Chapter 5

Aldren and Ameni had been in the wilderness for a couple of sevendays when in the distance they saw a column of smoke rising through the trees. Aldren had recovered his strength and agility. The wounds had turned into a set of scars that matched the others on his body. Somehow they just seemed to belong on him.

Aldren decided he wanted to ride to see what was going on, but it was Ameni who cautioned him about the last few times they had investigated strange happenings. After some discussion, Aldren realized that his mate was not against seeing what was going on; only that she was urging caution. And she was right. From the clothing of the assassin that Ameni had dispatched they had discovered that their descriptions were being circulated throughout the lands and that there was a large price for their heads. To keep their freedom, they would have to practice more caution.

The smell of smoke was stronger as they approached the edge of the woods. The trees broke away in a line into a large field that had been hacked into the wilderness. The saplings that were trying to encroach on the cleared area told of how much of a struggle keeping the fields in this part of the country was. Now fallow, Aldren could see the remains of the crops that had once been grown here.

At the far edge of the field the source of the smoke was evident. What once was a small hut was now a pile of blackened embers. They slowed their approach even more, Ameni listening for any sign of who had done this and perhaps for the sounds of any survivors.

There were no survivors. Dismounting, they found the remains of a man and a woman probably the ones who had farmed this land. Their bodies had been viciously hacked and the woman had been partially burned from a timber that had fallen from the roof.

It was also evident that they didn't die without a fight. Scattered around were bodies of large man like creatures. "Hirgana" said Ameni, spitting the word out like it left a bad taste in her mouth. Known in the common tongue as the Arpuk, they were thought to be a race of creatures that was not so different from man at some time in history. However instead of progressing they became more primitive. They no longer seemed to have the intelligence to have a civilization instead they moved around in groups of a dozen foraging and killing without any reason. They usually stayed away from a large gathering of humans attacking lone travelers or at the most a pair. Their size and aggressiveness made them dangerous to have in the area.

Neither one of the travelers wanted to meet up with what was left of the group, so they stayed only long enough to burn the bodies so the scavengers would not find them and then they hurried on in the direction opposite of the creatures trail. As they rode, Aldren kept thinking about why the Arpuk were in this part of the kingdom. They normally stayed close to the mountains in the south. Something or someone must have driven them out. If they were this far north what other creatures had migrated as well?

They forged ahead, taking turns sleeping in the saddle. They did not make a lot of progress, but at least they were moving. As dawn was approaching they stopped long enough to let the horses rest and to get something to eat. The path they were riding on had widened into a rough road, the twin trails showing as deep gouges in the packed earth. They decided to follow the road and see what the settlement that it led to looked like.

What they came upon was a festival in progress. Within the village square and scattered between the buildings were tents that contained the wares of tradesmen and artisans all proudly displayed. Local farmers were selling the remains of their harvests and in general there was an air of gaiety. Aldren watched a group of children play a game where the rules seemed complicated and ever changing as they squealed and laughed. The shoppers seemed to be in their finery, the women looking in the stalls and the men watching them in groups of their own.

Aldren dismounted and led his mount toward the watering trough that was just on the edge of the square. They tied their horses to a nearby tree and started into the crowd. Besides being a break from the wilderness, this was a chance for them to find out some information about the area and even to get a feel for how loyal to the king the locals were.

They stopped at a Tanners tent to glance at the wares he had displayed. The man on the other side of the table was tall and thin with dark hair and a hawkish nose. His dark eyes darted quickly over the pair that stood before him.

Aldren started the conversation with him by inquiring about a pair of boots for Ameni. The soft leather of her calf-length boots was showing wear from the rough trails they had been on.

"Aye, I may have something that would fit the foot of one so fair." he said as he looked through several pairs behind him. Ameni blushed at the compliment. For all the rough living they had endured, she was still woman enough to enjoy being commented on.

Turning back to the pair the tanner shook his head. "I am sorry, but I do not have any that would be up to the quality you would expect. However, I will be happy to make a pair from this soft doe hide that I just traded for."

"I do not believe that we will be here long enough for you to do so." was Aldren's reply.

"It is still in the early part of the day. If you could come back just before dark, I would have them ready. And they would be of a quality worthy of an Elven maid"

With that, they bartered on the price, and the deal was sealed. Aldren gave him half the amount with the promise of the remainder when they picked up the boots. The tanner called to his apprentice to watch the booth, then he measured Ameni's feet and set to work.

The couple then wandered through the maze of stalls and tents, looking at goods and sampling the foods that were offered. Ameni bought a couple of meat pies hot from the oven while Aldren secured a skin of the local wine. They found a bench near the well in the center of town and had lunch. The pies were full of meat and vegetables and were just hot enough to singe their tongues. The wine was dark red and had a sweet but woody flavor.

As they finished their meal, a young girl and a few of her companions stepped up to the couple. The leader looked to be around 7 or so winters old with long brown hair and big blue eyes. She stood with her hands folded in front of her shifting from one foot to another.

She looked at Ameni and spoke in a twinkling voice, "Please could we ask a question?"

Ameni smiled at the child and nodded her acceptance.

"Are... Are you really an Elf?"

"Yes, little one I am an elf" Seeing that the leader was not in trouble, the other gained courage and moved closer.

"Mother said that there were no elves left in the land. She was very sad about it. She will be happy to know that you are not all gone."

"You may tell her that the elves have not gone from these lands. They are just harder to find in these days."

Another girl spoke up. "Are all the elves as pretty as you?"

Ameni ducked her head as she blushed, but Aldren spoke up for her. "All the elves are fair in appearance, but Ameni is among the fairest." He grinned down at the girls, which made them giggle.

"Thank you my Lady, my Lord" said the leader.

"You are entirely welcome."

With that, the group ran off talking excitedly among themselves. The rest of the day was spent wandering through the festival, watching the dancing that had started up in the square. Ameni pulled him into the edge of the crowd and they had a turn or two before returning to the winemaker's stall for another skin.

It was toward dusk when they returned to their horses to leave. They had talked to many of the buyers and sellers and found that the "dealings down south" were of little interest to them. The influence of the priests was minimal here. But that outside of the village there were bands of rogues and raiders that wandered around pillaging the outlying farms. The biggest threat so far was a band of mercenaries that were also into the trading of slaves. They were for the most part a peaceful village but the men had taken to keeping their weapons at the ready.

They had made it past the sounds and smells of the village when Aldren remembered the boots that had been made for his mate. Ameni said that she would wait for him at the side of the road after she found a clearing for their camp. Aldren turned back and rode back to the village.

He got to the Tanner's booth just as he was beginning to close up. He did have the boots ready and they were as good as he stated. A light tan leather, soft to the touch and well sewn. The inside was lined with hare skin so they were warm as well as soft. He had also sewn a sole of heavy hide to the bottoms so they would withstand the rigors of travel.

Aldren praised the craftsman and promised that if they were in need and in the area they would return to him. Paying the remainder of the price, they shook hands and Aldren headed back to his mate.

Aldren rode down the road that he had left Ameni on watching carefully for any sign of her. What he found was the bodies of several men and Ameni's bow. Anger, then fear pushed up through the depths of his being as he dropped from the stallion's back.

He started checking the bodies one by one searching for a clue as to where Ameni had been taken. These men looked like they had been living dangerously for some time to judge by the scars and missing digits. Their clothing revealed very little other than they were well worn. These must be the raiders that the villagers had been talking about.

He stood and started looking for the trail that showed their direction of travel. Even in the dark it was easy to make out. They were apparently not worried about being followed which meant that they felt comfortable in their numbers. He once again mounted and turned to follow when he heard a groan from one of the bodies that lay there. He moved closer and peered down to see that this man was close to death. The wound that had been inflicted had been made from a slicing weapon, so he was sure it had been Ameni that had done the damage.

Bending down in the saddle he told the man that he would ease his passing if he would tell where the rest of his band was bound. The wounded man just spat curses at Aldren. With a final look of disgust, he turned and left him for the Reavers to consume at their leisure.

He followed them into the forest following the trail of broken branches and trampled grass. They were going in a more or less straight line heading southwest. They were riding hard and it was clear that they had a destination in mind. Aldren covered close to 50 leagues before the sun was clearing the tops of the hills to the east of him. He stopped to rest and let the stallion rest as well. It would not do for him to be tired when he did catch them.

He arose about the time that the sun was midway to its zenith. He retightened the saddle and mounted up once again. He set off at a pace that he felt the stallion could keep and ate and drank in the saddle as the leagues melted away. The light of the day was almost gone when Aldren came upon their base of operations.

The trail had ended at an ancient fortress. The high walls were still intact as well as some of the buildings. Built from the surrounding rock, it had stood for hundreds of winters. Once the dwelling of some nobleman, it was now the stronghold of the kidnappers. Aldren looked closely at the battlements, searching for some way in. Only one man guarded the rampart. The rest of the group was in the compound judging by the sound of revelry drifting over the walls.

The warrior moved along the back of the keep, finding the base of one of the corner towers that had crumbled leaving the start of an opening. He quietly moved some of the smaller stones until he could squirm through the opening. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he found where the door had been that opened into what was probably the courtyard. When he tried to shove against the rotting wood, he felt the wood give but he could not get any further because of rubble on the other side. Then he spied the staircase that would take him up and onto the rampart. The stairs were stone but the winters that had passed since their making had taken their toll. After the first one tried to crumble on the edge, he proceeded with more caution.

A few years of battle had taught him that his strength, speed and skill would not be enough if they caught him before he was ready. So he had to rely on stealth to find some way to rescue his companion. Slipping up the stairs, he pulled his blade from the sheath on his back.

Looking out the dark archway he saw the same sentry that he had spotted from the outside. The man was careless, watching the courtyard instead of an attack from the surrounding fields. Aldren got within a few feet before the man had sensed him. As the man started to turn, Aldren's sword moved in a swinging arc toward the guard's neck. With the power of a double handed swing behind it the steel blade sliced through the man's throat severing his head before he could utter a cry of alarm. His body slumped as his lifeless legs collapsed. His head hit the wall with a muffled crunch then rolled a few feet down the causeway before it stopped.

Aldren then turned toward the commotion in the courtyard. He saw the raiders sitting around a small fire that illuminated the area. He finally spotted Ameni trussed up and propped against the wall. He was trying to plan his attack, thinking the best plan would be to wait until they fell asleep, kill any guards and free Ameni. However, his plan abruptly changed when one of the men decided he wanted some female companionship before they turned her over to the slavers. Aldren knew he needed to do something fast.

=================================

The leader of the raiders was lounging against the stone post that marked the outer wall of some building that had long since collapsed. He was comfortable in the knowledge that they had captured at least enough strong people to make the raids worthwhile. There were a dozen more tucked safely in the building behind him. He was not sure of the amount they would bring, but it would help make up for the men that the Elven She-devil had dispatched.

The Elf slut had been a tough capture. He had taken a dozen men with him and she had killed six before Ceak had stopped her with his sling. The rock had stunned her enough for them to get her tied up. He looked over toward where she was tied. She was awake and alert. He could see in her eyes the anger and hatred, but shrugged it off. He was just happy that the ropes that bound her were well tied. This one was dangerous.

One of the new recruits, Larab, got up to move toward the captive. The leader started to call him back, but thought better of it. She couldn't get away, not with the 8 men that were here. Besides the new boy could use a lesson on playing with the captives, especially one such as this.

Larab knelt down where Ameni was tied up. He put his ugly face down close to hers, and she could smell his fetid breath. "You not gonna try anything is ya?" He asked leering down at her breasts. His eyes moved up to her face and saw her shaking her head. "That smart. We all may want a turn on you and it will just go easier if you lay back and enjoy it."

He rolled her over and untied her legs first, then her arms. Moving her onto her back he watched for any movement signaling escape. That she would fight never entered his mind. He stood near her feet and started to remove his leggings. The thought of having his way with this elf-bitch had him excited and nervous. As he knelt down to spread her legs, Ameni brought her foot up and caught him solidly in the stones. He descent was more rapid than he intended, and he dropped on his back, holding his crotch with both hands.

The rest of the men laughed at his sorry state. The laughter of his comrades along with the idea that she had hurt him enraged Larab. He picked up his knife aiming to maim her since the leader had stated he wanted her alive.

He had barely struggled to his feet when he heard someone yell in a strange language. They all looked toward the wall to see something come flying out of the shadows, landing near the fire. Everyone stared as the head of their companion came rolling to a stop at the edge of the fire.

Frozen at the unexpected sight, they were slow to react to the large, mail clad figure that was rushing from the same area where the gristly remains had come from. At first they thought it was some sort of demon since he seemed to have a fire glowing around him. He was also speaking in a strange language. Ameni recognized it as Elvish, but the words themselves were unfamiliar. She thought it must be an ancient form of Elvish that had been thought lost for time uncounted.

Aldren had seen Ameni kick the mercenary and saw the reaction. Up until now he had been pretty calm. When Larab had pulled out the knife, he once again had felt the battle rage overcome him. His enemies were slowing down in their movements and he felt the power within him come to the surface. With every step he felt some power growing within him. It felt as though he would burst if he did not release it somehow.

He had made it most of the way across the courtyard before anyone could mount a defense. The first man to reach him was immediately falling forward holding his organs that were coming out from the slice that Aldren had put in his midsection. When he contacted fire seemed to erupt from his sword. The next was left with blood spurting from a gash that went from his groin to his shoulder.

Ameni had jumped up from the ground and had dispatched Larab before he knew what was happening. She grabbed her knives from the doorway where they had been placed, and joined the fray. She dispatched the one called Ceak and looked up to see where Aldren was. As soon as she spotted him she froze in her tracks.

She had heard legends about ancient elven warrior/mages who could call the elements to them. They would be surrounded by fire, which made them nearly invincible. But this came only to the most powerful. Yet she was seeing it first hand in the form of her mate.

She shook herself out of her shock in enough time to block a thrust from one of the few raiders left. She then slit his throat and kicked the body in the chest to get him out of her way. She turned in time to see Aldren kill the leader. He poised his sword as if to pierce the raider's heart, but the sword never touched the man. Instead, a tongue of flame shot from the sword's point and shoot straight into the man's chest. The man screamed in agony as his entire body burst into flame, becoming a pile of ashes in just seconds.

With the death of the raider's leader the fire surrounding Aldren started to dissipate. As it left, Aldren dropped to his knees totally exhausted. His sword fell clattering to the ground and he slumped over. Ameni ran to him checking to see if he was injured. She tried to pull him up, but he fell into her arms unconscious. She found that he was still alive, but totally exhausted. She gently lowered him to the ground and tried to make him comfortable. Then she went to release the other prisoners.

The dozen women and young men were in varying states of health. All wore the marks of torture and were in dire need of food and drink. Those that were the most able were sent to find food and water for the others. She then went about gathering up the weapons.

She was still pulling items from the bodies when she heard a moan of agony from Aldren. She ran over to him and knelt down. Every muscle in his body was pulled so tight they looked about to burst. She tried to knead the muscles to relax them but the cramping was so widespread that she could not keep up. Frantically, she shouted to one of the prisoners that was walking in the courtyard to come and help her. Together they worked feverishly until they both developed cramps in their own arms. Suddenly, the muscles went slack and Aldren fell into a more normal slumber.