The Elf Thief

Chapter 46: New Setbacks

Chapter 46

New Setbacks

            Dearekk looked at the three figures standing around the table. A hastily set up tent was the only thing separating them from the chaos of soldiers preparing for battle outside, and as the half-elf looked at the vague map before him, he felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

            “Is this all we have?” he asked, his voice getting caught in his throat. Was he really supposed to base hundreds of lives off of this poorly drawn diagram?

            The elf across the table narrowed his fiery green eyes. “I’m sorry that we do not have the same level of equipment as you are used too, my prince,” he all but spat in reply. “After all, we are on the losing side.”

            Curiosity overcame his anger as the former prince as he turned to Sonya, a questioning look on his face.

            As their eyes met, Sonya’s instantly darted away and she bit her lip. “The elves have been exercising guerilla warfare tactics for almost thirty years. We weren’t at all out war until after my parents were killed, five years ago, but the skirmishes had been going on long before that.”

            A blank look in his eye, Dearekk just continued to look at the dark-haired elf. “So?”

            “So?” Sonya let out a bitter laugh. “Thirty years is a long time, Dearekk. Our soldiers and resources are slowly being depleted. My brother new a lot more about it than I did, most of it confidential, but he told me what he could. I doubt we’ll make it a year and a half if this ‘war’ doesn’t work.”

            The other two elves were leaning over the map and talking, moving different colored stones over the map. One of the looked at Sonya and snapped, “This is hopeless. Even with manticores, we’d be outnumbered three to one. We just can’t attack with so few men.”

            “So we wait.”

            “Wait? For what?” the elf asked, annoyance seeping into his voice.

            Sonya studied him for a moment before answering, “We have allies. They will be here soon. Fay, possibly dwarves, humans-”

            “Humans?” both of the male elves nearly shouted in surprise. One of them stepped forward, toe to toe with Sonya.

            “Are you insane?” he hissed. “We are fighting against humans, not with them! You expect to bring our enemies to our camp to fight with us?”

            “I know these humans,” Sonya insisted. “Trust me, Cormack. Their leader is the head of a black-market in Raydale, and it is in his best interest to overthrow the King. He’s been fighting against the duke for the lordship over Raydale for years. He knows that if we topple the King, he’ll be next in line for power. It’s a calculated risk.”

            The second elf stepped forward, next to Cormack. “Never trust a human,” he growled. Glancing at Dearekk, he continued, “Even if they are only half human.”

            “Nolik!” Sonya hissed in warning, but Dearekk held up a hand stopping her.

            The half-elf’s voice was barely above a whisper when he replied, “I am half your kin as well.”

            Nolik spat at his feet. “Raised by a human, might as well be a human. You are no kin of mine.”

            The heat of anger rushed through Dearekk as his blood began to burn. Stepping around the elf, he looked at the map without a word. He reached down and moved one of the green stones to the other side of the badly sketched castle.