The Chronicles of Trivo: Phoenix Ranger, Ch. 1

This is an ongoing work of fantasy by John Beechem.

Chapter 1

Trivo was an elven Phoenix Ranger, quite capable with sword and bow, able to follow a goblin’s tracks for hundreds of leagues without tiring. He had earned a small fortune in bounties during the past few years as part of the Phoenix Guild, and planned to keep earning for years to come. The forests of Tyrn teemed with goblins, as tensions escalated in the kingdom’s borderlands. This caused the coffers of the Phoenix Guilt to overflow, as the Tyrnish crown had grown to rely on the Rangers for assistance in eliminating the elves’ enemies by hunting down renegade bands who traveled near Tyrnish territory. Trivo had been charged by his superiors to assassinate a goblin lieutenant named Asturk Blackheart and brought his young apprentice, Elaina, to fight alongside him.

Elaina was once a Ghost Thief, but had joined the Rangers in exchange for a quick release after pick-pocketing an influential Tyrnish noble. Far from the walls of Tyrn now, Elaina followed Trivo through the forest as he examined each bent twig and hoof print for signs of the Black Hand caravan that was traveling through the forest. The Black Hand was a powerful goblin clan, and Asturk Blackheart was rumored to be smuggling weapons through the Tyrnish forest into goblin territory. Elaina had heard rumors about the Black Hand, describing them as fierce, relentless warriors who resented the elves for slowing expanding their territory into ancestral goblin lands.

She nearly bumped into Trivo as he stopped abruptly to examine a piece of fabric that had been caught in one of the bushes.

“It’s silk,” Trivo stated.

Elaina examined it. It was a small, blue fragment, about the size of her hand. It had small green stitches near one of its edges. “I bet this came from Tyrn,” she told him. “Only a noble or merchant could afford something this elegant, ever since the goblin raids began disrupting the silk trade.”

“Aye. I wonder what such a wealthy person could be doing so far from the city. Gods help us if the nobility are involved. We’ll have to keep our wits about us,” Trivo warned.

Elaina struggled to keep up with Trivo who ran at an even faster pace now. They departed from the main road they had been following, and now kept to one of the nearby trails. Trivo knew these paths extremely well, as he had been traveling them for most of his two hundred fifty years. Elaina, much more familiar with the city of Tyrn, struggled to keep up with Trivo so that she would not fall behind and get lost. She was breathing heavily, although it looked as if Trivo had barely broken a sweat.

“A few more leagues at this pace and you’ll be in fine shape, Elaina. We are almost there!”

Elaina grit her teeth, and began to run even faster, keeping up with Trivo as he ducked beneath tree limbs and kicked up dirt from his boots. Suddenly, he stopped, and she nearly tripped over her own feet to avoid running into him.

“Quick, into the trees. Ready your bow. Cover me from above,” Trivo ordered.

Elaina obeyed. She grabbed onto a low hanging limb from a great maple tree and climbed up ten feet above the ground. Despite the density of the limbs, she still had a view of the road. She straddled one of the limbs with her legs in order to avoid falling, locked her ankles, took the bow that rested on her torso above her cloak, and drew an arrow from the quiver tied to her waist. Phoenix Rangers traveled well-armed in the field, but usually wore light, leather armor to pursue their bounties more easily. Elaina saw Trivo crouch to the ground as he put his ear to the road. His ear picked up the sounds of hooves coming quickly, and he called to Elaina, “They are almost here! Stay hidden for as long as you can.”

For a few minutes, Elaina did so. She heard and eventually saw a carriage carried by two horses quickly approaching. A battle worn goblin in chain mail, armed with a savage battle axe was at the reins. He looked at Trivo grimly, and blood trickled down his face from a cut above his eye.

“Halt!” Trivo demanded.

The carriage driver came to a stop. He dismounted, and grasped his bloodied axe in his hands. The goblin’s chain mail hung over metal plate greaves and Trivo noticed that they had seen action recently. The plates were dented, and the mail was torn in places. His armor was stained black, a technique the Blackheart clan used to make its warriors stealthy at night. He came up to Trivo’s chest, but met his gaze with a proud stance. Goblins were shorter than elves, usually standing between four and five feet. They made up with their lack of height with a relatively muscular build, and were formidable opponents. This one seemed to be no exception. “You’ll have to speak to my chief, though I’m sure he’ll give me permission to kill one more elf today,” the goblin rumbled.

The door of the carriage opened, and a taller goblin in ornate, black plate mail with a two handed sword in a sheath strapped to his waist stepped to the ground.

“What is the meaning of this, guildsman?” the goblin demanded to know.

“Asturk. You are hereby under arrest by authority of King Laertes for trespassing into elven territory, smuggling weapons, and wanton destruction of our forests. Surrender now, or face me,” Trivo declared.

“I thought it would come to this,” Asturk replied, as he reached into the carriage and brought forth a trembling, crying, blind folded, elven maiden and put a dagger to her throat. Her silk dress was torn at the sleeve, and her wrists were bound. “She was with her father’s entourage as they ambushed us near Hel’Fiad, and we’ve taken her as recompense. Let us pass or the brat dies.”

Before Trivo could respond, Elaina let loose an arrow from her perch in the trees, and it struck Asturk in his arm. She cursed. She had been aiming for the space between his eyes.

It was all the distraction Trivo needed, as he launched a dagger that had been in a sheath tied to his boot. It pierced the flesh of the hand the goblin had been using to hold his blade to the girl. Trivo charged, and Elaina jumped from her tree and landed on the ground. She took out a short sword that was tied to her waist, and then gave the carriage driver a menacing look. His black eyes narrowed, and he lunged toward her.

Elaina rolled backwards as the carriage driver made a heavy, downward strike with his axe, plowing the soft earth of the forest. She used the heavy pommel of her short sword to strike the goblin’s nose as hard as she could, and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

In the meantime, Trivo and Asturk clashed sword violently. Sparks flew as metal struck metal, each warrior’s face a fierce visage of hatred. Trivo’s long sword held Asturk at bay as he looked for an opening with a dagger he held in his left hand. Asturk struggled to swing his heavy sword with his uninjured hand, but was becoming exhausted. He slashed at Trivo, but the elf easily ducked beneath it. Trivo plunged his dagger into Asturk’s thigh, and then rolled to the side to avoid Asturk’s counter attack, a heavy, downward blow.

Elaina was quietly making her way to the other side of the carriage. She crept slowly around it and then found herself behind Asturk. She discovered a weak spot in his armor, gripped her short sword, and stabbed him in the back. Asturk, a look of shock and hatred frozen on his features, fell to the ground and Elaina could see Trivo looking at her, dismayed.

“I had him, Elaina. You didn’t need to interfere.”

“It must be the rogue in me. I’ll use any dirty trick to shorten a battle in our favor,” Elaina replied with a wink to her mentor.

Trivo sighed, and then took the blindfold off of the elven maiden who had crouched beneath the carriage during the battle. After he got her onto her feet, Elaina sliced through the cords that bound her wrists together. Trivo removed her blindfold.

“It’s all over. What is your name, my lady?”

“I am Celinda, daughter of Hektor, head of the house of Raven. Thank you for rescuing me, kind rangers,” she said and bowed humbly to Trivo.

Trivo blushed and spoke, “Such thanks is not necessary. The Phoenix Guild pays us well.”

Elaina grinned, recognizing Trivo’s embarrassment. Few of their assignments involved any form of thanks other than a pouch of coins or a hardy slap on the back from one of the senior members of the guild. She spoke and told Celinda, “This is my mentor Trivo, and I’m his charge, Elaina. Are you injured? Would you like some water?”

As Elaina and Celinda got to know each other, Trivo devoted his attention to other matters, and the first thing he did was to awaken their goblin prisoner so that he could be interrogated. He approached the goblin, and kicked him swiftly in the gut. The goblin let out a sharp grunt, and stared up at Trivo in anger. The bright sun created a silhouette around Trivo’s figure, and the goblin squinted to make out the elf’s features. He could see the markings of the Phoenix Rangers on Trivo’s cloak, and felt himself being pulled up by his hair.

“What name was given to you, goblin?” Trivo asked. He released his grip of the goblin’s mane, and awaited an answer.

“I am Ithetuuk, warrior of the Black Hand,” the goblin answered.

“Where is the rest of Asturk’s caravan? The Rangers heard of a great force traveling through these woods.”

“This is all that’s left, thanks to that girl’s scheming father. After the elves attacked, our caravan was scattered, and many of my brethren fell in battle. Asturk and I barely made it out alive, but I guess it didn’t do him much good. Still, thanks to us, many elves will be meeting their ancestors tonight in the land of dark dreams,” Ithetuuk told him, with a grim grin upon his face. “My brothers’ spirits have been avenged.”

“I guess you’d better cooperate with us then, since there’s nobody left to avenge you. I know this girls’ father, Hektor. He is ambitious, and your story of ambush and bloodshed may have some truth to it. The man’s greed nearly cost him his daughter. Unfortunately, no bounty has been posted for your head. Therefore, you’ll return to Tyrn with us. The Phoenix Guild will decide your fate.

After binding Ithetuuk’s wrists behind his back in some interlocking metal bracelets, the group traveled far into the woods of Tyrn, away from the goblin frontier. They passed small hamlets and crossed bubbling brooks, seeing many curious young elven lads who had heard stories of the Rangers. They watched excitedly as the company passed by. The young ones hurled insults to Ithetuuk, obviously excited to see a goblin prisoner up close. The older elves merely shook their heads at the sight of the prisoner, still weary from battles long ago. Trivo lead the group in stern silence, making sure nobody tried to harm their captive. Elaina and Celinda walked a few paces behind, and spoke at length, for neither had met someone outside of their own class.

Endlessly curious, Elaina asked, “What is the court like? Is it true the king feats on dragon during the Yule day, and that griffons are kept as pets for the little ones?”

Celinda laughed. “I don’t think dragon would suit the king’s palette too much. He’s not one for spicy foods. Griffons don’t like to be indoors much either, though I’ve heard one of the Robin House has tamed one and uses it for a steed.”

“How wonderful!” Elaina exclaimed beaming. “Trivo can barely ever supply us with a lame mule, much less a griffon.”

“Beats of burden soften the belly and dull the feet!” Trivo called from ahead.

“The truth is Trivo’s much too stingy!” Elaina told Celinda, and both began to laugh.

“Tell me about the Phoenix Guild,” Celinda told Elaina. “Much is said about them in court, and not all of it is good. My own stubborn father has a bit of a grudge against them. Do you know why this is?”

“Nobles used to make a lot of money by defending the Tyrnish frontier against the goblins. However, as the goblins grew in strength and numbers, the nobles began to hire members of the Phoenix Guild to defend areas that they considered too dangerous, or couldn’t squeeze enough profit from. Eventually, the people of the outposts decided they liked the members of the Guild a lot more, and the nobles were in far less demand. Since no war has broken out, the Guild is able to defend most of the outposts by themselves. Nobles like your father, who once made a great deal of money from the defense of those towns and villages, have much less money coming in from the frontier to fill their coffers.”

“That explains a great deal. My father sees me as a child, and refuses to discuss matters of business with me. It feels good to be taken seriously. How were you able to learn so much?” she asked.

“As Trivo’s charge, he makes me go to a bunch of boring meetings at the Guild, and I have to take notes. Most mentors don’t do that, and are eager to get away from their charges after we’re through with physical training. If you ask me,” Elaina spoke in a hushed tone, “I think it’s because he doesn’t altogether trust me yet. He still wants to keep an eye on me most of the time.”

“Don’t you find that tiresome?” Celinda asked.

“Of course,” Elaina told her, “but I can’t blame him. It’s quite a responsibility for him to have taken on a former Ghost Thief as an apprentice.”

Celinda’s eyes widened. She had heard much about the thieves from the others at court, and most described them as a wicked, greedy, nefarious bunch of ruffians. However, most of the bards’ tales surrounding them spoke of stolen noble property being sold to support those of the poorest sections of Tyrn. The truth, Celinda decided, was probably somewhere in the middle. Although she had heard stories of the thieves which cast them as ruthless butchers, she had worked closely enough with the poor to know that many thieves were just people who had fallen on hard times, and chosen to make to make money outside of the law. Philanthropy was a tradition of the wealthy Raven house, and its execution was one of the few tasks Hektor entrusted to his daughter. Her experiences with the poor gave her a broader view of poverty than most nobles.

After a few more leagues of travel, Celinda, Elaina, Trivo, and Ithetuuk entered the great city of Tyrn. Sparkling white marble from the great palaces dazzled their eyes, reflecting the evening sun. They walked on cobble stones through many poor neighborhoods and finally to the Guild Hall. Celinda and Elaina waited as Ithetuuk was delivered to the Guild’s prisons, and Trivo negotiated a price for the goblins’ bounties. He was able to receive four hundred silver schillings, one hundred of which he would have to share with Elaina. If she could hold onto a few of these until our next assignment, Trivo thought grimly, she could have more of their next bounty. Trivo knew that as poor as Elaina had been most of her life, she was never used to having much money, and tried to give her some advice on how to manage it. Elaina had yet to take his advice, unfortunately.

Trivo, Elaina, and Celinda parted ways at the House of Raven. Celinda said goodbye to Elaina and Trivo, and gave them both some kind words about how much she hoped to see the two of them again. She told the pair to try to find her if they ever had reason to attend court. Some harsh words were spoken between Hektor and Trivo at the door to the grand estate, and Elaina knew Trivo was not negotiating a reward. Hektor was a stern man with a sharp nose and chin. The silver robes of the nobles matched his steel gray hair.

“I’ll be bringing this matter up before the council!” Trivo promised. “The Guild will support my case and your king will agree. You had no reason to tread on the Rangers’ jurisdiction or put your daughter in danger!”

“I don’t have to answer to you or your ruffian friends. I am a powerful noble, Ibasti! Do not forget that!” Hektor cried before slamming the door in Trivo’s face.

Trivo stood in front of the door, puzzled for a moment. Then he turned to Elaina. “Up for a drink?”

“Always, Trivo. You never have to ask me twice.”

Trivo smiled. Elaina was barely one hundred stones, but she drank more than some elves twice her size. Trivo did not know how she managed it. The Ghost Thieves were well known for their involvement in and enjoyment of bootlegged wine, so Trivo imagined she had lots of practice.

“I’m proud of how you handled yourself today, Elaina. You never showed any fear against those goblins, and you did a lot to comfort poor Celinda. Here’s what’s coming to you,” he said with a wink and tossed her a small pouch full of her earnings. “Try not to drink all of it tonight.”

“You only say that because you know you can’t keep up!” Elaina said, and they both began laughing.

* * * * *

Elaina and Trivo stepped into the Barley Hall, a great tavern with an inn, the Red Rooster, next door. Elves mingled with human traders, dwarven mercenaries, and all kinds of revelers. Trivo welcomed a chance to relax, and took a deep breath of the smoke of dreamweed that hovered over the heads of the patrons. Elaina smiled and glanced at the wine bottles and barrels of barley malt behind the bar. Set up across the hall were long, wooden tables with stools and benches on both sides. To the left of the entrance, a small fire blazed, where some of the older patrons warmed their bones and roasted food on long skewers. It was a tremendous place, and it and other taverns like it were an important part of Tyrn’s community.

“Trivo! Who’s your pretty lass?” called a deep dwarven voice from a table in the middle of the hall.

“Steeven, it’s good to see you!” The elf and dwarf shook hands in greeting. “This is my new charge, Elaina. Elaina, this is Steeven, a dwarven mercenary who has collaborated with us Phoenix Rangers many times.”

“It’s good to meet you,” Elaina said with a smile.

“Aye! Well sit your skinny elven arses down, and get a drink.” Steeven made eye contact with one of the barmaids and signaled ‘Two more, here.’

An elven woman came over, holding four wooden jugs brimming with beer, and sat two down for Trivo and Elaina. She gave a nod to Steeven, and said “Here you go.”

“Thanks,” Steeven replied, and flipped a copper coin to her that she caught and put in her apron before grabbing her remaining drinks.

“Drink up! You’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

Elaina picked hers up, and drained almost all of it before placing it down again and letting out a conted sigh.

“Ha! She drinks like a Phoenix Ranger.”

Trivo smiled at his old friend. Steeven had burnt auburn hair that peeked out from a horned helmet. His beard was a slightly darker color, and came together in a circlet braided beneath. He wore a green tunic embroidered with a dwarven argyle pattern over a shirt of chain mail. Trivo noticed he was unencumbered by his battleaxe, which meant he must have already rented a room at the Rooster next door. His tan leggings mostly covered thick black boots, and a dagger peaked out of one, just in case a fight broke out. His blue cloak had been folded up, and laid on the table to make him a little cooler. Trivo grinned and his thoughts involved memories of old campaigns fought with Steeven.

“I think I’ll have a smoke,” Trivo said, taking a polite sip of his beer. He pulled a wooden pipe out of his pack, banged it against the table, and began packing it with his dried dreamweed. “Would you two care to join?”

“Aye, but I won’t let it slow down my drinking. Tell me, Elaina, have you learned a great deal from our man Trivo?”

“Yes, he’s a good mentor. He taught me how to shoot and how to swing a sword. I’ve tried to teach him how to pick a lock, but I’m afraid I don’t have his patience.”

“I’ve got a strong arm, but clumsy fingers, I’m afraid.” Trivo produced a long wooden stem, held it into a lantern on a table until it began to glow orange, then placed it over the pipe and smoked. He stomped the stem out in an ash tray, and passed the pipe to Steeven. The dwarf took it, and drew in as well. Each held their breath for a few seconds, exhaling simultaneously while beginning to laugh.

“Here, Elaina, try this. Dreamweed won’t pain you the next day like too much drink, but it’ll lift your spirits.”

“Elaina took a deep breath, but even though she tried to hold it in, the smoke left in a fit of coughing. She extinguished the fire in her lungs with the last of her beer and put the pipe down. “Disgusting.”

“An acquired taste to be sure,” Trivo replied, as he and Steeven began to pass the pipe back and forth. In the meantime, Elaina walked to the bar and ordered drinks for herself and Steeven who had both emptied their mugs.

After a bit more conversation, Steeven suggested another round. “I can’t,” Elaina told him. “I’m simply out of coin.” Trivo’s eyebrows raised, but he held his tongue. If it took the skill of a thief for Elaina to hold onto her money, so be it. Steeven did not want for anything. His success as a mercenary ensured that.

“Nonsense. You just want to stop drinking. A contest, then. I’m sure I can drink you under the table. The winner gets the honor of man or woman of the night,” Steeven declared.

Elaina winked at Trivo. “As long as it’s on your purse, I have no objections.”

Trivo smiled and finished his beer. Throughout the night, he watched, making sure nobody tried to take advantage of Elaina in her state. After a fierce bout of drinking, Elaina collapsed onto Trivo and began snoring.

“Victory!” Steeven yelled, and fell backwards onto a wooden bench. A group of elves and humans began laughing and clanking their mugs together. Trivo put Elaina’s arm around him, grabbed her waist, and walked the woman towards the inn.

The Chronicles of Trivo: Phoenix Ranger, Ch. 2

Chapter 2

When Elaina woke up the next morning, the blinding sun was entering the windows of the inn’s room. Trivo was lacing his boots quietly, and a cup of water was on the table beside him. The bed he’d slept it on the other side of the room was perfectly made.

Elaina, on the other hand, was a perfect mess. She still had her undergarments on, but her other clothes and equipment were in a messy pile beside her. Her breath stank of old barley malt, and her head pounded. Now she began to recall the night before. She’d become involved in a drinking contest with a dwarven warrior, Steeven Ironforge, the night before. She couldn’t remember whether she had won or not, but remembered she’d tricked him into buying all of the drinks for their binge. Poor Steev. Like most dwarves, he was easily manipulated. All one had to do was appeal to their warped sense of honor. Dwarves hated to lose fights or contests. They were stubborn folk, and prideful. She may have drank on the dwarf’s coin, but at least he’d have something to brag about to his friends today.

Of course, all of that revelry the night before now resulted in a sharp headache and a mouth as dry as the Dunes of Mephisto. “Trivo, do you have any of those potions you gave me the last time we earned a bounty?”

“You drank my last one, Elaina.”

“Coffee then.”

“Of course.”

Elaina was able to dress in privacy as Trivo fetched her coffee. Although less prudish than most elf women, Elaina still had a keen sense of modesty. As she dressed, she reflected on how much she’d changed since joining the Guild. She’d cleaned up her act a lot in the week’s she’d been with Trivo. No longer was she involved with her old boyfriend, Gaul, from the Ghost Thieves. Perfect wretch he’d been. He was a true scoundrel, and Elaina had been glad to rid herself of him. He’d been the one who introduced her to the drink, but even that she had been able to limit to the occasional rowdy celebration recently. The Phoenix Rangers had finally offered her a sense of direction. Promotions within the Guild were based on performance, not connections as in the Ghost Thieves.

Trivo knocked on the door and opened it slowly. He’d come up with a cup and saucer and placed it on the table. Elaina drank it quickly, ignoring the scalding, hot pain in her mouth and throat.

“Thanks, Trivo,” she said with a grimace as the coffee burned its way to her stomach.

Trivo gave her a rather strange look, one mixed with astonishment and horror, before he turned and began gathering the rest of their equipment. “We need to hurry, Elaina,” Trivo told her. “We have an audience before the King today. I’m going to plead with King Laertes to order Hektor to stop interfering with the Guild’s business. You’ll likely be a witness to our encounter with Asturk and Ithetuuk. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ithetuuk himself at the proceedings.”

“Celinda will be there too, of course…” Elaina said.

“Yes, of course.”

“Good,” Elaina said. “She’s a woman I can relate to. She’s not a snob like most of the nobility.”

“No, she’s quite friendly. I can’t imagine who she inherited her humility from. It’s good for us, though. The Guild could always use another friend with deep coffers and strong convictions. Come, we only have a few hours until our hearing at the palace.”

Elaina followed him, still adjusting straps and hooks on her leather armor as she went through the door.

* * * * *

Tyrn’s palace was constructed with imported dwarven marble, and sculpted for decades by calloused hands and strong arms. The forms of hundreds of ancient kings lined the walls of the palace and from the outside, a single tower rose above all others. For most of the year it pointed towards the constellation of Sylva, water Goddess and supreme deity of the elves. It was a marvelous place, one of the few remaining wonders in all of the elves’ lands. Elaina had never been inside the walls, and as she and Trivo entered, the girl was surprised to see that the inside was even more impressive than the outside. Crimson carpets imported from the Eastern lands covered the floors, and masterful portraits were hung on the walls. Armored knights walked through the halls, and well dressed bureaucrats argued loudly from their chambers. Fountains of nude water nymphs sculpted from polished stone bubbled cool waters from long reservoirs. Elaina decided she was well suited to enjoy a life of nobility.

Trivo was used to the palace. He had been called there about a dozen times to report on the Guild’s business, and was well liked by most of the palace staff. He wasn’t gruff or rude like many mercenaries, and had a countenance more often found in farmers than swordsmen. He received many smiles from a crowd of scribes and knights as he entered the audience chamber with Elaina and walked towards King Laertes’ thrown, where he met with those from other lands and citizens outside of the aristocracy.

The audience chamber resembled a court of law in some respects. The king sat elevated from the rest, his thrown on a platform with steps covered in red velvet leading towards it. Below him, a row of marble benches lined the back of the chamber with an aisle between them. A few feet in front of these benches were two oak tables furnished with quills and paper for those who wished to use them. Carvings embellished the legs of the table with scenes of dragons, griffons, swords, and stories from long ago that celebrated Tyrn’s history. Celinda and Hektor stood near the table facing the king’s left while the table on his right side was reserved for the Phoenix Guild.

Trivo and Elaina bowed graciously at the feet of Laertes. Taking the king’s hand in his own, Trivo kissed the ring, adorned with the royal crest, a five pointed star that represented Tyrn’s five provinces. “My king…” he uttered quietly.

“Rise Trivo,” Laertes told him. “There’s no need for such pleasantries today. We must get down to business.”

“Of course, sire.”

“This is your new charge? What did you say her name was?”

”Elaina, sire,” Trivo answered.

“A pleasure to meet you, my dear. Celinda told me about you as we awaited your arrival.”

“The pleasure is mine, King Laertes,” Elaina told him, still quite nervous. Hektor had been staring at her and Trivo through narrowed eyes since they entered the chamber. It took all of her effort to keep her voice steady. The audience chamber was a mixture of familiar and unfamiliar faces. In addition to the king, his retinue, and his bodyguards, Celinda stood near her father, and Ithetuuk, now in a prisoner’s drab gray tunic, stood bound in manacles next to a fierce looking bailiff.

“Now then. My chancellor has told me you have a complaint that you’d like to bring before your king,” Laertes said.

“Yes, sire. I have come to represent the Phoenix Guild. On the behalf of Guild Master Roan, I have requested an immediate withdrawal of all of Sir Hektor’s troops from the areas near Crystal Lake, Hardin’s Pass, and the village of Elmsbrooke. Sir Hektor has continually interfered with the protection of these areas by attacking goblin clans without informing the Guild, angering the goblin leaders, and even putting his own family at risk. The Guild has been charged with the defense of these areas, and until Hektor’s intrusion, was doing a very good job. The Guild expects the immediate removal of his troops.”

“Hektor, do you wish to answer these charges.”

“Yes, my lord. These territories have been in the realm of my family’s enterprises for centuries, and only recently has the Guild become a presence in the area. While Elmsbrooke and the surrounding area have hired the Guild to keep the goblins out, the Raven house still has a large stake in trading with those who live there. I have a right to protect my investments, and these attacks that Trivo speaks of are merely skirmishes fought to protect miners and timber men who work near a new quarry close to Elmsbrooke.

“Sire, I must object. Hektor’s new assets are on the very edge of Tyrn’s domain, and I doubt the Raven Mining and Timber Company have the restraint to keep themselves outside of goblin territory.”

“You have no proof of that,” Hektor replied.

“The prisoner is our proof,” Trivo asserted.

“Goblin Ithetuuk, where is your clan’s home?” asked Laertes.

“Our chief’s hall is in Hel’Fiad, though we roam throughout our woodlands, hunting game and protecting our territory.”

“In your campaigns, have you ever come in contact with Raven elves inside of goblin borders?”

“Many times,” Ithetuuk replied, “although I relished the chance to teach this proud elf a lesson. Just yesterday, a caravan I was guarding stumbled upon Hektor and his company, including his daughter, near the elven border.”

“How would you know where the border is?” Hektor asked. “Your clan ignores the treaties we have made with the goblins.”

“Treaties made with one clan do not bind the others. I obey my chief, and no one else.”

Trivo tired of this bickering. He hated dealing with the nobles, as he had come to discover they were entirely ignorant of military affairs or goblin politics. Trivo knew all about war and death. These nobles knew of nothing but wine, feast, and money. Trivo seethed as he listened. Hektor was completely undermining Trivo and the entire Guild. Trivo knew it. Hektor willfully manipulated anybody for a profit. Now he had to convince King Laertes. How many more lives, Trivo thought, must be lost for a bit of gold? It must end now, he decided to himself.

“Let’s hear from the others,” King Laertes suggested. “Celinda, how did you get involved in all of this?”

“I was with my father’s company in Elmsbrooke, distributing food to the villagers. The recent floods and conflicts with goblins have hurt the crops of the elves living in the area, and we had brought wagon loads of wheat and rice for the people. On our way home, I was dozing in the wagon when we stopped. I heard shouts and fighting, and looked out. My father’s men were battling a large force of goblins that were moving a wagon caravan through the forest. I did what I could, but was captured in the battle, and taken into Asturk’s wagon. I suspect he wanted to hold me for ransom,” Celinda explained. “A few hours later, Asturk stopped in the forest, and Trivo and Elaina battled with the goblins. They won, and brought me home,” she said, smiling to Trivo and Elaina.

“I see,” said Laertes. “Do you have anything to add, Elaina?”

“I was surprised to see just one wagon in Asturk’s caravan,” Elaina told him. “Trivo told me to expect a group of foes. Our plan was to hit and run, killing Asturk and then fleeing back into the woods. I’m glad we were able to rescue Celinda, but that wasn’t planned.”

“Sire, it’s obvious that Hektor is taking unnecessary risks by expanding his business interests so far into the goblin frontier. These lands have been dangerous ever since elves settled there, and any coin that comes from this territory has been paid for in blood. Let the Phoenix Guild secure these lands. When they are safe, the Raven Company is welcome to return and take advantage of its resources.”

“With all do respect, sire, I don’t need the Phoenix Guild’s protection or good wishes to keep my mines and mills operating. These peasants know nothing about what keeps our kingdom running. There is little evidence against me, except for the words of a goblin prisoner, a bounty hunter, and a former thief. I have nothing more to say. I’m sure you will come to a wise decision.”

“Yes, I suppose I must,” Laertes said. “I will announce my decision within a quarter of an hour, gentlemen. Elaina, Celinda…good day.”

* * * * *

After a few minutes of anxious waiting, King Laertes finally returned to his thrown room. He had a weary expression on his face. Everyone turned to face him at once and gave him their full attention.

“Ahem,” Laertes cleared his throat. “I have reached my final decision. It is obvious to me Sir Hektor and his knights unnecessarily disturbed the peace near Elmsbrooke by confronting Asturk’s caravan. From now on, all military activity made near the goblin frontier must be cleared by me or the Phoenix Guild. Only the Royal Army and the Phoenix Guild have any jurisdiction in those lands from this day forth. Any entrepreneurial enterprises must be approved by me. I assure you, only the most ill-conceived campaigns put forth by the nobility will be rejected. This decision is final.”

Hektor and his representatives from the Raven Company were infuriated. They began speaking loudly of Laertes' favoritism towards the mercenaries, and knew their own troops had been put on a short leash. Members of the Royal Army smiled appreciatively as did representatives of the Phoenix Guild who were in the audience. Trivo grinned and put his arm around Elaina’s shoulders. “You did very well today, Elaina. You spoke before the king just as calmly as any I’ve ever seen. Well done. Come, we must head to the Phoenix Guild to receive our next assignment.”

“Just a moment, Trivo,” Elaina replied. “Celinda, it was very good to see you again. I hope your father’s anger does not hurt our new friendship?”

“Of course not, Elaina. You have at least one friend in the House of Raven. Celinda looked up at Trivo and smiled. “Good luck.”

As Trivo left the thrown room, he looked towards Hektor. He saw the noble speaking with a dark, hidden figure in the shadows near the far end of the room. Hektor seemed quite angry, but the shadowed man was unperturbed. Trivo had an uneasy feeling as he looked towards them. As he left the room, it was impossible to keep from hearing contempt in the voices of the nobility for both the king and the Phoenix Guild. Trivo felt the trouble started the day before was just the beginning.

As he stepped into the light of the city, Trivo was struck by the simplicity of life outside the palace. Street vendors hawked their wares, farmers from the countryside carried sacks of food toward the market, and children played along the dusty roads that intersected the city. The common folk of Tyrn were hardworking, decent, and usually honest, if one did not consider the merchants. It was much easier for these poor, hardy folk to work together than the wisest, most wealthy nobility, generals, or kings. Sometimes as he walked these streets, Trivo longed for a simpler vocation, one filled with the sounds of harvest in the fields or the heat of the smithy. Sadly, any possibility of an easier life had vanished long ago. Trivo had chosen the way of the mercenary, the way of the sword, and once blood had been spilt, there was no turning back.

Trivo and Elaina finally entered the Guild’s noisy interior. Local citizenry spoke to the Guild’s agents as the sounds of mock battles could be heard from the arena. It was Roan’s idea to open the Guild to the public. Wooden swords crashed loudly, arrows entered straw dummies, and the sweat of the Guildsmen permeated the air. The crowd loved it.

“Trivo!” Roan called out. “I have heard of your success near Elmsbrooke and in the palace. Elaina, you have also been mentioned. I am pleased with your progress.”

“Thank you, Master Roan,” Elaina said blushing.

“Nonsense! I am sure you are much easier to handle than Trivo was for me,” he said laughing.

“That has yet to be seen, Master,” Trivo said with a smile of his own.

“Come into my chamber. We have much to discuss.”

Roan’s chambers were very cluttered. Papers were piled high on his desk. A sword leaned in its scabbard against a pile of armor. A dartboard on the wall featured Asturk’s picture over a bulls-eye. Cabinets overflowed, ink spilt, and a sense of order within disorder dominated the room.

“Trivo, I am worried about the nobility. They are becoming more and more open in their contempt for the Guild. I fear they are plotting against us.”

“I agree,” Trivo replied. “Sir Hektor worries me most of all. I thought he was leading the nobles, but today in the hall I saw him speaking to an unknown person hidden in the shadows. I fear this must be their true leader.”

“This news is troubling,” Roan told him. “Hektor is a thorn in our side, though quite a predictable one. More about his contacts must be discovered. Do you know of any good spies?”

“None that are not already on assignment,” Trivo told him. “We may have to wait.”

“May I make a recommendation?” Elaina asked.

“Of course,” Roan said.

“The Ghost Thieves train all recruits in the arts of espionage. I believe I could enter Sir Hektor’s office quite easily. In my…wilder days, I made quite the score at the Raven estate. I am familiar with the layout. The walls are easily scaled with a grappling hook, and I doubt the guards’ habits have changed much.”

“I object,” Trivo said. “She’s much too inexperienced. If she is discovered, the Guild will be indicted. We could easily find a freelancer for this.”

“Yes, but I am much less expensive.”

“I don’t like it much either,” Roan said, “but she’s right. Our campaigns against the goblins have been going quite well, but I’ve been investing most of our money in weapons and training so that our strength increases with each passing day. I fear there are dark days in our future, and I do not wish to be unprepared.” Roan’s face darkened for a moment. “Elaina, begin your preparations.”

* * * * *

The House of Raven was an enormous structure of elven grandeur and dwarven ingenuity. It had been commissioned four hundred years ago, in Sir Hektor’s infancy, by his father Justinian. Justinian had just received a large investment he had made a decade before with the dwarven thane Theograd. The mine the two had opened in the Stonewall Mountains had just stumbled upon veins of silver. Like any elven noble, Justinian had used the money he had gained to prove to other members of the elite just how wealthy he was. After his mansion was finally complete, there was no doubt that the elven lord was quite rich. His house was built from dwarven marble, elven lumber, stained glass, and included just the right amount of silver in various fixtures scattered throughout the building. A small vineyard located on the estate supplied his family and friends with endless barrels of wine, and an obscenely large swimming pool was Justinian’s coup de gras. Justinian lived nearly eight hundred years, a long time even for an elf, and was the envy of the Tyrnish nobility for the rest of his life.

Elaina knew very little about the Raven family’s history. However, she did know the very best way to avoid the guards Hektor hired to protect his mansion. There were two who acted as doormen who guarded the front of the estate, one with a crossbow in a tower near the southeast corner, and a trio who circled the mansion’s perimeter every quarter of an hour. Although they were armed to the teeth and well trained, their predictability made them vulnerable.

The darkness of night enveloped Elaina, dressed in black leather armor from head to toe. Her armor was flexible and light, allowing her to bend, duck, dodge, and run if need be. She wore a black cloak to cover her face, and black gloves to keep her rope from biting into her hands. On a night like tonight, she could become one with the shadows. Her equipment included a small bow, a full quiver, her trusty short sword, a grappling hook, and a set of lock picks. She loved to come prepared, and was especially happy this night because the mission the Guild had offered her allowed her to slip into the familiar role of the thief. Of course tonight she would not be stealing gold, jewelry, or gems, but the Guild’s most coveted prize of all: information.

Elaina came into the estate during the time thieves call the witching hour. The witching hour takes place between the setting of the moon and the dawn of the sun. Elaina used the darkness to aid her stealth, and when she finally saw the moon’s glow smothered behind the enormous maple trees which climbed above Hektor’s tall house, she made her move. Creeping quietly out of the woods, she watched as the guards made their way around the perimeter. They laughed and joked with each other, care-free and full of confidence. Elaina was delighted. Most of Hektor’s guards expected nothing and could be easily avoided. The only one she had to worry about was the guard in the watch tower. He could see everything, including Elaina’s point of entry, an open window into the maid’s dressing chambers. She looked up and saw the guard’s armor, still shimmering under the pale glow of the stars. The guard looked anxious, and Elaina knew that this man took his job seriously. He scanned the estate below, and his hand never crept far from the trigger of his crossbow. Elaina also saw a rope leading to a bell that the guard could use for an alarm. Luckily, she had the means necessary to ensure he did not have the chance to cause any commotion.

Inside of her quiver, were arrows used for all sorts of eventualities: some dipped in poison, others for piercing armor, and even one to put a person to sleep. Elaina took this one out and strung it on her bow. It had been made using a special excretion produced by the slumber lily, a rare flower found in Tyrn’s deepest forests. She pulled her arrow against her bow’s string, closed one emerald eye, lined the guard’s shoulder with the point of her arrow, and released. It sprang from her bow into the night air, peaked, and dipped towards the helpless guard, biting into the flesh of his arm and rendering him unconscious in but an instant.

Elaina smiled. I’m getting better, she thought to herself. If only Trivo could see me now. Elaina knew she had to act quickly if she was going to conduct her business before the sleeping man in the guard tower was discovered. She ran quickly through a small garden, around the pool, and pressed herself against the marble of the house. The cold stone absorbed the heat from her body. Elaina decided it was a good feeling, a short respite on a hot summer’s eve. She began unraveling the grappling hook tied to her waist and swung it in short circuits as she judged the distance between herself and the window. When she was confident she would make it, she let the hook fly and watched as it bit into the stone of the ledge. She tugged upon it a few times, and when she was sure it wouldn’t budge, she gripped the rope with both hands and began climbing. The silence of the night was punctuated by short grunts and gasps for air as Elaina made her way up the side of the building.  Her muscles cried for relief as she climbed higher and higher and only quieted when she pulled herself through the window and allowed herself to fall to the floor below.

Luckily, the room was empty. The maids were asleep now, in their bedchambers nearby. Elaina entertained the idea of disguising herself in one of the maid’s uniforms, but then realized it wasn’t worth the trouble since none of the servants would ever be allowed inside Hektor’s office anyway. She tiptoed out of the chamber’s door into a hallway lit by torches. It was perfectly quiet except for the sound of soft snoring coming from the maids’ chambers. Elaina turned right and headed towards Hektor’s office. Peeking around the corner, she was surprised to see Sir Hektor approaching quickly, obviously quite agitated. Panicked, Elaina pressed herself against the walls and into the shadows. Hektor walked by quickly, cursing to himself, and when he finally turned the corner, Elaina breathed a sigh of relief. She continued down the hallway until she found the door to his office. Her lock picking tools were kept in a small pouch tied around her waist, and Elaina took them out so she could begin working with the lock. She probed the locking mechanism until she found a trigger, and then prodded it until she heard a familiar click. Slowly, the door swung inward.

Hektor’s office was poorly kept. File cabinets overflowed, and papers overwhelmed the desk. An overturned inkwell spread a pool of blackness on many of the papers, and Elaina could tell that the old man was under a great deal of stress. She looked for something useful on the desktop, but was unsuccessful and began to look through his drawers. An interesting file marked Phoenix Guild Personnel caught her eye, and she considered leaving just then when she noticed a strange piece of parchment. It was written in an odd style that looked almost foreign. Elaina studied it for a moment. The letter mentioned some type of plan called “Operation: Cloverleaf” but it was hard for her to understand. Elaina decided it must be written in high Elven, an old, highly formal language used only by the most ancient noble families. Most commoners could only understand bits and pieces.

Elaina put them both into her pack, snuck quickly into the maid’s chambers, and began to get ready to climb down into the night when he heard sounds of an argument coming from the vineyard. It was hard to see through the ivy climbing on the lattices supporting the vines, but Hektor seemed to be arguing with a man cloaked in black.

“No, you can’t do this!” she heard Hektor say. “I am a powerful man! You’ll never get away with this. Please, I can give you a fortune…”

“You have nothing to offer me except for your life!”

Elaina caught a glimpse of steel and saw the cloaked figure plunge a dagger into Hektor’s stomach while placing his hand over the noble’s mouth. The dagger was pulled out and plunged into Hektor’s chest. He left once Hektor collapsed, and Elaina saw a terrible image that she would always associate with that night. For a few seconds, the dagger pulsed with the unmistakable rhythm of a heartbeat until it finally slowed and stopped.

Elaina came to her senses and knew she had to leave at once. She swung her grappling hook around a huge tree limb that came close to the house, grabbed onto it and used it to swing past the pool and into the woods beyond. After retrieving it, she did not stop running until she was safely inside the halls of the Phoenix Guild.

* * * * *

Trivo hated waiting for Elaina to return, as the minutes made the slow crawl from hour to hour. He sat in a common room at the Guild, running his thumb along the rim of the wine glass he was drinking from while swirling the liquid inside. As he emptied the glass, a messenger appeared.

“She’s returned!” he told Trivo.

Trivo stood up at once and hurried to the Guild’s entrance to see Elaina doubled over, panting and trying to catch her breath. He rushed to her side and asked, “Elaina, what news?”

“Sir Hektor has been murdered!” she told him. “I saw it happen. He was stabbed in his vineyard by a man I could barely see. His voice…like ice. I fled as soon as I could.”

“This is grave news,” Trivo said. “Did you discover anything else?”

“Yes, I took a couple of documents.” She showed him the intelligence Hektor had gathered on the Phoenix Guild, and also presented a letter written in high elven. “I couldn’t understand this one,” she said.

“Hmm…we’ll have to find a translator. You did a good job, Elaina. You deserve a much needed rest. Head to your chambers. I’ll come get you in the morning.”

Trivo took the documents Elaina had given him and entered Roan’s office. Roan was at his desk, peering through his spectacles at an enormous pile of paperwork.

“Elaina was successful,” Trivo told him.

“Ah, our young spy has returned. What did she find for us?” Roan asked.

Trivo put the documents on Roan’s desk. Roan opened the Phoenix Guild personnel file and began flipping through the entries. A smile crept on his face. “Trivo, you’ve quite the impressive record. They’ve devoted two full pages to your exploits.”

"The letter will have to be translated. I’ll contact our agent in the university as soon as possible,” Trivo said. “Elaina was also a witness to a murder tonight.” Roan appeared startled, and put his spectacles on his desk. “She saw Hektor stabbed to death outside of his estate.”

Roan frowned and then began rubbing his eyes in a vain attempt to lessen his fatigue. “This troubles me. At least Sir Hektor was a predictable annoyance. Now the nobles will be even more paranoid. I suppose I should send my condolences in the morning.”

The pair were interrupted by a loud knocking on Roan’s door. “Come in,” Roan called loudly, and the door to his office was opened by a large armored hand. Two Royal guards entered, swords at their sides, armor clanking as they walked.

“In the name of King Laertes, we are here to arrest Trivo Ibasti for the murder of Hektor of the House of Raven.

The Chronicles of Trivo: Phoenix Ranger, Ch. 3

Chapter 3

The next morning, Elaina attended Trivo’s trial. Since Trivo was a commoner, the trial was held at the Hall of Justice, a formidable stone building in the Government District near the palace. A number of nobles were in attendance, along with most of the Phoenix Guild. Elaina saw Celinda among the nobility, struggling to maintain an air of dignity despite her tear streaked face and weary expression. A lump of sadness rose in Elaina’s throat, and she wished she could comfort the poor girl. Unfortunately, Elaina concluded, the circumstances of the trial prevented this. She was still in disbelief. Elaina was certain that the figure who attacked Hektor was not Trivo. The memory of the dark man’s profile, along with his dark and chilling voice, were burned into her memory forever. She only hoped the Minister of Justice would decide in Trivo’s favor. Her hope was small. Unable to convince the guild’s lawyers to allow her to testify, as charges of espionage committed against the House of Hektor could start an all out war on the Guild, Elaina was forced to remain a member of the trial’s audience. Despite Trivo’s alibi, which had been backed up only by his fellow Guild members, he remained the only suspect in the murder. The presence of the knife at the scene of the crime had all but sealed his fate.

Gods knew how his weapon got into the hands of the murderer. The last time he had used one of his daggers was against Asturk, and after stabbing him during the battle, he had left it as a warning against all enemies of the Phoenix Guild. Elaina had been taught to do this as well, at least with expendable weaponry. Arrows and daggers marked with the Phoenix Guild’s seal, especially weapons like Trivo’s dagger that had been custom designed for his own personal use, put fear into the hearts of their enemies and expanded their own fame at the same time. Elaina suspected that someone must have recovered one of these daggers from a victim of Trivo, though since the Guild had silenced her, she had left it to Trivo’s lawyers to voice this idea to the Minister. Unfortunately, the Phoenix Guild could not prove that the blade was not one of the daggers still in Trivo’s possession at the time of the murder. The best his lawyers could hope for, Elaina knew, was to keep him alive long enough to search for evidence that could clear Trivo’s name.

The Minister finally re-entered the courtroom, his black robes rustling behind him. With a stern expression, he beat his gavel and called for order. “I have deliberated both sides of the case, and have tried to look for some allowance of mercy towards the defendant, but the evidence against him outweighs any in his favor. This court finds Trivo Ibasti, Ranger of the Phoenix Guild, guilty of murder. I sentence him to life imprisonment in the dungeons beneath Tyrn.”

Elaina wavered on her feet, and was held up by Roan’s strong hands. Hot tears came into her eyes and ran down her cheeks as she heard Roan’s gruff voice tell her, “Easy child. We’ll do everything we can to clear his name.” His words rang hollow in Elaina’s ears. As a former Ghost Thief, she knew what Tyrn’s dungeons were like. Dozens of Trivo’s former bounties had been sentenced to long terms as punishment against the elves, and most would give any possibility at future freedom to murder Trivo the first chance they got.

Elaina nodded quickly, and left Roan’s side to exit the Hall. Full of rage and despair, she raced through crowded, dusty streets into rough and forgotten sections of the city. Elaina navigated a maze of small streets until she came to an old, ramshackle stone building she was looking for.

Six knocks, the code of the Ghost Thieves, struck the hard oak door. Elaina wiped tears from her face, and struggled to maintain some semblance of control over herself. The door opened widely, and a tall woman appeared. She wore the black leather of the Ghost Thieves, and was adorned with a silver necklace that denoted her as their leader. Short, spiked hair crowned her head in a fiery halo, and a number of piercings punctuated her face. She smiled when she saw Elaina at the doorway. The poor girl looked anguished.

“Ah, what have we here? Our lost daughter has returned.”

“Jezebel, I need your help.”

* * * * *

The meeting with Jezebel did not last long. It was held in the headquarters of the Thieves’ Guild, a large room adorned with stolen carpets, portraits, candlesticks, and various baubles that proved Jezebel’s worth as leader of the guild. Gaul, Elaina’s former lover and Jezebel’s current bodyguard, stood at his mistress’ side, behind her desk. Elaina was situated opposite Jezebel in a comfortable velvet seat. It was dwarfed by what could only be described as Jezebel’s throne, a tall, wide, cushioned seat embroidered with Elbrahimian silk. It had been months since Elaina sat in this spot. A half of a year had passed since she left the Ghost Thieves, but for Elaina, it felt like a different lifetime. She could remember the aftermath of her release from prison and the choice she had been given by the Hall of Justice: in exchange for her skills, the Phoenix Guild would be responsible for her life. Jezebel did all she could to persuade Elaina to remain a thief, promising her safety from the law, but she was unsuccessful. Even though Jezebel, like most of the Thieves’ Guild, had a low opinion of the Rangers, the pair parted amiably. Only one condition was set: if Elaina ever betrayed the Ghost Thieves, her life was forfeit.

Now Elaina found herself among thieves once again, though under very different circumstances. She rested one leg on the right arm of the chair, and her back reclined against the left. Elaina gave Gaul a withering look after she caught him glancing down her shirt. Although they had been very affectionate during their short time together, Elaina had never let Gaul take her to bed with him, and this remained a matter of contention until they separated.

Jezebel’s words interrupted Elaina’s rumination. “You are fortunate the Ghost Thieves also have a stake in Tyrn’s dungeons. The night before last, during a raid on the House of Robin, one of our most promising young apprentices and his mentor were apprehended. Old Jacob dislocated his shoulder while climbing down from a fourth story window with about fifty pounds of loot on him. The old geezer will finally have to accept his retirement. Still, we owe him more than abandoning him to spend the rest of his years in Tyrn’s dungeons, and I don’t know his apprentice well enough to be sure he won’t wag his tongue for a quick release.”

Elaina blushed at Jezebel’s implication, but both women knew she had not revealed anything about the Ghost Thieves during her imprisonment.

“Regardless of the details, I’ve decided to help you on this mission as long as Jacob and his apprentice are also rescued. Agreed?”

“Yes,” Elaina replied.

“Good. Then all we have to discuss is the matter of payment.”

“I have 300 silver schillings saved from my last bounty, but I can promise one thousand gold griffons from the Phoenix Guild upon Trivo’s rescue. Roan owes me that much.”

Jezebel studied Elaina’s features. She knew from days past, Elaina was an excellent liar. It didn’t matter whether or not she was speaking the truth about her ability to pay for the Ghost Thieves’ services; one thousand gold pieces, give or take a few hundred silver schillings, were a mere trifle when compared to the tens of thousands of doubloons worth of treasure the Guild pilfered each year.

“What do you think, Gaul? Are you willing to risk your neck for such a paltry sum?” Jezebel asked.

“Well,” Gaul began, a dark grin upon his handsome features, “I wouldn’t go risking my neck for any stinkin’ Ranger!” He spat on the ground, and wiped the spot with a heavy black boot. “But I guess we owe it to the old coot to spring him from the dungeons. I know he’d do the same for us. Plus,” he added after a short pause, “Elaina can hold her own in a fight. It’ll be good to have another sword along.”

Elaina gritted her teeth but said nothing. She tossed her remaining silver onto the table, and heard a soft clink as the pouch landed on Jezebel’s desk. “Good. I’m glad I was able to convince you, because I won’t have the Phoenix Guild’s help this time.”

Jezebel cackled with cruel laughter, “Of course not! Those weaklings have too much to lose. A prison break would tarnish their good name. Such matters are no concern for us though, eh Elaina?”

“The only thing that matters now is helping Trivo,” Elaina replied, a stony mask concealing any expression of emotion.

“Agreed,” Jezebel replied. “Trivo, Jacob, and his apprentice…what was his name, Gaul?”

“Vincent,” Gaul replied. “Vincent the Unlucky.”

Jezebel howled with laughter. After her merriment ended, she spoke. “It is agreed. Let us drink to our comrades and seal this pact with wine.” Jezebel poured three silver goblets full. “On my honor as a thief, I will not rest until Trivo, Jacob, and Vincent are free.” She passed two goblets to Gaul and Elaina.

“On my honor,” said Gaul, tipping his head back and drinking the wine in a gulp.

Elaina stared at her crimson reflection inside the goblet before sealing the pact. “On my honor,” she repeated.

* * * * *

The sky was lit only by stars as a group of Ghost Thieves worked to loosen a sewer grating in the Government District of Tyrn. Along with Jezebel, Elaina, and Gaul, Yaven, a mage, and Gilbert, a cleric, waited for a group of Ghost Thieves to pry open the entrance to Tyrn’s dark underbelly. Even though Yaven and Gilbert weren’t thieves themselves, Jezebel kept a number of elves skilled in the arcane arts to support her on missions such as these. The remaining three members of her crew were merely foot soldiers, expendable members of the Guild who had yet to prove their value.

These poor souls were the first into the sewer. After watching everybody else follow them down, Elaina took a quick look around and plunged into the depths below. She saw one of the thieves climb back up to the portal above, and place the grating back in place. Now Elaina was overwhelmed by darkness. The stench of filth nearly made her gag. Jezebel lit a torch and then passed one to each in her company. They lit them one by one, and the tunnel flooded with light as tongues of flame caused shadows to dance on the walls. Everyone walked single file, due to the narrowness of the dank passageway. Elaina found herself behind Gaul. He was just as attractive as he’d ever been, and every bit as pompous as well. Elaina prided herself on the fact that in the six months they had been apart, she hadn’t missed him for a second. Still, she was glad he came along. Gaul was a good swordsman, and had even gotten her to chuckle a couple of times as they dined before the mission. She followed him for long minutes as they walked deeper into the sewer.

Howling, shrieking laughter erupted from all sides as soon as the company entered a circular chamber with tunnels branching off in all four directions. Blood red eyes reflected off the torch light in the distance. Suddenly, arrows began to fly and one of the thieves’ torches sputtered out in the sewage after being hit. Kobolds, vile, humanoid-canine creatures began pouring into the chamber, and Jezebel’s entourage drew their weapons. Some wore mismatched armor, but most merely cloaked themselves in rust-colored tunics worn over their brown matted fur. Their faces ended in a wolf-like snout that covered sharp, yellow fangs. Standing little more than three feet in height, a single kobold was no match for an elf, but they relied on ambush and surprise to overwhelm their enemies. Elaina had heard rumors of kobolds kidnapping children from the poorer districts to be sold into slavery to kobold clans above ground, but had assumed it was only a story to frighten misbehaving children. Now, she realized, they had stepped right into the kobolds’ lair.

Elaina began swinging her short sword with her right hand, and used the torch in her left hand to fend off the kobolds who tried to flank her. She burned one quite badly, and sunk the edge of her blade into the flesh of another, taking the creature’s arm and causing it to run howling into the distance. Jezebel wielded a pair of sai, small, dagger-like weapons from the Eastern lands, puncturing the kobolds in the most painful places, killing or wounding three kobolds in twice as many strikes. Gaul simply hacked his way towards the source of the beasts with his long-sword as Gilbert’s spiked mace crushed skull after skull. Yaven’s magic sent ice spears and jets of hot steam towards a mass of kobolds, puncturing their bodies before burning them alive. The thieves Jezebel had brought with them were not faring nearly as well. They had been overwhelmed, and were being hacked to pieces by dozens of the vile beasts. Nobody knew what could be done to help them, except for Yaven who was transforming the air around the scene of the massacre. Steam became visible from the mouths of elves and kobolds, and icicles formed around their fingers, toes, and faces. Slowly, they stopped moving, and became completely frozen in place, covered with a thick lair of ice. Yaven swung his heavy oak staff, still glowing with arcane light. His frozen victims shattered into a million pieces beneath the city.

Gilbert chanted a short prayer of mourning for their fallen comrades. When he was done, he healed a gash along Gaul’s arm with a simple healing spell and the company moved forward. Not wanting to give the kobolds a chance to regroup, they marched quickly through the sewers. After a few more minutes, Yaven pointed to the wall on the right hand side of the tunnel.

“On the other side of this wall are Tyrn’s dungeons. My magic can get us through, and I believe it’s our best chance of insertion. Jezebel, do you have any objections?” he asked.

“No, I do not. What do you think, Elaina?”

“I think you should let the mage do his job.”

“Of course. Proceed.”

Strange words emanated from Yaven’s mouth as his fingers began tracing patterns into the air. His eyes rolled into his skull, and a ball of densely packed ice began forming in front of him. Elaina could feel the air around her chill, and steam was visible with every breath. She took a step back into the warmth of the area outside the spell’s influence. The ice grew in size until it looked to be the size of a large pumpkin and suddenly shot forward through the sewer’s wall with a deafening crash.

“Quickly, get inside!” Jezebel called to her companions. Everyone followed the woman into the dungeon, and after tying up a couple of guards who surrendered, the group began discussing their plan.

“Gaul, come with me to find Jacob and Vincent. Elaina, you go after Trivo. Yaven and Gilbert will stay here to guard our escape route. Does everybody understand?

The group nodded their heads simultaneously. Elaina drew her short sword from its scabbard and walked deeper into the dungeons of Tyrn.

* * * * *

The taste of blood was thick in Trivo’s mouth. He could hear sounds of violence in the distance, but was still too disoriented to think about any of the implications of these strange noises. He tried to focus on the sounds, but the ringing in his ears was too loud and persistent. His knees trembled, and he forced himself to rise from the cold stone of the dungeon. One of his eyes opened, and Trivo could see torchlight in the distance as he looked past the bars of his cell. His other eye remained hidden behind bruised and swollen flesh.

“Mercy, please! I’ll take you to him!”

Trivo heard these strange words coming from the edge of the hallway leading to his cell. Just then, a frightened guard came into view, followed by a young, elven woman with a sword pointed against the guard’s back.

“Elaina!” Trivo called. “I’m over here!”

“Trivo? Is that you? Thank the gods!”

Elaina and her prisoner walked towards Trivo’s cell. As they came closer, Trivo could see the enormous size of the guard’s eyes and a dark stain spreading slowly on his pants.

“Open it. Quickly!” Elaina hissed.

The poor guard fumbled with a few keys on a bronze circlet and unlocked the door of Trivo’s cell. As the door slid open, Trivo’s arms flew out and grabbed the guard by his tunic. He threw the frightened elf against the back of the cell, and the guard’s head hit stone with an alarming thud. Trivo approached him full of rage. He held the guard against the wall with one hand around his throat, punched him twice in the face, and then brought his knee into the man’s stomach. The guard crumpled to the floor like a withered leaf. Trivo kicked him, hard.

“We haven’t time for this!” Elaina hissed.

Trivo walked out of the cell after spitting on his fallen tormentor, and Elaina tossed him a long sword she commandeered from one of the prison’s guards.

“C’mon, follow me. We have to rendezvous with Jezebel if we’re going to make it out of here alive. This way,” she told him as she pointed towards the hallway she had emerged from.

“I would not go that way if I were you.”

Elaina heard a voice with a thick Elbrahimian accent. Elbrahim was a human republic, an island nation to the West. Elves and humans were usually distrustful of one another, but still traded, warred, and campaigned for and against each other depending on the circumstances. Unfortunately, she couldn’t tell which cell the voice was calling from.

“I’m over here, young elf.”

Elaina turned around and peered into the cell which had been facing Trivo’s. He was human, that much was certain. His skin was slightly darker than an elf’s, but what really gave away his human heritage was a thick black beard that sprung from his chin. As little as she knew of humans, Elaina realized this meant he had been locked away for some time.

“Release me, and I can heal your friend,” he assured Elaina.

“Why should I trust you?” Elaina asked.

“You don’t have a choice.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“The alarm has been sounded. Within two minutes, a full battalion of Laertes’ finest soldiers will be pouring into this prison, covering all of the main exits and killing anyone who tries to escape. I know another way out. A hidden way. Unfortunately, I can’t reach it from my cell, or I would have left long ago.”

Elaina decided to trust the human. She didn’t have anything to lose by releasing him. He looked harmless enough. She put the guard’s key into the man’s cell, turned it to the left, and heard the same click that had sounded when she released Trivo.

“My thanks. I am at your service, my lady.” The man took Elaina’s hand into one of his own and bowed deeply.

“Who are you?” Elaina asked.

“I am Christopher, Knight Templar of the Republic of Elbrahim,” he said. Despite his disheveled appearance, Elaina noticed he held himself proudly, standing tall and puffing out his chest a little as he smiled at the mention of his rank.

Elaina knew of the Knights. When they weren’t leading battles for the glory of their nation, they acted as missionaries, preaching for their god, Deus.

“I am Elaina. My companion is Trivo. I am his apprentice in the Phoenix Guild.”

“Ah, so my instincts were right. The blood of a warrior flows through this beaten man.”

Christopher’s hands stretched out towards Trivo, and he started murmuring strange words in an unfamiliar language. Like all races, humans and elves could talk to each other in the common tongue, but the language of magic was known only to those who practiced it. To Elaina, detecting words during an incantation was like trying to hear individual raindrops amid a summer’s downpour. As he completed his spell, Elaina saw Trivo’s swollen eye open as the bruised tissue disappeared. All of the cuts and bruises he had absorbed at the hands of the guards were now gone.

“I thank you, good Knight. Come, Elaina, let us put our trust in the hands of our new friend.”

“Well met, Ranger. Come with me.”

Elaina, Trivo, and Christopher walked through narrow hallways, twisted staircases, and an endless labyrinth until they found themselves in a dank cavern, deep underground. Elaina held her torch up to the wall and recoiled. They weren’t in a stone hallway anymore. The walls here were made up of the bones of various humanoids.

“We are in the catacombs,” Christopher explained. “These bones are of those unlucky enough to die in these dungeons. We are almost to our destination.”

After a few more minutes of walking, Christopher stopped. He held his hand towards the wall, closed his eyes, and began murmuring another spell. A grinding sound emanated from all around them and the bones began to part. Dirt poured into the tunnel, followed by a howling wind. When it subsided, Christopher took Elaina’s hand and pulled her through the opening. Elaina grasped Trivo, and the three pulled themselves through the opening.

They emerged from a hillside near one of the branching deltas of the river Gilead. It poured into the Sylvan Sea, named after the elves’ supreme goddess, the water deity Sylva. In the distance, the sky against Tyrn was turning a thousand shades of pink and orange as Hugo, their name for the god of the sun, rose in the East. For millennia, each of the four civilized races of the continent of Galtea honored one of the four deities who controlled the natural forces: elves honored Sylva, goddess of water, humans praised Deus, god of the wind, Dwarves were loyal to the gentle Earth mother, Gaia, while the proud goblins fought for the god of fire, Hugo.

Christopher felt Deus’ gentle breeze as he gazed into the distance. To his east, tall sails hovered over the ships in Tyrn’s harbor. He had led his companions just outside the edge of the forest, looking out towards Tyrn’s white sandy coastline which stretched all the way to the city. Hundreds of leagues in the distance, over a great expanse of ocean, was Christopher’s home, Elbrahim. It had been years since he had been among his kin, but he doubted he would be returning to his beloved home any time soon. He looked at Trivo and Elaina with fresh eyes, and counted them lucky to at least have each other. Slowly, he realized he was the luckiest among them to have found the two elves and escaped.

“Thank Deus, the Knights of old created that portal for those of us who were lucky enough to be persecuted in His name. Fortunately, our god provides. I never expected Deus’ blessing to come in such a beautiful form.”

Elaina blushed. “I believe it was Sylva’s blessing that brought you to us, good Knight. How did you come to be imprisoned?” she asked.

“I was doing missionary work for the people of Elmsbrooke. This must have been about two years ago, when goblin raids left the village starving. I had given all of my provisions to some orphans, and became quite hungry myself. I foolishly accepted some potatoes grown by the priests in the garden of the local elven temple. Usually, the priests tolerate us, but the one who offered me this gift was particularly concerned that the Knights’ generosity could cause him to lose the village’s favor. He accused me of stealing the food, and I had been in that cursed dungeon until you found me.”

“How terrible,” said Elaina.

“Indeed,” Trivo concurred.

A deep voice emerged from the shadows of the forest. “I’m glad to see you’ve finally gotten out of that hellhole.”

“A goblin! Draw your weapons!” Christopher shouted.

“There’s no need for that,” said the voice. Just then, they saw a goblin, cloaked in black steel and chain mail, with an axe strapped to his back, step from behind a small elm tree. The goblin leaned back against its trunk and smiled.

“Ithetuuk!” Elaina gasped, “How did you escape?”

“We goblins are resourceful, and do not need to be rescued,” he said, looking at Trivo with a sneer. The elves gave him a doubtful look of contempt. “If you must know, I always hide a lock pick in my mane before any battle, and after my capture, put it into…a better hiding place until I have the chance to retrieve it. Once I escaped my cell, I recovered some armor and weapons before I left the dungeons, and had the chance to stain them in the Black Hand fashion once I was entered the forest. I was waiting until your fate was settled before leaving for Hel’ Fiad. To be honest, I’m glad to see you among the living. As much as my clan battles the Phoenix Guild, you have always been worthy opponents, unlike those Raven troops who fall upon our blades like sheep to the slaughter. I would’ve hated to see you rot in that prison. I still hope to see you die a warrior’s death.”

“Is that some kind of threat?” Elaina demanded.

“Hush, Elaina. I believe it was a compliment,” Trivo explained.

Christopher stared at the exchange, puzzled. Though this goblin seemed to be an enemy, he was not eager to fight. “What do you want with us?” he asked.

Ithetuuk looked at Christopher, sizing him up, and after realizing the human was completely ignorant of what the group was talking about explained, “The elves and I must embark on a quest for vengeance. The clouds of war are swirling, and our enemies plot against us. If you have any love for your own life, I suggest you head home, paladin.”

“Quest?” Christopher asked his eyes once again full of light.

“This doesn’t make sense, Ithetuuk,” Trivo interrupted. “You mention vengeance, but have not been wronged. You received your rightful punishment for helping Asturk kidnap Celinda. You have only yourself to blame for your fate, which you somehow managed to escape.”

“Those are trivialities. Asturk and I were set up somehow. We all were. There’s no way Hektor could have known where we’d be traveling that day. Someone tipped him off.”

“Why would anybody want to go out of their way to attack Asturk’s caravan? Did he have any enemies?”

“Only the Phoenix Guild, but I suspect they are pawns in this as well. I can’t explain it, but too much intrigue is involved in this bloodshed for it to be a simple border dispute. At first, I believed Hektor attacked us to provoke the Phoenix Guild and challenge your jurisdiction, as he would have the most to gain. Now he’s dead, and you were sent to prison, a fate that would most likely have led to your death at the hands of your former bounties.” Ithetuuk looked nervous as he said this. “Surely your elven minds aren’t so naïve that you failed to notice that?”

Elaina flushed with anger. “Ithetuuk, I think we’ve heard enough from you. Even if what you’re saying isn’t a pile of cow dung, what can do we do about it? You and Trivo are fugitives, and I’m not much more than a common thief. Who’s really naïve?”

“You are,” Ithetuuk replied, “if you think there’s nothing to be done about it. If this is all just my imagination, I will return home. If not, if there is a conspiracy as I suspect, then I will need your help to uncover it. I fear it extends to the goblin lands too, and you’ll need me to stamp it out.”

“Agreed,” Trivo said unexpectedly. “Elaina, I know this sounds mad, but the more I hear Ithetuuk’s words, the more they ring true. Christopher, I will explain the events of the last few days so you will understand what is happening. If you wish, you can join us on our campaign. First though, Elaina and I will return to the city in disguise. She’ll speak to Celinda, and I’ll look for Steeven. He’s always up for a campaign, and can help us out if we need anything from the dwarves. Elaina and I will return to this spot in twenty-four hours with anybody we can recruit to help us.”

Ithetuuk and Christopher merely nodded their heads in agreement. They walked into the shadows of the forest as Elaina and Trivo walked east toward the city.

The Chronicles of Trivo: Phoenix Ranger, Ch. 4

Chapter 4

Trivo and Elaina crept quietly into the city, surprised not to encounter any guards at the gates. After leaving Christopher and Ithetuuk, they’d managed to steal some tunics and cloaks hanging from a clothesline, and were now disguised. They kept their heads down and cloaks wrapped tight as they made their way through the streets. As they moved towards the core of the city, they heard a loud uproar coming from the vicinity of the Phoenix Guild. Trivo and Elaina slowly walked into view of the scene and witnessed a terrible conflagration of soldiers, mobs, and Guild members clashing against each other in the streets. As they watched, a group of dwarves came into view, heading towards the gates to leave the city. Trivo called out, “Steeven!”

The dwarf said a quick word to his companions who continued moving, and approached the pair of elves. “Fine mess you’ve gotten yourself into this time, Ibasti!” Steeven growled.

“I could use your help, Ironforge,” Trivo replied.

“We came to find you,” Elaina explained. “Help us find out what’s been going on these past few days.”

“Ain’t like I got somethin’ better to do. As soon as word of the prison break spread, the nobles have been getting everybody bent out of shape about the Guild. Things are going to get ugly. C’mon, let’s get to it.”

Elaina spoke up, “I’ll meet you back by the delta. I’m going to get Celinda.”

“Good luck,” Trivo said.

The group parted ways. Elaina continued walking towards the Raven estate. The Nobles’ District was calm and quiet. She came to the Raven house, and in comparison to the night that Elaina snuck inside, it and the surrounding property were all but abandoned. She entered through the large front wooden doors into a large entrance chamber, laid with marble and containing a few stone statues. Elaina made her way up a large spiral staircase, heading closer to what she believed to be the living chambers for the members of the household.

“Celinda?” she called out, but heard no answer. Elaina found the door she believed to be the entrance into the young elfmaiden’s chambers, and opened it slightly. She found Celinda sitting on her bed, weeping as she was organizing a few necessities into a traveling pack. When she heard Elaina’s footsteps, she turned with a start, but was relieved when she saw the face of her new friend.

“Elaina! Thank the gods. What is happening? Everything is ruined. I’m so afraid.’

“You’re going to be okay, Celinda. Calm down. Who are you afraid of?”

“I’m afraid of those that slew my father. I fear that I am next. I know that it was not Trivo who was behind the murder. I was reading near the pool that night, under the glow-worm lanterns. I heard my father speaking to another man in the vineyard, and crept closer to investigate. I looked through the vines, and saw him stab my father! I couldn’t see him because he was in the shadows, but his voice was black and evil.”

“I was there that night too,” Elaina said. “I…broke into your father’s office. I was looking for information he had about the Guild and what happened near Elmsbrooke. I saw it too. Why didn’t you speak up at the trial?”

“I wanted to,” Celinda explained. “The other nobles forbade me. They told me they would avenge my father’s death, not the courts.”

“Scum,” Elaina spat.

“I have no proof that Trivo was not the murderer,” Celinda said. “I wish I could help him.”

“Don’t worry about, Trivo,” Elaina told her, “We have him. Come, let us meet him. I and a group of allies are about to leave Tyrn to find out who is behind all of this madness. We know you can help us.”

“Yes, I’d like that very much,” Celinda said, and began weeping on Elaina’s shoulders.

“Let us go,” said Elaina.

Just as the pair were about to leave, they noticed two figures standing in the doorway. They appeared to be dressed as mercenaries, either human or elf. It was hard to tell. The pair of them were in dark, loose fitting clothes with hoods wrapped in a way that covered their faces. One was a man and the other a woman, both slim but perhaps muscular, it was hard to tell from what they were wearing. However, they were both heavily armed, carrying strange curved swords unfamiliar to Elaina. The pair had many pouches and packs tied to their clothing, with strange sharp discs and weapons, all particularly gruesome and cruel.

“You told me she would be alone, mistress,” the man said.

“Silence, apprentice. They won’t be a match for us. One Ranger and one spoiled brat against two Lotus Assassins. I am sad that they won’t pose more of a challenge.”

“Strike,” Elaina said simply. She didn’t know whether or not Celinda had any formal combat training, but knew that all elf nobles were schooled in the arts of fencing and archery. Perhaps Celinda had a dagger or a sword, however ceremonial, she could wield against the pair. As she thought this, she brought out her short sword against the woman and a dagger against the man. The man rolled out of the way, but the woman brought her sword up against Elaina, and the sound of metal against metal resounded through the room.

“Your blade is no match for me, poor girl. Come, apprentice, let us finish this!”

The apprentice sprang into action, bringing his katana from his sheath and striking against Celinda in the same movement. Celinda, presenting a hidden power, unleashed a frozen ice shard that cut through his strange cloak and stuck in his shoulder. The man whirled around, and pulled the shard out, blood pouring from his wound.

“I’ll kill you for that,” he promised and charged again.

In the meantime, Elaina was doing all that she could just to keep up with the unknown woman’s sword strikes, barely ever finding a time to bring her own sword against the stranger. Then, as she heard another one of Celinda’s spells being unleashed against the apprentice, the woman managed to cut Elaina once against the arm and more deeply in her hip. Elaina fell to the ground, but just for a moment. When she rose, she brought her sword against the woman even more quickly, striking with a fury as yet unseen, and now the mistress was on the defensive.

“Fool! You have no hope! Surrender now, and your death will be a quick one!”

“Never!” Elaina was able to bring her hilt against the woman’s ribs, knocking the breath out of her, but was unable to complete her death stroke, and the woman retreated a few steps. She took a quick look at her apprentice, who was faring poorly against Celinda’s magic.

“Apprentice, come, before you get yourself killed.”

“Mistress, no, I almost have her!”

“Retreat, now, before I kill you!”

Begrudgingly, he obeyed, but not before giving Elaina and Celinda a malevolent stare. They retreated towards the doorway, their weapons still held defensively.

“This isn’t over,” the apprentice told them before he left.

“I look forward to it,” Celinda replied, tears of fury streaking her face.

Before leaving the estate, Celinda took some clothes belonging to her former maid to disguises herself as a peasant so as not to raise suspicion as she and Elaina left the city. Despite the violence near the Guild, the rest of Tyrn was relatively quiet. Guards had still not returned to the gates. Elves, dwarves, and humans left the city in droves, most of them traders or Phoenix Guild members with their families. As they passed the Guild, Elaina and Celinda saw flames and smoke rising from the building's crumbling shell. The Phoenix Guild was burning to the ground. Far from the first time in her life, Elaina no longer had a home.

She and Celinda followed the coastline back to the river delta, leaving the rest of the exiles to follow the main road. Nobody was visible from the shore, so the pair entered the woods that surrounded the riverbank. The quiet stillness of the forest contrasted sharply with the bedlam of recent days. Elaina could easily follow the trail her companions made to their camp near the delta, but decided to stop with Celinda to rest and recuperate before joining the men. The pair decided to use this last opportunity for privacy to bathe in the river and relax.

The desperation of the last few days melted away as Celinda and Elaina immersed themselves in the river's cool waters. They hid their clothes and possessions near a large boulder close to the shore, and found a quiet, still pool of water formed by a fallen tree trunk. As they relaxed, Elaina finally broke the silence that had formed ever since their battle with the assassins.

"I had no idea you were a mage, Celinda."

"I don't usually share that information. Among the nobility, the practice of magic is seen as "uncouth." My mother's family is gifted in magic, but instead of becoming a family enterprise, we were encouraged not to pursue the arcane. Still, about one in every generation managed to find training and became a practitioner of the craft. Father allowed me to learn from my old tutor, Brey, but made me keep it our secret. He reasoned that someday an opportunity for me to use my magic may present itself, but until our carriage was attacked by goblins, I had never used my skill against another living being. Of course, you realize how effective that turned out to be. Our fight against those assassins felt different. I had a true companion, a sister in arms." She smiled at Elaina.

"It did feel good, didn't it? My steel and your magic work well together. No men can stand up to the might of Elaina and Celinda, queens of Tyrn!" Elaina flexed her arms in a mock show of strength, and Celinda burst into laughter. Despite her best efforts, Elaina couldn't keep her pose and began laughing too. The sudden relief that came with a good laugh possessed the women, and Celinda had to wipe away tears once more, but for the first time in years, they were tears of joy.

"I saw another elf mage use magic, recently," Elaina said, when their laughter finally subsided. "His name was Yaven, and he helped me get into Tyrn's dungeons to rescue Trivo. I noticed that all of his magic involved water too. Why is that?"

Celinda explained, "Elves worship Sylva, the water goddess. She brings forth the waters of life, and for elven magic users, all power flows from her. I learned to manipulate water in all forms, even steam and ice. Other races use different types of magic, but all are connected to a single element, just as mine is connected to water."

"I see," Elaina said. "Once, I read in a scroll that in the hot springs of Elbrahim, people relax in pools of water that have been heated by gasses deep underground. People had been using the springs for centuries, but just discovered what caused the water to heat up with the help of the dwarves' deep mining equipment. Anyway, all that's beside the point. According to the writer, the feeling is incredible. I wonder if a mage could do that without the gasses."

Celinda laughed. "Let me show you a trick I came up with in the course of my study of magic. I used to practice this in my bath at home."

Celinda closed her eyes, and began chanting. Almost at once, the water around Elaina changed. More than that, Elaina could feel a wondrous charge coursing through her body as Celinda's magical energy infused the water around her. The pool began bubbling, and when Celinda finished her spell, her eyes opened. She breathed a deep sigh, and Elaina noticed beads of sweat on her brow. In a matter of seconds, Celinda relaxed again and Elaina did too. The heat of the water gave the women a sense of pure contentment, and the pair fell into silence once more.

After a few minutes more of quiet relaxation, Celinda and Elaina left the river. Slivers of noon sun tumbled through leaves, creating glowing patterns that danced on the forest’s floor. After they dried and dressed, Elaina led them further into the woods, along the course of the river, Gilead. She pointed out the footprints of her companions to Celinda, explaining how she could tell the weight and size of each one they were following and the direction they were headed based on the shape of the print. Elaina examined each, and explained their dimensions to her friend, attempting to impart some of the lessons Trivo had taught her as a Phoenix Ranger. To Celinda, the footprints looked like little more than small impressions in smeared mud, but for Elaina, they created a sketch, a basic outline of a group for those who knew how to read it.

The trees grew taller and thicker as they made their way deeper inside the woods. After about a half hour’s journey from the river, Elaina spotted movement ahead of them. She and Celinda quickened their pace, and found a small clearing with Steeven stoking a fire.

“Oy,” Steeven called in greeting.

“Hello, Steeven. This is my friend Celinda, the daughter of Hektor.”

“Steeven Ironforge, at your service,” the dwarf said with a bow. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you,” Celinda said quietly.

“Where are the others?” Elaina asked.

“They went off to scour the area and look for dinner. Trivo and I carved some bows and arrows, and if they work like I hope, I’ll cook for us when they get back. I set up a tent too, though it won’t do much good for you elves as it was made for dwarves.”

“A warrior and a chef. I’m beginning to see why Trivo wanted to bring you along,” Elaina said, smiling.

“Aye. If you want a warm dinner, go get some more firewood. These twigs won’t be good for much more than a squirrel.”

Elaina and Celinda agreed, heading out to the woods around them, finding fallen limbs and hauling them back for Steeven to split into logs for the fire pit. Soon, Christopher, Trivo, and Ithetuuk came back to the camp, carrying a couple of does they found during the hunt. Trivo and Christopher each laid one down and took a seat nearby.

“The bow works well,” Trivo said with a smile.

“It’ll do for now,” Ithetuuk responded. “Though crow feathers aren’t the best for fletching arrows. Let’s find a town soon, and re-supply.”

Ithetuuk looked up and saw Celinda staring at him. He bowed his head, and remarked to her, “A truce, my lady. I hope we can work together, now that we are meeting again under different circumstances.”

Celinda continued to stare, as the rest of the group watched in apprehension of what would happen next.

“I understand you were bound by duty, but know this: good people died at your hand.”

“Their deaths were honorable, as I hope mine to be.”

“We shall see,” Celinda said.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Christopher approached. “Good day, madam. I am Christopher, Knight Templar of the Republic of Elbrahim. Trivo and Ithetuuk have told me about the bitter conflict that took your father’s life. I once worked for peace in Elmsbrooke too, but was imprisoned for my efforts by a deceitful priest. I hope that those of us with true hearts can ease the pain of that land.”

“Thank you, Christopher. I am Celinda of the house of House of Raven. It is good to have your aid.”

“You look a lot different without that shaggy beard, Christopher,” Elaina chuckled.

Christopher bowed his head, but a blush was still visible through his auburn colored skin. He had used one of his Steeven’s blades, and was now clean shaven. “Yes, I know. Though not the custom for the Knight’s Templar, I felt this look would help me blend in better as we travel through elven lands.”

“Yes, it’ll be easier for some than others, eh?” Ithetuuk said.

“You must remain hidden as much as possible,” Trivo replied. “As we travel through the forest closer to Elmsbrooke, nobody should cross our paths. We won’t be following the road, but as a Phoenix Ranger, I know paths that will help us move through the forest quickly. If we are stopped by anyone in authority, I will explain that you are Celinda’s “pet” bodyguard, and that’s why you are armed and unbound. Speak like a brain-addled, dimwit, and we just might pull it off.”

Ithetuuk gave Trivo a sharp glance. “I’ll stay hidden, elf. Though I dislike the ruse you’ve described, I can’t say that I can come up with anything better.”

“I don’t like it either,” Celinda added.

Steeven grunted. “That’s neither here nor there. Trivo’s plan will help us if we’re stopped. I’ll play a three legged jackass if it’ll keep me from being killed or captured.” The group laughed at Steeven’s joke, even Ithetuuk who rumbled a deep, guttural guffaw.

“My plan is to follow the Rangers’ paths to the village of Athen, a half a day to the west. Once we’re there, we can purchase some basic weapons, armor, and provisions. Steeven has agreed to fund our campaign, under the condition that he receives fifty percent of any bounty, reward, or loot we earn. After we’ve re-supplied, Elmsbrooke is another week’s march to the elven frontier. Are we agreed?”

One by one, the companions gave their consent to the conditions.

Afterwards, they continued to set up camp. Christopher and Ithetuuk cleaned the deer and carved the meat, while Trivo showed Elaina how to craft a couple of deerskin cloaks to let them blend in better with the woods. Celinda and Steeven stoked the fire and began cooking the deer meat Christopher and Ithetuuk had carved into steaks. With the remainder of the meat, Celinda was able to use her magic to remove the moisture from the meat and keep it preserved. She cut the dried meat into strips, which she wrapped into leaves and given to the others. They gave up on setting up any more dwarf sized tents, and instead gathered up some grass and leaves to use as bedding until they could purchase some bedrolls from Athen.

Dinner coincided with sunset, and with full bellies, the companions drifted off to sleep, save Christopher who drew first watch.

The Chronicles of Trivo: Phoenix Ranger, Ch. 5

Chapter 5

When Christopher awoke, the sun was just beginning to creep over the horizon. The clearing where he had camped had a slight elevation, and he could see endless leagues of forest stretching across an expanse of elven territory. The river Gilead cut a swath through the crowded trees, and pillars of smoke marked a few small settlements. Christopher stretched his aching muscles, made sore by a night spent on the forest floor with no bedding except for a layer of leaves and pine needles. Still, as blood began to flow to his tired muscles, he caught a whiff of coffee brewing at the camp fire. He sighed in contentment, and surprised himself when his fingers reached to stroke his beard only to be reminded he was now clean shaven to better blend in with the elves. Stifling a yawn, Christopher returned to the campfire where Steeven stirred a pot of boiling oats for breakfast.

“Morning,” Christopher grumbled to the others who were warming themselves with mugs of coffee. The companions had agreed to wake at dawn in the hope of reaching Athen while the market was still open. The others began holding their emptied coffee mugs to Steeven for their breakfast. One of Steeven’s companions carried the bowls for his usual mercenary company, so his mugs were being used instead.

After their breakfast, the group began breaking up camp. Trivo extinguished the fire, Steeven folded up his tent, and Elaina had been assigned to chart a course through the forest toward Athen. She and Celinda studied one of Trivo’s old Guild maps and marked their path with a quill and inkwell Celinda brought with her. Ithetuuk fletched more arrows for the bows he had carved with Trivo. Christopher helped. After a quarter of an hour, Elaina gathered her companions together.

“We’ll have to travel northeast from the river to make it to Athen in the shortest amount of time. There is a small path that deer use to drink from Gilead, but we’ll have to be careful. Predators and hunters may use this trail to catch deer just as Trivo, Christopher, and Ithetuuk did yesterday.”

“Good work, Elaina,” Trivo said.

“Aye, a good day’s journey. Let’s move,” Steeven added.

Trivo and the others formed a single column to move through the woods. Not only would this hide their numbers, but it was also a necessity for moving through the thick forest the animal trail led them through. Trivo walked ahead of the others. As an elf, he had sharp vision and could use his sword to clear any vines or brush that obstructed the path. Christopher walked behind him, followed by Elaina and Celinda. Steeven and Ithetuuk brought up the rear, acting as protection from any attack, however unlikely, from behind.

After a few hours of marching, the noon sun illuminated everything in the forest. Clouds of insects could be seen flying in the shafts of the sun’s rays, warmed by the early autumn sunshine. Suddenly, Trivo held up his right hand in a fist. He turned toward the group, and told them to crouch. He and Ithetuuk brought arrows to their bows, as Steeven grabbed his axe and Christopher wielded a sword that had been captured from the dungeons of Tyrn. Elaina brought her bow out as well, as Celinda silently rehearsed a few spells. A minute later, Trivo climbed up a tall tree and came back down just as quickly.

“A band of kobolds is headed right towards us. They have an elven prisoner,” he explained.

“Kobolds!” Elaina gasped. “We encountered them in the sewers, and were nearly overwhelmed.”

Steeven rolled his eyes at the thought of the short humanoid creatures, remembering their howling laughter, wolflike snouts, and doglike fur. Relatively harmless, their crude weapons were only effective if their opponents were overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Steeven had heard rumors that the breeding habits of kobolds helped them survive the aspersion of other more cultured races.

Ithetuuk spoke up. “This is a good spot for an ambush. If we leave the trail, we’ll risk getting lost, not to mention the time it’ll add to the trip.”

“I agree,” Trivo replied. “If their prisoner is a resident of Athen, the townsfolk would greatly appreciate his return.”

“Let’s draw up a battle plan. They could be here soon,” Christopher suggested.

“Good idea,” said Celinda.

Trivo instructed them, “Elaina, cover us from the trees with your bow. If you see any shamans, take them out first. Steeven, Christopher, join with me on our front flank. Ithetuuk, cover us with your bow, and help us with your blade if you think we need it. Celinda, use your magic if you’re able to. If not, find cover and wait for the battle to end.”

Celinda gave Trivo a withering look. Although Elaina had described their battle with the Lotus Assassins around the campfire last night, Celinda realized Trivo thought magic was her only defense. “If I can’t use my magic, Trivo, I can still battle. I learned to throw daggers from an acrobat I befriended in Elmsbrooke, and I can sharpen my skills on these kobolds if need be.”

“Right, good,” Trivo said. “Let’s get into position.”

Elaina climbed about fifteen feet into a tall pine tree nearby and readied her bow. Her companions crouched in the brush near the path they had been following. She said quietly, “They’ll be right next to you in about one minute.”

“Wait until they’re upon us, and attack. Make sure no harm comes to their prisoner.”

As everyone nodded their assent, a group of about a dozen kobolds made their way on the path, leading an elf about twice their height bound in leather straps and badly beaten. Ithetuuk gripped the handle of a throwing axe, and stepped out into the path before he launched it. The kobolds, frozen in fear, merely watched as one of their number was killed, his skull split by Ithetuuk’s blade. Brandishing their weapons, Trivo, Christopher, and Steeven came out in front of him each hacking at the kobolds. Elaina fired an arrow at a shaman she spied in the kobolds’ rearguard, but missed as the shaman continued chanting a spell. She cursed, and then made up for her mistake by firing an arrow into one of the kobolds who had still not joined the melee.

The kobolds were putting up a good fight, but the results seemed inevitable. Already three kobolds had fallen, and other than a shallow wound on Trivo’s thigh, the companions were unharmed. Even Celinda had managed to wound one of the kobolds with a dagger thrown into the gut of one of the creatures. Just as the battle was almost won, a swarm of hornets began attacking, inexplicably avoiding the kobolds.

The shaman! Elaina realized the hornet attack was magical, and she fired another arrow towards the shaman. This time, the arrow struck the shaman’s left eye, and he ran away howling in pain. Elaina continued firing arrows into the kobolds who were fighting her companions.

Celinda finished chanting a spell, and the hornets that stung Trivo, Christopher, and Steeven slowed and dropped to the ground, frozen. Celinda leaned against a tree, focusing her energy on preparing for another magical attack. Ithetuuk brandished his battle axe and joined the fight with a burning frenzy. He beheaded two of the kobolds up front, and took out another in the rear. With only two kobolds remaining, they turned to flee. Christopher caught up with one and slew him, while Elaina fired an arrow into the remaining kobold. Despite hitting its shoulder, it continued to run away.

Trivo began cutting through the cords that bound the kobolds’ prisoner as Steeven, Ithetuuk, and Christopher discussed the fight. Ithetuuk smiled broadly. With three kills, he felt victorious. Christopher, Steeven, and Trivo managed to kill one each, along with Celinda and Elaina. Two had fled, a warrior and shaman. Realizing a larger company would return to this spot soon, the companions followed the liberated elf along a nearby trail that also headed towards Athen.

“Thank you for helping me. My name is Keth,” the freed elf said.

“A pleasure to meet you,” Elaina replied. She introduced her companions and each gave a nod of acknowledgement. “Are you a resident of Athen?”

“Haha, no, I’m a wild elf,” he explained. “My family and I visit Athen every once in a while to trade, but the rest of our time we travel through the forest, hunting animals and gathering herbs and plants. My mother is an herbalist. She makes medicine that the people of Athen buy, and in return, they sell us weapons to use for hunting.”

“Could you lead us to Athen?” Steeven asked.

“Of course!” Keth replied. “It’s the least I could do for saving me.”

“How did you come to be captured?” Trivo asked as they made their way on a different path led in almost the same direction as the one they had been on.

“I got separated from my father while we were hunting,” he explained. “I tracked a scent I picked up, but when I looked back, I couldn’t see my father. I called out to him, but he didn’t answer. I fear he may have been killed by kobolds, though I’ll have no way of knowing unless I can find him or my mother.” His eyes welled with tears, but he managed to hold them back.

“How terrible,” Celinda said, her hand resting on the younger elf’s shoulder.

Keth replied, “There are rumors in Athen that the kobolds have been trading elf slaves, but nobody knows where they end up. Some believe that they go to the barbarians in the south, but I doubt that. I’m afraid they’re being sold up north to the pirates of Shark Tooth Bay, but that’s just a guess.”

“If we find any more kobolds, we’ll try to capture one and ask about your father. The smarter ones can speak common, and I’m sure we’ll come up with a way to motivate the stupid ones,” Trivo told him.

Keth nodded appreciatively, and the group continued on the trail. With the sun hanging low in the sky, the group reached Athen. Keth decided to follow the companions into the city to search for word of his parents. Ithetuuk cloaked himself, hiding most of his skin under layers of clothing, and imitated the stride of a short human. In the dim light of the setting sun, only an extremely inquisitive person could tell he was a goblin. He and Steeven left to find an inn and buy a bottle of ale so that he could stay out of sight indoors. The dwarf gave Trivo some money, and they convinced Keth to stay with them until they had bought supplies. Trivo suspected the merchants would be reluctant to cheat a known customer. Christopher decided to join Ithetuuk and Steeven in the inn, while Trivo, Celinda, Elaina, and Keth purchased their supplies.

The elves walked towards an armory and purchased a few swords, a couple of quality bows, leather armor, chain mail, gloves, and two full quivers of arrows. The money Steeven supplied them was more than sufficient, so Elaina decided to buy a particularly attractive silver dagger on the dwarf’s coin. The prices were so much lower than they would’ve been in the city of Tyrn, Elaina doubted he would even notice. Trivo didn’t say a word, mostly because he felt she’d deserved it for getting him out of prison and attracting Celinda to their side.

At the grocer’s as they stocked up on food, Trivo noticed a sign posted on the wall. It was a wanted poster, hung on behalf of the Royal Army. It showed pictures of Elaina, Christopher, Trivo, and Ithetuuk, though it showed no indication it suspected Ithetuuk to be travelling with them. He quietly alerted Elaina to the fact, so they ducked out and let Celinda and Keth buy their provisions.

Afterwards, they returned to the inn and Steeven ordered up food to their room. He was relishing the beginning of a new campaign, and enjoyed spending his well earned coin on good friends. As successful as the dwarf had been, he had little chance to spend much of what he earned and was taking advantage of their situation to enjoy a little of his wealth. As they waited for the food to arrive, Trivo used this time as a chance to speak about the poster they found at the grocer’s.

“I know everyone just wants to enjoy their food and drink, but I found something in town today that everyone should be aware of. The Royal Army has published wanted posters for Elaina, Ithetuuk, Christopher, and me in regard to the prison break. Since such little time has passed, this must mean the nobles are pressuring King Laertes’ to use all of his resources to pursue us. I’m not too worried about it, but think it’s a good idea that we begin using aliases whenever we have to give our names. I’ll be known as Thaddeus. Does everyone else have a name in mind?”

“I guess this is what I get for banding together with fugitives,” Steeven grumbled. “Call me, ‘Jethro.’”

“Krull,” Ithetuuk said simply.

“Celinda and I will be ‘Sophya’ and ‘Jocinda’” Elaina announced.

“Gaius will do,” Christopher added.

“Good,” Trivo said. “Hopefully, we won’t need to use them, but just make sure if we’re in town or stopped on the road, we don’t give our real names. It would be a shame if a soldier or mercenary didn’t recognize our faces only to hear a familiar name.”

“Now that we have our equipment,” Ithetuuk said, while gesturing with a drumstick, “where do we go next.”

“Good question,” Trivo replied. “Any suggestions?”

“Elmsbrooke would be the logical destination,” Christopher said.

“Aye, but the nobles may have a trap set for us there,” Steeven reminded them.

“Perhaps the Phoenix Guild has set up a new base. Could we seek their help?” Elaina asked.

“They may not want our help,” Celinda said. “After all, we’re the reason they lost their headquarters.”

“Roan bears no grudge against us. I’m sure of that. However, Celinda has a point. The Phoenix Guild will be keeping a low profile as they regroup, and our presence would only be a distraction. Not to mention, a vengeful or desperate mercenary could take advantage of our situation and turn us in. That’s a chance I don’t want to take.”

“A wise choice,” Ithetuuk replied. “Elmsbrooke is at the heart of this matter. No one should recognize Steeven or Christopher if we send them in as scouts. Christopher is no longer wearing the garb of the Knights Templar, and has been gone for years. I don’t think anyone would recognize him. He and Steeven should be able to figure out if the nobles are planning an ambush. In the meantime, the rest of you can hide in an inn, or simply test your disguises. I want to return to the territory of my clan. My brother, Ha’Jark, must be chief now that Asturk and I have been missing for so long. Perhaps with his help, I can find the goblin collaborator who has betrayed us.”

“Does anyone have any objections to Ithetuuk’s plan?” Trivo asked. No one spoke up. “Good, then give me a drumstick and some wine. I’m famished.”

“Haha, catch!” Steeven threw him an unopened bottle of Athen’s speciality, pomengranite wine. Its sour taste was considered a delicacy.

“Mmm, this food is delightful. Everything I’ve ever eaten has been so over-prepared by our chefs. This food is so simple, but it tastes so much better,” Celinda said.

“Yes, elven peasant food is my favorite,” Christopher added.

“Who are you calling a peasant?” Elaina asked, and the others began laughing.

Ithetuuk pulled Trivo aside. “The beginnings of campaigns are always the best,” he told Trivo. “I wonder how long this honeymoon will last.”

“Probably until we run out of food that tastes like food,” Trivo replied.

“I’m worried about returning home. Someone in my clan is collaborating with the elves. Asturk and I were just pawns. If I uncover something, I’ll have to feign ignorance unless I’m speaking to someone I can completely trust.”

“You’re afraid to return to the goblin lands?”

“I fear for nothing but the honor of my people. Trivo, you and I met as warriors. I respect you for that. If I don’t return from meeting with the members of my clan, I want you to see this through until the end. This is no ordinary campaign.”

“Yes, I agree. Already we’ve recruited a member of the nobility, become fugitives, and uncovered a plot that included Hektor’s assassination and set me up to take the fall. I’ll make sure no goblin, elf, dwarf, human, man or beast stands in our way.”

“Good,” Ithetuuk replied. “Just remember, I can take care of myself. If I go missing, I don’t need you and the girl to come and rescue me. The goblins show no mercy to elven prisoners.”

“Yes, I will be careful. For now, all we can do is enjoy ourselves. Drink and eat tonight, Ithetuuk. This may be your last night to sleep under a roof for some time.”

Just then Steeven came over and wrapped his arms around both of their shoulders. “Hello, boys. What kind of scheme are you hatching over here?”

“Haha, we’re just making sure we’ve got everything covered, you wretched drunkard,” Ithetuuk said with a grin.

“Bah! I’ve never met a goblin who couldn’t hold his liquor. Drink up, Ithetuuk!”

Ithetuuk pulled out a small metal flask from his pack. “This is goblin fire whiskey, my friend. It will keep you warm on winter nights. Take a sip.”

Steeven did so, and his cheeks and nose turned red. “This reminds me of my grandma’s recipe for dwarven hard cider, but packs more of a punch.”

“Do you want to try some, Trivo?” Ithetuuk asked.

“No thanks,” Trivo replied, lighting his pipe.

The companions continued to celebrate well into the night. This would be their last chance for revelry for some time, and with the coming weeks, the autumn air would grow cooler and the nights would grow longer. After a few more hours of laughter, feast, and drinking, they finally drifted off to sleep, ready to begin their campaign in earnest the following day.

* * * * *

As the cock crowed outside of the inn, Steeven woke up and put on his cloak. The chill morning air had crept through the window, and despite the fun he had last night, he felt rested and ready to go. Steeven felt pity for his friends who had had less of a history of drinking than he had, and decided to let them sleep for another hour or two. He filled a pipe with dwarven smokeleaf, ordered a cup of coffee from the inn, and took it outside to sit on the inn’s porch. He found an empty rocking chair, and slowly let the warmth of the coffee fill his bones and fill him with a spark of energy. The elven village of Athen was already showing signs of life. Merchants opened their stalls, offering vegetables, fruits, grains, crafts, and some even served a strange, concentrated coffee drink that was becoming popular in the courts of Elbrahim.

Steeven sat and watched the crowds pass, but became bored after an hour of sitting on the porch. Deciding this early hour would help them cover more ground today, he went back up to his companions’ room. He found a pot and pan in his pack, and began banging them together in the middle of the room.

“Up and at ‘em, boys and girls. Up and at ‘em!” he called out.

Elaina reached down and pulled up her boot to launch it at the dwarf. He batted it away with his pan, and brought it closer to Elaina’s head. She tried to cover herself with her pillow, but to no avail. After a couple minutes of Steeven’s raucous morning salutation, the group began putting on their new armor, washing their faces in a water basin, and snacking on a few of their provisions.

Christopher finished putting on his gear, and stretched the leather to find how it fit. “It may not offer as much protection, but at least leather armor doesn’t have to be broken in like plate mail.”

“Aye,” Ithetuuk said simply, and put a shirt of chain mail on. He placed tunic on over it, and adjusted his cloak to best conceal his features.

After finishing their morning routines, the companions checked out of the inn, and headed northwest through the forest to Elmsbrooke. Each member of the company was thankful for the food in their bellies and their well-rested bodies. Trivo began walking more quickly, and Elaina, knowing better than to protest, simply grit her teeth and tried to keep up.

For Chapters 6 and beyond, go to section two.  The link is just underneath.  Thanks for reading!