| No-Name amongst Humans - CONTINUED |
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In the early afternoon Thev and Joanathos left the shelter of the forest as the path took them across a steep mountainside. The brisk wind found them an easy target on the open slope. It tugged at Thev's dark locks and whipped the elf's silvery tresses around his slim frame in a wild dance. Even though the sun rested warmly against the mountainside the air itself was crisp, carrying the smell of snow from the high mountaintops. But while the young human hunched his shoulders against the wind Joanathos obviously enjoyed it. As Thev stopped for a moment to drink from a small brook he watched the tall immortal above the rim of his cupped hands. The wisps of fine hair seemed afloat in the turbulent air spread out like silvery wings. The elf had offered his sharp face to the caress of the wind while he watched some hawks soar high above them, their piercing screeches echoing between the mountains. It looked like the Fair Lord was ready to take off and circle with them, riding the air currents as if they were a part of him. Thev got up abruptly, bracing himself against the vicious gusts of wind and moved on, skipping over a slide of loose rocks. Light-footed the elf followed him listening to Thev's muffled curses as the sharp rocks bit through the thin leather of his shoes. Finally they rounded the open mountain slope and reached a more sheltered crevice again where the path once more vanished into the woods. And there at the edge of the forest they finally caught sight of the train of pack ponies; of Marantar and his men. Joanathos noticed that Thev hesitated for a moment, but then the youth walked on. Marantar seemed to have granted his men and more importantly the ponies a rest after crossing the mountainside and the slide for they didn't disappear into the woods. As the young human and the elf drew closer there was a commotion amongst the mage's train and they noted one of the men pointing in their direction. Marantar became easily distinguishable by his bright red robes as he stepped out from the shadow of the trees to have a look at what his man had spotted. Patiently he waited for Thev and Joanathos to catch up with them. With a dark defiant look Thev walked between the mage's men who watched them silently. One of them had a long knife drawn and ready but he seemed to have forgotten about it as he stared in disbelief at the tall Fair Lord strolling along behind Thev. Clearly the humans were at a loss how to react and they didn't quite seem to dare to make a move against Thev while he was in the company of an immortal. Instead they formed an aisle through which the boy and the elf strode towards Kaldoren Marantar. The mage awaited them beneath the sheltering branches of a fir tree where Samiel lay wrapped in a blanket, pillowed on Marantar's cloak. Thev's eyes skipped shortly to the unconscious empath but then he focused his gaze firmly on the mage. Marantar watched Thev with a carefully schooled expression. "So - you come back like this." He mused his sharp green eyes searching the youth's face. "Is it to spite the Fair Lord, who intervened on your behalf to set you free? Or do you intend to test my patience to the limit by throwing further fits of inappropriate boyish righteousness? Any halfway sensible lad would have used the opportunity to get far away from here." Thev exhaled deeply and Joanathos could see the rigid set of his shoulders betraying the young human's inner struggle. "I want to work in the mines again." He announced in a strong voice. It got him a humorless laugh from Marantar. "You ask to work in the mines, then run away abducting the empath under my charge and then you possess the cheek to turn up again and ask once more to work for me?" the mage asked rhetorically. "That's not the way it works, Trossbalg. You aren't in the position to act like a turncoat mercenary." Dispassionately Marantar watched how Thev clenched his hands into fists, considering the boy from head to toe while he didn't spare a look for the Fair Lord. "Anyway it is obvious that there is but one reason that you want to work in the mines again. Thus to make it short: I don't want you back in the mines. You don't work worth the trouble you are." "I've been working well!" Thev snarled angrily in protest. "You know that I've worked as much as anyone else... more than most!" "I haven't said that you didn't." Marantar corrected giving the youth a thin smile. "But you've also made a lot more trouble than anyone else. Moreover you don't possess any special skills in mining. You just started to learn. So we can always replace someone like you, who combines shortness with physical strength." With a dismissive shrug the mage stressed his obvious disregard for Thev's abilities and use. A tremble ran through Thev and Joanathos could hear his harsh breathing. "Then... perhaps you'd like to have me as your harlot again." Thev asked through gritted teeth. Kaldoren Marantar gazed down at Thev, a taunting yet intense sparkle in his flint-colored eyes. "A boy who's worn green sleeves at a borderland inn for three months? I don't think so; I've got no wish for lice and syphilis." "You can check me. I've got none of it." Thev declared roughly. "I fear I'm no longer interested. As I said before..." The mage pointed out in a soft mocking voice. "You don't work worth the trouble you are." Silently Joanathos observed Marantar and the youth. Marantar obviously didn't have trouble to keep his temper this time. There was no doubt that he was acting superior again, not only to Thev but also by utterly ignoring the presence of the Fair Lord. But Joanathos didn't mind. To take your time to recognize someone's presence was usual amongst elves. And now it left Joanathos free to watch what was going on. Even though he didn't see Thev's eyes he could sense the intense rage radiate from the young human. He sensed the element of Fire that surrounded Thev, pulsated around him, goaded by each and every of the mage's words and gazes. Marantar had to be aware of that, of the Fire elemental concentrating so intensely in Thev. But then perhaps the human mages didn't sense the element of Fire that made up human emotions, the elf mused. Perhaps only empaths were able to sense that? Joanathos threw a glance in the direction of the little empath, resting beneath the tree and suddenly he felt that his gaze was answered. The boy's eyes were open and he stared at the elf. For a moment only, then his gaze changed. Somehow it got hard for Joanathos to focus on Samiel but he sensed that the Fire elemental around him was very intense too. The elf's fingers flexed as he struggled to see and sense something that was slipping his grasp. The Fire elemental swirled around the little empath, repelling him, but not only the Fire. There was some other sort of shield protecting the empath that made it hard for the elf to concentrate. Still he thought that this shield wasn't very stable and he caught tendrils of Fire elemental sneaking out. Or probably in. Joanathos couldn't tell. But he could tell that those tendrils connected the little empath to Marantar and Thev. It was faint and unstable but Joanathos thought he could make out that pattern. He felt the urge to dance to get a better grasp but he doubted that it would help a lot since this whole construct was utterly contrary to the elves' nature. Slowly the Fair Lord blinked drawing his attention back to Thev and Marantar. Thev sneered in a mixture of anger, contempt and humiliation. "So ye're afraid ye can't handle me. Na in the mines na as ye whore!" He spat at Kaldoren Marantar. "Ye're such a coward. All ye do is using Samiel fer yer cursed magic, cause he can't defend himself!" It was hard for Joanathos to tell if the youth meant to trick the mage, but he rather suspected that young Lord Greensleeves was loosing his temper. And he supposed Marantar was seeing through it as well. The mage laughed, a wry sardonic sound, his gaze resting on the agitated youth. "And you're such an impertinent brat." Despite Marantar's mocking voice it didn't quite sound like an insult. Slowly the mage closed the distance between him and Thev, his heavy robes whispering softly around his legs as he moved. He gripped the youth's chin in his long fingered hand and gazed down at Thev's face observing him with a thin-lipped smile. "It is amazing how those mercenaries and their whores are getting such a high opinion of themselves. All those wars and feuds make them think they owe the land. They are getting complacent, strutting around in their ragged, gaudy clothes like they were kings, raising children like you. You are a plague. You think you can do whatever you want. Respecting noone and owing to noone. You are even proud to be a Trossbalg and a harlot, aren't you?" Thev's chest heaved and he stared piercingly at Marantar. He didn't break free of the mage's firm grip at his jaw but bore it defiantly, his soft full lips pressed tightly together. "Yes, that's what I am." "Stubborn. Rude. Impertinent." The mage's eyes sparkled intensely as he met Thev's glare. "What makes you believe I have any interest in wasting my time to struggle with a brat like you?" Joanathos lifted an eyebrow, watching how Marantar toyed with the youth. "It's cause you want him as your harlot again?" He hazarded with dispassionate interest. "Or do humans always explain themselves in such lengths when they renounce someone's company?" But then the elf frowned thoughtfully. "No, you aren't renouncing his company, but his service. Do you have to explain that to him? Or do you just want to make Lord Greensleeves angrier, watching how he's angry at you but still has to ask you to take him back?" A moment of stunned silence followed the immortals unexpected interruption. Marantar's men stared aghast at the Fair Lord, then at the mage and shifted nervously. Clearly all of them decided to keep a low profile, though some threw dark glances at Thev. He was the reason for all this after all. Very deliberately Kaldoren Marantar let go of Thev and turned towards the elf, smiling politely. "No, I do not have to explain myself to this lad. And neither do I have to explain myself to you, Fair Lord." The mages words were as soft as fair leather wrapped around shards of ice. "Still it seems that I'm making an effort. You see, Fair Lord, the word we are looking for here might be 'humiliation'. To this lad it is quite the alternative to being flogged for running away like he did. But obviously he is too stupid to even realize that." "Aren't you afraid that Thev's anger might affect the little empath?" Joanathos asked, his gaze resting unblinking on the mage. This caused quite a few nervous glances amongst Marantar's men directed towards the unconscious Samiel. The mage's eyes narrowed slightly. "I have erected a shield of the Earth elemental around Samiel. Thev's anger won't reach him." He announced loud enough for every one of his men to hear. Still there was quite some muttering amongst them and Joanathos noted that there were more venomous gazes directed towards Thev. The youth stood very still, his chest heaving with deep indrawn breaths. Suddenly he turned around and darted towards the nearest of Marantar's men answering his gaze with dark, sparkling eyes. Before the man could react Thev grabbed the staff he was holding and jerked it out of his grip. "Damn you, bastard!" The man snarled in surprise wanting to rush Thev. Marantar had whipped around at the youth's sudden and unexpected action, waving at his man to hold him, but Thev violently shrugged off the man's hands and dodged back to Marantar. Alerted the mage raised his hands and called the first word of an incantation. It was cut short as Thev thrust the staff towards Marantar and fixed him with a fierce look. "Here, flog me then." The youth demanded roughly. "For you can't humiliate me. So let's end the game. Flog me and get me back to pound rocks in the mines." For a moment Kaldoren Marantar just stared at Thev, the silence between them charged with a challenge, a testing of strength. Suddenly the mage grabbed the staff with a soft snarl and threw it down on the ground. Thev's eyes sparkled stubbornly. "I said you should..." "You said?! YOU said!" Marantar hissed. "Who do you think you are?! You stupid, impertinent brat, just shut up!! I will not flog you!" His angry gaze flicked over his men, who were frozen to the spot. "Marel!" The man jumped startled. "Y-yes, master Marantar..." "A rope." Marantar gave the clipped order. "Tie his arms together and secure him to one of the pack ponies." "Yes, Master Marantar." Carefully Marel approached Thev. Without taking his gaze from Marantar the youth held out his hands admitting them to be tied up. He didn't wince as the man pulled the rope tight around his chafed wrists, keeping his lips pressed together. Kaldoren Marantar watched and then jerked his head at Marel indicating that he should take Thev over to one of the ponies. As Thev was taken away the mage exhaled deeply and smoothed down his robes, visibly regaining his calmness. Then he turned back to Joanathos. "I take it that you've decided to travel with us to the mines, Fair Lord?" he asked dryly. Joanathos inclined his head. "Yes."The elf's haughtiness brought back a slightly annoyed sparkle to the mages flint-green eyes. "Be my guest then." He told Joanathos with brittle politeness. "But I would ask you not to interfere with our affairs. Nor should you go near the empath." Joanathos raised an eyebrow. "Why shouldn't I go near Samiel?" "Because I fear your magic could disturb the shield I erected around him." "It's not a very strong shield." The elf pointed out unabashed. It earned him a chilly look from the mage. "I'm aware of that. I need my equipment back at the mines to properly help Samiel. So please, Fair Lord, stay away from him." Joanathos didn't deign to affirm Marantar's request. He just gazed down at the mage and then strolled off, the assembled humans stepping out of his way. Kaldoren Marantar stared after the tall immortal, his steely-green eyes narrowed. Then he turned towards his men, telling them to get ready to move again. End of Chapter Seven To be continued
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