Categories > Original > Fantasy > The Dark Queen
Chapter 3
"We're lost aren't we?" Leecian asked bounding from foot to foot like a small child as he pestered Rorie, his staff in his hand, not wanting to let it out of his sight.
"We are not lost, it's just taking us a little longer to get to the east road that I first expected," Rorie answered as he continued to look around at his surroundings and get a baring, there was no way he was going to admit to the pestering elf that he was lost.
"So what you mean to say is that we're lost?" Leecian said a smirk of amusement once more taking his features.
Adriana wrapped her cloak around herself to keep warm, it was partly into the night and the sound of wolves howling in the distance could be heard every now and again. Adriana didn't want to worry herself any further but she couldn't help but decide that the forest had an eerie feeling to it.
"We'll stop here for the night," Rorie finally decided, thinking that when the sun came up again he would be able to find his way to the east road.
Adriana stopped in her tracks and gave Rorie an uncertain look. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
Rorie gave her an annoyed look and dumped his pack where he sat. "You can continue wandering aimlessly through the forest but the best choice right now is to stay here till morning."
"So you're admitting that you've gotten us lost?" Leecian asked as he too sat down, resting the staff on his lap.
"No I'm- We're just- I though," Rorie stuttered. "It doesn't matter anymore we'll be on the road tomorrow you'll see."
The sound of a wolf howling could be heard once more, this one closer than the others that they had heard throughout most of the early night.
"That's if we make it through the night," Leecian stated grimly.
*
Adriana couldn't sleep, she lay where she was and had her eyes shut but she couldn't relax and let her guard down. No matter how much she wanted to, she knew it was foolish to do so. Rorie sat, propped up against a tree, studying his bows string and Leecian slept not far from her, though what Adriana had noted when he had first gone to sleep was that he still held the staff in his grasp as if he was afraid someone would take it from him. Adriana has only been trying to sleep for the past hour at the most, it was barely halfway through the night and Adriana knew she should rest or she would be tired the following day.
'One short nap wont hurt I guess,' Adriana thought before drifting off into unconsciousness.
*
Adriana woke to the feeling of somebody gently shaking her. She gave a short yawn and as she did fully realized that it was Rorie whom had woken her. Once he was sure that she was awake he stepped back and Adriana slowly sat up to see both Leecian and Rorie fully equipped and ready to leave; Leecian of course holding his staff. What confused her most was that it was still dark and from the looks of it would be for a few more hours.
"We must leave," Leecian stated; his ears twitching every few seconds to what Adriana's human ears could not pick up.
"Are there more wolves?" Adriana asked as she jumped up, thankful for the sleep that she had eventually taken as she was feeling revitalized.
"No, there is only one as far as I can tell but it is no creature, it walks on two legs," Leecian stated as he turned to look at Rorie. "Have you decided to stop playing games and show us the way to the east road or not?"
"What would I gain from not showing you the way to the east road?" Rorie snapped back in annoyance.
To Adriana, Rorie sounded as if he was telling the truth but there was something amiss and she suspected Leecian knew something as to what was going on.
"Take us to the east road now," Leecian huffed in anger that Adriana could tell was trying his best to keep under control.
"That's what I've been trying to do," Rorie snapped back and he took the bow from his back and held it loosely in his hand when he heard a twig snapping not far from where they were arguing.
Adriana had had enough of it and she stood up and started to walk forward. "If you are both going to keep arguing I'll go myself."
Leecian started to walk after Adriana when Rorie called out to them with a small sigh. "It's this way, I think."
Adriana and Leecian started to follow Rorie who was walking at an increasingly fast rate, the sound of what Leecian had heard moments before reaching all their ears now. It was getting closer and if they could hear it, it could hear them.
*
"Thokk, you blundering oaf, quickly the elf has heard us," an elven woman whispered harshly to a large man that was trying to get his foot out of a rabbit's small burrow.
"You go ahead and I'll catch up," Thokk stated with a grunt as he grabbed hold of his thy with both hands and started to pull.
"If I leave, the rabbit might decide that you're an easy target and attack you," she said in annoyance at the others stupidity; crossing her slim arms across her chest.
She wore a black leather one-piece outfit that covered from her toes to her wrists and was a low v-shape at the neck. Over the top she wore a thin black cloak that fastened up at the neck with a small blue clip. She had mid-back length blond hair that fell in smooth ringlets and had soft pale skin and a slim face. Her eyes were large, oval and a beautiful colour of grey and her ears were long and pointed like all elves. At her waist she had a large thick belt holding many small daggers and knives along with many other objects that she never went anywhere without.
'At least I'm not working with goblins again,' she thought with a huff of annoyance as Thokk finally pulled his booted foot from the rabbit's burrow and fell onto his back. 'The wizard really doesn't have a very big variety of intelligent servants though.'
"Okay, let's go," Thokk stated simply as he got up from where he lay and dusted some dirt of him.
Thokk came from a barbarian tribe and wasn't a very smart but in the elves opinion most humans weren't to intelligent. He wore brown ripped cloth pants and wolf hide boots. He wore armor made from bears hide and had many assorted weapons clipped to his armor, pants, belt and boots; his main weapon being his long curved blade. He was tall for a human and was of large build, he had a broad jaw to go along with the rest of his physical appearance and had brown hair that was so mattered that it has started to form dread-locks. He had large brown eyes and a short button nose. His skin was dark olive from being outdoors most of his life and there was no doubt that though he wasn't very smart that he wouldn't be a worthy opponent.
"Quiet," she hissed angrily. "It seams Rorie's taking them to the east road."
"Why would he be doing that, that's even further from the castle, the elf has the staff doesn't he?" Thokk said as he started to run after the smaller elf.
"Valanthe, slow down a bit," Thokk called out to her.
The elf Valanthe didn't stop, nor did she slow down; Thokk clumsily running not too far behind her.
"Quickly Thokk, if we get to the east road before them we can set up an ambush," Valanthe explained with an evil smile.
"Then take back the staff and give it to master Rurik?" Thokk questioned.
"Oh yes, but only after we kill them all," Valanthe said this with a sly grin as she started to steer away from the area that the two humans and elf were traveling in and made for the fastest way to the east road.
"Even Rorie?"
"Even Rorie," Valanthe answered.
*
Leecian could no longer hear the sound of whom ever had been following him and Rorie had said that they should make camp again since they were no longer being followed. Leecian had immediately pushed Rorie's idea aside and they had continued walking in the direction Rorie had said the east road was in.
"Do either of you have any water on you?" Adriana asked, the rasp of her voice proving how parched her throat was.
Rorie huffed in reply and as they walked searched through his pack and soon found what he was looking for. He threw the half empty water-skin to Adriana who didn't catch it and had to stop to pick it up.
"Don't drink all of it," Rorie warned.
Adriana barely drunk half of it in fear of setting off Rorie's quick temper and once she had had enough she passed it back to him and he returned it to his pack.
Leecian walked up beside Adriana and gave her cloak a quick look over. "There is blood on your cloak." Leecian pointed out shocking Adriana as she started to look over her cloak to see nothing out of the ordinary.
Leecian put a finger on her side to point out where the blood was but she still couldn't make out any difference.
"What might that mean?" Adriana asked in fear yet she wanted to know Leecian's opinion on who he thought she may have been as she really had no clue.
"It may be that you killed many people," Leecian started when Adriana gave a small gasp and thought that over before Leecian continued. "Or it may mean that you were out working and you merely scraped yourself and got some blood on your cloak."
Adriana hoped for the lesser but she still wasn't sure. 'Am I really capable of killing people? Was that my job?'
Adriana was brought out of her thoughts when Rorie called back to them. "I found the road!" He sounded neither exited nor thankful at the finding of the road.
"And I thought you were deliberately steering us in the wrong direction," Leecian said with a small grin as he walked up beside Rorie along with Adriana.
"By sunrise we should be in town," Rorie explained, completely ignoring Leecian's comment.
Adriana felt hope rise within her at Rorie's explanation, they were going to make it to the town and there she could hopefully find out whom she was. With that though Adriana quickly made her way onto the road before the other two, Rorie once again taking the lead and Leecian falling in behind. There was hope yet.
*
Adriana felt her eyes dropping, they had been walking down the winding road for near three hours now, the sky was still dark and cloudless and she feared that if they continued to walk without a rest she'd fall asleep. She hugged herself tightly with her cloak as s cool breeze blew past her. She started to walk a bit faster until she was side on with Rorie who seemed to be studying the side of the road as they continued to walk.
"How log until daybreak?" Adriana asked Rorie who turned to her and gave her a confused look as if he hasn't expected her to actually talk to him.
"The sun should be starting to rise in a couple more hours," Rorie explained before adding: "But at the pace you and the elf are going we won't reach the town until midday."
At that comment Adriana started to walk a bit faster and in turn as did Rorie. Adriana then noticed the bow that Rorie held in his grasp, he had been holding it the whole trip. Was the forest all that dangerous that he had to have his bow at the ready at all times?
"Why are you helping me?" Adriana asked; she wasn't ungrateful; she just wanted to shine a bit of light on the mysterious ranger.
Rorie once again gave her a confused look. "I'm just glad to help," he answered half heartedly.
"If you are expecting gold afterwards I have none on me," Adriana said apologetically.
Rorie was about to answer when he stopped in his tracks. Adriana did so too and looked around her in a full circle before realizing something.
"Where's Leecian?"
*
"We're lost aren't we?" Leecian asked bounding from foot to foot like a small child as he pestered Rorie, his staff in his hand, not wanting to let it out of his sight.
"We are not lost, it's just taking us a little longer to get to the east road that I first expected," Rorie answered as he continued to look around at his surroundings and get a baring, there was no way he was going to admit to the pestering elf that he was lost.
"So what you mean to say is that we're lost?" Leecian said a smirk of amusement once more taking his features.
Adriana wrapped her cloak around herself to keep warm, it was partly into the night and the sound of wolves howling in the distance could be heard every now and again. Adriana didn't want to worry herself any further but she couldn't help but decide that the forest had an eerie feeling to it.
"We'll stop here for the night," Rorie finally decided, thinking that when the sun came up again he would be able to find his way to the east road.
Adriana stopped in her tracks and gave Rorie an uncertain look. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
Rorie gave her an annoyed look and dumped his pack where he sat. "You can continue wandering aimlessly through the forest but the best choice right now is to stay here till morning."
"So you're admitting that you've gotten us lost?" Leecian asked as he too sat down, resting the staff on his lap.
"No I'm- We're just- I though," Rorie stuttered. "It doesn't matter anymore we'll be on the road tomorrow you'll see."
The sound of a wolf howling could be heard once more, this one closer than the others that they had heard throughout most of the early night.
"That's if we make it through the night," Leecian stated grimly.
*
Adriana couldn't sleep, she lay where she was and had her eyes shut but she couldn't relax and let her guard down. No matter how much she wanted to, she knew it was foolish to do so. Rorie sat, propped up against a tree, studying his bows string and Leecian slept not far from her, though what Adriana had noted when he had first gone to sleep was that he still held the staff in his grasp as if he was afraid someone would take it from him. Adriana has only been trying to sleep for the past hour at the most, it was barely halfway through the night and Adriana knew she should rest or she would be tired the following day.
'One short nap wont hurt I guess,' Adriana thought before drifting off into unconsciousness.
*
Adriana woke to the feeling of somebody gently shaking her. She gave a short yawn and as she did fully realized that it was Rorie whom had woken her. Once he was sure that she was awake he stepped back and Adriana slowly sat up to see both Leecian and Rorie fully equipped and ready to leave; Leecian of course holding his staff. What confused her most was that it was still dark and from the looks of it would be for a few more hours.
"We must leave," Leecian stated; his ears twitching every few seconds to what Adriana's human ears could not pick up.
"Are there more wolves?" Adriana asked as she jumped up, thankful for the sleep that she had eventually taken as she was feeling revitalized.
"No, there is only one as far as I can tell but it is no creature, it walks on two legs," Leecian stated as he turned to look at Rorie. "Have you decided to stop playing games and show us the way to the east road or not?"
"What would I gain from not showing you the way to the east road?" Rorie snapped back in annoyance.
To Adriana, Rorie sounded as if he was telling the truth but there was something amiss and she suspected Leecian knew something as to what was going on.
"Take us to the east road now," Leecian huffed in anger that Adriana could tell was trying his best to keep under control.
"That's what I've been trying to do," Rorie snapped back and he took the bow from his back and held it loosely in his hand when he heard a twig snapping not far from where they were arguing.
Adriana had had enough of it and she stood up and started to walk forward. "If you are both going to keep arguing I'll go myself."
Leecian started to walk after Adriana when Rorie called out to them with a small sigh. "It's this way, I think."
Adriana and Leecian started to follow Rorie who was walking at an increasingly fast rate, the sound of what Leecian had heard moments before reaching all their ears now. It was getting closer and if they could hear it, it could hear them.
*
"Thokk, you blundering oaf, quickly the elf has heard us," an elven woman whispered harshly to a large man that was trying to get his foot out of a rabbit's small burrow.
"You go ahead and I'll catch up," Thokk stated with a grunt as he grabbed hold of his thy with both hands and started to pull.
"If I leave, the rabbit might decide that you're an easy target and attack you," she said in annoyance at the others stupidity; crossing her slim arms across her chest.
She wore a black leather one-piece outfit that covered from her toes to her wrists and was a low v-shape at the neck. Over the top she wore a thin black cloak that fastened up at the neck with a small blue clip. She had mid-back length blond hair that fell in smooth ringlets and had soft pale skin and a slim face. Her eyes were large, oval and a beautiful colour of grey and her ears were long and pointed like all elves. At her waist she had a large thick belt holding many small daggers and knives along with many other objects that she never went anywhere without.
'At least I'm not working with goblins again,' she thought with a huff of annoyance as Thokk finally pulled his booted foot from the rabbit's burrow and fell onto his back. 'The wizard really doesn't have a very big variety of intelligent servants though.'
"Okay, let's go," Thokk stated simply as he got up from where he lay and dusted some dirt of him.
Thokk came from a barbarian tribe and wasn't a very smart but in the elves opinion most humans weren't to intelligent. He wore brown ripped cloth pants and wolf hide boots. He wore armor made from bears hide and had many assorted weapons clipped to his armor, pants, belt and boots; his main weapon being his long curved blade. He was tall for a human and was of large build, he had a broad jaw to go along with the rest of his physical appearance and had brown hair that was so mattered that it has started to form dread-locks. He had large brown eyes and a short button nose. His skin was dark olive from being outdoors most of his life and there was no doubt that though he wasn't very smart that he wouldn't be a worthy opponent.
"Quiet," she hissed angrily. "It seams Rorie's taking them to the east road."
"Why would he be doing that, that's even further from the castle, the elf has the staff doesn't he?" Thokk said as he started to run after the smaller elf.
"Valanthe, slow down a bit," Thokk called out to her.
The elf Valanthe didn't stop, nor did she slow down; Thokk clumsily running not too far behind her.
"Quickly Thokk, if we get to the east road before them we can set up an ambush," Valanthe explained with an evil smile.
"Then take back the staff and give it to master Rurik?" Thokk questioned.
"Oh yes, but only after we kill them all," Valanthe said this with a sly grin as she started to steer away from the area that the two humans and elf were traveling in and made for the fastest way to the east road.
"Even Rorie?"
"Even Rorie," Valanthe answered.
*
Leecian could no longer hear the sound of whom ever had been following him and Rorie had said that they should make camp again since they were no longer being followed. Leecian had immediately pushed Rorie's idea aside and they had continued walking in the direction Rorie had said the east road was in.
"Do either of you have any water on you?" Adriana asked, the rasp of her voice proving how parched her throat was.
Rorie huffed in reply and as they walked searched through his pack and soon found what he was looking for. He threw the half empty water-skin to Adriana who didn't catch it and had to stop to pick it up.
"Don't drink all of it," Rorie warned.
Adriana barely drunk half of it in fear of setting off Rorie's quick temper and once she had had enough she passed it back to him and he returned it to his pack.
Leecian walked up beside Adriana and gave her cloak a quick look over. "There is blood on your cloak." Leecian pointed out shocking Adriana as she started to look over her cloak to see nothing out of the ordinary.
Leecian put a finger on her side to point out where the blood was but she still couldn't make out any difference.
"What might that mean?" Adriana asked in fear yet she wanted to know Leecian's opinion on who he thought she may have been as she really had no clue.
"It may be that you killed many people," Leecian started when Adriana gave a small gasp and thought that over before Leecian continued. "Or it may mean that you were out working and you merely scraped yourself and got some blood on your cloak."
Adriana hoped for the lesser but she still wasn't sure. 'Am I really capable of killing people? Was that my job?'
Adriana was brought out of her thoughts when Rorie called back to them. "I found the road!" He sounded neither exited nor thankful at the finding of the road.
"And I thought you were deliberately steering us in the wrong direction," Leecian said with a small grin as he walked up beside Rorie along with Adriana.
"By sunrise we should be in town," Rorie explained, completely ignoring Leecian's comment.
Adriana felt hope rise within her at Rorie's explanation, they were going to make it to the town and there she could hopefully find out whom she was. With that though Adriana quickly made her way onto the road before the other two, Rorie once again taking the lead and Leecian falling in behind. There was hope yet.
*
Adriana felt her eyes dropping, they had been walking down the winding road for near three hours now, the sky was still dark and cloudless and she feared that if they continued to walk without a rest she'd fall asleep. She hugged herself tightly with her cloak as s cool breeze blew past her. She started to walk a bit faster until she was side on with Rorie who seemed to be studying the side of the road as they continued to walk.
"How log until daybreak?" Adriana asked Rorie who turned to her and gave her a confused look as if he hasn't expected her to actually talk to him.
"The sun should be starting to rise in a couple more hours," Rorie explained before adding: "But at the pace you and the elf are going we won't reach the town until midday."
At that comment Adriana started to walk a bit faster and in turn as did Rorie. Adriana then noticed the bow that Rorie held in his grasp, he had been holding it the whole trip. Was the forest all that dangerous that he had to have his bow at the ready at all times?
"Why are you helping me?" Adriana asked; she wasn't ungrateful; she just wanted to shine a bit of light on the mysterious ranger.
Rorie once again gave her a confused look. "I'm just glad to help," he answered half heartedly.
"If you are expecting gold afterwards I have none on me," Adriana said apologetically.
Rorie was about to answer when he stopped in his tracks. Adriana did so too and looked around her in a full circle before realizing something.
"Where's Leecian?"
*
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