"Followed?" said Gewey, startled. "By who?"
Lee shook his head. "I don"t know, but I think we"ll stay off the road for a few days."
Gewey nodded. The idea of being followed disturbed him; that Lee seemed worried disturbed him even more. Sleep came slowly, and he did not rest well. The next evening, they packed up and headed deeper into the woods.
The Forest of Simon Bal was one of the largest in the world, and it spanned hundreds of miles in every direction. There were no trails, and it didn"t take long for Gewey to miss the comfort of the road. Lee changed directions so often that Gewey no longer knew where he was.
It was an hour before sunrise when Gewey heard it. It was the sound of a horse walking over uneven terrain. Lee drew his sword and motioned for Gewey to do the same. They waited for a time, trying not to make a sound. After a few minutes, the sound of the hoof beats faded.
"Who was that?" whispered Gewey.
"I don"t know," said Lee. "But one thing"s for sure: it"s no accident that whoever it was is traveling the same way we are. I left a trail so confusing that only an experienced woodsman could follow it. We"ll stop here for now. Hopefully, it will seem like our trail has disappeared and our pursuer will be thrown off."
Finding a nearby hill to wait out the coming day, they didn"t bother to unpack the horses. Both of them kept their swords close.
Chapter 5.
They barely slept the next day, and hardly spoke a word to each other. Lee waited until it was fully dark before they continued. They zigzagged through the forest for hours, stopping from time to time to listen for signs of pursuit; much to Gewey"s relief, there were none. After a time, the flat ground transitioned into steep wooded hillsides, which made changing direction increasingly difficult.
"You do know where we are, don"t you?" Gewey asked, breaking the silence.
Lee scowled. "Would you rather guide us?" he replied irritably.
Gewey shook his head and kept quiet.
It was about two hours before sunrise when Lee brought them to a sudden halt and leapt from the saddle, drawing his sword. He motioned for Gewey to stay still, and disappeared into the night. Gewey"s heart was pounding and he drew his own sword, peering into the darkness. Ten minutes later, Lee reappeared.
"What"s going on?" asked Gewey.
"There"s an encampment just ahead," Lee whispered. "Looks like bandits."
"Bandits?" said Gewey. "What are they doing?"
Lee mounted his horse and urged them forward. "Not noticing us, apparently. It looks as if they"ve found some sport, so I doubt they"ll see us pa.s.s."
"What kind of sport?" Gewey inquired.
"They"ve captured an elf," Lee responded. "How that band of morons managed it, I don"t know, but I imagine they"ll be busy with her for a while."
Gewey halted. "It"s a woman? What will they do to her?"
Lee turned. "It"s not a woman; it"s an elf. And you don"t want to know what they"re going to do."
"You don"t mean to let them kill her, do you?" Gewey asked, appalled.
Lee reigned in his horse. "That"s exactly what I mean to do, boy. We don"t have time for heroics, and even if we did, she"s a b.l.o.o.d.y elf."
Gewey got down from his horse. "I don"t care what she is," he said determinedly. "I"m going to save her. You can help me, or you can sit here and do nothing. I don"t care either way." Gewey began to creep off into the darkness to look for the bandits" camp.
"Fool," Lee grumbled. He dismounted and caught up to Gewey.
"You"re not ready for this, boy." Lee grabbed his shoulder and pulled Gewey behind him. "Just stay in the brush and let me take care of it."
Gewey followed behind Lee as quietly as he could. They had only walked a few yards when they heard the yells and curses of the bandit camp. The glow of the bandits" fire became brighter as they approached. Gewey could smell the stench of unwashed bodies, mingling with scorched, burnt meat. When they got close enough, Gewey could make out six bandits, each with a long knife at their side. A few bedrolls were cast carelessly about, and a single bandit guarded six horses tied off several yards from the fire. The rest were gathered around what appeared to be a young woman. She was on her knees, gagged and bound, with her wrists tied behind her back. A man that seemed to be their leader was squatting in front of her, while the rest pa.s.sed a large jug of wine around, laughing hideously.
"Well, well, well, me lovely," the bandit leader chuckled.
"Look what we "ave "ear, lads. Thought you could sneak up on ol"Durst, did ya?"
The elf glared defiantly at the bandit leader.
"Oy!!! Ain"t she a tough one?" a heavyset bandit joked. "I think she"s sweet on ya, cap"n."
"Well, lads," said the leader, flashing an evil grin. "I am quite the ladies" man, after all."
This brought gales of harsh laughter from the rest of the band. The leader stood up and grabbed the jug, draining it dry.
"Stay here," whispered Lee, and silently moved around the camp to where the horses were being kept. With the lone guard"s attention focused on the elf, he neither noticed Lee"s approach, nor his knife, until it had plunged into the back his neck. Before the first guard hit the ground, Lee had already drawn his sword and was rushing in on the rest of the group. Gewey had never seen someone move so fast. He killed two more bandits before the others noticed he was there. The leader managed to unsheathe his long knife and lunge clumsily at Lee. Lee easily dodged the blow and sent the man tumbling to the ground. The two remaining bandits tried to flee, but Lee quickly caught up to them and ran both of them through.
The bandit leader got to his feet. "I"ll not go alone!" he screamed, bolting towards the elf with his knife in hand.
Realizing Lee was too far away to do anything, Gewey sprung to his feet, rushing headlong toward the bandit leader. Gewey tackled the bandit just before he was able to plunge his knife into the elf"s chest, and sent the two of them crashing to the ground. The bandit landed on top, pinning Gewey. The boy feared for his life as the bandit began to hack at him maniacally. He instinctively lifted his arms to defend himself, and felt pain shoot through his body as the knife found flesh. He could see blood splatter as one final blow struck home, deep in his chest. It was then that Lee reached them, thrusting his sword through the bandit leader"s back. Lee ran to Gewey"s side as the man gasped and fell to the ground.
"Fool," he cursed as he tore open Gewey"s shirt. Blood poured from the gaping wounds covering his arms and chest. "I told you to stay put."
"I"m sorry Lee," he said weakly. "I guess I"m not much of a hero."
Lee smiled. "Nonsense. Your father would have been very proud of you."
Lee tore Gewey"s shirt into strips and pressed one of them to the wound in his chest; the rest he wrapped around the cuts on his arms. "I"ll be back. I have a salve that will stop the bleeding."
Lee dashed off, leaving Gewey lying on the ground, wondering if this was the end. He turned his head and noticed the elf woman, still bound, staring at him.
"Don"t worry, Miss," said Gewey. "I"ll have Lee untie you when he gets back."
The elf woman gave no reaction. Gewey had never seen an elf before, and he"d heard very little about them. She looked almost human. She was thin-though clearly not frail-and her skin was dark bronze. Her long auburn hair fell loosely about her shoulders, and despite the bruises on her face, Gewey could tell that she was quite beautiful. He guessed she was about as tall as most human women; in fact, her narrow piercing eyes and her distinctly elfish ears were the only features that suggested she was anything else.
It was only a few minutes before Lee returned and began tending Gewey"s wounds.
"Stop," said Gewey. "Untie her."
Lee shook his head, but he could see that Gewey was determined.
"Very well," he sighed and walked over to the elf woman and cut her bonds.
She got up and stared at Lee for a moment. Lee tensed, ready to draw his weapon. She backed away slowly until she reached the edge of the bandit camp, then turned and ran into the woods.
"You"re welcome," Lee called after her.
Lee finished dressing Gewey"s wounds and pulled him close to the still-burning fire.
"What now?" asked Gewey, his wounds beginning to throb.
Lee was staring at the fire. "Now we have to risk going into town," he said. "If you were human, I"d say we"ll sit here until you die; but thankfully, as a G.o.d, you"ll heal-one of the advantages, I suppose."
Gewey tried to laugh, but the pain in his chest stopped him. "Couldn"t we just wait here until I heal?"
Lee shook his head. "No. We need medicine and clean bandages. You may heal on your own, but without proper treatment, it could take months instead of weeks. Besides, our provisions won"t be enough to last that long. Eventually, we"ll run out of food and have to go into town anyway."
Gewey felt guilty. If only he had known how to fight, they wouldn"t be in this mess. "Once I"m better, I want you to teach me the sword."
"Believe me," Lee replied, "you"ll learn to fight. I"ll see to that."
"I never want this to happen to me again," Gewey declared. "I want to be able to fight my own battles. I want to be more like you."
Lee c.o.c.ked his head and smiled. "You"ll be far better than I. Actually, I was impressed with how well you did this time."
Gewey looked shocked. "What are you talking about? I was nearly killed."
"Maybe, but you managed to fight an armed bandit alone and with no training. And let"s not forget, you saved the life of that elf."
Gewey shrugged. "Why did she run off? We meant her no harm."
"Elves are a strange lot," Lee replied. "Not much is known about them. They tend to keep to themselves. I know they don"t like humans."
"Why don"t they like humans?" asked Gewey, trying to keep his mind off the pain.
"Five hundred years ago, man and elf lived in peace." Lee began. "They more or less stayed out of each other"s way. That is, until King Luthon IV, of Maltona, desecrated their most sacred temple. He was a greedy, selfish ruler. He"d made war on his neighbors for so long that he bankrupted his nation. The Temple of the Four Winds-the seat of elfish spiritual power-rested on the border of his kingdom, and was rumored to hold vast treasures. For hundreds of years humans had left the Temple in the elves" control, but Luthon decided to break tradition and claim it for himself. This, of course, sent the elves into a frenzy.
"At first, the war was contained in Maltona, but as the elves closed in, Luthon convinced neighboring kingdoms that the elves wouldn"t stop once Maltona fell. Thus, the Great War between elf and man began. For twenty years it spread and raged, leaving the landscape in ruin. Eventually, both sides came to an uneasy truce and agreed to keep to their own lands, never to have dealings with one another again."
"So man started it?" Gewey asked. "No wonder they hate us."
"Yes, but that wasn"t the end of it," Lee continued. "The war split the elven nations apart. Many didn"t want the truce, and they began raiding human villages. They slaughtered entire families, burning everything in sight. The other elven tribes, fearing a second war with man, turned on their own kin. For ten more years there was civil war, leaving the elves a scattered, broken people. After that, they receded into the shadows. Few have seen them since, and fewer still know much about them."
Gewey pictured the elf woman in his mind-how proud and defiant she seemed, and how beautiful. He couldn"t imagine such a war.
"I"ve spoken too much," said Lee. "You should rest. There"s a village ten miles from here, and I need to scout it before we go. You"ll have to wait here until I return."
Gewey was already drifting off. "I"ll be fine," he said sleepily. "But before you go, tell me one more thing. Why were you willing to leave her to die?"
"You have to understand, Gewey," Lee replied. "The story I told you is from long ago, and there aren"t many who still know the tale. Men choose to forget the war, convincing themselves that the elves" hatred of them is uncalled for, returning hate with more hate. Dealings with elves are dangerous at best. Their loathing runs deep, and their cunning is formidable. They live about five times longer than an average man, so there are elves still walking the earth that can remember what the war did to their people. They"ve become poisoned by their own memory, and in turn, they poison the minds of their children. They"re not the people they once were. Believe me when I tell you, releasing that elf has put us in more danger than we were in already. I"m still not sure she won"t come back and try to kill us."
"But we saved her," said Gewey. "Why would she want to kill us?"
"You"re human to her eyes," Lee answered grimly. "And that"s reason enough. Now, you need to sleep."
Gewey obeyed and let himself drift off. The face of the elf woman haunted his dreams.
The next morning, Gewey awoke to find that Lee had already left, but not before he"d taken the time to leave wafers and dried meat at Gewey"s bedside, along with his sword. His wounds still throbbed, but Gewey managed to sit up and eat. After he finished, he got to his feet and walked around for a bit. His legs felt weak at first, but the more he walked, the stronger he felt. After a while, he became bored and decided to try to take a nap.
As Gewey lay there, he listened to the sounds of the forest. At first, he only heard what anyone would hear, but as his mind stilled, he was able to take in more and more. It was subtle at first-the sound of a robin making its nest, then the rustling of a gra.s.s snake slithering through the brush. It grew and grew, until he felt as if he could hear the very growing of the trees. Though everything around him lived and breathed, it did not feel chaotic; instead, it was like a chorus of life in perfect harmony. He laid there for hours listening to the music of the forest, until he heard the sound of footsteps approaching in the distance.
He got up and grabbed his sword, wincing in pain. A few minutes later Lee arrived, frowning.
"Why are you on your feet?" he scolded.
Gewey told him what he had experienced.
"That"s very good," said Lee. "But you need to rest for a bit longer. I don"t want you to reopen your wounds." Lee instructed Gewey to take off his shirt so that he could check his bandages. As he removed the dressings, Lee stared in disbelief.
"And I thought I healed fast!" Lee said in amazement. "Your wounds have closed. It will still take some time for you to heal completely, but I think we"ll be able to move on sooner than I thought."
Gewey was pleased. "I do feel much better. In fact, I think I"m ready to leave now."
"Not so fast," Lee advised. "I"ve secured a room at an inn, and we"re not expected until nightfall tomorrow. We"ll risk one more day here and move on in the afternoon. It"s ten miles to the village of Gath, so you"ll need to gather your strength."
"If you say so," Gewey sighed. "What do we do in the mean time?"
Lee grinned. "I suggest you lay back down and listen to the forest. It"s good practice."
Gewey grumbled with discontent. He hated being idle; years of farm work had driven the laziness right out of him. At first, he kept insisting that he was well enough to travel, but Lee wouldn"t budge.
Finally, after much argument, Gewey gave in and spent the rest of the day listening to the forest as he was told.
It seemed he laid there forever before it was time to leave. Gewey spent most of the night and next morning staring at the trees. Lee had given him an herbal tea to help him sleep, but it only made him light-headed and dizzy. Lee insisted that Gewey continue to rest while he packed. When he was done, he checked Gewey"s bandages once more and tossed him a fine linen shirt and expensive riding trousers.
"What"s this?" asked Gewey.
"Just get dressed," Lee instructed.
Gewey dressed and mounted his horse. Pain shot through his body as he climbed up, but he was able to hide it from Lee.
"I would have helped you," said Lee.
"No need," Gewey insisted. "I can manage."
The sun was just setting when they reached the road outside Gath. The village was much larger than Sharpstone, and the streets were busier than Gewey was used to seeing this late in the evening.
Vendors were still pulling their carts about, looking for prime locations along the main avenue, and lights shone in every shop window.
The sound of a blacksmith"s hammer rang through the air, and the smell of the nearby stables made Gewey"s heart long for home. The street they traveled wound and turned until he had trouble remembering which way they had come; Gewey thought he would certainly be lost if they had to make a quick getaway, but Lee seemed to know exactly where he was going.