***
"Come on, then. ?Wake up, it's time to go for training."
When Caelfel opened her eyes, she instantly recognized the flaming red hair of F?dla.
They descended the tree together, and the pre-dawn horizon made the sky a shocking purple. ?Caelfel was secretly glad F?dla had come to retrieve her; she wasn't certain if she would have been able to get up on her own. ?But then, F?dla revealed her true interest for visiting Caelfel.
"So, you and Winwaloe are both from Sal'Sumarathar."
"Yes," Caelfel replied.
"What is he like?"
"I do not know him much. ?He is quiet, loyal, and a talented archer. ?Why do you ask?"
"I find him attractive." ?She paused. ?"Perhaps Galath finds you attractive as well."
Caelfel wanted to laugh but thought that might be rude. ?As they walked to the training grounds, bows in hand, Caelfel was consciously aware of Galath standing nearby, just out of earshot. ?"Has he said something?" she asked carefully.
"Perhaps he confides to me," F?dla teased conspiratorially. ?"There is a chance that he wonders if you have someone waiting for you back home."
Caelfel's chest tightened, and she found herself irritated with F?dla's fixation on matchmaking. They were about to train for an upcoming battle, and Caelfel wanted matters of the heart to be far from her mind.
Mercifully, they were then approached by a breathless Olwen, delivering their armor. ?"Right. ?Names, please?"
"Caelfel Gyssedlues." ?Olwen handed her a set of neatly bundled leather armor.
"So you must be F?dla Danann."
F?dla took her armor silently, and Caelfel watched Olwen hurry on to Galath next. ?He took it with a word of thanks, and they all made their way to the archery field.
Captain Sanddef was there, personally issuing them their new quivers full of arrows. ?Caelfel inspected the fletching on hers and saw that they were all swan feathers. ?Their quality was unsurpassed and made Caelfel's own work look shoddy in comparison. ?Sanddef lined them all ?up with their own targets and instructed them to begin shooting. ?After five rounds, he told them to take ten paces back for another five shots.
They continued this process for four rounds of five arrows each. ?Caelfel noted that the arrows had sharpened wooden ends instead of flint or steel, probably to conserve materials for when they were no longer practicing. ?All the while, Captain Sanddef strolled between them all, admiring or commenting when he saw fit. ?After another five rounds, he told them to pause.
"Olwen! Clear those targets!" he ordered, and Olwen raced to each one, plucking out the practice arrows from the stuffed targets. ?Sanddef continued, "I'm rather pleased with your skills, but let's change the shape of your targets to resemble bodies." ?
He held his hand out, gesturing toward Olwen who began changing them on command.
"You will each go in turn as I wish to see your abilities individually."
They waited in line by city, the archers of Yamalvon going first. ?After that, Caelfel was the first of Sal'Sumarathar and she took a deep breath to calm her nerves, nocking an arrow and drawing it back. ?She steadied her aim and sent the arrow flying toward the target. ?It firmly embedded itself in the center of the chest, where Captain Sanddef instructed they should aim. ?He circled her, studying her target.
"Impressive. ?You are a Gyssedlues? ?You are born with the innate talent of ranged weaponry before Eviat honed your skills. ?Is that right?"
"Yes," Caelfel answered, avoiding eye contact as he continued circling around her.
"How is Eviat doing? ?I have not seen him for some time." ?
Caelfel hesitated, remembering the attempt Markis made on her father's life. ?But a quick glance told her Markis was not around, and Captain Sanddef appeared to respect Eviat all the same. ?"He is mostly well. ?His age is catching up to him, but he refuses to admit it." ?
Captain Sanddef chuckled. ?"I would expect nothing else of him. ?Try again please, Caelfel."
He stepped back, and Caelfel aimed and shot her arrow once again, much more quickly this time. ?Sanddef stood next to her and admired her work.
"You have a gift," he said, nodding in approval. ?He called for Winwaloe's turn, and Caelfel joined the Yamalvon archers.
When everyone had completed their rounds, Captain Sanddef assigned everyone partners and ordered for Olwen to bring him seven swords from Adar. ?As they waited for Olwen's return, Captain Sanddef began pacing before them.
"You are not swordsmen, nor do I expect you to possess any extraordinary talent with the blade. ?However, if we do go to battle, there will possibly come a time when your bow is useless to you, and then you must face the enemy in close combat. ?We will be sparring, and since there are an odd number of you, I will take on Camlann of Yamalvon myself."
Caelfel stood next to her partner who was Galath, shifting her weight from foot to foot uncertainly as she remembered F?dla's comments. ?Caelfel wasn't sure if Galath had contributed at all to her thinking that way but she resolved to say nothing to him and peeked toward F?dla who stood merrily next to her partner Winwaloe.
Olwen brought back the swords, and Captain Sanddef began his sparring. ?He initiated an attack against Camlann and delivered blow after blow relentlessly. ?Camlann struggled to defend himself. ?Then Sanddef made a strike that sent Camlann to the ground with an ugly gash on his arm. ?Everyone looked to Sanddef, astonished with his ruthlessness.
"I am a highly trained military officer, skilled in many areas of combat. ?It takes little effort on my part to bring any one of you down. ?You must be prepared for that. ?You can be killed. ?You will be killed."
"He's bleeding!" Galath reminded Sanddef who looked to the fallen Camlann, unconcerned.
"He will be fine. ?Younglings," Sanddef called, pointing to Caelfel and Galath with his sword. ?"Escort him to the Healer's tent."
Galath hurried to help Camlann, but Caelfel stayed where she was, giving Sanddef a hard look.
"We are not younglings," she said in a low but clear voice. ?
Captain Sanddef turned slowly to face her. ?"You speak to your commanding officer this way?" ?The question was casual but there was something else hidden in his tone that told Caelfel she had just done something she wasn't supposed to.
"I only question the way our commanding officer speaks to us. ?We did not volunteer to be treated as inferior to everyone else."
"Caelfel, it's fine," Galath whispered to her, and then she was suddenly aware of everyone staring at her in shock. ?Sanddef drew near to her and whispered something only she could hear.
"Watch your pride, little one." ?
Then Sanddef turned to everyone else, "They will take care of Camlann. ?The rest of you will begin sparring."
Caelfel went to help Galath with Camlann without another word, her face flaming red. ?They left their swords with the other archers at Captain Sanddef's command. ?When they deposited Camlann at the Healer's tent, which was green like their doors, Galath spoke to her, pausing at the tent flaps.
"It is unwise to speak out that way in the military."
Caelfel turned to him. ?"Do you like being called a youngling?"
Galath shrugged. ?"I am always called one in Rasaen. ?I am used to it."
"Does it not trouble you? ?We stopped being younglings at our half-century year. ?We could be two centuries old and if another elf is not born, they would still call us that." ?Galath sighed but it was not impatient.
"Caelfel-" Galath started.
"Caelfel?" ?He was interrupted by another voice, and when Caelfel looked over her shoulder, she saw it was by Thoroth.
"Thoroth? ?What are you doing here?" she asked. ?Thoroth eagerly crossed the large tent to meet her.
"I was voluntarily recruited, same as you were, I assume. I am only a healer's assistant here. ?Why did you come?" he asked. ?Caelfel chewed her bottom lip nervously as she struggled to remember her original reason for volunteering. ?Currently she found she appreciated the opportunity to get away from Feraan. ?
If she told Thoroth that, Caelfel guessed the healer would quickly volunteer to fill the new void in her life.
"I came because I could not let my father leave." ?It was a natural, unsurprising reason that Thoroth believed without question, but Caelfel felt as though she were lying.
"And what about Feraan?" Thoroth asked, accurately naming the topic she had been trying to avoid. ?
She changed subjects. "Garvanna is here. Did you know?" she asked him. ?Thoroth reacted strangely, and Caelfel couldn't name why.
"I did not know that. ?The healers left after everyone else."
"She's enlisted as a battlemage, if you were wondering."
Thoroth folded his arms and bounced on his toes. ?"She would make an excellent one."
"We better go back," Galath muttered to her. ?Caelfel nodded and gave a small goodbye wave to Thoroth before departing.
She trailed just slightly behind Galath as they crossed the clearing to return to Captain Sanddef. ?Caelfel glanced briefly at the bow in her hands and then secured it over her shoulder. ?When she looked up again, she just barely avoided colliding with someone.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly, only to step back and see Markis standing in front of her.
"I've been looking for you, Caelfel," Markis said quietly. ?
Galath turned around to see what had stalled her. ?"Caelfel?"
"Return to your commanding officer. ?Tell him Markis had business with her and she will rejoin training shortly."
Caelfel tried to tell Galath with her eyes that she did not want to be left alone with Markis, but whatever ranking Markis had here sent Galath away without argument. ?When they were alone, she crossed her arms. ?"What do you want?"
"How is Master Feraan doing?" he asked. ?The condescension she expected from him was gone. ?He was cautious, and this concerned her.
"I would suspect he has locked himself in his house to continue brooding."
"You have not seen or spoken to him?" ?Markis was genuinely confused, and Caelfel wondered if she should tell him the truth.
"I have not seen him since yesterday, when he made it quite clear he did not want to see or speak to me again."
"Did he know about the approaching army, then?" Markis asked, pointing vaguely to the border where she knew the desert army was camped. ?Caelfel bent her head to the ground, unsure of how much would be suitable to reveal to Markis and wondering how he guessed as much correctly.
"A werebird came to warn him," she answered at length.
"Did this werebird tell him why that army is here?"
"If she did, Feraan didn't tell me anything." ?There was an edge to her voice, and she wondered if Markis could understand what had happened between her and Feraan. ?But this was none of Markis's concern, though she could not possibly fathom the trouble of answering his oddly innocent questions.
"Has something happened between the two of you? ?I was under the impression-"
Caelfel unleashed a malevolent glare, which seemed to be answer enough for him. ?Markis fell silent. ?"Why are you asking this?" she asked him.
He became uncomfortable when it was his turn to answer a direct question. ?"You were recruited as an archer?"
Caelfel nodded.
"That means they will be sending you, probably tomorrow morning, as scouts to secure our borders before they send a unified force to engage in combat."
"So this battle is happening?"
"Caelfel, pay attention. ?That army has no particular desire to fight but they are certainly not against it. ?They are only after one thing, just one. ?They will attempt to infiltrate the forest, to sneak through, in which case your job will be very important. ?You will have to be careful."
"You're telling me to be careful?" she asked with a derisive scoff. ?She froze when she realized Markis was being serious. ?"This all seems uncharacteristic of you."
His hand fell heavily on her shoulder, but when he squeezed, it was gentle. ?This softer side of him disturbed her. ?"Because, Caelfel, despite my peculiarities, which may appear malicious to you, I still hold my loyalty to the elves, not some spoiled desert human." ?He started to walk away but Caelfel called out to him.
"What is it they are after?" ?Markis turned slowly, and when his eyes met hers, they looked up and down her frame, and Caelfel felt as though he could see straight through her.
"We don't know yet."
By the time Caelfel had returned to Captain Sanddef, the sword sparring had ended, and she learned that Markis had been wrong. ?They were not waiting until tomorrow morning. ?Captain Sanddef was organizing them into scouting parties to begin their watch that night. Caelfel was unsurprised to learn that her scouting partner was also Galath.
"Go pack your things and get your hammocks. ?Meet back here as soon as you are ready to receive your assignments. ?That army intends to enter the forest."
They ran to do as they were told, and Caelfel had her things together in mere minutes. ?She and Galath were among the first to meet back with Captain Sanddef. ?They waited for the rest of the archers, the last of whom where F?dla and Winwaloe. ?Caelfel thought they acted suspiciously, but Captain Sanddef did not comment on their behavior or tardiness.
He pulled out a rough map of the border and indicated where each army was in relation to the other. ?He explained they were to go to specific locations and to watch for similar scouts from the other army. ?They were to watch the border and report any suspicious activity.
"Be wary. Under no circumstances should you leave the forest. ?You will not be protected if you leave the trees, and you are not to attack them unless they cross the border. ?Understand?"
They all chorused, "Yes sir," and he dismissed them to their duty. ?Caelfel shouldered her pack and her bow and followed the line to their assigned locations. ?Before they left the encampment for the forest, they passed Olwen humming and singing in a low, cheery voice that seemed to occupy him as he repaired the straw targets the archers had destroyed earlier.
But something he said caught her attention, and she paused, briefly breaking away from the line. ?She paid no mind to Galath loyally falling out of line to shadow her.
"We all march to our own destined Fate,
Even the heroic Archer of the Lake
With her bow and a god's sword
No one escapes what is Foretold
That which is predicted by the Blind Seer
Means that their End shall draw Near."
"You said my name," she said, approaching Olwen.
"What?" ?Olwen looked up. ?
"Archer of the lake. ?That's my name," she insisted to him.
"Oh. ?No, I didn't. I was singing. ?It's an old lullaby my mother taught me. ??She told me it used to be a song my father would march to when he went off to war." ?Olwen's animated features turned solemn. ?"He died when I was still a youngling."
"I'm sorry about your father, but that song-"
"Caelfel, they're leaving us," Galath interrupted softly. ?Caelfel exhaled through her nose, her irritation prickling the back of her neck.
"It's just an old story," Olwen assured her. ?"It doesn't mean anything, so don't think much of it."
One of the archers yelled for them, so Caelfel reluctantly returned to the line, Olwen's song becoming faint with the distance.
"We all march to our own destined Fate,
Even the heroic Archer of the Lake
With her bow and a god's sword.
No one escapes what is Foretold
That which is predicted by the Blind Seer
Means that their End shall draw Near.
We march off to War
Praying
For the Archer of the Lake."
16. My Name is Lisiek
They found their tree, just out of reach of the mountain's shadow, as per Captain Sanddef's directions. ?Caelfel and Galath were stationed on the fringe of the line with F?dla and Winwaloe some distance away. ?The other pair of rangers were within shouting distance although Caelfel could not see them.
But wh
at she could see was the thinning of trees that indicated the border and, beyond that, the grassy plains that rolled away to a hazy horizon.
"What do think is over there?" Caelfel asked Galath who was busying himself with the hammock. She wasn't even troubled that Captain Sanddef had purposefully assigned her and Galath furthest away from the army because they were the youngest.
"Desert," he answered, pausing.
Their tree had widely stretching limbs that made it easy to position themselves. ?The leaves were a light green which would hide Caelfel nicely. ?She feared Galath with his darker hair would not be masked as easily.
He pointed slightly to the left. ?"Umfeld is that way while Umfang is a straight shot behind the mountain."
"Have you ever wanted to go see the humans?" Caelfel asked.
"Aren't we about to meet them in battle?"
"I don't mean like that. ?Would you not like to see their cities, their castles, and their magic?"
Galath thought for a moment. ?"I should think I prefer to see the elvish cities first. ?I've never been to Yamalvon."
"Nor have I. ?My father has been on several occasions."
"It sounds as though you think very highly of him."
Caelfel eased herself down on one of the branches, her legs dangling. ?"I am very close to him. ?He's a greyling, been one ever since he met my mother. ?I was an unexpected miracle to him."
Then Caelfel's throat closed tightly as she remembered the elf they all thought responsible for her life when that elf had saved her father's life, and the name behind the story was one she did not care to think of presently.
"He made me this bow on my fiftieth birthday," she said, unstringing it in her lap. ?"He taught me how to shoot and hunt."
"What about your mother?"
"My mother and I look alike, and Father swears we act the same. ?She prefers the magical arts. ?She was part of the Sal'Sumarathar Family, but her family disowned her for some mysterious reason she has not told me."
"You never thought of practicing magic yourself?"
Caelfel looked away from him. ?"I started studying at the college, but then I lost my aura."
"Really? ?I've only ever heard rumors of that happening."
"My father first lost his, which was a shame because he was a highly skilled healer, and then I lost mine not too long ago. ?It still bothers me."
"I won't bring it up then." ?He paused. ?"Is there anyone else at home who's waiting for your return? ?That healer you spoke to mentioned a name. ?Though you were probably trying to avoid it, so perhaps I shouldn't have brought it up."
Caelfel sighed, and the sound was weary and sad. ?"I think I should tell someone. ?It hurts my head thinking about it. ?Talking may help, but only if you can keep secrets."
Galath laughed, and strangely enough, the sound made her feel better. ?"I will heavily guard any secrets you tell me."
Caelfel hesitated to begin. ?"His name was Feraan, and I found him dying in the forest. ?I rescued him, even though everyone wanted him dead. ?I was summoned to trial for saving his life and I defended him in front of the Sal'Sumarathar Council."
"That sounds odd."
"Not many like him. ?Everyone believes he destroyed Amasel."
Instant recognition flashed through Galath's face. ?"That elf?"
"It's not true, though."
"I believe you."
"Good, because no one else does. ?The Council had a tracker follow me and he chased me one night through the forest after he murdered the oldest greyling in Sal'Sumarathar. ?Feraan found me and he protected me. ?He always seemed to find me when I needed him. ?Then, it may be that I started falling in love with him."
Caelfel breathed slowly through her mouth, and something pricked her nose. ?Galath didn't interrupt.
"I snuck away to the Spring Festival, and he followed. ?He saved me again. ?We danced. ?Then I was crowned Beauty of Spring and I chose him. ?Then I found out about Amasel.
"I ran off before he could explain anything. ?My father told me the truth of what happened. ?I returned to Feraan, let him explain. ?And I thought-"
At this point, Caelfel buried her face in her hands. ?She didn't want to think of her night with Feraan or him wanting to take it back. ?
Then Galath reached down, putting a hand on her shoulder. ?"You don't have to continue." ?
She lifted her face, pushing her hair behind her ears. ?"No, it's fine."
Caelfel took another deep breath and resumed.
"I felt like we became very close. ?Then my father was invited to a hunting party, which was created as a poorly disguised mission to kill him. ?Feraan went after him, but he had already been poisoned. ?My mother was the one that found the antidote, and we stayed at Feraan's house for two days. ?Then, this girl came. She was a werebird, a human, and she warned Feraan about this army."
"How long ago was this?"
"Only the day before we came to the camp. ?Feraan didn't seem concerned, but I think there was more that Macha told him."
"Macha?"
"The werebird. ?She gave me this strange look before she disappeared, and I can't get it out of my head. ?But ever since she left, Feraan started acting strange, like he didn't want anything to do with me. ?Before I came here, I went to see him, and he explained quite thoroughly how he didn't want to see me anymore."
"Why?" Galath asked, sounding just as confused as she felt.
"He said he wanted to be alone, that he didn't care for me-that he didn't want to care for me. He said romance and companionship was not for him."
"It sounds as though he is incredibly selfish or hiding something. ?I am very sorry that happened to you," Galath said quietly. ?Caelfel set her bow off to the side and wrapped her arms around herself. ?Her chest felt like it was bleeding and exposed like a pulsating wound. ?She decided she didn't want to talk about Feraan.
"What about your family? ?Tell me about your life."
"It's nothing tale-worthy. ?There's my mother, who's fiercely loyal to our family, and my father who was a banished noble from the Yamalvon court. ?He still spends most of his time away from home. ?I don't remember him much from my childhood."
"Why was he banished?"
Galath smiled, but Caelfel could see there was no amusement in it. ?"Cavorting with the empress, no less. ?He enjoys his leisure time with she-elves. ?He was never particularly faithful to my mother."
"She must have been devastated."
Galath shrugged. ?"If she was, and I would not doubt it, she never allowed herself to show it. ?I believe she always tried to remain strong for me."
Caelfel smiled at him. ?"What about the other kind of she-elves? ?Do you have a special one waiting for you?"
"I'm afraid I have not been fortunate in that area of my life. ?My father, whenever I do see him, speaks about taking me to Yamalvon to find me a proper wife. The idea upsets my mother, and I don't believe I want to go to Yamalvon for that."
"Then don't," Caelfel said simply. ?"Why did you volunteer to come here?"
"Being the youngest, I've often waited for an opportunity to prove myself. ?When the courier came, it just seemed like the right thing to do."
Caelfel didn't respond to that, and they remained in a content silence as the sun sank and darkness began blanketing the sky. ?Caelfel dug through her pack and offered Galath some dried fruit. ?He accepted it gratefully, and they both ate in silence until F?dla approached their tree.
"The desert army is moving," she called up to them. ?"They're coming this way. ?We've sent for Captain Sanddef. ?If you spot any suspicious activity or if there is an emergency, sound your alarm."
"What's the alarm?" Caelfel asked when F?dla had left.
"They gave me a horn. ?It's right here." ?He patted his chest, and Caelfel saw its outline in the dim light.
"When did you get that?" she asked.
"Captain Sanddef handed them out while you were speaking to that tracker."
"Oh, I also missed sword sparring," she pointed out.
"That's right," Galath said, remembering. ?"You were never issued your sword either." ?
Caelfel glanced at the one belted to Galath's waist enviously. ?She had a similar blade at home, but it did nothing for her there. ?"Hopefully I will not need to use one."
The sun had disappeared entirely, but the evening was still pleasantly warm. ?The flowering trees filled the air with a sweet scent, and Caelfel was reminded of how it was spring. She yawned.
"You can go to sleep," Galath offered. ?
Caelfel blinked at him. ?"What?"
"I'll keep watch for the night while you sleep. ?We can change in the middle of the night, but Captain Sanddef said at least one elf had to be on watch at all times."
"I missed those instructions too." ?She stifled another yawn. ?"Are you sure you don't want to go to sleep first?"
Galath shook his head. ?"I am fine for now. ?You go on ahead. ?I doubt anything exciting will happen anyway."
"If you insist, I'll sleep first, but you must wake me up if something happens or if you become tired. ?Promise?"
He laughed. ?"I promise."
With that, Caelfel settled in her hammock, just realizing how exhausted she truly was. ?Telling Galath about Feraan disturbed her with unhappy thoughts as she remembered Feraan's last words to her. ?However, there was something uniquely comforting about Galath standing watch. ?It wasn't the same comfort she shared with Feraan, but it was suitable enough to lull her to sleep without the daunting prospect of nightmares.
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