The human quarters were much the same as the horses; small and enclosed, with tiny hammocks that swung an alarming amount with the motions of the ocean. After scrambling up the makeshift handholds on the wall, Darci finally managed to squirm into the top hammock; so small that even her small form found it cramped. Each rack catered for three people, in Darci’s case, her, Lief and Defyance. Maledorian and Taslessian were forced to bunk with one of the crew. The entire room reeked of body odour, the sheets provided almost stiff from the unwashed sweat of others, yet to Darci’s surprise, no one complained or even mentioned the conditions, so she followed suit, keeping her thoughts to herself lest she stand out.
Back out on deck, the five of them stood watching the sailors masterfully handle the large vessel. Movements were becoming ghostly as the flickering torches slowly became the sole source of light. Being a warship, there were three large masts with men barely seen crawling high above them, awaiting the commands to set sail. With a shout from the bosun that carried above the noise of so many, all the main sails were let loose and the ship lurched into the wind and headed out to sea.
* * *
Two days out, and things were starting to settle into a routine. The ship’s crew would go about their business, whilst in the morning the soldiers and mercenaries gambled. When the sun was at its zenith, causing all on board bad tempers and overly confident greedy thoughts, a brawl would surely break out when the first person was caught cheating. After the offended had been satisfied with the retribution of fists, the mercenaries generally spent the rest of the day getting drunk on homemade liquor.
The soldiers, however, had no such luxury due to their heavy-handed commander confiscating all contraband as soon as the voyage was underway, telling his men with a smile that the officers would gladly look after it while the soldiers needed to keep their wits about them. Instead of joining in the merriment, they simply watched whatever dramas unfolded whilst absently tending to armour and weapons, moving only when a fight threatened to disturb them. While the sun took its evening bath in the western sea, the soldiers not on watch were asleep in their barracks, while the mercenaries slept where they had fallen, to awaken again the next morning, eager to take the chance of winning back what they had lost the previous day.
With no women around, manners quickly fell to the wayside. Most of the time, words were not needed. A simple grunt at a certain tone could speak volumes. Various personal habits began to shine through that would have been considered offensive if it were not for the fact they were all, at least supposed to be, men. Many revolutionary methods of cleaning out the nasal passages were utilised, and when enough people became bored, using the instrument of one’s armpit, they played many and varied tunes. Seeing that they were all males, toilets had become somewhat redundant. The distance one could reach from the railing of the ship soon became something of a competition.
Darci and her two seasick friends watched these events from the other end of the ship. Both had thought that they were over such misery, but the galleon lurched differently to the much smaller Elspeth, and this time, there was no magical wind to force the ship swiftly through the waves. No matter how powerful a wizard he had become, Taslessian was no match for the constant rocking of the waves, while Lief, who was knowledgeable in herb law, still could not find a cure to ease their discomfort. At first this was a small source of amusement to all of those on board the ship, but as soon as the card games began they were quickly ignored.
Being a young and unremarkable boy now, Darci found that she was also ignored more often than not, allowing her to be privy to some revelations that she would have preferred to remain blissfully ignorant of. On the other hand, Defyance and Maledorian gladly joined in with the seemingly ritual events, both jumping into the melees with huge grins on their faces, generally winning their arguments yet sporting multiple bruises at the end of each day.
* * *
On their fifth day at sea, all were greeted by the eerie sounds of silence, interrupted only by the creaking of the ship and the echoing footsteps of the man on watch. The morning sun did not wake the mercenaries, who were slouched all over the deck in whatever position they had passed out in. Instead, the ship had been surrounded by thick white fog, leaving only a vague illuminated area of the sky giving the barest hint that it was actually morning. Those looking up from the deck found it hard to see the sails, knowing from the uncanny stillness that there was no wind behind them. The sailor up in the crow’s nest was now alone in a world of his own.
The blanket of mist sent a ripple of fear through each sailor as whispers of misfortune ran rampant through the crew. The captain steering the ship could not see from one end of his vessel to the other, forcing him to set double watches, as the sailors, mercenaries and soldiers began their games again, this time, under a shroud of muttered curses and only quiet threats. Everyone kept looking over their shoulders to try and pierce the all-encompassing cloud, trying to see whatever was there instead of watching for the expected underhanded tricks of their opponents.
Taslessian and Lief were able to momentarily forget about their upset stomachs with the constant rocking of the ship now barely noticeable. They stood on the bow of the ship, talking to each other whilst Darci listened intently to their conversation.
“This fog has magic behind it,” stated the young wizard in hushed tones. Though no one was near enough to hear his whispers, the fog often played tricks on the unwary. Like the rest of those on board, Taslessian looked over his shoulders before continuing. “Though at the moment, I cannot feel any animosity behind it.” he stood leaning on his staff looking thoughtfully at the fog clouding their path. His eyes lifted occasionally to the sky, his view northward thwarted by the unnatural mist.
“I agree,” replied the human-looking elf; his constant afternoon shadow taking away his boyish good looks. “Though I somehow know that it means us no harm. I can sense a strange… familiarity coming from it – I just can’t figure out what it is.” Lief placed both hands on the railing, willing his eyes to see what was there.
Darci sat down on top of a barrel with her legs crossed, listening quietly to her friends. Aside from their hushed conversation all she could hear was the echo of the ship going through the water and the eerie whispers hinting at others present but unseen on deck, the ocean quietly lapping against the wooden hull.
“There’s so many wizards that could do this, not to mention dragons and other beasts…” no longer paying attention to his friends the young wizard began talking to himself, lost in the world of the knowledge that would take a life time to sort through.
“I can remember reading stories as a child when I was still considered part of the Elven family,” the elf sighed. “My ancestors used to use fog to aid them in any their battles fought without the comfort of the forest. When the odds had seemed unsurmountable, they would sneak up on their enemy with the rolling mist.
Taslessian stood straight with a jerk, causing his cloak to flick back, startling his two friends. “That’s it! That’s why it feels familiar to you. This is the work of an Elven mage!” He grabbed the young elf by the shoulders, shaking him slightly in the excitement of discovery.
Lief could only manage a half smile, faced with the sudden onslaught of Taslessian’s exuberance. When he found that there was no one sharing in his excitement, Taslessian finally remembered who and where he was. Suddenly feeling sheepish, the wizard looked around to see if any were close enough to hear his slight outburst, yet when no reaction was forthcoming from those nearest, he breathed a sigh of relief.
With this understanding dawning on the gathered three, the fog before them appeared to clear somewhat, allowing them to see a large shadow beside the ship.
“Look,” Darci pointed in awe. Right beside their ship, less than a small stone’s throw away, sailed a vessel much the same size as their own, but of a different design. It appeared to be a wider ship than their own with blue writing on its side just above the waterline. The broad
white sails, filled with some unseen wind, were covered in lines and the same blue words, broken in the centre with an almost glowing picture of a yellow bow and arrow displayed in the centre.
“It is the lead ship of the elves,” Lief announced. The watchmen on that side of the ship were staring straight at it, yet their eyes were still veiled by magic, oblivious of the Elven vessel.
“They cannot see what they don’t know to look at,” explained Taslessian. After the initial shock of his discovery, he had managed to gain control of himself, turning back into the serious young wizard that he saw himself to be.
For the three of them, the fog surrounding the ship had all but cleared, so much so that they were able to make out figures on the deck. A group of three elves stood at the bow of their ship, one with his foot on a box. All three were dressed in fine golden armour that the Elven races were famous for. From the perfect curve of their golden shoulder braces down to the rune engraved sword handles. One among the three stood a few clear inches above his comrades. His long black hair was tied firmly at the back, yet a stray wisp blew into his face causing him to tuck it behind his pointed ear.
The strange elf lifted his head as if hearing an unusual noise, turning to look directly at them. It was as if, even over the distance, he was memorising the details of the three regarding him, his sharp Elven eyes looking into their very souls. His youthful, yet serious, face broke into a small smile as he waved to Taslessian and Lief. He then inclined his head to Darci as a way of acknowledging her.
Darci and Lief both waved back in response as the ship began to overtake their vessel. Other elves could now be seen and near the stern, an Elven mage stood much the way Taslessian had on the Elspeth; hands in the air, muttering an unheard enchantment.
“What are ya wavin’ at?” Maledorian asked as he slapped Lief in the back, almost knocking him overboard. The slightly inebriated young knight had somehow managed to sneak up on them while their attention had been elsewhere. Not being under the command of the military, the knight was able to drink as much as he wanted, as long as the alcohol was his, fair and square.
“Nothing,” Darci sighed as the ship slowly sailed from view. Of all of her experiences on this world, this had been the most mysterious, if not the most fleeting, reminiscent of a dream.
“Hick,” the knight turned his attention to his young friend. “But why would you be waving at nothing when you could be doing something… like drinking.” He gave his friends a wide grin that changed when he looked down at his empty cup. “I think that I’m going to go refill my cup.”
Turning around, Maledorian began to stagger away, bumping into a soldier who had seen enough of the knight’s brawling to be smart enough not to protest his maltreatment.
“Why did they want to sneak past us?” Darci asked her two friends. To her it seemed like a wasted effort considering they were all on the same side.
“I guess it just makes things easier that way.” Lief shrugged his shoulders as he turned his head back out towards the sea. He knew his past was a mystery to his companions, but he also knew his story would be told in time. The elf who had acknowledged their presence had been the Elven prince himself, the one who had banished him from the kingdom. With a warm feeling in his heart, he knew that he was no longer outcast. How they had known what he had become a part of, he could not figure out, but he knew in his heart that he could finally return.
It was not long before the mystical fog lifted, buoying the spirits of all those on board. The early morning sun peeked out from behind the white-clouded horizon promising another good weathered day on the sea. The crew were becoming restless and there was an occasional scuffle, but it would not be long before they reached their destination. The soldiers were also becoming agitated. Being cramped up on a large boat was not what they were trained for, and they also knew what was to come. Some of those on board were eager for the sounds of battle while others were only going to war to protect their families and freedom.
Unknown to most, however, there were five others on a quest to save them all.
Chapter 4
The sun sat half way across the sky when their ship weighed anchor just off a large sandy beach. A cool breeze carried sounds over the water as they stood in the longboat that was ferrying them to shore. With every heave of the oars dragging through the water, their little craft lurched forward, forcing those crowded together to lean back, all struggling to keep their footing. It was not long before the experienced sailors caught a wave into shore, coming to a violent stop as their boat run aground. After a short wait for the horses that had to be swum to shore, they joined the procession making its way over a grass-covered dune.
Darci’s legs were beginning to burn as they finally reached the top of the sand dune. As one, her group of five paused for a moment to take in the sight before them. The military camp lay sprawled on flat grasslands that seemed to stretch for as far as the eye could see. It looked just how Darci had imagined it: rows after row of plain white tents, and everything in perfect order. Soldiers could be seen scurrying around like ants going about their business while others sat around in little groups, doing whatever it was that soldiers did in their spare time.
Enjoying the wide, open space after being cramped on the ship for a week, Maledorian, Defyance, Taslessian, Lief and Darci walked down the hill to the camp with a spring in their step. When they finally reached the encampment, they walked through the guard unchallenged. Two soldiers, one leaning on his spear, barely looked at them as they entered the camp. The enemy had not yet been engaged and the addition of mercenaries was expected.
A young infantryman in a clean blue uniform ran past them as they walked through the ranks leading their horses. He did not even take a second look at the newcomers as he carried on his important task. Off in the distance, marching drills could be heard; sergeants barking their orders.
Taking a slight detour from the beaten path, they went directly to the area set aside for the cavalry. Horses grazed happily on the thick grasslands, all tethered on long leads that were anchored on makeshift ropes pegged into the ground. With a quick word to the nearest officer, the horses were quietly led away by stable boys. A small bag of coins exchanged hands so that their mounts could be looked after. On their way back, Maledorian managed to grab one of the stable boys seen with their steeds. With him he made another deal – the boy’s life for the horses. It was a simple and effective way of ensuring that they would be safe. Darci was sure Maledorian would not harm the boy, but the boy did not know that.
They arrived at the provisions tent next to the drill grounds where they were directed to join a line of disgruntled mercenaries, just in time to hear a booming voice. “Right, you take your tent and then you take yourself over to the mercenary camp where you will stay until you’re told otherwise,” a well-built soldier commanded. “Any troublemakers will be dealt with severely.” He placed his hands on his hips as he stared at the mercenaries, daring anyone to challenge him before motioning the line to move forward.
Hearing a mumbled curse, he turned on the offender, grabbing him by the shirt and in the same movement placing a short dagger to the man’s throat.
“What was that?” he asked through clenched teeth. He put his face so close that their noses touched as he stared down the offender. “I didn’t quite hear you.” The soldier pressed the blade mercilessly to the skin causing a drop of blood to trickle like sweat down his neck.
Eyes wide open with his hands grabbing helplessly at the arm clinging to his shirt, the cowardly thug struggled to answer. “I… I… uhhh… nothin’, sir, nothin’”
“That’s what I thought,” the soldier replied with a malicious grin, letting the man go with a shove.
Darci was the only one to raise an eyebrow at such an exhibition. The rest of her group stood patiently, still waiting in line. It was not long until they were given tents and told again not to cause any problems. With their arms full of supplies they were then handed a small pouch of co
ins. Darci was, at first surprised. No one had mentioned money, but then she realised that there were few in any world who would do anything free of charge.
They were quickly shuffled off towards their designated area, following the other mercenaries who had travelled with them until the soldier camp was well behind them. Ahead lay something much less appealing.
The mercenary camp was different to that of the soldiers. Dirty- looking tents were pitched haphazardly, the best awarded to those with the largest swords and strongest wills. The clatter of weapons on weapons could be heard, whether for training or otherwise, no one could be sure. Groups of thugs lounged around on appropriated seats, sneering at anyone who looked at them the wrong way, most with their hands on swords. The prospect of a war and bloodshed always brought the undesirables who flocked like vultures to a rotting carcass.
They walked as a group, Maledorian and Defyance in the lead, actively pushing those in front of them out of the way. The first man brave enough to protest was knocked silly with Defyance’s fist planted swiftly on his nose. Any other protests were quickly quietened with Maledorian standing up to his full height. His well-built figure combined with Defyance’s proven ability to bash in heads deterred any hasty actions.
Finally, they ended up setting camp on the edge of the mercenary grounds with the provided tents, hopefully far enough away from any trouble.
* * *
Darci sat just outside their tent, picking at her broth with her wooden spoon. Meals were provided separately for all, but for both groups, it was first in best dressed. Usually the stronger or meaner men got their food first, leaving the less appetising morsels for the smaller folk. Maledorian with Defyance, looking as she did, were easily able to get all of them a substantial meal, however, Darci had no idea what went into the broth that they ate, and it looked none too appealing.