Part Fifteen
Late in the night Dale awoke, willing to take the next watch, as Elves needed little sleep each day and he less than others. He turned from the Prince's chamber and saw Tsuki and Laurel both sprawled on the floor, as if fallen. Dale ran to them, dagger in hand. He knelt at Tsuki's side, and glanced quickly to Kato. The Halfling seemed to have lain down to sleep, but it was clear now, as Dale turned back to the others, that they had been up to some magic.
A candle was still burning in their workspace and Dale could see various ceremonial objects lain out or fallen. Some small wooden horses were bound with hair and standing within a circle traced in the grime of the stone floor. Tsuki's cup was fallen, and empty, but the ground near it was dry. Dale feared they had poisoned themselves or taken some drug.
Dale did not know very much about the magics of Men and their women, he barely understood Wizardry, but he did know of plants that could induce trance, sickness or death. Orcs often poisoned their blades and arrows.
Dale felt Tsuki's face. He was warm and he breathed, but was unresponsive. "Tsuki! Wake and speak to me! What did you do?"
Tsuki did not stir and so Dale moved to the woman. She must be some sort of witch, he thought. "Wake, you witch, if you have harmed Tsuki I will make certain you live to regret it." Dale slapped her face and Laurel opened her eyes.
"Tsuki," she rasped.
"What were you doing?"
"It was supposed to be a spell of protection over this barrow and the horses, against the restless spirits outside."
Tsuki began to wake. His hand still clenched his wand, though all the power summoned and channeled for the purpose of the spell had been released. "Are you well? Tsuki? What were you both thinking? I doubt you both even know the same magics."
"That was not a problem," Tsuki said, voice low and gravelly. He felt somewhat drained and sleepy, but at the same time, joyful and clear-headed, now that he was awake. He and Laurel both realized that something significant had happened. "Laurel..."
Tsuki did not say it aloud, but Laurel understood. They both understood, though they did not yet understand the 'why' of it all.
"You did something more. I felt...so much power. I have never felt such a thing when working alone or..." There was much Laurel did not want to reveal about herself yet, but she believed it fair, there was much Tsuki had not revealed about himself or the sort of magic he practiced. "You did something."
"Yes." Tsuki stood. It was very quiet, but for the sounds they made breathing, moving, and talking. "There was so much power, I knew I should not hold it, but that I must release it with need. It was more than was required for protection...I sensed that somehow. I changed the spell..."
"Yes. It feels so different now." Laurel stood also.
"Curse you both," Dale said, "what did you do? If my horse is..." He stopped speaking as he saw Tsuki and Laurel taking the candle and moving past the cloak to the outside.
When Dale joined them outside the barrow, Tsuki and Laurel were walking about with dazed marveled expressions. The horses were fine. Dale could see well, the clouds had all gone and the moon was nearing fullness. He noticed, when checking the horses that there were tracks in the soft earth and mud. They were not tracks left by Tsuki or Laurel, though those were also clear.
Something had been moving about the barrows during the night and storm. Something that had never reached the horses or the barrow they stayed in. Something of which there was no other trace but the prints in the mud.
"This is how the place should always have felt," Laurel whispered.
"When we were working...I fully believed in the spell and I felt the power...but now I cannot explain how we did it. I cannot define it..."
To Dale, the burial ground now felt like a grove or garden planted by Elves. At least, he felt the way he felt when walking in those places. It was so peaceful...good. It was a very good place they were in. He could see now the mounds, stones and grass that spread for miles. Good...and also ancient.
"These stones are all carefully arranged," Tsuki said, "To guide the fallen kings to the heavens."
"Yes. We can all sleep here safely now."
Tsuki nodded. He looked back to where Dale was standing, watching them from the entrance to their host-Prince's barrow. "Dale will keep watch."
"Does he practice?"
"Dale is an Elf. Their magic always seems so much subtler to me. I think for Elves, to live is to practice magic, in a way."
Laurel thought that Dale seemed unlike other Elves, but she knew none personally. She could sense that it was best she keep these thoughts to herself for now. In time, she would learn more about Dale and Tsuki, and perhaps even Kato. "I will sleep well," Laurel said.
Tsuki came over to Dale after Laurel had already passed into the barrow. "I do not want you to get involved in things that are beyond your control," Dale whispered.
"All is well, Dale. Trust me. I will tell you about it, I would like to, but I need time to rest and think first."
Dale nodded. He followed Tsuki inside, and sat at his side while Tsuki slept.
After dawn, Kato woke, while Tsuki and Laurel still slept. He and Dale began loading the horses and preparing breakfast. "Do you think we will find water today?" Dale asked Kato as they were changing their clothes. Dale had only one pair of pants and several jackets but he had various shirts and undergarments that he might wear between his skin and outer clothing. Kato had a few of each type of garment that he wore, and for him this meant several pairs of short pants and vests apart from his underclothes. Neither has stopped to consider leaving Laurel's presence; she was asleep.
When he had put on his vest, Kato took one of his maps from the baggage that remained in the barrow with them. He showed Dale the road along which they had come and the are covered by the barrows. "If we leave our camp here in good time and are not waylaid then we should come to this crossroads here before long. There is a good well there, left by my people." Kato showed Dale how a road came out from the southern border of his people's homeland and met road they traveled. "Now that there is more travel through the north, it is common for people to stop at this crossroads to make camp; there is no settlement there. We might detour to this little village of Southford, but it is more off our path than I would like. With all this business of Orcs, I should like to get south as quickly as possible."
Dale observed the map. "I imagine it is a village of Halflings."
"Yes."
"Somehow, I did not expect to be so many days in the wilderness when you said we would take roads."
Kato nodded. "They are ancient roads. The north is yet quite lawless, but for the towns along the trade road and the villages to the north protected by the Rangers. Of course, there is the land of my people, which was spared much of the devastation of past wars."
"And the Elves have several settlements...though I suppose those count as being along the trade road."
"Yes, and there are the Dwarven settlements, but they are a secretive people, so I am not quite clear on which mountains they dwell in. My maps do not show."
"They are fine maps." Better than the map Barad had given them for their training mission. Kato's maps had many landmarks and even had notes indicating good camping sites and what peoples might be found populating a given area. "So, we'll make camp for a while at this next crossroads, have supper, then continue through the night? Looks like there's a settlement down here, where we come to that next river."
"It is called Newhaven. It is an interesting place, not a town in the traditional sense, but rather a sort of permanent tent city existing around the ruins of a more ancient city. Rather dangerous if you are not mindful of your things. There are Rangers there, but it is more than they can handle some days."
"How far between? What is the scale of this map?"
"Ah...there is no scale. You see, directions have been preserved in the drawing, so in some ways scale is misrepresented. Though, I know it should be roughly another two days, traveling through nights."
"At best three days and nights at the speed of your pony until we find anything remotely like civilization."
"Circumstances are improving slowly. In the south, you will find towns exist that during the war had been unfounded."
"Guess we should wake these two."
"They seem to be quite soundly asleep. It seems unlike Tsuki."
"They were both awake late into the night."
"Were they?" Kato's tone suggested the pair had been engaged sexually.
Dale sneered but did not deny Kato's inference. He did not believe Tsuki would have done as Kato suggested, but Dale did believe there was something between Tsuki and the witch, even if not sexual. It bothered him.
Though Dale had suggested waking them, he made no move to do so, but watched Tsuki and wondered what exactly he had done the night before. Dale supposed offering the woman shelter rather than chasing her off was honorable, and that was like Tsuki, but surely, he could not have known her well enough to do magic with her.
Kato bent and lifted the cloth covering the contents of Laurel's basket. She was carrying a bottle of wine and various gathered herbs and, "Mushrooms!"
"I wouldn't eat those," Dale warned.
"Poisonous."
"Worse than poisonous."
"What is worse than poisonous."
"Spirit walking." Dale bent and prodded Tsuki's arm with a finger. Tsuki moaned and screwed up his eyes before opening them. "Wake her then get your things together. We need to get moving."
Tsuki woke Laurel and then both collected their things. Tsuki went into the Prince's chamber to change his clothes.
"To where are you headed?" Laurel asked.
"South," Kato answered.
"If you are away from your home and unescorted, you may certainly join us until we reach some settlement," Tsuki said as he returned.
"On whose authority is that a given?" Dale asked quietly, though they could all hear.
"I do not mind the lady joining us, and so I must vote with Tsuki."
"I missed the part where you delegated power to the group."
"I had to call him on his comments about monarchies when you wanted to stay in the barrows," Tsuki explained.
Dale shrugged, gathered the last of his things, and went outside to Nightmare. Tsuki said that Laurel would ride his horse, but she said that she could not accept this kindness and that she did not have skirts suitable for riding. Tsuki offered her a pair of his pants, which were cut loose and wide in the legs. He said these would likely be seemly enough for a woman. Laurel left to the Prince's chamber to dress, while Tsuki took Kato and the last of their baggage outside.
They shared a quick breakfast from Kato's store of food and then moved to the road and went south. Tsuki walked, as the others rode, but after a short while, Dale pulled Tsuki up to ride before him on Nightmare. Dale took advantage of their position by rubbing Tsuki's back or nibbling at his ear, when the others were not looking.
"They will not grow points, no matter how you pull," Tsuki told him. He enjoyed the attention, but found it difficult to appear unaffected for the others. Tsuki and Laurel had wanted to speak with each other, but Dale prevented it by guiding Nightmare to stay close to Kato's pony, and Kato assisted him by asking Laurel to ride at his other side so that he could speak with her.
It was evening, though not yet dark, when they reached the well at the crossroads Kato and Dale had spoken of the morning before. Kato was quite hungry. They had ridden without stop to make such good time to the spot. He had eaten only a few snacks he could eat while riding. He thought his pony might be able to move faster when Dale spoke with it.
Dale slipped from Nightmare and ran to the well. He lowered and raised the bucket, and then smelled and tasted the water. "It is good," he said, "And the recent rains have left plenty of water in the ground. I am going to draw water for washing."
The others all said they would like to wash as well, though they could not bathe submerged. They filled skins and various containers with water and then separated to conceal themselves from each other and the roads. Tsuki took his saddlebags, but left Moon-halo and the rest of his belongings with Laurel to aid her in concealing herself.
Kato took his pony and his waterskin and pots into some trees. While Dale and Tsuki remained on the grass. Dale unpacked the cook kit and took from it one of the pots punched with holes that allowed water vapor to enter. He figured, it would just as well allow water to be poured through and it would fall like soft rain from beneath.
"Get out of your clothes," Dale told Tsuki as he stood testing the shower.
"I think they can see us much more clearly than we can see them."
"I don't care if she sees you with me. Get out of your clothes."
Tsuki removed his clothes and set then aside in the grass. He did want to wash, and it would be easier if Dale stood and poured the water upon him. He would not even mind if Dale watched more intently than was necessary. The water was cool and he shivered as the first of it fell on him, but then Tsuki lifted his arms over his head, closed his eyes and let the water wet his skin and hair.
"I wish you had followed me into the Prince's chamber."
Tsuki lifted the hair-wash and quickly made a lather. "You suggested we should keep things secret...that many would not understand."
Dale sighed. He was unsure of some thing, but he was certain he found Tsuki most pleasing to look at. "I did, but the real reason for that is so that those who would hurt us or separate us due to their lack of understanding would not have the chance. What could Kato and Laurel do, even if they knew it all?"
"Tell others."
"I do not think Kato would. I think I am starting to appreciate him more. He is strange to me, but I think perhaps I judged him against my experience, and I should have remembered to judge his actions according to his own background. It must have been hard when his father was killed, but otherwise, his past is quite normal, if you understand me. We cannot count him at fault if he is superstitious or lacks battle experience or knows little of Elves or is both forward and curious. That must be how all common folk would act put in his situation. Those who are the common folk are the majority of people. They are normal and mad Elves and Eastmen who were formerly muses or mercenaries are strange and different."
"Kato is quite a decent sort after all and it seems brave of him to undertake this journey,' Tsuki said as he soaped his body, "I do not think Laurel would intend harm. I think...she needs me."
"Yeah, but does she have as much use for me?"
Tsuki did not know any answer to give Dale but he thought he saw how Dale might feel threatened. "I cannot explain what I feel about her yet, but I would protect you of course."
Dale poured water over Tsuki so that he was able to rinse the soap from his body. As he was pouring the water and looking down upon Tsuki, Dale felt a sting in his neck. Tsuki looked up and saw the dart hit Dale; he grasped for his pants and swords as he called out to Dale.
Dale dropped the pot and waterskin and pulled the dart from his neck, but he was already feeling as if a fog had entered his mind and he knew the point had been drugged. He fell to his knees.
Nightmare made a shrill cry and stumbled.
Tsuki had managed to get his legs in his pants, and holding one sword. He wrapped his other arm around Dale and pulled him back from the horse, in case it should fall upon them. He could see a few cloaked figures moving in from the road. Tsuki quickly put his mouth to Dale's neck and attempted to suck the poison out.
"No...Tainted..." Dale whispered.
Tsuki spit onto the grass. "I did not swallow," he whispered, "Stay with me."
"Nightmare is hit. If the others are well you must find them and flee."
Kato could see Dale and Tsuki were in some trouble. He hurried to put on his clothes and draw his dagger. He could see the bandits numbered at least six. The color of their cloaks hid them in the grass.
Tsuki stood over Dale and lifted his sword. He felt his pants were only loosely laced and his legs were damp beneath the leather. Tsuki could see well enough that they were Men, and he did not wish to slay the bandits, but their actions had shown they were enemies. Tsuki looked quickly to his sides, trying to gauge the full number of the closing party. He could see Kato and could see that the bandits had spotted him as well. Laurel and Moon-halo were nowhere that Tsuki could see.
"Tsuki…" Dale was yet conscious, but he seemed weakened to Tsuki. Dale crawled slowly toward Nightmare, who had fallen to the ground with several darts in his neck and flank.
Tsuki's sword deflected a dart as it came for him. "I do not wish to slay people of any race, but if you will not identify yourselves and continue to act as honorless bandits I will at least draw blood!"
One of the Men drew down his hood. He spoke with an accent that seemed strange to Tsuki, but his words were understandable as the Common Speech. "We live by a strict code of honor! We take from faithless merchants and their henchmen to provide for our people."
"If you wish to set up a toll, you should approach people openly along the road!" Another dart flew at Tsuki and he dodged it. "And not like sneaking wolves on a hunt!" At that several of their number howled as wolves and closed in.
"We are the Moon's hounds and this is our great hunt," said the one that seemed their leader.
"Then I shall prove your master, Dogs!" Tsuki side-stepped in toward them and slashed at clothing and flesh. IT was then several swords came up against him and Tsuki was engaged in most serious combat.
Kato saw the bandits coming and he did not know what to do. He knew that his mission and the message he carried were supposed to be important, but he did not wish to abandon the others though it seemed he should for the sake of the mission.
Kato was not certain that if he ran he would make the remainder of his journey safely, and so he decided to confront the bandits the best way that he knew. "I will give you money!" He called out to them. "Stop fighting! Take this heavy purse and any trade goods we carry, but spare us our lives and horses and what weapons and tools we need to survive."
Some of them looked at Kato and some stopped fighting, but three Men at least were still engaged in combat with Tsuki. He really was amazing, Kato thought. He had not had opportunity to actually see his protectors in combat. It seemed to Kato then that Tsuki could have easily slain all his foes, but he was holding back. Yet, several were on the ground and Tsuki seemed to easily hold his ground, with just one sword and his bare hands and feet as weapons.
"I will give you all my money, food and pipe weed."
"Take his offer!" Tsuki shouted at those who fought him. There seemed to be more. Others had come from some hiding place and he thought there were as many as nine, some of them women. "I had enough of killing in the war. Do not force me to kill you all!"
An arrow flew and struck one that threatened Tsuki in the chest. That man fell back and another shouted "Orcs!"
"It was the Elf!" called another.
"Elves are strong, use another dart!"
Dale did not feel able to speak. His rage worked against the drug enough that he had reached his bow and aimed it, but he could not stand and he could not see very clearly. He hoped Tsuki would dodge the arrows if they came toward him.
Two of the women ran to Dale. One ran directly toward him to draw his fire, while the other crept behind. Tsuki called out to Dale, but he was still engaged by the swords. He could only glance toward Dale enough to see that one woman slipped a cord from her waist and looped it around Dale's neck. The other snatched his bow.
Dale thrashed against them, but drugged as he was and having a cord squeezing his throat, two women were enough to subdue him. Still he struggled. He felt they were making a captive of him and he hated the feeling. He would truly rather die than be a prisoner.
"Get off him!" Tsuki shouted. He grew impatient with these bandits. They had not sense enough to retreat or take ransom. He took a hand from one of them, gave the leader a slash on his cheek, kicked another hard in the belly, and as the Man fell forward knocked the top of his head with the sword hilt.
Tsuki strode toward Dale and the woman upon him, as Dale was pleading with them in rasps to finish his life. "Get off him now, or I will forget you are women and slay you both," Tsuki said gravely.
The dark-haired woman holding the cord looked up at Tsuki. "No. Drop your sword or I kill the Elf."
Tsuki raised his sword blade to the neck of the woman holding Dale's legs. "Release him."
"You are weak. If it is your intent to kill us for our actions, then do so, but if you cannot, then surrender and drop your sword. The Elf does not have much breath left."
"Kill her!" Dale rasped.
"We have the Halfling as well and your horse and pony. Kill me if you will, but I will take the Elf with me and my sisters the Halfling."
"I wish to harm none, but we have important business in the south, and as your lot cannot accept a proper ransom, I have been forced to do harm in defense of our party, but I swear, if one of them dies by your actions, I will be your death and retribution." Tsuki threw down his sword. "I surrender my sword to you. Release him now, or I will strangle your life from you with my bare hands."
The woman released Dale, but as soon as she did, he raised his hands and grasped her throat. Another in the group shot an arrow and it struck Dale's arm, causing him to release the woman. Tsuki turned, saw the one with the bow, and quickly grasped the wrist that held the bow, took the bow, threw it to the ground, and twisted the Man's arms behind him until it was broken.
The leader of their hunt held the tip of his sword to Tsuki's neck. "No more."
Another came behind Tsuki and stuck a dart in him. Dale saw Tsuki fall and despaired such that he stopped fighting and fell unconscious. Kato was similarly subdued.
The hunt regrouped, many had taken injuries and several might be permanently crippled; they needed treatment for their wounds. The leader ordered them to collect all that they could find here and return to their camp, which was to the south, some distance from the road, in a lightly wooded area.
The Lady stood waiting for them in the camp constructed of tents and tarps tied in tree branches. Her party was returning much later than expected. She saw a large horse was with them, and several bodies piled on it. She saw the Lord of the Hunt come to her, a slash on his face and an overall pained weary look. The others looked similarly defeated, though they had brought prisoners and goods.
The Lady called to the common people, those her select group led and protected, those who had no ability in combat or defense. "Bring all the wounded to the tent of healing. We have work to do. Are any of these prisoners injured?"
"The Elf took an arrow?"
"An Elf?" The Lady asked, "you shot and took an Elf?"
"It could not be helped. He shot West and tried to strangle North."
The Lady laughed, though she did not think it funny her people had been injured. She spotted North. The dark haired girl in the black gown had clear bruises on her neck and was walking beside the horse, eyeing the Elf. "She strangled him first?"
"Aye, Lady. He would not go down with the dart and North did it to convince his companion to surrender."
"He did not go down with a dart?" Lady made the darts herself. She felt it was the best way to keep loss of lives to a minimum, shooting the darts to induce sleep and then taking what they would. If they had brought prisoners, it was because they had been especially troublesome and could not be left behind to track the hunters.
"He deflected and dodged several. An Easterling, though he speaks like he has lived among the horse people."
"Another Easterling," The Lady mused. "He is not injured?"
"No. He surrendered to us when we had taken his companions. He is responsible for many injuries. He took East's hand!"
"The right or the left?"
"Right."
"We will have Summons take his place."
"I think Black's left arm is broken."
"I will tend him as best I can. How is South?"
"She is unharmed, as are Yew and Rowan."
"They can help me with the healing. I will see the Elf first."
"As you wish," said The Lord.
When Tsuki woke later, he found he was within a tent, alone with Kato. They had been laid on simple cots with mattresses stuffed with leaves. There was a small hand crafted table in the middle of the tent. Kato was still asleep.
Tsuki looked to the front and rear of the tent. From one side, he could hear what he supposed to be dogs. From the other side the sounds seemed to indicate activity within a camp. There was chopping of wood and feet moving over twigs and leaves. He could smell a wood fire and more concentrated herbal scents than he would suppose normal for the woods, though to Tsuki the clues he could sense suggested such a setting.
Tsuki moved to Kato to examine him. He seemed unharmed, except that he was in a drugged sleep and his wrists showed signs of having been bound. Tsuki's wrists felt sore, but neither was presently bound. Tsuki whispered to Kato, but he did not wake. He then went to what seemed to him the rear of the tent. He opened the flap slowly and saw three large dogs. The breed was unfamiliar, but Tsuki did not doubt these could hunt and track and they seemed quite powerful as well.
Tsuki went to the other flap and peered out. He could see various tents and workstations below tarps. There was a fire in the central area between the tents and a pair of standing stones beyond it. As Tsuki watched, two blackbirds landed on the stones and more alighted in the trees.
Dale woke inside The Lady's tent and found himself deprived of his shirt and surrounded by seven women. They one with the short black hair glared at him. He cried out wordlessly drew his feet up before him on the bed and began to pick out his braids so that he could hide himself with his hair.
"All of you out, except North," The Lady said.
South made a curtsey and led Rowan, Yew, Hazel and Willow out from the tent.
"The Easterling calls him Dale," North said. Dale's eyes glanced to her for a moment before continuing to scan the interior of the tent.
"Dale," The Lady said, "I have treated the arrow wound in your right arm. It went cleanly through the flesh, but it may feel quite sore for a while. Also you may find you feel queasy from the sleeping drug. All shall pass. I cannot allow you to leave us or walk among us freely right now, but I will allow you to see your companions."
"This one is not right," North said.
Dale rolled his eyes, glared at her and arranged his hair in attempt to cover more of his bare chest and back.
"Take him to his companions and let The Lord enter."
North grasped Dale's arm and pulled until he would rise and follow.
Tsuki saw Dale come from the tent led by the one who had tried to strangle him. The birds that had gathered called out to Dale, but he did not appear to communicate with them. "Be afraid to sleep tonight," Dale sang to North as she pulled him through the camp.
"I am prepared to kill or die."
"Prepared for fates worse than death are you?" Dale asked in his sing-song voice. He saw Tsuki open the tent flap and step outside.
"Stay in the tent," North said when they approached Tsuki.
Tsuki grasped the hand that held Dale's arm and removed it from him. "Bring him a shirt," Tsuki said, pushing North's hand back toward her. She drew a dagger from inside her cloak. Tsuki remembered the Wizard he had lived with and what he had sometimes said of using compulsion. It was casting magic on another without their consent, but as Tsuki had real need and these people had made themselves enemies, he thought his actions probably fell under his enemies actions coming back upon them rather than counting against him. Tsuki took a slow breath and concentrated on putting power in his voice. "You are the North?"
"Yes," She said.
"And that one who held his legs and drugged me is South? Or another?"
"South."
"And that woman there is your Lady?"
North turned and saw The Lord and The Lady speaking outside her tent. "Yes."
"Go tell your Lady that is she knows anything of honor or courtesy she will bring Dale a shirt, as he has been deprived of his own, and she will have food brought to us to counteract the sleeping drug and also water to drink and hot water enough that we might at least wash our faces, hands and feet. Tell her just as I have told you."
North left them and Tsuki drew Dale into their tent. He stooped and watched North go to The Lady. He whispered to Dale, "Are you well? Did the birds give you any news."
Dale sat on the ground and hugged himself.
Tsuki spoke to him again. There was no compulsion in his voice, but he was firm with Dale. "Dale, it is Tsuki. I need you to keep your wits. I apologize for allowing us to be taken captive, but I think we may be able to escape of negotiate release if we watch and wait. Now please tell me what the birds said."
Dale sighed and put his head to his knees. "They told me our position, some ways south of our last camp, and west of the road. They say they have seen many Orcs moving in the east, across the next river. They say also that your horse comes here slowly carrying a rider and that they do not take the same path our captors took to get here."
"Try to rest. Kato is well, but sleeping. They will bring a shirt, water and food for you, Dale, though I expect The Lady may have me brought to speak to her. I will do what I can to recover as many of our belongings as possible and negotiate release. If I had not surrendered…I would have killed or maimed them all."
"I only blame you for possessing such beauty that I forgot to watch
for danger," Dale said as he climbed onto the empty bed.