Ishara lowered her bow and took a deep breath. Geoff looked at her and raised his hands, not sure what was going to happen next.
“Keep your knife handy, little sneak thief,” said Ishara. “Be ready to run.”
“What?”
Geoff couldn’t believe what he had just heard.
“You’re not going over there, are you? Who knows what that wild man will do to you!”
“No,” said Ishara, “I am not going over there. We are.”
“Huh? Look at him! We don’t know what he’s capable of doing. We can’t trust him,” said Geoff.
Ishara raised an eyebrow.
“You have great power indeed if you can but glance at someone and determine if they are trustworthy.”
“But…sorry,” said Geoff. “It’s just that since we arrived we’ve been running for our lives.”
“Mmmhmm,” said Ishara with a slight smile. “Remember, remain vigilant. I do not believe this meeting is by chance.”
As they made their way into the small glade, Geoff detected a strong musty smell, like an animal’s scent.
He stayed behind Ishara as they approached the stranger and kept his hand on the knife she’d reclaimed from the brigand leader. He also noticed that even though she had lowered her bow, she kept an arrow nocked and ready to fire.
They stopped almost ten feet away from the water’s edge. Geoff couldn’t see much of the stranger’s face under the frayed hood, only a dark, whiskered chin. The man was over six feet tall and had broad shoulders. He—or the animal skin he wore—was the source of the musty smell. He must be some sort of mountain man or something, thought Geoff. He’s big, and he looks wild and dangerous.
“I am Ishara. My companion is—”
“Geoff,” said the man in animal skins.
Geoff’s jaw dropped. Ishara looked at Geoff. He blinked a few times.
“How…how did you know my name?” asked Geoff.
“I know who you are,” said the man. “And I know of Sawyer and Jane. I’ve been watching you.”
“How do you know of Geoff and his friends? Have you been following him?” demanded Ishara.
“Do you not see him with your elven sight?” said the stranger. “See how his aura shines. So beautiful.”
Geoff was speechless.
“I see your aura,” retorted Ishara. “It is both light and dark. Dark as night.”
The man in animal furs slowly nodded, but said nothing.
“What do you want?” asked Ishara. From the corner of his eye he saw her tighten her grip on the bow. The stranger pointed at Geoff. His hand was burnt and raw.
“You have lost something, haven’t you? Something important? A key, perhaps?”
“Oh yes, yes!” said Geoff, leaning forward. “It was taken from me! Have you seen it? Do you know where it is? My friends and I need it.”
“Aye, I’ve seen it,” said the stranger. “It’s in a dark, tainted place. Far too dangerous for you.”
“Tell me…please,” said Geoff.
“If you journey there, you will not return,” said the tattered man. “Perhaps I’m not doing you a kindness if I tell you.”
“You have been touched by the darkest of evils,” said Ishara. “Why should we trust you? Perhaps you are trying to trap us.”
“Aye, that is true enough,” said the stranger. “Know this—I profit nothing by helping you. Besides, it may already be too late.”
“What? What do you mean?” said Geoff.
The stranger looked at Ishara. “I’ve seen the armies and great war machines of the Shadowlord. The realm of Alluria is about to tear itself apart with war. An age of chaos is upon us.”
Geoff looked at Ishara. Her somber expression confirmed what the strange, wild man said.
“What do you mean that it may already be too late?” asked Geoff. “We’ve got to find that key. I need to know where it is. We’ve got to get home.”
The tattered man sat in silence for a moment.
“Very well,” he said. “North of here is a dead forest. It was once the Eldritch Forest, a green and beautiful place. But now it is a festering swamp.”
“Yeah,” said Geoff, looking at Ishara. “That’s what the brigands said, too.”
“Your key resides in the center of that swamp. But I warn you not to go there.”
“Why not?” said Geoff.
“Something sinister dwells there. You and your friends will perish if you enter.”
“Wait, you’ve seen them?” asked Geoff excitedly. “Are they alive? Where are they?”
“I don’t know.”
Geoff looked at Ishara. “We have to find them!”
Suddenly the stranger shot to his feet, and Ishara to hers, her bow ready with arrow fully drawn and aimed at his heart. Geoff thought she was going to shoot him.
“Riders,” he said, looking in the direction behind Geoff and Ishara. “From the south. You’ve been followed.”
Geoff listened. He didn’t hear anything except the rushing water of the brook.
“I hear them too,” said Ishara. “Geoff, we need to hide.”
“It’s gotta be the brigands,” said Geoff with a frown. Without a word, Ishara grabbed his hand and pulled him along as she ran into the woods. Geoff glanced back at the lone raggedy figure. He wondered what they would do to him if they captured him.
“Run!” said Geoff while he waved at the stranger to flee. “Shh!” said Ishara sharply while she jerked his hand so hard Geoff thought he might lose it.
“Quiet,” she said tersely. “You will betray our whereabouts!”
As they ran through the trees Geoff looked over his shoulder one last time. The stranger had not moved. Instead, he was watching them run away. Ishara led Geoff down a slight slope and then across a small meadow. Geoff heard the sounds of hoofbeats now. Their pursuers were coming closer. Once they reached the other side of the meadow, Ishara grabbed Geoff firmly by the shoulders and planted him behind a large oak tree.
“Do not move. Understand?” she said. “No matter what happens, you must not move from this spot.”
Geoff swallowed and nodded. His breathing was fast and shallow. The thought of being captured again by Aiden and his gang of cutthroats terrified him. Ishara peeked from around the trunk of the oak tree.
“What are you going to do?” asked Geoff.
“What I must to save us,” she said. “Stay here.”
Geoff watched Ishara raise her bow. Her eyes narrowed. Then he heard a low pffft followed by a sickening thud and a scream. Ishara had another arrow nocked in an instant. She loosed the arrow and again Geoff heard a scream. This time Geoff heard something heavy hit the ground nearby.
Ishara nocked another arrow and dashed to the next tree, firing sideways from her hip. Another thud and scream. Geoff trembled so much that his knees felt weak. Then he heard something fly by, grazing the tree that concealed him. There was a loud thwack ten feet away. Geoff saw an arrow protruding from the tree just beyond his hiding spot.
“They’re in the trees! Get after ’em!” It was the unmistakable sound of Aiden’s voice commanding his men to attack.
Ishara raced to the next tree, spun, aimed, and pffft.
Geoff heard her arrow strike her target. Then he heard another scream followed by a loud gurgling sound. He watched Ishara spin and move between the trees and fire arrow after arrow. Every one she let fly was followed by a thud and then a scream. A few arrows whizzed by her and hit a neighboring tree. She was lightning fast and used her surroundings for cover with perfection.
Wow! thought Geoff. She’s amazing! She doesn’t miss!
He heard a few alarmed voices coming from the meadow. Shaking, he peeked from behind the tree and saw two more brigands com
ing in his direction. Two more were running in the opposite direction. A hand touched Geoff’s shoulder and he jumped. It was Ishara.
“Shh,” she said, putting her finger to her lips. “I have no more arrows.”
Geoff’s heart sank. He heard the two oncoming brigands. They were close. Ishara leapt from behind the tree and ran deeper into the forest, away from Geoff. The brigands followed her. They ran past Geoff, failing to notice him standing flush against the tree. Geoff peeked from behind the tree again. He was relieved not to see any more brigands attacking. Suddenly he felt a vicelike grip on his shoulder. He was spun around and pushed against the tree. His head hit the tree trunk and he grunted with pain as he saw a white flash. Something cold and sharp pressed against his throat.
“So you and your little girlfriend think you’re smart, eh?” It was Aiden.
Geoff opened his mouth to scream, but Aiden covered his mouth with his hand.
“Oh, I don’t think so,” said Aiden with a sneer. “Your sweetheart wiped out my men. I should kill you right now.”
Geoff looked at those cruel dark eyes hovering over him. He felt his knees wobble and his eyes welled up.
“But I’m going to take great pleasure in hearing you scream and—”
Geoff saw a large, blistered hand grab the hair on top of Aiden’s head and yank him backward. Geoff no longer felt the sharp edge of the sword against his neck. His knees buckled and he sank to the ground. Geoff looked up and saw the strange man in tattered animal skins slam Aiden’s head into the tree with a whack. Aiden’s body immediately went limp and fell to the ground.
“Are you okay?” the man asked.
Geoff nodded. The tattered man picked him up off the ground. Wow, he’s so strong, thought Geoff.
“Go,” he said, pointing into the woods. “Find Ishara. Find your friends.”
Geoff took a few steps then turned around.
“Th…thank you.”
The tattered man nodded. Geoff ran into the forest. His legs were a little wobbly, so he stumbled a bit. Nearly fifty yards further he found Ishara. She was holding her bow like a club and standing over the two prone figures of the brigands.
“Ishara!” said Geoff. ”That was awesome!”
She winked at him and smiled.
“How did you do that?” said Geoff. “They didn’t stand a chance!”
“They should not have followed us,” she said. “How are you?”
“I’m fine,” said Geoff. “That wild man saved me. Aiden was about to kill me, but then this big, hairy figure appeared out of nowhere and slammed Aiden’s head against the tree.”
“Truly?” asked Ishara, raising her eyebrows at this news.
“Oh yes,” said Geoff. “I think maybe he’s a good guy.”
Ishara said nothing. They walked back to the meadow where the brigands had attacked them. Geoff scanned the area. The tattered man was gone.
“Pity,” said Ishara, also looking about. “I would like to have spoken with him again.”
“Me too.”
Geoff looked at the bodies that littered the meadow. Ishara’s arrows had found their mark with unerring accuracy.
“You never miss, do you?” asked Geoff.
Ishara smiled at him.
“No, really,” Geoff continued eagerly. “How did you do that?”
“Many years of practice,” said Ishara. “I am an archer, but in times of war I am also a skirmisher.”
“Skirmisher?” Geoff asked, shaking his head.
“I seek out and attack enemies from a distance. I harass them.”
“Yeah,” said Geoff, licking his lips. “I think you got that down.”
He stopped and regarded Ishara.
“You could’ve killed them anytime, couldn’t you?”
“Yes,” she said. “But not until I was free, and I have you to thank for that. Stay here. I want to be certain we are no longer being followed.”
Geoff nodded and lowered himself to the ground, leaning against a small tree. He saw Ishara walk into the meadow, but she quickly disappeared in the foliage. He put his head in his hands and rubbed his sweaty forehead.
Geoff leaned his head back and closed his eyes. A bead of sweat trickled down the back of his neck, relaxing him a bit. He took a deep, weary breath. So tired, he thought. He could go to sleep right there.
Ishara returned a few minutes later, wiping blood from several of her arrows.
“You got your arrows back,” he said, noticing she had a full quiver again.
“Yes,” she said. “I looked for the man wearing the animal skins, but I could not find him.”
“Oh,” said Geoff. He was disappointed their conversation with the tattered man had come to an abrupt end.
“I did, however, find the two brigands who fled,” said Ishara. “They were dead.”
“See? He helped us,” said Geoff. “He didn’t seem so bad.”
“I would not count him as an ally,” cautioned Ishara. “As I said, he has a darkness about him. He is dangerous. Remember that should you encounter him again.”
Geoff thought for a moment, then said, “How can you see if someone is good or bad? What’s all that ‘aura’ stuff?”
“Elves,” said Ishara, “and a few other races in Alluria are able to see or sense whether one’s spirit or inner self is moral or corrupt.”
“So, it’s like seeing if someone is lying?” asked Geoff.
“No,” said Ishara shaking her head. “But it is wise to be suspicious when dealing with someone like that stranger. There is a duality about him.”
“Duality? What does that mean?”
“Two halves,” said Ishara. “There is a struggle inside him, I think. But I cannot say how or why.”
“But all humans have good and bad in them,” said Geoff.
“No,” said Ishara. “Not like him. He is…cursed somehow.”
“Cursed,” repeated Geoff. What could that mean? The man in animal skins was odd and smelly. But he had helped them.
“It must be lonely living wild like that,” mused Geoff. “He looked hurt, too. Did you see his hands?”
“Yes, but I think his true pain comes from within,” said Ishara. “Are you ready? We should find Ariel and your friends.”
“Yeah. You’re right. I guess we better get going,” said Geoff as he got to his feet.
As they left the meadow, Geoff glanced over his shoulder at the bodies in the meadow.
“Geoff,” called Ishara. She had stopped about twenty feet away to wait for him.
“Oh,” said Geoff. “Sorry.”
He hurried to catch up with Ishara. They walked in silence for almost a league before Ishara spoke.
“You have not seen death, have you?”
Geoff shook his head. “Not like that.”
“In your realm, Earth, you do not have death?”
“Yes,” said Geoff. “It’s just…I don’t know. My mom died a couple years ago, so we do have death.”
“I am sorry for your loss, but no matter what realm we are from,” said Ishara, “we are all on a journey to somewhere else. We elves may live forever, but there is something eternal in all living things, even humans.”
Geoff nodded.
“We each have our own destiny. When we have completed our destiny then our time here is done.”
“I wonder,” said Geoff as they walked. “What was their destiny? The brigands, I mean.”
Geoff looked at Ishara, who pursed her lips while she thought about an answer. After a minute she said, “If not for the brigands then we would have never met. And who knows? Perhaps when they pulled you from the catacombs they saved your life.”
“Yeah,” said Geoff. “I like the first answer. We wo
uldn’t have met if not for them, would we?”
Ishara smiled and nudged him with her shoulder, nearly knocking him down.
“Hey!” said Geoff, laughing, “You’re pretty strong…for a girl.” He returned the nudge.
Geoff was surprised and even a bit elated when Ishara responded with a playful giggle. He didn’t expect that sort of reaction. She seemed to enjoy his company. This is new, he thought. Normally girls didn’t talk to or even notice him. Ishara, however, was different.
“So,” said Geoff, working his mind for something to say, “elves live forever? You’re immortal? Do you ever get…you know…bored?”
“No,” said Ishara, “Why would we? Such a silly question.”
“Well, I never met an immortal before you and Ariel,” said Geoff. “I just wondered what elves do since they live forever.”
“We do what all the other races do, except we do it for a longer time.”
Geoff looked at Ishara. She was grinning at him. He grinned back at her. “Good answer.”
They continued their trek back to Silverthorne Manor for another hour. Geoff and Ishara chatted about the differences between elves and humans. Geoff was pleased to discover Ishara had more tolerance for humans than Ariel. As they walked, his spirits rose. He enjoyed being with Ishara. He enjoyed the leisurely pace of their stride, too.
More than once he looked about and took in the beauty of nature. The trees grow so tall here, he thought. There’s so much wildlife and the smell of the forest is relaxing.
“Geoff,” said Ishara in a serious tone, “we should arrive at Silverthorne tomorrow morning.”
“Okay.”
“You need to prepare yourself for the possibility those brigands were right,” said Ishara. “If your friends are dead…”
Geoff looked down. “Yeah,” he said. ”I hope they’re still alive. I don’t know what I’d do if they were gone. How would I get home?”
“I do not know,” said Ishara. “Ariel knows more about such matters. However, if you used a wizard’s key to travel from your Earth to this realm, then you must continue your quest for the key. Exactly how did you lose it?”
Wizard's Key (The Darkwolf Saga Book 1) Page 24