Faila Gwareth*

*Elvish for just betrayal1

The leaves whispered softly above her head as Hirestel walked purposefully down the forest path. The leaves were so thick the sun could hardly penetrate. The forest had a pale green glow but was mostly dark. Hirestel heard rustling and stopped, turning her head slightly to the side, waiting. An arrow whooshed by her ear as she jumped behind the nearest tree. She peeked around the side as she looked for the source of the attack.2

“Damn. I told you not to let him shoot. He missed!” one soldier hissed to his commanding officer. 3

Hirestel heard a sharp slap as she remained perfectly still. Just like the King to encourage unnecessary physical punishment, she thought. 4

The group was not more than fifteen feet away. She silently reached inside her cloak and unsheathed the daggers from her wrists. Her family had given them to her as a gift for her journey. How should she play this? Should she attack the group as a whole or wait for them to split up?5

“And you, you insolent whelp just gave away our position. Her hearing is better than any of ours; the slightest whisper will give us away.” The commanding officer hissed back. 6

The ignorance is astonishing; he thinks that slap didn’t give them away? Hirestel thought. The soldiers fell silent, surely waiting for her to make the first move, a rather stupid decision in all actuality.7

*Elvish for “Just Betrayal” 8

Elves are very patient people. She could wait all day if she had to, although she’d prefer to end this quickly. She crouched low to the ground and melted with the forest floor as she crept around closer to the group of soldiers. 9

Ah, now I have them in my view. The commander was signaling to his men to split up and search the surrounding area. 10

Now I can pick you off one by one. Hirestel smiled to herself as she followed the first soldier. 11

“Linte caila,” she muttered so low it was barely audible. 12

The daggers in her hands began to glow a sickly green. She crept up behind the first soldier and placed the dagger against his throat. His hands immediately shot backward as he grasped at the air, trying to catch hold of her. She pressed the blade into his neck and made a small cut on his skin. A trickle of red blood fell down his neck. The poison seeped in through the cut and took hold. He sank slowly to the forest floor. Hirestel helped him down so he would make less noise. She took her sword from her back and knelt down by his head. She recognized his face and her own expression hardened with anger. This soldier had murdered an innocent farming family less than a month ago.13

“This blade is strong enough to chop a steel bar in half. And gladly now, do I use it to sever your evil, sickening, ignorant head from your body. Never again will you harm innocent people.” She whispered in his ear. 14

His body and vocal chords were paralyzed from the poison but his facial muscles could still move as they now did, into an expression of pride in mention of his deeds. 15

Hirestel stood, glaring at him contemptuously as she raised the sword above her head and brought it down in a swift powerful arch. Without looking at the body she turned and went hunting for the next soldier. 16

Half an hour later, Hirestel had successfully eliminated all but one soldier and the commanding officer. The latter was just ahead of her, waiting alone, leaning against a tree. She was going to have fun with this one. She purposely stepped on a twig, snapping it in two. He turned at the noise, an evil smile on his face. 17

“How many of your men have returned Commander?” she asked mockingly as she revealed the daggers she held. 18

He noted the sickly green glow on the blade and his face showed fear for only a second before he quickly covered it up with a sneer. 19

“If you’d like to take a body count, I’ll wait here.” Hirestel said. 20

He stepped closer and circled around her. She stood still as stone and waited.21

“None,” he stated simply. He reached a hand to caress her face. In the blink of an eye, Hirestel grabbed his wrist and placed a dagger to the skin, just above a vital vein.22

“You’re as quick as they say Hirestel, and beautiful too.” She dropped his wrist and backed up a few feet. 23

“Think not of making me some sort of war trophy. I’ve heard of what you do in the villages. You slaughter the men and sometimes the children too. The women and however many children you haven’t murdered are taken back to your house. The children are turned into slaves. The women are raped and beaten until they have no spirit left. Then you continue to use them cruelly whenever you please. I promise you that you will die before you even attempt to do that to me.” 24

She turned her back on him knowing he would try and rush her. She heard the footsteps and waited till she could feel them thudding on the forest ground right behind her before thrusting the daggers straight back. She heard the blades slide into his skin as she turned and faced him. 25

He backed away, daggers still imbedded in his sides. Hirestel reached out and taking hold of the daggers, twisted them before pulling them out. 26

“Stuck like the pig that you are.” 27

The commander leaned against a tree and slid to the ground. The poison rushing through his blood stream, his hands fell slack and he dropped a piece of parchment. Hirestel knelt and picked it up, unfurling it. The King’s writing etched across the page in a single line consisting of only three words. 28

“I have Iluveriel.” 29

Hirestel’s hands clenched in anger and then began to shake as what seemed to be no more than a boy entered the clearing. The teenager came and knelt before her. His eyes were a bright green, interesting and bottomless. 30

“Please, don’t hurt me. Don’t kill me!” he pleaded on bended knee. She looked down at him and noted how young he looked. He stared up at her fearfully and his lip trembled, he on the verge of tears. 31

“I don’t do this by choice. The King kidnapped me from my home and forced me into his service as an effort to control my parents. They spoke out against his tyrannical rule, a bit too much for his comfort.” 32

“Well, by now you can obviously see that I am much opposed to this rule of the so called King. He fears me showing up on his doorstep to murder him and wise it is of him to possess that fear. How old are you? And tell me your name,” she said gently. She helped the boy to his feet as she brushed some dirt off her own cloak. He smiled nervously.33

“Harding Widfara. I’ve just finished my seventeenth summer. I come of age next summer.” He picked some leaves out of his hair as Hirestel led them through the trees back toward her original path. He followed her, not sure what to do. She came to a stop at the fork in the road and turned to face him. 34

“I recognize your surname. Your parents have been most helpful when our travelers need a place to hide. Harding, you may travel with me if you wish. I don’t believe it would be safe to return to your home. I have a couple conditions if you choose to remain with me. If I tell you to flee someplace, you must listen. The work I do now is dangerous but for the greater good. I lead a very well organized resistance. The King has set orders that I am to be killed on sight as you have more than likely figured out. The Prince himself sent a message to the Queen of my people, seeking help. He has been imprisoned on suspicion of treason, the King’s orders, no doubt. I am on my way to assassinate the King. I give you a choice, you may either remain with me throughout my mission or I can easily transport you to one of our safe houses for the resistance.” She spread her hands before her as if to say “What will it be?” 35

Harding’s face registered shock at this news and awe that she knows all this. 36

“I would be honored to travel with you. My parents have trained me in certain arts of combat and I am an excellent marksman. I gladly now offer my services to you in whatever way they may be needed to complete your mission. In the tongue of your people, algar tenn’le.” He bowed his head and placed his right fist over his heart. 37

Hirestel could not help herself. She was impressed at his knowledge of the Elvish tongue. She returned the motion and then smiled at the boy. 38

“Well then, let us not tarry here. I hope you can keep up.” She smiled teasingly and took off into the trees. Harding Widfara followed close behind.39