Trilverda - Winds of the fall

Chapter 15

Before Gill could ambush, an old man trudged out. The bald, hunched back old man coughed as he staggered over Gill, they both hit the ground. Gill wielded his body up, the ground's chill too strong to withstand. The old man had worn a thick wolf pelt, he lay moaning in pain, his weak knees couldn’t let him stand. Elena stood up, her back rubbed against the tree.

“Who are ya, old man? Why are ya here this dark?” Gill questioned, patting his elbows.

The old man wailed, he put his arm forward. Gill lifted him up. Hands on his hips, the old man stretched and gasped. “I … I was running from a wolf. Lost the way I was headed”. He rested his rusted arms on Gill's shoulder. “Ya don’t happen to have water, do ya?”

If I had, I wouldn’t have it till now. “Unfortunately, no. Ya can sip these leaves though” Gill plucked a snowy leaf from a nearby bush and presented it to him.

The old man frowned his wrinkles, he stared at Gill with his old cyan-ish eyes. “Ya want to kill me so ya can take this pelt off me?”. He crawled towards Elena, she still had her fists tightened and pushed her body back against the tree. He touched her, “Why is this beauty tied up? Ya smuggling a s-slave?”

“I am heading to Olfran, have to make money. She is a surplus of recent trade in Neamora” Gill said.

The old man turned around, opened lips, making his rotten teeth visible. “Don't worry. I'm a criminal meself”. He turned around, wanted to go back to his paths. Gill stopped him, an arm blocking his way. The old man smirked.

“Where do ya think ya're going, old man?”. Gill glanced at his thick and warm wolf pelt. It could make them both warm, he and Elena. “That fur looks heavy on ya”

Elena glanced at him, she wished not to see the feeble man dead, she wouldn’t attend to grieve at his death either. The old man turned towards Gill, he didn’t let go of his smirk. “An old man needs his coat more than ya young lads do, innit?”

The ground quivered, lightly. No one felt it, but the old man felt the snow beneath him bounce a little. Horses' hooves beating the grass like a drum, his ears caught the forthcoming trouble. “We must hide, a large group of horses are approaching here”

The hooves neared, Elena caught up the sound. “He is right, horses are approaching us”.

“Crustonian soldiers” Gill gasped. He ran towards the trees. He untied his horse, made it run away inside the forest, decided to climb and hide under its branches. He suggested Elena climb with him but she denied. She wished to be found and taken to her home. The ground trembled even more, trees started to tremble, snow fell from the leaves. Hauling Elena, he clambered the tree, hastily. Elena fell down but she had no remorse, thank you divine brethren, I am going home. The old man seemed not moved. He stood there, stretching his lips. He walked near Elena and sat under the tree.

Seventy mounted men, all at once, rammed the bushes and the snow. The searched all around, every man scattered to search each corner. Elena saw her chance as a rider approached her way. She gaspingly got up and waved her tied hand, calling the rider. “Oi, I am here, Elena, the head cook”. The rider didn’t listen to her, passed right through.

He mounted off his horse, turned his head in every direction. He loosened his pants and began to piss in the bush. Elena jogged towards him, shooting little whines from her mouth, not minding what he was doing. She hit him slow with her bounded hands, he didn’t turn around, as if nothing had happened. Her hit didn’t make him flinch, not even a slight. She yelled in his ear, “Hey, it’s me, yer head cook, Elena. I was abducted by Gill and now ya have found me”. Nothing. The soldier didn’t hear.