Chapter Twelve: Kara vs Jamoku

Tranith Argan: Book 4

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Kara is in a very dark mood. Dolen shares it.

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When the Hírikk Jakkír stopped for the evening, they felt confident enough to start a fire and cook supper. Jamoku was in fine spirits for their journey had been quiet. They had seen no sign of life anywhere that day or the day prior. They were well along the crossing of the Great Plain and he knew they would be soon home. He ordered a meal to be cooked and his men set about doing so while the still-bound prisoners sat to the side. The sun had set and the evening dusk was clear across the desert floor to the south.

Jamoku walked over to the four prisoners and laughed.

“Here sits the king of Tranith Argan,” he mocked, “and his court of worthies. If only you had been a smart ruler, you could have not only spared yourself this fate but that of your friends too. How sad for you that you did not listen to my master. Your friends might otherwise have lived in peace.”

“Not as long as we would have had to call someone master, as you are forced to do,” replied Kara. “Felanar made the right choice, you have made the wrong one.”

Jamoku roared in laughter. “Then why am I free of bonds and you are sitting on the dirt?”

“Some bonds are not visible,” said Kara, little disguising her disgust.

“Ha! This is a feisty woman! None of the women in my land would dare speak to Jamoku this way.”

“Release my bonds and I'll do more than talk to you this way,” cried Kara.

Jamoku paused at those words and then said, “Yes, I believe you would try. Yet you will never have the chance; your bonds are tight. Enjoy your supper, prisoners.” He walked away.

As the meal was being prepared, Jamoku and his men sat around the fire and talked. Shaded off to the side, the four prisoners were protected by the darkness contrasting with the light from the fire. This gave Kara the opportunity she sought.

“Back to back, Dolen,” she whispered, and the dwarf shifted accordingly.

“What are you doing?” whispered Alessa from under her hood.

“We die tonight,” said Kara, “but not before I take some Hírikk Jakkír with me.”

“What are you talking about?” hissed Felanar.

“Think about it,” said Kara as she worked her fingers on Dolen's rope, “we are going to be sold to Vélakk. Our lives are over. I am tired of being dragged back and forth like so much baggage. I hate the autarch, and I hate Jamoku, and I hate this life I am living. If I am to die, I wish to die fighting as Bren taught me all those years growing up. I will die tonight, but before I do I will see that barbarian Jamoku dead before my feet.”

“I do not wish to die,” whispered Alessa, “but I will stand with my friends.”

“Kara, you know well how I feel about power,” said Felanar softly, “and how I despise what it does to people. I intended to give up power when I returned, so perhaps your idea simplifies things. If we die tonight, so be it.”

“Then we are all agreed,” said Dolen, “and bear in mind that we are not dead yet, and if my skills are not too rusty we may have a better chance than you'd think. All bluster are these men, I think. Let us put metal to metal and take each other's worth!”

“We take our stand tonight,” said Felanar. “We'll need to grab weapons. Here, Alessa, let me work on your bonds.”

They all ceased talking when one soldier wandered over to check on the prisoners, but the isolation of the wilderness and the ease with which they were traveling made the soldier confident. A confidence that made him casual in his inspection. This was their undoing.

When the soldier walked back to the fire, and as the bonds of the prisoners were gradually, and painfully slowly removed, and as they were bracing themselves for the action they would have to undertake in short order, the singing of the soldiers was halted and a new sound sprang up that filled the prisoners with a surge of hope and joy: war cries of elves ringed the campsite!

With alarm the Hírikk Jakkír jumped to their feet and lofted their scimitars in defensive poses. The darkness outside the fire's range was complete now and they could not see beyond a few feet.

“They have waited until darkness!” cried Alessa, as her hands were finally freed and she removed her hood. “They know they can see in the dark better than men!” She excitedly removed Felanar's bonds. Kara and Dolen sprang to their feet, free as well. In the confusion of the impending attack, one soldier saw the prisoners rise to their feet and came running over. In a flash, Alessa sprang to the ground in front of him, which caused him to trip forward, his blade flying from his hand onto the ground. Dolen picked it up and slew the soldier as he struggled to his feet. Dolen pulled the scimitar out from the lifeless body and looked around for another soldier. The other soldiers, however, were too busy with what was happening.

The ring of elves was growing tighter, but no arrows flew—Alessa later learned they didn't want to risk harming the prisoners if they could find another way to attack—so the fear of the soldiers grew in intensity as the shouting of the elves grew louder from the darkness. They were surrounded by many elves, fifty at least, guessed Alessa as she peered into the darkness to make out her kinsmen advancing.

The Hírikk Jakkír formed a tight circle around the campfire and braced themselves for the fight. The prisoners, seeing they were being ignored, and realizing how much more effectively the elves could fight, hung back for a moment to see what would develop next. They crouched low to the ground and peered into the darkness. Alessa whispered to them the movement of her kin, and it was clear they were now very close. The elves continued to yell out war cries that filled the desert in a way that terrified those waiting in the darkness. Even Dolen later said it filled his heart with dread to hear such cries.

At a cry from Jamoku, the Hírikk Jakkír suddenly lunged to the left into the darkness and the clash of metal rang out. Evidently seeing they were surrounded, Jamoku decided the best course was to attempt a breach of the elf wall and to escape the tightening circle. The sound of battle was fierce and the shouting and clanging of sword against scimitar filled their ears.

“I can't see anything!” said Felanar with alarm. “What is happening, Alessa?”

“They fight well, these Hírikk Jakkír,” she said, peering into the darkness. “The rest of my people are rapidly advancing to meet the fighting, so this battle will be short-lived; but I can already see that these westerners are skilled in battle. My people are winning, but it is a struggle and already some have lost their lives. Jamoku has lost many more.”

The sounds of battle mixed with cries of agony as fatal wounds were struck. The prisoners occasionally saw the flash of a blade reflecting the light of the fire and sometimes the shadows of bodies struggling. Then they heard a rush of footsteps heading in their direction. Alessa cried out in alarm.

“Watch out! Jamoku comes after us!”

Dolen raised the scimitar he had grabbed and stood in front of the group. They heard yelling and soon saw three soldiers, including Jamoku, running toward them. Behind them they saw a shadow of what must be the elves following.

“These are the only men left alive!” cried Alessa. “Watch out, Dolen!”

Dolen swung the scimitar at the first of the men rushing toward them, and the soldier swung back causing Dolen to shudder at the recoil from the blow. As he countered with another strong thrust, the other soldier joined in while Jamoku rushed past. Felanar stood in front of Kara and Alessa. He could now see Jamoku's face, and the Hírikk Jakkír leader was livid with rage and the thought of loss.

“If we die tonight,” he shouted as he ran toward Felanar, “then you die with us! We are the Hírikk Jakkír! We do not fail!”

Jamoku stopped in front of Felanar, who prepared to duck aside as Jamoku swung his blade. With a roar of frustration, the Hírikk Jakkír leader raised his scimitar and yelled, “I am Jamoku!”

Before he could shift position to avoid the coming blow, Felanar felt more than saw Alessa rush past, and another body race by on his other side. Even as Jamoku reared back to strike his blow, Alessa jumped forward and pushed his right arm back to prevent it from striking forward. As Jamoku gasped in surprise at this sudden movement that was almost too fast for his eyes to take in, he felt the scimitar being wrenched from his hand. With impotent rage as his blade was taken, he again roared, “I am Jamoku!”

Then there was a swift and mighty swing, and Jamoku's head fell lifeless to the ground.

“And I am Kara!” she yelled over the lifeless corpse, the scimitar she held dripping with his blood.

Felanar rushed up and took the scimitar and ran to Dolen's side who was still battling the two soldiers remaining alive. Felanar slew one which allowed Dolen to thrust and kill the other as the elves ran forward. Several of the elves ran to Alessa's side and ascertained she was safe. They stood in a circle around her until it was confirmed there were no more Hírikk Jakkír alive. With that the elves lessened their guard and gathered around the former prisoners.

Felanar walked over to Kara who was still standing over Jamoku.

“Are you all right, sister?” he asked.

Kara's eyes shone in the firelight but she said nothing. Her face was set in a fierce mask of anger and she was breathing heavily.

“Yes,” she finally said as her gaze broke away from the object of her hatred and toward her brother's face. “Yes, I am all right.” Her face relaxed.

“This was a sudden turn,” he said.

“I thought I was going to die tonight,” she said.

“So did I. It seem we live a while longer.”

The leader of this band of elves walked up to them and introduced himself.

“Rulers of Argan, I am Llaland, knight of the Llaráin Findára, captain of these men of fifty, two of whom have been tragically lost this day.”

“I am sorry for your loss, Llaland,” said Felanar, “but you have saved us from death and we are very grateful to you and your men.”

“We had heard you had lost your lives,” said Llaland, “so you can imagine my surprise when I heard of your kidnapping. There will be many people glad to see you alive when you reach Elaria. Aren, my captain, will be especially glad to hear of your escape, my lady.”

Alessa smiled at these words directed at her.

“How did you hear of our kidnapping?” asked Kara.

“Ask your friends,” said Llaland as he pointed to his right. Just then a couple of horses trotted forward, each ridden by an elven knight but each also carrying another person behind.

“Pross and Jela!” cried Alessa.

With excitement the brother and sister dismounted and Jela ran over to Felanar and gave him a hug that made him gasp.

“I saved you!” Jela’s voice carried none of its usual timidity. For once she met Felanar’s eyes as an equal. “I saved you! For once I was the one who saved you!”

Felanar laughed heartily and this caused Jela to stand back and look into his face.

“I was worried about you, Jela,” he said, “for I knew you were alone in a strange land. I am delighted to see you had the presence of mind to alert the elves to our plight. I cannot wait to hear how you did it.”

“I was brave!” she said with a wide smile at his gratitude. “I had to be strong.”

“You did well,” said Kara softly.

Llaland ordered the two fallen elves to be placed on their horses for the journey home, and as the rest of the horses came forward the knights mounted and took the six travelers on with them. With a final look around, they started for Elaria. Without a doubt, now they were finally, completely and utterly safe.