Elfsorrow

'How good is this Yron?' asked Rebraal, dropping back into elvish to speak to Auum.

The TaiGethen snorted, getting his meaning. 'Not good enough.'

'It doesn't matter anyway, he wanted to find them. It was Yron who stole the thumb from the college. The point is, they must be holed up somewhere, trapped maybe,' said Ilkar. 'Look, this is what we know. Merke's cell got out of the city with Yron and now Xetesk will be looking for them and they have a head start. But coming at them from the south is an army of farmers driven on by Black Wing witch hunters. They are caught in the middle of it somewhere and we have to get them out fast.'

'We will sweep from here to the coast,' said Auum. 'We will see everything. But first we have to rest. We'll leave before dawn.'

'You can't do that,' said Ilkar. 'You can't abandon this front entirely. Xetesk will know straight away what you're doing.'

'Then perhaps these Dordovans we fought for can return us the favour,' said Rebraal. 'Or perhaps you and your Raven. After all, what have you done so far?'

'Got you here,' said Ilkar. 'And created the conditions for Yron to take the thumb and escape the college. And that's just for starters.'

'You have some great and better idea, do you?' said Auum, his voice dismissive.

'Yes, I do,' said Ilkar. 'What you're suggesting is too slow and Xetesk will be able to track you all the way because the land is too open. All it'll lead to is more mass conflict with Xetesk and Black Wings and you'll get no nearer the prize. Do it The Raven's way. Trust me, it'll work.'

'What do you have in mind?' Rebraal looked at Ilkar hard. 'We're dropping like flies here. We need speed. We're losing more to the Sorrow than to the Protectors.'

'Just be ready to leave when we come for you. You and Auum's Tai. And a ClawBound pair if you can get a message to one. Get some rest.'

'What do you have that we have not?' sneered Auum.

'Horses, men who know the land and mages that can fly,' said Ilkar shortly. 'Any of those skills of yours?'

'Ilkar-'

'No, Rebraal, he has to hear this,' said Ilkar, standing and looking down at Auum, who looked ready to strike, his face grey and angry in the firelight. 'The Raven are doing this for me and for you. For all the elves. We're doing it because it is right and, believe me, there are other things we could be doing. Like saving our own land from destruction for a start.

'But we're doing this first because The Raven would do anything for me. That's what being one of us is all about and it is something you, Auum, should understand. So get your head out of the trees, respect those that deserve it and join in. Because we are your best hope of recovering the thumb. Believe it.'

'Your confidence in your ability is remarkable,' said Auum.

Ilkar leant in very close. 'That is because we are the best. So watch and learn. This is our land.'

He stalked away, The Raven getting up and following him. Hirad spared Auum an ingratiating smile and a wink. 'Told you, eh?' he said, having not understood a word.

'Feel better for that, did you?' said Ren.

'Needed saying,' said Ilkar. He turned and grinned at Hirad. 'You'd have been proud of me.'

'So what did you say, exactly?' asked Hirad.

Ilkar told him as they wandered back into the Dordovan area and kicked a dying and abandoned fire into new life. 'And what exactly is your plan?' Darrick poked at the new flame.

'None of the Al-Arynaar have learned ShadowWings. It's a pointless spell in the rainforest. We can all do it and that means we can scout a wide area very quickly. Look, I'm not talking about overflying Xeteskian or Black Wing positions, but there's a mass of open ground on the route they'd have taken trying to get back here. We'll find them, I can feel it. And if we leave a few hours before dawn, we can be beyond Izack's lines before sunrise and practically on top of where Yron and Merke's Tai came out.'

'Then you'd better sleep,' said The Unknown. 'All of you. And if there's anything you can do to boost your stamina, use it. Because if I'm not mistaken, none of you could cast wings big enough to lift a mouse right now.'

There was no argument but Darrick wasn't satisfied.

'Ren, can I borrow you to translate for me?'

'Sure,' she said. 'What?'

'Well, whatever we say, the elves are going to disengage and Ilkar is right about how the Xeteskians will react. So Ren and I are going to have a little meeting with Auum, Rebraal and the Dordovan command where I will explain how to conduct a phased withdrawal. Because if they don't do it right and get enough Dordovans in to fill the hole, Izack will have a new army to fight and I'm not having my people left exposed like that.'

'Ever the general,' said Hirad.

Darrick shook his head. 'No, Hirad. Just feeling guilty.'

Chapter 45

While he'd been unconscious, they'd blindfolded him and tied him across his saddle. He came to his senses at some point during the ride that followed, a ride that he thought would never end. They took him off his horse when they stopped for the night but didn't untie his hands, remove his blindfold or feed him. And they wouldn't speak to him, just gave him infrequent mouthfuls of stale water.

The crossbow wound in his thigh was excruciating. Periodically, he could feel the blood flow down his leg but he ignored it, such was his general discomfort and the racking jolts into his stomach which came with every stride of the fast-moving horse. He was certain he was being caused probably fatal internal damage and the blood he coughed into his mouth periodically was all the evidence he needed. It left him glad they'd starved him. He'd only have vomited anything solid up anyway.

When at last they stopped, after the dull thud of hooves had become an echo off buildings and he'd heard the sound of many voices, of hammering and harsh laughter, and he was pulled from his horse to lie flat on hard mud, he knew he'd travelled his last. Wherever they'd brought him to. Whatever town or village they were in, the Black Wings were in control and he wasn't going to be leaving.

All that kept him alive was the elven salvation he had in a pocket. And even that was taken from him when he was marched somewhere quiet that smelled of old ale, with timbered floors and a high ceiling. After the search that revealed so little, he was forced into a chair, his arms were untied and the blindfold pulled roughly over his head.

He didn't know what to do first so he tried to do it all. He blinked to get some focus into his gluey eyes, tried to move his arms and massage life back into his hands and fingers and felt at the wound that thudded with every weary beat of his heart. It all became confused so he stopped, took a breath and decided looking at his situation was the best start.

He forced one arm up to his face despite the protestations of his shoulder and elbow and used the stiffened fingers of the hand to gouge at his eyes. Slowly, painfully, he brought the room into bleary reality. He was sitting on a straight-backed chair across a table from a man. The man was flanked by two others. On the table were tankards, a jug and a plate of bread and dried meat. The look of the food repulsed him, his stomach turning over and sending renewed nausea swimming through his body.

He was in an inn – the shape, smell and remnants of a bar told him that – but it was an inn that had not seen custom for a long time. Heavy drapes covered window holes and he could now make out sounds from the outside. They were to his left and he got the impression he was as far into the building as he could get.

Focussing on the man's face in front of him in the dim light, it seemed distorted. One of his eyes was white and his mouth was downturned but just on one side. He had never met the man before but knew exactly who it was.