Inheritance

Part 2. Chapter 49: Rock and a Hard Place

Kori's lips were chapped; her legs and arms were sore from hanging over the elf-human's shoulder. Because she considered herself a dignified lady, she had kindly offered the human-elf a chance to rest his shoulders by suggesting he let her walk with her hands bound like they had for Francis. He declined her offer.

"The elf is complacent. You seem far too hot-headed." The elf-human concluded. "Besides, if he weren't considerably heavier than you, we would be carrying him as well."

"Considerably heavier?" Francis was aghast. "How rude."

"Both of you shut up." The leader of the elf-humans demanded. "We wouldn't want that entourage of knights to find you, now would we?"

Francis made a face. "I wouldn't, but the waif would. It seems like no matter where I end up, I end up miser—"

"Quiet." The leader said again, but this time, he was far more serious.

Francis and Kori were both silenced.

Kori licked her chapped lips. So thirsty...

Kori lifted her head a little so she could look at the scenery as it passed. Water drizzled from the sky and bounced off the shrubbery and grass which was being crushed underneath the elf-human's feet. A billowy shroud of mist ever coated the land.

Kori smiled with relief.

One of her knights briefly appeared—a silhouette in the white shroud—and then disappeared again.

They aren't far behind... Kori relaxed a little.

__

Time passed, however, and her knights still hadn't caught up. It had been so long that the sun was beginning to set. The shroud of mist most likely obscured her from the vision of her soldiers.

Kori was thirsty beyond comprehension. "Please, I need some water..." Her throat was dry and scratchy.

"Patience." Said the elf-human.

Kori's eyes closed. Fear was a cloud in her mind that she could no longer ignore. Am I to die out here?

Still, rain fell from the sky.

Kori was glad when she drifted off into a light sleep despite being jostled over the elf-human's shoulder.

When she awoke, she was lying on a soft rug inside of a tent. She blinked a few times and groaned in pain. The elf-human who had been carrying her was holding a flask of water out for her to drink.

Kori nodded her thanks and took the flask from him. Once she had had her fill, she handed the flask back to the man and asked, "where's the elf I was with?"

"Follow me," the elf-human said plainly and climbed to his feet. He left through the triangular opening in the tent.

Kori painfully rose to her own feet. She took a half-second to glance around the tent for a weapon. She cursed under her breath when there were none to be found and reluctantly followed the elf-human outside.

Night had settled upon the land, and white rain still fell from the sky. Kori sighed. Nothing makes me miss Trella more than an endless rain shower.

Kori found that she was in a village hidden by trees and other vegetation in which the elf-humans resided. There were dozens of tents set up in the village and many of the women and their children were hustling to get inside of them now that the sun had set.

Kori had no time to give the village a thorough look-over, however, because the elf-human was quickly moving on without her.

He was walking toward the most distinguished tent in the village—a tent which had multiple suns lovingly embroidered into the otherwise dull and white fabric—where Kori assumed their leader was holding Francis captive.