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Elias of Eradal Chapter 11
"Is it even possible?" Kole asked, lifting his hands helplessly.
Dain's mouth twisted as he shook his head in bewilderment and eventually gave a shrug. "I... don't know. I've never heard of such a thing. Not for this long."
"Avi." Kole called out, immediately drawing the small boy's attention. "Where is Tibbs?"
Immediately Avi pointed toward the ground a few feet away from him where his spectral companion sat in the grass, resting her bill in her wings, ignoring the world outside. He knew Kole couldn't see her but even acknowledging her made him happy to offer any information.
Kole and Dain returned to their quiet discussion and he waited a moment, in the hopes that they might need something more from him. When nothing else was forthcoming, Avi shrugged and turned his attention back to the matter at hand. The stack of rocks next to him was very important. Picking up one of them, he threw it as hard as he could at a nearby tree. Earlier that evening when no one was looking he had taken one of the sharper rocks and gouged some minor divots into the bark of the tree, just to give him something to aim at.
Avi grunted as his rock missed the target by just a bit. It was getting better, but not good enough. He tried again, hoping no one was watching. He had rarely been embarrassed before. His relationship with Kole had been perfect. Kole protected him, and he provided information, gossip, and the shared the occasional score. All in all, Avi felt like he earned his keep.
Now however, as they dealt with monsters, and evil wizards, and dragons, he felt woefully unequipped. With Kole constantly looking over his shoulder to make sure that he was safe, Avi felt like he was drawing his friend's attention from more important things. He reasoned that, if he could learn to protect himself better, maybe Kole would worry about him less. Avi was not a fighter though, he never had been. His size and natural aversion to hurting people saw to that. And so, he had decided on his little pile of rocks.
Even back in Erania he had been able to throw with some reliable accuracy and force. When El had given him those magic beads when the treggans attacked it had reinforced Avi's thought that he might be able to be helpful.
On his next throw, the rock thudded against the tree right on one of the divots Avi had made. A smile split his face as his picked up another.
"Nice throw." Dain's voice startled him, and he dropped the rock he had just grabbed. The other boy, just a little taller than him, stood behind him now, apparently having finished his conversation with Kole.
Avi straightened himself and brushed his hands on his shirt. "Fanks!" He beamed.
Dain's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Avi in thought. "I have an idea that you might be able to use, but it will have to wait until we reach town."
Avi cocked his head at the older boy, not following what he meant.
"A way that you might be able to use that skill." Dain explained, gesturing to the rocks and then the tree.
Avi's face lit up in understanding and he smiled agreeably. "Suits me." He frowned abruptly, looking around the clearing. "Where's El?"
Elias sat lost in thought with his back to a tree. As evening fell, he had wandered away from their little campsite. Not too far, but they had left the foot of the mountains behind them two or three miles ago, so Elias felt comfortable being on his own.
It was not so much that he was pondering anything particularly deeply, but more so that he was trying to straighten and make sense of the dozens of trails of thoughts that had become so knotted and intertwined over the past few days. It seemed like whenever he tried to think through one problem, the way he always did, it would suddenly split off into three new problems or conundrums that demanded his attention. Isolating and tracking down one dilemma at a time from beginning to end felt like an impossible task.
If he traveled to Verduin he would need Dain, that was obvious. As grateful as he was for the assistance the young druid had provided, he did not like relying on him. To Elias, it always felt like the red-blonde-haired boy was constantly watching him, waiting for him to make another mistake. Elias did not like being on the defensive, especially against someone younger and less experienced.
He also didn't like pulling Kole and Avi along into his mess. Kole had made it clear that he felt some responsibility for what had happened as well, and Elias knew that Avi would follow where Kole went. It was strange to admit it, even to himself, but he had come to care about both of them, as more than just a way to help him achieve his goal. The disaster in the mountains had forced him to confront many uncomfortable truths and it was obvious now that somewhere along the line the three of them had become more than just traveling companions. Elias did not want to put them in any unnecessary danger.
Then there was Kole. Every time Elias thought about their almost-moment the night before it felt like it shook up the tangled mess in his brain all over again. What had Kole been thinking and why was he acting that way? Did they need to talk about it or was it better to just pretend it never happened? Would it happen again, and did Elias want it to happen again? All these questions and more spread outward from the initial dilemma each one with answers that only further complicated things. It was hopeless.
"There you are." As if called into being by Elias's frenzied thoughts, Kole approached from the direction of the camp. "Avi was worried. Everything ok? It's getting dark."
"Fine." Elias nodded, getting to his feet. "Just... needed some quiet. It seemed safe enough out here."
Kole agreed. "We've technically crossed into Calonian territory. I don't think anything would follow us here. Not yet at least."
"How soon until we reach town?" Elias asked as he walked a pace or two behind Kole back toward the camp.
"Tomorrow afternoon probably. A little place called Elkhollow. Beyond that it's another day's travel to the city of Calon-Ken."
Nodding once more Elias thought about his time spent in that exact city. "That is where Wizard Lavelle lives."
"Mhmm." Kole grunted. "Your best bet is to talk to your wizard friend and get him to send up the alert so we can be on our way to Verduin as quickly as possible."
Elias glanced subtly at Kole. It was obvious that something was on his mind. Was he thinking about their encounter last night as well? Part of him wanted to bring it up, but they were getting to close to camp now so he thought better of it.
"Welcome back." Dain greeted. The massive hawk stood behind him, looming over one of his shoulders. "Now we're out of the mountains I'm going to send Gwynoc ahead to Verduin to tell them to expect us and to be wary of danger. I think that the whole story is better left to be told in person. Gwynoc has a habit of embellishing." He looked pointedly at the majestic creature who croaked indignantly.
Even though it had only been just over a day since he had awoken after the ordeal in the cave, Elias had learned just how helpful an eye in the skies could be. Gwynoc had guided them the rest of the way down the mountains, taking the safest paths away from any of Kordiith's minions, not to mention the warning he had provided the night before that most likely saved them. Without him, Elias knew they would all feel somewhat exposed, but he did see the wisdom in Dain's plan. The tribes of Verduin should know as soon as possible as well that things were about to change.
"Kole says it shouldn't be much longer before we reach the city." Elias reported. "From there we may be able to get horses to bring us faster to the coast."
Avi frowned. "I never ridden an `orse before."
"You can ride with one of us." Kole reassured. "All you'll need to do is hold on."
"The trees here can feel the coming danger." Dain informed them. "But they're not as keen to it as the groves in the mountains. They do not wish to hide us. We will have to rely on your runes Elias."
This gave Elias a brief shot of his old self-confidence. Dain's magic had its failings too. Of course, he immediately thought, those failings had not nearly killed Avi, or resulted in what could well be the end of the world.
The night passed uneventfully however Elias kept looking back at the mountains looming behind them and imagining he could see smoke from campfires along the mountainside. It was most likely his imagination conjuring images against the dark sky, but even so it reminded him that dark creatures now crawled through those seemingly peaceful woods.
In the morning they set out once more and before long found themselves on a proper road. It had been so long since they had walked on such well-traveled ground that it was almost a startling sight. Kole told them that the road would lead them through the little town of Elkhollow and eventually turn into the main thoroughfare that ran through Calon-Ken.
Not long after finding the path they were led by some interspaced farmhouses and small homesteads. Seeing signs of other human life was strange after all this time, and when they eventually began to encounter other travelers along the road it was stranger still. Elias barely knew how to act with these strangers. He offered a meager greeting but made no attempt at conversation. Avi and Kole seemed similarly affected. Avi regularly made sure to keep Kole between himself and any strangers and Kole kept his eyes down and did not speak a word to anyone.
Dain on the other hand always offered a cheerful word or brief chat to any passerby. He drew the most attention of the three of them anyway with his single long braid and simple hunter's garb, not to mention his distinctly foreign voice. Elias was content to let him handle the pleasantries.
"Your countrymen seem friendly." Dain remarked after a short conversation with a cheery wagon driver.
"Not my countrymen." Elias corrected. "I'm from Eradal, this is Calonia."
Dain wrinkled his nose. "I have never understood that about mainlanders. On the isles we have our tribes and our feuds, but at the end of the day we are all Verduin."
Giving Dain a cheeky half-smile, Kole chuckled. "You've got a lot to learn then. And it's just the countryfolk that are friendly. In Calon-Ken it'll be another story."
Obviously, Dain did not understand the humor in Kole's statement, but Elias hid a smile. The Five Kingdoms were considered a collective alliance but only in the loosest of terms. Calonians and Eradalians got along well enough but the people of Falheim generally disliked Eradal and vice-versa. Similarly, Trovians and Calonians rarely saw eye to eye, and Savajo seemed to dislike anyone that was not one of their own. Elias knew enough about politics to understand that just because there was rarely bloodshed between the kingdoms it did not mean the five were ready to set aside past grudges.
Elias's smile turned sour. He fervently hoped that the disjointed state of the Five Kingdoms would not prove to be their undoing.
When they reached the town of Elkhollow Dain's attitude shifted. It was obvious that the low and close-set wooden buildings made him feel uncomfortable and the constant bustle of strangers and wagons added to that anxiety. Avi on the other hand drew himself up a little straighter and a subtle smile grew on his face. The chaos of a market street was where he felt most at home.
Elkhollow was certainly not a large settlement but it saw enough traffic being so close to some of the big cities. This meant a near constant low buzz about the streets during daylight hours.
"We'll rest here for the night." Kole indicated a tavern down one of the side avenues.
Dain eyed the building skeptically. "There is still daylight left. We should continue on and find a place among the trees."
Kole shook his head. "We have supplies to gather. By the time we have what we need it will be nearly nightfall."
The younger boy looked displeased by this but did not argue further.
"S'awlright Dain." Avi smiled cheerfully. "I's not so bad. They prob'ly got proper beds an all."
Dain shrugged. "I have always been happy with straw and furs."
Elias remembered how uncomfortable Avi had been during their first few days on the road away from Erania. He reasoned that Dain must be going through something similar, having lived most of his life under the open sky in the green hills and forests of Verduin.
As they walked, Elias noticed that Kole kept one hand almost constantly hovering near the collar of Avi's shirt. The small boy's eyes darted around the street as the sound of clinking coin and the glint of shiny trinkets played their siren song on him. More than once he tried to slide away from the group. Elias would not have noticed his stealthy movements if Kole had not immediately herded him back in.
"None of that. We have enough for now." Kole reprimanded sternly.
Poor Avi looked like a starved dog staring at a steak. The small-town vendors and their patrons were far less careful with their coin and their purchases than the denizens of the big cities. A thief of Avi's caliber could wander through this crowd and pick them dry without anyone knowing.
The first place Kole stopped was a stall where a tailor was selling cloaks, blankets, tapestries, and the like. "It's going to be getting colder." He told his companions as he paid for a hooded cloak. "You might consider getting one as well."
Elias looked at the garments and frowned. Not only was it not yet cold enough to require a thick fur cloak, but these were simple inexpensive and thin. Certainly not something that would keep anyone warm through the winter. Nonetheless, Kole shifted his sword from his back to put the garment on and pull the hood up before replacing his weapon.
"Put it back." Kole ordered quietly, nudging Avi. With a sour look, Avi replaced fancy tapestry he had been holding. "The other one too." Kole added patiently. Avi's scowl darkened as he pulled a gleaming broach out of his pocket and set it heavily back on the vendor's table.
It took them some time to restock their rations and find what they needed. Elias didn't know why Kole was stocking up so much since there would obviously be better choice and probably lower cost in Calon-Ken. As night fell though, the four of them made their way back to the little tavern that Kole had indicated.
It was, unsurprisingly, very similar to the other types of places Elias had seen Kole frequent. Dingy and loud but not very crowded.
"Room for four?" He asked the barman who nodded.
"Two rooms sleeping two or the bigger room sleeping four?" The grizzled old man asked.
"We'll take the bigger one. Cheaper no doubt?" Kole pulled out his coin.
The barkeep nodded and collected the money in exchange for a key.
"Also, a drink for me. One for my friend as well?" He voiced it as a question, looking over at Elias, who sighed but then nodded. Yet again he felt guilty about sitting down for a drink especially with the importance of their mission. But none of them had gotten a proper rest in days. Trying to travel through the night would do them no good.
"I want one too." Avi complained.
"Are you buying?" Kole challenged.
Pouting, Avi scowled at Kole. "I would if you ad let me find some coin! ow come you pay fer El but not fer me?"
Kole squeezed Avi's shoulder gently. "Because El repays me with his winning personality and cheerful demeanor."
Dain snorted a laugh at this before quickly covering his mouth to hide a smile. Elias glared at the two of them for a moment before shaking his head and taking a sip of the bitter brown liquid the barman brought over.
Despite his complaints about wanting a drink of his own, it soon became obvious that Avi was getting tired. While Kole plied the barkeeper for rumors or any indication the people of Elkhollow knew something was amiss, Avi slowly let his head rest on his hands, his eyes getting heavy.
Elias was nearly finished with his drink when Dain announced that he would like to retire for the night. Avi quickly agreed and Kole handed the two of them the room key. For some reason, watching the two younger boys walk away, leaving him and Kole together elevated Elias's heartrate.
Turning to him, Kole focused his eyes seriously. "When you get to Calon-Ken you should complete your business as quick as you can. Do me a favor and try to keep Avi out of trouble as well."
Elias frowned, caught off guard by this change in the conversation. "What do you mean. You're coming as well, aren't you?"
Slowly, Kole looked around before shaking his head. "I can't. I'm... a wanted man in the city."
Shocked, Elias set his mug down so quickly it tipped over, spilling the meager remains of its contents. He apologized to the bartender who simply nodded, mopping up the spill with a rag and replacing his drink.
"What do you mean you're..."
"Shh!" Kole hissed sharply and Elias realized he had been nearly shouting.
"What do you mean you're a wanted man?" Elias demanded in a low voice, but above a whisper to avoid drawing attention. "What did you do?"
"It's a long story." Kole leaned back on his stool, returning to his drink. "It's enough to say that having me with you would slow you down considerably. We don't have time for that."
Elias did not know why this shocked him so much. It made perfect sense as the pieces began to fall into place. Kole was well acquainted with the riffraff and lowlifes in Erania. With how well-traveled he was, why should Calon-Ken be any different? Suddenly, Kole's reluctance to go to Calonia, his withdrawn attitude on the road, and his decision to buy that worthless cloak all came together and Elias could have hit himself for not making the connection sooner.
There was a time when Elias would have been offended by this. Perhaps he would even have called on the modest militia-style peacekeepers in a small town like Elkhollow to deal with a fugitive. But it was Kole. That thought was out of the question before it even occurred to him. Even so, Elias was indignant at being kept in the dark.
"You should have told me." He murmured darkly as he attended his next drink.
Kole scoffed. "You should have told us you weren't a wizard."
"That's different." Elias insisted although his argument rang hollow even to him. "You already knew, or so you say."
"And you knew what you were getting into the second you let Avi help you." Kole countered easily. "No reason to dwell on it. It's in the past, but you'll move much faster without me there. Find me here when you've raised the alarm and we'll continue to Verduin."
"No doubt we'll find you precisely right here." Elias commented pointedly. It was not meant to be an insult although it came out sounding like one. Even with what Kole had just revealed, Elias did not like the idea of their group splitting up. Perhaps it was because he did not want to be the one trying to keep Avi in line, or perhaps it was because parting with Kole was a strangely unpleasant thought. This internal debate made Elias uncomfortable and was the cause of his harsh tone.
Kole gave him an irritated glance but continued in the pursuit of his beverage. "Wouldn't want you to go looking." He softly retorted.
Looking down awkwardly, Elias regretted his remark. Kole had literally carried him out of danger twice now. That debt made any quarrels they might have had seem petty. "I... apologize." Elias eventually muttered. "Avi will not like it."
Snorting a quiet laugh, Kole nodded in agreement. "He'll get over it. He likes you too, you know. He's just scared of you."
Elias's widened his eyes dubiously as he made a point of looking Kole up and down. "Scared of me? You're three times his size."
With a shrug, Kole finished off his second drink. "What can I say, I'm a people person."
Hiding his smile behind his mug Elias had to admit that Kole was right. Even though it had obviously been a joke, there was something about him that drew people in. Kole was not overly friendly or outgoing on the outside, but his casual approach to life made him easy to talk to.
"Avi will survive." Kole continued. "As long as you don't let him get arrested. With luck you'll be back here in two days anyway."
Elias nodded. The trip to Calon-Ken should not take long. The journey to Verduin was the important part. After that, their conversation turned more lighthearted, and Elias was grateful for this. As urgent as their mission was, it felt nice to take his mind off of everything for a short time and forget just how grave his mistakes were.
Kole asked Elias about the time he spent in Calon-Ken under his old tutor and Elias gladly relived those memories. Lavelle was one of the few mentors he had worked with that seemed genuinely interested in training Elias to be the best. Furthermore, the High Wizard had been honest with him when he had nothing more to teach.
"There are more spells you can learn, and you can refine your technique." Lavelle had said not long before Elias left. "But those things come with time and devoted study. You are not here to learn memorization or creativity, nor could I teach them. I've given you all the knowledge I can for now."
Some of Elias's other tutors had been more interested in continuing the influx of his parents' money than in Elias's actual education. Elias had learned that the hard way in Falheim under Wizard Castor, and it had led to a falling-out between the two.
"I see now why you didn't want to go to Falheim." Kole chuckled.
Elias grunted with mock indignance. "And I see why you didn't want to come here."
Giving him a smile, Kole nodded heavily. "We all have our histories. You made a good case anyway. The noble families in Calonia will be able to call their banners more quickly than the warriors in Falheim."
The bar was starting to quiet down and Elias realized that the hour was getting late. If they were to be off at dawn, he would want to get some sleep. Pushing out his stool, he stumbled a little. He had only gotten through three drinks, but he rarely drank at all.
"Easy now." Kole laughed and placed a steadying hand on his shoulder while standing up with him.
"I'm fine." Elias insisted. It was true, just the initial task of getting to his feet had thrown his balance off for a moment. Despite that, he did not pull away from Kole's hand. "I should sleep, however."
Kole pushed both of their stools back to the bar. "Let me help." He put a gentle hand on Elias's back to guide him toward the stairs.
Even though it was a bit embarrassing, Elias did not resist Kole's help. Maybe it was the drink but the feeling of Kole's hand on his back was more than a little comforting. Kole led him carefully up the stairs at the back of the bar to the rooms. When they opened the door and the lamplight from the hallway spilled in, Elias looked at the room in confusion.
The barkeep had said one room for four people. Elias had assumed that meant four small beds. Instead, there were two slightly larger beds on either side of the shabby room. In the bed on the right, Avi lay with his head cushioned against Dain's chest, both boys sleeping soundly. The bed on the left was empty.
Immediately Kole let out a soft laugh. "They would, wouldn't they?" He whispered, indicating the two smaller boys huddled together. "Leave the two of us only one bed. I can take the floor if you'd prefer."
Normally, or perhaps some days ago, Elias would have taken Kole up on this offer. As he looked at the bed though, the words came out almost without thinking. "I'm sure it is big enough."
Elias knew very well that it was not big enough, and that the size of the bed meant that he and Kole would be as close together as Dain and Avi had chosen to be. Yet he had said it anyway. Why?
Hesitating a moment as if expecting Elias to change his mind, Kole eventually shrugged. Elias allowed himself to be helped out of his longcoat and then sat on the edge of the bed to remove his boots. Kole pulled his shirt over his head. It was dark but as Elias's eyes adjusted, he began to make out the lines of Kole's impressive physique. The distinct `V' that trailed into Kole's trousers caught his eye, positioned just below taught ab muscles. Elias hoped that the darkness hid his staring.
When he had pulled his boots off, Elias rolled onto the bed facing the wall, feeling a noticeable tightness in his own trousers he tried to slow his heartrate. Very soon however, he felt Kole's weight settle in behind him. The bed creaked softly, and Elias's breath shortened. Why was he nervous?
Kole lay down next to him. Elias could tell that he was facing him because they were so close that he could feel Kole's breath on the back of his neck. It sent shivers down his spine. Kole's body heat warmed him and everything in Elias's brain told him to move back against it, to cuddle into it.
The bed was so small, maybe if he accidentally moved backward a little, he could play it off as... His thoughts were silenced as Kole took the initiative. One powerful arm slid slowly around Elias's waist and pulled him in gently. Elias's entire body tensed up. He had never been touched that way and had never thought that he wanted to be. The feelings rushing through him now though told him differently. It was equal parts frightening and exhilarating.
He was pressed against Kole now, closer than the two had ever been before. Kole's breathing tickled his ear gently. Elias forced himself to breathe as well, every so slowly releasing the tension, relaxing gradually into Kole's grasp, letting himself be held close.
A strange sort of euphoria began to creep over Elias's mind as he began to truly recognize and come to terms with what was happening. It was a small bed, and this sleeping position made a certain amount of sense, but there was more to it than that. The way that Kole had pulled him in softly indicated a subtle desire. A desire that Elias had felt building inside him for some time now but had not been able to name.
Letting go of his trepidation, content in the knowledge that the darkness was hiding them, Elias gently pushed himself backward, feeling Kole's body against his own, letting him know that they were on the same page. Kole's arm tightened slightly, locking Elias in place and Elias felt the tightness in his trousers become even more pronounced. That was something he did not want to think about yet, however. As much as his mind danced around the idea and provided soft hints at taking things farther, Elias's fear won out. Already he was pushing the limits of his physical experience. Beyond felt like a barrier he was not yet prepared to cross.
Kole also seemed content to leave things as they lay. Though he said nothing, Elias could feel his body shift ever so slightly to a more relaxed position. There was a kind of vulnerability that Elias felt that he normally would have resented but for some reason he didn't mind. On the contrary it was strangely comforting. The gentle buzz of the few drinks combined with Kole's warmth and presence lulled Elias quickly into a deep and restful sleep.