by MJ Schutte
He turned to Adri.
‘What did you see?’ he asked.
Adri’s face was a mask of confusion.
‘I know what they said is the truth, but there is something strange around all three of them,’ she replied.
‘What do you mean “strange”,’ Brighton pushed.
‘It is as if each of them said the words, but a small part, deep inside, did not believe what they were saying. A very light cloud of deceit is hanging over them,’ Adri frowned.
‘I would never lie to Brighton!’ Brac exclaimed.
‘Not intentionally, but what if you did not know you were lying?’ Brighton asked.
Four very confused people stared at him.
‘What are you talking about?’ Peter whispered.
‘Allow me to do a small test, then I will explain what I think is going on,’ Brighton replied.
‘What test?’ Peter asked.
‘I can’t tell you. All I can say is that I have to establish an energy link to one of you. Who is willing?’ Brighton asked.
Brac immediately held out his hand.
‘I’ll help you in any way I can, my friend,’ he said.
Brighton nodded his appreciation and took the older man’s hand. He held it for just a moment before letting go again.
‘Brac, how many wagons did we buy?’ Brighton asked.
‘Two,’ Brac said immediately.
Peter frowned and said, ‘No, we bought one wagon. You were there, you should remember.’
Brac shook his head and said, ‘Two wagons.’
As Peter and Brac continued arguing, Brighton looked at Adri. She had a slight smile on her face.
‘I think I know what is going on here,’ she said.
Peter and Brac both kept quiet immediately.
‘Brac, you believe that two wagons were bought and yet we all know it was only one. There is a slight cloud of deceit hanging over you. Even though you firmly believe in what you are saying, somehow you also know it’s not the truth,’ Adri said.
‘How can that be? A person can not speak the truth and tell lies at the same time,’ Brac replied.
‘It is possible. I planted the lie about the wagons in your mind,’ Brighton answered.
‘How did you do that?’ Nicky gasped.
Everybody, except Adri, looked at Brighton as if he had lost his mind.
‘When I connected to you with my talent a few moments ago, I planted a very subtle thought in your mind. Remember that thoughts also travel through an energy link. As soon as I asked a specific question, that thought came to the fore and you believed it was the truth. We bought only one wagon but I made you believe it was two,’ Brighton explained.
‘Magic,’ Peter whispered.
‘You might think it’s magic, but I have an explanation for it,’ Brighton countered.
‘I would love to hear this! I still think we bought two wagons,’ Brac commented.
‘Think about it. We were all riding on one wagon. Where is the second one you remember? How much did we pay for it? Where did we buy it?’
Brac scratched his head and said, ‘You’re right. We only bought one wagon. I was so certain it was two.’
‘You have proven yet again that you are a wizard, but what does this have to do with Lilian leaving?’ Peter asked.
Brighton decided not to argue with Peter about wizards and magic.
‘Lilian and the twins were taken. A thought was planted in your minds to make you believe that she left willingly, but it’s not the truth,’ Brighton answered.
Silence fell over the group as they tried to make sense of what Brighton was saying. Eventually Peter got up and put his hand on Brighton’s shoulder.
‘My friend, I know you don’t want to believe that Lilian left you, but don’t you think this is a bit far-fetched?’
Brighton smiled and asked, ‘Peter, who is your one true love?’
‘Rachel,’ Peter answered without hesitation.
Nicky planted her fists on her hips and shouted, ‘What? My sister?’
Peter shook his head and said, ‘No, I meant Nicky.’
For a moment he looked at his hand still resting on Brighton’s shoulder, then yanked it away like something had just burnt him. Nicky tapped her foot on the ground, fists still planted firmly on her hips.
‘My love, you know you have always been the only one for me,’ Peter tried to calm her down.
Adri could not stop a giggle escaping her lips.
‘Peter is telling the truth now. When he said “Rachel” he did not really believe what he was saying,’ she quickly said when Nicky shot her a dark look.
‘I’m sorry. I planted that thought in Peter’s head,’ Brighton apologised.
‘So does he love Rachel or me now?’ Nicky growled.
‘As soon as Peter was confronted with the truth, the lie became apparent to his mind. He loves you,’ Brighton replied quickly.
‘This is dark magic,’ Peter said softly.
Brighton started to argue, but then simply shook his head. There was no point in such an argument. They had far more important things to concentrate on; finding Lilian.
‘Like I said, Lilian was taken against her will and all of you were led to believe that she went willingly. I think that Jaclyn is behind this,’ he said.
‘Let’s assume that you are correct about this. Why do I still believe that Lilian left of her own accord,’ Peter argued.
‘Because no proof has been presented yet. My theory alone will not bring the lie to the surface,’ Brighton replied.
‘Why would Jaclyn do such a thing?’ Peter asked.
‘So that I won’t come after her.’
Peter shook his head and said, ‘I still think Lilian left and you’re struggling to accept it so now your mind is playing tricks on you. This theory of yours just sounds too much like a bedtime story.’
‘I understand and don’t blame you for it,’ Brighton smiled at him.
‘Although I still remember Lilian leaving, I believe Brighton,’ Adri declared.
Brighton looked at Nicky for her opinion.
‘I’m with Peter,’ she said, dropping her eyes.
Everybody’s eyes turned to Brac.
‘I don’t know what to believe. Brighton makes a good point, but think about the complexity behind something like this. Many people are involved. Jaclyn would have had to plant the same lie in all of us and then make us believe that she was never here,’ he said.
‘Remember that I can establish an energy link over a great distance. Jaclyn can do the same. She did not need to be close to you to do this,’ Brighton replied.
Slowly Brac nodded.
‘What I believe does not matter. I’m with you in whatever course of action you are planning to take.’
‘So am I,’ Adri added.
Peter and Nicky also quickly voiced their support for Brighton.
‘Thank you, I appreciate it. There is only one thing to do. I am going after Lilian and the twins,’ Brighton replied.
‘You realise that, if all of this is the truth, there are only two possible options here. Lilian and the twins are dead or Jaclyn has taken them to the elf forest,’ Peter commented.
‘Yes, I’ve thought of that already. I believe that they are alive and I am going to the elf forest to fetch them,’ Brighton answered.
‘That’s easy to say, but not so easy to do,’ Peter said dryly.
‘Why? It’s just a forest,’ Brighton frowned.
‘Humans are not allowed in the forest, remember?’ Peter answered.
‘I’ll fight my way in,’ Brighton said defiantly.
‘Even with your extraordinary powers it will be difficult, maybe even impossible. The elves protect their forest and Jaclyn without question. You can not fight thousands of them,’ Peter cautioned.
‘I have no other choice,’ Brighton said heatedly.
‘Maybe you do,’ Adri said carefully.
Brighton looked at her with questioning eyes.<
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‘I know that Eleda and Theodor do not support Jaclyn. Maybe there are more elves that feel that way. If we can find them, we can ask for their assistance,’ Adri explained.
Calming down a little, Brighton said, ‘Yes, perhaps that should be my first move. Where can I find these elves?’
Adri explained to him where they met Theodor and what he looked like. She could not quite remember exactly how to reach the house where they met Robyn.
‘Why don’t you and I take a walk in that area? I might recognise the house we were in,’ she suggested.
‘Good, let’s go,’ Brighton said as he headed for the door.
‘Why are you walking in such an erratic pattern? Would it not be better to go up one path and come back on the next?’ Adri asked irritably.
‘Yes, but I am trying to avoid being boxed in,’ Brighton said softly.
Dragging Adri along, he made another quick turn.
‘What do you mean?’ Adri tried but got no response.
Brighton made a few more quick turns. He spotted a narrow gap between two houses. His muscular body would never fit in there but Adri was a lot smaller than he was.
Shoving Adri into the gap, he said, ‘Stay here and be quiet.’
Adri stood in the narrow gap wondering what was going on. After waiting for what seemed an eternity, she stuck her head out and looked up and down the footpath. There was nobody in sight. She decided to wait for a while longer, certain that Brighton would not leave her there. Fear started to well up in her, so she closed her eyes and imagined being in a forest.
A hand reached into the gap and pulled Adri out. A yelp escaped her lips moments before a large hand clamped over her mouth.
‘Shh, no struggle,’ an elf voice whispered in her ear.
Adri tried to get away, but the elf was far too strong for her.
‘Stop,’ the elf commanded but Adri kept struggling.
The elf spun Adri around and drove his fist into her stomach. She crumpled to the ground, struggling for air.
‘That’s no way to treat a lady,’ a familiar voice said.
Adri heard bones break and screams of pain. She tried to look but her vision was filled with darkness. More bones broke and the screams stopped.
A hand gently touched her face. Immediately Adri started feeling better. She knew Brighton was giving her some healing energy
‘Go,’ a vaguely familiar voice said.
Adri took a deep breath. Her vision cleared. Brighton still had his hand cupped around her face. Theodor was standing behind him looking very anxious.
‘Go,’ the elf said again.
‘Yes, as soon as Adri can walk,’ Brighton replied calmly.
Adri took a few more deep breaths and said, ‘I’m ready.’
Brighton helped her up and signalled to Theodor to lead the way. The elf quickly led them to the house where Adri and Lilian met Robyn and ushered them inside. He exchanged some quick hand signals with Brighton and rushed off again. Adri followed Brighton inside.
‘What happened?’ she demanded as soon as the door closed behind them.
Brighton ignored her and exchanged greetings with Eleda.
‘Hello Eleda,’ Adri greeted the elf woman.
Turning back to Brighton she said, ‘What happened, Brighton?’
‘We were being followed. I wanted you to be safe, that’s why I left you behind,’ Brighton replied.
‘Who followed us?’ Adri frowned.
‘Some elves. I took care of it with Theodor’s help. The one who found you was the last.’
‘What did you do to them?’ Adri pressed.
‘We can talk about it later. First, I need to talk to Eleda,’ Brighton said.
Adri tried to follow the conversation but the hand movements were too quick. She only caught a few words. The door opened again and Theodor stepped in.
‘Safe,’ he said.
Brighton thanked him and said to Adri, ‘We should go. The area is safe for now, but there are still a lot of elves around. It would be best to avoid a fight.’
Brighton did not say anything on the way home.
As soon as they stepped into the house, Adri demanded, ‘I want to know everything.’
Brighton smiled at her and said, ‘Of course I will tell you. I just wanted to make sure we were safe first.’
‘Safe from whom?’ Brac asked worriedly.
‘Elves,’ Brighton answered.
‘Elves! Why were there elves after you?’ Peter exclaimed.
Brighton sat down and briefly told everyone what happened earlier.
He did not mention that there were more than ten elves that followed him and Adri, or that they seemed to be partially protected against his talent. Although he was able to take some energy from the elves, he was not able to drain them completely. If Theodor did not show up when he did, Brighton may have been in big trouble.
Next, he told the others about his conversation with Eleda.
‘She told me that they have reason to believe that Jaclyn took Lilian, the twins and Robyn to the elf forest. Apparently, there are a small number of elves who oppose Jaclyn’s rule and they will do their best to assist me in getting Lilian and the kids back. Eleda also asked if I could bring Robyn back to Fenton,’ he said.
‘So, Lilian and the twins are alive and have been taken to the elf forest,’ Peter surmised.
Brighton nodded.
‘And you’re going there to fetch them,’ Nicky finished the thought.
Brighton nodded again.
‘I will try to slip into the forest with the help of Eleda and Theodor’s friends, but it might not work. If I have to fight, I will kill every elf that stands in my way,’ Brighton said calmly.
He did not feel calm. Rage was building in him with every passing moment.
‘When are you leaving?’ Peter asked.
‘Now. I just wanted to get Adri home safely first.’
Nicky immediately got up and started packing food into a saddlebag. She also fetched a water skin, filled it up and tied it to the saddle. Peter helped Brighton to saddle up a strong looking horse. A small argument ensued over which horse to use. Brighton wanted the smaller, faster horse but Peter insisted he take the biggest stallion they had.
‘This one might be slower, but it is the best chance you have of crossing the desert. It might just be strong enough to carry you all the way to the forest,’ Peter argued.
‘How do Lady Jaclyn and the elves cross the desert?’ Brighton gasped.
‘They have many wagons with supplies travelling with them,’ Peter explained.
Brac and Adri wanted to go with Brighton, but he refused saying that he had a much better chance to get into the forest unseen if he was alone. Brighton mounted the horse, said a quick farewell and dug his heels into the stallion’s flanks.
As they watched Brighton go, Adri said, ‘He did not tell us everything.’
‘It doesn’t take magic to work that out,’ Peter commented dryly.
‘What I want to know is why he was careful not to get into a fight with the elves that followed us,’ Adri mused.
‘I was wondering the same thing,’ Brac said.
‘Perhaps his talent does not work on elves. He once told me that elf energy feels different to ours,’ Peter speculated.
‘In that case, I think we should follow him. He might need help. What do you think, Brac?’ Adri asked.
Brac did not answer; he was already saddling up a horse.
‘I guess that answers the question,’ Adri muttered as she also picked up a saddle.
Brac looked at her and said, ‘Good, I was hoping you might want to join me. Your magic will be valuable if we have to distinguish between friend and enemy.’
Peter and Nicky quickly gathered provisions for the two riders. As they watched Brac and Adri disappear down the road, Nicky said, ‘I hope they come back soon. I’ve really enjoyed having the house full of people.’
Peter did not answer. The worried look on his face be
trayed his feelings.
Brighton made the horse run as fast as it could, feeding it energy from the forest. He already knew Brac and Adri were following him, he was expecting that. He also knew that their horses would not be able to keep up with his so his lead was increasing with every passing moment.
He used his sense often to make sure he stayed well clear of any elves he might encounter. Day after day he rode as hard as he could, only stopping when it was too dark to see. The forest started to thin out and soon Brighton stood on the edge of the desert. Yellow sand stretched as far as the eye could see.
Brighton gathered as much energy as he could from the few plants behind him and shared it with the stallion. Using his sense again, he noted that Adri and Brac were still very far behind him. He smiled as he felt a familiar energy on the edge of his sense, approaching fast from the southeast.
‘Good boy,’ he smiled as he mounted again.
Spurring the horse on, he started the journey across the vast desert.
The horse stumbled.
‘I’m sorry,’ Brighton whispered to the animal.
Using his sense again, he desperately searched for a source of energy. He never thought he would be in a place as dead as this. Far in the distance, he felt an unfamiliar source of energy. Concentrating hard, he tried yet again to connect to the energy, but failed.
‘Erostagnos Livia Farasnei,’ he muttered to himself.
Still wondering why he could not steal energy from the elf forest, he dismounted.
He placed his hand on the horse’s neck and whispered again, ‘I’m sorry.’
Quickly he drained the little bit of energy the stallion had left. He did not want the animal to suffer and needed the energy if he was going to stay alive in this dead place. Brighton untied the half-full water skin, his bow and quiver and the oak cane from the saddle and started walking. He knew that he was at least another two days away from the elf forest.
He concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. After nearly two days of walking, he stumbled and fell face first onto the warm sand. Struggling to his feet, he continued to walk but could only take a few steps before his legs gave way. Desperately he tried to get up again, but he had no strength left.
An image of Lilian and the twins flashed through his mind before the darkness overwhelmed him.