Chapter 6

Darras was not quite sure how Firios and his team managed it, but they had expertly guided him through the thronging masses away from Leandomus and his men and out through a small sally port close to the main gate.

“Fare thee well, Darras,” Firios said as the man looked at the woods, gauging the direction to Trecor and hopefully a night at the inn.

“Fare thee well too, Firios, Tinara,” he replied. “May Erren bless you and light your way.”

That was all that was needed to be said and with a simple nod the Elves headed back through the sally port and, hopefully, to a far more interesting future. Darras simply adjusted his pack and headed through the woods in the direction of the main pathway, though he intended to keep off it until out of sight of any watchers. This didn’t take too long, though he was surprised when several Elves approached him timidly as if fearing a violent reaction. He then recognised them as the priests who had been ordered to report to Kina to be assessed.

“Sir Darras, a moment of your time, if you please?” one of them asked him in a trembling voice.

“Go on?” Darras replied mildly.

“Wenderos ordered us to report to the Priestess Kina, but ... we do not know how to get there,” he stumbled out, causing Darras to resist the urge to laugh.

“How can you not know the way to Trecor?” he asked.

“We have never left our city. We do not have the skills to survive out here,” the Elf said plaintively.

“Do you have food, water?”

“No...”

“I swear the literal minds of the Elves defy belief,” Darras muttered to himself, feeling Erren’s mirth in the background. “Follow me,” he said to them. “I will guide you.”

“Th ... Thank you, sir Darras.”

“It’s just Darras. Let’s go.”

For all it was a reasonable road, the priestly robes the Elves were wearing were unsuitable for the great outdoors and soon picked up a lot of dust and dirt. Nor, it seemed, were they used to any great level of exertion. Still, at least they were silently stoic about their misery and all simply followed Darras and obeyed any instructions he gave.

“Have any of you eaten this day?” Darras asked eventually, as a good few looked exhausted.

“No, Darras. We were seized before our morning repast,” the original ex-priest replied.

“Very well, we’ll pause here by this stream, so take a few moments to relax and I’ll see what I can do,” he replied. “Do you have a name?”

“It’s Harinas, Darras.”

“OK, rest a while. Do not drink the water though, not until I purify it.”

“Thank you.”

Darras had been planning on boiling water, but Erren reminded him he still had the full wineskin as well as the container he used for boiling and so he filled that with some water from the stream and added some wine to cleanse it before offering it to the ex-priests, who used a leather drinking cup he had in his pack to quench their thirst.

“Thank you, Darras,” Harinas said after they’d all drunk a little at least. “I know we are slowing you down though.”

“We have time enough to reach the inn at Trecor. I’ll arrange food and board for you as it will be too late to gain hospitality at the Temple,” Darras replied.

“Thank you, but ... why?”

“Erren would want it. Making you suffer privations is not the point of the journey. It’s to examine your faith before a trusted source.”

“This Priestess is a trusted source?”

“Very much so. Erren approves of her.”

“Sallason was adamant that Wenderos could never approve of humans,” Harinas replied sorrowfully.

“Despite her book saying otherwise?” Darras asked.

“He interpreted that all races meant all Elven tribes and Kingdoms, not others.”

“And look what happened to him.”

“Yes. We were arrogant and uncaring, I see that now. Yet I wonder if it is fear driving our repentance, not sorrow.”

“That you realise this is all to the good,” Darras nodded. “Now let’s be on our way, we have some distance still to travel.”

Before they set off, Darras broke off some of the cheese, meat and bread he had and handed it to each one of the party, advising them to eat slowly and sparingly. This cheered them somewhat and they did make good progress, finally coming to the village just as dusk was falling. The look on Hersey’s face when Darras arrived with a party of Elves had to be seen to be believed, though he rapidly arranged rooms for them all. Pelna was also happy to see Darras, and loved the five-copper tip she received for sorting them out. Though nervous, the party gathered around a table with Darras to eat and drink and were keenly observing the other patrons of the bar as they went about their business. All having only seen one human in their lives until now, and that being Darras.

“Why is it that you attract trouble, Darras?” were Kina’s first words when she entered the inn, looking directly at him and the party.

“Priestess Kina,” he returned her greeting with a chuckle. “I go where Erren sends me and do what she commands.”

“As do I. Good to see you, my friend,” she replied with a laugh as she came over and actually hugged him. “So, these are my new charges?”

“We are, Priestess. My name is Harinas,” their leader introduced himself, “and we are somewhat under a cloud with our goddess.”

“A cup of wine for the Priestess, please, Hersey,” Darras called out as one of the other ex-priests pulled up a chair for her.

“Pleased to meet you all,” Kina replied after names were given.

“You too, Priestess,” Harinas replied deferentially.

“Please, it’s just Kina, unless we are performing one of the rites.”

“But...”

“You have been ill-educated in the works and ways of the goddess; this she has told me. Now relax and enjoy life as your goddess wants,” Kina replied firmly as Pelna brought her a cup of wine.

“We were told to hold ourselves above the common and petty,” Harinas admitted, the others showing their agreement.

“Then how could you possibly empathise with those under the care of the goddess?” Kina chuckled. “If you do not know how they live, love, fight and, occasionally, grieve, what use are you?”

“We see that now, but also do not know how,” Harinas admitted.

“That’s why you are here.”

“We hope to learn. Though to be honest, we are deathly afraid of humans.”

“Whatever for?”

“We were told they were constantly violent towards themselves as well as others,” Harinas replied, looking embarrassed as most of the inn were now listening in.

“We have our moments,” Hersey, who had also been listening, commented. “But mostly we behave.”

“Never raised a hand to anyone in my life,” one of the old guys expostulated.

“Your wife has,” one of his cronies said, making the rest of them roar with laughter.

“Pay them no mind,” Kina chuckled.

“It is difficult. We do not understand human humour,” Harinas admitted.

“You will, by the time you leave,” Kina replied. “You can also teach me about Elven humour.”

“Elven humour?” Harinas asked, looking as if Kina was missing some obvious point.

“Yes, you do laugh and have fun, don’t you?” Kina asked cautiously, realising she’d strayed into an area that the Elves were uncomfortable with.

“We, er ... I don’t know,” Harinas admitted. “We were trained as priests from an early age and frivolity was ruthlessly suppressed.”

“How terribly inhuman,” Kina frowned. “No offence, I know Elves aren’t human.”

“Sadly, we would not know, it just was,” Harinas shrugged. “How are human priests trained?”

“We get picked out by a priest during Temple School if we have an affinity with the goddess,” Kina explained. “From about ten we get enrolled in the main Temple in the capital, learn the book, practice focussing our prayers upon the needy until we get sent out as an acolyte to assist at a village or town temple. For most of us it’s a wonderful experience and I made friends there who still keep in touch.”

“Though there are others who simply see it as a job,” Darras added, “The priest in Silvak for one.”

“Yes, the man does the bare minimum and does not speak out against his uncle, I know,” Kina grimaced. “That said, the Temple Authority are aware of this and he won’t be moved on to richer pastures as it were.”

“With Elves the posts are given to second sons of the elite families,” Harinas explained. “We are schooled from an early age until we can focus the power. In this we are also taught an interpretation of the book of Wenderos that I ... we, now know to be false in that it promotes Elven superiority over all.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll soon put that right,” Kina said with a smile. “I’ll introduce you to the joy of worshipping the goddess as well as how to laugh and love in her name.”

“We look forward to it,” Harinas replied nervously.

The next morning Darras awoke early, despite having spent a late night with the Elves and Kina in the inn. The place had been more full than usual he gathered, as many in the village came to see the Elves, a rare sight for humans. Kina had also been inveigled to sing by Hersey and the whole inn had joined in country songs as well as hymns to the goddess, to the surprise of Harinas and his companions. But now it was time for Darras to return to the capital and the gateway. So, having washed and filled his water pouch as well as picking up bread and cheese from Yilda, Darras set off shortly after dawn to get to the capital and the gateway to what he now considered his home.

The weather itself was not at its best and a fine rain fell, though fortunately his clothing and boots were waterproof. The rain, though heavy at times, did not affect the well-made road and Darras made good time, being passed occasionally by carts as well as horsemen as they went about their business. Nor did he feel watched, as he had previously. It seemed the Elves were keeping their distance for now. By about mid-day he spotted the capital, though more accurately, he glimpsed the spire of the main temple, as his vision was still obscured somewhat by the rain. Still, it meant that within an hour he would reach the gateway and it put an extra spring in his step as he made good time to the gates to the city.

Once there, Darras paid a ten copper entry toll for simply being a merchant though was told the gateway was busy and he might have to wait.

“Why is it busy?” Darras asked the young guard.

“Apparently the King of the Elves is visiting our King,” he replied as he put a chalk mark on a board to indicate Darras’s entry.

“That’s a first,” Darras chuckled.

“Aye. Lately they’ve kept to themselves, but it looks like they’re returning to normal,” the guard nodded. “There’s a tavern near the gateway called the Bullock, you’ll be able to get an ale there until the fuss dies down.”

“Recommended?”

“Tis run by my sister’s husband,” he chuckled. “But the ale is good.”

“Good enough for me,” Darras laughed and made his way into the city, though to his eyes it was no larger than a town.

The gateway was indeed sealed off and he noted the guards ensuring no one strayed into the square in front of it. He did spot several Elves in the square, mostly by the clothing they wore, as well as a few military types. He did find the Bull though and stepped inside to find it busy, but not overcrowded, most being merchants, though there were a few couriers. The ale was indeed satisfactory and he, like a few others moved out into a rear yard that had a raised platform from where they could observe the goings on in the square itself.