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"He is known as the Hunter of Death for several reasons. But I beg you, not to discuss it here, for the Hunter comes this way as we speak. And I am afraid that he rides with not four or five varders, but a small army of them. We must flee now, we cannot risk a battle, and be killed in these woods. They shall provide some cover for use, yes, but we must flee now." spoke the king of Theinien quickly, and with haste. Something was making him nervous, both of them could tell, and for some reason to Seth, it was not the varders or the Hunter that scared him, it was something else.
Another black arrow shot from the wood. It had missed them barely, for the man summoned a shield to protect the three of them. "Flee my friends. Follow me as fast as you can, afterwards we shall talk."
Standing there, Seth did not know what to do. Should he trust the man and what he was saying? Or should they take their chances on their own? He thrusted the sword back into its scabbard, looking back up at the lord. Something told him that he should not take the risk in trusting him, but something else told him that this man was their only key to survival. Neither of them had ever left Mrae Fortifur before, and it troubled them so that they did not know where they were going. They really did not have anywhere in particular to go, but something told them that Mrae Ludar was a safe place to go, for it housed the Council of Dragons, and they both knew a lot about the council. Mrae Ludar was a vast city, in which it layed in the country of Kelnin, ruled over by three kings of old. They were of the oldest people in Quar, and these three were the most respected people. They live within the walls of the Stronghold of Elna, protected from all harm that comes there way. Also, this is where people are taught to become Dragon Warriors. Seth's father was once a Dragon Warrior before he had disappeared. What had happened to him, no one knows.
"Why should we trust you?" ask Seth in an inquisitive tone. "What makes you believe that we shall trust you so easily, since you have tried to harm me and my kin."
"This is not the matter of trust." spoke he, like a wise sage. "It is a matter on if you want to live, or to die by the Hunter and his varders. It is up to you."
"We shall go your way for the time being my friend, but after we shall finish what we have started."
"I shall do nothing of the sort. As long as your following me, you shall do everything I saw. I am the one saving you, I shall be showed some respect."
"Very well. Let us go to wherever it is you are taking us." said Seth with a slight hint of irritation.
After a few minutes of preparation, they set off toward the north, or so that was what Seth thought. He knew little of these woods, and of what he knew, did not bring any good news. It is said that whoever went into these woods, going to the north, wound up getting lost, or something unfaithful like that, and they were never heard from again. Of course, he was only a little lad at the time, and he knew not if it was true or not. Figuring that it was just some scare tactic, he had gotten rid of that thought from his mind, but something troubled him greatly. What if the rumors were true? Were they going somewhere where they were to never been heard from again? It troubled them both greatly. Seth tried to steal a glance at Meghan, to see how she was holding, but he could not do so, since the man kept looking at the two of them in a queer way.
Not sure if they were following or not, the lord had said that it would be best if they pressed onward, until at least midday, where they could relax. Where they were going, Meghan and Seth still did not know. They were both becoming anxious to where they were going. Meghan had checked the map countless times, and she still was not able to figure out where they were. They must have been three days from Mrae Fortifur, maybe more, by the way they had traveled. Something was wrong. The map shows out to be that they should be in the ocean by now, but they both knew they were not. Seth had questioned the lord about where they were, but he did not answer at all, which gave Seth an uneasy feeling.
Midday came, and still their was no sign from the Hunter, or the varders at all. Finally they were able to relax, but they had to be careful of what they did. It was still very dangerous for them. Reaching into his pack, Seth took out some meat that was wrapped. He had hunted it before they had met up with the man. Taking his knife from his pack, he began to skin the rabbit he had caught. Normally he wouldn't eat rabbit, but they really had no choice. Meghan went to look for edible roots and fruits, while the man gathered some wood for a fire. They had reckoned as long as they had kept the fire low, then they would be safe for the night.
After the fire was started, Seth began to cook the rabbit. Though the problem was that Seth had never cooked rabbit before, nor had the man or Meghan. It took a while for it to cook, in which during that time, they took turns getting water for their skins, and standing guard over the camp. He had hoped that they were not caught off guard by anything at all. At last the rabbit was done, and taking his knife, he began to cut the rabbit into even strips, handing it to them once it had cooled. Meghan had created some sort of stew to go with the rabbit, which was quite good for having to eat roots. They ate until the food was gone, (which turned out to be not enough to fill the two guys) and soon, they went to their horses and began to groom them.
Not far from where they had camped, was a small cliff that was about three or four miles from where they were. A lone man stood on the cliff, looking in the direction to where he saw the fire. Smiling, he realized that he had found his prey at last. They were hunting for the three all day, and this man was getting frustrated from the chase that covered over thirty miles that day, which had left his varders and men exhausted, but he would not tolerate his army slacking at all. They were to do as his Master asked, and he would do it without failing.
"At last I have found you." he said in a low whisper.
On his shoulder was a sleek black raven, in which he stroked gently. This raven that sat upon his shoulder was the key to his successful hunts. It may appear to someone to be just an ordinary raven., but this raven was something more. It possessed magic,which allowed it to do remarkable things. It was a hard creature to beat, and it had never failed him before. The problem at hand was the wizard that accompanied them. How was he to rid himself of the wizard that knew of his presence? His master, the Dark Lord, never mentioned once about dealing with a wizard. He had said to him that all he wanted was the two kids that were coming his way, and the sword that he had with him.
"Varders," spoke the man quietly. "It is time to complete the hunt."
They had appeared, like a thick whisp of smoke. Each varder wielded a mace, in which they prefer over swords. Varders were a race of warriors that were sworn to do as the Dark Lord bided. They were to do whatever was asked upon them. They wore black cloaks, and dragon shaped helmets that protected their most vulnerable spot. No one has been able to see the true identity of varders. They are quick, moving faster at times than lightning. They equip themselves with a number of weapons, ranging from bows, to throwing knives. Their stealth is incredible. They can be in one spot for one second, as with what had just happened, to where they are now. Varders made the best assailants, which made the Hunter happy. Also with him he had drows, but they did not matter to him as much as the varders did.
"Be off my hungry warriors. Feast on the bodies of the girl and the wizard, but not with the one who wields the sword."
While the Hunter had spot their encampment, they had already begun their journey northward, still not aware of where they were going. This time, Meghan and Seth rode side by side, while the man led them onward. After a few minutes, Seth thought that he had heard something move off to his left. He drew his sword a few inches, preparing himself to defend himself, as well as Meghan. Anxiety filled him as they moved onward. What was making the noise that only he could hear? Why was he the only one aware of the fact that they could be being followed by the Hunter? Soon he stopped his horse Gwer, and got off, landing on the ground softly. Meghan nor the man noticed that he had stopped, and he did not really care. As long as Meghan was safe, then he was happy.
"Come forth whoever lurks in the wood." said Seth with confidence. "Show yourself now."
Something darted out from the wood, trying to swing a mace at him, but never got his chance, for the lord sent a spell at the creature, and sent the mace flying from its hand. Whatever it was vanished, and Seth was on the ground panting. Seth knew what that was. It was a varder, going after him. But why? Why not the other two? This varder was faster than the rest he ever encountered. Who had sent it after him?
"Fool." said he, offering his hand to help Seth up. "Do you think it was wise for you to call the beast foward? By the good gods, I never seen something as foolish as what you had just done. You should be grateful that I was here to save you."
"I would have managed." muttered Seth darkly.
"Tell me how then." said the man, glaring at Seth. "You hardly know how to wield a sword, let alone fight with one. What makes you think you can fight off a varder, which excells in all kinds of weapons?"
Ignoring what the man has said, he sheathed his sword, mounting Gwer once more. Kicking the horse's side gently, Gwer trotted forward trying to catch up to Summer and Meghan. Undoubtedly his vision was not of use to him, since he was only mortal. Elves vision were at least ten times greater than his own. From what Seth knew Meghan did not see the fight that just happened. The lord of Theinien came trotting up next to the two of them, leading the way once more.
Something told Seth that this man should not be trusted so easily, that he was a greater threat than they knew at the moment. The day wore on with no signs of varders, which made Seth uneasy.
On the seventh day since the varder tried swinging a mace at Seth, they still had not seen any sign of the varders nor the Hunter of Death, which made them relax a bit more. The three of them were still traveling in the Forest, though it was not a problem to him, it made Seth wonder why they were in the woods for so long. Meghan rarely spoke anymore, too worried that something might happen to them in their sleep.
Midday they had stopped at a cave which was sealed off. The man had taken great interest in this as he got off of his horse and made his way to the wall that sealed the cave off. Slowly he waved his hand over the wall, revealing symbols that shone in the colour of blue.
"Whatever is behind that cave must have been sealed off for certian reasons." Seth had thought to himself.
Next the man had pointed at various symbols, and after a few moments of doing that, the wall opened, revealing the enterance to the cave. Unsheathing his sword, Seth walked forward, leaving Gwer behind, knowing that this was not going to be something that the horses would be able to go through. It was hard enough that they had to give up the sun's warmth to go into the heart of a cave, let alone part with their beloved horses.
"No need for that." said the man, grabbing the dull side of the blade, pusing it downward. "This cave is the cave of the Dalgnorians, a group of dwarves which secluded themselves from Quar. This dwarfven nation is protected by the cave that we are standing right in front of. If one did not know the way, then they could get lost for days on end, and before anyone could find you, you'd be dead.
"If that doesn't kill you, the Galiards will."
"Galiards?" questioned Meghan who now stood beside Seth.
"Savage beast that once were mortals like ourselves. Punished by a wizard for an eternity as crused beasts, they wander around the cave from time to time trying to kill anything it could find. Galiards tend not to eat dwarves as much as it eats mortals."
"Then I would like to be able to have my blade in hand in case I come face to face with a Galiard." spoke Seth in a fair voice. "I shall not take the risk of walking in there with my drawn in its scabbard."
Instead of answering the question, Seth mounted his horse, and rode off ahead of the other two. This was not the time to lose control of his emotions. Right now Seth was woriried about getting as far from the varders as he could without difficulty, though he knew it was going to be almost impossible for that to happen. Seth did not know where he was going, and he did not want to find out either, for the man had been leading them in many different directions. The map that he had brought with him was useless to him, which he had thrown out a few days before.
Soon he became tired and got off of his horse, sitting on the ground waiting to see if the other two were coming or not. Thinking to himself, Seth thought that the spot where he was at would make a good shelter for them for a few days or so, so they could regain their stanima. Riding hard for a few days was not good for the horses, and they all could use the break. The area seemed to be well covered, and with a little work he wa ssure that they could not see them if he had done everything right.
Trees covered the area thoroughly, making it hard for him to see ahead of him, which was good for the varders would have that same difficulty. The rocks were plentiful, making it so that he could move some of the rocks hopefully to make a small little hole that he could hide in. That was the first thing he started to do was to create a small cave for the three of them. These rocks were not like regular rocks. The rocks that Seth found were massive, really more like boulders than anything. It took a lot of energy from him to move some of the boulders out of place. It took him a good two hours to complete the hole, which turned out to be a small cave. Honestly Seth was surprised at his work, and how the other two had not found him yet.
Next he had gotten an idea. Pikes would be useful for them if the varders were to spot them with sheer luck. Raviging about, Seth began to look for sticks that would make good pikes. After he had found a dozen or so, he began to carve tips with a rock that he found on the ground, which proved to be tedious work. This took him about an hour and still no sign of the other two. Once he was done doing that, he began to place them around the enterance of the cave.
The sun was setting slowly, showing many colours of pink. The sun glowed a distince orange, sharing little warmth from its rays. The wind blew gently, making the leaves dance around. Reaching into his pack he pulled out the left over rabbit, and made a fire. As soon as he was ready he started to cook the rabbit. That was when he had heard the whispering. It sounded like the voice was saying his name, which had made him reach over to pick up his sword. Walking out of the cave, he walked a little ways to where he thought the whispering was coming from.
"Who is lurking about the woods, who says my name so freely and losely?" questioned Seth putting a mask over the fear that crept over his body. "Kinsman or foe. Show yourself to me now."
"Be at peace Son of Tagalsa." spoke a female voice that rang out through the forest.
With that Seth began looking around for the source of the female voice. It was near impossible for the voice echoed throughout the forest, making it hard for him to figure out where she was. The grip on his sword did not relax, but tighten as she said for him to be at peace. Her words had a soothing lulling effect that won him over, but something made him keep his sanity. This could easily be some magic caster that created some sort of spell on him.
"I have come upon you to ask you a request." spoke she once more.
"More or less a decision, but a request nevertheless."
"I speak not so freely to one that I know not. Show yourself to me and answer my question of being kinsman or foe." he questioned the reverberated female."Swear to me you mean no harm and I shall hear about your request."
"Be at peace." she repeated. "You speak freely around the man you travel with do you not? Trust him like a brother, but keep him close like you would do to an enemy."
Trust him like a brother, but keep him close like an enemy. That somehow made him think a little at her words. Lately he had been treating him like an enemy, but all the man had been doing was helping them out from the start. Other than their first encounter with each other, the man had not tried to harm them at all. The thing was he feared of trusting him too much, for then the man might betray them which did not make him feel better at all.
"Speak with haste my fair friend, for my kin are missing in this part of the woods." said Seth ready to hear what she had to say.
"The kin that you speak of are safe in these forest." she started in a soothing voice hoping ot make him relax. "Now is not the time to speek of such things of that matter. I have sought you for many days in hopes of making a simple request to you. Here with me is an egg that you could easily claim as your own. If so you would have to take it to Mrae Ludar, the Council of Dragons. If that not be your wish then you can head to Mrae Quarathian where a battle is about to break there. Either way you are the key to this war. You are the cause of it, and you shall be the end of it. I shall leave you be to decide. But haste you must take in deciding for varders are coming this way as we speak."
"This egg was does it contain?" inquired Seth, fearing that he knew the answer the question.
It was silent for a few moments where neither spoke. Something moved to his left making him spin around quickly. Was it possible for it to be the woman that was speaking to him, or was it a varder? This time Seth did not want to take any chances. His eyes focused on the spot where the movement came from. Then without warning a mace was being swung at him. An elf lunged out of the woods, swinging a staff at the varder, knocking it to the ground. The elf had remarkable speed. Whether this was the one who spoke to him or not, that was debatable.
"Mortal do not stand there like you have no clue what is going on." spoke the elf through gritted teeth swinging her staff around. "The blade of yours, use it now."
Arrows came flying at them, a few of them were going toward the elf that had just saved him. He pushed her out of the line of fire, covering her so she would not get hit. One of them grazed his shoulder, but he ignored the pain. Only one thing was possible for them. Flee.