The gardens were set with pavilions full of food and drink; musicians played throughout the grounds. It was, by all measure, a splendid party, although rather early yet for everyone, for the most part, still had their clothes on and no one had passed out in the bushes, yet. No matter the occasion, Moon Elf parties always turned untamed, but with this one of the four high feasts in the Elven calendar Mid Winter’s Day, it would likely become wilder than what was ‘normal’ for these gatherings.
The Queen, Alyn of Clan Mathereen, sat on a throne in the greatest of the pavilions. By her side, sat the War Lord or Tuscan, Miclass also of Clan Mathereen. It was questionable who was the more powerful of the two. The Queen was head of state, but the War Lord controlled the army, police, and during times of war, the troops from each of the other clans.
The Queen, and always a queen ruled in this matriarchal monarchy, but it was the Clan Lords and the War Lord who held significant power to match hers. And really, in Tuscan, the Clans were even more important than the monarch normally; the country being more a confederation of clans than a true kingdom.
Queen Alyn sat watching the revelers and thinking. She had married into Clan Mathereen, more than a hundred and fifty years ago this week, and had ascended to Clan Matriarch and Queen of Tuscan twenty years ago when Queen Fallona had drowned in her bath, passed out from rum punch. Alyen still smiled at the thought of the old Queen, cramming her bath full of so many young men and woman, no wonder she passed out and slipped under the water, but for a Moon Elf what better way to go was there.
Alyn's mind was not on the party tonight; too many things were going on, the strange disappearances of General's Juliann and Seravasee, reports of Orcs preparing to invade the Empire of Kush, and the loss of trade coming across the caravan route.
And to Alyn, one of the strangest things was the behavior of some of her subjects. Killin Killmara, Clan Lord of Clan Killmara, a cheap and nearly bankrupt leader of one of the least popular clans, had offered to provide the magic lights for tonight's feast. What was he up to, she wondered? Killmara as the poorest and most disreputable of the clans could not afford this luxury. Hell, it should have sworn allegiance to a greater clan and become a sub-clan a century ago, but then no clan would want that viper taken into it's household.
Alyen did not think that there were more than one hundred members left of Clan Killmara, too small to survive, but somewhere they were getting a lot of money recently.
Her own clan, Mathereen, had more than three thousand members in the clan, and four smaller sub-clans, each with nearly a thousand members. Did Killmara want to swear allegiance to Mathereen, and gain the resources and protections such a union would give them? Was that his goal? Alyn did not want that burden; she would block that move on Killmara’s part, and they must know that!
And where was Killin Killmara? He had not even showed up, not that Alyn minded his absence, but the lighting must have cost him twenty thousand silver crowns. Nor was Lorna Killmadia, the Clan Matriarch here, or any other of their clan. Why would they miss it? Oh well, time to enjoy the feast and stop dwelling on things, at least for tonight.
Just then a strange humming sound filled the palace; the light globes were starting to grow brighter, then brighter yet, so that people covered their eyes. Then an explosion rocked the night sky. A fire ball billowed up over the palace and washed over into the nearby residential buildings. The conquest of Tuscan had begun!
CHAPTER 22
The miles of hiking through the desert, had worn on all of the party, day after day of the dry sun baked rock and blowing dust. The nights had started to get colder, so that even the Elves had begun to sleep under blankets. But each day, the sun would rise and the temperature that was below freezing each night, would climb in the clear blue desert sky and temperatures would climb so the Dwarf and the Gnomes would be sweating at the end of each afternoons march.
Only Zara seemed not to mind the unending desert, but then she was used to this area after all. What she was having a hard time adjusting to, was the boredom. Zara liked a bit more excitement than she was currently getting. Walking across the desert day after day, could not compare to the thrills that were a part of her normal lifestyle. Star Elves liked to party, they liked intrigue; they loved gambling and adventure for profit... They also liked their comfort. What other people would call extravagant luxury, Star Elves considered the basic necessaries. Sleeping on the ground and eating trail rations was beyond the imagination of most of Zara's people. And Zara was wishing it was beyond her imagination as well. “Think about the money,” she told herself as she trudged on.
"Where are we," Zara asked? It could not be far, another day maybe, it had been a few years since she had taken this road, and that was in the back of a luxury coach not on foot.
"About two miles farther than when you asked last time," Moss retorted.
"Screw you, Dwarf."
"Sorry lass, you ain't my type!"
Myst stopped suddenly and held up a clenched fist, everyone froze.
“Off the trail into those rocks,” Myst whispered.
They hurried to move off the road as quickly and silently as they could, ducking down behind an outcropping of rocks from a low desert ridge.
Myst, checked the wind direction, it was blowing from the road, they should be fine, if no one moved or made any noise.
Moss, signalled to him [What].
Myst replied [Trolls, ten].
“Well thats a sharp reef at low tide,” Moss thought.
Back on the road, from the direction they were heading came a group of Trolls, they appeared alert but no sign that they had spotted them. Trolls have a great sense of smell and hearing, their vision was somewhat lacking, so if everyone would hold still.
Myst noticed out of the corner of his eye Willow, staring wide eyed with her mouth open. But Thomas was there at her side whispering into her ear, trying to keep her calm, these were the monsters that had killed her parents and the terror was plain on her face.
Myst, slowly pulled Kayla’s head to him and whispered softly into her ear, “Our only chance if they see us, is if you cast a fireball into their midst before they can attack, ten is too many for us to take.”
Kayla was trying to control her breathing at the same time as grabbing hold of the magic, readying her mind to open herself to the flows and take all she could manage. The fear was trying to creep into her, but she pushed it away, this was too important to let anything get in the way.
The largest of the monsters, a thick pebbly grey skinned brut with long scraggly iron grey hair led the front of the troll gang. He stopped and seem to stand straight to his full nine feet height and sniff the air. The thick yellow tusk jutted from his bottom jaw seem to stab up at the air as the creature sniffed again at the air. It spoke to its gang in a harsh barking language of the trolls. Unfortunately Myst did not speak troll, slowly he turned his head and looked at Zarra.
Zarra held her hand palm down at her side in the ‘wait’ sign. The troll barked out something else and the gang started moving. Zarra winked at Myst as she heard the troll leader order a faster pace to his ‘lazy sinking dwarf turds’. She would enjoy sharing that with Moss, just not, right now…
They stayed hidden in the rocks for the next hour. Myst sent out another burst of magic, but nothing was within his range.
“Okay, that wasn’t fun, everyone ready, Myst asked.
Willow still looked shaken but nodded.
“I’ve checked with a desert falcons eyes,” Zarra told them, “the trolls are a couple miles down the road. I don’t see anything else in the area.”
“Let’s put a couple more miles between us and the trolls before we stop for lunch.” Myst headed off with the rest following quickly behind him. After a quick lunch, but still not yet noon, the road took a decidedly upwards bend as the tired band trudged uphill.
"We are just a few miles from the border," replied Thomas, who once again was trying to keep them motivated, a task that was provin
g more difficult each day."I think that when we get to the top hill, we will actually be able to see the change. We may even be out of the dead zone."
"Thank you, Master Farthing for that update," Zara smiled sweetly at the Gnome. "It is a pleasure to travel with such a courteous and delightful companion."
Moss broke wind rather loudly at hearing that barbed comment. Fortunately he was at the rear of the party, but it did seem to cause the rest of them to pick up the pace. Zara just looked back at him and scowled, but refrained from commenting.
Myst and Kayla, who was a couple dozen yards ahead of the rest, and quite glad for not having to listen to the frequent arguments, followed the trade path as it went steeply uphill.
Kayla was walking next to Myst as she was want to do,“Well, I can now say I have seen trolls and lived to tell the tale. Now if only I had also experienced a Sand Lion or Land Dragon on this adventure…,” she joked.
Myst chuckled, “Not to much chance of that, not with Zara casting spells to mask our scent and discourage them, both of those predators hunt by smell. Besides once you seen a house cat, what is the need to see a two thousand pound version, really just the same thing…”
Kayla giggled at the thought of a giant golden kitten, suddenly they came to the top of the low pass they had been climbing.
Before them, the landscape changed like magic, and a result of magic it was. The blasted and scorched land of the Waste ended at the top of the pass. Beyond him were the verdant hills of oak and pine, grasses and flowers, running rivers and soft clouds of Tuscan. It was striking demarcation from the magic destruction that had created the Waste ten thousand years ago, and the untouched lands on the far side of the hill.
"Wow," Willow had stopped next to Myst and stared at the lush green landscape even in the dead of winter.
"It's… Wow!"
"Really, Willow, I thought that I had taught you a greater vocabulary than, wow."
"Sorry, uncle," she had not even noticed that Thomas had come up behind her.
Quickly, the rest of the party came to the top of the pass, and looked on in wonder. No where did nature provide such a contrast; usually it would take days and scores of miles to go from harsh desert to lush woodlands, but here it was divided by only the top of a low mountain pass.
"I have traveled this way a few times Willow, and wow still seems a good description to me, but the experience evokes a somewhat different response when going from the green to the brown…" Kayla smiled down at the wonder of her small friend. She and Willow had indeed become friends on this long journey. They both had the same basic personality; kind, good, intelligent, and full of common sense. The last of these, in Kayla's opinion, was the rarest quality found among the peoples of the world.
"Will we see any Red Pandas or Snow Leopards up here?" Willow loved animals. Her favorite studies that her uncle Thomas set for her, were by far Zoology and Wildlife Biology.
Myst laughed with pleasure at her obvious joy and excitement, "No Willow, they and the Great Tiger are found south of here in the mountains of Naya." Seeing her disappointment he continued, "But Tuscan is full of Cougars, Gray and Red Wolves, Ringtail Cats, Ocelots and Red Deer. Also along the coast in the swamp there are Jaguars, Marsh Deer, and Squirrel Monkeys. Oh and bears, lots of them."
Visibly excited, Willow, dropped her pack and dug out her favorite book, 'A Practical Guide to East Continent Wildlife and Habitat', and lost herself looking up some of the new creatures she might see.
“You will also like the Moon Elf food Willow,” Kayla told her, “They even invented the sandwich and they make one that has both a savory and a spicy sausage on a soft bun, it’s delicious.”
“That sounds vaguely sexual,” Zarra mussed, “Oh, silly me Moon Elves of course it is…”
Willow looked confused.
“Well you see,” Zarra started.
“Enough of that!” Thomas was turning bright red…
Zarra laughed out loud and even Kayla was giggling, and somehow Moss kept his mouth shut biting back a series of colorful jokes that would have made the gnome’s head explode…
The party continued on a half dozen more miles that day, making camp late into the evening. Like most days, they went a good distance from the road, to make camp.
Thomas was concerned and took Myst aside. "Have you noticed that there is something wrong with the road?"
"Ever since we passed deserted Dachron, there has been no traffic. Besides the trolls..."
Thomas was a little disappointed that Myst already knew about the problem, and in fact had recognized it days before he had.
"Er…, yes, why? Once we entered Tuscan we should have seen some travelers!"
"And where are the border guards?" Zara interjected. Thomas had not noticed that she had joined them, standing looking back at the road. In fact it seemed that everyone had come to join in the discussion.
Myst looked thoughtful, "Lake Aveon, is just a few miles up the road and Paras city is about thirty miles away. Zara and I will take a little walk tonight and see if we can find out what's going on."
"Thanks for volunteering me."
"Think nothing of it Zara, my pleasure."
~
They had moved through the night woodlands without sound, even most of the animals did not notice the pair, as the raced over the ground. Myst seemed to move like a jaguar, and Zara was even more of a shadow over the dark ground. Miles slipped by quickly as they jogged throughout the night sky; the light of the two moons more than adequate for their needs.
On their left, a long narrow lake cut through the valley, it's water’s dark and cold, the reflection of the moons upon its surface, like a mirror. Soon, a red glow came from ahead; the whole end of the lake was a fire in the evil glow.
"The towns on fire," Zara spoke the obvious.
"I was afraid that this was what we would find."
"The invasion was this way and not against The Empire of Kush?"
"Maybe Zara, we don't have enough information to make that call yet. They may have launched two separate invasions. Or perhaps this is a diversionary raid."
"What do you think, Myst?"
Myst looked at the fire, and then into the deep green eyes of the small bronze colored girl.
"I think we should get closer, let’s go down and see what's going on."
The city had been raised; not a building was left standing. Obviously the citizens had refused the Orcs standard offer of surrender or die. Myst and Zara kept hidden in the wood line and away from the open. Two or three thousand Orcs roamed the site, looking for salvage. These were not front line troops but the support forces that all armies need to survive in the field.
"Don't they know they can get more supplies and plunder, if they don’t burn the town down prior to looting it?"
"No one said that Orcs were smart, Zara. Highly disciplined they are, but not the best at thinking things out."
"Let's get back."
"We will go back by the lake shore. I think we will be safer on the shoreline than the road."
“Another ten mile run Myst, you sure know how to show a girl a good time.”
Crossing over the road to the lakeshore, the pair of elves hurried through the oak trees. The Shadows cast by the two moons made a patch work of the ground and hid their passage. Five miles back down the lake they found a small flat bottomed lake boat, which could easily hold the whole party. It was tied up next to a deserted cabin that was so far untouched by the invading Orcs. Myst hid the boat in a stand of reeds next to a fallen oak tree a bit further down the shore.
"Well, I will be glad to be able to sit on my ass for a few days and give my feet a break."
"You're getting soft, Zara."
"No, I have just walk over a thousand miles in the last eight weeks."
Zara looked at the clear waters of the lake. "I could use a bath, how about we take a short break?"
Myst closed his eyes, and let the Earth Magic fill him, as his senses reached out. Like
a wave, the magic spread throughout the area. He felt for the consciousness of another sentient being. Nothing hostile that he could sense in the hundred yards around them; that was his maximum limit with the skill under optimal conditions.
Opening his eyes he noticed that Zara had already started taken off her clothing, she shimmed out of her snug leather pants, and tip toed to the water. Naked under the moonlight, she turned to see if Myst was watching. Then standing on her toes she stretched like a cat, her long firm dancers legs flexed into graceful curves, her arms entwining overhead caused her firm round breast to ride high and swell in a most sensual way. Looking over her shoulder once again to confirm that her audience was appreciative, she dove into the clear dark water. Myst dropped his own gear and followed her into the water...
Sometime later, Zara wandered back to the shallows, now only ankle deep in the dark water. With a bar of soap she took from her pack, Zara lathered her hair, and then proceeded to use the soap to lather up the rest of her luscious body. The moonlight made her deep bronze skin glow, as the white soap suds slid across her silky skin. Myst swam on his back, watching the show he knew she was performing partly for his benefit. Tossing the bar of soap back onto her pack, Zara continued to slide the suds around herself. Her almond shaped dark green eyes, sparkled in the ripe pleasure. She was well aware of the effect her little show was having. She had always been an exhibitionist, and enjoyed the sensual pleasure of exciting men.
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