Trees surround the path in a forest. It was early afternoon and a royal caravan was escorting Prince Amerin to the Capital. Dense brush was on either side of the path and the soldiers were jumpy. Suddenly, a soldier dropped. Dark figures in masks and hoods smothered and drug back five more. Then the tension broke, fifty or so in the same black cloaks and masks dropped the rest of the soldiers, cut the horses loose from the wagons, and a smaller figure in dark purple stepped in front of the prince and dragged him off his horse. The purple-robed figure pulled out a long purple cloth and strapped the prince�s wrists together. Then the cloaked figures then disappearred into the thick underbrush, taking the bound prince and horses with them.
At the camp of the revolutionaries, the prince was tied up near the leader, the purple-clad figure who dragged him off his horse. The purple-cloaked creature sat down on a nearby fallen tree and began to unwrap its head. The prince watched with awe and horror as the face of his attacker was revealed to be� a young woman named Talia, a proud and intelligent warrior and leader of the revolutionaries, a group dedicated to overthrowing the Sovereign Dorian. She took off her cloak and head-wrap, and paced about the area assigned to her. The revolutionaries leave tonight, traveling further north to the barbarian kingdom, where the soldiers of Domorin could not move about as easily. Her horse was tied up nearby, wearing a saddle of black leather and a blanket of the same dark purple as Talia�s cloak. Talia stared at the prince, daring him to talk, yell, something, but he does not and instead she takes out the swords tucked into her waistband, long hooks really, with handguards designed to be blades and pointed spikes on the opposite ends. She walked over to her horse and stuck them in a leather pouch, tying them up and covering them with a flap of leather. She also unloaded a set of daggers, and a stiletto boot knife, she was about to put up the stiletto knife when she stopped and turned to the prince. She walked over to him, where he was sitting on the ground in front of a tree. She crouched down to his level and held the tip of the knife at his throat.
�What are you thinking?� She demanded, looking in his eyes, trying to discern his emotions.
�I will tell you nothing, My uncle shall save me.� At this, he turned his head away. Talia seized the hair at the back of his head and turned his head back toward her, saying �It is not you we want, fool, it is freedom, freedom from the tyranny of our insane sovereign. Prince Amerin, you must know this: Sovereign Dorian is mad, he searches the forests for things that do not exist, and enslaves the humans he rules. You are just our way to bargain with him.�
They left the camp on time, as soon as the sun set, Talia on her black mare and Prince Amerin on one of the horses from the caravan, a dark brown roan. He rode, tied to the saddle horn and stirrups, with Talia taking the reins of his mount. All the night, he slept and rode, while Talia led the horses northward.
Talia stopped the company just before sunrise to stop and eat. She was nervous, not wanting to stop, but knew that the men and women who followed her would not last long without a meal. She decided to stay until the late afternoon, when the temperature would drop again and they could ride some more.
Talia ventured into the town nearby, and returned to find the camp embroiled in a fight with the sovereign�s soldiers. Cursing herself, she kicked her horse and pulled out one of her swords. She searched frantically for the prince, and found several men protecting him. She pulled out her other sword and jumped into the fray, mortally wounding soldiers by slicing them with her hooks. She reached the prince, and was surprised to see a soldier attempt to kill him with an axe. A man in the circle of protectors said, �aye, they�ve been trying that since this started. What do we do?� Run with him, Talia thought, and found her horse. She slung the prince up into the saddle and sat in front of him, tucking her swords into her cloth belt. Yelling to her troops she said, �Everyone! Run! Get out of here and retreat into the forest!� with that, she kicked her horse and she galloped from the battle. The prince, behind her, talked into her ear �That wasn�t very good of you to leave your troops on the battlefield, girl. They won�t follow you any more.� She laughed harshly, saying, �You don�t know my recruits well. They know that keeping you is our only bargaining chip. And my name is Talia, not girl. Plus, I doubt that you�ll be going back to your palace even if they did get to you. Those soldiers were attempting to kill you.�
The prince was quiet for the rest of the ride. At a house friendly to the revolution, Talia stopped her mare and put the prince in a horse stall, tying him to the post at the end of the wall, then tying up her own horse. She went into the house to ask the family if she might spend the night in the barn. Returning, she took the saddle off her horse and began to brush its coat. The prince watched her talk to the horse, and in checking its hooves, she asked it for a hoof and it lifted one. Later, she untied him and let the prince sit in a clean stall to eat the dinner brought to them by the maid. Talia sat at the end of it; blocking his way out and watching him eat.
Amerin attempted at conversation, �Are you an elf?�
�Excuse Me?� she asked him, hearing but not quite believing it.
�Are. You. An. Elf? I�ve only ever seen elves talk to animals like that.�
�Humans can do a lot of things that elves can do. The reason why Elves are Elves is because they can do it all.�
�So are you one?� he asked again, staring intently at her face.
�No.� She lifted her hair back so he could see her ears better.
�Are you part Elf?�
�Is that your business?�
�Not really, but I have to talk to someone during my imprisonment.�
Talia was silent as she studied him. Then, without warning, the prince jumped up and climbed the wall of the stall, jumping from the top of one wall to another until Talia tackled him to the ground in the walkway of the barn. She planted her right knee on his chest and the other on the ground, then pinned his wrists above his head.
�What is your problem?�
�Are you kidding me, I�ve been kidnapped by a terrorist leader and SHE asks me �what�s wrong�?�
�Well, in case you haven�t noticed, your sovereign is trying to get you killed and blame it on me!�
�The soldier could have been mistaken.� Talia laughed.
�Oh, yeah, I usually bound my followers so they won�t run away.� The prince stopped struggling. A man on a horse arrived at the barn and chuckled, getting off his horse and putting it in a stall.
�Getting to know the prince?� he asked. Talia scrambled up hastily, grabbing the prince�s right arm and twisting it behind him to shove him back in the stall. �Wait! I want to join you, and if what you say is true, I will join you in bringing down the sovereign.� Talia let Prince Amerin go. The man introduced himself as Connor Zaksby and the three sat down in the tack room at the other side of the barn. �First,� Connor started, �Talia, you were right to get Prince Amerin out of there, the soldiers wanted him, and were supposed to make it look like we killed him. The sovereign wants the throne, and it the Prince doesn�t show up within two weeks, He will claim it.� Talia added, �and then probably kill you anyway.� While looking at Prince Amerin.
�He has a sword from a darklighter. I cannot defeat him. Not without something just as powerful or more so.� Prince Amerin said.
�Aren�t there more swords hidden?� Connor asked.
�Yes, there should be.� Talia answered.
�Couldn�t you get a map from your monk friend and find it?�
�I don�t know if I could sense a power that foreign to me.�
�But you could try?�
�Yeah, I guess.� Prince Amerin was miffed.
�How could you get a map of where the swords are hidden?� he demanded.
�A friend of the revolutionaries lives at a monastery. He hides us occasionally, but usually gives us information. Odds are, he has a map of where the Darklighters hide their swords.�
Connor left to inform the local revolutionaries of the plan and to stay in the nearby town. Talia didn�t want to draw too much attention to the farm where they were staying. Prince Amerin slept on a blanket that the maid brought him, and Talia slept on her horse�s saddle, watching the prince. �So what�s with the Connor guy? I mean, why did he join?� the prince asked, looking at Talia from his bed of hay and blanket.
�Sovereign took his family�s farm, and Connor decided that he wouldn�t stand for it.�
�Oh, how old is he, he looks at least 30, but he sounds younger.�
�You�d be right if you guessed younger, he�s 24. Battle and losing one�s parents, wife, and children change a man.�
Prince Amerin was silent for a while. �Where is this monk?�
�Who�s Karis?�
�My horse.�
�Who are your parents?�
�Go to sleep.� And with that, Talia rolled over, facing away from Prince Amerin, and went to sleep.
The next day they left early, thanking the family who let them stay, and headed west. They talked little during the ride to the monastery, not exchanging much more that 30 or so words. It took longer than usual, nearly a week, to reach the monastery, but Talia�s evasion techniques paid off, and they weren�t spotted and arrived without incident.
Chapter Three: The monk at The Torah Monastery
At the Monastery, an elder man who looks to be nearly 70 welcomes Prince Amerin and Talia. One monk takes Talia�s horse away. He bows and leads them to a large library, then to a smaller study. When he reaches the study, another monk brings a tray of assorted foods and a pitcher of purified water. Finally, then Talia�s monk walks in, he seems to be the oldest but not senile, possessing an aura of wizened years and experienced still remembered. Talia hugs him and he sits down. The monk motions for them to sit also in other chairs in the study.
�Well, well, Talia,� he began, with a voice like a father or preacher, �you need a map to find the swords of the Darklighters. We can�t give you an original copy, of course, but I�ve already got my lead mapmaker copying everything we found.� Talia jumped up and hugged the monk again, while he patted her back and chuckled, �Anything for my surrogate daughter.�
�Thank you, sir, this will not be forgotten when I am king.� Prince Amerin said, bowing slightly. The monk let go of Talia and stood. �So this is the crowned Prince of Domorin. I can only hope that you will not just be a younger version of Sovereign Dorian. I understand that you will need weapons.� The monk walked over to a cabinet and unlocked it, taking out several objects and a bow in a case of black suede. The monk set them down upon one of the tables near the windows, and motioned for Talia and Prince Amerin to come closer.
�This,� he said and unwrapped it with a flourish, �is a bottomless quiver.� The prince believed the old monk was mad, his brains addled by old age and rotted by the confines of the monastery. �What?� Talia asked.
The monk explained, �This quiver was given to me by an elf. It will never run out of arrows, and carries every type of arrow that exists. The wearer need only to think of the arrow he wants, and it will find his hand. Here is a bow for you, too.� He pulled out the bow from its sheath, unstringing and restringing it deftly. The bow was beautiful, a dark black mahogany wood with hints of red in its colour. It was decorated with delicate silver filgeree to match the quiver. The monk handed to Prince Amerin. �The bow is also elfin, and it shoots better than any man-made one. Take care of it. Here is a baldric to hold it all, and some knives, two, actually. It�ll hold your sword, too, when you find it.� The baldric was a strap that crossed over Prince Amerin�s right shoulder and under his left arm about at his waist, and a second strap connected from the back strap to the front one, passing under his right arm. The excess that reached his waist had a loop to hold a sword scabbard, and there were two knife sheaths built into the main strap on his right chest. The monk tied the bow, in its sheath, and the quiver to holes on the back of the main strap, Then stuck two, 10-inch knives into the sheaths in the right-chest main strap. The monk stepped back, surveying his choices. �Good.� He said, and smiled, then frowned. �You don�t have gauntlets or gloves, do you?� Prince Amerin shook his head �No, sir. Why.�
�Because you�ll bruise your arm to heck and chafe your fingers shooting a bow. I�ll get you what you need.� Turning to Talia, the monk said, �Now for your gift.�
�But I don�t need weapons.�
�Ah, but I am not giving you a weapon.� The monk dug around in a leather bag strapped to his habit belt and produced a small leather pouch with extra-long ties of cord. �Here we go.� He handed Talia the pouch. She opened it. Inside was a small stone slightly larger than her thumb. �Wow� she said, holding it in her palm. It was the deep dark purple colour that she loved, and would be unremarkable except for the fact that it was glowing softly, on and off, like the soft beat of a heart with colour and light that came from its center.
�Wow.� Said the Prince.
�Yeah, I know.� whispered the monk.
That night, the monk who had given them the objects fed them in the study after showing Prince Amerin and Talia their rooms. The mapmaker had finished copying the map and the rest of the important materials into a leather-bound book and a scroll with a case. The monk set these down on the same table as earlier, explaining that knowing a bit about the reason why they hid the swords and some of their traditions might help in finding their hiding spots. He also had a very old, black leather-covered manuscript. Picking it up, he explained, �This,� he opened it, �is the memoirs of the then-leader of the Darklighters. It explains why he hid the swords and how he did so. He doesn�t exactly say where they are, but he does give hints. And I�ve added those hints to your book.� The monk sat down and set the book on the table, and taking out a pair of glasses and putting them on, he began to read:
�I�m sure, as odd as it seems to hide them, I do have excellent reason and mission to put the swords away. Many times we have passed the swords down, from generation to generation, Father to Son, not breaking the chain for many years, but the younger generation now is corrupt, being raised to privilege and arrogance. So sadly, these young Darklighters must be relieved of their swords and powers, and the weapons hid away from all eyes except that of the Holy God.� The monk turned the page. �I am yet unsure of what the elves think, knowing that they disapprove of almost anything they or I do anyway. I suppose that they are glad the weapons that allow an ordinary human to become as powerful as their best warriors are going to disappear. I can only hope that the future crusade to find one is only undertaken by the stout of courage and true of heart. Sadly, the most I can do is be sure that the sorcerers who hide them place wards and tests required of the young person to find them. I am, however, placing a spell on my own sword so that it will disappear into its own hiding spot when I am gone, so that it does not fall into the wrong hands. I have decided on where to hide the swords. Various places, such as an abandoned temple in the north, the bottom of a lake, and several caves in the mountains have been selected. The swords will be hidden well, and I am sure that no one but the person they are meant for will receive it.� The monk turned to the last page. �To the future Darklighters, good luck. May your generation be far less corrupt and evil than mine.� The monk closed the book. �That�s it. Other that this, it�s mostly about boring court ordeals, bloody battles, and the record of current Darklighters. The other things I put in your copy were from training books they usually gave to young Darklighters. In them were detailed accounts of the powers, duties and responsibilities of the Darklighters, along with certain basic spells and the types of swords. Another book had a directory of symbols and signs used by the Darklighters, which I thought could be useful when you found the sword.� The monk took the scroll from its case and unrolled it. On it was a map of Domorin. �Now,� he said, laying scroll weights on either side, �you are most likely to find swords here, here, and here; one is a forest where the sword should be inside a tree; another in a temple that is still inhabited, and the sword there should be inside either the walls or a black marble column; and last but not least, there should be one in this cave. The cave I personally do not recommend, as it is rumored to have a labyrinth leading up to the main sword chamber.� Talia studied the map for a few minutes, finally deciding that they would check the tree, then the temple if necessary. �We ought to try here, and here first, because I don�t do well underground.�
�Okay.� acknowledged the Prince.
Talia was quiet as she read the leather-bound book the monk had given her. The prince looked over her shoulder, and asked, �When do we leave?�
�The day after tomorrow, I know its short, but we need some time to get you a cloak, horse, saddle, and such. I want you to practice archery. You need to be prepared.�
�I will. What of you?�
�I need to study how a Darklighter�s mind works.�
Talia and Prince Amerin left the monastery early in the morning. Talia was satisfied with the prince�s archery, and he had a horse the monks had given him. They had also insisted that they give them both saddlebags, cloaks, and bedrolls. Prince Amerin�s horse, Tato, had a dark brown saddle and dark blue saddle blanket. Prince Amerin had his cloak modified so that he could wear the baldric, quiver, and bow. The monks had also delivered on the promise of gauntlets and gloves. The gauntlets were plain black, and laced up with eyelets. The gloves, three of them, were two full gloves with the tips of the right fingers reinforced and the third one, a sort of three-fingered glove, missing the thumb, little finger, and entire pinky side of the glove. Prince Amerin was confused until Talia told him it was a summer glove, designed not to overheat the hand, but still stay on an active sword hand or during a heated battle. He found that he was delighted with the design of it, as he could wear it all the time and not be bothered with slippage or losing it like a regular glove or tab. Talia�s stone stayed in the pouch the entire time, and while wearing it around her neck, Talia found herself wondering what it truly was.
They reached the forest where the sword was supposed to be, and began their search. Talia realized that she felt nothing, no magic or foreign articles, but was not worried, because she knew that she could not sense everything magical, especially something meant to be hidden. They searched the forest the entire day and a little before sundown they found the tree. Coming upon it, it looked normal, until you saw the large hollow cavity inside and the runes around the edges of the hollow. �It�s gone, someone else has found it. It�s not here.� Talia relayed. �What do you mean �its not here�? We need a sword!�
�Relax! There are others. This is not the end of all things.�
�Easy for you to say, your life doesn�t hang in the balance of finding one or not. The sovereign cannot be defeated without finding one!�
�There are others.�
�But we needed this one!� And with the prince yelling that final complaint, Talia left, and mounted her horse. Showing patience, she waited for the prince to come and join her.
Talia dealt with the prince�s frustrations as best she could, but she drew the line when he questioned the reality of the monk�s claims.
�What are you saying?�
�I�m saying that the monk friend of yours might have inhaled the smell of too many books.�
�You�re kidding me. He is as sane as you or I.�
�I think he might have sent us on a wild goose chase.�
�Fine. If this is a wild goose chase, then I�m going to get me some goose.� Talia kicked Karis into a gallop, and sped off, leaving Prince Amerin in a cloud of dust.
Nearly an hour later, Talia is ambushed. Soldiers crowd the path and block her way. She tries to outrun them but is caught. She pulls out her hooked swords and fights.
Talia slices the front of a soldiers uniform, then kicks him into his comrades. Then she hooks the crossguard of another soldier�s sword and snatches it out of his hands, flinging it into the torso of another soldier. Through all of them, she slices and slashes, sustaining injuries until there are none left. Talia collapses into the dust on the road.
Prince Amerin arrives minutes later, and putting dusty and bloody Talia into the front of his saddle, packs away her swords and take the reins of Karis, then leaves. Saying nothing.
Prince Amerin attempts to wake up Talia but is unable, so he decides to stop by a sheltered meadow with a stream to wash her wounds and bandage them. He is especially careful to preserve her modesty, but is shocked to discover the extent of her wounds. She has large scratches all over her, which he ignores, and several knife swipes were taken at her arms. He bandages her as best he can with one of the extra shirts she brought. She has a riding vest she brought with her, but Amerin decides not to put it on her just yet, as she will probably be sore upon waking.
Talia woke up on the third day in the meadow. At first, she thought she had been captured, but then she saw the prince. He noticed Talia was awake. �Relax.� He whispered, walking near her. She noticed he had taken his doublet off, which he never did. �What did you do?� she asked sitting up and attempting to stand but is unable. �I took care of you. You had passed out in the middle of the trail, what did you want me to do? Leave you there to die?�
Talia sighed. He was right. She doubted he would risk his honor for someone so� not ladylike.
�Where are we?� She asked.
�Not far from the temple, I think. I was afraid to leave you.� Talia recognized the emotion in his eyes and face. Prince Amerin truly cared for her. She sat up and pushed herself to her feet. �Careful!� the prince said, jumping to Talia�s aid, and putting a hand at her waist to help balance her. She pushed his hand away with surprising strength and said to him �I don�t need help. Where�s my bodice and partlet.�
�They�re shredded. You need clothes that match your enthusiasm for battle.� He smiled and pulled out the riding vest. �Will this do?�
�Yeah.� Talia pulled it over her head, wincing, then tightened the laces. The vest was black with dark purple lacing around the armholes, down the sides, up the front, and around the neck. It was padded to resist arrows and light sword strikes, a sort of crude armor, but it was used mainly for riding to support the back and chest. She stretched and winced again. �How long have we been here?� She asked.
�Three days. Including today.� Talia frowned. �Then we need to move on.�
�But you�re not well.�
�I�ve survived worse without any assistance.� The prince put on his doublet and weapons. Talia checked her swords and packed the bedroll she had lain on. �It should be about two days to the temple where the sword is hidden. By then I�ll be fine.� She observed and mounted her horse.