The Road Trip - Part II

A JP by Tahjerius, Rosmary, and LSP

((Further Down the Road to Indrasel, Karavoss))

"I'm afraid you’re going to have to turn around,” the man said firmly. “Officials have deemed this place off-limits to civilians."

V shot Kalena a suspicious look, "Off-limits?"

The former assassin squinted at the armour the men were wearing, seeing from the insignia and design they were apparently Karvossian soldiers of the regular army as opposed to the more familiar city watch which looked after Osilon. It was times like this that she most missed her former power and status in Dalen where such men would jump to her command.

“That does not sound very official,” Prespa protested. “This ‘place’ is off-limits? To whom might I speak about passage? I am on very important business and do not have time to play games.”

“Important government business,” Kalena interjected, speaking with a tone of casual authority before leaping down from the seat of the cart to try to bluff their way through the supposed military cordon. Following her lead, V did the same, discreetly flexing his arm and legs muscles, getting ready for action.

The lead soldier glared coldly at them, his hand on the handle of his sword, “Get back into your carriage...house...thing, and be on your way. Passage down this road is prohibited until further notice.”

“Surely an exception can be made for us,” Kalena said, wondering if a bribe were necessary.

“You heard the ladies, who do we speak to about passage?” V asked, letting an edge of impatience show in his voice. “We have extremely important business to tend to.”

The soldier in front scoffed. “You’re telling me you have business to do in this?” He waved a hand at the house-carriage, “Please, I’ve never seen anything like this in my life, especially not in the possession of anyone doing important government business.”

It was a fair point, but V rebutted, mustering outrage; “Show some respect! This is the official vehicle of Obermeisterin Prespa, head of the Karvossian Farmers and Poulter Guild, someone single-handedly responsible for putting food on the tables of families around the kingdom.”

Kalena discreetly shot V an appreciative look, impressed by the conviction in his voice and ability to improvise on the spot. “As a military man,” she said, picking up where he left off, “I'm sure you're aware of just how important food production is to keeping Karavoss stable and strong.”

V nodded vigorously. “It is important for winning a war. It is important to ensure social stability. And it is therefore important – no, not just important – it is vital that we reach Indrasel before...” he trailed off, trying to think of something that would sound both urgent and plausible.

“Before the blight spreads beyond the immediate area,” Prespa offered helpfully.

“Yes, the blight,” V said, flashing a grateful smile at the horned woman before turning back to the soldiers. “You were aware, weren’t you? We’re facing an ecological crisis, gentlemen, the likes of which this kingdom has not faced since the Great Spinach Rot of a century ago when over a million humans and elves nearly starved of malnutrition!”

The lead soldier looked momentarily dumbstruck at V and the incredible story. “Did you say… a blight...?”

V folded his arms and continued: “A foul blight that has the potential to be a far worse calamity, crossing species barriers from one whole different vegetable to another. From carrot to asparagus. From turnip to broccoli. So if you will allow us to pass and get on with our urgent business of saving agriculture as we know it, I would be much obliged. Oh, but wait... that must be why you're out here too, right? To cordon off the area of infection?”

“Uh... yes, that's correct,” the army officer answered, having been thrown off balance by V's outlandish tale. “Our orders were to bar the entry of anyone without proper credentials.”

“It's heartening to see that you locals are on top of the situation,” Kalena remarked with a note of praise.

V turned as if to get back in the carriage, and said, officiously, “The reports that have reached Osilon indicate a severe infection that is spreading fast, so we must get underway at once.”

“Hold,” the soldier said suddenly. There was a change in his tone, one that was disconcerting.

The swarthy elf turned back and saw the man was pointing at Solandriel, who had stuck his head out of the carriage window. There was recognition shown on each of their faces. Godsdamnit, this can’t be good, V thought.

“It's the husband,” the soldier said, calling to his men.

Kalena exchanged an alarmed glance with V. “Husband?” she said, feigning not to understand.

“What connection do you have with that elf?” the soldier demanded of them.

“What, you mean...him?” V asked, an icy chill pricking his scalp. “He... uh,” V started awkwardly, swallowing to buy himself some time to think, “he's just a hitchhiker we picked up this afternoon. What is he, some kind of criminal or something?”

“He is wanted for questioning in a missing persons investigation,” the soldier explained, and then loudly to Solandriel; “Slowly exit the carriage, come out with your hands up!”

“Whoa, a missing persons investigation? Are you telling us we might have been riding around with a serial killer this whole time?” V said all innocently as his mind raced. He tried desperately to think of some way to regain control of the situation, but each second that he spent thinking, things were only flying further off the rails.

“Are you certain you have the right elf?” Kalena asked, her hand inching toward her sabre.

“That is Solandriel the Gatherer, all right,” the soldier announced. “Now the question is who are all of you?”

“We've been over that,” V said, starting to bluster again.

“I need to see some identification,” the officer said.

Kalena prepared to take the man down swiftly but then hesitated as she saw the sizable number of soldiers converging on the cart in front of and behind her, their weapons out and at the ready.

V's stomach knotted as he realized they were at a definite tactical disadvantage, “Identification? We don't have time for this. The blight is out of control and could jump to grain fields at any moment…”

He spared a glance around. The road was crawling with soldiers and they all seemed to be watching him and Kalena like the falcons they wore on their cuirasses.

And right at that moment, everything seemed to happen at once. Shel reached down and pulled Solandriel bodily free of the soldiers’ clutches and back into the carriage and Prespa cracked the reins, sending the team of horses into a gallop. With not a second to spare, V and Kalena threw themselves aboard and they were all racing away into the night as angry shouts filled the air behind them.