“You’re not exactly obeying him now,” the older elf commented. “What would he do if he knew you were freeing us?”
“Most likely he would have us all killed,” he replied. “Let’s hope he remains ignorant of our situation.”
As darkness overtook the land, the elves began to settle in near the base of a large oak tree. Mi’tal and the drivers stayed close to the carriages and took turns sleeping while one stood watch. The nights were growing colder, and the sun would not be up before they would have to depart again. The farmers would awake before dawn, and the carriages would need to be loaded to prevent the elves from being seen.
When the stars began to fade, Mi’tal gently shook one elf from each group. He requested that they remain silent and board the carriages for the last leg of their journey. Bread and honey were waiting for them in the carriages. The older elf was surprised to see that he was being fed, and he thanked Mi’tal for his hospitality.
Near mid-afternoon the Wildlands came into sight. Na’zora’s borders had extended up to a section of dense forest, which Mi’tal hoped was not guarded by any Wild Elves. “Stop here,” he told the driver as they neared the tree line. “We don’t want to be in range of their archers if they are hiding in those trees.” The driver obeyed without hesitation.
Mi’tal hopped down off of his seat and opened the doors of the first carriage. As promised, he removed the chains from the elves and handed the key to the driver of the second carriage. The man accepted the key nervously and proceeded to release the second group of elves from their chains.
“You are free now,” he said. “Please take our message to your people. If it leads to an end to this war, you will have done a great service to your own people and mine as well.”
“I will take this message for you,” the gray haired elf said. “My name is Tod, and I am a member of the Mulberry Clan. I hope this prince of yours is telling the truth. If so, my clan’s Overseer will listen.”
“Thank you, Tod,” Mi’tal replied respectfully.
“What is your name?” he asked.
“It is Mi’tal, First Guard of His Royal Highness Prince Aelryk of Na’zora.”
“You are a rare thing, Mi’tal,” the elf said. “You are a human who keeps his word. If you say this prince is honest, I will trust you. You have treated us well and freed us as you promised. I will not forget it.”
Mi’tal nodded and watched as the elves disappeared into the thick forest. He hoped his message had reached more than just the one elf, but he had no way to be sure. At least he had put forth the effort and extended the olive branch. It was up to the elves to accept or reject it.
Chapter 17
A chilly dawn descended over Enald as Yori prepared to leave his family behind and begin his journey into the Wildlands. The mood was somber, and silence lingered heavily throughout the small house.
Trella had prepared a large quantity of nuts and dried fruit for his journey. She had baked two extra loaves of bread which she wrapped carefully and placed in his worn knapsack. Having never spent any time in the forests, Yori had no idea which plants might be edible. He vaguely remembered picking berries with his mother when he was very young, but he had no idea which kind they were. With his luck, he would find something poisonous and make himself sick. The provisions his aunt had provided for him would seem like a feast in the dense forest.
Though he would be late opening his shop, Ren had decided to see Yori off that morning. “I have some traveling advice for you,” he said as Yori finished packing his knapsack. “There is a good possibility you’ll run into this war between the king and the elves. The best way to avoid it is to travel south near the borders of Al’marr. They are not at war, and there are no rumors suggesting they have the intention of joining one. Your mother once told me the Sycamores live near the bank of the Blue River just north of Al’marr. If they’re still there, that will be your safest road.”
Yori nodded, digesting the information. His uncle’s advice seemed sound. If he traveled near Al’marr’s border, he would spend less time lost in the woods. He had no idea how to navigate through a dense forest and feared he would end up walking in circles. The road to Al’marr is clearly marked as one heads south. From there, he could only hope that the route to the river was marked as well. Even if it wasn’t, he still felt safer being near civilization.
“I would also advise you to hide your ears near human settlements and uncover them when you’re in the woods. Hopefully that will save you some trouble along the way.” Ren shook his head, his expression troubled. “Do you know anything about surviving in the woods?”