It was possible these four had a total of hundreds, if not thousands, of years between them.
Very bad indeed.
“We mean no harm,” I said. “We’re just trying to stay off the road and get through the woods to the villages on the other side.”
Their attention moved to Raewyn astride Dargan’s back.
“What’s an Elf doing traveling to a human village?” the tall one asked. “It isn’t tax time again, is it?”
“No, I’m just returning this woman to her home. She got… lost in our lands.”
“A lost human,” he repeated with a chuckle that said such a thing was a tasty prospect.
“Why not take the King’s road?” he asked.
I hesitated, trying to come up with an answer that didn’t further pique his curiosity about Raewyn. Already his beady green eyes were darting back to her face repeatedly.
Unfortunately, the apparent leader of the pack started putting the pieces together before I could come up with anything.
“This human has some value,” he said, directing the proclamation to his companions.
They nodded and began shifting their vine-covered feet, clearly getting excited.
“The question is, to whom?” the leader asked. “The humans? The Elves? Or to this one in particular?”
As he aimed his own arrow at me, his lips split in a toothy brown smile that lifted the short hairs on the back of my neck. This guy was having fun, relishing a rare moment of power in the presence of an Elven man.
One of the Dryads in the back piped up, declaring, “He looks rich.”
“Yeah, and she looks pretty… for a human,” one of the others said.
Now they were all four staring at Raewyn, carnal interest apparent in their vivid green eyes.
My nostrils flared, and sweat broke out across my brow. Adrenaline rushed through my veins, engorging my muscles in readiness for combat, but I held my position.
As much as I wanted to bury my blade in some Dryad flesh, it would be hard to take on all four of them in these tight quarters, where the swing of my sword could wedge it into a tree trunk instead of a Dryad skull where it belonged.
And the arrows that were sure to fly as soon as I drew my weapon could easily strike Raewyn and Dargan, poisoning them.
There was still a small possibility of diplomacy.
“Iamquite wealthy,” I said. “I have some coin on me, in fact, which I’ll gladly share in exchange for safe passage.”
“We know you will.”
The Dryad leader snickered in a way that told me the group had already decided to rob us. I only hoped that was the extent of their intentions.
“I wonder,” the tall Dryad said as his eyes fondled Raewyn, “what else you might be willing to share.”
Still speaking in the whistles and clicks that comprised their language, I said, “Not the girl. She’s mine.”
The Dryads laughed.
“Elf-boy has a human pet,” the leader said.
Licking his rough lips, he said to his crew, “Let’s find out what makes her sovaluable.”
As his men trained their aim on me, he stepped forward and grabbed Raewyn’s ankle, attempting to pull her from Dargan’s back.
