Mistake crawled into the dark cave and bumped into someone’s leg.
“Sorry,” Mistake said softly. “I really can’t see in here.”
“You didn’t hurt me,” chuckled Eltor. “What did you see out there?”
“Nothing,” answered Mistake. “Absolutely nothing. There are no campfires visible, and I saw no army patrols. Is it possible that they gave up looking for us?”
“I doubt it,” replied Eltor. “I would suspect that the patrols would be fewer at night, but I am willing to wager that there are some out there.”
“Well this is the best report we’ve had in days,” said MistyTrail. “I say we attempt to escape tonight. Our food is running low and won’t last much longer. How do you feel, Caldal?”
“I feel great,” replied Caldal. “Certainly better than I have in a long time. I am with MistyTrail. If we are going to try to escape, tonight sounds like a decent chance.”
“There will still be kruls out,” warned Eltor. “They do not return to the cities at the end of the day.”
“Where do they live?” asked Mistake.
“I am not sure,” answered Eltor. “They do congregate. I supposed there might be krul cities in the forest, but I really don’t know.”
“I would guess that they eat and sleep close to where they are assigned to work,” offered Caldal. “The kruls don’t mix well with people. They would tend to avoid the cities.”
“There might be a group we have to get past then,” frowned Mistake. “Kruls were clearing the forest between the jungle and this mountain when MistyTrail and I arrived.”
“We will have to chance it,” asserted MistyTrail. “We cannot stay here until the whole forest is cleared. I vote we leave now.”
After a moment’s hesitation, the group agreed. The four elves crawled out of the cave and began the descent. The moon was half full as Mistake led the way down the side of the mountain. She handed one of her knives to Eltor. MistyTrail, who was at the rear of the procession, saw the gesture and handed one of hers to Caldal.
“You two are going to be real visible in those red uniforms,” MistyTrail commented softly. “Maybe we should have dyed them.”
“It is too late for that now,” replied Caldal. “We must keep moving.”
As they got further down the mountain, the slope eased somewhat. Mistake saw the section of cleared forest where they had run into the kruls. Her eyes scanned the area looking for signs of an encampment. She saw none.
They continued down the side of the mountain until they reached the forest. The forest was dark, but there was enough moonlight to navigate safely. Mistake picked up the pace, keeping her ears tuned to any noises beyond their footsteps. It was a quiet trek, and in less than an hour they reached the edge of the cleared area. Mistake halted and gazed across the open ground. The stumps that dotted the landscape caused her to check and recheck each area. Eltor silently tapped her shoulder and pointed off towards the right. Mistake nodded as she saw the dark lumps.
“Kruls,” she whispered. “Several dozen of them.”
“They appear to be sleeping,” Eltor said softly. “Should we cross together or singly?”
“In pairs,” offered MistyTrail. “That way the concealed pair can create a distraction, and the exposed pair can split up to confuse them.”
“I do want to learn more about the Sakova,” Mistake responded. “I like the way you have learned to think.”
“You and Eltor go first,” suggested MistyTrail with a grin. “Caldal and I will wait until you are safely across.”
“No,” replied Mistake. “You are the one used to sneaking around in the forest. I want to see how you do it. Eltor and I will go second.”
“Alright,” nodded MistyTrail as she edged past Mistake.
She waited while Caldal moved to the edge of the clearing. She grabbed his hand confidently and squeezed it.
“Just follow me,” she whispered to Caldal.
“I am an elf,” retorted Caldal. “I know how to be quiet.”
MistyTrail smiled and nodded as she stepped into the open. She did not try to race across the open area, but instead moved silently. It was an excruciatingly slow pace for Caldal, but he stayed right behind MistyTrail. They made it across the cleared area and hid behind a tree. MistyTrail wove an air tunnel towards Mistake.
“It is your turn,” whispered MistyTrail. “Do not try to rush. Be as quiet as you can.”
“I will,” promised Mistake.
MistyTrail broke the air tunnel and stood watching as Mistake and Eltor stepped into the cleared area.
“You move very quietly for an elf who has never been to Elvangar,” complimented Caldal. “There are still a few things that I could teach you, though.”
“Are there?” replied MistyTrail. “You could have done better?”
“Not better,” Caldal shook his head, “but faster. Your movements were excellent and silent, but there is a way to be just as silent at a faster pace. I will show you when they arrive safely.”
“I would like that,” smiled MistyTrail. “There have been times when I wanted more speed.”
Mistake and Eltor were over half way across when one of the dark lumps suddenly stood up and stretched. Mistake and Eltor saw it and stopped. They crouched low hoping to blend in with the numerous stumps that doted the land. The Krul gazed skyward as he stretched, but his body was facing Mistake. MistyTrail knew that when he looked down, he would probably see the elves. She quickly wove an air tunnel and directed it far beyond the krul. She bent down and picked up several dried branches. She broke one over her knee and the sound appeared to come from the other end of the air tunnel. The krul instantly turned and gazed towards the sound.
MistyTrail directed the air tunnel further away and broke another stick. The krul scratched his head and started walking away. Mistake and Eltor rose and continued their trek across the open area. For good measure, MistyTrail moved the air tunnel one more time and broke another stick. Mistake and Eltor arrived before the krul grew tired of his investigation.
“We need to move away from here quickly,” advised Eltor. “There is absolutely no breeze right now, but if it picks up the slightest amount, he will smell us.”
Caldal nodded and took the lead. He moved swiftly, but silently, and MistyTrail studied his movements. Caldal stopped and waited for the others to catch up and then took off again. By the fourth stop, MistyTrail had figured out what Caldal was doing to achieve the extra speed. When he took off again, she kept pace with him. When he turned to see how far back the group was, he let out a small gasp.
“You learn very quickly,” he smiled. “I did not hear you behind me.”
“It must be in my blood,” grinned MistyTrail. “Explain your movements to Mistake. We will cover much more ground that way.”
They took a short break while Caldal explained his movements to Mistake. Eltor stood next to MistyTrail and sighed.
“What is the matter?” asked MistyTrail.
“How much farther do we have to go?” asked Eltor.
“We have hours to go,” answered MistyTrail. “This forest will eventually turn into jungle. We will still have several hours to go when that happens. What is bothering you?”
“We are heading westward,” announced Eltor as Mistake and Caldal turned to listen. “Based on what you have just told me, this house that we are heading for is on the western coast of the island.”
“What is wrong with that?” asked Mistake.
“Elvangar is to the east,” answered Eltor. “What Caldal is pointing out is that we will be on the wrong side of the island.”
“And we will have to sail around either the northern or southern end of the island,” added Caldal. “That means that we will have to pass at least one major city. The odds of us affecting our escape have diminished greatly.”
“We are not going back,” Mistake declared adamantly. “I don’t care if we end up going in the wrong direction, we are leaving this island.”
“I agree,” nodded MistyTrail. “We will sail outside the limits of their sight before turning to go around the island. You can do that, can’t you? You said you were sailors.”
Eltor hemmed and hawed, but Caldal nodded his head.
“We will do it,” Caldal declared. “Get me to that boat, and I will get us home somehow. I just wish the house you found was on the other coast. Let’s continue onward.”
MistyTrail took the lead and kept up a swift pace. It took Mistake a while to put into practice what she had learned from Caldal, but the elves were soon moving silently and swiftly. The hours sped by quickly as the forest turned into jungle. The wind began to whisper softly at first, but it escalated steadily until a strong breeze blew against the backs of the four escapees. Clouds began to drift across the sky and at times the moonshine was totally eliminated causing the jungle floor to darken considerably. MistyTrail called a halt.
“I can’t see well enough to continue at this pace,” MistyTrail said softly. “We will have to go slower.”
“Let’s take a rest,” suggested Eltor. “We have been making good time. We do not want to be tired when we reach the house on the beach.”
“What are we going to do when we get there?” asked Caldal. “You said there would be four soldiers there. If they are watching the sea, we cannot steal their boat.”
“I doubt that they would keep watch at night,” shrugged Mistake. “What would be the point? They sure would not be able to see a ship passing by.”
“That may be true at night,” Eltor pointed out, “but we may not arrive there until morning. You did say that it was quite a trip.”
“We have been making good time,” replied MistyTrail. “I am sure that we will be there before dawn. Maybe we should start walking again.”
“A few more minutes,” Eltor shook his head. “Caldal has just recovered. I do not want to tax him.”
“I am fine,” countered Caldal, “but a few minutes break is still wise. Navigating through the reef will take its toll on us. We need to be fresh.”
“Especially if this wind keeps up,” frowned Eltor. “It is turning into a strong easterly.”
“That will be good for getting away from the island quickly,” commented Caldal, “but it will make the trip to Elvangar near impossible. We may be at sea for many days. Will it be possible to get some rations at this guard house?”
“I will try,” offered Mistake. “They sleep on the second floor so I should be able to raid their kitchen.”
“That means we will need more time,” interjected MistyTrail. “We should continue now. I want to be away from this island before the sun rises.”
There were no arguments as MistyTrail took the lead. She kept the pace slow until the moon peeked out from behind the cloud and then accelerated to a faster pace. She noticed the shadows growing longer as the moon began its descent. She increased the pace a tad as she began to worry about the setting moon depriving the jungle of light.
A couple of hours later, MistyTrail slowed down a bit. Even with the strong wind at her back, MistyTrail began to hear the breaking of the surf. A sense of excitement shot through her body as she realized that their journey was almost over. She slowed to a walk as she caught a glimpse of the sea through the jungle foliage. Within moments the four elves were standing at the edge of the jungle gazing at a thin strip of beach.
“The house should be a short distance to the left,” announced Mistake. “Let me lead.”
Mistake stepped out of the jungle and walked along the beach. The others followed silently. Within five minutes Mistake halted and crouched down. The others joined her, and Eltor and Caldal got their first look at the guardhouse. The windows were shuttered, and the building was dark. Caldal’s eyes swept over the water and stared at the waves breaking over the reef. He tapped Eltor’s shoulder and pointed.
“Watch the breaking waves,” he whispered. “Do you notice the area where the breakers are not?”
“I see it,” nodded Eltor. “I suspect that is the way through the reef. How do you want to approach this?”
Caldal’s eyes passed over the anchored boat and landed on the rowboat sitting on the beach. A plan formed in his mind.
“You and I will swim to the sailboat,” Caldal began. “I will raise the anchor while you get the short sails set. Then I will swim out to the reef and verify the pass. You hold the ship steady while Mistake and MistyTrail row out in the small boat. When they reach the sailboat, I should be ready to guide you out.”
“We will have to sail flat out,” warned Eltor. “When the guards wake in the morning and find their boat gone, they will sound the alarm. We will not have much of a head start.”
“Then we should not waste time discussing this,” shrugged Caldal. “Do not take chances getting the food, Mistake. Eltor and I will not be in a position to protect you. Just get in the rowboat and head for the sailboat.”
Without waiting for a reply, Caldal dashed silently into the water. Eltor quickly followed. MistyTrail watched the men swimming towards the anchored sailboat and then she started creeping towards the rowboat. She knelt by the rowboat and waited for Mistake to appear on the other side so that they could work together dragging the rowboat into the water. When a few moments passed and Mistake had not arrived, MistyTrail turned to look back. She saw Mistake at the door of the guardhouse. She sighed deeply and then raced to Mistake’s side.
“What are you doing?” whispered MistyTrail. “Forget the food. We will need every minute of darkness to get far away from here.”
“It is more than the food,” Mistake whispered back. “We cannot afford to have an alarm issued in a few hours.”
“What do you mean?” asked MistyTrail as Mistake produced a thin strip of metal and began working on the lock.
“Look at that sailboat,” explained Mistake. “It may be larger than the one we arrived on, but it is not the fastest boat around. If the alarm is issued and they know that we escaped on a boat, they will be after us for sure. We will never make it past the large cities even if we keep the island out of sight. They will come looking for us.”
“Are you planning what I think you are planning?” asked MistyTrail.
“It is the only way,” nodded Mistake as an audible click rent the air. “You can wait by the rowboat. I won’t be long.”
“You are crazy,” frowned MistyTrail.
“Why?” asked Mistake. “Because I think I can get the four of them without dying?”
“No,” smiled MistyTrail. “Because you think I would actually leave this foul business to you alone. My sister will never again fight alone. Let me get to the far end of the main room before you make any noise in the kitchen.”
“You plan for me to lure them downstairs?” asked Mistake.
“Remember the stairs?” asked MistyTrail. “There is no way that we can climb them silently. Plus we do need food. Let me get into position and then start gathering the food we will need. Fill your pack. They won’t be needing any.”
“I will take the first two,” grinned Mistake. “You get the stragglers.”
“Done,” replied MistyTrail as Mistake eased the door open.
The door creaked slightly as Mistake eased it open. She ignored the noise and moved swiftly towards the kitchen. MistyTrail slid through the door and crept to the far end of the room. She hid herself in a dark corner and fixed her eyes on the stairwell as she waited. Mistake was entirely too silent as she filled her pack with food. She managed to stuff her pack and tie it tight. She walked to the front door and placed her pack outside. She reentered the house and slammed the door.
Almost immediately the floor above creaked. Mistake could hear the sound of feet hitting the floor. She tried to count them, but could not. She opened the door again and let the dim light shine into the room. She stood in the light and waited. She heard someone starting to come down the stairs. She appeared not to notice and looked around the dark room as if looking for something to steal.
“It’s an elf wench,” shouted a man on the stairs.
Mistake looked up at the stairwell and screamed. She dashed into the kitchen as the man started scrambling down the stairs. She heard others upstairs shouting and then heard their pounding footsteps. She raced to the far corner of the kitchen and waited.
“Don’t kill her right off,” shouted one of the upstairs men. “I want a piece of her.”
“By the time you get to the kitchen,” laughed the first man, ”it will be all over.”
The stairwell came alive with noise as the men raced downstairs. The first man raced into the kitchen. His hand held a long knife and his eyes darted around the dark room as he sought Mistake. From her concealed position near the floor, Mistake tossed her knife upward at the man who was illuminated by the dim light coming from the open front door. The knife sunk deep into the man’s throat. As his hands rose to his throat and his knees buckled, Mistake let out a hysterical scream to cover the man’s death gurgle.
“Hah,” shouted the second man off the stairs. “It sounds like she is giving him a hard time.”
The man raced into the kitchen and promptly tripped over the body of the first man. Mistake instantly jumped on the man’s back and brought her knife across his throat. He cried out in alarm before he died.
“What the heck?” said the third man as he halted at the bottom of the stairs.
He held his knife before him and crept cautiously towards the kitchen.
“Be careful,” he whispered to the last man coming down the stairs. “Something is not right here.”
MistyTrail waited until the fourth man was visible on the stairs. She tossed a knife at the fourth man, and it struck him in the chest. His hands came up to the knife and his eyes looked down in disbelief. His knife clattered on the stairs as it fell just before his body collapsed. MistyTrail waited the required second for the third man to turn around to see what the noise was. She threw her second knife quickly and caught the last man in the throat. His body hit the floor as the fourth man’s body was still tumbling down the stairs. MistyTrail raced across the room and checked the bodies. She crept up the stairs and checked the rest of the house before returning to the ground floor.
“MistyTrail?” Mistake called tentatively.
“I am fine,” MistyTrail replied. “You?”
“The same,” Mistake said as she exited the kitchen. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Not so fast,” MistyTrail shook her head.
“Why not?” asked Mistake. “My pack is full of food. Let’s go.”
“We are taking the bodies with us,” declared MistyTrail. “Why chance someone coming along and finding them. I say we lock this house up tight and dump the bodies at sea. It may just buy us the time we need to get to Elvangar.”
“And it will look as if they took the boats,” Mistake nodded enthusiastically. “I like it. No alarm will be sounded at all. The kruls and soldiers will spend the rest of their lives searching for Caldal.”
Mistake and MistyTrail retrieved their knives and started carrying the bodies to the rowboat. When they were done, they returned to the house and cleaned up the blood. They made sure that all of the shutters were closed and then locked the front door. Mistake strapped her pack on and the two women struggled to drag the rowboat into the water.
“We should have done this before we filled it with bodies,” Mistake complained.
“No plan is perfect,” retorted MistyTrail. “Pull harder. The moon is almost gone.”
They finally managed to get the rowboat into the water. MistyTrail raced back and picked up the coil or rope she had left on the beach. She threw the rope into the rowboat and then pushed it out to sea. Mistake rowed while MistyTrail swam and hung onto the boat. There was no room for her with the pile of bodies occupying most of the space. When they eventually reached the sailboat, Mistake threw a line to Eltor.
“What happened back there? Eltor whispered. “Why are you bringing the bodies?”
“Later,” snapped Mistake. “Get MistyTrail aboard and secure this rowboat. We are going to tow it behind us.”
Eltor shook his head and tied the rowboat’s line to the stern of the sailboat. He helped MistyTrail over the side and then pulled Mistake aboard.
“I thought we had lost you,” Eltor said softly as he adjusted the sail and headed towards Caldal who was standing on the submerged reef. “Caldal and I should not have left you alone on the beach. I won’t ever do that again. How did they discover you?”
“They almost didn’t,” MistyTrail replied. “Mistake had to slam the door to wake them up.”
“Wake them up?” gasped Eltor. “Why?”
“I am sorry that I snapped at you,” Mistake said softly. “I may make light of it at times, but it always bothers me to kill someone.”
“They were your enemies, Mistake,” soothed MistyTrail. “Those four would one day end up in Fakara or Sakova murdering our friends. We did the right thing. Who knows how many sailors those men lured to the island to become slaves to Vand.”
“She is right,” nodded Eltor as he followed Caldal’s hand signals and steered the sailboat towards the break in the reef. “Vand’s people plan to kill a great number of people. If it is your homeland they are heading for, you should want to kill as many of them as you can. I have no doubt that the four of us would die if they caught us.”
Caldal swam towards the sailboat as Eltor sailed through the break in the reef. He grabbed onto the rowboat and pulled himself forward until he could reach the towline. He pulled himself aboard as Eltor raised full sails.
“Souvenirs?” Caldal asked as he nodded to the rowboat full of bodies.
“We will dump them at sea when we are far from the island,” explained MistyTrail. “Hopefully no alarm will ever be sounded.”
“Smart,” nodded Caldal. “I should have thought of that. This wind is strong. The island will be out of sight in no time.”
“Even sooner than you think,” commented Eltor as he pointed towards the moon which was sinking below the horizon. “It will be very dark very soon. Why don’t the three of you get some rest? All of you seem to have had more to do than I did.”
No one objected and soon Eltor was alone at the helm. He sailed into the dark night, letting the strong easterly wind have its way with the sails. He no longer cared where he was going, just as long as he put distance between the island of darkness and his sailboat. Several hours later, the dawn woke Mistake. She stretched and yawned.
“How are you doing?” Mistake asked Eltor. “Do you want me to take over for a while so you can get some sleep?”
“No way,” interjected MistyTrail as she rose. “You are forbidden from manning the controls of any boat. You are only allowed to crash one, and you already did that.”
Caldal started laughing as he sat up. “I can’t tell if you are friends or enemies sometimes,” he chuckled. “I can take over for a spell.”
“This is no time for levity,” Eltor said seriously as he pointed off the starboard side. “There is a ship out there. It is barely visible on the horizon.”
“Motangan?” asked Caldal as he jumped to his feet.
“I can’t tell,” Eltor replied. “It is too far away. I think we are both heading pretty much the same place, although he appears to be tracking in from far to the north. I don’t know where on the west coast we left from, so I don’t know how far the northern end of the island was.”
“I think we should turn to the south,” suggested Caldal. “We will watch to see what he does. If it gives chase we will know it is Motangan.”
“Wait,” interrupted Mistake as she wove an air tunnel and directed it at the ship. “I am leery of zigzagging across the sea. Let me see if I can hear anything first.”
Several long minutes passed without anyone on the sailboat talking. Mistake moved the air tunnel over the length of the distant ship and listened to every conversation that she could detect. Finally, a grin spread across Mistake’s face as she spoke loudly.
“Ahoy Khadoran ship,” Mistake said. “This is Mistake, friend of the Astor and the Torak. Where are you headed?”
“Who was that?” came a male voice. “Where did it come from?”
Female laughing could be heard nearby and soon the voice of a Khadoran mage spoke.
“We are heading for Raven’s Point, Mistake,” replied the mage. “Where are you?”
“We are in a small sailboat off your port,” answered Mistake. “If we can reach you, will you allow us to ride with you?”
“Who is with you?” asked the mage.
“Three friends who need to be presented to Emperor Marak,” answered Mistake. “We have vital information regarding the evil.”
There was a discussion going on aboard the Khadoran ship, so Mistake waited patiently for the answer.
“Why do you want to go with them?” whispered Eltor. “That is not the way to get to Elvangar.”
“Because we will be safe on Emperor Marak’s ship,” answered Mistake. “They know where they are going, they are armed for combat at sea, and the Motangans will not be looking for a ship that large. They will be looking for this one.”
“That makes sense to me,” nodded MistyTrail. “I want to stand somewhere where I at least know the people so I can put that island behind me. Emperor Marak will help us get you two back to Elvangar. Trust us.”
“Permission granted, Mistake,” came the mage’s voice from the Khadoran ship. “We will alter course slightly to port. I suggest you do the same towards your starboard. We will meet in a few hours. Is that acceptable?”
“Very much so,” grinned Mistake.
“Time to feed the sharks,” MistyTrail said as Mistake broke the air tunnel. “There is no need for the Khadorans to see these bodies. Will you help me, Caldal?”