El-Vador's Travels Read Online Free Page A

that are sown from our
forebears, lacking cognitive functions that we become either loathed
or loved for later in life. As you can see I was no different than
any other boy my age, headstrong and foolish and always assuming that
I knew best. The older I became, the less I realised I truly knew
about anything.
    G urgash
looked out toward the woods beyond the fort they had built the
previous evening. A dirt track led further north but the Orcish army
had not yet taken it. Instead, Chief Sarvacts seemed content to
linger here and invite the Elven forces to attack if they would.
    Whatever
Gurgash hoped to see escaped his eyes, he fervently wished he could
slink out of the fort and back into the caves he called home. He had
seen enough trees to last him a lifetime.
    Harg
also looked out toward the woods. He realized all too well that even
though there had been no further sightings of Elven forces they may
well be lying there in wait for them.
    'It's
just like I thought.' He grunted to himself more than Gurgash. 'We
have a stand-off against an invisible Elven army, they'll just wait
until we get impatient.'
    Gurgash
cast another worried glance in the direction of the forest, he wasn't
so sure. His visions of arrows swarming through the clouds toward
them hadn't been dimmed by the lack of activity coming from the
woods.
    A
strange sound came from out of the forest he had just been thinking
of and shattered the pensive silence. Gurgash resisted the temptation
to draw his weapon and instead turned to Harg. 'What was that?' he
asked.
    'What was what? I didn't hear anything.' replied Harg, clearly
amused at how jumpy his cousin was getting.
    'I
heard a noise from the woods.' Gurgash replied. 'I've never heard
anything like it.'
    Harg
shrugged. 'So long as it doesn't attack us we have little to worry
over but more waiting.'
    'I
don't trust it. What if it's the Elves?' asked Gurgash. Harg waved
impatiently, clearly thinking that Gurgash was hearing things.
    That
angered Gurgash, who somehow kept his composure. 'I'm telling you, I
heard something. I feel like the forest is staring back at me.'
    Harg
looked back toward the camp. Sarvacts' pavilion towered over the
other officers' shelters, which in turn dwarfed the canvas tents in
which ordinary soldiers slept. 'Chief Sarvacts wouldn't be impressed
if you had told him you had heard a noise.' said Harg.
    Before
answering, Gurgash looked around for anyone of rank, he had grown
accustomed to doing so since the Goblin's death while cutting lumber.
'And if that noise is the beginning of an Elven invasion force? What
then?' Harg didn't look convinced. Before either of them could say
anything more, the same sound came from the woods.
    Gurgash
frantically pointed out at the direction the noise had come from.
'You see? Didn't you hear it that time? Can you tell me what that
noise is?'
    'I
think you're being overly paranoid.' Harg said, his eyes told another
story.
    Gurgash
didn't miss it. 'I think we should at least tell the Commander.'
    Harg
nodded, staring out at the forest with worry creasing his brow.
'Yeah... Maybe we should.'

    Cusband
silently ghosted between the trees at speed, the call had been made
and their first night assault was primed. He was not the only Elven
hunter gliding toward the invaders' encampment. The Orcs guarding the
palisade seemed unaware the woods around them swarmed with warriors.
Good.
    From
the base of a large oak, Cusband let out another bird call to let his
allies know his location. A returning call greeted him from afar, the
final plans had been arranged then.
    Peering
out from under the scrub and brush, he noticed that most of the Orcs
were not in a state of alert. A handful of the enemy had looked up at
the sounds, but it seemed as if they had discounted it as foreign
wildlife rather than an approaching attack force.
    It
wouldn't be long before the first arrow was unleashed, then Cusband
would determine where the Orcs were running to and cut them off
should they