Reggie came back to announce the humans had retreated. He felt he deserved some biscuits with his pie for that information. The crow received thanks, but the group quickly ignored him.
“Why are the humans attacking us?” Ra’na asked as she wrapped her arms around the Dwarc. Hambone caressed her hair.
“The queen has to be looking for me. That creature is back and wants revenge.” Kara’s voice was stern but tinged with sadness.
“Don’t be ridiculous! Why attack the Territories to find you? Why not come directly to Willow Haven and save a lot of trouble?” Jesset rebuked.
Kara turned to him, her sadness evolving to anger. “Maybe they did, and followed us here.” It came out harsher than she meant, and Jesset looked away.
Silence now engulfed the party. Each member was a little confused, frightened, and sad. The crow watched from his perch, black eyes staring.
Do you perhaps have a small piece of pie that I could have? The request was so out of the blue it caused Jesset to laugh. The others looked at him.
“He wants…to know…if you have any pie.” Jesset could barely get out the words. Ra’na smiled, and Hambone added to the laughter with a chuckle of his own. Only Kara held on to her bitterness.
“Stupid crow.”
As the laughter died down and Ra’na magically came up with a piece of pie, a small piece, the silence came again. Reggie’s beak smacked together as it dug into the boysenberry dessert.
“We need to let the others know. Ynob, Snow, and Gantha. Lourak too,” Ra’na stated. “That is, if they don’t already.”
“I guess the crow can finally earn his keep,” Kara said, giving the blue-beaked bird a nasty look.
Reggie ignored the talk and continued to peck away.
Hambone went next to the bird, calling his name. It took two tries to get its attention. “Can you take a message to our friends for us?”
Well, I would really like to oblige and all, but no can do on account I just ate. It does break my heart, but flying on a full stomach can be deadly, especially at night.
Ra’na decided to try her hand at convincing the crow. “That’s too bad. I just finished baking a whole load of goodies for my friends right before I left. Oh well, I am sure Jesset can contact another crow for us.”
Just hold on a minute! Now that I get to thinking, this was just a small piece of pie. I’m sure I won’t cramp up delivering your message.
Jesset jumped in to help. “We better not risk it. Just like you said, flying at night can be dangerous. Get too low and the wolves could get you.”
Ha! Reggie cawed. Lyre wolves don’t scare me. Give me your message and I’ll take it.
Ra’na quickly scrawled a note for the crow to carry. It was better to put it in writing than to let the crow deliver it from memory. Reggie held out a leg while the elf attached it and told him where to find Snow, and the rest. With a stretch of his wings and a caw, he was off.
***
Queig and Chele managed to put away all the merchandise before the first howl from the wolves came. The sound still made Chele flinch, even though she was safe inside. Queig offered a weak smile, and then looked for a place to collapse.
It had been a rough go ever since Katrena and her mother left. The goblin could sense something was different or wrong with Da’Lynn, but he knew it wasn’t his place to say anything.
Katrena had given him command of the booth while she was gone. “No use you two standing around doing nothing.” Queig was fine with that, because he didn’t like standing around. Chele, on the other hand, would have been perfectly fine doing nothing.
The first week had been a killer, because Queig found it almost impossible to motivate Chele to do anything. Eventually though, she helped out. And now, after about a month of no mistress, things were running quite smoothly.
Today had been especially profitable. Their inventory was beginning to run low; so much so that Queig might have to try his hand at designing a few pieces. Katrena usually provided all their wares, but maybe the goblin would get the chance to show off.
Chele also attracted customers. Her unique appearance drew in the crowd. At first, she was shy, even seemed fearful of the attention. Strange creatures were ogling her. But just like her work ethic, she started to thrive on the attention. Queig sat back and watched.
During the evenings, Queig tried to teach Chele a little about everything. It first started with the jewelry, moving next to the races, and then eventually on to weapons. She took the most interest in weapons.
All her life, she’d said, she hadn’t even held a dagger. “You are a girl and have no need for those things,” Chele had relayed her mother’s ideas. But here in the Territories, Queig taught her about the uses of a wide variety of weaponry.
She, of course, was clumsy at first, but quickly caught on. Before coming to Katrena, Queig had worked at a Minotaurian training camp. While not being able to wield the weapons himself, he watched and learned as the recruits did. Now he was passing that information to Chele.
Her aptitude was more toward bladed weapons. The maces and the morning stars looked awkward in her hands. They did try to do long range target practice with the bows, but Chele found it difficult to aim correctly. Several of her arrows were lost and one slightly injured a squirrel that happened to be watching from the sidelines.
But put a sword in the human’s hands, and she was remarkable. The two would fence whenever there was a free moment. Queig usually bested her, but recently the tables were turning.
“The market was busy today,” Chele said collapsing on a nearby seat. Queig was busy making a snack in the kitchen.
“I think I am too tired for any training tonight.” The goblin’s voice echoed his sentiments.
They sat in silence, Queig eating.
“Has she ever left you this long before?”
Queig looked over at Chele. “Feeling a little concern for Katrena, are you?” Instantly he knew it was the wrong thing to say. Chele’s face went from passive to angry.
“If she stayed away forever, I wouldn’t care. But the moment she is back, I am taking a sword across her throat.”
“You mustn’t.”
“Why else do you think I learned about the weapons? She kidnapped me, killed my husband…ruined my whole life!” Tears broke through and Chele covered her face. She hated to cry now. It made her feel weak and like a freak because of her black tears.
“Mistress Katrena does do horrible things, and I do not deny that you have a claim against her. But she is a skilled assassin. You have only been training a few weeks. You cannot best her.” Queig tried to reason with the human. His mistress would not die, even if he had to intervene. But the goblin preferred to keep both women.
Chele dried her tears before giving Queig a long hard stare. She stood, not saying a word, and then exited the room. The goblin watched, worried what he might have done by teaching the human how to use the weapons.
***
It had been another restless night for Taylon. There was too much going on inside his head for his body to sleep. He sat on a rock as the day was starting to break.
The rest of scouting party had come back empty handed. No girl. The trail disappeared in the Territory woods. Taylon thanked the men, still unnerved Euphoria knew his plans. Was it a trick?
The wolves had not been bad last night, but there had been a casualty among the soldiers. One cocky recruit thought it would be funny to challenge one of the night beasts with a sword. Needless to say, the wolf won, dragging most of the soldier into the woods.
Taylon half-heartedly scolded the other men on night watch, but his resolve was broken. It was not his guard anymore, not his army. Euphoria controlled them all.
Taylon. Come. A voice rang in his head, a haunting tone of death and misery. Euphoria was calling him. He stood, looking out over the broken wall, forests showing through the leftover rubble. His heart felt like the wall.
Euphoria’s carriage, stationed farther back an
d in the center, found protection among the maze of tents and fire. Some soldiers were up, cooking a morning meal or tending to their possessions. Most nodded to the captain as he passed by. Taylon kept his head down to avoid their eyes. He wanted to get this meeting with the queen over with quickly.
Next to the carriage, a large tent was set up. She needed no guards because her tigers acted as her sentries. Nothing passed by the beasts without permission from the queen.
Figaro lay curled up by the entrance. As Taylon approached, the big cat’s head lazily lifted to track his every move. It silently tracked him with its eyes as the captain came forward. Taylon had to step around it to enter.
Come.
The cat eyed the captain, before laying its head down again. With the demon in control, he didn’t know how the tigers would react to him.
Inside the queen’s chambers, Daisy lay close by the door. This tiger didn’t even bother waking up. Euphoria was at a table, studying the maps. Her usual black dress hung in the corner by a makeshift bed. She wore a robe of silver and violet.
“Your Majesty?” Taylon remained by the entrance, hoping this would be short.
Euphoria continued to look down at the maps for a full minute before looking up at Taylon. Her eyes were black, the soul of the wraith peering through.
As you can see, we are not progressing like I would have hoped. Her voice was chilling and hard. Taylon did his best not to let it affect him.
“We have destroyed the wall and scouted a fair amount of the surrounding area….”
But that is not enough. I need magic and sustenance if we are to conquer. These silly raiding parties are bringing me nothing but petty race creatures. That gnome you so desperately wanted to save was hardly worth the trouble of devouring. I need more. She crept from behind the table, her eyes peering deep within Taylon. The necklace beneath her robe glowed a dim blue light.
“What should our next move be, my queen?” He didn’t care about her need. Maybe if her power lessened, then more of the army would see the folly of this misadventure.
Euphoria came within feet of him. She reached out a hand, caressing his cheek with a finger. He shuddered at her touch, which brought a smile upon the lips of the creature. “Oh, Taylon….”
“No!” And quickly he batted away her hand. He thought he heard her cry out in pain, but as his anger simmered down Taylon realized she was cackling.
So there is some fight left within you. The self-pity hasn’t swallowed you up. Euphoria turned her back on him and went to the table. Here is where we should plan a major attack. It should cripple the races plus provide enough sustenance for me until we can attack the elves.
Taylon could not see where she pointed and had to come farther into the tent to see. “The marketplace? But from all we have gathered, it would take most of our force to attack and surround. Plus we have no idea what the response would be from these creatures.”
Euphoria turned to him, still close. I’ll give you another day on intel, but tomorrow we march on Aladedas. Her breath was hot upon his neck.
A growl came from Figaro outside. Taylon turned to look, but Euphoria gave the word to enter. A small, frightened boy of twelve entered carrying a large pail of water. His eyes nervously watched Daisy, who quickly sat up upon his arrival.
Instantly, Taylon’s heart went out to the boy, for he knew the queen’s intentions. But before he could say anything, he was escorted out by Euphoria. Her hand grabbed his shoulder and ushered him toward the door.
Remember, one day. Then we take the prize. And Taylon was out. He had to act quickly because Figaro still blocked the entrance. The captain made a move to go back in the tent, but the big cat growled.
He gave up, knowing the boy was beyond his help. As he stomped away in frustration and anger, Taylon hoped that something new would come of this day.
Chapter Nine
“Wake up!” Ra’na urgently pulled at Jesset. The Mordock slowly awoke to the image of the dark elf. He was startled for only a moment.
“Wha…What’s wrong?”
“Kara. She’s gone!”
“What?”
In a matter of moments, the whole house was stirring. Jesset quickly dressed and began searching outside. Hambone was busy checking every place inside. Ra’na didn’t know what to do.
“She’s not nearby. Couldn’t find any animals to help yet either.”
“Didn’t find anything except some old clothes of mine.” Hambone said as they regrouped in the house.
“Who saw her last?” Ra’na asked.
“I think she was still here after we sent Reggie on his way. But we were all sleepy,” Jesset recalled.
Hambone thought. “She did seem somewhat upset that the soldiers were out there. I remember her saying it was her fault or something.”
“Oh, no…you don’t think.” Ra’na trailed off, but the other two just looked at her. “You don’t think she was going to turn herself in to the queen?”
“Why would she do that?” Jesset asked.
“Maybe she went to look for Snow,” Hambone said uncertainly.
Ra’na was at a loss, but knew they had to go and search for her. Quickly they scarfed down some leftover biscuits, and then headed out. Hambone brought his club for protection, while Ra’na had a hidden blade on her.
Kara left no obvious trail, so they decided to head toward Snow’s house. From there, they would try the wizard’s tree. Off in the distance they heard a loud explosion. Ra’na climbed a nearby tree to get a better view of what was going on.
About two miles off, toward the wall, black smoke billowed from the trees. Someone had set the forest on fire. Damn Kara, where are you?
***
Ynob, Snow, Fret, and Gantha started the morning off quickly. The previous night had seen some complications. Ynob wanted to do more research on the ring before he left. The elf decided to assist and soon the two were deep in an argument.
Fret talked with Snow. He was amazed about her race and ability to shift into an animal. Snow seemed to like the attention and actually flirted with Fret. The wizard was still her love, but she thought it was fun to be the center of attention.
Before the group knew it, it was dark. They conceded on leaving first thing in the morning. Gantha and the wizard stayed up late, as their argument wasn’t resolved. Snow turned in early, while Fret went exploring. There was so much he wanted to touch, pick up, fiddle with, but he recalled the wizard’s warning. Fret wasn’t sure the magic man could turn him into a goose, but he really didn’t want to press his luck.
Finally, sleep overcame the charm and wonder and Fret collapsed on a nearby chair. In the morning, that is where he found himself still. Snow had come out and covered him up sometime during the night.
After a small meal, the four of them found themselves outside in the forest. Ynob had packed a few things, the tome and ring, away in a pouch that easily fit into his pocket. The wizard winked. “I like to travel light.”
Before Lourak left, he took the horses to a stable in Aladedas. Since Snow’s house was closer than the market, they decided to make it their first stop.
CAW! CAW!
Reggie landed in a nearby tree next to Gantha. The party looked toward the crow that held out its leg.
“Really…the council needs to get a better method of sending a message.” Ynob sneered as Gantha retrieved the note.
“It’s not from the elves. It’s from Ra’na.” Snow came forward to read the note. The crow watched them impatiently.
“Human soldiers in the Territories? Euphoria?” Snow said aloud. The wizard’s face instantly went stiff at the name.
Fret came forward. “The queen is in the Territories?”
“Ra’na says the wall has been breached and the humans are attacking. But that doesn’t make any sense,” Snow said, looking at the rest of the group. She then noticed the wizard. “Ynob?”
“It’s back.” Two words that instantly resonated fear. Fret stared between the two, uns
ure of what was going on.
The crow cawed, but everyone ignored it.
“Um, what’s back?” Gantha asked, shooing the crow away as it tried to peck at his hand.
It was Snow that spoke, but not in answer to the elf. “But, how? Kara drove the wraith out of Euphoria.”
Ynob finally shook out of his shock. “I don’t know, but this definitely complicates things.”
The crow tried to get someone’s attention by cawing and flapping its wings. Gantha finally turned around and yelled at the bird. “What do you want?”
“Ra’na promised it some of her biscuits,” Snow said softly. She then spoke to the crow. “I’m sorry; I don’t have any with me. If you meet us at my house later I can give you some.”
With a disgruntled squawk, the bird flew off. Fret watched it go up and then disappear among the trees. That was when he noticed the odd smell.
“Does anyone else smell smoke?”
***
Taylon was with a scouting party when he heard the explosion. He was much closer to the blast, and felt some of the heat from it.
“What the...?”
He quickly had his men retreat, retracing their path through the forest. Halfway, a wall of flaming trees halted their progress. The captain stared in disbelief at the inferno, but he knew Euphoria was to blame.
He and his men found a circuitous route around the fire and made it through the wall. Fire rose from the east side of the forest and slowly spread. Soldiers lined up watching the blaze, some cheering, and some staring in awe.
Taylon found the nearest soldier and asked him for a report. “Someone took a starburst and set it off in the forest.”
“On whose orders?” He demanded, grabbing the front of the man’s tunic.
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