A Wild Elf Appears!

[lydamorehouse]

 ...and me without my Pokeball. :-)

But, yes, so the plot of the Annexation War continues.... 

=====

April 6

Just outside of the enemy encampment, 

South of Breckenfort

Dearest Ave,

Yesterday, as we surveyed the Fey military encampment, I spotted a figure that I long feared I might see in the enemy’s ranks: an Elf. As strange as it may sound, I was grateful to see that she was a prisoner. 

I, of course, insisted that we not leave any Elf behind.

The Caravan hesitated, however. To be fair, the odds were not in our favor. This was no small outpost. Below the vantage point of the ridge we’d snuck along, we could see hundreds of troops, including cavalry. It was noted by Zavala, that while we might easily free a prisoner, getting away from mounted riders would be another feat. 

Besides, what guarantee did we have that this Elf was friendly? Also given the sheer numbers we faced, wasn’t it smarter to return with Philip’s men? Or simply abandon her to her fate? No one said the latter, at least not out loud, but I could sense it in their continued reluctance. To be fair to them, I, too, had a brief moment when we scanned the enemy's banners where I wondered if the Travorian sigil might be flying among them, and if so, what would I do? And the desire just to run was high.

My heart could not be moved in this matter, however. 

Especially since the way the form leaned against the iron bars, it was clear she suffered. I made my case that, friendly or not, this was an enemy of our enemy. That, in itself, should be sufficient reason to free this captive. After all, they would have intelligence we could use, one way or the other. We could always sort the rest out later, if it came to that.

And so it was agreed that with the aid of Nyrs’s invisibility spell, Bellamy would approach the prisoner and try to determine allegiances. I will tell you, Ave, as I waited in the shadows of the trees with the others for Bellamy’s report, I was making plans for what I would do if The Caravan chose to leave this person behind for failing a test of loyalty. It’s one thing to ask me to slaughter Fey, but quite another to turn my back on an Elf, full stop. 

But, to my grateful surprise, Bellamy returned with the former captive in tow. Getting a closer look at her, I could see she was a dark-haired High Elf. Papa Bernard healed her and fed her goodberries. I gave her extra rations for her pack and the cloak from my shoulders. She was finally able to introduce herself as Eva… and I was startled to hear a child’s name. I tend to forget how unusual it was of me to have declared my own adulthood at only eighty. It’s always difficult to tell with our kind, but perhaps she was in her fifties? She was already very jaded and hardened by war, it seemed, because, though it was clear it broke her heart, she was willing to leave behind her familiar. 

Again, I would not. And in this, the Caravan was in full agreement.

Once Eva confirmed that the hag, Ethel, was not present in the encampment, we decided to attempt to sneak into the command tent to see if it was possible to retrieve her fire lizard familiar. 

If I needed further proof that the followers of the Queen Below are evil, it was made abundantly clear when we discovered both Eva’s familiar and a púca vivisected in the hag’s tent. I had already been on the verge of one of my furies, Ave, but seeing this brutality… ignited a burning desire for revenge. As we released the poor, dead creatures from their final disgrace, pinned like specimens to a board, I scrawled into the dirt floor my vow that, for these unconscionable crimes, the hag would die by my hand.

Eva was, of course, inconsolable. Poor thing.

We took what we could of value from the rest of the tent, including the treasury box and any battle plans we could grab. There was a brief skirmish with an animated bearskin rug, but my only memory of that was Grigor’s voice cutting through the battle fog telling me to put away my weapon as Nyrs, who was trapped inside the rug, seemed to be taking injury every time we struck true to the beast. I apparently had enough wits about me to switch to ripping at the beast with my bare hands. With heroic effort from the entire Caravan, Nyrs was freed and the… rug defeated.  

As I write these words, it all sounds so ridiculous. Try not to laugh at the image of your brother fighting an animated rug and trust me when I say it was a harrowing fight. Yet, when the rug bit me, I will say that I briefly wondered if there was such a thing as a were-rug, and whether or not I might find myself on a full moon, laid out flat, adoring some hallway. 

We found our way out of the tent and discovered that the hag had been terraforming the Prime Material. To feed the mounts, which I have previously failed to mention were giant Fey toads, she was growing a vast garden of mushrooms, tended by a mushroom-person. Opting against subtly, Zavala let loose a fireball and, we hope, struck a crippling blow to the maintenance of the invading Fey army.

Papa Bernard, who had chosen to stay outside with his dog sled team, led the goblin guards on a wild goose chase from all accounts. We were only able to guess his location due to one of his terrifying spells--one which echoed with the sound of a wolf howl and caused a beam of moonlight to focus a kind of death ray on the pursuant goblins. 

But, with his distraction and that of Zavala’s fireball, we were able to make a clean escape. 

My companions are sleeping now without the comfort of a fire, as Eva and I trade off keeping watch through the night.  With the need to stay silent and alert, I have not yet found the time to truly talk with her. I would love to know more about how she came into the service of the Autumn Queen, the Fey ally that you wrote to me about, especially as Eva is clearly from this plane of existence, her village being local to this area. Are there other Elves in this war, after all? Have they allied with the Autumn Queen of the Oaks? 

And, if the local Elves have made a stand, where is Mother in all of this?

Which reminds me, I should probably warn Eva that the cloak around her shoulders is fastened with a clasp of the obsidian dagger and silver ouroboros of the House of Travorian, in case that might be troublesome… or of some use. As I fully intend for her to keep it, it occurs to me to note that I’ll be finally rid of everything that connects me to our family. 

Ah.. yes, I neglected to tell you my last letter, but I secretly left behind my signet ring with the Witch of the Western Marsh. Not... in the way you imagine, though I would, of course, be honored if she were to accept such a love token from me. But more, again, in case it might be of aid to her should the winds of war shift. 

After all, you and I both know that no matter who ends up on the top of the heap at the end of all this dirty business, Mother will be there in the shadows behind the throne. 

I hope that wherever you are right now, you are well away from any fighting. Seeing Eva here, curled in meditative sleep, one hand unconsciously reaching towards the body of her lost companion, I can’t help but think of you and what I would do to anyone who caused you this kind of distress. 

Your ever protective, older brother,

Idyril

Comments

[spiderplanet]

So completely unrelated to your post, I remember that you were having trouble finding Kiki Ramen a while back. I saw it at United Noodle today, and it appears they have a few different varieties.

[lydamorehouse]

Oh good news! Amazon has had them back in stock, but it's always, ALWAYS my preference not to patronize Amazon, so yay! I will head out on Friday and see what else I can get there.