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  ‘This,’ Sav said, ‘is Errolas, the elf ranger I told you about the other day.’ Sav bore a grin so wide Fal thought it would consume his whole face.

  ‘It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, sergeant. Your friend here has told me a great deal about you,’ Errolas said, bowing politely.

  ‘The pleasure’s all mine Errolas. Sav’s told me about you also.’ Fal returned the bow with one of his own. ‘What brings you to my home at such an hour, Sav? Not that you aren’t both welcome, of course.’ Fal directed the latter to Errolas after realising his question may have come across a little cold. ‘Oh and Errolas, make yourself at home, take a seat.’ Fal gestured to the second comfy chair opposite Sav’s.

  ‘Thank you, Sergeant, but I prefer to stand.’

  Smiling, Fal continued. ‘Well I hope you’ll excuse me if I sit, Sav never ceases to surprise me, and so I’ll prepare myself for whatever he’s about to say by sitting down now, and please, call me Fal.’

  ‘As you wish, Fal,’ the elf said with a smile of his own. Fal realised the elf knew what he meant about Sav, and had to conceal his amusement.

  Sav sat forward, still beaming. ‘If you’ve finished with all the pleasantries, I brought Errolas here because I knew you’d always wanted to meet and talk to an elf, and Errolas actually wanted to meet with and talk to you also. I know it’s late, but I didn’t think you’d be in bed already, so for waking you I apologise, but it’s not my fault you’re getting out of shape, tired and lazy, whilst working a static guarding position.’ Sav seemed to impress himself with his joke at Fal’s expense, and allowed himself a hearty laugh. Errolas merely smiled and Fal had to chuckle along with Sav, if nothing else, his laugh was always infectious.

  ‘Well, Sav, we can’t all be as capable as you, being chosen to work with our neighbours.’ Fal nodded towards Errolas, the elf’s smile turning into a grin.

  ‘Ah, I see, the scout has been telling stories about our encounters,’ Errolas said.

  Sav flung his arms out wide as if surrendering before responding. ‘I only mentioned we’d worked together once or twice, just in passing really.’

  Both Fal and Errolas laughed at Sav’s obvious play down of his story telling.

  ‘And I’m sure you told Errolas you’re the major fish catcher out of the two of us, eh?’ Fal’s eyebrows lifted, awaiting the answer.

  ‘Oh, but is that not the truth?’ The reply came from Errolas. Elves seemed to know sarcasm just as well as humans, Fal mused.

  ‘Pfft… you’re ganging up on me now. It’s each other I thought you’d both be talking to and about, not me. I’m going to make some tea, anyone else for a brew?’

  Errolas shook his head and raised his hand to decline the offer. Fal merely grinned, knowing Sav knew him well enough to know the answer.

  ‘So Errolas, what brings you to Wesson? Sav said he’d taken you on a tour of the city.’

  They both winced at the sound of Sav clattering around the small kitchen.

  ‘I am tasked with checking up on the progress of something my council have taken an interest in here in Wesson. Whilst in the city, I decided to look up our friend in there, to take me on a proper tour, as he had offered should I ever visit.’

  ‘Oh I see… a business trip! All going as planned I hope?’ And what would the elven council have business with in Wesson that a ranger would be needed for?

  ‘Yes, my report will show results my lords and ladies predicted.’

  Something in the elf’s eyes Fal couldn’t read; he spoke about some unknown business, yet Errolas looked at Fal as if he knew of that business. Fal had never met an elf before however, and put it down to not knowing their culture and mannerisms. Strange though, Errolas had said his report will show the progress rather than had shown the progress. Sav said Errolas had left the city the night of their city tour.

  ‘You must ride like the wind, Errolas. It hasn’t been long at all since Sav said you’d left the city and headed back home. I’m surprised you managed the trip there and back so swiftly?’ Fal tried not to sound suspicious or intrusive. The elves were a goodly race and had been Altoln’s allies for centuries. He didn’t fancy insulting the first he’d ever met by prying into his personal business. Suspicion however, was part of Fal’s job, and it was hard to leave it at Tyndurris.

  ‘Ah… yes, I had set off back when I received a message from home with an update to my task, and so luckily I have had the chance to meet Sav’s most talked about friend. So I am happy to be here still and honoured enough to be talking to you, Fal.’ Nothing but a genuine smile on the handsome face of Errolas as he answered Fal’s almost prying question. Fal inwardly sighed with relief and chastised himself for his rudeness.

  ‘Well the honour is both of ours then, Errolas. Now, tell me all about your adventures as a ranger? I’m sure there are many. Oh, and feel free to slip in any amusing anecdotes you have about Sav while you’re at it.’ Both Fal and Errolas laughed, and the latter launched into an animated conversation, filled with stories about monsters, goblin tribes and arcane wizards. Sav, after returning to the room with two steaming cups of tea, spun his own tales both Fal and Errolas took with a pinch of salt.

  The talking and laughter continued late into the night. A warm fire glowed in the hearth, and Errolas sat cross legged on the floor in front of it, explaining how he and a unit of elven scouts had fought off a particularly nasty giant almost two hundred years ago. Fal and Sav replaced their tea with ale, and Errolas drank from an animal skin, apparently filled with elven wine.

  ‘…and then, out of nowhere,’ explained Errolas, ‘a giant teratorn descended with the sun behind it so the giant couldn’t see, and thrust its talons forward, one into each of the behemoth’s eyes!’

  ‘Truly?’ Sav shouted with a slight slur. ‘Where’d it come from?’

  ‘The sky, Sav, ain’t it obvious,’ Fal retorted.

  All three men laughed before Errolas continued. ‘Some of our scouts are able to ride them. Reared and trained from a hatchling, the scout spends almost all of his or her time with their giant condor, creating a special bond. When our patrol hadn’t returned the previous day, Riisoun flew out on her teratorn to search for us. I admit now, pure luck aided her in finding us in time. We may have injured the giant, but our arrows and swords would have proven too weak to pierce his hide deep enough to kill him. Flailing around blindly from the teratorn’s strike, the giant’s great size became his end. He stumbled and fell onto a thick pine tree, which skewered him like a piece of meat. Of course, we owed Riisoun and her mount our lives for turning up when they did. We had already lost the one poor scout, the one I told you about, and I feared we would lose more of our party before we caused the giant enough damage to escape.’

  Errolas raised his wine skin. ‘To comrades fallen!’

  ‘To comrades fallen!’ Echoed the toast, and all three men took the biggest swigs of the night.

  ‘That’s a lot’ve damn fine tales there, Errolas,’ Fal said, before taking another swig of ale. ‘I wish we had some for you that’d match ’em, ʼpart from your terrible losses ʼcourse. Understandably we wouldn’t want to match those.’

  Errolas looked up from his bottle and smiled. ‘Oh I think you do have at least one extraordinary tale, Fal.’

  Confused, Fal turned to look at Sav, but the scout’s head had lolled to the side. He began snoring loudly. Looking back at Errolas, the questioning look on Fal’s face was all the elf needed to continue.

  ‘The night of the recent storm, Fal… a most peculiar night, wouldn’t you say? Strong, gale to storm force winds coming in off the sea for the time of the year, and strange, shadowy figures floating across the rooftops of your glorious city?’ Although the questions being asked shocked Fal, it was nothing compared to the manner in which they were being asked. Fal felt sure Errolas knew what had happened, what Fal had released… or maybe the elf just knew Fal had released something, without knowing what exactly. The elf still seemed calm and completely relaxed, f
riendly even, in his questioning, which made it all the more uncomfortable.

  Turmoil now raged inside Fal, between anger, guilt and fear, and the lack of response prompted Errolas to go on without any answers to his questions, whilst Fal’s head and stomach spun from both ale and the questioning.

  ‘Fal, I am no enemy, and after tonight I believe you to be an honest soldier doing his duty, and a great friend to Sav. I understand this is all a shock to you and you must feel betrayed by me…’

  No shit!

  ‘…coming into your home, socialising with you and then dropping these questions into your lap, but you must believe me when I say, I needed to find out your character for myself, not just through Sav’s – often tall – tales. As we both know, they are hard to decipher between truth and fiction.’ Still at a loss for words, Fal tried to force the hazy, dull feeling of the alcohol aside to take in all being said. ‘I have seen for myself tonight,’ the elf continued. ‘You can be trusted, I can trust you, and so therefore I am explaining myself to you.’

  Fal stood up, wavering slightly as his head spun tenfold. He fought the urge to throw up. After steadying himself, he noticed Errolas remained seated, making no defensive manoeuvres whatsoever.

  Are his words genuine? I don’t know… how could I? I hate this, this vulnerability, in front of a stranger and in my own damned home for crying out loud.

  ‘I don’t know what you want me to say or what you want of me? Wait…’ Gods below… ‘It’s you! You’re the one who’s been watching me! All this time I’ve felt someone’s eyes upon me, thought myself crazy, and it was you, Errolas, Sav’s so-called friend!’ His anger built, burned; urged him to pounce on the sitting elf.

  I swear, elf, no matter your words, you make one false move and half-cooked as I am, I’ll give you a thrashing before I go down. Waiting for a reply, his jaw tensing and his fists clenched tight, he urged himself to calm down, tried to push through the thick fog in his head, to see reason and await the elf’s response.

  Errolas looked down, as if ashamed and certainly not denying the accusation. ‘You are correct, Fal, I have been watching you from afar. But please,’ he raised his hands as Fal began pacing, the soldier’s knuckles white, his teeth grinding. ‘Let me speak,’ Errolas said. ‘I can explain my side, and then I hope, you can explain yours.’

  Fal flipped at the latter.

  Who The Three are you to order me around in my own home? He launched himself on top of Errolas, or so he thought. As he landed, he realised painfully he'd hit nothing but the rug covered stone floor. He quickly rolled over to find the elf stood in the corner of the room, hands out to the side.

  ‘I won’t fight you, Fal,’ Errolas said, sincerely. ‘I want to explain and talk this through. There are things we both need to know. Things that can save many lives!’

  Fal pulled himself up and thought through the words. That night had haunted him for days and nights. Errolas could have easily restrained or even killed him, judging by the speed he’d just moved and the amount of alcohol Fal had drunk. Fal wanted answers, not blood, and so he dropped back into his chair and pointed to the floor in front of the fire where Errolas had been sitting. The tall elf warily walked across the room and sat back down, legs crossed and hands resting on his knees – a clear sign of co-operation, Fal understood.

  ‘Explain yourself, elf,’ Fal demanded, his hands balled and wringing each other to work his anger out.

  ‘Very well,’ Errolas said, a huge sigh leaving his thin lips. ‘My lords and ladies have had your Grand Master under surveillance for several months.’

  Fal moved to speak, but Errolas held up his hand again. ‘Please, let me continue this tale as we have the others this night, and all will hopefully become clear to you.’

  Fal, despite his anger, nodded and Errolas continued.

  ‘Several months ago, our eldest mage sensed an arcane power emanating from the west, too far away for any of the younger mages to pick up. So he sent forth a scout party including one of his apprentices, to seek out this arcane magic, knowing they would pick it up the next time it happened if they were closer to its origin. The scout party spent several days travelling around North Altoln trying to find the source of the arcane magic. The party roamed somewhere slightly north of Wesson when it next occurred, and the mage who had been sent felt it emanating to the south, from Wesson itself. The scout party entered Wesson and waited. Within a couple of days the mage sensed the arcane magic emanating from the Guild District, specifically from the highest point in the district.’

  Fal gasped, ‘Tyndurris?’

  Errolas nodded. ‘Correct. Whoever used the magic did so from within the tower. The mage in the scout party knew of Tyndurris. Elf mages for centuries have made a point of knowing where their neighbouring magic users are and who they are led by. The mage knew Lord Severun to be the current Grand Master and a powerful wizard, although she had no way of knowing if he or one of his members enacted such a spell. The mage returned to our forest with two of the scouts, leaving the others to watch over the tower and its inhabitants. When the elder mage found out someone in Tyndurris enacted arcane magic, he ordered a ranger watch. A handful of elven scouts suddenly working around the Guild District would raise questions, but one elf isn’t uncommon in such a large city. Plus, a ranger is more suited to espionage than a group of scouts. We didn’t want our movements to be picked up by city guardsmen or their superiors and seen as a threat. We are your allies Fal, but we cannot let arcane magic go unchecked.’

  ‘Why not inform our king?’ Fal begun to sober up with the seriousness of the topic.

  ‘They considered it, but surely the King would seek an investigation; an investigation that could cause whomever it was enacting arcane magic to fight, or worse still, go into hiding, gaining underground support before making a move.’ Errolas shook his head slowly as he continued. ‘No, we needed to assess the situation until we had hard evidence, so a lengthy investigation by your authorities could be skipped and a serious move made against the perpetrator could be carried out instead. That’s where you come in, Fal. On the night of the storm, I had been watching Tyndurris after relieving the previous ranger. I saw strange lights in the highest windows of Tyndurris. At first I thought it the storm, lightning, but after almost four centuries I had never seen such strange flashes of light and I knew it to be magic. I could almost feel its chill within my soul. I kept a close watch on Tyndurris’ doors and gates, waiting to see if anyone set out at such a late hour, hoping I would find a solid lead.’

  ‘And out I came,’ Fal whispered, all colour draining from his face.

  ‘I’m afraid so. I had been told by the previous ranger about the guard routines, and thought it strange for you to be leaving Tyndurris so late, especially in civilian clothes. And to be granted the use of a guild coach? Stranger still.

  ‘I managed to follow the coach’s route by taking a course across the rooftops; very precarious due to the rain and wind, I assure you. I followed you all the way down to Market Square where I saw you dispatch, and skilfully I might add, your attackers.’

  ‘Aye, thanks for the help.’

  ‘I could not reveal myself then and I am sure I would have received the same welcome as those two thugs. During your fight however, I saw you throw down what I had previously taken to be an ordinary bottle, but when it smashed… those shadows… entering the men and rising, flying across the rooftops, across me! I thought it the end, but they passed right over me?

  ‘I have since been back to Market Square, Fal; I could sense the arcane magic. It left an unnatural tremor in the earth. Even through the stone floor I could sense it.

  ‘I managed to find out where those two men who attacked you had been taken, and watched from a roof as a lone man murdered them through a window he had broken at the infirmary they were in. I do not know his identity, but he had come for them specifically, and I suspect it was because of the illness they were suffering, not because of who they were.’

 
Fal's head pulled back a little, his brow creased, clearly unaware of the event.

  Errolas continued regardless. ‘Fal, I need to know what you released. After tonight I cannot believe you are a willing participant in all of this, but I need answers. Before you do, however, please know I was not the only witness. A hooded man stood on the far side of the square. I found it impossible, even with my eyes, to see what he looked like and by the time I made it across the square and back to the rooftops to follow you home, he had gone. I still do not know his identity, but I am sure he, or whomever he works for, is behind the recent murders and behind the infirmary attack. He may even have been the one I witnessed kill those men.’

  Fal’s head still spun, and less because of the ale. So much information all at once, about questions he'd wanted to ask and wanted answering for days. Arcane magic though? Lord Severun and Orix… Master Orix… he couldn’t believe what he heard, and why should he? A strange elf arrives with tales of arcane magic and hooded men; this was all too much. How could he trust someone who'd been following him for… who knew how long? The elf could easily have attacked him or demanded information at sword-point though. After all, Errolas carried a sword Fal was becoming all too aware of, as well as at least two knives Fal could see, and an unstrung re-curve bow and full quiver of arrows, which rested in the corner.

  Sav trusts him though, Fal thought, and he knew elves were known for being goodly folk. What choice did he have but to tell Errolas everything he knew. Fal needed to know; to know what he'd been dragged into and on which side he should be, not to mention how many sides there were, what with an apparent second stalker stemming from that night.

  Fal looked at Errolas, who'd been patiently sat in front of the fire.

  Here goes… ‘I will tell you what I know, but this must stay between us, Errolas, until we both decide what step to take next. Do we have an accord, ranger?’