by Justin Wayne
Chapter Sixteen: Divided
Night came and went without notice. The small group was too road weary to account for its passing. Instead they each spent that time sleeping among dreams of new battle and conquest, seeing those who had been gone for so long, and finding some hidden power within. Bodies resting and minds sharpened, the trio was preparing for the next night even unconsciously.
Not requiring actual sleep, Outsider was the first up. His extended six hours of waking dreams were more than enough to keep him alert and capable. Muscles tensed with every noise that passed the little campsite and eyes roamed the black vale. Only the dots of firelight shown in the northern winter night.
Outsider thanked whatever gods may be listening for the lack of fresh snowfall and sat himself on the crest of the hill the others were sleeping behind. He laid prone, heavy cloak wrapped about him, and watched the orcs’ movements. His keen eyesight saw the guards posted about the perimeter of the light as they lacked night vision.
But he didn’t.
Something inside still didn’t feel right. That debilitating change the day before left him shaken and confused, unknowing where to go next. All his life he had been a pawn in someone else’s plans, not really living, and forced to follow orders at the expense of pain or death. Now he had found himself sharing his prison with others by enforcing the same rules and cruelty he had suffered.
Sure, he hadn’t actually killed or harmed anyone recklessly and only went after those with a bounty on their head. Yet those he had often had bounties so miniscule they weren't worth the punishment. He had hunted them down for crimes numerous others wouldn’t consider a true offense or in need of such excessive castigation. But he had taken them in all the same and enacted his own vigilante vengeance upon those he deemed worthy; leaving the innocents unharmed physically but finding it impossible not to harm them emotionally. But what was innocence?
Everyone commits crimes, he told himself. No one is truly innocent, yet only those marked as criminals are hunted like an animal to be slaughtered or imprisoned within a cage.
Perhaps that is the point of it all. To punish those deemed unworthy, due to their acts, by stripping them of their humanity. To bring them down to such a point of insignificance that they’re beneath us and any violent actions made in the name of ‘justice’ are inconsequential to the rest who retain rights.
He stared at the firelights amid his thinking and tried to consider the orcs as nothing but animals, hoping it would make it easier to vilify them; but finding nothing more than that same bitter taste in his mouth that reminded him of rusted metal.
“No.” he steeled himself. “Now’s not the time.” He slipped his knives back into their sheaths along his wrists and waited patiently, chewing the inside of his lip. He remained motionless there for several hours, only moving to raise his cowl as the sun did likewise.
Merlon sat beside him. “Anythin' goin’ on?” He yawned and stretched his thick arms, joints popping, and scratched his chest. The lines on his face seemed eased now that he had rested and his eyes were clear and bright.
“Nothing yet, best guess is they’re expecting us to try and slip by them rather than fight.”
Merlon tugged on his beard as he ran his fingers through its length to comb out the curls and knots. “Is that such a bad idea?” He looked almost apologetically at Outsider as he said it. “I’m not one to avoid a fight, don’t get me wrong. But there be a lot more of ‘em then there is of us. And we don’t have to go…the boy’s changed he has, I know you’ve seen it.”
“Yes, but perhaps this trip is about more than just him.” Outsider countered and crossed his arms. “Even if I decided not to take him in, those orcs are still out there waiting for us, ready to strike anyone who happens across them. That and I don’t want to free Thom so quickly; it’s a big decision and a lot of cents.”
“Are we going so you can arrest him or free yourself?”
The elf couldn’t refute that logic. He had wondered the same thing all night and ran multiple scenarios through his head. He looked at Merlon then down to Thom who was just beginning to stir, weighing his words heavily. “I understand your concern and share it..”
“But?” Merlon pressed.
“But, I see no way of getting all of us past them undetected without some sort of battle emerging.” He changed the subject. “And I would prefer we initiate it on our own terms. I don’t want to fight them and I don’t want anyone to get hurt, but I most definitely don't want to fight them after spending days on the run. It just seems the most plausible option.”
Merlon was silent and continued to comb through his beard with his thick fingers. His eyebrows bunched together for a second then smoothed out his forehead and he shrugged. “Well let’s get some grub. Those orcs aint goin’ anywhere and we can talk ‘bout this all day if need be.”
Hunger gnawing at him, Outsider obliged and followed him down the hill to where Thom was striking up a small fire. They sat heavily as the meat sizzled on sticks stuck in the dirt. Thom glanced over at the elf.
“Don’t you ever sleep?” he asked with a perplexed expression. “I mean, you’re always up. Could you teach me how you do it?”
Merlon chuckled as Outsider shrugged helplessly. “It’s just an elven thing I suppose; we delve into our dreams to solve the mysteries of who we are and why. It helps keep us sane when we live so long an gives us time to heal.”
“Oh, wow.” Thom breathed in awe and his eyes roamed the stars as he imagined it. “That must be amazing.”
“It’s all I’ve ever known so I really can’t say; however there are a rare few of my kind who can actually visit their ancestors within their dreams.” He stared into the fire as he spoke and nodded. “Now that is a gift I wish I had.”
Merlon and Thom watched him a moment then shared a glance. “Er, well, the food’s ready.” The dwarf said quickly and picked up his stick. “Let’s eat.”