War Of The Wildlands (3 page)

Y
ori sat down to dinner with his family. His
leg still throbbed, but the wound had not reopened. His aunt placed a steaming
bowl of stew in front of him along with a slice of freshly baked bread. Yori
was convinced there was no better cook alive than his aunt. His mother had been
a terrible cook. Her bread was always hard and flat, and she never made a dish
she didn’t burn. Despite the cooking, he had loved her dearly. She was warm and
loving and always made him feel special.

“Is that sword in one piece yet?” Ren asked.

“Yes,” Yori replied with a mouthful of food.
Swallowing, he added, “It’s ready for your inspection.”

“Good,” Ren replied. “I told the lieutenant I’d
deliver it in the next couple of weeks. I wouldn’t want to break my promise.”

They finished their meal in silence, and Yori
helped stack the dishes to be washed.

“That’s fine, dear,” Trella said. “You go and
rest. I’ll see to the dishes.”

Yori nodded and walked to the pile of blankets
that had been laid out on the floor for his bed. It wasn’t as comfortable as
his cot, but he felt safer sleeping indoors tonight. As soon as he sat down,
Meladee popped up out of her bed and ran to him. She plopped herself next to
him and leaned against his side.

“Tell me a story, please?” Her soft brown eyes
pleaded with him, and he could not refuse.

“Ok, but just one,” he replied. “Let’s see.” He
paused for a moment and then continued. “There once lived a gnome named Jack.
He was the most clever gnome that ever lived. One day a giant threatened to
stomp Jack’s little village into dust.”

Meladee gasped as she pictured the tiny gnomes
being crushed beneath a gigantic foot.

“Don’t you worry,” he continued. “Little Jack knew
just what to do. ‘Hey you giant!’ he shouted. ‘You’ve got those big feet but no
shoes! You can squash us better with the fine pair of boots I saw.’ The giant
wasn’t very smart, of course, so he followed Jack to see this fine pair of
boots. Jack led him to a crevice between two huge boulders that was just wide enough
to fit the giant’s foot inside it. ‘Right here!’ the little gnome cried. The
giant scratched his head and said, ‘Don’t see nothin’ but no rocks.’ And his
big face was all contorted and confused like this,” Yori said, miming the
action to the delight of the little girl.

“Well, clever little Jack had an idea. ‘Stick your
foot just there, and the magical rock boots will go right on your feet.’ Giants
aren’t very smart, so he did as the little gnome said. Wouldn’t you know it,
the giant’s foot stuck fast in the rock, and he pulled with all his might but
couldn’t break free. Little Jack laughed and returned to his village. The other
gnomes cheered and thanked Jack for saving their lives. They threw a big party
and named him the new mayor.”

Meladee applauded at the end of the story.
“Another!” she cried.

“Your mother is going to be very angry if I keep
you up too late. Off to bed now,” he said, patting the child on her head.

“Ok,” she said, disappointed. Slowly, she got up
and went back to her bed. Pulling the covers up to her chin, she grinned at her
cousin. He smiled and waved goodnight before lying down himself.

The next morning he rose before the rest of the
family and slowly made his way to the smithy. Outside the entrance, someone had
dumped a pile of horse manure.
A gift from my wealthy friend, no doubt,
Yori
thought, remembering the man who had accused him of conspiring with the elves.

He proceeded through the door to light the
furnace. Nothing inside the shop appeared to have been disturbed, so he went
about his work as usual. He used the coal shovel to clean up the mess out front
and carried it over to the woods to dump it. He thought he heard voices coming
from the treetops, and he hurried back to the shop. If there were elves in
those trees, he didn’t want to be seen anywhere near them. He hoped they were
only there to have a look at the town and nothing more. He feared how the
citizens might treat him if a second attack took place.

When Ren finally arrived at the shop, Yori placed
the finished sword in front of him. It was the finest work he had ever done,
and he was quite proud of it. It was rare for him to work on any sword, let
alone one crafted for a nobleman. It was more a showpiece than a weapon for the
man who would be receiving it. Staining such a beautiful item with blood would
be a shame.

“This is very good, Yori,” Ren said as he turned
the sword over in his hands. “I’m sure our customer will be pleased.” After a
moment, he added, “You can take it to him at the palace.”

“Me?” Yori said, stunned.

“Yes, you. It couldn’t hurt to have you away from
town for a few days.”

“I’ve never been there before. I don’t even know
where it is.” Yori did not like the idea of travel, especially alone. He had
never been anywhere but Enald, and he had no desire to leave.

“I’ll give you directions. If the weather is good,
it will only take you a couple of days to walk there.” Ren looked at Yori, who
was obviously still unsettled by the idea. “Look,” he began. “It won’t be that
bad. The palace district is very large and full of lots of different people.
Just hide your ears like you always do, and no one will notice the difference.
If no one there knows about your parentage, you won’t be treated any differently.
You’re tall enough that no one will suspect a thing.”

Ren made a valid point. Except for Yori’s ears, no
part of him appeared elfish. Perhaps in the palace district he would be treated
like an average human. The thought gave him a small amount of courage, and he
nodded his acceptance. Though he was still unsure about traveling, he would try
to make the best of it.

“When will I leave?” he asked.

“You can head out tomorrow,” Ren replied. “Maybe
I’ll get a bonus for finishing early.”

Yori nodded and carried on performing his chores
for the day. He would need to have the sword polished and glowing before he
wrapped it up for travel. The thought of carrying back coin did not sit well
with him. He hoped the roads were safe for travelers and tried to remember any
recent rumors of crime or bandits. Nothing recent came to mind, and he was
grateful for it. With a great amount of effort, he pushed the following day’s
task from his mind and focused on the work before him. He couldn’t bear to
think about the look in Meladee’s eyes when he would tell her he was leaving.
The poor little girl would probably be devastated. For now, he would focus on
his work and forget about the day ahead.

T
he elf woman
staggered blindly through the forest. She hoped she had chosen the right
direction, but the severe throbbing in her head and blood running into her eyes
had muddled her mind. Her strength was failing, and she did not know if she
would reach her kinsmen before collapsing. As if by some miracle, an elven
village came into view.

“Help me, please!” she cried with all her
strength. Despite her best efforts, her voice sounded no louder than a whisper.
Finally someone spotted her, called to the others who were close at hand, and ran
in her direction. The red-haired elf caught her just before she hit the ground.

“I’ve got her,” Reylin said to his companions.
“I’ll carry her back to town. Go and fetch  Doni.”

Reylana caught sight of her brother as he carried
the wounded elf to the center of the village. Doni, the healer, rushed out of
his hut to meet them. Reylin placed the woman on a low wooden bench and looked
in Doni’s eyes. They did not look hopeful, and Reylin feared she would not
survive.

“What happened to her?” Reylana asked as she
approached.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Reylin shot back, his hazel
eyes fierce. “Humans attacked her. They probably killed everyone in her
village.”

“Where is she from?” Reylana asked, kneeling at
the woman’s side and taking her hand. She had lost consciousness, but perhaps
the small comfort of a friendly touch could soothe her.

“I’d say she’s Silver Birch by the look of her.
She’s wearing one of those shell bracelets their women like so much.” Reylin
pointed to the bracelet, which had only a few shells left and was caked in blood.

“I don’t think I can help her,” Doni said. “This
head wound is beyond repair. I’ve given her some herbs to ease her pain, but I
have no medicine to heal this type of damage. I’d say she was struck with a
hammer from a moving horse. Obviously, the blow was offset and not enough to
kill her instantly. That probably would have been easier for the poor girl.”

“I’ll carry her inside your hut,” Reylin said. He
scooped the woman up once more and proceeded to the healer’s hut. At least
there she would be more comfortable, even if her wounds proved fatal.

Reylana waited outside the hut, her face wet from
tears. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take,” she said as Reylin
emerged.

“That’s why we have to keep fighting,” he replied.
His anger was growing, and she knew he was ready to fight this very moment.

“We have to stick to the plan, Reylin,” she said,
laying a hand on his arm. “We attack tomorrow as it is. Let’s get something to
eat and try not to think about it for now.”

They joined their friends at the center of the
village. Most of them were enjoying the ale and discussing the following day’s
raid.

“How’s the girl?” Essa asked.

“Not good,” Reylana replied. “Doni doubts that she
will live. Do you think we should send someone to their village to see if anyone
else is alive?”

“I doubt it’s safe,” Essa replied. “The humans
have probably left troops behind.”

“There won’t be many, and they won’t be expecting
us,” Reylin said.

“That’s true,” Essa said. “I guess a few of us
could go and have a look.”

“You stay here,” Reylin said. “I’ll take some
archers with me. Who wants to come?” he asked, turning to the men. Several of
them raised their hands. “Let’s get going then,” he said. They set out in the
direction of the Silver Birch village.

Reylana fixed herself a plate of elk meat with
raspberry sauce and sat down next to Essa. “I worry about Reylin,” she began.
“He never stops for a moment. All he does is obsess about revenge against the
humans. I want that too, of course, but I think his judgment is clouded by his
anger.”

“The death of your parents was difficult for him,”
Essa replied. “It’s natural for him to want revenge.”

“Yes, but we have to go about it the right way,”
she began. “He doesn’t think things through, and the men follow him without
question. He’s going to get himself killed, I fear.”

“We’re all likely to get killed,” Essa pointed
out. “This war will most likely continue until we’re all dead. The humans won’t
stop coming unless we kill their king. Then we have to hope the new king isn’t
as bad, which he probably will be. It’s hopeless, but we have to fight back. I
won’t sit by and watch our homes be taken without a fight.”

Reylana nodded and remained silent. She finished
her meal and waited impatiently for her brother to return.

After a few hours, Doni emerged from his hut with
the sad news that the woman had passed away. “She is a part of the forest now,”
he said. “I’ll be in my hut should the scouts return with more injured.”

It was nearly sunset before Reylin and his troops
returned. They brought no survivors with them, but they did carry some
equipment they had taken off of the slain soldiers. The Na’zorans had left
behind a small group of fifteen guards to finish off any wounded elves and
search for information on upcoming raids. They were fools to leave behind so
few. Reylin’s men had killed them all and taken their weapons and armor.

“Before I killed one of them, I asked why they
were digging through piles of rubble. He said they were searching the burned-out
huts for information on raids.” Reylin broke out laughing. “Why would we be
stupid enough to write such things down? That must be what humans do. Whatever
is written can be stolen and read by others.”

“I wish we still had a rune carver,” Reylana
remarked as she sorted through the weapons. “I wonder if the Sycamore Clan
still has one. They’re the nearest now that the Silver Birch are scattered or
dead.”

“There weren’t enough bodies around for them to be
wiped out,” Reylin replied. “They’ve gone into hiding somewhere. They’ll either
show up here or start again elsewhere. I doubt they’ll rebuild for now, but
we’ll probably encounter them somewhere in the forests.”

“That’s a bit of good news, at least,” Reylana
said. “There’s no time to get these new weapons ready for tomorrow’s raid, but maybe
some of these things will serve us in the future. You better get some sleep
before we head out in the morning.” She gave her brother a kiss on the cheek and
said, “Sleep well.” She retreated to her own hut to rest and try to put the
day’s events behind her. The morning would bring vengeance and blood.

A
s dawn broke
over the forest, Reylana and the other sword maidens were already in position.
They had chosen the perfect spot just outside the farming village. A small series
of rolling hills provided perfect cover where the women could not be spotted
from the town itself. A light fog had settled that morning, thanks to the
autumn weather, and its presence only aided the elves in their attempt at
stealth. The men were stationed in the forest on the opposite end of the town,
and soon they would begin the attack.

The crowing of a single rooster brought many
villagers from their homes to begin the day’s work. As soon as a handful of
them were in sight, Reylin signaled the attack. Arrows began to fly from the
trees, none of them missing their targets. The Wild Elves were excellent
archers, and they did not intend to waste many arrows today.

Villagers began fleeing back to their homes, but
Reylin’s men were prepared. They had carried with them a handful of red-runed
arrows which they now prepared to fire. As the arrows struck the villagers’
homes, they immediately burst into flame. The fires spread rapidly, consuming
the houses within seconds. Terrified villagers rushed from their homes, heading
straight for the waiting sword maidens.

Essa struck the first blow against a pudgy woman
who could run surprisingly fast for her size. At Essa’s side, Reylana swung her
sword as a frightened man nearly crashed into her in his flight. The archers
had descended from the trees and were still taking aim at the villagers,
shooting many of them in the back. Seeing that they were about to be left out
of the fight, Essa signaled the women to charge into the village. Together they
ran toward the remaining humans and easily cut them down. Not a single one of
them had taken up arms.

Essa stayed her sword as a frightened boy ran
toward her in a panic. He was screaming “mother” as he recognized the lifeless
form at Essa’s feet. Without a hint of fear, he dropped to his knees at his
slain mother’s side. Essa lowered her sword and stared at the boy. Suddenly, an
arrow pierced the side of the child’s neck, and he slumped to the ground.
Looking up, Essa could see that only Reylin still had his bow at the ready. The
other archers had already begun salvaging arrows from the corpses in hopes of
using them once again.

Essa strode with purpose toward Reylin, the anger
obvious in her steps. “We do not kill children!” she shouted. When she reached
him, she shoved him roughly, forcing him to take a single step back. Essa’s large,
muscular frame gave her a more intimidating presence than most elven women. “Kill
the men, fine. Kill the women, fine too. They should have armed themselves
instead of running like cowards. The children have done nothing and cannot fight
back. That is where we draw the line. We are not murderers.”

Reylin was unfazed by her reaction. “We have to
send a message,” he replied casually. “This is no more than they’ve done to our
children, and we have to be as brutal as they are. If we are soft, they will
never fear us. If we’re not a threat, they’ll never leave us alone.”

“Reylin, he was only a child,” Reylana said
softly, kneeling near the boy’s body.

“That child would have grown up and joined the
human army. In a few years, he’d be slaughtering our kind too. You should thank
me for getting rid of him.” Reylin stormed off, followed by his troop of
archers. They proceeded back into the woods in the direction of their village.

“I won’t fight alongside your brother again,” Essa
said to Reylana.

“We have to stick together, Essa, or we have no
hope of defeating the Na’zorans.”

“I’d rather be killed than fight the way he does.
I couldn’t live with myself after that.” She motioned to the boy on the ground,
the grass beneath him soaked in blood.

Reylana didn’t know what else to say. She loved
her brother, but she did not agree with his actions. The murder of their
parents had changed him from a carefree young elf into a heartless warrior. He
thought of nothing but revenge.

They returned to the village to find the men
celebrating at the center of town. They all had mugs of ale and were
complimenting each other on their prowess in battle. Reylin appeared to be the
only one who remained sober.

“Reylana,” he called, motioning for his sister to
come closer.

She approached him and stood silently, waiting to
see what he had to say.

“You’re not going to scold me like Essa did, are
you?”

“No, I’m not. I don’t agree with what you did, but
I understand your reasons.” She swallowed, looked away, and added, “I wish it
didn’t have to be this way.”

“It is this way, Sis,” he said. “Our only chance
is to join forces with all of the remaining clans on this side of the river.
We’re all in danger, and we should work together.”

“Agreed,” she replied.

“Well?” he asked.

“Well what?” she said, puzzled.

“You have a big mouth. You could go and talk to
the other clans.” He took a sip of ale and grinned at her.

“Why don’t you go? If they say no, you can beat
them into submission.”

“If only it were that easy,” he replied with a
mock sigh. “Seriously, I’m needed here. These guys need a leader who isn’t
afraid to make hard decisions. You’re prettier and more persuasive than me. You
should go.”

“I wouldn’t know where to begin,” she said.

“Just tell them we should all join up and see what
they say. Obviously it’s a good idea. If they say no, they’re traitors to our
entire race.” His voice became more and more angry as he spoke.

Reylana stared at him for a second. “I guess I
could try. Essa’s pretty pissed, so I probably won’t be going into any battles
for a while anyway.”

“No battles under her command,” Reylin pointed
out. “She isn’t your boss, and this is a war. We do what we have to, which
includes putting new leaders in place. You can lead the sword maidens when you
return.”

“Thanks, but no,” she replied, shaking her head.
The last thing she wanted was a command. It was too much pressure, and she
didn’t like screaming orders at people who were only half listening. Wild Elves
are free spirits and do not follow orders in the same fashion as humans. Human
soldiers are highly disciplined and do not think for themselves. A Wild Elf
fighting in the forest has to use his own wits, even if it means disobeying his
commander.

“You don’t have to go at once,” Reylin said. “We
barely have enough people to defend the village as it is. After today, we can
expect Domren and his goons to come after us.”