Ch 20: Of Towers and Dragons

Rose was breathing hard as she stared down the soldier in front of her. She was feeling recovered enough from her wounds that she felt the need to exercise. With the abundance of knights present she had no shortage of sparring partners. Though they were hesitant to spar with the new head of the Crown order. However a few rounds with some of her remaining men broke the ice and the men saw her as as any other soldier. She just had prettier armor than the others but she was treated the same.

The velvet hammer was known for her fairness but also the wrath that came in the wake of disloyalty. For the moment she was enjoying a healthy tussle with one of her newest commanders. The man was skilled and had a good eye for the fight but he was a bit reckless. Rose was already sporting a nice cut along her cheek from an errant strike. There were a few colored comments from the other knights but Rose waved them off and continued. Rose tightened her grip on her warhammer and waited patiently as she breathed. Her opponent seeing that she was winded went in for the final shot only to see his mistake to late. Rose smirked as he began to swing. Rose began to spin ducking low as she did going beneath the swing of the man's blade. Her weapon came around with her the weight adding to the strength of the blow. She nailed the man square in his armored gut lifting him inches off the ground before he was deposited breathless upon the earth.

She knew that the man would have a couple of injuries that would need to be tended to by Tanjee. It was regretful but she was certain that he would learn the lesson. Rose set her weapon down so that she could check on him as a couple of knights came to assist. The man chuckled painfully "Lesson learned Lady Rose."

She smiled patting him lightly upon the back before standing up. She had made it clear that recklessness in training of combat would have its consequences. The young commander had learned what those consequences with her could be. She bent down and lifted her hammer from the earth and looked at it a moment before returning to the edge of the combat circle to observe the next spar.

Tynen stretched his long, muscular body and yawned. He was glad that they were finally moving again and going to where his sister was. He smiled menacingly, thinking about what he would do if she didn't turn. If she didn't turn then he would deliver her soul as well as her life to Tahkisis. He'd already sacrificed his family for his Goddess and had become one of the greatest defenders of Tahkisis. Sacrificing Keatara was nothing to him. It was simply a means to be closer to what he wanted.

His vivid blue eyes looked around and he scowled at the riff-raff around him. At, least to him, they were riff-raff. Even the Draconians, but he hid his distaste of them well. They were ones he didn't feel ready to go up against yet. But, the other soldiers......that was a different story. He'd killed others to move up in rank and now that he was the equivilent to a major, he would kill again to be promoted with ease.

Tynen knew that his looks were able to get them into many a village, unless they had someone who could see his aura then it was difficult. But usually, his good looks and beautiful eyes along with his good manners got him in to scope everything out before reporting back to Nidhug. Then, they would attack and he would revel in the killing.

He began to gather his things, hearing the words about the bedrolls and scoffing at that. He never slept in a tent and always slept with his sword in hand and dagger beneath his head.

Rist approached and bowed speaking in their gutteral language, "The army will be ready to move in 30 minutes."

Nidhug looked up from the map and spoke, "Excellent Rist, as usual you have proven your value in motivating the army, I will assume you only had to kill a few to get them moving quickly."

Rist shrugged gently and Nidhug noticed a new signet ring on his finger that had drying blood on the face of it, he simply half smiled and flicked his tongue as he looked back to the large map on the table. He remembered how Gregor use to study the maps, and it was one of the things he had inherited from his former leader. He traced his finger along the roads and after a moment turned to Rist, "Bring the human, the one her Ladyship favors, Tynen I believe is his name."

Rist bowed lowed and moved quickly to find the man and return him to Nidhug.

Olwa listened to his Prince and was agreeable to almost everything he said. It wasn't the fact that he was in the presence of royalty but that for the first time he felt like someone in authority over him actually acknowledged that he had his own thoughts and feelings about the world around him, and they didn't scoff at them.

He looked up as Myth stood to depart. He spoke as he stood and saluted, "My thanks Heruamin, I will heed your words," he paused a moment and then spoke again, "and thanks for listening."

Myth simply nodded and like a whisper vanished into the shadows of the forest. Olwa took his position again and turned to look out across the landscape.

About an hour went by and he caught the slightest movement in the treeline which was roughly 100 meters across an open field and he felt a tug at his stomach. He narrowed his vision and slipped up into the trees, looking out across the field. He could see movement, very slow, deliberate movement and he watched. After about ten minutes three figures appeared on the very edge of the treeline, Draconians.

Immediately Olwa nocked an arrow and let it loose, quickly followed by a second and then a third. He had three shots off before the first one had hit. The Draconian on the far left howled as the arrow pierced his throat and he gurgled as he fell over with a thud and turned to stone. The second was looking at his comrade when the arrow hit him in the temple, he was stone before he even collapsed. The third having caught a clue flattened himself onto the ground and the arrow sailed over his head and buried itself in the shadows of the canopy behind him. He scrambled to his feet and disappeared into the woods. Olwa remained where he sat and knowing protocol called for assistance before moving out to investigate, "Aeolis my Heruamin, I have just killed two Draconians."

Aeolis was next to Olwa in a heartbeat. His keen eyes narrowed as he looked out towards the tree line Olwa indicated and he nodded.

”Was it just the two?“

When he heard Olwa explain what transpired, and a third one got away, he nodded in understanding as he continued to survey the landscape.

“Scouts, no doubt. They have come sniffing to see what sort of defenses Heartlund has. And they will know we know they are coming ruining their plan of sneaking up on us.”

He looked at Olwa and gave him a half a smile and nodded.

”Good job. Now the hard work begins. Come. We need to alert the others”

Aeolis nodded to two other Ranger that was waiting in the shadows.

"Set up extra patrols along the perimeter. Now that the first of them have arrived, we can be assured others will follow testing to see where our strengths and weaknesses lie. Do not let them see you are Elven. Keep yourselves cloaked in the trees.”

The other Elves nodded and Aeolis looked to Olwa, gesturing for him to follow. As they made their way through the trees heading for the Keep, he spoke to the younger Elf.

”It is important we inform the leadership of the Knights making sure we do not cause wide spread panic. The citizens of Heartlund are on edge and news like this could cause the delicate scales to tip to the wrong side allowing chaos to ensue thus allowing the enemy the upper hand right from the start.”

Aeolis’ steps were quick and light making haste through the trees but leaving little to no disturbance in his wake. As the walked along the ground headed for the gates, he nodded to the guards then weaved his way through the grounds until he reached the Keep proper. There he paused when they reached the main hallway that split into four directions. He looked to Olwa and pointed to his right.

"Seek out the magi. They will need to know of this so they can be prepared in case there are any casting Draconians scouting as well. Tell them to meet me in Commander Fairwinds offices. I will make sure we will be there to meet them."

As Olwa saluted and turned to look for Rayann, Ceri and Pela, Aeolis began his search for the commanders of the Knights. After some directions, he found them all inside the training grounds. As he approached Commander Fairwind and Sir Trystan and Sir Ordin, they could see by the look on his face the news wasn't good. The Commander looked a bit….ruffled, but her eyes shimmered with something he hadn’t seen in a while.

Saluting smartly to the upper echelon of the Knights, he looked at the three and gave them the news they knew was coming but didn’t want to hear.

”Two Draconian scouts have just been taken down along the outer most edge of the perimeter while one was able to escape, Not for lack of trying, though. I have ordered more patrols and any activity will be reported right away. I believe it is time for us to prepare for the inevitable. I've requested the magi meet us in your offices, Commander Fairwind. They will need to be made aware of any plans as well as bring their own to the table in case there are any casting Draconians scouting for the enemy.”

Tynen looked up to Rist as he told him that Nidhug wished to see him. He gathered his small pack along with his bedroll and sword, his daggers already strapped to his waist, legs and wrists. He nodded to Rist when he was ready, his blue eyes cold as ice as he presented himself before the Draconian leader.

"You wished to see me, Nidhug?"

As Aeolis listened Olwa dished out every detail to the letter, the truth was the whole encounter took about eight seconds and he was never face to face with anything so it didn't take long to give all the details.

As they made their way into the Keep Aeolis issued his order and Olwa saluted, shooting up the stairs. He sent a missive to Ceridwyn knowing she would be able to hear and she instructed him to come to her quarters. He knocked and he heard her voice to enter. He stepped in and could not help but flash a shy smile at Pela despite the news he brought. He turned to Ceridwyn almost immediately and spoke, "Lady Magi, Not but ten minutes ago I slew two Draconian scouts moving along the outer perimeter," he turned and looked at Rayann and then back to Ceridywn, "There was a third but he managed to escape. Aeolis asked that I come get you and bring you to Lady Fairwinds quarters so that immediate planning can begin, obviously they are beginning to poke at our lines to assess us."



Ceridwyn listened and her face went pale. It was the moment they all knew was coming but were doing their best to not think about. She turned with wide eyes to Rayann and the two of them were out the door in a flash heading through the halls to Rose's quarters. Olwa ran to Pela and took her hand in his own and they followed through the halls behind the two lady mages, only letting go as they came around the corner where they were waiting for Roses arrival.


Trystan was just stepping forward to challenge in the sparring ring after Rose when Aeolis burst through the door and gave the news. He turned and looked at Rose, their eyes locked and he nodded as she gave her command non-verbally. This was the moment he and her had talked about for months, the day had come.

He grabbed his gear and dashed through the Keep making his way to the Gatehouse and informed the captain of the gate guard who immediately sent the riders to their stations and began the deployments to triple all the guards along the entrance to the city.

Trystan then went to the town center and rang the city bell six times, then four, then five. It was the signal to the soldiers that their relaxation was over and to report to their battle stations and be on vigil.

He moved from place to place, deploying the plan that he and Rose had worked on for so long, double and then triple checking everything to make sure the orders were carried out to the letter.

Nidhug looked up as Tynen arrived. He scanned the man's face, the location of his hands and the readiness of the man's weapons. He knew of Tynen, how he had ascended rapidly up the ranks of the Dark Ladies army through brute force and murder... it was no different than himself, but it takes a criminal to truly know one and Nidhug had the man sized up again in seconds.

He walked over to the map and spoke, giving no formality to his summons, "We are here," he pointed a long, razor sharp claw to a red circle on the parchment, "We are going here."

He moved his finger down the map and stopped just over Heartlund, "It is a one and a half day journey to the city, and I need information. Draconian scout formations have already been seeing the area over for the last three weeks, but I need you to go alone and bring me back information regarding the defensive positions in place between the towers and the city wall. My guess is they have less fortifications on that side because they are expecting us to hit from the north and the west. If they have left their eastern most side exposed figuring we won't travel close to the towers they are sadly mistaken."

He reached into his robes and removed a small brass key. He placed it on the table and slid it over to Tynen, whisper the word "Orsklara" to the key and it will transport you back to me, but it only can be used once as the enchantment is not a free ride to get you out of every jam you might find yourself in."

His tongue flicked out of his mouth and he caught the scent of Tynen, he was not sweating, he was not afraid, that much he could discern, "I will transport you one kilometer from the city, stay to the trees and report back to me at sunset tomorrow."

He pointed to a circle that had been drawn on the ground, "Go."

Tynen got into the circle with some hesitation and Nidhug sprinkled reagents around on the ground. He began to hiss the ancient words of magic like a natural, second language and the elements flared to life and Tynen would see just the briefest flash of light before his eyes before he blinked. He felt his feet leave hard, beaten soil to soft moist leaves and undergrowth. As he opened his eyes he would find himself in the thick undergrowth and beneath the canopy of the forest.

No more than a minute after the spell was complete Nidhug heard a popping sound behind him and a Draconian dressed in scout gear appeared beside him. He was panting and Nidhug recognized him as one of the scouts they had sent two days prior. He narrowed his eyes and spoke in their gutteral language, "What happened? Were you seen?"

The Draconian swallowed hard and hissed back, "We were ambushed, it seemed impossible for we were still a good mile from the walls skirting the shadows of the forest, Gresh and Klaerk were hit within seconds and I narrowly ducked a third arrow. I sprinted into the forest and found the arrow that missed me stuck into the ground."

He held up his hand and handed the arrow to Nidhug, he looked only for one second at the arrow before he hissed, "Elves..."

Tynen stood still for a moment, gathering his thoughts from the teleportation. Once he was steady after a few moments, he took a deep breath as he took his role of a traveler trying to find shelter and food. Someone who didn't want the chaos that was coming. Letting out his breath, he opened his blue eyes and smiled.

He began to walk towards the city, playing the part of a weary traveler who'd lost everything and was now looking for somewhere safe. His blue eyes were no longer hard, but weary....his gate that of someone who was beyond tired. He sensed the eyes on him before he saw the Elves....stopping when an arrow landed in front of him. He raised his hands in surrender, "I be meaning no harm to ye. I just be looking for a place to lay me head and food in me belly. I have lost everyone to the Dark Goddess' minions and am looking for safety."

He waited, coming across as exactly as he seemed.....a weary traveler in search of some rest and food.

Keatara saw the commotion and stopped a knight that ran through the training area where she was cleaning up early, her mind not having been on teaching the children. She'd told Tanjee to go do whatever she needed to do, that she would be fine. He told her quickly what was happening and her green eyes turned dark. She quickly finished cleaning up then hurried into her small cabin and changed her clothing.

Leaving her cabin, she was armed once more as she hurried to where she thought Aeolis would be or Trystan to see what she could do to help.

After his talk with Olwa Myth had returned to the keep to greet the newest arrivals from Silvanost. He was confirming with his captains the final placement of troops when the ranger arrived with word of the Draconians from Aeolis. "Lord Myth... three Draconians were sighted on the perimeter by Olwa. One of them escaped with it's life unfortunately."

Myth nodded his head lightly "I am sure it was not for a lack of trying. Return to your post. I am certain new orders will be forthcoming."

Myth sighed heavily and returned his attention to his captains. "It seems our enemies decided that we have had enough rest. Let us head for the knight commander's office. I am certain everyone will be gathering there very shortly."

The captains fell in behind Myth as he entered into the keep. Moments later he stood outside Rose's office. As he expected Rayann, Ceridwyn, and Pela were not far off. Myth acknowledged Olwa before returning his attention to Rayann. He was about to say something when one of the guards outside flanking Rose's office door cleared his throat.

"Lords and Ladies, Commander Fairwind shall be along momentarily. Till then she bids you enter." The guard turned and opened the door motioning for everyone to enter.



Rose remained calm and collected as Aeolis delivered his report. A quick look to Trystan and the knight was off rallying the men as they had planned. Rose looked to Sir Ordin before nodding her head as she left the training grounds. The area was emptying fast as knights gathered their gear and calls to report to stations rang out everywhere. Rose prayed silently that they would be able to pull through this mess. A defeat here would be crippling to the knights but it would not break them.

Knights moved out of Roses path as she swept through the halls making a straight line for her quarters. In the organized chaos that had erupted in the keep the knights could still recognize the commander and made every effort to stay out of her way. The normal friendly exterior that many were used to had been locked away. Instead she was the very epitome of her station. Her steps slowed as she approached the doors of her office. The men posted outside straightened and the one to the right spoke. "The magi and elfkin await your presence Lady Rose."

Rose nodded her head knowing exactly who all would be waiting inside the office. Almost like a wraith Larrisa was also at Rose's side and seemed a bit winded. The woman bowed to Sir Ordin and then turned back to Rose "I apologize for my lateness... it is a little difficult to get through all these knights."

Rose shook her head and nodded to the guards who opened the doors allowing the Rose her her entourage to enter. As she expected the three mage, Myth, Aeolis, and the top two elven captains were present. Also present were Rose's immediate superiors the leader of the Rose and Sword orders. She wasted no time walking through the room to a table covered in maps and battle plans. "Sir Trystan will be late in coming as he sees to rallying our men to their defensive positions."

Rose eyed the maps before her looking up to Ordin and the elven captains "Please tell me we are close to having the troops redeployed around the keep. I know we initially discussed planning our defenses against a force from the north and west, but without recent intel I want us covered on all sides. I don't trust these mages to stay out of this fight and I would prefer not to leave our backsides exposed to anyone, especially them." Her eyes lowered to the map taking note of the recent changes.

Ordin watched as Rose came in and settled to the map. He furrowed his brow slightly as she sighed. He was glad to be at her side but he hoped she was ready for this. He had faith in her and in the last few months he had truly gained trust and respect for her, but this was a lot to be put on anyone's shoulders and he did not envy the fact that she was the one calling the shots. As she looked up and spoke he stepped forward. His sun beaten brow wrinkled slightly as he narrowed his eyes on the map and point, "We have moved a contingency of men here, here and here. The formation is set in a traditional disintegrating wedge given the uphill climb to the Keep on that side it was the most logical giving us the opportunity to funnel enemies through our presighted archer positions as well as giving us the ability to push into the flanks should they manage to advance in. I understand that these are Wizards and therefore might not come at us in the traditional manner so I also have extra Archers set along these battlements. We added hoardings all across the landscape on newly built stone walls to provide extra cover for the men. These are arranged in a manner as such," He took a piece of graphite and began to draw out the additions to the fortification area on the East side of the city. Rose would be able to see that it was designed with trenches and cover areas so that the troops could move almost in a full circle and remain under cover and out of sight with fortification bunkers and towers all through out the field.

"I am no strategist when it comes to fighting Wizards ma'am, but I do know that can't be everywhere at once. with this multi-circle setup I think we have created a maximum defense scenario while giving us multiple fields of fire while are Archers remain undercover. I was hoping that to give us even more advantage we could utilize the bows of the Elves since the enforcement is primarily set up for bowmen. My feeling is that with their speed and accuracy we would have a very strong protection on the East side. Obviously I have heavy metal troopers there too, but we are more heavy on the Archers due to the anticipated mobility of the wizards."

Rose would see that he had thought things out well but his lack of knowledge from not being in the first battle was obvious. The idea of setting the Archers in defensible towers and bunkers where they could move to a second or third quickly and under cover was borderline genius but his lack of Troops that could face the rock elementals that were sure to swarm them was apparent.

He stepped back and waited for her response.



Ceridwyn listened as Sir Ordin gave his presentation of defenses. She looked at the map and it seemed to move before her eyes, she could see the elementals swarming up from the Towers and knocking the towers over with little effort, but she had to admit what she was seeing was unlike any defensive plan she had ever seen, it incorporated the landscape with human built defensive positions that created a fluid environment for the troops to move.

She looked at Rose and tried to get a read on her, her body language was calm and cool. Ceridwyn could not help but smile at this. Every set of eyes that was on her were nervous, concerned, full of doubt, fearful or otherwise perplexed. Even Sir Ordin was shifting slightly nervously as he stared at the map, but Rose almost seemed to be in a state of complete focus as she narrowed her eyes and pointed, about to speak again.



Olwa stood behind Aeolis, just enough so he could see the map but out of the way. This was the first time he had been in the war room and he was amazed at the level of detail of the central map. It echoed every bit of the area surrounding Heartlund. On a second table was a half constructed three dimensional map which they obviously would not have the time to complete, but it was amazing in it's detail. He turned as Sir Ordin started to speak and he watched the man's face. He had been around his share of Elven Commanders but to see a Human in this role fascinated him. Not that he saw any of them incapable, it was just new and he studied the way the man spoke and moved.

As he mentioned having Elves for a portion of the Archers his eyebrows lifted slightly and he turned his head slightly to Aeolis, when the man had paused enough for him to speak to Aeolis he did so through a missive, ~ "Heruamin, I would humbly ask that you allow me to be one of the Elven Archers." ~

Aeolis turned and looked at him and he could tell by the body language that he was about to shake his head no but he interrupted, ~ "I know I am young Heruamin, but I am agile and I am as good if not better an Archer than most of the Elves in Heartlund. Please at least take some time to consider it before responding with a no." ~

His missive ended and Aeolis simply looked at him and then back to the map table, Olwa inhaled with satisfaction knowing that the request was at least being considered.

Pela saw the look on Ceridwyn’s face and she knew something was up even before the knock on the door came. But she certainly wasn’t expecting Olwa to be the one to walk inside. To say the least, she was so surprised she let out a small gasp. When she heard the news he delivered, she was instantly on her feet. Battle was looming nearer and she was going to be in the thick of it. Already she could feel her body starting to prepare for it.

As Rayann and Ceri rushed out of the room, she saw Olwa coming for her and instinctively she reached her hand out to him. When his hand touched Pela‘s, she curled her fingers around his hand and took off in stride beside him. Never had she felt so good about such a simple gesture than she did right now and in that simple gesture, she found strength.

As they turned the corner and he let go of her hand, Pela quickly slowed her pace to be a couple of steps behind him as well. As they were ushered into Rose’s office, she stood next to Rayann making sure she was close enough to still glance at Olwa without being too obvious. Aeolis was already there and not too much later the others started arriving.

The room quickly became filled with bodies and as it did, they were forced to make room. As a result, Pela was now standing right next to Olwa and her fingers brushed the back of his hand gently. She dared a quick glance over at him and gave him the slightest of smiles before she gave her attention to Lady Rose and the other leaders to see what the plan of attack was going to be.

As the commanders began speaking of plans, she saw the way Olwa studied the maps and things then she saw the way he looked to Aeolis and the way Aeolis turned to look at him. They were communicating mentally and Pela got a terrible feeling in her gut as to what they were discussing. When she saw Aeolis’ gaze stay on Olwa for a long moment before turning back to look at the maps, she glanced at Olwa then to Aeolis and swallowed hard. What was being planned between the two?






Rayann knew this day was coming but she didn’t think it would be this soon. Why, she didn’t know. Perhaps it was the fact she didn’t want this day to arrive ever, but that wasn’t to be the case. They’d been planning and preparing for this day and now, it was here. And it was time for her and Ceri and Pela to make sure the Knights and Elves weren’t fighting against a dark tide in vain.

As she made her way to Lady Fairwind’s offices she saw Aeolis there and nodded to him. A few seconds later Pela and Olwa arrived and she gave the girl the slightest of smiles and barely noticeable nods. As the guards escorted them in and the others began to arrive, Rayann looked over at Myth and shared a gaze with him that spoke volumes.

It was time to lay out these well rehearsed plans and see if what they had been planning would actually work. As she listened to Sir Ordin’s plans and saw how he had things fortified, she had to agree it was a rather good plan if the rock elementals from the towers weren’t involved. If the rock elementals were to be turned loose, then all bets were off. And it was a lousy bet to have if that were the case.

She glanced at Ceri and shared a concerned look at her friend then glanced around the room. The planning of the Knights and Elves didn’t include any of the magi in the room and she couldn’t help but speak up to that point.

”Where will we be positioned, Commanders?”

She saw the looks on the faces of the Knights and how they exchanged glances with each other before turning to look at Lady Rose. Rayann turned her gaze to Rose then as well and raised both brows looking for the answer from the Commander as all the others were.







Aeolis arrived at Lady Fairwind’s offices just moments before the magi arrived. He looked past Ceri and Rayann when he saw Olwa turn the corner heading in his direction and a couple of paces behind the younger Elf Pela drew up the rear. Inwardly he smiled knowing they had to have separated just prior to their arrival. At least, that’s what he would have done.

As they were escorted in, Aeolis moved to one side of the room as the magi moved to the other. There was a little space between the women and himself and Olwa but that didn’t last long as the bodies kept pouring in. By the time the last ones arrived, the room was quite full and any thought Aeolis had about what Olwa and Pela might or might not be doing was pushed to the back of his mind. He was a tactical commander now devoting his attention to the defenses of Heartlund.

When he heard Olwa’s voice in his head asking to be one of the Archers in Sir Ordin’s plans, his immediate answer was no but before he could get the answer out, he heard Olwa’s argument to the contrary and knew the young man was right. Aeolis’ gaze remained on Olwa’s for a long moment before he turned to look at Rayan as she asked where the magi were to be located.

He looked at the map, looked at the other commanders and Prince Myth before looking at the three magi and back to Lady Rose. He moved up to the map and pointed to the East wall near the Towers and spoke.

”One of the magi will need to be here. If the Elementals from the Towers become involved, no amount of metal might or Elven precision will be of any good. If I may be so bold as to suggest which one, I would suggest Pela. I have seen her own form of elemental magic destroy many of the rock elementals of the towers single handedly. And with the tutoring she has been receiving from the other two magi, I have confidence she will be able to handle herself well here. That is, if they agree to my suggestion.”

He looked to Rayann and Ceri then to see if they agreed or not.





Rayann blinked when Aeolis spoke up. As she heard him suggest Pela, her first instinct was to say no and she was getting ready to interrupt him with that answer when she felt Ceri’s hand on her forearm. Glancing at Ceri, she saw the way her friend looked at her then indicate Pela. As Rayann looked to Pela, she saw the girl focused completely on everything that was beign spoken about and planned. There was no doubt her battle tested mind was already planning for what she was suppose to do.

Rayann glanced at Ceri and shared gazes with her for a long moment then nodded her head ever so slightly.

”We agree only on the condition that a protector be assigned to her. Just like the last time we fought, each of the magi had a protector assigned to them due to the fact we are vulnerable during casting. If this can be assured, then Pela has her assignment.”






Aeolis looked back at Olwa and spoke in missive to him. There was no smile to his face and his tone, even in missive, was serious. He was being the Elven commander he needed to be right now while looking out for his protoge' and making sure Pela had the protection she needed.

~Do you think you could handle two duties at once?~

Olwa felt the uneasy compression of the crowd as the room filled. It was amazing to him how many people were now crowded together into this one room, but he also know it was a necessary evil given the circumstances. He noticed that as the people gathered and the need to get closer unfolded Pela made sure she purposely got beside him. He smiled back as she flashed her brief smile and as she touched the back of his hand he hooked his pinky around hers before she was able to pull away.


When the question of protection was raised and Aeolis turned to him, Olwa knew that he not only was being granted his request to be on the East front of the battle but that request was being compounded with the task of protecting Pela so she could cast her spells. He visibly nodded to Aeolis though the response came in missive, ~ "I will see her protected and defended Heruamin..., thank-you for granting my request." ~

Aeolis broke for a split second and gave Olwa the very slightest of grins as he turned back to the room. Olwa noted the look of alarm on Pela's face and he spoke to her in missive so as to not disrupt the meeting, ~ "My Commander has granted me permission to be on the Eastern front between the towers and the city. He has also granted me the task of being your defense when casting, so unless the Prince or the Knights dispute we will be side by side on the battle field." ~

He looked deeper into her eyes than he ever had and he spoke again to her mind, ~ "There is no place I would rather be, and my my bow and blades I will protect you." ~

He smiled ever so slightly again and reached over, taking her hand fully in his and squeezing tightly so as to communicate his affection without saying any more words.



Ceridwyn had been noticing the same thing as Rayann, the wizards who frankly stood the best chance of battling the magic of the towers, were absent from the the plans. She quirked a brow as Rayann brought it up and then turned to listen as Aeolis spoke. She then turned her head to look at Commander Rose, ready to enter a debate should she not hear an answer to her satisfaction.



Trystan had run into Keatara as she was moving through the streets. He heard her ask a Knight what was happening just as he got up beside her and the man answered. She was starting to move when he reached and gently took her by the bicep, "Keatara, come."

She turned and looked at him with surprise but he beckoned her to follow and she did. He brought her up and through the Keep to the main hall where the Leadership was meeting. The sounds of the assembled could be heard behind the doors and though the two guards stationed had never seen Keatara before they didn't dare question Trystan's authority when he opened the door and had her precede him into the war room.

He turned to Keatara and whispered, "Stand there."

He pointed to a spot near the door they had just come through, "I want you to hear the plan, we will have need of your skills."

He smiled and patted her gently on the arm as he turned and started making his way to the front where the High Commanders were.

Rose listened to Ordin lay out the defenses but kept her face in check despite being impressed. The lay out meant they could shift their defenses as was dictated by the needs of the battle. Almost as if on cue it was noted by the magi that none of the plans on the table had a mention of their placement. She was about to comment on the matter when the recommendation was made for Pela to watch the eastern front and the towers. Rose patiently waited for for silence so she could speak.

"The troops stationed in the east should be ready to move back. The elementals are relentless and worse unending in number. If they are engaged Pela will be a very valuable asset but if the numbers become to great I want the loss of men lessened as much as possible." She reached out placing her finger upon the map touching two points "I have also left orders for a contingent of knights and elves to remain in reserve in order to respond to any emergency needs. I am waiting on scout reports so that we can position our cavalry. Right now the north eastern forests seem to be a good place but I don't want to march them into the enemies front lines if they shifted their paths."

Rose stood straightening herself a pleasant look fell upon her face once more "As to the matter of our mage friends. I have learned that magic and those that wield it are quite unpredictable and thus these plans were drawn up in an effort to take that into account." She looked first to Ceridwyn and then to Rayann "You both know what you are best at and where and what skills you can use at any given time. Pela was the only one of you that I had any real assignment for do to her specialized focus. I want to give you both the freedom to do what you feel is right at the time instead of trying to follow a plan that may fall apart because of the unforeseen. In this case I don't want to tell you both what to do, I would like to know what you can do instead."

Rose motioned to her fellow knights while looking at Ceridwyn "I apologize if I offend in any way Ceridwyn, but I and the men with me are willing to admit our knowledge of the arcane is limited and because of that I defer to you who wield it to determine how to best employ your abilities."



Myth stood silently listening to the plans as they were laid out. Ordin's defensive strategy was quite impressive and the elven prince had to admit that if he were leading the enemy force that it would give him a moment of pause. Valid concerns all around but Myth was curious what Ceridwyn would have to say in response. He looked up noting the door had opened yet again and saw to figured enter. Trystan he recognized, but not the woman. After a few moments he recognized her as the one who had been conducting the classes the past few days. Taking a breath he shifted his emerald gaze back to the proceedings.

Aeolis glanced at Myth and nodded letting him know Pela’s protection had been secured on the contingent the commanders agreed. He didn’t think it would be an issue but he didn’t want to overstep his boundaries either. He spoke in missive to his young charge again.

~You may want to retract that thank you. Protecting her is not as easy as it may sound. She is a battle mage at heart. Remember that. And what ever you do, do not let her get away from you. Trust me when I say that will be easier said than done. But I know of no one better who would be up to the challenge~






Pela listened to Olwa’s missives and she blinked. She glanced at Aeolis, then to Ryann and Ceri then back to Olwa for a moment. As she heard his second missive, she nodded ever so slightly. Her ice blue eyes were full of emotion that couldn’t be hidden from his keen eyes. And she wasn’t going to try and hide it either. As he reached out to take her hand, she once more curled her fingers around his and would not let go for now.

Turning her attention back to the meeting, she saw how the Knights and Elven commanders looked over the plans they were laying out. Myth, she noticed, was very quiet yet she could tell by the look in his eyes, he was letting the human contingent have their say before he spoke up to say anything.

She found it fascinating to watch all of these men and women come together and talk about how they were going to set up their troops and ready to meet the approaching army. She could see the weight of this resting in the shoulders of these people knowing a good many men and Elves were going to lose their lives but that was an unfortunate fact they had to deal with.

Her hand tightened slightly around Olwa’s as she thought of these things. It was quite possible he could die. Just as she could. As he turned his attention back to the meeting, she thought of the last battle she went into with Bad Rock and the outcome of that battle. Glancing at Olwa again, she vowed to herself that as much as he protected her, so would she do all she could to protect him.





Rayann was still waiting to see if Lady Rose would let them know where the magi were supposed to be stationed now that Pela had been given her assignment. Her eyes studied the Lady commander just as Ceri’s did. This was the time when Rose had to either step up and put superstitions aside for the better of the forces as a while or let unfounded worries bring create a weak link in the defenses.

After Rose spoke, Rayann felt a sense of ease and knew Rose had done the right thing by deferring to her and Ceri as to what and where they needed to be. Now that that had been taken care of, Rayann looked to Ceri and gave a slight nod and smile letting her know she would let Ceri speak for the both of them.

Taking note of the door opening and closing, she looked over to see Trystan enter followed by the woman Tanjee had spoken of. Why Trysten thought it necessary for her to be here, she dind;t know but obviously he had a good reason and that was all she needed.

Glancing at Myth, they shared a brief look with each other then loke her husband, turned her attention back to the plans and Ceri.

Ceridwyn nodded in a friendly manner as Rose spoke to her. Her face was not cheerful and friendly like it had been a couple nights prior at the dinner affair. The Knights would see her seriousness now, the fun side of her was gone and the tactitioner was standing before them.

She stepped forward and nodded back to Rayann in response to her glance and she cleared her throat softly. The Knights turned their attention and she spoke after removing her hood, a move Rayann would understand was done to be less mysterious and threatening, "Dear Knights. Rayann and I understand that our presence here has not been of complete welcome and first on behalf of all of you I would like to extend our thanks for not only allowing us to be part of the planning and strategy building for what we are about to face, but also for giving us more room than the others for our alchemy and study."

She began to walk clockwise around the table, her steps were deliberate and purposeful, she made eye contact with each and every person she could and she continued. To those that knew her best, Rayann, Aeolis and Myth, the former head of the Wizard's Council was showing her rarely seen diplomacy and relationship skills, "I appreciate that we have been given free reign of the grounds and the countryside, to move freely in Heartlund, to be a voice when we needed to be and respected for who we are. We have asked a lot of you, to go on a limb and put many unfortunate events and rumors of the past behind us. At times we have lived up to our words, and at other times we have lived up to the rumors which sparked the fear many carry for those of us who wield magic."

She turned and looked at Pela. Pela would know she was speaking about the events that unfolded in the mess facility, when the young girl almost brought the whole Keep down on top of herself. Her face was gentle and forgiving however and Pela would understand she was merely building in her speech, "I would mostly like to thank you however for allowing us to stay when the single most difficult betrayal came from one within our own ranks. Of course I am speaking of Kali who know is the Mistress of the third tower. That unfolding of events came as a shock to all of us, but I promise you that it came as more of a shock to her Father, Mother and I than to any of you. Not in our darkest nightmares did we anticipate that she would walk away from us so easily and with such swiftness."

She inhaled deeply, she could see the look of sadness on Rayann, Myth's and Trystan's faces, but she was saying what she was for many reasons, "I don't know what her motivations were, and I wish I could tell you, but whatever they were we must face the fact that she is our enemy, and should and the others attack we will respond in a manner that is appropriate and necessary to ensure the lives of Heartlund's citizens and it's Knights are protected."

She continued to walk, her finger touched down and was now tracing the map. Her chestnut brown eyes began to sparkle lightly from within as she went on, "Rayann and I have put much thought into this battle, as all of us have. The reinforcements of Sir Ordin's troops from the south, the conscripts and volunteers, and even my kin, the Silvanesti have given us more hope than we have had in years, however we must not lie down and assume that numbers alone will win us this battle. Kali and her Wizards are the most powerful trio to ever set foot on Krynn, and though it pains me to know I am most likely about to face my best friend's daughter in battle, it brings me confidence to know that we were not asked to be removed from Heartlund."

She stopped dead in her tracks, she had not looked down once at the map as of yet. As she stood she locked eyes with Commander Rose and spoke, "I feel it would be best to use the same strategy of Wizard and Warrior as we use in the first battle, only we will be a more mobile force this time. Rayann, Pela and I will spend the next few hours creating mini-gateways that we can travel through and set enchantments so that we can be mobile on a moments notice. If we pre-set these areas we will have more freedom to move without spending the time to get there. I suggest several behind Sir Ordin's protection zones and several on the west side where the most vulnerable side of the City is, and where we expect the attack to come when the Dark Ladies forces arrive. We will be somewhat limited due to the inability to communicate with everyone, however Aeolis, Prince Myth'alas, Olwa, Rayann and myself can use mind speak to broadcast to one another and coordinate our efforts. To that end I would like to have Rayann and the Prince on the battlements of one side of the city and Myself and Aeolis on the other. From the higher vantage point we will be able to move on a moments notice but still cast from afar. Should things begin to unravel as they are most likely to do, we can use the mini-portals as routes of movement."

She looked up, "Unfortunately we don't have time to create portals powerful enough to move whole sets of troops, so you will be limited to movements as per usual."

She looked at Rayann, then to her Prince and finally to Aeolis, and walked back to her original place in the room.



Olwa watched Ceridwyn and listened to every word she spoke. He inhaled deeply as she laid out her ideas and he returned the strong embrace of Pela's grip with his own. As Ceridwyn wrapped up he spoke to Aeolis in missive, ~ "If we could meet after this I would appreciate instruction on how best to do what is being asked of me Heruamin. You have done this before, and I can't think of a better teacher than your experience." ~

He turned and looked at Pela, her snow white hair was catching the light in such a unique way and as she turned to look at him he smiled softly. His eyes were speaking a million sentences, and through his hand she would be able to feel his slow, steady heartbeat. He was not afraid, not even a little, and she would see the confidence and bravery in his face.

Rayann and Pela listened to Ceri’s speech and while Pela had never een this side of Ceri, Rayann had and she knew Ceri was building up to her plan in a way that would give the Knights confidence in the magi that it could be done. Her diplomatic training was showing and Rayann felt a sense of pride in knowing she was best friends with this woman.

As she mentioned the incidences that occurred after the initial battle with Pela in the mess hall without actually saying so, Pela felt her cheeks grow warm and while most others would have looked down in shame, Pela kept her head raised high. She knew what happened was bad but she also knew there were extenuating circumstances that caused her to react the way she did.

As Ceri laid out the plans she and Rayann had discussed at length, she glanced over at Aeolis and Myth and saw the pride she felt for Ceri reflected in their own gazes. There was no doubt she was a shining star for their people this day and many more to come.

When she finished laying out the plan and returned to where she had been standing, Rayann looked around at the faces gathered and saw they were captivated not only by her Elven beauty but by her strategic planning for the magi in the room as well.

Reaching over and squeezing her friends hand as they waited for the commanders to weigh in, Rayann gave her friend a soft smile and nodded once more. No one could sell a lan like Ceridwyn Bol Shoraes. If they had glanced at Pela and Olwa, they would have seen there was a similar connection happening between them.

Pela could fee Olwa's confidence and when he smiled softly at her, she couldn't help but return the gesture. As she looked into his eyes she heard the words he wanted to speak to her but couldn't and she squeezed gently with her hand once more before nodding slightly.





Aeolis felt his heart swell as Ceri walked around the room. He dared a glance at the other faces there with him and saw she had each and everyone of them captivated. He grinned inwardly as he knew they would find no argument in her plan by the time she got done. He’d seen her weave this sort of magic, that wasn’t magic at all, before. Her diplomatic side was one not seen very often but when it did surface, it was a quiet force to be reckoned with.

When she finished and returned to her place, he glanced at her and smiled lovingly before nodding and turning glance at Olwa as he heard the younger ones message. With a nod of affirmation, he spoke in missive to his protégé’.

~My attention is yours after this meeting adjourns. We will talk at great length I am sure.~

Keatara was overwhelmed to be standing with such royalty and be a part of hearing the planning of the defense. She was ready to contribute in anyway she could. She stood where Trystan put her, not speaking or saying a word, she just listened and watched. She saw the Elven mages and couldn't help but admire their beauty. She'd heard of Rayann and was again honored to be in her and her husband's presence.

She listened to the one called Ceridwyn as she spoke, falling onto her every word. She'd seen her with Aeolis and knew them to be together. She was glad that her infatuation with him was short lived and that now she was interested in Gideon.

As Ceridwyn finished, Keatara felt something and her eyes narrowed. It was like a tickling at the back of her mind but she couldn't quite figure it out. She'd felt it before, she knew she had, but this was a little different as well. She became uncomfortable, having the feeling that someone was coming. She looked around the room, trying to see if it was anyone there, but something told her that it wasn't. The feeling wasn't getting stronger, but it wasn't going away either. What was it? It was so familiar to her, but why?

As the meeting adjourned and everyone dispersed to their preset destinations Ceridwyn turned to look at Aeolis. Aeolis was beaming at her and she stepped up, pressing her cheek into his shoulder. Slipping her arms around his waist she closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath of content, but also exhaustion. She knew people listened when she spoke, and she never took it lightly, but it did exhaust her to do so as she knew that the words would be taken to heart and carried out. It was one of her natural gifts and she was aware of it.

She opened her eyes and saw Rayann looking at them and smiling. She winked and then separated from Aeolis. She reached up and touched his cheek gently and spoke in their native tongue, "By the light of Solinari, I am glad love gave me a second chance."

Her eyes welled up slightly and she turned to look at Prince Myth, Rayann, Olwa and Pela. They were all staring at her and she blushed slightly, "OK OK, we have work to do." Her voice was nervous and shy, and she laughed to shake it off.

"Rayann, Pela, I think I just committed us to a task. Aeolis, my Prince, we will let you know when we are ready."

She turned and looked at Olwa who was standing slightly behind Pela. She spoke in their native tongue as she looked at him, "I know your charge, I know what you have been asked to do. Protect our girl, she is special and tougher than she looks, but she, like any sorceress, is vulnerable when in battle."

Olwa was about to respond and she interrupted, "Don't neglect to take care of yourself as well, I want to see you both after this battle is over."

He smiled and blushed softly, nodding his head without saying a word as he shifted his gaze from Ceridwyn to Pela.

Ceridwyn turned to look at Rayann and Pela, "Ladies... shall we?"



The troops were moving on an accelerated pace, though moving a mass this large was not the sort of thing anyone could truly expedite. They had lost any element of surprise, not that they would have hit with total surprise, he knew for months that Heartlund was preparing but they did have the advantage of Heartlund not knowing their exact location as well as their numbers. Now he had no idea what they knew, he had no idea of how long Elves had been among them or how many of the filthy sneaks had been hiding in the trees watching them.

He had changed tactics to simply push in and hit them with force instead of trying any subtle movements. He would overwhelm them and then split and decide as the scene warranted. He also had a couple little aces up his sleeve that even the Elves wouldn't have been able to figure out if they had been lurking about. He was confident as were his army, and his goal was to overwhelm and swarm through, take Heartlund, and then the push to topple the towers.

The mass of soldiers moved across the landscape, like a long string of black ants they trampled everything in their path. He looked up at the late morning sun and knew that they were only 18 - 20 hours from battle with the Knights. He sneered and watched the clouds as they drifted.

(adjust the time as you want to if I went to far too fast with this post)

Aeolis wrapped his arms around Ceri and drew her close holding her against him. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head and whispered back to her.

”And I am glad the Gods saw fit to give me another chance at life…..with you.”

As she spoke to Olwa, Aeolis smiled then walked over and patted the young Elf’s shoulder before gesturing out the door behind Ceri and Pela.

”Come. I believe we have quite a bit to discuss.”

That left Myth and Rayann in the room alone as the rest of the group filed out of the room. She walked over to stand before him and she looked at his chest for the longest time before she lifted her eyes to look into his.

”When we first met, I was seeking out my destiny. I never imagined my destiny would bring me so close to the brink of death time and again yet bring me a love I would never have known if we hadn’t met. My life would mean nothing if not for you, Myth’Alas. I pray to the Gods we have many more years to spend together but if we don’t, know my heart never loved until I found you.”

She could see the emotion in his eyes he never showed publically and as she reached up on her toes, he bent his head down to place a soft kiss to her forehead and whisper to her in similar fashion as Aeolis did to Ceri.

”It is my life that means nothing if not for you, Mel’amine.”

Rayann hugged him tightly then before reluctantly separating from him. With a last look, she gave him a loving smile before she nodded and headed out the door to join Ceri and Pela.

The rest of the day was a blur. Rayann, Ceri and Pela worked tirelessly at mixing regents and practicing spells and studying the spell that would be needed to create the portals they needed to create at the different areas of the Keep. Once they had that taken care of, they set about making sure they had regents placed in several strategic locations as well. It was important for them to be able to reach them in several ways, even though most times they would come from the endless pockets they had in their robes.

By the end of the day, the Keep was fortified, sentries and Archers were posted, the Elves were positioned in the trees as an outer perimeter and the citizens within the protective walls knew there was something happening but either they didn’t dare to ask what or they knew and didn’t talk about it. The normal hustle and bustle within the Keep seemed to slowly die off so that now barely anyone moved if they weren’t part of the forces protecting the Keep. There seemed to be a quiet calm that engulfed the area.

Dawn of the next day arrived and the quiet calm had grown to the point where it seemed more like a bow string pulled tight. Even the kids were well aware of something happening that was going to be monumental. As the day wore on, time seemed to slow to a crawl for everyone. The mess hall was as quiet as it had ever been as each Knight was engrossed in their own thoughts.

Heartlund, it seemed, was a ghost town. Had it not been for the movement of troops, it would have seemed like that on the inside as well. And the only indication there was movement at all from the outside was the guards posted on the battlements and other locations.

The day was a flurry of activity and now a strange, eery hush settled upon the entire landscape. Olwa sat on the battlements looking to the west, Pela was at his side. After talking with Aeolis for several hours about fighting alongside a magus, he had given permission for Pela and Olwa to train together. He could see that Aeolis was breaking his own rule by allowing this but it was an order given under "the changing circumstances of our situation" and though they were permitted to be alone to train they were restricted from leaving the perimeter of the main wall of the city.

Pela had worked for several hours with Rayann and Ceridwyn and then left shortly before the dinner hour to practice with Olwa. The truth was it was really Pela teaching him what she and Bad Rock used to do. The made adjustments to the tactics based primarily on the fact that they were nearly the same size and she used to be able to move in behind Bad Rock, completely under the cover of his weapons and then literally propel herself up and over his body, casting in a flurry of magic as she cleared his body. They were going to have to approach things much differently and in the end opted for a more distant approach so Olwa could use his bow as the primary tool for shielding her. As they prepared Pela had taken him to all the portal locations that she, Ceridwyn and Rayann had laid out so he could scope the landscape and know the lay of the land. He brought bundles of arrows with him and set them in known locations so that ammunition would become less a factor, this gave them the flexibility to move while minimizing the need to go back to the supply depot for arrows during the fighting, it was something all the Elven Rangers were doing. Many of the human archers were fascinated by this as it was a technique they didn't practice as human archers tended to stand in lines and send spray and pray vollies into the masses hoping for hits. The humans began to mimic the technique and were placing arrows in strategic bundles all around the expected battlefield.

He leaned back on the wall as they sat and Pela's head was resting firmly on the front of his shoulder as she curled into him. His arm was around her shoulder and they stared at the now waxing red moon of Lunitari. A very long period of tired silence passed between them before Olwa finally spoke, "Scouts returned from deployment and say that the Dark Ladies army will be here at mid day tomorrow if they maintain their pace. I pray that we have done enough to prepare."

Pela shifted slightly and looked up at him. There was more confidence in her eyes than his and she spoke, "We have been preparing for months, you for days... we have done all we can."

He was simply amazed at how mature she was for her age and he inhaled deeply as he drew her in closer to himself and squeezed. They exchanged no more words for a few hours as they simply watched the thousands of fire spread out across the landscape like fireflies that had landed and were beaming into the night. The troops of the Southern army were set in their places, rotating in their watch and sleeping in shifts with weapons at the ready. Olwa had been in small skirmishes before but never anything that was as massive as what they were about to face. Pela had shared with him over dinner more stories of the first war against the towers, telling him the known vulnerabilities of the elementals and the mistakes that were made.

As he was pondering all this he felt her breathing shift and her body became much more heavy. He glanced over and saw that her face was as peaceful as it could be and she was sleeping. He knew that the days practice and extended casting had taken a toll on her and as she slept he remained perfectly still, looking out across the darkness. He could see all the pink hued outlines of the soldiers, moving and mingling with one another as the patrols came and went. He could only ponder what the next day would bring.



The three lady magi had worked diligently to get things prepared and Rayann and Ceridywn were exhausted. There was still so much to do and so little time, but they did what they could until their bodies screamed to stop. Ceridwyn and Rayann ate alone as Aeolis and Prince Myth'alas were out in the field doing last minute adjustments with Sir Ordin, Lady Rose and the other Commanders to maximize the channels through which the Knights hoped to funnel the enemy. Sir Ordin had emplacements similar to those on the East side placed all along the other three sides of the city, though they extended much further into the landscape as well as took advantage of the trees. Prince Myth'alas had dispatched two Rangers back to Silvanost and commanded all remaining Silvanesti Rangers and Warriors to Heartlund immediately after the meeting of the Commanders. As a result the Elves had been pouring through the portal and spreading out across the countryside to strategic locations which were laid out by Myth and Aeolis with the coordination of Rose and Ordin.

The elves would assist in funnel the enemy by creating lines of fire that would be less for taking out large numbers of soldiers and more to direct them into the funnel zones. In these zones the human archers would then shower them with arrows from pre-sighted locations and anything that got through would meet the full metal of the heavy troops and the Knights themselves. All in all the plan was sound and all the Commanders had agreed on it.

After dinner Ceridwyn and Rayann spoke as the looked out to the east from the top of the battlements. Ceridwyn stood beside her friend, staring at the towers and speaking, "I admire your strength Rayann. I can't even begin to imagine what you have had to endure to get to this place, but I am truly blessed to have gotten to know you."

She turned and looked at Rayann who returned the look in kind, "I want you to know that I am truly sorry you have had to watch your daughter walk away and now we will most likely be facing her in battle."

Rayann looked at Ceridwyn with sadness in her eyes and spoke, "Do you think they will join in?"

Ceridwyn could only nod, "It is the most logical time to do so, the chaos of battle and the disorganization that always ensures when the battle begins, it is when you and I would strike isn't it?"

Rayann could only look at Ceridwyn and nod softly. Ceridwyn inhaled and spoke again, "At minimum they will join in to harvest more souls with whatever those devices are that they were using during the first battle. I ma not sure what it was or how it worked, but Fifth was clearly doing something. We know they did the same at Northkeep, no doubt they will take advantage of the opportunity."

Ceridwyn stepped to Rayann and took both her hands, "I am sorry if I spoke harshly about Kali at times. I want you to know that besides being her mother, I have suffered in many of the same ways you have. I know it will never be to the same extent, but I do feel your pain, and I know what you must be going through. We have both lost children, but to loose one as you did, in that manner I cannot imagine the pain."

She stepped forward and hugged Rayann tightly. She whispered as her cheek pressed against Rayann's, "No matter what happens, know that I am proud and honored to have you as a friend."



To minimal fanfare Nol's flight left the Mist Isles and began their flight across the landscape. They gained incredible altitude and Kellan had strapped herself in so she could sleep if she chose, but more at Nol's insistence. The flight managed to stay above the cover of the clouds and had landed to settle in for the night. Raju was asleep almost immediately, it was obvious that for all her banter she was not in the same condition as the 12 dragons of Nol's flight. She was a priestess, not a warrior, and as such her endurance was not as lengthy.

Nol sat beside Kellan and handed her some roasted rabbit and a fresh skin of water. She took it with thanks and he spoke, "I apologize there isn't much more, we planned on gathering what we needed on the way, as we are want to do, unfortunately the detail of having a rider escaped us all."

She brushed off his apology and told him she was perfectly happy with the food he was able to get her and after dinner they settled in. The flight were going to take turns at watch, two dragons at a time in 6 shifts and Nol had just finished his, "The land is eerily quiet this evening, like a calm before a storm. It is strange because it is uncommon for this time of year."

Kellan looked up at him and spoke, "We are two days from Heartlund still?"

Nol nodded as he gently poked the fire with a stick, "Yes, there is no reason to hurry, the movements of the Dark Queen's army indicate there is no need to rush. Besides, we need to pace ourselves, though we have great endurance, even dragons get tired."

He smiled and looked across the fire into her face.

Pela was exhausted from casting as well as the physical training she went through with Olwa. But she would never complain. In fact, the more she worked with him the more he could see she loved this sort of thing and relished in her training. What he discovered was that she was quite agile and acrobatic at times. Her lithe form darted through the air, flipped, jumped and rolled with such precision it was almost like watching a circus performer rehearsing. There was such a natural grace about the way she moved like that it gave one the impression that perhaps her lineage was indeed riddled with performers of some sort.

Of course the time she spent with Olwa was more of what she enjoyed than training, even though she was completely focused on her training the entire time. Discovering Aeolis had loosened the ties a bit and allowed them the opportunity to train together alone let her know the Elven Leader had perhaps spoken a bit too harshly when dishing out his punishment to Olwa. But of course he would never admit that openly.

The only time they separated after that was long enough for Pela to return to her room, bathe, change her clothes and return to the battlements with Olwa. She was now dressed in the leather armor that had been given to her after Kellan died. And as she sat with Olwa on the battlements, she felt a calm slip over her. Just as it did each time prior to her going into battle.

Curling into Olwa as her exhaustion began to increase, she heard him talk and the sound of his soft voice was like a lullaby to her. After looking up at him and letting him know everything that could be done had been done, she felt the exhaustion overtake her body and she drifted off to sleep.




As Ceri and Rayann spoke, Rayann felt the shards of her heart, caused when Kali walked away from them, pierce her chest all over again. She missed her daughter terribly and to think she would now have to face her as the enemy was unthinkable, yet here she was, talking to her best friend about just that.

She’d pushed everything she was feeling about that fact down to the pit of her stomach and refused to allow it to surface again. She couldn’t. It would be too costly if she did. Even now as Ceri spoke to her about it, she felt the sadness but it wasn’t all consuming as it had been for her in the past. Her daughter had made her choice and they had to deal with it now.

As Ceri spoke about the opportunity the mages of the towers would take during the heat of battle, Rayann had to agree. That’s exactly what she and Ceri would do if the shoes were on the opposite feet. It made perfect sense. As Ceri apologized, Rayann shook her head.

”There’s nothing to apologize for, Ceri. It was the truth I needed to hear and to make it sound pretty when it wasn’t would have done more harm than good. We both know that.”

She glanced over as Aeolis appeared and smiled softly after Ceri and she hugged each other. She could feel the moisture in her eyes burning to be let free but she blinked it back and stepped aside for the Elven commander to step closer to Ceri.

”Keep her safe, Aeolis. I want to be able to share some more honey mint tea with her at Glen Durel while you and Myth discuss battle tactics.”

Aeolis nodded and smiled taking Ceri’s hand in his and bringing it to his lips, kissing her fingers tenderly. He looked at Ceri as he spoke to Rayann.

”Her safety is my top priority.”

He glanced at Rayann and smiled then.

”The Prince awaits his Princess.”

Rayann smiled and nodded as she tapped her left temple with her finger.

”So I am being told. Good luck to you both. I’ll see you both on the other side, one way or the other.”

With that, she disappeared in a wisp of smoke to join Myth on the other side of the Keep.




Aeolis was prepared for war. Dressed in his Ranger leather armor, his bow slung to his back and his quiver of arrows filled while his twin blades rested across his back, he stepped up to Ceri and drew her against him, placing his right hand over her head and his left hand around her waist. He rested his cheek against her forehead before lifting and kissing the top of her head.

”The quiet before the storm has arrived, Mel’amine. I pray we weather the storm and find ourselves basking in the sunlight of many days to follow.”

He rested his finger under her chin and lifted her face to look up at him and he smiled looking down at her. His green eyes seemed to dance in the waxing moonlight.

”This may not be the appropriate time, but when this is all over with and we emerge on the other side, I want us to take our life vows with each other. That is, of course, if you wish to remain with me for the rest of our days.”





Kellan knew the trip to Heartlund was going to be exhausting for the dragons, but she didn’t expect to feel it as well. After all, she was the one riding, not using the energy to fly like they were. So when they stopped for the night, she was grateful and climbed off Nol’s back to rest her achy body. Seeing how quickly Raju fell asleep, she took her friends blanket and covered her with it before returning to the fire with Nol.

She looked around at the other members of Nol’s flight then looked back at Nol. She was dressed in leather armor to give her more flexibility and be less of a burden for Nol during the long flights. Her full armor was tucked away and would be donned the day they were to arrive in Heartlund.

As they talked quietly between them, she watched the firelight dance across Nol’s face and saw the way the shadows made him look menacing while the light made him look almost angelic. It still amazed her how this powerful, magnificent creature could take the form of such a handsome Elf. Yet here he was and so was she. She smiled softly at him as she finished off the last of her meal and stood up, walking over to where he sat. Kneeling down in front of him, she looked into his silvery eyes and touched his cheek tenderly.

”Then rest, my handsome dragon. We have another days flight ahead of us tomorrow so it’s best you sleep as much as the rest of us. Besides, it’s my watch.”

He started to protest and she shushed him by placing her finger over his lips then leaned in and kissed his lips tenderly before whispering against them.

”I am the Warrior of the Crown. I won’t shirk my duties just because I am in the company of powerful dragons. Now….sleep.”




The next day, clouds hung heavily overhead and the humidity was almost stifling. Pela had awakened as the sky first began to lighten. Olwa was still sitting with his back against the wall but he too had fallen asleep. Ever so carefully she stood up and stretched her legs. The smoke from the dwindling fires filled the air and she squinted as she looked out over the land. A haze had formed overnight and with the humidity as heavy as it was, the smoke from the fires was hanging low instead of drifting skyward. This would not bode well for the Keep.

She heard movement and turned to see Olwa standing next to her, blinking his eyes several times before squinting out at the landscape as well. She nodded and looked back out before looking up at the Towers looming close by.

”I cannot help but wonder if the Gods do these things to us to see how much adversity we can handle.”





Rayann stepped out onto the battlements with Myth and like her husband, scowled deeply. They were both thinking the same thing. If the air doesn’t clear and the smoke and haze leave the immediate area, the enemy would have the clear advantage. She glanced up at him and nodded.

”I believe we have a problem if we don’t take care of this soon.”

Myth nodded.

”Indeed. See what the three of you can do to clear the air for us before it is too late.”

Rayann spoke mentally to both Pela and Ceri at the same time.

~Ladies…I believe a combined effort is needed this morning. I believe that Ceri and I can create a wind blast to carry a cold blast from Pela high enough to clear the area. What do you think?~





Aeolis stood next to Ceri and frowned as he saw how the weather was impacting the area around the Keep. He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair.

”Of all the days for this sort of weather to settle in like this.”

He saw Ceri nod and could feel the current of magic letting him know his Lady was in communication with hopefully a plan to change things for the better.

”Please tell me I will like the news.”






Pela heard Rayann’s message and nodded then turned to Olwa.

”I have to learn how to do this whole….mind communication thing….please relay to Rayann and Ceri I am ready when they are.”

Olwa woke and saw Pela was already standing looking out across the landscape. He stood and stretched, his youthful body quickly sloughing off the aches and stiffness. As he took in the scene he furrowed his brow and sighed heavily as he leaned on the wall. With the thousands of fires visibility was a couple hundred yards at best and he knew this was not good. The Elves still would be able to see the approaching life auras of the enemy but the humans with their weaker sight would be subject to far less.

He heard Rayann and relayed the message to Pela who responded that she was ready and he nodded as he spoke, "I will take you to her."



Ceridwyn fell asleep with a smile on her face. It had taken him long enough but Aeolis had proposed. She could not help but feel nervous and happy all at once, and it gave her even more reason to fight and win this coming battle.

As they woke and saw the weather conditions she was concerned. It had been sunny and dry for two months, why now? She furrowed her brows and met Rayann on the battlements when the missive came and she watched as Pela and Olwa approached from the other side.

She looked at Rayann and Pela and then to the east, "This is nothing we can stop, not with all our magic can we drive this haze away." She lifted her finger and saw on the top most of the tower of shadow was a lone figure, arms outstretched and movements that were magical in nature. "Fifth is using the power of the towers to create this mist, for what purpose we can only assume," She turned and looked at the others gathered, "Best guess is that he is providing the Dark Ladies army cover. If they are aligned with Tahkisis' army we have a much bigger problem than we anticipated."

She inhaled deeply and turned to look back at the towers.



The flight was up early and in the air. Kellan had been wrapped in Raju's blankets to keep her warm and protect her from the crisp morning air. As they moved into the heights of the atmosphere the dragons shared looks with one another. Kellan was astute enough to know that something was being communicated between them.

Pela glanced up at the tower and saw the figure Ceri pointed out. Her brows furrowed as she studied the sky then looked back at the figure.

”Just when we thought we had everything thought out…..now he decides to make a move like this. I suppose this should not surprise us. They have never done anything that has not been underhanded. Why should we expect them to start now?”

She glanced over at Cer and Rayann then.

”Well….what now?”




Rayann looked over at Ceri and Aeolis as they arrived then to Pela and Olwa as they arrived. She could see the look of concern on all faces when Ceri pointed out what Fifth was doing. Like her colleagues, she furrowed her brows and looked up.

”Perhaps it’s time we used their own tactics against them.”

She looked at the others now looking at her and while the others were looking at her a bit confused, Pela was grinning from ear to ear, eagerly anticipating what ever it was Rayann was going to say.

”Our Elven kin are out there and able to see when we can’t, however, what’s wrong with giving them an early warning signal as well that will act as an audible and visual signal to help aid them…and those of us back this way.”

She saw the others looking at her again.

”Fifth is concentrating his energy on creating this weather so he won’t be able to see or sense any of us leaving the walls and heading out just beyond the outer most edges of the perimeter. It’s tricky, I know, but it may be the oly thing we can do to even the odds. And if we use a cloaking spell, it may be enough o prevent the other two in the towers from seeing what we’re doing.”



Pela stepped up then and looked at Rayann and Ceri.

”I will take the assignment. If the two of you help create the cloaking I will need, I can get out to the outer edges and be back in no time. I am light enough on my feet to travel quickly and with Olwa with me, we can get there and back faster than any of the others.”




Kellan could practically feel the change in the dragons. Something was happening that wasn’t good and she felt a sense of dread wash over her. If the dragons were concerned, then she had reason to be. More so than usual. As she sat astride Nol as they were in flight, she leaned forward and spoke to him.

”Spill it. What’s going on?”