Island Shifters: Book 03 - An Oath of the Children (11 page)

Startled by the shouts, Kellan straightened his shoulders in
the
saddle.
Never before had he been
expected to assuage the fears of the people.
All his life, it had been his parents to whom people looked. Even Kenley to some extent when his parents were otherwise occupied, but never him.
Now, the citizens of Northfort were taking comfort from
his
presence and
plainly
believed in his ability to keep them safe.
Am I worthy of their confidence?
For the first time in Kellan’s life, he was feeling
the weight of his
mantle.

Gregor Steele and Haiden Lind took the lead
as they passed underneath the thick curtain wall, shouting out at
people
to step back from the gates. When
some
had difficulty
hearing the
orders of the Royal Sabers over the commotion, Maks and Jain leapt into action, and the twin roars of the Draca
Cats
scattered the milling crowd like leaves in
a strong
wind.

Kirby leaned
in
close so Kellan would hear him over the noise. “I will go find the mayor and meet you at the harbor.”

Kellan
nodded his acknowledgement and watched as Kirby pressed his horse along the cobblestone road that led to the mayor’s estate and
wharf district
beyond.
With the
Scarlet
Sabers
and
Draca Cats
still
out front and the Dwarven and Elven protectors behind, Kane, Izzy, and Jala
urged
their
mounts
forward to ride
next to him for the ride to the docks.

Air thick with the scent of
salt and fish
battered at him and all
around
the clatter
of
activity rippled through the city. People shouted greetings, tradesmen
yelled out
orders, merchants plied their wares,
animals grumbled and
wagons rumbled.

Visitors and tourists
gaped at
sight of the
Draca Cats. Kellan noticed giant Cymans walking among the much shorter and darker Damonians. Hiberians in their colorful scarves and billowing silk trousers bartered with native Massans at the multitude of shops and stands that lined the docks.

“Whoa! Whoa!”

A horse drawing a cart on the
opposite
side of the road suddenly reared in
its
harness when
it
caught scent and sight of Maks and Jain. Izzy quickly threw out her hand and the horse
immediately settled, blowing out contentedly through its large nostrils.

Kellan gave Izzy an approving nod, and her
violet
eyes lit up at the praise.

Gregor
waved Kellan forward.
“We should stable the horses here and continue on foot. There will be too many people
in the wharf district
marketplace for the horses.”

“Do you have a place in mind?”

“I do.”

Kellan nodded and followed
as
Gregor steered them
off the main road to a
well-kept establishment
tucked in along a side street. The strong smells of hay and manure
preceded their
arrival at
what
the
sign
out front
proclaimed to be The King’s Horses Stable.
The harassed looking stable owner appeared
as soon as they rode into his yard, waving his hands, and insisting to Gregor
that he was full and could not accept any more horses.
When the Saber
told him who the request was for,
the owner’s face blanched and he bellowed out for
his
two young grooms. After a bit of juggling in the stalls, room was made available for their mounts
and
the
anxious
owner steadfastly refused
payment of any kind.

On foot
now, Maks drew in close to his
side and
Kellan
ran his fingers through the white fur. Blue eyes, identical to his own, peered up at him.

I know you do not like the crowds, Prince.

No. Most earthshifters do not.

Let us see what these Ellvinians are about
then
and
leave
as quickly as we can.

My thoughts exactly.

Kirby Nash, accompanied by
Mayor Lars Kingsley
and a dozen Iserlohn soldiers,
reached them just before the docks. Kellan had met the mayor several times
in the past,
and he seemed to
grow a bit
wider with every visit, the vest around his
ample
belly hard pressed to stay buttoned.

Kellan nodded to the mayor in greeting. “Mayor Kingsley.”

The man wrung a black hat in his hands nervously as he knelt. “Your Graces. Thank you for coming so quickly.

“Of course. Please rise.”

Lars lurched to his feet and began to ramble anxiously. “I didn’t know what else to do, Your Grace. I couldn’t find any bodyshifters to get word to you faster, so I sent a messenger and then my
own
son on horse. I have not given permission for the ships to dock, but I have my doubts now that it was the proper thing to do. I—”

Kellan held up a hand. “Mayor
Kingsley. As mayor of Northfort, you have received many ships to the island, and I am sure you followed the correct protocol. What has you so
anxious
about the Ellvinians?”

“I will let you decide for yourself, Your Grace,” the
mayor said and
motioned to their group. He led them down another side street and then back to the main cobblestone road that offered an unobstructed view of the endless blue of the
Arounda Ocean. “What do you think, Your Grace?”

Kellan’s
fist tightened in Maks’ fur coat.

Kane slid into place beside him. “I’m thinking that three
hundred soldiers are not going to be enough.”

As usual,
Kellan
had to agree. He
had expected to see two ships, possibly even three, but it was an entire fleet. At least
a dozen, three-masted warships that looked as though they could easily hold one hundred men or more on each.
Twelve hundred
Ellvinians.
Over a thousand
strangers of
whom Kellan knew very little about.
His thoughts naturally ran to the fact that if
the Ellvinians
were here to cause
harm, now would be the perfect opportunity with the
Savitars
off the island.

The mayor scratched his head. “How strange. I seem to remember now inviting the Ellvinians to return to Massa for a visit
this week, but cannot for the life of me remember why I would do such a thing.”

Curious
now to see these mysterious visitors for himself, Kellan crossed the street and walked up onto the same platform where
he stood and saw his parents off less than a week ago.

The ships
waited
several hundred yards
off shore waiting for
a signal
from the Massans
for permission to come ashore. Kellan glanced at the large nautical flag still in its holder on the piling next to him and paused. But, why? His parents were at this moment on their way to the island of Ellvin. An ambassador for the Ellvinians had already been received with positive
response, and the mayor himself admitted to inviting the Ellvinians back for this visit. So, why was he hesitating? There was nothing in the actions of the Ellvinians to assume they in any way had ill intentions.

There were just too many of them, Kellan decided, and he could not shake the notion that if waved that flag, he would be inviting an enemy into their midst.

His fingers twitched toward the flag and he wrapped his hand around the pole. Then, a
sudden swirling motion under the docks startled him, and
he sprang back as a wall of water arose out of the ocean between the ships and Massa. Twelve
heads popped out of the
sea
with their arms lifted toward the sky as they danced on the waves.

The watershifters had arrived.

“If you will excuse me, Your Grace.”

A
young woman
gently nudged Kellan aside, walked to the end of the extended portion of the dock
and lifted her arms.

Kellan recognized her with a smile. It was Alia, Digby’s daughter.

With fluid movement, her hands and body
undulated supplely
as she directed
the watershifters in a synchronized display of shifting. The wall of water fell back to the ocean and twin
colossal
pillars shot into the air and bent into graceful arcs.
Ropes of smaller streams of water gushed from the sea and
twisted and coiled around the pillars, swirling together like living things. Kellan did not know if Alia planned it or not, but when
the sunlight hit the moving droplets of water just right, a
refracted prism of color burst into existence
above
the arc.
The bystanders on the harbor cheered in delight
at the
sudden appearance of the
enormous rainbow.

The strength of the raw power surging through the water was staggering, and
Kellan
wondered what the
Ellvinians thought of the intimidating spectacle. All he knew was that he was in
speechless awe. It was not often that he had the chance to see the watershifters use their abilities, and he was
hugely
impressed at their skill.
It also put his mind at rest.
If the Ellvinians had any preconceived notion of doing harm to the people of Massa, the threat in that
demonstration was abundantly clear. They did not stand a chance.

Alia dropped her hands and the water pillars splashed down.

The watershifters
plunged out of the water once again, created a defensive line,
and faced the ships, their bodies
raised
out of the water
to
their knees.

Alia walked back to him and knelt. “You summoned us, Your Grace?”

“Please rise, Alia.” When she did, he
took her in his arms and
hugged her. “You cannot know how good it
is to see you.”

She stepped back and smiled. “You as well, Prince Kellan.”

He pointed to the ships. “As you can see, we have visitors. I would like you to send the watershifters to the ships and grant permission for
six Ellvinians
to
come ashore. The rest can remain at sea until we determine
their purpose for being here.”

She bowed her head. “As you wish, Your Grace.”

C
HAPTER
8

B
IRTHRIGHTS

All was
deathly
quiet within the
Puu Rainforest
as thousands
of
amber
eyes viewed the strange activity of the Elves
. Look at their caves, Nazar! How do they make them? I have never seen the like.

I see, Rehka.

And, the
stars! How do they
cast
the stars from the sky to twinkle in the
trees?
She paused
. I think they must
not be stars at all, but magic.

Yes,
magic, Rehka!
Are we not creatures of magic
by our very existence
alone? Do other creatures of our kind have
the
intelligence
we possess?

Of course not.

No, and
our magic is what allows us to
see the stars in the trees.