Her eyes remained fixed on the mirror.
“Someone tell the group what is going on, please,” she said. “I'm getting a little tired and I don't want to risk losing my concentration.”
“Do you want me to take over?” Sylvie asked quickly.
“Thanks, but I'm fine. Just go ahead with the meeting.”
“Well, if you're sure...” Sebastian said dubiously. “Then I guess we'll forge ahead. So, everyone, as you can see, we're looking at a possible full-scale invasion of England.”
The image in the mirror tilted downward and the group could see the squads of goblins lined up in orderly fashion all along the beach. They could also see the three giants standing side by side like huge, pale misshapen statues.
“More of those things,” Sylvie said in disgust.
“Yep. I had a feeling that there might be more of them,” Malcolm told her. “But Aiden and I know how to deal with them now. It's the hundreds of goblins that I'm more concerned about.”
“What about the warning that your seers gave you?” Daniel asked in his gruff voice.
He was looking up the table at Dianis and the other Elders.
“They didn't just mention giants, did they?” he continued. “Wasn't there something about trolls and ogres as well?”
“There was,” Dianis said with a nod. “But as we can see from the mirror, the evil forces are still gathering across the channel. There will surely be more of them than what we are seeing right now. The other monsters may come later.”
“Cheerful thought,” Katherine said as she watched the mirror with obvious horror.
Daniel patted her hand and she gave him a wan smile.
“So what do we do while our enemies are mustering their strength?” the cleric asked the gathering. “As a healer, I'd like to know if I'm going to have to deal with injured warriors soon.”
“If I might make a suggestion?”
Everyone looked at Chase, who had stepped toward the mirror to watch the distant activity of their enemies.
“Of course, Chase,” Sebastian said, speaking for his sister as she remained focused on her spell. “Go ahead.”
“We need to strike them before they are ready to invade,” the elf stated firmly. “Right now they seem to be disorganized as they gather their forces. If we wait until they are across the channel and marching on this castle, we will have lost the element of surprise. Hit them hard now and we may be able to send them scurrying back to their burrows before they can do any damage.”
Aiden was nodding slowly while Malcolm grunted in agreement.
“You two also think that we should hit them now?” Sebastian asked the warriors.
“Definitely. Chasing down hundreds of goblins through the deep woods? Almost impossible,” Aiden said. “Remember that goblins see well in darkness and are just as likely to attack us at night as they are in daylight. If we let them cross the channel, the castle will have to remain on high alert twenty-four hours a day for God knows how long. We don't have the manpower for that. Better to take the fight to them. Plus, catching them by surprise may rout the entire group. Goblins are notorious cowards, especially when they think that they are vulnerable. If Malcolm and I could take down those three giants while Chase and her archers pepper the goblins with arrows, that might send them all packing.”
Malcolm grinned at his partner.
“I like the way you think,” he said. “A simple and effective plan. Chase?”
The elven captain nodded once.
“It will suffice. There really is no time to come up with anything more elaborate, not if we want to take advantage of the goblins' vulnerable position before they are fully prepared to move out.”
“Tamara, can you find us a safe spot to Gate in our forces?” Veronique asked. “Far enough away from the enemy, but close enough that they won't have to spend a lot of time hiking through hostile territory?”
“Let me see what I can find,” Tamara said, her voice shaking with fatigue.
“Never mind,” Sebastian said firmly.
He stepped in front of his sister, blocking her view of the mirror. The Magic Mirror spell faded at once, leaving the mirror reflecting the hall around it.
“Bastian!”
“Don't snap at me,” he said sternly. “I can scout out a good spot for our Gate spells. You sit down before you fall down. You've done enough for now.”
The siblings glared at each other for a long moment and then Tamara sighed and smiled in surrender.
“Fine. You're right. I was starting to lose control there. Go ahead and start looking for a safe spot to transfer our people.”
She stepped over to the table and sat down heavily. Dianis stood up and poured the mage a glass of water from one of several pitchers sitting on the table.
“Thank you,” Tamara said gratefully as she took a sip. “Magic Mirror isn't a particularly difficult spell, but it constantly drains your energy.”
“So I saw,” the Elder said with an understanding smile. “But we need you strong, my friend. Please try not to overexert yourself.”
“I'm not. It's just fatigue. Sebastian, the army is somewhere to the south of Brighton, right along the French coast.”
“I know,” her brother replied just before he began casting his own Magic Mirror spell. “They won't be hard to find. I wonder if they have a wizard with them. The fog bank that is hiding them from this side of the channel is awfully convenient, don't you think?”
There were surprised looks around the table.
“I hadn't even thought of that,” Tamara exclaimed. “You know, you have a devious side to you, brother dear.”
Sebastian smiled slightly as he kept his eyes trained on the mirror.
“You're just figuring that out now?” he said with a chuckle. “I'm not as shallow as others may think.”
“Or as innocent,” Aiden said, teasing him.
“Exactly.”
While Sebastian tried to locate the invasion force, several members of the kitchen staff walked in with the usual tea and sweets that the Chef provided for every Council meeting.
Tamara thanked them gratefully. She began to regain her color as she sipped on some tea and ate a few biscuits. The others helped themselves as well and spoke quietly as they waited for Sebastian to find the goblins.
“Do you think that we can take out those three giants?” Malcolm whispered to Aiden.
His partner chewed reflectively on a biscuit, enjoying its sweetness as he considered the question.
“I don't see a problem dealing with them,” he replied quietly after he'd swallowed and drank some tea. “I'm more concerned about what those goblins will be doing while we're attacking their big friends. I doubt that they'll just stand there and watch us go to work. We were free to attack the first two without fear of additional forces jumping us, but that won't be the case when we take on the other three. And, werewolves or not, we aren't arrow-proof or immune to other weapons.”
Malcolm gave that some thought. He and Aiden healed faster than regular humans and were immune to poison and disease, but they didn't wear armor while they were in werewolf form. And fur wouldn't stop a sword thrust. What might save them was their speed and their reflexes, but if the goblins got a chance to swarm them, even that might not be enough. It was definitely a gamble.
“But we can change the odds somewhat,” Aiden told him.
“Really? How?”
“Get Chase and her archers to lead the attack. Several volleys of arrows would probably panic the goblins and send them running in all directions. In the confusion, we could take on the giants. With any luck, we'd probably be able to down them before the goblins got reorganized again. Probably. It's still a risk though.”
“Life is a risk,” Malcolm said with a grim smile. “We're not exactly in the safest line of work, you know.”
Aiden chuckled.
“Yeah, that's true. Who knew that two kids from small-town Ontario would one day be called upon to stop a goblin
invasion of England, eh?”
“I always knew that we were destined for greatness,” Malcolm said loftily.
Aiden raised an eyebrow and the big man stifled a laugh.
“Okay,” he admitted. “Maybe I expected something a little less dangerous. But here we are, so let's do what we do and save our people.”
“Sounds good to me.”
In the end, Sebastian found a good spot to transport the Nottinghill assault forces across the channel. There was a sheltered clearing just off the beach about a mile to the north of the goblin army, beyond where the giant bats were flying. A tall grove of pine trees surrounded the circular glade, making it the perfect spot to assemble the human and elven forces.
The castle became a hive of activity as Malcolm and Aiden got their archers ready to move out again. Chase organized her forces as well while the mages decided who would be transporting the troops and who would be joining the assault on the goblins.
Chao had been sitting quietly while the Council and the Elders made their plans. Once everything had settled down and he was left in the hall with only Tamara and Sebastian discussing the finer details of the assault, he stood up and walked around the table to join them.
“Oh. Chao!” Tamara exclaimed with a rather embarrassed expression on her face. “I'm sorry. I didn't see you there.”
The small man smiled gently at her.
“No need to apologize,” he said softly. “I prefer letting others speak their minds and make their plans. Too many opinions can cause confusion, don't you think?”
“Sometimes,” Sebastian agreed. “But we do value your judgment as well as everyone else's, my friend. Did you have something to add to our attack plan?”
“Myself, actually,” Chao told them. “I will be joining those Gating across the channel.
Both mages looked surprised at his firm statement.
“Um, are you sure that that is a good idea?” Sebastian asked after glancing quickly at his sister. “Aren't you still recovering from our battle with the young dragons?”
“That was some time ago,” Chao told him. “I am fine now, and I believe that my talents may be required to help you deal with the goblins. There is no need to worry,” he added with a knowing look at the mages. “I have been practicing and I can shield myself fairly well now, so I won't be killed by an errant arrow. And I promise not to get underfoot during the engagement.”
“We are not concerned about that, Chao,” Tamara assured him. “We're just surprised that you are volunteering for this mission. You are usually reluctant to, uh...”
“Get my hands dirty?” Chao asked dryly. “Perhaps so. But the survival of our little community is on the line. Hiding here in the castle with the other non-combatants will accomplish nothing, and may lead to the attack failing. Better to join you all and do what I can to save our home, don't you think?”
He frowned at his reflection in the mirror.
“Besides, Lei would want me to step up and defend the people here. It is what he would have done. I may not be a paladin, but I do have some skills to call upon in the fight against the Darkness, and I intend to do so.”
Tamara looked at Chao compassionately as he mentioned his late brother, while Sebastian nodded his approval.
“Then you shall have your chance,” he said firmly. “We will be gathering in the courtyard in an hour or so, if you want to join us.”
“Thank you both,” Chao said with a bow. “I appreciate the opportunity. I shall meet you in an hour.”
He hurried from the hall and Sebastian gave his sister a knowing look.
“He's reacting the way that I hope I would if I lost you. Doing his best to honor his brother's memory.”
“I know,” she said sadly. “And I would do exactly the same thing, I think.”
Tamara poked her brother's chest with a stiff forefinger.
“Just you make sure that never happens,” she said sharply.
“Yes ma'am,” Sebastian replied with a grin. “No worries. You won't get rid of me that easily.”
The castle was buzzing with activity yet again. Off-duty guardsmen gathered in the courtyard, the mages got together to work out who was doing what, and the elven archers began marching up from their camp below the castle.
Word had gotten out quickly that the forces of Nottinghill and their allies were taking the attack to the enemy and there was a mood of anticipation in the air. The chance to be proactive for a change seemed to have energized the castle's populace and even the spouses of those men and women traveling across the channel were more hopeful than worried. Finally, they were the ones attacking and not the other way around. It was an exciting turn of events.
Malcolm and Aiden got ready in their quarters, donning their armor and weapons in relative peace. They spoke very little, having been through this ritual many times before. But when they were ready, they stood together and looked out of the window down at the bustling courtyard.
“Worried?” Malcolm asked quietly.
Aiden watched the troops lining up in ordered ranks. He nodded slowly.
“I am. This is all happening faster than I'm comfortable with. We still don't know what other forces we'll be facing when we reach the goblins. And Sebastian's comment is sticking with me.”
Malcolm turned his head and looked at his partner.
“Comment? What comment?”
“He mentioned the fog bank that was hiding the enemy, possibly from our mages' Magic Mirror spells, and that its source might be a goblin wizard.”
Aiden frowned thoughtfully as he watched Tamara and the other mages.
“Do I have to remind you of the power of a wizard?” he asked Malcolm. “Our magic-users are strong, but even they would admit that our old friend Simon could run rings around them talent-wise. A goblin that powerful is an enormous threat.”
“So what do you want to do about it?”
“Do?”
Aiden pointed down at the group of mages, their various robes adding a splash of color to the tableau.
“I can't do anything. Neither can you. They are the ones who have to take on whatever magical threats that we'll run into. Our job is taking out the giants. We should just focus on that.”
Malcolm tightened his sword belt as he rolled his eyes.
“Then why even bring it up? We have enough things to worry about and now you've added one more. Thanks a lot.”
Aiden turned away from the windows and elbowed Malcolm in the ribs as he walked to the door.
“You're welcome. Come on now. We don't want to be late for the party.”
He opened the door and walked out, chuckling as he went.
Malcolm glared after him for a moment and then smiled reluctantly. Leave it to Aiden to help ease the tension before a battle.
“So who's going to be Gating the troops and who is joining the fight?”
Tamara turned away from Sebastian and the other mages to look at Malcolm and Aiden as they approached from across the courtyard.
“Barnaby and the two junior mages will handle the transportation,” she replied to Aiden's question. “Sylvie, Veronique, Bastian and myself will engage the enemy alongside you two and the rest of our forces.”
She smiled in anticipation as she spoke and Aiden remembered that Tamara and her brother had fought off dragons all alone in London for several years before they'd been contacted by Simon O'Toole and joined the Nottinghill survivors. She was a battle-hardened veteran and enjoyed a scrap when called upon to fight.
Sebastian glanced over his shoulder at Aiden and winked.
Yes, Aiden thought to himself. Both of the mages were looking forward to the battle ahead. They were as bad as Malcolm.
He was surprised to see Chao standing with the other magic-users. And he wasn't the only one who felt that way.
“Chao is going with us?” Malcolm said under his breath. “Is that a good idea?”
“He's a grown man, Mal,” Aiden replied softly. “If he wants to come along, that's hi
s right.”
“Yeah, I know. But is he ready? And what can he do? Doesn't his kind of magic take time to use?”
They watched the small man smile at Sylvie as she welcomed him along with the others.
“Looks like the mages are okay with it,” Aiden said with a shrug. “Anyway, that's not our concern. Come on, I want to check in with our people.”
The same archers who had been a part of the attack on the giants were gathered together again, and the commanders spoke with each one of them to be sure that they were prepared for a second battle. All of the guardsmen assured them that they were ready and Malcolm and Aiden reported that to Tamara.
“Glad to hear it,” she replied.
She was holding a small mirror in her hand, keeping an eye on the landing spot that they had chosen to Gate to.
“Everything is still clear across the channel, but there's no guarantee that it will stay that way. We have to move.”
Malcolm noticed that Barnaby and the other mages who were going to be Gating their forces were also holding small round mirrors and he assumed that they were using them to focus on their target location. He nervously hoped that they wouldn't make a mistake and teleport someone to the bottom of the ocean, or to some place even worse.
Chase walked over from where her archers were gathered in orderly ranks.
“My people are ready, lady mage,” she said as she saluted Tamara. “We will move out on your command.”
“Very well. Send them over to our mages in groups of six, please. Barnaby and the others will begin Gating immediately.”
Chase nodded and returned to her forces.
“Malcolm? You and Aiden come with me, please,” Tamara said. “I want you two in place first, just in case there are any surprises.”
“Of course.”
The mage held out her hand and Malcolm took it gently in his own, careful not to squeeze too hard. Aiden put his own hand on the big man's shoulder and was surprised to see Sebastian touch his sister's arm.
“You're not going anywhere without me,” he told her with a grin.
Tamara rolled her eyes, but smiled at the same time.
The Werewolves of Nottinghill Page 28
