Omensent: Princess Of Dragons (Book 5)

by Barry Gibbons

  "It appears as though someone did not want the Dragon Lord to reach our island alive." The queen murmured with a troubled expression. "But who?"

  "We have reason to believe that Yrinn the Outcast is behind the sudden reappearance of the blood elves among our people." Delilah told her grimly. "We think that he has returned from his banishment to gather more followers for Hetris, and to finish what he started over a century ago."

  "You think that Yrinn is leading the blood elves?" The queen looked shocked.

  "We believe so, my queen." Delilah sighed heavily. "There have been rumors for months that he had returned to the island, but we haven't been able to find any real proof." She gave the queen a serious look. "But proof or no proof, I'm almost certain that Yrinn is behind these attacks."

  "All we really know for sure is that someone really wanted to keep us from reaching your island." Damion told the elven queen with a frown. "They were even desperate enough to take a shot at me as we made our way through the city."

  Queen Serena was speechless. "Did you catch the person responsible?" She asked after several moments of stunned silence.

  "I'm afraid not." Damarius shook his head. "They disappeared before we could locate them."

  "What about the blood elf you captured on board the ship? What did he tell you before he died? Did he say who sent them?"

  "He didn't say." The old wizard sighed regretfully. "When Brody asked about Yrinn, Relvin said that he and Eldrin never met him."

  "Then who sent them?" The queen asked in confusion.

  "He died before we were able to find out." Shirk grumbled through a mouthful of toast. "Damion kicked him in his chest to avoid being stabbed, and the blow shattered his ribs, piercing his lungs. He drowned in his own blood before we could question him further."

  "That's unfortunate." The queen sighed in disappointment. "If we could have discovered who gave them their orders, we may have been able to track them down and find out where Yrinn is hiding. We could have brought a quick end to all of this mess!"

  "Don't worry," Raven assured her confidently. "We'll help you find this Yrinn, and the rest of the blood elves. They won't be able to hide from us for very long."

  "That is most heartening to hear." Queen Serena told her earnestly. "The followers of Hetris have destroyed the harmony of our island. The terror that their attacks are producing have my people afraid to leave their homes. Families are being torn apart by fear and suspicion because they are unable to trust one another for fear of being murdered. We cannot hope to survive this way. Something must be done to stop this madness."

  "Do you have any ideas on where we should begin our search?" Shirk asked curiously.

  "I'm afraid not." The elven queen frowned and shook her head. "Every time that we manage to locate some blood elves, they refuse to surrender, and continue fighting until they are finally killed. A few have even killed themselves once they realized that they were going to be captured." She held out her hands helplessly. "I'm afraid that we have little to help you in the search."

  "We can start with the father of the elf who attacked us." Damion murmured, filling a goblet with a fragrant, amber colored wine, and then taking a long drink. "I believe Brody mentioned that he is one of your advisors."

  "Yes, Jenen Hollygrove." The queen nodded. "He is the Elder of the House of Holly."

  "Is there any chance that he may be a blood elf?"

  "None at all." Queen Serena shook her head. "I have known Jenen since I was a child. He is one of my oldest and most trusted friends." She frowned sadly. "He is going to be devastated to discover that his only son was a blood elf."

  "Jenen is strong." Delilah told her confidently. "He will endure."

  "I'll send for him as soon as we have finished our breakfast." Queen Serena promised with a reluctant nod. "I just ask that you allow me to break the news to him of his son's betrayal and death. Jenen has a kind heart, and he will likely take this news hard."

  "Of course, your majesty." The huge warrior agreed immediately. "I wouldn't want to offend him." His expression grew worried. "I just hope that he won't be too broken up to be able to point us in the right direction. As it stands, we have nothing to go on. If this Jenen can't give us any clues on where to start our search, your people will be helpless if the blood elves strike again."

  Chapter 8

  "It appears that word has gotten around about your heavy handed way of dealing with merchants who attempt to avoid paying their taxes." Lady Skie informed Leia as they made their way towards Damion's office for another seemingly endless day of mind numbing tasks. "We haven't had a single merchant attempt to sneak away without paying since you quadrupled Wilm's taxes for bribery. I think that they're finally getting the point that such behavior will not be tolerated."

  "It's about time." Leia yawned sleepily. "I've been listening to all of you complain about having to deal with unscrupulous merchants for years. Now they know that if they attempt anything in the future, they can expect severe repercussions."

  "It's not the way that I would have handled things, but I can't say that it hasn't been effective." Lady Skie admitted. "The caravan leaders have all been unusually agreeable when it comes time for them to pay, which has saved the guards at the gate hours of complaints and snide remarks. The men are all much happier now."

  "So what do we have on the agenda this morning?" The young girl asked in a voice full of dread.

  "Let's see," Lady Skie quickly scanned a short parchment. "Not much, really." She said with surprise. "We received a new trade agreement from the Merchant's Guild in Crete. Ignan and Zayan have somehow managed to corner the market on all of the iron ore from the mines in the foothills, and they want to begin sending caravans up to Sierra to be shipped to a number of different countries."

  "We'll be more than happy to have them pass through." The young girl nodded approvingly. "The taxes that they'll generate should help replenish the treasury. What else do we have on the agenda?"

  "There are a couple of locals who wish for you to settle another dispute," Lady Skie murmured as she continued to scan her list. "and we have a caravan carrying gems from Kainpre being escorted through the mountains that should arrive sometime this afternoon. Considering that it's the first caravan that they've sent since they rebuilt the city, and they intend to set up a gem market here is Sevria, I thought it would be a good idea to greet them when they arrive."

  "Is that it?" Leia asked in surprise. Ever since taking over the responsibilities of running the castle, most of her days were filled with various meetings over trade agreements, solving disputes between locals, or searching through the budget looking for ways to cut costs.

  "We also need to go over the list of provisions that we need to restock the emergency supplies." Lady Skie told her. "You've managed to provide a considerable amount of the meat that we required to replace what was used over the winter, but more will still be needed."

  "Slither and I will work on it while we're out training this afternoon." The young girl assured her with a sigh. "It's taken quite a bit of work to gather what we have so far, though." Leia and Slither had been spending nearly every minute of their free time following the scarcely visible games trails that crisscrossed the valley in search of game, using Leia's newly developed skills in stalking from the shadows to take down her prey. "I didn't realize how much work that it would be to fill the list when I first volunteered for the job." She admitted wearily. "It has been a lot more difficult than I thought it would be."

  "Your efforts haven't been for nothing." Lady Skie reminded the young girl. "It would have emptied the treasury of what little gold we have if we would have purchased the supplies. We've managed to save a considerable amount of coin thanks to you."

  They arrived at Leia's father's office and found Sly, Slither, and Captain Repheth already there waiting for them.

  "Good morning, ladies." Captain Repheth greeted them in a cheery tone.

  "Good morning, Captain." Lady Skie smiled. "You look l
ike you're feeling better."

  "I am, thank you." The old man nodded. "I have found that ever since I took Edwin on as my assistant, I have a bit more time on my hands, which I've been using to catch up on a bit of sleep."

  "How is Edwin working out?" Leia asked curiously as she took a seat at the long table where they gathered every morning to go over the day's tasks.

  "Surprisingly well. I had thought you mad when you insisted that he assist me with my duties, but I have to say that it has made things quite a bit easier. He is able to handle most of the minor problems that tend to crop up, leaving me free to focus on the more serious issues. It's working out quite well."

  "I'm happy to hear it." The young girl carefully concealed a smile of satisfaction.

  "What do we have on the agenda today?" Sly asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

  "Not much." Lady Skie shrugged. "Why? Do you have something planned?"

  "I finally managed to secure a large enough supply of honey to use in my next batch of ale. We're planning on brewing it this afternoon."

  "There's really not anything that can't be handled without you." Leia told him. "Captain Repheth and Aunt Skie will still be here to help deal with things. Go ahead and go take care of your business."

  "Thank you, little one, but I think I'll linger, at least until breakfast. It's going to be a long day, and I'm not sure if I'll have time to eat later."

  After a quick breakfast of hotcakes and freshly toasted bread smothered in jam, they quickly set about completing the day's tasks. It didn't take long for Leia to pen a response to the trade proposal that Ignan and Zayan had sent them from Crete, then she quickly settled a minor disagreement between a pair of merchants that involved the disputed ownership of a walkway which led to both of their shops. After informing them that the walkway belonged to the people of Sevria, she sent them on their way, both looking a bit crestfallen.

  "I think that's all for now." Lady Skie informed them as they watched the merchants depart. "Is there anything else that you gentlemen need to discuss before we adjourn for the day?"

  "I wanted to speak with you about the goblins that have been seen lurking in the area." Captain Repheth told Leia, "They're becoming more bold. A dozen of the filthy creatures were seen less than a mile from Sevria. It won't be long before they begin attacking travelers."

  Leia looked to Slither. "Any luck in locating any of the dragonspawn? We could really use their help eliminating these goblins."

  "SSSlither hasss been unable to locate the ssspawn." The huge shadowspawn hissed, holding out his claw tipped hands helplessly. "It ssseemsss that they have abandoned the mountainsss altogether."

  "Have you ever heard of them doing such a thing before?"

  Slither shook his horned head. "Never. The ssspawn have alwaysss dwelt in thessse mountainsss. They would never willingly leave."

  "What could have the power to force all of the dragonspawn out of the mountains?" Captain Repheth asked, his expression baffled.

  "I can only think of one thing that would have the power to force the dragonspawn to flee the mountains." Sly murmured with a frown.

  "The Dragon God?" Lady Skie asked in an expectant tone.

  "Draco." The scruffy little man nodded. "I'd wager a hundred gold pieces that He has something to do with their disappearance."

  "Do you have any idea where they may have gone?" Leia asked Slither in a worried tone.

  "Nay," The huge beast shook its head. "SSSlither hasss ssscoured every place that the ssspawn usssually frequent, but there isss no sssign of them anywhere."

  "I guess that means that we'll have to deal with the goblins on our own." Leia sighed unhappily. "We can't allow them to begin attacking the caravans traveling through the mountains."

  "We don't have the manpower to chase the goblins away from Sevria," Lady Skie said helplessly. "and we don't have the funds to hire any more men."

  "I'll figure out something." Leia told them with more confidence than she felt. "Just give me a bit of time to think things over. I'll come up with a way to drive the goblins away."

  "I hope you can think of something soon." Captain Repheth told her. "If the goblins begin attacking caravans, the Merchant's Guild won't send any more until the problem has been dealt with."

  "If there isn't anything else," Lady Skie said, rising to her feet. "the caravan from Kainpre should be arriving anytime now. We should hurry if we want to be there to greet them."

  "I'm off to the brewery then." Sly told them with an eager expression. "If all goes well, I'll soon have the most sought after ale in the entire region. I'll be one of the richest men on the southern continent!" He laughed a giddy laugh.

  "It'll never happen." Leia told the others as the scruffy little man hurried off with an excited expression. "He'll end up drinking away all of his profits like he always does."

  "Aye," Captain Repheth agreed with a grin. "but at least he'll be happy."

  They quickly made their way out of the castle, then hurried down to the main guardhouse that had been constructed above huge gate leading in and out of the city to provide the men protecting the wall an unobstructed view of everything that approached.

  "Has the caravan from Kainpre arrived yet?" Leia asked one of the guards watching the trade road.

  "Not yet, milady," The man replied with a shake of his head. "The only caravans that have arrived so far today have all come from the north. But it's still early. They'll be along soon enough."

  "It looks as though everything went well with the planting." The young girl commented, gesturing to the freshly plowed field across from the battlements.

  "It went quite well." The guard confirmed with a nod. "It only took one of the work crews a couple of days to clear the field and till the dirt. They laid the seed a few days later."

  "Let's hope that it produces enough to help restore the reserves." Leia frowned. "It takes a lot of food to feed an entire city for the winter."

  "It really was a good idea." Captain Repheth told her approvingly. "I'm surprised that no one thought of it before now."

  "I agree." The soldier nodded. "The land was underutilized, and beginning to become overgrown again, making it difficult to see what may be coming from the forest beyond. Now we have a clear view of the forest, and the land is being put to good use. It was the perfect solution."

  "Why, thank you, gentlemen." Leia blushed slightly at their praise.

  It wasn't long before a train of wagons appeared in the distance and slowly began making its way towards the city gates. There were nearly a dozen wagons in total, all pulled by large shaggy oxen which plodded along at an agonizingly slow walk, and a dozen mounted warriors in black armor who trotted along side of the wagon train as an escort. They finally rolled to a stop just outside the gate leading into the city, and waited.

  Leia and the others hurried down to greet the awaiting caravan leader, who climbed down from his place on the lead wagon with a tired expression, but everyone stopped as a sudden roar drew their attention to one of the mounted warriors.

  "Greetings, Lady Leia!" The warrior slipped down from his horse and hurried forward with a huge grin on his unshaven face.

  "Juco?" Leia suddenly smiled as the odd looking warrior stopped before them and performed an elaborate bow. "What are you doing here?"

  "The people of Kainpre hired the Silent Shadows to protect their caravan of gems from being attacked by bandits and such." Juco replied, still grinning from ear to ear. "When I heard that the caravan was heading to Sevria, I decided I would accompany them myself and pay you a surprise visit."

  "I happy that you did!" Leia smiled, giving the strange little warrior a huge hug. "It's been too long since your last visit."

  Juco was a leader of a gang of fearsome mercenaries called the Silent Shadows, who fought along side of Leia's father during their struggle against the Etask. Hailing from Shirk's homeland of Arleia, Juco was a strange little warrior, standing barely five feet tall, with long matted hair had been pulled
back in a loose ponytail, exposing a long, jagged looking scar that ran down one side of his neck. Though he was surprisingly short, what he lacked in height, he more than made up for with his overly developed arms and chest.

  "Ever since the battle in Sierra, we have had more business than we can handle." Juco explained with an apologetic shrug. "We have been so busy that we've even had to take on some new recruits." He suddenly grinned. "I'm not complaining, though. We're making so much gold that we were able to purchase a new headquarters, and even outfit everyone with new armor." His armor, like the armor of his fellow Silent Shadows, was made of a thick, heavy leather that had been dyed a dull shade of black, and then carefully molded to his heavily muscled body.

  "It nice to hear that everything is going well for you and your men." Lady Skie smiled. "The people of Kainpre couldn't have more reliable warriors watching over their gems."

  "Thank you, Lady Skie." The odd looking warrior bowed to her once more. "I hope that our friend Trep over there feels the same way." He gestured to the tired looking man who had led the caravan.

  "Welcome to Sevria, Trep." Lady Skie greeted the weary looking man. "I hope your journey was uneventful."

  "We're lucky to have made it in one piece, if truth be told." The man grumbled darkly. "We encountered several roaming bands of dragonspawn in the grasslands, but Juco and his warriors managed to drive them all away."

  "Roving bands of dragonspawn, you say?" Captain Repheth asked, his expression concerned.

  "Aye," The man nodded. "The damned creatures appeared a few months ago and have been terrorizing everyone that they encounter." He glanced at Slither nervously. "The Deola took action immediately, of course, but the beasts always retreat underground where the tribesmen cannot follow."

  "Underground?" Slither asked in surprise. "Are you sssure?"

  The caravan leader jumped back in surprise, obviously unaware that the huge shadowspawn could speak the common tongue. "A-Aye, I'm sure. We spoke with the leader of one of the Deolan patrols who had been chasing some of the beasts, and he mentioned that they always retreat into goblin hollows."