Emerald of the Elves

by Richard S. Tuttle

  Bin-lu frowned and stared at the gloves for a moment, but eventually he slid them on. Boris handed Wylan’s staff to Bin-lu.

  “How does it feel?” asked Master Khatama.

  Bin-lu twirled the staff in his gloved hands and nodded. “But how will I get the gloves off?” he asked. “Or do I just wear them forever?”

  Boris took his knife and carefully slit one glove lengthwise along the back of Bin-lu’s hand. “Take it off,” instructed Boris as he stooped and picked up one of the discarded fingers from the glove he had cut. “Remember to curl your hand so you do not have to force it.”

  Bin-lu nodded as he pulled the glove away from his palm and slid it off his fingers. Boris took the glove and punctured it several times alongside the slit. He cut the discarded glove finger lengthwise and fashioned ties to hold the glove together.

  “It may not be fashionable,” smiled Boris, “but it will allow you to use your hands and still be able to remove the gloves.”

  “This is wonderful,” grinned Bin-lu as Boris sliced the other glove. “Can I not do the same with boots?”

  “You certainly can,” smiled Heltos. “I shall leave you two alone until morning. If you need me, ask any elf and they will fetch me.”

  “I apologize for my anger before,” stated Bin-lu after Heltos had left. “I may not be what I was before, but you have made me see that I still have some worth left.”

  “Some worth?” chuckled Boris. “You are more valuable now than you ever were before.”

  “What do you mean?” questioned Bin-lu. “How am I better now than I was before?”

  Boris took his knife and threw it at the ceiling. The knife dug into the wood and vibrated slightly.

  “Retrieve my knife,” ordered Boris.

  Bin-lu frowned as he stared up at the knife in the ceiling. He looked down at his feet and shook his head.

  “I do not have my boots made up yet,” declared Bin-lu. “I cannot jump that high if my feet stick to the floor.”

  “Forget the boots, and remove the gloves,” suggested Boris.

  “I do not understand,” Bin-lu shook his head.

  “Think like a spider,” smiled Boris. “Use your new talents.”

  Realization dawned on Bin-lu, and he hesitantly moved towards the wall. He reached up and placed his right palm against the wall. He pulled himself upward and placed his left palm higher than his right one. In moments, Bin-lu was able to reach out and snare the knife with his fingers. He grinned as he gently dropped the knife to the floor and retraced his route.

  “You have done something that nobody else can,” smiled Boris as he bent and retrieved his knife. “I do not know what use you can make of this talent, but be proud that you have it. I am sure that your mind will discover many uses for it.”

  “It is something that I will have to think about,” nodded Bin-lu.

  “You should also practice daily without the gloves,” suggested Master Khatama. “Learn to get your hands and feet unstuck swiftly and naturally. I have no doubts that someone with your considerable physical abilities will be able to master it in no time. Consider it another one of your warrior skills, and devote time to its perfection.”

  “I promise that I shall,” nodded Bin-lu. “I should make up my other glove and modify my boots so we can leave in the morning.”

  “Perhaps the elves can make some for you,” Boris suggested. “They have a way with lighter materials which might be better suited than what you have available. The ties may make you too memorable. If a lighter material is used, you can then put normal gloves and boots over the top of them. Your new abilities should be guarded like an important secret. Never let your enemies know what you are capable of.”

  “That makes sense,” agreed Bin-lu. “Still, I am not tired now. I will make up the boots while you sleep. That way I will be ready in the morning when you wish to depart. How will we find Tedi?”

  Master Khatama turned and faced south. His brow wrinkled with confusion for a moment and then he shrugged.

  “It will be easier to find Tedi than you think,” Master Khatama declared. “It appears that he is heading towards us.”

  “Could he have seen the clearing of the Darkness?” questioned Bin-lu as he took his knife and sliced through the top of one of his boots.

  “Possibly,” nodded Master Khatama. “Whatever his reason for coming north, we must prepare to meet him. Sarac’s Ravens are not the only enemy in these mountains. Goblins still prowl heavily to the south, and I do not wish to think of Tedi stumbling into them.”

  “Should we leave now?” asked Bin-lu. “I have been resting all day and I am sure that Wylan is well rested, too.”

  “The rest of us are not well rested,” sighed Master Khatama. “It will have to wait for the morning. Let’s hope that Tedi is not planning on traveling much at night.”

  Chapter 5

  Mind of a Gypsy

  The sunlight of a new day filtered through the tree branches as Boris and Niki stood on the edge of the tree platform gazing at the mountains through the leaves. Boris turned slightly as he heard the approaching footsteps. He watched as Fredrik and Wylan approached and leaned against the rail of the platform.

  “Those sleeping mats were pretty comfortable,” commented Fredrik.

  “Better than the bed in your mansion in Tagaret?” quipped Niki.

  “Not that good,” chuckled Fredrik, “but certainly better than sleeping under Master Khatama’s wagon.”

  “Where is Bin-lu?” frowned Wylan. “He is not in his room and there are signs that he might have gone a little crazy with his knife last night.”

  “If you mean the destroyed gloves,” smiled Boris, “that was my work. I am afraid that they were your gloves. I will give you some new ones when we get back to my wagon. Bin-lu is getting some clothing made up by the elves. He will be along shortly.”

  “Clothing?” echoed Wylan. “Is he alright?”

  “He is fine,” nodded Boris. “Why don’t you gather your belongings? We will be leaving soon.”

  “Where are we going?” asked Fredrik as Wylan left to retrieve his pack.

  Boris peered at the mountains and nodded knowingly. “Just the other side of the mountains,” he answered. “It is time that we find out what Tedi has been up to.”

  “Do you know where he is?” inquired Niki.

  “He is heading towards us,” replied Boris. “I want to ensure that he gets here safely. There are too many goblins in the area to please me.”

  “Goblins again?” questioned Wylan as he returned to the group. “I think I am ready for them this time.”

  “Never be eager for battle,” warned Boris. “While your skills may have increased dramatically since you last fought the goblins, every battle brings the chance for death with it. We will try to avoid the goblins if we can.”

  “Of course,” shrugged Wylan. “I just meant that I wasn’t afraid of meeting up with them.”

  “I am ready,” announced Bin-lu as he descended off the spiral staircase. “Sorry for the delay.”

  Wylan looked curiously at Bin-lu. He noticed the new boots right away, but it took him awhile to see the new gloves. The material was skin-colored, giving the appearance of bare hands.

  “You seem pretty happy this morning,” commented Wylan. “Are you feeling alright?”

  “I am fine,” smiled Bin-lu. “Shall we go rescue Tedi?”

  “I don’t know that he needs rescuing,” stated Boris, “but we are going to meet up with him.”

  “How many days will we be traveling?” asked Fredrik.

  “We will meet up with Tedi today,” assured Boris.

  “Today?” questioned Wylan. “We won’t even make it over the mountains today.”

  “We are not going over the mountains,” smiled Boris. “We are going through them. Queen Alysa has provided us with an escort to the dwarven mines. They wait for us on the lowest platform. We will traverse the mines and come out the other side.”

  “T
hat beats climbing in my book,” grinned Fredrik. “Let get going.”

  “So we shall,” agreed Boris.

  Master Khatama led the way down the spiral staircase to the lowest platform. When they reached the platform the older of the two elves from the previous night was waiting for them.

  “I am Elandros,” the elf announced. “I have volunteered to guide you to the dwarf tunnels today.”

  “Thank you, Elandros,” nodded Boris as another elf unfurled the rope ladder.

  Elandros waved towards the rope ladder with his hand as an invitation for the humans to descend.

  “There is a party of elves already below,” Elandros added. “We wanted to ensure that nothing was down there waiting for you.”

  Wylan led the group down the rope ladder. After the younger humans had descended, Boris grabbed onto the rope ladder.

  “You do not remember me, do you?” Elandros asked Boris. “I should not expect you to, I guess. I was present when you appeared in Sorelderal before the Collapse. I was one of King Solva’s aides.”

  “You did look familiar to me,” frowned Boris, “but my memory has not been what it should be lately. I apologize.”

  “There is no need for an apology from the Mage,” smiled the elf. “It is just an honor to be with you today. I wanted you to know.”

  “The honor is truly mine,” smiled Boris. “The elves of Sorelderal have always been a model for other races to follow.”

  Boris stepped onto the rope ladder and descended. Elandros was right behind him. Elandros led the small group of elves that escorted the humans. Boris let the younger humans precede him. He watched how Bin-lu walked with his new boots and smiled inwardly. The elves set up a fairly fast pace, and the trip to the tunnels took only a few moments. The dwarves must have had an unseen lookout somewhere along the trail, because they were not surprised when the party arrived at the entrance to the mine.

  Elandros sent the elves back to the elven village, but he remained with the humans and entered the dwarven mines. Boris explained where he wanted to go, and the dwarves nodded knowingly. A messenger was sent on ahead while one dwarf guided the humans through the intricate tunnels of Dorgun. After a few hours of the twisting passages, they came upon a dwarf standing at an intersection. Boris recognized him as Zemo.

  “I see you have reunited your party,” Zemo said with a toothy dwarfish smile. “I am to be your guide through the tunnels.”

  Boris nodded as the other dwarf turned and headed back the way they had come from. Zemo turned and led the party deeper into the mines. Some of the tunnels ran straight for long distances, while others were constantly twisting and turning. Eventually they came to an intersection, which forked the path they were on. The left fork climbed steeply, while the right fork ran level. Zemo took the left path. The dwarf’s sturdy legs carried him swiftly up the steep incline, and Zemo stopped and waited each time the path turned.

  Eventually, the tunnel exited onto a wide ledge where a pair of dwarves stood in the shadows gazing over the forest below. The dwarves turned and watched as Zemo led the humans onto the ledge. When they stopped, Boris noticed that Elandros was still with them. Boris cast his tracking spell and faced the direction Tedi was coming from. He could see nothing except the trees. Elandros walked up alongside Boris and followed his gaze.

  “There has been nobody about today,” offered one of the dwarf sentries.

  Zemo nodded and eased back into the shadows because the bright sunlight hurt his eyes.

  “This doesn’t look like an easy path down,” commented Wylan as he looked over the edge of the cliff.

  “That is not the way down,” chuckled Zemo. “We came here first so that we can see when this Tedi is coming. The lower tunnel provides the exit into the forest.”

  “How large of an army does Tedi have?” asked Elandros.

  “I do not know,” shrugged Boris. “I suspect that he will be alone. Why do you ask?”

  “Because I see an army approaching,” replied the elf as he pointed towards the distant forest.

  The dwarves immediately became alert and shuffled out onto the ledge. Their eyes scanned the forest for any signs of movement, but they could see nothing. The humans also were unable to see anything.

  “Describe what you see,” said Boris.

  “I see hundreds of wagons,” Elandros began. “Many, many riders also, and thousands of horses. Can you not see them?”

  Boris strained his old eyes, but he could not see what the elf was describing.

  “How far away is this army?” asked Zemo.

  “At their rate of travel,” the elf said as he stroked his hairless chin, “two hours at the most. Probably closer to one hour.”

  “That must be Tedi then,” frowned Boris, “but who is he traveling with?”

  “And is he traveling with them of his own free will?” added Fredrik. “He could be their captive.”

  “Alert our people,” Zemo said to one of the sentries. “We shall take no chances with our homeland.”

  The dwarf sentry nodded and ran into the tunnel. Zemo and the other dwarf moved back into the shadows. Everyone else continued to stare out over the forest below them.

  “I think I see them,” Wylan said excitedly fifteen minutes later.

  “You are not the only one who has taken notice of them,” frowned Elandros as he pointed slightly to the right. “A small band of goblins has just noticed them.”

  “I would think that an army will not be deterred by a small band of goblins,” offered Fredrik.

  “You do not understand goblins very well,” sighed Elandros. “The small band of goblins that I see are scouts. They will not engage the travelers, but a host of goblins will before they reach these mines. Those horses alone will feed the goblins for months. It is something they will not be able to resist attacking.”

  Boris was finally able to spot the approaching army, and he studied them carefully.

  “That is not an army,” stated Master Khatama. “Those are gypsies. Certainly a larger grouping of gypsies than I have ever seen, but they are gypsies nonetheless. They must be warned about the goblins.”

  “I shall go,” offered Elandros. “I can move through the forest undetected.”

  “No,” Boris shook his head. “We do not know if the gypsies are familiar with elves. Or dwarves for that matter. Besides, we should send someone who knows Tedi. Is there a horse available?”

  “We can get you a horse,” Zemo nodded to the other sentry. “Who is to go and warn them?”

  “I will go,” offered Wylan. “I may not be able to move undetected, but they will never catch me.”

  “Be careful,” advised Elandros. “Goblins can be very quick to react if they hear you coming.”

  “We need to know if Tedi is being held captive,” declared Boris. “You will find something shiny and signal us up here if Tedi is coming of his own free will. If we do not see your signal, we will assume that both you and Tedi are captives. Do you understand?”

  “Perfectly,” Wylan said as a shiver coursed down his spine. He had not even thought of the possibility of being captured by the gypsies.

  “If Tedi is safe,” continued Boris, “make sure the gypsies know that the dwarves and elves are friendly. We do not want friends attacking friends.”

  “I understand,” nodded Wylan.

  The dwarf sentry nodded to Wylan, and they ran into the tunnel together.

  “What do we do with the gypsies when they arrive here?” asked Fredrik. “We do not want them boxed in alongside the mountain.”

  “The northern side of the mountains is a bit safer from the goblins,” offered Zemo. “If we are sure that they are friendly, we can route them through the mine and out the other side. We must be sure of their intentions beforehand though. We will not allow an enemy into our homeland.”

  “I think it would be safe to let the wagons and horses through,” suggested Boris. “The armed riders will be kept outside until your fears are resolved.”
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br />   “That sounds reasonable,” nodded Zemo. “They would be hesitant to attack us if their wagons and horses were already at our mercy.”

  “There goes Wylan,” pointed Niki. “He is riding fast.”

  “And our army assembles as well,” commented Zemo as he pointed off to the right.

  Elandros looked to the right and saw scores of dwarves filing onto a ledge below them. Farther off in the distance he saw the gathering goblin horde.

  “The goblins are gathering as well,” he said dryly as he pointed. “As I suspected, there are many of them. This will be close.”

  “And bloody,” scowled Zemo. “Dwarves do not care much for warfare in the open.”

  “Especially in daylight,” nodded Elandros. “I sympathize with you. Dwarf eyes were not meant for the brightness of the day. I wish there was time to alert my own people. Elven archers on that ledge would wield great destruction on the goblins.”

  “Can’t you send for them?” asked Niki.

  “There is no time for that,” Elandros shook his head.

  “We are not without tricks of our own,” smiled Boris. “Fredrik and I will do what we can to discourage the goblins.”

  Elandros smiled knowingly. He gazed back at the approaching gypsies and saw that Wylan was almost upon them. The lead gypsies also saw Wylan approaching and signaled to the rest of the gypsy riders. The wagons slowed to a halt, and the riders reached for their swords. Wylan called out a greeting and slowed to meet the lead gypsy riders.

  “Wylan!” shouted Tedi. “What are you doing out here? Is Arik with you?”

  “You know this lad?” asked Adan.

  “Yes,” Tedi nodded excitedly. “He is one Arik’s people. Hold your weapons.”

  Adan gave a signal to his men as Wylan rode up and stopped in front of Tedi, Adan, and Natia.

  “Are you safe, Tedi?” Wylan asked as he stared into Tedi’s eyes.

  “Safe?” chuckled Tedi. “How much safer could I get with a thousand gypsy warriors around me? I am glad that I am in time to catch up to you and Arik.”

  “Actually you aren’t in time,” Wylan replied. “Arik left already, but you are in trouble.”

  “What kind of trouble?” asked Adan.