by Toni Cox
“We have been lucky,” Blaid said. “I expected the snow to come earlier this year. Come, sit by me and have some tea.”
“Everyone has been expecting an early winter,” Maia agreed, “although I think people only hoped for it as a respite from the Vampyres. It certainly has been cold enough this past Moon.”
Maia sat beside him while he poured her tea. The fire, and the tea, soon chased away the cold and the last vestiges of her dreams and she started to feel excitement for the day. Today, she would see where Blaid grew up.
When Midnight landed beyond the treeline, he showed them how the snow had transformed the landscape around them. The snow was but powder and would not last, yet the knowledge did not detract from the beauty of the moment. All around them, trees glittered in the first morning rays and a thin layer of sparkling snow covered the rolling hills they crossed the day before as far as Midnight’s eyes could see.
Midnight turned their attention to the mountain. There, storm clouds roiled within the dips and valleys between the peaks, and thick, heavy snow covered some of the lower slopes.
“The weather must have missed us,” Blaid mused. “I am glad we did not get caught in that storm during the night.”
“Midnight would have warned us,” Maia replied. “With it storming in the mountains, can we still travel through them?”
A small storm it is. Worse I have encountered.
“Yes,” Blaid smiled, probably in reaction to Midnight’s words, “the entrance to the first canyon lies approximately twenty miles from here.” He pointed. “The storm does not seem as bad to the south. We should be fine, but I suggest we dress warmly.”
Accustomed to their routine of packing up, strapping items to Midnight, and then getting the mare safely into Midnight’s claw, they were airborne shortly after sunrise. It only took a few moments for Midnight to fly to the canyon Blaid pointed to earlier and, with a confidence that came with growing up in this area, Blaid guided Midnight through the convoluted twists and turns of the canyon and then deeper and deeper into the mountain range.
As Blaid had warned, temperatures plummeted once they left the plains behind. Cold winds buffeted them, snow whirled around them, and even here, somewhat south of the storm, the occasional clap of thunder made Maia cringe.
Eventually, Maia had to climb down Midnight’s leg to calm Lilith; Blaid needed to remain connected to Midnight to give him directions. The mare, shivering with cold and fear, screamed and kicked her legs dangerously. Climbing into the confines of Midnight’s talon, Maia let her energy flow to the horse, calming her. Talking to the terrified horse distracted Maia and, wedged between talon and horse, Maia soon warmed up enough to stop shivering.
Finally, the clouds around them thinned and Maia could the valley below them; rough, rugged terrain, uninhabitable, stretched between the high cliffs on either side. The only animals Maia saw were mountain goats and the occasional bird.
By afternoon, the clouds cleared completely and the sun shone down on them. With Lilith calm again, Maia climbed back up Midnight’s leg and settled on his back in front of Blaid.
“Thank you,” Blaid said, and hugged her to him.
Maia leaned back, enjoying his nearness while she could. Who knew what the rest of the day would hold. Apprehension, instead of excitement, overcame her.
What if his family did not accept him back? What if they did not like her? What if…? Mentally, she shook herself, evicting the thoughts from her mind. Neither of these questions mattered. They came here for the army and that should be her main focus. They would stay with Blaid’s family tonight and travel on to the capital the next day.
Maia leaned forward again and peered ahead at the mountains. The further west they flew, the more beautiful it became. The storm had not reached this far and the slopes of the valleys were still green. Goats, sheep, boar, and bears inhabited this part of the mountains and Maia often spotted animals coming out of caves in the mountainside.
By later afternoon, she noticed small towns below, most of them built right into the mountains. They flew over fields, lakes, and grazing herds.
Then, just before the sun set, it shone its last rays on a building so beautiful, it took Maia’s breath away. There, atop a cliff resting on the shores of a deep, blue lake, sat a castle, flying the flags of Caverna Estralis, Capital of Elbendal.
By the time they reached Risen, and then Belmonia, Jagaer was accustomed to travelling on dragon back. He now saw to Shockwave himself in the evenings and would only be shown to their quarters once the animals were settled.
Arriving on dragon back had another advantage. Although the Lords had been warned of his arrival, none of them expected him be flying on a dragon. It took the Lords off guard at every capital they arrived at and elevated Jagaer’s standing even before he had spoken to them.
So far, every lord pledged allegiance and committed their armies to the war against the Vampyre. Most pleaded ignorance in defence for not having sent warriors sooner. Under other circumstances, Jagaer would have been upset, but he came here to garner their support, not to fight with them. Once the war was won, he would call a council meeting of all the Lords that fell under the Rule of Grildor and would have them re-pledge their commitment to the Council of Kings and Jagaer as King of Kings.
In the meantime, preparing for what was to come was the most important. Getting the Lords to pledge their armies was the easy part. Getting the armies to Grildor, or stationed at the strategic points along Grildor’s border as Jagaer had outlined with his council while still back at Shadow Hall, proved to be more challenging.
Most Lords worried about marching their armies during the dead of winter, but if they wanted warriors at their station by spring, some of the countries further away would have to dispatch their armies while there was still snow on the ground. Strategically, Jagaer assigned those armies to posts along the border, instead of around Shadow Hall.
The night before they left Belmonia, Jagaer called in his seven Guard, and Commanders Ridgewell and Hollowdale.
“Good evening, My Lord,” the men greeted him as they entered his chamber.
Jagaer bid them seat themselves around the large table in the common room of his lush accommodations. A map of the northern hemisphere, held down on the corners by candle sticks, took up the entire table and soon captured the attention of the men seated around it.
“Lord Fillgold of Cattern has graciously loaned us his map,” Jagaer said as he, too, took his seat around the large table. “Although so far we have been successful in our mission, I believe there are aspects we need to address, or they could derail our plans.”
“It has gone well, My Lord,” Commander Ridgewell said. “Everything has been to plan and, because of the dragons, we are even ahead of schedule.”
“Aye, Rowlean,” Jagaer agreed, “but, as you are aware, most Lords have expressed a concern for marching their armies during winter and I now fear, if they leave too late, they will not make it to their stations on time. I am not so concerned with Galaban, Tandemar, Eiken, or Bron. These countries border our own and if they dispatch their warriors during Melt Moon, or even Moon of Rushing Waters, they should still arrive before it is warm enough for the Vampyres to attack. What I am concerned about are those that need to travel through another country to get to ours. Risen, Sentra Merl, and Kis have the longest to travel and unless they dispatch their armies during the winter, they might not make it in time.”
He watched as his men studied the map. Some of the distances between the countries were over two thousand miles. A long way for an army.
“I see your point. The hope was that the Lords ready their armies immediately and dispatch them as soon as they were ready, but if it was my Regiment, I would also not want to march them over such distances during winter,” Rowlean agreed. “What do you suggest?”
“We travel faster. I have been thinking about it ever since we left Risen, but I cannot make the decision without Evandeor. So far, we have been staying in eac
h city three to four days, giving the dragons time to rest between journeys. What I want to know, Evandeor,” Jagaer said, turning to the Commander, “can your dragons travel those distances with only one night’s rest in between?”
Evandeor Hollowdale looked at the map, his face serious and a frown creasing his forehead. He ran his hands through his light brown hair and re-fastened the leather strap that held it together.
“My Lord, Plains Dragons are not the fastest, but their stamina is unrivalled. If we can guarantee a good meal for them at every stop, they will fly for you every day.”
“That is what I had hoped to hear,” Jagaer said. “We bring our schedule forward, cut our travelling time in half, so we arrive back at Thala Yll before Moon of Storms. That means we will have spoken to every lord before the winter is over, giving them more time to prepare and for them to make the journey. I am hoping to have every army in position by the end of Melt Moon. If that is the case, it will also give the armies some time to rest before the fighting begins.”
“I wish we knew when the Vampyres plan on coming through again,” Rowlean said.
“Aye,” Archer agreed. “What if it is a short winter and they come before we are back?”
“We have been over this,” Jagaer said. “There is no knowing and all we can do is prepare for it. I trust Shadow Hall is safe in Jaik’s hands. The rest is up to us. We will leave for Wilstantia tomorrow and then on to Eiken. Evandeor, how long will it take us to get to Wilstantia?”
“We will cross the border into Wilstantia during the morning and, if we fly all day, we will reach Willow Keep by nightfall.”
“They will not be expecting us so soon. Nithoren, please go see Lord Fillgold and ask him to dispatch a pigeon to Willow Keep immediately.”
“Aye, My Lord.” The Guard rose from the table and left the room.
The remaining men were silent for a while, studying the map, immersed in their own thoughts. Jagaer looked around at the men he had chosen to accompany him. They were the best of the best, but he could see they worried for their loved ones back home. He understood, but had to put the wellbeing of their nation first.
“This is going to be a tough trip,” he continued. “We will fly all day, every day, and then attend meetings with the Lords when we reach their cities. There will be no rest for us until we get back to Thala Yll.”
“It is what we must do, My Lord,” Boron said gruffly. “We will fly with you, no matter the hardships. Let us unite our people and put an end to this war.”
“Aye,” the men around the table said.
“It is agreed then. We will fly in the morning. Get what rest you can now.”
Chairs scraped over the wooden floor as the men pushed back their chairs. They spoke in hushed voices amongst themselves, some still studying the map. Even Jagaer had looked at the map for long before he called his Guard and Commanders to speak with him.
The Nations of Grildor took up a large area and assembling that many people within its centre would prove the hardest part of their plan. But, they needed the numbers. Grildor simply did not have enough to defeat the every growing army of the Vampyres.
Naylera’s population was considerably larger than that of Elveron. From the information they gathered over the past two years, they estimated that Naylera’s armies together numbered close to, if not over, a million.
Most of the Commanders and Lords Jagaer had spoken to were of the opinion that the Vampyres that lived around the Gate were acting alone and, having lost so many warriors during the first two wars, would not be able to send through an army larger than a hundred thousand strong.
Jagaer believed differently. Just from what Maia reported after she had been to Naylera, he believed all of Naylera participated in this war. After speaking to the traitors caught during the second war, Jagaer was even more convinced of that.
He could not say for sure why the Vampyres had so far concentrated on the Gate within Grildor, but assumed that the Vampyre kings were drawing their armies from every part of their planet, as well as manufacturing weapons, for the final assault.
Already, some of the other Gates had been breached, even if those breaches only resulted in minor raids. Soon, every country home to a Gate would be overrun by Vampyres and their entire planet would be at war.
The Sirens were active all the time now and the Elders that manned the Sirens were in constant contact with the Gates around the globe. Operating the Sirens took a toll on the Elders - rotation shifts had now been implemented - but Jagaer needed the other countries to be aware of how dire the threat was.
Those countries already attacked heeded his warnings and had started to draw in their armies. Some still hesitated, though, believing the threat to be isolated to Grildor. Jagaer shuddered at the thought of what might happen if they defeated the Vampyres at Greystone, but the rest managed to swarm through the other Gates and conquer Elveron that way.
Jagaer left Jaik with strict instructions to keep sending the messages via the Siren and to record every bit of information that came back. He feared all his efforts now would come to naught if the rest of Elveron did not heed his warnings.
Closing the door on the last Commander to leave, Jagaer finally settled on the large bed within his guest chamber. As always, before he went to sleep, his thoughts were with his daughter. Even now, he still struggled with mixed feelings. He wished he knew what she was doing, then wished he hadn’t brought the thought up.
Malyn had corrupted his thinking. He snorted angrily as he pulled the heavy blanket over him. Jagaer had been upset that Maia left without a word, but he trusted her and thought that whatever she was doing would be in the best interest of them all. Then, Malyn started speaking about Blaid. Something about love and old magic. The hairs on the back of his neck rose just thinking about it. He wanted that Death Elemental nowhere near his daughter and he refused to believe that was where she went.
The people of Shadow Hall needed her during this dark time and, no matter how much he loved his daughter, he did not think he could forgive her if she ran off with that … that … he could not finish the thought.
Grumbling, he buried his face in his pillow. He’d rather deal with a million Vampyres than the thought of his daughter in love with a Death Elemental.
“The world around us is going crazy,” Jaik said, running his hand through his hair.
“Why? Because your sister may possess magic not seen on Elveron in millennia or because you are not ready to believe it yet?”
Jaik looked at his betrothed. Siya sat casually on a chair, brushing her long, silver hair. A Server stood at the cupboard, arranging Siya’s freshly washed clothes on the shelves.
“How can you be so calm about this?” he asked. “The fate of our entire race might rest on her shoulders now and I don’t even know where she is.”
“Have faith, Jaik.” Siya put her brush on the table and took the few steps that separated them. “I may not know your sister as well as you do, but I believe she is doing the right thing. Wherever she is, she is looking for the answers just as you are.” She ran her hand along his arm, making the Server behind them shift uncomfortably. “Concentrate on what you can control and those you can influence. Worrying about something beyond your powers will only get in the way of what you should be doing.”
“And what is it I should be doing?” Jaik asked, looking down at her.
“Keep us all safe, Jaik; that is your job now. You are Lord of Shadow Hall and your responsibilities are many. Concentrate on them. Make the people feel they are as safe with you as they are with Jagaer.”
“You will be a wise queen one day, Lady Siya Sparrow, and I will be glad to have you by my side.”
He bent and put a light kiss on her forehead. The Server behind them cleared her throat. Jaik smiled ruefully as he stepped away.
“I won’t be a queen for at least another thousand years,” Siya laughed, “but we shall be married soon and I am looking forward to being your confidante and adviser. Everyt
hing that happens from now until you become regent will prepare you for being King of Grildor. We shall learn together and, when the time comes, the people will love the king you have become.”
“May everything you say come true,” Jaik sighed. “I must leave now. Thank you for listening and your advice. I don’t know if I will make it for dinner, but Mother will send for you so you do not have to spend the evening alone.”
“There will be time enough for us to spend together. Now, go see to your people. Your mother and I shall have a wonderful evening.”
“My Lady.” Jaik took her hand and kissed it.
Nodding to the server, he strode out of Siya’s room and out the guesthouse. Talking to Siya always calmed him and he often did so just before a meeting with the Elders, or his Commanders.
Right now, he was on his way to the Hall of the Guardians to meet with the Masters in charge of overseeing the manufacturing of weapons, war machines, and the like. Now, during the winter Moons, they had the time to make them.
Pulling the collar of his coat higher, Jaik stepped through the swirling snow. They had expected it for some time and now that it was here, he wished it would hold off a little longer.
Looking to his left, he noticed the lake was already frozen over. Temperatures would only get colder over the next few Moons. Under normal circumstances, Shadow Hall spent the winter Moons indoors, keeping busy with arts, embroidery, carving, leather work, and all those activities that could be performed in front of a fire.
Now, however, Jaik had everyone who was able out in the forest cutting logs for war machines, smelting steel for weapons, curing leather for armour - the list was endless, but it needed to be done.
Pushing thoughts about his sister to the back of his mind, he stepped through the double doors of the Hall of the Guardians and strode across the large entry hall to his father’s chamber.
With a clatter of metal, the guard by the door stood to attention and admitted him. Silently, the doors closed behind him as he strode across and settled behind his father’s desk.