Duendewood: Reclaiming Annon, Part Four

"He just walked out there?" asked Darvinin. 

Mistra nodded. "No armor. If he has any weapons, they're well-concealed."

"And he's just sitting there, with his back to a tree, hands on his knees."

"Waiting," Mistra confirmed. Their son was back at the camp, being take care of by some of the druids. 

"Fuck it," said Amaranth, who was crouched on the tree limb beside them. "I'll go talk to him."

"Wait," said Darvinin. "It should be me."

Amaranth grinned at him. "My armor's better than yours. And you're the King's representative here. I should go down, and if he's safe I should bring him to you."

Mistra studied Amaranth for a long moment, then looked back at Darvinin. "I agree. Let her go." 

Darvinin scowled. "I don't like to risk an elvish warcrafter, especially one of your skill." He looked at Amaranth. "I'm trusting you to keep yourself alive. Go."

Amaranth smiled and stepped off the tree limb, vanishing before she had a chance to begin falling. A moment later she was standing on the forest floor below them. She took a few steps forward, then sat down opposite the human who'd left the camp and come unarmed into the trees. 

The human looked at her. "Ah, there you are."

"One of us, anyway."

"Apparently I'm in charge now," the human said. "Your people did a good job of taking out our officers."

"I see," she said. "Have you come to surrender?"

He shrugged. "I'd prefer not to, obviously. But I'm prepared to negotiate some sort terms that prevent you from slaughtering us and let my people get back to their families."

Amaranth hesitated, and for a moment Darvinin thought she was going to just slay the man and let the slaughter continue. Then she said, "You and your people have done a lot of harm here. Will you give me your word that you intend only to negotiate?"

He nodded. "I am Caegar, called the Bloodhunter, and I swear by my name that I intend neither harm nor violence. I intend only to bring my people back to safety."

Amaranth lifted her hand. They hadn't really decided on a code, but Darvinin had heard enough to know what she intended. "Cover me," he said to Mistra, and she nodded as if the words weren't entirely redundant. 

He used Dimension Door to bring himself down to the forest floor, arriving behind Amaranth's shoulder. This human, Caergar, looked up at him and nodded. "Darvinin," he said. Then, and in a tone that firmly conveyed that he intended no such thing, he added: "I'm supposed to be hunting you, if you can be found."

Darvinin froze. "Ah," he said after a moment. "You're one of Lamont's butchers."

Caergar looked faintly puzzled and almost shook his head, then settled back. "We don't think of ourselves that way, of course," he admitted after a long moment, "but perhaps it's accurate."

Darvinin nodded slowly. "And you're in charge of the forces here." 

The human shrugged. "Technically, we're officers. Your people have destroyed so much of the command structure that... yes, apparently I am." He paused to draw breath. "Execute me," he said flatly. "Do what you must. But permit my troops to live, and leave. Give us a way out, so that you don't lose any more people here either."

Darvinin considered that for a long moment. "Hold off on the attacks on the camp," he called. "Let me know if they try to parley further." He held out a hand to the seated human. "I must consult, and it will be easier if you are with me. Will you trust me, Human?"

Caegar hesitated, then extended his hand.