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Blackpowder
Chapter 2
The sun was shining high in the sky when Illifer woke up, and he was not in a good mood. If there was one thing he hated, it was the prospect of being completely in another’s mercy. Immediately after he opened his eyes he began circling their igloo shaped wooden cage, testing the strength of the long wooden poles and seeing if he could perhaps dig himself out. “Blackpowder! You didn’t tell me they were using blackpowder! By the three moons, they must have used half the world’s supply trying to kill us!”
Roland shook his head with disbelief, “I expected you knew! What about that ‘recon’ you did? Recon, hah, you probably just looked right and left and crawled on across didn’t you?”
Illifer just grumbled and muttered, continuing his inspection of the cage.
“Didn’t you stop to think why they’d build a fortress next to a mine and man it with Kelewan’s best? Blackpowder! That’s what’s down there! We’ve taken dozens of carts of the stuff out, and there’s still more!”
Illifer stopped for a moment, and then continued his pacing. “Dozens of carts?
“And why are you still doing that? If they are leaving us food, they obviously don’t want to eat us.”
Illifer stopped and looked at Roland, shaking his head. “Don’t you how this works? They’re fattening us up!”
Roland rolled his eyes, “Don’t be ridiculous, elves don’t eat people, besides, why would they waste time binding up my ankle? What’s this elfophobia you have anyways?”
An amused voice answered from the woods, badly startling the two friends, particularly Illifer. “Perhaps he’s lived in the northwest? Our kind are a bit….angrier in those parts.”
There was a reasons elves had no cities and few standing structures, and it wasn’t because they were barbarians as many claimed, but because the forest was their home, in more ways than one. Their green skin, which could be light or dark, blended perfectly with the foliage, and their feet made no sound at all upon the soil. The three standing outside the cage probably could have remained there all day without being noticed. One, a bit taller than the other two, wore green nature-priest’s garments and had a gnarled oaken staff taller than he was. He closed his eyes, bowed his head, and began moving his fingers in intricate patterns as his two guards stood silent, spears in hand.
Illifer shook the side of the cage and shouted frantically, “Hey, hey, heeeeey.”
The elf priest stopped and slowly raised his head, looking a bit annoyed “Yes?”
Illifer shot him a cold glare, “I’d rather you don’t cast in my direction.”
The elf smirked in mock menace, “Well, that’s too bad now isn’t it?” his shoulders then slumped a little and he sighed, “I suppose I at least should explain. I’m simply invoking my god to judge the two of you.” With that he continued his casting, with Illifer still clutching the side of the cage, gritting his teeth and tensing every muscle.
There was a peaceful silence for a few minutes as the priest concentrated on something internal. An odd feeling flowed through the air, a presence. It subsided as soon as the priest opened his eyes. He pointed a bony hand in Roland’s direction and said matter-of-factly, “He is good of heart.” He then turned to Illifer, and kept his hand outstretched towards him for many seconds. Illifer gave a questioning lift of an eyebrow, the priest let his arm fall and began muttering to himself.
Finally he looked straight into Illifer’s eyes, “This one Theod passes no judgement for.”
The nervous rogue started wringing his hands. “So….”
The elf turned to Roland, “His life is in your hands. Should you let him live, he is your responsibility in our kingdom. Should you let him die, no ill shall be thought of you.”
Roland bellowed with laughter, revealing the same boyish humor he had always had. Illifer almost walked up and slammed those jaws of his together on his tongue.
“I want him to live. He got me out of those dreadful mines. I’ll keep track of him, even if it means having him on a leash.”
Illifer visibly relaxed.
The priest, smiling widely, clapped his hands together in closing. “All right then, go ahead and explore our village, tomorrow I shall again talk to you, and we can see what’s in your future.” He turned to the guard on his left, “Jeryln, accompany these strangers, see that they cause no harm, and that no harm befalls them.” Jeryln nodded and the priest turned back to the humans, “I’ve yet to introduce myself. I am Foreln.”
Roland extended his hand, but the priest just looked at it strangely so he dropped it back to his side and introduced himself by name, Illifer did the same, albeit more timidly.
The priest turned and looked back over his shoulder for a final word. “Jeryln will make sure that you aren’t mistaken for Kel soldiers. I shall see the two of you tomorrow.” With that he disappeared into the woods, invisible after walking only a few feet.
After the priest left, Roland stared at Illifer, his face overflowing with merriment. “Looks like I’m in charge of you!”
Illifer felt like killing him again, and he had just barely gotten over the desire kill him the first time. “How can you think this is funny! We’re in the middle of the woods with a bunch of-“ He looked at the grim elf fighter standing by him, “…elves.”
Roland sobered a slight bit and started down the overgrown path presumably leading to the elves’ village, hesitant to confirm that belief with the silent Jeryln. “Well, can’t just stand here all day, you must at least want to see an elven village."
Illifer really didn’t, but he followed along anyways.
The village was surprisingly far from their prison. They made sure with Jeryln that they were going the right way, but were starting to doubt even his sense of direction as the sun drifted across the sky. Finally the trees began to gradually thin out and in the distance the ‘village’ could be seen. It was really nothing more than a dozen natural stalls, semicircular areas cut into the trunks of the immense temperate trees of the forest, loosely oriented along a straight ‘road’ if you could call it that. At the end of the road was a large circular hut with two rectangular wings extending from the sides. It’s curved roof was made of animal leather, and a fire burned outside the open entrance.
The three stopped right outside the village proper, with every elf present dropping what they were doing and staring suspiciously.
“I’m not liking this anymore." Roland whispered nervously.
Illifer without a word turned on his heels and walked back the other way, Roland and Jeryln following. They could feel the eyes on their backs until they were once again of sight.
Illifer turned to Jeryln, “Elf, is there a place near here where we can sleep?”
Jeryln’s expression did not change but he did sound slightly agitated. “You will call me Jeryln, and we can either go back to the village, or pick which side of the road to sleep on.”
Roland piped up to answer, “Left works fine for me, how about you, Illifer?”
His rescuer was already off the road when he answered, “Sounds good. I could use a long rest."
Chapter 3(clicky)