The Traitor

Capturing the Traitor

Laila yawned as she trudged down the road next to Elsharin. Behind her, the rest of their quadron marched sluggishly. I had been weeks since they had caught sight of anyone on their patrols, and even before that, if they had seen anyone, it was usually a lone person or group of two who vanished as soon as spotted.

“What do you think is happening?” Laila asked Elsharin, “Surely the Defias aren’t simply …. going away. But then, where are they?”

“I don’t like it at all,” said Elsharin. “Either this is a deliberate move meant to lure the people into complacency, or all hands are needed elsewhere. Either way, this is not a good thing.” She turned and reminded everyone to stay alert. Suddenly, their hunter, Lorell, paused and spit out in a harsh whisper, “Wait!”

They all stopped immediately. Lorell was an excellent tracker and when she gave an instruction like that, it was best to follow it. The group quietly and quickly moved into their ready stances. “There’s something just ahead, in that little stand of trees. Let’s go quietly, if you can’t follow without making noise, stay here.” She glanced pointedly at Erik, who was strong and a good fighter, but he was huge and clumsy when he tried to move softly. He cracked an embarrassed grin and crouched down to keep a rear guard where he was.

The party inched forward, the size of their group requiring them to make only miniscule movements in order to advance silently. As they approached the stand, they saw a party of two young men and a stringy middle-aged woman. They were ranged around a small campfire, drinking something out of a leather pouch and eating bits of meat they roasted on sticks. They were laughing raucously, but the woman suddenly shushed them. “Something’s out there, do you hear that?”

The young men stopped and listened. Lorell’s boar, Spiney, went crashing through the underbrush, running past the camp and then out of sight. The two young men laughed at the woman and went back to their japes. She relaxed too, but the frown never left her face.

Laila had been curious at first, why Lorell had chosen such a strange beast for her pet. Lorell had explained that she had other pets, but if she decided to stay in a place and to get involved in local dealings as she had here, she tried to choose a pet that would best suit her purpose there. Since working in Westfall required subterfuge it was important for her to choose a local creature. She had chosen the boar, because it was an animal that would not alarm people on sight. The boars of Westfall generally left humans alone unless they were attacked or felt they were in danger, whereas something like a wolf could cause a dramatic reaction in a situation that was all about subtlety.

“This could be an opportunity,” Laila whispered. Elsharin cocked an eyebrow at her.

“We outnumber them, even with our small group, and they won’t be prepared for us. We can take them prisoner and find out what is going on around here.”

Elsharin became thoughtful. “You’re right,” she replied. “We’ve become too complacent. Something like this could be the key to moving forward.”

Softly, she relayed the plan back to the others, Lorell drifted back to let Erik know. They melted into their positions, and then Elsharin stepped into the light of the fire. The bandits immediately leaped to their feet, drawing weapons.

“We don’t want to hurt anyone,” she said pointedly. “We are just looking for information. We have a lot to offer anyone who can help us. A full pardon, hot meals, an occupation.”

The woman spit on the ground in front of Elsharin. “That’s no more than we’re already owed.” she hissed. “We won’t be satisfied with that anymore. We’re going to take back our due and then some, no matter what you say. We’re going to-”

“Hush, woman,” said one of the men, a short stocky boy who looked something like a bulldog. “There’s no need to talk to this bitch, but I’ll tell you what, she’ll make a fine prize for Van Cleef. If we bring him something like this, we’ll get far more reward than her little gang over the hill could give us.” The three bandits suddenly looked at the exotic and deceptively delicate-looking elf speculatively. As one they began to close. There was a loud pop and arcane energies imploded the air, sending the three flying.

The rest of the quadron appeared out of the shadows. The youngest of the bandits tried to run. Laila turned toward him and flicked a wrist. The air shimmered and there was a rush of cold from her toward the boy and thick blocks of ice coalesced around his ankles stopping him in his tracks. He looked at her and fear suffused his features. She took a step toward him, “Don’t struggle, it will be more painful for you.” She turned to the others. The group was trying hard to subdue the two other bandits, but they were not prepared to give in at any cost. At last, they were taken down, the woman screaming with two of Lorell’s arrows in her legs and the stocky man bashed on the head with a club by Keagan. As they started to secure them, however, the woman went crazy.

“You won’t get anything from us. Never!” she screeched and pulled a dagger from her bodice and Laila could only imagine that she must be running on pure adrenaline because she hesitated only a moment, despite what must have been immense pain, turned to the unconscious young man sagging in Erik’s arms and threw the dagger. It sliced through the top of Erik’s arm and buried itself in the stocky man’s thick throat. Then with an animal scream, she ripped an arrow from her thigh and plunged it just below her sternum and then up.

The members of the quadron stared in shock. Laila couldn’t understand what had happened. “That woman …” she gasped.

“Was insane,” Keagan said shortly. “She had the strength and purpose that only madness can convey.”

Laila heard a soft whimper behind her and remembered the other boy. She turned to him quickly. “Listen, their fate does not have to be yours. If you help us, no one will know. I will see to it that you are taken care of. I know someone … someone who was just like you, once. He can talk to you and tell you his story. He can help you.”

For a moment, the boy tried to be defiant. But she could see the memory of what the woman had just done wash over his face and it crumpled. “I am a traitor,” he said, even as he slumped and accepted his fate.

“No,” said Laila. “You think you are, but you have been lied to. I can see in your face that you know that the cause you signed up for is no longer the cause you are a part of. You know it has gone too far. You have wished to get out before now, but you knew that if you tried, you were a dead man. You don’t have to worry about that anymore. I promise you. You must speak to my friend, and you will see.”

Sighing, he nodded and Laila released him. It was clear to all that he would not fight or try to run now, so no one bothered to put him in bonds, although they placed him in the middle of their group as they began the walk back to Sentinel Hill.