Chapter 12: A Piece Of Cloth

           The sky was dark grey, and though it was day time, the elves seemed to have brought a darkness which surrounded them. The campsite was fairly small, only eight or nine tents, some of the elves choosing to spend their rest outside. There was always several elves on watch, but it was rare for them to be stopped in one place for over a day. 

Akeldama held both the pendent from Bastian and the locket from Taya, in his hands, both jewels were glowing the same hue of blue. He muttered under his breath, trying to find the connection between the two. The elf suspected a relation, but did not know for certain. He returned to Taya, she held the answers.

“This young girl will not stand in my way” thought the elf.

Taya had been unsuccessful in loosening the rope which had her wrists tied to the center pole, the hard cold earth seemed to stare up at her and mock every effort Taya made. The pale elf stormed into the hut; Taya refused to acknowledge his presence.

“Where did you find this!” He yelled, holding the locket in front of Taya. Taya responded by spitting in his face. The elf wiped away the saliva from his eye and in a motion hit Taya across the face with the back of his hand cutting her cheek with the ring that he was wearing. Blood started to run down Taya’s face, she remained silent and refused to make eye contact with her attacker. 

“I see that I may have to be a little more persuasive” the elf said between his teeth, once again exiting the tent. Several moments later, Akeldama reentered the tent dragging Taya’s close friend J’vonte’ behind him.

“Don’t tell him anything!” J’vonte’ called out to her friend, wincing in pain as she did. Akeldama threw his captive hard against the dirt, motioning somebody to gag her as he held her there. Taya stared into J’vonte’s eyes, they showed no weakness and told Taya to do the same. As J’vonte’ got handed off to the other present elf in the room, Akeldama crept closer to Taya and knelt down. 

“Little girl,” He laced his hand in Taya’s hair and gripped it, “tell me where you got this locket.” In front of Taya’s face, he dangled the present her mother had given her. Her eyes stayed fixated on the elf’s sickly face and continued not to say a word, with only her upper lip curling to form a snarl. Akeldama glanced at the elf responsible for J’vonte, just as their eyes met the elf drew his knife from inside his boot, pressing the edge against J’vonte’s neck. “Your friend there is in the hands of Azar. Azar has no soul, he has ripped many apart in search for one.” He looked back at Taya, “Now, where did you get this?”

“Okay, I will tell you.” Taya, her eyes glowing green, looked over at her pinned friend. J’vonte’ recognizing the difference in Taya’s eyes realized she was going to deceive the elves. 

“No tricks.” Akeldama moved into Taya’s sight and looked deep into them. 

“I found it,” the elf leaned in even closer to Taya, the cold air that surrounded him, embraced Taya. “I  have always been a wanderer, I have traveled many places, collected many things.” Akeldama’s hand glided from her hair down along her jaw, his hand was like ice. Taya continued, “I was out along the Claire-Marie, thirsty, I went to the river bed to quench my thirst. Knelling, I saw something shining through the clear water. Being curious, I grabbed it, but as soon as I did the river dried up.” 

“BRING ME THE MAP!” Akeldama boomed to anybody besides Azar who was in ear shot. A younger elf hurriedly rushed into the tent with an old map giving it to his master. Akeldama proceeded to analyze the map searching for the Claire-Marie. He noted its position, and looked back at Taya.

“When did you find this jewel?” he said, his voice chilled the spine of his captive. Taya again refused to speak attempting to make the lie more believable. Akeldama moved closer to Taya again running his fingers down Taya’s neck. 

“You are lying!” He lifted Taya up from the ground by her neck and pinned her against the pole, choking the very air that she breathed. “The Claire-Marie river dried up fifteen years ago.”

“I will never tell you” Taya’s eyes began burning as she said this. Akeldama loosened his grip letting Taya breathe again. 

“If you will not talk,” he turned to face J’vonte’ “maybe she will.” J’vonte’ stood there, her arms crossed in defiance.

“You can try” was written in her defiant eyes. The pale elf, moved behind her, letting Azar leave the tent.

“You will tell me everything you know” his cold breath resting on the back of J’vonte’s neck. J’vonte’ was silent. Without saying a word Akeldama raised a long knife and in one smooth stroke sliced her arm from the shoulder to her wrist. Blood began running down her smooth dark arm. J’vonte’ was silent. The elf removed the gag and leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

“I will do whatever it takes to find out where you have come from.” In a hut nearby J’vonte’ heard screams, the screams of her beloved brother. A tear formed in the corner of her eye.

“I will kill you, fiend.” J’vonte’ said, again not moving, barely breathing. Bastian’s screams lasted for several hours. J’vonte’ remained still, not saying a word. Tears ran down her face, still refusing to speak, she would not give in. All of a sudden the screams of pain stopped and Azar returned, holding a piece of cloth. J’vonte’ recognized it immediately.

“What have you done with my brother?!” 

“So this young man was your brother?” Akeldama said. J’vonte’ realized her mistake, but it was all to late.

“I am sorry for your loss.” A smile came over the elf’s face, but a smile that darkened a room, a smile that could only be described as evil. J’vonte’ collapsed on the floor, as she wept for Bastian.

“If you wish no harm to come to your friend,” Akeldama motioned to Taya, “I would suggest you tell me everything you know.” Taya interjected, trying to save J’vonte’s honour, she broke down and spilled all the information she had, she couldn’t risk losing J’vonte’ as well as Bastian. 

“My mother.” Taya’s words floated through Akeldama’s ears like a sweet melody. Everything she said he repeated, his eyes growing wider as she told more. She told about Caelestis and about how she burned her own castle down, and since that day she hasn’t seen her parents. Akeldama heard what he need to and hushed the girl frantically telling her tale.

“Caelestis?” He grabbed for the map, his eyes scanned it for the location of which she spoke of. “That’s East of here, and we found you in the West. Who are the people you travel with?” Now Taya was hesitant, revealing Yelya would put everybody in danger. The long silence that stood after the question brought Akeldama’s eyes thin, “We have ways of finding out without your help anyways.” 

Azar re-entered the tent at this moment hanging onto yet another piece of cloth of which dressed Bastian. The two elves met in eye contact, Akeldama holding out his hand to receive what Azar had brought. As the cloth was handed over, draping over the long and bony fingers of Akeldama, he weaved his fingers through the cloth as if searching for something more than fabric. Clenching it in his hand, his thumb found exactly what he expected.
“You all are dressed in the attire not that of a kingdom, but as if you belong to a tribe.” The haunting elf turned towards Taya, bringing the cloth between their gaze. “Each tribe has a symbol. Luckily we have knowledge of the tribes, been tracking them to uncover the stones we need. Thanks for your help Taya.” He motioned again to Azar, “Do what you please to these two, just keep them alive, they may prove to be useful later on.” J’vonte’ looked up from her mourning, and gave both elves a sickly look. 

Leaving the tent, Akeldama motioned to Azar, who had finished tying J’vonte’ to the same post that Taya was tied to. Azar lead his master to the tent adjacent to the them. There lying on the dirt floor was Bastian; he was bloody from cuts across his body. His left eye was black and swollen, and many bruises could be seen on his face as well as his person. His small finger on his right hand was gone, blood still dripping from the wound. He lay there, motionless.