The Realm's Mystics [Mystic Women of The Realm Series Book 3] (48 page)

They left while she remained, having little desire to return to her now empty chambers. She preferred the feeling of the cozy room, sitting in her most comfortable of chairs where she could yet feel her lover laying upon her. She sat, gazing into the fire, offering up her meditations throughout the remainder of the eve.

They were high into the sky with R'lodin'lindor, heading in the direction to the land of the Mungardies. Sle'nel’ knew that her flying unicorn wasn't a fearful horse by nature, but sensed that flying over the Mungardies’ lands wasn't an adventure R'lodin'lindor would freely take on without good reason.

Sle'nel’ turned her head to speak to Uthrn, who rode behind her, “Where would you have her first go?"

Uthrn was holding on to Sle'nel', but was highly uncomfortable doing so, knowing that no one was to touch The High Queen's lover. She answered with whispered hope that her directions wouldn't lead them to their death, “Begin in the far north and work our way to the middle of their lands. They wouldn't expect anyone to come from that direction."

They covered the territory quickly and safely all due to R'lodin'lindor's ability to fly so quietly when they had the need to fly down for a closer look. Sle'nel’ knew that the chances of finding the Master during the late eve were worse than slim, as she was most likely somewhere inside a dwelling. But the eve was a warm one, so there was some, but little hope.

The women Sle'nel’ saw were much the same as she had seen earlier this turn. They all mostly wore the same type of tunic and their hair was in the same style of almost bald. As they examined each town, Sle'nel’ was careful for R'lodin'lindor not to be seen. She kept her flying as high as possible, even in knowing that the intelligent Mungardies wouldn't be looking for an enemy from the sky.

After examining each town carefully, Uthrn would say, “No. Not this town. We can move on, Elf Princess."

As they rode between the various towns with no luck, she began to wonder if there were any hope at all in the mission's success.

She didn't think so, but also didn't allow the thought to alter her hope for such.

They were getting deeper into the Mungardies’ lands, with little protection between the towns as they moved closer toward their center. Uthrn whispered into Sle'nel's ear, “I think we will not be able to find her this eve. She is most likely inside. But even if she is not, this next town is their largest, and it will be impossible to locate her."

Sle'nel’ said nothing, but wasn't giving up so easily. She was sorry she had brought Uthrn with her. She knew that Ann'wn wouldn't have succumbed to the almost certain possibility that Uthrn was correct.

Whenever the moon was absent from the sky, the sky was usually ablaze from the light of the stars. But this eve the clouds provided a gray-black background that sheltered them well. Knowing this, both Sle'nel’ and R'lodin'lindor took even greater chances, flying low, looking for unusual dwellings that signified someone special, or a gathering of women.

They flew low, making a dog to bark at them as they whooshed quickly past it. Sle'nel’ didn't see any of the signs of what she searched for, becoming frustrated. They went up higher for a moment, and she turned her head to Uthrn, “Is there a town that is more suited for a leader? One that is not just large, but perhaps wealthier?"

Uthrn spoke into her ear, “I know not, Elf. It has been long since I have seen any of these towns."

As the eve was beginning to turn into the very early morn, Sle'nel’ knew that they would have to give up the search soon. They were flying over a long lake, when R'lodin'lindor became more animated, taking them to where she thought they should look. Sle'nel’ smiled to herself, recalling from her mother's memories that her Elfin horse had instincts and intuitions far beyond her own. She smiled again as she saw that at the end of the lake was a gathering of some sort, like a party,
Thank you, R'lodin'lindor. You may have given our mission its success.

Tents were assembled well away from the lake, and many torches for light had been provided. Dancing was yet occurring, and there were what looked to Sle'nel’ like hundreds of guards surrounding the occasion.

They flew upwards a bit, while Sle'nel’ turned to Uthrn, “I know not what we found, but there is someone of importance down there. Did you see all the guards?"

"Yes, my Elf. By chance, I think we just became lucky."

She had R'lodin'lindor fly across the affair, as low as they thought they could get away with. As they came to the edge of the lake, they began to turn back upwards so as to take another fly over the party, when Sle'nel’ saw someone standing at the edge of the lake. Someone dressed in garments similar to what her Queen had described. She pointed downward. They were now almost too high for Uthrn to see well, but she recognized the vest. It was the vest of a Master.

They took another flight over the edge of the lake, remaining high. Sle'nel’ saw the hair, as The High Queen had mentioned, and now the vest. She spoke to Uthrn, “She is with someone. But only one. We could take her. It would make a fine present to The High Queen. What think you, Uthrn? Are you up for a little risk this eve?"

Uthrn gulped, “A little risk, Elf?” The Elves having been long gone from The Realm, very few recalled that they tended to see such great risk as merely mild entertainment. Uthrn, while brave beyond measure, was stunned in the obvious understatement.

Sle'nel’ outlined her plan to Uthrn, who agreed to it. R'lodin'lindor dropped Uthrn off at a distance from the site where the Master was now indulging in a sweet physical moment with a lover, no longer with her garments on. Sle'nel’ prepared her bow and arrow, but remained well high, and off just above the trees until she was assured that Uthrn was in place. From any direction on land, except by the secluded lake or by air, the Master was well-guarded. But wanting her privacy, the guards remained well away, never expecting any attack to come from the air or the lake.

Sle'nel’ knew that her plan entailed exacting luck, but felt it worth the effort. With the capture of the Master, her Queen and The Realm would know much more of what they faced in the Mungardies. When she saw that Uthrn was in-place, she took a deep breath, released it, then patted R'lodin'lindor's neck.

It is the moment
.

R'lodin'lindor landed at the lakeside in almost complete silence, standing as still as she could. The Master was so engaged in her physical pursuits with her lover that it took a moment for her to notice them. But Sle'nel’ knew that such a Master would be quick.

And she was.

In only a moment she had retrieved her sword and knife and was facing the Elf with no fear, and with no garments.

The lover had stood still, stunned. Sle'nel’ knew she had only a moment prior to the Master calling for her guards. Without hesitation, she let fly an arrow, reloaded, and let fly another. The Master threw a knife at Sle'nel', connecting. But Sle'nel’ had also hit the Master where she had planned, as well as the lover. Now it was up to Uthrn. With all now riding on luck, Sle'nel’ could only hope that Uthrn was able to do the rest, as she now had a knife sticking out of her leg.

Uthrn was there the moment the arrow went into the Master's midsection. It was an overly dangerous location to place an arrow, but they needed to remove any possibility of the Master being able to fight back. Uthrn hit the Master on the head, knocking her out, then heaved her over her shoulder. She looked at the Master's lover, and their eyes connected. The lover had also been shot by one of Sle'nel's arrows, and Uthrn thought that she should disable this one also, but there were no moments.

There was a moment of questioning by the lover, but Uthrn gave it no thought. For the sake of haste, she ran with the Master over her shoulder to R'lodin'lindor. As she approached the great horse and was mounting, the lover came to her senses and screamed. The guards were upon them almost immediately, but Sle'nel’ had forced herself up onto R'lodin'lindor as she saw Uthrn running to them. Uthrn threw the Master on the back of the horse, then jumped and clawed her way up as quickly as she could, sitting on top of the Master. Sle'nel’ sensed many guards now coming out of the forest, almost upon them. Without waiting, she urged R'lodin'lindor up into the sky. Arrows were flying at them from all directions, but Sle'nel’ just bent down to her horse and said in her Elfin language, “Fly like the wind, R'lodin'lindor, or we all die here."

Sle'nel’ had taken two of the arrows, one in the same leg as the knife had entered, and another into her side. She tried to displace the pain, knowing that the arrow hadn't gone in overly deep into her side, and was grateful for the near miss of the vital section. Three arrows had connected with Uthrn, all in the same leg. Uthrn saw that her leg was bleeding overly, and thought for a moment that one of the arrows must have hit a major blood vessel. She was busy battling off more of the arrows with her sword so as to prevent R'lodin'lindor from receiving any, but one escaped her, entering the horse's back leg. Uthrn saw that it was a small arrow, and that R'lodin'lindor was a great, massive horse, so the wound wasn't a critically dangerous one.

Within a moment only, they were well beyond the arrows’ ability to reach them. Sle'nel’ looked down upon the chaotic scene, knowing that the Mungardies now knew what had occurred and who had come. She thought that this would most likely create another battle, but it was nothing that wasn't already occurring, so thought little of it. And now her Queen had the Master she was seeking. She was pleased that they were all yet alive and that her Queen would now have some of her answers.

Uthrn spoke into her ear so she could hear, “You are hit."

Sle'nel’ turned and looked back to Uthrn, “Is this Master yet alive? Please tell me I killed her not."

"She breathes. I hit her upon the head so we wouldn't have to try to fight her. She will not awaken for a long while."

She saw the three arrows sticking out of Uthrn's leg, and the amount of blood pouring from it. She looked at Uthrn's face, seeing her turning pale, “You lose overly much blood. Apply pressure to it. Take off your shirt and wrap it around the wound, tightly. You are a Mystic. Do you not know how to slow down the flow of your blood?"

Uthrn nodded, beginning to feel lightheaded. She followed Sle'nel's directions, beginning to laugh. Sle'nel’ looked at her, “What is as humorous as this, Warrior?"

She began to laugh loudly, in spite of her pain, “That I am riding a great white unicorn as my blood flows down upon this most unclothed of Masters, and upon this white horse. And that you sit there so calmly telling me to halt the flow of my blood when yours also is flowing quite freely. Do you not know how to slow your flow of blood?"

Sle'nel’ had been very pleased with their success, but now saw that they were in danger if R'lodin'lindor didn't arrive soon. But she also laughed, “No. I do not. Do it for me, or The High Queen will be angry at the both of us."

"What a scene we will make as we land in the arena. Who will they see first? This great horse that used to be white, but is now well-marked with blood? You and your injuries? Me and my three arrows sticking out of the same spot? Me without my shirt on? Or this very unclothed one?"

Sle'nel’ didn't hear the questions as she began to contemplate the moment, “Uthrn? Who do you think her lover was?"

"Just another Mungardies, Elf."

"But did you see her garments? They were far different than all the other Mungardies'."

"Most likely just another Mungardies to entertain the Master."

She nodded, “You are probably correct, but I wonder if we should have brought her with us."

Sle'nel’ saw that the sun had risen, thinking that they must have captured the Master just at the break of the turn. She focused the last of her attention upon R'lodin'lindor, seeing that she flew strongly and urgently, pushing them across the skies as rapidly as she could, even given her exhaustion and injury. Before she became overly dizzy from lack of blood, Sle'nel’ looked upon the landscape, trying to find anything recognizable, but couldn't. Finally, she lowered her head, focusing all her attention upon remaining upright for the remainder of the journey, “Fly us home, R'lodin'lindor, and enter from the north."

All could sense The High Queen's anxiousness. She was short-tempered this morn, and refused any pampering or questioning.

"Would you like to wear your crown this turn, High Queen?"

"No. I mean, yes. Whatever. Just prepare Me."

"Would you like your morn meal now, my Queen?"

"No. Leave Me."

"I will leave it for you on your—"

"LEAVE ME!"

She had insisted that the War Council begin, but Erthrn saw that The High Queen's attentions were focused only upon the skies to the north. San'lr'in'thel'ineln’ was reprimanding herself for allowing her lover to go on this mission. She hadn't thought it dangerous, as she didn't really believe that they would be able to find the Master. But as the morn had progressed, she became concerned.

The War Council had agreed that finally ending the battle with the Dungaras was the most critical step, and were now focusing their discussions on how that should be accomplished. The High Queen cared little for the details, wanting the battle with the Dungaras over quickly, and with few losses.

"My Queen?"

She looked at the Council member, not having heard the question, “Yes?"

"I asked how you would like us to proceed with the battle."

She just stared at her for a moment, thinking,
Why would I possibly care about the details?
Instead, she answered, “Quickly, and with few losses. The remainder is up to My chosen Force Leaders."

The Dungaras hadn't provided any battles, even any small skirmishes, against them since the Mystics had overtaken their strongholds, so Erthrn and San'lr'in'thel'ineln’ well knew that the Dungaras had been greatly damaged.

One of the War Council members asked her, “High Queen? Would you be so gracious as to take command of the last battle?"

She replied softly, “No. I am not needed."