Cormar smiled, as he crossed over to where Gabriella stood, watching her horse being led off.
“You have everyone in the Valley in awe of you, General Gabriella,” Cormar informed her.
Gabriella bowed, as she turned and greeted Cormar back, “I believe, in this case, that honor would go to Whyngold. He is a magnificent animal.”
“He most definitely is,” Cormar agreed. “So, what brings the High Lord General to our lands for a visit?”
“The Emperor Lariel has sent me to check on the welfare of the people dwelling in the Valley. It is my belief he has been getting visions and would like to make sure everything is as it should be,” Gabriella replied, as she tucked a hand in the crook of Cormar’s arm.
“I don’t think T’Harris would like this,” Daeron murmured against Chania’s ear, as he stood by her side.
Chania could see why, although the gesture seemed innocent enough on the surface. She could tell Cormar was beyond pleased to have Gabriella at his side. He also looked like he was prepared to act in a proprietary manner with her to the point where he would try to monopolize her attention. In a case like this, he better hope her Life Mate wasn’t going to return to her side anytime soon.
Gabriella must have had the same thought because when Cormar attempted to lead her past Lindquist without allowing his brother time to greet her, she reached out with her other arm and curled her second hand around Lindquist’s elbow. “You probably have more answers for me than your brother. If I am not mistaken, you patrol the land more than he does. Cormar is too busy tending to matters from the fortress in the way Lariel does the Empire from Torendal.”
Lindquist smiled smugly as he answered, “I do spend a lot more time in the saddle than Cormar does.”
“I will want a detailed report of what you and your troops noticed the last time you went on patrol, as well as when that was,” Gabriella insisted.
“That shouldn’t be any problem,” Lindquist responded. “We went to check out the area where the tunnel leads to the other side of the Mountain range only yesterday. No one noticed any sign of fresh activity, but in a place that rocky, these things can be difficult to read.”
“What were your senses telling you while you were there?” Gabriella pressed. She wasn’t about to let him off this lightly. There had to be more to this than what he was telling her. Then again, if not, then she would consider herself lucky, though it wouldn’t stop her from double-checking on the area.
Lindquist had a good idea what Gabriella was talking about. Most soldiers had gut feelings about things that were about to happen, and they usually listened to their instincts. He gave the matter some thought before answering, “I got the impression that while nothing had happened for a while, something was about to. There is no other explanation for what I felt.”
Gabriella knew exactly what Lindquist was talking about, and she nodded her head in agreement with his statement as the brothers led her into the hall.
“If you want to go to a room to freshen up, I will have someone show you the way. Dinner will be served shortly,” Cormar offered. “The girls have been slaving in the kitchen for most of the afternoon.”
“That would be appreciated,” Gabriella accepted. “We can continue this conversation over a meal.”
“We don’t talk about business at the dining table anymore,” Cormar stated. “Laylia says it is not civilized.”
“In that case, I will forego anything more than a quick cleansing spell, and we can get straight to business now.” Gabriella decided.
No one seemed pleased about that idea and Cormar was quick to offer an option, “We could forego our usual rule under the circumstances.”
“If you are sure, I will take an hour to bathe and change before the evening meal. I won’t stay for long, as I have been getting tiny signals through the earth that there is some activity going on near the tunnel that should be checked out. It might not amount to much, and I doubt if it is, but I still need to follow it up. Emperor Lariel will want to know the details.” Gabriella decided.
“Emperor Lariel seems more interested in hunting down his Life Mate at the moment than he is in listening to reports from anyone,” Cambria smirked.
“Be that as it may, it is still my duty to bring the matter to his attention. We all know where the task will end up, even if he is more concerned with personal matters,” Gabriella sighed.
“In your hands, as usual,” Cambria agreed with Gabriella’s sigh.
“Exactly, and I want this over with,” Gabriella confirmed.
“How about your life and personal business?” Britallia objected to what she considered The Emperor Lariel’s thoughtlessness when it came to Gabriella.
Gabriella smiled sadly, even as she explained, “The Elven Empire is my personal business. I am the High Lord General.”
With that said, Gabriella followed a servant to her room, where a bath had been readied for her use.
“What did Gabriella mean by that, the Elven Empire is her personal business?” Chania wondered.
“It has to do with her position as the High Lord General, as well as her being an Eagle Claw. You would understand better if you knew how she was raised. Our family motto defined that,” Cambria informed everyone as she openly frowned. Even when Cambria and Gabriella had been children, Cambria had always hated how their father had singled her sister out during training sessions. There had been no childish games for Gabriella, although there were times she could seem as lighthearted as anyone else.
“That isn’t fair,” Chania stated.
“Perhaps it isn’t,” Cambria answered, “But that is the way it was and will continue, until she allows T’Harris to become a part of her life.”
The information Cambria was passing on about Gabriella gave both Cormar and Lindquist something to think about. They hadn’t thought much beyond Gabriella’s title and beauty, but this shed a different light on things. Suddenly, neither seemed to mean much, not when the rest of her life was as empty as it sounded. They weren’t sure how they were going to handle things, but somehow, they were going to make sure those two Elves got together. A Life Mate was the most important part of any Elf’s existence.
Half an hour before the meal was to be served, Gabriella reappeared, looking clean and refreshed. She had left her hair hang loose, and she had donned a red and gold gown to suit the occasion. She blushed, as she became aware of the glances of overall approval and admiration from the men, and then noted that she was the last to arrive. She immediately apologized for her tardiness.
Laylia, as hostess, waved off the matter and commented, “You are not late, we got here early out of curiosity about whether you would arrive in uniform or not. I am happy to see this isn’t the case.”
“I wasn’t sure it would be appropriate under the circumstances,” Gabriella admitted. She didn’t tell them she had considered doing exactly what they thought. She had decided not to since it was a formal dinner. She didn’t want to standout, even in a gathering of family members and friends, not when they would be dressed for the occasion.
“Well, you were right as usual, sister,” Cambia replied. “As you can see, everyone is dressed to impress. I have to admit, that dress suits you well, as the men in attendance can appreciate. You fit in with us perfectly.”
Gabriella turned a becoming shade of pink and everyone laughed at her discomfiture. It was so very obvious their High Lord General was out of her element. They were sure this would change as she began to search for information about the area where she was about to ride.
It wasn’t like Gabriella had never been in the area of the tunnel entrance before, but those times had been fleeting. She had also been playing a game of cat and mouse with two enemy armies at the time. There was a large difference between facing off against many and going on a simple scouting expedition. The possibility of meeting an advancing force would be next to nil this time, and she was very aware of this. It wasn’t unheard of to come face to face with a small troop
of men or missing them altogether though, which could happen to anyone. Smaller groups were always more difficult to locate.
The big question on everyone’s minds as they ate dinner and went over the details pertaining to the terrain Gabriella was preparing to travel though, was what had happened to T’Harris. They all thought he would be here by now.
Daeron reached out to his friend and eventually connected with him while T’Harris was swimming in a bright blue sea off the coast of his favorite island.
“What do you think you are doing?” Daeron snarled.
“I have been thinking,” T’Harris’ response came back to Daeron.
“Well, you should be thinking here, not there,” Daeron sniffed.
“If I am needed, I am not much further than a thought away,” T’Harris pointed out.
“Out of sight is out of mind,” Daeron reminded T’Harris.
“Let Gabriella wonder what I am up to. I can guarantee I am not very far from that woman’s mind,” T’Harris insisted.
“Arrogant pup, it would serve you right to lose her. She has a prime Male Elf dancing attention on her at this very moment,” Daeron warned.
The thought bothered T’Harris, but he wasn’t about to let anyone know it. “If I know anything about my Gabriella, she will be pulling all the information she can out of him about her next destination. That one is determined to focus all her attention on what she has been ordered to do. It won’t work, but she will certainly try to make it so.”
Daeron gave a sigh of resignation. He was wasting his time. As he abruptly cut off communications with T’Harris, he caught Chania’s wondering glace out of the corner of his eyes. He leaned over and asked, “Was I that clued out when I went after you?”
Chania gave a slight unladylike snort as she answered, “You were much worse, but you are learning.”
Daeron smiled softly, as he hooked a finger under Chania’s chin to position her to receive his kiss. He didn’t press his point, but the message was there, he loved his Chania with all his heart and soul.
Cambria exchanged a wink with Britallia, as they noticed Gabriella sneak a glance at Daeron and Chania. She pretended not to notice or care, but her sister knew better. Deep inside, Gabriella was no different than any other woman. She wanted to be loved and have some man make her feel special. It didn’t matter that Gabriella was the High Lord General of the entire Elven Empire. She would gladly give that up, along with all the meaningless adoration that went with it, just for the kind of kiss Daeron was giving Chania at the moment. She had the feeling T’Harris had no idea of the chance he was missing out on. Her sister was more vulnerable at this moment than she had ever been in the past or might be in the future. It was time he got his act together and began to think about what he was going to do about this state of affairs.
As Cambria thought about her sister’s situation, Anders wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a slight squeeze of reassurance. He knew she was worried about Gabriella, and he wanted her to know that things would work out in the end. They usually did when it came to Life Mates
.
CHAPTER X
As the first rays of the morning light appeared on the horizon, Gabriella mounted her horse and headed away from the great fortress in the Valley. No one accompanied her as she had made it clear to anyone who knew about this trip that she would not tolerate their interference. This was not a dangerous mission. There were no signs of activity from their enemies anywhere in the valley. It was a routine inspection to appease the Emperor Lariel, nothing more.
It meant nothing to her that Lariel had retracted his order with the intention of luring her back to the capital. She knew that what he wanted had to do with his problems with his Life Mate. That, she concluded, was personal and had nothing to do with her position as High Lord General. He was old enough to manage his own life. Her task was to see to the safety of the Kingdoms and Elven Empire as a whole. It was a point of view Lariel and Gabriella had exchanged words on many times. And although Lariel had not been happy with Gabriella’s declarations nothing he said had changed her mind.
Emperor Lariel told Gabriella he considered her views on her position short-sighted and biased. He hadn’t wasted words giving her reasons, as he knew she would consider them selfish. She had a point at the time, but he hadn’t cared. This was his life and his Life Mate they were talking about. He repeatedly told her that things of a personal nature were as important as the Elven Nation, for it impacted them all. There was more to life than battle techniques or how well an Elf could wield a sword to seeing to the well being of the Empire. Without future generations, there would be nothing for them to guard except empty ground. This was not how the creator had intended them to live their lives. He had gotten the impression his words had fallen on deaf ears.
As Gabriella made her lonely way over the road leading to the area surrounding the tunnel opening, she thought about Lariel’s words. She knew he thought she hadn’t been paying any attention to what he had to say, but he was wrong. Even before he had begun to spout off his views, she had been considering the things he had said. T’Harris’ absence was giving her no choice but to take her own feelings into consideration. It had also taught her something about the very essence of her nature. No Elf had ever fought a strong Life Mate Bond and won, not even High Lord General Gabriel Eagle Claw, after whom her life had been fashioned.
Before meeting T’Harris, Gabriella had always thought it was different for a man than it was for a woman to accept a Life Mate bond when it was time to do so. She now had the strangest feeling this was only partially true. The male recognized the lure and embraced it out of sheer desperation. He had often spent so many years alone that meeting his mate was welcomed with open arms. Female Elves were different, or at least Light Elven Women were, for whatever reason. They seemed to need an extra push to accept what they already knew they wanted and needed. Perhaps it was a part of the game, or only a matter of posturing. She had no real answers, and because of this, she shrugged the matter aside.
As T’Harris continued to give her the space she claimed to need, all Gabriella was certain of was the emptiness inside her was getting unbearable. How could their bond have gotten so strong in such a short time? He hadn’t even tried to kiss her, yet she craved his touch. She needed him in ways she never imagined she would a man.
Gabriella had tried to escape the feelings she dreamed of during the night by rising extra early and riding away from them. This only seemed to make matters worse for, as the distance between T’Harris and her grew and her need for him increased. She trembled with a longing to see him and for him to hold her. It didn’t make sense. No man had held her in an embrace during her entire life, except for him as he slept beside her. It had been forbidden when she was a child, for her father feared she might lose one of her most valued talents because of close contact from others. The only one brave enough to challenge Gabriella and Cambria’s orders that no one should touch Gabriella during their youth had been Cambria. Cambria had done this during the dead of night while Gabriella had cried softly into her pillow from the loneliness their father forced her to endure.
Gabriella had missed out on the tender touches and caresses Cambria had grown up receiving from their parents. She had promised herself that if she were to ever have children of her own, she would never treat them in such a manner. That had been when she was a child. As she had matured into a young woman, she changed her mind about a lot of things, such as having any offspring at all. Eagle Claw females were much too fertile and prolific in her estimation. Who needed the burden of an instant family that came with each pregnancy? She blamed her ancestress, the Tratchar Eden, for this trait in the family. Her history lessons told her that before Eden had been introduced into their linage, Eagle Claw Females had mostly given birth to their young in a more civilized manner, one baby at a time, which was more than sufficient as far as she was concerned.
Anything to do with raising a family at this moment, howeve
r, should be the last thing Gabriella had on her mind. She had to be on alert for anything that might be considered out of order. It didn’t have to be big, for she had frequently found that the smallest detail often caused more trouble than larger ones. The lack of anything happening, however, allowed other thoughts to slip into her mind, and those tended to lean towards the question of whether T’Harris’ lips were as soft as they looked.
Gabriella’s musings didn’t stop at T’Harris’ lips, as they had been the only thing on his body she had noticed with any sign of softness. The Elf had the physique of a hardened warrior, and with the way he handled his sword, she had no doubt he worked on his techniques for longer hours than she did. She had never faced another competitor with so much discipline, or one that had come so close to defeating her during sparring practice. It was something about him she admired, and the realization made her smile softly as she thought about it.
Indulging in swordplay with T’Harris had been like dancing, and she wanted to do it again. She liked the challenge and the edge it gave to the game. Even Mariss and Mistral hadn’t come as close to defeating her as T’Harris had. It also made her wonder if he could have won under different circumstances. With that thought came the memory of his promise to stand by her side as he guarded her back. It gave her a sense of safety to think of him close to her. She had a feeling he was not a man to give his word lightly to anyone.
Could they be friends if she allowed him close? The unbidden question entered her mind, even as she rode into the first of the three forests she needed to travel through to get to the entrance of the tunnel. She didn’t have to consider the answer. She knew T’Harris would be more than a friend. He would be a tender lover, a confidant she could depend upon to keep her deepest darkest secrets and the father of her children. There would be no keeping them apart if she allowed him close.
The General Page 7
