The Warrior Elf

by Morgan, Mackenzie

  Meanwhile Kevin had used his seeing eye to follow the road along the coastline. “Well, there’s a town a couple of miles ahead of us, but I don’t know if it’s Caster’s Point. Shall we go see?”

  Eryn nodded and put her hand back on Kevin’s arm. One more turn of the key had them standing in a little wooded cove on the outskirts of town. It only took Eryn a couple of deep breaths to recover that time. She straightened her clothes, held her head up, her shoulders back, and said, “Let’s go find my husband.”

  A few minutes later Eryn touched Kevin’s arm to get his attention. “The man who used to be the local sergeant owns that store. Let me see if he knows anything. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Kevin nodded.

  Five minutes later, she was back outside. “He said Murphy went with my father to train the troops at Canapolis, but they left shortly after the raid, so chances are they aren’t there anymore.” Eryn’s shoulders fell. “This is hopeless. We’ll never find them.”

  “Don’t give up. We’ve hardly started looking. Does he have a map inside by any chance?”

  “Probably. I’ll ask.”

  “I’m going with you this time. If he has a map, I’ll need to see it.”

  Kevin opened the door for Eryn and followed her into the man’s dry goods store.

  “Do you have a map with Canapolis marked on it?” Eryn asked the man behind the counter.

  “Sure.” He pulled a scroll out from under his desk and unrolled it. “It’s right here.” He pointed to a dot father up the coast.

  Kevin focused on the dot, thanked the man, put his hand on Eryn’s arm and turned the key.

  When they emerged on the outskirts of Canapolis, Eryn recovered almost immediately and started laughing. “You need to give people a little warning before you do that,” she said between chuckles. “He’s probably standing there with his mouth hanging open, wondering where we went and what happened to us.”

  “I told him thank you,” Kevin said as they walked towards the center of Canapolis.

  Eryn shook her head. “Not enough. Most of these people have never seen anyone come and go by key.”

  “I’ll be more careful from here on out,” Kevin said. “But I’m in a bit of a hurry. We’re losing daylight and I don’t want to be wandering around in someone else’s province after dark.”

  “I didn’t think about that. Will your being here upset Edwin? I don’t mean to cause any trouble.”

  Kevin shook his head. “I’ll have Chris write him when I get back and explain what I was doing in case he gets any reports of people disappearing into thin air, but if we have to come back and try again, I’ll drop by his castle to let him know I’m in the area.”

  Eryn nodded. Then she spotted a sign outside a small building. “That’s the district captain’s office. If anyone in Canapolis knows where Dougan is, he will.”

  Kevin nodded as they headed for the small office.

  When he knocked on the door, a young man opened it and said, “Good afternoon. Cpt. Shernon isn’t here right now. I’m his aide, Narco. Can I help you?”

  “Hello,” Kevin said. “We’re looking for this lady’s father. He’s a warrior elf and we were hoping your captain might know where he is.”

  Narco’s mouth dropped open. “Do you mean Dougan? Are you Eryn?”

  Eryn smiled and nodded. “Do you know my father?”

  “He lives outside town. I think the man who’s with him is his son-in-law. Is Murphy your husband?”

  Eryn hadn’t realize she’d been holding her breath until she exhaled. “Yes, he is. Could you please direct us to their house?”

  “I’ll do better than that,” Narco said. “I’m ready to shut down for the night and I live out that way. If you can give me five minutes to finish up in here, I’ll take you there myself.”

  Eryn glanced at Kevin, who nodded. “Thank you. We’ll wait for you out here, out of your way.”

  Twenty minutes later, Eryn knocked on the door of the house Narco had assured her belonged to her father. A few minutes later a very tall, thin elf opened the door.

  Eryn smiled as she wrapped her arms around him. “Father. It’s so good to see you again.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Two hours later, Kevin made it back to his office. Before he could sit down, Chris stormed in, slammed the door, and put his hands on his hips. “Where have you been?!”

  “I took Eryn to Farragon,” Kevin answered. “Why? What happened?”

  “No one knew where you were!” Chris yelled. “No one knew if something had happened to you! No one knew anything!” Chris took a deep breath. “Why didn’t you tell me before you left?”

  Kevin paused. “I didn’t think I’d be gone more than ten minutes. I was just taking her back home, but the area was deserted, so we headed up the coast to see if we could find anyone who knew where her father and husband were. I’m sorry, but I had no idea when I left I’d be gone so long.”

  Chris all but growled. “Steve and Laryn were supposed to go to Rainbow Valley this morning. They’ve gone back to their house now. Do you want to take them or do you want me to?”

  “Do they know I took off without telling anyone?”

  Chris nodded.

  “Who else knows?”

  “Everyone I could find. I asked anyone and everyone if they knew where you were. Even Rhianna.”

  Kevin rolled his eyes as he shook his head. “I’ll never hear the end of it.”

  “Serves you right. Now, back to my question. Are you taking them or do you want me to?”

  Kevin handed Chris the key. “You take them. Maybe they’ll forget about this by the time I see them again.”

  “You should be so lucky,” Chris snarled as he turned to go. “And stay put. I want to know what happened in Farragon.”

  A few minutes after Chris left, Ariel knocked on Kevin’s door. When Kevin looked up, he asked, “Can I get you anything? Some coffee? Something to eat?”

  “Coffee would be nice. Thank you.”

  When Ariel brought the coffee in, he said, “Chris was worried about you. That’s all.”

  “I know. I should have let him know I was leaving, but I thought I’d be back before anyone noticed.”

  “Well, no one did for a while. Eryn shut the door after she went in, so we assumed you were both still in here. It wasn’t until Laryn came in to find out when you were taking them to Rainbow Valley that we found out you weren’t in your office.”

  “How angry was Laryn?”

  “More worried than angry,” Ariel answered. “But I think Cpt. Darrell’s angry. He figured you took off without telling anyone so you wouldn’t have to take a bodyguard with you. Alek’s not too happy either since he was on standby today.”

  “How did Rhianna find out?”

  “She’s the one who figured out where you went. She knew Eryn wanted you to take her home today. She told Chris she was sure everything was fine and you were probably talking to someone named Dougan.”

  “Do you know why she came by to start with?”

  “I think she wanted to know how things went with Eryn.”

  Kevin nodded. “Thank you, Ariel.”

  As he turned to leave, Ariel said, “Don’t be angry with Chris. He was just concerned.”

  Rhianna walked up in time to hear Ariel’s last comment. She waited for him to leave before she went in and shut the door. “Chris wasn’t the only one worried. The way you disappeared scared your pages. I think it brought back some bad memories.”

  Kevin closed his eyes and gave a little nod. “Believe it or not, I can understand their reaction, but everyone else should realize I can take care of myself. I’m not defenseless. I’m a sorcerer!” Kevin took a deep breath. “I just wish people around here would accept that I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself and let me be who I am and do what I need to do without feeling like I have to have a babysitter with me all the time!”

  Rhianna looked at Kevin for a long moment, raised her eyebrows, and
said, “I know exactly how you feel.” Then, after a slight pause, she added, “But I wouldn’t worry about it. I’m sure your friends recognize how capable you are when they think of you as Myron, Master Sorcerer. It’s only when they think of you as Kevin, their friend, that they get into trouble.”

  It took a moment, but then Kevin burst out laughing. “I get it, I really do.”

  Before Kevin could say anything else, the door opened and Chris walked in. “Sorry,” he said as he looked at Rhianna. “I didn’t realize you were here.”

  “It’s all right,” she said as she got up. “I’m supposed to be out back anyway.”

  After Rhianna left, Chris sat down. “Okay. Now tell me how it went in Farragon.”

  Kevin explained why it took so long to find Dougan.

  “Was her husband there, too?” Chris asked.

  Kevin nodded. “Eryn was afraid he might have remarried. After all, as far as he knew, he’d never see her again, but he hadn’t. He’d never given up hope she’d find her way home again.”

  “You’d think he would have stayed put so she could find him.”

  “I think both he and Dougan figured if she managed to get free, she’d track them down.”

  “So how did they react to the fact Marshall wasn’t with you?”

  “That one got a little tense. Dougan thought I’d returned Eryn because she’s an elf but kept Marshall because he’s legally human. It took a lot of talking, especially by Eryn, to convince him Marshall’s not a slave and isn’t being treated as one. I offered to bring him back with me right then and let him talk to Marshall himself, but he said when he comes he plans to stay for a while and see what’s what for himself.”

  “Any idea when that might be?”

  “He wanted to come the first weekend in May, but I told him I had a previous engagement, that he could come the weekend before or the weekend after, but not that weekend.”

  “What previous engagement?”

  “The council meeting. Granted it’s only a few hours, but I want to be here the whole time that elf’s here. I don’t trust him any more than he trusts me right now. And I want Rhianna around that weekend, too.”

  “Around, as in staying here, at the castle?”

  “If I can get her to.”

  “What about Marshall’s father. How did he feel about Marshall staying here?”

  “Who knows?” Kevin shrugged. “Dougan’s his commanding officer as well as his father-in-law. He didn’t say ten words the whole time I was there. But when I was ready to leave, he did thank me for taking care of his son and rescuing his wife. I think he might be easier to deal with than Dougan.”

  “Are you going to warn Marshall?”

  Kevin nodded. “But not at this point. I told them I’d pick them up next Friday evening around seven their time. That’ll put them here around eleven in the morning. Would you let Cryslyn know we’ll need two rooms? Three if I can convince Rhianna to stay up here?”

  Chris made a quick note. “So when will you tell Marshall?”

  “I’m thinking about taking him to Kyle’s for a couple of days next week for a bit of a break. I’ll tell him while he’s up there.”

  “Why? To ruin his vacation?”

  Kevin shook his head. “So he can talk to Kyle about it. I think he’s more comfortable talking to Kyle than any of us.”

  Chris nodded. “Do you know when you’re taking him up there?”

  “Not until I talk to Kyle. If nothing comes up, I’ll go see him Sunday morning after I spar with Glendymere.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  After Kevin and Nikki went upstairs Friday evening, Chris made a trip to the kitchen. He picked up three mugs of scog, a small plate of cookies and brownies, a large saucer of cream and a bowl of treats for Nikki. He had barely sat down in his favorite chair in Kevin’s room when the air shimmered and Dani and King Merdin emerged from the energy flow.

  While King Merdin made a fuss over Nikki, Dani stretched out along the top of the couch. “King Merdin explained what you want me to do,” the black cat said.

  Kevin nodded. “How do you feel about it? Do you have any problems with it? I know I’m asking a lot.”

  “Nothing to it. When you ask him a question the true answer will pop into his mind. All I have to do is make sure what comes out of his mouth matches that first thought. It’s not like I’ll have to go searching through a million memories to find the right one.”

  “And you don’t mind doing it?”

  “No, it’ll be fun, and if you want me to, I can suggest questions based on the extra thoughts floating around in his head. Sometimes those extra thoughts can lead to interesting truths.”

  “That would be a big help.” Kevin looked at King Merdin. “Would you mind being there, too?”

  King Merdin grinned. “I was planning to. Never know when you might need a little backup. And I want to hear what this man has to say firsthand.”

  “Thank you,” Kevin said.

  “Now, let’s talk details,” King Merdin said. “What’s the plan? Where do you want us, and when?”

  Chris pointed to the tray he’d set down on the coffee table. “Have some scog, King Merdin, and help yourself to the cookies and brownies. And Dani, I brought you a saucer of cream. Where do you want me to put it?”

  “On the dresser would be nice.” Dani stood up on the back of the couch and stretched. He leapt down and wandered over towards the dresser and his saucer of cream.

  While they were eating, Kevin said he wanted King Merdin to take Dani straight to the island. “We’ll meet you there, and when we’re ready, Chris will go get Cpt. Garen.”

  “What are you going to do with him afterwards?” King Merdin asked. “I know that doesn’t involve us, but have you given it any thought?”

  “Lots of thought, but I haven’t made a decision yet. I’m leaning towards taking him and his men back to their families. If they want to help Landis, they need to get their families situated first.”

  “In a place where Rolan can’t touch them,” Dani commented.

  Kevin nodded.

  “What if you decide they’re trying to get in position to carry out Rolan’s orders?” King Merdin asked.

  “Then Trendon’s the best place for them. Rolan can deal with them.”

  “Have you decided when you want to meet with him?”

  “Tuesday, around one o’clock, if that’s all right with the two of you.”

  King Merdin nodded. “And when do you want to take me out to that island?”

  “I’d rather go in daylight so we can be sure it’s as deserted as it was the last time I was there.”

  “Let’s plan to go around daybreak Tuesday morning,” King Merdin suggested. “Dani can go with us. He can check it better than either of us. We’ll meet you here at sunrise. If it’s as small as you say, shouldn’t take more than ten minutes.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Kevin agreed.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Saturday morning Steve got up shortly after daybreak and headed off to help Blalick move some cattle from one pasture to another. Warren left soon afterwards for his weekly meeting with Glendymere, which left Torrey and Laryn on their own. They made a fresh pot of tea and sat down at the table. While they were sitting there, Ashni came in with a basket of cinnamon buns. She set them on the table and removed the towel she’d put on top to keep them warm.

  One whiff of the sweet rolls sent Laryn flying for the nearest bucket. After the first bout of morning sickness was over, she came back to the table, sat down, and apologized.

  “Has this nausea happened before?” Ashni asked.

  Laryn felt her cheeks grow warm as she nodded.

  “How long has it been going on?” Ashni asked.

  Laryn shrugged.

  “A week? A month? How long?” Ashni persisted.

  “About three weeks now.”

  Ashni nodded.

  Torrey reached across the table and took Laryn’s hand. “You’re pregnant, aren’t you?�
��

  Laryn’s face went a shade darker as she nodded.

  “How far along are you?” Ashni asked quietly.

  “Two months.”

  “So it will be born this year, in November?”

  Laryn smiled. “That’s what Sister Agnes said.”

  “Congratulations!” Torrey’s whole face erupted in one big smile. “How does Steve feel about it? Is he excited?”

  “I haven’t told him yet,” Laryn admitted.

  Ashni frowned. “You do not think he will be happy?”

  “No, that’s not it,” Laryn said, shaking her head. “I think he’ll be thrilled, but I wanted to tell him while we were here, in Rainbow Valley. I’m not sure, but I think this is where we got pregnant.”

  Ashni smiled. “So when do you want to tell him? We will make sure you are not disturbed.”

  Laryn felt her face warm back up. “I was planning to break the news last night after we went to our room, but I went down first and by the time he got there, I was sound asleep. I thought I’d try again tonight.”

  “You’ll need something to celebrate with,” Torrey said. “Some scog would be nice. Do you have any Ashni?”

  “As it happens, I do. I will bring some down this afternoon.” Then she looked at Laryn. “What would you like to go with it? Would you like some cake? Or would you rather have cheese and bread?”

  “You don’t have to go to all that trouble,” Laryn said. “We don’t need anything.”

  “Honey, you haven’t seen anything yet. When news about this gets out, you’ll be snowed under with presents and everyone for miles around will be making stuff for you. You’ll have so much fun!”

  Laryn raised her eyebrows. “I hadn’t thought about that.” She shook her head. “If anyone starts planning anything even close to what they did for my wedding, I’m moving in here and staying until the baby’s born. I am not going through that again.”

  Torrey laughed, shook her head, and patted Laryn’s hand. “But for tonight, you do need to have a little something. We’ll take care of it. You just sit back and enjoy.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Saturday morning, Doreen was outside in the tool shed when Rhianna walked in and said, “You’ve got company.”