The Mage of Orlon: The beginning (2 page)

“
Father will know what to do with you. You are to strange for my liking, but he needs to know of your presence in our forest.
Gather your things, and come with me.
”
The flatness of her voice sounded final.

“
You want me to be what, your prisoner?
So you and your mentally unstable friends, who think they are elves can torture, rape, and most likely kill me?
Is that it?
”
Nathan yelled.

“
You still doubt I am an elf?
Then what will make you believe I am what I say I am?
”
Lela asked.

“
Your ears they should be pointed! Show me your ears.
”
Nathan said triumphantly, he was certain she didn
’
t have pointed ears.

“
If I show you my ears, you will come quietly and willingly to the castle with me.
”
She said with a sly grin.

“
Sure, anything you want if you have elf ears, and no excuses about surgery or whatever to make them human looking.
”

Nathan was grinning now; she couldn
’
t force him to go with her.
Slowly Nathan
’
s grin faded as Lela lifted her helmet to reveal two perfectly pointed ears.

“
No way.
”
was all Nathan could say.

He slowly reached a hand out to touch her ears.
Realizing what Nathan was about to do Lela quietly whispered,
“
Look down.
”
Nathan did, discovering an ugly looking blade barely touching his shirt.
With a smile that promised unfathomable pain Lela quietly said,
“
If you touch my ears I will gut you like a fish.
”
The wickedness of her voice made her words ring true.

“
Okay, no ear touching.
”
Nate said quietly.

“
Now march prisoner!
”
Lela commanded.

“
I thought I wasn
’
t going to be a prisoner.
”
Nate retorted.

“
That was before you got fresh, now move.
”
The blade started pressing forward causing Nathan to back up.
“
Okay you don
’
t have to be pushy!
”

“
Hey princess, you said I was in Taro?
”

“
Yes human.
”
Lela said, the human had not shut up ever since she had showed him her ears!

“
So am I like in Idaho or something?
”

“
I do not know of this Idaho you speak of.
”
Lela replied.

“
What about Missouri?
”

Lela
’
s temper was starting to flare up, he had talked most of the day.
Most of what he said was gibberish to her.
The places he kept asking about didn
’
t exist in all of Orlon as far as she knew.

“
Does your castle have Wi-Fi by chance?
”

Lela stopped the human in his tracks by grabbing his shoulder and stopping.
In a quiet serious voice she spoke.
“
Do you talk this much all the time?
”

“
Only when I fall out of the sky!
”
Nate chuckled.

“
Your words have not had meaning since you started talking!
Apparently, you like to hear your own voice.
I on the other hand do not!
So, shut up!
”
Lela said poking Nate with the tip of her knife.

As the day waned on; the forest was alive with the woodland creatures.
The forest seemed to be an endless maze of tree trunks, vines, bushes, and thick undergrowth.
The humidity was affecting Nathan; he wasn
’
t used to this kind of environment.
With every twist and turn of the path he was certain he would die in this forest.
The only satisfying thought was maybe his captor would give out before him giving him a chance to escape.

The sun in the sky seemed to be growing hotter as the day continued; finally Nathan realized his captor didn
’
t seem to be wearing down in the humidity like he was.
The heat finally was too much to tolerate, he had to break his silence.

“
Lela, I need to stop, I
’
m not used to the humidity.
”

“
Quiet prisoner, before I cut out your tongue!
”
Lela snapped.

“
Ok, first off my name is not prisoner, it is Nathan.
If we don
’
t rest soon I am going to pass out from the heat.
”

With a sound of disgust Lela finally grumbled
“
If you are so feeble I guess we can rest for a moment, but then we march the rest of the way to the castle.
I swear I do not know what I did to have the forest spirits deliver such a weakling into my path.
I should have killed you and left you to the wild animals in the forest.
”

Nathan let the comment go, he was too tired to argue anymore, with a sigh he flopped down on a log.
Lela took up a position on a rock across from Nathan; cautiously she knocked an arrow into her bow.
Seeing the weapon out again Nathan realized he would not be able to escape her now.
So he decided to try talking to her again.

“
Lela, why do you hate me so much?
”
The question should have gone unanswered, but Lela got the sense this strange man really didn
’
t know, not of the wars or the betrayal that split the elven people from the humans.
It was strange, even the dullest witted human knew why the two people could no longer be allies.
So why was a he questioning what was common knowledge?

“
Nathan, you really do not know?
She asked.

All Nathan could do was shake his head no.

“
This feud between the elven people and humans began over one hundred years ago.
Our people were united in a single cause, to rid our world of the evil queen, Tirana.
She is the Dark Queen of the north.
No one knows exactly how she got her power, only that she over took the northern empire, and began conquering territories expanding her empire.
”
Lela gave a thoughtful pause.
“
She is said to wield great magic, but her most powerful ability is that of seduction.
She is said to be able to seduce men and women both into doing her bidding.
It is this terrible power that caused the betrayal of our people and the division of the races.
”

Nathan expected more of the history of this strange new world, but none came.
While the silence expanded a little animal that looked like a cross between a chipmunk and a squirrel scampered up close to Nathan.
Noticing the little furry woodland creature Nathan began calling it closer, and to his amazement it slowly scampered closer to him.

“
Look Lela, isn
’
t it cute?
”
he crooned hoping she would lighten up a bit.

The warning in her was low and clear,
“
Nathan slowly, move over to me now.
”

“
It
’
s just a little fur ball it won
’
t hurt you.
”
He chimed
The creature slowly moved closer, the space between it and Nathan was growing smaller and smaller.
Its fuzzy tail was twitching back and forth in anticipation.

“
Nathan, please get away from it.
”
The pleading in her voice didn
’
t go unnoticed.

“
What is the big, bad elf princess afraid of a little furry
…”

Nathan didn
’
t get to finish his taunt as the little squirrel thing leapt at his face, in mid leap Nathan saw the lower jaw split down the middle and the two massive pinchers of its jaw was shown.
Putting a hand up to ward off the attack Nathan screamed in horror as an arrow whizzed by his hand impaling the vile creature that now looked more like an insect with massive jaws and a whipping scorpion like tail.
The tail whipped up through the arrow cleaving in in two, but to no avail the damage was done to the insect like thing and it soon died.

“
What the hell was that?
”
Nathan screamed still fending of what was already dead and stuck to the tree across from him.

“
It is one of the splintered.
A massive foe that was defeated ages ago, not many are left in our world now, but the ones that are, carry nasty venom in their stingers.
If it had stung you, your journey would be over.
The venom causes your skin to swell and burst allowing all your blood to flow out of your body; it is a most excruciating way to die.
”

“
You are lucky Nathan; if you were not so strange I might have let it sting you and called it a night.
”
The smile on her face was hard to read.
Every chance she got to let him die she saved him, but then she would remind him of how easy it would be to let him die.
The contradictions only confused him more.
If he was going to escape and survive the first five minutes of his freedom he would need information about this new fiend.

“
So Lela, do all of the splintered look like fuzzy squirrel things?
”
he asked.

“
No, the splintered have the ability to look like any animal they choose to; it just depends on how big they are as to what they can mimic.
”

“
If one was big enough could it look like a human or an elf?
”

“
Are you afraid I am planning on pumping you full of venom Nathan?
”

“
No, not really.
”

Nathan hadn
’
t considered it possible until now, but maybe she was a larger version of the thing stuck on the tree, Maybe when they arrived at the castle it would be a hive and she would push him into a swarming mass of the little things to be devoured.
His pulse began to elevate, the adrenaline hit his system like wild fire through a plain suffering from a drought.
His heart beat with an intensity that would either give him the ability to out run her or fight.
He couldn
’
t run, he was in front she would just skewer him with arrows.
The tension was mounting he was torn between running and staying with Lela.

“
Hey Nathan.
”
came Lela
’
s voice Nathan turned around just as Lela spun around and kicked him in the face.

Nathan hit the ground with a thud; stars were swimming in his vision.
As his vision began to sharpen Nathan saw the arrow that was pointed right at him.

“
What are you doing?
”
He cried.

“
It was interesting that the splintered took its time getting to you, normally they descend upon their prey like a plague.
Then you started asking those questions.
I know I am not a splintered, but you don
’
t act right at all.
It occurred to me you might be a splintered.
One of the great evil that might have survived the hunting, dressed strange to get close to me then inject me with venom.
I will not be killed so easily!
”
She cried nearly in hysterics.

The arrow released, at the same time Nathan flinched.
The arrow hit the ground with a solid thump, and Nathan
’
s shirt was sliced and a small scratch welled up with blood.

“
It
’
s red.
”
Lela stated in near shock.

The shock of being kicked in the face and then grazed by the arrow left Nathan petrified with fear, until the dull throbbing in the cut began.
Terrified of what she might do next Nathan began to back pedal until his back slammed into a tree.

“
You shot me with your bow!
”
The sound of fear laced his voice.

Lela began to approach Nathan slowly, a thousand words on her tongue, but not one was strong enough to apologize for the injury she just inflicted.
The questions had unnerved her, this whole situation had unnerved her.
First finding Nathan, then the near miss with the splintered, and the questions he had been asking, all of it had her shaken.
She tried to get closer to Nathan, but he was on his feet hiding behind the broken tree he had scooted into.

Nathan kept the tree between the two of them, for protection, he thought they were getting closer, but she had actually shot him, and without a second thought.

“
I am sorry I grazed you with the arrow, but you scared me with all the questions Nathan.
”
She explained.

“
I didn
’
t think you would do it.
”
He whispered from behind the tree.
It had never occurred to Nathan that he could die, really die in this forest and never be heard from again, until Lela had grazed him with the arrow.

“
Nathan.
”
She couldn
’
t think of anything to say that could make this situation better.
Finally the frustration blocked out everything, what she said next wasn
’
t meant to soothe or comfort.

“
If you do not come out from behind that tree I swear the next arrow will be in your chest, and I will leave your body in this forest for the scavengers!
”
The biting snap of her voice made Lela flinch, and she had been the one to say it!
What was wrong with her?
She was normally in better control of her emotions.
It had to be something with this boy, he must have done something to her when she wasn
’
t looking, a spell maybe?
Ezra, her best friend would know, she was a priestess in training and the only friend Lela had.
But first she had to get this foolish boy out from behind the tree.

What was it Ezra used to do with her little sister to get her to come out from hiding when they had chores to do and Chloe decided to hide?
Finally she remembered.

“
Nathan, listen you scared me with the questions, and this is a dangerous part of the forest.
If I leave you here alone you will not see the next morning, please just let me take you to the castle.
We have magic users there they might be able to return you home.
”

The mention of home brought Nathan out from around the tree.
The wound had already stopped bleeding and had begun to settle into a dull throbbing.
Still holding his arm he slowly came into sight, the look on his face said he didn
’
t trust Lela.

“
I will walk behind you, I don
’
t trust you not to shoot me again.
”
his voice lacked any emotion.
“
I just want to leave, that is all.
”

They walked in silence for most of the evening; the silence was broken by Lela at dusk.

“
Nathan we have to stop and make camp for the night, or we risk hurting an ankle in the forest.
”

“
Fine.
”
It was the most he had said to her since she grazed him with the arrow.
They began to set up camp, Nate finally broke his silence.

“
We only have one tent, where do I sleep?
”
Nate asked cautiously.

“
We will sleep in the tent, unless you plan on sleeping with all the creatures in the night.
”
Lela said with a smirk.