Light Chasers: A Novel of Lasniniar

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

On the Run

Valanandir struggled with the pain of his injuries. He followed in Iadrawyn’s wake as she led him through the forest. As she had predicted, the light faded as time wore on. Eventually, it was safe to remove their blindfolds. They spoke seldom as they walked through the ancient trees that were now in full foliage, with broad, green leaves.

They followed no clear path, but weaved between the trees in an easterly direction. Iadrawyn left often to backtrack and lay false trails for their pursuers to follow. When she returned, she led Valanandir onward as quickly as he could follow, trying to make good time while there was still light. Valanandir stumbled along behind her, his injuries throbbing.

His face was painfully swollen from Eruvalion’s vicious attack, and his chest and abdomen were mottled with bruises. His left ankle was tender, making him grimace in pain with every step. The only thing that kept him going was Iadrawyn’s presence. She had sacrificed everything to help him escape after knowing him for only a few days. He didn’t want to let her down. If he had run away on his own, he would have long since collapsed in defeat.

When Iadrawyn slowed her brisk pace, he nearly wept with relief. She began looking around for something. Curious, he followed her movements, but could see nothing unusual. Finally, she seemed to spot what she was looking for.

“Over here,” she said. They were the first words either of them had spoken for the last few hours. She led him toward one of the ancient trees. Its trunk was enormous. It was surrounded by low bushes. Iadrawyn pushed one aside to reveal a hollow in the tree’s base. Drawing her knife, she crouched and went inside. After a few moments, she emerged looking satisfied.

“This is one of my shelters. I almost missed it. These bushes didn’t have leaves before, but they will help protect us now. I was afraid an animal might have taken it for shelter, but it is undisturbed. We will rest here for the night.” She gestured for him to enter.

Valanandir crouched and walked through the dark entrance. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust. It was large enough for two people to fit somewhat comfortably. There was a wrapped bundle leaning against the inner wall of the tree. Valanandir took a closer look. It was basic survival gear, presumably left by Iadrawyn. He admired her forethought.

Iadrawyn’s face appeared in the opening. “Make yourself comfortable, but please do not make a fire. This shelter isn’t made for it, and we will need to keep a cold camp if we want to avoid being found. I will be back soon.” With that, she disappeared, leaving him on his own.

Valanandir unpacked his bedroll and blankets, making himself comfortable in one half of the shelter. He groaned as he settled on the ground, leaning his back against the inside of the trunk. He pulled off his left boot with a hiss. The ankle was definitely swollen. It felt good to have it out of his cracked, water-damaged boot. He took a deep breath and tried to relax.

It was almost completely dark inside the tree, but it was dry and warm. The bushes outside created a natural windbreak. Other than its small size, it was the perfect shelter. If Iadrawyn hadn’t pointed it out, he would have never known it was there. He pulled some berries and dried meat from his pack and allowed his thoughts to wander as he ate, washing them down with water from his waterskin.

Outside, the light was beginning to fade, becoming a strange, fiery color before fading to the familiar velvet darkness. What had happened to create such a phenomenon? According to Iadrawyn, the light would reappear in several hours’ time. Valanandir could understand why her people were afraid. He knew his own tribe was probably experiencing the same fear of the unknown, as were all the creatures of Ralvaniar. He didn’t know what the source of the strange light could be, but he found it unlikely anyone was the deliberate cause behind it. What would be the purpose? It was a mystery. One that he and Iadrawyn would try to solve.

The adventurer in him was excited by the prospect. He was selfishly glad she had come with him. Not only did he enjoy her presence, but he knew he wouldn’t survive long on the mainland without her. They had some sort of connection he couldn’t explain. He knew she must sense it too. She could have easily left him behind, or suggested they go separate ways after freeing him. His thoughts formed an unbidden echo of Eruvalion’s words: They belonged together. Valanandir shuddered at the intensity of his realization and tried to push it away.

He was startled from his thoughts by the sudden reappearance of Iadrawyn in the entrance of the shelter. His eyes pierced the darkness to scrutinize her expression. She appeared tired, but calm.

“I have cleared the area of any traces of our passing and laid false trails elsewhere. The village will send trackers after us. I have long thought myself the best tracker in my tribe. Now we will see.” She unslung her pack from her shoulder and began to set up her half of the shelter.

“Did you find signs of anyone following us?”

“No. I don’t think anyone from my village would travel during the light hours. They will have discovered our disappearance by now though. It won’t take long for them to organize search parties. They will use the dark hours for tracking. We will need to sleep in shifts.” She pulled some food and water from her pack and settled across from him. Their knees were almost touching in the small space.

“You think there’s a chance they might find us?” Valanandir’s heart gave a leap of fear at the prospect. During his captivity, he had protested his innocence. The Wood Elves hadn’t believed him to begin with, and fleeing wouldn’t help his case if they were caught.

“No, but I would rather err on the side of caution. If they are clever, they will know I can disappear in the woods easily, and will use organized search parties in addition to trackers. They might stumble on our hiding place if they are persistent.” Iadrawyn’s voice was calm, but her words alarmed him.

“What will they do if they capture us?”

“My brother thought there was a chance my people would have killed you once they worked up the courage to do it. I am not so sure. No elf has ever killed another. It is taboo. But they could still find a way for someone else to do their dirty work if they were convinced we are truly evil. The drakhal emissary made an impression on them. My guess is they would hand us over to him. It is possible that even now they are requesting his help in their search.” Iadrawyn shuddered at the thought.

Valanandir had never seen a drakhal up close before, having only attacked them from a safe distance at sea, but he had heard the stories. Now one might be hunting them. He felt a chill go through him at the thought and winced as a fresh stab of pain shot up from his ankle.

“Your ankle is hurt? Why didn’t you tell me?” Iadrawyn was already unpacking her medical supplies.

“It only seemed a little tender when we left the village. I didn’t know how bad it was.”“If you are injured, I need to know,” she said as she gently rubbed some herbs onto the skin around his ankle before binding it. Whatever the herbs were, they felt cool and tingly. “We need to be able to rely on each other, which means being aware of all our strengths and weaknesses.”

“I’m sorry,” Valanandir said, chagrined. “It won’t happen again.”

“Good.” Iadrawyn sat back on her heels. “I should have noticed you were injured, but I was too wrapped up in what I was doing. I am not used to traveling with others. I will try to pay more attention. Now try to get some rest. I will take the first watch.” Packing her supplies, she leaned against the trunk.

Valanandir didn’t argue, knowing it would be foolish to do so. He curled up under his blanket, lying so he was facing Iadrawyn. It felt comforting to go to sleep knowing she was within arm’s length. All his cuts and bruises stung and ached, but he was so exhausted from his ordeal that it wasn’t long before sleep claimed him. The last thing he saw before closing his eyes was Iadrawyn’s still form in the darkness.

A soft touch on his shoulder startled Valanandir awake. A hand clamped over his mouth, preventing him from making any sound. Iadrawyn’s face in front of him gradually became clear to his sleep-fogged eyes. Once she saw she had his attention, she pulled her hand away, putting a finger to her lips.

She wanted him to be silent, but she didn’t seem nervous or panicked. Was anyone nearby? He jerked his head toward the entrance of the shelter to indicate his unspoken question. Iadrawyn shook her head, but put her finger to her lips once more before taking both index fingers and placing them against her upper lip, pointing downward, like fangs.

A chill ran down Valanandir’s spine. Drakhal. If one was hunting them, they must be as silent as possible. Darkness was the natural element of the drakhalu. As Iadrawyn settled down to sleep, the only sound was Valanandir’s own breathing, which seemed loud to him. He strained for the sound of anyone outside, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. He heard nothing unusual. A breeze whispered through the trees, and an owl hooted somewhere nearby.

Valanandir forced himself to relax. Although he wasn’t as familiar with the woods as Iadrawyn, he knew the creatures of the forest would have become silent if an intruder were near. He forced his breathing to slow and relaxed against the wall of their shelter. As he calmed himself, he began to notice other sounds, such as the almost inaudible rhythm of Iadrawyn’s breathing. He could barely make out her sleeping form in the darkness of the shelter. He felt the surge of strange feelings that were starting to become familiar every time he looked at her.

What did they mean? Although they had only known each other for days, it seemed like a lifetime had passed since he had been shipwrecked. Not for the first time, he found himself missing his home.

Arindaria almost seemed like a dream. Valanandir wondered if he would ever see the island again. Doubtless, his people assumed him dead, along with the rest of the elves who had formed the doomed expedition. Although he had no regrets about where he was now, he did wish Numril was around to talk to. He missed his friend’s steady presence, and wondered what he would make of Iadrawyn.

The first few hours of Valanandir’s shift passed uneventfully. Although he strained to hear signs of passage, the forest seemed quiet. His original nervousness eventually gave way to boredom. He caught himself nodding off a few times and forced his eyes to stay open. Beside him, Iadrawyn seemed deeply asleep.

Valanandir’s eyelids were growing heavy once more and his head was beginning to droop, when some small sound in the distance jerked him back to alertness. He stayed perfectly still, listening. A long, unnatural silence followed for several moments. Valanandir began to think he might have imagined the disturbance when he heard something even closer. It was the sound of footsteps and voices. His hand snaked over to grasp Iadrawyn’s shoulder, gently shaking her awake while the other pulled out his knife.

Iadrawyn awoke quickly, sitting up to listen with him. The footsteps drew closer and the voices became clear enough to understand.

“They cannot have made it this far from the village.” It was a male voice, speaking the Elven Tongue. Valanandir looked across the shelter to see Iadrawyn stiffen.

“Eruvalion thinks she might have. Besides, you know she spent all her time in the woods. She always was a little odd, if you ask me.” The second voice belonged to a woman.

“Up until he brought in the prisoner, you wouldn’t have given Eru’s opinion a second thought. The man is obsessed, and more than a little off balance where my sister is concerned. Why are we even listening to him?”

“Your father and brother seem to agree with him.”

“Yes, well this whole thing has made everyone a little off balance. I still don’t see why we need to search all the way out here. We’ve already sent a messenger to the drakhalu. They’re much more suited to this kind of hunt than we are. Even Iadrawyn would be hard-pressed to elude them.”

“Eruvalion says—”

“I don’t care what Eruvalion says! We’re far from the village, and it will be light again soon. Do you want to be caught out here when that happens?”

There was a pause as the elf woman considered. The male voice continued, showing no mercy.

“Very well. Since you are so determined to impress Eruvalion, you stay out here by yourself and keep looking until the darkness fades. I’m going back to the village while I can still see.” There was some rustling as he presumably turned to leave.

“Wait! You can’t leave me alone out here… Who knows what might happen when the light returns and we’re this far from the village!” There was more rustling as the second speaker ran after the first. After a few moments, both were gone and silence returned.

Valanandir looked over at Iadrawyn to see her reaction. She seemed lost in thought. Eventually, she noticed his inquiring gaze. She gave him an apologetic look, shook her head and lay back down to sleep. She was right. There still could be drakhalu out there. It was too dangerous to speak. He just hoped she would tell him what was bothering her when the light returned.

They started out once more as soon as the sky was light. Valanandir’s ankle was stiff, but considerably better than it had been the day before. Although he was still curious about what had happened during the dark hours, he waited for Iadrawyn to bring it up. He didn’t have long to wait.

“One of the searchers last night was my brother, Eranalfia.” Valanandir nodded. The male speaker had named her as his sister.

She took a deep breath and continued. “He was the one who helped me escape. He came to me and warned me what would happen to us if I waited. My father is a councilor. He is always concerned with the opinions of others. I have been an embarrassment for too long with my solitary ways.” Her words were bitter.

“He was the one who interrogated me,” Valanandir said as he made the connection.

“Who, Eranalfia?”

“No, your father.”

Iadrawyn sighed. “At any rate, my father wasn’t going to do anything to help me. He was too concerned with saving his reputation. My other brother, Linlevni, is no better. He wants to follow in my father’s footsteps. My mother does whatever my father asks. She would never do anything against his wishes.”

“And now your other brother is also hunting us. Why would he do that if he helped you escape?”

Iadrawyn shook her head as she walked. “No, he wasn’t hunting us. He was trying to help us.” Iadrawyn saw Valanandir’s look of confusion and continued. “Of all my family, Eranalfia is the only person I have ever allowed near any of my hidden shelters. When we were younger, we would play together here. It’s how I found this place. He knows we’re fleeing the forest, and his tracking skill is only second to my own. He probably got himself assigned to this area on purpose. Didn’t you notice how he was convincing the other elf to give up the search? And the way he was letting us know what was happening back at the village?”

Valanandir thought back to the night before. “You’re right.” He considered the situation further. “Wait. If he is helping us, why didn’t he escape with us?”

“Eranalfia loves the village. As much as he is against what is happening, he didn’t want to leave. He doesn’t understand the allure of being alone and free. He’s not like me. No one is.” Iadrawyn spoke the last statement softly, as if to herself.

Valanandir wished he knew what to say to banish her sorrow. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry.” He knew the words fell short, but they were all he had to offer.

Iadrawyn gave him a small smile. “This is not your fault. It would have happened eventually one way or the other. Keep moving eastward. I’m going to cover our tracks.” She disappeared into the trees, leaving him to continue alone.

By the end of the day, Valanandir was stumbling from fatigue and the pain of his throbbing ankle. The light was fading to that deepening red he was starting to connect with the coming darkness. He looked up to realize they had reached the edge of the forest. The trees thinned, giving way to the open grassland beyond. Valanandir could make out the rolling hills of Vila Eadros in the distance. Until now, they had only been a name on a map to him. After being in the woods for so long, the absence of trees seemed strange and discomforting.

“What now?” he asked as Iadrawyn appeared at his side. She seemed lost in thought, her eyes fixed on their destination. He gently touched her arm to get her attention.

She turned her green gaze to him, startled from her reverie. “We make camp in the forest for one more night.”

“Is that wise?”

“We won’t make it very far before it gets dark. There is no place to hide out there and I am not familiar with the area. The fewer nights we spend out in the open, the better.” Her brow creased in a frown.

“What is it?”

“I don’t have a shelter nearby. I have never come this close to the eastern border before.” She looked up as she spoke, scanning the trees.

“They will probably double their efforts to find us after coming up empty handed last night,” Valanandir said. “Where can we hide?”

Iadrawyn met his gaze. “Can you climb?”

Valanandir forced his eyes shut, willing sleep to come. He was cradled between two branches, close to the trunk of an oak tree. The ground seemed very far below. Iadrawyn had scrambled up first, as lightly as a squirrel, bringing a rope with her for Valanandir to climb. Now it was her turn to keep watch while he slept, but the discomfort of being so high up and the sporadic rustling of the leaves in the breeze made sleep impossible.

Giving up, Valanandir opened his eyes. Iadrawyn appeared completely comfortable sitting on a limb next to him, her legs dangling. She sat with her back against the trunk of the tree, staring out into the darkness. While she watched, she busied herself with replaiting the small braids scattered through her long, raven hair. Her nimble fingers moved in a steady rhythm, almost like a dance. Valanandir found his eyelids growing heavy as he watched the hypnotic movement.

A hand gripped his arm, jerking him to alertness. It felt as if only moments had passed since he had closed his eyes. He looked from the white-knuckled hand to its owner. Iadrawyn’s eyes were wide with fear. With her other hand, she pointed downward.

Valanandir shifted ever so slowly to look down. At first he saw nothing. Then a shadow of movement caught his eye. The creature was elf-shaped, but its movements were furtive, almost like those of an animal. Valanandir’s bowels turned to ice.

Drakhal.

The creature was almost doubled over, its face pressed close to the ground. Despite Iadrawyn’s efforts to mask their trail, it appeared to have followed them somehow. Valanandir had heard legends the drakhalu could follow the scent of their victims’ blood without it ever being spilled. He had always wondered if it were true. Now it seemed he would learn the answer.

The drakhal drew closer to the tree that sheltered them, presumably drawn by their invisible scent. Valanandir’s fingers gripped the rough bark of his perch so tightly, it cut into his palms. Although he wanted to look over at Iadrawyn for reassurance, he didn’t dare move for fear of creating some small sound that would draw the dark creature’s attention upward.

The drakhal circled the base of the tree. Valanandir’s breath was coming fast now. He couldn’t seem to get enough air. Iadrawyn was frozen in place on the branch beside him. The drakhal meandered below, following an invisible trail. Its lithe movements were hypnotic. Soon it would find them and it would be over.

Valanandir eased his knife from his belt. Even though he knew it was hopeless, he wouldn’t go down without a fight. If he could keep the creature’s attention focused on him, perhaps Iadrawyn could escape. It was the best he could hope for.

The drakhal put its hand against the trunk of the tree. It was just about to look up when a sudden gust of wind seemed to rise from nowhere, swirling around the tree several times before heading in a southwesterly direction. Valanandir pushed his hair aside and looked over at Iadrawyn. Her hair was tangled and she looked just as surprised as he was. Her eyes dropped back downward to watch what was happening below. Valanandir’s gaze followed.

The shadowed form of the drakhal had gone tense, its head raised to catch the breeze. It gave the ground another sniff before smelling the air once more. It took a few steps in the direction of the wind before returning to the tree, appearing confused. Valanandir held his breath, not daring to believe something so simple as a breeze might save them.

There was a rustle of leaves below to the west. The drakhal’s head swiveled to follow the movement. Presumably it was some woodland creature, or one of the Wood Elf search parties, but combined with the change of scent direction, it must seem suspicious.

The drakhal froze for several moments in indecision. The rustling started again, this time from a more southerly direction. Its mind made up, the drakhal left the tree to follow the sound. Valanandir slowly exhaled, unable to believe their good fortune. He closed his eyes in relief.

A tapping on his thigh got his attention. Valanandir opened his eyes to see Iadrawyn miming that it was her turn to sleep. Valanandir nodded and she leaned back against the tree trunk, closing her eyes. Between their uncomfortable perch and what had just happened, he didn’t know how she would be able to sleep, but within moments her breathing slowed. She must have been exhausted from leading him and constantly doubling back to cover their trail. Her face had gone lax and her lips parted slightly. Even in sleep she was beautiful. He watched her until light filled the sky.