Just before the villain struck, his head and entire upper body were suddenly wrapped in crimson flame. At the same instant, Darian kicked his enemy in the right knee with all the strength he had. The bellowing giant fell forward onto the young Telian and his outstretched sword. The merciless captain passed from life as the knight's sword passed through his body. Darian was completely covered by the massive frame of his deceased foe and he lay panting, unable for the moment to move from beneath the hulk of his former enemy.
Three figures leapt suddenly from the outlying underbrush. Once their adversaries had fallen, Tealor, Erana, and Kilren had flown through the wood as quickly as they could, although they arrived too late to be of any help to the gallant Telian and the beautiful sorceress. Tealor considered the scene in a flash and stood glancing one way and then the other with a rather puzzled expression on his face.
“He's trapped under that giant beast, my love,” Sarena said, gazing down at her husband and pointing at the lifeless mercenary.
“Ah,” the large warrior chuckled. “Come on Kilren, help me shift it.”
The two strode over to the massive body and grabbed it under the arms before dragging it away to reveal Darian's prostrate form covered in the blood of his foe.
“Did they give you much trouble, dear heart?” Tealor asked, walking back over to his wife as the knight climbed slowly to his feet.
“Not much, my champion, although I'm afraid I'll have a nasty bruise,” she replied, climbing down from her horse with the aid of her husband.
“I thought he had killed you,” Darian said, peering at her stomach where the blade had struck her.
“That's what I wanted him to believe. I'm sorry if I scared you, little hero.”
The young knight stared at her silently for a moment, but Sarena only laughed.
“You can't believe everything you see,” she said, running her hand slowly down her side.
As she did so, her dress appeared to melt away leaving behind a trail of the small metal rings that form chain armor. As quickly as they had been revealed, they were once more hidden; the sorceress seemed to be wrapped in nothing more than a simple dress.
“You don't honestly believe my husband would let me face men like these with nothing between me and their rage but a few layers of cloth, do you?”
Darian laughed aloud. His sense of relief was almost overwhelming. He stood among his fallen foes with all of his victorious companions, for the most part, unscathed.
“Erana's injured, Darian. Can you take a look?” Kilren asked as soon as his companion had caught his breath.
“Is she?” Darian replied, stepping quickly over to the fair elvish maiden.
“It's nothing really; just a scratch,” Erana said as the young knight approached her.
Her tunic was red down one side and blood was still flowing from beneath the hand she held pressed against the wound.
“No, I'm afraid that's more than a scratch,” Darian replied, pulling her hand aside to reveal a cut that went nearly to the bone.
The knight bowed his head and asked the Eilian to heal the wounded maiden who been injured fighting for the cause of right. He raised his hand and placed it gently on her shoulder. When he lifted his hand away, the wound was gone. It was as if she had never been cut.
“I told you the knight and the elf would prove useful, my love,” Sarena said, eying the pair with a broad smile.
“Even the fool proved his worth today,” Tealor replied, slapping Kilren on the shoulder.
“Yes... he did,” Erana said, turning her gaze to the young rogue.
“Well, you saved me,” Kilren replied with a grin. “The least I could do was return the favor.”
“Darian, if you don't mind...” Tealor said, raising his arm and revealing the cut on his side.
“Certainly,” the Telian answered, reaching out his hand and healing his companion with the power of the Eilian.
“Where is the girl, my love?” the sorceress asked as soon as her husband's wound had been attended to.
Kilren and Tealor glanced at one another before dashing wildly into the underbrush heading back to the tree where they had left the girl tied. The five companions arrived just in time to see her reaching down to cut the ropes that bound her feet.
“Thank you all!” she said enthusiastically, “I take it you've come to rescue me?”
“We have Gwendolyn; your father sent us,” Tealor replied, stepping over to the young maiden.
“I knew he would send someone! Who are you? I would know the names of my valiant rescuers!”
Each of the companions introduced themselves and Gwendolyn thanked each in turn. As soon as these brief introductions were over, Darian excused himself and headed back to the scene of his former combat. Kilren followed close behind.
“What are you doing?” the rogue asked, catching up with his friend.
“Looking for my horse. He was injured during the battle and fled.”
“Well, we'll just follow the trail of blood, then.”
Kilren glanced over the scene for a moment before he began following what was, to him, a very obvious trail. The animal had run for almost a mile before coming to a stop. They found it grazing among some tall grass as if nothing had happened. Darian approached his mount speaking softly and gently; within moments he had caught hold of the reigns. He reached out his hand and rubbed it along the nasty cut in the poor beast's hide. The Telian's hand appeared to simply wipe the wound away.
“That is truly amazing,” his friend observed, watching Darian closely.
“That is the power of the Eilian. Still, I feel like a river about to overflow its banks. I think I need some rest.”
“Now, that's an excellent idea!” Kilren said as the two turned; marching slowly back to the mercenary camp, leading the horse behind them.
When they arrived, they found a cheery fire crackling away; over which a few bits of sausage stuck on sticks were filling the air with a very pleasing aroma. Tealor lowered himself beside his wife who was laying on the ground and seemed as if she were napping. Erana and Gwendolyn sat close together discussing the details of the kidnapping and the rescue.
“It was fortunate that your captors were foolish enough to sleep so late in the day,” Erana observed turning one of the pieces of meat near the fire. “If they had gotten up at dawn as we did, we would still be pursuing them.”
“Well, they had been up all night,” Gwendolyn replied, gazing deeply into the small blaze.
“You must have been traveling very slowly to have ridden all night and gotten no further than this,” the ranger replied, a hint of disbelief in her voice.
“Well, no. I stole a horse last night and it took them hours to catch me. By the time we got back, it was almost dawn.”
“So, you tried to escape?” Erana asked turning to Gwendolyn with a look of surprise.
“I did! What was I supposed to do, simply resign myself to my fate?” the young maiden asked.
Erana grew quiet, obviously impressed by the young girl at her side.
As Darian and Kilren approached the fire, Gwendolyn thanked them once again and offered them each a piece of sausage and a drink. As the two sat enjoying their meal, Kilren looked over at the fair ranger. She had changed her tunic and completely removed all the blood that had so recently covered her. Then, he glanced over at Darian who was still coated in the gore of his foe.
“You need to pull off that tabard; it looks like it's been dyed red,” the young rogue observed.
“I won't remove it. It bears the symbol of Solarin.”
“Well, it's disgusting. You can't sleep wrapped up in that.”
“Our hunters cover themselves in the blood of their first kills,” Erana said, taking a small bite of the meat she was eating.
“Not people's blood,” Kilren replied.
“No, that's true, but still; it's just blood.”
“Either way, he should take it off. He looks like a butcher.”
“I'
m not going to disgrace the symbol of Solarin!” the young knight defiantly replied.
“Then, take off the tabard,” Tealor said, reaching out to grab a piece of sizzling meat for himself.
“What?” Darian asked, turning his gaze to the large warrior.
“The battle's over and you're covered in blood. What you're supposed to do is remove the garment until it's clean. You didn't know that?”
“I didn't...” Darian sighed before standing up to remove the bloodstained clothing.
There, on the very center of his breastplate, was an exact copy of the symbol that his tabard bore.
“So, you didn't want to disgrace the emblem that you bore by removing a bloody garment when you knew full well that your armor bore the exact same mark?” Kilren slowly asked.
“It was the principle of the thing!” the young knight answered indignantly.
“Honestly...” the rogue replied, shaking his head, “I worry about you.”
Galrin stared down at the still pool as the image of the young maiden and her rescuers slowly faded from view, leaving nothing behind but his own reflection. This was certainly an unexpected turn of events; Valrak would have to be told. These new circumstances would require a new plan and there was very little time to act. The old wizard had originally felt, if the first attempt should fail, other mercenaries could be sent to try again, however, that was no longer a valid option. That fool Barlan had actually told the girl that it was Galrin himself who wanted her captured. That certainly wasn't sufficient proof against himself or Valrak to cause them any trouble over the kidnapping, but if the girl ever made it home, she would be harder to reach in the future. That could not be allowed to happen, she must not be allowed to escape.
Galrin seemed even more venerable as he trudged down the long empty corridors that led to the great hall of his foster son's stronghold. As he drug himself slowly through the massive room, which stood for the moment quite empty, he considered the best way to break the news. Valrak was a man of quick temper, and at times, severe rage. It was one of the things Galrin admired about his son. However, today he might find himself the object of that fury if he were not sufficiently delicate with the subject. Still, he knew his son very well and was a skilled diplomat. By the time he reached the massive door that led into Valrak's private chamber, he was ready.
“Once again, you were right, my son!” Galrin said, bursting into the room in an obvious rage. “I should have listened to you from the start!”
“What's wrong, my father?” Valrak asked, turning his dark blue eyes to Galrin.
“That fool Barlan has failed us, just as you feared he would!”
“Barlan?”
“The mercenary I hired to bring the girl to us!”
“What?” the giant warlord asked, rising to his feet.
“It was just as you predicted, my son. The fool failed us and the girl has been rescued.”
Valrak glared at the old man with death in his eyes and started to pace quickly about the room.
“I told you this would happen!” he said between clenched teeth after a moment's silent contemplation.
“I know, my lord, I've already mentioned that fact twice. I’ve admitted my mistake; there's no need to deride me. What we need to do now is correct the error.”
“How do you propose we do that?”
The old man gazed up at his foster son with a smile. “Well now, fortunately that's an easy matter. We simply revert to your plan and send some of our own men. In fact, our true purpose will be far easier to conceal due to this turn of events. It would have been very difficult to explain why Lord Valrak wanted some girl kidnapped, but nothing will be easier for the men to understand than that he wants her rescued and brought to him. We can tell our men to bring the entire party here so that we can reward them.”
The warlord sat in silent contemplation for a few moments.
“If they refuse our invitation?”
“It's a matter of jurisdiction,” Galrin said, raising his hands. “These lands belong to no lord or kingdom and could be said to be under your protection. If this rescue party will not submit to your authority, then they'll have to be executed. Lord Valrak can't allow anyone to call his power into question.”
“What if the girl should reach her home before we can get to her?”
“She won't. Baron Kilmer is in our pay, as well as several of the other Mikralian nobles near the border. If this rescue party makes it as far as the river, they'll never get any further; and the girl will still be brought to us.”
“How are we to explain to Kilmer and the rest that we want this girl?”
“Again, it's a matter of authority. We'll say that this child was kidnapped and brought into these lands without your blessing or even your permission. You must be the one to return the girl as a matter of principle. If she is rescued by any other group, it will reflect poorly on your ability to secure these lands. We are unwilling to let that happen.”
“What if her rescuers refuse to release her to Kilmer?”
“We'll have him guaranty both the girl's safety and the rescuer's reward. They won't refuse to hand her over.”
“But, if they do?” Valrak asked.
Galrin sat silently in thought before answering.
“Well then, it becomes a matter of more local politics. Baron Kilmer is not a man who will allow his authority to be questioned, either. I'll simply suggest to him that, if the rescuers refuse to submit to his men, then the girl should be taken by force. We might even hint to him that, if the rescue party were killed for some reason, the reward would go to him. He's not the type of man who will take no for an answer within the bounds of his own lands. They'll give the girl to his men or she'll be taken. In either case, we'll still have her.”
After a moment's contemplation, a broad grin spread across Valrak's face.
“Your former error is forgiven in light of your current wisdom.”
“You are most gracious, my lord.”
“We can lose no time. Send messages to our nearest men and Baron Kilmer. The sooner this girl is here, the sooner our plans can be brought to fruition.”
“At once my lord,” the ancient wizard said with a bow before withdrawing quickly from the room.
After a few hours of peaceful rest, Tealor rose with a stretch. If they hoped to make it to the nearest village before nightfall, they would need to get moving. A smile spread across the warrior's face as he looked down at the fair young maiden the party had rescued. One thing that filled his very soul with delight was a job well done. The maiden had been saved, his enemies bested, and his allies all lived through the encounter. Now, it was just a matter of riding back to collect the reward. A slight grimace passed over his features when he considered the fact that he and his wife would now get only two fifths of the gold. Still, he couldn't in good conscience refuse to share the reward. His young companions had fought well and deserved to gain something for the dangers they had overcome.
“Awake, dear one,” he whispered, leaning over his prostrate wife.
“Is it time already, my love?” she asked.
“It is if we want to sleep in a bed tonight.”
“Well, that's certainly worth getting up for,” the beautiful sorceress sighed.
Darian had been determined to remain conscious as he leaned against a tree, watching each of his companions drift off one by one. He had failed in his attempt, however. The warm air, the cool breeze, and the humming of thousands of insects all worked together to lull him gently to sleep. He awoke with a start as he overheard the warrior and his wife softly speaking.
“I'm sorry I fell asleep; I meant to stand watch,” he apologized.
“Don't worry about that. Had I felt there was any danger, I would have stood watch myself,” Tealor replied, smiling over at the young knight. “We all had a long night and needed a rest before we moved on. However, the time has come. We all need to get up and in the saddle. We have a fair ride between us and the nearest village.”
In just a few minutes, the entire party was up and once again on the move. Erana claimed one of the horses that had belonged to their now fallen enemies, and Gwendolyn rode the valiant beast that had carried her in her attempted escape. The six figures rode slowly up the hill and away in the opposite direction of Gwendolyn's flight the previous evening.
“So, if I had gone this way, I would have run into a village?” the maiden asked as they came up over the rise of the first hill.
“Well, if you had ridden in a very straight line for several hours, yes,” Tealor replied.
“I'm glad I didn't really; I might not have met you all if I had.”
“I'm just glad we could be of service,” Darian said, riding up to the maiden's side.
“You certainly have been!” she laughed. “My family will be very grateful.”
“Indeed they will child; they offered a great deal for your rescue,” Tealor said, turning back to speak to her.
“Oh, you rescued me for a reward?” the maiden answered with a touch of disappointment in her voice.
“We did not!” The Telian and the ranger replied together.
“Well, in truth, only my wife and I knew about the reward;” the large warrior asserted. “However, these three have each earned a fair share.”
“Thanks! Much appreciated!” Kilren immediately replied with a nod.
“I'm a Telian Knight, I don't expect to be rewarded for acts of righteousness!”
“The rangers of Innalas don't expect payment for seeing justice done, either!”
“Well, how very gracious of you both,” Sarena said, turning her gaze from the knight to the ranger. “My beloved offers to share a reward that you knew nothing of and you thank him by telling him that such gifts are beneath you.”
“That's not what I meant at all!” Darian exclaimed.
“Nor did I!” Erana said, blushing with embarrassment.
“It's just that I've been raised to serve the cause of right and expect no reward,” the young knight explained.
“Really?” Tealor asked, “How have you earned your bread up till now?”
The Stars of Areon (The Chronicles of Areon Book 1) Page 9