<<<>>>
Two elf sentries on watch. Side by side, Karendle thought, as images formed in her mind’s eye.
They’re just standing there, not moving around. The others have probably set up camp. But only two? I’ll bet there are more on the other side.
Karendle, Thissraelle, and Korr sat low, hunched up in a hollow beside two tree trunks growing tight together. Rannlethin crouched nearby, clutching a high elven spear. The evening had come on, and the snow was falling steadier as well. Karendle pulled her cloak tightly around her, but not so much as to shelter her from cold or wind. The trees were doing that well enough. She needed to hide the light blue glow of her sapphire mental oculus as she projected her awareness forward into the camp. She swept her distant vision over the heads of the soldiers.
Ah! There’s the camp. A small fire- three tents.
One, two, three... seven soldiers. Where’s Eddiwarth? Let me see...
She let her focus dance through the encampment, between the soldiers huddled around the fire, into the tents. There’s Illitharin, in the middle tent. It figures. It’s the nicest one. Destroyer take him. Next one: two more soldiers, and there’s Eddiwarth! Her mind’s eye saw him sitting cross-legged on the floor of the tent, his chained hands holding a small bowl of boiled meal. His head jerked up, then quickly lowered again.
Karendle sensed his voice in her mind, Who’s that? He quickly hid his surprise from the guards by licking another mouthful of gruel off his fingers. Is it Thissraelle?
No, it’s Karendle. I’m using the oculus. Thissraelle’s saving all the will she can. We’re close, and we’re coming for you. I’ve got to go, now. Stay alert!
I’ll be ready! His voice was clear in her head. Karendle broke the connection, nodded to Thissraelle, and dropped the dull blue gem into her pouch.
“There are a lot of them, so this will be tricky,” Karendle whispered. “There are three tents. Eddiwarth is guarded in the westernmost tent. He’s awake. I alerted him that we’re coming. Most of the soldiers are around the fire. Runnely, whatever your name is-- I saw three of your wood elves bound up away from the campfire.” She dug her hand into her pouch, and pulled out the brown and green nature stone, and the cold granite entrapment oculus.
Rannlethin nodded, and tightened his jaw, along with his grip on the spear. Karendle eyed him with care. His head suddenly perked up and he looked toward the camp, listening. “There it is. Did you hear it?”
Thissraelle and Karendle shook their heads. Karendle raised a brow. “The signal? It’s all just birds to me.”
“That says that Parith and Illariel are in place, now. Oh!” The wood elf smiled, hearing more. “That one means my boys heard it, too.” He drew his lips thin and made a few quick chirps.
Karendle stood up and pulled her hood back. “Well, then. Wish me luck!”
“Although I do want good fortune and the Creator’s aid for all of us,” Korr said, and followed her to his feet, “it isn’t luck that you need. You are courageous and powerful. That will carry you through.”
Powerful? She looked down at the oculi in her hands. Korr waved his finger over them. “No. I don’t mean the stones. I mean you are powerful. I have not known you long, but I have seen it.”
Powerful?
Thissraelle threw her own cloak off her shoulder and took Karendle in a quick embrace. “It’s true, Karendle. Go carefully. Bless your steps!”
“Yeah, for you, too.”
Thissraelle and Korr crept away, to circle the western side of the camp. In a matter of moments, the darkness of the night and the shadows of the forest had swallowed them up.
Powerful?
Rannlethin reached for her and took her wrist in an elvish shake. She reacted with a jerk, but after a moment, she returned the gesture. “I’m sorry,” he said, “and thank you.” Karendle nodded. He tugged his cloak tighter and moved away toward the eastern perimeter.
Powerful. She savored the relative quiet. The snow was starting to build on the leaves on the ground, and it was muffling even the birds. Karendle looked at the stones in her hand. Alright. Time to make this happen.
She stepped around the tree trunk. A cold breeze stung her nose and made her squint. With determined steps, she moved forward, carefully climbing over fallen trees and the humps of roots. She shuffled through the fallen leaves, making no effort to muffle their sound.
“Hold!” A voice said, with an accent that sounded like he didn’t speak common very often. She didn’t stop. In a moment, she saw a high elf soldier in a defensive posture, pointing a spear with a long blade. At the base of the blade, a ruby was mounted, and it glowed menacingly. “Step no further.”
Karendle paused, then continued toward him. “You won’t kill me.”
He shifted. “Hold!”
She steeled herself, trying to appear courageous and powerful. “You’re going to take me to Illitharin. Tell him Karendle wants to see him.”
A second soldier stepped up, also pointing a glowing spear at her.
“Tell him,” Karendle added, holding up the granite oculus, “that I have a present for him.”
<<<>>>
This continues the story of the heroes in Wynne, in Twynne Rivers, in the world of The Hero's Tale, Family Friendly RPGs. Here's more info on The Hero's Tale, and family friendly RPGing. If you like this story, support us at our Patreon!
Thank you: Chet Cox, Genevieve Springer!
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Thank you: Chet Cox, Genevieve Springer!
Previous Scene, Next Scene
Start the whole story from the beginning. Start from where this current story arc begins. Start from where the current story part begins
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