Black Horde: War Horn (Book 1) (3 page)

-May be Ilimael that orcs could somehow escape aroused an uprising and seized power over the city, may be, I said, but what they are looking for on the plains beyond the forests and were they went for?, ask king,

-Father , now I ask you to allow me to go on a mission of espionage and I want from your  10 of the best elves that I will choose with Teladril. In seven days we'll be on the plains and rolling toward Dorgarrd, I think there will be light on the times that await us, said Ilimael .

-My son, so many years we lived alone in peace, because your grandfather was that one who gave his life for us and now I do not want to bring back the cold war at our home, that's why I decided to not allow you an expedition on, I'm afraid you will lose yourself and your life on the iron plain, replied the king.

-But father, my king, I insist, otherwise I will do that without permission of your majesty, I do this for the peace of our house that you have kept here and raised here as his own daughter so many years, I have to do it for Bhelemer, for forests and Frey, understand me father, I am  forced to do so.

King in silent risen from his chair with his hands behind his back and was stepping slowly, had made a circle around the table, had approached near Ilimael and put hands on his back and said:

-My son, you're my only heir, these forests will belong to you after my departure, please understand me, but I can not afford this movement.

-But ... the prince was interrupted by the king,

-My response is final and no longer discussed, Kessel and 30 elves will start to Dorgarrd in two days, now you go and enjoy your home, I will call someone else to lead your team some time until you decide that you want to get back on duty.

-Roger Majesty, replied suppressed Ilimael, stood up from the table, bowed his head in reverence and left the room of war.

He was annoyed by the refusal of his father and obviously was not satisfied with his decision, but he could not disobey, though in the end it was a royal order, and he was also a hasty servant. He steps to the palace corridors and finally reached the balcony, he get out  panting, as if he had been working all day. Ilimael was itself an adventurer, even if he had passed through many skirmishes and small battles, always believed he was destined for other offenses, more grand, and that thought that any chance that appear in his way is a way to stand out, he felt confident that this is the moment he waited his whole life, this was the adventure that could show him the sides that he does not knew of reality, but neither young elf did not know what fate has prepared  in response to his burning desire for adventures.

After discussion from the war room, Ilimael lost himself in the simplicity of life in the castle, had slept two nights in the quiet and dreamed about orcs and his encounter with them. The morning  grabbed off the young elf, refreshed and full of strength after his exhausted campaigns, standing under oak in the royal court, the highest and oldest oak from Kautominta, the legend says that around him stood up the whole city and that it is one of the oldest trees from the forest. The prince careful follow preparations of Kessel's group, the young elves dressed in armor and armed were listening carefully to Teladril instructions, the 30 elves who had to leave for the plains were relatively young and for the first time had to leave forests for a long period of time. Teladril was speaking of things that they should expects and about the roads  and routs on which they  should go, he told them  something about orcs, about their way of being, but prince does not was able to discern clearly the discussion  from the place where he rest, the territory where was that small group of elves is at a lower level than the place where grew the tree and were  Ilimael rest. He read unwarranted fear in their young eyes, even if exist the legend that say’s that elves do not know and never talk about fear, the prince felt fear in their eyes, the fear for something unknown. Despised by the fact that he can not go with them, in his mind like a wisp of grass in the middle of spring, blossoms like a cancer an incredible inferiority complex:  I wish you  farewell my brothers, I will prey to  Frey to guard your route and your life, wish them in his mind Ilimael. Otherwise in a way unknown to him, he was proud for them, the elves were ready to depart. Elves from ancient times have loved stability, were like little children, any change of atmosphere was able to cause them a concern  complex syndrome, that's why any departure from their house was an unbearable burden for them. ,, But we  learned to do this all our lives, we were grown to fight for the cause of our great house, '' sporadic mind thought had passed throw prince head and he smiled charismatic. In the yard, chores were in full swing, everyone had something to do and nothing was left unfinished.

In an end 35 deer had been brought, the fastest deer from the royal stables, the group was ready to depart from city. Meanwhile all in the same place where the oak rises appear the king so that he was above his soldiers.

-Son’s of our forest, king's voice resounds thick, Frey is with us, hit the road and go beyond the forests the peace and bring peace back to the plains and forests, bring the peace back home!

- Glory for Frey, glory for our king, cried in unison the whole group of soldiers.

-I wish you a good journey, my sons, let the sunlight to illuminate your path and moonlight to guard your sleep, we expect you back, now go well,  said the king and gestured with his hands.

Elves climbed on the 31 deer and hit the road. The large gates opened arduous and through them as if through a giant mouth moved the elves group. They moved quickly, like fleeing deer roamed the embers and the group quickly disappeared throw tall trees of the forest.

Ilimael  spent  with his gaze until the gates closed its doors, holding in his hands bracelet taken from  dead orc, he changed it from a hands on another, left-right, right-left, as if he wanted to  unravel it history, try to find his secrets and masters, to feel the hands that it went through until it reached the lifeless body of orc. He breath heavy and stepped in the direction of oak where the king and Teladril were holding a discussion.

-Ilimael, soon I will ease your state, said king,

-What kind of state my father?, I do not understand what you're saying?

-My son, that's why I am your dad and that’s why you call me father, because no one except me can not imagine what really happens in your head now. I noticed that recently you get home, that you can not find your seat, you have more questions than answers and that you  wish to be there instead of Kessel, but Ilimael, I can not risk, not now, I can not lose you when we so much need you here. The Frey birthday approach and I decided to  go to the congregation of the greatest, and this time I wish you to be near me at the meeting. I know that few of the elves that I met  might compare by the skill and bravery with you, but now is not the time to leave the home, this time will come when you will, face to face, encounter with the enemy, but not today, said the king and had done way back and disappeared through the door of the castle.

Classic father-son dialogue, awakened in Ilimael a sense of paternal love that he did not feel it until then and could not qualify as part of a special. He never had  too much love and had been brought up more like a fighter than a son waiting to cry on father shoulder, but now he felt a strange pride from dialogue came from his father's encouragement, he felt his self important, but he could not imagine: Why ?. He did not know what to believe and did not know what he should do next. He decided today to postpone thoughts about orcs and expeditions, even if it seemed impossible for an elf like him to stay away from problems that threaten peace of the house of his family, especially as it was prepared whole life for this, but homesickness take on his desire of endless war and he take on one of the road that caught castle into a ring of trails embellished with flowers and decorative fruit trees, till he reached in one of the gardens with green landscape behind the location where he knew that most of the day spent his sister. His intuition had not failed, in the middle of the garden covered with white material grown up an tent, on which for years had found home a family  of green roses, which in their desire of burning sun  had grown up in the  shape of the tent, creating the impression of a natural shelter created by nature itself. This whole splendid beauty was lost on the background of pristine finesse of Bhelemer who preach inside the tent elves children about fruits and plants from forest. Ilimael stopped  near one of the exits from the tent so that his sister was turned back to him and do not noticed his appearance. After some minutes remaining unseen by princess, children started to laugh, this moment  forced Bhelemer to react.

-What is…?, what happened?

-Princess Bhelemer, the prince is waiting for you behind, said one of the children pointing toward the direction of Ilimael. Bhelemer discover her brother leaning against one of the pillars of the tent.

-Children! We have an important guest today at  lesson, ask him  Mary, if he wants to participate in the lesson, ask him if he want to learn that it's not good to eat wild potatoes, because after that you'll have .... ?

- Ha-llu-ci-na-tions, cried children  in chorus,

-Sister, it happened to me once, and yes children!, I ate potatoes because my supplies were finished after 5 days of chasing a wild pig, big and furious!,

Children's laughter filled the garden,

-Stop to teach me, I have listened enough Teladril's lessons, at which I always fall asleep out of boredom, children it would be better if I will  show you some lessons of swords maneuvering, how about that?, said Ilimael imitating the movements of a sword with a forefinger.

-Their answer is NO, Ilimael, let the children away from your struggles, enough for today, see you at the same time, here, tomorrow we will speak about  venomous species of shrubs from our forest. Ainel do not be late, goodbye children, said Bhelemer and in a noisy clutter of playful children had left the tent from the garden. Ilimael how about a walk?,

-As when we were kids and walk with mother, she chased us and we were playing, hide and seek?

-Exactly, like in childhood, let's be a little baby and forget about everything, said the princess while he had taken his brother arm and left the tent, heading for garden,but just not with mother with us!,

-You are wrong sister, she is with us and watching us, just as you can not see her, but you can feel her in the wind from the south and west, in the sun, in the sweet smell of flowers and fruit, in cool evenings and in the silence of the night, she is here!, and he grab his sister hand  and placed it on his chest where she felt his heartbeat.

-She always was there, said Bhelemer, and never left us.

Memories about mother had made them on both silent, walked slowly, slowly along one of the alleys of the garden, the sun was shining careful, a little unconvinced, a calm wind was tossing trees and had found a nice playground in princess hair. The pair was lost in the colors of the garden.

-Ilimael?

-Yes, sister?

-I know it's not the right time, but I am worried for you!

-Bhelemer, we are at home, you have reason to worry for me?

-A real one?, no,

-Then what's the problem?,

-Before you  return home, I have an  access, said with trembling voice Bhelemer.

-What?, dad knows about it?

-No one knows, I was in my room, do not worry, I do not have suffered!

-What did you see this time?,

- I saw you Ilimael at the foot of mountains without tip!,

-Ha, so I'll get there soon, said the prince excited,

-You were dead, replied Bhelemer,

-How?, what?

-Your died my brother, and Bhelemer burst into tears, you lying dead, lying on the ground with three arrows in your chest and a woman  was crying over you, a woman whose face I could not unravel.

-Don’t worry sister, it's just a dream after all, do not worry about this, I'll be fine, encourage Ilimael his sister,

-Please do not leave the house, for your own sake, please! Do not go!,

-Ok, ok, I will stay here with you,

-All right, but promise me you'll always be cautious!,

-I will promise only if you stop whining,

-All right, ready, see not complain,

-I always…, I promise to take care of you, but only you, not your husband, jokingly said Ilimael,

-Ha-ha, let's leave the jokes, I think it's time to go back, it’s cold already, said Bhelemer.

Those two had made small steps to backtrack and deserted from garden. Had followed the dinner, then both disappeared into the room of each other. A gentle night settled down on the forest, the silence gave way in the dark, and  just a few sounds rang through the night.

Night had passed unnoticed,  the morning had made appearance dawn over the woods and through the whole town into a noisy bustling. The streets  were full of elves, who were carrying goods, which sat on the trade stalls, someone sweep the streets, one wash the statues and benches for rest, nothing special for a typical day of hard work. Elves boasted their infinite capacity to be diligent and not let things pond, that's why they had a very early wake-up time, with the sunrise, so that up to installation in full force of light almost all  maintenance work of the city were almost done. The Kautominta elves led a extreme good life in town, besides the town was provided with everything necessary, by the nature and the settlements of people who were living   near forests. Elves were trading with people, at a reasonable price, so no one should remain angry, often preferred exchange, but hated bargaining crazy, there is an old proverb: bargaining with an elf, it's like a discussion with a stone. Elves by wheat, seafood, precious stones, construction material, salt, spice and exchange cloths and gave shields and various weapons  for combat, berries, vegetables, honey and wine. Mitry and Auiltin stabilized, a trade pact and a route that once a week leave from forest full of products to people settlements. In to himself elves were secretive and prefer not to enter into contact with another nation without there being any necessity requirement, that's why all settlements from high up over the mountains be dwelt not violate the sacred law and without elves notice should not roamed the elves borders. Not like  elves had something to hide, but so  were their spirit, a little selfish and after as they say itself, would not have lasted a coexistence with other erase, especially dwarfs. So why  few were those who could investigate forest and elves locations: dozens of dwarfs and people who helped raise the city, for the rest  the forest was closed to all, forever.