The Paladins of Naretia

Chapter 23

The sun was high by the time the soil underfoot became less watery. The grounds were blanketed in tall grass and dotted with the first colours of spring flowers as they poked their heads up to meet the sun. In the distance, Aria saw the unmistakable horizon of tall trees. The untouched, ancient forest of Elwood stood like the daunting wall of a natural fortress, stretching its green fingers into the blue sky. Not many travellers had entered the sacred sanctum of the elves, not many were welcomed. Even her father had not tempted fate, holding all of his meetings with the elves in Lothangard. Although they had a certain leniency for the sins of those living in the rest of Naretia, the elves were entirely intolerant of it within their own boarders. In the past, they had eradicated anything within their homeland deemed foul, with deadly force.

Aria spotted a dark figure gliding in the sky. With long, graceful swoops, Aramus circled overhead before descending and landing about a foot away from them. The tall grass bent under his feet and the disturbed wind tussled her hair. Aramus's wings tucked neatly behind his back again as though he was wearing a black cape, so long it swept the ground behind him. Although his expression was stoic and his jaw muscles were firmly clenched, he nodded to Olórin with an awkward half-smile, and Olórin mirrored him. The winged man said nothing as he reached out and took hold of Aria's binds again.

Aria rolled her eyes. 'Men!'

They followed the dwarf as he razed through the thickened sward ahead of them with broad sweeps of his axe. All the while, Aria could see the muscles in Aramus's arms tensing and his knuckles turn white, as he clenched the rope tighter and tighter with each step. His eyes stayed firmly fixed on the green wall looming closer to him. She felt a small amount of pity for him then, knowing he was most probably walking to his doom. If it had been her, Aria wasn't so sure she would have been so compliant.

It wasn't long before they reached the outskirts of the forest. The green, dappled sunlight showed them the way over mossy trees, some of which had lost their battle to remain upright, and through brooks that laughed quietly. Stoic forest soldiers pressed in around them and rustled misgivings, while their fowl messengers screeched an alarm to no one in particular – their echoes dying some many miles beyond Aria's hearing.

No roads scarred the forest floor in Elwood because the elves believed a road would "encroach on the moss's right to grow". Aria had heard father complain about it many times to his visiting elves, wondering why they didn't want a road to Lothangard, at the very least. They had answered him every time with a question, "Why Lothangard?" The elves had no appreciation for the way the rest of the world put themselves on pedestals, and sighted her father as a self-important man. Their righteous attitude had never likened them to her, and even now, as Aria entered their inner sanctum, she felt the judgmental stares of their ideals follow her.

Aria picked her way across the foot-grabbing tree roots, desperately trying to keep up with Bernard's relentless pace. For such a little person, he was a powerhouse of determination and speed. Her bound hands made it more difficult to climb over the trees that had fallen, and the further in she travelled, the higher the hurdles became.

The clean smell of mulch and pine, filled her senses as she followed her captors deeper into the timberland. The trees grew wider, more dappled with lichen, and the sunlight fought hard to break through the thickening canopy. It was the kind of woodland she was unfamiliar with, as all the forests in Naretia were cut down for wood long before they got the chance to age and decay.

"Here, let me help you," Aramus said, holding out his hand to her at one point.

"Thank you, I can manage," she snapped.