The Sword of Truth tgc-1

by Brian D. Anderson

  “But you look human,” Gewey remarked.

  “Yes, I do,” she acknowledged. “But do you remember when you asked me how old I am?”

  Gewey nodded.

  “I’m thirty eight years old,” she revealed. “But my elven blood makes me look like I’m barely out my teens.”

  “How did it happen?” Millet interjected. “With the hatred that exists between the races, it’s hard to imagine.”

  “How does anything happen?” she replied. “My father found my mother injured in the forest when he was out hunting. He told me he knew that he loved her from the moment he first saw her. She had been attacked by soldiers who had heard that a large group of elves were in the forest near the city, but as it turned out, she was the only one. She had left her people on what my father described to me as a ‘soul quest’. She was attacked while she was meditating, so she didn’t hear them coming until they were already on her. They left her for dead, and if my father hadn’t found her and cared for her, she certainly would have died.

  “Once she healed, she found out that my father had moved her to a small village thirty miles north so he could care for her without raising suspicions. He’d sold everything he had to have enough money to keep her alive and away from other humans. Soon, she realized she loved him as well.”

  “How were they able to stay together?” Millet asked. “Eventually they would be discovered.”

  “They were,” Dina said sadly. “My father tried his best to keep her safe; at one point, he moved to an even more secluded area so that they wouldn’t be found.”

  “But they were found,” said Lee. “Weren’t they?”

  “Yes,” said Dina. “But it was the elves that found them. I was only three when it happened. I remember my father embracing my mother and begging her to come with us, but she knew that was impossible. The elves didn’t know about me. They only knew that my mother loved a human. She knew they would kill me, if they found out there was a child, so she sent my father and me away. I never saw her again.”

  “I don’t understand why they would want you dead,” said Gewey. “You’re innocent in all this.”

  “Elves see themselves as separate from humanity in every way you can imagine,” Dina explained. “The idea of a half elf, half human child shatters that belief. Frankly, it would be just as bad for me if humans found out. Thankfully, they have no way of knowing unless they find out my age or I tell them directly, as I’ve told you.”

  “What now, my lord?” Millet asked.

  “I’ll tell you what now,” Maybell cut in. “Someone needs to talk some sense into that elf. I don’t care what you are, Celandine. You’re a part of what’s going on here, and a good person to boot. If she can’t see that, then to blazes with her.”

  Dina smiled appreciatively. “Thank you,” she said. “But I don’t see what could help.”

  “You said something,” Lee said to Gewey. “Something that made her stop. What was it?”

  “I don’t know,” Gewey answered. “It just came out. I have no idea where it came from.”

  “You should go look for her then,” Lee suggested. “Perhaps she’ll listen to you.”

  Gewey nodded and got out of the wagon. He hoped finding her in the daytime would be easier than it was at night. As it turned out, he didn’t have to look hard at all. He found her a few hundred yards off the road, kneeling next to a tiny stream. Her eyes were closed and her knife was buried in the ground beside her.

  “Kaylia,” Gewey said softly. “Are you alright?”

  Kaylia didn’t move.

  “Kaylia,” he repeated.

  Still, she didn’t move.

  Gewey sat on the grass behind her, not knowing what to do next. Twenty minutes passed before Kaylia spoke.

  “Where did you learn those words?” she whispered.

  “I don’t know,” he replied. “They just came out. What do they mean?”

  “It’s a declaration. Literally translated, it means my spirit flies to yours.”

  Gewey was taken aback. “I wasn’t trying to declare anything,” he said quickly. “I just wanted to stop you from killing Dina.”

  “What you said to me is rare and sacred,” she said, continuing as though she didn’t hear him. “It’s something that few elves have spoken since the Great War.”

  “What do you mean by a declaration? Please, tell me what’s going on.”

  Kaylia turned to Gewey and opened her eyes. “Do you love me?” she asked.

  “I…” Gewey didn’t know what to say.

  “If not, then you should never have spoken those words.”

  “I don’t understand,” said Gewey. “I really don’t.”

  “Then understand this,” she said. “The language you spoke is only known to the elves. It is the language of our ancestors, and even among my people, only a few know it entirely. What you said can only be spoken to someone that you love and for only one reason.”

  “What reason?” he asked nervously.

  “It means that you wish to be joined with me.”

  “Joined?” Gewey exclaimed. “You mean…”

  “Yes,” she said. “That is exactly what I mean.”

  “You can’t think I was asking you that, do you?”

  “What then?” she snapped. “Why did you say it?”

  “I don’t know,” he replied hastily. “I didn’t know what it meant. It just came out.”

  “But it came from somewhere,” she insisted. “And it cannot be ignored.”

  “I take it back, then. Just pretend I didn’t say it.”

  Anger flashed across Kaylia’s face. “Because you are not an elf, I will pretend you did not make that offer. Once you say the words of joining, they cannot be unsaid.”

  “What do we do now?” he asked.

  “I either accept you as my mate, or refuse.”

  Gewey laughed with relief. “That’s easy, then; just refuse.”

  “If I do, then I must leave you, never to be in your sight again. I am not prepared to do that just yet.”

  “You mean we either get married or you have to leave? That’s ridiculous.”

  “I’m sorry you think so,” Kaylia lamented. “But to my people it is very serious. However, I have one year to consider it. If at the end of that time I decide you are not a worthy mate, then I shall refuse.”

  “And in the meantime what happens?” he asked, afraid to hear the answer.

  “In the meantime, nothing. But be warned; elves are protective of their suitors. Careful you don’t let your eyes stray too far.”

  Gewey immediately thought of Dina. “What do you intend to do about Celandine?” he asked anxiously.

  Kaylia thought for a long moment. “It appears I can do nothing,” she said finally. “Your words have bound me. If you wish her unharmed, I will accept it.”

  “Thank you,” Gewey said, relieved.

  Kaylia smiled. “Send her to me. She and I should talk. Don’t worry, I won’t harm her.”

  Gewey nodded and returned to the wagon.

  “What happened?” asked Lee. “Did you find her?”

  “She wants to speak to Dina alone,” Gewey said.

  Dina looked worried.

  “She swears she won’t attack you again,” he assured her.

  Reluctantly, Dina went to join Kaylia.

  “What happened?” Lee asked. “What did she say to you?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” Gewey replied. “Not yet, at least.”

  An hour later, Kaylia and Dina came walking back to the wagon.

  “Kaylia has agreed to teach me about my elven heritage,” Dina said as they climbed in.

  Kaylia nodded in affirmation.

  “And that’s it?” Millet pressed. “No more attempts to kill her?”

  “That depends,” Kaylia said.

  “On what?” Lee asked.

  Kaylia did not respond; she simply smiled a knowing smile as the wagon continued down the road.

  Ch
apter 17

  Gewey spent the day trying to avoid conversation with the others. Kaylia was sitting next to Dina, whispering in her ear. When Lee asked what they were talking about, Kaylia told him to mind his own business. Gewey was not looking forward to the midday lesson. He knew Lee would press him about what had happened with Kaylia. The fact was, he wasn’t quite sure himself. When the time came, Gewey followed Lee to a quiet spot off the road.

  “Sit,” Lee instructed.

  Gewey sat down on the grass and crossed his legs.

  “Close your eyes and listen to the sound of the earth,” Lee continued. “Not the way you hear the forest. Stretch out with your thoughts and feel its rhythm, its heartbeat. Let it flow into you and give you strength.”

  Gewey did as he was told. At first, he felt nothing. Then, like a sound heard from a great distance, it was there, pulsing steadily. The more he listened, the nearer it came, until it beat in his mind like a great drum. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as the beat grew louder.

  “You must let it in,” Lee urged him. “Let it pass into you.”

  But Gewey couldn’t. The beat pounded against him until he thought it would tear him to ribbons. He let out a scream and collapsed.

  When he came to, Lee was standing over him with a concerned look on his face. He put a water skin to Gewey’s mouth and poured. Gewey tried to drink, but he began to cough uncontrollably as the water stung his swollen throat.

  “Easy, Gewey,” Lee soothed him. “You’ll be fine.”

  “What happened?” asked Gewey, carefully trying to sit up. Lee put his hand on Gewey’s back and steadied him. “You’re much more powerful than I thought. I had you do too much too soon. From now on, we take it slow.”

  “No,” Gewey insisted. “We try again. Taking it slow won’t defeat the Dark Knight.”

  “Neither will getting yourself killed,” Lee countered. “The amount of power you unleashed could have destroyed you. Look around.”

  Gewey surveyed the area and saw that large sections of the ground had been completely torn apart.

  “You see,” Lee said. “You must learn to control this power-otherwise, there’s no telling how much damage you could do to yourself and those around you.”

  Gewey nodded slowly. “I see what you mean.”

  “That’s enough for today,” said Lee, lifting Gewey to his feet.

  “Now, if you wouldn’t mind, what in blazes happened between you and that elf?”

  “Lee, I really don’t think-”

  “Listen to me, and listen to me well,” said Lee, cutting him off. “If it doesn’t affect what we have to do, then fine, keep it to yourself. But you need to remember that I have more than just you to worry about. If there’s anything that could possibly jeopardize any of us, I need to know about it.”

  Gewey sat back down on the grass and thought for a moment.

  “I’m not sure if it will affect us. At least not all of us. And maybe not for a while.”

  Lee sat next him. “You can trust me Gewey. Whatever it is, I’ll understand.”

  Gewey looked at Lee, then told him what had happened with Kaylia. When Gewey finished, Lee sat there with his mouth open for a minute, not knowing what to say.

  “Now do you see why I didn’t want to talk about it?” Gewey asked, troubled.

  “I do indeed,” Lee finally managed to say. “Do you intend to marry her?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not even of age, and besides, she’s an elf.”

  “Yes,” said Lee. “And you’re a God. And it doesn’t appear that she cares if you’re of age or not. As I understand it, she is barely of age herself, as elves measure years.” He shook his head. “I told you to be careful.”

  “How was I supposed to know?” Gewey cried. “The words just came out. I didn’t know what they meant.”

  “That was interesting,” Lee said pensively. “There must be some reason for this.”

  “That’s what she said, too.” Gewey noted.

  “I really don’t know what to tell you,” Lee said, laughing. “You certainly do get yourself in some tight spots. I suggest you try not to let your eyes wander to Dina too often. Heaven knows what kind of trouble that could cause.”

  Gewey wanted to deny it, but he knew his attraction to Dina often caused his eyes to wander. “I’ll try,” he said.

  “Two beautiful women,” Lee remarked. “I suppose there are worse things to happen to a young man. Then again…perhaps not.”

  Lee hopped to his feet and pulled Gewey up. “Maybe your mother was Ayliazarah, Goddess of Love,” he quipped, slapping Gewey on the back.

  Gewey was not amused.

  They headed back to the wagon and continued on their way. Kaylia had her hood pulled back, and Gewey looked at her. There was no doubt that she was beautiful, but he had never imagined that a romantic relationship could be possible with an elf. Of course, he wasn’t really a human. His head began to swim, so he decided to try to take a nap.

  ‘At least if I’m asleep I’ll escape for a bit,’ he thought. He woke just as they were about to stop and make camp. Millet and Maybell were arguing about where the best spot would be. Lee, Kaylia, and Dina were all looking at him, trying not to laugh.

  “What?” Gewey asked, trying to shake off the cobwebs in his head.

  “The things you say,” said Dina. “Enough to make a lady blush.”

  “What do mean?” Gewey asked. “What did I say?”

  “More interesting,” said Kaylia, “is who you were talking to in your dreams?”

  “I don’t know,” he said, flustered. “I was bloody dreaming. Can’t I dream in peace?”

  “Don’t let them tease you,” laughed Lee. “They’re just having a bit of fun.”

  Gewey rubbed his eyes. “Enough, then,” he said irritably. “I’m not in the mood.” He was nervous about the lesson with Kaylia. He wasn’t sure how to talk to her anymore. He didn’t know a thing about elves, and the thought of saying the wrong thing unnerved him. When the time came, however, Kaylia acted as if nothing had happened.

  “Lee told me you will not be learning the sword for a while,” she said. “So we need to step up your knife training. It’s not as brutish, but every bit as deadly.”

  “Do elves ever use a sword?” Gewey asked.

  “Sometimes,” she answered. “But it’s not something we prefer.

  The sword can be necessary in a full-on battle, but in the type of fighting we’re likely to encounter, I think you’ll find it very advantageous to have skill with a knife.”

  Gewey was grateful that the conversation didn’t stray from the lesson to more uncomfortable subjects. Kaylia pushed him hard, showing him ways to keep an opponent blind and off-balance. He found it was very much like the way he had learned to hide in shadows.

  When Kaylia attacked, she was never directly in front of an opponent, nor did she press an advantage.

  “The sword is a direct assault,” she shouted between strikes. “Powerful, but slow and deliberate. The knife, on the other hand,” she paused, deftly tossing her weapon from hand-to-hand, “is an ambush!” Suddenly she was on him, striking quickly and mercilessly from nearly every conceivable angle. For an hour he tried to imitate her movements. He watched her body twist in seemingly impossible positions that he simply could not match.

  “You must learn to be more flexible,” she said. “You must see as your opponent sees, move where he cannot reach, then strike where he cannot defend. It is no different than our other exercises, only you are hiding in plain sight.”

  “I think I understand,” he said. “I’ll do better next time.”

  “You did well this time,” she replied.

  Gewey raised an eyebrow. “A compliment?”

  “The nature of our relationship requires that I be completely honest with you,” she explained. “As a teacher, I do not give praise easily, even when warranted. But as a suitor, you will receive my honesty in all things. I suggest you do not abuse that privileg
e.”

  Gewey almost winced at the word ‘suitor.’ “Thank you,” he managed. “I won’t.”

  When they returned to camp, Lee was sitting next to the fire talking with the others. A box wrapped in cloth was at his feet, the same one Gewey remembered Millet handing to him the night they left Sharpstone.

  “What’s in the box?” Gewey asked as they approached.

  “I was hoping Kaylia might help me with that,” answered Lee.

  Kaylia and Gewey sat by the fire, and Lee unwrapped the box. It was made from dark, polished wood and had strange lettering carved on the lid.

  “Do you recognize the language?” Lee asked Kaylia.

  “Yes,” she said. “It’s the ancient language of my ancestors.”

  “Can you read it?” he asked.

  “I can try,” she said. “But I’m sorry to say I know very little. Only a few elven scholars know it well enough to read it fluently.”

  Lee handed her the box, and she looked at it intently for several minutes.

  “The first line isn’t difficult,” she said. “It simply reads, ‘Unto the creator I sing.’ That’s a common phrase, used in many of our ceremonies. The second line is a bit more difficult. I think it says, ‘The time will come to receive your gifts,’ but I may be wrong. The third line-and again, I’m not sure-seems to say, ‘This book I keep until the end of time.’”

  “That’s it?” Lee asked, sounding disappointed. “Nothing more?”

  “Like I said, I may be wrong,” Kaylia said. “But I believe I’m close.”

  “What is it, exactly?” asked Gewey.

  “I don’t know,” Lee admitted. “I’ve never been able to open it.”

  “What do you mean?” Gewey asked. “Just take a bloody axe and break it.”

  Lee laughed. “I actually tried that once, in a moment of frustration. But as you can see, it didn’t make a scratch. I tried for years to find out what it is, but I haven’t found anything written describing such an object.”

  “I know what it is,” Maybell interjected.

  “You do?” Kaylia and Lee asked simultaneously.

  “Indeed I do,” said Maybell with a nod. “And you were close on the translation, elf.”