Elfsorrow

Chapter 45

While he'd been unconscious, they'd blindfolded him and tied him across his saddle. He came to his senses at some point during the ride that followed, a ride that he thought would never end. They took him off his horse when they stopped for the night but didn't untie his hands, remove his blindfold or feed him. And they wouldn't speak to him, just gave him infrequent mouthfuls of stale water.

The crossbow wound in his thigh was excruciating. Periodically, he could feel the blood flow down his leg but he ignored it, such was his general discomfort and the racking jolts into his stomach which came with every stride of the fast-moving horse. He was certain he was being caused probably fatal internal damage and the blood he coughed into his mouth periodically was all the evidence he needed. It left him glad they'd starved him. He'd only have vomited anything solid up anyway.

When at last they stopped, after the dull thud of hooves had become an echo off buildings and he'd heard the sound of many voices, of hammering and harsh laughter, and he was pulled from his horse to lie flat on hard mud, he knew he'd travelled his last. Wherever they'd brought him to. Whatever town or village they were in, the Black Wings were in control and he wasn't going to be leaving.

All that kept him alive was the elven salvation he had in a pocket. And even that was taken from him when he was marched somewhere quiet that smelled of old ale, with timbered floors and a high ceiling. After the search that revealed so little, he was forced into a chair, his arms were untied and the blindfold pulled roughly over his head.

He didn't know what to do first so he tried to do it all. He blinked to get some focus into his gluey eyes, tried to move his arms and massage life back into his hands and fingers and felt at the wound that thudded with every weary beat of his heart. It all became confused so he stopped, took a breath and decided looking at his situation was the best start.

He forced one arm up to his face despite the protestations of his shoulder and elbow and used the stiffened fingers of the hand to gouge at his eyes. Slowly, painfully, he brought the room into bleary reality. He was sitting on a straight-backed chair across a table from a man. The man was flanked by two others. On the table were tankards, a jug and a plate of bread and dried meat. The look of the food repulsed him, his stomach turning over and sending renewed nausea swimming through his body.

He was in an i

Focussing on the man's face in front of him in the dim light, it seemed distorted. One of his eyes was white and his mouth was downturned but just on one side. He had never met the man before but knew exactly who it was.

'Selik,' he said through a mouthful of old blood.

'Captain Yron, Xeteskian soldier,' replied Selik, his voice a little slurred as if he was drunk. 'Quite a mess you made of my valuable patrol, so I'm led to believe.'

Yron managed a dry chuckle though he had never felt less like laughing. 'I tried to warn them.'

Selik raised a hand. 'Well, we'll get on to all that later. First, I'm sure you could do with water. I'd offer you wine but I'm afraid this place ran dry a long time ago.'

'Where are we?'

Selik poured him a tankard of water and he gulped at it, feeling its chill freshness revitalise his throat. He spat on the ground.

'A place of legends,' said Selik. 'Hard to believe I know, but so much that has shaped us happened here in years gone by. And is doing so again. I'm surprised you don't recognise it even from this small sample. I'd have entertained you in my office but the compound is being used for drilling men and it's all very noisy at the moment. Much more peace here.'

Yron had a better look round, took in the empty room scattered with broken wood and the dark of night through the door at the far end. There was only one place he knew as dead as this but still standing. He'd drunk here once.

'Understone.'

'Very good,' said Selik. 'I see the ride hasn't jellied your brain though I see from your colour the same ca

Yron was tired. He wanted to sleep or die. Either would have done. But he could see that Selik wanted to toy with him. Well, he didn't want to play.

'What do you want, Selik? I've just about lost everything except my life and I'm none too keen on that, so don't go threatening death to get your answers. Giving me back to Xetesk holds much more fear.'

'Hmmm.' Selik tore off a corner of bread and fed it into the right side of his mouth, chewing carefully. 'Yes, that was one of the things I wanted you to help me with. That and a few details about the layout of your beloved college. And, more out of curiosity than anything else, why you're carrying bits of carved marble in your pocket.' Selik indicated the thumb which lay on the table next to Yron's empty holster.

'Is that all?'

'For now.'

'Where do you want me to start?'

'How cooperative.'

'You haven't heard me answer yet, boy.'

'Just before we get on, I think I should make it clear that the only people who could ever call me "boy" were my parents. You will address me as "Selik", or "Captain".'

Yron scoffed. 'Selik it is, then. You're certainly no captain. That's a term reserved for soldiers of rank, not self-styled peacocks like you.'

Selik smiled thinly, ignoring the barb. Yron wasn't sure if he was pleased at that or not. He didn't want to endure more pain u

'I should make a couple of other things clear. You are going to die here. And I will get my information. It is merely a question of how easy you want to make your last hours.'

Selik sipped his water, looking at Yron over the rim for a reaction. Yron made sure he saw nothing but calm acceptance.

'I think your men have already helped me along that path,' said Yron, feeling his gut. 'Ask.'

'I'm intrigued,' said Selik, 'why a Xeteskian soldier should be found ru

'Xetesk has committed a great crime – unwittingly at first but now with full knowledge – and it has to be righted. The college would not do it so I took it upon myself. You stopped me. Us.'

'I am sorry,' said Selik. 'Fortunately, I am the right man to talk to about righting college crimes.'

Yron managed a smile. 'You have no conception of the scale of what you have done by stopping me.'

'Perhaps you'd care to enlighten me.'

Yron shifted, wondering what he should say.

'How much do you want to damage Xetesk's ambitions?'

Selik frowned. 'There is not enough time in a day to explain. Why?'

'And how much do you want to live?'

'There's much more work to be done,' evaded Selik. 'And I do hope there's a reason for these questions.'

'Well, you have the tools to do both and neither right here,' said Yron.

Selik cleared his throat. 'The ice is thin beneath your feet, Captain. '

'Oh really? I thought it had already cracked and you were merely holding me above the drop.'

Selik waved a hand impatiently. 'What is this?' He turned the thumb over in his hands.

'I had no idea you were interested in archaeology.'

Selik sighed. 'I can make this very painful for you,' he said without looking up. 'But I had hoped it wouldn't be necessary.'

It was Selik's casual attitude that told Yron the Black Wing would torture the information from him. And if he was going to die, it might as well be on his terms. He was not afraid to die. Nor was he afraid of pain but he'd wanted to resist Selik and had tested his narrow limits. But as he sat there, aware of his own unpleasant smell mixing with the stale sweat and ale of the room and those around him, he asked himself what it was he was so desperate to keep from Selik.