The next morning he rose before the rest of the family and slowly made his way to the smithy. Outside the entrance, someone had dumped a pile of horse manure. A gift from my wealthy friend, no doubt, Yori thought, remembering the man who had accused him of conspiring with the elves.
He proceeded through the door to light the furnace. Nothing inside the shop appeared to have been disturbed, so he went about his work as usual. He used the coal shovel to clean up the mess out front and carried it over to the woods to dump it. He thought he heard voices coming from the treetops, and he hurried back to the shop. If there were elves in those trees, he didn’t want to be seen anywhere near them. He hoped they were only there to have a look at the town and nothing more. He feared how the citizens might treat him if a second attack took place.
When Ren finally arrived at the shop, Yori placed the finished sword in front of him. It was the finest work he had ever done, and he was quite proud of it. It was rare for him to work on any sword, let alone one crafted for a nobleman. It was more a showpiece than a weapon for the man who would be receiving it. Staining such a beautiful item with blood would be a shame.
“This is very good, Yori,” Ren said as he turned the sword over in his hands. “I’m sure our customer will be pleased.” After a moment, he added, “You can take it to him at the palace.”
“Me?” Yori said, stunned.
“Yes, you. It couldn’t hurt to have you away from town for a few days.”
“I’ve never been there before. I don’t even know where it is.” Yori did not like the idea of travel, especially alone. He had never been anywhere but Enald, and he had no desire to leave.
“I’ll give you directions. If the weather is good, it will only take you a couple of days to walk there.” Ren looked at Yori, who was obviously still unsettled by the idea. “Look,” he began. “It won’t be that bad. The palace district is very large and full of lots of different people. Just hide your ears like you always do, and no one will notice the difference. If no one there knows about your parentage, you won’t be treated any differently. You’re tall enough that no one will suspect a thing.”
Ren made a valid point. Except for Yori’s ears, no part of him appeared elfish. Perhaps in the palace district he would be treated like an average human. The thought gave him a small amount of courage, and he nodded his acceptance. Though he was still unsure about traveling, he would try to make the best of it.
“When will I leave?” he asked.
“You can head out tomorrow,” Ren replied. “Maybe I’ll get a bonus for finishing early.”
Yori nodded and carried on performing his chores for the day. He would need to have the sword polished and glowing before he wrapped it up for travel. The thought of carrying back coin did not sit well with him. He hoped the roads were safe for travelers and tried to remember any recent rumors of crime or bandits. Nothing recent came to mind, and he was grateful for it. With a great amount of effort, he pushed the following day’s task from his mind and focused on the work before him. He couldn’t bear to think about the look in Meladee’s eyes when he would tell her he was leaving. The poor little girl would probably be devastated. For now, he would focus on his work and forget about the day ahead.
Chapter 5
The elf woman staggered blindly through the forest. She hoped she had chosen the right direction, but the severe throbbing in her head and blood running into her eyes had muddled her mind. Her strength was failing, and she did not know if she would reach her kinsmen before collapsing. As if by some miracle, an elven village came into view.
“Help me, please!” she cried with all her strength. Despite her best efforts, her voice sounded no louder than a whisper. Finally someone spotted her, called to the others who were close at hand, and ran in her direction. The red-haired elf caught her just before she hit the ground.
“I’ve got her,” Reylin said to his companions. “I’ll carry her back to town. Go and fetch Doni.”
Reylana caught sight of her brother as he carried the wounded elf to the center of the village. Doni, the healer, rushed out of his hut to meet them. Reylin placed the woman on a low wooden bench and looked in Doni’s eyes. They did not look hopeful, and Reylin feared she would not survive.
“What happened to her?” Reylana asked as she approached.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Reylin shot back, his hazel eyes fierce. “Humans attacked her. They probably killed everyone in her village.”
“Where is she from?” Reylana asked, kneeling at the woman’s side and taking her hand. She had lost consciousness, but perhaps the small comfort of a friendly touch could soothe her.