“Quite true,” frowned Marak. “Fisher’s spy on the island has been unable to find that out. I don’t mean he can’t find out the hour of the attack, he doesn’t even have an idea of the month. That is a problem for us.”
“I believe that you mentioned the last time we were in Angragar that you wanted some of these positioned in the Sakova,” stated Lyra. “Is that still true?”
“Very much so,” nodded the Torak. “We can carry dozens of these on one of my larger ships. I want to build them first and then move them. Your only seaports are cities that used to be Omungan. I am fearful of spies.”
“Understandable,” nodded Lyra, “but this location gives me an idea. Can the boats be rowed?”
“Certainly,” replied Marak. “What are you thinking?”
“They could be kept in the Sakova itself,” answered Lyra. “The Tanzaba River and the Elkeltar River have headwaters that are very close to each other, yet the two rivers come out far apart. If we stored the crafts in the Sakova near those headwaters, we could use either river to get them to the sea.”
“So they would be hidden from prying eyes and could exit whichever place the Motangans were not,” nodded Marak. “I like it. I could have my ships deliver them at night, and you could have trusted people cart them away by wagons.”
“That is team work,” grinned Lyra. “You should test the crossbows before we go through all of this trouble, though.”
“I will see to it,” promised the Torak. “How are the Omungans integrating into the Sakova?”
“Much better than I expected,” replied the Star of Sakova. “I think those that could have caused us the most trouble were the generals of the large armies. When we saved General Didyk’s life from the hellsoul, his attitude changed remarkably.”
“Do you think he is sincere?” asked the Torak.
“Oh, yes,” nodded Lyra. “I am sure of it.”
“You tested him, didn’t you?” grinned Marak.
“More than a few times,” Lyra grinned back. “He is really helping out with the planning for the defense of the Sakova. So are General Kapla and General Romero. In fact, all of the generals are being helpful. They are trying to outdo each other, but it is a good spirited competition.”
“Let’s head back,” suggest Marak. “I don’t want to be noticed missing.”
They headed back along the trail through the jungle and along the river. When they returned to the palace, Tamar was showing off his Motangan uniform.
“It fits you well,” complimented Lyra.
“I had the king’s made up the same as mine,” replied Tamar. “From MistyTrail’s description, it should be pretty close.”
“When are you leaving?” asked Marak.
“Before dawn,” answered Tamar. “If my calculations are correct, we should reach that small cove just after dark on the day of arrival.”
“That is wise,” commented Captain Mynor. “You are leaving yourself good leeway in case of poor winds or adverse currents. I have done my best to mark the currents on the charts, but those are only indications of what we observed. They could change.”
“The elven scout ship will be driven more by the winds than the currents,” replied Tamar. “Still, I will take them into account.”
“Is there anything else we can do for you?” asked Marak. “Anything at all?”
“Pray for our safe return,” answered MistyTrail.
“That goes without saying,” smiled Lyra. “Perhaps we should all turn in for the night. I would like to be up to bid farewell to these courageous warriors.”
The party broke up and everyone went to the guesthouses that Rejji had assigned to them. Marak slept fitfully as he dreamed about the coming battles and Lyra’s question of what the world might look like when it was all over. Finally, he gave up on sleeping and crawled out of bed. He left his guesthouse and walked to the temple. The two Qubari guards outside the temple smiled and nodded to him as he entered the building. Marak thought there was a hint of hidden message in their demeanor, but he brushed it off.
He made his way through the dark corridors of the temple, not bothering with a torch. He knew his way fairly well as the same layout was used for Changragar. He reached the prayer chamber and stepped inside. The room was completely black. He moved cautiously towards where he felt the center was and dropped to his knees. His heart felt like it would explode when he heard the voice.
“I am sure glad that you didn’t trip over me,” Lyra said softly.
Marak breathed a sigh of relief as he recognized Lyra’s voice.
“You could give a young man a heart attack that way,” Marak replied. “How did you know it was me? I can’t even see you in here.”
“I can’t see you either,” chuckled Lyra. “Who else would be coming here at this time of night? I am willing to bet that you couldn’t sleep because you were replaying the conversation that we had earlier. Am I right?”
Marak didn’t answer for a long time. He knelt there in the darkness and probed his inner feelings. When he did speak, it startled Lyra.
“I love you,” Emperor Marak declared.
“I know,” smiled Lyra. “I love you, too.”
Chapter 31
Island of Darkness
The seas were calm and the half moon gave sufficient light to see the coastline. HawkShadow and Tamar were wearing the uniforms of Motangan soldiers. Mistake and MistyTrail wore their animal skins. HawkShadow grabbed a bow and a quiver of arrows from the deck of the elven scout ship. He moved forward and scanned the shoreline as Tamar guided the ancient ship into the small cove. The sails luffed as the ship ran gently onto the narrow beach. HawkShadow leaped out of the boat and pulled it further onto the beach.
MistyTrail and Mistake jumped to the beach while Tamar gathered up the bows and quivers and carried them to the beach. He handed them to Mistake and turned to help HawkShadow drag the ship fully onto the beach. Mistake searched the edge of the jungle for any signs of a trail. She found a narrow trail and stood at its entrance waiting for the others. HawkShadow picked up the bows and quivers and distributed them to the others. He kept two for himself.
“I know the plan is to leave the bows in the jungle to use for our retreat,” Tamar whispered to HawkShadow, “but why did you bring two for yourself?”
“I didn’t,” replied HawkShadow. “I figured that the king would know how to use a bow. If he is in any decent condition when we escape, his help might be needed. If he is not well, all I have wasted is a bow and a quiver of arrows.”
“The king is an elf,” grinned Tamar. “Even if he is weak, he will know how to use one.”
Everyone gathered near Mistake and she started along the jungle trail. The others followed in single file with Tamar at the rear. The creature noises fell silent as the small party invaded the jungle. Mistake led at a slow and cautious pace, but she soon began walking a little faster as her eyes became accustomed to the dimmer light in the jungle.
They marched for almost fifteen minutes before they heard the noise of something large moving through the growth. Mistake froze, and the others stopped behind her. Everyone remained silent and listened to the noise. It was getting louder, and it sounded like it was coming from behind them. They all turned around to face the beach. Tamar nocked an arrow to his bow.
Suddenly, a huge shape stepped out of the foliage and appeared on the trail. The krul was fifteen feet tall, and its mouth opened to shout when he saw the invaders. Tamar let fly his arrow. It struck the krul between the eyes. Tamar swiftly nocked another arrow, but it was not necessary. The huge creature fell backwards and hit the ground with a loud thump. HawkShadow drew his sword and raced past Tamar to the creature’s body.
“It is dead,” HawkShadow whispered. “Help me move its body off the trail.”
Tamar dropped his bow and raced to help HawkShadow. The two men struggled to move the giant creature. They could not lift it, but they managed to drag it into the foliage alongside the trail. Tamar ripped up som
e leafy vines and covered the body as best he could. They walked back up the trail to the waiting princesses.
“What was that?” asked Tamar.
“That is a krul,” replied MistyTrail. “Your aim was excellent. I did not think one arrow could fell such a beast.”
“Well,” interjected HawkShadow, “we know where to aim in the future. Let’s move onward before another one comes.”
Mistake nodded and the group continued onward. It took another fifteen minutes of walking until the jungle began to slowly turn to forest. HawkShadow softly called for a halt.
“This looks like where we should leave the bows,” the Sakovan assassin said. “If we left our bows in the forest ahead, they would be too noticeable to anyone chancing by. We should spread them out so that we all don’t stop at the same time to retrieve them. Choose a spot that is recognizable from the direction we will be traveling.”
The group spread out along the trail and chose the hiding spots for their bows and quivers. When they were done they gathered at the edge of the forest. HawkShadow studied the forest for several minutes, trying to get a feel for it. Finally, he selected two trees that they could use to locate the trail. He bent down at each tree and carved a star into the accumulation of moss at their bases. He silently pointed to the two marked trees and waited until each of the party had acknowledged the marks. When they were done, MistyTrail took the lead. She angled through the forest towards the sounds of the distant screams.
“Does this screaming go on every night?” HawkShadow whispered to Mistake.
“It does not last all night,” nodded Mistake. “We heard it several nights in a row. The rest of the time we were too far from the city to hear it. We should wait until most of it stops.”
“Most of it?” questioned HawkShadow. “Why not all of it?”
“Some of the victims continue screaming through the night,” frowned Mistake, “long after the torture has ended. When the majority of the screaming has stopped, the torturers will go to bed, their appetites sated for one night.”
A cold shiver ran through HawkShadow’s body as he tried to envision such a bizarre people. He pushed the thoughts from his mind and continued scanning the forest to memorize the route that they were taking. A short while later, MistyTrail held up her hand and froze. No one needed to ask what the problem was. The sudden sounds were loud enough that everyone immediately looked to their left.
“Hide,” whispered MistyTrail as she darted for the nearest tree.
Everyone scattered and found shelter behind large trees. A few moments later a dozen kruls appeared. They made no attempt to be quiet as they stomped noisily through the forest talking to one another. The kruls walked by, totally unaware of the invaders hiding in the forest. No one moved until the sounds faded completely.
“They talked as if they were going home after a day’s work,” commented Tamar. “What do those creatures do?”
“Many chores,” answered Mistake. “They cut down trees and haul the logs to the shipyards. They hunt for escaped elves. We even saw them turning a giant wheel in the mine where Eltor worked.”
“But they were walking away from the city,” HawkShadow pointed out.
“The kruls do not live in the cities,” replied MistyTrail. “They dwell in the forests in small groups. We do not want to stumble into such a camp.”
MistyTrail started leading again. After a half hour of walking slowly, they came within sight of the city. They gathered together and stared at the back of the temple.
“At least we won’t have to travel on the city streets this time,” commented Mistake. “The last time we came out a couple of blocks to the left.”
“This trip from the cove has consumed over an hour,” frowned Tamar. “That can be a lifetime when one is trying to escape.”
“We moved slowly to get here,” replied HawkShadow. “It would be nice if we had that luxury on the way back, but I would not count on it. The return trip will be much quicker.”
“I hope you are wrong,” replied Tamar as he looked across the wide barren area between them and the temple. “There are plenty of soldiers outside the temple. How are we going to get to it without being seen?”
“We aren’t,” frowned HawkShadow as he studied the temple. “How did you enter the last time, MistyTrail?”
“Can you see the second story balcony on the left side?” MistyTrail asked as she pointed. “It leads into a library. Mistake scaled the side of the building and dropped a rope for Eltor and me to climb up.”
HawkShadow looked at Mistake and nodded his appreciation of her skills.
“Did you leave the same way?” asked Tamar.
“Of course,” replied Mistake. “We even took the rope with us so that they would not know how we got in.”
“I would wager that they investigated thoroughly to find their weakness,” frowned HawkShadow. “What other entrances are there?”
“The main entrance is in the front,” answered MistyTrail. “The back entrance that we are looking at is the only other way in that I know of. We have never seen the fourth side of the temple.”
“What are you thinking?” asked Tamar after several moments of silence.
“I am leery about using the same entrance that was used the last time,” replied HawkShadow. “Tamar, see if you can move further to the right and get a view of the far side of the temple. I am going to check out the library balcony.”
Tamar moved silently through the forest to his right. HawkShadow faded into the forest to his left. The Sakovan assassin moved along the edge of the forest until the city buildings blocked his view of the rear of the temple. He stared across the barren wasteland at the city street across from him. He saw nothing moving. He stood erect and marched out of the forest. While he kept his head facing straight ahead, his eyes swiveled constantly for any sign of trouble. He tried to walk as swiftly as he could without appearing to be in a hurry.
When he had crossed the barren wasteland and reached the city street, HawkShadow paused in the shadows to calm his nerves. He inhaled and exhaled deeply and then marched along the street to the first intersection. He turned to the right and continued marching towards the side of the temple.
He eventually came to the end of the buildings on the street. There was a wide open area between the last row of buildings and the temple. He could just see the outline of soldiers at the front of the temple, but no one else was in sight. He marched out into the open area and stood staring up at the balcony.
HawkShadow was standing in the open for only a few moments before a squad of soldiers arrived and surrounded him. HawkShadow turned slowly and gazed at the soldiers. He recognized the squad leader by the extra stripes on his sleeves. He was also the only one of the soldiers who had not drawn a sword.
In the distant woods behind the temple, MistyTrail cringed and grabbed Mistake’s arm she pointed at HawkShadow.
“Oh, no,” Mistake said with alarm. “We are ruined before we even start.”
“What is the problem?” asked Tamar as he returned from his scouting trip and settled down next to the princesses.
“HawkShadow went to check the balcony,” answered MistyTrail. “He has been captured.”
“I was just growing fond of him,” frowned Tamar. “He moves more like an elf than many elves I know. We will have to proceed without him.”
“No,” MistyTrail replied adamantly. “We must ambush that squad before they get him into the temple.”
“And give up on rescuing the king?” retorted Tamar. “If we attack that squad, we will never gain entrance to the temple. Are you really willing to make that trade? If it were I that was captured, I would expect you to carry on without me. I would prefer that to abandoning the King of the Elves.”
“Let’s wait to see what happens,” suggested Mistake. “Perhaps they will take him to somewhere other than the temple. If so, we can rescue him after we get the king free.”
“They have not attacked him yet?” MistyTrail said hopef
ully. “He appears to be talking to them.”
Under the balcony, HawkShadow turned to face the officer.
“What are you doing here, soldier?” asked the officer.
“I was sent out to check the area,” replied HawkShadow. “The mage in the library sensed a presence down here. He demanded that I check it out. I do not see anything out of the ordinary. By chance was your squad patrolling under the balcony just recently?”
The officer shook his head and sighed. “Will these prima donnas never learn?” he asked rhetorically. “Why didn’t you tell the mage that he doesn’t have to worry about the balcony? Everyone in there should know by now that the shutters have been magically alarmed. You would expect more from a mage.”
“No wonder he is in the library,” snickered HawkShadow. “He still has much to learn, but still I dared not refuse him.”
“No, you couldn’t, soldier,” agreed the officer as he signaled for his men to stand down and sheath their swords. “Take my advice, though. The next time one of those great mages tells you to check under the balcony, take yourself a break and enjoy a snack. It is a much better use of your time.”
“I like that idea,” chuckled HawkShadow. “In fact, maybe I still have time to grab one.”
“Have one for me, too,” scowled the officer as he motioned for his men to form a column. “I have another four hours out here until I get a break.”
HawkShadow watched the column move towards the street that he had used to sneak towards the temple. He knew that he could not stay under the balcony, and he was loath to approach the front of the temple. He also could not be seen walking away from the temple. He inhaled deeply and turned towards the rear of the temple. His eyes scanned the edge of the distant forest, but he could not see his friends. He had no doubt that they could see him.
HawkShadow walked slowly around the corner of the temple. There were at least two squads of soldiers at the rear of the temple. The Sakovan assassin was tempted to hide in the shadows until the suspicious patrol had moved on, but other soldiers had already noticed him come around the corner. Several of them stared at him, as if a lone soldier in the city was an oddity. HawkShadow steeled his nerves and marched towards the gaping rear entrance of the temple.
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