Chapter 32. A Fine Welcome in the East
JDC gasped for air. He hadn’t run so far in years and he was suffering the consequences. His heart pounded, pain tightened across his chest, a nauseous, stabbing feeling in his gut. He gasped in lungful’s of air, coughing fits interspersed with wheezes and spitting gobs of horrid fluid from his aching lungs didn’t help the smelly, dusty atmosphere within the sackcloth bag that they had pulled down over his head tying a rope around his neck before binding his arms. He didn’t want to think what the bag may have once contained for it stank badly within. But they tugged upon the rope regularly even dragging him along when he fell to his knees. He knew his captors were T’Iea, yet he didn’t expect such a reaction from them when he hailed them across the heather. He thought he had made a mistake, mistaken the high T’Iea he thought he saw who now in truth were T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran, yet they wore the armour of the T’Iea legions. Not the black armour of the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran. He concentrated on the thump, thump, thump of his boots on the heather, tried to just think of placing one foot in front of the other. He couldn’t hear the passage of the T’Iea of course, they were light footed, how did they do that, run without any sound, it was infuriating.
Then they stopped, he only found out when the rope pulled taught in the other direction and almost garrotted him as he fell over backwards. He gasped bent over double, lying there upon the ground trying to relieve the pressure across his chest. His thoughts turned inwards towards his current predicament. He had left the northern wastes after Solvienne had passed through the Rift. The ognodess, the one called Retta had told him Solvienne was gone, she did not know where. Retta seemed just resigned in some way that Solvienne was unlikely to return. He did not really know what to do next, or where to go for they had not discussed that. At first he was resigned to return to the Pnook city in the Rust Desert. He thought he might cross the Trad Ocean flying west but something had drawn him here, back to the east, back across the great divide. Perhaps it was the promise of the great Rift that was here; perhaps its power drew him nigh. Perhaps it was the eastern men, for they out of all the races of peoples upon the world seemed to take a neutral, maybe even a resigned attitude towards the great Leviathan battle cruiser.
Suddenly the sackcloth bag was untied and ripped from his head, he shouted in pain, the rough edge caught his nose, he felt warm wetness trickle down onto his lips. He closed his eyes for they felt full of grit and dust; he wanted to rub at them but could not for his hands were tied. The sun was brilliant, it blinded him, he wanted to lay his head down but someone had hold of the rope around his neck and he was forced to hold his head up or be strangled, his neck muscles wrenched in pain. He heard voices all around him, T’Iea voices talking in their own language. He picked up the odd word, but did not understand most of what was said, at least not enough to make out what was being discussed. One word though was repeated, this word T’Erne’Ret, he knew translated into a reference to his own people the Pnook. He also heard reference to the Rust Desert said in the common speech; obviously there was no translation into T’Iea for that particular part of the world.
Booted feet approached, someone shouted close to his ear, “I’ren’nualle T’Erne’Ret!” The rope around his neck was tugged hard and his head jerked up once again with a loud cracking noise from his vertebrae, he screamed in agony. Through the veils of pain that hung in front of his eyes he could just make out a T’Iea face staring at him with anger in the eyes. He went to say something, but a coughing spasm started and he spat thick saliva containing traces of blood onto the ground. The elf said something with a hint of disgust in the tone of his voice, a sneer upon his features and went to kick JDC in the ribs. JDC’s eyes bulged as the air was forced out of his lungs with the sudden impact, he wheezed trying to gulp air but he couldn’t control his diaphragm from its spasms. Again the booted foot was drawn back, JDC could do nothing but prepare himself for the second blow, he closed his eyes anticipating the sudden pain, but it did not come. A shout from beyond and behind the T’Iea warrior broke the silence. JDC opened his eyes, his T’Iea antagonist glared at him before stepping backwards and standing to attention saluted.
JDC looked upwards straining with his weakening neck muscles raising his watering eyes as far as he could and looking up through his eyelashes to get a view of the newcomer who had shouted with such authority. A tall elf approached bedecked in shining golden armour, coloured bars on his right breast denoted the elf as a high ranking officer, this JDC knew. The T’Iea blue eyes stared at him from beneath the golden helm that hid all of his other features, the eyes bore into him to the extent that JDC had to look away. The elf continued to stare, then as if coming to a decision he turned walking back the way that JDC suspected he had come. Long blonde hair protruded from beneath the helm and swished around as the elf turned and walked away, he gestured with one hand as if beckoning to JDC, indeed his two T’Iea guards picked him up under the arms and half dragged and half carried him across the heather following the T’Iea officer.
They came to a part of the moor that was strewn with dark boulders, many of these large rounded rocks protruded out from amongst the heather. Something in his mind clicked, he looked at the lichen growths on the rock, it seemed to follow some pattern as if it grew around purposeful carvings below. He realised he had seen similar rocky outcrops before, a long time ago in the distant past, he had forgotten, but he recognised the carvings, they were Pnook in origin. To his surprise the officer strode right up to one rocky outcrop and reaching out seemed to pull on a loose canvass that covered the rock, then he bent down and disappeared behind the rock. JDC with his captors then approached, but this time when the canvass was moved JDC saw that in fact it was the flap of a tent and he could see the interior as he was pushed through roughly and fell to the floor, one of his captors followed and placed his booted foot onto JDC’s back so that it was impossible for him to stand or even move. The other guard placed his boot upon JDC’s cheek pinning his face to the ground. JDC could just see the T’Iea officer in front of him remove his golden helm and place it upon a stand. He then took up a large goblet from a table and poured himself a long draught of what looked like a deep red wine. Moving around the table he sat upon its edge, one foot raised upon a chair. He rested the elbow of the arm and hand that held the goblet upon his raised knee and leaning forward took a long swig of the wine, he scrutinised JDC as he did so, he then waved his hand and the pressure of the boot was removed from JDC’s cheek, a further gesture from the office and the booted foot was also removed from his back. JDC was then hauled to a sitting position and the bindings at his wrist removed as was the rope from around his neck.
The officer raised his head and pointed towards JDC with the middle finger of the hand that held the goblet, he spoke this time in the common tongue, “hail to thee master Pnook, I must apologise for your treatment, but my soldiers have good reason to be suspicious of all who walk these parts alone, many spies of the enemy may be found here and I would hate them to discover our camp.” He placed the goblet from which he drank onto the table beside him, then retrieved a second goblet from somewhere behind him and into this he poured the same liquid. He then came round to where JDC lay and offered a hand. JDC took this and was lifted to his feet; the goblet was thrust into his other hand as the elf said, “perhaps a glass of wine?”
JDC nodded as he was allowed to stand on his own, anything would be welcome to wash the filth from his mouth and to ease the dryness of his throat. He took the offered goblet and drank deep and long.
“Your people, the Pnook, once they lived in this region and are known to have been in league with my enemies in the past, you understand our precautions I hope?”
JDC then remembered. Yes once long ago he had been here, when the old Pnook city of Mechno Babaptruek had existed, before it was destroyed by the invading army of the ognods. JDC frowned, despite his other pains he felt angered, he spluttered, his anger grew in his voice, “in this instance y
ou are mistaken, the Pnook have not lived here in the east for many, many ages and we have never been allies of any T’Iea for even longer, ever since the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran forfeit our trust allying with the ognods and destroying our city.” JDC knew he risked retribution by saying such things but he was angry at his treatment and the mistrust that these T’Iea so obviously afforded him.
The T’Iea officer raised his eyebrows and smiled. “In one way I am truly glad to hear that master Pnook. So then I wonder why it is you have come here. Certainly not to return to that old city of which you speak for that lies in ruin and in any case much of it is beyond our access.” He looked questioningly at JDC, his eyes boring into Pnook who once more averted the gaze of the T’Iea officer.
JDC breathed a small sigh of relief, he had hedged his bets on that last answer and felt rewarded that he had obviously got his assumptions right, these were not T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran after all. JDC thought for a while, but was brought back from his thoughts by a sharp prod in his back which almost had him sprawled once more upon the ground. He took this as a hint, he was being asked what he was doing here and what his intentions may be. “I, I came searching for friends, the humans that live here in the east, they were once our allies in our joint struggle against the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran of this region.”
The T’Iea officer, looked at JDC without expression. “You were here before? Most interesting. Then I assume you are something to do with the large flying craft that we saw pass over us some hours ago. Perhaps you come to do battle once more master Pnook?”
JDC looked at the officer, how his head was cocked to one side questioningly. He was either very knowledgeable or he was guessing well. But JDC thought, had he? Had he come to take up arms once more against the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran? JDC looked once more towards the expectant officer, he thought he would be truthful and at the same time put a question and try to get some understanding of the T’Iea intent. “I had no plans to make war; I just sort a place to hide the machine from those who may choose to use its powers - unwisely.”
The T’Iea officer smiled. “I know of what you speak master Pnook, the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran had such a machine for a while, they experimented with the machine, we watched with great interest from afar as they attacked the local populace, playing with the great fire power that these machines have. Long ago master Pnook, two such machines battled against one another in the skies to the east, we watched the battle with much interest, one machine was destroyed, it fell to its ruin upon the ground in flames.” Then with a sly look in his eye he added, “we saw you do battle with their machine, high above in the sky. I congratulate you on your triumph; I found your battle tactics very impressive. You certainly have proved that you know how to use the power of your machine with great skill if you allow me to make such a compliment. Come, perhaps you may enlighten me, tell me more of the great power and technology you possess and have used to such great effect.”
Any surprise JDC felt at the accuracy of the T’Iea officer’s assumptions vanished as he felt a flush of pride and a smile came to his lips.
The T’Iea officer held up his hand as if to delay JDC, he then turned, JDC did not see the faint triumphant smile upon his lips as he waved at his guardsmen, “leave us. Ask one of the healers to come forth immediately and administer to our guest.” The guardsman saluted and turning on the heel of his foot he left the tent. The T’Iea officer waited a few seconds until they were alone and then said, “please forgive our unfortunate initial mistrust master Pnook, I would dearly like to make amends by offering you the hospitality of our camp. But first let me introduce myself, my name is Te’Onolan’u’De’Hu’uinned, I am the commanding officer of this expeditionary force.” The elf smiled warmly at JDC and bowed.
Another elf, a female, entered the tent. At a nod from Te’Onolan’u’De’Hu’uinned she approached JDC who shrank back fear shone in his eyes. “Do not fear master Pnook, she is a competent healer, she will see to your discomfort, the least I can do after being responsible for your rough treatment caused in my ignorance. I only wish to make amends and to offer you respite from your wounds. Only if you agree of course.”
JDC nodded and allowed the healer to do her work. It did not take long and JDC began to feel much relief. It may have also been something to do with the wine for his goblet was replenished a number of times after he had drunk its contents, in fact JDC found he was starting to actually warm to the T’Iea officer. Following another apology from the elf JDC said, “think nothing of it master Te’Onolan’u’De’Hu’uinned, you were right to exhibit such precaution, especially in this part of the world where you may be surrounded by enemies.” JDC held out his goblet in hope and was greatly rewarded as it was filled once more with the wonderful red T’Iea wine. He found that his mind and his tongue were both loosened and when prompted by Te’Onolan’u’De’Hu’uinned he was only too happy to tell his story of how he recovered the Leviathan from the Rust desert and what he had managed to discover about the machine and its capabilities. Not once did he mention any others that may have aided him in this task, after all they were not actually present when the machine was captured single handed and flown from its lair, they didn’t actually help as such and he wasn’t asked if he had any accomplices after all.
Te’Onolan’u’De’Hu’uinned proved to be a good listener, he didn’t say anything or interrupt JDC, he just made encouraging noises and raised his eyebrows in surprise at some of the embellishments that JDC found himself adding into the tale. JDC imagined he saw some admiration in the way the T’Iea officer regarded him, in any event he was enjoying himself, the rigors and pain of some hours before forgotten in his self-veneration and astonishing achievements.