Fang Shway in LA (25 page)

“Unfortunately, I believe you’re right. Actually, I think we should strike first if at all possible. The element of surprise may be the only way we can tell our troops from the Einherjar.”

“Good point, Lauren. We should be able to marshal the troops pretty quickly.”

A knock on the door interrupted our discussion. It was the scout Trevor sent to find Steros. “Prince Trevor, he is not in the castle and no one has seen him since Prince Warren was detained.”

“Thank you Toman, please tell the king’s guard to be on the lookout for him if he returns. He’s to be detained and kept separate from Prince Warren.”

“Yes, sir I understand.” The man bowed and left the room closing the door behind him as he went.

Neither of us spoke for several minutes and then I broke the silence. “Trevor, this will take every one of us to defeat the raiders and their Einherjar. Do you still have enough loyal, able bodied men to fight?”

The door banged open and General Wingo strode into the room. “Begging your pardon, Prince Trevor, but, I want to answer that. My battalion can be in the air within the hour and I’d vouch for every one of these men. I’d bet my life on it.”

“General Wingo, I meant no offense. We know there is still someone in the castle feeding the raiders information. In addition, we also know that when we attack the raiders we won’t be able to tell our men from the Einherjar.”

“Lauren, what on earth are you talking about? There isn’t a man in this army that isn’t known to one or more of our top commanders.”

“General, we’ve reason to believe the raiders are using Einherjar to fill their reduced ranks. Einherjar are the bravest of the dead warriors that the vampires have animated.”

The color drained from the general’s face. “How in God’s name is this possible?”

“Trust me it is and we have every reason to believe the vampires culled the bravest deceased fighters and added them to their army. We will not be able to tell a live man from an Einherjar.”

Prince Trevor stared into the fire throughout my discussion with the general. He hadn’t uttered a word. “We’ll need to mark our own men and I think I know how. We can spray our soldiers with the iridescent water from our southern coast.”

“Yes,” yelled the general. “It’s the only thing I know that will glow in the dark. We will be attacking them at night and only our troops will be illuminated.”

“I think that is a great idea, but I must caution all of you. We must not let any word of this leek out. If there are traitors still in the castle, we will lose the element of surprise.”

“Lauren is right. We must take extreme measures to assure we can attack the raiders without them having prior knowledge. It will be the only way we can be sure who is with us. Furthermore, I expect it will be better for our men if they don’t have to see the men they slay.” Prince Trevor paused briefly, “it will be for me anyway. The thought of killing one of my kinsmen is more than I can bear…even if they are already dead.”

“General Wingo when we assemble the men, right before takeoff, we need to prepare them for what they’ll glimpse. They need to know and believe the Einherjar they see are not their live comrades. Any hesitation on their part might cost them their lives. Are we all agreed on this point?”

The men both nodded to me and then we left to prepare for our night-time attack. How often had Traygen and I done this? It was too many times to count. God, I missed him. Traygen, my love, as soon as we dispose of these Einherjar and raiders I’m coming for you my love.

Chapter 34

We gathered the men on the parade ground just before midnight. It would take us an hour more or less to fly north to fight the raiders. General Wingo commanded each man in full gear to immerse himself in the ocean, before assembling. I would have liked to have seen the expressions on their faces. I’m sure more than one thought he’d lost his mind.

Once we reassembled on the grounds, as a shimmering wet army, Prince Trevor addressed the men. He explained what we needed to do and why. No one spoke and no one questioned him. In moments, we were airborne. I rode atop Trevor and he flew right behind General Wingo. Everywhere I looked the sky was filled with iridescent dragons, a sight that wasn’t likely to ever be repeated, the night sky ablaze, man sized dragon flies, flying in a tight formation. The only thing I could imagine that came close was the Northern Lights. It took us almost two hours to reach the outer circle of the raiding party. We landed well short of their lookouts and sent our own scouts to find out their numbers and their troop layout. It took some time, but after everyone reported, I felt certain we had an accurate idea of what we faced.

“General Wingo, how do you suggest we proceed?”

“Prince Trevor, I think we should surround them, cutting off their means of escape and we should be able to kill them in the cross fire. Normally, we would offer them a chance to surrender. Not under the circumstance, I advise killing them. We can’t risk having them infiltrate our ranks.”

“Thank you General, I agree and I suggest we tell the men what to expect. They need to know that these aren’t their missing relatives. I repeat any hesitation on the men’s part could prove fatal.”

“I’ll see to it straight away, Prince Trevor.” The General bowed and left to gather the men.

“Lauren, you’ve been quiet. Did I leave anything out?”

“I don’t think so. My only concern is the Einherjar aren’t allowed to mix with our men. I think we should use the element of surprise.
Attack them before they can get airborne. Once they’re in the air it will be much harder to tell the Einherjar from our own troops.”

“Good point. I’ll speak with General Wingo. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go find him.”

My stomach rumbled and my palms were sweaty. The moments before battle always energized me. I never looked for a fight, but I never shied away from my duties. Besides the sooner these raiders were neutralized the sooner I could find Traygen. Checking and rechecking my weapons I was ready to rumble. I even hummed ‘The Eye of the Tiger’.

“What’s that you’re humming?” Trevor asked. “I’m not familiar with your music.”

“Nothing important, it is just a little tune to psyche me up. Are the men ready? We should move on this before they lose their iridescent glow.”

“They are ready. Lauren, would you do me the honor of riding with me?”

“Only if we are leading the charge seriously, I’d like to be in front so I can intervene if necessary. I wield enough magic to take out the vampires or their animated Einherjar.”

“Lauren, you tell me where you want me and I’ll get us there.” Trevor changed into a shimmering dragon. The glow from the phosphorescence’s made his emerald colored scales look almost black. I jumped up, holding tightly to Trevor’s neck as we lifted off. Our group headed around behind the raiders, while General Wingo led the forward charge. We were on them before they could alert their troops. Most of them were killed in the fiery blasts from the airborne dragons. I held my own, reducing a fair number to ash.

When we landed to round up the remaining fighters we met no resistance. There were no Einherjar present. They were either set on fire or they were never there. The Viking leaders were nowhere to be found. They’d obviously sailed home and left these men to fend for themselves. General Wingo rounded them up and began the long march back to the castle with the prisoners.

“I don’t like this. It was too easy. There was too little resistance and no Einherjar. I think this was a diversion. We need to find the main body of the raiding party and the Einherjar. If we lose them, we won’t ever be able to tell them from our own men.”

“Lauren, what do you suggest?”

“How close to the coast are we? Is there somewhere near where they could have hidden their ships?”

Trevor thought for a minute before answering. “The coast is about thirty minutes away by air. There aren’t many places they could hide their ships. The coast is too rocky.
However, I guess they could have sailed down the Derry River from Giants Causeway.”

“Trevor, we need to check it out now. Round up six of your best men and let’s get going. General Wingo and the remainder of the men can escort the prisoners back to the castle.”

I paced while I waited for Trevor to get the men assembled. Think. Why are the Vikings taking the Einherjar with them? I can’t see how they would be worth taking. Yes, they were fierce fighters, but the vampires and Vikings could reproduce them anywhere. Unless they weren’t leaving, I didn’t like the feel of this. Before I could consider the matter further Trevor returned with six men. I recognized some of them.

Trevor and I briefed the men on what we were looking for. Then we took to the air, seven dragons spread out in a vee formation. Trevor and I took the lead. Fortunately, it was a clear night and visibility was good. I could see for several miles in all directions.

I shivered as we neared the coastline.
The air was damper and my limbs were stiff from holding on. I wished I’d worn warmer clothes. When we reached the coast I motioned for everyone to fan out and look for ships. Two of the men headed upriver, two went north along the coast. Trevor and the other men headed south. We flew along in silence and the only sound was the crashing of waves against the rocks. I shivered thinking of Traygen falling into this ocean. Had he drowned or did he miraculously survive. My senses told me he was alive, but I had no idea where he was. I forced myself to scan the water. This wasn’t the time to lose my focus.

After a half hour or more I tapped Trevor on the shoulder. He turned his head slightly to hear me. “I don’t think they could have gotten any further south. What do you say we move farther
out over the ocean about five miles, more or less? Maybe we missed them because they’ve headed out to sea.”

Nodding, turning in a graceful arc, he headed out over the open ocean. The men flying with us turned and followed us away from land. I could only guess we were a mile or more from shore when I saw the first ship. I tapped Trevor on the shoulder, but he’d already spotted the ship. I motioned for the others to come alongside. We hovered like a floating merry-go-round and planned our attack. We sent one man back to get the others and the other two to look for more ships. Trevor and I slipped back behind the ship to wait for reinforcements. It didn’t take long for the men searching for more ships to report there was a second ship a half mile or so in front of the first. We decided to send the men back to keep an eye on the front vessel. If I thought I’d been cold before, I was frozen now. Where were our reinforcements?

Trevor must have sensed them or heard them because he swung around and I could see the four dragons approaching. Once the men arrived, we circled again to discuss our attack. I was having a hard time convincing Trevor I needed to land on the ship and do some spying. He was as hard-headed as Traygen, almost. I finally convinced him.

We agreed he would fly near the ship and we would check for men on the deck. Then he’d try to drop me into the rigging. It wouldn’t be easy, but it would give me some cover. Trevor agreed to give me twenty minutes before announcing their arrival. It wasn’t much time, but I needed to know what they were up to. Trevor flew around the ship. When he was satisfied we wouldn’t be spotted he drew alongside the crow’s nest. I slid down onto his wing and jumped. I landed slightly off balance and skidded on to the platform.
Fortunately, I caught myself, holding on tightly until I got used to the ships rocking.

My heart pounded in my chest and it took me a few minutes to settle down, listening for any sign I’d been detected. Then I started shimming down the mainmast, slithering through the rigging. When I got near the bottom I stopped again to listen. I heard voices coming from somewhere in front of me.
Dangling from the rigging, I strained to make sure that no one had heard me. Satisfied no one had heard or seen me, I landed lightly on the deck. Then I scurried for cover behind a barrel.

Whew, so far so good. No one had spotted me yet. I moved slowly toward the voices, darting from one hiding spot to the next. Creaking boards, made me freeze just before a slightly inebriated sailor staggered by. When I was sure he was out of earshot I moved closer to the open portal, where the voices were coming from.

“Do you think the prince will believe he has removed the threat, by killing the men we left behind?”

“He is young and inexperienced he’ll fall for it. We can hold up on the Isle of Man until the time is right. Then we can release the Einherjar. There is no way they’ll be able to tell them from their regular army.”

“Theirs is a rather small kingdom how can you be so sure, Steros?”

“Because we’ll attack under the cover of darkness, I know the hidden passageways under the castle. I’ll let them in and they can kill the king and his family in their beds.”

“You had better be right. This is the last kingdom before Ireland falls to me.”

“Ragnar, I swear the kingdom will be ours. Traygen is out of the picture and presumed dead. He was the only one standing in our way.”

Spots swam before my eyes. Traygen. They didn’t have him. I’d hoped maybe he’d been captured by them. Well, now that I knew, it was time to call for reinforcements. This threat needed to be neutralized, so I could get back to hunting for Traygen.

I started back toward the mainmast, jumping to catch the rigging, swinging upward. “Hey, you what are you doing?”

Damn it, I’d been spotted. I dove into the shadows on my left, the sound of running feet echoing around me, crawling forward to get a better look. I’d nearly bumped into one of the guards. I flattened myself against the hatch I was hiding behind, waiting for him to move on and prayed he would.

“What have we got here? A stowaway? Grab her boys.”

“Catch me if you can.” I yelled.
Then I ducked under the sail and ran down the port side of the ship. I could hear the sound of their pursuit. They’d be on top of me soon. I need to create a diversion.

Spinning around, raising my arms I yelled, “What’s the matter boys, are you afraid of me?” No, well you should be, I raised my arms, chanting the words to activate my bracelets. I felt them throbbing to life on my wrists.
They hummed ever so slightly. The first man charged into view and I fired hitting him squarely in the chest with a fiery burst of energy. The second man hesitated a second, I hit him with another blast setting him and the main sail ablaze. Two for two, not bad. You go girl.

Before I could celebrate, the heat from the burning sail, blistered my skin, forcing me back toward the stern, I retreated. Scanning the area to see if I was being followed, I saw no one. My accuracy had apparently given the men reason to pause.
Since, I’d reduced the first two men to ashes.
Fortunately for them, they were smarter than they looked. Duh, ashes, I’d reduced the men to ashes, not charred flesh. I’d found the Einherjar. Damn, the second wave of attackers was already skittering around in the smoke and ash. I needed a higher vantage point because I couldn’t afford to be surprised.
The whole situation was giving me a bad feeling. I couldn’t see a thing, which was never good. Where were Trevor and his men?

“Looking for me wizard?”

I nearly wet my pants, I hadn’t heard him coming. I swear vampires almost glide noiselessly, appearing without a sound or at least this one had.

“As a matter of fact I was, it’s trash day and I’m here to pick you up.”

Cursing him, I fired at his head. Unfortunately, not quickly enough, the vampire disappeared again. Shit, this wasn’t good. Playing hide-and-seek with a vampire was not my idea of a good time. I swung up and on to the main sails rigging. I couldn’t stay here long, but it gave me a glimpse of the area. I spotted my missing vampire, sending a fiery blast into him. In my enthusiasm, I almost forgot how damn flammable they were. He burst into flame and exploded. Oh, yeah another one burned to cinders. I was on a roll.

Jumping down I moved back toward the stern. I needed to find cover until the Cavalry showed up. I saw an open hatch and managed to dive into it just as a small group of Einherjar rounded the corner. They hadn’t seen me and even if they had their attention was interrupted by a scorching blast from Trevor and company.

I decided I’d take the time to snoop. Maybe I’d find something that would further identify the traitors. Groping my way carefully along the darkened hold, I moved toward a sliver of light. The light was coming from under the bottom of a door. Judging by the uproar above me, I knew I had a few minutes to investigate. Moving to the door, lifting the handle as quietly as possible, I opened the door. The hallway was deserted so, I sneaked down the corridor trying doors as I went. So far I hadn’t found anything important, the men’s sleeping quarters, a kitchen and a storeroom. I hit pay dirt on the final door, the captain’s quarters. The door was ajar and it looked like the captain ran
upstairs to see what was happening.