The corners of Marisa’s lips twitched, and for an instant she smiled. “Agreed. You and Cendreth assemble an escort. I’ll assign extra wizards and peregrines to your command.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Cendreth said.
“Tell them to wait for us here.” She tapped the pointer just before the road turned due south and looked at Peter. “I don’t think you’ll have a problem, but if they balk, remind them Garreth pushed a larger army from Hamble. If they reach the walls before the reinforcements, they’ll be cut off outside the walls. Ask them if they want to be outside the walls on their own or with fifty extra legions. That ought to win the day.”
Cendreth laughed. “We will see. I’ve found men who have their minds set on a path rarely listen to reason when it conflicts with their goal.”
“They won’t reach the city before your enemy,” Dfelli said. “There is something more to consider. Your enemy has a dragon in its ranks.”
“Dragons are real?” Peter asked. His mind staggered at the image her words conjured.
“Very much so, youngling.” The peregrine’s feathers puffed out. “During the first war, Neldin unleashed them on Trellham. Peregrines, led by King Rothdin, decimated their ranks, but a few survived the war.”
Marisa’s face betrayed no emotion. She turned to her cousin, Master Tarnin. “Is the dragon the reason we can’t communicate with Zenora and the others?”
“I don’t know.” Tarnin said. “I never studied dragons in depth before. They are powerful mind speakers and most magic won’t kill them, but I can’t say if it is the source of the problem.”
“I can,” Dfelli said. “Though this dragon seeks to block communication with your friends, he can’t stop us. Unfortunately, I don’t know anyone with the army to contact. I’ve never spoken to Queen Zenora.”
“Can you send one of your scouts to our allies?” Marisa asked.
“I could, but I fear that would put them at grave risk. Our enemy will try to kill my kind, and our allies won’t know we’re friends.”
“My father and Darius would,” Peter said. “And Queen Zenora.”
“They are with the army and too close to the enemy. They won’t know they need to counter the dragon’s magic. Without a wizard to help us, we won’t reach your father.”
“We need to contact them,” Marisa said. “If they reach the city before they know we’re here, we’ll be at a disadvantage. Garreth can bottle them in the city with a small force while he turns on us.”
“I will get a message to Miceral. Klissmor and Grohl should be able to reach the queen or King Wilhelm.”
Marisa nodded. “Do that. Can you tell Miceral I’d like to speak to him if possible?”
“Of course.” Dfelli backed away. Once clear of the group, she spread her wings and launched herself into the sky.
“You two head out as soon as you assemble your guards,” Marisa said, pointing to Peter and Cendreth. “It is even more important you reach the others with all speed.”
Egert panted when Peter called for a halt. The powerful horse was winded but not stressed. Assuming all went as planned, they’d have a day to rest. Cendreth’s massive stallion also breathed hard as the prince slowed him to a walk. Peter looked over his shoulder and summoned Master Hayden to come closer.
The wizard nudged his tired mare into an easy walk. “How may I assist you, Your Highness?”
“Can we send them a message?” He stared at the vanguard of the now-halted army. A swarm of activity erupted farther back, and men on horses were moving closer. “I’m certain they can see my flag, but as I’m supposed to be in Dumbarten, they must fear it’s a trap.”
“How will sending a message fix that?”
Wallace bristled, but Cendreth spoke first. “That is not how you address the prince.”
Peter waved them down before anyone else could speak. “Thank you, Prince Cendreth, but I’ve traveled with Farrell enough to know wizards aren’t big on titles.”
“Your Highness is kind,” Hayden said, his face bright red. “But Prince Cendreth is correct. I ought to be more respectful.”
“Fine. Accepted,” Peter said, trying to end the meaningless discussion. “Right now you can call me whatever you like, but I need to let them know this isn’t a trap.”
“I can send a message, Your Highness, but I don’t know what to send. What will they trust more than they’ve see with their own eyes?”
Peter nodded. If his father were away and showed up with an army without any notice, he’d be suspicious. Something moved at the edge of his vision, and he looked up. “Have the peregrines join us. That ought to convince them.”
“Excellent idea.” Cendreth closed his eyes.
Peter smiled as he recalled the first days with Nordric. The happy memory faded instantly, and he pushed it away.
“They will circle and make a suitable entrance,” Cendreth said.
“Wonderful.” Peter shook his head. Were all peregrines immature?
The front of the allied forces parted and a large contingent of cavalry rode out.
“They must not believe you’re you,” Wallace said. “I count three of them for every one of us.”
Peter took his hand off his sword. They hadn’t come to fight, but it went against his training to sit still and not try to defend himself. The peregrines had finished their turn and were approaching from behind the riders. Given how fast the soldiers approached, they were not leaving much time to land.
The cavalry had covered half the distance to Peter when the four peregrines raced past the group. They flew low enough to startle the riders, who then slowed their pace. Using the extra time, the four split up. Two flew left and the others went to the right. Peter lost sight of them as they began a wide loop.
From the reactions of the men coming toward him, Peter knew the peregrines were about to land moments before the draft of wind hit. As promised, they had made an entrance.
Fronted by four large peregrines, the advance party slowed and came to a halt.
“Stay here,” Peter said and nudged Egert forward.
Wallace shouted for him, but Cendreth’s deep voice cut him off. Peter didn’t hear what he’d said, but it ended the protest. He stopped moving a few paces in front of the peregrines.
“I am Peter, crown prince of Belsport. Who leads this army?”
“Your Highness,” a voice Peter recognized said from the back of the soldiers. “You should be in Dumbarten.”
The small group parted and Wizard Constable Aderic moved to the front.
Peter smiled as his friend came closer. “Word of the defeat at Hamble reached me in Dreth. King Markus and Amelt Randgar have sent troops and wizards to help.”
Aderic bowed to Peter. “We are aware of an army moving west. We’d not received word Dumbarten was sending reinforcements.”
“It all happened quickly.” Peter beckoned for the others to join him. “Are you leading this army?”
“No and yes.” Aderic rolled his eyes. “Publicly I lead Belsport’s soldiers and the entire force is led by General Fatamo of Celtan. In truth, your father and the other princes have set our orders.”
“That complicates things.” Peter wasn’t sure he could convince the legions from Celtan and Nagden to wait.
“I don’t understand.”
“I assume your orders are to join the main army at Pelth.”
Aderic nodded. “Those are the orders.”
“You won’t make it before Garreth surrounds the city.” Peter looked over Aderic’s shoulder. “Perhaps you’d better call the other leaders over. I’m about to change your plans, and it would best if everyone heard it at the same time.”
“You’re changing your father’s orders?”
“I am.” Cendreth, Wallace, and Hayden arrived, and Peter made the introductions. “We have information my father didn’t have before the dragon cut off communication.”
“Dragon?” Aderic reflexively looked south. “How do you know they have a dragon?”
Peter pointed to the peregrine closest to him. “They detected it. According to our peregrine scouts, a dragon is a powerful mind speaker, strong enough to prevent most beings from getting a message out. Fortunately, Klissmor and Grohl are at least as powerful as a dragon. They will make contact with Queen Zenora, Darius, and my father.”
“Grohl?” Aderic looked confused.
“Farrell’s adopted peregrine brother and son of King Rothdin.” He held up a hand. “Please ask the other leaders to join us so I don’t need to do this twice. We’re a bit short on time.”
“At once, Your Highness.”
It had taken longer than Peter had hoped, but he managed to convince General Fatamo to do as Marisa asked. As the heir to Belsport, Peter answered only to Wilhelm. He assumed command of Belsport’s forces. Once he made it clear he would stop where Marisa suggested, Fatamo had little choice. Without Belsport’s wizard constables, he’d lose more than half his magical protectors.
Fatamo didn’t appreciate “a boy barely into his majority assuming command.” He might have protested louder, but Cendreth stood close to Peter with his hand on his sword.
In the end, Hayden recreated the land around Pelth for them and let the peregrine guide the image. It was clear they’d arrive more than a day too late. Fatamo grudgingly agreed it would not be wise to continue on his own.
“Adding nineteen legions to our forces is worth a day’s delay,” he said.
In truth it would be the other way, but Peter held his words. Better to let Marisa tell him she was assuming command of Fatamo’s troops.
When Marisa and the rest of her army arrived the next day, it was nearly nightfall. Everyone looked tired and hungry. Cendreth anticipated their condition and had the waiting soldiers set up the larger camp. Some soldiers grumbled, but no one told Cendreth to his face.
Even with the advanced work, the arriving army had much to set up. Before everyone had settled, Marisa requested Peter’s presence ahead of the command staff meeting.
He’d have missed her tent were it not set apart and had guards outside. Peter and Wallace stopped just inside the entrance. From the outside it appeared the same size as a common field tent. Inside it was larger than his suite of rooms in the citadel. It extended back three times as far as it should have, and there were rooms on either side. In front of them sat a table and chairs for two dozen people.
“Your eyes do not deceive you, boys.” Marisa emerged from the room to their left. “Penelope bewitched the thing. Since it takes up the same space and weighs the same as a regular tent, I didn’t object.”
“One benefit of being joined to a grand master wizard,” Peter said.
“One of many,” she said with a smile. “Make yourself comfortable while we wait for the others to arrive.”
Her armor and boots were replaced by a loose tunic, pants, and soft leather shoes. For the first time since they’d left Dumbarten, Marisa didn’t greet them armed. She walked to a small table against the back wall of the tent and returned with a decanter and three cups. She set them on the larger table and filled them. “Water only, I am afraid, but thanks to magic, it’s cold.”
“Thank you.” Peter accepted a cup. “Have we made contact with my father?”
She motioned toward the chairs around the table. “I would prefer to answer questions once everyone is here.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He and Wallace pulled back chairs in the middle of the table.
“Not there.” She tapped the seats to her right. “After Klissmor and Miceral, you and Cendreth are the highest-ranking persons here. Others can sit in the middle.”
“You’ll fit.” Miceral sounded annoyed. There was a pause, and Peter imagined Grohl spoke to him mind-to-mind. “You’ve been around your brother enough to know how magic works. Just follow Klissmor and me and stop worrying.”
Miceral popped his head into the tent and held the flap open for Klissmor. He looked back and scowled until Grohl stuck his head through the entrance.
“Great Honorus! What an amazing thing!” Grohl said. “I will give Farrell no end of torment if he doesn’t have one this magnificent.”
“Welcome, Lords Grohl, Klissmor, and Miceral.” Marisa smiled and walked over to them. “Any trouble getting here?”
“Klissmor outran the wind to get here, but Grohl kept an eye out for trouble.” He hugged her and nodded to Peter while she greeted her other guests. “You two look well.”
The obvious reference to their budding relationship put Peter back on his heels. He mumbled a greeting and avoided looking at Wallace.
“Getting back might be more problematic,” Klissmor said.
“Oh?” Marisa helped Miceral move some chairs to make room for the nonhuman attendees. “Did you see trouble on the way?”
“I’d prefer to wait until everyone is here to discuss things. I’ll be midsentence when someone else will arrive.”
Marisa snorted. “I just told the boys that when they asked a question.”
It didn’t take long for the others to file into Marisa’s tent. Cendreth arrived next accompanied by an older warrior. The woman’s almost white hair struck a vivid contrast to her dark skin. Three Dumbarten generals arrived along with the mercenary captain. All seem startled to see Grohl, but they recovered and found seats.
Aderic, General Fatamo, and another man Peter didn’t recognize were the last to arrive. Marisa stretched a map across the table and turned to Klissmor.
“Prince Klissmor, you alluded to some danger that might hamper your return to your army. Can you share your information with the group?”
“We made contact with Zenora and Wilhelm,” Klissmor said. “Understandably they didn’t want to bypass the safety of Pelth’s walls. Prince Orinth of Pelth, in particular, opposed the idea.”
“Who would blame him?” Cendreth asked. “If they march past, the city will be defenseless.”
Miceral shook his head. “If only it were that simple. Someone has secured the area around Pelth against Doors. It extends for miles around the city.”
“Someone?” Marisa asked. “Is it a trap?”
“Almost surely, but the question is who set it?” Klissmor said.
“Could Prince Orinth be in league with Garreth?” Fatamo asked.
“Unlikely,” Miceral said. “Zenora said it was his chief wizard who discovered the problem. He tried to open a Door for Orinth to get back to the city.”
“He could be feigning surprise,” Peter said.
Marisa waved her hand. “No, if he set the trap, he wouldn’t alert them to it before he could use it.”
“Agreed,” Klissmor said.
“Back to my original question. What danger were you speaking of?” Marisa asked.
“To reach you, we crossed some of the affected area. Glendora and our other wizards believed that alerted the enemy to our presence.”
“They had to know even before you left,” Aderic said. “None of us are hiding our movements.”
Miceral stood and stretched. “No, we aren’t, but the effort needed to secure an area that large and to have done it in secret was extensive. They’re planning something, and they want it to happen in that area. By riding through it, we likely accelerated their plans.”
A tall, thin Dumbarten general raised his hand and asked, “Accelerate how? If they could reach our allies, surely they’d have done it by now.”
“Our peregrine scouts report they are not pressing hard to catch Wilhelm and his allies. To them it appears they are herding our allies, not pursuing them. There are good reasons not to push your troops too hard to catch a fleeing enemy, but they’ve had several days. So far they haven’t narrowed the gap in the least. They stop when the alliance troops stop.”
“You think they are driving them to Pelth?” Marisa asked.
“It makes the most sense,” Miceral said. “They’ve protected themselves from anyone opening a Door inside or outside the city walls. That implies they want the fight to be inside the area they c
ontrol. If Wilhelm marches by the city, they’ll be outside the secured boundaries in less than a day.”
Peter tried to make sense of the situation. Garreth not trying to catch the allied forces made no sense. Especially since Wilhelm and the others showed no inclination to turn and fight. “How close are they?”
“How close is who to what?” Marisa asked.
“Garreth to my father.”
“The enemy is more than a half but less than a day’s march behind Prince Wilhelm and his allies,” Grohl said.
“Assuming Father bypasses Pelth, how soon can we reach him?”
“If they march around Pelth, that will bring them east, and I can reach them by dusk tomorrow,” Miceral said. “You’re a half day behind.”
Marisa stood and tapped a spot on the map. “If we all march a bit longer, all three armies can meet here.”
“With respect, Lady Marisa,” Fatamo said. “That is neither a good place to meet nor ideal to make a stand. You’re talking about marshaling close to a hundred legions. There isn’t enough open ground that far inland, let alone room to fight a pitched battle.”
Everyone stared at the map. Peter knew the lay of the land as well as anyone. “The best locations are close to the city.”
“Right where they want to face us,” Marisa said.
“We have another problem.” Miceral looked at the wizards. “Zenora said she couldn’t stop their magic. Until Heminaltose gets here, we’re no better able than she is.”
“What do you suggest?” Cendreth asked. “Are we to link up with them and retreat to Belsport?”
“I suggest we need to talk to Kel.” Miceral turned to Klissmor. “I can’t think of anyone else who can solve that riddle.”
“You said we can’t contact him,” Marisa said.
“We may not,” Klissmor said. “Nerti was clear, we are to handle things on our own until they return.”
“Mother is wrong, Father.” The voice appeared to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once. Those seated around the table twisted their heads in every direction. A shimmering white unicorn walked through the fabric of the tent. He had a circle of swirling energy where his horn should have been. “Holy Lenore sends Her blessings.”
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