"And what if the Princess escapes or is rescued before Kaheendra is able to follow through with these, plans?"
The assassin gave Valgannon a look of contempt. "Suntari has spoken. You will abandon your quest here and immediately return to the Keep."
In a blur of movement, Valgannon thrust his second blade into the assassin's throat. He leaned forward and looked into the man's wide eyes as blood frothed out of his mouth. "Suntari will soon feel the edge of my blade against his flesh. Tis a pity that he sent you to deliver this message. He sent you to your death."
He twisted the blade and ripped it sideways out of the assassin’s neck causing his head to flop to the side as his body slumped to the cold alley floor. Valgannon stood and watched until the body turned cold before wiping off his blade on the man's shirt, and then pulled his other knife free from the assassin's shoulder and stepped out of the alley, vanishing into the night.
The Trap Set
Lucian, and the small party that traveled alongside him, followed the road to Kaheendra. It was only two days travel by horse unless a heavy rain came, which was common at this time of year as winter approached. Tophin was sent to Culdora to deliver the message, he had taken a bad wound from the battle at Ganth and Tarriel told him to go and let himself heal. He wasn't pleased, not wanting to leave the others, but followed her orders. Ambassador Kelbourne deemed it necessary to go deliver the message himself. He had doubts that the Headman of Ganth would listen to him and feared he might even be punished, but he wished to redeem his people and said that he would fight the Headman all the way to the dungeon if he had to.
The trees had all turned color, showing off leaves of a beautiful red, orange and yellow. Governor Ethelholm had given them permission to use some horses from their stables. Sanjeera had rolling plains stretching across most of their lands and on these plains roamed a large population of horses indigenous to Los. There were other breeds that roamed Los, but the Sanjeeran horses were the largest of the herds. Therefore, Sanjeera had a large cavalry. Lucian had always wanted a horse but his family was never able to afford one.
He picked a horse from the Sanjeeran stables that the soldiers warned him of. They said it was a mean spirited horse that was only good for battle. Lucian’s stood in awe when he saw it.
It was a large, beautiful, black gelding. As standards went, the horse was near perfect. It had small hooves, a long neck, and short back with a heavily muscled chest and legs.
Lucian approached the horse slowly so as not to spook it. He spoke to it in a soft, comforting voice while brushing its beautiful, shiny coat with his hand. The horse snorted in irritation at Lucian and stomped its front hoof against the dirt. Lucian stood patiently brushing the horse and talking to him for an hour. He had to let the horse get to know him and feel comfortable around him. When he finally placed the saddle on its back and fitted the tackle, the horse seemed a little more at ease. The guards that watched the horses, and the stable men that cared for them, all stared in wonder as Lucian mounted the powerful warhorse and was not instantly thrown.
A stable boy ran up to Lucian and reached out, handing him a sack of apples. "He loves apples for a morning treat, please take care of him." The boy seemed to be the only one who actually liked this particular horse.
"I'll not let any harm come to your friend,” said Lucian with warm smile. “What is your name?"
"Benton Angsley, Sir. He really is a nice horse. He just doesn’t like being beaten, that’s all." The boy directed a sneer to the other stable men and the guards, who only laughed at him.
Lucian cut them a glare. "Fret not, Benton Angsley. I will treat him as if he were my own. Tell me now, what is his name?"
The boy smiled from ear to ear. "I named him Thunder, because he rages like a thunder storm when people try to ride him. You’re the first I have ever seen to mount him without being thrown right after. Since there hasn't been any fighting for a while, they have not bothered with him. They don't bring him out to train like the others. I think he would enjoy getting out and stretching his legs."
"Well, I am sure he will enjoy our ride,” said Lucian. “Thank you for taking care of him all this time. Sometimes when everyone else gives up on you, a single love is all it takes to keep you alive. I imagine that if Thunder could speak, he would be thanking you for giving him a chance and caring for him."
Benton beamed at the praise. "Well I have more stalls to clean, I best be going. Take care Sir...um, what is your name?"
"My name is Lucian, no Sir. I am no knight." He held his wrist out to the boy. "It was nice to meet you Benton. I hope to see you again soon."
Benton raced up and gripped Lucian's forearm with all his might, "You can’t fool me Sir Lucian. That is the nicest set of armor I’ve ever seen.” With that, he ran off to finish his chores. He looked back to wave and started giggling when Lucian shook his arm in mock pain at the boy's strong grip.
Eliath eased his chestnut mare up close to Lucian's gelding as they rode toward Kaheendra. The two horses seemed to like each other’s company.
"So what did the priest tell you that made you decide to go to Kaheendra?" asked Eliath once they had been riding for some time.
"He has the gift of prophecy,” responded Lucian casually.
Eliath raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you put so much stock in prophecy?"
"Since I had a vision of my own,” said Lucian, keeping his voice low so the others would not hear.
Eliath leaned back in his saddle and looked to Lucian with wide, curious eyes. "Tell me of it."
"There is not much to tell really,” said Lucian, but quickly realized that he would not get by without saying something. “Most of it is hard to remember. It was a horrible vision. The people were all enslaved, worshiping an evil so great that it enveloped everything around it. I stood as a single flame amidst a sea of darkness.”
Lucian rode on for a while before talking again. "In the dream, and even when I woke from it, I felt an overwhelming sense of hopelessness." He looked over at Eliath, his expression was grim. "I believe that we may all die in this war. The odds seem so great against us. I think my vision was a revelation of doom."
Eliath gave him a look of reassurance. "Have you talked to the priest about your dream?" Lucian shook his head no. "Often it takes time to discover the truth of a prophetic dream, the true meaning being hidden and the outcome is sometimes altogether different from what you thought."
Lucian frowned at his friend. "Since when do you know so much about prophecy? And if that is true, what good are they if you can’t understand them?"
"Visions take time to comprehend. That is why I suggested that you speak with Solomon. He has great knowledge of these things."
Lucian threw his hand up in the air. "What good is it, talking to you? I will ask the Priest what he thinks." He shook his head in mock frustration and could help but return Eliath’s smile.
"A good thing that my warriors and I are going along with you on this journey,” said Tarriel as she urged her horse up alongside them. She was on another large white gelding warhorse that seemed to be leading her more than she was leading it. “The two of you are always giggling and smiling like little boys."
"Would you like Eliath to teach you how to ride that horse? It seems you are having trouble controlling him." said Lucian, with just a hint of a smile.
Tarriel cut her eyes at him. "The woods of Culdora are too dense to ride around on horses. We do not have but a few mules to help with tilling the fields within our city. But do not worry for me, this is a male horse, and like all males, he will soon bend to my will."
Lucian feigned confusion. "I was merely offering my friend’s assistance. He is very well trained in handling horses."
Tarriel looked to Eliath, who gave her a short bow, "I taught Lucian how to ride at a neighboring farm. It would be an honor to assist you in teaching that horse to obey your every command."
Tarriel raised her eyebrows and gave him a small smile. "I would like
that very much."
Lucian watched with amusement as Eliath broke away and started giving Tarriel pointers on how to better control her steed. Eliath seemed indifferent about the task, his normal demeanor. But Tarriel seemed to be enjoying the instruction very much. Lucian wondered if Eliath even noticed the obvious interest that she showed toward him or if he was just shy and thought better to ignore it than acknowledge it. Either way it was always interesting watching the two of them interact. After the moment he shared with Tarriel, he had grown quite fond of her and it made him happy to see her let down her iron facade for a bit, even in amidst all this uncertainty.
Lucian looked up to the sky, taking in the breeze with a deep breath. "We should make camp."
Tarriel and the others gave him a confused look. She gestured toward the clear blue expanse above. "But the sky is clear and we have at least another hour or two of daylight left. We should keep moving."
"Soon it will be raining and very dark. This is a good place for camp. Those trees are thick through there and will provide good shelter." Lucian jumped from his horse and started un-strapping his things. Eliath had started unpacking when Lucian had first mentioned it. Solomon followed suit while Tarriel and the other Culdorans looked up at the sky, wondering if Lucian was beginning to go mad. Finally, with a shrug, Tarriel swung her leg over the horse’s neck and dropped to the ground.
Moments after they all had finished setting up their makeshift shelters, dark ominous clouds seemed to roll in out of nowhere and the rain started coming down in thick sheets. Tarriel held out her hand from under the shelter, catching some of the droplets. She shook her head and gave Lucian a sidelong glare. "Since when did you become a wind reader?"
Lucian waved away her remark with his hand. "When you have spent as much time out in the wilderness as I have, you come to know when a good storm is coming. You can smell it on the wind."
When Lucian's eyes met Solomon's, the priest looked away and busied himself with sorting his gear. Lucian had noticed Solomon's head snap up when Tarriel had called him a "wind reader." Now the Priest looked troubled. But Lucian was tired, and decided he didn't want to delve into another strange conversation with the man so he just ignored the look. He shifted his bedroll to a position that looked most comfortable and lied down. It wasn't long before the weight of a long day's travel started pulling him into the realm of sleep, and he drifted off.
Claw and Fang
Eliath jumped up from his bedroll. Covered in sweat, he panicked to recall the dream he had just woke from. It was more of a message than a dream, meant as a warning from his brethren. When a hand rested on his shoulder he spun to see Solomon looking up at him with a concerned expression.
"What is it?" asked the Priest.
"Something comes. Danger draws near."
"How do you know this? The sentry is alert and has sounded no alarm." He pointed toward Lorani, who was sitting on a downed tree twenty meters away.
"They sent me warning." Eliath's eyes darted around as he started to wake up the others.
Solomon stared at him with a look of both curiosity and amusement, "They? I have not foreseen this in my visions, are you sure-?”
Before he could finish what he was saying, a large fury hand with thick talons swept in from behind him and knocked him through the air. He never saw what struck him.
Eliath yelled out in warning as the dark figure lunged in from the shadows and tackled him. The weight of the beast knocked the wind from his lungs but he couldn’t afford to pause. The worvak reared back and opened its jaws wide, but as it came down to bite, Eliath slammed his dagger through the roof of the beast’s mouth and into its brain.
He pulled himself out from under the heavy creature just as another came at him. This one seemed less reckless and circled Eliath with its arms out wide. He realized almost too late what the beast was doing, and spun to the right just in time to avoid the lunging worvak that had come at him from behind. The intelligence of the tactic surprised him. He hadn’t thought these creatures capable of such a thing. He had to backpedal quickly to avoid the sweeping claws of the first beast that was now charging him. As he moved he sensed more of the creatures coming in from all around the camp and realized just how much danger they were all in. He couldn’t afford a look over to Lucian but he knew that the boy would be a target.
With a growl, Eliath charged forward right into the first worvak, ducking under the beasts slicing claws. He plunged his sword into its chest but remembered his last encounter with the creatures and quickly abandoned the blade, and dove to the side, rolling to his feet. The second worvak leapt at him and he fell to his back, letting the beast sore over him while he thrust up with his dagger. The blade cut a deep wound into the worvak from its chest to hip and left it writhing around on the ground in pain. Meanwhile, the first worvak came on hard with the sword still embedded in its chest. Eliath let loose his dagger and it spun through the air, slicing into the left eye of the roaring fiend and dropping it to a sliding stop at Eliath’s feet. He bent to retrieve both his blades when another worvak slammed into his side sending them both rolling down a slope and out of the camp.
†††
Lucian woke to a scream. He tried to remember who it was that was on sentry duty. She screamed again, but this time it sounded more like a battle cry. He remembered now. It was Lorani. He reached for his sword when a large dark figure loomed into vision right in front of him. He saw the creature’s long, thick claws cutting through the air toward his face. He started to throw himself backwards out of the path of the sweeping arm when suddenly, it went flopping through the air, blood spewed out of the severed limb, hitting Lucian in the face. The beast howled out in pain until it was cut short as Tarriel lopped off its head, finishing the kill.
Her eyes met Lucian’s, the flames of rage burning within them, and he thought he saw her smiling.
"Worvak!" she screamed, and then turned and ran toward the sounds of battle.
Lucian heard the distinct sound of two large blades ring out as the two big Ortsk warriors unsheathed their long swords. The sound of their blades being freed was met with blood curdling roars that came from all around them. Large, dark, fury figures swept in from the shadows surrounding the camp.
Tarriel had roused the other Culdorans and they had already formed their tight circle of defense with practiced fluidity. They signaled for the Ortsk warriors to join the protective ring and the two men, also battle experienced warriors, quickly melded into the motion of the deadly circle. Tarriel seized the Sanjeeran messenger by his vest and threw him into the middle of the protective ring. As the beasts came on, the seasoned warriors moved together in perfect sync, working to beat back the beasts while singling them out one at a time and landing deadly strikes. But the strategy was developed to combat warriors with weapons and shields, men who feared being struck by a blade. These beasts were no such enemy. One large worvak accepted the stings of their blades as he charged into the circle, crashing through and swiping aside two of the woman. Chaos erupted.
Lucian retrieved his sword and started searching for Eliath. There was no sign of him in the camp and he started to panic. He caught movement and saw Solomon trying to push himself up from the ground with one hand while holding his other over a wound to his head, blood ran through his fingers. A worvak came out of the woods, rushing at him. He was still dazed and didn't see the beast coming. Lucian picked up a Culdoran spear and hurled it through the air. Just as the beast was leaping toward Solomon, the spear caught it in the back, right between the shoulder blades. The beast toppled and the momentum of its forward motion carried it ahead, slamming into Solomon.
Lucian started out toward the priest when he saw the man push himself up from under the dead beast. He signaled that he was all right, so Lucian turned his thoughts back to Eliath. He searched the ground and found signs of a struggle that led down the slope. It was too dark to see but he thought he heard Eliath call out. His heart raced as he sprinted down the slope toward his
friend.
†††
As the beast rolled with Eliath to the bottom of the slope, it tried to bite and claw him. He was thankful that he slept in his leather armor that now somewhat protected his back from the raking talons. When they collided with the flat ground at the bottom of the slope, he arched his back and pushed out with all his strength, launching the heavy beast off and away from him. Now that they were stopped, he wanted distance between them. When he rolled onto his feet he wasn't prepared for what happened next.
The worvak quickly came up on all fours but it did not attack. It stood poised, but only watched him. The clouds above parted for a moment, allowing the moonlight to illuminate the beast. It was huge, much larger than the worvak that he and Lucian had killed back near their home. Its fur was an inky black with a white patch on its chest.
The rain was coming down in droves now, soaking Eliath and the beast. Even through the thick coat of fur, Eliath could see that the creature was powerfully built. Just when he started to move in, to take advantage of the beasts pause, it spoke to him. He was taken aback and slid to a stop. Worvak were known to have some slight ability to speak, but this was different, much different.
"So we meet at last, Eliath, protector of the Divine child." It was the sound of two voices melded together. One was the low, growling tongue of the beast. The other was the retched whisper of the being that possessed it.
Eliath's eyes narrowed with recognition. "So Dar' Lahnrael has sent another of his lackeys to do his bidding? Name yourself brother!"
The beast let out a hissing, rumbling laugh. "We come for the boy, if you leave him to us, we will spare your life." The beasts glowing eyes looked around and he made a gesture as if to encompass everything around them. "If this is the plane of existence in which you wish to live."
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