1.
There were too many of them, but Kyra showed no signs of submission. She stood her ground, eyeing them from where she stood, her sword held up as though to challenge them to attack her.
"We can’t win this," I whispered to her, hoping she would hear me.
"I know," she replied, calmly, watching the creatures as they gathered around us.
Now there were twice as many. Only a third or so were armed, but there were enough that that would undeniably end us. The others gathered behind those with weapons, watching fearlessly to see what would happen, their dark green eyes patient yet curious.
"What is your purpose here?"
I looked around, hoping to find the voice’s owner.
"We’re merely passing through," I replied.
"Passing through?"
I found him then, standing unarmed to my left. He was dressed in more formal attire than the others in a long robe and a hat that came to a point more than a foot above his head. He was older, and stood with his arms held behind his back. To either side, two males stood, each holding a spear as though they might attack us at any moment.
"Yes," Kyra said, "we’re on an errand for Lord Dammirth."
"Lord Dammirth?" The elf smiled, amused, raising his graying eyebrows as he did.
"Yes," I replied. "Will you admit us passage?"
The old elf thought for a moment, surveying our team with curious eyes. Rayben stood on guard, holding his axe at shoulder height, looking through those surrounding him as though he might find a weak point. Rayenne, Rayben’s sister, stood likewise, but had apparently decided already there were no weaknesses. She watched Kyra, knowing that if any rash moves would be made, Kyra would be the one to make them. Tolliver held his short swords at his sides, trying to appear unthreatening, always thinking in terms of diplomacy. If there could be peace, Tolliver would do what was necessary to find it. Brache seemed uninterested in anything that might happen. He stood with his double-headed axe held at his side in one arm, as if he might lean on it for better comfort. A warrior to the end, he could raise the weapon in a second, but he knew the battle would be lost. Lunara stood in the center, the rest of us having formed a circle around her. She looked fearfully at the elves that had surrounded us. No weapon in hand (and in fact, not trained to use one), but instead, her dress, held so as to keep its white hem from touching the ground. Beauty was an undeniable asset, but she was useless here, in fact, a burden. Tyne, however, would be useful indeed. The mage stood with his arms at his sides, ready to cast whatever spell might be necessary, though he could not harm the elves with magic. They were magical creatures themselves, resistant to it.
The old elf’s gaze finally fell upon me, Kobress, standing with my long sword half-raised, waiting for his response.
"What is this errand? One of importance?"
"We’re to deliver this girl to Count Killian of Murdint," Kyra responded. "It is an attempt at peace between our two peoples."
"Peace?" The elf considered this, clearly pleased with the idea. Then he looked to Kyra again.
"The Elvin people here cannot take a side in this conflict, even if it is to help the idea of peace become a reality. However, we can allow you passage for a price."
"We’re listening," Kyra said.
"We’ve been faced with an unforeseeable conflict between ourselves and the Tree-dwellers from the North Woods. It seems they have exhausted their food supply there and wish to impede on our territory to replace it."
"You share a food supply with these creatures?" I asked. "They want your food supply?"
"No, we do not," he said, "They wish to make us their supply of food."
I looked to Kyra, who looked back to me, astonished. I shrugged, wondering less how difficult it could be than whether I could leave and allow these creatures to be eaten. Kyra then looked to Brache, who shrugged in response, and then to Tyne, who looked grave and nodded slowly.
"A group of warriors, especially human warriors, would be quite useful in this situation. We can hide and run, but we cannot escape them in these manners. We fight them, but our people are not so educated in the ways of destruction. And in conflicts until now, we’ve been outmatched, losing three to their one," the old elf explained.
Kyra lowered her sword slowly then.
"For passage," she explained, "we will help you, but we will stay only three days. Until that time is up, we will do as you need us to."
The elf smiled and clapped his hands together.
"Excellent!" He exclaimed. "Come, there will be a celebration."
2.
They led us to their camp, the old elf, Diblido, talking all the while to Kyra, who listened, soaking in every word. Tyne, always serious, listened as well. I walked with Rayenne to one side and Rayben to the other, my eyes shifting through the females that were gathered together in front of us. They were all beautiful, as Elvin females tend to be. Thin, long-legged creatures, their proportions as different as a human female’s, but unlike human females, they were all delicate featured, all uniquely feminine.
Rayenne, seeing my gaze, bumped my elbow with hers and whispered with a smile, "Careful, Kobress, you may strain your eyes."
I smiled back, and with that she walked ahead, swaying her hips slightly, showing her own femininity. Rayben stepped up next to me then, looking serious, agitated.
"Hey, watch how you look at my sister!"
I looked at him, seeing his eyebrows scrunched together and his lips set. I opened my mouth to apologize when he broke, smiling widely. I smiled back, realizing his jest. He motioned to one of the elves, a young female with a short sword at her side, who’d turned her head to look back at us.
"I think tonight’s celebration will be a good one," Rayben said.
I agreed.
3.
The celebration was indeed a good one, filled with good cheer and excitement. Some of the Elvin wives danced naked by the flickering fire and Diblido announced us each by name to the village, telling his people we’d agreed to help them. Wine was passed around, a special mix which tasted sweet and led us too quickly into intoxication. I sat, watching the wives dance and the husbands talk war and strategy, watching Kyra and Diblido converse, Diblido totally distracted by each word he spoke and Kyra distracted even more so. Kyra, reliable and dedicated. Beautiful Kyra who gave herself so loyally to each and every cause she supported. Kyra who would never realize how much more beautiful that loyalty made her. I sat, Rayben sitting next to me, conversing with a few of the Elvin females, who hung on each word, more intoxicated by them than I was by the wine.
I got up, refilled my goblet with the sweet wine, and was stopped on my way back to my seat by some of the Elvin warriors, older warriors with graying hair and muscles large from wielding weaponry. They talked war with me for a moment, wondering how many battles I’d seen and how many kills I’d taken part in. I guessed an answer, having lost track of both, and the old elves nodded in approval, then turned to each other again as one began to tell yet another war story and the others concentrated on hearing it.
I found my seat again, took a long, deep drink of the wine, and set the goblet down.