Love & War
Chapter 11

Elliot

It’s been a hellish two and a half months. The migration patterns are way off from what they should be. It feels like every mile we trek, we are greeted with another rune. Gods. I just want to return to the village. Jessilyn writes often and tells me Illiana is okay. At least that’s a load off of my mind, but why does it feel so heavy in my chest? The sun is beginning to set. Lowe and Zander are working on getting a fire going. The others are securing the perimeter and hunting for something to eat. I lean back against Lucinda. Joben rejoins our patrol shortly after.

“Aha! There!” Zander laughs.

He cups his hands around the small flame and blows. It eventually spreads to the firewood and leaves stuffed in the fire pit. Lowe falls back on his ass and looks up at Zander.

“How did you get damp wood to ignite?”

“That’s my secret,” Zander winks then laughs.

He stands up and walks over to me. I roll my eyes. The spark of elemental magick he has comes in handy.

“What’s up, Z?”

“It’s about time for the Agacrice. Do you want to send a letter this time?” Zander looks up at the sky.

“And what would I say? I was an absolute toadstool before we left.”

Zander frowns. “You’ll have to talk to your wife sooner or later.”

“I know that.” I sigh. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not but talking to women isn’t exactly something I’m great at.”

“Prince Elliot! The area is secure sir, and the hunting party has returned with the Agacrice.” One of my soldiers kneels before me.

“Take Zander to the Agacrice and begin preparing the food. I will join in a moment.”

“Yes, sir.”

The soldier quickly stands and disappears into the trees before reappearing with the Agacrice in his arms. The rat-like reptile curls up in the crook of his arm. The pouch strapped to it is bigger than normal. Zander unties the pouch and pulled out three letters. One is unmistakably from Jess. She only writes on lavender-colored parchment. One is on a faded yellow paper. The third is a cream color and is tied together with twine.

Zander opens the yellow one first.

“Lowe. Another letter from your mother. You really ought to write that woman back every once in a while.” Zander tosses the letter over to him.

He opens the cream one next and reads it quickly before his eyebrows shoot up and he looks at me.

“Uh, Ell. This one is for you. From your wife.” He pauses then hands me the letter. I unfold it again and a milky purple-colored crystal falls into my hand.

What the hell? Is someone pregnant? Is it Jess again? I quickly scan over the letter.

Elliot,

I hope this letter replaces you in good health. We are well here. Since you have left, something has happened. Whether this is good news or bad, I will let you decide. I am pregnant.

Your wife,

Illiana

No way. She can’t be pregnant, can she? Our wedding night. Gods that would put her at roughly nine weeks when the letter was written. It took the Agacrice a month at least to get here. Three months. She is three months pregnant and I left her alone.

“P-pregnant. She’s pregnant. Oh Gods, I am months away from her!” I groan. My heart is pounding in my throat.

Theos help me.

“Congrats Ell. You’re going to be a father.” Zander smiles weakly up at me.

I am going to be a father. Me. A father. I have to get to Illiana. I have to get home to her.

I stand and stare at that letter for the better part of an hour before I join my men around the fire. I examine the crystal.

Pregnant. I’m a father. Oh, Theos.

After one night of rest, we ride three days in a row without stopping before we finally reach the border. I motion for Zander to take the left flank and Lowe to take the right. We have the area surrounded. Some of my men are hidden in the tall trees, some of them camouflaged in the ditches, and some amongst the boulders on the border wall the Healers have erected. Now all that is left to do is wait. I wait in that damn tree for hours before I hear the creaking of carriage wheels and the clanking sound of something metallic. I reach behind me and grasp my axe and motion toward the direction of the sound.

Zander nods and readies his bow and arrow. Two glitter shits are soon in view riding solid white unicorns. Behind them is the dingiest-looking carriage I have ever seen. There is a large chain attached to the back of the carriage. I grit my teeth and narrow my eyes. Shackled to the chain is a child. A boy if I’m not mistaken. His dark complexion stands out against the white rags they have him in. His tightly wound curls are bouncing with every step. Blindfolded and in tattered clothes being half pulled by the chain. I throw my hand in the air and give the signal.

Zander puts two fingers in his mouth and whistles loudly. The archers in the trees let their arrows rain down on the Rapskas. They are definitely not expecting us. I signal Lowe to attack. He lets out a primal battle cry and a group of six men run at the carriage. I motion my men forward. The Rapskas on the unicorns try to escape. Zander lunges out of the tree he was in and knocks one of them off. The other circles back for the first.

Idiot.

I grip my axe and swing up at the Rapska from my place on the tree. A clean decapitation. Blood sprays up on my face and the Rapska’s body falls from the unicorn. I jump down from my place and look over at Zander as I step over the Rapska’s body.

“Clean up the Rapskas and put their heads on pikes at the border. Understood?” Perhaps this would send the right message to those who would dare disrespect elven land again.

“With pleasure.” Zander grins wickedly as he turns back to the Rapska that he knocked off.

Lowe breaks the carriage door open and to help elderly healers out of that death trap. The door splinters off of the hinges and falls to the ground with a loud thud.

“Give them the Rapska’s unicorns and all that we can spare to get them back home.”

I point to the Rapskas’ unicorns as I walk by Lowe. He nods as he holds his hand out to help another healer out of the carriage.

They really stuffed ten elderly healers in a tiny carriage.

I press my lips together and approach the child. All of the healers except for this child are in the carriage. He is the only one shackled and half-dragged. Why?

“Are you ok boy?”

I break the shackles binding him to the chain in half. He staggers into me. I catch him then kneel down before him and lift the blindfold. His starry eyes are level with mine.

“You saved me, mister. Thank you!” He throws his arms around me. He is so thin he has to be malnourished.

“Are you hurt, boy?” I pull back and look him over. I don’t see anything other than bruising from the shackles and scrapes on his feet from the trek. Seeing this child in this condition really pisses me off.

Why would they want a child? Is it because the child is a healer?

“My name is Obsidian, mister. My wrists hurt but they’ll be okay, I think.” He holds them out for me to see. They are a little swollen but nothing rest and time won’t heal.

“Those bruises will vanish in time. Those are your battle scars, Obsidian. You are free now, okay? You can go home. We have a unicorn to spare and I will give you food for the journey.”

Obsidian frowns and looks up at me through his eyelashes with sad eyes. They remind me of Illiana when she first approached me in my tent that day.

“Can I go with you? Please? I don’t have anyone there. They will just sell me again. That’s what they do to the people who have no one else. Please mister. Don’t make me go back. Please. I can work! I- I can clean and cook too! I won’t be any trouble, I promise!”

The desperation in his eyes sends a pang through my chest.

How can I tell him no? Theos help me.

I look up and for a moment and I swear I see Illiana smiling at the child from the stone border for a split second. I blink and she is gone. I shake my head and give Obsidian half a smile.

“It can’t be helped if you do not want to go back. I will not force you to do so. Do you want to come with me? My wife will like you, I think.” Obsidian’s whole face lights up. He is so excited his little body is shaking.

“Do you mean it, mister? You’ll bring me with you?”

He grins at me. He is missing his two front bottom teeth. I put my hand on his shoulder. He looks younger than my nephew.

“I mean it. And, please, call me Elliot. There’s no need to be formal with me.”

I take off my cloak and wrap it around the boy’s shoulders. It is going to get cold soon. Obsidian pauses and stares at me for a moment then grabs the edges of the cloak and wraps himself tighter into it. I stand up and scoop him up into my arms.

“Close your eyes, Obsidian. You shouldn’t see this mess,” I look down at him. He squeezes his eyes shut as tightly as he can. I smile down at him and begin to walk back to Lucinda.

“Wrap it up, men! Let’s get back to the village!”

Joben immediately sets out to scout the way back. After sending the healers back to their villages, we are down eight unicorns and rations as well. We walk as far as we can before nightfall, Obsidian riding on Lucinda with the remaining rations. We walk around various rune markers Joben has set out for us. It’s going to be one hell of a trip back.

“Ell, what’s up with the boy?” Zander asks looking up at Obsidian.

I look at him as well. He is leaning forward on Lucinda fast asleep. The poor boy must be exhausted. There’s no telling what kind of hell he lived through at the hands of those bloody Rapskas.

“I’m adopting him. He would have been sold again if I sent him back. I couldn’t send him back. So he’s my responsibility now.” I lead Lucinda around another rune-marked tree.

Zander grins at me. “I knew you weren’t the heartless toadstool the gossips said you were. Do you think your wife will be as accepting though? Aren’t you expecting a baby as well?”

I think about Illiana’s smiling image appearing back at the border and nod. “I am certain Illiana will love this boy as her own.”

Zander nods and we walk in comfortable silence for about an hour before I hear someone clear their throat behind me. I look back and raise an eyebrow.

“Can I help you, Lowe?”

What could he possibly want right now?

“I have some intel you ought to know, your highness.” He fidgets with his hands. I nod and look over to Zander.

“Would you mind taking over leading Lucinda for a few minutes, Z?” Zander shakes his head.

“Not at all.” Zander grabs the reigns and walks ahead. I look at Lowe and wait.

“What does this intel pertain to?” I ask once we were out of earshot of the platoon.

“T-that’s the thing. It’s about your wife.” he stares at the ground as he walks.

“What about my wife?” I raise my brow.

“I have it on good authority that the babe she carries is not of elven royalty. She became friendly with the son of a farmer. Ellori. She became pregnant soon after.”

Lowe finally looks up at me. I feel all of the air leave my lungs. It feels like someone has punched me in the stomach and I feel sick. That sick feeling quickly turns to red hot anger and I glare at him.

“That is one hell of an accusation, Lowe. Do you have proof?”

“I have a witness putting Ellori at your home four times per week for hours at a time, your highness. It began shortly after we departed.” Lowe stares back at the ground.

I take a deep breath and look up at the sky, “Is that all?”

“Yes, your highness,” he breathes out. I see red. He dares to slander my wife on mere gossip. I grab the collar of his shirt and raise him off of the ground.

“Who the fuck do you think you are to slander my wife like that? Your Queen?” I spit through my teeth. Lowe’s eyes go as wide as saucers.

“I-I meant no disrespect, your Majesty! Honest!” He cowers. I throw him onto the ground at my feet and glare at him.

“Leave me. Now.” I spit through my teeth.

Lowe scrambles to his feet then sprints ahead and rejoins the platoon. I run my hand over my face.

Would Illiana do that? Get pregnant by another man while I’ve been gone? Cheat on me with a farmer’s boy? I know we fought. I know I was an ass. Did she seek solace in the arms of another man? Is the babe mine?