Part Six
They drank two pitchers together, though Dale had stared ahead of Tsuki and had the greater share of the drink. They returned to the Lasting Peace in time for dinner and were joined by Lenaduiniel. The food, as promised, was good. They had warm bread, many vegetables and Tsuki also had fish. They drank more ale with their meal, and later imported Elf-made ambrosia, as Lenaduiniel insisted it was more proper for Elves than ale, and Tsuki should share with them.
It seemed so funny to Tsuki when Lenaduiniel used the word 'share'. Everything seemed funny. They laughed and drank and took places before the fire of the common room, repeating the stories of how they had each met each other and every funny thing they had seen each other do.
Eventually, they helped each other up the stairs and fell into beds.
And then dawn came, so seemingly soon. "I would love to get my hands on that cock," Tsuki growled.
"Cock? What?" Dale asked, waking.
"The crowing bird that signals dawn has disturbed my pleasant dreams."
"Oh, Wizard dwellings then."
Tsuki had not dreamed of a Wizard dwelling, but he did not say this. Instead, he lifted his head and looked bleary-eyed at Dale. "Why are you in my bed?"
"I think you are in my bed." He rubbed sleep from his eyes.
"You slept."
"I do sleep sometimes."
"At night."
"Oh, you were not on watch?"
"I did not say that I would be...did I? I do not seem to be able to recall. I vaguely remember you telling me about overhearing the woman at a nearby table say that she thought my eyes looked pretty...loud enough that everyone in the common room could hear."
Dale laughed weakly. "Did I do that?"
Tsuki laughed and the movement it caused in his body left him nauseated. "I think..." he started to speak, then threw his weight, landed on the floor, found the chamber pot and sicked into it.
"Demons from below, that is rank!" Dale groaned. He sat quickly, shuddered, then launched himself toward the pot and was sick.
Tsuki coughed. "It is like the stench of failed alchemy. We must be rid of it!"
Dale shuddered again then crept slowly to the window and opened it. "It just smells like horse out here!"
"Can we dump it from the window?" Tsuki asked, lifting the pot, and nearly becoming sick again.
"There is an overhang, but look there is a gutter. It is better than leaving it here. If there is rain, it will wash away."
Tsuki lifted the pot to the sill and tipped it outward, but as the pot was quite full and Tsuki was groggy, he lost control of the weight and the pot slipped from his hands. He called out as if he could stop the fall, but he was unable and vile humors sloshed from the pot onto the overhang and the pot itself clattered onto this section of roof and then began to slide down its slope.
For a moment, the pot stopped atop the gutter and Dale thought to retrieve it, so it did not fall on anyone below, but the sloshing contents caused the pot to teeter and then fall over the edge.
"I hope that no one..." Tsuki began, but even as he spoke he heard loud complaints from below. The voices complained that they would stay at another inn, that they were disgusted and that they would find out who had done this humorless prank.
Tsuki and Dale ducked below the window. "The window is still open," Tsuki whispered. "They will find the room."
Dale chewed at his lip then stood and called out. "Oh, what commotion is this? What vile smell is here? We Rangers heard the noise and opened our window, but none of these others appear open."
Tsuki laughed where he was crouched on the floor. Dale's acting was quite bad, he thought.
"Yes, I hear, certainly some humorless prank has been worked. Fear not. We shall go through these rooms and deal with those responsible. Surely they will be run out of town this day."
"Surely they have traveling bards who were more convincing than that," Tsuki remarked from below. His answer was Dale's booted toe kicking his rear.
"A public whipping, excellent suggestion. On your way, all of you, nothing more to see." Dale closed the window and then crouched beside Tsuki.
"Someone will realize. They will say the red-haired Elf was the Ranger who spoke to them. It is not the most usual coloring."
"I can't help being autumnal."
"Is that the reason?"
"It is what my family always said...before. I've remembered that...the way...I think it was a joke. It is just rare coloring."
"I imagine it is better camouflage in autumn."
"Yes, that was why...my color was the reason...because they did not see me at first."
Tsuki wondered if Dale realized he was speaking aloud. He seemed oblivious to Tsuki now, his voice very small. It must have something to do with Orcs, Tsuki thought. Dale was more concerned with the creatures than other Elves were, and normal Elves had great dislike for Orcs. The cause of his madness seemed to be some history he had with Wizards or perhaps only the Orcs spawned by some Wizards; he became most upset when those subjects came into conversation.
Dale slumped against the wall beneath the window. "I feel like grass," he groaned.
"Grass?"
"Like grass after it has been grazed upon, chewed, regurgitated, chewed again, swallowed, digested, squeezed out as dung, stepped in, trod on all day and picked at with a stick."
"I would not go so far as to call myself dung, but I do feel...rather chewed upon. Like I am coming apart."
Dale laughed weakly. "We have to meet Duinhir this morning. Is there some Wizard cure for after-drunk?"
"None that I know. What about the Elves? Have they anything for it?"
"Drink lots of dew."
"Dew is good."
"Willow bark."
"I still have some! They did not take it from me. Is that all?"
"And..." Dale said a word that sounded Elven, but which Tsuki had never learned.
"What is that?"
"Apparently they do not often teach Men that word. It most literally translates as 'To die within each other now and always' but it just Elven euphemism for the intimate intercourse between the sexes, which could also be applied to similar activity between those of the same gender."
"Sex."
"Yes, if you want to say it like a Wizard; they have no poetry. Dew, blood-thinner, and sex."
"For now, I can only help with the willow. Though...why does sex help?"
"You are the one learned in Wizardry. Do you not know what sex does to the body?"
"I have read tomes on the workings of it, but Wizards do not often consider themselves with such things. I should think the moving around would make matters worse; I do not feel like moving right now." Tsuki moved, to crawl to his pack and search for the willow bark.
"Mmmm, that's why you would do it nice and slow. Don't you understand? It just makes your body feel different inside."
"I am having some difficulty with your butchered Common Speech this morning."
"The sex effects change within the body. I know not the words to describe; I am not a healer."
"Perhaps the bad humors are purged from the system."
"I don't really speak Wizard."
"I said...what you said. Changes inside the body."
"Right. It totally feels good, that's all I know. You mean you really do not know? This vow of yours, I mean...it has always been in effect?"
"Since I came of age? Yes."
"Never? With anyone?"
"No. I told you. I wish to be pure."
"There is nothing impure about it. Sharing yourself is natural, like drinking clear water, or wondering at stars, or breathing. I didn't understand how it could be until I lived with the Elves."
"Did you say...that is...when those Elves found you, how old were you, that you had not understood any time before that? How old were you when...whatever happened before ended and they found you?"
"I estimate I had twenty-five years when they found me."
"And now?"
"I have 34 years."
"You are just as old as I am, only, for an Elf thirty-four is so young. You are only a child."
"Not a child in the same sense as one of your people would be a child, but I am a young Elf. Thirty-four, for a Man, that is considered very much adult, yes?"
"Yes. I suppose. Some Men live to be quite a lot older than others. They say some that have more direct lineage from certain ancient kings or tribes are longer lived. I do not know if this is so. Kings may live to be old because they are cared for by so many attendants, while those who work hard every day my not live so long. I suppose if a man of my age were planning ever to marry, he would be seeking a wife."
"Kinda been wondering about that. You do not wish to have sex for the sake of sharing, you are not seeking a wife, and you are not actually a Wizard. What does that leave?"
"I wish to be a Ranger, and such attachments would only distract me..."
"That's a load of dung. The actual Rangers at our fort do have wives, or at least females to whom they are devoted. Well, not all of the Elves, but they have centuries to decide to settle. Being a Ranger only means that you might be away from your wife or lover during assignments, if does not mean you cannot have attachment. I should spread this rumor and listen to them all laugh. People just get attached, that's natural too."
"What does that leave?" Tsuki whispered. "Not wishing to be so casual, not seeking a wife, not actually belonging to an order that demands vows."
"Do you know you are speaking aloud?" Dale laughed.
"Yes."
"You told me that the Wizard sent you away...eleven years ago?"
"Yes."
"Then we have both been recovering from whatever happened before, roughly the same amount of time.
And neither is fully recovered, Tsuki thought, because there is something not right with me. "I know that you believe My Master did something to me, but I tell you, I know not what it was. I know of nothing that was wrong. I do not believe that you would not lie to me, Dale, but I cannot believe that My Master hurt me."
"I know. I don't think it would help for me to make suggestions. Perhaps later?"
"Yes. Perhaps later."
"Then let's see if we can get up off the floor without being sick and find some water at least."
"I will never drink that Elf liquor again."
"Ambrosia after ale, you'll sick in a pail!"
Tsuki groaned.
The after-drunk Rangers barely had time to pack, dunk their heads in a well, and pay their bill at the inn before they were due in Duinhir's office. They completely forgot to collect Tsuki's chest from Lenaduiniel or even to say goodbye to her.
When they did arrive at the Lord's office, they were yet quite bleary-eyed, dressed in the same clothing they had worn the day before and slept in, their hair was uncombed and they smelled of tavern smoke and ale. Duinhir was just finishing his letter to Barad, including a report of two 'Rangers' who had dumped vomit onto unsuspecting citizens after a night's drunk. "Hullo, Gentlemen!" Duinhir said loudly as they were shown inside. "How was your leave?" He bellowed, taking full advantage of their after-drunk state.
"Sir, great M'lord, um, Sir."
"Uneventful...Sir?"
Duinhir put the last of his documents into the message container and then prepared sealing wax. "I have prepared my reply to Lord Barad. You will leave as soon as possible to deliver this message canister to him in Stone Keep. I also have additional...items for you to deliver to Stone Keep."
"Yes, My Lord," both answered.
Duinhir finished putting his seal to the canister and rose from his chair. "Come with me," he commanded and Tsuki and Dale followed him to the yard, where they found Lenaduiniel waiting with their horses.
"You can't be serious!"
"Lady Lenaduiniel came here looking for her brother who left to become a Ranger and I told her I did not know which fort he may have gone to, but two kind Rangers have informed her that her brother Gwindor is at Stone Keep and she has asked me to give her directions to that fort. As she is the daughter of a king and kin to a Ranger there, I cannot rightly refuse her request, but because she is the daughter of a King, I cannot afford to allow her to travel unescorted. Therefore, you two good Rangers will be the Lady's escort." Duinhir's tone communicated that he thought Tsuki and Dale fools for telling Lenaduiniel where her brother was. He had known all along where Gwindor had gone, and as he knew Gwindor, believed he would only find his sister's visit a disturbance. Now, the matter was out of his hands.
"How fortunate that we should travel together," Lenaduiniel said. She knew that the Rangers would not enjoy the concept of escort duty, but she did not enjoy the concept of being overly protected due to her gender and station. This was not a time of war and she was not on any diplomatic mission that enemies would have cause to hinder.
Tsuki was thinking that the schedule he and Dale kept would be altered by a third companion and that this may not be a good thing.
Dale was certain that Orcs would be on them, catching scent of a female Elf in the wilderness.
"I have another item which must be taken to Stone Keep," Duinhir said as he lifted from the ground a cage of messenger pigeons.
Dale was fast becoming agitated. A female, a cage of birds and substantial luggage including that heirloom chest with only two horses, they should be slowed for certain, and if they attempted to purchase food for the trip rather than spend time foraging, they would be weighed down further. Orcs would be upon them before the next morning and they would be poorer for the effort.
"Sir, are there any further instructions for us?" Tsuki asked.
"Only that you make your best time between River Forge and Stone Keep. Your horses have been fed and watered, so you may be on your way." Duinhir then left them in the yard, under watch of other Rangers.
Tsuki went to his chest and opened it. "Not the time," Dale sang.
"If I can just find one thing of use in here. Perhaps I had two of some things and left one behind. Anything to speed our journey." He searched the chest, clothes, jewelry, shoes...Tsuki focused as much as possible on not thinking of His Master. Old tomes, a cup, a knife, a coin, a wand, a brazier, several small clay and metal pots, some looking glasses, candles of various colors, bottled powders and oils, ink, a quill, eagle feathers, gems, stones, mortar, pestle, scraps of fabric, string, vials...
Stones. "I do have a lodestone!"
"You have?"
"Little else seems valuable to us now, though I might shift some things from my pack...I do not have any iron pendant that I could use to find direction, my jewelry is all made of true silver."
"You have true silver jewelry?" Dale whispered.
"Gifts. We are going to be pressed for time as it is. Perhaps if I had an hour I could cast some small spell to aide us with speed or protection. I might perhaps use Old Rabbit's bones to make a sort of talisman, as Rabbits are fast."
"Our largest problem is managing the cargo," Dale said. "Nightmare is large and strong, so we might make him our pack horse, but then it will still be foot pace."
"Tsuki can ride. We are Elves, we should be able to run alongside," Lenaduiniel said, "What can I do to aid you?"
"It is just we did not know beforehand that we would carry so many things. I have no idea how to manage that cage."
"Let us walk into town, managing best we can. We should be able to acquire some straps to fit the chest and cage to one horse. Yes."
"Yes."
Tsuki tied his pack to Moon-halo's saddle then lifted the chest to his shoulder and walked to the gate, leading his horse. Dale lifted the cage and his pack and called to Nightmare; the horse followed him to the gate. Lenaduiniel put her pack on her back and walked after the Rangers.
They made their way to a tack and livery shop. Dale looked over the various saddles and harnesses and nearly became distracted by a display of riding crops. He had Lenaduiniel to assist him, so Tsuki excused himself to go to another shop. The town did not have a proper Wizard store, but they did have a job that Elves and superstitious housewives frequented. They had many interesting things, but Tsuki knew he should not be distracted so he went directly to the metal pendants that were used as charms or talismans. They were mostly shapes within circles, and of those many stars, but Tsuki found one that was a running rabbit. It seemed well balanced, and so he bought it.
Dale, with some additional coins from Lenaduiniel purchased a black leather harness for Nightmare, with various rings attached for fixing weight to be pulled or carried. When Tsuki arrived, Dale alone was fitting the harness to Nightmare and he said that Lenaduiniel had gone to the trade store to buy some lengths of rope.
Soon they had all their packs the chest and cage tied to Nightmare's harness with rope and Moon-halo was left free to carry one or two riders.
They left the town on foot and then Tsuki mounted his horse while the two Elves walked, Dale leading Nightmare with whispers. Tsuki began rubbing the lodestone against the pendant as he rode, by the time they crossed the bridge of River Forge he could sense the invisible attraction and opposition that meant the rabbit knew north.
They stopped just north of the road and Tsuki reached to take the map from his pack on Nightmare. "What should our plan be?" Tsuki asked as he looked at the map. He dangled the pendant above the map and adjusted the map until its north matched the direction of the rabbit's head. "Stone Keep is that way," he said pointing out the course taken from the map. "North north-west."
"I'll try to fix some landmark in the distance." Dale called to Nightmare and began walking across the open grassy land.
"I did not notice the Vale Elf accent so clearly yesterday," Lenaduiniel said.
Dale made no reply, but kept walking; in fact, he walked faster.
"He can mimic the accent of the Elves he lived with, which is understood well in this region," Tsuki said, "but he does not always choose to do so."
"Do you not know proper remedies for indulgence in drink? I could tell you some."
"We know some remedies," Tsuki told Lenaduiniel as they followed Dale. "We really should give thought to when we should stop to rest or have meals. Previously Dale and I decided to stop for meals at midday and midnight, at which time one of us slept and the other kept watch. We each slept four hours, I estimate, so we moved on at in the afternoon and before dawn. Two thirds of the day we moved."
"At night? You traveled by night?"
"Yes, it is summer and the days are long. The few dark hours before midnight and before dawn Dale navigated by the stars."
"Elves do love starlight, but they do not see in the dark."
"There was moonlight."
"It has been waning. I do not think we will have moonlight enough for even an Elf to see by."
Dale called to Lenaduiniel and she ran to catch him and then walked at his side. "Mark those trees in the distance in your mind. It is the next landmark on the course Tsuki set by Wizardry and I confirm by the position of the sun." Dale pointed out the evergreens that were bordered on either side by those trees that bore leaves that would change color. "Keep us walking toward them. I wish to speak to Tsuki privately about the tactics of our journey."
Lenaduiniel assured Dale that she could see the trees and would lead toward them. Dale then looked back and saw that Tsuki brought Moon-halo forward. Dale was surprised that he dismounted also. They walked between the horses.
"Are you troubled beyond being after-drunk? I agree that the journey will be longer, but perhaps only by the space of a day. I doubt we should find bandits or any other foe along our route."
"Lanaduiniel is right, about the moon. I have better vision at night than many Elves, but I do not see in complete darkness."
"Dale, do not worry. I have traveled with Lenaduiniel before. She is a Lady, but she is also an Elf and at home in nature. She is not witness or defenseless, but carries both dagger and bow. If we are unable to travel in the darkest part of the night, then we should all make a camp before it is too dark and take turns in keeping watch over each other until there is light enough to see. That is the way parties of Men and Elves usually travel. I know you dislike sleeping or remaining still in the night, but you are a Ranger and should learn to travel in this way as well as be able to travel through day and night with little sleep, when circumstances call for it."
"If we are to stop during the night, then I say we stop little as possible during the day. If there is cooking to be done, let us do it when we make camp, before sleep and eat only meals already cooked or which need no fire during the day."
"Very well, but we should have to begin foraging."
"I have a few things saved away."
"I saw that you did. It was wise to make a cache."
"I don't feel well now, perhaps later in the day I will be in mind to forage."
"That is well enough." Tsuki considered another idea. "As you and Lenaduiniel have fixed a landmark, I might try foraging. If I fall behind, I can ride after you."
"If you wish, though I cannot see as how you would feel more up to the task. Do not fall far behind."
"I will make my best attempt." The truth was, Tsuki believed he needed the practice. Dale had done much of the foraging on their way to River Forge, and Tsuki was the one who had more need to practice what he had learned in instruction.
They continued with Dale and Lenaduiniel walking at a quick pace on their long Elven legs and Tsuki scouting the area around them, sometimes leading Moon-halo, and sometimes riding.
When they came to the trees Dale had made their landmark they drank water from their skins, ate some nuts and dried berries Dale had saved and allowed the horses to graze.
"I am certain we are on the correct course now, but here, though there is open ground, there are somewhat more trees in eh distance and I cannot pick out just one group as a landmark. We may have to check our course more often."
"You forget I am a Wood Elf. The trees in the distance all look quite distinct to me," Lenaduiniel said. "Point out the correct direction to me and I shall fix a landmark."
Tsuki asked for a few minutes to prepare. He loosened some ropes to open his chest and took out some green thread. Tsuki removed the leather thong from the rabbit pendant and replaced it with four lengths of thin green thread, knotted once just above the pendant and again at the ends.
"Will that make it work better?" Dale asked.
"Yes, and I feel green is the appropriate color." Tsuki flattened the map on the ground and held his compass over it. As the compass pointed north, he adjusted the orientation of the map to match.
"Rabbits are good to you," Dale said, noting the shape of the pendant.
"Sometimes there is a rabbit in the moon." Tsuki pointed out the direction.
Lenaduiniel moved close to see the direction Tsuki pointed. "I have fixed a tree in mind. I can lead that far."
Tsuki replaced the green thread and took out some that was red and yellow, along with two eagle feathers. He shut the chest and tightened the ropes. As they continued on, Tsuki tied the feathers either side of Moon-halo's bridle. He next took his bow from his shoulder and riding close to Nightmare, reached into his pack for some of Old Rabbit's bones. When he found the two largest bones of Old Rabbit's front legs he tied these to the bottom end of his bow with the thread, along with the arrowhead that had killed Old Rabbit.
"That gonna make your bow work better?" Dale asked.
"If there is power in me and I incant and will it so."
"Wizard's do have powerful minds."
"I am not a Wizard."
"You seem strong-willed for a man."
"Truely?" Tsuki's tone said that this was strange coming from Dale, who seemed to believe Tsuki had been duped by the Wizard who was His Master.
Dale shrugged and walked off working with needle and scraps of leather as he went.
Near twilight Lenaduiniel commented that she thought the three blackbirds she saw in a tree might be the same she had seen earlier in the day. Dale said nothing, but he had already noticed them. Tsuki had hardly noticed, as he was now of the opinion that the birds followed Dale for some reason, but he had never before seen three blackbirds together, which could also be said to follow Dale.
Tsuki suggested they make a camp, but Dale disagreed, saying that they should cover as much ground as possible on the first day and while they were on flat, relatively open ground. They had eaten along the way, though they had not sat for a full meal, so there was no reason to stop just to eat. They had continued fixing landmarks and Dale was determined to continue until he could not see to follow the points they fixed.
Though Tsuki still disagreed, he saw that Lenaduiniel was not tired and he knew that he was not very tired, or at least not so tired as he would have been from walking. He allowed Dale to continue.
Plotting the direct course with compass and landmarks, rather than traveling in one direction and then another had enabled them to cover a fair distance between River Forge and Stone Keep. The rise in the land where they would enter the hills had been visible for some time, but they had not yet reached it when it became dark. As the sun set in the west, Dale had been following the silhouettes of points they had marked against the glow, but eventually Tsuki insisted that there was not enough light to plot a course in the same manner and they should at least stop to eat, whether they found another way to plot a course or not. Lenaduiniel agreed, and so Dale stopped.
They took the luggage from Nightmare, removed Moon-halo's saddle and tethered the horses to a nearby tree. Lenaduiniel gave the pigeons some water and saw that they still had seed to eat. Tsuki looked over the food they had gathered, some apples, edible roots and greens, herbs. Dale drew his sword and crouched low, snuffing the air.
When Tsuki saw Dale's behavior, he scanned the area and listened for signs of danger, but he detected none. "Dale, is there danger?" Tsuki whispered to him.
"I want to keep moving," Dale said, his voice on the verge of singing. It was always worse at night, even without discussion of Orcs or Wizards, Tsuki thought.
Lenaduiniel said that she sensed no immediate danger, but Dale did not
seem comforted.