Elf Lords: 02 - Last of the Elf Lords (19 page)
Read Elf Lords: 02 - Last of the Elf Lords Online
Authors: Richard Saunders
Trian slammed his fist on the desk. “It is a good thing that I am. It appears that you and McRawl have succeeded in making a dung heap out of our plans!”
“I do not know how McRawl failed.” Marlow said, attempting to shift the blame on the dead captain. “But at least I was able to recapture the princess.” He offered.
Trian cocked his head to the side inquisitively.
Marlow picked up the signed copy of the Letter of Intent that Jordan had been in possession of when he had been captured. Trian snatched it from the Commander and scanned its contents. He tossed it onto the desk and said, “So, Kadoola has that treaty to show off to those who support him. McRawl is being accused of attempting to murder him, tying you and me into that plot, and to the kidnapping of the Alexonian Princess. Things are falling apart, and yet you brag about recapturing a teenage girl?”
Marlow became defensive, “We have Megan and her father. That has to count for something.”
Trian forced himself to calm down. “Perhaps; maybe we can still use them to capture that damned sword.”
They were interrupted by a knock at the door. Marlow waited for Trian’s approval before permitting the guard outside to enter.
“I am sorry Commander, but the men outside tell me that the wizard Kataard is demanding an audience with you. He has been pacing around out there for a quarter hour, despite being told that you are not to be disturbed.”
Marlow looked to Trian, “He is
questioning
the prisoners.”
“Then bring him in and see what he has to say.” Trian decided.
“Permit him to enter.” Marlow informed the guard.
The guard closed the door. Trian and Marlow waited in silence until they heard the guard knock again.
“Enter!” Marlow called out.
The door opened and Kataard rushed past the guard to enter. Seeing Trian, he ignored Marlow altogether. “I have found the location of the Sanctuary!”
Trian’s mood improved instantly, “Are you certain?”
Kataard raised the chain holding the small green gem that he had taken from Reldoor. “This is a guiding stone. It will enable anyone possessing it to traverse the Tilsaw without being manipulated by the magic of the forest. Simply think of Seebaul’s lair, and it will lead you to it.”
Trian held out his hand, motioning for the wizard to give him the stone. When Kataard handed it over, Trian squeezed it tightly, “How do you know this to be true?”
Kataard grinned, “I have seen this type of thing before. It is an ancient magic. Seebaul must have had it in his possession for centuries. I took it from the boy who was traveling with the princess and her father. I could read in his mind that this was what he was to use to guide him back to the Sanctuary.”
Trian was pleased by this news. “This is what we have been waiting for. The secret to unlock the Elf Lord’s magic, and lead us, not only to him, but to the pearls and the Dragon Gates. Take me to the prisoners. I want to see what else you can pull from that boys head concerning the Elf Lord and his Sanctuary.”
Trian hurried out of the Supreme Commander’s office, with Kataard and Marlow following on his heels. Marlow motioned for the two guards in the hallway to follow him. They exited the Keep and crossed the courtyard heading in the direction of the building that served as Kataard’s lair. Trian increased his momentum as they approached the building, forcing Kataard to jog in order to keep up with the Warlord. Marlow remained perfectly satisfied with walking at his leisurely pace, wanting to continue the appearance that he was in control. He watched as Trian and the elf-wizard entered through the doorway. When he reached the entrance, both Trian and Kataard had already made their way downstairs. Marlow stationed his guards at the entrance and followed down into Kataard’s chambers. He heard Trian cursing as he approached the open door. Marlow walked into the room, only to see him stomping the floor in anger.
“They are gone.” Trian announced to the commander.
Kataard stood at the table, his eyes fixed on the dead rook. “They killed him.” He spoke softly.
“It was just a bird.” Alister admonished the elf.
Kataard remained silent as Trian explained, “The rook was Kataard’s familiar. They were connected in a special way.”
“I received power from him and he held a portion of my life essence.” Kataard bemoaned.
“Enough about the damned bird!” Trian exclaimed, deeming his brief explanation satisfactory enough.
Kataard backed away from the Warlord and the Supreme Commander.
“What do we do now?” Alister asked.
Trian paused a moment. “I would like to have gleaned some information as to the layout of Seebaul’s camp from the boy, but it will not matter. With this stone, we can find it.”
Alister grinned, “Then we will prepare the troops and move into the Tilsaw before sunrise. You will come with us, wizard.”
Kataard’s stared open-mouthed at the Supreme Commander.
Trian smirked, “He would be useless going up against Seebaul. Until he has a pearl in his hands, he would do nothing but hinder us.”
“What good is he, then?” Alister questioned.
“Kataard has his uses, and once he has the red pearl, he will be restored to his former glory. Then he will fulfill his purpose. Turning to the wizard he asked, “How many trolls have you summoned?”
“Ten.” Kataard answered. The elf was too distraught to even consider correcting the usage of the word
troll
that he so despised.
“Send for them. I will take them with me.” Trian advised.
“What are your plans?” Alister asked.
“We are going after Seebaul. You will carry the gem and lead a full command of soldiers up after Seebaul. I will make sure that you know how to use it. We will send the trolls after them too. I will assume my true form and fly overhead to swoop down upon them until the soldiers are close enough that I have to change back.”
“Won’t the magic confuse you?” Alister asked.
“The magic of the Tilsaw will prevent me from finding Seebaul’s sanctuary, but it will not prevent me from following you. We are magically linked, so that I can find you anywhere. You will be my eyes leading me to the Elf Lord. Once we reach him, I will burn his sanctuary to the ground. We will massacre Seebaul and everyone with him. All that will survive will be the Pearls of the Elf Lords, and the stolen Dragon Gates that he has hidden. Once that is accomplished, we will no longer need to be concerned about Kadoola or the Emperor. Both will fall to the new order of the Dragon.”
Tessa stepped outside of the hut, where she had done her best to bandage Natis’ hands and treat his other wounds. She found Jordan, Megan, and Landis waiting outside. “You need to let me tend to your bruises.” She said to Jordan.
The Prince-Regent rubbed his swollen face. “I will be all right.”
“How is Natis?” Landis asked.
Tessa shook her head, “He will live. Most of his wounds are not as serious as they look. His hands are badly damaged. I cannot guarantee that they will ever fully recover.
“Without his hands, he will have little power as a mage.” Landis said.
“I have done all that I can do.” Tessa insisted.
“I know you have. Thank you.” Landis replied.
Tessa looked off in the distance. She saw Seebaul and Trevor Kahn standing on the ledge overlooking the darkened valley below. Nearby, she observed Doogal sitting on the ground, looking out in the same direction. Shadow was lying beside the thief. Doogal was absentmindedly scratching the large hound behind her ears.
Tessa walked over to join him. “I think that Shadow might be tempted to run off with you when you leave.”
“If what they are saying is right, then I doubt if any of us will be leaving this place.”
Doogal’s choker was gone from around his neck, revealing the vicious scar on his neck. It was the first time that Tessa had seen it since their first meeting. “Did you lose your choker?”
Doogal shrugged his shoulders and tugged at his tunic. The move was an instinctive reaction that he had developed to try to hide the old wound. Catching his actions, he dropped his arms to his side. “I wear the choker to hide the hangman’s scar. Not much reason to do so now.”
Before she realized what she was doing, Tessa ran her finger across the scar. “It is not that bad.” Tessa commented. “I see no reason to be ashamed of it.”
Doogal was startled by the feeling of the Ranger’s caress, but he did not move. This was the first time that Doogal had ever permitted anyone to touch his scar. He missed the feel of Tessa’s finger the moment she pulled her hand away. “I do not hide the scar out of shame. I do it to conceal my identity. There are many who know the description of
The Hangman
only as a half-elf with a scar across his neck. Wearing a choker, or a kerchief, has helped to hide my identity more than once.”
Tessa did not respond. Instead, she quietly took a seat on the ground next to the thief, and looked out in the distance to where Doogal’s eyes were fixed.
“They are coming, should be here by sunrise.” Doogal estimated.
Tessa looked back over her shoulder, “We have sixty or more children up here. Only a handful of them are big enough to use a sword, if we had any to spare. That leaves us with one Elf Lord and eight trained fighters, plus Reldoor, and maybe the princess. Not much against an army.”
“You are forgetting your dog.” Doogal reminded her, “Besides, some of those fighters have faced worse. They are legendary. Still, the odds do not favor us.”
“Why did you return with us?” Tessa asked.
Doogal did not answer.
“I am serious, Doogal. You have no stake in this fight. You got your revenge against the man you were after. You have no family here, and no ties to this community. You could have left, and nobody would have blamed you.”
Doogal nodded, “Do not think that I did not consider it. I thought about it every step of the way back here. This is a fool’s fight. But a man has to have something to fight for, or else he does not have a reason to live. I poured every bit of my being into seeking revenge for years. Now I have no one left to get even with. It seems to me that these children, and this group of people, are worth fighting for. Those Westlanders don’t have any real reason to remain behind either, unless you buy that story about the magical pearls and all that. I figure that if they are willing to make this their line in the sand, then I can do the same. If I must die, then at least I will die in grand company. And I have sort of come to appreciate
some
of the company here.”
Tessa realized that Doogal was now holding her hand. She did not pull it away. “You are a good man, Doogal.” She spoke with fondness.
Doogal spotted movement overhead. He looked up in time to see a raven fly by. The black bird landed on a branch sticking out over the hillside nearby. The bird looked his way before crying out, “Caw.”
Doogal chuckled, “You say that I am good, but the raven knows best. They seem to follow me wherever I go, always announcing the presence of death when I arrive. And why not, they are omens of death, and I will always be
The Hangman.
”
Tessa squeezed the half-elf’s hand. “Is that all you see when you observe the raven? If so, then you do not know your own elven heritage. While humans view the raven as a symbol of darkness, the Delowe’ view it as a positive omen. It is a sign of transition, a symbol of hope. Many elves see its reputation as a trickster as a representation of wisdom and knowledge. Perhaps the raven should be a symbol to you of your new life, now that your quest for justice has ended.”
“A new life that will probably be over by this time tomorrow.” Doogal suggested.
“Enough talk about dying.” Weslocke said as he approached the two half-elves. “I have faced worse situations, and somehow found a way out. We must have confidence that we shall do the same this time.”
Seebaul ended his conversation with Trevor and called out to everyone, “My friends, gather around. I have a plan.”
“What did I tell you?” Weslocke said with a grin.
* * * * *
After gathering the companions together, Seebaul led them away from the camp and into the trees. As they approached, Katryn appeared, waiting for them. Landis rushed to embrace her, something he had been unable to do the first time they met in this forest.
“There is no time for that now.” Seebaul chided the reunited lovers. “Katryn, take us to the gates.”
Katryn reluctantly released her hold on Landis. Without speaking, she closed her eyes, clutching the green stone around her neck. The darkness around them shimmered for only a moment, and then it became apparent to all that they were not standing in the same location. The camp, which had been in view only moments before, was gone. They were now standing in a clearing at the edge of a towering cliff. Dense forest lay in all other directions before them.
Weslocke looked up at the wall before them. By his estimation, its wide, circular base rose a good thousand feet above the valley. “I could see this from the camp. It has to be at least a two hour hike deep into the forest from where we were to get here.”
Seebaul grinned at the dwarf, “You are correct.”
Seth looked up at the narrow cliff. “This is called the Tilsaw Needle.” Looking to Seebaul, he said, “I thought that no one was permitted in here but you.”
“That was then, this is now.” Seebaul answered. “Everyone take a seat.” Seebaul instructed. When all had found a place to sit down in a semi-circle around the Elf Lord, Seebaul said, “It is time to leave this place.”
“And go where?” Jordan asked, “Even if we can leave by another route, there is no way that we can outrun an army with sixty children to care for.”
