Remembering her shield, she called the magic forth, blocking him from injuring her further. Her shoulder torn and bleeding, she lay on the path in a crumpled heap. Leaping against her and bearing their teeth, the wolves couldn’t get to her, but she had no strength to fight back, much less teleport home. Holding the shield in place, she waited for them to give up.
At that moment, the scout Uscan had dispatched earlier in the day reached into his mind to give his report. “Stand,” he ordered, calling off the pack while he listened.
“The dragons are here, as suspected, but they have turned on the elves,” Mirean informed him.
“And what’s happening?” Uscan growled.
“Things are rough. The satyrs are using their weapons against the elves as well, and with the dragons’ help, it looks like they are pushing them back.”
Glaring at the girl, Uscan’s mind raced. “You sent dragons to protect the nymphs.”
“That’s what I said,” she breathed, her pulse weak. “All of Eriden is under my care, and I must not fail in this cause,” she whispered before slumping further, the stone dropping from her grasp.
Bouncing around the group, Lamwen flapped his massive wings, then leapt into the sky for a quick loop around the marsh. Landing, he pranced on his four legs as he growled, “God, it feels good to be me again.”
“Silly dragon,” Hayt chuckled. “Are we ready to depart for Riran?”
“I believe that we are,” the Mate agreed, smiling at his wife. “Are you sure you can transport him?”
“I can manage the four of us and one dragon,” she grinned at his concern. “Everyone gather in close. Put your hand on Lamwen, and I will transposition us as a group.”
Following her command, Hayt, Zae, and the Mate all squeezed in, a moment later standing at the waterfall behind the mermaids’ lagoon.
“Nice work, love,” Piers praised, his eyes darting around to see if they were alone. “From here, we branch out. No quarter.”
“I’ll fly over and start the party,” Lamwen laughed, flames dancing between his teeth.
“Aye, you have missed burning things down, I think,” the Mate mused, oddly pleased at the havoc they would soon reek.
Giving no reply, the dragon took to the air, flying west over the forest until he located the new structures of the elves. With a fierce stream of fire, he sent a few of them scattering as their buildings burst into flames, but their number appeared small compared to the report they had previously been given. Satisfied with the destruction, he searched for more, looping around towards the lagoon.
When none of the sirens had returned with the coming darkness, many of the elves had gathered on the beach, near Olirassa’s stone. They stood in small groups discussing what to do about the situation when their new forest took on a bright glow against the dim sky, and their calm discussions quickly fell into fear-driven jabber. Diving over the sand, the dragon screamed above them, sending the elves running in terror.
Following his assault, Meena stunned the gathering with a blast from her staff. On them in an instant, Zaendra stabbed at one of them as if it were the tree she had been practicing on.
Grinning at her brutality, Hayt swung his axe, using it to dismember the elves that were within range. Their shields almost an unfair advantage, the four slaughtered all they could catch, with any return blows bouncing off of them with flashes of blue light.
Fleeing up the sandy shore, only a few of the elves managed to escape. Headed west, they dove into the forest, just as the group of friends had done the night they themselves had run from the dragon’s fire.
Once the area had been cleared, the group assembled on the beach in front of Olirassa’s stone. Turning in a slow circle, they examined the carnage.
“We have done well this night,” Piers praised. “This is a message they won’t soon forget.”
“It bloody well is,” Hayt agreed, using a scrap of material torn from one of his victim’s robes to clean his blade. “I am also certain we have earned their attention.”
“Shall we go?” Meena asked, less enthusiastic about their success.
“Aye,” the Mate grinned as Lamwen landed beside them. “Everyone grab on.”
When each had placed a hand upon his scales, the wan carried them back to the camp with a single burst of power. As soon as they landed, they could sense something was wrong.
Everything was exactly the same as they had left it, which it should not have been. No fire burned in their pit and no stew in their pot.
Looking around, the ossci who were supposed to be awaiting their return were nowhere to be found.
Her eyes fluttering, Amicia sensed heavy darkness around her. Forcing them open, a thin slit was all she could achieve. The night air cold despite her wrap, she wanted to pull it in around her, but moving sent sharp, stabbing pain through her body.
Blinking, the fog within her mind began to clear. Uscan. She recalled the argument and the flying accusations. They had both been angry, distrust heavy between them. Stupid girl, she rebuked herself. What the hell were you thinking coming here alone?
Aware of her conscious state, the wolves gathered around her. Next to her, Uscan’s body pressed against her frame, cradling her injury. His breath rose and fell, gently pushing against her as his fur helped to keep her warm.
Seeing them grouped before her, she breathed deeply, expecting to be torn to shreds. “I’m not afraid of you.”
“We have word on the glen,” Uscan huffed.
Forcing herself up with her good arm despite the pain, she replied, “And?”
“The dragons have forced the elves back, and they are now at a stalemate once more, but their position is stronger,” he informed her evenly.
“Good. Then the elves will be occupied there a while longer,” she surmised, holding her wounded arm with her other hand. Jolts of pain stealing her air, she cried in a sharp yelp.
“Why would you come here alone and stand before me?” Uscan demanded bitterly.
“Why wouldn’t I? We were friends. Allies, or at least I thought we were,” she replied, unable to prevent the tear from spilling over and wetting her cheek.
Spying the drop of sadness, he growled, “I could have killed you. In fact, I still may.”
“Go ahead,” she bit back. “I think it would hurt less.” She coughed a short laugh, but the accompanying spasm of agony squelched it. Drawing a deep breath, she said more evenly, “Lamwen will lead us in my stead. My father is too weak and aged.”
“You have freed your father,” Uscan assumed. “I had not heard of this.”
“Yeah, well, we weren’t exactly staying in touch as of late, now were we,” she replied, doing her best to hold still. “Yes, we figured out how to transfigure, and I took my dragon form to make it happen. The Mate and Rey also were dragons, but when we changed back, we found out that going back and forth could kill us.”
“If that is the case, why do you sit before me as a mortal now?”
“Because I had some things I needed to finish before I turned over for good,” she snapped, the torture wearing on her gentle nature. Looking around, she sighed. “I’m going to contact Piers. Let him know where I am and what has become of me. Then you can finish the job,” she informed him, closing her eyes as she made her attempt.
“Princess,” Uscan called, his breath warm on her face.
“Uscan, please,” she sobbed quietly, squinting her eyes tighter. “Using my power is far more difficult when I am injured.”
Calling into the darkness, she could feel nothing in return. Damn. “So, this is what it was like for Oldrilin, the night we carried her from Riran. She couldn’t transform into her fish self to swim away.”
More tears fell as she thought of the siren. Exhausted, she stretched her good arm up to lay on, curling the oozing shoulder to keep it still. Staring across the ground at the odd angle, she watched the massive paws of the southern pack as they paced around her until she lost consciousness.
�
�What are we going to do with her?” the pack beta asked.
“I don’t know yet,” Uscan replied. “I am inclined to believe her story, but to take her word over that of our kin could be disastrous. We are mere wolves. Our magic is limited.”
“She will die here,” his beta pointed out. “If she does, her friends may kill more than just a few of us.”
“If she does, her friends will not be our worry, as all of Eriden may be lost,” he replied.
Raging Battle
“You never should have let her go,” Rey muttered, pacing back and forth between the tables and the fire, wearing a path around Animir and Lin’s shelter. “Why did you let her leave, especially alone?”
Glaring at Piers, he waited for the reply. He and Animir had been busy with the sirens when the girl had gone on her mission, and they arrived home only minutes ago to find she had not returned. What’s worse, the ossci were gone, and he had missed the attack on the elves at Riran. Getting no reply, he grunted, “Some leader you are.” I’m gone for a day, and everything falls apart, he lamented silently.
“This is not my fault,” the older man replied tartly, also pacing a patch of grass and moss between the table and trees. “You know how uncontrollable she has become, if she ever was controllable.” Turning to face him, the Mate scowled, “She would not have listened to you any more than she did to me.”
“Maybe, but at least I would have discovered where she was going!” he shouted.
“She wouldn’t say,” Lamwen defended, stretching around his giant rocks. “Don’t think we didn’t try.”
Still glaring at the other man, Rey grinned in spite of himself, glad the dragon had given up his human form. “You should go look for her,” he suggested.
“There is no where he can fly we can’t see by magical means,” Meena pointed out, setting their pot for stew. “And we can see much quicker, I might add.”
“Am I interrupting?” Thirac asked, stepping from the shadows of the trees.
“Well, not exactly,” Piers scowled, glancing between the others, suspicious of the timely arrival.
Walking into the clearing, his hands behind his back, the gnome inspected the group and noted their long faces. “I heard you had quite a night.”
“You could say that,” the Mate continued the banter. “We got the sirens settled on the coast.” Swallowing, he remembered his manners. “Thank you again for the use of your lands.”
Raising his brow, the elder clicked his tongue. “I assume they will be removed as soon as possible?”
“When the elves have been defeated,” Rey replied crisply. “But as you know, that would have been easier if the ossci hadn’t disappeared.”
“We have done all that we can for you,” the elder replied. “We are not warriors, as we have said.” Looking around again, he observed, “Your queen is not among you?”
Noting his choice of words, Piers studied him, then shook his head, “No. She had to be away on a mission.” Curling his tongue, he added, “Do you know something of her whereabouts?”
“Only that she is in a dark place, where she cannot be seen,” he provided. “I fear she may have been injured, even near death.”
“So, you pointed out she was missing to see what we would say,” the Mate grunted, unimpressed by the tactic. The gnomes never had been overly cooperative. “How do we know you haven’t had a hand in her disappearance?” he accused.
“Piers,” Meena gasped, shaking her head at his insolence.
“If you tell us where, we’ll go help her,” Rey interjected, eager for the knowledge.
“As I have said, we will no longer interfere,” Thirac countered. “We have perhaps already done too much, and I honestly do not know the whereabouts of the princess.”
“Really,” the Mate scowled. “You did promise us aid. Why do you now withdraw it? Doing so on the same night of her disappearance is damn suspicious, I don’t care what my wife thinks.”
“Our conscience will not allow it,” the small creature explained, flicking his gaze between Meena and the Mate. “That is how it has always been. We are watchers and historians, recording the affairs of the lands, not shaping them. You are welcome to the valley, and the sirens to the coast, for the time being, but we hope to have our lands back soon enough.”
“If the battle is lost, your lands will be as well,” Animir pointed out stiffly, joining the conversation abruptly.
“We do not fear the elves,” Thirac replied coolly, glaring up at the one in his presence. “I should go. I’ll leave you to your evening and your plans.” Disappearing the way that he came, the group let him go.
“You think he knows where Ami is?” Rey asked, cutting his eyes over at the Mate.
“Their words are often enigmatic,” Meena pointed out. “If one of them was watching Ami, since they are watchers in their words, they know exactly where she is. Not sharing the detail is what gives me pause.”
“It gives me more than pause,” the Mate spat, clenching his fists. Seated at the table, Hayt and Zae both used orbs to scour the continent. Glancing at them, he pushed, “I think the gnomes have always known more than they let on. However, they are a secretive and powerful race, and we can at least count ourselves lucky they allow us to remain here.”
“So, what do we do now? I think if we were going to find her, we would have,” Reynard sulked, indicating the pair of searchers with an open palm.
“We sleep on it,” the Mate advised. “She may still turn up between now and the dawn.”
The silence over their dinner stifling, each turned in with much to consider. Lying in the darkness of their leaning tent, Rey’s head filled with what had taken place between Amicia and Lamwen. Or Kaliwyn. He had thought of little else while caring for the sirens as they were relocated, and his heart had softened on the subject.
If the girl and the dragon were two different beings, as a few of the others had suggested, it would explain a great deal about her behavior, as if two individuals existed within her and were forced to share the single caporal form. Glaring through the thatch wall, as if he could see Lamwen among his rocks, he sighed. It’s good that the dragon is no longer direct competition. But could he have something to do with her disappearance?
Surely not. If anything, he knew the beast held as much concern for her as he did and probably loved her just as much. A sad thought, indeed.
His eyes heavy, Rey finally drifted towards sleep, his final realization being how difficult his wife’s choice was going to be, if she lived to make it.
“Red sun at morning, sailor take warning,” Piers grumbled, sitting with his bowl of mash.
“What?” Meena replied, assuming the seat next to him.
Glancing at the horizon, he indicated the blood-red ball of fire with his spoon.
Blinking at it, she stammered, “And what does the sun have to do with Amicia?”
“It doesn’t,” Rey sighed. “It’s a warning about the weather. A storm is coming.”
“Yes,” Lamwen agreed, lumbering to his spot at the end of the table, “a storm is definitely on the horizon. She has not returned to us, and we have arrived at the morning of our move against the dwarves.”
His back hunched as he stirred his meal, Hayt exhaled loudly. Sensing his unease, Zae looped her arm through his and laid her head against his shoulder. “I don’t think any of them will be harmed,” she reassured. “You will speak to your uncle and persuade them to join our cause.”
“We hope,” he retorted, spilling a spoonful of mush back into the bowl.
“Well, we cannot wait here forever,” Piers observed, “storm or no storm. We need to gather with the trolls and begin our march through the forest, towards the mountain.”
“It will take us days to get there,” Rey observed. “Without Ami and the ossci, we have no hope of transporting everyone to save the time.”
“Aye,” the Mate growled, lifting his cup for a drink. It was a bad omen on the horizon, but they hadn’t had any good ones i
n a while, if ever. “We must keep to the plan, either way.”
Finishing their meal, the group packed their gear and weapons for the battle that loomed ahead. Forming two groups, Meena took the dragon, Piers, Hayt, and Zae, while Animir transported himself and Rey, as Lin had remained with the sirens and would not be joining them.
Arriving at the entrance to the Crimson Caves, Traok greeted them. “You have come to see us to the battle?” he asked, almost sounding eager. He carried a long spear in his hand, obviously ready to join the fight.
“Well, some of you,” Piers agreed, following the king’s eldest son into the shaft that opened for them. Doubts forming in his mind already, he would not have anticipated using men so young.
Inside the great room, they found more of the same. Looking across the wide space, it appeared any male of at least five feet in height was preparing to go. “Some of your warriors are awfully young,” he pointed out as Yaodus joined them.
“They know the risks,” their leader grunted, waving his long arm to indicate the lot. “Each family is sending the father and first-born son. All the rest will remain here to protect the women and children.”
“We appreciate your sacrifice,” Meena sighed, her gut tight at the realization some of them would never return.
Watching them, the war seemed more real, causing Reynard’s heart to race. Suddenly feeling like an outsider, he wondered what he, a mortal of the rim, was even doing there.
“Where’s my daughter?” Ziradon asked as he slithered up behind them.
“She…” Piers began, drawing out the word as he considered his response. “She went on a mission and has not returned.”
“A mission,” the older dragon parroted. “And she didn’t come back to lead our forces?” Silence hung in the air as his massive head took in each one in turn. Coming to Lamwen, he prodded, “Well?”
Addressing his king, Lamwen provided the truth, “She did not tell us where she was going or exactly when she would return. We expected her back by last night, but that did not happen. Thirac, the gnome, says she is in a dark place and cannot be seen, which stands to reason since all our attempts to locate her have been unsuccessful. The plan was to come and transport the forces here to confront the dwarves, and so we have come in accordance with those directives. If she returns to the empty camp, she will know where we have gone.”
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