The Merchant and the Menace (22 page)

“Do you wish to add a comment, Zodrian?” asked the
hooded giant.

Manfir smiled and mounted his warhorse.

“I wouldn’t slow for you if you were sinking in
quicksand,” snarled Manfir.

“Nor I for you, Zodrian. I’m glad you found this
opportune time to delay us with your musings,” stated Granu flatly.

Manfir clenched his teeth and edged his armored
horse toward the giant. Granu rose to his full height, gripping the center of
his staff.

“The forces of Chaos mobilize around us,” grumbled
Ader to himself. “Am I not burdened enough without the worry of you feuding
children?”

The old man ignored the warrior’s protests,
gathered his robes close and turned as Tarader approached him. The horse
dropped to its knees and the old trader straddled its back. Immediately,
Tarader rose and trotted from the yard into the palace grounds. Lord Teeg
smiled and followed suit.

 Eidyn and Kael glanced from one another to the
pair of glaring warriors then back again. Eidyn shrugged and the two young men
chucked the flanks of their mounts and trotted from the stable yard.

Within minutes they passed through the ring of
Almar trees and moved out into the city of Luxlor. A moment later the hoof
beats of Manfir’s huge black stallion echoed from behind. Kael stole a glance
over his shoulder. The Zodrian prince sat ramrod straight and fought hard to
prevent the stallion from breaking into a run as the animal tried to keep pace
with the long stride of the Keltaran monk beside it.

The city was just coming awake as the forest sun
filtered down to its streets. An old Elf walked along the streets carrying a
jug. He deftly poured a few drops of thick liquid from the jug into some of the
glowing glass jars that hung from trees lining the street. Almost immediately,
the warm green glow from the jars faded. Kael greeted the man cheerfully, and
the Elf’s drowsy eyes lit up as he recognized the group. He returned the
greeting and fervently returned to his work, smiling and glancing over his
shoulder at the departing group.

They slowly made their way through the Elven city.
Manfir moved to the lead, followed by Ader, Teeg and Eidyn. Kael trailed behind
the Elven prince and glanced over his shoulder to see the dark figure of Granu
steadfastly bearing down on them from ten yards back. Kael knew immediately
that the Keltaran wouldn’t be left behind, no matter the pace. However, Granu’s
hooded presence silently pursuing him through the woods frightened Kael. The
boy couldn’t shake the image of death chasing him all the way to the Zodrian
capital.

After some time they arrived at the Efer. Kael
remembered Ader’s words from their previous crossing. He scanned the woods and
easily spied the figures of expertly camouflaged Elves. This time however, he
kept his discovery to himself. Once again, Diom lay near a fallen log
surrounded by shrubs. The lieutenant went overboard in his attempts to conceal
himself. So many leaves and twigs were stuck to his body that Kael judged he
looked like a crazed porcupine. The boy worked hard to suppress a smile but
then felt shame. Because of Kael’s pride, Diom might endanger himself.

“Fonra, remove those buckles from your shoes. They
reflect even this dull light. I discovered you easily,” called Eidyn. “And
Diom, you look ridiculous! Return to the palace and get a day’s rest. I can’t
afford to lose you, but obviously recent events impair your judgment. Ilan,
command of the squad is yours.”

Kael’s shame doubled. They moved out of hearing
range from the squad and Kael eased his mount alongside Eidyn’s stallion.

“It’s my fault,” said Kael.

Eidyn surveyed the boy.

“A warrior is responsible for himself in all
matters,” stated Eidyn soberly. “Most important of these is his own death.
Excuses for poor judgment don’t return the dead to the living. You’re no more
to blame for Diom’s mistake than the lamplighter we passed in the city. Only
Diom can take responsibility for Diom’s error. He’ll see that the training he
received in concealment was adequate and he’ll return to that training. He’ll
be a better soldier for having this lapse in judgment now, not when harm might
come to him.”

The pair trotted forward in silence. Kael wondered
what punishment Diom might receive from General Chani when the Elf returned to
the city. When he looked up once more, Eidyn was staring at him.

“I can’t help but muse over our first meeting,”
Eidyn commented.

“What about?” said Kael.

“You may refuse to answer me if you wish, but I
must know a few things. Don’t misunderstand me, Kael. I’m not a vain man.
However, I am a proud one. I take great pleasure in my skills. I work hard to
perfect them. When you’re the heir to the throne of a kingdom, others hold you
to a higher standard. I hold myself to that standard. I must know how you
detected me in the woods,” said Eidyn.

Kael bit his lip while he mulled over the events in
the woods two days previous.

“Well, it was just a feeling at first,” began Kael.
“I relaxed against the tree and let my mind search for the sound of the Efer. I
knew it must be close, but heard nothing during my trek. The more I relaxed,
the more I allowed my mind to search for the sound of the river. Just as I
sensed the sound of rushing water, I heard a loud crunch.

“It frightened me. I panicked and desperately
needed to know whether I tricked myself or not. I searched for the sound to
prove it a mistake, but heard even more noise. It was definitely footsteps, so
I rose and sprinted toward safety. I decided my best course lie toward the
river. It provided a barrier to interpose between myself and my pursuers. At
least it would channel them into a narrow space.”

Eidyn furrowed his brow and stared at the ground
sliding beneath them. Kael hoped his information helped but wasn’t sure he
answered Eidyn’s question. The Elf turned once more.

“I hope I’m not too presumptuous, but you may
encounter a similar event in the future and I wish to instruct you on some
basic rules,” said Eidyn.

“Please do,” replied Kael, happy not to offend the
Elf.

“First, you committed a terrible error heading
toward the river. You’re fleet of foot and agile. To keep to the path is to
hand the enemy a map to your position. Once you decide to flee, escape and concealment
should be your goal.

“There is no shame in running, Kael, there is only
shame in being caught. You were unsure whether the enemy on your heels could
outpace you. If he could, the path is to his advantage. There were no obstacles
to impede him. If he couldn’t, he need only outlast you. No matter how far you
outstrip him, you’ll need to slow or stop. The enemy knows exactly where you
are, the end of the path.

“Your enemy chose to pursue you. Therefore, you can
assume he was confident he could kill or subdue you. If that were the case,
your best option is a trek through the woods. You were unaware of your enemy’s
size, but again you can assume he was larger than you if he chose to pursue
you. Therefore, the dense woods create a greater hindrance to your foe than to
you. Also, your small stature increases the opportunity for concealment. The
fox must give chase a hundred times before he finally lands a hare. Remember
Kael, chance often favors the hare.”

“Your instruction resounds with truth, noble
prince,” interrupted Granu, “but in reality the pursuer was neither larger than
the boy nor confident he could kill Kael. By your own words you were puzzled by
the boy’s abilities. Perhaps Kael’s best option was to turn and cut you down
with the blade he possessed.”

Eidyn reined in his stallion and swung to face the
trailing giant. The remainder of the group halted as well. The Elven prince
stared placidly at the dark figure and tension filled the forest air. Suddenly,
Eidyn smiled and laughed.

“Quite true, my Keltaran friend. But at the time,
that was my little secret!”

The company roared with approval and even Manfir
cracked a smile as Granu threw a forearm across his chest and bowed deeply to
the Elven prince. Eidyn spun his stallion around and winked at Kael as he
headed back down the forest path.

“Lesson number two, Kael,” whispered Eidyn. “Duty often
compels us to attempt the foolhardy.”

They cantered on. Kael grew weary. The monotony of
the forest took its toll on the senses and lulled him toward sleep. Once more
Eidyn moved close to Kael and spoke softly.

“Your earlier description puzzles me more than
ever,” said Eidyn.

“Why?” asked Kael.

“You say that you started to the sound of a large
snap. Is that accurate?” questioned Eidyn.

“Um .. I  ..er, know you are proud of your
abilities Eidyn, but you must have erred and stepped on some dried twigs,”
apologized Kael.

Eidyn smiled and shook his head.

“No, my friend. It is you who are mistaken. I want
to learn the technique you used in the woods the other day. It’s not just any
man that is able to hear an Elf shod in deerskin, tiptoeing on tree moss!”

“Tree moss,” repeated Kael. “That’s impossible.”

“Impossible or not, I took one step onto a patch of
tree moss and you heard it,” laughed Eidyn.

“How could I hear tree moss? There is nothing to
hear,” said Kael.

Ader slowed and glanced over his shoulder. He
frowned at the two men.

“If you look closely, Kael Brelgson, tree moss is
made of tiny leaves and stalks. It’s a plant like any other,” stated Ader.

“Are you telling me I heard the snapping of tiny
...”

“I’m telling you that tree moss is a plant like any
other. That’s all I’m telling you. Conclude what you will.”

Kael rode on lost in thought. He knew he was gifted
with special abilities. He knew no one else in Kelky could do some of the
things he could. But he never really put any of them to the test like he did on
his first trip out of that sleepy village. He wondered if Eidyn toyed with him.
Possibly a little embarrassment would help square them up after Kael almost
eluded the captain of the guard. There was no way he heard the agile Elven
prince lightly stepping on tree moss over fifty yards from his position in a
dense forest.

All he did was let his mind reach out. He was tired
and extremely relaxed against the tree trunk, just as he was now. Slumped in
the saddle, plodding along in this monotonous forest. Watching tree after tree
pass by with no change in their height or color. He let his mind once again
reach out and explore the sounds around him. The buzzing of insects, the drip
of sap, the calls of the birds and scurrying of small animal life.

Suddenly, he was aware of a soft padding sound,
matching the pace of his group. Possibly more than one! He panicked and glanced
at Eidyn. The Elven prince appeared unaware of anything. What should he do? Was
it his imagination this time? All of the previous talk put him on edge. What
should he do?

Ader slid in beside him. He looked hard into Kael’s
eyes.

“Let it go, Kael,” said his friend, good old
Jasper. “You are well taken care of here. Try to relax. That’s it. Just drift
off in the saddle. The chestnut will not let you fall.”

Ader’s words lifted a weight from Kael’s shoulders.
He felt comfort wash over him and the exhaustion from the last several days
seep into his body. Within seconds, Kael was fast asleep in the saddle.

The chestnut jostled along the road to Kelky. Kael
woke and blinked as the bright rays of the sun momentarily blinded him. The
group was moving along the Great Northern trade route.

“That must have been restful,” commented Teeg. “I
never sleep in the saddle. I like to pay attention to what is going on around
me.”

“It ... just hit me,” mumbled Kael.

“I’m sure it was better for you to sleep that leg
of the trip,” stated Teeg nodding behind the group.

Kael turned to see the edge of the Nagur retreating
in the distance. Turning back, he pursed his lips and nodded his agreement. A
wave of emotion caught him as they rode on. He fought with sorrow, anger and
confusion. What was happening? He slowed the pace of the chestnut and let the
group move slowly ahead of him. He was afraid he might cry and didn’t want
these hardened warriors to see him. As the imposing figure of Granu strode past
the chestnut, Kael heard a deep chanting prayer from beneath the cowl.

After several moments gathering his thoughts and
dealing with his pain, Kael looked up and nudged the chestnut to fall back in
pace with the group. They crested a small hill in the road and to the East Kael
recognized the grove of trees he and Aemmon used for shelter. Kael realized it
was his last opportunity and reined his mount in on the crest of the hill.
Slowly he turned to say goodbye to Aemmon. In the distance, passing clouds threw
shadows across the edge of the ancient wood.

“Goodbye, Aemmon. I’m sorry,” whispered Kael.

A splash of sunlight caught a small portion of the
wood’s edge. Kael’s keen eyes picked out the tiny image of two figures moving
along the forest’s border. The distance was too great to determine specifics,
but the smaller of the two wore dazzling white. The sun radiated off the
clothes. The second, larger figure, wore the colors of the wood, dressed in
browns and greens. The beam of sunlight was lost to the clouds and in an
instant the figures were gone. Kael spun. All save Granu moved down off the
crest of the hill.