Chapter 40

Rossaris was extremely crowded when the pair emerged from the gateway building, far more than the last time Darras had been there. Nor was it just Elves, but a fair few Humans were milling about as well. This was mostly to do with the presence of the various armies now encamped around the city and their need for supplies as well as ‘entertainment’. This, on the whole, seemed to be the realm of the Human traders, particularly the number of temporary taverns selling cheap beer, something no Elven nation seemed to be adept at or inclined to do well. There were also any number of camp followers plying their trade, again all Human as it wasn’t an area the Elves would admit to being interested in.

“Well met, Darras,” Firios hailed them at the gates of the city.

“Well met, my friend,” Darras replied happily in return. “This is Balat. He’s young, but skilled in the way of light magics.”

“Well met, young Balat,” Firios acknowledged. “Try not to stare too much, we Elves find it to be rude.”

“I ... I’ll do my best,” Balat replied. “Though this is my first time seeing the Elven folk.”

“Ah, you’re like Darras, first time we met,” Firios chuckled. “Do not worry about it, at least you know now, unlike the forces from Rachtelin.”

“They are behaving?” Darras queried.

“Yes, it’s mere curiosity, not malice, though Tinara had to beat one to the ground when he attempted to paw her,” Firios laughed.

“How very like her,” Darras chuckled. “No repercussions?”

“No, the one doing the pawing was ... remonstrated with by an officer of the Humans and some sort of notice went around, promising a public whipping for any new offenders.”

“None will have seen one of the fair folk before. Still, I’m glad they have it in hand,” Darras nodded as Firios led them to a small encampment based in a hollow.

Waiting there were Tinara, Annos, Traskis and Sondrast who greeted them all merrily. Darras introduced Balat, particularly to Annos and Sondrast’s interest, who rapidly drew the young Human into a complex conversation regarding the use of light magic.

“So, all is mostly ready?” Darras asked Firios as they sat around a small fire.

“It is. Several Regiments of Allies have yet to arrive, though they aren’t necessary to the initial movement,” Firios replied.

“Yes, the Dwarven Regiments are still in transit,” Darras noted.

“Their second Regiment is, their first is here,” Tinara replied. “We are under instructions to be both polite and direct with them.”

“No doubt they are under a similar instruction,” Darras nodded.

“Yes, their leader, Linota, is mostly in a position to deal with issues between us by having a voice at the command group,” Traskis confirmed.

“I’ve met her. She is a very capable Dwarf,” Darras replied.

“She?”

“Ah, Elves can’t tell the difference either?” Darras chuckled.

“Apparently not,” Firios replied with a wry smile.

“I doubt it bothers her, she’s used to Humans and our inobservance.”

“I’ll still inform command,” Firios replied. “It would be polite to say the least, to get her gender right.”

“Could I ask you to try to keep an eye on Balat,” Darras asked the three, after a glance to see that Balat was still engrossed in a conversation with the other two Elves. “He’s incredibly inexperienced and just a little too keen to be a hero.”

“Ah, one of those,” Tinara chuckled. “You have our word,” she added, the others nodding their agreement.

“Did the priestess Kina bless your child, Traskis?”

“She did, much to my wife’s family’s unhappiness,” Traskis replied. “Though Kina and Lerrone got on well together when they met.”

“Kina’s joy of life is quite infectious,” Darras chuckled.

“It is. It enthrals the common folk of Iversirion to see such deep and unabashed joy in everything she does,” Tinara agreed. “Though currently she’s in the Human capital meeting her husband-to-be.”

“Yes, Erren guided her decision there,” Darras nodded. “She will return soon enough.”

“Iversirion for the most part looks forward to those visits,” Firios replied. “Though Harinas is fast becoming a mirror image of Kina in his work.”

“I can imagine that to be a major thorn in the side of those who wish to return to how things were,” Darras chuckled.

“It is, as none of the priests we have at the moment are of a mind to indulge them,” Traskis nodded. “Nor are any of our Kingdoms currently isolationist Elven superiority supporters ... or at least none where they’d be permitted.”

“Yes, they tend to be isolationist from any kind of potential Elven liberalism as well,” Tinara agreed.

“Do we know when the barrier will be brought down?” Darras asked.

“When orders come from on high,” Traskis replied. “Currently only our King would be privy to that knowledge.”

‘The decision has been made. It will be in two days’ time, ’ Erren informed Darras.

“We then begin scouting ahead of the advance, mostly looking for dark kin ambushes,” Tinara added to Traskis’ information as Darras decided to keep Erren’s to himself.

“Why is Balat with you?” Firios enquired. “This is not a place I’d think to bring someone so ... inexperienced.”

“He’s the agent of Doriel. She’ll be using his senses to aid our scouting and passing the information on to Erren, then me,” Darras replied.

“Ah, ingenious,” Firios nodded thoughtfully. “The more magic users we have, the better our scouting will be.”

“Someone approaches,” Tinara warned. “Five someone’s at that.”

All the party, including Balat, Sondrast and Annos turned their heads in the direction Tinara was indicating. Though Darras relaxed when Amina and four of her companions entered the hollow.

“Greetings, Amina,” Darras hailed her.

“Greetings to you, Darras,” she replied with a smile. “We were informed the specialist scout group were here so came to introduce ourselves.”

“Everyone, this is Amina of the Thieves Guild in Dobra, though I do not know the names of her companions,” Darras introduced Amina and her party. “They are our urban scouts.”

“Ah, well met, Amina,” Firios replied, rising to his feet. “You are most welcome as you can likely go where we cannot, at least not comfortably.”

“That’s why we’re here,” Amina replied. “Dobra’s meagre contribution to the liberation.”

“Crannok approves, I can assure you,” Darras replied.

“You say that as if you know,” one of the thieves stated.

“He does,” Amina chided. “He’s the agent of Erren in the world and has actually met our god as well.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really,” Darras chuckled. “He approves, though is somewhat ambiguous about being the god of thieves.”

“Aye,” the thief laughed out loud. “I can see his reasoning. Name’s Nemmos.”

Introductions were made and wine was served up as the group went into a tactical discussion.

“We simply do not have the woodcraft to keep up with you,” Amina finally confessed. “Though we do trust you if you say a path to a settlement is clear.”

“It will be,” Tinara confirmed. “We are no more enamoured of being caught up in an ambush as you would be.”

“Get us to a settlement or town though and we’ll ensure it is safe to signal the armies to advance through it, or at least get the gates open.”

“So you’ll avoid trouble if possible?” Traskis asked.

“Yes, we aren’t soldiers, though skilled at traps and ambushes,” Amina confessed.

“It wasn’t a criticism, Amina,” Traskis apologised. “Just a getting to know your strengths and limitations.”

“We’ll also find a way into any sealed fortress, if there is one to be found.”

“That will be a necessary skill for any Human fortifications,” Traskis nodded. “Though not, I suspect for a dark kin fortress.”

“Assuming it’s still there,” Darras interjected.

“Aye, they often leave swiftly if they are discovered,” Traskis agreed. “They have had plenty of time in this instance as well.”

“I doubt we’d be asked to investigate any such fortresses or settlements,” Amina added. “We cannot pass for Elves ... of either type.”

“No, you can’t, nor can Firios and his team pass for the dark kin either,” Darras confirmed.

“It’s hard to explain,” Tinara admitted. “We simply just ... know.”

“We trust you,” Amina nodded. “You know your own.”

“Thank you.”

“Have you been assigned tents?” Firios asked.

“No, we have no official place ... being thieves,” Amina chuckled.

“We have spare tents,” Firios offered.

“We thank you. We brought our own, but this works out better.”

“Our pleasure,” Firios nodded and then guided them over to where the spare tents were.

There were no further interruptions and the various groups settled themselves down for the night after sorting out a watch rota.

The following morning, Darras and Amina followed Firios to a group meeting where orders from on high were given to the various leaders as to what was expected of them. Firios was also given instructions for Annos and Sondrast to join the other magic users at the barrier where the spell they’d helped to prepare would be used to permanently bring the barrier down.

“We have maps, outdated as they are, to guide the various armies through Thenarron. Though we’ll be dependent on you scouts to ensure the way is clear and that we are not marching into trouble,” an Elf commander from the army of Rossaris informed them.

“We’ll ensure the routes are clear,” Firios replied. “Our last visit told us the original roads were still there, if somewhat overgrown by the return of nature.”

“Yes, I’ve seen that report,” the commander replied. “Though they’ve had some time to do something about that ... if they were so inclined.”

“Have we had no more scouts in since then?” Darras asked.

“We have not,” the commander admitted. “The risk to our magic users was deemed too great.”

Darras simply nodded thoughtfully, though thought that was a foolish decision as essentially the armies were blind as to what was on the other side of the barrier.

‘It was likely the magic users refused, ’ Erren explained.