by Toni Cox
“I am confident you will master it soon enough.”
He thought to encourage her, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.
“No, Jaik, it all seems that it is never good enough. I am only one and there is only so much I can do. There is a limit to my power. And Midnight is also only flesh and blood. If only I had someone to help me.”
“What do you mean?” He looked at her with worry in his eyes. Her mood had suddenly turned from sad to excited.
“Do you remember the power I had when I worked on the battlefield with Blaid? It was incredible. It was as if there was no limit to our power and energy and it felt like nothing could stand in our way. Nothing seemed impossible at that time. If only I could work with him again.”
“Maia,” he said, barely controlling his outrage, “he tried to kill you. We do not know what happened last year, why he was helping you, but we do know now that his sentiment has changed. He is in league with the Vampyres and it is pretty clear that he was sent here to eliminate you.”
“But what if that was not true?” She looked at him with pleading eyes. “What if he was simply misunderstood and he was actually trying to help us?”
“Help us? Well then, he has a strange way of showing it. Father has implemented strict security measures around Shadow Hall to ensure that what happened in the forest does not repeat itself. You were lucky last time and I, for one, do not want to lose you to Death.”
“I am worried about her, Father.” Jaik said when he met with Jagaer later that day.
“As am I. Tell me what your fears are.”
Jaik took off his cloak and hung it over the back of the large chair before he took his seat at his father’s large desk. As always, it was heaped with reports, plans, maps and other items his father was currently working on. Two lanterns, placed on either end of the table, lit up the workspace.
“She confided in me earlier today about the power she had when she worked with Blaid. I understand her desperation to protect the people, but to go to such lengths? I don’t know why she would want to put herself in such danger, or why she cannot see how dangerous he actually is.”
“Mm, I am sure she has her reasons.”
His father seemed distracted and he watched for a moment as his father rose from his chair, looked for something on one of the shelves, before taking his seat again.
“Father, you cannot seriously think that it might be a good idea for her to work with him again.”
“No, I did not say that. If I have anything to do with it, then Blaid will be expelled from Grildor and banished for life. He is nothing but trouble and I do not want him near Maia.”
His father cleared his throat and started to sort through the papers on his desk. Jaik thought he was hiding something, but could not quite figure out what it was. His father’s feelings about Blaid were clear, for which he was glad, but there was definitely something that his father was not telling him. He considered for a moment to confront his father about it, but then thought better of it. His father was Lord Regent and if he had not seen fit to share the information with his son and Commander of the Guard, then it was information he could not be privy to at this time.
Reluctantly he let it go and instead concentrated on the other matters at hand. He had a lot of work to do and he spent the rest of the day going over the reports from the other Commanders on the evaluation of their troops.
Maia was struggling more and more to hide her feelings from her brother. They were so intricately linked that it took all her willpower not to let him see her Eläm and her true feelings for Blaid. Sometimes she wondered if it was worth the effort and if she should just confide in him. But then she thought of how her parents had reacted, even if she had not realised it at first. Over the past few Quarters it had become obvious what her parents thought about her dalliances with Death and it had seemed to alienate her father. Her mother was more forgiving, but it was clear that she did not approve. It hurt her to know that the one thing that made her truly happy, made the rest of her nation hate her.
So she put all her energy into training. This gave her not only the practice and experience she needed, but also an excuse not to spend too much time with her suitors. She had not had the heart to tell any of them that she was not interested; even though she sometimes thought it cruel to keep them hoping.
Rothea was her rock during this time and Maia was astounded by how much knowledge Rothea possessed regarding warfare. War was something the Elves only resorted to when all other negotiations failed. There had been a few wars between the different clans over the millennia and only a handful of incidents during their history where they had warred with other races.
Fortunately, Rothea had studied the art of warfare and was more than willing to share her knowledge and teach her princess. So it was that Maia spent more time with Rothea and only on Rothea’s rest days, did they not see each other. On those days, she would train with Riker, Silas, and Midnight.
All this training wrought a change in Maia that was not only physical, but also mental. She became stronger; her muscles more defined; she was faster, more agile and had more stamina. She was now not only able to fight for longer periods, but also able to sustain magic for longer and take on more complicated magic, that required vast amounts of energy.
This change within her brought out her confidence and, although she missed Blaid with every fibre of her body, suddenly felt more capable of taking on the monumental task ahead of her; even without him.
What she did not notice, but was plain for everyone else to see, was that this newfound confidence made her almost irresistible to her suitors. Even Kanarel, who had until now only made some half-hearted advances, was actively seeking her attention and approval. The rivalry between Aaron and Riker became a palatable thing and sometimes their exchanges were less than friendly. Rothea was well aware of what was going on, but she knew the state of mind her princess was in and did everything she could to shield her from it.
The Moon of the Dragon was drawing to a close. Shadow Hall was in active negotiations with the other cities for the recruitment of armed forces and a network of Scouts all over Grildor brought in more bad news on an almost daily basis.
The time for war was coming and Maia needed to be ready. The fate of her nation rested, yet again, on her shoulders.
“Welcome, Commander Ironheart. I hope you had a pleasant journey.”
“Lady Maia, to see your lovely face at the end of any trip makes it worthwhile.” Commander Ironheart bowed before her and kissed her hand.
Once the initial pleasantries were over, the delegation from Stoneloft was lead to their accommodations, Ivy Hall, Shadow Hall’s guest lodge, and allowed to freshen up and rest. Tonight, there would be a small feast to welcome them and then tomorrow there would be a meeting in the Elder Hall.
Maia had met Olliver Ironheart once before, but then she had only been a child and she did not remember him well. He was the second-in-command of the Regiment of Stoneloft and he had come with eight other warriors to protect their Elder, Killian Granitson, who was here to negotiate the terms with her father.
Stoneloft, sitting high up in the Crystal Mountains, had fared unscathed during the last war. But recently there had been unexplained disappearances and deaths and Lord Brimstone was now ready to believe that the Vampyres had, indeed, made their way across Nithril Deep and up into his mountains. Trade to the west had also suffered; caravans transporting steel, weapons, crystals, and such were now often attacked and robbed and each order cost him dearly in men, horses, and supplies. Elder Granitson had been given full authority to make whatever arrangements necessary, even if this meant sending Stoneloft’s full army into battle besides Lord Longshadow.
“I am glad Stoneloft has finally realised that this is a matter that does not just concern us, but all of Grildor,” Jaik said as they sat down for their evening meal that evening.
“Yes, I am glad they have come of their own free will. I would not have liked to order them
to send their forces. Willing warriors are much better fighters,” her father replied.
Maia watched the men discuss the matter of Stoneloft for a while. Although the politics of their nation was important, in general it held no interest for her. She was glad that it would be Jaik who would be the next Lord Regent, as she felt she was not suited for the position. She could, of course, become Lord Regent if she so desired. Jaik also had the freedom to choose, but if he did not take the position, then Maia would have to take up the mantle. Fortunately for her, Jaik was well on his path to step into his father’s footsteps when the time came.
“Eat your food, my dear,” Malyn said and laid her hand over Maia’s.
“I am sorry, mother, I am just tired.”
“You need to rest, Maia. You have been training every day, from dawn to sunset and sometimes even late into the night.”
“I need to be stronger.”
“You are strong. And from what I have heard, quite capable with any type of weapon you choose.”
“But it is not enough.” Maia could hear she sounded petulant.
“Maia, you are more than enough for whatever is to come.” Malyn smiled at her.
Maia looked up into her mother’s face. There had been an uneasy truce within their home ever since the incident with Blaid and this was the first time in many Quarters that her mother smiled at her. Maia could feel the love her mother had for her, but also the concern and worry that kept her up at night.
“I will be all right, Mother.” She said and for the first time she thought she actually meant it.
The days were hot this time of year, but he kept to the shadows of the forest and the mountain. Blaid had been pursued ever since he had left Maia that day in the forest. Although he had expected this reaction, it was starting to annoy him. He could not get the thought of Maia out of his head and not to be with her was making him irrational. But he needed to keep his wits about him. He was still hunting Vampyres; it was a daily, self-imposed chore. His main target, however, was the person he had been hunting ever since Braérn. The clues had been baffling and he still did not know who it was that he was hunting. He had followed these clues all the way to Shadow Hall and they reeked of danger. He had tried to warn Maia and he hoped that she had taken the necessary precautions.
Whoever it was, was good at hiding their tracks. Mostly, it was the trail of dead Elves and livestock that he was following. To most people this would seem to be the work of Vampyres, but on closer inspection, it was obvious that there were other forces at play. At one point, there had been a beast of immense proportions, but it too had been cloaked somehow and he had not been able to get a good read on it. This beast had not come to Shadow Hall; for which he was glad; but had gone further south. Blaid had wanted to follow it at first, but then his true prey had led him to Shadow Hall and he would not let Maia face this danger alone.
So he spent every day trying to decipher the clues; he watched everything and everyone going in and out of Shadow Hall, he intercepted messages, followed Scouts, and listened in on conversations. Nothing that he had seen or heard so far had given him any more information, but he was sure that the enemy was close to, if not within, Shadow Hall. It made his skin crawl to think that Maia could be in danger and he was powerless to do anything about it.
The Lord’s men hunting him made his task that much more difficult. He resorted to sleeping in deep caves during the day and doing most of his work at night. He was careful to remain in his elven form; always well disguised; as the men had been told to hunt the black wolf. He now sometimes regretted having chosen the wolf as his Prime form when he was younger. The raven would have been less conspicuous and there were hundreds of the black birds around the city. But it was too late now; it would take him many Moons to learn to take on a different form and he could ill afford the time now. But keeping hidden from Midnight was the most challenging thing he had ever done. Although the dragon seemed to see him in a different light ever since his Eläm had been laid bare before Maia, Midnight had taken to tracking his whereabouts and the dragon was good. He had fooled the dragon a few times before and it seemed that Midnight had made it his personal mission to find out how Blaid was doing it. He cringed at the times Midnight had almost discovered him.
He waited until the sun disappeared behind Shadow Peak and then crept from his hiding place. The evening air was still warm and he was sweating beneath his clothes. Channelling some of his power, he cooled the air around him; it was one of his strengths and his old master had told him it was somewhat a trademark of his. He wished he had learned to control Air better; invisibility was still something that eluded him.
He had begun his training with Master Margoth when he was only ten years old. Now, two hundred and fifteen years later, there was still so much he needed to learn. He wished the old man was still around.
Sadly, he shook his head and began his work for the night. There had been many pigeons going in and out of Shadow Hall over the last few days. It was impossible to intercept them all, but that was exactly the reason why he had to try. With so many pigeons, it would be easy to smuggle out covert messages.
The roosts were on the northern part of the city and all official messages were sent from there. The Royal Bird Masters had their flocks there too. However, he was not after official messages and he had learned that there was a place on the eastern edges of the Silver Forest where messages that are more private could be sent from. He made his way there now, stealthily creeping through the darkness, completely suppressing his Eläm, so he would remain undetected.
By the time the two moons rose, he had ensconced himself in a shallow hollow beside a birch tree, covered himself with leaves and sticks and then waited patiently. The night wore on quietly and he wondered if he had chosen his timing wisely. There were other things he could be doing tonight that might be more profitable. Nevertheless, he forced himself to remain patient.
About an hour before midnight a couple came. They were holding hands and smiling at each other, before sending their pigeon on its way. Blaid detected no malicious intent from the couple and let the bird fly unhindered.
Then, just before the moons set behind the mountains, he was surprised by a black-cloaked form that had simply materialised before him. He had not heard the man approach, nor could he sense his Eläm. He strained his senses, careful not to give himself away, but was unable to detect anything from the person standing in the darkness before him.
“Fly true, my dove.” The man whispered, but Blaid did not recognise his voice.
The man opened his hands and the bird took to the air; the flapping of its wings the only sound in the still of the night. The stranger stood for a moment, but then turned and walked away, disappearing into the darkness. Blaid was impressed by the man’s ability to walk so silently.
He waited only long enough to be sure that the man would not hear him leave his hiding place. And then he was running. A pigeon could fly at speed and if he wished to get near enough to convince it to come to him, he would have to make haste. He calculated the time he had. If he changed form now, he would have to come back for his clothes later and the chance of discovery would be greater. But the wolf was so much faster and the chance of catching the bird so much better. He decided to risk it.
Hastily he shoved his clothes beneath a rock along the river and then changed. He was running before he had even fully changed and soon the wind of passage was stinging his eyes. He revelled for a moment at his speed and realised that he had missed being the wolf. But then he concentrated on the scent of the bird and ran after it.
It was by the mighty oak that ruled over the place where the river from the city joined with the river from the Grazing Grounds that he got close enough to the bird to ask it to come to him. He stood naked beside the tree and reached out with his mind. Birds were flighty animals and he had to be gentle so as not to scare it away. But he had always had an affinity with animals and soon enough the pigeon rested on his arm, looking at him with
curiosity.
Gently he removed the tiny tube connected to its leg and then removed the scroll. The tiny handwriting on the paper was neat and almost feminine, but the words were not.
They have arrived. Word will be given. All to die. No survivors!
They were out in the forest, close to The Crags, practicing. Although they also sparred on the Training Grounds, this was Maia’s favourite spot. They had been coming here for days, especially since the delegation from Stoneloft had left to return to their mountain home.
The more they were out here, the more Maia enjoyed herself. She could almost forget that what she was doing was devising ways of killing.
“Stop!” Jaik shouted and held up his hands in defence.
Maia laughed at him, triggering laughter from Silas, Riker and Rothea, who had been watching them spar. Somewhere from above, the deep sounds of Midnight’s mirth were floating down on them.
“Do you surrender?”
“I surrender, My Lady. Please, have mercy.”
“Oh, all right, then. You may rise, brother.”
Maia held out her hand and helped her brother to his feet. His eyes were twinkling with amusement, but also with respect.
“I say, you have been busy,” Jaik said as he dusted off his trousers. “I remember not too long ago how you complained about having to fight with the sword.”
“I am getting better,” she replied, giggling.
“With teachers such as these,” Jaik said, pointing to her three instructors standing at the edge of the clearing, “you will soon be unstoppable.”
“That is the idea,” Maia said smugly and then went to wipe down and sheathe her sword.
All together they walked down the path leading towards the city, before settling down on an outcropping to have their lunch. It was another perfect summer’s day. The trees provided just enough shade to shelter them from the heat of the sun and the mild breeze was pleasant.