The Elf King (7 page)

The creaking of the wooden
wheels closed in on them and then the wagon was right in front
passing along without hesitation. They could see sleek puffs of
steam shoot out of the black horse’s nostrils, could make out the
rugged clothing that the two men wore, and hear the chains in the
carriage shift and slide with each bump. Seconds later, it was
gone, disappearing again in the night.

Tane watched it until he
could no longer see it, then looked back down the trail to see if
anything followed. Once he was satisfied that they were alone, he
stood to his feet and sheathed his sword. Qenn followed, feeling
his heart return to normal rhythm.

“
We could’ve hitched a
ride,” Qenn sighed. “Maybe a bite to eat as well.”

Tane shook his head. “Too
dangerous. This isn’t Meadow, Qenn. We have to watch our backs and
trust our instincts. And mine was telling me that those two were
bad news.”

Qenn slipped his dagger
back beneath his traveling cloak. His brother was right, but the
thought of walking all the way to Skadar Port if they didn’t have
to bothered him. “You’re right. Let’s keep moving.”

As they began to depart,
walking side by side, peering back every so often, Qenn whispered
to his brother. “Tane, I didn’t mean anything by it. I mean your
Elven senses. I consider you a part of Elven heritage as well as
anyone.”

“
Qenn, it’s okay. I didn’t
take offense. You’re my brother and I love you, even if you are a
full blooded elf.” Tane smiled, pushed his brother playfully.
“Sometimes I wish I was either one or the other.”

“
You don’t mean that,” Qenn
groaned. “You have a uniqueness, Tane.”

“
I know. I just wish I had
answers that I’ll never have.”

Qenn patted Tane’s broad
shoulders. “The answers are within you, brother.”

Tane smiled. “You’re a good
brother. And a strong elf.”

Qenn smiled in spite of
himself. “I am terrified in ways that I don’t think you ever will
be.”

“
We’re in this together.
Remember that. You won’t be alone, Qenn.”

They stared at each other
for a few seconds, understanding in their eyes that they would not
fail the other, that they would not let the other die
alone.

Tane patted Qenn gently on
the back before leading the way. Qenn stayed like a shadow at his
side.

They walked for the
remainder of the night without so much a sigh to the other. They
were tired and in dire need for real food. Qenn had stopped several
times to pick roots for them to devour, but they were not the
solution. The woods had thinned out and the air became cooler
still, while the sky overhead was void of any clouds. As the
brothers tied their cloaks a little more snug around their waists,
the scent of burning wood caught their attention.

Tane stopped them.
“Fire.”

“
Camp fire,” Qenn
corrected. “It’s not far, either.”

Even though neither said
it, they were both hoping to run across someone who would eagerly
serve them a hot plate. They proceeded forward once again, keeping
an eye out for a yellow glow.

They spotted it only
minutes later, rounding a small rise, staring down to a clearing at
the bottom of the hill. Not far off the trail was the fire, glowing
bits of yellow flickering into the sky as two forms moved around
it. Behind them rested a horse, and a wagon-carriage.

“
Well,” questioned Qenn,
“do we take a look?”

Tane had a hard time
denying his stomach too. “Be careful. Don’t give out any
information about ourselves. We would just like to share the
fire.”

Qenn nodded.
And anything else they would offer.

They started down the hill
slowly, not wanting to catch the two men off guard, making enough
noise to alert them of their approach. Before they reached the
valley, they could hear the mumbled voices grunt anew, whispering
an alert, as they watched the two men rise and await them. The
brothers slowed even more once it was known that they were being
watched.

They were greeted by a ruff
voice well before they reached the fire, before they could make out
who was speaking. “Hold on right there.”

Tane and Qenn stopped as
they were told, feeling an uneasiness settle between them. “We mean
you no harm.” Tane shot back. “We’re hoping to share your
fire.”

“
Who are you?” The other
angry voice fired, even less friendly than the first.

“
We are making our way to
Skadar Port. We carry nothing of value, nor do we have anything to
trade.”

The two angry voices
collaborated for a moment before the first man spoke again. “Sorry
for the inconvenience, but one can’t be too careful these
days.”

“
Come over, if you want,”
the other man added, chuckling something under his breath, spitting
something into the grass. “Share what we have.”

Tane whispered to Qenn,
“Watch them closely. Trust your instincts.”

He led Qenn over to the
fire where two dingy men held drinking bottles. They were hard
looking men, who either paid no attention to their appearance or
simply gave up trying to maintain it. Each held a gruff beard and
wild hair, with faces that were tan and dirty and casting
unfriendly glares. Tane and Qenn exchanged brief greetings with
them and were offered a place to sit next to the flames. One of the
men handed Qenn a bottle. When he thought no one would notice, he
wiped it off on his cloak and gingerly tipped the bottle up to his
lips. He spit almost instantly; the taste far too strong for what
he desired. He passed the bottle to Tane happily. The men then took
their seats across from their guests.

“
We thank you.” Tane forced
a smile, not caring for how they were looking at him. “Where are
you two heading?”

“
Stew?” The shorter man
asked, disregarding Tane altogether. Before he was given an answer,
he was preparing two plates and handing them over to Qenn and
Tane.

Qenn took his plate
immediately and began eating. “Thank you a hundred times over. I
have not eaten anything since...” He thought better of finishing
his sentence and went to eating.

The two men huddled close
to each other, whispering beneath the crackling fire. Eye contact
was made with Tane several times, followed by smiles that were not
too friendly. They continued to drink from their bottles, tossing
one and getting another as soon as it was empty, staring through
the flames at the two brothers.

Tane was uncomfortable. “So
where are you going?” he tried again.

A gruff voice barked back
instantly, “You carry a nice sword, half-breed. Was he dead when
you took it, or did you kill him to get it?”

“
A souvenir?” laughed the
other man. The two men began laughing together, mumbling
unpleasantries under their breath.

“
It was given to me,” Tane
explained, his posture stiffening. He stopped eating and waited for
the confrontation he expected to happen.

The men laughed harder.
“Yeah, we’ve been given a lot of things too!”

“
People are generous in
these parts, boy!” the other joined.

Tane looked at Qenn, who
had also set his plate aside, and mouthed the word thieves. The
brothers were now feeling even more uncomfortable. Together they
rose to their feet.

“
Thank you for the food,
but we should be going now.” Tane said, watching the other two
men’s faces turn for the worse.

“
Why don’t you two stick
around for the night? We’ll give you a ride to Skadar Port in the
morning.”

Qenn looked at his brother,
feeling a tension rise between the two groups. “Thanks, but we’re
in no hurry.”

“
I didn’t say it was
negotiable,” the voice growled back. The two men’s faces twisted
into an expression that was anything but friendly. They began
forward, moving around the fire, heading for Tane and
Qenn.

Suddenly from inside the
wagon, chains began thrashing against wood, diverting the thieves’
attention. Grunting between them, the taller man slipped around to
the back of the carriage out of sight. Heated words were exchanged,
then the chains stopped and the man reappeared.

“
Did you hear that?” Qenn
whispered. His face couldn’t hide his feelings. He was scared.
“They have someone in there!”

“
Boy, why don’t you two
come over here and help me with this wheel?” the short man snarled.
The two men stepped back away from the fire, easing into the
shadows.

“
What’s in the wagon?” Qenn
asked quickly.

“
Come on back and find
out,” the raspy voice teased.

Tane had his sword sliding
free from its sheath when he noticed one of the men holding
something in the dark. Before he could draw his sword the rest of
the way, he heard a smack and Qenn and was dropping at his side. He
felt a sharp sting in his neck then, and he too was falling, his
eyes seeing nothing but darkness, his head spinning. His ears could
pick up the slight traces of movement next to him, gruff voices
speaking quickly, but everything was fading. He was out before the
first man grabbed his feet.

Chapter 5

T
ane awoke to the sunlight creeping in through a rip in the
overhead canopy. Groggy and disoriented, it took him a few seconds
to recognize that he had been drugged and was now in the back of a
moving wagon. His head was dizzy and the constant lurching of the
ride didn’t help to improve matters. His hands and feet were tied
by rope, and his mouth was gagged with musty cloths. Qenn lay next
to him in the same fashion. At the front of the wagon a large brown
sack with a bulk form inside it was tied down with chains. Besides
that, the wagon only carried a single chest, chained and locked.
The walls were of wood, smooth and not scalable, and the back door
showed no handle or lock, nothing to help them open it.

He could hear a muffled
conversation at the front of the carriage; his captors were making
plans for their new prey, cursing and arguing all the while. Tane
could barely make out full sentences, but came to the conclusion
that it wasn’t going to be good for Qenn or himself. The name
Skadar Port was mentioned a few times, but he couldn’t be sure
that’s where they were heading. He began wondering how long he had
been out. There was no way of knowing for sure, he had hoped it had
been just for the night. He guessed it didn’t matter much at this
point.

He tried to break the rope
binding his feet, then his hands. The rope twisted and slightly
loosened, but he only succeeded in cutting into his palms. He tried
to reach for the cloth stuffed in his mouth, but his hands were
tied in such a way that he couldn’t even reach his chin. He then
reached for his sword, but found his belt empty. His sword was
missing, as well as the dagger in his boot. His captors had
searched him well. He decided he had better try to wake Qenn to see
if he fared any better.

Moving as quietly as he
could, he began to kick his brother’s legs. Qenn opened his eyes,
startled. The grogginess and half-sleep disappeared quickly as
worry flushed his face. Finding himself unable to move, he
panicked. He thrashed about trying to free himself and didn’t stop
until he felt Tane’s boot kick him again. Qenn’s frightened look
was calmed by Tane’s warning. Slowly, he began to
settle.

Motioning with his head,
Tane brought Qenn’s attention to the sack ahead of them. They both
understood that they could end up that way if they were caught
trying to escape. While their captors thought them still sleeping,
they would have to use extra caution. Tane used his fingers to
motion for his brother to calmly make his way over to him so they
could try to untie each other. His thin body moved easily across
the wood planks to where he could grasp his brother’s hands. The
thick rope was tied tight; it would be a painstaking process,
especially if they were to be silent.

After several long minutes,
Qenn stopped trying and Tane took over. Qenn’s hands were tied just
as tight, and with Tane’s thick fingers, the task seemed hopeless.
With the creaking of the wagon to mask their efforts, the two
brothers continued for nearly an hour with no gain.