Return To Sky Raven (Book 2) (22 page)

“Couldn’t you have just ordered these vampires to stand down, or was this Kotoch among them?” I asked.

“No, he is unfortunately not here among the dead. The power of the amulet allows him to anoint small groups of his followers as special disciples and gives them immunity to further compulsion; this war party was one of those groups.”

“So what exactly is this Amulet of Tepestra?” I questioned.

“Young knight, among all the undead - skeletons, zombies, wights, and ghouls - only vampires retain the intelligence and personality traits that they had when they were living. Because of this, we are a fractious, independent lot who don’t follow orders particularly well unless very closely supervised, compelled or well-trained.” She indicated the armored vampires behind the farmers with an affectionate wave of the hand. “And the older we get, the less likely we are to appreciate orders from someone like the Lifebane. His first attempts at persuading vampires to rally to his banner were disasters, and he couldn’t be in multiple places at once to personally compel them, so he created the Amulets of Tepestra using demon magic. The evil one finds a few particularly greedy or evil low level vampires that are fanatically loyal to him and gives them one of the Amulets.”

“And they do what, exactly?”

“Essentially, they add a thousand years or so to the force of will the holder can use to compel other vampires. So a 400-year-old suddenly has the power of someone who has seen 1400 years. I was not aware that the Lifebane had gifted any vampire in this region with one of these perversions until tonight.

“What do you plan to do now?”

Belrothe looked like she had just swallowed sour wine; she threw up her hands in disgust and helplessness. Somehow, this seemed like an emotion she didn’t wear well or often. “There is little we can do; we lack the numbers to make another run at a rescue and after midnight tonight, it will be too late anyway. Kotach will become the dark elves’ problem, not mine,” she said, nodding at my fiancé.

“What do you mean by that? What are they planning?” Maya demanded.

The old vampire continued sadly, “We know they are planning to drain every human in captivity at midnight tonight at a special ceremony where all 300 of the vampires will be anointed as disciples. Then, as directed by the Lifebane himself through the conduit of the Amulet, all 300 plus will make their way to the dark elf lands and slaughter every man, woman, and child in their path until they reach the Capital itself. There they are to slide through the siege lines and wreck havoc among the populace until the resistance collapses.” While that encouraging bit of news sank in, Belrothe allowed her eyes to wander over our group, our armaments, horses, pixie, and fierce-looking wolves. With a sly smile, she pretended to be deep in thought and, tapping her chin, she commented, “If only there was some way to prevent that all from happening…”

I couldn’t help but start to like her; but she was no doubt a master manipulator from way back, and I do mean waaay back.

One of the women farm folk jumped out of the nearest wagon and practically threw herself to the ground in front of us. She brought herself to a kneeling position and begged us, crying, “Please, please, can you help us? My husband and two sisters are still in the cavern; they are all the family I have! You can’t know what it was like waiting to die down in that cave at the hands of those monsters!”

I looked up, and most of the other farmers had gotten down out of the wagons and were on their knees as well, pleading with their eyes and voices, but not approaching closer.

Maya sent me a worried feeling through Winya’s link, “
We need to do something about this. I don’t think my conscience can handle it, all those people dying at the hands of the undead without a fighting chance. Not to mention, I have doubts my people in the dark elf capital can fend off an undead siege and a vampire force of this size.”

“Agreed. We have to do what we can for the captives, plus this might be a way to open up trade with the farmers to supply food to the fortress,”
I said.
“But I’m not sure what we would have to offer them in trade.”

Out of the blue, Rosa conveniently popped into the conversation. “
Yes, about that; your parents opened up the vault, and it would seem that the fortress is very well off, like enough-to-buy-three-kingdoms well off.”

“Well, Sky  Raven was guarding the only trade route between the human lands and the old dwarven empire; we had a lot of traffic,”
said Winya.

Maya nodded to me, giving me the go-ahead to do the trade. We turned back to the baffled vampire. “We have decided that we will help you.”

Her face registered surprise, followed by extreme relief and gratitude. “I don’t see how you decided that as I never saw your lips move, but please consider me in your debt.” And she bowed courteously.

I held up my hand. “With your pardon, Lady, we do have one request.”

She eyed us cautiously. “And what is that?” As she was talking, the old farmer and one of her liegemen moved up to stand alongside her.

“That you open up trade with Sky Raven Fortress.” I think we shocked a few more years out of all three of them, as their mouths dropped open, and they looked repeatedly at each of us as if we were about to say it was all a joke at their expense.

“The fortress is open again?” Belrothe stammered. “No one’s been in there since Queen Rialla died; many of my people are the descendants of the last civilians to work there. How is this possible? Moreover, who are you people?”

I thought about doing a full introduction but, instead, decided on a more simple approach. “The Nova have returned.” I wasn’t really prepared for her reaction, though. With a gasp, Belrothe’s eyes grew very large and she looked like she was about to faint as she searched our faces for confirmation.

I nodded, and her eyes darted quickly between Maya and me before she intoned in a hushed whisper, ‘The Child of Light and the Child of Darkness!” She swept into a very deep formal bow and, seeing that, all of her people did the same. Standing back upright, she reassumed her mantle of authority. “And what type of trade does the citadel require?” she said shakily.

Maya answered, “Food, animal feed, straw and timber primarily. We have no real trade goods, but we have gold and we have wizards. We also have healers who are willing to help you if needed. If your people are too hurt to move, we could work out a system where our healers would go to them, under heavy guard, of course.”

One of the younger human farm girls, probably around my age, separated herself from the group by the wagons and walked over, drying her tears. She looked at us with calm hope. “I know you are heroes of good, just like in the old stories. If you have healers, please help us! Many of our children are sick and we don’t know what’s wrong with them. The village herbalist was killed by a rogue undead almost a month ago; we have no one who can help them. Please, we will give you anything you want, just save our children and help us save our loved ones!”

Maya needed only look my way for me to see the concern in her eyes and to know what she wanted from me. She turned back to the farmers. “We have sent word; a group of healers will head out at first light to your village, I will need specific directions . But note, this will be our only act of charity for the time being; resources are low right now, and we have yet to gain a way of permanent resupply. At the same time, we will not hold you to any agreement as price for this aid.”

The vampire nodded. “I understand and approve of your wisdom, for I, too, must keep my people as a priority. But if it is herbs you need to help our people, then we may be able to help greatly with that. My night stalkers patrol the forests every night; it is a simple matter to have them keep an eye open for what you need. These herbs have no real value to us without the skills to use them.”

At that point, Nia, who had been buzzing around making sure all the dead vampires stayed that way, flew up and whispered, “The girls say riders on horseback are approaching fast from the direction we came!”

Belrothe’s hearing was excellent, and she nodded at us. “Do not be alarmed, that would be my grandson and his riders; apparently, the messenger I sent as the attack started made it back to the village.”

A few moments later, a troupe of ten cavalrymen and women, dressed in leather armor and bright orange surcoats with the Honalde family crest plastered across the front, thundered around a corner and came into sight, sabers in hand, ready for battle. Blocking their way were two very large protective Vakhas, with manes, tails, and feet of blue flame flaring off like a huge unseen bellows was stoking the fire.

The mundane horses, well-trained as they were, wanted no part of tangling with Kaima and Somnus. They reared up, screaming in fear, and stopped dead in their tracks, trembling uncontrollably, and no amount of coaxing or even spurs would make them move forward.

Cursing, a young man at the head of the group leaped off his mount and raced toward us, skirting well around the warhorses. He was short in stature, but he covered the ground quickly. He looked to be about twenty, with sandy blond hair and a long matching mustache that drooped well below his chin on each side, flopping up and down as he ran. The only thing that differentiated him from the other cavalry was the rather gaudy scarlet bird plume that stuck out of his floppy cavalryman’s hat. Breathlessly, he reached Belrothe’s side, and after eyeing me suspiciously and observing all the dead vampires on the ground, he turned to her and bowed, removing his hat with a flourish. “Forgive me, Grandmother, for my late arrival; it seems I am too late to join in the defense of my liege!”

The old vampire ran an affectionate hand across his sweaty brow and fastidiously tidied up his hair. “Segmun, these knights and their companions are from Sky Raven Fortress. Brave knights, may I introduce my human grandson, Segmun Honalde.

“Sky Raven? But that place has been empty forever! We were up that way not ten days ago and not a sign of life, and now you say it’s garrisoned?” he looked at her incredulously.

“Yes, it is.” Maya interjected, getting back to business.

Segmun swiveled and gave a start as if seeing Maya for the first time; he smiled broadly and swept into a formal bow as he drank in her beauty. “Your pardon, my Lady, if I was momentarily speechless. We trade frequently with your people, and I have even been to your Capital on several occasions, but never have I met a lady-at-arms as fair as yourself!”

Maya paused with an expression somewhere between annoyed and embarrassed, but I could tell she was listening to Winya’s advice. She smiled graciously, “Thank you for the compliment, Sir Segmun. My name is Maya; this other knight,” she said, gesturing to me, “is Alex Martin, Master Enchanter and my betrothed. The pixie is Nia, a wizard of her people and the two…” Maya paused as the two huge white wolves morphed into shy, smiling young girls in green robes, “…girls, Lin and Julia, are druids.”

There was a murmur of astonishment and excitement from the farmers and Belrothe nodded her approval, as druids are more valuable than gold to agricultural communities, and to have two in a party is practically unheard of. Segmun, on the other hand, just looked disappointed, no doubt about the betrothed statement.

Maya, seeing their reaction to Lin and Julia, smiled and added, “We should also be able to provide a few earth wizards, once they are done with their current tasks, that is. They will be able to make stone walls around your village or fix any other damages as well.”

Belrothe took a moment to look around at her people and, without exception, the farmer’s heads eagerly bobbed up and down, pleading for her to take the deal. “Very well, it would seem we have an agreement. Herbs for healing; food for services or gold. Does that sound fair?”

“It does,” said Maya confidently.

For the first time, the vampire truly smiled. “Excellent, then may we get underway?”

“
Rosa, you better get a quill and paper, this could take a bit!”

Chapter 9

A few things happened as I was talking things over with Rosa. The farmers and vampires got to work fixing the wagons. As usual with the large farm wagons I was familiar with from Foalshead, there were replacement wheels strapped to the undersides of the wagon boxes. This made the work rather easy as the vampires could hold up half a wagon with no real effort. Belrothe was talking things over with Maya, and the girls were healing one of the women who got hurt in the fight, surrounded by star-struck farmers asking questions. Apparently, yes, druids can actually talk to wheat if they so desire, but it’s a dull conversation, at best.

I walked back to Maya and Belrothe with Nia proudly perched on my shoulder. Maya reached over and pulled my arm to her, smiling slightly. “Everything all set at Sky Raven?”

I nodded. “Yes, Higs and ten guardsmen will escort Alera and her healers to the village; they should arrive by nightfall. Just to be safe, I asked that they take a few combat-ready wizards as well.”

Segmun, who had been standing in the background, stepped forward. “Your pardon, Sir Alex, but there is no need to fatigue your healers before they even reach their patients; it’s a long walk from Sky Raven to the village, and time is a factor. Might I suggest my outriders and I bring a couple of wagons for your wizards and a couple strings of horses for your guardsmen, and meet up with your group on the trail? We will also help protect them from any undead that might have wandered onto the path.”

“That is a very generous offer, Sir Segmun. Thank you, I will notify the healers that you will be arriving,” I said, nodding to him gratefully since most of the healers at Sky Raven were still exhausted from their workload and the journey. With that he turned to his liege and saluted.

“Grandmother, I will be off then to the village and then on to meet up with the healers of Sky Raven, unless you need me to accompany you.”

Belrothe shifted and shook her head. “No, Segmun, but when you stop by the village, please have three replacement wagons and drivers sent back this way to relieve ours. With these brave knights’ help, I am going to attempt to free our villagers tonight before it’s too late.”