The Elven Apostate Read online

  He blinked up at her. “Maybe you’re right. We should rest for a day first. We’ve had no sleep.”

  She shook her head as she buttoned her long coat, cinching it tight around her waist. “No, you may have spoken for a veiled reason, but that does not make your words any less true. If we wait, Rissine or someone else will catch on. We should go tonight.”

  “What about Isara?”

  She grinned. “We’ll fetch her on the way. We might need her if Rissine catches us.” She offered him her hand.

  He took it, and stood, but held onto it for a moment. “Are you sure about this? I know you have issues with your sister, but I do believe she is trying to protect you.”

  She rolled her eyes, then removed her hand from his. “I don’t need my sister to watch my back, and do you know why?”

  She was already on her way to the door as he asked, “Why?”

  She glanced back at him. “Because I have you.”

  He watched her, a bit stunned, as she veered from her course and began pawing through Ivran’s cupboard, presumably for supplies. “What of Ivran?” he asked as he approached. “What will he think when he wakes and we have gone?”

  “He’ll understand. He knows we’ll get Saida back if we can. He’s far more rational than the rest.”

  He stared at her for a moment, rifling through the cupboards like a wolf in a henhouse, then joined her. He knew he’d have to close his eyes eventually. They would sleep each night on the road. But perhaps it would be easier to face when he knew he had a purpose. When he knew he was on his way to enact vengeance for all his fallen kin.

  Elmerah

  Elmerah cursed as she stubbed her toe through her knee-high boots. The cracked cobblestone streets proved treacherous in the dark of night. In the distance, glass lanterns flickered with light in the cool breeze along the main road. At one time, they would have been extinguished at midnight to save on oil, but since the attack, they burned through the night. You never knew when you might meet with a hidden blade in the dark.

  Hopefully there were no blades in this darkness, save hers and Alluin’s. Since leaving the High Temple, they kept to the shadows, out of sight of fogged windows and doorways. They’d collected Isara, who crept along quietly at her side. She had neither blade nor bow, yet was more dangerous than either of them. Being able to interrupt any magics was a skill Elmerah would pay ten coffers of pure gold to possess.

  Elmerah shuffled her feet along between the dark expanse away from the lanterns, groping the wall of a vacant home as she led the way toward the stables. There should only be one or two guards present. Most were worried about threats coming from outside the cracked crystal walls, rather than from within. It would have been so much easier if the guards would just let them take the horses, but mounts were a precious commodity in these dire times, and would only be granted for purposes approved by the High Council. There was no way the Council would approve their mission without much deliberation, and perhaps not even then.

  And so, they would sneak, but sneaking out presented one major issue. They could obtain horses easily enough—one or two guards wouldn’t be difficult to distract—but how in Ilthune’s name would they get the horses outside the city gates? She’d been wracking her brain from the moment she started gathering supplies, but an idea was yet to present itself.

  Alluin stopped at her side as she peered out around the next building, the stables now in sight. “Someone is following us,” he whispered in her ear.

  “Rissine?” she hissed.

  “No, someone bigger than Rissine, a man judging by the sound of the steps.”

  At the scuff of a heavy boot, she grabbed Isara and plastered both their backs against the wall. She glanced past Isara down the dark alley, but all seemed still and silent. She might have imagined the scuff, but she did not doubt Alluin’s senses. Those pointy ears could pick up the sound of a single rodent scurrying across the street. She stifled a groan at her thoughts. If it was another elf following them, their abrupt stop would have already alerted them that she was aware of their presence. There would be no subtly drawing them out now.

  Nothing moved. This was a waste of time.

  With a heavy sigh, she gestured for Isara to stay back, then stepped into the middle of the alleyway. “Reveal yourself,” she said, her voice low to not alert the distant stable guards.

  “Damn elves hear way too well,” a familiar voice replied, then Celen stepped out of his hiding place behind an adjacent home.

  Her shoulders momentarily slumped in relief, then stiffened in irritation. “Celen, are you following us?”

  “Why are you wandering around at this ungodly hour?” He wore his usual garb of leather and a bit of fur rather than something more concealing, so he hadn’t planned on stalking her.

  “I asked you first.”

  He closed the distance between them, then whispered, “I saw that your sister had returned, so I waited until I was sure you’d be in your chambers, then came to find you. Then I see you and your elf sneaking out of the High Temple with the little sparrow at your heels.”

  She sighed, sensing Alluin’s presence at her back. He didn’t trust Celen, and wouldn’t want her to tell the truth, but well, he wasn’t her, and she trusted Celen with her life. “We’re leaving. We’re going after the emperor, and I don’t want anyone following us, or knowing what we’re doing. Any of these elves here could be Nokken in disguise. Without Saida, we have no way of telling. And without her—” she hesitated, “well, we need to end this now. I’m sick of waiting for the remnants of the High Council to decide on a plan.”

  Celen’s expression softened. “I heard about Saida, I’m sorry. I’m sure you’ll find her.”

  She waved him off, unable to talk about her failure just yet. “Well now that you know what we’re doing, kindly watch our backs to ensure no one follows.”

  He swiped a hand over his scars and shook his head. “I can’t let you go after the emperor on your own. I’m going with you, Ellie.”

  “I have Isara and Alluin. I’m not alone.”

  “A sparrow and an elf,” Celen scoffed.

  Still hiding in the dark against a wall, Isara made no move to defend herself.

  “That sparrow can block your magic with a thought,” Elmerah said. “If I have to face Egrin with anyone, it would be her.” At a harumph behind her, she added, “And Alluin.”

  Celen crossed his arms, affixing her with a steely glare.

  She sucked her teeth. “I’m not going to be able to get rid of you, am I?”

  He shook his head.

  “Fine, then at least help us procure four horses.”

  Celen grinned. “Not an issue, my people are on stable duty tonight.”

  “They cannot know where we’re going,” Alluin cut in. “They should not even see us leave.”

  “They won’t see you,” Celen said smugly. “They’ll only see me, and nobody cares where I go.”

  Isara cleared her throat, a small meek sound in the shadows, her face visible by the slight reflection of moonlight on her round spectacles. “What about the guards at the gates?” she whispered.

  “Always Faerune elves,” Celen sighed. “No one else is trusted. I’ll have to leave that part of the escape to you, Ellie. Leave the horses to me.”

  Already deep in thought, Elmerah stroked the hilt of her cutlass. She’d half-expected to be thwarted at the stables, now they were one step farther along than she expected to be at this point. “Just get the horses,” she decided. “Meet us behind the old smithy.”

  With a nod that acknowledged her and completely ignored Alluin, he hurried away.

  Alluin stepped up to her side. “What do you plan?”

  “A distraction. I’ll need you atop the guard tower to man the pulley when the time comes.”

  “Why me?” Alluin groaned.

  She grinned. “The elves like you better. We only need the gate open enough to slip the horses out. You’ll be fine.”

  “A
nd what about me?” Isara asked, finally out of the shadows.

  She turned toward her. “You and Celen will lead the horses, as I’ll be a bit distracted, now let’s go.”

  She led the way back into the shadows of the nearest building, then peered not toward the stables, but the distant gates. She trusted Celen to lead the horses there discreetly. So all she need do is be ready when he arrived.

  * * *

  Alluin

  Alluin wasn’t sure how Elmerah had convinced him to climb the ladder up to the guard tower, where three elves stood ready to man the gates below. There were more elves stationed further down in either direction on other guard towers, and on newly erected walkways bordering the massive cracked crystals.

  The three Faerune elves who turned reflective eyes to him as he ascended the ladder were all young, blond, and stony-faced. They’d likely heard him the moment he set foot on the ladder, and would have peered down to see who approached. He was a bit surprised they’d allowed him to make it to the top.

  “What are you doing here?” one asked, his hand hovering near the shortsword at his belt.

  Alluin finished his ascent, placing his feet on the solid floorboards within a secure railing. His fingers itched for his bow, but he’d left it with Elmerah. He didn’t need to give these elves any more reasons to view him as a threat.

  He leaned casually against a beam supporting the guard tower roof. The wheel and pulley to open the gates was just to his left, he’d only need to give the wheel a few turns to open the gates a crack. Back up pulleys were on other towers, but he’d seen this one manned when they returned from Skaristead.

  “I am unable to sleep after what happened last night,” his words were a bit too true for comfort, “have there been any sightings of more spiders?” He knew word had spread of the event, and all would be on the lookout for demons. Even those who didn’t believe demons existed.

  Two of the young guards seemed uneasy, but the third maintained his annoyed expression, his hand now firmly resting on his sword hilt. “No one is allowed up here except the guard. You can request a report from the High Council in the morning.”

  Ignoring the young elf’s words, Alluin stretched his arms over his head, maintaining a loose, unworried posture—though what he really wanted to do was pop this blustering elf in the nose. “Oh come now, we are all allies here.” What in Felan’s name was Elmerah waiting for?

  Just as soon as he thought it, a nearby guard tower burst into flame, suddenly blinding in the dark of night. The three elves standing around him turned, shouting as the silhouettes of more guardsmen could be seen leaping down onto the adjacent walkway.

  “What in Arcale’s name is going on!” the most vocal of Alluin’s adversaries hissed. “Go see what started the fire,” he said to the other two.

  The two elves hurried toward the ladder, descending one after the other. Alluin had hoped all three would go. But it seemed he was out of luck.

  The third guardsman narrowed his reflective eyes at Alluin. “Is this your doing? Why are you really up here? I’m taking you into custody.”

  The elf made a grab for him.

  Alluin darted aside into a crouch, easily evading him. This elf was young and obviously inexperienced. He’d probably been promoted after over half the guard betrayed Faerune and fled.

  The young elf drew his sword and whirled on Alluin, who was already coming up from his crouch with his palm poised outward. He drove it up into the young elf’s nose, breaking it. The elf doubled over, holding his nose.

  Alluin rushed to the wheel and gave three hard turns, the system of pulleys making the repaired gate light enough for anyone to open it. Another guard tower erupted in flames and he cursed. So much for escaping unnoticed.

  At least he could place most of the blame on Elmerah. He hadn’t expected her to light an entire guard tower on fire.

  He turned back to the young guardsman, now standing upright with blood streaming from his nose and into the crevices of his mouth.

  Alluin grinned, gave him a wave, then hopped over the railing, falling straight down onto a walkway below. He tucked into a roll to absorb the impact, then came up running to shouts of “Traitor!” which grated on him, but there was no going back now. He ran along the walkway, soon reaching a massive crystal with its pointed tip sheared off. He hopped onto the slick surface, then half-ran half-slid to the outer edge.

  A quick glance down showed a sheer drop, the surprise reeling him backward. He’d misjudged how far below the earth would be. He’d not survive a jump. Steadying himself, he glanced over his shoulder, spotting a bevy of guards approaching with bows raised.

  He turned, raising his hands in surrender, then nearly lost his footing as the earth rumbled below the crystal. He looked over his shoulder and down. The earth near the base of the crystal rippled and shook in waves like water, rising up toward him.

  Not questioning the sudden turn of events. He gave the guards a militia salute, then leapt.

  A frantic heartbeat later, his feet hit the earth hard enough to buckle his knees. He tumbled backward, expecting a long fall, but more earth met his back, moving in waves which carried him downward. There was so much dust and soil clouding the night air he could see none of the guards above.

  He rocked his body along with the waves of earth, using the momentum to launch himself to his feet just as he reached the bottom.

  Someone reached out of clouds of dust, grabbed him, then forced a set of reins into his hands.

  “Mount and ride toward the trees,” Elmerah’s voice said. “We must escape before the dust clears.”

  Dizzy and bruised, Alluin found a horse at the other end of the reins. His eyes open to mere slits against the powdery earth, he mounted, then rode in what he hoped was the right direction. He could already hear several sets of hooves going that way.

  He had a moment to think as he rode, and pieced together that Celen must have raised the earth. He recalled Elmerah mentioning his brand of Arthali magic before.

  He regretted Celen being the one to save him, because he had planned on begrudging his presence as soon as he had a chance. Now he’d have to thank him, and deal with him all the way to Galterra.

  * * *

  Elmerah

  Elmerah coughed, coming up with globs of saliva, mucous, and dust. She slowed her horse to a walk, then spat the unsavory glob onto the ground. Alluin hacked and wheezed as he reached her side, but maintained slightly more noble manners. Isara and Celen had stopped their mounts ahead, deep in the forest shadows, both having missed the thickest layers of flying dirt. Elmerah had ventured in to bring Alluin his mount on her own.

  “So much for not making a spectacle,” Alluin wheezed, his attention now on the surrounding woods. Woods where predators prowled night and day, but especially at night.

  They’d be venturing further in before long, as they could not risk the road after the damage they’d done. Cornaith and Immril would be furious, and so would Rissine. But at least they’d escaped without anyone following them, and no one would guess them mad enough to go after the demon emperor on their own, when they could potentially have gone with an army at their backs.

  “We should keep riding,” Celen cautioned. “They may have sent trackers to follow us.”

  Elmerah snorted and turned to Alluin. “Fugitives from our only allies, are you quite content now?” She’d meant her words in jest, but Alluin looked absolutely miserable.

  He wiped dirt turned to sweaty mud from his face. His normally deep brown hair shone almost white in the moonlight from the dusty coating. “The only thing that would content me now is a bath. When you said you’d cause a distraction, I didn’t think you’d light an entire guard tower on fire. One of the guardsmen tried to arrest me.”

  “Regretting your decision to join us?” Celen whispered to Isara, loud enough for Elmerah to hear.

  “Too late now,” she cut in, not wanting to give Isara a moment to reconsider. No one had seen her leave, she could go bac
k and say Elmerah had kidnapped her and forced her to flee the city.

  She kicked her horse forward. “Keep your eyes wide open. Wyrms roam these woods, and things far worse than that.”

  Celen smirked at her as she rode up to him. “My clan has hidden deep in these woods for years. I’ll keep you safe.”

  She could hear Alluin muttering under his breath behind her as the four of them rode on. Isara kept quiet, glancing warily around the forest. If Elmerah had thought before that she, Alluin, and Saida had made a strange group of companions, it was clear the gods were mocking her now.

  Saida

  Riding across the Helshone long into the night had taken its toll on Saida. With her parents she had traveled through snows, heavy rains, and winds, but nothing compared to the overbearing heat, from which there was no reprieve. In the day, she could not shed any clothing lest the sun blister her pale skin. In the night, the heat remained, rising up through the hot sands beneath her antlioch’s hooves.

  Stopping to make camp had been an overwhelming relief. They had journeyed through the dark for so long, she feared they’d not make camp at all.

  The weary animals seemed just as relieved to make camp as she. Even the spare mounts ambled through the sand with heads drooping, and the tired mounts from today would have to trail the fresh mounts tomorrow. She’d dismounted, waiting near her antlioch for one of the other elves to lead it away. Malon stood nearby, ignoring her. She didn’t humor herself with contemplations of escape. Her legs were so stiff she could barely walk, her strength entirely consumed by the heat.

  One of the elves came and took her and Malon’s mounts away. Other antlioch were already drinking from lightweight boiled leather buckets of water. Nearby, the first fire flared to life, sheltered within a shallow pit dug into the sand.

  Saida blinked until her eyes adjusted to the sudden light in the darkness.