, and jerked the boy’s head and torso backwards. Gewey’s feet flew into the air, and he landed in the grass with a soft thud.
Lee looked down at Gewey and shook his head. “Pathetic,” he growled. “You will not touch a sword until you throw me to the ground at least once.” He took several strides, then turned to face his young pupil. “Again.”
Gewey was still dazed, but he got to his feet. Again and again he came at Lee, and again and again he was sent sprawling. This went on for the better part of an hour, until Lee motioned for Gewey to halt.
“I hope you show Kaylia more than you’ve shown me,” Lee muttered.
When they returned to the wagon, Millet and Kaylia had already eaten and were waiting nearby. Millet had two plates of dried meat and a large piece of flatbread set aside for them.
“We’ll eat as we travel,” said Lee, taking the food from Millet.
Millet nodded curtly, handed Gewey his food, and climbed into the wagon. Gewey could feel the soreness sinking in from the dozens of falls he had taken at the hands of Lee, but he didn’t complain. He got in the wagon and went over in his mind each time Lee had thrown him, trying to work out his mistakes.
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