“With the help of Frasie and Shareis, Selandis is well fortified,” Niv said. “I feel confident we could repel any invasion.”
“They won’t attack from the east,” Olivia said. “At least not in the plans I read. They will approach from the west, on the shores near the Jeweled Woods, and use it as foothold to attack the rest of Selandis.”
“Hopefully, our magics will be strong enough to defeat them,” Niv said.
“I’m not sure, but… You should know they will not come with swords and bows. They have weapons that use the same power of Aiden’s explosives in Lahara. They call them rifles, and they can hit a target at a hundred yards. Their machinery can push through walls, and their cannons rain tremendous power both at sea and land.”
Niv glanced at her. “How long do we have?”
“I was barely able to return on a fast, small steam ship. It took me three days to reach you. I can’t be sure when they left, but I fear it wasn’t long after my departure. We may only have a day—perhaps two.”
“We can’t mobilize an army that quickly,” Niv said. “Selandis is weeks away by horseback. Ashmar has a small detachment, but I’m not sure we’ll be able to get word there in time, let alone receive their aid.”
“Has Farius left town yet?” Frasie asked.
“He was due to leave Brenloh tomorrow,” Niv said. “I will ask him to stay and assist us.”
“It goes without saying that you have my help,” Olivia said.
“And mine,” Lilly added. “Though, my ankle has not fully recovered.”
Niv knelt and put her hands around Lilly’s ankle. “I will take care of that.”
Shareis approached Frasie. “Please fetch Aiden, Mauria, and—”
“After you’re done, I must take my leave,” Lilly said.
“Why?” Frasie asked.
She stared at Lilly. “There is bad blood between my mothers.”
“This may sound callous, but we don’t have time for that,” Olivia said. “They want our land and resources and if we are to have even a prayer of a chance, we must have everyone working together to defend the woods.”
Lilly took a deep breath, then looked to her. “For you, Shareis, I will stay.”
Olivia nodded. “Good. We must move. Now!”
Chapter 17
Lilly walked to Niv’s neighbor’s house where Mauria had lodged for the wedding. Her leg felt much better after receiving Niv’s healing. She had a slight limp, but the pain was nearly gone, and it bore most of her weight without discomfort.
But she thought little of her ankle. Her destination frightened her more than any combat she could face. Her blade could help protect the Jeweled Woods, but her heart suffered a terrible defeat long ago in that Masola homestead. She promised Niv she would help, and she knew a warrior needed herself whole.
Time and time again, anger proved to be a sharp weapon in her arsenal. Witnessing the death of her friends and family fueled her rage in the Proctor Wars. But, with age, she learned that anger without focus and a soul filled with regrets turn the sharpest blade into a dull knife.
Her hand shook as she reached for the door knocker. She almost backed down but somehow found the courage to proceed. An older woman came to the door.
She swallowed hard. “Good evening. I’m looking for Mauria.”
“She went to fetch me some water from the creek.” The lady motioned behind her. “It’s around back.”
“Thank you. You should know the High Priestess is holding a town meeting this evening in Brenloh square.”
The woman dismissed her. “Ain’t got any need of that.”
“It’s important,” she replied. “We may be facing an invasion. If you are without transportation, I will pick you up later this afternoon.”
The lady shrugged. “I’ll think about it.”
She thought it odd the homeowner would place little concern on such a serious threat.
“Please do. And thank you. I’ll be back.”
She walked around the house and continued until she heard running water. She scanned the creek and saw Mauria hunched over filling two wooden pails. She approached and picked up one of them.
Mauria opened her mouth to speak, then stopped herself.
She surveyed Mauria’s face, noting time had been exceptionally kind to her appearance. Despite this, an aura of ill health surrounded her. Mauria’s bright, lovely eyes, those that once looked at her with adoration, now barely hid their contempt. Mauria’s brief, dismissive glare hurt more than any of the words they passed between one another in the heat of anger.
She did her best to keep a steady, even voice. “How are you, Mauria?”
“You’re late.”
“For?”
“Our daughter’s wedding.”
“I was there. It was beautiful.”
Mauria put her hand on her back and winced in pain as she lifted the water. She rushed to help.
“I’ve got it.”
Mauria scoffed. “You Proctors love to be the hero, don’t you? Your daughter takes after you in that regard.”
“I’m glad she was a hero. She saved us from Vorea.”
Mauria waved her hand in the air. “Like Vorea would have meant anything to our daily life. She fell for a politician, and her concerns are now their concerns.”
“I think Niv’leana is a lovely woman and a fine mate for our daughter. Regardless, I’ve been in war. And I can tell you I fought for no politicians. I fought for survival. I think Shareis would see it the same way.”
“Your people were fighting for survival against a tyrannical government. That’s a bit different, isn’t it?”
She picked a stone from the bank and skipped it across the water. “We haven’t seen each other in years, and you want to talk about politics?”
“I don’t really want to talk at all, Lilly.”
She sighed. “Well, we have to.”
“What… For our daughter’s sake?”
“Partly. There is a grave and imminent threat to the Jeweled Woods, Mauria. A war could break out at any minute.”
Mauria shrugged. “I’ve lived through wars and conflict nearly my entire life. One more won’t hurt.”
“This one is different.”
Mauria nodded. “Always the soldier, Lilly.”
“The enemy has weapons we have never seen. They possess powerful ships and armaments powered by steam.”
“Then I hope Niv’leana has a plan.”
“I have pledged my blade to their cause,” she said.
“I thought Proctors didn’t take sides.”
“That’s what we say, anyway.”
Mauria chuckled. “Why do you tell me this?”
“Because you need to know. I will be here, and we will likely see each other more often.” She took a step closer. “And, above all, I don’t want any harm to come to you.”
Mauria’s jaw clenched. She knew her well enough to know a thousand words were waiting to come between them. She had heard most of them before in their previous encounters after the wars.
“There is no need,” Mauria said. “You did what you came here to do.”
She took a step closer. She wanted nothing more to embrace her. “Not quite.”
Mauria looked away, and her eyelids fluttered. “Don’t…”
“I only want to hold you.”
“I know. And—don’t.”
“Nothing has changed,” she said. “I still care for you.”
“But not enough.”
“What is enough?” she asked.
Mauria took her pail and started walking toward the house. “I can’t do this again.”
She carried the other bucket and followed her. “Fine. But can we at least pretend to get along for the sake of our daughter?”
Mauria threw her bucket to the ground. “Our daughter… You mean the one you ripped from me?”
“That’s not fair.”
“No, Lilly it isn’t.”
“I didn’t beat yo
u! Those awful men did. And if I could have stopped them, I would have. I thought about running each of them through with my dagger. But I knew it would mean certain death for both of us, and our daughter. I did what I had to do.”
“You did what you wanted to do, Lilly. Just like always.” Mauria jerked the full pail from her hand. “You’ve delivered your message. Now go.”
Chapter 18
Brenloh, a normally quiet town after sundown, sprang to life. People from all over the southern half of the Jeweled Woods gathered in the town square. Light from torches and lanterns flickered on the cobblestone street, and the air buzzed with uncertainty.
Niv brought the crowd to attention and delivered a short speech detailing what was known about the threat they faced. Olivia stood by her side and assisted her when she grasped for answers about their unknown foe.
“There isn’t anything for them in the Jeweled Woods,” someone in the crowd said. “If they do attack, they’ll go to a bigger city like Masola or Selandis.”
Olivia shook her head. “They don’t care about your farms. They’re after coal. They’ll mine these beautiful woods for every scrap of resources they can provide.”
She pointed to the trees behind the buildings. “They’ll fell our beautiful trees and strip our soil of anything living. We can’t let that happen!”
“When will they be here?” one man asked.
“We can’t be certain,” Olivia replied. “Their fleet is slower than the steamboat that brought me here, but all of their ships are fast. They could be a day or two away from us.”
After a bit of grumbling from the crowd, another man spoke up. “How do we know you’re telling us the truth?”
“I don’t have any proof—other than my word,” Olivia replied.
She rested her hand on Olivia’s shoulder. “And that is good enough for me.”
“What if she received false information?” A woman asked.
“It’s possible, but few people knew I was from Selandis. Upon my departure, a large armada of warships sat in their harbor.”
“Sounds like a drunken dream to me,” said the man who originally doubted Oliva’s story.
Olivia seemed shaken by the crowd. “I can only offer what I know.”
Farius stepped forward. “Are you willing to bet your life on your inability to see past the boundary of the Jeweled Woods? Our land is not united, so why do you expect the whole world to be different?”
The man scoffed. “Who said there are other lands beyond the western sea? This harlot?” He gained a bit of traction with the crowd. “We can’t trust a Skilla!”
Frasie didn’t like his tone, and her disapproval surprised her. She didn’t trust Olivia, either, but she seemed sincere. Surely Nivvy and Farius wouldn’t back her if they thought she was lying.
“Can you trust your High Priestess?” Nivvy asked.
He dismissed her with a wave of his hand. “You’re the High Priestess of Selandis, not the Jeweled Woods!”
“The woods are under the dominion of Selandis,” she retorted.
The man started to walk away. “I’ve had enough of this. Come on, boys.”
A few men and their wives followed him. Frasie moved through the parted crowd. “You’re a fool.”
He approached and pointed his finger in Frasie’s face. “I know your reputation Frasie. You’re a mighty fine hunter, but you ain’t bright enough to find your way out of a potato sack. I’d watch who you call a fool.”
Aiden followed him as he walked away, then tapped him on the shoulder.
“What do you want?”
Aiden hit the man squarely in the mouth, knocking him flat on his rear. While the dissenter struggled to get up, the other men pounced on Aiden. Frasie stepped toward them and nocked a flaming arrow.
“Enough!” Frasie motioned with the tip of the arrow. “You! Get away from him.” Frasie drew her bow further to provide additional motivation. “Now!”
The man stood, wiped the blood from his lip, and walked away.
“Let them go,” Aiden said. “If they want to die, that’s their choice. Anyone want to join them?”
Another man in the crowd stepped forward. “What are you going to do? Hit us all if we don’t agree?”
Aiden still shook with anger. “I might.”
She pushed her way through the crowd and joined Frasie and Aiden. “I adored telling the members of the Order of the Ael’Shanar and any Selandis townsfolk that would listen about my hometown. I explained that the hardworking men and women of the Jeweled Woods would come together and help one another in crisis. And yet, here we are, arguing amongst ourselves. Is this how we should be when the enemy arrives? If so, we might as well surrender now.”
The dissenters in the crowd relaxed their posture.
“Listen, Niv’leana. I’ve known your family my entire life. I’d do anything for your ma and pa. And I trust you. But… I can’t drop everything I’m doing to prepare for some invasion that may or may not happen. I have a feeling this winter is going to be rough, and I’ve got to make sure my family makes it through.”
“Why prepare for winter if you will not survive the fall?” Farius asked.
The man was visibly shaken by Farius’s words. In one breath, her father had removed the denial shielding their frayed nerves, leaving the crowd with a sickening dread.
“There’s no time for indecision,” she said. “If the invasion never comes, then we will be even better prepared for winter.”
Aiden motioned for people to join him. “We’ve got a lot to do in a very short time. We need to split into teams. I need charcoal, sulfur, and saltpeter to make explosives, so anyone with these materials needs to bring them to the square as soon as possible.”
“I need help digging fortifications and traps around the town’s perimeter,” Shareis said.
“We’re going to need food, water, and bandages for those of us staying in town,” Olivia added.
“I need a message delivered to Ashmar,” she said.
A young man stepped forward. “I’ll go.”
“Go to the livery and fetch the fastest horse they have. Seek Aiden’s father, a man named Marcus, in Ashmar and apprise him of our situation. Tell him to send whatever help he can and to dispatch a courier to Selandis as soon as possible.”
He nodded and left for the stables.
Niv raised her voice over the din. “Join a team and let’s get to work.”
The crowd gathered around Aiden, Olivia, and Shareis.
She turned to Frasie. “We’ll need all the archers we can get, Frasie.”
“I know several that are good shots. I’ll round them up.”
Ren put his hand on Nivvy’s shoulder. “You’re a fine leader, Niv. You make me proud.”
Her frenzied pace eased as she looked up at Ren and smiled.
“I’m going to join the archers,” Ren said. “Your father is still a decent shot, you know.”
She grabbed Ren’s arms. “No. I want you and Mom in a safe location.”
“Sounds like there won’t be a safe place.”
Aiden approached them. “We’ve got everything but the sulfur. Know where we might find that?”
“The hot springs in the Androse Mountains have rich sulfur deposits,” Ren replied.
“That’s weeks away,” Shareis added.
“I can extract it from pyrite,” Aiden said. “Any mines near Brenloh?”
“An old iron mine lies about an hour’s walk north of here,” Ren replied.
“That will work,” Aiden replied. “I’m sure someone on my team knows the way.”
She followed Aiden and stepped out of earshot of everyone else. “We need an alternative plan.”
“Alternative?” she asked.
“In case we lose Brenloh.”
“Have a little faith in us, Niv,” Aiden said.
“Believe me, I do. But… I wouldn’t be a good leader if I didn’t have a backup strategy.”
Aiden took a deep breath.
“I understand. What do you have in mind?”
“We cannot allow them to use Brenloh as a base of operations. There are half a dozen small hamlets and hundreds of farms nearby that wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“We can only do our best,” Aiden said.
“No… We can do more.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “If we get overrun, we must destroy Brenloh.”
Chapter 19
Aja laid by the campfire with head propped on the heel of her palm. “Adrious, you awake?”
“I’m exhausted.” He sat upright on his bedroll. “But I can’t sleep.”
“I understand. Me too.”
“Had any more visions?” he asked.
“Nothing new. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.”
Adrious picked up a stick and fed it to the fire. “My mother used to say no news is good news.”
“My mother died when I was young. At least that’s what they told me.” She searched her earliest memories. “I recall vague images of us walking in the bright sunlight. In a marketplace, I think. She had a lovely voice, though I don’t remember any specific words she said to me.” She sighed. “I hope memory works like a path through the woods. I am sure to walk it each day, remembering what I can of her. Maybe then it won’t fade.”
“What about your father?” he asked.
“I never knew him.”
“I’m sorry,” Adrious said. “I can understand some of how you feel.”
“I know you can. I sense a great loss in you, too.”
He nodded. “My father died when I was young, and my mother… Went away for several years.”
“Went away?”
He leaned back and laced his fingers behind his head. “She and my half-sister’s mother were involved in an incident in the Proctor Wars.”
She hesitated. “Your mom and your half-sister’s mother?”
He chuckled. “I can see how that would be confusing. My mother was briefly involved with a Proctor, and together they gave birth to my half-sister.”
“Oh. Makes sense… I think.”
“It’s rare for Proctors to have children with humans, but it does happen,” Adrious said.
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