The Harbinger (A Fight for Light Novel Book 2) (5 page)

Hand in hand, we walked with his family, and made our way to the gathering. His eyes left me only once, to nod at Kayleigh and flash her a huge grin, before his full attention was on me again. Once we were at the clearing, Kellen’s attention shifted to the meeting.

He led me to a gazebo, complete with wooden benches, several feet away, overlooking the proceedings. A long strand of white twinkling lights were hanging around the top, intermingled with ivy.

“Watch Rhiannon, now it begins.”

My eyes were open wide as I watched the gathering in front of me. From all areas of the forest they came. Representatives from every species and group were there. One by one they came forward, giving their greetings first to Kedehern, then to Kellen, and finally to the women. Many were also happy to extend those greetings to me. I noticed some of them were still a little apprehensive, especially the gnomes.

I was happy to see a familiar face in the crowd when Fidget Goblinwand approached. He came bounding up to us, clearly pleased to see me.

“Hello again, Lady Rhiannon. Kellen, happy to be here.”

He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it, tickling my skin lightly with his rough crimson beard. I smiled widely at him.

“Lord Goblinwand, so wonderful to see you again. I am glad to see a face I recognize.”

“Please, milady, call me Fidget.”

He had grinned proudly at my welcome and took his place with the others. I noticed some other faces whose names I did not know. The elves and the wood sprites I recognized from our journey to Kellen’s home. They nodded their salutations to me as well as Kellen.

The most interesting greeting came from the centaurs. They had galloped in impressively stamping their hooves and rearing their front legs up into the air. I recognized the one who had spoken to Kellen before. He came over to us and grasped arms with Kellen, exchanging a friendly hello and then he turned to me.

“Greetings milady, we have not been properly introduced. I am Padraic, leader of the centaurs. We welcome you to Karmelo.” He bowed slightly and straightened up.

“Thank you for your warm welcome Padraic. My name is Rhiannon. I am very happy to meet you.”

He nodded and smiled and took his place among the others. I was completely in awe of him. The centaurs were the most fascinating of all of the creatures there. Of course, they were all interesting in their own way. The elves caught my attention with their regal beauty and distinguished looks. I especially loved the dwarves, with their gruff voices and stiff demeanors. Fidget was so funny. I knew we were already developing a fast friendship.

“Kellen, how are all these creatures here?”

“The dark shadow is the demon essence that you’ve seen before, during the attacks, remember? Well, the creatures of darkness and evil can assume any form in the flesh,” he answered, “and so it is with those that are made from light. God in his wisdom is capable of creating any creature and all life. Do you doubt it because it is different than what you know?”

“Perhaps,” I agreed, “or maybe because I was raised to believe it was all myth.”

“Let your heart be open to every possibility here. Your people will love you for your acceptance.”

Kedehern called the meeting to order, and all conversation ceased. As the head of the guard, he was in control of the gathering. The others straightened and turned their attention to him. His voice rang with power and authority as he spoke. I also noticed that it was kind, not intending to dominate those around him.

“This meeting has been called to order at the request of the council and at the request of many of you. The threat against our world is growing. The enemy is becoming bolder. The attacks are increasing, not only in our world but in the human one as well. There have been breaches across the portal. The enemy has crossed during daylight hours. The lives of our civilization as well as the human people are at risk. If we don’t prepare ourselves against attack, I fear we may find our land under siege. We must decide what course of action to take, and soon.”

He sat down, and gesturing with his hand, he opened the floor for discussion. There was a light rumble of voices as they murmured to each other. Then Padraic spoke.

“These things are all true as we will bear witness to. The centaur army patrols the borders of our lands. We have seen the enemy gather. An army is being raised, to what purpose we do not know.”

Murmuring rose within the crowd and Padraic raised a hand to silence it. “There is also another matter to take into consideration. The chosen one has been targeted by the enemy for destruction. She is no longer hidden from them. Kellen has been assigned as her Guardian as many of you know. But she needs our allegiance and protection. You all know the legends, she must be kept alive. She
must
be protected at all costs. It is our duty.”

He had been speaking urgently at those gathered and turned to look at me for a brief moment. Then his attention was back at the table. My eyes had widened in surprise and I was looking at Kellen with shock.

“Was he talking about me just now?” I whispered to him.

“Yes,” he whispered back, “I have always known that you were special.”

“Be serious, please,” I told him, squeezing his hand.

“I am, Rhiannon, you
are
special. Chosen, my darling, for a greater purpose. I told you before, remember?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“Pay attention now, there is a lot to hear,” he replied, putting his arm around me.

There was a lot of discussion going on. The representatives were deciding on their position. Fidget stood up. He looked around the table and spoke forcefully.

“The dwarf lords will swear their allegiance. We will protect the secrets we have always believed in. We are not afraid to fight if needed.”

He was staring across the table from the gnomes. They stood angrily, obviously taking affront to Fidget’s remarks.

“We gnomes are peaceful and have always been so. We do not crave the blood lust of war. There are those who are quick to jump into hasty decisions.” The leader who had spoken looked pointedly at Fidget.

Fidget pounded his fist on the table in anger. “You gnomes seem to conveniently disappear or have no opinion whenever danger presents itself. There is a word for that, its cowardice.”

The gnomes looked outraged. They opened their mouths to speak but were interrupted by Kedehern.

“We approach this table as friends and equals. All opinions are free to be shared without condemnation. Please, sit. Let us not bicker about things that are unimportant right now. We must get back to the matter at hand.”

Both the dwarves and the gnomes nodded and took their seats. Others joined in on their comments, swearing their allegiance in turn. The meeting was progressing well. The topic moved to the plan of action against the enemy.

Padraic again led the discussion. “We must increase our patrols. The gateway must be more heavily guarded from dawn until dusk. We also need to protect our cities.”

Kedehern nodded his agreement. He looked around the table. When he spoke his words were strong.

“The guard will be dispatched in shifts to watch over the gateway. We will be locking and heavily guarding the perimeter of the wall, especially during the night hours from dusk until dawn. Any who would like are welcome to come within the safety of our walls, especially here in Karmelo, Alexandria, and Cornell. We must look to the outlying cities of Tarin, Hayden, and Lysis. They are heavily populated.”

They continued to discuss their plan and I looked around me, taking in the atmosphere. I hadn’t noticed the uniqueness of the table they sat at. It was made of stone. Long and rectangular, it stretched a great distance across the grassy plain. Etched into the stone in intricate patterns all around the perimeter was the same ivy and leaf design that was inlaid on Kellen’s armor. Engraved fleur de Lis also were etched into the table, adding a noble element to the design.

The top of the table had long grooves cut into it, marking the seat for each representative species, race, and ethnic group. At each seat there was more intricate carving. I realized it was writing. It must have been the specific language for each one here. Some were glyphs while others were pictographs. I was fascinated by the distinctive look of each alphabet. The same message was at every seat:
We Gather as Equals and as Brothers We Unite
.

Torches were being lit around the table as twilight descended upon the forest glen. There was a long table laden down with refreshments that included a roasted boar, venison, and other meats, fruits and vegetables, and many varieties of breads and pastries. In addition, there were casks of ale and other beverages to satisfy any thirst. Many ventured from the table and back again, enjoying the libations and provisions.

I continued my observation and noticed the sky. It was getting dark. The light faded from blue to navy to black and still the gathering continued in front of me. I noticed the first bright, twinkling stars appear in the sky, one by one until they seemed to fill it entirely. Each individual star seemed so close, like you could reach out and touch one and pull it right into your lap.

The moon was magnificent. It made its appearance suddenly bursting through a wisp of cloud and climbing high into the newly darkened sky. It was very bright and cast an unearthly glow upon the table and its occupants. It reminded me of fire and ice, the warm and vibrant flames of the torches in red and orange mixing with the cool white and violet blue iridescent light of the moon.

“Kellen?” I whispered.

“Yes?”

“What do the people here think of the enemy? Are they scared? Do you think they will fight if needed?”

“Yes, remember when I told you about the generals? Our people have been dealing with the enemy for many years. They have lost fathers, sons, and brothers to war and torture. Our women have been raped and murdered. Children have been left without parents to raise them. Our people are heavily invested, seeking to end this tyrannical reign of terror that brings death and destruction to our land. They will fight, to the death if necessary, to rid the world of the enemy forever,” he explained, his voice thick with emotion.

“I understand. I feel badly for them. I hope war doesn’t come. It would mean more bloodshed.”

“Yes, it would, but I feel it may be inevitable. My father will know what to do when the time comes Rhiannon. Here, listen to the centaurs. They are great warriors.”

“Kellen?” I asked again.

He raised an eyebrow at me. “Hmmm?”

“What if the enemy isn’t planning to give up? What if their true intention is annihilation?”

Kellen looked surprised for a moment. “What have you seen Rhiannon? What makes you think that is their intention?”

“I don’t know. It’s just a feeling. Peculiar. I can’t place it. Something is not right. This goes deeper than it appears.”

“I’m going to mention it to my father. I don’t think this is the right place or moment, at least not until we have evidence. I don’t want anyone to panic. I believe he has already considered this possibility and is doing everything he can to avoid it.”

“I don’t mean to be rude, but I have a question. Why does it matter what happens in my world? I mean, it doesn’t seem to have any effect on this world or its occupants.”

“Actually, it has a great impact here. Many have crossed over and lived in your world or have family members there. Most choose to stay here but not all. If the enemy causes trouble in your world, it causes ripples that effect the people here, like a stone thrown into a lake. The enemy becomes emboldened, striking harder, causing more destruction and feeling invincible. We have seen it before.”

“If something happens, I want to know right away. Please? Will you promise to tell me?” I pleaded.

“Yes, Rhiannon. I promise. Does that make you feel better?”

“Yes, it does. Thank you.”

“There is another reason you should know. Remember when I told you long ago about the Guardians? We have always protected the portal and its secrets. We watch the human world with interest. It is our heritage, one of our most important duties.”

I had forgotten about that. “Yes, I remember now.”

He smiled, looking deeply into my eyes.

“I love you Rhiannon, darling. Don’t worry, ok?” He asked me softly.

I nodded. “Yes, my Guardian.” It did not come out with the humor I intended.

Kellen’s eyes were crinkled slightly in the corners. I knew he was amused with me again. I smiled widely in return as he squeezed my hand. Lurking in the depths was deeply rooted worry, one that neither of us could ignore. He hid it behind his grin but it was there.

The discussion continued with promises to watch over territories or cities. Each group was deciding on how many troops to give to the cause. Occasionally, a temper would flare or a sharp word would be spoken. Differences were quickly put aside with the importance and enormity of the reality of war.

I started to feel tired and leaned against Kellen. Yawning, I put my hand over my mouth and tried to hide it. I didn’t want anyone to think I was bored. Kellen noticed and he put his arm around my shoulders, squeezing gently.