The Sword of Truth

“Stop!” Gewey screamed.

Lee released his hold. “You’ll have to do better than that, boy. That’s just a taste of what’s to come.”

Gewey collapsed on his back, breathing heavily, his head pounding.

Lee helped him to his feet. “Steady,” he said. “It’s a shock when someone seizes your mind, but you must learn to keep me out.”

“I can’t,” Gewey gasped. “You’re too strong.”

Lee suddenly slapped Gewey’s face. “Never say ‘I can’t’ to me again. You can, and you will. Dig deep. Find the strength. You’re a god, so act like it.”

Gewey’s ears were ringing. “What was that for?” he yelled. Rage filled his chest.

“That was for weakness,” Lee replied as he sat back down. “Come, try again.”

Gewey fought the urge to strike back. He sat down and readied himself for another assault. It was midday before Lee allowed him to sleep. By then, Gewey was nearly blind from exhaustion, and was asleep almost before he rested his head.

They repeated the lesson the next night, but this time Gewey was able to keep Lee out a bit longer. Lee, however, showed no sign of being pleased at Gewey’s progress. He shouted and cursed each time Gewey failed. A few times, they nearly came to blows, but Gewey managed to check his anger and frustration.

The third night they made their way around the village of Terriston, being careful to avoid encountering anyone along the way. Being inconspicuous, Gewey found, meant a day without Lee’s harsh training; their lessons could get quite loud at times, and they couldn’t risk attracting attention.

It was well into the fourth night before they were back on the road again. Gewey wasn’t looking forward to camp and the subsequent lesson, but he had become determined to beat Lee. The previous night had been uneventful, but Lee still seemed on edge. He and Gewey had hardly spoken, and when they did, their interactions were short and unpleasant.

When they made camp, Lee only unpacked their blankets and a bit of bread and dried meat. That night’s lesson was the harshest yet. Gewey felt as if his mind would break, but in one instance he almost managed to keep Lee out. He laid down to sleep when it was over, but noticed Lee sitting up staring into the brush.

“What’s wrong?” asked Gewey. “You seem upset.”

“I’m not sure,” Lee replied. “I think we’re being followed.”

“Followed?” said Gewey, startled. “By who?”

Lee shook his head. “I don’t know, but I think we’ll stay off the road for a few days.”

Gewey nodded. The idea of being followed disturbed him; that Lee seemed worried disturbed him even more. Sleep came slowly, and he did not rest well. The next evening, they packed up and headed deeper into the woods.

The Forest of Simon Bal was one of the largest in the world, and it spanned hundreds of miles in every direction. There were no trails, and it didn’t take long for Gewey to miss the comfort of the road. Lee changed directions so often that Gewey no longer knew where he was.

It was an hour before sunrise when Gewey heard it. It was the sound of a horse walking over uneven terrain. Lee drew his sword and motioned for Gewey to do the same. They waited for a time, trying not to make a sound. After a few minutes, the sound of the hoof beats faded.

“Who was that?” whispered Gewey.

“I don’t know,” said Lee. “But one thing’s for sure: it’s no accident that whoever it was is traveling the same way we are. I left a trail so confusing that only an experienced woodsman could follow it. We’ll stop here for now. Hopefully, it will seem like our trail has disappeared and our pursuer will be thrown off.”

Finding a nearby hill to wait out the coming day, they didn't bother to unpack the horses. Both of them kept their swords close.

Chapter 5

They barely slept the next day, and hardly spoke a word to each other. Lee waited until it was fully dark before they continued. They zigzagged through the forest for hours, stopping from time to time to listen for signs of pursuit; much to Gewey’s relief, there were none. After a time, the flat ground transitioned into steep wooded hillsides, which made changing direction increasingly difficult.

“You do know where we are, don’t you?” Gewey asked, breaking the silence.

Lee scowled. “Would you rather guide us?” he replied irritably.

Gewey shook his head and kept quiet.

It was about two hours before sunrise when Lee brought them to a sudden halt and leapt from the saddle, drawing his sword. He motioned for Gewey to stay still, and disappeared into the night. Gewey’s heart was pounding and he drew his own sword, peering into the darkness. Ten minutes later, Lee reappeared.

“What’s going on?” asked Gewey.

“There’s an encampment just ahead,” Lee whispered. “Looks like bandits.”

“Bandits?” said Gewey. “What are they doing?”

Lee mounted his horse and urged them forward. “Not noticing us, apparently. It looks as if they’ve found some sport, so I doubt they’ll see us pass.”

“What kind of sport?” Gewey inquired.

“They’ve captured an elf,” Lee responded. “How that band of morons managed it, I don’t know, but I imagine they’ll be busy with her for a while.”

Gewey halted. “It’s a woman? What will they do to her?”

Lee turned. “It’s not a woman; it’s an elf. And you don’t want to know what they’re going to do.”

“You don’t mean to let them kill her, do you?” Gewey asked, appalled.

Lee reigned in his horse. “That’s exactly what I mean to do, boy. We don’t have time for heroics, and even if we did, she’s a bloody elf.”

Gewey got down from his horse. “I don’t care what she is,” he said determinedly. “I’m going to save her. You can help me, or you can sit here and do nothing. I don’t care either way.” Gewey began to creep off into the darkness to look for the bandits’ camp.

“Fool,” Lee grumbled. He dismounted and caught up to Gewey.

“You’re not ready for this, boy.” Lee grabbed his shoulder and pulled Gewey behind him. “Just stay in the brush and let me take care of it.”

Gewey followed behind Lee as quietly as he could. They had only walked a few yards when they heard the yells and curses of the bandit camp. The glow of the bandits’ fire became brighter as they approached. Gewey could smell the stench of unwashed bodies, mingling with scorched, burnt meat. When they got close enough, Gewey could make out six bandits, each with a long knife at their side. A few bedrolls were cast carelessly about, and a single bandit guarded six horses tied off several yards from the fire. The rest were gathered around what appeared to be a young woman. She was on her knees, gagged and bound, with her wrists tied behind her back. A man that seemed to be their leader was squatting in front of her, while the rest passed a large jug of wine around, laughing hideously.

“Well, well, well, me lovely,” the bandit leader chuckled.

“Look what we ‘ave ‘ear, lads. Thought you could sneak up on ol’Durst, did ya?”

The elf glared defiantly at the bandit leader.

“Oy!!! Ain’t she a tough one?” a heavyset bandit joked. “I think she’s sweet on ya, cap’n.”

“Well, lads,” said the leader, flashing an evil grin. “I am quite the ladies’ man, after all.”

This brought gales of harsh laughter from the rest of the band. The leader stood up and grabbed the jug, draining it dry.

“Stay here,” whispered Lee, and silently moved around the camp to where the horses were being kept. With the lone guard’s attention focused on the elf, he neither noticed Lee's approach, nor his knife, until it had plunged into the back his neck. Before the first guard hit the ground, Lee had already drawn his sword and was rushing in on the rest of the group. Gewey had never seen someone move so fast. He killed two more bandits before the others