Island of Darkness (43 page)

“It is your turn,” whispered MistyTrail. “Do not try to rush. Be as quiet as you can.”

“I will,” promised Mistake.

MistyTrail broke the air tunnel and stood watching as Mistake and Eltor stepped into the cleared area.

“You move very quietly for an elf who has never been to Elvangar,” complimented Caldal. “There are still a few things that I could teach you, though.”

“Are there?” replied MistyTrail. “You could have done better?”

“Not better,” Caldal shook his head, “but faster. Your movements were excellent and silent, but there is a way to be just as silent at a faster pace. I will show you when they arrive safely.”

“I would like that,” smiled MistyTrail. “There have been times when I wanted more speed.”

Mistake and Eltor were over half way across when one of the dark lumps suddenly stood up and stretched. Mistake and Eltor saw it and stopped. They crouched low hoping to blend in with the numerous stumps that doted the land. The Krul gazed skyward as he stretched, but his body was facing Mistake. MistyTrail knew that when he looked down, he would probably see the elves. She quickly wove an air tunnel and directed it far beyond the krul. She bent down and picked up several dried branches. She broke one over her knee and the sound appeared to come from the other end of the air tunnel. The krul instantly turned and gazed towards the sound.

MistyTrail directed the air tunnel further away and broke another stick. The krul scratched his head and started walking away. Mistake and Eltor rose and continued their trek across the open area. For good measure, MistyTrail moved the air tunnel one more time and broke another stick. Mistake and Eltor arrived before the krul grew tired of his investigation.

“We need to move away from here quickly,” advised Eltor. “There is absolutely no breeze right now, but if it picks up the slightest amount, he will smell us.”

Caldal nodded and took the lead. He moved swiftly, but silently, and MistyTrail studied his movements. Caldal stopped and waited for the others to catch up and then took off again. By the fourth stop, MistyTrail had figured out what Caldal was doing to achieve the extra speed. When he took off again, she kept pace with him. When he turned to see how far back the group was, he let out a small gasp.

“You learn very quickly,” he smiled. “I did not hear you behind me.”

“It must be in my blood,” grinned MistyTrail. “Explain your movements to Mistake. We will cover much more ground that way.”

They took a short break while Caldal explained his movements to Mistake. Eltor stood next to MistyTrail and sighed.

“What is the matter?” asked MistyTrail.

“How much farther do we have to go?” asked Eltor.

“We have hours to go,” answered MistyTrail. “This forest will eventually turn into jungle. We will still have several hours to go when that happens. What is bothering you?”

“We are heading westward,” announced Eltor as Mistake and Caldal turned to listen. “Based on what you have just told me, this house that we are heading for is on the western coast of the island.”

“What is wrong with that?” asked Mistake.

“Elvangar is to the east,” answered Eltor. “What Caldal is pointing out is that we will be on the wrong side of the island.”

“And we will have to sail around either the northern or southern end of the island,” added Caldal. “That means that we will have to pass at least one major city. The odds of us affecting our escape have diminished greatly.”

“We are not going back,” Mistake declared adamantly. “I don’t care if we end up going in the wrong direction, we are leaving this island.”

“I agree,” nodded MistyTrail. “We will sail outside the limits of their sight before turning to go around the island. You can do that, can’t you? You said you were sailors.”

Eltor hemmed and hawed, but Caldal nodded his head.

“We will do it,” Caldal declared. “Get me to that boat, and I will get us home somehow. I just wish the house you found was on the other coast. Let’s continue onward.”

MistyTrail took the lead and kept up a swift pace. It took Mistake a while to put into practice what she had learned from Caldal, but the elves were soon moving silently and swiftly. The hours sped by quickly as the forest turned into jungle. The wind began to whisper softly at first, but it escalated steadily until a strong breeze blew against the backs of the four escapees. Clouds began to drift across the sky and at times the moonshine was totally eliminated causing the jungle floor to darken considerably. MistyTrail called a halt.

“I can’t see well enough to continue at this pace,” MistyTrail said softly. “We will have to go slower.”

“Let’s take a rest,” suggested Eltor. “We have been making good time. We do not want to be tired when we reach the house on the beach.”

“What are we going to do when we get there?” asked Caldal. “You said there would be four soldiers there. If they are watching the sea, we cannot steal their boat.”

“I doubt that they would keep watch at night,” shrugged Mistake. “What would be the point? They sure would not be able to see a ship passing by.”

“That may be true at night,” Eltor pointed out, “but we may not arrive there until morning. You did say that it was quite a trip.”

“We have been making good time,” replied MistyTrail. “I am sure that we will be there before dawn. Maybe we should start walking again.”

“A few more minutes,” Eltor shook his head. “Caldal has just recovered. I do not want to tax him.”

“I am fine,” countered Caldal, “but a few minutes break is still wise. Navigating through the reef will take its toll on us. We need to be fresh.”

“Especially if this wind keeps up,” frowned Eltor. “It is turning into a strong easterly.”

“That will be good for getting away from the island quickly,” commented Caldal, “but it will make the trip to Elvangar near impossible. We may be at sea for many days. Will it be possible to get some rations at this guard house?”

“I will try,” offered Mistake. “They sleep on the second floor so I should be able to raid their kitchen.”

“That means we will need more time,” interjected MistyTrail. “We should continue now. I want to be away from this island before the sun rises.”

There were no arguments as MistyTrail took the lead. She kept the pace slow until the moon peeked out from behind the cloud and then accelerated to a faster pace. She noticed the shadows growing longer as the moon began its descent. She increased the pace a tad as she began to worry about the setting moon depriving the jungle of light.

A couple of hours later, MistyTrail slowed down a bit. Even with the strong wind at her back, MistyTrail began to hear the breaking of the surf. A sense of excitement shot through her body as she realized that their journey was almost over. She slowed to a walk as she caught a glimpse of the sea through the jungle foliage. Within moments the four elves were standing at the edge of the jungle gazing at a thin strip of beach.

“The house should be a short distance to the left,” announced Mistake. “Let me lead.”

Mistake stepped out of the jungle and walked along the beach. The others followed silently. Within five minutes Mistake halted and crouched down. The others joined her, and Eltor and Caldal got their first look at the guardhouse. The windows were shuttered, and the building was dark. Caldal’s eyes swept over the water and stared at the waves breaking over the reef. He tapped Eltor’s shoulder and pointed.

“Watch the breaking waves,” he whispered. “Do you notice the area where the breakers are not?”

“I see it,” nodded Eltor. “I suspect that is the way through the reef. How do you want to approach this?”

Caldal’s eyes passed over the anchored boat and landed on the rowboat sitting on the beach. A plan formed in his mind.

“You and I will swim to the sailboat,” Caldal began. “I will raise the anchor while you get the short sails set. Then I will swim out to the reef and verify the pass. You hold the ship steady while Mistake and MistyTrail row out in the small boat. When they reach the sailboat, I should be ready to guide you out.”

“We will have to sail flat out,” warned Eltor. “When the guards wake in the morning and find their boat gone, they will sound the alarm. We will not have much of a head start.”

“Then we should not waste time discussing this,” shrugged Caldal. “Do not take chances getting the food, Mistake. Eltor and I will not be in a position to protect you. Just get in the rowboat and head for the sailboat.”

Without waiting for a reply, Caldal dashed silently into the water. Eltor quickly followed. MistyTrail watched the men swimming towards the anchored sailboat and then she started creeping towards the rowboat. She knelt by the rowboat and waited for Mistake to appear on the other side so that they could work together dragging the rowboat into the water. When a few moments passed and Mistake had not arrived, MistyTrail turned to look back. She saw Mistake at the door of the guardhouse. She sighed deeply and then raced to Mistake’s side.

“What are you doing?” whispered MistyTrail. “Forget the food. We will need every minute of darkness to get far away from here.”

“It is more than the food,” Mistake whispered back. “We cannot afford to have an alarm issued in a few hours.”

“What do you mean?” asked MistyTrail as Mistake produced a thin strip of metal and began working on the lock.

“Look at that sailboat,” explained Mistake. “It may be larger than the one we arrived on, but it is not the fastest boat around. If the alarm is issued and they know that we escaped on a boat, they will be after us for sure. We will never make it past the large cities even if we keep the island out of sight. They will come looking for us.”

“Are you planning what I think you are planning?” asked MistyTrail.

“It is the only way,” nodded Mistake as an audible click rent the air. “You can wait by the rowboat. I won’t be long.”

“You are crazy,” frowned MistyTrail.

“Why?” asked Mistake. “Because I think I can get the four of them without dying?”

“No,” smiled MistyTrail. “Because you think I would actually leave this foul business to you alone. My sister will never again fight alone. Let me get to the far end of the main room before you make any noise in the kitchen.”

“You plan for me to lure them downstairs?” asked Mistake.

“Remember the stairs?” asked MistyTrail. “There is no way that we can climb them silently. Plus we do need food. Let me get into position and then start gathering the food we will need. Fill your pack. They won’t be needing any.”

“I will take the first two,” grinned Mistake. “You get the stragglers.”

“Done,” replied MistyTrail as Mistake eased the door open.

The door creaked slightly as Mistake eased it open. She ignored the noise and moved swiftly towards the kitchen. MistyTrail slid through the door and crept to the far end of the room. She hid herself in a dark corner and fixed her eyes on the stairwell as she waited. Mistake was entirely too silent as she filled her pack with food. She managed to stuff her pack and tie it tight. She walked to the front door and placed her pack outside. She reentered the house and slammed the door.

Almost immediately the floor above creaked. Mistake could hear the sound of feet hitting the floor. She tried to count them, but could not. She opened the door again and let the dim light shine into the room. She stood in the light and waited. She heard someone starting to come down the stairs. She appeared not to notice and looked around the dark room as if looking for something to steal.

“It’s an elf wench,” shouted a man on the stairs.

Mistake looked up at the stairwell and screamed. She dashed into the kitchen as the man started scrambling down the stairs. She heard others upstairs shouting and then heard their pounding footsteps. She raced to the far corner of the kitchen and waited.

“Don’t kill her right off,” shouted one of the upstairs men. “I want a piece of her.”

“By the time you get to the kitchen,” laughed the first man, ”it will be all over.”

The stairwell came alive with noise as the men raced downstairs. The first man raced into the kitchen. His hand held a long knife and his eyes darted around the dark room as he sought Mistake. From her concealed position near the floor, Mistake tossed her knife upward at the man who was illuminated by the dim light coming from the open front door. The knife sunk deep into the man’s throat. As his hands rose to his throat and his knees buckled, Mistake let out a hysterical scream to cover the man’s death gurgle.

“Hah,” shouted the second man off the stairs. “It sounds like she is giving him a hard time.”

The man raced into the kitchen and promptly tripped over the body of the first man. Mistake instantly jumped on the man’s back and brought her knife across his throat. He cried out in alarm before he died.

“What the heck?” said the third man as he halted at the bottom of the stairs.

He held his knife before him and crept cautiously towards the kitchen.

“Be careful,” he whispered to the last man coming down the stairs. “Something is not right here.”

MistyTrail waited until the fourth man was visible on the stairs. She tossed a knife at the fourth man, and it struck him in the chest. His hands came up to the knife and his eyes looked down in disbelief. His knife clattered on the stairs as it fell just before his body collapsed. MistyTrail waited the required second for the third man to turn around to see what the noise was. She threw her second knife quickly and caught the last man in the throat. His body hit the floor as the fourth man’s body was still tumbling down the stairs. MistyTrail raced across the room and checked the bodies. She crept up the stairs and checked the rest of the house before returning to the ground floor.

“MistyTrail?” Mistake called tentatively.

“I am fine,” MistyTrail replied. “You?”

“The same,” Mistake said as she exited the kitchen. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Not so fast,” MistyTrail shook her head.

“Why not?” asked Mistake. “My pack is full of food. Let’s go.”

“We are taking the bodies with us,” declared MistyTrail. “Why chance someone coming along and finding them. I say we lock this house up tight and dump the bodies at sea. It may just buy us the time we need to get to Elvangar.”