“The difference is, she chooses to be here, I was not given that choice,” the witch told him hotly. “You dragged me into this against my will and I have no other option than to continue on with this charade in a feeble attempt to save my own life.”
Merlin growled. “Erik has Excalibur, your part in this is over, you can leave anytime you choose.”
“You actually believe that, don’t you? That any of us can just leave? We were all marked for death the moment you came into our lives. It’s not as cut and dry and you try to make it and you damn well know it!” Melissa snarled.
The truth of the matter was, he did.
“I cannot do anything else, there’s only one job, one purpose, the destruction of the Book of the Dead. I will do whatever it takes to make that happen,” he told the witch, seeing the downcast look upon her face and knew that the brutal honest answer was not what she had been hoping for.
“No matter how many of us die on the way?” Melissa asked softly.
He sighed. “It seems like I’m always being asked this question. How many times must I answer it? Yes, no matter what the costs, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care. That I’m not going to do everything I can to ensure that as many of us make it to the end of this as I can.”
“That’s not good enough,” she remarked softly.
“I know, but it’s all I have.” He hated to admit it, but there was no denying the truth, not with her. They had known each other too long, she would spy a lie the moment it was uttered.
The witch nodded with a grim smile. “Well, it looks like we’ll all be dead soon anyways, might as well go out in a blaze of glory, right?”
Merlin glared at the woman, unable to voice the frustration he felt at the recent turn of events. He shook his head and turned to his awaiting mount. There was no point in arguing further, all he could do was continue on and hope for the best.
Climbing onto his saddle, he looked to the others and motioned for them to do the same. “Let’s get moving; we have a ranger to save.”
III
“I still don’t understand. Why are you looking for me?” Willow asked the fairy. They had gone to the dining room after leaving the throne room, deciding further discussion was best made over lunch.
The fairy looked at those gathered around the table, and looked uneasy talking in their company now that her charge had been found. Revan had joined them and Tristan wondered if it was the druid’s presence that was making the sprite nervous.
A yowl erupted from behind him and he was surprised to see Trek pouncing their way. He hadn’t seen the shapeshifter in days and had been wondering where the fairy had gotten off too.
“Trek?” the sprite cried with joy, as she flew off the table and towards the approaching feline.
“Hello Shirl, what brings you here? I didn’t think anything could drag you away from home,” the cat purred curiously.
“The Spirit Mother sent me,” she replied with a mournful tone.
Trek came to a stop and yawned, stretching his back and taking a seat on the marble floor. “Is she not happy with me? Are you here to replace me?”
“No,” Shirl told the feline as he began to clean himself. “She wants you to continue as you are. She just thought you might need a little help.”
“There’s—no—need,” Trek said between licks. “I’ve—got this—under—control. You—can go—home.”
The sprite’s wings fluttered faster as she shook her head. “I can’t do that.”
Willow coughed. “Don’t the two of you think I should have a say in this?” She had grown irritable being discussed when she was right there in the room. Tristan could sympathize.
“No,” both fairies replied with one voice and Willow found herself at a loss of words. A worthy feat even he hadn’t been able to pull off just yet.
The door opened on his left and Pendoran emerged into view.
“Ah, Pendoran, thank you for joining us,” Erik greeted the thin knight. “I apologize my dear, but we need to table this discussion temporarily. There are matters we need to discuss.”
Pendoran made his way to the table and a server brought him a plate of food.
“Are you feeling any better?” Amysta asked the knight with concern. The elf’s progress remained slow, despite the clerics constant attention to his health.
“No, but it is what it is,” the knight responded softly, taking a sip of wine and poking at his food.
Erik lifted his goblet and took a drink, eyes drifting to the sprite as she landed on the table by Willow; promptly taking a seat near the princess’s right elbow. “Now that you are both here,” he began, looking to the druid, then the newly seated knight, “I have a job for the both of you. I need you to ascertain the skill levels of our new friends and determine if there is an area that requires improvement. And as needed, begin their training in earnest. I want to make sure they are as equipped as possible for the battle that’s ahead.”
“Sire, I’m hardly in any shape—,” Pendoran began.
Erik cut him off. “This is as much for you as it is for him. You command the knights, use them to help train him. But I need your eyes and judgement on how best to proceed.”
“Yes, Sire,” the knight bowed his head with in sullen agreement.
The druid eyed Willow as if taking her measure. “I’ll begin immediately my Lord.”
Erik nodded to both the elves and smiled. “Let’s let them finish their lunches first, then we can begin. Now, where were we?”
“Training?” he asked, confused.
“You have both committed yourselves to helping us out. I need to know what you can do so I know in what capacity to best make use of your abilities,” Erik informed them. “I don’t want to toss you to the wolves if you don’t have the ability to slay them before they eat you; so to speak.”
He huffed. “That’s comforting.”
Erik only smiled in return and looked to the elven princess by his side. “You won’t need the fairies’ protection if you can learn to take care of yourself. That spellbook that you were given by the Lady of the Lake, you should show it to Revan and see if the two of you can begin deciphering its contents. She gave it to you for a reason, let’s honor her sacrifice by seeing that through.”
“I’ve tried reading it already, other than the illustrations, it’s all gibberish to me,” Willow replied with disappointment. “Merlin said he would help me with it when he gets here.”
“And we don’t know when that is,” the King replied grimly. “We can’t afford to wait. He may not get here until it’s too late and if I can help speed up things up, then that’s what we’re going to do. Now, Shirl, is it? Can you tell us why your Spirit Mother sent you here?”
The sprite shook her head. “I can’t, I’m sorry.”
“You—can’t?” Erik pursued, leaning forward and glaring at the sprite. “These two saved my lives, I will not repay them by letting an unknown into their midst without confidence that no harm will be visited upon them. There’s enough danger in the world right now without foolishly bringing it on ourselves through our lack of vigilance.”
“I mean, I can’t tell you,” Shirl corrected. “That doesn’t mean I won’t tell her, in private.”
Erik shook his head. “If you think that just because you appear small and helpless that I would allow you—”
“I’ll speak with her alone,” Willow interrupted the King’s surprising tirade.
Though he understood and sympathized with the King’s view, Trek obviously knew the sprite, and he had proven more than once where his loyalties were. Though the mystery behind where he had come from was slowly beginning to come to light, he had grown to trust that the cat’s intentions were good. He had plenty of opportunities to do them harm if he so wished, and so far, nothing had happened.
Willow got up suddenly and pushed her plate forward. “I will be back. Shirl, shall we?”
The sprite leapt to her feet and took to the air. As Willow moved off, the t
iny figure flew by her side, both of them exiting through one of the rear doors to the room and disappearing from view.
“What—?” he directed towards the feline.
“Don’t ask me, nobody ever tells me anything,” Trek answered, then promptly put his head on his paws and closed his eyes.
IV
They were at the base of the mountains and the trail they were following led up a narrow mountain pass on their left. “Weel, Ah guess we gang oan fit frae haur,” Riska remarked as his cougar lowered and allowed him to dismount.
“Managed to come up with a plan yet?” Melissa asked him as Merlin slid off his horse and took his white staff from its place on his saddle.
Merlin nodded. “Go in, find Kylee, get out.”
The black knight snickered, “your starting to sound like the brainless barbarian over here.”
The large orc grunted and flashed her a fierce look in response.
The witch sighed. “So pretty much business as usual. Run in headfirst and hope no one gets killed. Right, well, let’s do that!”
Reyna strapped her shield on and drew her sword. “Quit your bellyaching. If we are going to do this, then let’s do it. The faster we get this done, the quicker we are on our way east. Unless you all have forgotten, there’s going to be an army marching this way soon, and I would like to be gone before they get here.”
“Kore find Elf,” the orc chimed in, bringing his large greataxe around and looking towards the northern pass.
Merlin nodded his head and motioned for the warriors to take the lead once more. Kore started forward, with Reyna close behind. Riska reached down and freed his axe, gave the mages a look, then followed after the other two warriors beginning their trek up the mountainside.
“Once more unto the breach, dear friends,” Merlin muttered softly, then began to make his way upward.
“I know I’m going to regret this,” Melissa commented.
“Waaat chucker Oi chucker?” a small voice suddenly spoke up as she turned to follow the mage.
She turned and looked at Bleak, who was standing on the horse’s saddle, watching as the others departed. “Stay here and guard the horses.”
“Waaat? 'Oy de 'ell scon Oi gonna chucker dat?” the brownie hollered, but Melissa was already walking away and couldn’t hear the little man’s screams of confusion.
“You know, you didn’t have to leave him behind,” Merlin told her.
Melissa shrugged in response. “He wouldn’t be much use to us anyways.”
He sighed. They weren’t sure what they would need and leaving someone behind was not how he wanted to go forward. She could read his thoughts and looked away with disgust.
“So, I’m not so willing to throw him into danger needlessly. He may be noisy and a pain in the ass, but he’s been my friend for centuries, and this is the best way I know how to protect him should things go to hell.”
“He’s been here before, he might have known something more about what we’re facing,” he returned, frustrated.
“Bleak’s told you everything he knows, he had nothing more to offer,” she responded.
Merlin had to bite his tongue. There’s no way they could have known for sure, there might have been something that the brownie had missed; some hidden knowledge that might have come to light through visual recall. Still, it was too late to argue and he decided it was best to let it go.
“Cae ahead,” Riska told them, relaying a message from the two warriors waiting for them above.
He nodded and climbed the rest of the way up the trail to the cave entrance above. “You want to take the lead here?” he asked the stout man by his side.
“Wa?” Riska returned, eyeing him curiously.
“Because you’re a dwarf?” Melissa answered for him, a hand on her hip to show her displeasure in having to respond to what should have been an obvious suggestion.
The dwarf laughed. “Ah grew up in a forest an' I’ve ne'er bin near a ben in mah life. Mah ancestors micht hae dwelled within caves in ancient times, but those arenae skills ur abilities handed doon ben some magical means frae generation tae generation. Ye ken mair abit what’s aheid than Ah dae, wa don’t ye tak' th' leid?”
Kore growled, took his axe in hand, and disappeared into the shadows beyond. Reyna shook her head, tightened her grip on her sword, and followed quickly after.
“Weel, looks loch that’s settled,” Riska commented dryly before turning to enter the cave as well.
Melissa was about to summon her magic in order to cast a light to illuminate their way and Merlin reached out and interrupted her before she could finish. “We don’t want to draw attention. Best to leave off that until we have no choice.”
She wasn’t happy about it, but she nodded her head. Standing by his side, they stepped into the cave and got swallowed instantly by the awaiting shadows.
Chapter 7
Shadows
I
He found Willow in their chambers, the sprite nowhere to be seen. He had come after his armor, as Pendoran had requested, and was surprised to see his fiancé wiping her cheeks as if she could hide the sorrow on her face. What had that little Sprite said to her to upset her this much? He looked around the room with anger, hoping that the fairy had been foolish enough to remain behind, so he could exact revenge for the emotional turmoil his lover was experiencing.
“What is it?” he asked, coming to sit by her side. He put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her close.
She shook her head. “Nothing, don’t worry about it.”
“It can’t be nothing. You wouldn’t be here crying if it were,” he responded, trying to get her to open up.
“Truly, it’s nothing for you to worry about. She just caught me off guard, that’s all,” Willow replied quietly. She refused to look him in the eye when she said it and he knew instantly that she was lying. She had never done that before and it pained his heart that she felt like she had too.
“If you don’t want to tell me, then don’t. Just don’t lie to me, okay?” he whispered softly and her throat hitched in a fresh sob.
After a moment, she looked him straight in the eye and nodded her head. “Just give me time to work it out first, then I’ll tell you everything.”
That was the best he was going to get and he knew it. “Okay.”
A cough interrupted their conversation and he turned to see the druid standing in the doorway behind them. “I can come back later if you want me too.”
Willow wiped away her fresh tears and reached for the spellbook lying on the bedside table. “No, let’s get started.” She rose to her feet and put a hand on Tristan’s cheek, gave him one last weak smile, then followed the druid out the door.
He lowered his head, trying to understand what was going on. What had upset her so much? That last look she gave almost felt like someone had died.
Getting to his feet, he tried to push it aside and was surprised when the door to their room opened once more. “Doesn’t anybody knock in this place?” he asked in irritation, causing Derek to pause half-way through the door.
“I’m sorry Sir, I heard that you have been asked to come to the training grounds, and thought you might need assistance putting on your armor,” the squire replied, unsure if he should enter or close the door and leave.
“Might as well come in since you’re here,” he snapped. “Just do me a favor and knock first from now on.”
“Yes Sir,” the youth said as he stepped forward and immediately went to work strapping the graphene armor on. “Have you thought of what you’re going to use with your off-hand? A shield? Another weapon?”
That was one thing he hadn’t put any thought into at all. Purity was a hand-and-a-half sword and he hadn’t considered using it with a secondary weapon. He had lost his shield when the gnomes kidnapped them and it never occurred to him to have it replaced.
He shook his head and the squire immediately went into a long-winded spiel.
“A shield can come in handy, but dependin
g on your fighting skills, you might do well using a secondary weapon instead. A sword is ideal, but so is a warhammer or a morning star. You can use a hammer to both bludgeon or pierce an enemy skull or the morning star to attach to a shield and remove it from your opponent’s grasp. I’d suggest a flail, but those things can hurt you just as much as your enemy, and I’d prefer it if you didn’t take yourself out instead,” Derek finished as he snapped his cloak into place and took a step back to make sure everything was fastened correctly.
“Yes, I’d prefer that too,” he remarked with distain.
Derek shook his head and smiled. “Well, let’s get you to the training grounds, maybe Sir Pendoran will know what to do with you.”
Ten minutes later they were making their way down a forested path and he could hear the sounds of combat echoing towards them from a short distance ahead. His nerves were on edge and his stomach was fluttery. How well would he perform and how much training would Pendoran deem necessary going forward? He still felt like the knight disapproved of him, would he intentionally make things harder than they should be? And should that bother him? The harder he trained the more prepared he’d be when the armies arrived. Was there such a thing as being too prepared?
They emerged onto a large field and he took a moment to watch the other knights training before him. The field was surrounded by trees and completely cut off the training grounds from the outside world. No one could see in or out, and he could see the advantage in not being distracted by outside influences or spectators. Along the right were hundreds of knights, paired up and dueling one another, an instructor walking along and barking praises or curses at them.
On the left side, he could see a very large stable. Knights were combatting foes while on horseback, with a combination of mounted and ground combat being violently exchanged with loud clashes of wood and steel. In the center of the field was a large structure built out of startling white stone with vines interlaced along several pillars that ringed it. The building was circular with a large door in the center. Pendoran stood there talking to another one of his knights and as the elf took notice of them, they were waved forward.
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