The Merchant and the Menace (6 page)

After fifteen minutes at this tiring pace, Kael
slowed and shook his head. The feeling was gone, and as he caught his breath he
laughed. How foolish he felt. The fears and imaginings of a child got the
better of him. Thank goodness no one was a witness to that stupidity.

After another hour, Kael stopped by the western
side of the path. He was unable to determine if the storm raged outside the
forest. The trunks of the trees were coated in water and drops constantly fell
from the canopy of the forest. Kael was certain the hottest, driest days outside
the forest appeared this way. The Nagur was a cool, wet, dank place, all to
itself. Quiet permeated everything.

From his calculations, Kael felt he should be
nearing the Efer River. As he sat propped against a tree, he listened for the
sound of rushing water. He closed his eyes and let his mind stretch out and
reach for that sound. Did he hear it? Maybe, just faintly, he heard the sound
of water spilling over rock. It grew louder the more he concentrated and
focused his mind. Yes, now he definitely heard the steady rush of water.

A loud snap interrupted the rhythm of the river.
Then another. Kael's eyes sprung open, but his mind and ears stayed alert. The
noise came from the eastern side of the Nagur trail. He rolled around the trunk
of the tree and gazed into the woods on the opposite side of the path. Nothing.
After a minute, Kael heard another faint crunching noise. His eyes shot in the
sound’s direction. Was that movement he saw? He couldn’t be sure. A few more
soft rustling noises and Kael was up and moving Southward down the path.

The boy fumbled inside his cloak for the blade
Jasper gave him. He ran lithely, springing over rocks and fallen tree limbs,
his ears on the alert. The rustling turned into a soft thumping noise that
quickened as Kael increased his own pace. This was no longer his imagination.
Something followed behind him and sounded as if it were gaining. When he
reached an open stretch of pathway, Kael stole a glance over his shoulder. The
boy was sure he saw movement inside the tree line. He increased his speed, pushing
his body’s endurance.

The sound of the river grew. Ahead of him the path
widened and cleared. A narrow, wooden bridge arched over a small gorge. The
Efer River rushed beneath the bridge. If Kael made it over the river, whatever
followed would be required to do the same. Tactically, that gave him an
advantage. If he had only kept his bow. Courage replaced fear. His goal became
the bridge.

The path flew under his feet as he increased his
speed. Behind him he heard a crash and glanced back to see a figure break free
from the trees and onto the path. Kael leapt onto the bridge. His heart leapt
as well. Jasper’s blade flashed from beneath his cloak. The boy prepared to
turn at mid bridge and face his assailant.

His hopes crashed. Ahead of him, three shadowy
figures rushed from the woods. They took positions at the end of the bridge and
notched arrows into short bows. Kael's heart sank. The bridge was to be his
salvation. Instead, it was the perfect trap sprung by this group of thieves.
Thirty feet ahead lay an arrow to the heart. Thirty feet below a nasty fall to
the turbulent Efer. Thirty feet behind .......

Kael turned to see a hooded figure in green slowly
advancing across the bridge. The figure gripped a sword and moved to within
three yards of the boy. Kael clenched his teeth, spun the dagger’s balanced
weight in his hand and glared. His assailant froze. Kael was shocked to hear
the snarl emit from his own lips.

“Yours is a bit bigger than mine, but both cut
deeply enough! Stay back!”

The man on the bridge relaxed and stood straight,
throwing back his hood.

“You possess backbone,” said a handsome, young elf
with dusky gray skin and dark black hair, “but you are hardly in a position to
make demands. I am Eidyn, Captain of the Imperial Guard. Drop your weapon and
state your business.”

Kael’s shoulders drooped and he glanced nervously
between the trio on the bank and the lone elf advancing on him.

“How can I be certain who you are?” muttered Kael
over the rush of the river. ”The four of you might be thieves.”

“Grey Elves do not become thieves! You were about
to enter our lands. Who else would be guarding the entryway? Now comply with my
demands or be taken by force. Those archers could have killed you long ago if
they so desired.”

Kael weighed the stranger’s words and knew they
held merit. He couldn’t help but weakly smile at how poorly this trip was
progressing. Now he stood captured by the very people he came to visit. He
plunged the dagger into a post of the bridge and stepped toward the archers
with his hands held high.

“I mean no one harm,“ said Kael. “I’m here to do
some trading.”

“Trading eh,” replied Captain Eidyn. “It’s
extremely late in the day to be thinking of trading. The markets will be closed
soon.”

“Unfortunately, my companion was injured and needed
attention. This took some time and forced me behind schedule. If you need
someone to vouch for me, I’m to meet an Elf named Teeg when I arrive. He’s a
friend of my father. He should clear things up.”

“If you use prominent names to impress me, you’ll
soon learn they do not,” said Eidyn. “Lord Teeg will be notified of your
arrival and we shall see if he supports your story.”

The Elf moved forward and checked Kael for any
other weapons. When he was satisfied, he turned and worked the dagger free from
the bridge post. His eyes widened and he took a step back from Kael.

“Where did you get this dagger?” he demanded.

“From a friend,” returned Kael.

“The owner of this dagger would not part with it
easily. Turn around!” ordered Eidyn.

Kael complied. Eidyn bound Kael’s hands behind his
back and placed a gag in his mouth. The captain marched Kael to the opposite
side of the bridge.

“Lieutenant Diom, make sure your men are as
vigilant as ever,” Captain Eidyn said to one of the bowmen. “The stories of
trouble in the North Nagur are true. I bear much to report to his majesty. I
don’t know what role, if any, this prisoner plays in the trouble, but he wears
the dress of a Southland villager without the features of one. You three will
come with me. You others maintain your positions and guard the bridge. Support
will arrive shortly.”

Kael scanned the woods on the south side of the
bridge and picked out the figures of Elves crouched behind trees and boulders.
Eidyn moved ahead down the path and led the five men on their march toward
Luxlor.

After a short while on the path, one of the bowmen
left Kael’s side to walk with Eidyn several yards ahead.

“Sir?” he whispered, attempting to keep his
conversation low.

“Yes, Diom,” answered Captain Eidyn.

“I was wondering sir. This prisoner, he hardly
seems like much of a threat. I mean, he’s just a boy. What worries you about
him?”

“He may appear a boy, Diom, but after the things
I’ve seen this week I’m taking no chances,” replied Eidyn.

“Sir?” prompted Diom.

“Several nights ago, I came across tracks I’d seen
only once, long ago,” continued Eidyn. “Immediately, I assumed there was an
unnatural to the north. I tracked it for the remainder of the evening and lost
it.”

“Impossible!” gasped Diom.

“I tell you it eluded me by some black magic,” said
Eidyn, “and that is not all that seems impossible. As I was returning home, I
came across this boy. Taking the usual precautions, I trailed him.”

Eidyn paused and furrowed his brow.

“He heard me,” said the captain.

 “No! This cannot be. No mere Southland lad could
detect you. I myself find it difficult. You’re like a shadow amongst the
trees.“

“Not only did he hear me, but he saw me. I took
every precaution and still he saw me,” exclaimed Eidyn.

Diom furrowed his brow in a troubled expression.

 “Sir, I’m glad we spoke. I supposed it to be a
trick of my imagining, but when you ordered our troops in the wood to maintain
their positions,” said Diom, “I swear the boy looked directly at Firn and
Erlin’s stations. For an instant, I was convinced he saw them as well.”

Eidyn considered the news.

“Diom, this
boy
concerns me. Once I knew of
my discovery, I moved to capture him. As heaven is my witness, he outran me. If
he ran in any other direction than that of the bridge, he might have evaded
me.”

“Ridiculous! You are a champion of the Grey Elves.
This boy could not outrun a champion of Luxlor.”

“You saw it yourself. By the time he reached the
bridge I was nearly spent. In another locale he would have outstripped me,”
Eidyn clenched his teeth. “When that boy heard me, saw me, then outran me, I
knew I was dealing with something unusual.”

Diom turned and looked over his shoulder as the
group marched on. Kael diverted his eyes as his mind and heart raced. What were
these men talking about? The boy was frightened and confused. His blood rushed
and his senses were alert. He prayed that once they reached Luxlor his father’s
old friend, Teeg, would set things straight. Diom turned back to his superior
as Captain Eidyn slid Kael’s dagger from beneath his cloak.

“Not only did he accomplish these improbable tasks,
but he carried this,” whispered Eidyn.

“The Needle of Ader!” hissed Diom and he shot a
glance back to the boy.

 Kael was shocked and his eyes went wide as he
gazed ahead at the dagger. The revelation that he carried a weapon of
significance to the Elves was too much for him to grasp. His reaction did not
evade the keen eyes of Diom.

“Captain,” hissed Diom “He hears us
and
he
understands!”

Again Kael was shocked. Something strange was going
on. Eidyn wheeled around and marched back to Kael. The captain tore the gag
from the boy’s mouth and held the dagger to Kael’s throat.

“Is this true?” demanded Eidyn in his Elvish
tongue.

Kael’s eyes were wide with fear.

“IS THIS TRUE?” demanded Eidyn once more.

“Yes,” stammered Kael. “I.... I don’t know what’s
going on here. Please, sir. I’m just an innkeeper’s son on his way to Luxlor to
trade some goods. I don’t know about any trouble in the Nagur.”

Eidyn’s eyes narrowed.

“An innkeepers son. From what town?”

“Kelky,” answered Kael.

Eidyn's face grew stern. He threw the gag to the
ground and spun to face his troops.

“I want the three of you in a tight formation
guarding the prisoner. It’s time to move. Quickly!”

Eidyn thrust the dagger into his cloak, turned to
the trail and ran toward Luxlor. Two of the Elves grabbed Kael under the arms
and forced him forward at a similar pace.

Once again Kael’s mind raced. What was going on?
Did he step into the middle of a battle? Was he being mistaken for someone
else? Certainly, he reasoned, this was not normal behavior for the Elves.
Possibly there was a murder or theft in the Nagur, and he was in the wrong
place at the wrong time. If they believed him to be at fault, would they arrest
him or execute him? He desperately wished his father were with him.

 After forty minutes at a steady run, the five men
passed a guard outpost. Two Elves manning the post stepped into the road, but
recognition of Captain Eidyn flashed across their faces and they quickly
stepped aside. Within another five minutes, the group arrived at the outskirts
of the city of Luxlor. Simple cottages of earth and wood appeared here and
there in the surrounding forest. As they traveled onward, the number of
cottages grew.

The trees in the city fascinated Kael. Their number
didn’t diminish as the group traveled deeper and deeper into the heart of
Luxlor. More and more houses and cottages appeared, but the Elves constructed
them in order to give the trees room. The citizens of Luxlor built their cottages,
stores and other buildings around the trees. In some cases, the trees were an
important part of the structure. They passed a cottage with a huge oak trunk
sticking out of the middle of the roof and soaring high into the forest
ceiling.

 Dusk was approaching and Elves crowded the streets
traveling to their homes.

“We don’t need to alarm the populace by rushing
through the streets,” said Eidyn to his men. “Watch the boy closely.”

The group slowed to a walk. Kael was allowed an
opportunity to observe the people of Luxlor. Most of the men were about his
height, somewhat short by Zodrian standards. All displayed the distinctive
smoky gray skin and black hair common to the elves. Also, Kael noticed the
Elves were predominantly slight of build, almost delicate. This feature coupled
with their graceful, fluid motions made even the most mundane tasks appear a
beautiful dance.

As Kael was watching an attractive young woman
glide by him carrying a basket of apples, he was pulled to a stop by the hand
of one of his guards. He turned and stared forward. Stretching across the road
in front of him towered a row of gigantic trees. Each spanned a width of ten
paces with an unusual cloudy white bark that appeared smooth to the touch. The
trees grew so closely together that Kael guessed his fist might just be able to
pass between the nearest two. The giants created a formidable wall. Their
towering mass securely protected whatever lie on the opposite side.