"We need to get to Barouk in Lanoir," Arik stated. "I understand that we can get a ship to Marchek from here. The only other thing we need is to get that message to Alex and Jenneva in Tagaret."
"The ship is no problem," responded Reese. "We have one planned to go out in three days. I will ensure that it is ready to leave this afternoon if you wish to leave early. As for the note, it sounds like I am going to have to send some men up to Cleb to find out what happened to our operation up there. One of them can continue on to Tagaret with your note."
"It is not safe for you to reclaim your business in Cleb right now," frowned Arik. "Azmet has thousands of followers there. He owns the city. You will not be getting any freight through there at all. Save the lives of your men."
"I will consider your advice on that matter, but I need to learn more about it," Reese said.
"Tedi and I met up with Wylan in Cleb," offered Arik. "He knows much more about it than I do. He also knows about the destruction of Southland."
"Southland?" echoed Reese. "We have not had wagons from there in two weeks. What has happened at Southland?"
"Azmet spread the Black Plague," informed Arik. "Most of the people were dead when the Baron asked him to go warn Cleb. He got to Cleb too late."
"This is serious, Arik," worried Reese. "These cultists are cutting our country in two. One can assume that Klandon will be next."
"There must be some way to get a message through," pondered Arik.
"Well I was going to send a package to Tagaret next month," mused Reese. "Perhaps I can free a man and send it early. It is a birthday present for my son, Larc."
"Larc is your son?" exclaimed Arik. "I did not know that."
Reese grinned widely as he rose from his chair, now knowing for sure that the heir sat before him. He walked around the desk and fell to one knee before Arik.
"He is indeed, Sire," declared Reese. "My wife, Carlene, is Larc's mother. I have been his father since he and Alexander Tork led the villagers to Bordon. You cannot imagine the joy your visit brings to me."
***
Tanya and Jenneva mounted their horses while Alex emptied a breast pocket for Prince Midge to ride in. After Alex mounted, the Rangers rode along the drive and exited the estate that the Red Swords called home. When they had proceeded far enough away from the estate to ensure their privacy, the Rangers' unicorns cast the spell that enabled them to fly. They took to the air, en route to the Horn of Lanoir.
They had not been airborne for more than a few minutes when Kaz's wings simply disappeared.
"Magical attack!" screamed Jenneva as Alex plummeted towards the ground with Kaz. "Spread out."
Yorra immediately soared higher carrying Jenneva up towards the Darkness. As Yorra soared ever higher, she changed direction to the north and headed back towards the Red Swords' estate.
Tanya ordered Frea to dive towards the ground, and the unicorn went into a steep dizzying dive. Tanya tried to search for the source of the attack as the wind tore into her eyes, but all she could see was the forest rushing up towards her.
Can you cushion Kaz's fall like you did for Alexander in the pass?
I can try, Frea, but can you beat them to the ground?
I am not sure. I have never flown this fast. I am worried about hitting the ground myself.
Try. I will ready the spell.
Prince Midge stuck his head out of Alexander's pocket.
"This does not look good, Alex," Midge shouted.
"Kaz is trying to summon his wings," Alex shouted back as he clung to Kaz. "It does not appear to be working. You should get out of my pocket before we hit."
Prince Midge edged out of the pocket and the wind quickly grabbed him. He managed to grab onto Alex's hair before he was swept upward. Prince Midge tried to cast a levitation spell on Kaz as they rushed towards the ground, but he found himself confused without a plane of reference.
Alex saw fireballs shooting up from the ground and looked below. He saw Tanya and Frea diving straight for the ground amid a storm of flaming projectiles coming from an area near the main trail to the east. His vision grew blurred as the trees rushed up to meet him.
"Let go!" Alex screamed to Midge as the branches started to fly past him.
Alex felt Prince Midge release his hair just before a protruding branch whipped into his leg. Alex mentally prepared for his final impact with the ground, but instead of the jolt he expected, he felt the soft magical cushioning of Tanya's spell. Even with the spell dampening their descent, Alex and Kaz hit the ground hard enough to wind them both.
That was impressive flying, Frea. I thought we were going to die.
So did I, Tanya. I do not want to have to do that again. I thought for sure we would slam into a tree even after we avoided the impact with the ground.
Tanya jumped off Frea and raced to Alex and Kaz. Kaz's body was scratched on his flank, and the leg of Alex's uniform was badly torn. Neither one of them moved, but she could see that they were breathing. She eased Alex's foot out from under Kaz and checked his leg. It had a nasty gash several inches long, but it did not appear serious. She turned to examine Kaz.
"Thank you," breathed Alex. "I thought it was all over. You have a fine habit of saving me."
"Glad that we could," smiled Tanya. "Frea is the one to credit though. I did not think we would survive her descent. How do you feel other than your leg?"
"Very sore," replied Alex, "but I can live with that. How is Kaz?"
"The scratches are not bad," Tanya answered. "Unless there is damage that I cannot see, I think he will be fine."
I am fine. Just let me rest a bit.
Tanya heard distant shouting and she started to reach for her sword until she recognized the voice. She tilted her head upwards and peered into the tree branches.
"Prince Midge is stuck," Tanya announced. "I am going to climb the tree."
Tanya moved to the large pine tree and began scrambling up it. Midge was stuck a fair distance up the tree and when Tanya got close, she could see his wing had been pierced by a pine needle. He dangled from the end of the branch, and Tanya could not reach him.
"Don't shake the branch," warned Prince Midge. "It will enlarge the hole in my wing."
"How do you suggest I get you down?" asked Tanya.
"Can't you use magic?" questioned the fairy.
"And why didn't that occur to me?" laughed Tanya. "Get ready little warrior."
"I was born ready," chirped Prince Midge.
"Wait," frowned Tanya. "Will you be able to fly with the hole in your wing?"
"Not well," admitted Midge, "but enough to float to the ground safely. Fairies get holes like these during mating season. I guess we have a tendency to fly crazily at those times. It will heal in time."
Tanya suppressed a giggle and sent a soft gust of wind that gently propelled Prince Midge off of the pine needle. She watched as he spiraled down to the ground. A flare of orange light caught Tanya's attention, and she turned her gaze eastward. She saw a large group of Dark Riders and a couple of dozen Black Devils, and a shiver coursed through her body. One of the Black Devils was trying to hit Tanya with a fireball, but the distance was too great. The evil magician was trying to lob the flaming projectile high into the air to extend its reach, but all he was accomplishing was starting a forest fire. Tanya swiftly descended the pine tree.
"We have to leave quickly," announced Tanya. "There are a couple dozen Black Devils and scores of Dark Riders east of us. They have managed to ignite a fire that will tear through this forest much too quickly. We are in its path."
Alex nodded silently as he stood up. He bent and scooped up Prince Midge and placed him in a pocket. Kaz was already standing and Alex mounted the unicorn. Tanya cast a spell before she mounted Frea, and unnaturally dark clouds appeared over the forest. Torrents of rain cascaded out of the dark clouds and fell on the parched forest.
"Make it bigger," prompted Alex.
"It is large enough to douse the fire already," repli
ed Tanya. "I cannot save the trees that have already ignited, but no more trees will burn."
"I understand," nodded Alex, "but the heavy rain will slow down our pursuers as well. Increase the area of the downpour if you can. It will buy us some needed time to find Jenneva and Yorra."
Tanya nodded and smiled as she adjusted the spell to increase the size of the storm. Her head felt giddy as she strained to increase the fury of the tempest, and lightning bolts seared out of the clouds. Tremendous claps of thunder pealed throughout the area.
"Which way do you think Jenneva went?" asked Tanya.
"I am not sure," frowned Alex. "I would guess that she would go away from the attackers and then circle back close to the ground to get back to us undetected. Seeing as we did not know what direction we were being attacked from, I suspect that she would have headed over the territory we have just traversed. At least we know that is where the attackers are not."
"So we head to the north?" quizzed Tanya.
"We certainly have to leave this spot," shrugged Alex. "North is just my best guess."
Alex and Tanya rode northwest to give the storm a wide berth and then turned towards the north. It was not long before he found Jenneva coming towards them.
"Is the storm yours or theirs, Tanya?" asked Jenneva.
"It is mine," Tanya answered. "They started a fire and I meant to put it out. Alex suggested making it larger to slow them down."
Jenneva nodded approvingly and then asked, "How is everyone? Any serious injuries?"
"Just scratches," answered Alex. "Prince Midge has a pierced wing. He will not be flying for a while. Kaz and I could use some cleaning up and something to aid the healing of our scratches."
"I think it is the Ravens group that followed us to Trekum," interjected Tanya. "I managed to get a look at them from a tree. How did they down Kaz?"
"I suspect they have learned from Tice that the unicorns are now allied with us," frowned Jenneva. "The unicorns' spells are actually auras. Hiding the horn is a small aura specific to only one area. Their flight spells are not small though. In fact, they encompass the entire body of the unicorn. If you shatter the aura, you counteract the spell."
"So they can continue to bring the unicorns down when they are flying?" asked Alex.
"Absolutely," confirmed Jenneva. "You are fortunate that Kaz was able to recover in time. You could have plowed into the ground."
"Actually he did not recover," responded Alex. "Tanya once again slowed our descent as she did for me in the pass. Is it possible for the unicorns to recover from that? Kaz tried, but could not."
Jenneva smiled at Tanya and nodded. "Yes they can recover," she said to Alex. "It helps if they are prepared for it though. If it comes as a shock, which it probably did to Kaz, recovering can be difficult."
"Well I think we should keep this journey on the ground then," decided Alex. "We would be much too vulnerable in the air, and we risk two lives each time they attack. On the ground they will have to play our game."
Chapter 16
Race to Lanoir
"We are going to have to engage Sarac's Ravens, if that is who attacked us," Alex declared as they rode westward through the forest. "We cannot afford to lead them to Lanoir, and they have too many reserves to call upon between here and there."
"It did look very much like the group that Prince Midge identified outside of Trekum," interjected Tanya. "There were scores of Dark Riders and dozens of Black Devils. I could not take the time to count them better than that."
"I am sure it is Sarac's Ravens," added Jenneva. "They were looking specifically for us, and they would be the first group to learn of our association with the unicorns."
"How do you know they were looking for us?" quizzed Alex.
"I do not think many Black Devils would know the spell to disrupt the aura of the unicorns' flying spell," reasoned Jenneva. "Those magicians not only knew the spell, but they attacked our lead rider before we reached them. That means that they were expecting flying unicorns and watching for them. Only our swift reactions saved Tanya and me from being downed, as you were Alex. They planned to ground all of us."
"That does make sense," Alex agreed. "It also points out that they are kept well-informed. They must communicate frequently with Sarac."
"And it will be difficult to hide from them," cautioned Jenneva. "Our destruction is their goal, and they will stick to our trail like a river to its bed. You are right, Alex. We will have to fight them."
"We could start monitoring smaller spells," suggested Tanya. "That will let us know what they are up to."
"It will," agreed Jenneva. "Be assured that they will be doing the same to us. I think your talents will be a surprise for them though. They will not be expecting two mages in our group. They will undoubtedly use transformation to locate us. Alex, how many ravens can you shoot down if they send more than one at a time?"
"That depends on whether they see us first or not," puzzled Alex. "I should be able to get one as long as they stray into my range. If they are caught unawares, I can get the second one before he reacts to the death of the first."
"And if they send three?" posed Jenneva.
"It is not possible for me to get three unless they are tremendously stupid," frowned Alex. "Both the second and the third would have the same amount of warning when they saw the first plummet to the ground. I should only be able to get one of the remaining two before the other moves out of range."
"Do not forget that I am good with a bow as well," interjected Tanya. "As long as I know which ones Alex is going for, I could get the third. I am not following your line of thought though. What are you planning?"
"I had forgotten about your warrior skills," admitted Jenneva. "I think I tend to consider you a mage now and forget your other skills. To answer your question, I am not sure what I am planning. I have no doubt that we will see birds flying overhead to locate us. As soon as we kill one, the Ravens will know our location and converge on us."
"That is only if they know we have killed one," argued Tanya. "If we can remain far enough apart from the main group, it will be some time before they realize their scout is missing."
"Precisely," nodded Jenneva, "that is why they will send out more than one at a time."
Conversation halted as Alex led the group across a small stream and then turned towards the south. He avoided the trail that ran along the stream and chose instead to lead the group through the cover of the forest.
"I think I see the point of your questions now," resumed Tanya. "We not only deprive them of the knowledge of our position, but we eliminate their mages each time they try to find us."
"Perhaps," frowned Jenneva. "They could send six ravens and my plans will fail. It is really pretty hard to figure out what they will do."
"That is because you are allowing them to make you react to their moves," interrupted Alex. "If you want to control the battle then we should initiate it."
"You mean attack them?" asked Tanya.
"Why not?" posed Alex. "If we pick off a few of their mages it will not hurt them greatly. They could send a runner down to Toresh for replacements. And not just for the mages. Now that they know where we are, I suspect that they have already sent a runner to Toresh. Sarac wants us badly."
"Twenty Black Devils are not something to trifle with," warned Jenneva.
"And you think eighty Dark Riders are?" retorted Alex. "I did not say that our odds of victory would be good. What I am saying is our odds get better if we control the battle. We are still likely to fail."
"If we know what spells they are monitoring," interjected Prince Midge, "we could use that information to our advantage."
"And lure them to a place of our choosing," nodded Tanya.
"That is what I was thinking about," grinned Alex. "If we can separate the mages from the Dark Riders, we will have two very different battles."
"How can we separate them?" asked Jenneva.
"By flying across a physical barrier," suggested Al
ex. "That stream we crossed flows into a river. By choosing a spot on the far riverbank that is leagues away from a ford, we will have set up a natural barrier that would stop the Dark Riders."
"But not the Black Devils," agreed Tanya. "What would they do?"
"I am not sure," frowned Alex. "They have a number of options. The Black Devils could cross the river and try to kill us without the aid of the Dark Riders."
"Or the Black Devils could try to keep us occupied until the Dark Riders found a ford and crossed the river," offered Prince Midge.
"Or they could choose not to engage us at that time," sighed Jenneva. "It is impossible to figure out what they would do."
"Not impossible," grinned Alex. "We have already listed their most likely responses. All we have to do is have a plan for each one of their options."
***
Konic Clava strode into the Palace Shadow and headed for the usual table occupied by the three councilors led by Duke Graves. Konic smiled at the thought of the councilors holding daily meetings in the dining room of the inn and was glad that Oscar had the foresight to station a fairy spy there.
"Greetings Lord Clava," Duke Graves said as Konic got within hearing range. "We were just talking about you. Have a seat."
"Thank you, councilors," Konic nodded as he sat down.
"It does not look like your resolution has slowed down the assassinations very much," quipped Duke Tredor. "We are down to nine councilors now."
"The assassinations do appear to be continuing unabated," agreed Duke Zalski. "The three of us have had several assassination attempts on us. Were it not for the mercenaries, we would not be here now."
"The mercenaries do seem to be worth their expense," nodded Konic. "As for my resolution, at least we are not meeting daily to add new councilors to the Council. Have any of you seen the growing mob of beggars in this city?"
"There have always been beggars in Tagaret," sighed Duke Tredor. "I do not see how that matters to this conversation."
"It matters because the Council is spending its time on the wrong problems," explained Lord Clava. "Almost every Council meeting focuses on filling vacant seats and nothing more. I was under the impression that the Council existed to solve the problems of the city. That is the reason that I allowed you to talk me into joining it."
Abuud: the One-Eyed God Page 19