The Lord Son's Travels (17 page)

She
mentally picked through her favorite CD's.
 
"Well, when in doubt stick with the Beatles,
right?"
 
She hummed the
beginning strains of "Let it Be" to herself, then to her listeners.
 
The melancholy song seemed to her
fitting as she serenaded the crowds.
 
She wondered about her family and friends as she sang, pondering their
reactions to her disappearance.
 
It
had been nearly a month since she woke in the field, and she was no closer to
home.
 
She finished the song,
holding on sadly to the final notes, then let it die away in the silence of the
night.
 
The crowds nodded their
approval, then the circle broke.
 
An instrument started up, and the joyous sounds of the earlier evening
returned to the clearing.
 
Elenna
seated herself again, picking up her wine to drain it sadly.
 
Her companions sensed her mood and left
her alone for a few minutes, gazing out at the scene while her mind wandered in
its conjectures of home.

Finally
she broke free of her reverie and looked about for her companions.
 
They had gone to join Berte and the
king with a few of the other elves at a table near the smallest of the bonfires.
 
She joined them as they continued their
discussion.

"I
have spoken to a few of our people who have been to the city of
Nest-of-Ravens.
 
It is a scene from
our sleep terrors." Berte translated for the King to Adrien, who nodded
somberly in reply.
 
Unnoticed,
Elenna took a seat at the end of the bench to listen intently.

"Who
was responsible?" Adrien asked.
 
The King shrugged.

"All
those involved point their fingers at each other.
 
Some say it was a madman, some say soldiers from the border,
some say their King sent killers as a warning against revolt.
 
I could not place blame with the
knowledge I have received."

"How
were these people killed?" Adrien asked.
 
One of the elves replied with a burst of elvish.
 
Berte translated.
 

"He
was with the party that toured the city.
 
He says that the people were butchered as they passed their normal
day.
 
Most were killed by swords,
though some beaten with heavy objects." He swallowed deeply.
 
"Some others had injuries he could
not determine, the bodies were so badly damaged.
 
Your pardon, my Lords, but he says that not even men he
thought were capable of such cruel deeds."
 
He finished in a rush.
 
Adrien only nodded.
 
Another
elf added a stream of speech in his language.
 
Berte looked confused.

"This
one says that some of the men had strange wounds.
 
Small holes in the chest, with similar larger wounds in the
back.
 
Not like a sword cut, but
small and round."
 
Elenna
straightened up at his words.

"Did
these men have any metal balls inside the wound?" she demanded
loudly.
 
The men flinched, turning
in surprise to the agitated woman.
 
She ignored their warning looks.
 
After a glance to his King, Berte asked the men her question in their
language.
 
They nodded vigorously,
describing the strange find with extravagant hand gestures, interrupting each
other in their testimony.
 
Finally
Berte turned again to the humans.

"Some
had small round pieces of steel in their flesh, or laying on the ground
nearby.
 
No one could identify how
these balls could create such terrible injuries."

Adrien
turned to Elenna.
 
"Do you
know how this could be?" he asked.

She
nodded.
 
"Maybe.
 
I've seen similar weapons.
 
Are we going there?"

"We
leave tomorrow," Adrien replied.
 
"Berte will guide us through the forests on the quickest
trail.
 
We should be there by the
sunset of two days hence."

"I
don't know what I can tell you," Elenna replied to her companion,
"but I'll do what I can."
 
Her most paranoid fantasies she kept firmly under her own hat.
 
She merely sighed; her enjoyment of the
evening drained by the news she had just heard.

Berte
watched the exchange with interest.
 
"What will a Lady see in this city we have not?" he asked
Adrien.

"She
is a stranger to the Eastlands," was his response.
 
"She comes from a far land with
distant customs.
 
Maybe these
events could show meaning to her."

Berte
continued, "The King would like to offer you his support in your quest,
Adrien.
 
If you would accept, I
will travel with you as guide to the city.”

Adrien bowed
towards the leader.
 
"The King
is most generous.
 
His kind
offering is humbly accepted.
 
Will
you be able to travel in the morning?"

Berte
nodded.
 
"I will have
provisions readied for us.
 
I will
take us by forest path, so our route will not be easily followed by
others."

"Most
appreciated," Adrien replied.
 
"We shall keep to two horses then to ease our travels.
 
Can you ride?"

"I
have been taught so," the elf answered.
 
"Especially if a good horseman holds the reins."

"We
can travel together," Brendan interjected.
 
"What of armor?
 
We might see fighting."

“I will
keep out of your way in any battle," the elf assured him in return.

Adrien
glanced to the moon, which was already past its zenith.
 
"We should return to our
camp," he declared with regret.
 
"We will leave early."
 
The festivities were dying down as they spoke.
 
Most of the revelers were gone back to their own camps for
the night.
 
The majority of the
fires had been doused.
 
Their group
was the last remaining.

"I
will join you before the sunrise," Berte said.
 
Adrien turned to the King to offer his farewells.
 
The King nodded, and spoke to his
translator.
 
"The King wishes
for you a safe and fruitful journey.
 
He will send word to the others of our kind, with his desire for your
protection.
 
He hopes that you, and
most especially your beautiful Lady of the Music, will return to our fireside
soon."
 
The king smiled
broadly at Elenna, who returned it with a slightly unnerved grin.
 
Many things were different in this
place, but the invitation in his eyes seemed to be pretty universal.
 
Adrien ignored the exchange.
 
He concluded the formal leave-taking
ritual, then led his companions through the maze of dying bonfires to the path
on the riverside.
 
Brendan lead the
way from there, carrying a lantern they had been given for their walk back to
their camp, while Adrien and Elenna followed closely behind, after a last long
lingering gaze at the site of the night's festivities.

"Tell
me more about this president king," Adrien requested eagerly, as soon as
the forest engulfed them.
 
That
concept had been floating in the back of his mind the entire evening.
 
Elenna shook her head as the request
interrupted her chain of thought.
 

"Its
pretty simple, really, our country is ruled by law, not by any person who gets
to rule because he was born in the right family.
 
I mean, do you really think family position is a good way to
pick who should rule?"

"I
have my doubts," Adrien replied softly.
 
He aimed his words over her head to his friend at the head
of their group.
 
He could hear
Brendan mutter softly in reply, but did not catch the words.
 
"I am most grateful for the Elf King's
support.
 
I hope it will give us
substantial protection." No one answered him, as the fatigue of the late
night settled over the trio.
 
Each
quickly assented that guard duty would not be needed so close to the elf camp,
and stumbled through the rest of the evening routine into slumber.
 
At least Brendan fell asleep
easily.
 
From their positions on
opposite sides of the firepit, Elenna and Adrien stared up into the night sky
or the fire, remembering the evening's events with a touch of melancholy.
 
Half recalled bits of the elfish music
fluttered in their minds with the elusiveness of butterflies; not enough
captured to satiate their desire to keep the melody with them forever.
 
Finally they gave in to their
fatigue.
 
Elenna dozed off to
thoughts of her cozy bedroom at home, while Adrien drifted away to the sound of
the music playing in his memory.

Chapter 18

The next
morning started early.
 
They rose
with the sun to find their new elvish guide sitting by the fire waiting
patiently.
 
As they readied the
camp to leave, he showed them the supplies he had brought with him.
 
Adrien exclaimed happily at one
package, and called Elenna over to see.

"What
is it?" she asked, coming to stand by his side.
 
He pulled off the piece of cloth loosely wrapped about it to
reveal a short scabbard and sword.
 
It had been forged for a smaller man; almost a perfect length for
her.
 
It was as well-crafted as any
elvish project.
 
The hilt was
gilded with gold in intricate designs.
 
Elenna pulled the blade almost completely free of the scabbard and
examined the razor sharp edge.

"You
needed your own blade," Adrien announced with satisfaction.
 
He fingered the scrollwork on the
handle, impressed with the quality of the weapon.
 
He had planned to find a cheaper sword for his student, but
this would certainly do.

"The
King personally asked me to deliver this," Berte explained to Elenna.
 
"He said that the Lady of the
Music must be protected from all dangers.
 
He charged me to see you safely returned to his side." The elf
blushed as the lady lowered the gift to study his expression.

"He
really thinks he’s got a chance?" she demanded, then scowled as the elf nodded.
 
"He can keep on dreaming.
 
But I like the sword."
 
The elf backed off bashfully, keeping
his gaze at the ground as she hefted the sword to check its balance.
 
Even she could see it was a good piece
of sword-work.
 
She had hoped for a
weapon of her own.
 
Adrien returned
to the other packages, making a place for the new supplies in their already
filled saddlebags.
 
Shyly the elf
followed him to offer his aid.

Brendan,
who had been caring for their mounts, returned and noted the gifts.
 
"Are you breaking the heart of the
King of the Elves?" he joked.

Elenna
laughed.
 
"Somehow I don't see
myself as Queen of the Munchkins."

"I
don't know.
 
I think Queen Elenna
sounds almost musical," he teased.
 
She rolled her eyes, as their other companions returned.
 
Both were ready to ride.
 
The elf had pulled on a cloak of the
palest green, the color of his king. He had brought a small pack filled with
his personal items which he wore with the strap across his back.
 
In elf fashion, he carried no weapons,
but the tip of a small musical instrument was sticking out the top of his pack.

"Let
us ride," Adrien announced.
  
"Elenna, wear the scabbard.
 
From this day forward we will all ride armed in case of
attack."
 
She complied
happily, tossing on her cloak over the large weight on her hip.
 
Mounting Madoc was a more difficult
task with the weapon at her side, but finally she was settled in her customary
seat before Adrien.
 
Berte perched
nervously in front of Brendan, his hands buried in the horse's mane.
 
Brendan grinned, and urged Baldwan into
a quick trot.
 
The elf turned
several new shades of green, but held on without voicing complaint.

The next
few days followed the same pattern as their days of travel before.
 
Berte, after one sample of Elenna's
cooking, offered to take over that chore to her eternal gratitude.
  
He remained quiet and formal,
rebuffing her and Brendan's friendly advances.
 
He preferred to sit at Adrien's side and wait patiently for
his services to be needed.
 
Adrien
and Elenna of course continued their practice sessions.
 
One night Brendan joined them for a
spar.
 
He and Elenna matched wits
for a few minutes, which ended with Brendan's profuse praise for her talents.
 
She grinned widely with pride at his
words, which were countered by Adrien's abuse of Brendan's current level of
battle skills and his ability to judge any warrior.
 
This of course led to a rather severe mock battle between
the two, with Elenna cheering heartily for the good-natured blond soldier.
 
Loser took first watch, so she ended up
sitting with Brendan for the first half of the night, keeping him company as
the other man slept.
 
She asked him
about constellations in the night sky, and he pointed out the ones he knew and
shared a few stories he remembered.
 
One tale he told was the story of Alek, the first of the Allè-dônian
kings, and the gift of the Neda Alia.
 
When he finished the tale, she yawned and excused herself to catch some
sleep.

Elenna
jumped into a sitting position, her hands flying behind her to support her
weight on the cold ground.
 
Somehow, two random thoughts had flown together in her sleep, causing
her to fly into wakefulness.
 
She
shook her head, the image locked into her brain of the sword of her fighting
teacher swinging gracefully through the air.
 
She narrowed her eyes, trying to examine the mental image
carefully.
 
She noted the smooth
curve of the steel blade, the silver and gold of the intricately wrought
handle.
 
Her imaginary study of the
sword ended on the large, exquisitely faceted ruby set in the crossbar.
 
She assumed that a stone that size with
such marvelous color would be extremely valuable.
 

She
blinked.
 
The color.
 
That was the connection her unconscious
mind had been trying to make.
 
The
shimmering ruby, and the once auburn tresses now tossed about her
shoulders.
 
Her hair color had to
be changed because red is reserved for...

"Royal,"
she muttered.
 
A new memory
fluttered into her mind.
 
The
gossip at the Loyal Pig of the runaway from Allè-dôn sought far and wide.
 
The King's younger son.

"Shit!"
she muttered again.
 
This time the
man on guard noticed her movement.

"Elenna?"
Adrien whispered, careful not to wake their other companions.
 
"What woke you?"

Silently
she climbed out of her bedroll to stand over him.
 
"You did, royal prince.”
  
He grimaced and motioned for her to sit next to him,
as he thought of how to respond.

"I
am Adrien Lord Son.
 
My older
brother is the Lord Heir.
 
I have
two nephews who stand in the line of succession before me."

"You
are really the son of the King?" she demanded.
 
Her eyes flickered as she studied his somber
expression.
 
He clenched his jaw.

"My
father is Andrüe Lord King.
 
His
father was the Lord King before him, and so back through our history to the
beginning of Allè-dôn."

Elenna
dropped to a seat next to him.
 
He
turned to face her, as she pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her chin
on her knee.
 
Her eyes were
thoughtful as she pondered this new information.

"No
wonder then the soldiers are searching for you.
 
You ran away from home.
 
Aren't you a little old for that?"

Anger
flared in his dark eyes.
 
"I
don't answer to you."

She
shrugged.
 
"Looks like you
don't answer to anybody.
 
Why did
you leave?"

"I
have explained my reasons before." he answered impatiently.
  
"My purpose is no
different.
 
Does it matter so much
who I am?"

"Not
to me," she answered.
 
"It still leaves us out here in the woods eating leftover elf
food.
 
So why didn't you tell
me?"
 
Her eyes glowed with
anger at his lack of trust.

"I
did not know what you would do," he answered honestly.
 
"I thought you might betray me for
the reward my father offers."
 
He defended himself at her self-righteous objection.
 
"I didn't know who you were, Elenna.
 
You were a stranger.
 
And you seem quite disparaging of
royalborn."

"I
don't like the idea of royalty," she replied promptly.
 
"But I won't hold that against you
personally.
 
But I still don't
understand why you're here.
 
If you
disagreed with your father, couldn't you have tried to explain your ideas to
him?"

"I
tried.
 
My father is not a very
reasonable man," Adrien explained.
 
"If he finds me, he could call me a traitor and have me executed or
banished."

"He
wouldn't!" Elenna exclaimed in shock.
 
"You're his son!"

"No,
I am the Lord Son," returned Adrien wearily.
 
"He would only see my disagreement as a challenge to
his throne.
 
I thought it would be
better to prove my point with evidence instead of what could be seen as a
baseless revolt."
 
He picked
up a stick from the ground, rolling it fiercely between his fingers he
spoke.
 

Elenna
leaned forward, lowering her voice to a whisper so not to disturb the sleepers
stretched out nearby.
 
"What
do you think we’ll find in Nest-of-Ravens?" she asked.
   

Adrien
turned to her, observing her focused on him with rapt attention.
 
He shifted in his seat from the
scrutiny.
 
Suddenly she rose, and
crossed to the water flask to fill two cups.
 
One she offered to the royalborn.
 
"Thanks," he muttered, and took a deep
draught.
 
She kept hers in her hand
as she returned to sit Indian style on the ground next to him.
 
"These attacks may be from an old
enemy we thought destroyed." He gave a short summary of the times of
battles of old and his suspicions.
 
She listened carefully, asking a few thoughtful questions, but mainly
letting him tell the tale with few interruptions.

"Have
you told your brother this?" she asked when he was finished.
 
"Maybe a friend of your father's
you trust?"

"I
have spoken to the Counselors.
 
They have no power over my father, though they support my cause.
 
My brother has no interest beyond the
borders."

She
nodded.
 
"Do you think this
war will come?"

"I
think it is already here," he replied.

Elenna
noted the tension evident in his clenched hands and rigid shoulders.
 
She laid a gentle hand on his wrist, as
he looked away to the fire.

"I
won't ever say a word about this," she promised solemnly.
 
She fell silent, then a minute later
spoke again.
 
"You really want
to help your land, don't you?"

"I
am a royalborn," he replied softly.
 
"Is that not my first duty?"
 
She gave his hand a final squeeze, surprising herself with
the pity she felt for him.
 
So they
remained a few moments to give themselves time to sort the new knowledge they each
had gained.
 

"Just
don't expect me to bow down to you or any of that royal stuff," Elenna
insisted suddenly in a mock harsh tone.
 

He smiled
faintly.
 
"No, I don't believe
we need the formalities here."

"No,
I don’t believe we do," she agreed.
 
"By the way, what about Bren?
 
Who is he?"

"High
Lord Brendan ä Wellect," the Lord Son replied.
 
"His father is my cousin, so he ranks only a few places
behind me in the line of succession.” Elenna laughed with amusement at the
thought.
 
"He does not strike
you as a man made for a throne?" Adrien offered.
 
She shrugged, still smiling.
 
They sat side by side facing the campfire, basking in the
cozy silence.
 
Now that his secret
was out and evidently accepted, Adrien relaxed a bit, allowing his rigid
posture to loosen to a more normal pose.
 
Elenna pondered this new data, twisting the knowledge this way and that
in her mind.
 
One of the puzzles
that had occupied since her arrival was solved.
 
Now she knew who her companions really were.
 
This brought new worries.
 
Now it wasn't a case of a few runaways,
but a potential war; at the bare minimum a messy political tangle.
 
She thought she had enough to worry
about just trying to get home again.