Chapter 19

The group that gathered at the rally point was smaller than that which had assaulted the enemy encampment. 10 of their number had fallen or were killed during the assault and another 30 were injured to some degree or another. The casaulties were light considering the disparity in numbers, but the surprise and panic caused by Narn and the scouts had allowed them to get in and out with minimal casaulties. They had further cause to celebrate for they had captured 200 of the cavalry horses, giving them plenty of remounts for their numbers, and had managed to drive off more than 1500 more of the horses, many of them would be injured in the resulting panic, and it would take days to round up those that they could. Until then fully half of the enemy cavalry would be little more than footmen. And they had managed to start fires through the enemie’s supplies. Fires that even now were burning through the camp uncontested as Terimak sent out his troops to track them down.

Terimak’s troops had been caught up in the illusion Riulan and laid down behind them and even now were pursuing the mirage through the woods northwards, getting ever further away from the recovering troops. As such the Scouts raid would escape without further pursuit, easing their burden of the wounded and easing the pressure on the small band.

Despite all of the successes and the light casaulties, it was the sight of the wounded Narn that paradoxically did the most to improve their morale. The very fact of his survival seemed like a miracle for all of them recognized the killing blasts used by the Sorcerer’s. And while he was lost in a world of agony until Riulan was able to get to him and begin healing the wounds, his very survival seemed to be a sign of their success.

“My Lord. We are ready to ride for Khratoum as soon as you order it.” Tel’mar addressed Narn reverently, as he stood back from Riulan and the wounded Elf. The scouts gathered around in concern waiting to see their commanders response. “Let us ride. It would appear that once again despite the odds we have survived. And you know, I do believe we’ve managed to anger the good Lord Terimak.” A light laughter followed his merry pronouncement and he rose, supported lightly by Riulan, “Let us go and pay a visit now to his city and see if we can’t convince them to choose another ruler.”

As the scouts turned to their horses only Riulan saw the low of pain that briefly crossed Narn’s face and he spoke in a whisper to her, “Bring my horse here if you would. I don’t think I could walk to it but I don’t want them to know that.” He looked at her with a smile and she nodded numbly.

All about her the scouts joked and laughed. She had already healed the worst of their wounds, and those wounded even now accepted the good natured joking of their compatriots on their luck. As she grabbed the reins of Narn’s horse, from among the mounts, she saw Tel’mar speaking to two of the scouts corporals who turned and immediately gathered the rest of the captured horses and half of the scouts, including all of the wounded, and rode away. Going to tell the our army of the success here. She thought lightly realizing how much of the morale rested on such tales and on the calm, confident image Narn even now projected.

She rode back to Narn’s side and watched with concern as he carefully mounted his horse. He was seated before he called out to Tel’mar, “Tel’mar, take point and have outriders to the sides. Try not to let anybody know we are coming and let’s see if we can’t ride a few more miles tonight before settling in to rest.”

The party set off, the scouts assigned to outrider duties fading into the trees around them as they watched their assigned sides. Narn and Riulan rode quietly amongst the remaining troops. As they set off Riulan rode closer to Narn and speaking quietly, “Your kind are even stronger than Erimbril had led me to believe. I know you aren’t affected by magic in the same ways we are, but that blast would have killed just about anybody without protections.”

Narn glanced over at the healer and a crooked grin turned his features almost boyish for a moment before he spoke, “I’ll tell you a secret Master Healer. My family is generally despised amongst the rest of the Fae for the very reason that I survived that attack. The males of the family are completely incapable of wielding even the simplest of magics. It runs through the males and has never skipped a generation that I know of. Even the females find magic difficult to learn, but they can learn it. I on the other hand can’t even manipulate the power around me to do something as simple as light a candle. Some of the families believe our blood is tainted. Some say by humans,” he smiles a Riulan briefly, “though only their arrogance would allow them to believe such would prevent us from wielding power.” He sighed briefly and then continued, “On the other hand, our own power resists change. It is generally harder to affect us with magics. That blast likely would have killed Galdacil or Erimbril if they hadn’t had protections, protections they almost always have ready. Only healing magics work well on us. I have a feeling that’s because healing magics are merely returning our bodies to the way they were, and our own power aids that or at the very least doesn’t try to stop it.”

Riulan watched him as he spoke and she saw then the pain of his statements. Not the pain the wounds still caused him, but the deeper pain of being reviled by his own people his entire life. “Please, call me Riulan, Master Healer is too impersonal,” she asked quietly, ”And Erimbril and Galdacil? They are not of your family?”

She was unprepared for the laughter that escaped him then, “Hardly Riulan.” His mouth quirked in that boyish grin again, “Erimbril comes from a long line of mages amongst the Fae lords. He himself had only recently finished his apprenticeship though. Galdacil though, he comes from the current ruling family of the Fae. Oh he’s something of a black sheep amongst them, since he spends his time with me and Erimbril, and he disapproves of his families traditional distrust, really call it hatred, of humans. But he’s still held in high esteem amongst our people. He’s born to lead and he was merely on a leave from our own guard when we were taken here. He’s been commanding troops for probably your entire lifetime and more.” Narn smiled, “In truth his desire to lead and command has led us on many an argument for I tend to be stubborn when I believe I’m right and don’t take well to being told what to do.”

“And what is it that you did among your people?”

Narn smiled again, “Would you believe I was a woodcutter?” Narn’s laughter at Riulan’s stunned look was light, not mocking, and the party rode on through the forest while she struggled to process all that he had told her.

Tel’mar grunted when Riulan told him Narn’s comment later that evening as the camp was set up. “Lord Erimbril had told me of the Lord Narn’s position.” Tel’mar explained, “Saying he was a woodcutter is like saying that Mistrew was a minor worker of magics. Lord Narn was the son of the guildmaster of woodcrafters. In addition he is a master wood carver himself. Apparently, as well, the woodcutters of the Fae are also the wardens of the land, and Narn was second in command of the militia they formed, and considered by many to be the logical successor to his father, when his father should choose to step down. His only failing was his inability to master the bow, but his stealth was such that he could hunt deer with a knife if he so chose to, though he never hunted himself.” He turned towards the fire as he finished brushing his horse and the two walked towards it, “Though it doesn’t matter what or who he was before. He’s our commander. And not a one of the men wouldn’t follow him wherever he will lead.”