“I have missed you, Val,” Jala admitted quietly, then cursed herself for an idiot when he looked away the moment the words were out of her mouth. “I mean I missed everyone of course, but I was so used to you always being there beside me,” she added, trying desperately to salvage the situation and failing miserably.
Valor’s mouth opened and then closed again and he slumped farther back against the counter. Raising one hand to his face he rubbed at his eyes and nodded slowly to her. “Missed you too, Jala,” he said at last in a voice that was barely above a whisper. She could tell there was more that he wanted to say, but he had apparently thought better of it.
The door opened once more and Ash leaned inside long enough to catch Jala’s eye. “Jexon is riding this way and he doesn’t look happy,” he warned her.
“Shit,” Jala hissed as panic seized her. Quickly she twisted her hair back into a semblance of order and clipped it back into place before frantically tugging the veil back on. Moving swiftly to the dirty glass of the window she did her best to use her smudged reflection to straighten her dress and ensure that the veil was on straight.
“That was fear,” Valor said quietly behind her.
Turning back, Jala shook her head slightly. “I gave him my word, Valor. He expects me to wear the veil,” she said in a voice that was far calmer than she felt. In truth, her heart was hammering so hard in her chest she was amazed Valor couldn’t hear it.
“There was a time that you never would have lied to me,” Valor said as he pushed off the counter and stood straight.
“That wasn’t a lie, Valor,” Jala objected.
“It wasn’t the truth either, Jala,” Valor returned as Tipton came bustling through the door once more waving papers in his hand.
“This is everything in the warehouse. Now if you will just sit with me we can mark off what you need and get it packed up for you,” Tipton began apparently oblivious to the tension in the room.
“If it’s edible or medicinal we will take it. I’ll send my men to fetch it,” Valor said as he turned and stalked from the store.
“What?” Tipton fairly yelped his eyes locked on Valor’s back as the door slammed shut behind him.
Jala watched the dust falling from the ceiling from the force of the door and glanced back at the merchant. “I don’t want to argue with him. Do you?” she said quietly.
Tipton shook his head slowly, his eyes still on the door then looked down at his list sadly. “Are you sure that you have enough wagons to haul this much?” he asked with a note of hope in his voice.
“If we don’t, I’d find more if I were you,” Jala said quietly, her attention focused once more on the window and the steadily approaching form of her husband. Ash was right. He did look angry, though she couldn’t begin to guess why. By all rights he should be pleased that she had managed to secure supplies. Without her intervention they would have had no choice but to return to Merro.
“The scouts say they aren’t more than two days off,” Badger spoke loudly enough for everyone in their small group to hear the words clearly. Jala glanced over at him and nodded faintly. She wasn’t sure if he had been speaking to her, or Wisp and Sovann who rode just behind them.
“My archers are ready and fully equipped, thanks to Sovann,” Wisp said with a quick look to Jala to ensure she had caught the full meaning of her words.
Jala nodded and bowed her head to Sovann. “Thank you for working as hard as I’m sure you had to,” she said as she straightened in her saddle once more and pulled the end of her reins from Legacy’s grasp. “We don’t eat leather,” she said softly as she leaned forward to kiss her son on the top of his head.
“Mothers are so bossy, eh kiddo,” Badger said with a grin and winked at his grandson.
“You didn’t let me eat leather when I was a child,” Jala pointed out calmly as she folded the reins back once more.
“Actually that’s what you teethed on,” Badger returned.
“What?” Jala demanded her head whipping back around to face him.
Chuckling softly, Badger nodded and pointed right at her. “And that was the exact tone of voice your mother used every time she caught you chewing on it,” he said with a wide grin.
We have issues, Jala. One of our scouts just returned riding like demons were after him, Jail said quietly in her mind. None of her other companions stomach riding in the front ranks for long with Jexon, but Jail had taken to it daily. He kept a very close eye on her husband and was quick to inform her of anything interesting that he heard or saw.
What is it? Jala asked as she slowed her horse allowing the others to ride ahead. After weeks of travel the others had become accustomed to her odd behavior and no longer even bothered to glance her way when she stopped for no apparent reason.
The thundering of hooves from behind her drew her attention and she watched a company of the Arovan knights ride by, led by Valor himself. Apparently they had gotten word about the scout as well.
The Avanti, from the looks of things. Either our earlier scout was very wrong or they’ve used magic to get the jump on us, Jail relayed quickly.
Fight coming? Marrow asked, his yellow eyes still watching the disappearing knights.
“It would seem so,” Jala said as she kicked her horse to catch up with her friends once more. Badger looked over at her as she slowed her horse beside him and raised an eyebrow as she handed him Legacy. “Take him to mother, please,” she said quickly, then turned to Wisp. “I want a squad of your specially equipped archers guarding my family as well as no less than six of the knights. Make sure they are people we can trust, Wisp.”
“Of course, Jala, but I thought they were two days off,” Wisp said a bit of confusion in her voice.
“Apparently not,” Jala said with a shrug as she kicked her horse once more to get a look for herself. The road before her twisted back on itself through a small stand of trees and then opened up onto a vast open field. The front ranks of her army were stopped at the edge of the woods with her husband at the front. All of their gazes were locked on the far side of the field where the rows of the waiting army could just barely be seen. The Avanti lines stretched as far as she could see in both directions, in numbers that she couldn’t even fathom.
“How in the bloody hells did our scouts miss that the first time out?” Noble asked quietly from the back ranks of the Arovan knights.
“We sent the spook scouts out first and had to wait for the real scouts to go out later and actually do their jobs,” Foster suggested with a faint smile.
“Silent in the ranks!” Bridgette barked, her voice wiping the smiles instantly off the men’s faces.
“They used magic to gain their ground,” Valor said softly with a glance back at his men. “They likely waited until our first scouts passed through and then moved giving them several hours before another patrol,” he said before turning his attention back to the army. His gaze paused on Jala as he turned, but he said nothing, not even bothering to nod in her direction.
“They outnumber us five to one,” Jexon announced with a shake of his head. Turning to the officer beside him he nodded back to the army. “Give orders to strike camp here and send an envoy to the Avanti camp. We will see who is in charge over there and determine what to do from there,” he ordered, his gaze falling across her as he turned his horse. She watched his eyes narrow at the sight of her in the front ranks but he kept his silence. He always did until they were alone.
Pulling her horse to the side, Jala watched as rank upon rank of her army moved forward to begin breaking camp. There were so many people and yet the Avanti still had more.
There will be Blights. You know there will, Emily whispered in her mind, her yellow eyes focused on the woods behind them as if she expected an attack at any moment.
The archers are all equipped with the glasses Sovann crafted. If there are Blights we will see them, Jala assured her. She had her own set of the glasses as well and briefly considered putting them on under the veil. Wit
h a sigh she shook her head slightly. It was hard enough to see clearly through the dark silk without adding shaded glasses to the equation.
Her gaze rose as a rider left her camp riding for the Avanti lines with a parlay flag tied securely to the end of his lance. It was a Soulreaver, she noted dryly. Jexon rarely even acknowledged the rest of her army, using his own men to do everything. She couldn’t really blame him, though. She was guilty of the same thing, she supposed.
“I highly suggest we attend that parlay,” Jail’s voice came from beside her and once again she jumped in the saddle. He smiled over at her from the back of his bay mare and bowed his head slightly.
“By the gods, you are sneaking up on me on horseback now,” Jala sighed and shook her head slightly. “I have every intention of attending that parlay, though I doubt my husband will approve.”
“On the contrary. I don’t think he will even notice,” Jail said with a wink.
“I’m so glad you are on my side, Jail,” Jala said quietly. Pausing she looked back at Jail and then glanced over to where the knights of Arovan were camped. “Jail, do you scan everyone’s mind?” she asked softly.
“Of course not. That would be an invasion of privacy and strictly against the Mind Mage strictures,” Jail replied looking a bit indignant at the suggestion.
He does too. Don’t believe him, Emily told her with a shake of her feline head at Jail.
“Lying cat,” Jail muttered and raised an eyebrow at Jala before glancing over to the Arovan camp. “You want to know if I scan Valor’s mind?” he asked quietly.
Jala chewed on her lower lip for a moment and then nodded slowly. “Does he hate me, Jail? He avoids me and the only time I’ve actually spoken with him since Seravae I pissed him off,” Jala said, her voice reminding her of a frightened child. With a heavy sigh she rubbed her temples and shook her head. “Forget it, Jail. I shouldn’t even have asked and I hate the way that sounded,” Jala mumbled and was glad the veil hid her embarrassment.
“Jala, I’m fairly certain that you could walk over there and kick Valor in the balls, call him any name you chose to use and stab his horse and he still couldn’t find it in himself to hate you,” Jail said with a shake of his head.
“I would never,” Jala gasped, her voice trailing off in shock at his suggestion.
“No, you wouldn’t, so we don’t have to worry about his hating you now, do we. However if you don’t want to take my word for it simply place a hand on his Arovanni. They are bonded creatures. What you feel through the horse is what Valor is feeling.”
“He hasn’t summoned Valorous at all that I’ve seen,” Jala said with a sigh. Every time she had seen Valor since they left Merro he had been mounted on Vanguard. She wasn’t entirely sure how he had gotten the horse back, but she hadn’t had a chance to ask him about it. As far as she knew Vanguard had been left in Sanctuary when they fled the city.
“He will before this is over,” Jail said as he nodded toward the field. “Our envoy is returning with an Avanti. Let’s leave the horses here and see what they have to say,” Jail suggested as he dismounted and waited patiently for Jala to follow suit. He took her hand in his as she moved over to him and carefully pulled her along after him as he headed for the commanders tent.
“Be silent until we leave and they won’t even know we were there,” Jail whispered to her as they drew closer to the tent.
Jala started to reply but fell silent as a loud roar split the air from the Avanti’s lines. Freezing in mid-step, she watched mutely as a massive form took to the air above the Avanti camp, its wings beating strongly as it gained altitude. Behind her the sound of panicked horses filled the air as the animals spooked. She couldn’t blame them in the least. The dragon was very large and at first sight she had felt the fleeting desire to run as well. “Five to one and a dragon,” Jala whispered.
“Don’t forget the Blights they doubtless have,” Jail returned softly.
“And Blights,” Jala agreed her hopes sinking a bit further.
What was it Havoc said about your Father’s name. They called him Badger because of how fiercely he fought. The greater the odds the harder he would fight. Something like that? Marrow asked, his words quenching the despair that had been growing in her chest instantly.
“Never pick a fight with a Dazzi,” Jala said softly, choosing to focus on Valor’s words rather than Havoc’s. Both had merit though and both bolstered her spirits enough to tug Jail along once more. Dragon or not, Merro didn’t have a choice here. It was either fight or surrender and she would not surrender.
They both paused at the entrance of the tent while Jail scanned the minds of the guards closest to the opening.
“And what exactly would the terms for that be?” she heard Jexon say from inside.
“For a full surrender? Well, we will have to have prisoners to ensure your good behavior. Lady Merrodin, of course. Lord Avanti will insist on that I have no doubt,” the envoy returned, his Avanti accent sounding almost musical next to Jexon’s harsher voice.
“Naturally. I would agree that my wife must be among the prisoners, but I must insist that I keep the child. He is far too young for such treatment,” Jexon replied smoothly and she could almost hear the pleasure in his voice.
Turning quickly on her heels, Jala strode back toward their camp her fury growing with every step. She could hear Jail behind her but didn’t bother to slow her steps. Reaching up with one hand she tore the veil off and dropped it on the ground as she walked. “Stupid, cowardly, traitorous.” She snarled a word with every stride.
“What’s going on?” Neph demanded as he fell into step beside Jail at the edge of the camp.
“Arrogant, backstabbing, craven and worthless,” Jala continued, her words gaining volume with every syllable spoken. She could feel her magic coiling inside of her. The swish of wings drew her attention upwards and she watched as the dragon circled the field, the last rays of sunlight glinting brightly off its green scales.
“She is reciting all of the charming qualities her husband holds that makes her marriage such a blissful one,” Jail informed Neph quietly.
“Jala, is everything OK?” Wisp asked as she approached where they had stopped cautiously. The Fae was watching her. Jala could feel her gaze, but her eyes were still locked on the dragon as her mind worked together a plan.
“What the hell is that thing doing?” Jala asked as the dragon turned for another pass over their camp.
“Trying to intimidate our men, spook our horses, and generally cause chaos in our camp,” Jail explained.
“Are those things protected from arrows?” Jala asked Wisp as the rest of her friends formed a group around her. No doubt curious as to why she no longer wore the veil and had a look of pure fury on her face.
“Uh, no, but then an arrow can scarcely hurt one seriously,” Wisp said, her words faltering slightly as if she couldn’t quite believe Jala was truly that stupid.
Nodding slightly, Jala reached over Wisp’s shoulder and pulled an arrow from the Fae’s quiver then nodded toward the dragon. “Shoot it Wisp,” she ordered as she turned to face Ash. “Can your shamans pull a spirit from a dragon?” she asked as Wisp carefully bent her bow back, aiming for the dragon with an expression on her face that showed how pointless the Fae thought the endeavor was.
“They can, but it would be difficult,” Ash said cautiously.
The twang of the bow behind her brought a smile to Jala’s face and she nodded slightly to Ash. Turning she locked her eyes on Valor, holding his gaze for a long moment before speaking. “I need you, Valor. Jexon is negotiating a surrender. If we don’t strike now he is going to hand me over to the Avanti and Merro will fall,” she said carefully, her voice filled with her desperation. Valor always stood by her no matter what. If he refused her now, there was no doubt in her mind that the others would as well.
“Jala, we are outnumbered and they have a bloody dragon,” Neph protested with a shake of his head.
“I have to
agree with Neph here, Jala. Our best course is to run,” Sovann said softly though she could hear the disgust in his voice.
Valor watched her silently, his dark blue eyes locked with her violet ones. Neither of them bothered to acknowledge the protests from the mages. “Valor, I whored myself to a man I despise for this army. I have sacrificed everything I have for my land. I traded Finn’s life for the people of Merro. I cannot walk away and I cannot surrender. Will you stand with me?” Jala asked
“Always,” Valor replied with a firm nod. Turning he looked to the others one by one and smiled. “And they will, too. They are just having a moment of scared little bitches right now,” His eyes settled on Neph and his smile widened. “What was that you said, Delvay? Did I hear you say retreat? When did your balls fall off, Neph?” Neph fumed at the words which just seemed to amuse Valor more. Turning slowly he let his eyes fall on Sovann and he raised an eyebrow. “Sovann, did you actually say you wanted to run from the bastards that had your brother killed? Surely I didn’t hear you right.”
“Valor, look at the odds,” Sovann protested feebly.
“I see a bunch of conscript slaves in pretty armor. Some green as hell knights that have more ambition than training. And one big ass lizard. The odds don’t look so bad to me,” her father said with a grin, his hand dropping lightly to his sword hilt. “I’ve never fought in an army before, Curly. I look forward to the experience.”
“My people will fight as well. Those that follow me, that is,” Ash assured her, his gaze flicking to the commander’s tent. They didn’t have long before the parlay was over. If they didn’t move before Jexon left the tent they wouldn’t be able to move at all.
Jala nodded at Ash in understanding and looked back toward Valor. “Move your knights forward as quickly as you can. Ash, inform your Shaman that they are to rip the dragon’s soul out on its next circle over the Avanti camp. I don’t want that bastard falling on us,” Jala said quickly as the shadow of the dragon passed over them once more. Holding her hand out to the side she summoned Wisp’s arrow back to her hand and glanced down at the point of it. Dark blood covered the very tip of the silver arrowhead. It hadn’t been a deep wound, but it was enough. “Nice shot, Wisp,” Jala said with a smile as she handed the arrow to Ash. “The blood should help with removing its soul,” she said with a wink as he stared down dumbly at the dragon’s blood.
The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 3 From the Ashes Page 43