Date: Sat, 8 Dec 2001 14:03:42 EST
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Sword of Kings - chapter 18

Legal Notice:
The following story contains descriptions of graphic sexual acts.
The story is a work of fiction and has no basis in reality.

Don't read this story if:
**You're not 18 or over,
**If it is illegal to read this type of material where you live,
**Or if you don't want to read about gay/bi people in love or having sex.

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against violators.

I wish to extend my thank you to Ed for his editorial assistance with this
chapter.

If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at
http://members.tripod.de/wolfslair, in the 'Other Stories' section.

E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive'
comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com.

                *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

The Sword of Kings-by BW (Fantasy/Sci.Fi.).      Copyright 2000 by billwstories
Chapter 18 - Frustrations, Delays, and Discoveries.          October 2001

Standing in the soft light of early morning, Command Elgin's dwarf army was
breaking camp and his officers met to decide how to best cross the River
Sterling.  "The river is very swift and much swollen by the recent
precipitation," stated Colonel Hoyt.  "Just how do you plan to move us
across it?'

Commander Elgin looked at his second in command and gave a wry smile.  "I
have studied the situation thoroughly and, after looking at the maps, I see
only one possibility.  Seeing the bridges have been destroyed to keep
Madumda's soldiers from following the citizens of Tunstan as they fled, and
the river is now too deep and the current far too swift to navigate or
ford, the only thing left is to go around it."

"How do you go around a river?" a young lieutenant asked, quite innocently.

"In this case, it's not all that difficult.  You see, the River Sterling
originates where the Citadel Mountains and the Devils Horseshoe meet, so we
shall take a slight detour and march to its source.  When we get there, we
should be able to cross over where it is narrow and shallow and, once we
are on the other side, we can make our way to the battle.  It will
definitely delay our arrival, but I think Beraut would prefer us to arrive
a little late, than not at all.  I pray that our tardiness will not change
the outcome of the conflict, however."

After it was obvious that they would do as the commander suggested, the
officers discussed the details of what would happen next and tried to
determine how much longer it would take them to get to the battlefield.
Once all these details had been ironed out, the officers left to prepare
their troops, so they could be on their way again.  Before long they were
in formation and marching northward, along the eastern bank of the River
Sterling.  Commander Elgin took one last opportunity to gaze across the
river and examine the smoldering remains of Tunstan.  He made a vow to
himself, as he scanned what was left of that community, that he would reek
as much destruction and havoc on Madumda's assassins and terrorist as they
had here.  Having made that pledge, he returned his attention to the task
ahead.

The pace of the march was swift, at least as swift as the condition of the
ground would allow.  As the dwarfs made their way to the junction where the
two mountain groups merged, the mountains appeared to grow with each
passing step, rekindling both memories of their homeland and concerns about
the dangers that might be hidden there.  This ignited a range of emotions,
from euphoria and anticipation, to foreboding and apprehension.  Commander
Elgin was keenly aware of the mounting feelings building within his troops
and he was acutely attuned to the psychological needs and concerns of those
under him.  Due to his sensitivity to these issues and seeing this was not
part of their original plan, he decided to make a brief address to calm the
concerns of his troops.  After halting their progress, he had them form up
so he could address them.

"These mountains can prove to be an extremely dangerous place for us," he
began, "especially since they are under the influence of the Dark Lord and
his minions.  Not only do these mountains offer various natural hazards,
which you are familiar with, but the terrain may also hide enemy soldiers
or other of Madumda's cohorts who might be waiting out there to ambush us.
There are numerous locations where a small force could hold off or destroy
a larger stronger opponent, and it is important that we are aware of these
facts.  For that reason, we shall dispatch scouting parties to go ahead and
check out the area, to keep us from falling prey to such situations."

With that said, several small scouting groups were sent out ahead of them,
and then the main body reassembled, so they too could resume their march.
As they reached the mountainous terrain and began to make their way to
where the river was born, the footing became even more difficult and they
had to slow their pace to accommodate the terrain and conditions,
especially in such large numbers.  They hadn't gone very far when one of
the scouts returns and made his report.

"Sir, we spotted a small enemy patrol traveling in the same area we are
headed, but I'm not sure what they were up to.  I decided to leave the
others there to keep an eye on their activities, while I came back here to
report to you."

"Very wise, trooper," commented Elgin.  "How many were there in this
patrol?"

"We saw a dozen or more soldiers at various times, but they weren't all
together.  There may have been others out there as well, but those were all
we saw."

"Very good.  Colonel Hoyt, please dispatch a squadron of thirty soldiers to
check out this situation.  This scout will lead them to where the rest of
his scouting party is waiting, but assign an officer who can make a
difficult decision, such as whether we'll need to eliminate them or if we
can get past them without causing alarm.  Once they have handled the
situation, I want them to send a messenger back to me and advise me of the
course of action they had to follow.  If they decide they have to remove
this threat, I would like them to try to capture at least one prisoner, who
shall be brought back here to be interrogated.  I want to see if he is
privy to any secrets we are unaware of."

The detail was dispatched, and immediately rumors began to spread among the
troops.  Various pieces of gossip began to be repeated, such as the scouts
had killed a whole unit of enemy soldiers, that the scouts had captured and
not killed them, that a messenger carrying secret documents had been
captured, that a messenger carrying secret orders had been detained, but
the biggest rumor of all was that the scouts had killed the giant condor as
it was eating some poor creature.  This encouraged the various warriors to
be even more vigilant, as they wish to be the next one to discover
something important to help their cause.

With the mention of the condor again, Commander Elgin began to worry that
the camouflage, which Beraut had designed to shield them from that foul
beast, would not be effective as they moved into the mountains.  They had
grasses and vegetation from the plains woven into them, and these plants
would stand out the farther they moved up the slopes.  He finally decided
that they would have to take that chance, as that would be less obvious
than a collection of dwarfs standing out in the open, and he would have to
pray that the condor would only notice animal life, not a change in the
greenery around it.  As he was contemplating all this, a messenger came
back reporting that four of the scouts were returning with a captive and
that the others would be returning shortly after that, with three other
warriors and an elf who were with them.  This information really confused
the commander, as he had not heard of any of the other races aligning
themselves with the Dark Lord, and he began to think of a series of
questions he wished to ask the elf when he arrived.

When the first captive was brought before him, Elgin questioned him about
the elf, but was only able to learn a very little him.  It seems that this
soldier had heard about him, but the elf had been held captive by another
group of dark clad warriors.  The commander halted the march, so he could
interrogate this individual, and then be would question the others when
they arrived.  Elgin questioned the soldier about his mission, other
tactical information he might know, and what the elf was doing in the
mountains.  He soon learned that this trooper was just part of a
precautionary scouting party and that they had learned that another patrol
had captured the elf just a short time before.  This raised a new set of
questions for the commander, such as what the elf had been doing in the
mountains in the first place.  Elgin quickly finished questioning the scout
and determined he had no other useful information, but he did also learn
that this was a river elf and that they were taking him to Treblanc to be
questioned there.

This raised a series of new questions for the commander, and he began to
wonder what a member of that fair race might have been doing in the
mountains.  It was possible that he was a merchant, trading in Tunstan when
the assault occurred, and that he fled into the mountains for safety.
Possibly he could be a messenger sent by Beraut, and he was waiting in the
mountains until Elgin and his troops reached that location.  It was also
possible that this elf might have been used as a spy, as the elves do have
some magical abilities.  Beruat might have sent him to glean information
about Madumda and his plans, knowing he could hide himself from the
sorcerer's scans by using that magical ability.

It wasn't very much longer before another detachment returned, with three
Merropite soldiers in tow and one small figure bundled in blankets.
Commander Elgin ordered his second in command to take charge of the three
prisoners and to begin questioning them immediately, while he talked to the
elf, to learn what he could from him.  As the Merropites were whisked away
for questioning, the commander strolled over and stood in front of the
still unwrapped curiosity.

"I am Commander Elgin and I wish to ask you a few questions about how you
came to be in the custody of one of the Dark Lord's patrols.  They said you
were discovered in the mountains and that they were taking you to Treblanc
to be questioned.  I need for you to give me all the details about what you
were doing there and how you were captured."

There was no immediate response to the question, but the commander could
distinguish the muffled sounds of sobs and moans coming from under the
layers of blankets.  He hadn't considered that this captive might have been
injured or suffering from some affliction, but now he felt he had better
investigate this possibility.  He moved nearer the bundled form and
carefully began to peel back the blankets from around the elf's body, in an
attempt to see if he could discern any physical problems.  As the numerous
blankets began to fall away, Elgin was shocked to discover that the elf was
a mere youth, no more than a teenager.  This immediately negated all the
theories the commander had formulated about how the elf had come to be
captured, so now he was even more confused than before.  The young elf
continued to weep and groan, but suddenly he began to mumble something,
between the sobs.

"I.I betrayed them all," he said between halting breaths.  "They're all
probably dead now because of me."

"You betrayed whom?" Elgin asked, trying to comfort that youth, yet
attempting to discover the answer to this riddle.  "Did you betray the
people of Tunstan somehow?"

The elf responded, but it was as if he had never heard the commander's
question.  "I couldn't stand...the pain," he said, sobbing even harder now,
"so I told of their plan to sneak in.  I've betrayed all of them.  I've
murdered my best friends.  I should have died after all that, but I didn't.
I couldn't stand the pain anymore, so I told the soldiers what they were up
to."

"What are you talking about, my boy?  Who are they and what did you tell?
You must explain this to me."  The elf didn't respond immediately, but
finally he answered the commander.

"I told those soldiers that they...they were trying to sneak in through the
back way.  Once they knew this, they went to...to kill them all.  It's my
fault they're dead.  I killed them.  They died because I couldn't stand the
pain.  I killed my two best friends and the brave warriors who guarded
them."

At this point Elgin realized that he wasn't about to get anything coherent
from the lad, so he assigned one of his soldiers to tend his needs.  "You
take this elf and make him as comfortable as possible.  Build a small fire
to warm him, tend to what ever wounds he has suffered, find him something
suitable to wear, and make sure he gets something to eat.  If he should
happen to tell you anything that could shed some light on this situation,
report to me immediately.  I need to make some sense out of what he was
saying and I want to know what he was doing up there.  While you're doing
that, I'll go check and see if any information has been gathered from the
captured Merropite warriors."

The soldier saluted as the commander rose to leave, and then he tended to
the young elf, as Elgin wheeled about and set off in the direction of the
other prisoners.  When he got there, they were already shackled and Colonel
Hoyt was grilling them about their mission.  "What were you and your
comrades doing in these mountains?  Where did you locate the young elf?
Where were you heading when my men intercepted you?"

There was no answer to any of the questions, as the three prisoners sat
defiant, contempt pouring from their every movement and expression.  Upon
seeing his superior's arrival, the colonel turned to report on his
progress, or lack thereof.  "It is apparent that this will take some time,
as they will not willing cooperate with us.  I suggest we use torture to
extract the information quickly."

"Let me see what I can do with them before we resort to such measures.  I
think I might be able to entice them without lowering myself to using the
Dark Lord's tactics.  In the meantime, I'm famished and need something to
eat.  Please send someone to bring me some vitals and pass the word to the
rest of the troops that we will break bread for our midday meal here."

"Yes, sir.  Very well.  If that's what you order."  The colonel walked over
to one of the troopers and gave him his orders, putting a special emphasis
on his need for haste.  The trooper was off in a flash and, after a brief
pause, he returned with several assistants, each bearing food and drink for
the officers and guards.  They spread the food out, and eagerly the hungry
warriors were devouring the offering set before them.  The wily commander
was keeping a watchful eye on the prisoners, as he and the others ate,
seeing if their dining was having any effect on them.  Elgin noticed one of
the captives, in particular, on whom the look of longing and hunger were
undeniably etched on his face.  It was then that the commander made his
decision on how best to use this to his advantage.  He turned to his second
in command and issued another order.

"Colonel Hoyt, I believe it is time to separate our guests for some special
attention.  You take this soldier here and have another officer take the
one to his right.  Move them to different areas and then wait for me to
join you.  I will begin by questioning the prisoner who is left, and I hope
that it isn't very long before we have the answers to our questions."

The others did as they were ordered and, as they started to move away,
Elgin began to bait his psychological snare for the remaining captive.  He
walked over to where a platter of meat rested, grabbed a large piece, and
took a healthy bite out of it.  After he had chewed and swallowed what was
in his mouth, he let out a might belch, all the while shrewdly observing
his 'guest' out of the corner of his eye.  The prisoner was now lightly
licking his lips, and the commander knew it was now time to make his next
move.

"Would you care for something to eat?" he asked the startled man.  The
Merropite, who had been waiting for them to begin setting up some
instrument of pain to torture him with, sat momentarily dumbfounded, unable
to speak.  After regaining his composure, he gave an affirmative response
to Elgin's offer of hospitality, so the commander broke off a hunk of bread
and grabbed a hunk of meat and took it over to him.  The bound trooper was
able to take the items from the commander's hands and he wolfed them down,
hardly taking time to chew any of it before he swallowed.

"There is plenty more to eat and drink, and you can have your fill, if you
tell me the information I wish to know," Elgin advised him.

"I should have known this was some kind of a trick and that there'd be some
kind of a catch," the Merropite sneered.  "Well, it doesn't matter.  I
don't know very much and there is nothing I can tell you that will help
you.  I'm sure that you realize I'm only a grunt."

"Let me be the judge of how much you know," Elgin responded, "and whether
or not that information is important.  Just tell me what you can, such as
what you were doing in these mountains."

The prisoner thought for a minute or two before he responded, and seeing he
didn't think what he knew would be of value to anyone, he didn't see any
harm in revealing it.  "We've been patrolling the area for several weeks
now.  I guess our Master was afraid of some sort of treachery beginning in
this area."

"Where did you find the elf?"

Again the Merropite hesitated before he responded.  "Well, he was found
lying unconscious at the bottom of a ravine, where the Citadels and the
Devil's Horseshoe merge.  We were on patrol in the foothills in that area,
when the rumblings of an avalanche started, and then we heard a scream.  We
took cover, until things settled down, and then we went out to investigate.
The elf was found lying unconscious, partially buried in the snow, and we
assumed he had been the one who had screamed, just before being sucked down
the mountainside.  No one expected him to survive, but he did, but he
wouldn't have, if he hadn't been discovered.  Otherwise he would have died
from the cold and exposure, or the wild animals that roam this area would
surely have dined upon what was left of him, before long."

"What was he doing in the mountains?"

"I don't know about any of that, as I wasn't one of the ones who questioned
him.  I do know that whatever they learned from him must have been
important, because a messenger was dispatched to Treblanc to inform Lord
Madumda about what the elf had said."

"Then the lad was alone?" the commander asked, incredulously.

"We found no others in our search, but we did not go up to the upper
reaches of the mountains."

"Do you have other patrols in the area?"

"I'm not certain as to how many patrols there are or where they are
located.  All I can say is I have seen no others in my time out here."

"What of your army?  Where are they and what are their plans?"

"I cannot help you with any of that.  I have no knowledge about the army or
what they are up to.  We have been out here for several weeks and we have
had little contact with anyone else."

"Seeing you have told me what you could, you shall receive your reward.
Guards, allow the prisoner to eat his fill from what is here and then
return him with the others when he has finished."  Having said that, Elgin
went to check on the other prisoners, to see if they had any other
information to share.  When he was briefed on what the others had said, he
discovered that, if anything, it merely helped to confirm what the first
prisoner had told him.  Now that he knew that he had all the information he
could from his prisoners, he went to see if he could learn anything more
from the young elf.  Elgin walked briskly to the place he had left the lad
and the commander quietly questioned the soldier he had assigned to watch
over him.

"Is the boy any better?" he asked, showing his concern.

"He has calmed down a little, sir, but he keeps repeating that he's killed
someone."

"Has he had anything to eat?"

"We tried to get him to eat something, but he wouldn't take it.  He just
sits there, rocking back and forth, talking to himself."

"Well, I think I'll try to see if I can get through to him.  You go get
something for yourself and send someone back to replace you here.  I'll
stay with him in the meantime.  Do me one small favor, though.  Make sure
your replacement is a married trooper, one who has children of his own.
This boy needs someone who can be sympathetic to his plight and understands
the emotional needs of someone his age."

The soldier acknowledged the request and then turned and left.  Elgin
walked over next to the fire, near where the lad was sitting, and he knelt
down, as if to warm his hands.  He waited silently in that position,
waiting to see if the youth responded to him on his own.  As he waited, he
studied the teen's features, watched his movements, and listened to his
mumblings.  He noticed that the elf look a little better now, but he knew
the lad was far from being all right.  It was obvious that the guard had
helped clean the boy up and get him into some warmer clothing, but the
young elf was still consumed by whatever demons were haunting him.  The
commander continued to study the elf, when a brief glimmer of recognition
stirred in Elgin's mind.  He moved nearer to the teen, studied him closer,
took a seat next to him, and then placed an arm around the elf's shoulders.

"I believe I know you, young sir," he informed the catatonic youth.
"Aren't you one of the two elves who accompanied Beraut and Prince Kieren
when they journeyed to our fair city of Thorold?"  The young elf turned and
looked at the dwarf when he mentioned the names of the wizard and his
childhood friend, and a glimmer of recognition flickered in his eyes.  This
caused the commander to realize that this would be the key to getting
through to the young elf now.

"Yes, that's right," the commander continued, "you're one of the prince's
childhood friends, who accompanied him on his journey.  What's your name?
I seem to have forgotten it."

There was a pause, as they elf turned away from the commander, and then
there came a hushed reply.  "Romaric."

"Yes, that's right.  You're name is Romaric.  How could I have forgotten
that?  The three of you were like triplets.  Please, Romaric, tell me what
happened to you and how you came to be captured by that group.  Did any
harm befall the others?"  Romaric looked down at the ground and tears began
to flow from the corners of his eyes.  He didn't respond right away, but
finally he spoke.

"I betrayed Kieren.  He trusted me, and I betrayed him.  He's probably dead
now, and that's because I told them what I knew.  I betrayed him."

"Why do you keep saying that?  What did you do to betray him?"  There was
no response.  "Please, Romaric, this is important.  Think!  Remember!  How
did you become separated from the prince and what did you do to betray
him?"

There was another brief hesitation before the elf began to speak.  "We were
up in the mountains and it was snowing.  We for looking for a natural land
bridge, to cross over to the Devil's Horseshoe, and I found one.  I
signaled the others before I started to cross, but then I guess I fell or
something.  I don't remember much, just that I was falling, but I don't
even remember how far."

Romaric was beginning to regain his grip on reality and Elgin could read
the pain and sadness in his eyes.  The commander wished to spare him this
anguish, but he needed to know what happened after that.  The information
the boy could provide might be vital to the cause and might make a
difference in what Elgin did next.  He knew he didn't have the time he
wanted to elicit the details from the teen slowly, so he had to find out
this information as quickly as he could.

"Let's back up a little, Romaric," Elgin told him.  "I think you need to
tell me more about what you were doing up in the mountains in the first
place.  I don't remember that being part of your plans."

"We were chased up there by the snow apes and then we were trapped there by
the blizzard.  We were looking for one of the natural land bridges that the
dwarfs had been telling us about, when I found one.  I remember now!  I was
starting to cross when I heard a cracking sound and realized that it was
beginning to break apart.  I tried to return to the others, but it
continued to crumble and I fell through it.  I don't remember landing, nor
do I remember anything else...except...exceept I kind of remember Kieren
screaming my name."

"So that's what alerted the patrol that found you.  The prisoner I
interrogated said that they heard a scream and went to investigate.  It
must have been Kieren's scream they heard, but that may have saved your
life.  I'm surprised that you even survived the initial fall, but if they
hadn't heard the prince's screams and found you, you would have died of
exposure or been killed by some of the wild creatures that wander those
slopes.  That scouting party found you unconscious and took care of you.
They warmed you and brought you back to life, and none of that would have
happened if they hadn't heard that scream."

"You mean Kieren saved my life, just so I could end up costing him his own?
No, that's not right.  He cared about me and tried to help, and then I told
them all I knew, just to keep them from hurting me any more.  No, I should
have died to protect him. I shouldn't have betrayed my friends as easily as
I did, for now they would still be alive."  At this point Romaric broken
down completely, crying hysterically and constantly repeating phrases like,
'It's all my fault, I killed them all'.  After letting him have a few
minutes of release, Elgin spoke to him again.

"What makes you think Kieren and the others are dead?"

"I just know it."

"How do you know this?  There has to be more than you're telling me."

Romaric sat silent for a few seconds before he responded.  "There is," he
whispered.  "When I came to, I was being held hostage by those soldiers.
At first they seemed nice, and they asked me questions about who I was, how
I was feeling, and how I came to be there.  I told them a little, before I
realized they were probably working for Madumda, and then I kept quiet.
After that they began to threaten me, telling me what they'd do to me if I
didn't tell them the information they wanted to know, but I didn't tell
them anything.  That made them furious, and they began to hurt me, so I
would tell them what I knew, but I still wouldn't do it.  They punched me,
kicked me, and twisted my arms, but I wouldn't say a word.  Now they were
becoming really angry, but I still didn't think they'd do those other
things they were telling me they would.  I was wrong.  Soon they were
starting to torture me, hurting me far worse than I ever thought possible.

"The leader of the group told four of the others to hold me down, while he
and one of his friends started to do all kinds of things to my body.  The
one soldier went to the left side of my body and began to use his knife to
pry the nail from my index finger.  The pain was excruciating, as it began
to tear away, but still I would tell them nothing.  I ignored the pain I
was feeling, thinking only of Kieren and the others, because I knew how
important it was that they complete their mission.  At this point, the
leader, who had stayed on my right side, took his knife and began to cut a
long, narrow strip of flesh from my chest."  As he said this, the elf shed
his blankets and pulled up the shirt he now wore, revealing the fresh scar
to the commander.  It was obvious that it had been left uncleaned and
uncovered, as Romaric must have hidden it from the first soldier, so Elgin
sent a trooper to fetch medial assistance to tend his wound, fearing that
infection might have already set in.  Elgin now looked at the lad with
great admiration, knowing how much he must have suffered at the hands of
the Dark Lord's brigands.

"The pain must have been unbearable.  I've seen seasoned warriors crumble
under less," Elgin tried to reassure the teen.

"But that's just it.  I didn't handle it and I crumbled too."  At this
point the young elf began to break down again, and the tears streamed down
his cheeks and his chest heaved in an attempt to breathe.  The commander
pulled the lad to him, into his chest, trying to comfort the distraught
boy.  "I was in so much pain that I would have done almost anything to get
them to stop, so I started to tell them the whole story about who I was and
what I was doing there.  I told them I was part of a group that was trying
to enter Treblanc through a secret rear entrance, so we could reclaim the
Sword of Kings.  I didn't tell them who Kieren was, but they now knew they
were coming and what they were trying to do.  The leader of my captors sent
a messenger back to his master, warning him about this threat, and giving
him a chance to set a trap for them as they entered.  I betrayed them all
and they all probably dead right now.  It's all my fault.  I killed them,
just as sure as if I plunged a sword into their hearts."

Romaric began to weep again, and Elgin gave him some time to purge his
emotions.  When he thought the young elf had sufficient time to regain his
composure, he spoke to him again.  "Maybe not, my young friend.  It is
possible that my men killed the messenger when they killed the others.
Maybe he never got that message to his master."

"Do you really think so?  I mean it was yesterday when the messenger left.
Do you really think they killed him?"

The commander's eyes dropped after Romaric's last statement, and then he
looked back at Romaric.  "If he left yesterday, then I doubt that my men
would have run across him.  We didn't get to this area until today, so he
was probably already far from here.  There are many other dangers between
here and Treblanc, however, especially for a man alone.  So there's still a
chance he didn't make it and that no one else knows about that plan."

"But if Kieren is dead...then I am the one who...who killed him.  If that's
what happened, then...then I'll never be able to live with myself."

"This is not the time to think like that.  We have to remain optimistic.
The prophecy says he will succeed, so I believe he will.  If I didn't
believe that, then there would be no use in doing what we're doing now,
because we are only trying to give him time to complete his mission.  Do
you have any idea where Kieren might be by now and do they know who Kieren
is?"

"No, I have no way of knowing that.  I don't even know how close we were to
finding that door, and I didn't tell them who Kieren was.  All they know is
that there is a small group trying to sneak into Treblanc and steal the
Sword of Kings."

"Well, that might be to our, and Kieren's, advantage."

At that moment the medic arrived and Elgin quickly informed him what needed
to be done.  The healer went right to work, checking the various wounds and
deciding how best to treat them.  The commander said his good-byes to
Romairc while this was taking place.  "Well, I'll leave you alone for now,
and you can tell me whatever you might have forgotten, later.  Right now
it's more important that your injuries are tended to, and I have other
duties I need to perform.  Just don't feel bad about what happened, for you
are a brave young man and you did the best you could, under those
circumstances.  I have seen seasoned veterans crack under less than you
endured, and I'm sure that no one will place any blame on you.  Until I
return, get some rest and regain your strength.  If you need anything, just
tell the guard and he'll take care of you."

The young elf looked up shyly at his benefactor, tears still streaming down
his cheeks.  He was praying silently that the commander was correct in his
assessment and he was grateful for Elgin's low key and understanding
approach to his dilemma.  Romaric has sincerely appreciated the officer's
soft, soothing demeanor, and he now felt a little better about things.  The
elf's thoughts were now interrupted by the medic, who had been busy
examining him, and now the healer told Romaric to brace himself for a
little discomfort.  At that point, the corpsman took a bottle of a popular
alcoholic beverage and poured it over the long open wound, and Romaric
began to writhe and scream out in pain..  After all that Romaric had been
through already, this was more than he could endure, and he fainted from
the overload of sensations.  The medic just eased his body onto the ground,
before he finished tending and dressing the injured areas, and then he had
the guard help him move the boy nearer to the fire.  After they covered the
boy with a couple of blankets, the medic left and the guard watched over
the boy as he slept.

As he left the teen, Elgin was beginning to feel a connection with the
young representative of the faerie folk.  He felt a fatherly pride and
affection for him, knowing what he had to endure after he was captured, and
he could empathize with how he was feeling now, thinking he had betrayed
his friends.  After locating his senior officers, he held an impromptu
meeting with them.

"I'm sorry for this distraction, but the prisoners and the young elf have
provided us with some vital information.  According to the lad, Prince
Kieren's mission may be in jeopardy, so we will need to make haste to get
to the battle now.  We are already way behind schedule, but now our
presence in the battle may be more important than ever.  If the prince's
efforts are known and thwarted, destroying Madumda's army may be the only
way to stop him now.  We will leave the teen and the other prisoners with a
detachment of guards to watch over him, but the rest of us must move out
quickly to join the battle.  The guards will bring the young elf and the
others to where Tunstan once stood, at a pace the injured teen can handle,
but the rest of us will need to hurry.  We need to make our way into the
mountains and cross the River Sterling at its source, and then we will make
camp at the base of the Devil's Horseshoe, once it begins to get dark.  I
hate to do that, but I don't want to run into the Dark Lord's troops as
they return from the day's battle, for we would be severely outnumbered and
we would relinquish the element of surprise when we eventually do enter the
battle.

"There will be absolutely no fires from this point on and we must double
our vigilance.  We will march along the river, until we are far enough to
the west to avoid being discovered, and then we shall head in a
southeasterly direction to join the battle.  If my calculations are
correct, we were supposed to enter the fray today, and that's what Beraut
would have been expecting.  I pray we shall have the same effect when we
arrive tomorrow, and the situation isn't already desperate for our other
forces."

The commander paused and chose his words carefully before he spoke again,
wanting what he was about to say to not be misunderstood.  Finally he began
to speak once more.  "One final thing before I dismiss you to attend to
your other duties.  If the young prince has indeed been captured or killed,
and if our Central Army has also been defeated, I would like to know what
the rest of you feel about what we should do next?  Should we try to fight
or should we just go back home and wait for the inevitable to happen?"

There was quite a lengthy, almost unbearable silence, which seemed to weigh
heavily on them, as they considered all of the alternatives.  It wasn't
that they didn't want to fight, it's just they hadn't considered that
Kieren would fail AND their army might be defeated.  Now it became
painfully evident that if these things had come to pass, the future for any
of them or their families was already bleak.  Be this as it may, many of
them would rather leave this scenario unspoken and not reflect on such
gloomy possibilities further, but a young lieutenant had other ideas.  He
decided it was time to make his thoughts known.

"I may not be the person who should be answering this question," he began,
"because I am not a field grade officer and still have much to learn.  It
is possible that I am being too bold, considering my rank, and that I am
only making a fool of myself by speaking now, however I feel that I must
tell you what I believe.  It is my humble opinion that, if we should find
that both of those situations have come to pass, we would be left no other
alternative but to fight until we are either victorious or dead.  I cannot
foresee living as slaves or worse under Madumda's rule, so I feel that I
would be better off dead, if we aren't victorious.  I believe we and our
families would be better off taking our chances in the hereafter, than to
remain under his yoke."

There was a brief moment of silence after he finished, and then a murmur of
agreement began to rise among the others.  Slowly they began to discuss it
with those nearest to them, until one of the senior staff signaled for
their attention.  "Aye, the lieutenant is correct.  We joined this battle
to fight to the death, and fight to the death it shall be, if we have not
defeated Madumda before that."

With that pronouncement, a cheer erupt from those assembled, as they added
their support to what the previous speaker had stated.  That told Elgin all
he needed to know.

"Very well.  I'm in full agreement with you.  It has long been my opinion
that if we should lose, Madumda would have the officers who opposed him
executed and he would enslave those who fought to keep him from power.  It
is also my position that those who did survive would be forced to endure an
intolerable, meaningless existence, one I'd rather not be part of.  You
have told me what I wanted to know, and I'm glad we all view this the same
way."

Now that question had been answered, Elgin went back to check on the elf
before he left.  The commander had begun to feel a fatherly attachment
toward Romaric, and he wanted to see how he was doing and bid him farewell
before they parted.  He didn't just want the lad to feel abandoned or
rejected, without some explanation of what was going to happen to him next.
Elgin was kind of surprised to find the teen awake and sitting up when he
arrived, however.  "I suspected you might still be sleeping, my young
friend," the commander said, in a soft, soothing voice.  "You have been
through much, and I thought you might be so exhausted that you'd still be
passed out."

"Well, I did fall asleep, but then I heard some shouting and feared the
worst.  What was that all about, anyway?"

"I'm sorry about that, my boy.  I guess that was partially my fault.  I was
asking my officers how we should deal with a situation, and they all
cheered for a suggestion another officer had made.  I'm sorry that we
disturbed your rest."

"No, it's all right.  I slept long enough and I feel much better and ready
to travel.  Can we go find Kieren now?"

"I'm afraid not.  May army is already late for battle and we must get there
before all hope is lost.  You shall be left behind, with a few of my
soldiers and the prisoners, and we shall meet up with you again, after the
battle.  The guards will take you to where Tunstan once stood, and you will
wait for us there.  If I should come across the prince, I shall tell him
you are alive and well and bring him with me when I come to get you.  Will
that suffice?"

"No!  I have to find him and make sure he's all right.  Can't you help me
do this?"

"Even if we had the time for such things, it wouldn't change what has
already happened.  We will know soon enough what happened to him and the
others.  Besides, it wouldn't be safe for less than an entire army to try
to go to Treblanc now, and we are supposed to be engaged in the battle that
is being fought on the central plains.  Treblanc is a mighty fortress and
could withstand a full frontal assault, and I'm sure the Dark Lord has not
left it unguarded, but Beraut is expecting us to support his effort against
the main contingent of Madumda's army.  I'm sorry, Romaric, but going to
look for Kieren just isn't possible at this time."

"But I have to know about him.  I have to know if what I did caused him any
harm.  Can't we go the way he did, and use the back door to Treblanc, so we
wouldn't need everyone to go with us?"

"First of all, we couldn't spare the time or the men, and it would take you
far too long to get over the mountains.  Even if you knew what you were
looking for and where it was located, it would take far too long to get
there and Madumda may have that entrance heavily guarded by now.  I'm
sorry, Romaric, but you'll just have to do as I say and I'll do all I can
for you, once the battle is over."

"Do you promise?"

"Yes, I promise, both on my honor as a dwarf and on the souls of my dear
departed parents.  I will do any and everything I can for you, once we have
dealt with Madumda's army."

Romaric finally accepted this and did as he was told, preparing to leave
with the guards assigned to him, as they led him and the prisoners away.
The elf was still sore, but he didn't let his afflictions bother him,
putting up a stoic front for the others.  He bade Commander Elgin a fond
farewell, having gained a deep respect for the older leader, and he once
again reminded the commander about the promises he had made.  Elgin
reiterated his pledges and his intention to keep them, and then he sent the
teen off with his protectors, as the northern army got ready to move out.
As he was walking away, Romaric glanced back toward the northern army
several times, silently praying for Commander Elgin's safety, so he would
be able to fulfill the promises he made to him about Kieren.

The dwarf commander, on the other hand, made his way northward, still
thinking about how much the young elf had already been through and to what
extremes Romaric might go if his fears about what had happened to Kieren
had come true.  He made a silent vow to himself, and to the young elf, that
he would stick by him and protect the lad no mater what the outcome of the
prince's mission.  Now the commander focused his attention on the task at
hand and he barked an order to quicken the cadence.  Mindful that they also
needed to be cautious, he sent scouts ahead, to look for signs of potential
dangers, while he looked toward the sky for signs of the giant condor.

The army now proceeded toward the mountains, making very good time in the
process.  The Gods must have been smiling down on them, as the scouts
reported nothing unusual up ahead, and they were able to continue on
without incident.  The daylight was beginning to fade, as they reached the
spot were they would ford the river, and soon the first of the ranks were
stepping into the icy waters.  The river was about waist high on them at
this point, but they didn't want to have to go even higher into the
mountains to cross over.  The dwarfs weren't about to complain, however,
and they were soon climbing up the banks on the other side, having
navigated this minor obstacle.  Rather than take the time to stop, dry, and
change their clothing, Commander Elgin determine it would be better to just
keep marching, using the remaining rays of sunlight to see by and letting
their body heat dry out their garments.  They continued marching swiftly,
making their way towards the place where they would make camp for the
evening, and soon they were at that spot and getting things in order.

Once the camp was established, they did change into drier garments before
having a cold meal, as it had been ordered that absolutely no fires would
be allowed.  They were also commanded that the noise in the camp was kept
to a bare minimum, with talking being allowed only in whispers.  As the
others were unwinding and settling in for the night, Commander Elgin moved
about the camp in a very harried fashion.  He appeared to be an unbridled
bundle of energy, as he met with one group after another, making sure all
was in order for when they reached the battle the next day.  One of his
first orders was to dispatch scouts to move out in the darkness, to locate
both armies and come back and give him an idea about what they would be
facing.  He knew his men were tired, but this was something that had to be
done, and the very best scouts would be needed to pull of this delicate
reconnaissance, without being discovered.

In addition to assigning scouting parties, Elgin had ordered guards posted
around the perimeter of the camp, doubling the number he would normally
use, and he instructed they be changed every hour.  Next, the commander
traced the route of their upcoming journey over in his mind, preparing
several battle plans, depending of what the scouts reported back.  His
primary concern was being able to locate an area to strike at the enemy,
and then get there with enough stealth to change the momentum of battle.
Once he had all the options organized in his mind, he too went to his
pre-selected spot to get some needed rest.  Tonight he would be sleeping
out in the open, just like the rest of his troops.

The commander actually did not sleep very well, however, because his mind
kept racing at the same speed it had been working while he was awake.
Subconsciously, he went over every scenario he had formulated previously,
seeing every one of those options played out in his dreams.  He was able to
see things more clearly in these surreal encounters, and he awoke after
nearly every dream, taking time to make notes of things he thought should
be changed from his original plans.  After experiencing the last of these
visions, the commander decided to just remain awake, knowing that the dawn
was rapidly approaching.  He was now in a heightened state of preparedness,
the type of mental preparation that had gotten him noticed and promoted so
quickly in previous engagements, and his extra attentiveness to the minute
details set him head and shoulders above his peers.  The only difference
was that now the years were beginning to take their toll on him and such
preparations exacted a far greater price on his physical condition.  It was
about this time when the first of the scouts returned to make his report.

Over the next hour or so, each scout returned, giving detailed reports
about what he had seen.  Elgin now knew the size and location of all of
Madumda's troops, had an idea where the battle would take place, and had
learned a few details about the battle that had taken place that very day.
Some of the scouts had reported seeing and hearing some of the dead and
dying not far from where they were, while they kept their own presence a
secret.  All of the scouts had made it a point to avoid all contact with
the enemy, not trying to capture any enemy soldiers for questioning and not
attempting to kill them, to reduce their numbers.  It was felt this would
be too risky and would reveal something amiss, putting the opposition on a
heightened state of alert.  The only disheartening information the
commander received was that it would probably take him the better part of
the day to skirt around the enemy flank and be in a position to pull a
surprise attack, as they couldn't just march in without giving their
presence away.

Soon they were assembled and on their way toward the battlefield.  They
only took one short break along the way, and soon another scout was
reporting back that he had seen the battle.  "The battle is fierce, sir,
and many lives are being lost on both sides."

"Can you tell who has the advantage at this point?"

"No, sir.  Our forces seemed to be doing well in one area, while the enemy
seemed to have the advantage in another.  I didn't observe the fighting all
that long, and the momentum seemed to shift twice, just in that short
period of time."

"Is there any way we can slip in unnoticed?" Elgin wanted to know.

"Only if we crouch and advance slowly.  Otherwise someone would most likely
notice our approach."

"Then that is how we shall have to proceed."  With that said, Commander
Elgin sent messengers to advise his senior staff of these orders, and
before long the dwarf army was slowly making its way across the plains.
Each trooper was carrying his shield and his favorite weapon, as he moved
stealthily forward, totally prepared to defend himself, if discovered.
Their progress was slow and steady, as they continued to make their way
nearer the fighting, and finally they were in range to make their strike.
As they rose and charged from their concealed positions, they caught the
enemy unaware, and they did much damage before their opponents realized
what was happening.  They now had a portion of the Dark Lord's forces
pinned between them and the central army, making it hard on those caught in
the middle to know which direction to turn or whom to fight.

The dwarfs relished this early onslaught, taking great joy in finally being
part of the fray.  Energetically they lunged, parried, and hacked at their
opponents, until they had slain them or forced them to retreat.  Once this
happened, Commander Elgin's forces and those of their counterparts met up,
and they began to pursue the disorganized enemy and hack away at them.
They were determined to annihilate Madumda's army, here and now, and put
this whole sorry affair to an end.

              *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at
http://members.tripod.de/wolfslair, in the 'Other Stories' section.
E-mails may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com