She shuddered at the thought. “N-No, I can't. They've pledged their lives. They're here to help, to drive back the forces of darkness. They're friends.”
“Oh?” uttered the priest, brows arched. “You feel this strongly about them? Care for them more than you do your own people?”
“I never said that!”
“Perhaps,” continued the priest, “but we're in dire straits, Minx. You were sent on this quest for a dragon's hide, and do not think that you were sent on it lightly. Everyone is relying on you. There's no other way for us to prop up the wards. If we don't have a dragon's hide, immediately...” He trailed off, but the warning was plain. Without a hide, the territory was sure to fall to the enemy.
“But there is another way!” she pleaded. “We're prepared to fight as long and as hard as necessary to defend the Lake and the city! That's why the dragons have come! They're here to help, of their own accord.”
“You have unfortunately underestimated the threat we face, Minx,” explained the priest. “The Dark Mage, Torrent, has come for the light of the Lake—and he will take it. He is a force to be reckoned with, a spell-caster of unparalleled power. I applaud the courage of your friends, but they will not stand in Torrent's way. Though, if one would be willing to lay down his life, the magic of the elders could turn his hide into a worthy defense...”
She was sickened to hear him suggest such a thing, though it had crossed her own mind countless times in recent days. This was what her quest had been about the entire time. A dragon's hide. “But why? Why can't we fight him? He's strong, I know, but... surely together we can—”
For the first time, the priest took on a stern demeanor. “The choice is simple, Minx. Will you sacrifice one of those dragons and bring us his hide, or will you allow Torrent to capture the Lake and bring an end to all magic as we know it? Will you sacrifice one for the good of many, or will you hand him what he seeks on a silver platter?”
The choice was an impossible one. She couldn't bring herself to hurt Kaleb or the others, and she couldn't bear the thought of letting her people down, either. “I... I can't do it.”
“You have a choice to make, Minx.” The priest stood, walked to the door, and opened it. “I hope you'll do so quickly. The army, last I heard, is drawing close to the borders of Pandling Grounds. They will arrive by morning, I expect.”
Minx rose and shuffled out of the compound. She couldn't meet the priest's gaze, but asked, “So... this is what the Silence wants me to do? To hunt one of my allies?”
Before re-entering the building and shutting the door softly, the priest replied, “The Silence protects, Minx... no matter the cost. You see? Sometimes, the cost is great. It weighs heavily. But it must be paid.”
Chapter 22
At Minx's urging, the dragons departed from Heilo Lake and started into Pan, the tree city of the Fae where Minx herself lived. She needed some distance from the elders who were committed to pressuring her into a betrayal of her allies. I won't do it, she told Mau as they crossed the shaded paths and struck out toward her home. They still want me to hunt a dragon, Mau. But I can't do it—I can't betray these dragons who are risking everything to help us.
Mau had spoken her mind on the matter many times, but knew she could not sway her partner from this course. It would be underhanded to turn on them. But then... what other option is there? One dragon, or countless Fae? That's the choice here.
She felt the need to speak to Kaleb, to voice her concerns, and so tasked Mau with leading the other dragons up to their home. “Mau here will take you to my place where you can relax. It's not far from here. Kaleb and I need to talk, though. We'll join you shortly.” Breaking away from the group, she led Kaleb deeper into the woods. “We're going to meet someone,” she announced.
“Who?” chanced the dragon shifter.
Minx wove between the ancient trees, singling out the largest and oldest among them stationed in the distance. “I'm going to introduce you to old Winterlimb,” she said. “He's the oldest, wisest tree of all. Maybe he'll have some answers for us.” She sighed. “I hope so, anyway, because I'm losing steam, Kaleb. The elders are still pressing me for a dragon's hide. I don't know what else I can do.”
The dragon shifter nodded. “Of course they are. They're terrified and can't see any other way out of this. I understand where they're coming from, even if I disagree.” He strode beside her confidently, arms crossed. “The battle is set to start tomorrow, based on the army's current positioning, right?”
“So I was told...”
“Good,” continued Kaleb, “then we'll get a bit of rest, wake up early and prepare to make war.”
“You make it sound too easy,” she warned.
“It won't be. In fact, it's possible we'll lose our lives, lose the battle. That's the way these things go...” He tensed a little as he went on. “Since we met Torrent in battle, I admit my perspective has changed. I didn't know power of that kind existed, and I certainly didn't anticipate him joining up with the Wuffs. We're in uncharted territory here, so we'll focus on doing what we do best, you and I. We'll charge in, take down as many of them as we can and have fun doing it.”
“Is that all?” she asked. “Is that the plan? To have fun?”
He grinned. “I mean, aside from that unfortunate dustup with Torrent, that approach has served us pretty well up to this point, hasn't it? We're pretty good together, you and I. And hey, if they take me out... I guess you'll have your dragon's hide after all. I'll bequeath it to you, how does that sound?”
She shoved him, disturbed at the suggestion. “Don't even kid around about that. We'll pull through... I'm sure we will. Don't be morbid, Kaleb.” She sped ahead of him, closing the gap between herself and old Winterlimb. Arriving within arm's reach of the massive tree, she placed her hands against it and was immediately calmed by its presence.
“So... this is Winterlimb, huh?” Kaleb looked upward, trying to get a look at the towering ancient's canopy. “He's, uh... enormous. I can hardly make out the top of him!”
“He's the oldest, wisest tree in the bunch,” explained Minx. “He's been here longer than any of us, and he'll be here long after we're all gone.” She slumped against the tree's mammoth trunk. “He's a good friend.” Reflecting on the battle to come, she shuddered. “I hope we'll be able to keep him safe. The shields are weakening. The borders will become vulnerable soon. Pandling Ground's Trade Center will be the first to fall. Then Pan. After that... Heilo Lake and Gloirs Mountain will be conquered. If we don't stop them, that is.” She turned to him with a pleading gaze. “What can we do, Kaleb? We're going to be outnumbered, overpowered. Can we really hope to win?”
“We don't have a choice, do we?” Kaleb admired the old tree, leaning against it. “If we fail, we lose everything. So, I guess we'll have to give it all we've got. Losing isn't an option. Not this time around. Torrent caught us by surprise before; we'll be prepared for him tomorrow.”
“I hope you're right...” She laughed weakly. “I guess we'll find out soon enough.”
“It's getting late,” said Kaleb. “We should probably get ready for the night—plan our evening.”
The pair spent a few moments more in the presence of old Winterlimb before finally returning to Minx's place. The sun was beginning to set and their friends would be in need of accommodations for the night. Hiking up the steps and reuniting with Mau and the others in her tree-built home, Minx set about giving orders. “There are vacant quarters in the tree across from this one. Mau and I will stay here; you dragons take the other one. Seeing as how you can all fly, I suggest you each take a shift and spend some time flying around the territory, looking for movement in the night. If that army starts advancing before dawn, I want to know about it. Can you guys take scouting shifts and report back with any news?”
“We'll handle it,” said Kaleb, bowing out and leading the others to the vacant treehouse. “Get some sleep. See you in the morning.”
Minx and Mau found themselves
alone for the first time in a long while.
I'm going to take him up on that offer and sleep as hard as I can. Don't wake me till the barbarians are at the gates, please. Mau curled up to the right of the bed and closed her eyes.
How can you even sleep right now? Don't you know what we're up against tomorrow?
Sure I do, continued the Faelyr. I'm trying not to think about it.
Minx settled into her bed. After so many days on the road, she'd come to miss it. The comfort of a warm bed was not to be underestimated, and she quickly found herself yearning for a hot bath and a lavish meal, too. There wasn't enough time for all of that, though. She'd have to be content with a decent night's sleep. If you can pause the racing of your mind till sunrise, that is.
While she struggled to rest, she knew the dragons would be running reconnaissance through the night. If Valry's forces arrived within several miles of Pandling Grounds, she would be promptly alerted. This should have comforted her, allowed her to relax, but it had the opposite effect. I should be out there helping them keep an eye on things. She was assailed by guilt from every side. She'd failed her father, failed her people, failed the elders. Unless she and the dragons could pull off an unlikely victory, she would fail Heilo Lake, too. Torrent is coming to extinguish the light of the Lake. What's his goal? Why does a being with his power have to concern himself with the Lake?
Her father had shared a bit of intel with her during their last meeting. He'd told her that Torrent had plans for other half-Fae, like Alla. Here was another mystery. Why did Torrent have to take her away? What does he want with people like her? She hoped Alla was doing all right, that she hadn't been hurt by the spell-caster... or worse.
Gradually, she succumbed to sleep.
Minx was plagued by dark dreams that night. Her mind couldn't hold onto the imagery, but her dreamscapes churned with a foul, anxious energy that refused to abate. She tossed and turned, unable to remain comfortable for long, and occasionally awakened with an eye to the window, fearful that she might glimpse the newly-risen sun.
When the new dawn began stealing in through her window, Minx sat upright, her head heavy and eyes sore. Mau, she thought, it's time. Wake up. The sun is rising. With a grunt, she stood and adjusted her garb. She laced her boots in a hurry, topped off her quiver of arrows and tested her bow. She tucked a pair of daggers into her belt and stepped outside in time to catch one of the returning dragons.
The young dragon, racing up the steps toward Minx, stopped half-way up the tree. “Good, you're up. They're here,” he began, panting. “And... there's a lot of them.”
Kaleb emerged from the treehouse across the way, peering down at his fellow dragon. “What's that? How many are there?”
The scout had trouble replying. He paused a moment, attempting some mental math, but ultimately threw up his hands. “There must be thousands.”
Minx's entire body felt heavy as lead. “T-Thousands?” She cleared her throat. “Do you mean that? Thousands?” She had seen the army with her own eyes at the onset; the Wuff had been numerous, but there had not been thousands in their ranks. “No... that can't be right.”
“Yes... many thousands,” insisted the scout. “I wasn't prepared for something like this.” He looked up to Kaleb, heaving with panic. “When you said there was an army, I imagined, you know... a few hundred Wuffs! But there's more than Wuffs in there, and there's more than a few hundred, too! They're headed for the borders of the Trade Center, just a few miles off. They'll arrive within the hour at their current pace.”
“All right. Let's get ready to meet them, then,” said Kaleb. He was doing his best not to look shaken at this news, to take it in stride, but it was clear from the way he paced about the platform of the treehouse that he, too, had been unprepared for a force such as this.
There are thousands of them, Mau, said Minx, stepping back into her quarters. Thousands! How are we supposed to compete with a force that large? The Fae will supply a hundred, maybe two hundred warriors at the most. We have eight dragons and a Faelyr. I don't see how we can win... The army has grown since Torrent joined up. This must be the army of darkness the visions spoke of. Valry's army hasn't been destroyed, but it's been transformed by Torrent's forces, made stronger.
The Faelyr slunk past her, stepping onto the outer platform. It's a little late to worry about that, isn't it? They're on their way; all we can do is meet them and put up a good fight.
A new presence emerged from down below. Clad in his leather armor and accompanied by his trusted Lyr, was Minx's father. He wore a longsword on his waist, the kind of ceremonial weapon given to the members of the High Council. “Minx! Are you there?” he called from the ground. “They're marching—an army of immense size. They've grown a great deal since they last came. Torrent's doing, no doubt.”
Minx raced out to meet him, rushing down the steps. “Yes, father, I've been told. One of the dragons got a look at the army and let me know. He claims there are thousands...”
“Ah, yes,” replied her father, “I'd say that's accurate. The elders told me that you returned yesterday evening, and that you brought dragons with you. How many will be joining us? Are they on their way now from Talon Range? If they have sent a few hundred, it's possible we'll meet this challenge capably.”
The Fae huntress shook her head weakly. “No, father... I'm sorry. Kaleb and I appealed to the leaders of the Talon Range guard, but they were unable to come to an agreement. We brought seven other dragons with us, volunteers, but we don't have an army.”
Her father looked dazed at this report. “Seven dragons? Seven? Against a force of thousands?” He stroked the plumage of the Lyr perched on his shoulder, a keen-eyed War Eagle, and frowned. “We have, among the Fae, two hundred and fifty warriors. Swordsmen, archers, lancers... The archers have been placed atop the outer walls of the Trade Center. They will attempt to cut down the first wave and clear the way for the lancers to engage subsequent clusters. We intend to hold the Trading Center; the walls are not easily surmountable and the entry gate makes for a natural bottleneck. We have scouts patrolling the surrounding area, but they have not seen any activity elsewhere. The Wuffs are charging straight on, confident that they'll overwhelm us through the front door.”
“I understand.” Kaleb joined Minx and her father on the ground. “We'll shift and rampage through the masses. Perhaps we'll be able to break up their ranks and send them into chaos. This way, it'll be easier for the archers and lancers to pick off the stragglers. Minx, you should ride on my back; you're the best shot we have, and with me clearing the way, you can focus on higher-value targets. Sound good?”
She nodded. “I'll aim for their commanders—Valry and Torrent, in particular. If I can take them down, morale will suffer greatly and their forces will start to fold.”
Minx's father thanked the dragons for their service and set off for the Trading Center to rally the Fae. Before he left, however, Minx raced to meet him, tugging at his arm. “Father... have you heard anything about the captives—about mother?”
“No,” he admitted. “I haven't. If Valry kept her word... I assume the worst. I won't lose hope, but there's a real possibility that they have been executed.”
Minx's heart ached as she stood before her father. She couldn't bear to tell him what she'd learned the day before—couldn't share the content of the mysterious messenger's note. If that message had been true, then the hostages had been dead for several days. “All the more reason to give them all we've got,” she said.
Her father wrapped her in a brief hug, warning her as he turned to leave. “Be careful, Minx. It's possible I won't make it through this. But I want you to take care. If the battle takes a sour turn... retreat to safety with your friends here. Regroup and plan a different angle of attack. Just don't be careless and throw away your life.” With that, he began in the direction of town, a fist locked around the scabbard of his sword.
When the dragons were ready, they fell into line behind Minx and Mau, marching th
rough the forest, where numerous Fae—the elderly, children and infirm—watched them closely from windows and open doorways. A few of them cheered and waved, celebrated the small force as though they were heroes. Minx looked up at them wistfully. If we fail... what'll happen to all of them? I can't disappoint them. We have to win!
A steady march brought them into the Trade Center, and they found it occupied not by cheery merchants, but by rows of Fae warriors. Swordsmen stood at the rear—the last line of defense meant to cut down any hostiles that made it past the archers. The lancers stood in an orderly formation before them, their weapons held at the ready. The massive walls were crawling with archers; dozens of them paced about the cobblestones with bows in hand, ready to send a rain of arrows at the drop of a hat.
These warriors represented the greatest the Fae had to offer. They were skilled, efficient battlers—but no matter their strength, they would soon be vastly outnumbered. It remained to be seen how effective these paltry defenses would be in the face of an army many thousands strong. The enemy army, too, was fronted by none other than Torrent. Minx and the others could handle just about anyone in Valry's ranks without much trouble, but the Dark Mage was on another level entirely.
Approaching the front lines where her father was stationed, she peered out the entrance gate and watched as the first stirrings of the dark army became visible in the distance. She planned to stick with Kaleb; with his help, she would be able to attack targets from above, possibly sniping the higher-ranking members before they could deliver their orders. Considering the titanic odds they faced, Minx would have to capitalize on every possible opportunity to inflict pain and chaos on the opponent. The tactic seemed sound enough on paper; she wondered, though, how it would hold up in practice.
Mau strolled up behind her, testing the air. They're nearly here now. Are you ready, Minx?
I am. Be careful, Mau. I know you can hold your own, but we're going to get swarmed. It's possible we'll be separated. Don't get careless! The Fae huntress watched as waves of shambling combatants pressed on toward the Trade Center. They moved at an impressive clip, testing the patience of the waiting archers, who were now taking aim and weighing their shots.
How to Kill a Dragon (Heir of Dragons Book 1) Page 19