“But the raptoid’s attack was too fierce for him to get there right away,” Justan said as the memories flowed over to him through the bond. The sheer size of the giant that melted on the side was staggering. Its gelatinous remains stretched across the road and far into the trees off to the west side. It was going to take a lot of cleanup. “Once the raptoid was dead, he ran over and . . .” The image of Ewzad’s condition when Deathclaw had arrived was disturbing. They way he had looked into Deathclaw’s eyes with such a strange expression of hope made Justan pity the man. But Deathclaw hadn’t. Justan shook his head as the images faded. “I’m not sure how he was still alive. But there were no rings on him.”
“Maybe he hid them before he was struck down,” Hugh suggested. “Or gave them to one of his men.”
“That’s a possibility,” Locksher mused. “But he didn’t seem like the type of man to trust others with something that important. Besides, if he had the rings on him, he may have been able to heal even the immense damage he had suffered.”
“Perhaps Mellinda took them,” Justan suggested.
“A power play?” Hugh said, rubbing his chin as he thought about it. “During the middle of the attack seems like odd timing for such a thing. Especially when it leaves her vulnerable. If that was her plan, she should have waited until his forces killed as many of our men as possible, then kill him while he was celebrating.”
“Locksher!” Vannya called, kneeling by the raptoid’s remains. She had a notebook in her hand and was furiously jotting something down.
The wizard ran over to her and she whispered something in his ear. He reached out over the raptoid and sent flows of magic into its body, then nodded. He started wrapping it back up. “We’re taking this back to my lab for further study. Vannya found something interesting.”
No one objected and together, he and Vannya carried it back towards the rune tower. Justan found it oddly concerning, but then, Locksher had examined the bodies of the other raptoids so he didn’t see how it mattered. He again reminded himself he needed going to have a talk with the wizard when this was all over.
Perhaps it would be better if he told Locksher the secret of the rogue horse’s creation instead of letting the wizard discover it for himself. Locksher was a good man, but could he be trusted not to say anything or write it down somewhere where it could be discovered? Justan would be more comfortable if the rings were destroyed before such knowledge got out. Otherwise, some future bearer of the rings could do something even more horrible than Ewzad had done.
“I want this body displayed,” Captain Demetrius said, staring at the wizard’s corpse. “I want everyone who fought today to see this and know that he is truly dead this time.”
“Wait a minute!” said Beth, stumbling towards them. Her eyes were unfocused, her speech slightly slurred. “We don’t have time for looking at bodies. We need to march on Mellinda now.”
“What’s with her?” asked Stout Harley. “Is she drunk?’
“No, it’s Fist,” Hilt said. “She has this reaction with him.”
“I didn’t do nothing!” Fist said, raising his arms in the air. “I was just standing there.”
“Stop it! Everyone listen to me!” Beth said, stomping her foot. She swayed a bit, her brow furrowed as she tried to focus. “We need to march now. She has been weakened by this battle. I had a vision-.”
“I think she’s drunk,” Hugh the Shadow said.
“Damn it, listen to me!” Beth fumed.
“Everyone, shut up!” Darlan commanded. “We should listen to her. She has some kind of spirit magic we don’t understand.”
“Thank you, Sherl,” Beth said. She rubbed her face with her hands and shook her head, gathering herself. Justan wondered why listening to Fist gave her this kind of reaction.
Fist is nice, said Gwyrtha.
“Alright, so as I was saying, I had a vision,” Beth continued. “Something really important is happening today. Right now, in fact. Things are being set in motion and if we don’t invade Mellinda’s forest and destroy her soon, she’s going to get away.”
“But I thought she was trapped there.” Justan said.
“Not for long,” Beth said. “We have maybe a few days at the most and she’ll be able to escape.”
“She’s right!” Master Latva walked towards them, staff in hand. The wizard looked much more vigorous than he had the night before, but Alfred still looked concerned. “Mellinda’s had a plan underway for a long time. We must go now. And on horseback, I’m afraid. There isn’t time for anything else.”
“Horseback?” Faldon said. “But we don’t have nearly enough horses.”
“We’ll need to put together a small group,” Latva replied. “A strike force, to use academy terms. It’s unfortunate, but necessary. I know where Mellinda is. I’ve been there before, and if we hurry, we can get there in just over a day. Pick your men well.”
“You’ll need some of our horses then, I’d expect,” said Captain Demetrius. The commander chewed his lip. “The men aren’t going to like that.”
“Good!” said Beth. She strolled over a bit unsteadily and leaned on Sir Hilt. “While you guys are figuring that out, I have just enough time for a bath.” She grabbed Hilt’s arm and headed towards the tower, pulling him with her. “You’re taking one with me.”
* * *
The royal carriage stood alone. The supply wagon was knocked over and burning and the corpses of thirty royal guards littered the ground round about, their horses dead or scattered. The trolls had done most of the work before the guards managed to set them on fire. Talon had been forced to kill the eight remaining men on her own.
Talon pulled an arrow from her breast and threw it down. Their leader had been particularly fearless, but he had been an archer, not used to close combat. She yanked another arrow from her thigh, saving the one in her throat for last. She broke the arrowhead off of that one and pulled out the shaft.
Blood spurted from the wound at an alarming rate. But Talon wasn’t concerned. She didn’t even enjoy the pain. Not now. Just a few hours ago Ewwie had died. Killed by her brother and his bonding wizard. The moonrat mother railed against them, but Talon wasn’t fooled. This was Mellinda’s fault. She had forced Talon to leave Ewwie behind. Now Ewwie was dead and Talon was here. She wished she was dead with Ewwie.
“Now –now,” Mellinda said. “That attitude doesn’t suit you.”
“Yess, misstress,” Talon replied automatically. She had no choice really. Not now. The blue eye gave the witch full control over her. Punishments were worse than simple numbness. When she didn’t obey, her mind was shut away in a little place that wasn’t light or dark and wasn’t cool or hot. She couldn’t feel her body. She couldn’t hear. There was just nothing. And the time in this place stretched on forever.
“That’s what death feels like,” taunted the mistress. “You don’t really want death.”
Talon didn’t believe her. She had touched death enough times to know that there was something there afterwards, something else. More than the nothingness the mistress punished her with. But now that Ewwie was dead, there was no hope for rescue. There was just endless servitude.
“Nonsense,” Mellinda said. “Curb those thoughts unless you wish to be punished.”
“Yess misstress,” Talon said.
“If you are a good girl and obey me, I’ll let you have your body back. Once I’m done with it, of course.”
“Yess misstress,” Talon said. She forced her mind not to think of how big a lie that was. There was no escape. Never.
She approached the door of the carriage where the old mage woman stood, wringing her hands. The blood had stopped spurting from Talon’s neck, not that she had worried. It was just something to notice.
“She’s inside,” said the woman. Her hands were trembling, but her wrinkled face was composed. She had killed the other four birth mages herself during the confusion. A sleeping spell and poisoned dagger had done the job.
This
one had been in Mellinda’s service for a long time. But there was no eye in her. She thought youth would come from this. Eternal youth like the moonrat mother’s. Talon would have hissed with laughter had she been allowed. That wasn’t youth. Talon had seen what the witch was.
“Do you wish to spend time in the quiet, Talon?” Mellinda warned, anger tinting her thoughts.
“No, Misstress,” Talon said.
The old woman didn’t blink at Talon’s words. She knew what they meant. “The queen has gone quite insane, I’m afraid. She made us all leave during the attack.”
“And the babiess?” Talon asked.
“Th-they are fine. They are well. Quite healthy actually for being born this early, why I would have thought they were each full term.” When Talon didn’t respond right away, the old woman licked her lips. “I-I would have told the mistress about this earlier, of course, but the eye stopped working. I-I would like another one, if the mistress pleases.”
That had been Ewwie’s doing. Talon had felt the blow even in her blue eye. He had hurt the mistress, but he was dead now.
“Indeed,” Mellinda said. “He didn’t listen, now did he?”
“You havess the case?” Talon asked.
“Yes. Right here,” said the old woman, indicating a black bag by her feet. “Where are you taking the queen anyway? Might I be of help?”
“Comess with me,” Talon said. She opened the carriage door and stepped inside.
“You!” Elise said. The queen was sitting on the rear bench. Her babies cupped protectively in her arms. Her eyes were wide, her face covered in sweat. The sounds of the battle had scared her; increased her madness. “Did my husband send you? Is this our escape?”
Talon could smell the babies. One was a boy, one a girl. They smelled fresh. They smelled sweet. They smelled slightly of Ewwie. Their skin would be soft. She loved them already.
“Ewwie iss dead,” she said.
“No! You’re lying!” Elise shouted.
“The king is dead?” said the old woman.
“Silence!” Talon hissed. Mellinda told her what to say. “Ewwie failed the misstress. He failed the Dark Voice. And now it iss time for your punishmentss. We will have both childss.”
“No!” Elise held them tight to her. Too tight, Talon could tell. They wouldn’t be able to breathe. “They are mine! Both of them!”
“My queen, you’ll hurt them!” the old lady said. “Be gentle.”
Elise’s eyes cleared for a moment and relaxed her grip. They started to cry and she sobbed, kissing both of them.
“You can havess them back if you can keepss your kingdom,” Talon said. “You can be queen motherss to the new Dark Prophet and the new Dark Misstress. Otherwise, you lose them both.”
“You can’t have them! You can’t!” Elise turned her eyes on the old woman. “Mereld! Help me! Don’t let them take the babies!”
The old woman’s eyes were troubled.
“Makess her ssleep, woman,” Talon instructed.
Mereld tightened her jaw and cast a spell. When the queen slumped back, she shuffled in and picked up the two screaming infants. Talon smiled. She found their sounds quite entertaining. The old woman swaddled them up and placed them in a basket side-by-side.
“I tire of their squalling,” said Mellinda. “Give them the eye.”
Talon pulled the pouch Mellinda had given her off of her shoulder and plucked the blue eye from within. It was the twin to the one inside her. She placed it in the basket between the two infants and both of them calmed and fell to sleep.
“A blue eye?” Mereld asked in interest.
“I don’t need this one anymore, dear.”
“You are lucky, oldss one.” Talon thrust upwards with her tail, striking the old woman under the chin and pumping poison into her brain. The old woman was a possible voice that could spread word of the day’s true events. Mellinda thought that unnecessary.
Talon lifted the basket and opened the door. She took the black bag the mage had packed and carried it and Ewwie’s twins out into the night.
Suddenly Talon was nervous. The babies were so small and so fragile and so soft. How could she touch them? Her hands were for killing. Her hands were sharp, her voice frightening. Would they fear her face?
“Don’t worry, Talon,” said Mellinda with a soft laugh. “I have given you all you need.”
Goat’s milk and bottles were inside the bag, treated magically to provide all the nourishment the babies needed and keep for a long time. There was enough for a week’s travel. Enough for Talon to get the babies to a place Mellinda had prepared. The blue eye would keep the babies quiet. The blue eye would make them sleep. The blue eye would make them eat when Talon tried to feed them.
“All will be alright,” Mellinda cooed.
Talon would protect them until the day the Dark Prophet was ready for the male child. Then she would take the boy to him and the Dark Prophet would become the boy. Then when the girl was ripe, perhaps sixteen or seventeen, Mellinda would become the girl. Then Talon would be released. While Mellinda and the Dark Prophet ruled the known lands, Talon would be free again. At least that’s what the mistress said.
“All will be alright.”
Chapter Thirty Eight
Convincing the cavalrymen to lend their horses to the others was less difficult than Demetrius had thought. Master Latva’s plans for a strike force only required thirty horses and there were already over a dozen horses that had lost their riders in battle. Justan thought it fitting that Albert and Stanza should come along and the rest of them were borrowed with assurances that they would see very little battle. The truly dangerous part of the journey would be done on foot.
Latva outlined his plan. The cavalry would accompany the thirty hand-picked members of their strike force to Sampo. From there, they would cross the bridge and ride down the main road through the Tinny Woods. He expected to meet only token resistance there. When they reached the darkest part of the woods, the strike force would depart and travel to Mellinda’s tree on foot.
Once they had left, the remainder of the combined academy and Mage School forces would travel east of the school where they would ford the Fandine River and help the elves retake their homeland.
It was a sound plan considering the time frame involved. The only major sticking point was the size of the force. Thirty seemed an insignificant number to deal with the amount of creatures Mellinda had at her disposal. However, Master Latva was adamant that the force remain small to keep casualties to a minimum in the terrible terrain. He assured them that the prophet himself had signed off on the idea.
In the end only a few minor changes were necessary, including one additional plan of Justan’s that caught everyone by surprise.
Picking the strike force was the next difficult part. The prophet had already told them the necessary members of the group. Justan, Beth, Tolivar, Jhonate, Darlan, and Latva were the key members as were their bonded. Alfred argued against Latva going, but the old wizard was adamant that he needed to be there. The rest of the group was divided up between Faldon’s advanced students and several of the academy elite, including Stout Harley, Kathy the Plate, Lyramoor and Swen, and the most experienced wizards, Darlan and Nikoli included.
There was a bit of a stir when Lenny demanded to be included. The dwarves hadn’t seen much of the battle against Ewzad’s forces and he wanted to have a part in taking the witch down. Bettie argued with the dwarf, telling him to stay behind and watch over his unborn child. He put his foot down and left anyway and Fist made Squirrel promise to stay behind and watch over Bettie while they were gone. Despite all her hollering, Justan was pretty sure he saw a satisfied smile on her lips when Lenny climbed up on Stanza’s back to leave with the others.
The wizards provided a supply of magically enhanced oats that would allow the horses to maintain a faster speed without tiring. Despite the protests of the kitchen workers, they also brought up the majority of the school’s pepper reserves. By the time
Beth and Hilt emerged from the tower freshly bathed and dressed, they were ready to leave.
Captain Demetrius and his cavalry led the way with the strike force taking the rear. Justan had to increase Gwyrtha’s size so that she could handle taking him, Deathclaw, and Fist as riders. Jhonate had taken great pleasure in telling Justan how ridiculous they looked. Justan sat in the front at Gwyrtha’s shoulders, Fist in the middle on her saddle, and Deathclaw was perched on her hindquarters facing backwards.
Fist lent his mace to Charz so that the rock giant could keep up with the rest of them. Charz enjoyed the burst of speed and due to his enhanced stamina, he barely noticed the extra stress the mace put on his body.
Fist watched glumly from Gwyrtha’s back as the giant ran from the front of the party to the rear and back again. “Why is it so easy for him?”
“Let him have his fun,” Justan said. “You know how it was for you. He’ll be bored of it by the time we reach Sampo.”
“Dag-blasted rock-biter’s a friggin’ nuisance is what he is,” Lenny grumped from his seat on Stanza’s back just ahead of them. He’d had to move Stanza aside a few times already as the giant ran by.
“It’s never boring being fast,” Fist grumbled. “It’s just tiring.”
Can I run with him? Gwyrtha asked, excited.
“No,” said Deathclaw.
“There’s not enough room on the road for both of you to be cavorting around,” Justan said.
“And we need to ride you,” Fist reminded her. The ogre sighed. “My back hurts already.”
Justan soothed his pain through the bond and they arrived in Sampo quite quickly. They stopped briefly to raid the city’s stores of pepper, then headed across the Sampo Bridge. The forested shoreline was strangely quiet. When Justan had last been to Sampo, the opposite bank had been crawling with moonrats.
They encountered their first difficulty at the forest’s edge. Mellinda’s forces had been busy and trees were downed across the road at regular intervals. Beehn and Nikoli moved to the front of the column and, working together, used a mix of air and earth magic to move the trees from the road as they traveled.
The Bowl of Souls: Book 05 - Mother of the Moonrat Page 45
