A Dark Tide (Book of One) (19 page)

"What about that?" Quenta asked, gesturing toward the dragon that sat in the palace yard, unmoving except for its eyes that followed the various elves that hurried past.

"Storm?" Borrican turned to the dragon. "Would you mind waiting here?"

"I will wait, Akandra," he said, his deep voice rumbling in the open air and shocking more than a few of the nearby elves, who were surprised to hear him speak.

"
I do not entirely trust these elves,
" Storm said with his thoughts and Borrican nodded.

"Storm is a sworn vassal to Ariana," he said to Quenta, making sure he spoke loudly enough so the other elves standing nearby could hear him. "He would only attack on her command."

"Given her current state, that is not particularly reassuring," Quenta replied.

"I give my loyalty to my queen, but I am also of my own mind, elf," Storm said, keeping his tone as neutral as possible for a dragon. "You need not fear me."

"I fear nothing," Quenta said, then he turned and began walking toward the palace entrance. "Come, let us convene the court."

Borrican nodded to Storm, then he turned to Laurana, who smiled at him, and he followed her into the palace, along with a number of the elves, who had gathered outside. A few of them, who were not members of the court, emerged from where they had taken cover and slowly approached the dragon, staring up at him in curious fascination.

"Roar," Storm rumbled, with a toothy grin.

Inside the palace, the court assembled with Laurana and Quenta taking their seats upon the dais, and Borrican stood in the center of the aisle between the rows of court elves. Borrican noticed Ariana's empty throne, a position she had largely given up in exchange for sanctuary of the Kandaran and Maramyrian people, and considering her current state, it was probably for the best. There was already much whispering among the seated elves, and with his exceptional ability to hear, he was able to discern a few of their words, and it seemed that Ariana's strange appearance and her collapse in the palace yard was already the topic of much speculation.

"Prince Quenta has called the court to session," Laurana said. "We recognize Prince Borrican Akandar of Kandara, and grant him right to speak." She took her seat and Quenta rose to his feet.

"I have just returned from the eastern river, a hard ride to outpace an enemy that now moves quickly through our forest, destroying the trees with foul magic and fire," Quenta said. "This enemy is very powerful and these lizard men, the Darga, caught my warriors by surprise, decimating our force. It was with great sacrifice of many of our warriors that I was able to return to bring news of this to the court. Our home is invaded and under dire threat. I have commanded the sounding of the bells of war, and call upon the elven council to summon the peoples of the forest to defend our land."

"How is it that the mighty Prince Quenta was routed by some uncouth army of animals?" Rolan asked and Quenta shot him a withering look.

"If you would like to go find out for yourself, the thousands of lizard men are that way," he said, pointing. "Be sure to keep to the trees, for a number of them are winged and will hunt you from above."

"Perhaps it would be wise to send a party to survey the size of the force," Rolan persisted.

"It seems we have already done that," Laurana said, sensing the tension between Rolan and Quenta.

"If I may, Queen Laurana," Borrican said. "If what I saw is correct, I would estimate the Darga legions to be many thousands strong, perhaps twenty thousand, with another force of human soldiers numbering thirty thousand. A third of them appear to be a number of ensorcelled dead men, under the power of a foul spell that makes them difficult to kill. We fought them at Kandara and anything less than the removal of their heads and limbs will not stop them."

"So many?" Laurana was taken aback.

"How are you able to make such a count?" Quenta asked Borrican.

"I can see a great distance from the sky," Borrican replied. "I can also see through the trees."

The court elves began to whisper among themselves, then one of them stood.

"Are the stories really true that the trees are being poisoned?" she asked.

"Yes," Quenta replied. "These Darga lizards use the poison smoke that the Maramyrian commander Lord Kaleb Alaran described to us. It withers their leaves and branches the moment it touches them. What warnings that will travel through the forest are those we ourselves send by the trees that still live. The trees that are dead cannot warn us against the enemy. Each and every one of you must send word at once to your people and request as many warriors as possible. This must happen without delay."

"Is the defense of the realm not the responsibility of the royal guard?" asked another elf.

"The defense of our borders, yes, but we are now at war and every elven house must honor its obligation," Quenta replied, already beyond impatient.

"Prince Quenta, please tell us how long it will be before this invading army will arrive at the city if they are not stopped?" Laurana asked.

"The Darga could be here by this time tomorrow and the winged ones could discover this place at any time," he said. "We must assemble our numbers at once."

The elves of the court began whispering amongst themselves once more.

"We need more time," one of them said. "There will be much to discuss."

"The time for discussion has passed," Quenta said, glancing over at Rolan, who was conspicuously silent.

"And what of this poison? Will it affect us? How do we stop it from killing the forest?" asked another elf.

"I have consulted our most ancient records," Laurana replied. "If the poison is truly of the shadow, then it can only be destroyed by fire."

"We cannot have fire in the forest!" someone shouted, and the elves of the court set to whispering amongst each other.

"Perhaps I might be of some assistance," Borrican offered.

"Ah yes, the dragon," Quenta said, eying him suspiciously. "You have already trespassed in our lands, a transgression of our agreement with dragonkind."

"If you would like me to leave, then ask it, " Borrican said, remembering what Ariana had told her about the elves. "If you would like some help against these invaders, then I will do what I can, and without burning your forest. There is an agreement for mutual aid between our lands and you answered the call for Kandara, thus I have come to assist the people of the forest, in honor of that pledge."

"And the monstrosity sitting outside, in the palace grounds?" Rolan asked, his tone livid. "The very presence of such a creature is a breach of our laws. It is a danger to the forest, a threat to our home."

"Storm will not move unless Ariana commands it," Borrican said. "He is her vassal, which indirectly makes him a vassal of this court, if I am not mistaken. I am sure he would help if you asked him nicely, since that is why we came here, after all."

"And we are grateful for your offer," Laurana said.

The door to the court chamber suddenly flew open and Ariana walked in, with several elven healers following close behind her.

"Greetings to one and all!" she announced, lurching on her feet and slurring her words as though she had imbibed too much sweet water. "I must say something to the court. I know that I have recused myself from voting, but that doesn't mean I can't say what I came here to say. I have brought dragons! And you shall have my soldiers too, proud warriors of Maramyr and Kandara. That's all I have to say, for the healers tell me I must go lie down now."

Arian turned and walked from the chamber, with the healers in tow, leaving the court stunned in silence at her abrupt arrival and departure. As soon as she was gone the court elves began whispering once more.

"Perhaps the princess does not have faith in the warriors of Elvanar," Rolan said.

"I have faced this enemy and they are fierce and deadly," Quenta said. "It will be no easy task to expel them from our lands." Even Laurana was surprised that Quenta would deflect Rolan's criticism of Ariana, but it seemed that he was merely trying to keep the discussion focused. "There is much to plan and time grows short by the moment. Send word to all your houses, to gather every warrior, and have them assemble in the eastern forest with all haste. What says the court?"

The elves whispered for a few long moments, then Rolan stood.

"The court agrees," he said. "We will rally the Houses of Elvanar under the command of Prince Quenta."

"And what of the dragons?" Laurana asked. "Shall we accept their offer?"

"The court acknowledges the offer and we express our gratitude, but we ask that the ancient agreement between our people be honored," Rolan said, after conferring with the elves. "The Kandaran prince may stay and defend his own people, since he is able to take a different form, but the other one must go. We will not have dragons in this forest."

"What if Storm takes a more acceptable form, as I have?" Borrican asked.

Rolan stared at Borrican for a moment then he caught Laurana looking at him. "To that we have no objection," he said.

"We give our assent," Laurana said.

"However, as commander, I reserve the right to call upon these dragons, should the need arise," Quenta interjected.

The assembled elves whispered for a moment then gave their nods.

"The court offers no objections at this time," Rolan said, though it was clear he was not particularly pleased and there were a few among the rows of court elves, who appeared to feel the same.

"Then let us adjourn and see to our tasks," Quenta said.

"The court agrees," Rolan replied.

"This court is adjourned," Laurana said.

Borrican walked out of the palace, accompanied by Queen Laurana and they made their way to where Storm sat, unmoving like an enormous white statue, with a number of elves staring up at him from a safe distance and whispering to one another.

"Storm," Borrican said. "The elves say we cannot take dragon form while we are in their lands."

"It will be make it more difficult to aid in the fight," Storm replied, then he looked around at the elves and shifted his form to that of young man. Borrican realized he had forgotten to tell the young dragon to give himself some kind of clothing, but he was relieved to see that Storm had given himself attire that was almost identical to Quenta's elven armor. "Will this do?"

"I think you would almost pass for an elven warrior," Laurana told him.

Storm stared at her with his ice grey eyes and nodded.

"If it pleases you," he said with a nod.

"It does," she replied. "Perhaps we should visit Ariana. I am curious to hear what the healers have to say about her."

"They did not seem happy about her wandering about," Storm commented.

"I wouldn't imagine they would be," Laurana said.

The elven queen led Borrican and Storm to a richly appointed chamber in a wing of the palace. As they approached the room, they heard Ariana's voice, and they entered to find her sitting up in bed, with several elven women attending to her.

"I told them I am fine," Ariana said when she saw the three of them, and it seemed she had regained her senses. "I have no idea what came over me."

Laurana looked to the healers and the women nodded, then they silently left the room. Borrican and Storm stood by as Laurana took a seat on the edge of the bed.

"There are times when we are not entirely ourselves," she said. "It is best that you rest a while."

"But I am fine," Ariana said, then her eyes started to close. "Maybe I am a little tired, but there isn't time to be tired. We have to protect the forest."

"Rest, Ariana," Borrican said, putting his hand on hers as she fought to keep her eyes open. "There is time yet."

"I will only rest a little," she said, and her eyes fluttered closed.

Laurana adjusted the coverlet and rose from the bed and she led Borrican and Storm from the room, to the passageway outside.

"The healers seemed to know something," Borrican said once they were out of the room. "Do you know what is wrong with her?"

"Apart from the strange changes to her that you say are from her visit to the dragon lands, there is nothing wrong with Ariana," Laurana told him. "She is behaving like any elven woman would in her state."

"In her state?" Borrican was confused. "What state is that?"

"I should think you would know," Laurana said with a glimmer in her eye and the hint of a smile. "I don't think she got that way on her own."

"You mean..." Borrican choked, unable to say it.

"I think you know of that which I speak," Laurana replied, eying him with a mother's suspicion.

Borrican was already overwhelmed by the situation with Vale and quietly hoped that things with Ariana might be simpler, but apparently that was not to be.

"It is part of the bonding," Storm said, as though such things were obvious.

"Is there anything else I should know?" Borrican asked Laurana.

"If Ariana is anything like her mother, then you might want to keep a close eye on her," Laurana said.