The Lone Apprentice

by I K Spencer

  He pushed Rorc hard across the noiseless valley and the tireless elf ran along beside with little apparent effort. Dusk had faded to full darkness when they finally crept to the crest of a small rise that stood between them and Cidrl's camp. The huge mountain loomed above them, so great and steep that it seemed like a vertical wall marking the end of the earth. Anthen's stomach tied in knots as they silently moved to a position that would offer their first view of the enemy camp.

  The pair spent several minutes surveying the camp without speaking. They could see the mouth of the great cave clearly, well lit by a large bonfire, which had been built directly in front of the entrance. Anthen knew it was to trap the draugen inside the cave, otherwise, the camp would likely be empty before dawn.

  Anthen swept his glass across the camp, counting the enemy numbers. His heart pounded when Cidrl's large figure loomed in his sights. The monster looked as charming and relaxed as ever, no doubt confident that victory was now assured. To the converse, the short Dolonarian field marshal looked surly and nervous, his eyes continually darting about as though expecting attack at any moment. Anthen counted only ten other of his countrymen and wondered if he had started out with the score of men that had raised Cidrl's ire in that meeting that now seemed a lifetime ago.

  His scope passed quickly over the empty, angry stares of the spellbound guardsmen under Cidrl's control. Their faces would be unnerving for anyone to see but they were especially disturbing for Anthen. He wondered if traveling with such terrifying companions for nearly a month might be a large part of the reason for Vlaednyk's demeanor.

  The glass caught a slender, hooded figure emerging from a tent and he followed the form curiously, as the shape was too small to be a guardsman and too slender to be a Dolonarian. He jumped when the hood was pulled back to reveal a familiar head of golden hair. His chest tightened and his hands shook at the sight of his former love. He forced himself to steady and studied Urvena through the glass. Her face looked tired and worn but she did not seem unhappy. His heart sank as she took a seat at the fire and leaned against Cidrl, leaving no doubt where her allegiance lay. He stared at her for some time and when he finally lowered the glass and looked over, he found Kyreial studying him closely again.

  "I counted over two dozen," Anthen stated, ignoring the inquisitive look in the elf's eyes.

  "Is that including the woman?" Kyreial queried.

  "Aye. Did you spot any weaknesses?" the guardsman asked, quickly changing the subject.

  "They are likely to lose a few men in the night."

  "Why?"

  Kyreial gestured toward the lone bonfire blocking the cave entrance. "Have you ever known of an underground creature that relies upon a single point of entry?"

  "The draugs will ambush them?" Anthen asked hopefully.

  "The blood-eaters do not ambush; they are creatures of stealth. If one of the men strays too far, he will disappear," the elf said matter-of-factly.

  "Are the other entrances of any use to us?" Anthen asked, searching for anything that might help them.

  The sprite shook his head. "Only as another means to become lost in the labyrinth."

  Anthen surveyed the camp, gathering his courage to ask Kyreial the most important question of all—whether the elf would fight at his side or not.

  "Kyreial, you have been of great assistance; I would likely be days behind if not for you. I need to know, however ... What are your plans now?"

  Kyreial smiled and for the first time, the elf's grin did not convey his obvious disdain for humans. "My orders are to destroy the winged beast. Other than that, I may do as I please and I will help in any way I can."

  "I am unworthy of such a comrade. Thank you Kyreial."

  "Do not be so quick to thank me," Kyreial warned. "Remember Guardsman. If the phaantor comes I must forsake all else to destroy it, including your quest."

  Anthen nodded solemnly. Hopefully, Kyreial's ancient enemy was occupied elsewhere but if it came, then he would go on alone. Some help was better than none. The elf's participation discussed, he turned their attention to strategy.

  "I believe we must prevent them from entering the cave. Two well-placed archers of high quality could hold them at bay, I believe." Anthen pointed to a flat spot on the hillside above the cave dimly lit by the bonfire. "I would place you, the better shot, up there. I would be in that pine grove just to the left of the entrance or behind those boulders that stand before the cave." He had another reason for the locations he had selected; if the elf departed, he still had a chance to deal with the enemy alone, though his odds would be greatly reduced.

  "How long do you think we can stand against so many?" The elf did not seem enthusiastic about the plan. "Surely, they would out-flank and drive us back eventually. Even if not, what happens at nightfall when the draugen come?"

  "I am not thinking of defense but ambush. We wait until they assemble, then kill as many as we can, shooting for Cidrl first. If we can kill him, I believe it is finished. Likely, only the traitor knows the path through the labyrinth."

  Anthen was hoping they might try to avoid harming the spellbound guardsmen but, though it grieved him greatly, the risk of sparing them was too great. All their arrows must be meant to kill, though, as with Caluso, he might change his mind when he had one of his fallen comrades in his bow sights.

  The elf nodded, obviously more agreeable to the idea of an ambush. "It is solid plan, though, an ambush may be difficult."

  "How so?"

  "The dark lord wields great powers or has sorcerers as allies. He may yet sense our closeness," Kyreial met the young guardsman's gaze, "especially the one he wants most to destroy."

  Anthen, still feeling a sense of impending doom, did not disagree with the sprite but did not dwell on the concern, since he could do nothing about it.

  "Might they enter the caves during the night?" Anthen voiced his main concern with the plan—that Cidrl would enter the labyrinth before the two warriors were ready.

  The elf shook his head. "Few could face entering the black caves of Baenkeep at night, even though in broad daylight the sun's rays only light the entrance."

  Anthen could see Kyreial's point; he felt a knot in his stomach whenever he looked at the black mouth of the cavern. More watchfires being lit was a sign that those in the camp were of the same mind.

  The two warriors slipped back down the hill and set up a camp some distance away, well out of view from any sentries that might patrol on the hill that separated them from the camp. They built a fire and banked it high, moving Rorc close by. Kyreial said the draugen would not come forth until later in the night so they each took torches and gathered straight branches to fashion more arrows, then they spent the better part of the night constructing the projectiles by the fire.

  Afterwards, with nothing left to do but wait, they sat in silence, each alone with his thoughts. Anthen tried to push thoughts of Urvena from his mind. Teya had helped him forget the maiden but, seeing her again, at Cidrl's side, brought fresh pain.

  "Kyreial?" he interrupted the elf's reverie. "Please try to avoid hitting the woman if possible."

  "I only fight warriors," the elf answered quickly but his eyes conveyed a deeper understanding.

  The pair returned to their silent musings, preparing as warriors do, for the possibility that the coming day might be their last. For Anthen, it seemed more than a possibility, and he steeled himself against the grief that he would likely never see Teya again.

  Chapter 43

  The two warriors left their camp well before sunup but not before Kyreial felt certain they could do so without risking an encounter with the draugen. The pair moved noiselessly through the woods, eerily silent in the absence of any normal nocturnal animal life. They circled around to the south, staying well clear of the camp, then climbed some distance up the mountainside. The pair then cut across the slope until they were above the still-silent camp.

  Anthen and Kyreial surveyed the camp without speaking for some time. Mo
re perimeter watchfires had been lit since they departed their previous vantage point. Since they had not heard an alarm sounded during the night, it seemed unlikely that the extra fires had been lit as a result of missing men.

  Four sentries moved in the semi-circle that formed the camp's perimeter. Two were tired-looking Dolonarians and the other two were Cidrl's minions, subject to neither weariness nor boredom. The watchfires burned low in anticipation of the coming dawn.

  The two warriors confirmed the plan in whispers even though they were well beyond the hearing range of anyone in the camp. The elf would remain hidden until Anthen made his first move, which would hopefully be to put an arrow through Cidrl's black heart. The guardsman would wait for a clear shot hidden in the grove of trees beside the cave's entrance unless something went wrong. In either case, it would be very obvious to the elf that fighting had commenced.

  With nothing left to say the two figures stood to part. Anthen put out his hand. The elf considered the hand for a moment, then took it. Kyreial's hand felt like that of a child but his grip was firm and strong.

  "Fare well Kyreial," Anthen whispered. "Should I not see you again, I want to thank you for all you have done. I and the entire realm owe you a great debt."

  Kyreial searched the young man's face and did not like what he found there; the guardsman obviously expected to die this day. He gripped the hand tight and looked at Anthen with an intensity that made the guardsman's eyes open wide in surprise.

  "Do not start this day without hope Anthen. There are forces at work here you do not understand and it is important that you always remain hopeful and believe in yourself. Do not trust everything you feel or believe but always trust your instincts." The elf's grip and tone softened and a small grin formed on his feline face. "All is not lost for you Guardsman. I see now why you are the chosen one. Fare well and may your aim be true."

  The elf released his hand and disappeared in a dizzying blur as he darted through the trees. Anthen guessed the quick sprite was probably already perched in the rocks above the mouth of the cave. The guardsman shook his head in amazement, so used to seeing the elf near that he had forgotten how easily that Kyreial could become invisible when he did not wish to be seen.

  Anthen descended the mountain much more slowly than the nimble elf, making sure that he did not set anything sliding down the steep slope. When he finally entered the grove, subtle changes in the eastern sky warned that dawn would come soon. He crawled through the fragrant pine saplings as close as he dared to the camp. He shifted around until he had a clear view of Cidrl's tent as well as shooting alleys to the left and right. He laid a bundle of arrows in front of him, checked his weapon, then lay motionless, waiting for the camp to stir.

  The sunrise was heralded by pink fingers of light illuminating the high clouds overhead. As the sun continued to rise, the color deepened and the fingers joined. It would be near mid-morning before the actual sun rose high enough to peek over the mountains to the east.

  Anthen cupped his hands to his mouth and used his warm breath to warm them. He rubbed them together and flexed them to work out the stiffness from the cold. The camp came to life with the dawn. Men, all Dolonarians, emerged from tents. They wandered off to the woods briefly, then returned to congregate by the cook fire. Anthen knew that the spellbound guardsmen would not stir until summoned by their leader.

  An hour after dawn, the guardsman saw the traitor's tent shake slightly and he slowly raised the crossbow. He sighted the tent flap and waited for it to move. The subtle movements of the tent continued for several minutes, then grew more pronounced. The flap shook as someone obviously unfastened it from the inside. Anthen breathed deeply to calm his pounding heart.

  Before the flap could open, however, there was a commotion among the Dolonarians. Anthen heard the word "elf" amid the shouts and guessed that Kyreial had been discovered somehow. He did not move an inch, however, knowing that his only concern for the moment was to stop Cidrl and his best chance about to come. He winced as he heard the familiar shriek of the winged creature, the reason for Kyreial's discovery now clear.

  ********

  As Anthen had descended toward the pine grove, Kyreial was already in position among the rocks above the cave's entrance. The small, level spot over the cave's mouth had collected a pile of rocks over the eons, fallen from the steep slopes above. The sprite sat just behind the top of the rock pile, which offered a clear view of most of the humans' foul camp. His only blind spot was directly below him, near the cave entrance.

  The elf pondered Anthen as he watched the guardsman crawl to his position. The young man was stealthy for a human, though even a young elven child would spy him instantly. Still, Kyreial had learned to respect the guardsman, for his honor and courage as well as his skills. Moreover, though loath to admit it, he actually felt a growing fondness for the somber, young man.

  He watched as the ugly Dolonarians emerged and gathered in noisy groups around their fire. His slender nose wrinkled in disgust as the offensive stench of their cooking breakfast rose to him from below. He knew that the young guardsman was waiting for the dark lord to appear and his eyes wandered often to the tent containing the large man and his woman. He had felt the tremendous pain in the young guardsman and knew the woman to be much more than just a wench to warm Cidrl's bedroll.

  Kyreial felt excited; in a few hours it might all be over. The guardsman was a creditable marksman for a human and together they could make short work of the camp. The death throes of its master would likely summon the phaantor. Then, once he’d destroyed the abhorrent creature, he could go home to his family. He might even bring the young guardsman for a visit; it would be good for his tribe to meet a worthy human.

  Ah, the foolish dreams of those soon to die. Stop your childish musing Elf and face death with honor!

  The elf's head whipped around in alarm, quickly scanning the trees above for the source of the unspoken words that he had heard nonetheless. His ancient enemy was there, perched in a large tree, invisible to all others but clearly discernible to Kyreial's keen eyesight.

  The happy thoughts and the camp below completely forgotten, the determined elf turned and began to run up the steep slope toward the evil abomination. The winged creature, equally focused, soared from the high tree and the two mortal enemies rushed toward each other.

  ********

  The camp came to full alarm, the men unsure whether they were under attack. Anthen ignored the din around him and focused all his attention on the rustling tent flap. After what seemed like an eternity, a figure pulled the flap aside emerged, but it was not Cidrl but Urvena who stood in the tent's entrance. She blinked after the comparative darkness inside the tent and looked around, obviously trying to locate the source of the uproar. Then, for some inexplicable reason, she suddenly grew very still and, to Anthen's amazement, lowered her eyes to look directly at him. A sad expression momentarily came over her beautiful face as the former lovers locked eyes but then her countenance contorted with anger.

  "Cidrl! The Apprentice!" Urvena wailed, turning back toward the tent.

  Anthen should have silenced her before she could give away his position but he could not shoot her.

  "There, in the trees beside the cave!" she warned, pointing directly at him.

  Anthen judged from Urvena's eyes where the traitor might stand and, though he could not see Cidrl, he fired all four quarrels through the tent wall. Urvena screamed but Anthen could tell from the violent shaking of the tent that he had just grazed Cidrl or not hit his former master at all.

  "Forget the elf you fools! Seize the assassin! There, in the pines by the entrance! To arms guardsmen!"

  Anthen realized that Cidrl had cut through the far wall of the tent and escaped. Knowing he’d lost his chance at killing Cidrl, his only option was to block the party from entering the labyrinth. He pushed his way through the pines and raced towards the cluster of boulders that marked the cave's entrance. There he would make his stand.

&nb
sp; "Cut him down!" Cidrl roared.

  Anthen dropped two archers taking aim as he ran and just reached the cover of the rocks ahead of a barrage of more shots.

  "Rush him!" the monster commanded, knowing he had men to spare.

  Anthen quickly filled his bow, then jumped up from behind the rocks and dropped the four closest figures, two Dolonarians and two spellbound guardsmen. Even now he could not bring himself to kill his countrymen and he hit the two mindless guardsmen in the leg.

  "Take cover!"

  Anthen recognized the voice of the Dolonarian leader, Vlaednyk, as he quickly reloaded the bow with practiced fingers. He leaned around to the side and shot another guardsman. Cidrl's minions were immune to Vlaednyk's order and did not know fear. They would not stop until the traitor commanded them to do so. Another guardsman was coming from his flank and he winged the man in the shoulder.

  "Order the wretches to withdraw or you won't have a man left standing!" Vlaednyk's voice rasped. "With his marksmanship and that weapon, a direct assault is folly."

  "Take cover!" Cidrl commanded, his fury obvious from his tone.

  Anthen moved from side to side, rising quickly, ready to fire at any target that presented itself. He heard the contest taking place on the mountainside above but could not concern himself with Kyreial's situation.

  For the next hour, the stalemate continued. From the sound, the elf’s battle above moved farther and farther away until he could no longer hear it. He fired a few times during the hour, but only to keep the enemy off balance, as no real target presented itself. There was movement, however, and he knew they would organize for an assault.

  "Anthen." It was Cidrl's voice, the friendly voice of the charming man that had first befriended him. "You have done the Guard proud, my boy. You are the best guardsman I have ever seen."