Free To Claim the Elvin Princess: Apprentice by Jack Bessie Page A

thought, knowing she would welcome such a fate more than any other. It never occurred to Shocara that there were other possible fates which the Elvin might inflict on her. She judged the Elvin mostly by her own peoples’ standards and ways.
    Should I be in danger of capture, I would be wise to use my blade on myself! she thought, certain that this would be less terrible, but unsure if she had the will to do such an act.
    Her idle thoughts would have seemed irrelevant, had she known that three Elvin fliers were following them, concealed in the blackness, but positioned where the moon silhouetted her small group handily.

 
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    Rasten’s response would have done much to prove him worthy of being Sayarin’s son, had any been able to witness it. Not even thinking, he plunged the tip of his sword into the animal’s chest as it leaped at him, skewering it handily. He had reflexively thrown up his arm to protect his face, and ended up elbowing the animal’s head away from himself. The animal landed, twisting and trying to bite at the hard metal which had impaled it.
    Rasten pulled the sword out, and hacked down hard on the beast’s neck, almost severing the head from the body, This discouraged any further attack, and he spun rapidly, to see what Amein was faced with, He was stunned to find her killing a her third attacker, kicking the animal’s body from her weapon with her boot. She spun to check on Rasten, and was delighted to see the dead thing beside him.
    “Not bad! You killed your first na-wolf! That’s very sexy, just so you know!” she laughed.
    “And I didn’t even piss my pants, although I have no idea why! What the hell are these things?”
    “Well, they don’t make good pets! They’re a type of wolf, half real and half enchanted. They were created by the Miushca-Elidari thousands of years ago, to guard their enchanted fortresses. We destroyed their masters during a long war, nearly a thousand years ago, but many of these had escaped and gone feral, in out of the way places like this. They can be quite nasty, but at least they die with just the application of Elvin steel! Some creatures require magic to destroy.”
    “Great. I’ve got myself into a lot bigger mess than just having lustful Elvin babes wanting me, haven’t I?!”
    This delighted Amein, who stepped close for a kiss.
    “Much worse. I just hope our naughty attention is adequate to make amends for your...difficulty,” she sighed.
    “You were going to say suffering, weren’t you?” Rasten demanded. Amein looked both guilty and cute.
    “Yes I was, I won’t lie. Your road will be hard and difficult. I pray you might forgive me for making it yours!”
    Rasten gave her another small hug. “Now what?” he wondered, noting that it was daylight where they were standing.
    “We must wait for night, when we will be able to open the gate to make the next transit. We must keep alert and watch...there will likely be more of these accursed things around. They have keen eyes and noses, and could detect us from a long distance. It will be very dangerous when the sun sets!”
    “This is why you said we wouldn’t get much sleep?”
    “Of course. There are only three of the ten stops where we will be able to safely take turns sleeping.”
    “How did you cross by yourself?!”
    “I hid in trees, where I’d know if something was trying to climb up to eat me! I don’t think you’d do so well at that!” she suggested. Rasten merely shook his head. Looking around, he tried to figure out what made this spot special; there were no structures or stones to mark it as any different from the rest of the landscape. Seeing his furrowed brows, Amein asked what was bothering him.
    “Shouldn’t something like a Gate be...I don’t know...marked out so you can find it?”  Amein tried not to laugh, but failed.
    “Sorry! It was, long ago! The Gate lies several feet underneath us; time and erosion filled this area in. Fortunately, the Gates work just