by Peter Hartz
Michelle stopped beside Dave as he spoke up in the elvish tongue. “This is my sister, Michelle. And this is my mate, Allison.” The introductions were short, and to the point.
Goltamas bowed briefly to the two, and said, “I bid you both welcome, Ladies. Come inside with us while we bring your brigands before the Queen. She will wish to ascertain their deeds for herself. If they are guilty, we will hold them until their fate is decided.”
“Eventually, I think I might want to bring them back to our world, if I think we can get them dealt with properly there. If not, I might consider leaving them here permanently. We will have to see what works the best for you, us, and them,” Dave said carefully in English, so that the four would hear him.
Goltamas shrugged, and said, also in English, “Most brigands are simply killed, and their remains fed to the hogs, or something worse. But if you wish a different fate for them, or should Michelle, I am certain that the Queen will be understanding of your desire. Come.” He waved them forward. “Bring your carriages while my men walk these four to a place fitting of their stature.”
“Goltamas, would you like to ride with us? It would be easier to have you show us where to park them.” Dave had a slight grin on his face, knowing that the chance might be the first, and possibly last, time the guardsman might have to ride in a vehicle like that.
Goltamas considered, and then nodded. “I would be honored to ride with you. I will direct you to the stables. There should be adequate space there, and it is somewhat near the palace.”
Goltamas walked up to the first of the two amazing metal things that the new humans had arrived in at the city gate, his mind drinking in the unique site. It was adorned in a black as deep as any night, but its surface held a polished, mirror-like finish that bespoke to him of Dwarvish skill and sorcery. There were windows of glass set along the top of the carriage, inset back from the outer surface a bit. He thought it was glass, because he could see through it somewhat, but the glass was darkened somehow, as if to prevent clear sight to the inside. He reached out, and the side of the carriage was cool, and felt like metal, but with a smooth surface that must have taken great skill and many hours at the forge to hone and polish. And he had no idea how the color had been applied. He looked lower at the wheels, and was just as amazed at them. Metal surrounded by a black material which he could not remember seeing before, with many sigils and patterns on the surface rising up slightly; to Goltamas’ eyes, they must be letters of some kind, but in a language he had never seen before.
Giltreas walked up beside Goltamas and pulled on a handle set to one side of the door. The handle moved slightly with the motion of his arm, and then with a low clunk, the entire side of the carriage opened the way he had seen before.
Goltamas got in, after unbuckling the sword strapped to his left hip, gawking at the smooth tan leather and the sheer sight of the inside of the “carriage”. This was like nothing he had ever seen before, and his wonder and amazement grew. ‘I must congratulate that old dwarf next time I see him. This is an amazing war wagon,’ Goltamas thought to himself as he settled into the most comfortable chair he had ever been in, or possibly ever seen. The luxury of it was almost… unsettling for a hardened soldier used to so much less. Giltreas pushed the front passenger door closed, and got into the vehicle in the second row of seats. Goltamas looked around in amazement, and saw that there was a light on the ceiling of the carriage, which went out when David pulled the door shut.
Dave started up the Suburban again, and looked back as Giltreas seated himself in the back seat. He heard his 4Runner start up behind them, and then shifted the Suburban into drive, waving to Goltamas to direct him.
Goltamas was an old soldier, and counted himself as seasoned and worldly. He had been in many battles, and seen many places, but this whole experience was astounding. As he pointed, the human in the seat next to him gently turned the wheel in the direction of his hand, did something with his feet, and the shiny black carriage seemed to move like an extension of his will. He turned to look over his shoulder, then noticed a mirror attached to the outside of the door he had entered into, and leaned forward to look to see the second carriage following along behind in the reflection.
The city streets were wide, and well paved with smooth cobblestones, bordered with small strips of green grasses or bushes, as befitted a seat of government. The buildings on each side and everywhere that Dave could see were a strange combination of wood and stone. Whereas the corners of the structures were usually stone, the walls seemed to be almost grown in place out of the ground, giving the appearance of trees that grew together to form walls and roofs. He marveled at it all as he worked his way down streets, past buildings that had signs above them indicating merchants, taverns, inns, and other functions, as well as homes and other dwellings. Doors looked sturdy, and windows were bordered by shutters that were open during the day. Awnings of wood were over every door and window to provide some protection from the sun, rain, and snow.
And everywhere he looked, there were people. He recognized more elvish kind, as well as humans, and what he thought were dwarves, some with beards, some without, but all of those were built like wrestlers, wide and low, with powerful shoulders. The tallest of them would only come up to mid-chest on him, though. And everyone stared open mouthed at what went by them. But the looks from the dwarves were something else. It was almost envy, or something else, and a few looked downright unhappy or angry. But no one seemed interested in stopping the odd looking and sounding caravan as it made its way through town at a walking pace.
Dave had no problems maneuvering the big vehicle where Goltamas indicated, and it appeared that Allison had no trouble either, as he monitored her progress behind them. Of course, as a logistics and transportation specialist, she was trained to drive just about everything the US Marine Corps had to offer in any conditions, including tanks in non-combat situations. This would be simple for her.
It seemed like they had travelled about a mile or so deep into the city when he saw the stables. The main building seemed to be nearly fifty yards wide, possibly just as deep, and had a paddock in front of it that was just as wide, and probably twenty yards front to back, with a fence made of sturdy poles that extended up to the height of a man, with spacing in between to allow people to climb up. The gate itself was wide enough to allow the Suburban to drive through and then some when both panels were opened. He looked behind the 4Runner, and noticed that the four thugs were no longer back there. He glanced at Goltamas, who saw where he was looking and shrugged.
“They have been taken to the Hall of Law, to be locked in cells until such time as they are called before the Queen. She will ask them of their crimes, and compel the truth from them, to judge them against your and your sister’s accusations.”
“I think I will need to help your guards out. The restraints I put on their wrists will be very hard to cut loose without the right tool,” Dave supplied.
“We can go there when we have put these carriages under guard.” Goltamas didn’t seem that concerned.
“I will be taking the grey one behind us back when Giltreas and I leave. I will need it to get around on our… plane.”
Giltreas spoke up then. “We must speak with the Queen, and I must present myself, as her subject. I wish as well to spend some time with my mother. I have not seen her in quite some time.” His quiet voice carried in the vehicle clearly, and Goltamas merely nodded.
◆◆◆
“Sir, can you come over here for a moment?”
“Sure. What is it?”
“Sir, unit 2376 is unreachable.”
“Which one is that?”
“The file on it says that it is on some assignment with a special unit somewhere. The notes are code-word classified eyes-only.”
“Hmmm. Can you think of a reason why it might be unreachable?”
“Several. These monitoring packages don’t work all that well. Lowest bidder, and all that.”
He looked ove
r the shoulder at his subordinate’s workstation, then shrugged mentally.
“Log it. Probably just a fault of some kind.”
Chapter 11
The wait to see the Elvish Queen was shorter than Dave expected. By his watch, they sat in padded wooden chairs in a small room for only twenty minutes or so. The door opened, and someone said something to Giltreas, who was seated next to the door. He stood, and when they looked at him, he nodded his head towards the door, and then he walked ahead of them down a corridor.
Dave contemplated recent events again as he followed Giltreas down the hall. The Hall of Law had been interesting, as had been the head jailer. He had brought a small wire cutter with him, and once the four were placed in what were obviously jail cells, he had told them to back up to the bars, where he had cut the wire ties from their wrists. Dave had explained the reasons why they were being incarcerated, and trying to explain how potentially dangerous they were, and while the guardsmen had listened carefully, Dave had the impression that they didn’t believe him. Giltreas had then cast that same Learn Language spell on the head jailer and all the guardsmen on duty at the time, and they had touched Dave to learn the language he shared with the prisoners. Then he had followed Giltreas back to the stables, where Michelle and Allison had shifted the contents of the two SUVs so that what was going back with Dave was in the 4Runner, and what was staying was in the Suburban. The dogs had been leashed, brought out of the 4Runner, and allowed to attend to any business they had with the grass bordering the paddock area. Dave had moved the bag of personal effects from the four fools, as Allison had dubbed them, into the back of the Suburban. Then they had all gone to the Hall of the Queen, where they had waited in a small room off the main throne room until the queen had sent a guardsman for them.
A short walk later, they stood just outside a wide, arched doorway that had two elves dressed in impressive armor and armed with staffs that were topped with what looked like short, three-bladed spear heads.
Giltreas turned to them and spoke in low tones. “You are newcomers to the kingdom, and are not expected to know the proper methods of speech and presentation. Do not copy my behavior, as my standing here is different than the norm, and some might take offense. Instead, be yourselves. That will offend almost no one.” Something in his voice made Dave wonder what Giltreas was thinking, but the other continued before he could ask questions.
“Once inside the hall, advance no further than the beginning of the red mats, and wait there until summoned. I will vouchsafe for you to the queen, and you will then be called forward. A small bow of the head is sufficient for Her Majesty. She does not stand for much in the way of ceremony.” He sketched a brief head bow as he spoke, and nodded as they indicated they understood.
Giltreas turned, squared his shoulders, and walked through the entryway to the hall of Elvish Monarchy.
Dave stepped aside and allowed the two women to decide who should go first. Allison gave a brief motion with her hand, sending Michelle, with Sadie and Abby on leash and in heel position, to follow Giltreas. She then stepped in herself, Max at her side, and matched herself to Michelle’s deliberate pace, with Dave bringing up the rear.
Dave glanced around once, taking in the beings that populated the hall, and the hall itself. Stained-glass windows lined the walls, letting in multi-colored light, depicting scenes one would expect to see in a royal building: kings and queens all seated in the same hall on a low dais, with a somewhat unprepossessing throne as their seat, presiding over courts, with colorfully dressed people standing in front of the throne. The walls themselves were a combination of stone columns and thick, well-cut logs that had been smoothed to an almost glassy finish. The floor was made of dark blue-grey stones, set smoothly and level across the entire room. Dave guessed that the room itself was no more than sixty feet deep, and maybe thirty feed across, with a vaulted ceiling that might top twenty five feet at its peak.
His gaze turned to the throne at the head of the room, where the same dais depicted in the stained glass windows was located. The red mat Giltreas told them about extended some twenty feet from the dais towards the entryway, and was about ten feet wide. It extended up the steps up to in front of the throne. The dais itself was maybe twenty feet wide, allowing people to walk around it, and fifteen feet deep. The top of the dais was only three steps above the regular floor, with a simple but well-made and heavy-looking throne made of solid wood sitting in the middle of the dais. Several guards lined the walls on either side of the dais, and two more stood just behind the throne, along with four men and two women in what Dave thought of as fancy dress duds, and all of them the same race as the guards – elves, Dave told himself. Then he glanced at the queen.
She had a simple circlet on her head woven of white and yellow gold, with a single black-red jewel set in it at the front that was nearly as big as his thumb. She was dressed in a shimmering gown of simple design that was of a deep, intense, crystalline green color. She had deep sage-green hair, grey-green skin, and large green eyes that swept over the newcomers curiously, taking in their strange clothing and mannerisms as they approached.
Michelle stopped two feet from the edge of the red mat, and simply waited calmly. Allison stopped next to her, with Dave behind them both. Sadie and Max immediately sat on their haunches. Abby flopped down into a frog-sprawl, her little stubby tail wagging as she looked around.
Giltreas had walked further on, half way across the red mat towards the dais.
“Our loyal subject Giltreas has returned.” The queen spoke in clear, distinct Elvish that carried everywhere in the hall as she looked down on the man in front of her without expression.
Giltreas bowed from the waist elegantly, with his hands sweeping out and to the sides, then back in as he straightened up again.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Giltreas’ voice easily carried to everyone as well. Dave decided it must be a trick of the architecture.
One of the brightly-dressed males standing beside and just behind the queen bent down to whisper in her ear, but she waved him away. He stood up stiffly, and seemed to glare at Giltreas.
“Still not wasting words, I see.” The queen’s quiet statement could have been a condemnation, but it was something much gentler.
Giltreas shrugged, a simple gesture that conveyed more than one emotion. “I will of certainty when necessity calls for it, Your Majesty.” The queen quirked a smile at the inconsistent statement.
“And I see you have brought us human guests. What do you say of them?”
“The two women request the sanctuary and protection of the crown. One is in danger from her own people, and the other could be as well. The man is brother to one, and husband to the other.”
The one who glared at Giltreas earlier stepped forward and spoke, somewhat angrily. “Why should The Crown extend protection to humans? Why would not their own people protect them?” The queen placed her hand on the man’s arm, silencing him. She turned, and with a look, sent him back to where he had stood. When she was sure he had himself under control, she turned back to Giltreas.
“My seneschal does not speak for me, but he asks a question I would also ask. I do not wish to bring strife to my kingdom, so I would know what enemies they have, and if they would hunt for them here amongst my subjects.” Her question was calm and not unexpected. “I have also been informed that four men, named as brigands by Giltreas, have been placed into my jail, with not much explanation as to their crimes. I would have an understanding of this situation.” Giltreas turned and waved Dave forward.
He stepped calmly up to stand next to Giltreas, and bowed respectfully to the woman on the throne the way Giltreas showed them earlier.
“My name is David. The four men in your jail attacked my sister. Giltreas interceded, and reversed what had been done. They did not act on their own. Someone directed them, or more likely, hired them to do this. I need to place them somewhere where those brigands will not be able to harm anyone else, or report to their master of t
heir failure and capture, until I have been able to find out who is behind this, and end the threat to my family. I cannot do that while my sister and my mate are someplace where they are not safe. I do not know who is involved in trying to kill Michelle, so I don’t know who to protect her from.” Dave took a breath, and let it out.
“I see. Are there no guardsmen on your plane that could protect her?” The question could have been condescending or even derogatory; instead it was simply curious.
“We have weapons, arms, that could kill them from a great distance, and I would not be able to stop weapons like that from a truly determined and skilled killer. It is safest if no one knows where they are.”
The queen considered for a moment. “Would you permit a spell of truth-seeking and compulsion to be cast upon you? I have certain responsibilities to my subjects. I must know if there is a danger to them before granting sanctuary to your family.”
It was Dave’s turn to think. “Would this spell be permanent?”
She smiled. “No. It would be dispelled, or would fade, after some few moments. Indeed, the laws of the Deus Magus do not allow such a spell to become permanent.”
“I agree, then.” Dave nodded to her, a gesture that seemed to convey trust and acceptance to her, and she smiled again. Then she turned and nodded to a guardsman at the edge of the dais.
The guardsman bowed to the queen, then walked towards the human. “There is nothing to fear, human. This spell causes no harm.” He reached into a small pouch at his belt, and pulled out something that looked like flower petals. He crushed them in his fist, then opened his hand, palm up, at eye level. His mouth opened, and spoke words Dave did not understand. The petals in his hand glowed until they disappeared as if they had not been there, and glow grew to encompass the guardsman’s hand up to his wrist. He then reached out and touched Dave on his forehead.