“Yes, I have been there, but it was long ago, before you were born. I have seen the great ancestors of not only the forest elves, but our ancestors too. The old dwarves in the impregnable fortresses of the Titancrest Mountains,” Kvaran said.
“We have living ancestors?” Ehreion was surprised be learning this all from the king. He was amazed and now wanted to see the ancestors and their lands for himself.
“Yes, but they are not like us. We think ourselves hardy and self-sufficient in our caves at the Scar, which to an extent we are. But not like them. Not like the Titancrest kingdom. They dwell in impregnable fortresses deep in the mountains. Their walls and their gates are made of titanium a hundred meters thick. Nothing could destroy them other than nature herself.
“Deep snowpack covers the cliffs before the fortresses, a natural defense prone to avalanches. No army would dare assault their kingdom’s strongholds.
“Our army is strong and tested, but theirs is old and their formations unbreakable. As a young dwarf, I saw their might, and I wish they were here to fight alongside us. With them, we would have no chance of being defeated.”
“Why did we not all flee to Titancrest?” Ehreion asked.
“It was too far, and the journey was too dangerous for the children. We would have had to cross the scorching Adun Gor desert or find a path around. But to the north is Drey’kan territory, and to the south there are trolls and other unknown perils. We could not risk it. We would have been slaughtered by the evil pouring across the lands, or some form of nature might have ravaged our people,” the king said.
Ehreion looked toward the east and tried to envision the ancient kingdoms of forest elves and dwarves. “What are the elven ancestors called?”
“The ancient elves are known as Iflin. The ancient dwarves are known as Dradirga,” Kvaran said.
Ehreion smiled. “I plan to see them one day, and I will take you with me. We can see them together.”
Kvaran laughed heartily. “Aye, one day. If we make it through this, then I will go with you. I will show you the wonders of the ancient world.”
Ehreion nodded to the king and decided he would one day set out to find the ancestors and bring their nations together again. He yearned to see what was beyond the desert and the mountains.
His eyes drifted across the farmlands and stopped when he saw a blue figure standing in the distance, where the road met the tree line. The dwarf straightened and glanced around to see if anyone else saw the figure, but nobody seemed to be looking.
“What is it?” Kvaran saw the look on Ehreion’s face and looked over the wall, shocked to see the sight as well.
Ehreion rubbed his eyes and glanced forward again. He saw the blue figure walking toward them down the road, and behind him marched a caravan of trolls, orcs, and ogres. Some trolls rode enormous war-hyenas, and some orcs rode dire wolves.
Ehreion shook his head in disbelief. “Hey! Elves? Anyone seeing this? Or am I mad?”
Kvaran laughed. “Aye, you are mad, but that is no vision.”
A few archers followed the dwarf’s directional cue, and a commotion erupted. A horn blew from one of the tower tops and filled the air with a resounding call.
“Archers, stations!” Nilver shouted from below, near one of the tents in the outer ring. “Ballistae aim!”
The defensive forces rushed to their assigned positions. The ballistae creaked as the helmsmen rotated wheels to aim the ballistae toward the columns of greenskins and ogres. Archers threw a quiver over their shoulder and nocked an arrow, waiting for the call to pull.
“Eclipse formation! Pangolin formation!” Nilver roared below.
A line of soldiers wielding tower shields raced to the front and slammed their shields against the ground, creating a concave armored wall, spanning from the left great door to the right great door. Spearmen two lines deep stepped behind them. The first line kneeled with spears angled upward over the tower shields. The second stood behind them with spears lined straight over the defensive wall.
Behind the spearmen, swordsmen brought up the rear with tower shields and laid them overlapping, covering the spearmen and themselves in a backward-sloping rear formation, to guard against archer fire. A bracing forearm pushed into the backs of the line before them, supporting those in front in case of a cavalry charge.
And behind them, three separate formations of tower shield wielders created diamond-shaped defensive structures with tower shields overlapping and spears sticking out from the cracks like defensive spines. The armored units were wide enough to have swordsmen in the middle and had tower shields sloped in the front to guard against any direct cavalry charges.
All movement stopped; the defensive formations were set. Nilver climbed the stairs to the top of the outer battlements and stood confidently as the greenskins approached.
Platoons of archers manned the high-reaching archer towers, and more manned the wall itself. Nilver was proud of his troops for their quick reaction and formidable defense.
Ehreion watched the whole defense unfold from the top of the outer gate where Nilver now stood next to him.
The dwarf looked up at the elf general and said, “Do elves normally overreact?”
Nilver sternly peered down at the dwarf from the corner of his eye.
“All right.” Ehreion held up his hands. “Not all elves then, just you.”
Nilver lifted his nose at the disrespectful dwarf and directed his attention back to Caedmon and the approaching enemies.
As the enemy columns neared, Nilver waved a hand, and a horn sounded again.
Caedmon stopped below.
Ehreion could see his fellow mage instructing the greenskins to remain where they were. Then Caedmon left their front and approached the gate below.
Nilver left the battlements, and Ehreion followed him down the stairs. They quickly made their way down to the eclipse formation where Caedmon waited on the outside.
“Make way for the general,” a lieutenant in the melee ranks commanded.
A section of soldiers folded to either side and created a narrow walkway for Nilver to pass through. Ehreion followed him through the gap.
The tower shields closed behind them, and the spearmen reformed their barricade.
Nilver stepped before Caedmon, with Ehreion as his shadow.
“Caedmon.” Nilver stared at the wolf, straight-backed. “What are you doing?”
“Hello, Caedmon.” Ehreion waved at his friend.
Nilver glanced down at Ehreion unkindly.
“Ehreion, good to see you,” Caedmon said to the dwarf, then looked at Nilver. “I have brought new allies.”
“Allies? These savages?” Nilver said with disdain.
“Yes, they have fought against the evil ones and recognize the coming war. The monsters from the seal are ravaging their lands, too,” Caedmon said.
“Good, send them back,” Nilver said.
“What?”
“They are not welcome here.”
“I will speak to the king. He will make the final decision,” Caedmon said.
Nilver reluctantly stepped aside with an unkind gaze, his nose lifted.
“They will wait outside the gates. If they move, we will fire,” Nilver stated.
Caedmon nodded.
Nilver waved a hand, and the eclipse formation made a hole for them to walk through. The shields and spears parted just enough for them to pass. Then the gap closed behind them.
Caedmon walked in earnest toward the castle, requiring conversation with the king. Ehreion followed his fellow Ikalreev mage, wanting to hear what was happening and why the greenskins were standing outside the gates.
Nilver watched them leave and was not happy that the old guardian had brought their long-time enemies to their gates as potential allies. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.
◆◆◆
Caedmon walked through the keep’s doors into the grand entryway. The royal guards lining the room eyed him and his dwarven shadow. The throne r
oom’s doors were wide open, and the wolf guardian could see the king was not present.
“Find me the king!” Caedmon shouted as he marched up the three-tiered stairway.
Several guardsmen scattered down the branching halls in search of the king.
The heavily armored line of formidable sentries at the top of the stairs bowed slightly toward Caedmon as he passed, then closed the throne room doors behind him and the dwarf.
Caedmon briefly glanced back at the shut doors with a tense jaw, then to his dwarven ally.
Ehreion could see something was bothering the old guardian. “How are you, Caedmon?”
“Not well, friend,” the blue wolf said.
“It has been a long time since I saw you last. Several weeks,” Ehreion said. “How is it out there?”
Caedmon shook his head and lowered his gaze. “It becomes worse every day. They spread farther out and grow in number.”
Ehreion glanced at the tall windows behind the throne. “We are reaching capacity here. Overcrowded. Food stores are draining, and many are without homes.”
Caedmon nodded with a solemn glance. “Have you heard from Ireli?”
“She returned two days ago. You will have to talk to her. She has remained silent since she has come back. Not sure what happened to her,” Ehreion said.
“I will. As soon as I am able,” Caedmon agreed. “But first, I must stop a war between greenskins and elves.”
The dwarf laughed. “Good luck. You are trying to mix oil with water.”
“I know, but I must try. We need every soul to fight together if we are going to survive this. The demons are becoming stronger—”
Abruptly, the doors opened, and the king stepped into the throne room. The doors closed behind him. He stepped past them and sat on his throne. The king leaned back and focused on the wolf guardian.
“Explain, Caedmon, why our enemies are at our gates,” Zael said firmly.
Caedmon stepped around the gold-trimmed marble table and took a moment to carefully select his words.
“There is but one enemy now, Zael. The paths of all races meet at a single intersection, and we must decide collectively if we are going to fight for our survival and the future of our kingdoms and tribes.
“The orcs. The ogres. And the trolls. These three races were once your enemy but now stand before your gates without bloodshed in hope of joining forces against a sea of darkness that washes over the lands. They have seen the dark ones, and both the greenskins and the ogres know that they cannot combat such an enemy alone.
“I have spoken with them for weeks and have finally convinced them to travel to Lesley so that at least a fragile armistice can be in place until we defeat what flows from the First Seal.
“I promise you, Zael, we need every soul we can get. The mages cannot stop all that is out there; we need help to defend our loved ones,” Caedmon said with a heavy heart.
Zael listened to his old counselor and contemplated his words. “How do I know this is not just a ploy for them to get inside our gates and betray our trust? They have been our enemy for years and have killed countless Harmaalinnians. A war has waged in the southlands, and there is bad blood between elfkind and those three races.
“I cannot guarantee that they will live through the night inside our gates. Saalkain himself is likely to slit every single one of their throats while they sleep. And I would not blame him for it. He of all people deserves vengeance for what they have done to his family.”
“I understand, Zael, but we must look to what is coming. It is a force we’ve never seen the likes of before. Their numbers are unknown. Their strengths and weaknesses are unknown. How they will attack Lesley is unknown. Strategy must be thrown out the window because more than likely the beasts will have none. For all we know, the demons could just charge our walls without any care for formations or tactics,” Caedmon said. “We must use all our strengths, even if they were once our enemy.”
Zael was not happy with Caedmon’s plan and saw it as an insult to Harmaalinna. “Never have greenskins or ogres set foot within the walls of Lesley. The populace will be outraged by their presence. What measures do you suggest we take in order to prevent a war between our races? How can you ensure that there will not be elven blood staining our streets before the demons even attack?”
Caedmon thought for a moment, trying to devise how to make this work. He knew the king would not agree unless there was at least some level of assurance that a fight would not break out.
Ehreion stepped forward. “There is no gateway between the outer ring and inner city, other than the main gate in the north and the King’s River in the south. What if the orcs stay in the outer ring on the west side of Lesley? The trolls and ogres can stay in the east side of the outer ring. They will have no contact with the citizens of Lesley and will have no access to the city interior. The elven military will be the buffer. They can stay beyond the military grounds on either side.”
Zael and Caedmon both thought about the proposal. They thought about the pros and cons and believed it had merit.
“That would just leave the problem of Saalkain and the bad blood between the military and the greenskins,” Caedmon said.
Ehreion added, “And Nilver. He hates them.”
Zael nodded. “Yes, but not as much as Lyvnevar.”
“We could have four platoons guarding the southern points of the military ground in the outer rings. Two in the west and two in the east. A protective buffer between elven grounds and their temporary campsites. We would have to leave them alone, and I am positive I could get them to not bother your men,” Caedmon said. “We will need to figure out how to incorporate them into our battle plans, though that can be done at a later time with the generals in the room.”
Zael nodded. “I will summon the generals and Saalkain. I will speak to them personally about the matter. Our enemies will have to remain outside the gates until I have done so. Is that clear?”
“Yes,” Caedmon said.
“You will need to warn the three races that if they harm a single citizen or soldier of this city, the culprit will be executed as punishment. No trial will be held. They are in our kingdom as our guests; they will behave. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Very well, I will send word to you after I have spoken to the generals and Saalkain. There is one other matter we must speak about.”
“Anything, Your Majesty.”
“Our food stores are depleting rapidly, and we need to replenish them daily at this rate if we are going to feed our people for long. Can you use the Ikalreev magic to grow crops?”
Caedmon weighed the idea. “I have not tried before, but I believe so.”
“I need you to help us feed our people. We are nearing a million souls in Lesley, and we will starve in a month.”
“Understood. I will help the farmers. They will need to sow and reap, but I am positive I can grow the crops in moments,” Caedmon said.
“Good. Help them as soon as you can.” Zael was grateful to have the wolf guardian, even though he sometimes did not agree with his counsel.
Caedmon bowed slightly to the king.
“For now, let us conclude our meeting. I will call you when we are ready to let the greenskins inside,” Zael said.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Caedmon said, then turned and left the throne room with Ehreion in tow.
The guards closed the doors behind them as they left. They walked down the stairs, and Caedmon was about to leave the keep when Ehreion stopped him.
“Caedmon . . . you need to see Ireli,” the dwarf said.
“Now?”
“Yes, now. She will not talk to any of us. I do not know how to help her.”
Caedmon looked at the keep’s doors and the courtyard beyond and figured the crops could wait a few more minutes.
“Fine. Where is she?” he said.
“The king has provided her quarters in the castle. She is on the third floor, facing the garden district,”
Ehreion said.
“Take me to her.”
Ehreion nodded and entered one of the halls, leaving the main entry behind. They navigated through the many hallways of the castle and made their way up two flights of stairs to the third floor. They made a couple of turns, and then Ehreion stopped before a door. He motioned to Caedmon that she was inside.
The wolf guardian nodded, and Ehreion left him in hopes his friend could do some good for her.
Caedmon hesitated for a moment, then knocked on the door.
He listened, but there was no answer.
He knocked again. “Ireli?”
No answer.
“This is Caedmon. May I come in?” he asked through the door.
Again, there was no answer.
Caedmon grabbed the handle and slowly opened the door. He peeked inside and saw her lying on the bed, curled up and still.
“Ireli?”
She slowly turned her head toward him, glanced at him for a moment, and turned her gaze away again to stare at the wall.
He stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him. He moved around the bed and sat beside her legs. He saw the tearstains on her pillow and knew she had not left that position for quite some time.
“Ehreion has told me that you are not speaking to anyone. That you have secluded yourself here. Might I ask why?” He glanced at her tired face.
She remained silent.
He looked away. “I will wait until you are ready.”
The wolf guardian sat with her as the day waned and the sunlight began to dim. He remained patient, not asking her again and not hurrying her to answer. He simply provided her company and a presence, so she was not alone.
After a few hours, Caedmon heard her voice.
“I failed,” she whispered.
He looked down at her. “Failed? What do you mean?”
She stared at the wall still, like she was trapped in a memory. “I could not save them all. Many refused my words. They remained in the human towns to be butchered by what comes.”
Caedmon gave an understanding nod. “Perhaps. It is hard to convince those without a king or ruler to guide them. The human lands are fragmented, and their kind makes their own decisions. You cannot let their choices rest on your conscience; they are not your responsibility.”
The First Seal Page 12