The Pain of a Memory - Part XIV

It's about time for another excerpt for TPoam…! Here are the links to all the previous excerpt posts:
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
XI
XII
XIII

***

Errius glanced ahead. Finally, there it was, after almost four whole days of walking through sylvan wilderness. The town! He fingered a lock of Elystra's hair as she walked by him. She looked over at him. Errius nodded ahead. Elystra looked ahead as well, and her silver eyes widened . 

She turned back to Errius and flung her arms about him gleefully. "We've made it!" 

Then, suddenly, and unanticipated by Errius, she broke out into a run for the village ahead. Errius stood still a second in surprise, and then laughed a little. Elystra... She never changed... He shook his head smilingly, and then ran after her. 

It must have looked a rather odd spectacle as they got into town, Elystra coughing from the cold air, and Errius just finished running up. 

Errius smiled down at Elystra, and shook his head again, trying not to be too stern. She was clearly exhausted just from that. It worried Errius, but he tried not to show it. "You know, I don't believe you've changed much since you were four years old, bolting off like that" 

Elystra looked up at him innocently, then breaking into a little grin, despite her obvious weariness and the breathlessness of her voice when she spoke. "Of course I've changed, Errius. I'm taller, aren't I?" 

Errius rolled his eyes, smiling, and ever-so-slightly tempted to laugh. "Let's hurry, Elystra. We have no time for banter" 

Elystra's smile became a little less teasing, and she nodded. "Yes, let's go" 

"Do you still have the money?" 

Elystra nodded again. She pulled a small bag from inside the bodice of her dress. She handed it to him. 

Errius nodded, then gestured for her to come with him. They both walked through the town, and Errius looked out for a stable. Finally, they came across 

Errius scanned the area for some attendant. there was a stable boy inside. Errius strode over to him. "Is it possible to buy a horse here?," he asked the boy. 

The boy turned to face Errius. "You are a foreigner." 

My accent. Errius sighed and nodded. "Yes. But my sister and I need a horse." 

The boy looked over Errius' shoulder. "What sister?" 

Errius whirled around in worry. Elystra was gone. Oh no. Errius looked around frantically. She wasn't anywhere! He ran through the town, eyes scanning desperately for any sign of her. There didn't seem to be anything to indicate what had happened to her. 

                                                                       

                                                 

Errius stepped back into an alley. There was a sound from down the alley suddenly, like a muffled scream. Errius ran in the direction of the sound. He sprinted through the alleys of the village, eventually coming back into its center. No! He'd lost them! 

Then there was a sound of quickly moving horse's feet from the direction of the stable. Errius turned around quickly and went to the stable. He got there just in time to see a steed ride off... with a man, and Elystra, mounted upon it. 

Errius glanced at the stable boy. He handed him the money bag he'd been holding. "Here."

Then Errius hurried inside the stable and let out one of the horses. Not caring that it was totally unprepared for being ridden, he mounted it and quickly sped out of the stables after Elystra and her captor. 

Errius rode through the village and out of it, onto the river road. The other rider was ahead of him, a silhouette against the forest. They wouldn't be able to stay ahead, though. There were two riders on that horse, whereas Errius had only himself. 

Within minutes, Errius was catching up to them. He rode his horse alongside of them, and pulled the reins of the other rider's horse hard. Then 

Errius pulled his own reins, and kicked the other rider off his horse. Errius himself soon replaced the rider. He pulled the reins tighter. Once the horse with Elystra had stopped, Errius helped her down, and dismounted himself. 

Errius turned to Elystra worriedly. "Are you alright?" 

Elystra nodded, her eyes still a little wide in fright and her face pale. 

So Errius turned to her would-be captor. It was one of the bandits from the cave! Errius held the man's wrists and pulled him up forcefully. Then Errius noticed a satchel at the man's side. That meant... It wasn't just any of the bandits... It was the ransom messenger! 

Errius looked down at the man grimly. "And, how, may I ask, came you by the right to apprehend an innocent girl, much less take her with you?" 

The man didn't answer. He merely glared back up at Errius. 

Errius nodded to the satchel at the man's side. "Give me that and I'll let you go" 

The man shook his head. 

Errius shrugged. "So be it" Then Errius swiftly released the man's wrists, whirled around him and swiped the satchel. Then Errius backed away with it, going back to Elystra.

The bandit only smiled. Then he ran to one of the horses, and took off on it. 

Errius opened the bag quickly. There was nothing in it but some traveler's bread and some money. Blast! This was surely why the man had been so willing to run and let Errius take up the bag. 

He helped Elystra up on the horse, and then mounted himself. "You are sure that you're alright?" 

Elystra smiled a little shakily. "Yes" She looked a little confusedly at Errius. "Why on earth did he try to...?" 

Errius sighed. "He was the ransom messenger for the Silver Forest Bandits. He must have recognized you as a prisoner escaped, and seen your presence as a threat to his own mission"

Elystra looked out ponderingly. "I had thought he was ahead of us?" 

Errius nodded gravely. "So had I..." 

Errius gazed out silently, in the direction that the man had gone. Why had the bandit even been in this village? Errius had guessed that the man would be ahead of them... And, even if the man had only set off shortly before Errius and Elystra, why would he take this road? The forest road was on the robbers' doorstep, and the mountain road was equally as close as the river road, and easier to find. Why would he take this one? It just didn't make sense... 

Well, Errius thought, At least it gives us hope for one thing. If we travel correctly, we can make it there before the ransom note. Errius nodded determinedly, but looked back at Elystra. He wouldn't be able to travel without stopping, not while riding with her. It wouldn't allow her any rest. But then, if he didn't he might not catch up with the ransom note... Errius sighed. He'd just have to press on, and only stop when most necessary. It was a choice between letting his queen down, and letting his sister down. He would just have to moderate his stops, because he couldn't choose either. 

Elystra sighed softly, and placed her chin on Errius' shoulder. "I wonder, Errius...?" 

Errius broke himself from his thoughts. "Yes?" 

Elystra lifted her face and looked away. "Errius, maybe you should leave me back at the village, while you go and catch up with the ransom messenger. Once you reach the capital and get aid, you can come back for me... then I won't slow the journey down, Errius" 

Errius shook his head grimly. "I'm afraid not, Elystra" He reached a hand back and stroked her hair, smiling a little now. "With an encounter like that, you think that I would leave you alone in a small town for days, leagues away from me, with no one to protect you? No, my little maiden, I'm afraid not..." 

Errius heaved a deep breath. He only hoped he was making the right choice... 

***