13 Day War (21 page)

I am leaving you, my friend
, the unicorn said to the Knight of Alcea.
It has been a pleasure to serve by your side.

Strike to your left, Wesik
, replied Wylan as he jabbed his staff into eye of another mage.
I will be joining you soon. You have been a credit to your race, but more importantly, you have been closer to my heart than all but Sheri. I shall miss you greatly.

Wesik trusted Wylan enough to spend the last of his energy turning sharply to his left. He slashed his horn around wildly and felt satisfaction when a mage screamed in agony. He focused on the scream, shoving his horn as deep into the man’s flesh as he could. The scream stopped abruptly.

Bowstring snaps sang loudly inside the tent. Wylan heard arrows thudding into Wesik’s body just before he felt them striking his back. He arched in pain, his staff falling from numb fingers. A moment later, darkness claimed the Knight of Alcea, and his body tumbled to the floor.

Sinora was not in a position to see what was happening, but her herd sense felt Wesik’s fear, anger, and great sorrow.
 
The unicorn pulled on her reins, but the knot would not yield. With a sense of urgency, Sinora moved closer to the tree and reared, snapping the rein in two. At that moment, Twerp and another fairy swooped down out of the canopy.

“What are you doing?” scowled Twerp. “Be still or someone will notice you.”

Let them notice.
Sinora snorted angrily as she turned and raced for the place where Wesik was last seen.
Where have you been?

Twerp had tried to land on the unicorn’s head, but Sinora’s sudden movements made that impossible. He flew alongside her, staring at her. “I was checking the spacing of the patrols, and I sensed another fairy. She brings news of great importance from Tagaret.” Twerp suddenly noticed where the unicorn was headed, and he glanced across the clearing towards the burning tent and the four soldiers racing towards it. “What is going on?”

I do not know, but our friends are in trouble. Use whatever skills you have to hide what is going on, or we will all perish this night.

Sinora’s horn suddenly appeared as they neared the tent. The unicorn was not quick enough to stop the four archers from firing into the tent, but they never got off a second shot. Sinora lowered her head and speared the closest archer. Her speed carried her forward and her horn broke through the other side of the human and gored another. With two men impaled on her horn, Sinora reared up and attacked the two remaining archers, her large hooves smashing down on their heads. As the unicorn returned her forelegs to the ground, a fiery projectile flew out of the tent and glanced off her back. The unicorn snorted angrily and tossed her head. The two impaled soldiers flew from her horn towards the mage.

The black-cloak had been in the process of casting another spell, but he quickly abandoned the idea as the bodies came hurtling towards him. He leaped out of the way of the bodies, but he lost his footing and tripped over the body of one of his companions. Sinora raced into the tent and shoved her horn into the mage’s body as he tried to rise. She pulled her horn free and brought both of her front hooves down on the mage to make sure that he was dead.

Sinora? Is that you?
Wesik snorted weakly.

Sinora turned towards the sound, her eyes scanning the carnage. Off to one side of the tent, she saw her mate. Wesik’s flank was smoldering, and his faced was scorched black. Two arrows stuck out of Wesik’s body, and tears flowed from Sinora’s eyes.

I have come to take you home, Wesik.

I have run my last league, Sinora. Flee while you still have a chance. The humans will not be long in coming.

Sinora crossed the room and nuzzled her mate. Wesik was too weak to respond.

“Hurry up!” called Twerp. “I cannot hold this illusion forever. The tent is burning, and the smoke will distort the illusion. We will be discovered.”

Sinora turned away from Wesik and saw Wylan on the floor. The Knight of Alcea also had two arrows in his back. Sinora was not sure if she had just seen Wylan breathe; there were no other signs of life in his body. She pawed the ground anxiously, refusing to abandon the ones she loved.

Where do these humans tether their horses, fairy?

“At the south end of the road,” answered Twerp. “What do you want with horses?”

You will see. I want you to hold the illusion while I create a diversion. When the time is right, you are to gather our fallen so we may take them home.

“Take them home?” balked Thrip, the other fairy. “How?”

Sinora did not answer. Her horn disappeared, and she raced out of the tent, heading south along the Coastal Road.

“What is she up to?” Twerp said out loud.

A fool’s mission.
 
Wesik snorted weakly.
She may not return, but I would not let her down if I were you. Honor her wishes. Can you levitate one as large as me?

“I have never tried,” frowned Twerp, “but I think I can.”

Could you still levitate me if Wylan and Sheri were on top of me?

“All three of you?” balked Twerp. “I don’t know. That is a lot of weight, and we have nothing to tie them to you. They might slide off. Maybe between Thrip and me we can do it.”

Well, you will try. If the weight is too much, you will leave me behind, and take Wylan and Sheri back to their people. The humans are known to honor their dead by burial. Go now and gather their bodies so we are ready when the diversion comes.

Thrip found Sheri’s body outside the tent and slowly levitated it to Wesik. She moved Wylan’s body next, and heard Wylan grunt. The fairy’s heart filled with hope, but she did not mention it to the unicorn. She knew that Wylan and Wesik were very close, and the unicorn needed no false hopes at the moment.

Suddenly, shouts rang out in every direction. Twerp looked nervously at his illusion and saw that the burning of the tent was no longer concealed. A large section of the tent was burning and the smoke billowed up into the night sky.

“We’ve been discovered,” Twerp said softly. “I can no longer hide the truth.”

Flee if you must, little ones, but wait for Sinora if you have the courage. I would consider it a favor if you helped her to escape from this place.

“I will stay,” vowed Twerp. “We will all go home together.”

“I agree,” added Thrip.

You would make good unicorns.

Wesik’s thoughts were weak, but Twerp recognized the tinge of humor held within the unicorn’s mind speech. Suddenly, the ground rumbled and the shouts grew louder.

“What is that?” Twerp mused out loud.

That is a herd, little unicorn. This tent will soon become an island in the midst of the enemy’s camp. Drop your illusion and get the Knights of Alcea out of here.

The rumbling intensified until the tent shook wildly. Twerp could still hear the shouting, but just barely. The noise of sixteen-thousand hooves sounded like constant thunder, and the ground felt as if an earthquake was sundering the road beneath the tent. Unexpectedly, Sinora burst through the wall of the tent.

Put the Knights of Alcea on my back, fairy, and be quick about it. We do not have much time.

Twerp and Thrip moved immediately. They levitated Wylan and Sheri onto Sinora’s back and then looked up at the roof of the tent.

“How am I to get Wesik out of here?” asked Twerp.

I will cut a hole in the roof,
promised Sinora
. Start levitating now.

The fairies darted to Wesik and hovered over him. They raised the large unicorn off the floor and winced as Wesik screamed in pain.

Listen not to his cries,
Sinora said as she bared her horn and sprouted wings.
Just carry him away from here.

Sinora leaped into the air, and her horn sliced open the roof of the tent. Soldiers shouted and pointed at her, but she refused to fly away until Wesik was safe. She hovered over the tent as Twerp and Thrip slowly raised Wesik through the roof. Federation soldiers tore their attention away from the stampeding horses and aimed their bows skyward. Sinora dipped down and slid under Wesik, protecting him from the archers below.

Hurry, fairy. This is going to be painful.

Twerp swallowed hard as he looked down. If they lost their grip on Wesik, the large unicorn would smash into Sinora and the Knights of Alcea, dooming them all to death. He grunted with exertion as he tried to rise faster. He heard the snap of bowstrings and saw arrows streaking skyward, but he didn’t see any of the arrows hit anything. A few moments later, the dark sky had swallowed up the escapees, and Twerp set his mind to thinking about where he should take the wounded unicorn. If he set down too close to the camp, they might send searchers out and find them. If he took everyone back to Caldar, the Federation soldiers might also look there. In the end, it came down to exhaustion.

“I cannot continue,” groaned Thrip. “I have not rested all day. My energy is spent.”

Twerp nodded to the other fairy, and Thrip settled onto Wesik’s body. Twerp felt the sudden strain of carrying the large unicorn alone, and he let the weight slowly drag him lower. As he passed below Sinora, he grimaced. Three arrows stuck out of Sinora’s belly, and blood dripped freely down two of the shafts. The unicorn continued flying level, seemingly unaware that Twerp was landing.

“Sinora!” shouted Twerp. “We need to set down now. Follow me.”

Sinora didn’t answer, but she altered her course and started angling downward. Moments later, Twerp gently set Wesik on the ground in a clearing far from the road. Sinora landed a moment later, but her legs would not hold her upright. She toppled to the ground, spilling the bodies of the Knights of Alcea.

You have done well, little unicorn. Rest while Sinora goes for a healer.

“Sinora is not going anywhere,” Twerp said hesitantly. “She took three arrows escaping. I will go for help.”

The fairy didn’t wait for a response. He leaped into the air, but he was weak with exhaustion. Knowing that he could not travel any great distance, he headed for the Rider’s Rest in Caldar. He barely made it.

“Twerp!” greeted the female fairy. “What are you doing back here?”

“You must go to Tagaret,” Twerp said weakly. “Tell them that two Knights of Alcea are dead, and their unicorns are dying. We need the best healers they can send and we need them now.”

“Who is dead?” gasped the blue fairy.

Twerp bit his lip. What if others were in need of healing at the same time? If he told Tagaret that the Knights of Alcea were dead, might the Bringer send the healers where he thought they could do more good? Twerp was not going to allow any more deaths within his group. The unicorns were worth saving as much as anyone else.

“Tell the Bringer that Two Knights of Alcea need a healer immediately to survive,” revised Twerp. “Also tell him that both of their unicorns are also close to death, and they cannot travel. We need help desperately.”

“But I am tasked to keep watch here,” frowned the female fairy.

“Go!” snapped Twerp. “I will wait here in your stead. Hurry, or I will clip your wings.”

 
“Ogre!” The female fairy glared at Twerp, but she quickly sped off.

Twerp sighed deeply and closed his eyes. In seconds, he was fast asleep.

* * * *

General Omirro woke to the thunderous noise and shaking tent. He bolted to his feet and raced to the flap, throwing it back. The first thing he noticed was the lack of guards outside his tent. His anger rose, but the emotion soon faded to confusion. The thunder grew louder and the quaking more severe. He stepped out of the tent and his eyes were immediately drawn to the approaching stampede.

General Omirro’s command tent stood in the middle of the Coastal Highway. Just to its south stood General Barbone’s smaller tent, and beyond that the tent for the black-cloaks. The mage tent was burning, but what caught the general’s attention was the massive herd of horses bearing down on all three tents. He watched in awe as the stampeding herd split in two, as if the three tents were a large rock island in the middle of a swiftly flowing river. He silently prayed that the rest of the herd followed the leaders’ actions. If they did not, none of the tents would survive, and General Omirro was not yet ready to lose his life.

As he stood frozen and stared in awe, movement above the mage tent caught his eye. He gawked in disbelief as he saw a winged-horse fly upward from the tent with two bodies draped over it. The magnificent beast halted its ascent and hovered over the tent. Within seconds, the prone body of a horse also rose out of the tent, but it did not appear as if the creature was alive. It had no wings and it mysteriously floated upward rather than flew. As General Omirro tried to make sense out of what he was seeing, the winged-horse moved directly under the floating one, and they seemed to rise together. Arrows suddenly streaked skyward, and the general watched several of them imbed into the winged-horse’s underside. Before another volley could be sent skyward, the creatures vanished beyond the glow of the flames and disappeared.

“Did you see that?” General Barbone asked as he appeared before General Omirro. “What do you make of it?”

General Omirro stared up into the darkness for a moment before tearing his eyes away and focusing on the subordinate officer. “I do not know what to make of it, but I will have answers before the sun rises. Are your tent guards on station?”

“No,” answered General Barbone. “I thought they might be here, but I can see that they are not. Have we been infiltrated?”

General Omirro glanced at the tail end of the stampede and shook his head in confusion. He saw Colonel Verle racing towards him, and he turned to face the approaching officer. The colonel halted before the general and saluted.

“Are you safe?” asked the colonel.

“Safe and unguarded,” replied General Omirro. “I have tasks for you. First, post guards at my tent and General Barbone’s. Second, find the missing guards and have them arrested. Third, have the fire at the mages tent extinguished. Fourth, send out men to recover our mounts. Fifth, find out what has happened here tonight and report back to me. This army is not moving until I have satisfactory answers.”