by Brad Clark
Elissa moved closer and took his hands. “Yes, it was Glaerion’s and Hallendrielle’s idea to do this. But it was not a sham. It was a real marriage. I love you. I wanted this more than anything in the world. We thought it best not to tell you, but maybe we should have told you. This is a crazy time, and we needed to do something crazy. I hope you’re not mad at me.”
“You really love me?”
Elissa laughed, and a tear appeared at the corner of her eye. “Of course I do. She leaned up to him and kissed him on the cheek. We have to leave early in the morning to march to the boats.”
Conner smiled and corrected, “To the ships.”
“Yes, the ships. And it is late.” She glanced away, and her cheeks suddenly became flush. “Hallendirelle has given us their home for the night.”
A wide smile fell across Conner’s face. He did not care what was happening around them, and he said, “What are we waiting for!”
He took her by the hand and led her around the crowd of Elves who were suddenly occupied with thoughts of preparing for battle.
Chapter Fifteen
The morning sun was hidden by a bank of low clouds. Captain Gorge stretched as he studied the clouds, wondering if there were any storms or rain behind them. At this distance, he couldn't really tell much. The air felt warm and fresh, as it had been for the past three days, but he was cautious enough to know that the weather out on the ocean could change from sunny to stormy in just a matter of hours. As the day progressed, he would have to keep his eyes on the horizon to make sure that a storm wasn't brewing. They had one more day before they had to leave, but he would delay if the weather became too bad. A single day shouldn’t make a big difference in their return, but if they were stuck in a storm, any number of disasters could happen. The last thing he wanted to do was to leave in the middle of a storm and get so far off course that it would take several more days or even another week to make the trip back north.
Grady, one of his senior crew, came up behind him. “Morning, Captain.” He handed the captain a mug of steaming, hot cider.
One of the benefits of being tied up along the shore for several days was the opportunity for his crew to show off their talents. Although there were no apples to make a proper cider, his ship’s cook was able to find suitable replacements. He licked his lips as the warm liquid touched them. He didn’t know what kind of fruit was used for the cider, but it was as good as any he had ever tasted. Although the days were blistering hot, nights and mornings were still cool, and the captain was thankful to get a warm drink in his body to get him going.
“We are fully provisioned,” Grady said. “Water barrels full. Yesterday the men came across a large deer of some sort, but larger than any deer I’ve ever seen. There should be enough meat from that one to last a couple weeks.”
“So we are all ready, then?”
Grady knew that his captain wasn’t really asking a question, so he didn’t bother answering. Instead, Grady asked, “How long do we wait?”
“Four days, the Elf said,” Captain Gorge replied. “We will wait four full days. We will leave at last light tonight.”
“They knew we would stay the whole time. I am sure they were simply planning on arriving this last day.”
Captain Gorge did not reply, but he did give a slow nod. He had grown to trust the Elf Glaerion over their voyage from Karmon, but he was certainly unsure about the other Elves. It was entirely possible that Conner and Elissa were dead, killed for being the enemy. He could not let himself even entertain such a thought. Returning back without either one would be a disaster. One option would be for him to simply sail away to a far off land that had not been touched by the war. The world was wide and vast, and even if the war eventually reached to all corners, it would take some time for it to reach certain remote islands. He could at least live the rest of his life in peace and comfort.
“Maybe you should spend some time ashore,” Grady suggested. “The jungles are like nothing I’ve ever seen before. And it will take your mind off things.”
“Have you seen any of them? Watching us?”
Grady shook his head. “No, but the jungle is thick enough that they could easily be hidden. We have gone some distance into the trees. Maybe a half mile without being challenged. It is quite possible that they are not watching us.”
“Would you be, if you were them?”
“We know nothing about them, so I cannot say. We are not a threat to them as we clearly are not soldiers. If they have men just sitting around with nothing to do, sure, why not sit in a hot, steaming jungle watching us?”
“A walk into the jungle would be good. Is it safe?”
“From predators? We have seen none. Some strange animals, yes, but nothing that has threatened us. It is safe.”
“Very well, then. Put the shore boat out, and I’ll take her myself.”
“Alone?”
“You said it was safe.”
“Well, it is safe enough for an armed party of five or so. I’m not so sure about one.”
“Do not worry, I can handle myself.”
***
Captain Gorge pulled the small shore boat up onto the sandy beach and looked out at his ship as it sat in calm water. His men were stretching the sails across the deck, making sure that the canvas was ready for the return trip home. Several mends had to be made, but he did not need to supervise their work. They were experienced. Some of them actually had more experience on the sea than he did.
Forcing himself to turn his back on his ship, he walked across the firm sand of the beach towards the tree line. A newly cut trail led from the beach and into the thicker parts of the jungle. It was the same path that Conner, Elissa, and Glaerion had taken and his crew had made it wider and more established. He certainly had no plans to follow it all the way to the Elven village, but if his crew used this path, then it should be as safe as any. With long, confident strides, he strode onto the path and into the jungle.
It was quiet at first, but as he walked and his ears became tuned to the peacefulness of the jungle, he realized that it really was alive with sound. Birds chirped and called out to one another. Leaves and trees swayed in the wind, or maybe it was animals that were up in the trees. Each time he caught movement, he tried to catch what was causing it, but he never saw anything clearly. For a moment, he thought about stepping off the path to venture deeper into the trees, as the sight of strange and wonderful plants caught his eye. Much of the foliage he had never seen before and it intrigued him. Keeping to the path was the smart and prudent thing to do, but the draw of adventure and danger was too great. Looking deep into the trees, a large flowering bush with small pink flowers caught his eye. Without taking another thought or trying to talk himself out of leaving the path, he pushed his way through thick ferns and walked towards the bush.
The bush was much larger than he originally thought. Its branches stretched high and wide, intermingling with nearby trees. The flowers were more vibrant and detailed than he thought. Stepping closer, the intricate coloring pattern whites and bright pinks mesmerized him. He reached out to touch it when a hissing sound caused him to jump back.
At first, he thought it came from the flowers, as the sound started as his fingers neared the closest flower. He knew it couldn’t be and his fears were confirmed when the head of large snake appeared right in front of him, among the bush’s leaves. The head was about the size of his fist, and its thick body was mostly hidden in the underbrush. The snake swayed its head back and forth while sticking out its forked tongue. Captain Gorge forced himself to freeze in place, his heart pounding loudly in his ears. He hadn’t much experience with snakes, but he knew about them and knew that many of them were deadly with poison.
He muttered a curse under his breath at his decision. It would certainly have been safer if he had stayed on the path, or even never left his ship. But he was never one to pass up an adventure, regardless of how dangerous it was. The heat of the jungle caused him to sweat, which was now dripp
ing down his back. It reached parts of his body that itched, and it took all effort to not start scratching. He feared that if he moved too quickly, the snake would attack. Maybe he could dodge it, but not likely. There might have been a time when he was young that he would be fast enough, but time and a hard life had made him slow.
With deliberate care, he moved his feet to start his retreat. That was when the snake attacked. Its head jerked backward an instant before it sprung forward, its jaw wide, two long fangs aiming for his neck. The sudden movement surprised him, and his feet slipped on the loose ground while he tried to jump backward. In almost slow-motion, he could see the snake reaching out for him, and he knew that he was going to be bit.
Something flashed across his vision and struck the snake in the head. Caught mid-strike, the snake was thrown several feet away. Captain Gorge continued to lose his balance and fell backward onto the ground, his wide eyes waiting for the snake to move and continue its attack, but it was still. The blade of a small dagger was stuck in the snake’s head, which had killed it instantly.
Captain Gorge looked up as a someone walked up to him. The only Elf he had ever seen was the one who had come with Conner, and although this elf looked nothing like Glaerion, the pointed ears gave away his race. Even though the heat of the jungle was nearly oppressive, the Elf was wearing a cloak around his shoulders. But it wasn’t a thick wool cloak that might be worn in the winter. It appeared to be of a silky material that was thin and light. While Captain Gorge had sweat dripping out of every pore, the Elf was dry and seemed comfortable in the heat.
“You should not be this far off the path,” the Elf said, a slight smirk on his face. He walked over to the snake, put his foot on it and pulled out the dagger. After wiping it clean, he stuffed it inside the folds of his cloak. “The jungle is a dangerous place.”
Captain Gorge quickly stood up, embarrassed at how he reacted to the snake. “I’ve been around the world a few times,” the captain growled. “It just surprised me. I’ve dealt with their kind before.”
The Elf laughed. “The snake that attacked you we call the Demon Viper. Just a drop of their venom would paralyze you. It wouldn’t kill you, but because you couldn’t move or defend yourself, eventually something would. Ever been eaten alive? Well, I’ve seen it, and it’s not a pretty sight.”
“Yeah, well, I guess I owe you thanks,” Captain Gorge said, his eyes not looking away from the coiled body of the dead snake.
“My name is Ryshak. And you're welcome.”
“Captain Gorge of the Flying Narwhal.”
“The Human ship?”
“Yes.”
“I and my fellow Elves will be joining you.”
The captain’s demeanor instantly changed. “Great! Then Conner and Elissa are with you?”
Ryshak replied with a quick shake of his head. “The Elven Council has decided to not send any Elves to help.”
“What? But you just said that you will be joining us! What about Conner and Elissa?”
“I am of the Elven Guard, and we are commanded by King Illichian and not the Elven Council.” His even tone changed to show some emotion in his voice. The word Council was said as if he were saying a curse word. “We have volunteered to assist your cause.”
Captain Gorge looked around, hoping to see an army of these Elven Guard. “Great! How many are you?”
“We are twelve.”
“Twelve?”
“Yes.”
“Oh. I think we were hoping for a few more.”
“Twelve may not be an army, but it will be twelve more than you have.”
Captain Gorge nodded, although his heart sunk. “What of Conner and Elissa?”
“They will surely be escorted to your ship later this evening. They were involved in a celebration of sorts last night. We wanted to get a head start to help prepare your ship for the journey, so we left before the celebration started.”
It took Captain Gorge a moment to prepare his reply. He wasn’t sure if should be amused or insulted at the offer for help. “My men are seasoned sailors. Although your help is appreciated, I believe that we are capable of preparing our ship for sea travel.”
“Sea travel for Humans, yes, but not see travel for Elves. We will help your ship arrive in days instead of weeks.”
Captain Gorge only lifted an eyebrow in response. “You can make the wind blow harder?”
“Something like that.”
***
The twelve Elves of the Elven Guard had been ferried from the beach to the ship and were now sitting quietly in a shaded corner of the ship. Most of them were asleep, as they had spent the afternoon casting a spell upon the ship’s wood that would help make it go faster through the water. Captain Gorge did not ask any questions and left them alone as he oversaw his own sailor’s preparations. Ryshak spent his time monitoring the other Elven warriors, making sure the spells were cast correctly. What they were doing was not uncommon, as all Elven ships were imbued with magic, but it was not a regular occurrence, especially for warriors. Generally, the fishermen did their own spell-work in preparing ships for travel.
Ryshak sat on the ship’s deck running a whetstone over his dagger. It was sharp enough, but he needed something to occupy his mind while he waited for Conner and Elissa to arrive. Soon after his Elven warriors had finished their spell casting, he became anxious because Conner and Elissa had not yet arrived. If they had left at the break of day, they should already have reached them. Then he remembered that they had been married the night before. The thought of them together caused him to smile with envy as he himself had never participated in the Celebration of Marriage. Marriage was not for him, and he was okay with that. He was a warrior, committed to serving Elven-kind in his own way.
Thinking about Conner, he found himself fond of the Hurai, even though he had only interacted with him once. Unlike the Humans that he had been in contact with over the years, Conner was not an arrogant and uncivilized man. He was pleasant and courteous as well as an incredible swordsman.
“You said they were involved in a celebration?” Captain Gorge asked.
Ryshak glanced up at the captain, wondering if the Human had been reading his thoughts. He stood up and put away his dagger and whetstone. The friendly, yet professional demeanor of the captain made him think that maybe Human culture had indeed changed over time. There might be hope for them yet.
“Yes,” Ryshak replied. “The Ceremony of Marriage is a staple of Elven culture, and they decided to participate in it.”
Ryshak’s words had stunned Captain Gorge. It took him a moment to process what was said. With unbelief clearing in his voice, he asked, “Conner and Elissa? They got married?”
“Yes.”
Captain Gorge stunned expression grew into a smile and he scratching his beard. “Well, that’s an interesting development. How did that happen?”
“I do not know how Human love works,” Ryshak replied. “But I would assume it works the same as Elven culture. After a period of casual interactions, feelings and emotions come into play to where a mutual agreement of a lifelong commitment to one another is established.”
For a moment, he thought the Elf was joking, but the serious look on Ryshak’s face did not go away. The Captain Gorge laughed. “You’ve never been in love!”
“I am a warrior, committed to serving the Elvenkind. Love is for others.”
“Of course it is. Well, Human love cannot be explained. Sometimes it just happens.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“What was this ceremony like?”
Ryshak shook his head. “I was not at their ceremony, but I have attended others. The bride and the groom are presented to the Elven people by one of their closest friends, and then they exchange vows of commitment. Afterward, there is usually a grand feast in their honor. At some point in the evening, the bride and groom slipped off to be by themselves.”
Captain Gorge let out a hearty laugh. “Well, if an Elven marriage is anything like
a Human marriage, I would assume that you missed a great party.”
Ryshak glanced over at the Human. “I would doubt that an Elven Ceremony of Marriage is anything like a Human ceremony.”
Captain Gorge laughed even harder. “That is probably true!”
“Have you been married?” Ryshak wondered why he asked the question the moment the words came out of his mouth. He had no intention of having a deep conversation with the man, even though they would be spending many days together. While he had been preparing for the journey, he felt some dread at being around Humans for such a long period of time. Even though he enjoyed both Conner and Elissa, he could not imagine that he would enjoy any other Humans. But he was wrong. He actually liked this sea captain.
“Yes,” the captain replied, a bit of sadness in his voice. He turned around, leaning his back against the deck railing and faced across the ship’s deck and towards the open ocean. “Once, a long time ago.”
“And you were in love?”
“As much as a young man knows about love, I was in love. But my true love is the sea.” He suddenly straightened up and said, “Now, who is that?”
Ryshak turned to see what Captain Gorge was looking at. Coming into view along the shoreline were sailing ships, their sails full of wind. Captain Gorge’s heart skipped a beat as the first thought that came into his mind was that the forces of the Deceiver had brought their war south. He was about to call his men to arms to defend the ship, but Ryshak words stopped him.
“The Elven fleet has sailed,” Ryshak said.
“Have they come to attack us?”
“Our warships were torn apart when we arrived at this land, and we’ve had no need to build more. What you see is our fleet of fishing ships and they are full of Elves, presumably to join us on our journey north.”
“Your Elven Council has changed their minds?” the captain asked with excitement in his voice. The prospect of an army of Elves joining them in their fight gave him a renewed hope that was slipping away.