The General

by M. A. Abraham

  “I am not sure,” King Gerolth admitted. “But, by now, they undoubtedly have it all planned out.”

  Anders, as the Tratchar amongst them, nodded and filled everyone in on what was happening in the Empire, “Three ships have already left our shores. They are filled to capacity with Sentinels, and we have barely dented the numbers still in the Empire. It is going to take a long time to finish what we have started, and no, we have no idea what awaits us at the other end. What we do know is that the last task left to do at the end will probably be the most important to our people.”

  “Which is?” Orien wondered.

  “The transporting of the essences of the Great Guardians from each of the Kingdoms in the Elven Empire,” Anders informed them. He then watched as looks of shock replaced those of interest. This was obviously not something any of them had thought about. He presumed there would be a lot of questions forthcoming about what he had just said.

  “What of the trees that held the essences?” Tethak wondered.

  “They will remain to live out their lives as ordinary trees when we leave,” Anders answered.

  “What of the essences?” Orien asked.

  “I know they will be taken to the Elven Nation, but only Cambria has any idea about what will happen to them when they get there.”

  “I get the impression a lot of changes are about to happen,” Daeron stated. “I think we better get used to the idea and learn to work around them.”

  “To get back to a matter that concerns all of us in a more direct manner, I have received messages about the Dragon Killers. There is the matter of what I saw during the trials in the Light Elven Kingdom and what Evart reported to Gabriella Eagle Claw since then,” King Gerolth changed the subject.

  “I am going to assume this will affect the way we fly,” T’Harris took an educated guess.

  “Some of us make larger targets than others,” King Gerolth began. “Some Dragons are slow or cumbersome. We need to do something about these faults if we want to survive what is about to happen. As there is nothing we can do about our sizes, we need to change the way we maneuver in the sky so we don’t make such good targets. Another thing, the enemy has gotten their hands on a new weapon we never heard of before; one that explodes. When we told Mariss and Matrium about those, they seemed to have some idea what we were talking about, which was good news in my estimation. It is new to us, but I understand they ran across mention of weapons of destruction like this in the archives. We will need to be careful not to get struck by them, because any of them will be able to knock us out of the sky if they are developed the right way. This is information from Mariss and Mistral.”

  “Even an arrow can take a Dragon down, if it strikes the right place,” Thieron pointed out.

  “From what I understand,” King Gerolth reported, “This weapon gives off a percussion disrupting the air currents that keep us in the air. Between having to dodge arrows and quarrels from the Dragon Killers, we will be hard pressed to survive. The new Dragon Killers are fast and can shoot higher than the old ones. They can also change direction and are now able to follow our flight patterns. I would suggest everyone take what is being said seriously.”

  T’Harris took all this information in, then commented, “We will need to take their war machines out first. It won’t be easy, but this is what must be done. The men manning the Dragon Killers can track us now, and as our size makes us a big target and easy to hit, we need to move faster. We also need to learn different ways to angle our bodies, so it makes them more difficult to get a good shot at.”

  “They won’t want to waste too many quarrels,” Daeron added, “They are large, and they take limited numbers of them along because of this.”

  T’Harris continued, “They will want to come in with them in the forefront of their forces with the idea of knocking us out of the fight early, for the same reason we will want to destroy them to keep them out of the battle.”

  “This means the first part of the fight will be between the Dragon Killers and the Dragons,” King Gerolth declared. “We will need to make sure we strike first, as well as hard and fast. For now, we need to sharpen up our flight program. When we believe we can face them, then we will be able to return to the Elven Empire. Until we are sure we have this done right, no one will be returning to the mainland, and I mean NO ONE.”

  By the amount of grumbling King Gerolth could hear going on, he knew his decision was not very popular. He, however, was not about to back down now that it was made.

  CHAPTER XIV

  Under the influence of T’Harris’ spell, Gabriella slept through the day, as well as the night, then into the next day. She showed no signs of waking even as danger began to move towards her long after the illusion he had spun around her had fallen to expose her to anyone coming across her during her slumbers. It wasn’t supposed to have lasted this long, but she had been tired and susceptible to the conjuring involved.

  “The coast is clear,” A Human soldier signaled to the other members of his party as he finished checking out the area surrounding the entrance to the tunnel leading to Andoria. They had been sent to retrace Evart’s footsteps by Ricard and were worrying what they might find waiting for them when they arrived in the valley. They had expected to be greeted with the sight of Dragons hovering overhead, or at the very least, Elven centurions. There was nothing, not even a sign of a harmless woodland creature, which would have been welcome at this time as they were half starved.

  After making sure they were safe to move on, they spent the rest of the morning gathering things to eat from inside the forest. When they had eaten, they followed what looked to be a seldom-used pathway towards a bubbling stream. It was there they came across a sleeping Elven Female, something they hadn’t expected. What made this seem even more unusual was that when they approached her, she didn’t wake. It was a piece of luck they hadn’t expected, but were willing to accept as the hand of fate.

  “Talk about luck,” one of the soldiers quietly said.

  “Don’t get too confident about this,” another advised. “You know what Ricard told us. The women are every bit as dangerous as their men. I find it very strange this one isn’t reacting under the circumstances.”

  “You are not alone,” the first man replied. “But I am not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. As she is what we were sent to capture, I say we grab her and run while it is still possible.”

  “Is she really the right Elven Female though?” the second man worried. “I am afraid of what they might do to us if we come back with the wrong woman in tow.”

  “I am more afraid of what might happen to us if we run into the right one,” The first man returned. “Did you notice how both Lorne and Ricard spoke about her power and still with weapons? I can only imagine what she is like if those two fear her. Besides, look at her. She fits their description in every way possible. Who is to say this isn’t exactly the one they are looking for us to bring back with us?”

  “It seems mighty convenient to me that we should enter this land to find her fast asleep almost at the entrance of the cave. What if she was planted here for us to find and only spells trouble?” the second man returned. “I hate to sound negative about this, but you tell me, what is the likelihood of something like this happening?”

  “Exactly my point,” the first man argued. “Which is why I am going to tie her up, throw her over the back of a horse and head for home as fast as we dare. If we let this chance pass us by, we may never get another.”

  Another man agreed, “We may even be able to shave a couple of days off of our travel time through the tunnel. I am all for that. I hate traveling under that great pile of rock. It makes me feel like it might come down on us at any moment.”

  Another added, “I will get the rope.”

  Within an hour, the group of Humans had Gabriella secured to the back of a horse. They spent some time renewing their food supplies and refilling their water containers, then began their journey back through the tunnel.
Where they had taken their time getting to the valley before, they were now in a rush to see how fast they could reach the other side.

  Gabriella didn’t wake up from her spell-induced sleep for another day, and when she did, she wasn’t feeling well. It took her a while to figure out what was happening and where she was. She had been bound and now hung over the back of a horse like a sack of potatoes. Her mount was being led through the tunnel that separated the valley from the outside world. She noticed the speed at which they were traveling, felt the continued motion of the steed under her and the effects of the gait it was keeping, and promptly lost control of whatever contents were still in her stomach.

  “Our Elven captive has finally woken up, Stan,” The men following behind her mount reported to their leader. “I think we are going to have to take a break.”

  “The horses could use it,” Stan replied.

  “We have made good time,” The man on the wagon loaded with their provisions agreed. “She is going to need to be given a little privacy to tend to her business now that she is awake. How are we going to do that in here?”

  “I don’t mind watching,” another piped up.

  “We all know why too,” Stan replied with an open frown. “Keep in mind that if you so much as touch this blonde beauty, Ricard will have your ballocks. He has plans for her, and I doubt if it has anything to do with sharing, unless it is with his brother, Lorne.”

  A disgruntled comment was heard in the background, which no one disagreed with, but everyone knew better than to comment on. It wouldn’t do for any of them to trust another on this voyage, not when they knew the results. Ricard had been very clear in his instructions on the off chance they were able to capture this Female Elf. No one should lay a hand on her or losing it would be the least of their worries.

  No one needed to be told what was meant by consequences and how either of the older Princes could make a man break out in a sweat with the mere thought of what that might mean.

  Gabriella didn’t waste time worrying about what these men might or not do to her. She knew from listening to Evart what type of men his brothers were and the type of men they led into war. She was certain none of these troops would dare touch her without consent. She was positive that whatever they wanted done to her, they would be determined to do in person. Despite being at a disadvantage at the moment, she still felt no fear. She was sure of two things; one, it wouldn’t take her long to level the playing field unless she was vastly outnumbered, and two, T’Harris would come for her in her greatest hour of need. He had promised to guard her back, and he would be there for her, no matter what it took.

  It didn’t take long for Gabriella to take care of any immediate problems she had. The men found a small corner for her to have a few moments of privacy and, although they refused to untie her so she could see to her needs properly, she made do. A quick cleansing spell took care of the worst of her problems. When she was finished, her captors hand-fed her, gave her something to drink, and then they put her back onto the horse she was riding earlier. Now that she was awake, she could sit on the saddle instead of lying across it. However, at no time were they going to allow her to get anywhere close to being able to hold the reins to her own horse.

  Gabriella shrugged all the suggestive remarks and actions off. She knew the moment she gave them any credence at all, half the battle she was waging against them would be lost. She was going to need all the strength she possessed if she hoped to escape. It didn’t matter if she managed to do this while they were in the tunnel or after they arrived in Andoria. She would find a way to break loose from their hold on her, and then she would be gone. She could tell that these men were not going to make things easy for her, but then again it was no less than what she should expect. They were too afraid of those holding power over them to allow her the upper hand at any time.

  The men escorting Gabriella to the King of Andoria watched her every move with suspicion. They could tell she was waiting for a chance to break away from them, and they sensed she wouldn’t need control of the reins to do it if she wanted too badly enough. What she did need from them was for someone to let go of the lead rope for only a moment. If this ever happened, she would be gone. It wouldn’t matter how tight they tied her so she wouldn’t break free from her bonds. If she managed to get loose, she would find a way to get rid of the rest. They would never be able to catch her if that happened.

  Back in the islands, T’Harris was beside himself with worry and frustration. It seemed like every exercise King Gerolth set himself up to teach the Guardians began with the words ‘T’Harris does this best, but…’ Despite this, he was not allowed to leave the area. What made things worse was that T’Harris was expected to help teach the others how to do things right. All the while, the lack of contact he was experiencing from Gabriella nagged at him. Surely, this couldn’t be right, or was she traveling back to the Elven Empire to report to Emperor Lariel for some reason? The not knowing what to think was driving both Thrax and him crazy. He was certain he should be able to sense his Life Mate at all times, and for whatever reason, his Dragon seemed to believe the same applied to him.

  King Gerolth wasn’t listening to anything any of his Guardians were saying. Only one thing mattered to him. He wanted to make sure they would be able to rise to the challenge when they faced off against the Dragon Killers. He felt like it would kill him to lose even one of these valiant Elves to the enemy. To him, they were the sons he never had and his responsibility. If they came up short for any reason, he would feel it was his fault because he hadn’t seen to their training well enough. He understood that they were missing their Life Mates and it was difficult to stay away, but the alternatives were worse.

  T’Harris heard all the bonded men complaining and realized he was not alone in his need to see to the welfare of his Life Mate. The difference was, none of them said a word about not being able to sense his Life Mate at all. They felt their bonds, while he couldn’t. Again, he had no way of telling why. Could it be because the bond he shared with his Gabriella was too new yet and hadn’t had time to gain strength enough for them to connect with each other over so many miles? He had so many questions and no one to get answers from.

  T’Harris’ fellow Guardians only pretended to listen to him. Those sharing a bond with a Life Mate had their own problems to deal with. Those without a partner had no experience to draw from and couldn’t help. He remembered Gabriella’s words to him, telling him he should be tending to his King and the Elven Empire and could only wonder if this was what she was doing. Was she answering the Emperor Lariel’s call and seeing to the needs of the Empire during his absence? Did she miss having him as he did her, or was she too busy? He wanted to hold her, love her, or at least find the connection he believed they shared. He could do none of these things and the urge to return to where he had left her was strong, which he couldn’t understand either. She wouldn’t even be there, so why should he feel this need to return to where they had parted?

  The sleep spell he had cast over Gabriella had been weak, so she would catch a few extra hours of rest, or so he thought. He reviewed what he had done and was sure of the fact. That she hadn’t contacted him later meant that whatever she was doing now was in an area where their bond wasn’t able to pass into the air to reach him.

  It was this type of thinking that kept T’Harris grounded, although it was a tenuous state at best. If he had suspected Gabriella was in any trouble at all, he would have flown away and left King Gerolth to deal with the others on his own. This, however, was Gabriella Eagle Claw he was thinking about. There was no Elf more capable of taking care of herself in the Elven Empire. She wasn’t some ordinary Elven Female. She was the High Lord General of the Combined Elven Armies. She was the pride of the Elven Empire, but still he worried and Thrax obsessed.

  King Gerolth finally grew tired of T’Harris’ moodiness and cornered him after a particularly difficult training session, “What is bothering you?”

  “I have to
ld you on numerous occasions,” T’Harris answered. “I have not been able to sense my Life Mate for the last three weeks. I have no idea where she is, how she is, or if she is even alive. I don’t know what to think. Our bond is new and might not be fully established yet, but it really bothers me that I cannot find her at all.”

  King Gerolth sighed and nodded in understanding. Like the others, he had no answers. This was Gabriella Eagle Claw they were talking about, and there could be any number of reasons for what was happening.

  CHAPTER XV

  T’Harris felt Gabriella’s connection return to him the moment she emerged from the tunnel and the relief he felt went bone deep. This meant she was alive and well. After three weeks of not getting any signs from their bond thread, his excitement was nearly overwhelming. He wanted to fly to her side immediately, but he didn’t dare. He wasn’t the only one unhappy about the restraints being placed on them. Thrax was as well. T’Harris’ Dragon could feel the differences in their mate even more than he could. He didn’t understand any part of what he was feeling, but he could sense her Dragon clearly, and it was ready to come out. If there was anything he understood for certain, it was that she shouldn’t be alone at a time like this.

  Thrax didn’t like the idea of his mate coming into the world for the first time without any guidance either. She would be alone, afraid, and lost in a foreign place. Being free wasn’t anything like being held in place by a will stronger than your own. When a new Dragon was born, it had no idea how it should behave, and unless the Elf in control had some idea about what it should be doing, it could go rogue. There would be only one response to a Dragon gone rogue, and he refused to think something like this happening to his mate.

  To be sure of what was going on with Gabriella, T’Harris reached out to touch her mind through their Life Mate bond. It should have been a simple thing. It had nothing to do with either of their Dragons. The only response he received back was one of patient watchfulness. He tried to burrow further into her subconscious mind, to find out what was bothering her, as he was certain this was the case. His probe was immediately blocked and his essence thrown back at him where it belonged. He knew then that his Gabriella was in trouble. She needed him to guard her back now. However, she seemed to be refusing to tell him where she was. There were ways around this, and he knew them. First, he needed to break free from King Gerolth’s control, for as it stood, no one was going anywhere unless the Dragon King allowed them to. Anyone that tried would be apt to face dire consequences.