The Woodsman: Chapter Thirteen

 Tyler spotted the group of dark elf refugees on a small trail to the west. He pointed at them and kicked the dragon Vaishali’s scales to get her attention. A turn of the beast’s head and she nodded, having seen them as well.

Tyler held on tight as the dragon’s massive wings billowed out, the leathery hide inflating and stretching against the wind buffet as they fell, acting as massive sails of leathery cloth would slow their descent. They landed with a thud on the trail and Tyler hopped off, the paladin’s sword in hand.

“I am Woodsman Tyler, holder of the Sword of Light!” The name he made for the sword attracted a curious glance from the dragon, and what he saw as a sly smirk. “I am the husband to be of Ophelia Kya Leigh, the sorceress among you who has fled and seeks to open the Waystones! I am here to help you!”

The dark elf refugees, as one, turned and fled, melting away into the forest. A few stayed behind, weapons raised, covering the others’ retreat.

Tyler blinked. “Well, that did not go so well.”

“Perhaps you should lay off the heroics,” Vaishali growled.

“Of all the dragons I had to rescue,” Tyler sighed, “why does this one have to be so sarcastic?”

The dragon growled a laugh. “Well, you are a human.”

“Listen!” he shouted to the few dark elves that stayed, their bows ready to fire, and a few others with swords drawn. “Do not run! I am not your enemy! I am here to save you!”

A short-haired dark elf female in a chain top and leather pants walked from the front ranks of the defenders and thrust a dagger in his direction. “You lie! We know who that dragon is! You do not fool us, nor does she!”

Tyler gave the dragon an accusing glance over his shoulder with a smirk of his own. “Your fault.”

Vaishali growled and rolled her eyes.

The short elf with the dusky skin strode forward and kept her dagger pointed at him. A strand of hair to each side of her face was braided, and she narrowed her eyes as she got closer.

“What have you done with Ophei-Ellia Kya-Lei?” She thrust the dagger in his direction. “Tell me now!”

“She is my love! She was coming to warn you!” Tyler said. “You mean she did not make it to you?”

“You two are either extremely deluded or really bad liars,” the dark elf said with a sneer. “Who do you think you are, human, a dragon rider?”

“He thinks he is a paladin,” Vaishali growled.

Tyler winced. “You gave me that title, dragon! The sword chose me!”

“You two are idiots.” The dark elf sneered. “Get this stupid sword out of my way.”

She swept her dagger to knock the sword to the side, but when the dagger touched the blade, he felt a mighty shock resonate through the steel, and where the two weapons touched a flash of light and shower of sparks erupted, throwing the dark elf to the ground in front of him.

The rest of the dark elves tensed and raised their weapons.

“Don’t shoot!” Tyler said. “I did not mean to do that! This was the sword’s idea!”

“I can’t feel my arm!” The dark elf said as she rubbed her numb weapon arm, dagger lying in the grass beside her. “What is that sword?”

“It is a holy sword,” Vaishali said, “an Avenger. Trust me, I hurt a lot more having it stuck in me for nearly a year.”

“It is a wonder you are still alive,” Tyler said.

Vaishali growled. “I should say the same for you.”

“Is that your mount?” The dark elf looked confused. “Or are you trying to kill each other?”

Tyler and Vaishali answered as one. “Both.”

Tyler strode forward, lowered the sword, and offered his hand to the dark elf. “Tell your people to lower their weapons. I mean them, nor you, any harm. Besides, I have a dragon, and if she was my mount you would stand little chance as it is.”

“I don’t trust you,” the dark elf said, “nor the greedy dragon.”

Tyler sighed. “The dragon has promised to assist me in my quest, in exchange for, um, forgiveness from the Church. And a blessing. For her young.”

“You are a horrible liar,” Vaishali grunted a laugh.

“I blame the sword,” Tyler said. “Every time I lie it hurts.”

“Never look in a mirror then,” the dragon smiled.

“You are no crest of arms yourself,” Tyler smirked.

“I can’t believe either of you,” the dark elf sat on the ground rubbing her arm. She offered her non-numb arm and he pulled her to her feet. She fumbled around for her dagger with her numb limb and Tyler reached down and picked up her dagger, and gave it to her working arm.

“I am truly sorry about the arm, Miss,” Tyler said. “Vaishali, does her arm get better, or do I have to pray for it?”

The dragon grunted. “Give it time, she isn’t worth your prayers anyways.”

“Stupid dragon!” The dark elf sneered and pointed at Tyler. “Make her shut up.”

“That prayer has not been answered yet,” Tyler said. “I am Woodsman Tyler, Paladin of the Petulant Dragon.”

“I know what that word means,” Vaishali growled.

“I am Ashura Kya-Lei,” the dark elf said, shaking her numb arm. “And I take no pleasure in meeting either of you. And the sorceress you speak of is my sister. So watch your tongue or you will be asking your god for another.”

“Your sister!” Tyler said. “Which shall make you my sister when I am married to her! You are my family. And I shall treat you as the blood of my own!”

The rest of the dark elves peered from the forest with a mixture of confused and incredulous faces.

Ashura’s face took on a look of rage and horror. She pointed her good arm, dagger in hand, at him. “You do not love my sister, log for brains holy woodsman!”

He held up his green reed ring and smiled. “She wears one like me, my sister Ashura.”

A small vein under her eyelid pulsed. “I am not your sister either.”

“You shall be,” Tyler smiled. “And when you see Ophelia and the ring she wears, you will know. And I shall still love you as family.”

Ashura glared at Vaishali. “The sword picked him, right? Is that the Sword of Blessed Stupidity?”

“She is the one who had the sword stuck in her,” Tyler said as Vaishali growled deeply. Tyler walked towards the forest full of confused dark elf defenders and waved his hands down. “No need for weapons. There are other dark elves serving a dark elf captain hunting you all.”

“And a death mage,” Ashura said, in a matter-a-fact tone from behind him. “One which has the power to kill hundreds with a single swipe of his hand.”

“Who has since become one with his craft,” Tyler said, giving her a nod and a smile before turning to calm the defenders. “Dead as the ones who he enslaves from eternal rest. May the dead offer him none.”

Ashura blinked. “He’s dead?”

Vaishali nodded. “Both halves.”

“You killed him?” Ashura said.

“I tore him in half, but death mages are impossible to kill,” the dragon said. “The parts usually crawl back together and refuse to die. Unless you stab them through the heart with a holy blade.”

Ashura turned towards Tyler. “Which that idiot did?”

Vaishali nodded. “Correct on both points.”

“I can’t lie to you,” Tyler said, turning away from the dark elves he failed to convince. “It hurts too much and I suppose it goes against the paladin code of honor. And besides, you are family.”

“You really are an idiot,” Ashura said.

“Runs in the family,” Vaishali grinned.

Ashura turned toward the dark elves and shouted a few orders.

“You are heading into an ambush,” Tyler said. “Ophelia said there was a longer trail to reach the Waystones. I advise you to take that.”

Ashura glared at him, and then at Vaishali, and the dragon nodded. She then shouted a few more orders in dark elf at the group as they faded away to unite with the other refugees that fled.

She sighed and turned towards him with an accusing stare. “Now, where is my sister?”

“Somewhere between here and the road,” Tyler grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the dragon. “And you are going to help me find her, Sister.”