"The Price of Freedom" by Alexey Pekhov, summary

This story, written in 2005, is a gritty fantasy adventure. The author deliberately subverts the classic image of the elven race. Here, the Highborn are portrayed as ruthless and arrogant rulers of the forests. The Human Empire has waged a brutal war against them for centuries.

This novella is part of the "Wind and Sparks" series. It serves as a prequel to the entire series. This series also includes the novels "The Wind Seekers," "The Wormwood Wind," "The Wind Reapers," and "The Spark and the Wind." This is the first book in the series’ internal chronology.

Failed execution

The events begin in the damp basement of the Myburgh prison. The protagonist, Ness, awaits his execution. Other condemned prisoners stand nearby. A petty criminal, Knofer, weeps and hopes for salvation. Old Oll philosophically accepts his imminent death. Guards armed with halberds lead the prisoners into the inner prison courtyard. In the center of the courtyard stands a wooden gallows. The soldiers call it the "Skinny Widow." Knofer is the first to be hanged. Ness silently bids farewell to life. As the executioner prepares to place the noose around the protagonist’s neck, the prison commandant rushes through the gates, out of breath. Ness’s execution is called off.

The guards cut the ropes around the hero’s arms. Ness is led into a small building. Two men await him there. The first is the hero’s former commander, Egren Tua, from the Myburgh Archers, a border guard unit. The second is Milord Ojon. The mustachioed nobleman reports disturbing political news. A peace treaty between the Empire and the Highborn was to be signed on the border bridge. Someone fired an arrow from the human side. The shot fatally struck a high-ranking elf. The killer disappeared into the tall thickets. The enraged elven lords demand help in capturing the criminal. Ojon offers Ness the opportunity to guide a search party. The hero has been a guerrilla fighter in the forests for many years and knows the mountain paths. The alternative is returning to the noose. Ness chooses life.

Chase in the Sandon Forest

By dawn, the convoy delivers Ness to the border river. Ojon hands the man over to two elves. The first is named Rashe of the House of Sparks. He is an experienced ranger in a green jacket. The second is named Kere of the House of Lotus. Kere is disdainful, with golden hair and green eyes. It turns out that Ness and Rashe fought each other in the terrible battle at Horseshoe Maj and both survived. Ness inspects the archer’s ambush site in the river reeds. The hero notices strange shoe prints. The archer’s stance in the thicket and the ballistics of his shot differ from those of a trained human fighter.

The party ventures into the forest thicket. The Sandon Forest poses a mortal danger to humans. Rashe is on the killer’s trail. The elves move quickly along the animal trails. Ness struggles to keep up with his companions. The evening’s rest passes in tense silence. In the morning, Ness decides to test the vigilance of the sleeping pointy-ears. He nocks his bowstring and pretends to aim his bow at them. The elves reveal that they slept with concealed weapons at the ready. Rashe holds a loaded crossbow. Kere threatens with a war spear. There is no trust between the travelers.

Soon, the alien trail changes direction. It heads east along the edge of the deciduous forest. Ness deduces the escaped killer’s plan. The criminal left a clear heel print in the soft earth. He plans to lead the pursuit deep into the Sandon forest. The criminal’s true route lies toward the mountain passes. Ness tries to explain this to the elves. Kere refuses to listen to the human. Highborn pride prevails over logic. The elves are following a false trail.

A day later, the trail is lost. Kere is enraged. He chops down the bushes with his spear. Rashe is shamed for his tracking error. The highborn are forced to admit Ness was right. The party turns back toward the Red Gorges.

Skirmish at the Hot Spring

On the way to the mountains, a quarrel breaks out between Ness and Kere. Humans and elves have been killing each other for centuries. Ness accuses the Highborn of stubbornness and bloody cruelty. Kere punches the man in the face. Ness lunges at the elf with his fists. Suddenly, a pale green glow paralyzes the hero. Kere reveals himself to be a mage. He threatens to kill Ness if he attacks again.

The party reaches a crossroads between two mountain rivers. Ness suggests heading northeast. The route south to the icy peaks of the White Fangs is fraught with deadly dangers. Rashe examines the rocky shore. The tracker discovers fresh tracks. The killer followed the suggested route. His accomplices were waiting here.

During the day, the weary travelers stop to rest at a healing spring. Elves of the House of Butterfly emerge from the forest. These Highborn are distinguished by their red hair and a fanatical hatred of humans. Their commander, Gale, recognizes Ness as the elusive sniper. The elves call him Gray-Eyed Gray. This marksman has killed many noble descendants of Olwë of the House of Butterfly. Gale demands the man’s hand over. Kerë tries to protect Ness. The mage cites his word to the ruler, Vaske.

A huge wooden branch pierces one of the red elves. A mage-killer lurks in the forest. A brutal battle ensues. Rashe is wounded and slain by multiple spear strikes. Ness enters the fray, wielding an axe and a bow. The man saves Kere from death by shooting his enemies in the back. Together, they kill all the elves of the Butterfly House. Kere buries Rashe under a pile of stones.

Ness shares his suspicions. He’s certain the killer is of elven origin. Only an elf could have passed the patrols in Sandon. A stranger would have been killed immediately. Kere refuses to believe his kin are betraying him.

The True Face of Betrayal

The party continues their pursuit. Ness suggests a shortcut through the mountains, descending a steep rock face. Kere falls while descending ancient steps. The man catches the mage by the arm and pulls him onto the ledge. The highborn is shocked by Ness’s actions. That evening, they stop for the night in an abandoned ancient temple. Ness lies down to sleep on an elven altar.

At night, the narrative shifts to the past, showing the events leading up to the assassination attempt. The ruler of the Delbe elves, Vaske, speaks with his First Protector, Shané. The Overlord assesses the balance of power. Gafe of the House of Dew supports peace. Nadre of the House of Spark and Reke of the House of Lotus are dissatisfied with the agreement. Shalve of the House of Willow is hesitant. Lale of the House of Mist pleaded illness and did not attend the meeting. Olve of the House of Butterfly ignored the invitation. Vaske goes to the bridge to sign papers with the human Viceroy to cement diplomatic parity. Suddenly, a bowstring hums. An arrow strikes Reke. The negotiations collapse. The humans and elves narrowly escape a massacre on the bridge.

In the morning, the travelers set up an ambush on a mountain path. Five elves pass by. One of them is dressed in the gray uniform of the Blue Dragonflies patrol. Ness points him out. The real killer was disguised as a sentry. A fierce battle ensues. Kere uses combat magic and defeats the enemy wizard. Ness kills the magical beast with his bow. Then he shoots a fleeing young elf in the leg.

The prisoner is bound. Kere casts a truth spell. The wounded elf confesses to the bowshot. The order was given by Lale of the House of Mist. The main target was the ruler of Delbe, Vaske. Lale wanted to disrupt the signing of the treaty with the Empire. Reke was killed by mistake due to the poor aim of an inexperienced elven archer.

Ness understands the essence of political intrigue. If Vaske were to die, the elves would blame the humans. The fragile peace would collapse. Now Kere can confront the ruler with the real elven murderer. The treaty will be saved. But the mage thinks differently. His House of Lotus opposes peace with the humans. It suits the mage to shift the blame to the Empire.

Kere decides to kill the prisoner. The mage makes Ness an unexpected offer. He promises the man money and freedom in exchange for silence. Kere vows to guide Ness along the secret paths of Sandon. Ness pretends to agree to these terms. He knows the value of elven oaths. The man understands his doom. As soon as they are alone, Kere will kill him.

Ness throws his axe. Kere pulls the trigger on his crossbow. The bolt misses the man. Ness finishes the mage off with an arrow to the throat. Then the hero looks at the prisoner. The prisoner is dead. Kere’s bolt hit him in the chest. The proud elf shot his kinsman. He eliminated the witness to conceal the secret of his House.

Ness remains alone in the wild mountains. The way back to Myburgh is closed. The Empire will not forgive the fugitive. The elves will search for the murderer of the mage Kere. The hero gathers his belongings and sets off south to the icy peaks of the White Fangs. A long and arduous journey to true freedom awaits him.