Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 01 Ch. 24

Annette, "I checked it 3 times against the cipher."

Eldar, "Thank you for telling me."

He started riding faster as they headed to the palace. He soon had T'suras at full speed and he blew through the gates without so much as a whimper of a complaint. He pulled up out front, "I need a messenger sent. Get one to meet me in the stables."

He got to the stables and got the wives' horses saddled and a young man came out, "You need a messenger?"

Eldar sighed, "Yes. Master Trainer Yetto at the Academy, please assemble the Blade Singer Council. I also demand Grand Master Golden Weave and the Master Trainer be present tonight, at the time for the evening meal concerning rings. Same message to my father at House Silvertree, except add the words demand, and demands. To the end of it."

He rode up toward the palace gate and the ladies arrived on the other 2 horses with the private behind him. He stopped at the ladies as the messenger went out. The ladies looked at him and knew he was pissed. Eldar looked at them, "We need to get to the next site, I need those other rings."

The ladies shook their heads, "A mid-day meal first."

Eldar sighed and nodded, "Private Farmer, the meal is on Commander Charlie today."

Charlemagne laughed and nodded. They headed to the inn they had stayed at as guests of the Queen. They got inside. The innkeeper audibly groaned.

Eldar smiled, "We are passing through and thought we would stop for food, four specials, wine, water, bread, and fruit."

He seems to be in better spirits now as they found a table. They ate and nobody talked. They noticed he was only drinking water. Annette looked at him, "Something wrong with the wine?"

Eldar shook his head, "I like to be clear-headed before going into battle."

Annette looked at him, "What do you mean by that?"

Eldar looked at her, "Code of Conduct, I have to dispatch a rogue Blade Singer. Especially one that cannot be redeemed."

Charlemagne sighed, "I figured that after reading your journal, I was hoping that was not the case. So when will you do this?"

Eldar looked at her, "Before the evening meal, I set the meeting for the evening meal. Which is why I am eating well now; to have my energy reserve."

Annette looked at him, "Can you not simply have him arrested?"

Eldar shook his head, "The Code of Conduct requires us to hunt down rogue Blade Singers and claim their rings after beating them in combat. Failure to follow the code will result in loss of your abilities; I cannot have that going into the mission."

Annette nodded, "So you take no joy in this?"

Eldar shook his head, "I take no joy, I am angered to the core. The last time I was even close was Grand Falls. This is way past that. That was frustration, this is bordering on rage. A very focused rage. This will not be a 30-minute contest, it will be over in under 30 seconds."

Annette looks at him, "If it was not focused?"

Eldar looked at her, "I would cut him into 21 pieces and the last one would be the blow to take his life!" Private Farmer looked pale. "You never have to fear that if you never send an assassin after your people or mine."

He nodded. Annette looked at Eldar, "I do not want to watch this."

Eldar nodded, "I figured I would leave you with the private after we get the next set of rings. You work on cataloging and overseeing what gets packed. I know your thoughts on vengeance for vengeance's sake. You have to realize I do not have the names. I am acting strictly out of duty, not personal vengeance.

My job is to defend and defeat the enemy of the Elven people. You verified it 3 times. If anyone doubted it that would be you. I will be able to find out simply by seeing if he can activate any Blade Singer ability. The Gods will have stripped him of those abilities after the first one. It would explain why he has never had an apprentice while I was at the Academy.

He finished up and headed for the door, "I will wait for you because I do not know where we are going next. Before you ask, not getting the second set of rings would not change this course of action. I am armed with the information and the other rings. I would just have to make 2 trips."

He walked outside and got mounted up and started riding toward the gate slowly.

The others caught him easily and Annette nodded, "I understand. I do not like it, but I understand duty and honor drive you."

Eldar gave her a half-smile, "One of the biggest drawbacks to becoming a Blade Singer. I thought I wanted to get away from here. Instead, I am working to effect needed changes here. I am raising a family here. Traveling to the other side of the world is what I would advise our daughter to do after the war."

Charlemagne looks at Eldar, "Why send her away?"

Eldar smiled, "I said to advise her. Not put her on the first wagon out of town as my father did. She is to have a great destiny of her own, it cannot be in my shadow. My fight will not be one war, it will exist until I die."

Charlemagne groaned, "That is not what your father did."

Eldar looked at her, "If I had walked out the gate what were your orders?"

She huffed, "Alright, I was supposed to pick you up but he did not force you out of town."

Eldar smirked, "He did not invite me home either. Parenting from a distance is not parenting. He cannot take credit for some things. If I had known Grand Master Yetto was sent by my father I would have walked out of the testing or turned him down flat. It has nothing to do with whether or not I earned the right to be his student; history has proven that I earned that right. It had to do with my mindset at the time."

Charlemange growled, "Things are better now?"

Eldar nodded, "All I had to do was agree to join yet another restricting group, be hand-selected by the Gods to defend the people, and take over the family blade and by default control of the house to get his marriage nullified. You, of course, saw all of that coming."

Charlemagne looked at Eldar, "What brought that on?"

Eldar shrugged, "Our talk about what our daughter should do. My destiny is so defined now that I can never escape it; like my father and his house. His duty. The big difference is I married for love; I do not covet wealth.

My family is a priority to me and only enough power to effect change; not rule the world. I know who I am and my father is having to discover that. I want my daughter to be able to choose for herself. I want that for all of my children."

Charlemagne nodded, "I can see how this is frustrating you and I have not thought about what her future will be like."

Eldar smiled. "It will not be the champion of a God, just a great warrior with a great destiny. Not mother, not a vigilant protector of the Elven people who cannot stray far from home. If we had not gotten involved, I would never have joined the Knights.

Not knowing my father was a part of it. Things happen for a reason. You helped to drive my life more than my father has. You brought my father back into my life for what it is, Annette into our lives."

Annette looked over, "We are here."

He sighed and saw the Royal Guards outside of the house. They got down as did Charlemagne.

Annette looked down at Eldar, "I do not know where I would be right now."

Eldar nodded, "Neither do I. We can try and guess but it is better to be happy with our path and hope our children find their own paths in life, Not be stuck in our shadows. Or obligated to feel they have to do things a certain way because it is required of them."

Annette got down, "I can see that view. I can say it is lonely."

Eldar shook his head, "It was only lonely because you felt you could not return. Our children will have the option. We are not casting them out. We are just leaving them with many options and the choice to choose for themselves."

They walked into this home. It was bigger than the last one but only because it had a loft bedroom. He looked at the ladies and they went to the table. He chuckled, "Same interior designer."

They chuckled and they went down a ladder. This one only had 2 rooms on either side of the ladder.

He looked at them and they opened one and it looks like a sex torture shop with a decomposing body in a corner. A sex rack on the wall, and a bed with cum, blood, and shit-stained sheets that needed to be burned as they were well beyond washing.

They closed the door and opened the other one. It has a few suits of armor, weapons, and half a dozen chests. On one wall is what looks like a fake cock and Charlemagne grimaces as she pulls it off the wall and it smells of shit and blood.

She held down the leather and he saw rings woven between the layers, to be a series of really small cock rings. She looked at Eldar, "The guy has a twig for a cock; so, he used this as his cock could slide into the ring fingers, even with the extra layer of leather."

Eldar looked at her, "He came all over the rings. As it is open at the end to soak and defile them."

Annette sighed, "It is worse."

Charlemagne pours it out and it still has his seed inside of it. He looked at her, "Take that thing upstairs please, and dismantle it and wash it in the basin. Then boil some water and stick it in the boiling water and lay it out to cool."

She nodded, He looked at Annette, "What are you not telling me?"

She looked at him, "He only used it on Blade Singers alive or dead did not matter to him. He was captured by a couple of family Blade Singers who refused to be bribed. He failed early on in the training to become one, becoming a mage assassin instead.

There are only 10 in that thing, the eleventh one is in the other room; Traylar'sune Goldensong. The last one was killed by the Grand Master. He told me he was pissed at her for losing to you. It cost him a fortune in bets. They tortured her and let her starve to death and continued to abuse her body afterward."

Eldar looked at her, "You know you just put a face on those dead Blade Singers."

Annette nodded, "I know. Are you still going to make it quick?

Eldar nodded, "I might be 45 seconds instead of 30, but it will be quick. Only because of you and my promise to make it quick."

He walked into the next room and found the poor girl; what was left of her.

He carefully lifted her partially mummified hand up and slid her ring off. It came free with some skin. He said a simple prayer over her, "Watch over her, she did not deserve this. I will follow the code and destroy the rogue. Eventually, the actual assassin."

He found her pendant on the floor in the room. He picked it up and handed it to Annette, "This was that psionic battery I told you about. Only someone with your talent can use it. I only know of one person that could use it."

He placed it in her hand and climbed the ladder.

Charlemagne had just got the water started to boil and he threw the ring into the pot. She looks at Eldar, "One more?"

Eldar looked at her, "Traylar'sune Goldensong's corpse." She went white. "They tortured her to death and raped her, even after death. For failure to beat me in my last tournament."

Annette made it to the top of the ladder, "That was part of the contract; he wanted her to suffer."

Eldar looked at her, "He will not suffer nearly that much but he will feel pain. How long did they have her?"

She sighed, "A few days after you left the city."

Eldar stood there and watched the pot until it boiled. He stuck his hands into the boiling water and pulled the rings out and placed them on the towel and wrapped them up after he pulled her ring. He stuck her ring in a pouch pocket. He looked at Annette, "I have made you a promise. I will keep it even if I do not get him to confess, they can divine the information from his ring."

He got out to T'Suras and Charlemagne was fast on his heels. He turned his horse for the Academy at a normal speed. Then a little faster and faster yet again. He rode across the field and headed out to the training area where Grand Master Yetto was located. He looked at Eldar, "You have about an hour yet."

Eldar nodded, "I will ask for the doors to be closed and the field set to level two."

He looked at Eldar, "What is wrong?"

Eldar looked at him, "You do not want to know. You will find out at the meeting. The young Apprentice should skip this event, my suggestion, but it is your call Master Trainer. Will you honor my request?"

He nodded, "You have your reasons."

Eldar nodded, "I do."

He turned his horse and his brother called out, "I will be there, it is my choice to attend such ceremonies."

Eldar nodded, "You are not versed in the darker side of the responsibilities but it is your choice. Father and Charlemagne will be there. Stand with them. Provided father responds to my demand for him to be there this time."

They rode around the grounds for about an hour. He had come full circle to the proving ground in the center of the courtyard. The courtyard was an 80-foot square.

With a table at one end with the grand council filed in. Grand Master Golden Weave walked in and Eldar signaled him to his left. He was oblivious that his life was measured in minutes. Master Trainer Yetto stood at the doors, Eldar looked to him, "Seal the doors and set the field to level two." The Council looked confused. Eldar drew his sword.

He called out, "Moon Fire on."

He drew a circle on the ground. He then cut two lines in a 'V; shape facing Grand Master Golden Weave, he looked at Eldar, "A challenge match allows the one challenged to set the field conditions."

Eldar carved the third line turning the 'V' into a triangle. He looked at him, "This is not a challenge match, this is a trial by combat. You are hereby charged with hiring an assassin to kill Blade Singers.

The day before yesterday I captured 2 assassins in the Palace. They kept detailed records and all of the rings. I will retract the challenge only if you can demonstrate you have a Blade Singer ability you can use. I believe they have been stripped from you for some time now."

He looked to be contemplating his options. He could not teleport out or cast any area of effect spells that would take out the council.

His only option was to drop to his knees and beg or as soon as he flinched without drawing his sword first, and he would be dead. It did not take him long to decide. He drew his sword. Eldar got into a battle stance. He lifts his sword and whispers, "You played this well."

Eldar waited for the new leader of the order to issue the go command. He drew back his breath and he heard it. The Grand Master began to cast. Eldar closed the 50-foot gap and brought his sword down on his sword arm as he hit Eldar with a scorching ray that did no damage. Eldar swung and severed his hand at the wrist. Eldar twisted around as Golden Weave went to grab his burnt arm and he brought his blade around and severed the other wrist.

He was completely defenseless.

He thought, "Karti'Ros Moon Fire off."

He held his sword up to his nose while holding him by the throat, "You have 10 seconds to confess to the exact number of Blade Singers you had assassinated! The right answer will ensure a quick death, a wrong answer means they will divine the truth but only after listening to your death screams!"

He looks at Eldar, "I will not beg for leniency you impure bastard!"

Eldar squeezed and thought, "Karti'Ros Moon Fire on."

He cut through the bridge of his nose as he screamed. He then continued through his head just below the eyes until It passed through the back of his head. He sheathed his sword after cleaning it on the body. After his body and half of his head hit the ground to be joined by his already present hands.

He drew his blade again, performed his blade song for a minute, and sheathed it again. He nodded to Master Trainer Yetto who shut off the field. He pulled out the two-piece 'outfit' from the lady. He set the roll of intertwined rings in the wire from the man next to them.

He looked at the Grand Masters, "Before you are 91 rings I present for return." He withdrew the one ring from his pouch, "Plus this 1."

Which he put back into his pouch. He returned to the body. He took his sword and sheath he had used, his bracers, another quick detect magic reveals an amulet and boots which Eldar also pulled off. He put his personal effects into his bag and placed the dead elf's Grand Master ring on the table with a smack and held it into place.

Eldar glared, "Have a divination spell cast if you wish, you will find he had 21 of those Blade Singers killed."

He put his hand over the pouch, "Including this one. This is the ring of Traylar'sune Goldensong, her 'crime' with the Grand Master was losing to me. She was taken a few days after I left the city. She was tortured, raped, starved to death and her body defiled by the assassins before and after she died.

The 10 wired together were used as a sheath for the man's twig of a cock as a torture device to use on Blade Singers, something he failed at in the past. My wife cleaned and boiled these Eleven rings. The other 81, you can see what the woman did with those.

They have been killing for 142 years that we know of. The Palace has the evidence. They are alive because they hold important information to the Palace or I would have taken their heads already. This ring I will return this evening to her family."

He turned to walk away and the new head of the Grand Masters looks at Eldar, "I would have made him suffer more."

Eldar turned back, "I made a promise that it would be over in less than 30 seconds. I kept that promise. I want his name removed from being any record holder, head of the council, and any position of honor.

Only that he was a traitor and exactly what I did to a traitor of the order. I would do IT again in a heartbeat! I want any assets he might still have left turned over to the Goldensong family and the other 20 families."

Eldar looked at his brother who was white as a sheet, "You now know why I did not want you at this ceremony. If someone that I held as dear as you or anyone I loved I would not be so generous in the amount of time they suffer."

His brother asked, "Why the Blade Song after the fight?"

Eldar looked at Master Trainer Yetto who looked confused by the gesture as well, "I wanted to prove the Gods had not stripped me of my powers for my actions. You will note he used no Blade Singer abilities, I used two."

He walked past him and Heliar looked at Eldar, "I am glad I never got you that mad."

Eldar smirked at him, "There is still time, father."

He walked away while Heliar shook his head. Charlemagne was at his side. The new Head Grand Master, Grand Master Golden Hair yelled out, "Was there a purpose to the killing blow? I ask for our records?"

Eldar looked back at him, "Unlike the 21 he had killed he got to see it coming, he knew exactly who took his life, and why." Eldar bowed. "For the record, my name should reflect the following: Knight Champion of Corellon Larethian, Knight Protector of the Elven people, Grand Master Eldar Sivertree, Commander of the Gray Blades mercenary company."

He nodded back to him, "Word of you being knighted reached us this morning."

Eldar turned around and picked up his conversation as they walked out. "I know she will ask and I will tell her the truth. I kept my promise and even gave him a few seconds to confess. I still finished in under 30 seconds."

She sighed, "Why are you going to tell her?"

Eldar got up on his horse, "Open and honest. She would hear about it regardless and what she hears might be a fabrication or exaggeration of what happened. This way she gets the truth."

She nodded, "Even when it will hurt. She will be glad you gave him the chance at least. What did he say to you on the field?"

Eldar took a deep breath, "Something untrue. He said 'You played this well.' I did not correct him, as I was not playing."