The Last Elf of Lanis

by Hargan, K. J.

  “But you know where he is taking it.”

  “As do you.”

  “He is taking the symbol of our nation to our great enemy, Healfdene of Reia,” Apghilis said with disgust.

  “Haergill felt he was the only one worthy to unite all humans against the garond army. It was his dying request to Kellabald. And, knowing Kellabald, he will accomplish what he sets out to do,” Halldora said with strength.

  “Where will he meet Healfdene?” Apghilis dangerously breathed.

  “I do not know,” Halldora said.

  “How much money did he have,” Apghilis demanded.

  “You know we have none,” Halldora said.

  “Where is he!” Apghilis angrily shouted.

  “I do not know!” Halldora shouted back.

  Apghilis raised his fist.

  “Once again you raise your hand to strike your queen. But, you do not demand my hand in marriage this time?”

  “You do not have your mother to protect you,” Apghilis venomously said.

  “You will find that the daughter of Nanmund of Fjindel will laugh at your blows,” Halldora said referring to herself with fire in her eyes.

  “Draw your swords,” Apghilis ordered his men.

  “You order,” Halldora quickly said, “valiant soldiers of the Northern Kingdom of Man, who have sworn oaths of protection to the crown, and family of the crown, to draw their swords, against their sacred vows, against their queen?” Halldora softly directed the last to the armed men.

  Two of the soldiers drew their swords, but two did not, their eyes averted in shame. Apghilis huffed with loathing.

  “No matter,” he said. “We know you have no money for a boat, so he must cross the river by the bridge. We can easily get to the other side of the Holmwy River first, and meet him as he steps onto the western shore. Take her back to Feeblerod.”

  Then Apghilis said to the two soldiers who did not draw their swords, “You may find employment elsewhere, perhaps among the filth of Alfhich.”

  It was then that Apghilis retuned Halldora to the room where Feeblerod was about to attack Wynnfrith.

  Halldora and Wynnfrith were left alone in the dark. Halldora could sense Wynnfrith’s terror, and she held her friend until she stopped shivering.

  “We must get away from here,” Halldora said with an angry resolve.

  Beyond the door were the hurried and muffled voices of men planning and departing.

  Then, after a long quiet, Feeblerod entered. “How are you, my dears,” he said with false sympathy.

  “Hungry,” Halldora dismissively said. “We’ve had nothing to eat all day. You might find us better company if we were fed.”

  “And perhaps more compliant” Feeblerod said with a crooked smile crawling up one side of his face. His egg shaped head nodded from side to side, then he turned and quickly left.

  “He is the key to this prison,” Halldora ominously said. “Listen,” she said to Wynnfrith holding her face in her hands. “You must pretend to accept his affections so we can overpower him.”

  “I do not think he has affections in mind,” Wynnfrith said with a pale face, “but something more awful.”

  “In any case,” Halldora said, trying to steel Wynnfrith, “we must get out of here, and we will only do it if we are smarter and stronger than our jailer.”

  Wynnfrith bravely nodded.

  Halldora rose and began looking around their improvised prison. It was clearly an empty storage room. It had a low ceiling, no windows and only the one door. Halldora pushed on the walls. The wooden planks creaked and complained.

  “Help me,” Halldora said to Wynnfrith, “there may be a weak spot because of the earthquake.”

  Wynnfrith rose and the two of them pushed at the walls carefully, looking for places where the wooden structure was stressed.

  “Here!” Wynnfrith hissed. Halldora joined her, and the two of them pushed against the wall. It swayed and creaked loudly. Some of the supporting beams on the outside had come loose.

  Halldora eagerly pulled at a plank that slightly pulled loose. Wynnfrith got her hands into the crack as well, and they both pried it out with a loud crack. They froze and stared at each other, but there was no sound from the door.

  “I don’t think there’s a guard outside,” Halldora said. “Maybe we can get through this wall before Feeblerod gets back.” Beyond the missing plank in the wall they could see the wooden houses and ramps of Alfhich and freedom.

  They quickly pulled at another plank, as the whole room creaked with the effort. The second wood plank came loose with less noise.

  But, then the heavy footsteps of Feeblerod could be heard as he approached. Halldora handed a plank to Wynnfrith. They both held the pieces of wood like clubs and knew what they had to do.

  The door unlocked and Feeblerod entered with a bundle wrapped in a blanket. He was messily eating a piece of cured pork, the grease running down his several chins.

  “Here my friend,” Wynnfrith seductively said, as Halldora positioned herself behind him.

  But, Feeblerod instantly noticed the hole in the wall, and dropped the bundle.

  “Well, I see the mice have been at the walls,” he said reaching for his sword.

  But, before he could get it out, Halldora hit him as hard as she could with her plank. Wynnfrith followed Halldora and cracked him on the head as well.

  Feeblerod let out a girlie grunt, spread his arms and used his weight to knock both women to the floor. He tried to draw his sword again, but Halldora jumped up, grabbed his arm and began to turn him. Wynnfrith saw what she was doing, leapt up, and helped.

  His own enormous weight kept him from regaining his footing, or drawing his sword as Halldora and Wynnfrith spun the obese wretch.

  “Into the wall,” Halldora cried to Wynnfrith and they guided the great, fat villain into one of the wooden walls of the room. He crashed into it with a resounding thud, and the whole room shook with the impact.

  Halldora and Wynnfrith waited like warriors.

  “Next time,” Halldora panted, “into the crack.”

  “Don’t let him draw his sword,” Wynnfrith breathed.

  Feeblerod was trying to do just that, as he struggled to his knees. Halldora grabbed his arm, but Feeblerod was able to punch Halldora. She fell to the floor. Feeblerod pulled back to hit her again, but Wynnfrith leapt on him and dug her fingers into his left eye.

  With a high pitched scream, Feeblerod threw Wynnfrith off, and stood. Halldora jumped up and began to spin him again.

  But Feeblerod fought her, trying once again to draw his sword. Wynnfrith got a hold of him, and they spun him again, his folds of fat gyrating with the speed.

  “Now!” Halldora cried, and they both slammed him into the hole they had made by prying the two, loose planks out of the wall.

  All three of them went crashing through the wooden wall, as planks exploded out onto the streets of Alfhich.

  Down, the three of them fell, past the wooden walkways, onto a mud soaked street with a tremendous splash.

  Halldora pulled Wynnfrith to her feet. Feeblerod was face down in the water, but began to sputter to life. Several startled soldiers who were loitering outside the house rushed down the wooden walkways to the muddy street.

  Halldora saw one of the soldiers who refused to draw his sword on her.

  “Defend your queen!” She cried.

  The soldier stumbled then quickly drew his sword.

  “Touch not our queen!” He cried to the other soldiers. His companion joined him, and a melee began amongst the soldiers who were descending to the muddy street below.

  Halldora pulled Wynnfrith away from the mud, but Feeblerod grabbed a hold of Wynnfrith’s frock. Halldora kicked him in the face, and he let go with a bloody moan.

  They rushed up into the town that was jammed with people. A crowd was beginning to gather to watch the soldiers fight. Halldora quickly hid her hair and face, as the two women concealed themselves amongst the meandering throng
.

  They tried to make for the bridge over the Holmwy River. But, fifty soldiers, who allowed no passage at all to the angry mob, blocked the bridge.

  Halldora pulled Wynnfrith through the town, as an alarm went up. Soldiers were running through every street, stopping every citizen. There was no way out of Alfhich.

  “Under there,” Wynnfrith whispered to Halldora, and the two women carefully climbed under a house raised on stilts. They were able to hide themselves completely among the rats and other insects swarming under the house.

  They huddled together, and fell into a restless sleep in each other’s arms, as the search went on the rest of that cloudy, black night.

  In the morning, Halldora woke to Wynnfrith gently shaking her.

  “Wake,” Wynnfrith whispered with alarm. Halldora roused herself to find the tide was rising with the morning sun. They would have to get out from under the house or drown.

  They carefully crept along the timbers and climbed out from under the house. But, they need not have been so careful as Alfhich had become choked with refugees from the Madrun Hills who had streamed into the town all night. And, more were arriving by the moment. They caught pieces of conversations, of an Archer and an elf who won a battle, then their hearts were glad, but also of a larger garond army on the way, then they shared in the crowd’s quiet, growing, pervasive fear.

  The bridge over the Holmwy was completely barricaded by Feeblerod’s soldiers who would let no one pass. Every boat in the harbor had left for the opposite shore. Soldiers were stationed on the edges of the town and few were allowed to leave. Alfhich was bursting at the seams.

  Halldora and Wynnfrith moved anonymously in the burgeoning crowd, until Halldora came face to face with the soldier who had saved them. He was stunned and motionless. A large gash along his face was bandaged.

  “Your highness, I’ve found you,” he said in hushed tones. “Follow me quickly.”

  Wynnfrith and Halldora shared a look. “We have no way of escaping Alfhich,” Wynnfrith said.

  “And we need allies,” Halldora agreed. “But what if he leads us back to Feeblerod?”

  “He has already risked his life,” Wynnfrith reasoned, “Do we have any other recourse?”

  Halldora grimly nodded, and they followed the soldier to a small house jammed into a clutter of wooden houses on stilts.

  Inside the small house was crowded with as many people as it could hold, soldiers and citizens, families and children.

  As they entered, the soldier reverently said, “Our Queen.”

  Everyone in the house solemnly stood. Halldora was overcome.

  “Please sit,” she said. Food was brought, and a humble meal was shared, with many in the house recalling fond times in Ethgeow under Haergill’s rule.

  “I am Gerdsun, my Queen,” the soldier humbly introduced himself. “I served under your husband, the king, in many campaigns. His nobility and graciousness were always an inspiration to me and many others.”

  “I thank you, Gerdsun,” Halldora gently said. “You truly are noble and brave.”

  “Why did you leave the kingdom?” An elderly woman nearby asked.

  “Haergill felt the garond army was too strong, and the Northern Kingdom too weak,” Halldora plainly said. “He also knew that his life was being deliberately targeted.”

  “By Apghilis and his scum!” A sad faced man burst out, then apologized.

  “Truly,” Halldora continued. “Haergill the king did not want any more of the kingdom to die on his account. He felt it best to live simply as a common man. And, I supported him, and I came to love and respect our ordinary life. For a time we were happy. But, I know now we left our responsibilities, and maybe that was selfish of us.”

  The room was quiet with understanding and affection.

  “What is your command now, my Queen?” Gerdsun humbly asked.

  “We must join my friend’s husband in his quest. He may be stranded on the Holmwy Bridge, or he may have crossed. In any case we must find him and aid him,” Halldora quietly said with an understanding look to Wynnfrith whose eyes were filled with gratitude.

  “It’s best to wait for nightfall, then,” Gerdsun said. “I and those with us will storm the bridge and safely see you across.” His eyes were filled with fire.

  The rest of the day was spent resting, eating and readying for the struggle to come as night fell.

  Before the sun set, the house emptied, with Wynnfrith and Halldora encircled by at least a hundred citizens and soldiers of the Northern Kingdom. They pushed their way slowly through the crowded wooden streets of Alfhich.

  The allies of the Northern Kingdom grew in numbers and were beginning to get boisterous. As the great mass of people shouldered their way towards the great bridge over the Holmwy River, the henchmen of Apghilis recognized many in the crowd and began to shout commands to retreat. Wynnfrith could see Feeblerod on the bridge, behind the soldiers, bawling commands like a fat emperor.

  The crowd pressed closer to the soldiers.

  “Back! Back!” The soldiers of Apghilis cried.

  “Traitors!” Gerdsun bellowed and the crowd aggressively pushed forward.

  “Hold them back!” Feeblerod shrieked from his place of safety.

  The Holmwy Bridge beyond was deserted and no lights were lit in the dusk. It looked as if the soldiers had cleared everyone off the bridge in the search for Kellabald.

  “For the Kingdom of Man!” Halldora cried as she pulled down her hood, revealing her flame red hair in the glow of the sunset.

  A great cry went up as swords were drawn on all sides. Soldiers all around had little room to strike as the crush of people pushed this way and that.

  “Back! Back!” Feeblerod screamed, and he and his soldiers retreated to the bridge with the great mass of people behind them.

  Halldora and Wynnfrith pushed forward with Gerdsun in front of them acting as a wedge, cutting his way this way and that through Apghilis’ soldiers.

  “Get the Queen through,” Gerdsun bellowed to his fellow rebel soldiers, and swords danced furiously all around Halldora and Wynnfrith.

  Gerdsun grabbed Halldora by the arm and pulled her through the back of the traitor soldier’s line. Halldora clutched Wynnfrith by the arm and pulled her through as well.

  “Run! Run!” Gerdsun yelled as a sword struck him through the body.

  Halldora was momentarily stunned, but then turned and pulled Wynnfrith down the wooden bridge towards the first pier.

  Behind them they could hear the great clash and screams of battle. All was black and the water below was a deadly, drowning, dark black.

  “He’s behind us!” Wynnfrith cried to Halldora, who turned to see the fat, bouncing mass of Feeblerod, with sword drawn, huffing after them.

  They made for the second pier as the wind began to angrily whisper. Feeblerod, for all his obesity, was gaining on them.

  The sun was just touching the horizon as they reached the third pier. Both women were out of breath, but they ran on, with Feeblerod’s dangerous, murderous puffing close on their backs.

  The fourth and center pier was a maze of houses and warehouse, and the women were soon lost.

  Wide eyed and filled with horror, they slowly turned corners and ran down alleys to try to find the way to the fifth pier.

  They heard Feeblerod creaking down a ramp and held as still as they could.

  “There you are,” he heavily breathed with destruction in his voice.

  Halldora and Wynnfrith ran.

  But, they turned a corner and found themselves in the wide open center of the fourth pier. The way across was clearly in view, but Feeblerod stepped from behind a stack of crates and blocked the way.

  “We must fight him!” Halldora cried to Wynnfrith.

  “How can we?” Wynnfrith said, out of breath and filled with despair.

  Feeblerod danced close with his long, feminine blade making curling swipes in the last rays of the setting sun.

  Halldora pushed Wynnf
rith and hoped to draw Feeblerod away, but she immediately saw that all he wanted was Wynnfrith.

  Halldora turned and running leapt on Feeblerod’s back. He shrugged her off.

  Halldora landed with a heavy thud. On her back she saw Feeblerod raise his sword and drive it viciously at her. She rolled at the last second, and it strongly pinned her dress to the wooden planks of the pier. Feeblerod struggled for a moment to pull his sword free, but when he saw how it disabled Halldora he smiled and turned to Wynnfrith.

  Wynnfrith was tired and had no more fight left in her as Feeblerod stood over her with a cruel smile spreading over his face.

  Wynnfrith tried to stand and hit him, but he easily knocked her down hard.

  I will fight him to the end, she thought. But then the farsight began.

  “No! No, not now!” She screamed, for when the visions came, she was paralyzed and helpless.

  Feeblerod heartlessly laughed and kneeled down to cover her with his fatness. He began to pull at his trousers.

  Wynnfrith felt the farsight come over her and her body stiffened.

  Get up, she said to herself. Stop the vision and get up.

  “Don’t you touch her!” Halldora screamed, with tears flowing down her face in anger and disgust, as she pulled at the sword pinning her dress to the pier.

  But Wynnfrith was deep in the farsight. She rose in the vision, high up into the sky. She could see the bridge and the river.

  It was as if she were a seagull flying high above the land. She could see the stand of trees that must be Bittel. She could see all the Eastern Meadowland.

  And then she traveled south to Harvestley, and there she saw something she could hardly believe. A great army of garonds, more than any could ever imagine, hundreds of thousands.

  And they were all dancing and celebrating. A great feast for their dreaded leader was being prepared. And then she almost vomited, for she knew they were going to roast alive and eat several hundred humans.

  And then, she saw her son.

  Wynnfrith almost came out of the vision with the shock of seeing Arnwylf. She struggled with Feeblerod who was trying to tear her clothes off.

  In the vision he was moving amongst the garonds, but then someone else was there.