Exodus: The Windwalker Archive: Book 3 (Legends of Agora) (11 page)

I speak with the queen, tell her that I must go with Azzeal into exile. He is the Keeper of the Windwalker Archive, I am Talon’s amma. There are things only I know. She agrees, and I try to hide my excitement. I dare not speak of love between a Vald and an elf, but I will say that he is greatest friend I have known.

-Gretzen Spiritbone

In the morning, Argath and Zilena emerged from the captain’s quarters. Talon had been standing at the bow looking north, knowing that Akerri was out there somewhere, trapped by the magic of a dark elf. When the crew began to murmur, he turned to see what had gained their attention. A grinning Captain Argath glanced around at the gawking crew and waved them off dismissively.

“Get back to work you bunch of salty bastards!” he said, half laughing.

Zilena came to stand beside Talon and looked in the direction he had been staring.

“Have hope,” she said. “Your Akerri might still be saved.”

“It was a daunting prospect before I knew she was possessed by a dark elf. Now it seems nearly impossible.”

“Nothing is impossible,” said Zilena, though the optimism was completely lost on Talon.

“Do you know where they went?”

“Northwest, toward your island.”

“Fylkin is setting a trap for me,” said Talon.

“Indeed.”

“How the hells did he get to her?” Talon asked himself as much as Zilena. He cursed himself for being so foolish. He should have left Sea Queen as soon as he found out Akerri’s location.

“Rather than focusing on regret, perhaps you should begin to formulate a plan,” said Zilena.

“My plan was to go as far as northern Shierdon, and then head south to find Akerri on Belldon Island, but now all of that has changed. It looks as though I’m going to have to return to Volnoss before I had intended to.” He glanced at Zilena, shamed by the fear that he felt, and knowing that she could sense it as well.

“I will help you to free Akerri from the dark elf, but that is as far as I dare go.”

“I understand,” said Talon.

Zilena offered him a warm smile and cocked her head toward the elven ship as though someone had called her name.

“I will return shortly. I must tell my crew of my plans. Mother has forbidden me from taking the vessel beyond elven waters, and so I must continue on with you on Freedom.”

When she had gone, Argath joined Talon at the rail. The captain wore a pleasant smile as he watched her sailboat ferry her across the water.

“Never thought I’d entertain elven royalty in the captain’s quarters,” he said with a sly grin. “Life is full of surprises, eh Talon?”

“That it is, Captain.”

Argath noticed the concern in his voice and patted him on the shoulder. “We’re going to get her back, lad. Mark my words.”

“You saw what she did…the magic that she wielded. What if I’m not strong enough?”

“Bah, we’ve got Zilena on our side now. You saw what the elves did to the ships. Her magic is great. I dare say greater than the dark elf controlling your girl.”

“But what if it isn’t enough, what if—”

“There will always be what ifs. You’ll go crazy thinking like that. Have faith in your stars. Because at the end of the day, that’s all anyone has.”

Zilena joined them soon after, and the Skomm waved goodbye to the elven ship as it turned south. Freedom and Redemption set out northwest toward Volnoss and soon left elven waters. Zilena spent the day laying enchantments about both vessels, saying that should the dark elves attack again, they would be ready.

Talon joined Argath and Zilena for dinner in the captain’s quarters that night and laid out a plan to rescue Akerri. When the plates had been pushed away, Argath unbuckled his belt with a groan and lit up his long pipe.

“I have to thank you for the incredible pheasant,” he said, puffing up a big cloud above his head.

“You are very welcome,” said Zilena. She raised her glass and nodded to the captain. “And I must thank you for the wonderful spirits. We elves do not trade with the dwarves, or rather, I should say that they refuse to trade with us. Dwarven wine is a rare treat.”

“A rare treat it has been for me to gaze upon one so beautiful,” said Argath.

Talon rolled his eyes.

“Thank you, good Captain,” said Zilena.

They smiled at each other like young adults beneath the maypole, and Talon put his drink down harder than was necessary to snap them out of it.

They both glanced at him as though he had just arrived.

“I think that the best way to go about the rescue is by stealth,” said Talon. “Chief can cover Zilena and me, and probably even help against the dark elf.”

“I’m going with you,” said Argath.

“Are you sure?” said Talon. “I didn’t want to speak for you.”

“Of course I’m sure. I have not forgotten my debt. You freed us all. I owe you this much.”

“You’re a brave man,” said Zilena. “But this is no ordinary warrior that we hunt. It is a dark elf. One who has studied the arts for many decades. Your blades and your brawn will be useless against his power.”

Argath’s pride was obviously hurt, but he did well to try and hide it.

“Good princess, surely you could use your magic to strengthen my blade. You and your people fixed our ships. You could make my armor impenetrable, perhaps give me a magical talisman or ring like Talon’s.”

Talon glanced at the big man and instinctively covered his ring hand. Argath laughed it off. “You’ve done so much already. What is a little enchantment?” he asked Zilena.

“Perhaps there is something I could arm you with,” she said. “A shield would be best, I believe.”

Argath’s eyes widened with excitement.

“As you were saying, Talon,” said Zilena. “I believe that your wolf will be of great use to us. Has he ever fought against someone with…powers?”

“Yes. There was this liche who was somehow bound to the late captain.”

“How did he fare against the liche?” she asked hopefully.

Talon sighed. “He received an injury that sent him back to the spirit world.”

“Still, he survived,” said Zilena. “That is saying something. And if he did it once, he can do it again. Chief will at least be able to give me the distraction I need to get past the dark elf’s defenses.”

“What about Akerri? Can we kill the dark elf while it has control of her?”

“That is what makes this so precarious, and it is why dark elves like to take control of people. If we kill the dark elf while Akerri is still in its clutches, she will surely die as well.”

“We cannot risk that,” said Talon.

“Is there a way to drug the dark elf?” Argath asked.

“It isn’t likely,” said Zilena. “We elves are not easily poisoned. Those of us who practice magic, anyway.”

“How will we go about freeing Akerri from the…trance?” Talon asked.

“We must disturb the dark elf’s concentration enough to give her a chance to break free. But she must want to,” said Zilena.

“Of course she will want to.”

“Do not underestimate the power of the dark elves.” The princess eyed them each in turn, her face stern and eyes grave. “Akerri has wielded great power. She will not find it an easy task to let it go.”

“When the time comes, she’ll do the right thing,” said Talon.

Zilena studied him for a time, but then finally nodded and sipped from her glass.

“Fylkin is obviously laying a trap for me,” said Talon. “We’ve got to somehow lure him and the dark elf to us.”

“We need a distraction. Chaos,” said Argath with a gleam in his eye.

Leave it to Argath to want to start trouble,
Talon thought, but then quickly glanced at Zilena.

She gave no indication that she had heard his thoughts.

“What do you have in mind?” Talon asked.

“Oh, an explosion or two. We’ve got dragon’s breath bombs in the hold thanks to McGillus. The feikin bastard,” Argath said before spitting on the floor.

Talon chuckled. “Leave it to you to want to blow something up.”

“Hah!” Argath laughed. “The Vald like things big, right? Well, we’ll give them a light show they’ll never forget.”

“That is a good idea,” said Zilena. “A battle with a dark elf is never a quiet affair. The chaos of an explosion and the pandemonium that will follow will give us the cover that we need.”

Talon had an idea, and he quickly turned to Zilena. “You wouldn’t happen to know any dragons, would you?” he asked hopefully.

“None that are close to Volnoss,” said Zilena.

“The beasts’ breath will do,” said Argath. “But we need to know what we’re blowing up.”

“My guess is that Fylkin is keeping Akerri close, somewhere that he feels safe.”

“Like Timber Wolf Village,” said Argath.

Talon nodded. He hadn’t been to the village since the day he left with Jahsin’s ashes. He felt a pang of long-held guilt. A part of him felt like a traitor. He had grown up in Timber Wolf Village, and though he had never been accepted by the Vald, he had been born one of them. Now he was plotting to attack them.

“…Talon!”

He whipped his head up, realizing that Argath had asked him a question. “Sorry?”

“I said, do you remember the layout surrounding Fylkin’s hut?”

“Yeah, I remember it.”

“How close to Timber Wolf Tribe’s Sudroen Hall is it?”

Talon realized that Argath meant to blow up the gathering hall, which was about the most insulting thing one could do.

“It is a stone’s throw away.”

“Good,” said Argath, sitting back with a diabolical glimmer in his eyes.

“Chief can tell us if indeed Akerri is with Fylkin. And if she is, the dark elf will not be far behind,” said Zilena.

“How far away can the dark elf control her from?” Talon asked.

“If the dark elf has embedded a crystal in her flesh, he could control her from a world away.”

“And without the crystal?” Talon asked hopefully. A plan was beginning to bloom in his mind.

“Without a crystal to connect them, the dark elf could only control her from a distance of a few miles.”

Talon sat at the edge of his seat, his excitement growing by the second. “So if she has a crystal in her, and we take it out, and then get her far away…then she will be free of the dark elf?”

“Yes, I suppose,” said Zilena. “But it will not be as easy as you think. Akerri will have the full power of the dark elf, and she will not let you or I anywhere near the crystal.”

“But it could work,” said Talon.

Zilena was forced to agree.

When I learn of silver hawk’s name I laugh. I think gods laugh too.

-Gretzen Spiritbone

The sun shone brightly in the clear sky, and a strong wind pushed them north. The mood on deck was merry. The crew hadn’t stopped telling tales of their time in Elladrindellia, and for the men, it seemed that every last one of them had fallen in love with an elven maiden.

Crag came to stand beside Talon, who was as usual standing at the rail looking north. The big man looked to be the only one not on top of the world.

“What’s wrong, Crag?”

“Nothin’.”

“Come on, buddy. I can tell something’s bothering you,” said Talon, having to crane his head up to look the big man in the eye.

“You can?” said Crag, both surprised and alarmed.

Talon nodded, and Crag let out a sigh. “I miss the elf country.”

“What do you miss most about it?” Talon asked.

Crag scrunched up his face, as though it was hard to think about. “Well, it’s so quiet there. I feel like I can think in a place like that. And everything is so peaceful. There ain’t no hateful eyes. And nobody treats you like you’re stupid.”

Talon felt bad for not thinking more about Crag. The big-hearted man might have been able to stay behind with Gretzen. He wasn’t made for the life of a freedom fighter.

“Maybe one day we’ll return. Maybe one day you and I could live there,” said Talon, hoping to cheer up the big man.

“You thinkin’ so?” Crag asked, even getting down to Talon’s level to study his eyes.

“Yeah,” said Talon with a laugh. “I’m thinkin’ so.”

“Feikinstafir…” said Crag, before quickly slapping his hands over his mouth.

Talon laughed all the harder.

“Sorry,” said Crag, blushing.

“It is perfectly alright,” said Talon. “Like my amma says, ‘sometimes curse words are the only words worth using.’”

“That’s pretty,” said Crag, suddenly moving toward the rail.

“What’s that?” Talon asked, trying to look past the big man.

Crag turned around. “Look Tal. The clouds are like water.”

Talon saw what crag meant as the big man turned to the side. The clouds in front of the ship rippled and moved like heat phantoms. A dread suddenly filled him.

Before Talon could give warning, a net suddenly appeared over Crag’s shoulder. It hit him square, covering him, and the big man went down with a terrified cry.

Talon instinctively reached for the timber wolf trinket, but another net came out of nowhere and wrapped itself around him tightly. Before he could cry out, he was taken up by big talons and whisked off the deck of Freedom.

Behind him, he heard the cries of the crewmen growing more distant as the ocean sped by below him. He tried to reach the trinket, but the net and talons held him so tightly it was hard to breathe, let alone move. Searching frantically, he tried to see what manner of beast it was that had snatched him up. But he could see nothing above him, nor could he see the talons that held him.

“Let me go!” he yelled feebly.

Kyrr flared, and he cried out as he pushed to free his arms. The ropes began to creak and give way, but then something struck his neck, a quick, sharp pain like a bee sting. Talon felt the effects instantly and tried to free himself one last time before passing out.

***

He came to sometime later, but again a dart found his exposed flesh and he slept.

When he awoke once more, he found that he was no longer hanging precariously over the ocean. He was in a forest, bound with ropes and chained to a thick tree stump. His weapons were gone, and he could feel neither Kyrr nor the trinket in his pocket. Dread washed over him. Then his eyes caught sight of something that he could not believe—a silver hawk the likes of which he had seen in Azzeal’s cave of dreams.

On closer inspection, he discovered that there were a half dozen silver hawks and as many riders standing beside their mounts.

“Well met, Talon Windwalker,” said a man as he approached. He wore tight leather armor with a silver-feathered cloak that hooded his head and reached to his feet. When he knelt to peer at him, Talon was met by deep brown eyes and a weathered face. A brown beard covered a proud chin, above which the man held a grin. He looked to be in his fifties. “You are a very hard young man to track down.”

“Where am I?”

“Western Shierdon, near the forests of Sidnell.”

“Who are you?”

The man bowed slightly. “Han Ford at your service,” he said, crouching before Talon.

“Why am I tied up? Where are my things? Why did you…apprehend me?”

“You are tied up because you are a very dangerous Skomm. And you were apprehended because you are very much a wanted man. Did you know that there is a dwarf king’s fortune of ransom promised for your capture?”

Talon studied the man, trying to figure a way out of his predicament. If he could only reach Chief…

“Lucky for you, I am not a bounty hunter,” said Han.

“You’re…you’re a hawk rider,” said Talon.

“Indeed. One of Shierdon’s finest, eh boys?” said Han, turning to grin at his fellows. They grinned and chuckled.

“Who sent you for me? Fylkin?”

“We don’t work for that
bacraut,
” said Han, grinning at Talon’s reaction to the Vald word. “No, it is my king who finds interest in you. Me and the crew here have been tasked with bringing you before him…unharmed. You are to be his guest. He knows much about the woman you seek…Akerri.”

“I know he doesn’t have her. So your promises will not work on me,” said Talon.

“I never claimed as much. No, he does not have her. But he did. As you must know, affairs between Shierdon and Volnoss are tentative at best. War is brewing. My good king traded Akerri for Wolf Tribe’s favor.”

“He
gave
her to Fylkin!” said Talon, enraged. “I suppose the
bacraut
wants to sell me too. Is that it?”

“Please,” said Han. “There is no need to be uncivilized. This is only business.”

“You ask me to be civil,” said Talon, “yet you net me, drug me, and whisk me off to the mainland where you bind me yet again, steal my belongings, and then train weapons on me. Perhaps you are the one who should be civil,” said Talon.

“I apologize,” said Han. “Untie him.”

Two hawk riders went around to the back of the stump and untied Talon’s binding. He rubbed his wrists and stood before Han bravely.

“I’ve done what you asked. I’m being civil. Now please tell me what your king wants with me. I’ve important business and have no wish to speak to the man who sold off Akerri.”

“You must distance yourself from your tumultuous emotions for a moment,” said Han. “You must understand that this is only business. If my king could have sold you to Fylkin, he would have. But alas, you proved harder to obtain than your lady friend. And so now here we are. And you have a choice to make. The king has a proposition for you. One that I believe you will want to hear. After you hear what he has to say, you can do what you want. We shall even fly you north to meet your crew. It will take them the better part of a week to reach Timber Wolf Tribe anyway.”

Talon tried not to show his surprise at Han’s knowledge.

“What of the charges against me? Like you say, I am a wanted man…in more than one kingdom.”

“My liege cares not for such trivial things. It is well understood that you did what any man would do in your position. If anything, it shows him that you are not afraid to kill.”

Talon wondered what he was getting at and debated what his next move should be. He was intrigued by Han’s offer, and his mind reminded him of the image of Akerri running toward him as he stood beside a silver hawk, like the giant birds before him.

His amma would call this a sign.

“Very well. I will see your king. But I want my things back,” said Talon.

“You will not be going before my king armed,” said Han.

“I don’t want my weapons. You have taken a ring from me, as well as an heirloom that is dear to me.”

“You speak of the wolf carving,” said Han, watching him closely. “It resembles the supposed ghost wolf that fights with you.”

Talon laughed. “And you believe such ridiculous tales?”

“I doubt that I would, had I not seen it with my own eyes.”

Talon sobered quickly. He knew that the figurine must be nearby, but he could not summon Chief if he wasn’t in contact with it. He had asked his amma why she made it so, and she had told him that he grounded the figurine, making it possible for the doorway to the other side to open.

He watched the group, noting how they became more alert at the mention of the powerful trinket.

“I also saw you throw a man twice your size across the deck of a ship. That is an impressive elven ring that you have. But fret not. I do not plan on stealing it or your wolf. My king has other plans.”

Talon didn’t believe him. Just like Tyson, Han or one of his men would be seduced by the power of his magical items, and they would try to use them.

“We are not thieves,” said Han. “If the king deems it so, then your things shall be returned to you. Until then, you will accompany us to Belldon Island.”

“Very well,” said Talon, really having no other choice in the matter.

Han provided him with a silver hawk named Brightwing, and Talon looked to the man, wondering what he was about—being that Brightwing was Akerri’s Vald name, he found it quite suspect. But Han showed no knowledge of the coincidence and rather instructed him on how to mount and ride upon the beast.

It turned out that silver hawks were quite fickle about who road upon their backs. Therefore, it took more than an hour for Talon to successfully mount Brightwing. But in the end, the silver hawk craned her neck and allowed his feet into the stirrups.

“Don’t forget this,” said Han, tossing him a silver hawk feathered cloak. “It is made from Brightwing’s molted feathers, and will hide you from prying eyes.”

Talon put it on, quite enchanted by it all.