***
Feraan reached the camp before the day was over. ?He dismounted Firnis, who was grateful for the reprieve, and saw that the letter had been true. ?The imperial army was preparing for its return home. ?He approached what looked like a group of archers.
"I am looking for Captain Sanddef. ?Where is he?"
A she-elf with flaming red hair stepped forward. ?"He's over there by the archery field," she said, pointing.
Feraan nodded his thanks and ran to the archery range where he saw two elves arguing, an archer and his superior. ?Feraan didn't catch the subject of their debate, too impatient to care. ?He called out to them as soon as he was in shouting distance.
"Captain Sanddef?" ?
The tallest one with the braided blond hair turned toward him. "And who are you?"
"I am a tracker from Sal'Sumarathar and I am here to attend to a matter that you have neglected."
"I am sorry, but you will have to be more specific. ?What is your name?" asked the one he assumed was Captain Sanddef. ?
Feraan was finally standing before them. ?"My name is Feraan Auvrearaheal, and I am searching for Caelfel Gyssedlues."
The dark haired elf beside Sanddef stirred, and Feraan glanced at him long enough to determine he was young, perhaps around Caelfel's age.
Sanddef answered, "Caelfel Gyssedlues has been unfortunately captured by a division of the Umfang army, which has already disappeared some hours ago. ?There is nothing more we can do for her. ?I am very sorry-"
Feraan stepped closer to Sanddef and angrily jabbed his finger against Sanddef's plated armor to stress each word. ?"I said that I will be searching for her myself. ?All I am demanding from you is that you give me the last person that saw her."
Sanddef was speechless, taken aback by Feraan's manners, but the elf beside them spoke up.
"That was me. ?I saw everything. ?I was there."
Feraan beckoned him to come closer, and Captain Sanddef marched off, leaving them alone.
"My name is Galath. ?I was Caelfel's training and scouting partner. ?I didn't think they were going to send anyone to look for her." ?
Feraan nodded. ?He had already garnered the fact that Caelfel had volunteered as a ranger from Sylaera. ?"Please, explain everything to me as quickly as you can."
"We were in our designated scouting area, and this man entered the forest. ?He didn't wear any armor and he was alone. ?The rest of the army was remained behind him. ?He pulled out this rock, and there was a voice saying something about a sword and bow. ?Something about it made Caelfel lose her balance, and she fell out of the tree. ?The man picked up her bow and just walked away with it. ?Caelfel chased him. ?I yelled for her not to, but she left the forest, trying to get her bow back."
"And then what happened once she left the forest?" Feraan asked, mentally cursing Caelfel's stubbornness.
"Then a panther attacked her. ?By the time she threw it off, they had her completely surrounded."
"That's it?"
"Yes. ?They just left with her. ?Why would they take only her?"
"They only needed her. ?Thank you, Galath," Feraan said.
"You're going to find her? I want to go with you and help."
Feraan sighed. ??"I will be faster if I do this alone, I know what he wants."
Galath appeared disappointed but did not argue. ?"You're Feraan? ?She spoke of you."
This made Feraan pause. ?"What did she say?"
"I think you broke her heart."
Feraan sighed and he could feel the cracks in his own. ?"It broke mine to do it."
He found the location of the Umfang army's abandoned camp easily enough. ?That amount of soldiers left more than a mere footprint, so it would not be hard to follow them. ?But following them wasn't even a necessity. ?He remembered the location of Grimault's fortress.
They had less than a day's head start on him. ?If he pushed through the desert, he might meet Grimault before the princeling became too impatient for Feraan's arrival. ?Feraan did not dare to allow himself to think what would happen to Caelfel if Grimault turned impatient.
"I'm sorry, Caelfel," he whispered to the breeze before riding Firnis into the desert.
Archer of the Lake Page 28