Before the Dawn

by Kristal Lim

The silver trees glinted with the many colors of the setting sun. Their brilliance cast metallic reflections on the faces of the soldiers who stood at the ready, swords in hand, waiting for the signal to attack. The dying rays of sunlight also gave a dull sheen to the silver armor of Lady Ceirdwyn's automatons. The clockwork men, except for one that Raven had retained as a charioteer, made up the first lines of fighters since their brute strength would be particularly useful in forging a way to Prince Benwyr's castle through any fortifications he may have set up against his brothers' forces. The Princes were positioned on their mounts a few feet away from the automatons, and their soldiers were arrayed behind them.

  Brannon kept glancing at the darkening sky. All good humor he had possessed earlier while joking with his men was gone now and he looked very grim. Even Rogan and Kaemon, who had been laughing earlier over the smallest jests, were quiet. In fact, all the Princes looked grim, including Raven. While they waited, he led his horse a short distance away from his brothers so he could give last-minute instructions to the two mortals who would be riding into a battle that nothing had prepared them for. He was clearly tense because he repeated himself several times before Lady Ceirdwyn finally snapped at him.

  "They will be safe with me!" she hissed. Meran and Trevor, who were bundled up in a chariot being driven by one of the automatons, tried to look reassured. The plan was for Lady Ceirdwyn to ride alongside them and slaughter anything in their way. She would make sure they would get to the castle, where Raven would join them, then they would find Aline and the other girls and hope that nothing would go wrong with this sketchy plan that had all the potential of being ruined a hundred different ways.

  Raven gave his mother a hard stare. "I gave them my word, mother," he said. "And you gave me yours," he reminded her. "We will help them save their friends and send them home, unharmed."

  She nodded brusquely. "Yes. Yes. Now stop fretting."

  Raven turned his attention back to the two. "Be careful," he told them yet again. "I've placed enchantments on you that should protect you, but I cannot guarantee that my brother will not be able to break them and hurt you, especially after he realizes you have come to take Aline away. And make sure that Aline and the others would agree to leave the Strangelands willingly. Cut them with the silver leaves to awaken them if you must. Aline, in particular, must be willing to leave. Ignite the silver leaf within her the way my mother taught you so she will have a better chance of fighting off the spells that Benwyr has threaded around her. Remember, you must be away from Silverhaven before the dawn, or the enchantment would be completely renewed–"

  "We'll do what we can, Raven," Trevor interrupted him. All these reminders were just making him more nervous. "We won't let them become enslaved by the magic again. I won't leave Aline here, no matter what."

  "We're going to make it, all of us," Meran seconded. Then she reached out hesitantly and traced Raven's hand with light fingers. Her eyes were downcast and her voice was low when she said, "You should be careful, too."

  There was an awkward little silence for a moment, at least it was awkward for Trevor, then Raven nodded. He murmured to his horse and, with a last look at them, he went to rejoin the other Princes.

  "My son is fond of you." Lady Ceirdwyn's voice was sharp, but her gaze was even sharper as she studied Meran.

  Meran's expression was carefully blank. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean," she lied.

  The immortal woman shrugged. "And I am sure you speak falsely. No matter. He can have his choice of lovers," she declared. "I do not wish to rule his heart. As long as he becomes the King he was meant to be, then I do not care who he loves."

  "Is that really all you care about? Raven being King?" Meran was obviously annoyed by the woman's stubborn devotion to that one ambition that her son did not even share. "What about what he wants for himself? He's never seemed interested in ruling a kingdom. What makes you think he's not going to just ruin things if he’s forced to be in charge?"

  Lady Ceirdwyn looked astonished. Not because a mortal dared to talk to her in such an impertinent manner, but because someone had spoken aloud an idea that had probably never even crossed her mind. "That is inconceivable," she scoffed. "Raven was born to be a King. He may hem and haw now and declare that he does not care for a crown or a throne, but it is his destiny to be the ruler of Leralond."

  "So you did everything you could to destroy the one person who threatened that," Meran sounded disgusted. "And now Raven's going to have to kill his brother, a brother he loves, because your schemes have neatly ruined several lives just so you can get what you want. Why? Because his father didn't make you Queen so you want to at least be a King's mother?"

  Trevor was prepared to push Meran out of the way the second Lady Ceirdwyn would raise her heavy sword and cut down the insignificant mortal who was annoying her. But, to his consternation and surprise, Lady Ceirdwyn only laughed. He frowned. These people seemed to be making it a habit to confound his expectations.

  "Such fire in one so easily burned by it," the immortal woman drawled. "You do not know what I know, mortal girl. I have heard the prophecies the wisest of my people keep hidden for fear of their power. Remember, I was a battle maiden, with no need for any man, but I made a choice to become a King's lover and bear his child. It was not for my glory, though others believe otherwise. The truth is I did it for a cause greater than you could ever understand."

  Meran looked like she was about to retort something nasty when her words were cut off by the sound of a horn. They all looked up in attention automatically, as if the horn had commanded them to do so, and they watched as the last light of the sun flashed once and then was buried beneath the horizon. The sun was gone, and she could no longer interfere in the affairs of the Courts. Darkness swiftly spread over the land and torches suddenly flared in the hands of various soldiers.

  The silver trees slowly began to glow, giving off their own illumination that was paler than moonlight. Before the eyes of the soldiers standing nearest to them, the trees twisted into new shapes, becoming thicker and sprouting sharp spikes and edges until Silverhaven was ringed by a shiny, wicked-looking barrier. The way was impassable unless one was prepared to risk life and limb against those nasty thorns.

  In the stillness that came over the army at the sight, an exasperated sigh was heard and Raven's voice carried quite clearly to everyone's ears.

  "I suppose it was too much to hope for that Benwyr would let us kill him without any fuss."

  Trevor suppressed a mad urge to laugh. He knew he was in way over his head here and a sudden surge of adrenaline jolted through him. He was going to war, sweet Jesus, he was going to war in another world with beings who could wipe him out of existence with a little finger. And he was going to do it without any special skill or power that usually gets picked up by the heroes in stories of this kind. Instead, he was solely relying on the protection and mercy of an incredibly ruthless woman and an unreliable, troublesome Prince.

  He felt a hand touch his, and he turned to see Meran looking at him with concern. "I think," she whispered, "that we're going to die, don't you?"

  He swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. "Hell, yeah," he agreed. "We’re as good as dead."

  She shrugged and gave him a crooked smile. "Oh, well. Whatever."

  Brannon then broke the tense silence that had come over their company with a shout. He lifted up a hand gloved in mesh and a ball of white fire appeared on his palm. It hovered in the air and it began to grow bigger and brighter until it was as dazzling as the sun. Trevor could feel its deadly heat even from where he was standing, but Brannon didn't even seem to be affected by it. Instead, the eldest Prince began chanting in a language the mortals couldn't understand and the ball of fire kept growing in intensity as it floated higher and higher in the air. Soon, it was high above their heads and their army looked like they had brought their own miniature sun with them. Then Brannon boomed out one last word and the small sun he had created emitted a blinding
flash that pulsed out from it in a fiery ring. While Trevor’s eyes were still trying to adjust, the ball of fire flew straight towards Silverhaven's barrier with a sound like a piercing wail. It crashed into the silver trees and the brilliance of the impact was unbearable until the light faded and they saw that a clear path had been burned through the different groves straight to the far lake where Benwyr's defenders waited for them.

  "Attack!" Brannon commanded. The soldiers roared and, led by the automatons, they poured into the breach.

  Benwyr wasn't going to let them get to his castle that easily, of course. The trees moved and came to life while his brothers' soldiers were still crossing the opening through the groves. Silver spikes pierced through warriors, gold branches flew at them like spears, and diamond trees exploded into thousands of tiny, hungry shards that blinded eyes and cut throats.

  "Kaemon!" Prince Kei shouted in warning to his twin before several knife-like leaves of silver could sink into the other's face. Prince Kaemon put up his shield just in time to save himself and the leaves all hit the shield harmlessly.

  "Enough of this!" Kaemon was angry now. A silent communication passed between him and his twin, then they both nodded at each other and brought their horses as close as they dared to the sides of the opening Brannon's fireball had cut for their forces. Moving as one, their hands made a series of gestures and, with a sound like thunder, water from deep within the earth rumbled and then shot through the ground in geysers. But the twins were not finished yet. They continued to make smooth, flowing movements with their hands and arms, and the water glowed then began to curve until their army was cocooned safely within the liquid while the trees battered uselessly at them. Whenever a spike or leaf would touch the water, it disintegrated as if it had come into contact with acid. However, the inside of the cocoon was as dry and solid as earth. The soldiers quickly seized the opportunity to regroup afforded by this reprieve and Brannon hollered orders until the men had formed one compact unit of warriors once more.

  Then the twins nodded at each other again and, with a swift series of hand movements, they burst the bubble of water that protected them from the deadly trees. The water rolled away from them in roaring waves that swept everything in their path and the groves were quickly devastated by the sudden flood. "Come on then!" Kaemon shouted at his brothers and their soldiers now that they had a clear way towards the lake.

  They moved forward once more, and were met by the swords and arrows of Silverhaven's forces. Brannon laughed. "This is more like it!" he exclaimed lustily and fell to cutting down the men who tried to halt his advance with a mad glee in his eyes. Rogan and Baydr looked like they were having a great time, too, and even Orland shook off his usual quiet manner and dealt with the enemies who came his way with fast efficiency. However, the person most enjoying herself had to be Lady Ceirdwyn.

  She and her horse moved like one being as they struck down foes left and right. She was so brutal and skilled at dealing death to opponents that the chariot bearing the humans was completely untouched even by so much as a wayward arrow. A battle frenzy possessed her and her amber eyes glowed with a vivid blood-red light in their depths. With the way she was fighting, she could have decimated Silverhaven's army all by herself.

  But then the Lords of Silverhaven took to the battlefield.

  They swooped down on the invaders and brought death. Scores of soldiers fell to the ground writhing in unspeakable torment as their bodies were warped and molded into new unnatural shapes like they were nothing but common clay in the hands of one of Silverhaven's Lords. Another Lord flicked a red mist at the warriors that tried to rush at him and they all crumbled to ashes. Two other Lords transformed themselves into hulking brutes with long claws and ripped through their foes with frightening ease. The battle had now become more of a challenge as the Princes found themselves having to fight opponents that were more or less their equal in power.

  "I do so enjoy a good match," Rogan commented and smiled down at Meran's terrified face where she huddled in the chariot during a lull in the fighting.

  "Stop flirting with what's mine and go kill something!" Raven snarled as he rode up to them. He stared at Meran with concern. "Are you well?"

  She couldn't speak just yet, but Trevor didn't have the same problem. "Why don't you stop flirting and go kill something?" he shouted at Raven in his nervousness and Rogan guffawed.

  "We're doing what we can," Raven snapped. "We've killed three Lords so far, but there are five left in the field. There should be two more in the castle, I believe, since I don't see them anywhere here. Silverhaven has powerful Lords, and they have the added incentive of not wanting to die to fuel their defense. It's going to take us a while to cut through the ranks of these five and get to the lake, where I'm sure Benwyr and the remaining Lords will have more nasty surprises in store for us."

  "Are we having a council in the middle of a bloody battle?" Brannon demanded furiously, reining in his horse quite sharply before them and giving each of his brothers a murderous glare.

  "I wouldn't mind taking a brief rest," quipped Kaemon as he appeared by Brannon's side along with Kei and Orland.

  Baydr joined them a few seconds later. "What is happening here?" he asked with a frown. "Are we having a council?"

  Brannon was so furious now that he looked like he wanted to explode. "What are all of you doing here?" he roared, his face completely red. "Who is fighting the Lords when all of you are here?!"

  "Lady Ceirdwyn," Orland replied simply.

  They all looked to where he was pointing.

  Lady Ceirdwyn was, indeed, fighting the five remaining Lords all by herself. And she was doing a very awe-inspiring job of it. She moved like liquid, each graceful shift of her body landing a blow or cutting through flesh seemingly without any effort. Her eyes had turned completely red now and her beautiful face had the most serene expression. In the fury of war, she was calm–a battle maiden unlike any other the Strangelands have ever seen.

  "Raven, I think I just fell in love with your mother," Rogan declared dreamily.

  "I think I feel the same way," Brannon announced.

  "You. Shut. Up." Raven was tight-lipped with anger. "You. Never. Talk. About my mother."

  "How is she even doing it?" Orland marveled. "She's not using magic at all, but they can barely touch her." He looked like a love-struck schoolboy.

  "Oh, I'd like to touch her," Kaemon said with a leer. Eyes twinkling, Kei nodded his agreement.

  "Do not. Talk. About my mother. That way." Raven was gritting his teeth so hard Trevor was a bit worried his gums would start bleeding.

  Rogan smirked. "They say battle maidens have complete control over their bodies and they can do the most amazing physical feats if they so choose." His tone was thick with innuendo.

  "I suddenly envy Father for knowing the truth of it," Baydr said.

  Raven faced his brothers with amber eyes that were beginning to shine with a ruby glow. "Your mother," he spat at Rogan, "was born with a red mark under her left breast." He turned to Brannon. "Your mother is very ticklish." Then he looked at Orland. "Your mother has a filthy mouth whenever she is feeling passionate." He shot Kei and Kaemon a glare. "Your mother enjoys being bound." Finally, he gazed at Baydr. "Your mother has four tattoos on her thighs, two on each."

  There was an outcry from his brothers. "What the bloody hell are you implying about our mothers?" Rogan's face was pale with shock.

  Raven's grin was smug. "Oh, I'm not implying anything," he told them. "I'm saying–I bedded all of your mothers."

  Then he raised his sword and spurred his horse forward to get back into the battle while his brothers roared and followed behind him.

  ~~~

  Chapter 28