by J B Forest
Alwin continued, “these troops are stationed here in the capital and can be assembled and ready to leave within two days’ time. They further agreed to assemble a full engagement force and prepare them for deployment as quickly as possible if word is received that they are needed.”
Elre added, “they will establish a series of checkpoints between the main garrison where the force will be assembled and the boundaries of Svarta. A communications grid will be established and information readily shared between the groups.”
“They would not commit to any other decisions regarding the Fae until more information is gained about the situation. Venturing into the Fae Dominion is a very serious undertaking and none want to engage without sufficient evidence that the Fae are the culprits in this. A group was also formed to conduct further research of the effect of these disturbances among the Ljosar elders.”
Connak nodded in agreement. “We discussed the same concerns in Svarta. We cannot move forward until we are certain that the Fae are behind these actions, however we must be prepared. We also need to caution not to assume the entire Dominion is behind this activity. It could very well be that some characters in the Unseelie Domain are responsible and the rest of the Dominion is unaware. I certainly hope this is the case. A concerted effort by the entire Fae Dominion to encroach upon Earth or any other world is a far harder battle to overcome.”
Aleesia spoke up then, “I never thought about the division in the Fae Dominion, you have a point. We may not be facing the entire dominion but only some deranged faction.”
“That is true,” stated Laosx, “but that faction must still be very powerful or have powerful resources if it is causing disturbances in the Elven Realm. I would not like to think of the impact to the lesser worlds. It is imperative that the elves join forces to put an end to these efforts whatever they are.”
“I know that I am just a body guard and my input does not carry much weight, but have you thought about contacting the Seelie queen to try to discover if they are innocent or complicit in this undertaking. If they are innocent, they may actually be grateful for our assistance.” They all looked at Orrion after he spoke.
Connak reacted first, “you may have a point, Orrion. If this trouble really is caused by a recalcitrant faction, the Seelie queen will probably be just as eager as we are to see an end to their actions.”
“Maybe more so,” added Laosx. “She may worry that we perceive this action as a threat and blame the entire dominion for the actions rather than recognize that a rogue faction is the responsible party.”
They all thought about this new point of view. “We have much work to do and as Connak has indicated, time is of the essence. The High Council received word while we were in session of the disappearance of five more elders in the last day. Connak and Laosx will remain at our manor while the troops are gathering. Aleesia can take you to their meeting area near the barracks tomorrow and make the necessary introductions. We need to devise a plan to approach the Seelie queen without compromising ourselves in the intervening time.”
“Thank you for your hospitality,” replied Connak. “I will contact my father and uncle so that they can inform the Svartan High Council of the developments.”
The Ljosans looked at him in a confused manor. “How are you able to communicate with them from such a great distance without first establishing a communications grid,” asked Aleesia.
Laosx smiled, “it seems the Svarta have an edge in the area of technology over the Ljosar. We have the ability to communicate wirelessly across the realm with the use of communications towers in the cities and satellites in the sky. We do not often need to use the satellites but when we travel great distances, they are very useful. They are primarily used for emergency situations since the capacity would be quickly overloaded with personal communications.”
“This is a technology that I would like to hear more about when this is all over,” mused Alwin.
“Hopefully the relationship between the elven realms will be greatly improved by this joining of forces. Maybe then, we will be able to share many things between us and form a lasting bond,” responded Laosx hopefully.
They prepared to return to Alwin’s home and prepare for the coming days. They decided that it would be safe to walk back to the manor since a High Council member and two of his personal guards were a part of the group. Orrion arranged for the horses to be delivered to the manor that evening. Aleesia and Orrion were still whispering in amazement at the thought of wireless communications technology. They bombarded Laosx with questions regarding how it worked.
Connak walked slightly behind the three elves with Alwin and Elre at his sides. He thanked Alwin for his assistance and willingness to champion such a challenging cause. While they walked, Connak thought of the woman in his vision. He casually questioned the two about landmarks that he remembered from the vision. They both recognized the landmarks and indicated that what he described was near a well-known gathering place for scholars from the Universtat and the local academies. Alwin asked how he knew of the location.
Connak decided to trust Alwin and shared the facts that he knew about his mother and her origins. He then described his latest vision with the details of the woman in the vicinity about which inquired. Elre and Alwin shared a look after hearing Connak’s description of the woman in his vision.
“So, you think that the woman in your vision is your mother,” asked Elre. Connak noticed that Laosx, Aleesia, and Orrion had slowed down and were now listening to the conversation as well. ‘There are no secrets now,’ he thought to himself.
“I don’t have any other explanation for such a vivid vision, maybe it was just a figment of my imagination,” he shrugged. “I should not have bothered you with it. It was just the foolish whims of a boy who grew up without a mother.”
“I would not discount your vision so quickly,” replied Alwin. “The woman you described closely resembles the appearance of someone that we know well. And the setting you described is appropriate, since she is a well-known scholar.”
Connak stopped in his tracks. They all turned to see what happened. Orrion did not think it was possible for someone with such a dark pigment to turn pale. However, in that moment, Connak paled. Laosx rushed to his friend’s side. “Are you alright, brother,” he asked.
“What are you saying,” Connak asked as he reached out and grasped Alwin’s arm. “Do you know the woman that I described personally?”
Alwin looked down at the elf’s fingers around his arm. He was not accustomed to being touched, particularly by someone who was not a part of his immediate family. He calmed down as he recognized the mixture of distress and hope wreaking havoc in the young elf. If his story was true and Alwin could not think of a reason for him to fabricate such a tale, then the woman in question may very well be his mother. Alwin knew that there was a time when the woman was estranged from her family. He never knew the details of that estrangement. As far-fetched as it was, this could be the answer to that lost time. He was still starring at his arm when Connak shook him slightly.
“Please will you tell me what you know?”
Gone was the self-assured emissary from Svarta. He was replaced by an insecure young elf in the body of a soldier. It was unsettling to see that a seasoned veteran who was willing to venture into unknown territory on a mission with an uncertain and potentially life-threatening ending could be reduced to this state by the thought of finding the mother he never knew. To his credit, his demeanor remained calm and stoic, but the slight tremor in his voice, the paleness of his skin, and most of all the look in his eyes, was evidence that he was struggling to maintain his composure.
Alwin reached down and covered Connak’s hand, smiled warmly at this and said, “let us proceed to the manor. This explanation is best provided within the confines of my home and not on the streets of Cidrean. Besides, I believe my wife will have a larger role to play in this explanation.”
He held up his hand to end the conversation. He co
uld see the questions on not only Connak’s and Laosx’s faces but his daughter was now just as puzzled. He remembered that much of this strange story occurred before she was born and had not been discussed since. Elre had been his best friend before he married Lyra, so he had heard the stories.
They found out that Lyra was called away on Academy business when they arrived at the manor. She would not return before Connak and the Ljosan contingent left to meet the Svartan delegation. “Do not be discouraged son, my wife will provide as many answers as she can when this business with the Fae is over. You are most welcome in my home at any time.”
Although Connak was sorely disappointed, he felt that the answers to the questions about his mother were within his grasp only to slip away again. He reminded himself that this mission was about forging an alliance with the Ljosar to solve a problem faced by all in the Elven Domain. His personal quest was inconsequential in the grand scheme of things and could be put aside for now. He drifted to sleep planning the logistics of transporting the Ljosan troops across the Vadrin plains and through the Reasuir forest to combine forces with the Svartan troops at Drakar Palace to develop a plan to stop the Fae intrusions into the astral plane.
Chapter 19 – 10th Century – Alba (Scotland)
Zehn and Seth used the next day to familiarize themselves with the town and its inhabitants. They conversed with many of the visitors and learned much about their lifestyle and patterns. The inhabitants seemed open and prone to speak with strangers. This openness was likely explained by the presence of the traveling troupe and the many visitors for market day. Many of the market vendors and customers were familiar with each other.
Zehn arranged to establish a stall near one rented by a tailor. He imagined that it might be easier to sell or trade the pelts positioned next to a merchant who could transform the pelts into items of clothing. The arrangement worked well. Not only did they sell most of the pelts, they were able to trade the remaining pieces with the tailor for fabric, sewing accessories and finished items of clothing.
Zehn wanted to purchase all the tailor’s stock, but Seth warned that such actions would raise questions and bring unwanted attention. The solution was to trade for fabric and sewing accessories. They also acquired fabric and a few items of finished clothing from some of the other merchants in the market. By the end of the market day, they had sufficient quantities to dress the troops in rudimentary outfits that would pass the initial scrutiny of Cruim and his forces. They also purchased tools and other necessities for their encampment as well as a cart to transport the supplies.
The journey back to the campsite was uneventful. The traveling companions learned more about each other and shared their thoughts on dealing with the newly made troops and the logistics of running a military camp so far away from home. Seth deferred to Zehn in areas of military strategy but supported him whenever he could. Zehn was a good leader and a decent fae when away from the shadow of Mogran. He treated his men with respect and solicited their input when making decisions. These were characteristics that were completely foreign to Mogran.
Seth reserved final judgment of the general for the encounter with Cruim and his forces. Seth was not involved in the advance scouting trip to Earth to establish communications with the king or laird as they recently learned. Based on things he heard from the villagers, Cruim was not well liked by his people. He was a ruthless and harsh ruler. Seth was curious to see Zehn’s interaction with this ruler.
They arrived back at the campsite to find that the mages and officers had settled the troops into a productive routine. Groups were given tasks to accomplish so that none remained idle. They rotated the composition of the groups so that none became too familiar with each other. The mages informed Seth that there were no additional outward signs of organization within the ranks other than to follow orders given by the mages or the officers.
Zehn and Seth spoke briefly about the possibility of the troops organizing themselves to mutiny and agreed to remain vigilant. However, the reality was that they had nowhere to go if such an insurrection was successful. They were in a strange world without any knowledge of their surroundings. They decided that firm but just leadership along with ensuring that the troops were kept busy was the best solution for avoiding any problems.
These troops were merely tools in Mogran’s plan to conquer this world and they were entirely expendable. The primary role of these troops was to provide support to Cruim to defeat his enemies. Mogran planned to bring the Unseelie forces to Earth once that task was accomplished to firmly establish his authority over not only the conquered kingdoms but Cruim as well.
Zehn and Seth went their separate ways, Zehn to meet with his lieutenants to discuss progress with the training efforts and Seth to meet with Jerard and the other mages to discuss progress within the encampment. Zehn mentally reviewed his strategy as he traveled to the troop training area. He still did not think of the troops as Fae even though they now showed some signs of intelligence. As far as he was concerned, they were weapons at his disposal for use to carry out Mogran’s plan of conquest.
He did not see the benefit in Mogran’s endeavor. The time and effort expended to travel to this primitive land and stage a farce alliance with a barbaric leader just to conquer some parcels of land did not seem worthwhile in his estimation. However, Mogran was the master and no one questioned his actions or orders and lived to see another cycle of the sun. Zehn wondered if their activities would cause troubles with the other worlds within the Inner Space. He remembered Seth’s cautions about minimizing the use of magic to avoid detection from others.
Mogran often dismissed the power of the Seelie Queen, describing her as a weak ruler. However, the fate of the Unseelie Fae was determined by that same queen and her court. There was no longer an Unseelie King who ruled by her side and the Unseelie Fae were severely restricted within the Fae Dominion after their defeat at the hands of the Seelie forces. Zehn had only heard rumors about the real reason for the battle between the Seelie and Unseelie, it occurred long before he was born. He no longer fully believed Mogran’s version that the Unseelie were unjustly accused of an attempted coup. Zehn silently suspected that Mogran’s role in the matter was pivotal.
No matter how powerful Mogran was in the Unseelie Domain, the fact that he did not directly threaten the queen to reassert the Unseelie influence within the Dominion spoke volumes. Zehn did not want to experience the wrath of the Seelie Queen or other races in Inner Space, particularly the elves. He never thought to question Mogran’s motives in the past. In fact, he had felt honored to hold a prestigious and trusted position within his military guard. He had risen quickly through the ranks and surpassed others who were more senior. He was not particularly ruthless, but he was very proficient as a soldier and military strategist.
Working with the mage these past few days served to raise questions that never entered his mind in the past. Surprisingly, the mage projected strong character. Working closely with Seth, opened his eyes to the true character and strength at least of this mage. He noted that the other mages in the group exhibited similar characteristics. It seemed that they used their magic as a tool similarly to the way he used his weapons, but the magic did not ‘make’ the mages, it was only a component of what they did and not who they were. Again, he mused, his perception of the mages was developed based upon things he heard from Mogran since he never had an occasion to interact with many mages for any significant periods of time in the past.
His personal successes had blinded him to the actions of the Master. The mage had said nothing overtly to disparage Mogran or his actions, but somehow, he had served as a catalyst to ‘open’ Zehn’s eyes. He now questioned his own acceptance of the cruelty exhibited by Mogran. He had been a part of Mogran’s guard for so long, that he could not remember if the other Unseelie princes exhibited the same characteristics. The Unseelie were not naturally generous or kind, but not all were especially evil. His line of thinking began to worry him, if he showed any sign
of weakness or hesitancy to Mogran, it could cost him his life. He also knew that it was a distraction from the task at hand. He resolved to put away the thoughts and questions and focus on preparing the troops for the encounters with the humans. Once the mission was completed and victory secured for Cruim, he would revisit these thoughts to determine the best way to prepare himself for reuniting with the Master. He was sure that Mogran would make the journey to Earth to secure his conquest of the human king and his newly acquired lands.
Zehn was interrupted from his thoughts as he heard sounds of activity. He had reached the training area. Sounds of hand to hand combat filled the air. He spotted Nosh and Gnar standing to one side observing the progress. Zehn raised a hand to get their attention and motioned for them to follow him into the nearby tent.
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Jerard and the other mages joined Seth in the small structure that was built to serve as a command post for the leadership. There was a table with drawings and outlines of planned activities for the troops. Several stools were constructed to serve as seating around the table. Seth smiled inwardly, he had chosen well, this group of mages were well suited to the needs of the mission. In just a few days’ time, they had accomplished much.
