The enormous brown bear that had been walking near the fortress changed at once into a dwarf. He walked calmly up to the messenger bird and retrieved the letter. He reached down again and gave the bird some of the meat he had been chewing on before he had changed shapes. The warrior hawk took the food gratefully and focused on eating. Lord Nariko uttered some unintelligible words to the hawk, and the bird replied as if he understood what the druid was saying. They did this for a few minutes, and then the hawk went back to chewing on his treat. The druid's attention returned to the letter. He opened it and read it through quickly. It was almost exactly the same as the letter to King Kasim.
Nariko reached down and picked up the messenger bird and placed him on his left arm. He walked resolutely toward the main gate and demanded entrance. The doors opened slowly at his command, and there were onlookers all around trying to get a glimpse of this mysterious visitor. He continued to walk up the main thoroughfare until he reached the entrance to the castle. The king's guard halted him and asked him to state his purpose. He explained that he had an urgent message from Queen Daria Thejar's general. The contents of the note were intended for King Jarvis himself. They let him enter and bowed as he walked past them. The dwarves respected all shape shifters and would do whatever they asked. Lord Nariko Kromnog was revered as the most powerful and wise of the druids in Tuwa.
King Jarvis Dagnolir stood and bowed slightly as the druid entered the king's council room. Lord Nariko stopped where he was and returned the show of respect. He was the king's most trusted friend and confidant. They would be able to decipher the truth of the message and generate the appropriate response. Reasoning together had always yielded the best result in the past, and it would not be any different this time.
"Mighty king, this warrior hawk brought us this letter from a General Yukio Ibreshri. He is the general of Queen Daria's armies and the husband of the newly crowned queen of the high elves, Kira Tiranidrol. They say that the guardian Kana inspired the break from King Ciel's people and the formation of their new nation. They also believe that the union of this man and this elven princess was blessed by this Elemental. However, I sense that there is treachery on the part of this particular guardian," explained the master druid. Of all the Elementals, Kana is by far the worst! She is up to no good. I can feel it.!
"You feel that this particular Elemental does not have the blessing of the other guardians in this matter? What does that mean?" wondered King Jarvis aloud. He knew that by reasoning together that they would discover what the real intent of this message was, even if the sender did not know the real intent.
"The beasts of Tuwa have warned me that there is a rogue Elemental about. They say that the other guardians are working right now to defend themselves and the people of the different races from this dangerous threat. There is much activity across the west lands that we are not aware of," explained Nariko darkly.
"So, you believe that Kana is the rogue Elemental. I sense that you have hit the mark in this matter. We must not ally ourselves with the wrong side if there is to be a war involving the guardians. It is clear that this intervention by the Mistress of Fire and Air was not something the guardian council consented to," the king said while stroking his long, silver beard. "We will reject the claims of this letter and decline in joining in their treachery. After I have written our response, please give the letter to the messenger bird. Once the hawk has left, I need you to gather more intelligence for me. I will prepare the fortifications of our people so that we could withstand a lengthy siege. I do not want to be caught off guard," explained King Jarvis.
"I will go and do everything within my power to accomplish your command. I may be some time while gathering information, but I will send the usual messengers to you to give updates. I recommend gathering food, water, and other supplies to last for two years. Also, command those that live topside to come within the protective walls of the fortress."
"You are truly wise, my friend. I will do as you have suggested. Go now; speed will be our greatest ally."
The druid bowed as the king handed him the finished letter and departed. He took the note and tied it to the leg of the warrior hawk. The hawk had not left his arm the entire time. Nariko probed the mind of the beast to see if it had understood anything that was said. It had, so he was forced to alter the poor creature's memory. After he had done this, he released the bird into the air, and it immediately flew west toward King Kasim. After the visitor had departed, he changed back into his bear form as he exited the fortress. He knew what was required of him and that he would have to be quick in fulfilling his mission.
General Yukio led the massive army of Queen Thejar's men at a quick pace along the trail he had established between the Nairi Canyons and Mount Quang. He had not seen his hawk for many days now and was beginning to worry. He had sent scouts ahead of the army to watch for possible traps or ambushes. So far they had discovered nothing, but they said that there was an ill wind blowing down the side of Mount Konane. There seemed to be a gloom gathering around its peaks, and strange sounds echoed down the mountainside. When Yukio continued to receive this same report from his scouts, he picked up the pace. He left a sizable force along the road as he had previously planned and instructed them to act as a rear guard while they crossed in front of the ominous mountain.
As the main body of the army passed into the shadow of the mountain, a shriek ripped through the air. It was not an echoing sound from Konane; it was from the skies above them. Yukio's head snapped up as he recognized the call of his warrior hawk. He was descending rapidly to where his master was at the head of the cavalry units. The bird came up abruptly to land on his arm. There were two notes on its legs. He quickly removed them and read their contents. His face flushed red with anger as he finished the last note. He turned his attention to warrior hawk as if he were reading the bird's thoughts.
"Bronwen, may I have a private word with you?" asked the general while trying to remain calm.
"Of course you can," replied the chairman of the High Council. He spurred his horse on to catch up with Yukio as he headed off the road to the north. It was clear that the general did not want to be overheard.
"What did the dwarven kings say?" asked Bronwen hesitantly.
"They rejected our plea outright. King Jarvis politely reminded me that they do not interfere with other races' affairs. King Kasim vehemently refused to side with elves of any kind," Yukio explained furiously.
"Well, it is up to us then to defend the high elves from all potential threats," replied the chairman confidently.
"There is more to this than what was in the letter. My hawk was able to tell me more about what took place than what is in the letters," explained the general. "He informed me that there is a massive gathering of people and beasts on either side of the Blaine River as far south as the dwarves. He could not tell for sure which races were gathering, but their intent was that of war." I bet the dwarves are too afraid; that is probably why they have turned their backs on us.
Bronwen sat on his fidgeting steed in stunned silence. He had the sinking feeling that there was more bad news to come. He simply did not believe that the dwarves would refuse to help them when the most revered guardian of the dwarves was on the high elves' side. He did not understand why they had rejected the plea. There had to be more to this than what he had heard thus far. He nodded for the general to continue his report.
"King Kasim seemed to have no other reason than to refuse assistance based on their laws and traditions of isolationism. He does not particularly like elves, so it was not difficult to see why he took the stance that he did." Yukio was not smiling as he was explaining all of this to Chairman Bronwen. "King Jarvis, on the other hand, had a great deal more wisdom and put more thought into his answer. He really believes that there is an all-out war brewing and is investigating the buildup of armies in Tuwa. His reasoning makes a good deal more sense than King Kasim's reply."
"So, did King Jarvis consult with Lord Kromnog? If s
o, we should take this information very seriously," Bronwen said while trying to sooth his mounting fears.
"Yes, they counseled together about our request and the reports of an impending war," answered Yukio.
"Then we must make haste back to our queen so we can prepare for the worst!" the chairman said excitedly. This trip had been much more difficult than he thought it would be. He knew that something was coming and that it was not going to be very pleasant. He just wanted it to be over so they could truly make a fresh start in their new home and build up an enlightened civilization.
"You are right, of course. I am going to send you on ahead to pass on this information to the queen and the council. Have them convene at once to deal with the claims of Princess Kishi so we can be done with that issue. We will need absolute unity to weather the coming storm," Yukio explained. He knew that if any division occurred that his army would have to work twice as hard to protect the high elves. The cost maybe too high for him to ask of his men. They could fight a war easily in their homeland of Nairi, but in a foreign place it would be very difficult. They would be successful in the end, but many lives would be lost in the cause.
Bronwen nodded his agreement and departed with the high elves that had accompanied them on their journey. The general then addressed the men to give them an update and to alter their orders. He knew that his army was powerful and could withstand the coming battles, but he wanted to make them aware of the difficulties that lie ahead.
"Men, we will have to be on our guard at all times from here on out. I have received intelligence that an army is gathering in the south and will be heading this direction very soon. I take comfort in your abilities and in the support we have from the mighty Mistress Kana. She will aid us in our cause of freedom and in the defense of our ally!" bellowed the general. His voice sounded firm and reassuring.
There was a murmuring of agreement as the general spoke. However, when he mentioned the guardian, there were shouts of disagreement and defiance. Many of the soldiers believed that they were so powerful that they did not need the help of some female god, or any other god for that matter. They firmly believed they could stand against the armies of Tuwa and beat them all. They would not yield the land they had been sent to defend.
Yukio had never seen such pride among any of the races. He was concerned that they were overestimating their abilities and setting themselves up for a hard fall. He knew that he should squash their self-glorification, but he could not bring himself to do it. The troops would need a sense of pride and a solid belief in their abilities if they were going to successfully defend themselves and the high elves. Even though their egos may be their undoing, he believed that it would keep them safe for the time being.
"Men, we will be victorious no matter what the enemy may throw at us. We will fight to defend the free lands of Tuwa!" exclaimed General Yukio. He was good at inspiring his men and bolstering their resolve. He wanted to focus the attention of the troops on the reason they were here so that their energies were directionally correct.
Shouts of approval rose from the ranks, and the general raised his sword repeatedly in the air to cadence the exclamations from the army. As the chanting died out, weird echoing noises were heard coming down the mountainside at them. These unnatural sounds brought everyone back to their senses, and they hastened their march to Alanderas. They felt a renewed surge of purpose and commitment to the cause at hand. They were all afraid at the same time while in the shadow of Mount Konane. They hurried along the base of the mountain when rumblings shook the heights above and the road they were traveling. It lasted longer than a typical quake, and its source was clearly an unnatural one.
"Steady men! Keep moving!" ordered General Yukio. What evil shakes the earth so?
The rest of the march to the capital city of the high elves was peaceful and without incident. Many of the soldiers believed that Mount Konane was a cursed place even though there were no more rumblings. None of the troops wanted to be stationed along the road anywhere near the accursed mountain. The general had to give in to his men and not force them to guard that portion of the route. Check points were set up before and after the mountain along the road. Noises could still be heard coming down from the mountain, which only strengthened the superstition that the entire mountain was haunted by evil spirits from the cursed north lands.
Despite the fear the men felt around the neighboring mountain, their pride and determination returned in full force once they began to fortify the city of Alanderas. The combination of the high elven home guard, their standing army, and the army of General Yukio made for an impressive defense. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that this city had become one of the most powerfully entrenched strongholds in Tuwa. After all of the preparations had been completed, there was a celebration honoring the soldiers and the builders of the fortifications. The city was now complete and other matters could be attended to.
Queen Kira had not forgotten the last meeting with her sister, and she wanted to put an end to the dispute once and for all. She believed her sister had no real support in her claims, so she would convene the High Council tomorrow to settle the pointless dispute. She understood what Bronwen and Yukio had been saying for some time now that unity would be vital to the survival of an all-out assault on the capital.
As the sun began to hide itself after the completion of another day, Queen Kira sat on her balcony pondering the events that would take place tomorrow at the council meeting. She wanted to be prepared for any eventuality, so she tried to think like her sister. Why was she so upset with what I have accomplished? I have saved many from a terrible fate and have garnered the support of a guardian. They would not only be a protected people but a blessed one as well. What could possibly derail our success at this point? She did not notice the long shadow of her husband as he stood looking at the sun setting in the west. He too was consumed in his own thoughts so that he did not realize his wife was right there.
"My love, I did not see you there. What is troubling you?" asked Yukio. He was startled to find his wife had been sitting there all along. It is certainly a good thing that she cannot read minds.
"My dear husband, I am troubled about this dispute with my sister. I have an uneasy feeling that something is wrong, and it is with me every minute of the day. I feel like something horrific is about to happen, but I cannot be certain if it involves my disagreement with Kishi or if it is something else entirely," Queen Kira explained wearily. She seemed a bit distracted as she spoke to Yukio.
"I do not believe that you have anything to worry about when it comes to your sister. She loves you very much and is just trying to find her proper place in this new country. She will likely say hurtful things until she is comfortable with the changes that have taken place. She will come around eventually. I foresee her being your strongest ally," explained Yukio calmly.
"Then why am I so consumed by this feeling of fear and dread? Why am I physically sick without knowing what it is that is worrying me? I do not like it, and I do not know how to shake it," she said with a pleading tone in her voice. She was trembling slightly from her discomfort.
"My angel, you have nothing to fear as long as I am here. My army will protect you from whatever the elves or the men of Landen and Aran throw at us. These walls will protect you from whatever the outside world contrives against your people. I truly believe that you will be safe as long as you remain inside the interior walls," Yukio said confidently.
"You are definitely my rock and the light in the darkness. I feel better already. It was as if a weight had been lifted from my shoul ders as you spoke. Let's retire for the evening. I have not slept much lately, but I think I will sleep well tonight. This whole nightmare will be over soon enough, and we can finally move on," she said while stifling a yawn.
"Yes, let us get some rest dear. Everything will be all right. I promise," he said as they left the balcony. As long as I have breath in my lungs, I will keep you from harm.
The queen could not
believe what she had just experienced in the council room. She had no idea that Kishi was going to divide this newly created nation in two. She lay on her bed with that sick feeling ravaging her stomach. She still could not shake the ominous, dreadful sensation even though she just had the most gut-wrenching experience she could have ever imagined. She knew that she should not have attacked her sister, but she simply could not believe that her sibling would be so treacherous. Anger and disbelief coursed through her body as she sat up to look at her silent husband.
"I thought you said she loved me and would be my biggest supporter!" she snapped hotly.
"I know what I said. Her time for understanding has not come yet. Please be patient a little while longer. I am sure she will come around. Maybe the two of you were meant to rule the high elves together. Maybe by crowning you queen and making her a princess caused an unintentional rift between you. You know that I can read minds, so believe me when I say that your sister does love you," Yukio pleaded with his wife. She had better get a hold of herself now or all will be lost.
Silence enveloped the room while they stared at one another. The queen's expression began to soften as she felt her husband's words bringing her a measure of peace. She did not know what she would do without the strong support of such a devoted husband. He always knew exactly what to say and when to say it. He had his flaws for sure, but he complimented her in ways no one else could. She felt the anger and frustration leave her body as though she was slowly deflating. She stood up and walked to where Yukio was standing.
The Broken Council Page 10