The Elven Powers

Chapter Twenty Two: Wounded pride (Galandria)

We travelled towards Elrohir, covering the distance to the third realm, going faster than we had with an army. Still you felt naked without them, more on edge. But it didn't affect how we travelled, being overly cautious would just waste time. We travelled mostly by day. The sun would guide us through the forest in silence. Morgel seemed to know where he was going and lead the way most of the time. I didn't doubt him. It was true that I now trusted him. Still, I no longer knew him. He wasn't even as he appeared, so I had nothing to use to try to sum him up. If someone asked me what he was like, I wouldn't even bother relating him to who he used to be. I didn't know the man in front of me.

You would hope, that we chose to sleep in the day or during the night depending on which we chose to travel during. Yet, despite this choice being the daytime, we couldn't bring ourselves to stop at night. It was an unspoken agreement that we would continue until it was unsafe to do so. This would be after midnight judging by the distance the moon had gliding across the sky when we finally settled down to rest. Still we stopped, ate, slept, hunted and travelled in silence. The nights were cold, lonely and eerie in the silence of the forest. 

In the coldness of these nights, filled only with mutual guiding purpose, I was compelled to try to talk to Morgel. I wanted to know him. Though, no longer in terms of having the old Morgel back. I didn't see why I couldn't find a way to get him to accept me into his life as he had Elrohir. I imagined it just took some perseverance as Morgel clearly didn't trust a lot of people these days. Even though he accepted the invitation to come with me he still shunned me. Every time I would try to make conversation he simply stated that he needed to keep an eye on the road ahead. I didn't know why.

As far as I could guess he was probably mad at me. Even though, in my mind, we finally respected each other through our quest to save Elrohir, I had driven him to violence to achieve it. I had caused him so much anger, he strangled me. Yet surely, I should be the one who was angry? I just couldn't find it in me to resent him for what happened. I guess I wanted us to be friends again. I couldn't help but long for him to be around like he used to be, even if he was different. I resolved several times just to let him cool off and try again some other time.

It had been a few days and we had left the camp far behind us. We were still walking through a dense city of trees that seemed to have no end. Rather than being pine trees, or some other kind that grew with space for you to walk between, we were faced with the gnarled roots of ancient oak trees. There were also a few other species fighting for survival in the undergrowth but I did not focus on them. Instead I focused on the tangled roots of the oaks, that made our journey just that little bit more difficult. 

I was behind Morgel as usual. I just stared at his back trying to think of something to say. Then I spotted something just ahead in the trees. It glinted in the light, like a sword in sunlight. But it couldn't be a sword. Though what else could it be? What would someone leave all the way out here in the wilderness? We were walking far away from the road to the Third realm so the army wouldn't find us easily. 

I quickly overtook Morgel. Whether he reacted to my sudden change in speed and direction I didn't know. He just seemed to follow in behind me without question. As I neared the shining silver object I grew so embarrassed. It or rather they, were just a cluster of spider webs. There were an amazing amount but nothing to detract from my embarrassment. I turned to Morgel expecting to see a wide smirk on his face. I was surprised to find a more thoughtful face. 

Then his expression changed. His eyebrows scrunched together and his lips pressed into a thin line. He seemed to be more looking behind me than at me. One hand slowly went to the hilt of his sword. With the other his hand gently came to a stop on my shoulder. I breathed in, a sharp intake, knowing only something truly terrible could be behind me. I braced myself, ready.

Morgel without much warning spun me around behind him. He sliced quickly at the creature now perched on the web. A Sinstar collapsed on the ground. Its huge spider body has hairy, gross legs as thick around as my arms. And it was fully equipped with fangs just as big that leaked black blood from where Morgel had stabbed it. This one had been missing its Corkash rider. Horses were far too frightened of the Corkash so they didn't have any cavalry until they discovered giant spiders. They were harmless ancient spiders living in the caves of Ardeth's many mountains. So naturally the Corkash corrupted them with Knaastia, like the Goblins had been corrupted to make Corkash. 

I turned drawing my bow and notching an arrow hastily. My breathing became laboured as I was gripped with slight fear. I could not quite put into words how much I hated spiders. They had scared me as a child, but Sinstar being so huge it was almost too much to deal with. I swallowed finding my throat dry. Unlike spiders, the Sinstar would try to kill me. I searched shortly for a victim of my notched arrow and buried it deep in the skull of a Sinstar. 

Quickly, the enclosed space became filled with Sinstar trying to get a grab at us. We now started to encounter Corkash riding them. I guessed this was more of a border guard as we were now within two days trek to the Third realm. Our enemies were bold if they choose to claim territory this far away from the city. Still, everything the Corkash and its mystery leader had done so far were not the actions of a cowardly army. They had pushed the boundaries on all fronts, and this was no exception.

I shot more and more. It was a difficult fight. There were too many times when Morgel and I were forced to fight pretty much back to back. It would have been ideal if I could get a few shots from the trees, but facing Sinstar this was not an option. It was bad enough that we had to watch both the ground and the trees for foes. I managed to receive a large gash to my leg as we were hard pressed against the enemy. I was now thankful I had made the decision to heal my shooting arm. 

Finally, we were down to the last of them. I chose to jump across the trees to defeat two of the three that now stood against us. Mid-air, I drew my hunting knives and twisted in the air. My chosen move succeeded. I landed in a low crouch as the heads of the Sinstar fell to the floor. I straitened breathing heavily. We had won but it had been a hard fight. But we knew there was always going to be a downside to leaving the army. We had prepared well for that. 

I looked up towards Morgel. Sounds of anguish now ripped through the air, tearing at my eardrums. Morgel lay on the floor his sword elsewhere. The Sinstar that remained crouched, its long fangs shining wickedly. One lay embedded into Morgel's stomach. I was quick to react sending and arrow strait into the creature's brain. I ran over as fast as I could. I made it in time before the Sinstar fell too far, grabbing onto its corpse. I stifled a gag and tried to calm Morgel down. 

"Morgel breathe... just breathe!" I tried to grab his attention as he cried out in pain. "I am going to pull it out." He didn't respond. "Morgel! Look at me!" I shouted urgently. He was biting into his bottom lip now his face pale and strained. He jerked his head to show me he was with me. That was all I needed. I yanked the fang out of his body and threw the creature as far as I could. I tried to ignore the screams of pain as I did so.

I almost didn't want to turn back. To see his bloodied stomach. But I had to do something and fast. I shook as I pressed my hands to his stomach. I had to stop the bleeding. I didn't have anything that I could use as dressing for this. Tears started welling in my eyes. This was my fault. Morgel was going to die because I made him come with me. If only I hadn't forced him to come. 

Then my heart leapt as I thought of it. Hope. I could save him. I was so glad that I had checked my pack as I ripped it from my shoulders. It was almost painful as I tore it off my arms and began immediately to rummage through it. My fingers fumbled through soft and sharp materials, making me gasp in slight pain at times. Then I felt the flask and yanked it out of the pack. I unstopped it and dumped as much of the contents as I dared onto Morgel's chest. 

I thrust what the flask and what was left of the magical water into my pack once more. I then lifted my eyes and watched with bated breath. Suddenly Morgel's screams began to die. I was worried he might be fading until I looked to his wound. To my delight the skin knit itself back together just like my arm has done. I looked at Morgel's face once more as he sat up and stared at his stomach, not being able to find words. 

But then his face became angry.