THE HUNT
Ynarsil, Valryka, and Galawyn left Caras Avanur as the first rays of light reached the city, rising beyond the large expanse of gelvors to the east.
Ynarsil rode Dolendir, her great snowy owl, which she had tamed in the eastern Terkin mountains years before, Valryka rode her wild-eyed great peregrine falcon, Anvirel and Galawyn rode her, much smaller and far less intimidating, great elf owl, Talo.
The city below them was beautiful, the white walls shining in the dull rays of light. The streets were still very calm as they flew between the many spires on the central tree, which was called Eldanor in Nilduran, the language of the Simanorian elves.
The trio flew over many bridges, passing different sections of the city, before leaving it. Ynarsil even had Dolendir swoop down and glide under a large bridge, having a bit of fun despite her anxious state.
The birds were chirping, and the fresh morning air filled her lungs. Avanur seemed more appealing to her now that she would have power over it. She greatly respected her mother’s work, but there were quite a few things she would want changed in the capital. These changes would have to wait for her return, however.
Ynarsil, Valryka, and Galawyn passed the last few watchtowers on the city’s perimeter as the bright rays of sunlight began hitting its roof and reflecting the beautiful shades of purple and shining off of the silver armour worn by the guards within it.
They flew west, following the road taken by the three travellers they suspected of having stolen the pendant, quickly covering what they thought would be a day’s march for the short-legged folk and beginning their search there.
For a time, there was only one road, but it later split into several roads and paths, of which many eventually led to Idalkinmiro. Valryka was able to track the trio fairly easily for some time, until they reached a portion where a large group of borlams had used the same trail overnight, covering the tracks.
Borlams were large, hairy sheep-like creatures which travelled in small groups, using the network of paths to access the different glades in the region. These few clearings of grass appeared every so often when gelvors were far enough from one another, leaving room for an outline of regular trees, and a section of grass within it.
The wide hooves of the brolams made it so that the tracks from the three travellers had been completely covered. Despite her thorough search of the entire section where the tracks met, Valryka couldn’t seem to find the location where the travellers’ tracks split off from those made by the Borlams. Unsure which path to follow, Ynarsil suggested that they each split off and search one of the three most likely paths.
Thus, they each flew over a path, carefully searching for any tracks or signs left by the travellers. Were they to find anything, Ynarsil had suggested that they blow their horns three times in order to signal the others, which was typically the call used to summon reinforcements among the elven kingdoms.
After a short discussion with Galawyn, Ynarsil had agreed to send the halfling in to speak to them first, giving the travellers a chance to return the pendant peacefully.
They searched for hours, covering several roads between the borlam tracks and the borders Idalkinmiro, but found no sign of the three outlanders. That night, they chose to make camp and rest. They estimated that the travellers had at least one day left before Idalkinmiro, giving them a full day to find them.
If they failed, however, they would have to wait for them to leave the gnomish territory. Due to an ancient treaty made by the elves and gnomes, all elves were forbidden to enter Idal, the small region occupied by the gnomes. They would then have to hope to catch the travellers on their way out of the gnomish territory, an unlikely event, given the size of Idal and the dense forest around it.
Consumed by the idea of recovering that pendant as she was convinced it was her only way of becoming a successful queen, Ynarsil had trouble sleeping. She rose in the middle of the night and walked along the branch of the great gelvor the trio had chosen to sleep on that night. All three had snuggled up to their great birds, the feathers keeping them warm.
It seemed each of them had a strong connection and loved their mounts, though only Valryka truly had the Gift of Nirdalune. She could communicate with Anvirel telepathically, while the other two could only tell their great birds where and when to fly. Thankfully, Dolendir and Talo had learned to appreciate and trust their companions, following their orders without hesitation.
Valryka noticed Ynarsil walking along the branch and went to join her, slowly approaching her with great, elegant strides.
“It’s so peaceful at night.” Said Ynarsil as the ranger approached.
“It sure seems that way.” Replied Valryka. “But that’s what the nocturnal predators want us to think.” She added, pointing at the shadow of a great owl passing through the light of the moon as it glided silently through the night sky.
“You’re right.” Agreed Ynarsil. “I’m sure there is plenty going on down on the forest floor as well. There may even be great cougars or great wolves in this region.”
“Great cougars are impressive creatures.” Said Valryka, an intensity in her eyes as the moonlight shown through them. “Have you ever seen one?”
“Never.” Answered Ynarsil. “I wasn’t allowed out at night, remember?” She added.
Valryka chuckled. “Well, I have seen few creatures which displayed such raw power.” she said. “Their strength is incredible. I saw one leap onto a deer once and couldn’t believe my eyes. The great cougars in the Eastern Region are mostly light-brown, but I hear you have great cougars with white fur, here.”
“They are rare, but our rangers to report seeing them every so often.” replied Ynarsil. “I hope to see one make a kill as you have, some day” Ynarsil imagined the event as she looked out at the canopy below. They had chosen the highest tree in the region, hoping it would be the safest.
Ynarsil had opted to wear her silver armour. That way, she would seem like just another Avanurian warrior at first sight. However, her armour was decorated with golden patterns, and she wore a matching circlet. Her hair was now styled in a half-up crown braid, white flowers decorating the braided crown. She had told her maids that the flowers would likely fall out as she flew off on Dolendir, but they had insisted and most of the white periwinkles had surprisingly managed to remain attached to her hair.
What also set the new queen apart was the fuchsia-coloured cape she chose to wear, in Simanorion style. The Avanurian military typically wore bright, amethyst coloured clothing, while the highest ranks wore white and gold. Fuchsia was typically associated with the warriors of a kingdom further south in the Northern Region, called Aranon. Thus, Avanurian soldiers avoided it, and it was mainly worn by civilians.
Ynarsil’s pants were the regular dark-brown leather pants worn by all Avanurian soldiers but of finer quality. Protruding from behind her shoulders were the hilts of her two long scimitars, their shape similar to the traditional Nilduran scimitars but slightly thinner and longer, giving them a sleeker look.
Overall, Ynarsil had hoped to dress herself in an inconspicuous way, all the while allowing herself to stand out slightly amongst common Avanurian troops. She considered her sense of style to be an expression of her individuality and dreaded wearing exactly what was expected of her. A notion that was very dear to her as she had been raised to value it in the Avanurian court, but now set her apart from Valryka, whose focus when choosing clothes was practicality rather than aesthetics.
There was a moment of silence as both elves looked out at the canopy, spotting a few more great birds flying above and gently dipping into it in order to strike at their prey below.
Valryka then broke the silence by saying: “I’m sorry about what you’re going through, Ynarsil. I can’t imagine how hard it must be.” As she spoke, Valryka had her left hand at her side, her fingers tapping her thigh as she felt uneasy.
Her words seemed to be quite the cliché in her mind, making her feel silly, but she knew she needed to say something to her friend, despite the awkward feeling.
“You can talk to me about the sadness and anger you feel, if you’d like” Continued Valryka. “Or we can avoid the subject altogether, but I’d like to help you through this. I hate to think of the anguish you must be feeling.”
Ynarsil looked at her, tears forming in her light-green eyes then turned back to the forest and said: “Thank you, but I’d rather not talk about it.” Her top teeth slowly began to press against her bottom lip as she fought the urge to cry.
“I understand.” Said Valryka as she turned back to walk along the branch.
“Wait, Valryka.” Called out the queen as she began to leave.
Valryka turned back, hoping Ynarsil had chosen to reveal the details of her emotions.
“I realized that, now that I am queen, I’ll be the one to decide what your trial should be.” Said Ynarsil, surprising Valryka with the topic of conversation. “So, I’ve decided to make it this hunt. Retrieve the pendant and you can consider your trial completed.”
Valryka was shocked to hear this. This seemed like such a simple task. Perhaps it was Ynarsil being kind, but she realized it was likely that Ynarsil had very quickly become dependant on the pendant in these difficult times. She was now obsessed with the idea of recovering it from the thieves and focusing on this need for the pendant kept her mind off of the deep sorrow she was facing.
“Are you sure?” Asked Valryka. “You haven’t had much time to decide.”
“I am.” Answered the Avanurian queen before turning back to the forest.
Valryka was about to continue speaking when Ynarsil added: “Goodnight, my friend.”
“Goodnight, your grace.” Answered Valryka, smiling.
Valryka walked back along the branch, then turned back one again to observe the Avanurian queen. She then looked to the moon and gave thanks to the gods for their aid in her trials and asked them to protect her new friend throughout her reign. The moon being associated with Renthalas, elven god of healing, she also asked that he help Ynarsil process the great loss she had just experienced.
*****
In the morning, the three adventurers flew down from the branches, atop their great birds. Ynarsil was exhausted as her anxiety had kept her awake for most of the night, leading Valryka to suggest that Galawyn stay with the queen, while she went off on her own.
“You’re a queen now.” Valryka had pointed out as she tried to convince Ynarsil to accept the proposition. “You’ll be a target for those who seek to harm the kingdom.”
Valryka was happy to fly alone. She pushed herself to be as alert as possible, picking up every sound and movement around her as Anvirel glided over the paths below.
The eastern ranger was now even more driven to find the thieves, as it would mean her trial in the Northern Region would be over. Given the attitude of many monarchs, she expected the completion of all five trials to take years and the tasks to be near impossible. However, she would now simply have to catch the three thieves, as task which almost seemed too easy.
It was she who first spotted the travellers that day. She was so enthralled by the idea of recovering the pendant and completing her trial that she forgot to sound her horn to signal the others. She simply flew up a bit higher, then instructed Anvirel to dive down, forming a teardrop shape and landing with great force on the path just up ahead. She completed her dramatic entrance by leaping off the great falcon as it made contact with the ground and landing on her feet in front of the three travellers, her crossbow in hand, pointed at the foxkryn.
“Good morning, travellers.” She said in an intimidating tone. “I believe you are in possession of something that doesn’t belong to you.”
All three of the companions were initially startled by the loud sound made by the great falcon landing in front of them, but soon became confused, as they overcame the initial shock and wondered what she was referring to.
They stood, staring blankly at the blue-haired elf, Korlak and Vos holding their shields out in case she let loose a crossbow bolt. Even more confused than the other two was Sefaloy, who didn’t recognize the light blue cape on her shoulder. Judging by the fact that it was blue, she was likely from the Eastern or Southern Region, but elves from different regions were seldom seen travelling through Avanur.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“I don’t think we had what you’re looking for.” Answered Sefaloy as the other two clearly looked to him to handle the situation given her expertise in dealing with elves. “What is it you’re looking for?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, harekryn.” Answered Valryka, angrily. “You know what I’m looking for! You stole it from the new queen!”
Sefaloy was gripped with fear as the elf raised her voice. He had mostly dealt with kind and peaceful elves, as he had quickly learned which regions to avoid, but he had heard of the ruthless and cruel elves that existed within certain parts of the forest. He feared now that he was facing one such elf as a terrible look came over her face. Korlak and Vos were both quiet, their breathing unsteady as they gripped their weapons.
“I swear.” Said Sefaloy, pleading with the elf. “There’s no need for violence. I swear we don’t know what you’re referring to.”
“Perhaps you made a mistake.” Said Korlak in a kind tone. “We haven’t taken anything from your queen, we’re just…”
“Ah. So, you think me a fool.” interrupted Valryka, a wry smile appearing on her angular face. Her piercing eyes were now fixated on Korlak. “You know I’m referring to the pendant, thieves.” She added. “Now give it to me and I will let the queen choose your fate. But if you do not hand it over now, I will choose it myself.” She paused, her head slowly turning back to Sefaloy. “And I am not known to be merciful.”
“Get ready to run.” Vos whispered under his breath so that only Korlak and Sefaloy could hear as he stepped forward.
“Fine!” Said the foxkryn as he placed his shield on his back and walked towards Valryka. “You caught me. I was simply trying to make a profit in these challenging times.” The foxkryn sighed, taking another step forward as he reached for a bag he had attached under his crossbow. “My companions here were unaware that I had stolen the pendant, please be kind to them.”
Korlak was now unsure whether Vos truly had stolen something from the elves or if this was some sort of ruse. The three us were together the entire journey. Thought Korlak. How could he have stolen something? Perhaps I missed something during the exchange with Talarin.
The foxkryn kept edging forward, nearing the tip of the crossbow. The blue-haired elf’s expression changed to one of confusion as he began explaining his situation.
“It’s not an honorable profession, thieving, but some of us have to resort to it out of necessity.” Continued Vos. “These are dark times and we don’t all have the means to survive the trials with which we are faced.”
“Not one step further!” Said Valryka, tightening her grip on her crossbow to show she was ready to release the bolt at any moment.
Vos halted, then gently pulled something from the bag and said: “I’ve tried to lead an honest life, change my ways and build something.” He then looked down to the ground, slightly bending his knees before continuing in a defeated tone. “But, sooner or later, everything I do always seems to go up in smoke.”
Vos’ voice rose as he said the word smoke and he pulled an object out of the bag, which he threw o the ground. What appeared to be a small, terracotta sphere broken open upon making contact with the root upon which it landed and created a large cloud of smoke. The initial cloud only covered him and the elf, but it grew to fill the air in a five-meter radius all around them within seconds.
Valryka’s quick reflexes allowed her to step back and fire her crossbow, expecting the foxkryn to attack, but the projectile simply went into the ground in front of her as her target leaped aside and ran into the forest.
The elven ranger ran back to Anvirel and the great falcon rose out of the smoke, allowing her to look all around the large cloud for the escaping trio.
The three companions, however, ran into the forest in an area thick with large ferns, under which they could hide as they made their escape.
Anvirel quickly flew between the regular size oaks on either side of the road, searching for the foxkryn or his companions but saw nothing. After a few minutes, she decided to blow her horn three times before continuing her search.
When Ynarsil and Galawyn arrived, Valryka still hadn’t found any sign of the three travelers. She quickly explained the situation as she flew over the area, gradually expanding her circle to look for clues as to which way they had gone. Their steps hadn’t really left any sign of footprints in the dry earth, however.
“You confronted them?” Asked Ynarsil, angrily. “You were meant to let Galawyn speak to them first. She could have resolved this peacefully.”
“I tried to resolve it peacefully.” Answered Valryka, equally frustrated. “But they pretended not to know of the pendant then the foxkryn used that smoke to escape.”
“You threatened them, Valryka.” Retorted Ynarsil. “That wasn’t the plan!”
“They’re thieves!” Replied Valryka, defending her actions. “They can’t be bargained with.”
“Well not now that you’re scared them off!” Ynarsil pointed out as she glared at the blue-haired ranger.
Valryka, who had been looking down at the ground below her, looked up at Ynarsil in a menacing way.
“Well, at least we know they’re not too far.” Interjected Galawyn trying to be optimistic. “Let’s all search for clues as to where they went.”
Ynarsil silently ordered Dolendir to fly away so she could search a different part of the forest. She realized she had been overtired and let her temper get the best of her.
Galawyn proved to be quite helpful in trying to track down the travelers that day. As a halfling, she could often picture their view from the forest floor and figure out what choices they might make and why.
The two elves seldom travelled on the ground and were much taller, making it less obvious to them exactly where the trio of travelers might have been able to pass.
Galawyn soon found tracks, narrowing the search and giving the hunters a general direction to head in, which was a bit more precise than simply Idalkinmiro given that many roads led to the gnomish city.
*****
Korlak, Sefaloy and Vos ran for almost half an hour without stopping or even looking back when they escaped through the cloud of smoke.
They passed through parts of the forest with thick vegetation and large roots, under which they could hide. Finally, they reached a clearing where the gelvors grew further apart, allowing grass to grow.
In the center of the clearing was a small herd of borlams, calmly eating grass. They chose to catch their breaths for awhile before crossing the open area.
“So, did you really have that pendant she asked about, Vos?” Asked Korlak.
Sefaloy, who knew better than to fall for Vos’ tricks, chuckled and turned to Vos, smiling.
“Of course not.” Answered the foxkryn. “I have no idea what that crazed elf was talking about, but she seemed convinced we had it, so I told her what she wanted to hear.” Vos smiled then turned to the herd of borlams.
“Let’s use them for cover.” He added as he began sneaking through the tall grass.
Korlak’s heart was beating fast as he followed. He looked around at the sky, hoping he wouldn’t see the great falcon, hovering above. Thankfully, it seemed the elf hadn’t caught up to them yet, but all three companions knew it wouldn’t be long.
They reached the borlams and halted, looking around at their surroundings to check for any signs of danger as they hid amongst the hairy creatures.
“Seems clear.” Said Sefaloy as he broke off from the herd, running through the tall grass.
The other two followed, rejoicing that they had crossed the clearing so easily. There was no cover, other than the borlams, and the elf could have easily spotted them.
As they reached the other side of the clearing, Sefaloy looked back at his friends and noticed something in the sky, on the other side.
He saw, not one, but three figures, flying through the sky above the clearing, likely following their trail.
“Run!” Said the harekryn.
The other two didn’t bother looking back, they simply ran up the slight incline that led back into the forest and followed Sefaloy.
All three of the companions were starting to tire from their intense day but they pushed on, often making sharp turns to try and throw off their pursuers.
Before long, the trio could hear the sound of flapping wings not too far behind them. Once again, they simply kept running, hoping they would somehow lose their pursuers.
They could hear the flapping wings getting closer until the sound seemed to pass above them, as the elves flew above the canopy of regular sized trees.
Suddenly, the great falcon burst through the canopy, its talons reaching for Vos. It did so with such great speed that Vos didn’t have time to jump out of the way. He moved off to the side, but the falcon spun its body and caught his shoulder with its talon, the impact nearly causing him to lose consciousness.
Korlak, who was running just behind Vos, quickly took his polearm from his back and swung it in one motion, striking at the falcon’s talons before it could fly off with his friend.
The falcon’s grip loosened, allowing Vos to grab his dagger and strike at the great bird. He managed to twist his body and hit it as it lifted him from the ground, causing it to loosen its grip once again.
As the falcon’s talons tried to regrip its prey. They caught onto the foxkryn’s crossbow, which was attached to his back and he was lifted up from the ground once again.
Forced to jump off to the side in order to dodge an incoming crossbow arrow from the blue-haired elf, Korlak couldn’t help but watch as Vos was lifted up into the air.
A great snowy owl in silver armour then swooped down between two trees and glided over the road to try and grab Sefaloy, up ahead.
Sefaloy managed to fight it off with his dao sword and jump off to the side as well, avoiding the road and travelling through the thick forest, where the owl couldn’t follow.
Ynarsil jumped down from Dolendir and ran into the forest, quickly making her way up to the branches to try and catch up to the harekryn.
Back near the road, Vos managed to undo the buckle that fastened the crossbow to his back. Coming free from the great falcon’s talons and falling into the canopy just below.
Korlak managed to spot Vos falling onto the branches as he fell and ran over to him, helping him down and checking if he was hurt. Blood was pouring from his wounded shoulder.
Sefaloy was a fast runner and was used to running through the thick forest. Ynarsil struggled to catch up to him, but her tree-skipping and her long legs did give her a great advantage. The main issue was that the harekryn kept changing directions suddenly, forcing her to focus on new branches she hadn’t been able to examine in advance and slowing her down.
As he took Vos in his arms, Korlak quickly took off his dark yellow cape and used it to bandage the wound, hoping to slow the bleeding. Knowing there was no chance of survival if they didn’t continue, Korlak lifted the foxkryn to his feet.
“Run, Vos!” The halfling said, desperately. “You must keep running.” Korlak then began running, his black ponytail bobbing behind him and swinging side to side as he did his best to take great strides.
The foxkryn was clearly in unbearable pain, his tense face visibly shaking, but he was able to push on and keep running.
Suddenly, a loud horn could be heard throughout the forest. Valryka, who was about to jump down from Anvirel, decided to remain on her great falcon as she noticed that it wasn’t an elven horn and it had come from above.
She looked up to where the sound seemed to have come from and saw several great crows, flying down toward her. Galawyn, who was a bit slow to catch up, as her snow owl, Talo had shorter wings, flew alongside Valryka as they quickly began searching for Ynarsil.
“Who rides great crows? Deerkryn?” Asked Valryka, yelling so that she could be heard above the sound of the rushing wind.
Dolendir appeared beside them as he too began searching for his master.
“Sometimes.” Answered the halfling. “But there are few deerkryn in the Northern Region and they mostly live to the east or in other regions of the forest. I think these are Reltigs!”
“Reltigs?” Asked Valryka. “What are those?”
“You’re about to find out!” Answered Galawyn. “They’re dangerous. Some have learned to live alongside elves and halflings, but most are afraid of us and become very violent. Most are vile little creatures.”
Anvirel let out a high-pitched screech, signaling that she had spotted the queen. The great falcon telepathically told her master where and Valryka spotted Ynarsil, tree-skipping up ahead.
“There she is!” Said the blue-haired elf as she pointed forward. “You make sure she gets back on Dolendir. I’ll slow down those reltigs and their crows!” As she finished speaking, Valryka broke off and turned back to meet the descending great crows.
Regardless of what these creatures were, they were clearly attacking. Chasing the travelers wasn’t worth it if they it meant risking being killed by these savage creatures.
When she was close enough and noticed she had caught their attention, Valryka had Anvirel turn back and fly away from them, gaining altitude. She loaded her crossbow, hoping her diversion would work.
Three of the crows broke off to go after her, while the other four kept descending toward her companions. Valryka decided she would need to make quick work of these three enemies and go help her friends.
As they approached her, she was able to see the small creatures riding the great crows.
Reltigs were short in stature, resembling the harekryn she had seen earlier. They had thick, bristly fur, covering their bodies. Their fur was often different shades of brown but sometimes had black, grey or white. They had large, bulging eyes and made high-pitched noises as she flew toward Valryka.
What was most noticeable, however, were their long ears. They were longer and wider than those of the harekryn and angled downward, slightly moving up when the small creatures were excited. They didn’t seem very stiff as they flowed behind the reltigs’ heads as they flew through the air.
Valryka though the creatures were a fairly cute for a bit, but she remembered that Galawyn had warned her about them. As the first one neared her, she made Anvirel roll off to the side, letting it pass, screaming as it charged.
The blue-haired elf then flew down, letting her crossbow bolt loose and striking the second one in the chest. As the flew toward the third one, Valryka pulled out her long scimitar and made Anvirel swing from side to side, confusing her target as it wondered on which side she would be passing.
Finally, as they reach one another, she had Anvirel make a fast manoeuvre through the air, which put her above the creature and swung her weapon, striking at its shoulder and knocking it off of its mount.
Anvirel then stopped suddenly, allowing the third assailant to catch up. Anvirel flapped her wings at the last second, dodging the oncoming and allowing Valryka to strike the rider with her scimitar.
Without wasting a second, the great falcon dove back down toward the other four great crows, which were just reaching her companions.
As one crow flew just above the canopy, chasing Dolendir, Ynarsil leaped out from underneath it and slashed her scimitars across, cutting open its throat. The great bird crashed down into the forest and Ynarsil jumped after it, striking down the reltig as it rose to its feet.
Galawyn, who was more of a healer than a warrior, was simply trying to dodge the attacks and hit the enemies with her small sword. She was able to ward them off, but was in dire need of help, making it clear to Valryka she ought to go to her first.
As Galawyn tried to swing at a reltig beside her, Anvirel struck it from above with incredible force. The falcon’s dive had given it an incredible amount of momentum, using gravity to its advantage as it tucked its wings, taking on an aerodynamic, teardrop shape. The great crow fell into the canopy, dead on impact.
There was one great crow left chasing Dolendir and another was beside Galawyn, trying to strike her with a poorly made spear. Valryka chose to kill the spearman first, flying above Galawyn and striking it from behind with her scimitar.
The eastern ranger then looked up to see Ynarsil rise out of the canopy once again, spinning with her arms crossed, her scimitars slashing through the crow’s wings as she spun.
The elven queen stopped spinning, landing on a branch, and leaping forward through the canopy to catch up with her target, black feathers trailing behind the injured wing as they came loose.
She telepathically told Dolendir to circle back and leaped out once again as the owl passed her, clearing the crow’s head and swinging her scimitars at the reltig who came crashing into her as her scimitars cut through its chest.
She and the reltig fell into the canopy below, while Dolendir turned back to attack the crow, his talons gripping at the bird’s head.
A crossbow bolt lodged itself in the back of the creature’s head as Valryka arrived, and Galawyn jumped down from Talo to check on the queen.
Ynarsil was already back up on her feet, unharmed by the fall. They had fought off the reltigs with ease, but the three travelers had escaped them once again. The Idalian border wasn’t far, giving them little time to catch up to their targets.
They quickly resumed the search, trying to find clues in the thick forest, but they found nothing and lost hope. The halfling and the two kryn had surely reached Idal.