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They awoke next morning to a flurry of activity. Creatures ran back and forth carrying bundles of arrows, or crafting spare bows for the centaur archers. Several of the giants labored at different tasks, guided closely by Layi, who never strayed far from their sides.
“Good morning, mine friends!” K'thar greeted them, his face bright with excitement. “Everything is coming along well!” He reported. “We hast gathered a large supply of arrows that the Alena and wood nymphs wilt carry to our warriors. Once we hath done what damage we can with the arrow storm, then the giants and harpies will attack, and clean up what we hath missed.”
“It’s an ingenious plan,” Sly congratulated the centaur. “but what about the slaves? We don't want the giants to kill any innocents.”
The centaur smiled patiently. “The giants art aware that they need to limit their destruction to the dragonspawn and goblins only. They wert given very strict instructions.”
“And they actually listened?” The little man asked in disbelief.
K'thar laughed. “We just explained that it was Damion's order. After his performance last night, they were more than eager to listen.”
“Did Crush ever wake up?” Damion asked curiously.
The centaur laughed again, “Aye. He awoke this morning. His head doth still cause him some discomfort, but he wilt survive. Do not worry. He hast learned his lesson. He'll not challenge thee again.”
Several Alena came forward bearing baskets filled with fresh fruit for the companions, and a large hollow gourd filled with a fiery liquid that warmed their insides and eased their aches and pains.
Once they had eaten, Damion rose to his feet and unbuckled the Dragon Sword from his belt. “I wish to see the dragon’s lair.” He told Dar. He turned and handed the Dragon Sword to Sly. “Guard this with your life.”
Sly nodded gravely as he took the sword.
“You don't think you're going to leave me here, do you?” Kariah demanded, stomping her tiny foot.
“You must remain behind.” Damion told her in an unyielding voice. “I won't allow you to endanger yourself any further.”
“Excuse me?” She said belligerently. “Since when did I start taking orders from you?”
“Since you stole my heart.” He answered sincerely.
Her expression instantly softened. “That isn't fair!” She pouted, her lower lip protruding slightly.
Damion laughed, then took her into his arms and kissed her gently. “I need you to stay here where you are safe.” He said softly in her ear. “This will be a violent battle, and I'll be going places that you will not be able to follow. Please, my beloved,” He stared at her earnestly. “stay behind where you cannot be harmed.”
Kariah stared at him with loving eyes, then finally relented. “Okay. I'll remain here. Just hurry back to me, and please be careful.” She kissed him fiercely on the lips, her eyes filling with tears.
Damion turned and followed Dar out of the grove, a growing nervousness gnawing at the back of his mind.
“I love you, my warrior!” She called as he vanished into the darkness.
He stopped as her words drifted to his sensitive ears, and he looked back, but the elf maiden had already disappeared from view. He turned and followed Dar into the forest, his mind reeling from her words.
Snowfeather suddenly appeared from the darkness, gliding down from the canopy to land softly on Damion's shoulder.
“Where have you been?” He asked, his thoughts still wandering.
The huge owl stretched its wings. “I decided to stay out of sight.” He squawked irritably. “I noticed the giants eyeing me like I was a light snack, so I thought it would be prudent to stay away for a while.”
“Just as long as you stay close.” Damion replied. “You never know when I may need you.”
He continued to follow Dar through the forest until the tiny Alena suddenly held up his hand and came to a stop. “This is as close as we can get without being spotted.” The childlike sprite whispered. “There are several guards posted just ahead.”
Damion nodded. “Wait here. I’ll be back soon. This shouldn’t take very long.” He shifted into the form of a panther and silently disappeared into the underbrush.
He crept on silent paws through forest, his senses alive. His keen eyes swept the path ahead for any signs of movement, and spotted a group of goblins hidden in the brush ahead. He spotted another group a few yards from the others, hidden amongst the trees. He carefully slipped around the creatures and moved on until the clearing and cavern came into view. He was taken aback by what he found. The slaves had apparently been hard at work on the construction of the huge wall around the clearing, using wood and stone found they located in the forest. The wall was nearly fifty feet high, with only a single man-sized doorway to gain entry. Five large dragonspawn stood guard before the entrance, making it impossible for someone to slip in unseen.
He cursed silently, then slipped around to the far side of the clearing where the slaves were still laboring to complete the wall. Just on the other side of the uncompleted wall were several large bamboo pens in which the goblins and dragonspawn held the slaves. He took special note of their location to relay to the others so they would know exactly where to go when the battle started.
A lone human suddenly emerged from the cavern's entrance, bellowing orders at the creatures in the clearing who immediately jumped into action, forcing the slaves to work harder. It took every ounce of self-control Damion possessed to keep himself from racing into the clearing and sinking his claws deep into Kaviel's scarred flesh, but with a supreme effort, he swallowed his hatred, and merely watched.
He was a little amused at how nervous Kaviel was acting, seeming to be ready to bolt at the first out of trouble. He was also pleased to see the man had suffered many injuries during their encounter. He was limping heavily on one leg, and his skin was badly burned, and covered in huge blisters. One of his eyes was black, and swollen completely shut. His nose was mangled horribly, and he held his ribs, which had been wrapped in crude bandages, and winced with every step he took. He bellowed another order, and then slowly limped back into the cavern.
Satisfied that he had seen enough, Damion slipped back into the shadows, and carefully made his way back to the spot that he left Dar. He shifted back into his own form, then they quickly returned to the hidden clearing.
“What’s the word?” Sly asked when they arrived. “Does it look as though they are expecting us?”
“Oh, I'd say he knows we're coming.” Damion laughed humorlessly. “I saw Kaviel for just a moment. He looked horrible, and was jumping at every little sound. He appeared to be ready to run at the first sign of trouble. He was screaming orders at the dragonspawn and goblins, and I swear I could hear the desperation in his voice.” He smiled, taking great pleasure in the fact that they had made the scar-faced man so uncomfortable. "The slaves have nearly finished building the wall around the clearing, and there is only one entrance leading in.”
“The wall is nearly finished?” K'thar asked in surprise.
The huge warrior nodded. “It stands nearly fifty feet tall, and is quite thick, although it is not very well built.”
“A fifty feet high wall?” The centaur’s face was grim. “He must be driving those slaves very hard. It was not nearly that high a week ago.”
“What are they building the wall with?” Sly inquired suddenly.
“They’re using stone scavenged from the area, and trees that they've cut from the forest to construct it.”
The scruffy little man burst out laughing. “They’re using wood? He must be insane!”
“A fifty-foot wall, even one that has been made from wood, is a formidable obstacle.” Garth grumbled, stroking his beard thoughtfully.
“Nonsense! All it takes is a little fire.”
Damion thought about it for a moment. “That’s true. If we set the wall aflame, the goblins and dragonspawn will all be trapped. They will have no
way to escape.”
“Then our warriors can begin lobbing arrows over the wall.” K'thar added, nodding his approval. “Twill be like shooting fish in a barrel.”
“But we must be careful not to allow the flames to spread into our forest.” Layi warned, obviously uncomfortable with the idea of using fire.
“It shouldn’t be a problem.” Dar reassured her. “The forest undergrowth is far too damp to catch fire. There will be little chance of it spreading.”
“It sounds good.” Damion approved. “The slave pens are near the east wall. Once all is in chaos, I'll blast our way into the clearing and head for the cavern, while Dar, Garth and Sly release the slaves.” He looked at K'thar and Layi. “Once we enter the camp, have your warriors limit their range of shot. We don't want to be hit by a stray arrow.”
“Fear not.” Layi assured him with a smile. “Centaurs never miss their target.”
Omensent: Birth of a Dragon Lord Page 49