Sitting down next to her, Lief was shovelling down the suspicious substance, not looking as if he enjoyed the meal, but more as if he wanted to get it over and done with. Seeing Darci’s reluctance, he finished chewing his last mouthful.
“I do share your opinion of the things they call dinner, but I believe that it is a mind over matter situation. I also found that holding your nose can dull some of the taste.” The elf wanderer smiled at her as he wiped a drip of soup from the side of his mouth. Stray whiskers, as short as they were, were something he would never get used to.
“Well, I’ll give it a go, but I’m not promising anything,” Darci replied. She took a few deep breaths to prepare herself.
“What do we do now?” she asked the others before sticking a spoonful of broth into her mouth, holding her nose at the same time.
“I had a quick look around,” answered Defyance in hushed tones. Darci had gotten used to looking at her father’s face, but listening to his voice still sent pangs of pain to her heart. Thankfully, for the moment at least, the dreadful taste of the food was forgotten.
“From what I hear, there have only been a few skirmishes. Scouting parties running into a few Dashagi patrols… The outcomes have been pretty even. We’ve won some, taken prisoners, and they’ve done the same. Also, there are some rumours going around that once a few more shiploads arrive, this camp’ll be moving out west for a few days. The word is that’s where the bulk of the Dashagi will be met.” Defyance sat back, digging into her meal with vigour.
“That’s what they’re doing,” interjected Maledorian as he took a quick look around to make sure that what he had to say went unheard, “and that’s where the first major battle of this war will be fought… if we fail. From what Grisham the Great has told me, the foul demon Demolish has his fortress about three day’s ride down east from here, unknown to all but us.” The young knight took another look around; his senses on overdrive as he made sure that those walking around did not come to close.
“But how are we going to get away from here?” Lief queried, “I thought that deserters were caught and then treated just like the enemy, if not worse.”
The elf wanderer did not seem to be afraid, only concerned. By himself he could run circles around almost any human in the dark without being noticed. He smiled as his eyes wandered to Darci. The screwed up look on her face told of her distaste for their food. Dragging his attention back to the present, he was confident that they could leave the camp. In fact, he was so confident that he had no doubt that they would reach their final destination. It was there that his belief failed him. For only the second time in his short life, Lief felt doubt, and he worried about Darci. He knew she was stronger than she seemed… she had to be if she was going to save the world.
Maledorian patted his purse. A little extra money would always help a soldier forget.
* * *
They planned to leave the day after next. A full day of rest would do them the world of good. Maledorian and Defyance would organise their discrete departure by finding out who was on duty that night. Once they had done that, they would relax while Taslessian and Lief sneakily collected supplies.
Maledorian did not say it, but Darci knew what her job would be. She was to stay in their tents so that nothing could happen to her. She may have looked nothing like herself, but they did not know how fool proof their disguises really were. Besides that, if she remotely looked like she had something of value, a young boy would be fair game for even the most pleasant of mercenaries.
With Maledorian in the lead, his stomach grumbling, they managed to get one last meal before the sunset. The click of tinder and the whoosh of fire announced the lighting of the assorted torches around camp. Laidback lookouts stood around the edges of camp; relaxed, yet alert enough.
With no formal control of those in the mercenary encampment, the situation at night was less regimented than the peaceful sleeping camp across the drilling ground, and drunken celebrations reigned supreme. Set apart from most of the merriment, Defyance sat outside the tent cleaning her fingernails with the tip of her dagger. Inside, her mind struggled to come to terms with feelings that she was not used to. She had felt the bond between warriors before, and after the heat of battle she had tumbled with a few of them. But never before had she done so with one such as Maledorian.
Her self-imposed solitude would give her time to think and allow the others to a good night’s sleep. So, to the sound of bawdy singing, occasional brawls and Maledorian’s snoring, the group of weary travellers laid down their heads.
* * *
The next day, Darci was sitting just outside her tent, enjoying some relaxing time under the sun. The weather this far south was warmer than that of Chinta, yet being on such a flat land left them open to the constant breeze of the Tundra. A soft rhythmic breathing could be heard coming from behind the closed flap of their temporary home. Defyance was having an afternoon nap. Sitting outside on the relative comfort of the long grass, Darci realised that her friend was quite remarkable. It was amazing how she could rest when and where she wanted to, always ready wake up the moment someone came near.
Suddenly plagued by thoughts of home, the young girl smiled, thinking how much the warrior woman reminded her of one of her best friends. He was a tall and lanky teenager called Simon, who could sleep anywhere at any time for countless hours on end. Defyance, with her foul temper and her like for drink, acted the part of a teenage boy perfectly.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Maledorian scrubbing his suit of armour. The Knight Protector was preparing himself for whatever was to come, sitting beside her on a cushion he had appropriated from a mercenary after an arm wrestle. Maledorian’s arms had developed into pure muscle from years of practice with his massive broadsword, leaving the young challenger no hope in of keeping his cushion.
Their departure was now firmly scheduled for tomorrow night so they could escape under the cover of darkness. They would try to sleep throughout the day so that in what brief time they had, they could prepare themselves for the night travel that lay ahead. Closing her eyes, Darci leaned back, allowing the warmth of the sun to lull her to sleep.
Distant shouts announced the return of the latest scouting party. Defyance stood in the doorway of their tent, and then silently, all three of them set off to join the gathering crowd.
Making their way through the crowds of soldiers, what they found was not what they expected. Gone was the boisterous banter that usually accompanied soldiers returning home. Instead, they were confronted group of unkempt soldiers, heads down and conversation sombre. When they finally saw the men who had returned, they realised they were staggering under the weight of the mauled and bloodied comrades they had found.
Maledorian, who was the tallest of their group, managed to shoulder his way through the onlookers. Cries of agony echoed around the camp as unspeakable injuries were assessed. The stench of blood and death burned his nose. This scouting party had come across the first group of Ogres, and they had not fared well.
Darci stood between Defyance and Maledorian, standing on her tiptoes to try and see what was going on. Unfortunately, she was too short and too small to muscle her way to any kind of vantage point. It was not until someone good-naturedly lifted her onto his that she saw the unfolding horror.
Hollow men with missing limbs hobbled like zombies, blood still dripping from undressed wounds, staining the ground beneath their ravaged bodies. None were unscathed; many lay dying.
“What do you see?” asked the man who belonged to the shoulders supporting Darci. Despite his height and strength, he had not been able to get through the crowd of onlookers.
“Most of them are dead, and the others…” Her voice broke off as she gagged at the sight of the gore before her eyes. Gently, the stranger lowered her to the ground.
“There you go, lad.” The man gave her a decent pat on the back and she stumbled into Defyance, but the warrior woman seemed not to notice. Darci loo
ked up at the man who had helped her. His sombre face spoke volumes. War was no joke, no joke at all.
* * *
“They all died?” Lief asked Maledorian as he lifted up the tent flap to see his friends.
“Not all of them, but they may as well have,” the knight replied. “Ogres look upon us as food, just like they do any other moving thing…” Maledorian scratched the back of his head as he thought about what he would do if faced with an Ogre. The beasts were at least half his height again with a monstrous reach. Fortunately for him, with either his broadsword or mace, he could still get within striking distance of such a foe.
“Except the Dashagi and other evil races on the side of the Demon,” interrupted Defyance with disgust. “I have never heard of Ogres acting in groups.” There was certainly the stench of evil magic in the air.
Maledorian continued. “And if that is not bad enough, they eat you raw, sometimes while you’re still alive.” Lief’s face paled noticeably as he looked down at the meal that had been offered to him. He pushed it away, no longer hungry.
Taslessian noticed the elf’s discomfort. Sneering at him, he took the bowl that was offered, eating it with the enthusiasm born of a hungry young man. “There are many things in the world that could happen to you. Being eaten by an Ogre is by far not the worst possible fate.” He shovelled another spoonful of food into his mouth, forcing him to pause before continuing any further.
Taslessian was aware of Darci’s eyes watching him, making him think about his harsh words, if not regret them. He knew that he had been constantly unfriendly towards Lief and generally unpleasant to everyone else in the past few days, yet they always seemed to interrupt him just when he was thinking about something important. The only reason he had agreed to search for supplies that day was because he had felt sick at the thought of being couped up in the small confines of their tent. During the ocean voyage, he had secluded himself, keeping away from the others so that he time to focus on his new powers, testing them secretly, realising what he had become.
He felt trepidation as he thought of the times ahead, coming to terms with the fact that he was no longer an apprentice, but a wizard in his own right.
Maledorian pressed on. “We have to be doubly careful when we leave tomorrow night because we don’t want to run into any Ogres or Dashagi. If we do…” The young knight left his sentence unfinished, knowing full well their chances of survival if they were discovered. With a sigh he put his thoughts aside, knowing that there was no point in pondering what fate had in store for them.
Listening to Maledorian, Darci wondered about the Dashagi. The only thing she had picked up so far was that they rode horses. She asked Maledorian to explain, but Taslessian awkwardly swallowed his latest mouthful of food so that he could jump in first.
“The Dashagi are a race of nomadic herders. They don’t live in any set place because they follow their herds. They are very fierce warriors and superb riders, making them the most feared light cavalry in this land.”
Darci caught Lief rolling his eyes at the pompous tone Taslessian was using. Realising that he had been caught, he winked at her, making her smile. Unnoticed, Lief looked away, unable to smile in return. Darci waited until the wizard had finished his next mouthful, but he had apparently finished with the topic of Dashagi, posing a question to Maledorian instead.
“What exactly is our plan for destroying the demon?”
The Knight Protector took a deep breath as he began to describe in detail what they were going to do. Starting off by reminding everyone that battles rarely went to plan…
* * *
Mercenaries came and left, none getting too close to the small camp guarded by the burly knight. Conversation was scant, each left to ponder the events to come. With enough supplies already collected there was nothing to do but wait.
Maledorian added the finishing touches to his armour while Defyance sat close by, watching the young knight while she played with her dagger. Taslessian appeared to meditate, sitting straight with his eyes closed, breathing evenly, but somehow still aware of his surroundings, looking up only when Darci and Lief decided to go for a walk to ease their boredom.
They chatted with each other about simple things as their feet carried them around the camp towards the training grounds. The barking orders of the drill sergeants and the regimented responses of the soldiers drifted over the soft breeze. Lief’s eyes wandered from the field to his friend and back again. He swallowed uncomfortably as the secret sitting on his chest threatened to rise up and choke him. Finally, when there was no one close by, he decided that he had to voice at least some of his feelings.
“Darci,” he said somewhat hesitantly. She turned to face her Elven friend. At that moment, the breeze picked up, blowing a lock of hair from behind her ear to frame the side of her face. Lief almost gasped as he realised how beautiful she truly was; the inner beauty that lay beneath her disguise shone through her eyes. Darci smiled as she waited for her friend to continue.
“I have something to tell you about my past,” he said. “Something that I have never told anyone before; something that you must know if I am to ever have genuine feelings for you, or you for me, if that could ever be possible.”
Darci did not know what she felt for Lief. Certainly, a great friendship, even the comradeship of warriors perhaps, but love? Her stomach filled with butterflies. It was possible, but something she could not afford to even consider until their quest had been decided. Grisham the Great had not said that he was going to return her so she still had no idea what would happen to her.
“When I was born,” Lief continued, “I had a twin brother, which is rare for us. Children are few and far between for the long lived, and when twins are born it is looked upon as a miracle. Anyway, my brother and I grew up like most siblings – occasional fights, mischief and fun. But when we grew out of our single years, my brother began to change, and I could see that something was very different in him.” Lief’s eyes looked up into the sky, his face clouded with doubt and perhaps even fear. He was reliving his childhood as if he were there.
“When we fought he would say things; horrible and nasty things that an elf should not even know about unless he had been outside the Lake City. We looked exactly the same, but he held some kind of power over me. Something that wouldn’t let me fight back.” The young elf’s eyes began to fill with water, but he refused to blink lest he lose sight of the past he was revisiting.
Darci scooted closer to her friend so she could place her hand over his. The contact went unnoticed, but it appeared to give him the strength to continue.
“As we grew older, still no one else noticed. We were always the miracle twin brothers.” Lief’s voice tightened with sarcasm. “Around our eighteenth year he had taken to wandering alone in the forest close to the human villages, so in one rare moment of courage, I followed him.
“What I discovered I will not tell you, suffice to say that my brother was an abomination. The women, the girls… so young, some of them…” Tears flooded his face. “And that’s how I found him that day, with the body of a young girl. We argued, we fought. He turned his bloodied dagger on me and as we scuffled, I grabbed his knife and killed him with it.
“I wish that I could say that it was an accident, but I wanted to kill him when I knew what he had become.” His heart was filled with the shame of murder. “I carried his body back to our home to receive the judgement of the elders. I was banished from the Elven city, forced to wander the world without ever knowing a true home or family.”
Darci squeezed Lief’s hand, but when he did not continue, she looked into her heart to try to find the right words to say, knowing that if she said the wrong thing, Lief would never forgive himself. “You had no choice…” she said softly. “You are not like your brother. You are kind and true, someone who I care a great deal about.”
With a shuddering breath he regained control of his emotions, finally able to look up at her. “Thank you…” A huge weight
had been lifted from his shoulders. Accident or not, he had accepted his punishment, but he would not have been able to go on if he had not at least told Darci of his past. To be forgiven for his crimes was more than he could ever hope for.
“The elf on board the ship that we saw was the one who banished me. But something has happened. Perhaps they know of what we must do because with that one look that he gave me, I know in my heart that I can return home now… and… I hope that you will come with me.” The words finally spoken, Lief held his breath.
“If we survive this, Lief, I promise that I shall travel to your home no matter what happens.” Inside, however, Darci felt sadness. Had he forgotten that she had a home of her own to return to?
With no further words spoken, they lay on the grass together, holding hands beneath the sky, waiting for the night that was to come.
* * *
Crickets chirped in the distance over the crackle of a small fire. Tents still stood, and though the fire still burned, there would be no one to put it out this night. Everything was ready; sacks were packed and hidden in their tents, ready to be placed on saddles. Blankets had been collected to act as beds as well as cover. For the sake of speed and the ruse of their camp, they were not afforded the luxury of a tent.
The group of five blended into the shadows as they walked along the outskirts of the camp unnoticed. The horses barely made a snicker as they were saddled in the dark, Lief forced to help Darci, who had never been good at such a task at the best of times. The boy Maledorian had charged with the safety of their mounts brought the only challenge to their presence. But he breathed a sigh of relief when he realised who they were, leaving them to whatever they were up to with one less problem to worry about. In a camp such as this no one would miss five horses.
Dark clouds conveniently covered the three-quarter moon as the soldier on watch left in search of a cup of broth. He kept his eyes to the ground lest he see something to cause alarm. Mercenaries deserted all the time but if he was caught as the man on watch who let them pass, his back would be flayed in front of the camp to encourage greater alertness. The chance of punishment however was better than the alternatives given to him by the ruthless man bearing daggers.