Faylen and I had left for Tebury about two weeks ago, but we were traveling a path I hadn't been down before. I was used to taking the main road around the Fallen Spires and going straight to Giwic Keep to cross the bridge over Baste River, but Faylen said we wouldn't be going near Giwic Keep and wouldn't be using a bridge to cross the river. The path I was used to was mostly grasslands, but this one was going through the forest and there wasn't really a pathway to follow; although Faylen seemed to know exactly where to turn to keep us heading in the right direction. We'd been walking for an hour this morning when we stepped out of the forest onto what looked like a very old and rarely travelled path in the middle of some grasslands. Ahead of us, I could make out the silhouette of a large fort and could see a thin train of smoke coming up from somewhere to the left of it, but I couldn't make out any buildings to see exactly where we were.
"That is Giwic Keep ahead of us. We will get another three days closer, but then we will cross Baste River to avoid the keep. I can conceal my elven features, but I am not sure it would be enough to pass as a human."
"I understand. This will probably be the safer path into Tebury anyway. The guards at Giwic Keep would recognize me and send word to King Betyn that they'd seen me arriving behind schedule and with a female they'd never seen before. He'd think I had tried to run from his service and send men out to find and kill me. He'd even start at Tebury, burning it down and killing all the people there just to find me." She nodded and I had a sense that she understood I only served Betyn out of protection for my family and friends.
"If we can keep on time, we should reach Tebury by daybreak in another two weeks." I nodded and we headed off again, following the old pathway. As the sun got lower, we stopped and made camp. I started to build a fire but Faylen stopped me. "No more fires until we reach Tebury, Desmond. We have no trees to hide the light of our flames. If the guards at Giwic Keep have any sense, they would send someone to investigate the light that is so far off the road and near the forest."
"The guards at Giwic Keep don't have that much sense," I said, seeing her lips curl into a brief smile. "Even if they did, we're at least three days travel away from the keep. By the time the soldier arrived here, we'd be long gone."
"And they would discover the remnants of a campfire and know that an elf was heading to Tebury along the Old Road. We would be captured before we could get to Tebury. No more fires, Desmond." I nodded and nudged the sticks with my foot, spreading them around to keep them from being discovered. After our cold dinner, we laid down and went to sleep. When I woke up in the morning, Faylen was right beside me but I felt cold. Before I could move, Faylen drew in a deep breath and turned her head to look at me as she sat up. "Good morning, Desmond."
"Good morning, Faylen." I sat up and wrapped my arms around myself, rubbing my hands up and down my arms to get rid of the chill on my skin.
"Let us get moving. You will warm up faster." I nodded and we stood, heading off down the Old Road toward Giwic Keep again.
"Why were you sleeping next to me, Faylen?" I asked as the sun rose over the trees, helping me warm up even faster. I'd been trying to figure it out since we woke up, but I couldn't think of any logical reason why she'd have slept so close to me.
"I awoke in the night and heard you shivering so I moved closer to you to help you stay warm. I will not let you freeze to death, Desmond. The cold you are feeling now is simply a surface cold. Me laying next to you last night kept you from being cold to the bone."
"Thank you," I said as I gave her a light smile. She nodded and we stayed in a comfortable silence for the next few days.
"Alright. We will cross the river here and pick up the Old Road again on the other side," Faylen said as the sun rose. The river was wide and I'd always been told it was too deep to cross on foot, but I trusted that she wouldn't let me get hurt. "Take my hand, Desmond," she said, reaching back as she stepped in. I looked at her in shock that she wanted to hold hands. "The current is strong. Take my hand and we will cross together." I reached out and took her hand, following her into the river. The icy water got up to my chest and I was struggling to keep my footing, but Faylen pulled me to the shore as she reached it. I crawled out and turned to find her struggling to get a good grip on the bank.
"Take my hand," I said, reaching down to her. Without hesitation, she gripped my hand and I pulled her up on the bank next to me, seeing her land on her knees.
"Thank you," she said softly as she moved to lay on her back. I nodded and looked back at the river.
"How is the current so strong? It looks like a very calm river on the surface."
"Things are not always as they seem, Desmond." I fell back and laid there on the bank for a few minutes to catch my breath, but Faylen leaned up on her hands and looked off across the river for a moment.
"What is it?" I asked as I leaned up to see what she was looking at.
"We need to get moving. Now." She jumped up and started jogging off without looking back, so I hustled to my feet and took off after her. After we'd gone about a mile, Faylen stopped and turned around, looking back toward the river.
"Faylen, what's going on?" I panted out.
"We are being followed."
"By who?"
"I do not know right now, but would you like to risk it being humans from Giwic Keep following us?" I shook my head and we started off again, going at a faster pace to avoid being captured by whomever was following us. Two weeks later, as the sun reached the middle of the sky, we reached the northeast end of Tebury and I breathed a sigh of relief until Faylen yanked me behind a house. I looked at her confused, but before I could ask anything she pushed a finger to her lips and looked back at the road. We watched in silence as a person that was in a cloak came into view. The cloak was made of a quality that I hadn't seen before, even in King Betyn's presence. It was an ivory color with green leaves stitched along the bottom and a thin line of gold detailing on the edges, but it looked to be new or at least rarely used since there was no dirt or holes in the fabric. The hood was pulled so far over the person's face that I couldn't make out any details, but I had a feeling it was an elf since I'd never known a human to have a cloak like that. The figure stopped in the middle of our view and turned its head left. The moment it started to look right, Faylen yanked the figure behind the building with us and pressed her knife to its chest. "Why are you following us?" she hissed out at the person.
"Your father sent me." She pulled the knife back a little bit but I could easily see the suspicion all over her face.
"Remove your hood and prove to me that you know my father." Hands reached up and tugged the hood down, and Faylen let out a sigh as she put away her knife. "Why did he send you?" I recognized his slender face, long black hair, and light brown eyes, but I couldn't think of his name; although I knew he was one of Faylen's more trusted soldiers.
"The king commands you to return with the prisoner immediately." Faylen shook her head. "Please, Faylen. He was furious the morning he discovered you had left and that you had taken the human with you."
"And he knows why I left. If these humans are willing to help us, we may be able to win the war. But we must take the first step and ask if they will help. You may tell my father that I will return when I have completed what I set out to do." He sighed and looked at her in silence for a minute.
"At least let me stay and protect you from the human, Faylen. If I return without you by my side, your father will throw me in prison."
"I do not need protection from Desmond. However, you may stay and help me protect him."
"Protect a human? Faylen, have you lost all of your mental faculties? We are at war with the humans. I do not even understand why you saved this one and you want me to help you protect him while you ask other humans to help us?" I felt an anger rising but wasn't sure who it was coming from.
"Akkar, you can either help me protect him or return to my father with only a response that will make him mad." The elf sighed and looked at me with despise in his eyes.
"Alright. How long will we be here?" he asked as he moved his gaze to Faylen.
"Until I have a response from these humans about helping us in the war." Akkar sighed again and nodded.
"I will stay and protect the human." Faylen gave a curt nod and turned back to the road, stepping out into it with me right behind her and Akkar behind me.
"Desmond, where is the King of Tebury?"
"There's only one human king - King Betyn. Tebury and all the other cities are ruled by a lord. His house is up ahead on the left." We headed off that direction as Faylen asked me another question.
"Does he know your face and will he inform the human king of your arrival?"
"He never had any love or respect for the human king so the news of my arrival won't travel out of Tebury. As for knowing my face, I doubt he would. Last time we saw each other, I was seven years old. I'll be surprised if my father recognizes me."
"What?" Faylen asked as she pulled me to a stop. "I need to speak with the Lord of Tebury. Not your father."
"It's the same person, Faylen. Come on. He's just up here." We started off again as I felt some confusion coming from Faylen, but I couldn't help noticing how empty the street was and how silent the whole town seemed as we walked up the road. I could see Kinkajoo Stallions and Polar Addaxes out in the fields, but didn't see any people or Quetzal Jackals, which really piqued my curiosity as the Quetzal Jackal was practically a given in almost every city. I saw my father come out to the street as we approached the house, but was surprised to still see no Quetzal Jackal.
"Well, if it's not the king's little boot licker. You can stop right there, worthless sack of bones. What are you here for this time?" he called out before we had reached halfway to his house.
"I'm not his boot licker anymore. I was never his by choice anyway. He took me from home when I was seven," I called back. He stalled and studied me for a few moments.
"It can't be. Desmond? Is that really you?" I smiled and nodded, and he rushed closer, pulling me into a hug. "How did you escape, my boy?"
"I didn't. He swore to kill me and burn Tebury to the ground if I tried, so I didn't try. I was attacked by bandits outside Gulonde. Faylen saved me and nursed me back to health," I said, seeing him shoot a glance behind me. "I'm now in her service. The king isn't expecting me to return from my travels for another week, but now that I'm free from him, I'm never going back to his service."
"Let's get inside so you're not seen then. Come. All are welcome." He led us to the house, then ushered us up the steps and through the door. I saw a grey tail slip around a corner as my eyes adjusted to the dim light coming through the covered windows. "Aviryll, we have company!" he called up the stairs as he closed the door. My father pointed us toward the common room. "Wait in there. I don't want your mother fainting on the stairs when she sees you," he chuckled out. "Thirsty?"
"Yes. Our water pouches ran empty just last night." He gave me a curt nod.
"Go sit. We'll be in with drinks soon."
"Father, we don't have much time."
"There's time enough to see your mother. Go sit." I nodded and we headed into the common room, having a seat on the chairs as a Quetzal Jackal appeared in the doorway and sat, staring at us. I didn't remember us having one as I was growing up, but didn't think much of it since they weren't known to attack people unless provoked.
"I'm sorry, Faylen. I didn't think he'd recognize me so quickly. I figured he'd be a bit more suspicious of me," I said as I looked over at her. She glanced at me briefly, but returned her gaze to the Quetzal Jackal as Akkar responded. Akkar, sitting on the other side of her, never moved his gaze from the beast and had a hand on his sword, making me wonder what was wrong.
"A father never forgets his child," Akkar said.
"This is the first time you have been back since being taken?" I nodded when she glanced at me again. "There is time to see your parents before we get the information I came for." I heard hurried footsteps and turned to look at the doorway, the Quetzal Jackal never flinching.
"Desi! Oh my sweet boy!" my mother cried as she rushed to me, stopping long enough to set down a tray of cups. I wrapped her in a hug and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Look at you. You look just like your father did at your age. He always had a line of ladies behind him too," she finished as she looked at Faylen.
"You've got the wrong idea there, Mother. I'm in Faylen's service. We're not romantic."
"There's something between you two though. I can feel it."
"My life vow to her," I said with a flat voice. My mother nodded and motioned at the chair I'd left when she came in. I sat and took a cup of water she had on the tray, watching as she went to Faylen and Akkar as well.
"Relax, Cloud. These are friends," my father said as he set a hand on the Quetzal Jackal's head. "So Desmond. Introduce us to your friends here," he said as he had a seat, handing one of the remaining cups to my mother and ignoring the Quetzal Jackal that was still staring at us.
"This is Faylen of Gewood and Akkar of -" I stalled, not knowing where Akkar was from.
"Of Edoburn," Faylen said, finishing the introduction for me.
"A proper introduction is required for Elven Princess, Faylen of Gewood," Akkar said as he glared at me. Cloud's ears lowered to his head a bit as Akkar spoke, but he never moved toward us and Faylen leaned back in her seat a bit, silently saying that she was trying to relax.
"Akkar, that is not necessary. You know how everyone addresses me," she said without looking at him.
"Princess Faylen of Gewood," Father said as he stood and pressed a kiss to her hand as he bowed. "A pleasure to meet you, my lady." My mother stood and curtsied as Akkar moved to stand behind Faylen.
"A pleasure to meet you both as well. Your names were Aviryll and..."
"Collen Timms," said my father as her gaze moved to him.
"Aviryll and Collen Timms. Thank you for welcoming us into your home," she said as a brief smile moved her lips again.
"Think nothing of it, Princess," my father said. "Our home is always open to those of elven blood."
"Just Faylen is fine." My parents nodded and I saw a full smile curl Faylen's lips and stay there for a moment.
"May I ask why you travelled all this way? I know it couldn't be just to let Desmond see us," my father said, making Faylen chuckle.
"Desmond told me that the humans here used to feel that a coexistence between the elves and humans is possible. I wanted to know if this belief was still true."
"It is. We only follow King Betyn's rule since he took Desmond. It was a way for us to hope that he wouldn't hurt him."
"And now that Desmond is free from the human king?"
"We will stop following King Betyn's orders. We have no reason to obey that bucket of potatoes." Both Faylen and Akkar laughed, but my mother spoke up.
"Collen, you watch that. Even now in this house. You know there's some in the town that are starting to believe his madness to be the truth."
"Akkar of Edoburn, please sit. We are all friends in this house," my father said as he motioned at the open chair.
"I'll stay-"
"Akkar, what did I tell you when I caught you following us?" Faylen asked as she interrupted him with some anger in her voice. Cloud was still by the door but bared his teeth as the fur around his head bristled a little making Akkar slightly pull his sword out.
"As you command, Princess." I saw Faylen press her lips together a bit, then a smile curled her lips again and I could tell it was slightly forced.
"Desmond also tells me that you are the Lord of Tebury?"
"Well, not exactly. My family has been here for a long time, and all the other residents look to us for leadership and safety in hard times, but I'm far from being a lord. You still haven't answered my question though, my lady. Why did you travel all this way?"
"The elves are slowly losing this war, Collen. We need more people, but we are the last of our race. I have come to see if you would be willing to take our side in this war."
"We don't have many people to offer. King Betyn took all of our good fighters when he took Desmond," my father said regretfully.
"We can train able bodies. All would be welcome to join us." My father leaned back in his chair and looked thoughtful for a moment.
"Collen, if we join the elves, it would send a message to King Betyn that he's lost control of us. He may come here to burn us again," my mother said softly. "You remember what happened when he discovered our food supplies weren't as big as he'd been told."
"You could move to Gulonde if you would feel safer there or if he does burn down your village again." My father stood and walked around the room for a moment.
"Get outta here, Cloud," he said, pointing out of the room. Cloud left, but I heard him stop again after no more than 5 steps, making me chuckle as I saw Faylen's posture relax more and Akkar's hand leave his sword. "Be frank with me, Faylen. Do all your people want our help or just yourself?"
"My people have had their patience and trust thinned drastically by this war, Collen. They are beginning to reach for any piece of hope they can find. If you come to Gulonde, it will be tense. Humans and elves living in the same place, especially now... None of my people will harm you though," she said, casting a quick glance at Akkar. "However, my father and I do not see eye to eye on this topic. He holds firm to the thought that we do not need the aid, but he does not attend the battles. He does not see how hard the soldiers are fighting to ensure they can go home. He does not see how thin their faith has gotten. We need your help, Collen."
"Collen, you know what Betyn would do. He's warned us before," my mother said.
"Aviryll, how were we raised?" my father asked as he turned to look at her.
"To help those in need that ask for it."
"And what is Faylen, Princess Faylen, doing right now?" My mother sighed.
"Asking for aid." Faylen opened her mouth but I put a hand on her arm and shook my head when she looked at me. "Do you really want to risk the king's wrath though? His last warning cost us five months of rebuilding and we nearly lost all the crops we needed to survive Orchid season."
"So we harvest early, pack, and travel to Gulonde. He can burn an empty farming village if he wants. It'll do no harm at that point. And we can rebuild it later if we return."
"This large of a group of people going through Giwic Keep? They'd notify the king and he'd have us killed before we got to Gulonde. And what of the livestock?"
"We won't travel all at once, Aviryll. We'll make up stories of going to visit family or moving to another city where there's better work. As for the Kinkajoo Stallions and Polar Addaxes, we may be able to bring or sell them. We can get to Gulonde unharmed. The question is do we have enough manpower left to help make a difference in the war." My mother nodded and lowered her head as my father walked around the room for another minute. "Faylen, are women allowed to fight if they're able?"
"If they are willing and able, yes. I fight in the battles, the twin sisters Vinali and Ilyana fight in the battles, the daughter of my father's aid fights in battles, as well as many others. However there are also other tasks that can be done if the person does not want to or cannot join the fighting." My father looked at the door like he was looking through it. "Those tasks include working with the cooks, working with the healers, and even working with the various smiths and builders." My father nodded his head.
"Including the children and the elderly, we have about 75 people here. I can't promise they will all join for the fighting and I can't assure you our numbers will make a difference, but I can promise we will all arrive at Gulonde. We will start harvesting tomorrow and I will send our people as we get closer to completing our harvest. You have my word, Faylen."
"And I give you my word that none will be harmed by my people when they reach Gulonde. Thank you for meeting with me and agreeing to come to our aid. I would love to stay and help with your harvest, but I must return to Gulonde. My father was furious when he discovered I had left, and my position demands I return as quickly as possible."
"Will you get far before having to set up camp for the night?"
"Probably not."
"You may stay here for the night. It would give you warm beds, a hot meal, you can refill your water pouches and food supply before leaving, and you'll be able to go further than if you leave now." Faylen looked at Akkar for a moment before looking back at my father.
"We accept your offer. Thank you Collen and Aviryll."
