ShadowKnight

Chapter Nine

For the next few weeks, Tarin continued to live in the clearing. He constructed a small cabin out of logs and branches, and slept inside that instead of his tent. He reviewed the spells he'd learned diligently, and practiced the more challenging ones every day, and every day at dawn, he would wake in disappointment to find his father had not returned. The feeling eventually faded as summer drew to an end, and he faced a different problem than an absent father. His first winter out in the open, without a castle or a true cabin to stay in though the cold, snowy months.
With a sigh, he glanced over at the rough cabin he'd constructed, no more than a few meters square, and not particularly sturdy, and wondered if he should be preparing something a little more permanent. With a sigh, he banked his small fire, and climbed up the rope to the rest of the forest. He gathered up more substantial branches, and a few river stones, putting them in his pack, which he generally used for small game like rabbits. It was while he was stooping for another of these stones that the voice spoke.
"Strange to see a human this deep in the woods," it said. Tarin looked up in surprise, dropping the stone and reaching for his sword. The voice was unfamiliar, and Tarin had spent a long time alone.
"Ah, now don't be so hasty," a figure strode out of the shade of the trees, hands in the air. "I mean no harm." The owner of the voice was a tall elf, who looked to be in his late twenties, but that wasn't any indication of his actual age. His hair was honey gold, and he was smiling, but something about the smile put Tarin on edge.
Tarin released the sword and let it fall back into its sheath. "Who are you?" He asked.
"Such manners," the elf chuckled. "Since you are the outsider here. I should be asking who you are."
"Tar—" Tarin began, but stopped. "Trékon," he corrected himself. "Trékon ShadowKnight."
The elf chuckled again. It grated on Tarin's nerves.
"You're young to have earned a name marking you as a black sorcerer, Trékon." The elf said. "My name is Eldrin, of Kaylynn, the elf capital." He added with a flourishing bow. "Tell me, what did you do to earn such a name?"
"I hurt the royal family," Tarin said, dejectedly. He didn't say more, and the elf didn't pry.
"So, what are you doing all the way out here?" He asked.
"My campsite isn't far. But winter is coming, and it's going to be a cold, hard one if I'm not prepared." Tarin said, stopping once again to collect the stone.
"And you are collecting river stones?" Eldrin sounded confused.
"For a new roof, to keep out the snow."
"Why not use magic?" Eldrin asked, and Tarin frowned.
"You still need supplies to build something, even with magic," He explained, he wasn't used to people assuming that he used magic. "And my teacher told me not to mess with the weather. It upsets the balance."
The elf nodded slowly, apparently satisfied.
"Why don't I help you?" Eldrin said, holding up his hands. "Two pairs of hands are better than one, after all."
Tarin glanced at him, but he seemed trustworthy enough, though he was still smiling, and something was definitely off about it. "Alright," he said finally, and Eldrin smiled wider.

The pair of them collected stones until the sun was low in the sky, then Tarin led them back through the trees. Eldrin laughed at his rope setup, and jumped down as Tarin climbed, landing lightly on his toes, and absorbing the impact with his knees. The elf deposited his armful of stones near the fire, which he lit as Tarin reached the ground. Eldrin made himself at home beside the fire, and Tarin placed his pack near the pile of stones, joining the elf. He filled a pot with some of the water from the stream, and hung it over the fire. He began slicing a bit of dried meat into the water as it heated up, adding in a few of the vegetables that he had been able to find. Eldrin pulled a package of bread out from his own pack, which Tarin hadn't noticed before, and the pair split the meal, using the bread to soak up the stew from the wooden bowls that Tarin had carved during the long hours alone.
"This is decent craftsmanship," Eldrin said, admiring the handiwork of the bowl in his hand.
"Thank you," Tarin replied. He glanced up at the sky, which was slowly turning purple, then dark, dark blue as the sun disappeared beneath the horizon. Far away, an owl hooted, and Eldrin smiled again.
"Say, why don't you winter in Kaylynn, with the elves?" He suggested smoothly. "The forest protects us from the worst snows, and our homes are made from living wood. They are very warm. You could stay at the palace, and be a guest of the queen herself."
"The elf queen?" Tarin laughed, "I don't think so. She mistrusts magic users of all kinds, my father told me."
"Nonsense," Eldrin said. "She welcomes them. Needs them, even. The more the merrier! We already—" he stopped abruptly. "I apologize, I got carried away. Why don't you come with me for a few days, and if you don't like it, you can return here, to your little camp."
Tarin thought about the offer, and thought about Luscar, who had been so worried about people tracking down magic users, and... what? He'd never gotten around to explaining who was doing it and why, and the winter months spent in comfort and warmth instead of cold and hunger, appealed to him immensely.
"Alright," he agreed. "We can set out for..."
"Kaylynn," Eldrin supplied.
"Kaylynn," Tarin repeated, "tomorrow."
"That sounds reasonable to me," Eldrin said, laying down on the grass beside the fire, his hands behind his head.
"I'll take first watch?" Tarin suggested, though he'd never thought to keep watch before.
"No need," Eldrin assured him, eyes already closed. "Get some sleep, Trékon."
Tarin banked the fire and spread out his bedroll. He lay out beneath the stars, counting the ones he could see in the space above his head. Even with the natural rhythm of the counting, it took Tarin a lot longer than usual to fall asleep. Across the coals, Eldrin lay on his side, watching the young sorcerer intently, as his eyes slowly shut.

The next morning, Eldrin was up at dawn, throwing things unceremoniously into Tarin's pack.
The sound woke up Tarin, and he lunged forward. "Hey!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing?"
Eldrin backpedaled quickly, getting to his feet and bowing apologetically. "I'm Sorry, Trékon. I am anxious to be on our way. The queen is expecting me back in a few days, and the journey is long."
"If you need to be back so soon," Tarin reasoned, "You could have gone ahead without me."
Eldrin waved the suggestion aside. "Oh, no! I couldn't do that!" he said. "I will stay and be your guide."
Tarin looked at the elf, slightly confused, but after rearranging his things, he shouldered his pack and banked the fire.
"Alright, then guide," he said, and Eldrin led the way up the rope, even going so far as to help Tarin up the last few feet. Hesitating for a moment, Tarin decided to leave the rope where it lay, with one end hanging into the gully. He whispered a tiny preservation spell though, to ensure it would be intact and able to support his weight when he returned in the spring.
As he performed the spell, Eldrin smiled, and waited patiently for the boy to catch up. They set off, heading northward, further into the forest.

Eldrin led Tarin along narrow tracks and game trails, which twisted this way and that, until Tarin had lost nearly all sense of direction. The trees grew closer together, and their branches intertwined and blocked out the sky, preventing the sun, which was now at its peak, from reaching the ground. Tarin had never been so deep in the forest before, but Eldrin seemed to know where he was going, so Tarin kept his eyes on the elf's back and tried not to trip over any tree roots. Eldrin said nothing to the boy as he led the way through the maze, trying not to smile too broadly as he followed the twisting trails into the ancient forest.
They carried on in this way for a long time, neither speaking, nor stopping, until the light began to fade and the tiny amount of sunlight that could reach them grew dim and uncertain.
"Soon," Eldrin said, his voice hoarse from disuse. Tarin could only nod in reply. His eyes drooped and his legs were sore, and his stomach rumbled and growled. He hadn't eaten anything since dinner the night before, and he was starving. His whole body shook with the strange hot-cold sensation of low blood sugar, but he didn't complain.
Finally, Eldrin stopped abruptly, and Tarin nearly ran into his back. Avoiding collision at the last second, he came around beside the elf, who stood stock still, looking through the gloom at the trees around him.
"We'll stop here for the night," he said, dropping his pack. Tarin gratefully did the same, but looking around, he didn't see much different here than the paths they'd been following all day. The trees may have been slightly wider apart, and the sky was visible, now a dark blue with the last remnants of twilight barely lighting the sky at all. A few bright stars had begun to shine, though Tarin could only see maybe one or two through the leaves.
"I, for one, can do with something to eat," Eldrin said, pulling a few supplies out of his own pack. "Will you make a fire, Tarin?"
Tarin nodded tiredly, and reached into his pack for his flint and steel. Eldrin moved around him as he searched the bag, collecting logs and light branches for firewood.
Tarin looked through all his things, and finally, emptied the pack onto the leaf-strewn ground, leaving his belongings spread out in a semi circle around him as he knelt, searching for the one object that wasn't there. His fire starting kit was gone.
Eldrin prepared the food, and looked at Tarin expectantly. "What's the problem?" He asked.
"My flint is gone," Tarin replied, gesturing helplessly at his emptied pack. "I've looked everywhere."
"Maybe it fell out while we were moving." Eldrin said simply.
"Perhaps, we could use yours?" Tarin asked hopefully, but was awarded with a simple, one-shouldered shrug.
"I don't have one," Eldrin said, and as Tarin's shoulders slumped as he resigned himself to cold rations, the elf added "Why don't you start one with magic?"
Tarin looked at him, unsure how to feel about the suggestion.
"I've never used magic for such a mundane act before," he said. Luscar had told him not to use magic outside the circle, but then, he had already cast a spell, and so far, no one had come crashing down to capture him.
Eldrin simply shrugged another one-shouldered shrug. "If you have the power," he said, "why not use it?"
Tarin stared at the small pyramid of branches that Eldrin had set up so expertly in a circle of smooth stones and cleared ground. He figured one small fireball wouldn't do any harm. No more flame than a match. Just a spark really. And he could really use something to eat.
He prepared the spell.