Wanderer

by Nancy E. Dunne

  “No, my Lord, no one,” the guard to the left of the main entrance replied. “Though it seems our brothers at arms have sounded an alarm inside. Perhaps we have a traitor in our midst.”

  “There is no traitor, you idiot.” the robed figure snarled in response. “There are two druids in your midst, and now they are in the keep. Master will not be pleased.” The wyverns hung their heads. “I will fix this but you can be sure that I will answer when your Master asks how a group of strangers made it past the front gate of his stronghold.” Pushing past the guards, the figure strode into the castle. The giant stone door reverberated as it slammed behind him.

  “Now, where are you, my little druid?” he said as he walked carefully through the entryway and stepped over the bodies of the dead wyverns at the drawbridge. “I can’t wait to see my Master’s face when I bring him a lovely little wood elf like you. Feisty one as well. All the better.”

  The trail of dead wyverns led him across the drawbridge and up the stairs to the ramparts where he found more carnage in the form of corpses of lookouts and piles of bones that surely had been animated by dark magic to guard the outer circle of his ruined castle. “What are they here for?” he mused aloud as he heard the sounds of battle just ahead. Pressing himself against one of the walls as he spoke ancient dark words, faded from view, and then moved closer to the group to listen.

  “Did you just feel that?” Gin asked, shivering. “A chill just ran down my back. Strange.” She looked around and at one point was looking right at the robed figure but his magic kept him hidden from her eyes.

  “Nope,” Elysiam said. “So, let’s move on? More wyverns to play with between here and Gaelin’s cell, yes?” The other druid was almost dancing; she was so eager to fight. The robed figure marveled silently at the difference between the two females.

  “Yes, but we have to rest now and then or our Ginny won’t be able to keep us all alive, will you Ginny?” Hackort replied, smiling up at Gin. The robed figure scowled under his hood and invisibility magic. She is still only healing, he thought. Pity.

  “I’m fine, Hack,” Gin said, patting him on his helmet. The gnome beamed a smile up at her that made her laugh, a noise that threatened to undo the robed figure. “Can we check the map again though? I don’t doubt Sathlir and Teeand but I just want to make sure that I know how to get around if we get separated.”

  “That’s easy,” the robed figure said, dispelling the invisibility magic and stepping into view. “You just cast an evacuation spell. You and those nearest to you will be whisked away from danger and back to the relative safety of the other side of the drawbridge.” Teeand turned and glared at the figure.

  “YOU!” the dwarf exclaimed as he rolled his axe back and forth menacingly in his hands. “Didn’t I trip over you on the way out of our hall back at the outpost? State your business and make it fast.” He brought the tip of the axe up under the stranger’s chin and knocked back the hood of his robe. Gin gasped loudly.

  “Dor?” she said, her face paling as she took a step back. Sath gaped for a moment; the resemblance to Raedea was uncanny. Her dying words to forget him rang in his memory and he shook his head to clear it. Instantly the other three stepped between Gin and Dorlagar protectively as Dorlagar held up his hands. Sath was still a moment, but then moved over with the others, not ready to reveal what he knew.

  “No need for that, really. I’m quite impressed, though, that you seem to have landed on your feet, Blueberry,” he said. Gin frowned at him. “Yep, same reaction to the name as always, my dear Gin, good to see that hasn’t changed.”

  “She’s not your dear anything, human,” Hack bellowed. “She’s our Ginny and you still haven’t told us what you want with her.”

  “I want nothing but to make right a debt I owe her,” Dorlagar replied. “Gin and I have quite the history, and not all of it has been pleasant. Nevertheless, I seek to make amends. Surely, you,” he said, shifting his gaze to Sath, “the Bane of the Forest, can’t begrudge me that chance to right my past wrongs, can you?”

  “How do you know…how does he know who I am?” Sath demanded, looking from Elysiam to Gin. Dorlagar smiled wickedly.

  “Your Ginny talks in her sleep,” he said. Sath growled low in his throat and gripped his staff, nearly snapping it in two. Dorlagar studied Gin a moment, reaching out to touch the scar left on her cheek from her first meeting with Sath. “Did he do that to you, Blueberry? Is that how you treat females, Qatu?” All of them drew their weapons and pointed them at Dorlagar, who kept his hands raised but took a cautious step backward. “I will kill you for that, CAT,” he hissed under his breath.

  “Okay, THAT is enough,” Gin said. “Stand down; he’s not going to hurt me. Dor and I hunted together many seasons ago.” She looked over at Elysiam. “After Nel was exiled, she fell in with another disgraced daughter of the forest, Naevys.” Elysiam sucked in her breath sharply.

  “Gin, Naevys was sent away for…behavior not befitting a druid,” Elysiam said, her eyes blazing. “Why was Nel with her?”

  “I don’t know, Elys, but Nel introduced me to her and they took me in for a time. I learned a lot about who I am while traveling with them. I had met Dor when he fell out of Aynamaede and nearly killed me.”

  “I still owe you one for that as well,” Dorlagar said, unable to take his eyes off Gin. His Master would be so very pleased with her. She was just quiet and mousy enough that she probably would not fight back during the spell testing. Now if only that wizard in the cells would agree to help craft the spell…

  “You don’t owe me anything, Dor. I release you. I don’t forgive you, but I release you.” Gin turned to face Elysiam. “Naevys was good to Nel and as far as I know they still travel together. Don’t worry.” She looked back at Dorlagar. “In fact, I thought you were still with her. What are you doing here?”

  “I have no idea where they are, Blueberry...” he began, but Gin cut him off mid-sentence.

  “Gin.”

  “Yes. I’m sorry. Old habits die hard. I didn’t go back after that day, the day you challenged me in Calder’s Point. I have been traveling alone since then, trying to find a way to make amends for your parents’ deaths and find out what I can about the death of my sister.” Sath swallowed hard but continued to remain quiet. He could not understand how Raedea was related to this slimy human at all, let alone had been his twin! It made no sense.

  Dorlagar hung his head. “The only thing I knew to do was to draw close to you and be there in case I could protect you in the way your parents should have been protected from me.”

  “So you have been following me? Come on, Dor, I would have noticed that,” Gin said, her hands on her hips. Sath narrowed his eyes as he glared at Dorlagar.

  “Maybe not,” Sath said, a growl prominent behind his words. “Knights like this one are trained to be stealthy, to work in the dark rather than the light.” He moved closer to Gin, again placing himself in between her and Dorlagar. Gin tried to push him out of the way, but Sath stood firm.

  “Gin, you didn’t tell me you had a pet,” Dorlagar said. He locked eyes with the Qatu and his pupils shifted to a deadly blood red color while Sath’s stayed a fiery teal. They both squared shoulders at each other like bulls about to charge. Gin threw her hands up in the air and looked to the others for help. Clearly, neither of them was going to back down nor listen to her.

  “Knock it off,” Teeand said to both of them. “If you’re looking for an invite to travel with us, Dorlagar, I’m afraid the answer is no. We live in the light, not the dark. Now, if you’ll be on your way, we’ve got a mission to complete.”

  “Aye, you seek the magician Gaelin, do you not?” Dorlagar said.

  “Anything else you overheard that you’d like to share?” Elysiam said, tracing invisible patterns on her staff as she glared up at him.

  “I can get him for you. I have…partnerships with some that dwell here in the keep, and for a price I can bring Gaelin to you, no questions asked, and you can wa
lk out of here with him. No more fighting. What do you say?” Dorlagar asked, licking his lips nervously.

  “What’s the price, human?” Sath growled. Everything that Raedea had told him of her brother and all of her willingness to right his wrongs for him seemed hollow now. This human before him now was not worth one tiny bit of her good nature. Not one bit.

  “Gin’s forgiveness,” Dorlagar said, trying to sound as honest as he could manage.

  “Unacceptable,” Sath replied. Gin placed a hand gingerly on Sath’s arm and then pushed him out of the way.

  “I can answer for myself, Sath,” she said quietly. “It is agreed, Dor. If you rescue Gaelin, bring him here to us AND ensure that we have safe passage out of the castle, you have my forgiveness for causing the death of my parents.” A rumble of disagreement burst from the others behind her.

  “Gin, a word?” Teeand barked as he grabbed her arm and pulled her off to one side. “Are you saying this human killed your parents?” Gin nodded. “He killed your parents, and now you’re willing to make deals with him? To forgive him rather than just run him through?”

  “Aye, but I know Dor and I have seen that he CAN be an honorable man,” Gin replied. She looked the dwarf in the eye. “You’re just going to have to trust me on this one, Teeand. Can you do that?”

  The warrior scowled. “No, but I will go along with this for now. You should know that if he steps one inch out of line…well, I’ll let Hack take that human off his list of people NOT to kill,” he replied, stalking back over to the group. Gin stood there a moment, feeling stung by his reply but understanding his hesitance, and then she rejoined the group.

  “Well?” Dorlagar said, waggling his eyebrows at Gin. “What’s it going to be, Blueberry?”

  “I told you, Dor, my name is Gin,” she snapped. “We are agreed that if you can follow the terms I’ve set out then we have a deal. We will return to the entrance of the keep to wait for you and Gaelin unless you require assistance.”

  “Return to the…we agreed…wait, what?” Elysiam’s eyes blazed, but Hackort laid a tiny hand on her boot and she stilled.

  “I don’t want any of us to get hurt, Elys,” he said softly. “If the human doesn’t live up to the bargain, we can kill him.” He turned to Gin, his eyes lighting up. “Right, Ginny? We can kill him?”

  “Let’s just see what Dor can do first, Hack,” Gin said, smiling at him. Her smile did not make it to her eyes. “Let’s head back out to the courtyard where it’s safe.” She turned to leave with the others but stopped when Dorlagar placed a hand on her arm. His gesture was met by the sound of the other four drawing their weapons and Sath calling up his magical pet tiger.

  “Easy, easy,” Dorlagar said, taking his hand off Gin’s arm and raising both of them in the air. “Here’s the problem with your plan: I can’t get in there alone. I need a prisoner with me so that the wyverns will let me get to the cells. If Gin goes with me, then she can transport herself and Gaelin out to you.”

  “That was not the deal, human,” Sath snarled. “You were going in alone.”

  “And now I’m not,” Dorlagar said, beaming a wicked grin back at the Qatu. It was taking all the willpower that Dorlagar had to keep the magic and bloodlust from creeping up and turning his eyes the color of blood. “Do you want me to take the risk that Gaelin is injured and I cannot bring him out alone without arousing suspicion? You of all should know the kind of…hospitality shown to prisoners here.” He again locked eyes with Sath.

  “It is fine,” Gin said, stepping between them. “I will go with him.”

  “Not alone,” Teeand interjected. “Sath, you go with them. Elys and Hack and I will come to you if needed. You’re about the same height as those wyverns so if you put on your traveling cloak you might be able to fool them.” Gin let out an exasperated sigh and threw her hands up in defeat.

  “See? Now we’re thinking!” Dorlagar exclaimed, and then immediately fell silent when five angry glares met his gaze. “Right. So I’m taking Gin and her pet cat with me.” He turned on his heel and headed toward the inner part of the keep, pulling Gin along behind him as though she was his prisoner. Sath growled and ran to catch up, putting on his cloak and pulling the hood up over his head as he went.

  “This is not going to end well,” Teeand murmured as he watched them go. Elysiam said nothing, only stood and pouted.

  “I hope not. I haven’t added that human to my list yet, and I won’t,” Hackort said, grinning as he gripped the hilt of his axe. The three of them headed back for the entrance with Teeand lagging behind, watching over his shoulder.

  “Not if I get to him first,” Teeand muttered under his breath.

  Eighteen

  “Slow down, human,” Sath demanded.

  “Having trouble keeping up?” Dorlagar taunted.

  “Hardly.” In two strides, the Qatu had lapped Dorlagar and came to a halt in front of him. Dorlagar’s nose almost crashed into Sath’s chest. “How many of those wyverns do you see walking that fast? If you don’t blend in, you’re going to give us away, you fool,” Sath hissed.

  “Fair enough. I can play the part,” Dorlagar replied. Sath moved back around behind Dorlagar and Gin, still rumbling deep in his throat as he adjusted the hood of his cloak to make sure his features were hidden. Dorlagar released Gin’s arm and withdrew a length of rope from his own cloak. “Never know when you might need this,” he said grinning at Gin. “Your hands, please, Blue…Gin?” Gin narrowed her eyes but extended her arms to him and he quickly bound her hands together in front of her, leaving a bit of the rope for him to use as a leash. “Yes, this is MUCH more convincing,” the human warrior said. He gave a quick tug on the rope and Gin stumbled forward but did not lose her footing.

  “Watch it,” Sath spat from under his hood.

  “It’s all right, Sath,” Gin whispered. “We have to look authentic. Dor won’t hurt me.” She looked up as Dorlagar turned his head to meet her gaze, and swallowed hard at the red that was creeping in around the corners of his eyes. “I am trusting you, Dor.”

  “I know,” he said, and for a moment she could hear in his voice the man that she had trained with and fought alongside, the man that would never use his life-tapping magical power on her, even when she offered in order to help him heal. She saw the Dorlagar that she knew to be a good man who had found himself in a bad situation and was heartbroken over the loss of his sister. However, just as quickly as that Dorlagar had surfaced, the dark knight in him recovered and his eyes glazed over with a bloodthirsty stare. “Now let’s get moving, slave,” he barked, yanking on the rope again. Gin swallowed hard and tried to keep up with him, but stumbled a few times due to the difference in the length of his gait.

  They moved through the corridors as quickly as they could. Each time they approached another group of wyvern guards, Gin felt her heart leap up into her throat as they passed, as she was sure that one of them would think something was amiss and stop them. Nevertheless, none of them did. Some of them, she noticed with a lot of revulsion, nodded to Dorlagar as though they knew him. As she began to lag behind, he would yank on the rope and nearly bring her to her knees. At one particularly violent tug on the rope, Sath jumped forward and caught her, steadying her before he released her. Every muscle in her body tightened, letting Sath know that had been the wrong thing to do.

  “Sorry,” he whispered. Gin shook her head at him. Without thinking, he cracked his knuckles in the long sleeves of his robe and Gin winced. Dorlagar frowned and tugged again on the rope, this time before Sath could step in, and Gin went sprawling face first onto the stone floor. Sath immediately turned on Dorlagar, but was met with a blood red gaze from the human knight.

  “Someone is coming, you fool. We are very close to the cells here and I can’t be seen showing mercy to a prisoner,” Dorlagar hissed at the Qatu. Sath clenched his jaw and nodded. With one vicious upward tug on the rope, Dorlagar pulled a squealing Gin to her feet and dragged her right up to his face. “Try that again and
it will be the last thing you do!” he screamed in Elvish, his nose only inches from hers. “Do you understand me, wood elf?” Gin bit back tears and nodded at him as he deposited her back on the floor.

  Sath, again shocked that this human was his Raedea’s twin, bit the inside of his cheek to keep from ripping Dorlagar apart. He had no idea what the human had just said to Gin but he was sure that it was not polite. Luckily, it was only a few more steps before they were standing in front of a doorway that Sath knew all too well. He and Teeand were taken prisoner when they stumbled upon the wrong dragons out in the deserts of the Outlands, were brought back here, but had managed to escape with Elysiam’s help. Images of the inside of the cells, the pitiful state of the inmates, and the sound of the voices of the wyverns that guarded the prisoners assaulted Sath’s mind and he found himself reaching out for a wall to steady himself against the memories.

  “Where is the prisoner called Gaelin?” Dorlagar bellowed into the long hallway, lined on either side with crude cells. Gin fought with everything she had not to stare at Dorlagar as he spoke what must be the language of the dragons. He could barely pronounce her name! “I am to take him to our Lord Taanyth.” He took a few steps in, then turned and handed the rope to Sath, who took it hesitantly. He had learned the dragon languages as a young one, and tried to wrap his mind around why Dorlagar was going off plan. Who was Lord Taanyth?

  “Here brother, I do not want to lose this one to one of our guests,” Dorlagar said, still speaking the language of the dragons. “She’s a pretty one and bound to turn some heads.” Leaving a very puzzled Gin with a very angry Sath, he walked down the row, peering into the cells. “You there, you are an elf. What is your name?” A red headed male sat in the back of the cell, huddled up in an almost fetal position. “Are you Gaelin?” The male looked up at him, and Dorlagar recognized him. “Bah, no, you certainly aren’t.”