Emerald of the Elves (28 page)

“I pray that you marry quickly, Your Highness,” General Gregor shook his head. “If you are going to fight in every battle coming to this city, Alcea needs an heir.”

“If King Arik dies,” interjected Tanya, “nothing will save Alcea. An heir at this stage would not matter.”

“Very well,” sighed General Gregor. “How do we slow Azmet down?”

“We could send men out to fell large trees across narrow points of the trail,” suggest Alex.

“Tree mines would be better,” countered Jenneva. “The trees would appear to have fallen in a storm rather than intentionally placed in their path.”

“Alright,” nodded Alex, “but we need to determine how long it will take them to clear the trail. Too few and Azmet arrives too early. Too many and he is delayed too long.”

“Try one blockage and see how they react,” suggested Oscar. “Figure that they will be more organized about it with each additional blockage.”

“That works for me,” agreed Alex. “Jenneva and I will leave today. I suppose we can take Tanya and Prince Darok with us.”

“I am staying with Arik,” declared Tanya. “You will need a fairy with you for communications.”

“I will arrange for a fairy for you,” Arik said as he noticed the frown on Alex’s face.

“Very well,” conceded Alex. “Unless there is something else, we should be on our way.”

* * *

“Now that is what I call a match,” King Altaro said enthusiastically as he watched Tedi sparring with Wylan.

“Wylan is one of my Southland boys,” bragged Baron Timor.

“I think he has had a bit of special tutoring since he left Southland,” chuckled Reese. “I remember the day those two lads floated into Dalek with Prince Arik. They sure have changed since then.”

“King Arik,” corrected Baron Timor.

“True,” nodded Reese, “but he was only the prince at that time. Blessed sword, it feels good to have a country again.”

“I suppose I will have to go back to being a duke,” chuckled King Altaro. “Not much difference really.”

Twerp shot down out of the trees just as Wylan and Tedi finished their match. The fairy landed on a small table outside the baron’s tent.

“What news, Twerp?” the baron asked jovially.

“Great news,” chirped the fairy. “The battle takes place the day after tomorrow.”

“Not possible,” frowned Reese. “We will be exhausted by the time we get there. That is no way for men to fight.”

“It will not be at Tagaret,” Twerp continued. “It will be a half day west of the city. The plan is to force Azmet to spend the night in a large field. The Red Swords will arrive from the east and us from the west.”

“A half day west, you say?” mused Reese. “Alright, I think I know where they mean. It is where the Boulder River swings to the south for a bit. I believe it is called Watling Flats.”

“That will give our men time to rest before the battle,” nodded Baron Timor.

“We should have a long day tomorrow,” figured Reese. “That will allow us to get in position after some rest for the men.”

“I won’t need much rest,” interjected Wylan. “I have been dreaming of the day I met up with Azmet and was able to do something about it. I lost a lot of good friends at Southland.”

“We all did, lad,” sighed Baron Timor. “We all did.”

* * *

“Here come their forward scouts,” Alex said softly.

“Aye,” Prince Darok nodded his large head. “I can smell them from here. This group could never sneak up on dwarves. You would think with a river nearby that they would at least bathe frequently.”

“Shh,” giggled Jenneva. “Maybe their hearing is better than their sense of smell.”

Prince Darok grinned, but he remained quiet. Azmet’s scouts were clearly agitated when they found the large tree blocking the trail. They scanned the forest for an alternate path, but there was no easy way around the barricade. One of the scouts turned and galloped back to the main segment of Azmet’s army. The army ground to a halt as several dozen men rode forward. The men attacked the fallen tree with axes, and readied a large team of horses to pull the tree away.

The job of clearing the trail was made more difficult by the lack of space to leave the tree. When Azmet’s men had chopped the tree in half, each half had to be dragged along the trail for quite a distance before there would still be space for the wagons to pass. After four hours of work, Alex signaled the others that it was time to depart. The Rangers rode silently until they were several leagues away.

“That took them longer than I would have expected,” Jenneva said.

“They are not lumbermen,” nodded Alex. “That much is for sure. We need to set up another delay. If they are not any quicker with the next one, it will probably be the last. We don’t want to delay them too much.”

“You choose the spot,” suggested Jenneva.

“I shall,” agreed Alex. “Let’s go for multiple trees this time. I don’t want them to get suspicious about the trail being blocked, because we will need to block the exit from the field of battle as well.”

“And multiple trees will make it appear more like a natural occurrence,” nodded Jenneva. “Perhaps a wind storm or something like that. I can handle that.”

* * *

The activity at the Royal Palace had the citizens all excited. Everyone knew that something major was about to happen. Red Swords rode out of the Royal Palace courtyard and staged themselves on different streets in the area. Several wagons loaded with provisions left the Royal Palace and proceeded to the construction area outside the new wall.

Sheri made her way against the tide as she entered the courtyard of the Royal Palace. She looked around at the thousands of men preparing to leave. A tremor of fear ran up her spine as she saw King Arik emerge from the palace. Tanya was right behind him. Both of them were loaded down with weapons, and Sheri instinctively knew that the king was going off to battle. She rushed over towards the palace to get nearer.

“This is not a good time for you to be here,” scolded Sergeant Trank as he stepped in front of her. “If you’re coming to see the boys, come back after the army leaves. There is too much traffic in the corridors right now.”

“I can see the boys later,” nodded Sheri. “Is King Arik going off to do battle?”

“We are all off to do battle,” replied the sergeant. “It is what soldiers do.”

“But Arik is the king,” protested Sheri. “He should not be going to fight. Isn’t that what all of these soldiers are for?”

“Aye, it is,” smiled the sergeant. “There is nothing more inspiring to a soldier than to be led into battle by his king. The lad can take care of himself all right. Don’t you worry none.”

“Can I say goodbye to him?” pleaded Sheri. “It won’t take long.”

Sergeant Trank looked around and then slowly nodded. “All right,” he said, “but keep close to the building. You traipse around this courtyard right now, and you are likely to be trod upon.”

Sheri nodded as she dashed across the courtyard. She kept herself against the building as she edged closer to where King Arik was talking to the general.

“Either you or Sergeant Trank needs to remain in Tagaret,” Arik said. “I know the regulars are getting better with the training your men are giving them, but I still want the Red Swords in control of the city.”

“I have a solution for that,” smiled General Gregor. “The perfect man for that job is Zackary Nolan. He is not fit for battle, but he understands the situation here in Tagaret better than anyone. He can also spot trouble before it occurs.”

“What is his rank?” asked Arik.

“He is a sergeant with the Rangers,” the general replied.

“Give him a promotion then,” grinned Arik as he remembered that Zack was the man who saved his father’s life. “I do not want any regular officer trying to overrule him.”

“Done,” agreed the general. “I will make him a colonel in charge of special operations. It is an office that Alex held before the Collapse. Zackary will be a good man for it.”

Arik looked around the courtyard and shook his head. “I have never ridden with so many men,” he sighed. “I am used to small operations where I know who everyone is and what they are doing. I hope that I can adjust to this.”

“You are doing just fine,” smiled the general. “I have to tell you that the spirits of the men are extremely high. It has been many a year since a king in Tagaret has led his men into battle. These lads are ready to die for you.”

“That is not really what I wanted to hear,” frowned Arik. “I do not wish them to die for me. I want them to kill the enemy and come back home safely.”

“They want the same thing,” chuckled the general. “Let me find somebody to get that unicorn of yours so we can get this army moving.”

Arik nodded and turned to talk to Prince Oscar and Konic Clava. Sheri inched forward until she was close to Tanya.

“Are you going too?” Sheri asked softly.

“Of course,” nodded Tanya. “I go wherever Arik goes.”

“Will you keep him safe?” Sheri asked haltingly. “Don’t let him die.”

“That is why I am going,” frowned Tanya. “I know you care greatly for him, Sheri. Do not worry about him. He is a fine warrior.”

“It is not just me that would miss him,” responded Sheri. “Tagaret needs him alive and well. The people will be lined up along the streets to see if he returns from the battle. If they do not see him, they will all lose hope. Tagaret cannot afford that now.”

Tanya stared at Sheri and then gazed out at the city streets. She saw the people milling about expectantly and realized that Sheri was right.

“I have a secret to share with you,” whispered Tanya. “It is important that you do not reveal it until later. Can you promise me that you will do that?”

“I promise,” Sheri nodded.

“Arik and I are not coming back after the battle,” confided Tanya. “We have another task to perform that will keep us away for days. When the time is right, you must reveal this to the people so they do not get upset.”

“Not coming back,” frowned Sheri. “But the people will think that he has fallen in battle.”

“I just realized that from what you said,” nodded Tanya. “It is something that none of us thought about.”

“Where are you going with him?” questioned Sheri. “How will we know if he is all right?”

“We have to do something for the Sword of Heavens,” explained Tanya. “It is required to restore the sun and the moon over Tagaret. You can start spreading the news tomorrow. That way people will understand if he does not come back with the army. This is important.”

“You can count on me,” nodded Sheri. “I will spread the rumor for you. You just make sure that he stays safe.”

“I promise,” Tanya smiled warmly. “I will fight by his side and make sure that no harm comes to him.”

Arik finished talking with his fathers and turned to see Tanya talking to Sheri. He smiled at Sheri and nudged Tanya to mount up as Chaco and Frea were brought over by a couple of soldiers. As Arik settled on Chaco a tremendous roar emanated from the Red Swords. The sound startled Sheri, but she soon realized that they were cheering for their king.

Arik led the way out of the courtyard with Tanya right behind him. General Gregor followed at the head of three thousand Red Swords. One thousand Rangers had left the city before first light. They waited in the forest outside the city.

Citizens lined the streets of Tagaret as word spread that the king was leading the army into battle. Women waved scarves in the air as Arik approached. When he drew near, the citizens bowed until he passed. Then the women ran into the street and handed their scarves to the Red Swords. By the time the procession reached the gates in the old wall, every Red Sword was wearing a scarf given by a female citizen.

The new sector of the city was also lined with people. They shouted and cheered as the army passed by. Outside the new wall, the construction workers halted work as the army rode past. When they finally exited the defensive wall, Arik was able to stop waving, put his arm down, and release the smile he had held since leaving the Royal Palace.

“I think they like you,” giggled Tanya.

“Waving can be more tiring than fighting a sword battle,” chuckled Arik. “Tagaret is a fine city with wonderful people. I am finally beginning to feel good about my destiny. I can think of nothing more important to do with my life than to better the lives of these people.”

“Now that is the making of a fine king,” General Gregor declared.

“I can hear the sounds from Watling Flats,” Tedi whispered to Reese.

Reese held up his hand to halt the Army of the West. He cocked his head in the still night air and strained to listen.

“I know we are close,” Reese said softly, “but I don’t hear anything at all.”

“The important thing,” shrugged Tedi, “is for Azmet’s people not to hear anything. I think the archers should move on foot now.”

“Check it out, Twerp,” Reese ordered the fairy. “Let us know what you can see of Azmet’s campsite. I also want to know if the Red Swords have arrived and where they are located.”

Twerp nodded silently and leaped off of Reese’s shoulder into the gloom of night. The fairy disappeared from sight almost immediately. Reese and Baron Timor used hand signals to communicate with the troops. Long tether lines were spread between trees. The archers dismounted and tied their horses to the lines. King Altaro rode to the front and halted next to Baron Timor.

“Are we there then?” he asked softly. “Is this where the battle will take place?”

“I think we have arrived,” replied the baron. “Twerp has gone to verify it. He should return shortly.”

“You will take two thousand cavalry to the north as we discussed,” Reese said to King Altaro. “The baron will take two thousand to the south. I will hold the center with a thousand archers and a thousand cavalry.”

“What will be the signal to attack?” questioned King Altaro.

“I leave that decision up to King Arik,” shrugged Reese. “The fairies will let us know.”

As if on cue, Twerp glided out of the night and landed on Baron Timor’s shoulder. Several dozen fairies followed him and picked random hosts to land on. Some of the men flinched with the unexpected arrivals, and several horses were spooked by the antics of their riders, but things calmed down quickly.