A Warrior's Path Read online

  Again, the diplomat hid her giggle behind a delicate hand. “I'm sorry,” she repeated, shaking her head. “Please, let me start over,” she stood and bowed deeply. “My name is Su-Ni.”

  Urietsin likewise stood and bowed as deeply as she. “Urietsi'in,” he said.

  “May I call you Urietsin?” she asked politely, bowing again, though not quite so low this time.

  Urietsin nodded and returned the bow. “Most people call me Etsin, but you may use whichever you prefer,” he grinned.

  She nodded. “Swift One,” she repeated, hiding a chuckle.

  Urietsin flushed slightly. He decided to bring the focus back to their conversation. “In answer to your original question, I am more interested in you than in diplomacy,” he explained.

  Su-Ni's expression abruptly changed; she looked surprised. “Me?” she asked awkwardly.

  Urietsin's mind raced backward quickly. He reviewed his last statement and realized his error. “Oh! No, no. What I meant was I’m interested in your group of diplomats. Specifically, I'm curious as to why the emperor thought it necessary to include you in this scouting mission,” he explained evenly, his tone belying the bright red burning in his cheeks.

  Su-Ni nodded, apparently oblivious to Urietsin’s embarrassment. “I imagine that's what all of you are wondering,” she said. She grew pensive for a moment. “In exploration like this, it’s probably best to have people like Ninei around. If we come across another city out here, the best interest of the empire would be to start up peaceful relations right away.”

  She fell silent for several beats while she stared into the fire. She finally added, “We think the emperor knows something.”

  “Hmm...” Urietsin acknowledged. This conversation was just getting interesting, and he wanted to say more, but something else had caught his attention. Su-Ni noticed his gaze and looked behind her into the darkness. Urietsin stepped by her saying, “I'll be right back.”

  The young woman watched him, noticing how gracefully he moved. He approached the trees on the balls of his feet and was both silent and ready. Su-Ni could see nothing through the darkness of the forest, but Urietsin apparently did, for his head turned suddenly to peer someplace else. As he padded forward, the darkness engulfed him, and the diplomat could no longer make him out. She suddenly started to feel very uncomfortable and looked back toward the main camp. She saw several soldiers sleeping and a few up and walking the perimeter of their campfire's light. She looked back to see if Urietsin had emerged yet. He hadn't. Su-Ni ran quickly back to the main camp to find Komeris.

  Tilon looked to Marui as the woman ran off. He didn't understand how the boy had seen him in the darkness. He hadn't expected to make an appearance quite yet, but it seemed as though it might be inevitable. Marui agreed, apparently, because she leaned close to him and whispered, “What are we waiting for?”

  Tilon nodded wordlessly and stepped away from the tree where they had been conferring. The young soldier from the camp stopped his progress. The elf held up his hand and spoke in the human's own tongue, “Hail. I mean you no harm.”

  “Who are you?” Urietsin demanded.

  “My name is Tilon Enshei. We who live in this forest wish to speak to you and your party.”

  There was a slight pause as Urietsin thought about his response. After a moment, the young warrior's posture changed. “You will want to speak with Komeris. He is our captain.”

  Tilon nodded before recalling that the human probably couldn't see such a slight motion in the darkness. He apparently did, though, because he turned around and gestured for them to follow. The elf thought to himself that this human must have exceptional eyesight. Tilon followed the young man, nodding to Marui to join him. There were many more hidden in the forest, but Tilon had ordered them to wait.

  The group exited the tight copse of trees to find themselves surrounded by Komeris and his men. The flickering shadows cast by the nearby fire made their stern expressions seem otherworldly. Each soldier had a weapon drawn and looked ready for action. Urietsin scanned the crowd and spotted Su-Ni and her companions huddled toward the back, whispering to one another excitedly.

  The Swift One held up his hand. “Please, sheath your weapons, men. These two you see behind me are our forest neighbors. They come to speak with us. They are unarmed,” he said.

  Again, Tilon was impressed by the young warrior's eyesight and awareness. He did, however, refrain from alerting the human as to the many bows that were doubtless drawn on the group from the trees. The elf wasn't sure if this warrior had seen them, but either way, he thought it wise not to mention it. He was pleased to see that one man, apparently the leader, was the first to put away his sword, gesturing for the others to do so as well; this, Tilon assumed, was Komeris.

  As if he sensed what the elf was thinking, the captain stepped forward and bowed. “I am Komeris, captain of this scouting party from Kesitul. We welcome you to our camp.”

  Tilon stepped up to Komeris and returned his bow with a simple nod. “I am Tilon Enshei of the Shionen people, and I welcome you to our forest, although I am curious about your presence,” he said, looking around at all the warriors. “This is an impressive scouting party.”

  Komeris chuckled. The sound instantly broke the air of tension radiating from the soldiers around them. The elf gave a sincere, if tight, smile.

  “Yes, I know how this must look,” the captain conceded. “I assure you, though, our intentions are quite peaceful. We come from an empire just to the east of these woods, and we are not very accustomed to exploration.”

  Tilon nodded as if he knew all this. He let his focus shift to the large campfire in the middle of the clearing. “Shall we?” he asked.

  Ah yes,” Komeris said, smiling. The captain turned and ordered his men back to their posts and led the way to the fire. He sat a few feet from the flames. Komeris indicated to Tilon and Marui to do the same. The elves sat rather stiffly and stared expectantly at the captain. Urietsin hurried over and sat near them while Ninei and her party gathered by Komeris.

  The captain looked around and noticed his company. “Ah, Tilon was it? These three here to my right are our diplomats: Ninei, Ini'io, and Su-Ni.”

  He gestured toward each one respectively.

  Tilon gave them an appraising stare. “Diplomats?” The question sounded doubtful.

  Komeris flinched at this and cleared his throat. “And you have already met Urietsin.”

  The look that the elf gave the Swift One was considerably different than the one he had shot at the diplomats, more respectful. He nodded. “This is Marui,” he said, indicating the female beside him. “She is something of a diplomat herself, and the finest archer of our people.”

  Marui bowed her head. “Captain, we apologize for sneaking up on you and your group, but we have much to ask you and were not sure how to approach. We are a quiet people, and we do not seek much contact with outsiders. You can imagine how surprised we were to find a large party of humans traveling through our territory.”

  Komeris glanced at Ninei, expecting her to speak. When she did not he shrugged and turned his attention back to Marui. “Had we known the extent of your ownership of this land and a way we could contact you, we would have asked your permission. We mean no ill will. These things are the reason we set out. To come in contact with others and perhaps work toward the mutual benefit of our peoples.”

  Tilon looked unimpressed. “We're quite familiar with how humans work to benefit themselves.”

  Komeris raised a confused eyebrow.

  “Tilon is quite outspoken in his opinions of outsiders,” Marui spoke quickly to salvage the conversation. “You must understand that our lives are very different here in the forest. We have lived in peace for many centuries, and in our entire history we have never fought with other elves. There are many old stories, however, about people who inhabited your land long ago. Many things happened in those times that are painful to remember. We do not hold you responsible for your ancestors' a
ctions, despite Tilon's attitude.”

  Tilon appeared unruffled by Marui's subtle reproach. Ninei took this opportunity to speak. “We do understand, Marui. Our cultures must be very different, and we have not had the opportunity to share them. This is possibly the most important part of our work. We hope to learn from one another and make our lives richer through peaceful relations. It would be a great honor, indeed, if we could consider ourselves allied with the noble Shionen.”

  Marui raised her eyebrows, impressed by Ninei's flattery. Tilon, however, was scowling. “Allied? Against whom?” he snapped.

  The female elf turned to scold Tilon sharply in their native tongue. Komeris shot a glance at Ninei. She nodded reassuringly. “You must forgive Tilon,” said Marui contritely. “We have seen many things recently...well, it is difficult to explain.”

  “Ask them about the magician,” Tilon said in a commanding tone.

  “Magician?” asked Ninei.

  Marui nodded. “We heard reports of your presence shortly after you entered the forest. It was very surprising as we had believed all paths into the forest were blocked. We came to investigate. When we found one of your campsites two days ago, there was a strange bird there. This bird turned out to be a magician in disguise. He transformed into the shape of an elf and spoke briefly with Tilon. He claimed to be part of this group and then returned to bird form and flew in this direction.”

  Ninei looked confused. She glanced at Komeris, who seemed similarly perplexed. “We know of no magician,” said the captain slowly. “The only people I have ever seen perform magic are the emperor and the priests.”

  Tilon gave a derisive sounding snicker. He said something to Marui in their own language. She clearly ignored him. “Hmm, that is puzzling. Tilon and I suspected he was not part of your group. In fact, though I hadn't noticed it before, he spoke in a tongue that sounded older than your own, if similar. I would guess that he was not even actually human.”

  Puzzled looks continued from Komeris and Ninei. “What else could he be?” asked the captain.

  The patronizing grimace on Tilon’s face deepened. He opened his mouth to say something insulting, but Marui quickly cut him off. “There are many races in this realm, captain. And shapeshifting comes easily to only a select few. It is possible for a strong magician of any race to learn to do it. It is difficult, though.”

  “If such a spell can be learned by a human, what makes you think this magician wasn't one?” asked Ninei.

  Marui pondered her answer for a moment. “Our race has a deep bond with magic. It gives us senses beyond those of most other races. Sometimes we can feel when another magical creature is near. It is also difficult for magicians and wizards to cast spells without chanting or using ingredients. This makes it difficult for them to cast a spell without drawing attention to themselves. Whoever this magician was, he could shapeshift apparently at will.”

  “Did you sense that he was a magical creature then?” asked Ninei.

  At this Marui turned to Tilon. “It certainly appeared so,” he said.

  “Hmm,” was Ninei's only response.

  Whatever it was that Tilon had said to Marui before, he said it again. This time she did not ignore him. Instead she began to speak quickly in Shionen, seemingly rebuking him. He seemed annoyed, but did not speak again. When she finished, she stood and looked at Komeris. “We must go now. There are some things we must discuss. We will speak again soon.”

  “How will we find you?” asked Komeris.

  Marui could not repress her smirk. “Do not worry. You should reach the western edge of the forest by about midday tomorrow. Assuming, of course, you get an early start. We will find you before then.”

  Komeris stood and gave a slight bow. “Tomorrow, then.”

  Marui nodded in return. Together she and Tilon left the clearing and disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

  Komeris looked to Ninei, eyebrows raised. “Well, we'd better get some sleep, then,” he said.

  Ninei rose, nodding in agreement. They walked separately to their respective resting places and prepared to sleep. Urietsin looked over at Su-Ni, who had been nearby listening to the conversation. He got up and walked over to her.

  “Interesting, isn’t it?”

  “Indeed,” she replied. “They don't trust us.”

  “Marui. She has yet to make up her mind about us.”

  Su-Ni looked up at Urietsin with a measure of respect. “You are quite observant, for a soldier.”

  He grinned at her broadly. “Thank you.”

  * * *

  Through the foliage, and as part of it, Gayossha watched the camp with fading interest. So, the elves had seen through his deception. No matter, the Fiu-Het doubted they could catch him if they tried. Even if they did, the members of his race were hard to kill if they were expecting death and even harder to keep captive. Gayossha felt it would be a good idea to disappear for a while. He had enough information to tempt Orbein. He would go back and tell him of the empire from which these scouts claimed to have come. Undoubtedly the king would be furious that he hadn't actually gone to investigate this empire, but the shapeshifter would enjoy the game. He would rest here for the night and in the morning fly back to Niele'itio, making a little stop in between.

  8. Progression

  “Tell me what you see, wizard,” the king's eager voice urged.

  That voice, hoarse with anticipation, made Laernus the seer flinch and almost broke his concentration. “I see an army,” the wizard replied shortly.

  “What is this army doing? Is it mine this time?”

  “I know not. It appears to be...yes, I believe.”

  “You believe? Mage, if you want to live another day, you will be sure this moment. Now, is it my army or not?”

  Laernus shot him a look, but quickly returned to his gazing, as the king was clearly very serious. “They are beneath clouds that rain fire upon the mountains.”

  “Damn them to the underworlds...” the king muttered in frustration. “Do the gods ever see fit to show you anything else?”

  “Highness, we are lucky to see what we have seen thus far. Not everyone...” the mage began to explain.

  Orbein interjected angrily, “Do not make excuses! I tire of your ineffectiveness.”

  “If you would but be a bit more patie-”

  “Do not!” Orbein warned, one threatening finger stabbing toward Laernus. Much more silently, but no less angrily, he continued. “Do not...speak out of turn again. When I ask you to speak, then you will speak. I do not wish to know your opinion, or anything else you have to say, unless I ask you.”

  Laernus looked warily at his king. How he hated this. If the king disliked him so much as to refuse his counsel when he gave it, he should let him leave. In fact, as the thought occurred to the mage, he realized how perfect the idea was. Maybe Orbein would just let him leave. As nice as his laboratory was, he truly did not need it. Perhaps he could find another way to get back to his homeland.

  “I will go,” he said aloud, more to himself than to Orbein.

  The king cocked an eyebrow. “Did you say something?” he asked.

  Laernus drew himself to his full height and nodded. “I will leave. You have no use for me, and it is clear that you cannot bear my presence. Perhaps it would be best if I just left.”

  Orbein nodded slowly, but a look in his eye told the wizard that he had not heard a word of it. “I thought you had spoken...” he said, almost wistfully. The king walked by the seer's table, brushing it as he stepped. The table shuddered strangely as he passed, and Laernus believed some magic was afoot. The mage began to mutter defensively, preparing to cast a spell, but something suddenly shot out of the table and into his mouth.

  It was a slippery tentacle that quivered in the air between him and the table as it wound itself around his tongue and halfway down his throat. Using the mage for support, the table pulled itself forward shooting out other tentacles that wrapped around his hands and bound his feet. Terro
r gripped Laernus as he gagged. Losing his balance, he toppled to the floor. He heard Orbein laugh.

  “Why did you speak?” he asked with mock wistfulness. “Did I not warn you?”

  Somewhere close by Laernus could hear a voice agreeing with the king, but he couldn't possibly begin to understand what was happening to him. Even if it weren't for the suddenness of these horrific events, the pain that he now felt prevented him from any rational thought. The tentacles that were holding him down squeezed him until he felt he would be crushed. And that one slimy limb probed his throat and wrenched his tongue until he thought he would suffocate.

  Then, suddenly, it ended. There was a deafening silence and Laernus opened one eye slowly. He saw before him a short, trollish creature groveling before king Orbein.

  Orbein half-grinned and said, “You performed well, my new friend. A shining example of your race. Gayossha will be angry I have taken your services.”

  The last comment was a dig for information, not the first since the Fiu-Het had arrived and hinted at Gayossha's importance, and probably not the last. The king was more concerned with other things, however, and did not wait for a response. He glanced over at the crumpled form of Laernus and knelt to have a closer look.

  “And as for you...what shall we do with you? I suppose we could let you go, but then you would be free to return and be a nuisance whenever you liked. No, I don't believe I like that option. I could kill you, but then, your foresight has proven to be a useful gift on rare occasion, though less so the past several months.”

  He looked to the shapeshifter, “What do you think? The dungeon, perhaps?”

  “If I may be permitted...” the creature spoke. Orbein made a gesture and the Fiu-Het continued, “I think he will be of much greater use to us within the ranks of the Ionotu army.”

  There was a long pause. Laernus could not tell what the king was thinking, as he was facing the shapeshifter. After a few moments, Orbein burst into peals of hearty laughter, obviously very pleased with the suggestion. That was it. Laernus knew he was doomed. When the laughter finally ceased, the king rose and indicated the restrained mage. “Take him to his new home. I'm sure it will be an educational experience.”