The Elf King by Sean McKenzie Page A

into his palms. He tried
to reach for the cloth stuffed in his mouth, but his hands were
tied in such a way that he couldn’t even reach his chin. He then
reached for his sword, but found his belt empty. His sword was
missing, as well as the dagger in his boot. His captors had
searched him well. He decided he had better try to wake Qenn to see
if he fared any better.
    Moving as quietly as he
could, he began to kick his brother’s legs. Qenn opened his eyes,
startled. The grogginess and half-sleep disappeared quickly as
worry flushed his face. Finding himself unable to move, he
panicked. He thrashed about trying to free himself and didn’t stop
until he felt Tane’s boot kick him again. Qenn’s frightened look
was calmed by Tane’s warning. Slowly, he began to
settle.
    Motioning with his head,
Tane brought Qenn’s attention to the sack ahead of them. They both
understood that they could end up that way if they were caught
trying to escape. While their captors thought them still sleeping,
they would have to use extra caution. Tane used his fingers to
motion for his brother to calmly make his way over to him so they
could try to untie each other. His thin body moved easily across
the wood planks to where he could grasp his brother’s hands. The
thick rope was tied tight; it would be a painstaking process,
especially if they were to be silent.
    After several long minutes,
Qenn stopped trying and Tane took over. Qenn’s hands were tied just
as tight, and with Tane’s thick fingers, the task seemed hopeless.
With the creaking of the wagon to mask their efforts, the two
brothers continued for nearly an hour with no gain.
    Finally they gave up. Their
fingertips were red and aching from the constant friction from the
rope. Qenn lay next to his brother and thought about at least
removing the gags from their mouths. He was just about to notion
the idea to Tane when the wagon came to a halt.
    Qenn quickly slid away from
Tane, both of them keeping their eyes just barely opened. It would
be best if they were found still unconscious, they thought. Grunts
and inaudible words were exchanged outside for a second, and then
the back of the wagon was being opened with a loud
groan.
    “ Get up!”
    The thieves were dragging
Qenn and Tane to the back of the wagon by their ankles. With one
strong motion, the two brothers were tossed from the wood bed and
into the soft grass next to the trail. One of the men disappeared
into the woods while the other unpacked cooking implements and food
stuffs. Tane and Qenn moved themselves around into sitting
positions, with only menacing looks from their guard. As the other
man reappeared, they began to prepare something to eat.
    Tane looked around. They
were still in the woods, but it wasn’t as overgrown as before. The
air was much cooler, fresher. He knew they were close to the Krune.
The sounds of water-birds close at hand ensured it. How much they
had traveled and in what direction, he could only guess. But with
the company he was keeping, he guessed they were heading into
Skadar Port.
    Qenn was thinking much the
same thing as he watched the two thieves fill their plates with
meat and bread, drinking heavily from their glass bottles. His
fingertips were red and raw, but still he tried to free his hands
from the rope when he thought it wouldn’t be noticed. Every minute
was valuable when escape was necessary.
    “ This is the deal,” the
taller thief began with a mean glare towards the brothers, “we’re
going to free your mouths so you can eat. Whatever sound you make
then, will be your last.”
    “ Clear?” the other thief
added with a look that made certain the brothers knew there would
be no negotiation.
    Tane and Qenn nodded
reluctantly. The two men stared at the brothers for a second more,
until they were sure, then began to untie the cloth from behind
their heads. Using a large sharp knife with a red stained handle,
the smaller man began cutting loose the rope that bound their hands
to