Keri's eyes rested upon the young woman that had addressed her. "There are so many here, perhaps I have made a mistake..." thought Keri to herself. Then she saw that the girl had tears in her eyes. "I guess I should help her..."
"I am Keri Delsheen." said Keri, pausing a moment. "You seem troubled, what is wrong?"
A tear rolled down the woman's cheek. "I am called Tara." she said slowly. "I perceive that you have lost someone very close to you. I am sorry."
"How did you know that??" said Keri in surprise.
"I am a healer." stated Tara. "In your language I would be called an `Eyri,' such as this one behind us."
"I had thought so," said Keri.
The monk, who had watched them from a distance, now drew close to them.
"Yes, Keri, I am an Eyri. I am Murki of Benclay, a Toridar monastery town on the other side of the valley."
Keri looked at the ground. Memories of her step-father filled her mind. "What can I do with this grief?"
Tara's eyes stopped watering as she became filled with concern. "Your step-father?" she asked timidly.
"Yes." said Keri, who now fought back tears of her own.
Murki voiced the physician's words: "Grief is best met head-on, with an idea of the place beyond. Recognize it, and believe that within this age there is a place prepared where those who leave this world can go if found worthy; a place that will surely be worth all that we suffer here. Grief is best shared and talked about with others. Staying busy and crying also help to relieve the feelings. Above all, pray to the True Lord above who is able to sustain and help you through this troubled time."
Keri felt better just hearing Murki's words. "I would know more of this True Lord..."
"He is the beginning and the end, the promised one to come to this world of shame, and the bearer of all good gifts from heaven to sinful men. All these things will I tell you of, as we are granted time to speak about them."
Keri turned outward from her grief. A hope had been awakened in her: A hope of action. "You both have some sharpened view of things, and I feel better. I would delight to talk with you more, but I must serve with Vilef and my company..."
"We are all one company now, Miss Keri," interrupted the commanding voice of the huge young man Keri had studied earlier. All their eyes fell on him as he continued: "The elves have trained your group to serve under our leadership. We are all prepared to fight to advance the cause of Light and Goodness, True Lord willing."
Keri turned to Vilef for support. "Is this true, Vilef?"
"Tato is correct, Keri." answered Vilef.
Keri, who was now very perplexed, turned back to Tato. "Who are you, Tato, Sir? Why are you Foresters here; and what is your great task?"
Before Tato could speak, Vilef interrupted him gently--without raising his voice: "Hear me! This one, Elkin of Toridar, will speak on this subject."
Elkin stood fast in his place beside the camp. He motioned for all the camp dwellers, Vilef, Neetah, Eytawe, and Keri to sit down in a circle in front of him. After they did this, Elkin looked up through the trees for a moment, and then delivered a quiet speech with his eyes upon them all and a determined look on his face:
"Hear me, Elfin. You must listen to me silently and without applause, because I will speak true words as I know them before we fight in this enemy land, that you may carry them within you and that our enemies will not hear them or us speaking.
All of you know now that I am a elf of power, both displayed and rumored. Yes, I have great power both in light and wisdom, and the will to use it. But what so ever power that I have, it is insignificant compared to that of threefold True Lord who has built this world and now holds its foundations upright. As I am imperfect, I am also not all-knowing. But this I know: The forces of light are set at work to reestablish the Peace of the Kingdom of Arveta, which is now sorely in havoc because of the lies and murderous subversion of the Charge Supreme and his Dark Lord, formerly one of the True Lord's servants. There are things seen and unseen. There are also things of the earthly world and things of the spiritual world. We fight in a battle that will be won by the True Lord. Yea, rest assured, despite all the might of the enemy, the final battle will be won. Therefore steel yourself to endure, and look for what you can do for the cause of Light in this world.
The Hold of Baldor was once the proud Hold of Ontor, haven of magnificent mountains, renowned ship wrights, esteemed sailors. A treasure of the Arvetan World and doorway to the lands across the Azure to the West, yes, even Vasquenta. Then came the lies, then the greed, then the lusts, then the pride, then the falling away. Not only in Ontor, but even in the very city of Dondor, the heart and capital of Arveta. There were slaves taken, as most of you were, but I refer to slaves of Lust. The last great Knight of Ontor, when he fell, cursed the lost Hold of Ontor, and called it Baldor. The name has stayed with it ever since. Now, as you know, there are armies of rebellion being formed even as we speak. Some of you know other truths, but what does this have to do with you and Baldor? The last Knight of Ontor retreated to the valley of Kanoli, now Kanokai. That Knight was Kip's grandfather, and Kip Kanokai is here, Consair of Ontor. His people lay just beyond this Arbor Mountain, bidden to stay and try, even to the end, by Erien Elyithel, the Torontair, to persuade the Baldor tribes to stop their sin and error before they are destroyed utterly from the face of the world. HO! You will soon see the wrath in the days to come, mark my words. Now we will go get them, the Kanokai, the proud and now honorable remnant of Ontor. WE will steal them right from under the death chains of the Drog. Allocate yourselves accordingly."
Elkin sat down. All the assembly sat speechless.
Neetah stood up first, not slowly and unsteadily, but calmly and grimly. "Now I perceive that there is more to going about than arriving. Elkin and this company have made it clear what moves us. My men and I have seen family and friends die under Drog swords, and our own lives ransomed as slaves; even from as far away as Vasquenta. We will serve this company until the scourge of this falling away has past, and there is a new Peace, a new Arveta, a new Torontair, and Vasquenta is our home once more."
It was Rollvag's turn to stand up: "Well spoken, Neetah, I will nick-name you and your men `Neetah's Ghosts' after the way you appear and disappear silently, as a hope and aid unlooked for. Now I know that you are Vasquentans indeed and that we do have a job to do here. Let us have a War Council and decide our plan for the grim day ahead."
When Rollvag had seated himself, Vilef stood up to address the adventurers: "I will review briefly what we know. For the evacuees:
The Kanokai Senators and their families are in the tower awaiting their trial for treason. The women and young children are in the well house under guard awaiting their sale as slaves. The remainder of the Kanokai, about 500, are in the dry storage cave awaiting indoctrination or hanging by the Ard. There are also some `sheriffs,' which are used mainly as pack bearers, who are impressed into service by the garrisons.
For our enemy:
There are two elite garrisons of Ard inside the Lake Wind Castle. A third, the Oteg garrison, blocks the road to the east of the castle. A fourth, the Muda garrison, keeps those in the dry storage cave closely guarded. There are two garrisons blocking the west road around the lake, two reserve groups along the river stationed about 3000 pike below the dam, and one each on top of the East and West Lookouts. In addition, there are two Yuccah scout patrols that could interfere with our proposed evacuation route; one on the opposite side of Mount Arbor from us, and one on Point Mal that is across the Upper Pine Forest Valley from Mount Arbor.
For the plan:
We have secured the underground passages from the hidden mushroom caves to the castle and to the dry storage cave. We will enter the passages and bring the Kanokai out secretly back to our caves at the edge of Arbor. From there, we will all march from the mushroom caves up through the Upper Pine Forest between Point Mal and Mount Arbor. We will not stop until we get to Mount Stark and the Dwarven Ruins.
For our underground journey:
It begins in the caves, then down an old stream passage, and then in a new passage that we have cut. The new passage leads to the castle escape passage used by Kip's ancestors; one that goes under the wall between tower and dry storage cave via the old well house."
Rollvag looked up at Vilef and spoke his mind: "Vilef, there is something I want to know. How are we going to rescue the Kanokai that are impressed? Aren't they spread out everywhere among the garrisons?"
"Most return to the dry storage cave at night; however, I think Elkin has some good news concerning this question."
Elkin said: "The `sheriffs' will all be in the dry storage cave because tomorrow is the Drog holiday of Spring Planting! Even the Ard keep this holiday as one of their favorite. There will be much drinking, eating of extra rations, and merry making; at least in Drog terms. Those impressed will be allowed to spend the night with their kind; fortunately for us."
Everyone was astonished. They all had the thought: "There must be an unseen hand working for us..."
Rollvag turned next to Neetah: "Tell us about the fighting ability of the `Ghosts.'"
As Vilef sat down, Neetah stood up proudly: "We are truly blessed. We have excellent fighting abilities with the bow, spear, and sword. We are as good as the Foresters of Toridar in woodsmanship skills, because we have often had to hide from the Patrol to keep from being discovered too early. In addition, we have learned how to communicate silently using the sign language of the Elves; something that you should find quite useful. Above all we are committed to the overthrowing of the Drog. Finally, we want to one day hear of the Battle of Horatio, the elves have told us very little of how a handful of Vasquentans saved a Toridar Village!"
This last sentence caused the adventurers to smile and Keri to raise her eyebrows in remembrance of Artan's words. Neetah sat down.
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© Copyright 1999 by Abram Paradies.
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