Path of the Magi (Tales of Tiberius) (40 page)

A few days later Darras and Tiberius were back at Vonair.  They’d had a busy couple of weeks, hunting down goblin stragglers and cleaning out the Black Hill caverns, but it had gone well.  Goblins had not been eliminated, but their power was broken in the border country.  The roads would be substantially safer from here on in.  Lord Brandon had not been too happy at first on hearing of their expedition.  However, when dispatches came in talking about a promotion for him, he decided to forgive them.

Darras was seated across from him over breakfast reading an account of the battle that had been published in the capital’s newspaper.   

“This is absurd,”  Darras protested, slamming the paper down on the table.  “This makes it seem like I rescued all those children single handed.  There’s practically nothing here about you.”

Tiberius gave a slight shrug of the shoulders.  “I worked in a print shop.  I’ve seen lazy reporting before.”

Darras gave him an incredulous stare.  “We should do something to correct this injustice.” 

Tiberius concentrated on putting apple butter on another piece of toast.  “Why?  You need publicity and promotions, Darras, not me.  What do I care if I don’t get proper credit for what I’m doing out here?  I get a mention in the dispatches now and then.  That’s enough to let the professionals know I’m contributing out here.”

“It isn’t right,”  Darras growled.

“No, it isn’t.  But it’s a fairly small injustice.  We’ve got bigger things to worry about,” Tiberius replied. 

“You know, I still have questions about your methods, but I have to admit you get good results.  If you’re some kind of double agent for Satan, he’s sure not getting his money’s worth,”  Darras said, smiling.  

“I don’t mind people questioning my methods.  I question them a lot myself.  Maybe we can find a better way to stop these creatures some day.  For now I’m going to keep fighting them the best way I know how,” Tiberius said.  “How are the kids doing?  Any word?”

“Pretty good, all things considered,” Darras answered.  “The baby is fine.  We’ve got a couple of the boys we rescued working in the kitchens here as squires.  I’ll see they make knights one day.  They can take their own revenge on the goblins.  Some we were able to reunite with relatives.  We’ve sent to a couple to St. John's, as you suggested.  Some of those kids were hurt pretty badly.”

“The goblins weren’t keeping them as slaves for their health and benefit.  Some of what I’ve heard of their treatment isn’t a fit subject to discuss over breakfast.”

“Well don’t tell me about it now then.  The goblins may be broken for a while, but they aren’t the only pests around here.  I’m concerned about a series of deaths around some of the villages.  Men and women killed by arrows.  Good shots, too.”

“Precision archery?  That doesn’t sound like goblin work.”  Tiberius pondered.

“No.  That’s what worries me.” 

“I’ll look into it.”

Chapter XII

Dealings With Elves

It was becoming an eventful spring.  News of one event fell quick upon the next in turn. The goblin queen was dead, and the main burrow in the Black Hills abandoned.  The dwarf king had finally passed on, with Prince Essenhart named Crown Prince.  Also, he had won his first victory against the goblins to the south.  Sightings of elves, trolls, and other fairy folk were up as well.  It seemed the whole fairy world was in turmoil this spring.

Darras and Tiberius had been sent to investigate the mysterious deaths near the town of Malory.  They wondered if it had something to do with the ruins across the river.  Those were on the elves’ side of the border and had never been explored.  

The Rangers were walking their horses down the country road when all of a sudden, Tiberius stopped and looked to the right.  Darras had no idea what he was looking at, but by now he knew to trust the scout’s instincts.  He waved for the company to come to a halt.

“Hail, and well met, Lord Gillyian,”  Tiberius waved.

A moment later Darras was startled to see a small troop of horsemen step out of nowhere.  Elves.

“Well met indeed,” Lord Gillyian cheerfully called back.

“What brings you to our forests?  You’re off your way, I think; the taverns lie to the north and could do with your patronage,”  Tiberius chided.

“La, but you know we prefer to sleep under the stars,” he laughed, drawing closer.  “We hear you’ve turned out the goblin warrens to the east.  They scramble across the river as fast as they dare.  M’lady bade me go hunting, lest the Rangers embarrass us by doing all the good work of killing the foul creatures.  I prefer to kill them on your side of the river, lest any of their foul footprints should disturb M’lady’s gardens.” 

“You disappoint us, Lord Gillyian,”  Darras said.  “We would have hoped a squad of Alfaran hunters would have stopped by the castle first.  There you should have been most welcome.  We might have set you on the right roads to improve your hunting.”

Gillyian smiled at the veiled jibe.  “You know my people hunt where they’ve a mind to.  I believe even our ancient treaties give us that right.  But, as you say, friends should avail themselves of offered hospitality.  I must indeed come to your courts more often.  Come dine with us and we shall all be friends.” 

The elves led them to a clearing, and Gillyian’s troop began to make ready a camp.  Gillyian left the work to others, Tiberius noted.  He wondered exactly what rank “Lord” Gillyian was.  Salina was always very coy in her letters when discussing any sort of political status of anyone.  She’d never even explained why she wasn’t welcome at court.  Ti had never pressed the issue.  Gillyian seemed to be a person of some importance.  Salina had hinted he was some sort of cousin of the royal family and that he worked as a King’s messenger at times.  He was a flashy dresser, even for an elf.  That never seemed to deter him from getting his hands dirty, though, when the occasion called. 

Gillyian asked for news of the goblin raid.  Darras and Tiberius gave him a first hand account. 

“And how is Salina?  I seem to see less of her than ever now that I live closer to her.”

“You are never far away from her heart, my friend.  But she has her duties, as do you.  She knows the days will be long before she can spend the time with you that she would.”

“Yes, she tells me to seek companions among my own kind and then berates me for doing so.”

“Well, a seer sees things unbidden at times.”  Gillyian smiled.  “And a common actress?  Unworthy of you, my friend.”

“You didn’t see her,”  Darras smiled.

“I just took her dancing one time.  For heaven's sake,”  Tiberius said, blushing as the others laughed at his expense. 

Later in the meal, Tiberius went to his saddle bags and brought out an arrow.

“What do you make of this?”  He asked.

Gillyian took the arrow, jovially at first.  “Ah, more of my kinsmen poaching your deer I expec…”  He broke off his flippant response in mid-word, then suddenly uttered an oath and began to examine the arrow more closely. 

“Where did you find this?”  He asked.

“We took it from the body of a farmer’s wife,”  Darras said soberly.

“This is a traitor’s arrow,” Gillyian said grimly.  “My King will hear of this.  We had thought this plague expunged from the hearts of our people.  It seems evil still takes root in all places.”

“Can you tell us anything that will help us find who did this?”  Darras asked. 

“I do not socialize with traitors,” Gillyian replied.  “Always there have been some of my people who do not make the Great Father first in their hearts.  The worst of these are called the Redcaps.  They hunt humans for sport and dip their caps in the blood of their victims.”

“Do you have any idea who they would be most likely to hunt?” Tiberius asked. 

“Those who give offense.  But what offenses, that I cannot say.  It could be for merely trampling a daisy, or making a bad pie.  Once hatred grips the heart, justifications will follow.  May I take this arrow with me?  My people will work to put a stop to this,”  Gillyian said.

“Please,” Darras answered.

“No more thoughts of this tonight.  We will be vigilant from now on, but tonight we fight this evil by renewing our friendship.  So tell me more of this actress who has enchanted you, Magus.”

They spent the evening with small talk and songs.  The next morning the elves were gone.  Darras had a mind to follow them inland to look for more goblins, but Tiberius suggested another plan. 

“I think we should sweep along the western river.  If Redcaps are about, they aren’t likely living in these forests.  I’d think they would slip across the river now and then.”

“You might be right.  We might find some goblins trying to get away too.  Not to mention we can dine in a proper tavern for a change.”

They swung south, heading to the town of Bristol Springs.  There they went to the common rooms to hear the local news.  Goblins had been spotted fleeing across the river and they would alert the Rangers if they saw any more.  But Tiberius heard another rumor. 

“Did you hear about Mr. Tiverton?”  he asked.

“No.  Who’s he?”  Darras replied.

“A miller and an entrepreneur.  I hear he wants to build a sawmill between here and Vonair.  A big machine where the elves would most likely see it.  Strikes me as the sort of person who could get on an elf’s nerves,” Tiberius replied.

“How sure are you of this?”  Darras pondered.

“Not sure at all.  But it’s the best I’ve heard so far.  I think it’s worth a look at least.”

Darras took another sip of wine.  “All right, we’ll go look.”

Next morning Tiberius and Darras led a squadron of Rangers along the western shore of the river, asking after Mr. Tiverton.  They were told he had been seen riding along the shore looking for a suitable site for his new mill. 

It was nearing noon when they saw the horse, a plain riding horse with a saddle and no rider.  Darras easily retrieved the horse, but Tiberius told him to let it go. 

“Montras min kie estas via mastro!” Tiberius commanded of the horse.  With a whinny, the horse started galloping off.  Tiberius, Darras and the others were hard pressed to follow, but it was only about a mile down the coast road when the horse came to a halt. 

Darras reached the body first.  Leaping down off the horse, he briefly examined the body.   

“We’re too late.  He died instantly,” he said.

Tiberius was not looking, he was glancing around the nearby hills and woods.  The coast road was mostly farms and vineyards, but occasional woods broke up the landscape.  Tiberius was glancing towards one of them. 

“You don’t think he’s still here do you?  He’s back across the river by now,” Darras said.

“That would have been the smart thing to do,” Tiberius answered.  “Or at least it's what we’d expect.” 

“Montras min kio estas kaŝita,” he said suddenly.  In response he saw a bush start to glow off in the distance.

“He’s still here; come on!”  Tiberius said, riding towards the woods. 

Tiberius got ahead of everyone, charging off unexpectedly.  Darras was barely able to swing up on Smoke and head after him. 

Approaching the bush, Tiberius was not at all surprised to see an arrow flying towards him.  He ducked down and let it fly over his head.  The next shot aimed lower, but Tiberius vanished from the horse.  

The elf stepped out from the tree to get a better shot, but stopped, puzzled by the absence of the man on the horse.  Only when his bow was ripped out of his hands by Tiberius’ staff did he realize the trick.  He rolled away from his attacker and drew a long knife. 

The elf was dressed simply for his kind.  He wore plain brown leathers covered with patterns of leaves.  His only ornament was a dark red cap he wore. 

“Kineta frapu!” Tiberius said with a fist-like gesture.  The elf slammed back into a tree.  The elf grimaced, but kept his head.  He spoke something in an unknown tongue and Tiberius felt the grass beneath him try to snare his feet.  He teleported aside.  The elf turned to face his new position, but Darras now arrived behind him, grabbed his arm and slammed the elf into the tree in the more ordinary fashion, causing the elf to drop the knife. 

A moment later there were a dozen Rangers surrounding the elf.  He might yet have tried some trick to escape but he saw the little red glowing butterflies that Tiberius had created flying about him still.  He knew he was caught. 

Darras tore the cap off his head.  It was still damp and sticky and smelled of blood.  Fire flashed in his eyes.  

"What's this?"  Darras said holding the cap in the man's face.

"It's the blood of animals,"  the renegade elf replied haughtily.   

Darras moved to strike him, but checked himself.  "The animals will give you a trial first before we hang you," he said. 

"I expected no less,"  the elf replied.

“Bind him with these,”  Tiberius said, holding forth a pair of cold iron handcuffs. 

“You’re cunning for an animal,”  the elf said.

“Never underestimate any of God’s creatures.  I’d think a forest lord would know that,” Tiberius replied.