What Is Done

Chapter 21 - Ravine

The ride out of the Knowhere Desert was equally as incredibly boring as it was going in. The horses kept a slow pace. At a certain point Laverne and Essaerae began to list the things they'd rather be doing at home.

"Sleeping," Laverne spoke. He kept his head on his hand, propped up with his elbow, back arched. The thought of it is making me tired. His eyelids drooped.

"You've said that like eight times now," Sellion counted on his fingers, reminiscing how many times Laverne had said that in the past half-hour.

"I like sleeping."

Essaerae giggled quietly. "Okay, okay. My turn. Uh, preparing for my gladiator battles by beating the stuffing out of the arena dummies."

"Makes sense. Your fighting skills are amazing." Laverne twiddled his thumbs trying to snap his mind out of boredom. He thought about the arena battles he'd been invited to and more or less forced to attend by the High Council. Essaerae was easily the best candidate for the title of Champion. "Your parents must be great with a blade."

"I think a thumb tack would have knocked them off their feet. They weren't fighters but the men in my family forge weapons." Essaerae kept her gaze away from Laverne. "I'm entirely...self taught." As she gawked upward from looking at her feet, she shouted, "Grass!"

On the horizon, the desert stopped and the lush greenness that Icast mostly came into sight. Laverne beckoned Maehara to go faster. Maehara listened to his command and picked his speed up.

King Laverne missed the greens of Elven Guard. The smell of pines. Elves everywhere. How the city of Arün had been constructed to blend into the beautiful scenery. He missed seeing Lake Adgränia from the windows and balconies on the west side of the castle. The coldness of the rain. How the sun made everything warm but not too hot out.

Laverne stared at the green, seemingly entertained. He sat atop Maehara, who stood on the edge of the desert and the grass. The heat of the sun beat down on his back. Essaerae and Sellion stopped on their horses to stare at him. Most of Icast was covered in grassy plains. Central Icast was known for it. Though, people tended to live on the outskirts of Icast, like the dwarves and the elves. They used the mountain ranges as protection.

After riding through the grass aways, the elves stopped to eat and rest. Essaerae laid her blanket across the grass so they could sit on it. Laverne and Essaerae took a nap after the meal, leaving Sellion to be aware of their surroundings. The sky was blue and no clouds were going to cover the sun anytime soon. The mountains of Elven Guard could be seen from their current position. It was too dangerous to go all the way through. Sellion couldn't calculate how safe this route was with the relentless Heinris on their tail, thirsting for vengeance. Laverne and Heinris were the same, in a way. It's nice to have all the power. Laverne killed all his enemies. They were all dead. Or so he thought.

All was peaceful until Sellion could see to the north Heinris and his two living goons. Heinris wore an expression of pure anguish on his face. He exhausted his breath in a groan. Maybe I should really have sliced all of their necks. 

Sellion kicked Essaerae and King Laverne awake in a brutal manner. "Wake up! We have to go!"

Heinris, Rathían and Farieth were closing on them when the elves had finally mounted their horses. It appeared they had easily stolen horses from the Knowhere inn's stables.

"Wait, I have to get my blanket!" Essaerae said, grabbing the edge of the picnic blanket. I don't want to spend the night cold. The small dishes they had packed flew into the sky. The blanket ripped as she tugged on it.

"We don't have time!" Sellion commanded Oakley to begin running. 

This time, I'll gladly break that guy's face if he gets close to me.