“Do you speak with Lenore’s voice?” Klissmor asked.
Nordric ignored his father’s question. “You and Prince Wilhelm must meet your enemy on the Jarian Plains.”
“Are you mad?” Fatamo asked. “We’ll be trapped with our backs to cliffs one hundred feet above the sea. That is a death sentence.”
“It’s also inside the area Garreth’s wizards’ control,” Aderic said. “We’d be unable to flee.”
The table erupted in discussion, but Peter stared at Nordric. Wallace reached for his hand under the table, but Peter never took his gaze from the unicorn.
“You said Nerti was wrong.” Even over the noise, Peter knew Nordric would hear him.
“She is.”
The tent got quiet and everyone focused on Nordric.
“How?” Peter asked.
“Farrell and Kel must join you at Jarian by noon the day after tomorrow. If they do not, your enemy will win and Meglar will conquer the west.”
“Everyone?” Peter knew the answer but had to ask.
“Yes. If one part is missing, you will all fail.”
“How are we going to convince Prince Wilhelm and the others to march for Jarian?” Aderic asked. “It’s madness.”
Nordric maintained eye contact with Peter. “You have the means to persuade him.”
“Why can’t you tell him?” Miceral asked.
“I have said all I can. What happens next is up to you.”
“Nerti said nothing could take Farrell from his training,” Klissmor said. “Is the Blessed Mother telling us that is wrong?”
“The day after tomorrow on the Jarian Plains.” Nordric lost some of his intensity.
“That’s it?” Miceral asked. “No explanation? Be there or else?”
“You should be pleased, old friend.” Nordric’s image flickered again. “You wanted Farrell and Kel to help you. The Blessed Mother agrees with you. Accept that I cannot tell you more. Do as Lenore instructed and Her wisdom will reveal itself in time.”
Nordric turned to Peter and nodded. “You have done well, my friend. I’m proud of you.”
Peter swallowed twice before he could answer. “I… I’m sorry, Nordric.”
“Do not grieve for me.” He walked closer until his head touched Peter. “What happened at Agloth is part of something greater than us all. My new life is a blessing beyond any I could have imagined. It is truly a gift from Lenore.”
A sense of calm flowed through Peter’s body. The crushing sadness seeing his friend created lessened and changed into longing. “I miss you.”
“I miss our time as well. You will always be special to me. Your heart is as large as that of any warrior I’ve ever met.”
From the silence in the tent, Peter assumed everyone heard Nordric’s words. It gave him a moment’s pause but no more.
“Will I see you again?”
“Only the Blessed Mother can say.” He stepped back and started to fade. “Be true to yourself, Peter. The Six mean for you to achieve great things. You need only believe in yourself.”
Peter stared at the empty space Nordric has occupied. “Goodbye,” he whispered.
“That was as clear an indication of what we must do as any I have ever seen.” Cendreth’s voice broke the silence. “And living in Holy Seritia’s city, I have seen a few things in my time.”
“Agreed,” Klissmor said. “I will send Nerti the message.”
“Getting Farrell and Kel here will be the easy part,” Miceral said. “Convincing Wilhelm and Zenora to march into a corner might require more divine intervention.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
“You want us to do what?” Prince Erick of Therssen shouted.
Zenora watched the feathers on Grohl’s face and neck stand. “Erick, lower your voice. Grohl is the messenger, not the one giving the order.”
“Order?” Prince Saulmon searched the faces around him. “Just because Dagur has fallen doesn’t mean I take orders.”
Of the seven princes in the alliance, Saulmon was Zenora’s least favorite. He reminded her too much of Corvis. No doubt he was angry that Meglar chose Garreth instead of him to make an alliance. “If you want to see Dagur free again, you will follow orders when they come from the Six.”
“Perhaps you aren’t familiar with that location, but we would have our backs not only to the sea, but to the edge of a cliff,” Orinth said. “When my forbearers built Pelth, they built the city and harbor together, unlike Yar-del.”
Zenora ignored the barb. Strategically it didn’t make sense to her either. But Nordric wouldn’t have told them to do it if there wasn’t a good reason.
“Perhaps you aren’t familiar with peregrines, but we can fly.” Grohl’s body language screamed his anger. “I saw the Jarian Plains very clearly as I flew over them to get here. I also heard Lenore’s messenger tell us either we make our stand there or we will fail.”
“Everyone calm down,” Zenora said. She hoped being Farrell’s mother would give her a bit more clout with the angry peregrine. “Even your brother would want to think this through. The Six want us to march into a situation with no means to escape.”
“You won’t need to worry about retreating if you win the fight!”
“Enough!” Zenora stared at Grohl and focused on just him. “As mother to your brother, I ask you to show more respect to the others.”
Speaking in private seemed to have the desire effect as his feathers softened. “My apologies.”
“Thank you.” She patted his left wing. “And everyone else pause a moment before speaking so we can discuss this calmly.”
“You don’t rule here, Zenora,” Saulmon said.
“Neither do you, and if you speak to me like that again, you can fight their wizards without me.” She stared him down. If he thought to bully her, he was about to learn the folly of his ways.
“We all appreciate you standing with us, Your Majesty.” Wilhelm spoke for the first time. The other princes nodded as he stepped forward to face them. “No one wants to force you from our ranks. Neither do we wish to march to our deaths. If we do as asked, we will be in a win-or-die situation. And if we lose, the west will fall to Garreth.”
“I am not unmindful of that, but the Six gave us a clear direction. How can any of you believe ignoring that is wise?”
“So you counsel we do as advised?” Prince Yudres of Celtan asked.
Zenora nodded and tried to assess the vote. If it came to it, she felt certain she could convince Wilhelm to do as Lenore said. Yudres would follow Wilhelm’s lead as would Aldor of Nagden. Erick was a reasonable man, once he had a moment to consider the facts. That left Orinth, Uthus of Hamble, and Saulmon.
She factored out Saulmon. None of the others trusted him. The fool hadn’t salvaged even half the troops Erick had, and Dagur had notice an attack was coming. If he left, they wouldn’t miss him.
Uthus was barely coherent. He hadn’t expected to lose Hamble. Given the resources the other princes poured into defending his city, he shouldn’t have. Fleeing shattered his resolve. She would speak to Wilhelm about including Dathus, Uthus’s son, in future meetings.
That left Orinth. If he broke ranks, Hamble and Dagur would follow him back to Pelth. Erick might do the same. While she wouldn’t miss Dagur’s meager forces, Pelth and Hamble were large contingents.
“Zenora?” Grohl’s voice surprised her. “I have a message for your ears only.”
“What is it?” She ignored the others and focused on him.
“Klissmor and Miceral would like to address the group. They’ve asked if you would project their image.”
“How?”
“Link with me and I’ll act as a bridge between them and you.”
“Excuse me,” she interrupted Saulmon midsentence. Of course it would be him. “Prince Klissmor and King Miceral would like to speak to you.”
“What?” Orinth asked. He and some others searched the area. “Where are they?”
“With their army. Grohl
is going to link with them, and I will provide you with the voice and image.”
Darius raised an eyebrow and some of the other wizards appeared skeptical. She ignored them and focused on Grohl. “Link with me and I’ll make them visible. Unlike Farrell I can’t limit things to just their thoughts. Your mind and mine are not as close. Be careful to keep their link foremost or else everyone will see far more than you might like.”
“Understood.”
Whether he did would be seen shortly. “I’ll warn you now, if you upset Grohl while this is happening, you will hear what he is thinking. I’m confident you will not like what you learn if you anger him, so please be civil, no matter what is said.”
She didn’t wait for an answer before setting the spell in motion. A large image flickered in the open space before them. It took a bit of effort for Zenora to mesh the spell with Grohl’s thoughts. Once she had the right connection, Miceral and Klissmor appeared in their midst.
“Greetings, fellow princes. I am Klissmor, mate to Queen Nerti. King Miceral and I have been monitoring your conversation through our friend.” Klissmor nodded in Grohl’s direction. “It saddens me that you have so little faith in the Six.”
“There are only two options,” Miceral said. “Either you meet us at Jarian or you and those of us coming to your rescue will be defeated.”
“With your soldiers, we’ll finally have numbers on our side,” Erick said. “Why are we going to put our backs to the cliffs?”
“If numbers were enough, what does it matter where you make your stand?” Klissmor asked. “Jarian is a perfect place for a superior army to face an enemy. Garreth will be unable to outflank you, and our forces will hit him from the north and east.”
“It’s not about the size of our army,” Aldor said. “Our wizards can’t pierce whatever magic they’re using to shield themselves. Without room to retreat, we’ll be slaughtered.”
“Between Kel and Farrell, they’ll find a way to stop them,” Miceral said.
“What do they have to do with this?” Zenora asked. “No one’s been able to contact them for weeks.”
Miceral looked confused and turned to Grohl. “Didn’t you tell them?”
“Tell us what?” Zenora said as others echoed the question.
“I didn’t get the chance to tell them Lenore summoned Kel and my brother to help.”
“Kel?” Orinth asked. “The Kel?”
“Yes, that Kel,” Klissmor said. “Lenore told them to meet you at Jarian by noon tomorrow.”
“Though I appreciate this is Kel, how can we be sure even he can find an answer to this problem in the blink of an eye?” Yudres asked. “With the cliffs to our backs, our room for error is small.”
“You have no choice. If you ignore Lenore’s direction, you will lose.”
“He’s right,” Orinth said. “Even Kel can’t wave his hand and solve every problem. What if he can’t stop them?”
“We can’t be sure,” Wilhelm said. “Neither can we be sure Belsport’s shield can stop their magic. Unless we turn and face them somewhere, we’ll march all the way to the Sea of Erd. If we’re going to end up with nowhere else to go, I’d rather do it where the Six say we have a chance to win.”
“I agree,” Zenora said. “Kel knows more about magic than anyone who has ever lived. If he can’t tell us how to stop this, the war is already lost.”
“I need your answer now,” Miceral said. “If you’re not going to Jarian, I’m turning around and telling Dumbarten’s troops to do the same. I’ll not risk my forces on something doomed to fail.”
“How dare you give us an ultimatum,” Saulmon said. “It’s outrageous.”
“We must be there in little more than a day,” Klissmor said. “To be in position in time, we will need to march into the night so we can arrive at the battlefield strong enough to fight. There is no more time to waste while you debate the wisdom of listening to your gods.”
Zenora’s heart pounded as the seven princes deliberated in silence. Wilhelm had already announced his decision, but none of the others had voiced agreement. The more difficult decision would be what to do with those who refused to go, especially Saulmon and his soldiers.
If they left, they’d undoubtedly head to Garreth and try to make a deal. Even if they didn’t, they had nowhere to go. They’d be captured and become prime Chamdon fodder, and the result would be the same. She couldn’t let any of them refuse.
“I think, brothers, our answer has already been made for us,” Orinth said, breaking the silence. “It is too late to head back to Pelth. Our enemy is closer to the city than we are. Wilhelm has already announced he is going to Jarian. We can’t expect he’ll let us inside Belsport’s new shield. Thus, we either join him or head to Nagden or Celtan to await our defeat. For me, the answer is clear. My troops and I will make for Jarian.”
Yudres nodded. “I’ve trusted Wilhelm with the safety of my wife and children. I’d be a fool to abandon him now.”
“Aye,” Aldor said. “Nagden has no greater means to thwart Garreth than anyone else. At least Jarian has the blessing of the Six.”
Erick exhaled and shrugged. “I count you as my friend, Wilhelm, not just because our mothers were sisters. I refuse to hold up in someone else’s city hoping against hope we survive. I say we take this fight to them on the terms the Six have dictated.”
Saulmon looked nervously about. He tried to get Uthus’s attention, but the prince of Hamble never looked over. “What say you, Uthus?”
At the sound of his name, Uthus jerked his head as if his thoughts had been elsewhere. “After watching my beautiful city sacked by that walking pile of excrement, I lost my will to act. But if the Six have sent us guidance, that is more than we’ve had thus far. That alone fills me with hope we will pay him back for his treachery. I want to be there when we cut his foul head from his shoulders and nail it to his city walls.”
“You won’t get the chance,” Miceral said. “I’ll wager all Trellham’s wealth that before the fighting starts, his troops will be turned into Chamdon. Even Garreth won’t escape his fate.”
Saulmon’s eyes opened wider. “They wouldn’t dare.”
“Of course he would and he will.” Wilhelm didn’t hide his disdain. “Be glad your cousin was a bigger fool than you. He’ll never see Valencia again. You might live long enough to rebuild your city.”
Saulmon eyed Wilhelm suspiciously. “What are you suggesting?”
“I’m not implying anything. Did you think Meglar only made overtures to you and Garreth? Ask the others. He approached everyone with his offer.”
“What? I never considered accepting his offer.”
“Of course you didn’t. If you had, we’d have cut your head off by now.” Erick’s words contained just enough sarcasm to show he didn’t believe Saulmon.
“If you try to go back, you will never see Dagur again,” Klissmor said. “Your only hope is to follow the will of the Six and pray you are not one of the day’s casualties.”
No one spoke as Saulmon squirmed under the scrutiny. Zenora felt no pity for the man. He’d earned his position and he could reap the consequences.
“Can I speak to Klissmor and Miceral through our link?” she asked Grohl.
“Klissmor is connected to you both. He will ensure Miceral hears your thoughts.”
“I don’t trust Saulmon.” An obvious statement. “Even if he comes around, I fear he’ll turn on us at the worst possible time. If Meglar turns Garreth into a Chamdon, he’ll lack a puppet to rule the west. Saulmon can switch sides in the middle of the fight and help defeat us from within. Then he’ll present himself to Meglar as a willing replacement for his dead cousin.”
“Tell him you will end his life if he fails to support the alliance to the fullest,” Klissmor said. “There is no room for subtlety or diplomacy. His betrayal could destroy you all. Better he should leave than destroy you from within.”
She hadn’t expected something so blunt, but what Klissmor said ran
g true. Better to lay it out and upset him than to say nothing and worry.
“Saulmon.” Zenora kept her voice neutral and calm. She hid her left hand behind her back, away from the prince. When she had everyone’s attention, she continued. “I don’t know why it has taken you this long to agree to what is plain to everyone else, but I no longer care. I’ll say what I suspect everyone else is thinking: I don’t trust you. If Grohl or I forced ourselves into your fetid little mind, we’d no doubt find proof you plot to betray us.”
“How dare you!” His anger, while genuine, also sounded forced.
“Silence!” She brought her hand around and released the spell. The small ball paused at his inadequate wards and disappeared into his body. “You threaten us all with your scheming, and I won’t allow you to hand the west to Meglar.”
“What did you do?” He searched frantically for help, but everyone refused to make eye contact with him. “What have you done?”
“Nothing . . . yet!” She swallowed and kept her expression hard. “As I said, I do not trust you. If you honor your commitments to your fellow princes, you have nothing to fear. The spell will remain dormant until the battle is over and then it will expire.
“But if you or your troops fail to do their part in the battle, you will burst into flames. If I were you, I’d not retreat when told to stand, or even give ground too soon. Otherwise you will die a most painful death.”
His panicked expression drew gasps from some of the other princes. She ignored them and kept her gaze on Saulmon.
“How dare you attack me!” Saulmon took a step toward her and then paused. Finding no support, he stayed in place. “I demand you remove this spell.”
In the blink of an eye, Klissmor stood in front of the outraged man. His horn hovered inches from Saulmon’s face, causing him to flinch.
“Your demand means nothing.” Klissmor inched closer, forcing Saulmon back again. “I told Zenora to do this because you have not proven yourself worthy of our full trust. I care nothing for your pride or your feelings. Thousands of lives depend on what you do. They need assurances they can depend on you.”
Champion of the Gods Box Set Page 207