by Toni Cox
Snow swirled as they made their way to their dragons in the dark. The bitter cold found its way into Jagaer’s cloak again and he wondered why the cold affected him more than it usually did. The dragons showed no signs of feeling the low temperatures, and Jagaer stepped up close to Shockwave to warm himself before he climbed into the saddle.
Two days to Nevendal, then another four days to Elders Hope. If everything went as planned, they would reach Grildor within a fortnight. Drawing his hood deep over his head, he held on tight as Shockwave lifted off, stirring up a flurry of snow with his wings.
With the sun rising to their right, they headed north towards Bron. For once, Jagaer’s mind was not on his own quest, but on his daughter’s, whatever it might be.
They travelled quickly, and cautiously, on their way back to Shadow Hall. Nevertheless, they were attacked twice more before they eventually reached the city. Aaron had to put to use everything he had learned from Rothea just to stay alive during those attacks.
“We should reach Shadow Hall in the next two days,” Rothea said. She sounded tired. “I cannot believe there are Vampyres so close to the city.”
“Do you think something has happened in Shadow Hall?” Aaron asked, worried.
“We shall soon find out, Aaron. We should be safe here for the night. Let us get some rest, for the travelling will be brisk over the next few days.”
“Aye, rest,” Aaron agreed, yawning.
They sat around a small, sheltered campfire, hidden from view by a large boulder that had tumbled down the mountain hundreds of millennia ago. They had lost half their horses and even more supplies. They did not have enough tents for all; neither did they have enough food to last them.
The weather had turned from cold with light snow falls, to blizzards almost every day. Their men were tired, hungry, and cold, yet no one complained. They huddled close together, getting what heat they could. Aaron felt sorry for those men who had watch tonight, for they were out there, somewhere, in the storm.
“It is exceptionally cold tonight,” Rothea broke into his thoughts. “I have ordered the men to sleep four to a tent, so no one has to sleep outside.”
Aaron made the calculations in his head; even with the men they had lost, there were not enough tents to accommodate them, even sleeping four to a tent. Not unless Rothea; being the only woman in the group; shared her tent, too.
He looked up at her and his breath caught in his throat as he beheld the look in her eyes.
“Will you keep me warm tonight, Aaron?” she asked.
“Aye, My Lady.” He cleared his throat, suddenly unaware of the cold.
Rothea rose and made her way to her tent. Aaron followed, shooting sideways glances at the men around him, but they paid him no mind. He wondered if Rothea had asked them to turn a blind eye.
Aaron ducked under the tent flap and stepped into the dark interior. It was barely warmer inside, but at least they were sheltered from the wind.
A soft, red light flickered on as Rothea took the shutter off a small lantern. Her cot stood in the centre of her tent, a pile of furs packed on top of it. Rothea held out her hand to him.
“I cannot always be strong,” she said, softly. “It has been a hard road and I need some comfort tonight.”
Aaron took the two steps that separated them, taking Rothea’s cold hand. He felt her breath on his face before she kissed him lightly on his chafed lips.
“Are you sure?” he asked, a little breathless, knowing well the Elves’ laws.
“I was wed once,” Rothea said as she bent to take off her boots. Aaron copied her, taking off his own boots and listening in fascination. “He was killed almost three decades ago. I have been alone since. Our laws do not apply to me as they would, for instance, for your daughter. I have more freedom and if I wish to choose a life partner without ever marrying again, then that would be acceptable, too.”
“Rothea, I am sorry, I did not know.”
She took off her heavy coat and climbed under the covers, holding out her hand for him again. “Not many people do.”
Shrugging out of his coat and letting it fall to the floor, he joined Rothea on her cot, lying close to her until they started to warm up. With gentle kisses, Rothea unbuttoned his shirt and let it fall to the floor to join his coat.
Jaik looked around the large assembly hall of the Hall of the Guardians. Vampyres surrounded them on all sides; some on the balcony, some on the stairs, and the rest blocking the doors. He saw no way out.
“You look shocked, prince. ‘Ave you not accounted for this?”
Jaik glared at the General. He spoke their language well and was obviously comfortable with his position in this situation; there was nowhere for them to go.
“My men are coming,” Jaik bluffed. “What do you want?”
“Information. Thee old man is stubborn. Does not tell secrets. I think I vill kill ‘im.”
Jaik turned to look through the doors at Silas. The old sage now had a Vampyre leaning over him, holding a blade to Silas’ throat. A drop of blood dripped to the floor and the Vampyre reflexively licked his thin lips. Jaik shuddered.
“What do you want to know?”
“I vant thee princess of light. I vant to know vhere she is. You vill tell me.”
“I do not know where my sister is,” Jaik replied. “You seem well informed. Surely you must know that we are looking for my sister as well.”
“Your father may be looking for thee princess, but you … you know. Thee old man knows. You vill tell me.”
Jaik clenched his jaw. “I have not heard from my sister since she left. How am I supposed to know where she is?”
“You cannot fool us, prince. Vee know you are connected. Vee ‘ave seen it. You vill now find her for us, or I vill kill everyone in this space.”
The General nodded to the right and several Vampyres moved at once, drawing closer around Jaik’s group of men and leaving no room for escape. In Jaik’s mind, he went through every scenario, but their groups were evenly matched. He had to play for time.
“All right,” he said, “let my men go and I will find the princess for you.”
The General cocked his head, a sneer distorting his thin lips. “Your men vill vait ‘ere.”
Two Vampyres moved up and took Jaik by the arms, moving him forward. His men immediately moved to save him, but he held up his hand to stop them. Reluctantly, they remained behind as the two Vampyres escorted Jaik into his father’s chamber.
Silas looked up as Jaik walked through the door, the movement opening another cut on his throat from the blade pressed against it. Jaik balled his fists.
“I like this room,” the General said as he followed Jaik in and took a seat at Jagaer’s desk. “’Ow do you say? Impervious. Nothing comes in, nothing goes out once doors are closed.”
As if on cue, the doors closed behind Jaik and the two Vampyres let go of his arms. The General pointed to one of the chairs in front of Jagaer’s desk and Jaik reluctantly took a seat.
“Thee old man ‘as refused to talk to us,” the General carried on. “Very frustrating. Vee must get thee information, so you vill get it for us and maybe vee vill let the old man live.”
“I will do what I can,” Jaik stalled for time, noticing how two Vampyres stood by the door, one held Silas, and two more stood to either side of the General. Two others, who had been in the room earlier, were no longer visible from where Jaik sat. He briefly met Silas’ eyes before returning his gaze to the General. “How would you like me to find my sister?”
“As you ‘ave alvays done,” the Vampyre grinned, exposing his fangs, “vis your mind.”
Jaik frowned. With his mind? What was the General talking about? Sure, he always had a strong connection with his sister and, on occasion, he could feel if she was in distress even if they were not together, but he could not tell where she was by simply looking for her with his mind.
“And how do you propose I do that?” he asked.
“My patience i
s vearing thin, prince. I ‘ave been nice, given you chance. Now you must obey.”
The General made a small motion with his left hand and Jaik heard Silas moan behind him. Worried, he turned to look. Bleeding from a deep cut on his cheek, Silas stared back at him with his steel-grey eyes. Jaik wished he knew what Silas was thinking.
“All right, I will try. I need silence.”
The General nodded and leaned back in the chair, waiting. Clenching his jaw, Jaik closed his eyes and thought of his sister. He wished he knew where she was, but even if he knew, he would not give this information up to the Vampyres at any cost. He would even sacrifice Silas to protect his sister.
A shudder ran through him at that thought. He had known Silas all his life and the thought of the Vampyres killing him brought his rage close to the surface. He would need to control himself to keep this situation calm. Jaik hoped his men would keep their calm, too. If he could just stall the General long enough, he could come up with a viable plan.
Jaik’s thoughts turned back to his sister. If she was here, she would have killed all of these Vampyres already. Silas was right; the magic was strong within her, even if she did not know it. Every one of his men could do magic, but evenly matched as they were right now, the chance that they would win this fight was slim.
He cursed himself for leading his men into this trap. He should have seen it. Thinking back to when they entered the hall, he visualised what it had looked like. It had been empty; he was sure of it. None of his men had seen the Vampyres either, so Jaik assumed they entered the hall only after he and his men stepped foot in it. They must have come in through the roof somehow. When they got out of this mess, he would have to address this issue with the Builders.
With his eyes still closed, he explored the room around him with his senses. Jaik knew the room well, knew where every piece of furniture was, and he could see in his mind from the sounds reaching his ears that one of the Vampyres had moved closer to the fire place. Silas had slumped to the carpet, lying still.
The two Vampyres Jaik had thought missing, stood against the far wall by the book shelf. The vocal General still reclined on Jagaer’s chair. Jaik felt the atmosphere relax as he kept his eyes closed. The Vampyres truly believed he could locate his sister with his mind and they now gave him the time to do so.
The Commander in him assessed the situation, weighing up his chances as the Vampyres dropped their guard. The brother in him, however, silently called out to his sister. If nothing else, he would try to save Silas for her. He knew what the old Elf meant to her and if she knew Silas was in mortal danger, she would do everything in her power to save him.
He gasped as their minds touched for the briefest of moments. He saw blue sky, mountains, then a gravelly path, and he heard her exclaim in shock. Then, the moment was gone and he was left gasping for air. He opened his eyes.
“Not so difficult, yes?” the General asked, and Jaik looked at him, aghast.
Jaik swallowed hard and looked at Silas. His father’s adviser looked at him with sad eyes.
“Tell me, prince, vhere is your sister?”
“I … I don’t know,” Jaik said. “In the mountains, somewhere.”
The General’s voice was low and dangerous when he spoke next. “Then look again. He von’t live for long unless you tell me vhere she is.”
Silas cried out behind him and Jaik jumped out of his chair. Immediately, the two Vampyres at the book shelf were beside him, restraining him. He fought them wildly as he watched the other Vampyre stab Silas in the stomach with his sword for a second time.
“Find ‘er. Maybe there is chance to save your friend.”
Through his pain, Silas nodded at him, and Jaik resumed his seat on the chair. Forcing his eyes closed, he concentrated his thoughts once more on his sister. This time, he tried not to get distracted by thoughts of escape, or attack. All he thought of was Maia and what he had seen through her eyes but a moment before.
His heart hammered in his chest as he saw only the darkness behind his closed eyes. No matter how much he thought of her, nothing happened. Then, Silas moaned, a sound so tormented it broke Jaik’s heart, and almost instantly Maia’s thoughts materialised in his mind for a brief moment.
It’s her, not me, he thought, as he realised she was picking up on his surroundings, rather than he on hers. He concentrated now on Silas suffering, as well as his own plight, and this time he managed to keep her presence within his mind for longer.
“Over the mountains to the west,” Jaik said, gasping for air from the effort of holding Maia’s thoughts long enough to get the information he needed. “Travel through three countries, then over the mountain range. The journey will take a full moon cycle to complete.”
“Ah, yes, now vee understand each other.” The General rose from the chair. “I vant details. Draw map. Make it accurate, fasted vay, for I vill stay in your city until my men return vith princess of light.”
Jaik shook his head; even if he had gotten details from Maia, he would not give it to the Vampyres. The General must have known what he was thinking, for with a simple nod of his head, the other Vampyre drove his sword deep into Silas’ chest.
Jaik screamed with rage and launched himself at the General with his bare hands. At the same time, the doors burst open and his men stormed in, followed closely by even more men; Glark must have gotten word to the Commanders to return to the city.
For a moment, all Jaik could think about was Silas lying in a pool of blood on the carpet in front of the fire place. His rage spurred him on as he wrestled with the General and he did not even feel the General’s teeth sinking deep into the flesh of his arm.
To yells and the sound of steel on steel, Jaik used all his strength to bring the General to the floor. With a ferocity that surprised even him, Jaik beat the General with his fists over and over again until they were bloody. He felt the facial bones break every time his fists connected with the General’s face and, eventually, the General stopped resisting.
Blind with rage, not just his own, but Maia’s as well, Jaik kept up a steady stream of blows, even after the General stopped moving completely.
With tears streaming down his face, Filithrin and Glark eventually pulled him away.
Maia had never felt so awkward before. Not only had Blaid not told her he had a sister, but before her now stood a woman even more intimidating than the queen herself. Siana oozed self-confidence; knowing she was strong, beautiful, independent, and the world would bow to her feet.
Deep inside, Maia knew she was all of those things, too, but her insecurities always surfaced to tell her she was not strong enough, beautiful enough, independent enough, and the people would shun her if they knew her choices.
Besides the rude comment, Siana portrayed exactly the kind of woman Maia wanted to be. It made Maia think of her earlier thoughts and what held her back from achieving her full potential. What did Siana have that Maia lacked?
Lifting her chin, Maia pushed her insecurities down and took a step towards Siana. They were now almost uncomfortably close and Maia noted they were the same height.
“Lady Siana, what a pleasure to meet you. I was unaware Blaid has a sister. He has never spoken of you.”
“I apologise for my rudeness, Princess Maia. Even I was unaware of another princess within my castle. My brother failed to mention it before.”
As if on cue, both women looked at Blaid, tilting their heads in unison, their eyes narrowed. Caught off guard, Blaid took a step back. Lunar started growling. Blaid put up his hands.
“Please, forgive me, I was foolish. I did not think the presence of the one would affect the other so. It seems I was wrong. We came here only to beg for Father’s armies and we will not be staying long. And, in my defence, there was hardly time to tell you about Maia earlier.”
Again, as if on cue, both women raised their eyebrows at Blaid. Lunar growled louder, baring her teeth. Blaid stared at them, a shocked look on his face. Then, he started laughing.
“I should have known.”
“Known what?” Maia asked.
“Look at yourselves. You are the same. Good thing I was here when you two met. I don’t think you should ever be left alone together; the castle would stand no longer. Come, Maia, let my sister be on her way before you two start a war between our countries.”
“Wh …”
“I …”
Blaid stepped between them, taking Maia’s hand. “No, I know when I am beaten. I will not get in an argument with the two of you. Siana, I am sure you have more important things to do, and I was about to show Maia the rose garden before joining Mother and Father for lunch. I am sure we will see you at dinner.”
Turning, he dragged Maia along, walking down the hall with fast steps. Maia was uncertain of what exactly had just transpired, or how she felt. What lingered with her as they made their way to the rose garden were the smell of the wolf, Siana’s woodsy perfume, and, oddly, the smell of dragon.
Maia missed Wolf and seeing Lunar reminded her of him. Sinking her hands into the she-wolf’s thick fur had felt good, even if the wolf had been a little boisterous. The smell of wolf clung to Siana’s clothing as well, which was probably why Maia now thought of the smell of dragon. She always associated the two, as Wolf and Midnight were both her companions.
Not association, Midnight cut into her thoughts, dragons.
Maia almost stumbled as Midnight showed her what he had seen. Siana, atop a red Fire Dragon, landing in an abandoned field behind the castle. While Siana climbed down a hole, no doubt leading to an underground tunnel, the dragon took off again to hide out in the mountains. Midnight followed him, but the much smaller dragon had disappeared after flying over a tall ridge.
“What’s the matter? Are you all right?” Blaid stopped. “I am sorry about my sister; I did mean to tell you sooner. She can be somewhat abrasive.”
“Do you know she has a dragon?”
Blaid blinked. He cleared his throat. “What are you talking about?”