The Unexpected Heir: A Tale of Alus (64 page)

While the weeks of battle had lowered the morale of his men, Caldrefan surprised the Malaiyans by showing patience as they waited beyond the attack range of magic or missile for three days. That was until a fleet sporting red flags appeared outside the harbor; they had waited and then his enemy was forced to look both ways. His attack could begin once more.

The Sea Dragon had arrived in Solan a little over a week after their battle with the red flagged ships of the Brothers of the Blood. Their enemy's rebellion had yet to choose a name to distinguish themselves and Annalicia wondered if that meant that they feared that it wouldn't last. Her captives had been reluctant to give up any information at first, but time and magic worked to loosen their tongues.

She found out about the rebellion led by the brothers and even learned that they wouldn't be satisfied with just northern Tseult. Their leader had promised to form a powerful new nation that would conquer Malaiy to remove the king and his family. Though no one in the fleet was high enough to know exactly how this would happen, they revealed enough to send the Sea Dragon to Solan as quickly as they could force the ship to carry them.

They left the wounded enemy ships to fend for themselves, but took a pair of war chests as trophies. Without money, loyal sailors could turn against their captains and the wizards also, at least that was part of why she took their gold.

Arriving in Solan ahead of the invasion, Annalicia had quickly gone to her uncle to warn him of what she knew.

"Annalicia, I can't believe you are here. Where have you been for so long?" her uncle asked looking truly shocked to see his niece in his city. "Your father sent word to me months ago that your ship was very overdue."

Sighing, the girl wondered how much of the long story she should spend bending his ear when she had news of an invasion coming. "It is a long story, uncle."

"You know that you can just call me Itan. You were always my favorite niece, you know."

"I will make sure that I tell Alicia," she couldn't help laugh as he winced.

"Well, you're top two anyway. Now don't tell your sister that I said that," he laughed.

Nodding, the petite wizard's distracted eyes must have tipped him off that something was wrong. "Tell me whatever you think you need to and we can catch up on the rest after. There is obviously something on your mind."

Swallowing, Annalicia looked at the man seeing the resemblance to both her mother and Alexander in his looks. He had the dark blonde hair that defied the general looks of the Malaiy people. His blue eyes were like her mothers in color as well, though he managed to put a masculine spin on his siblings' looks.

Itan had never been as close to his sisters as he had been to their children. Fifteen years younger than Serafene, he was only two years older than his nephews. Alexander and Bartrand had been born the same year. They were six years older than Annalicia, who was the baby among the cousins, making them all quite close to their young uncle.

"We came across a pair of ships with red flags a little over a week ago and defeated them in battle. Apparently, the Brothers of the Blood have led a rebellion and these ships serve them. They plan to invade Malaiy. We need to warn King Orlaan before it is too late."

To her surprise, he was not. "They have already crossed into Malaiy and are fighting Fort Camden right now. The reports from the commander there aren't good. He doubts that they will be able to hold out for more than a few more days."

"They can't stop them?" she asked in shock. Though Anna had been a little surprised that the brothers had apparently created a navy; hearing that their army was enough to break the ancient fort as well added to her worry.

He shook his head. "Orlaan sent reinforcements to both the fort and here. The army has been setting up defenses from Camden to Solan making sure to do as much damage as they can as they fall back. It will give us more time to prepare, but Xerese brought us word that they have powerful wizards in their army. They defeated a superior force from Tseult, at least numerically."

"Why was Xerese in Tseult?" Anna questioned in confusion. The Zephyr wasn't scheduled to stop before Solan if the trip went well.

Itan chuckled at her surprise and said, "Her story might be as long to tell as yours. The Zephyr was shipwrecked north of Kloste and she had to travel across all of Tseult with just one guardsman."

She went white with the news. "By the gods, no one else survived?"

Shaking his head, her uncle's happy features darkened as he replied, "None have made it here if they did. The Zephyr never wound up in Malaiy, so your father had no idea what happened to either of you until Xerese wound up here. I sent word to Alexander and to Philip through him. At least they knew that you were delayed by some mission, but she didn't really know much about it."

"That is part of my long story, but perhaps you should tell me more about these wizards the brotherhood is using. I might have a few new tricks that I can teach to our wizards here in time to turn the enemy around."

"Well, that would be good news indeed. Come, we'll eat dinner while I send for my commanders and the leader of the wizards sent from Yalan. They took charge of my wizards and sent out more to help Camden before the enemy laid siege to the fort."

After a meal with Itan and Rianne, Annalicia sent word for Reynolvan and the others to meet them in a hall set aside for the war. Wizards and commanders within the army were there as well. After they informed her team of what they knew, it was Annalicia's turn to surprise them with some of the magic learned traveling with Sebastian.

Philip sat in his study his body gone limp with relief. Alexander had sent word that Annalicia was in Solan. While Solan was in danger of being attacked after the defeat of Fort Camden, he could at least be happy that his daughter was alive and well. The Sea Dragon was apparently in one piece also, but there was little said about such things.

In fact, his message was quite long considering Itan had sent word by messenger bird to speed the news along. Alexander's letter was a lot longer than a single note attached to a bird's leg. His letter even told of the fact that three carnal gulls had been used by Itan to give them as much information as his brother-in-law could in a short time.

A short message written by Annalicia directly to her family telling them that she was well and teaching new magic discovered by her friends in Southwall to Malaiy's wizards, had apparently been sent on one bird. She relayed what she could from Darius as well, but said she would explain more in a letter sent by horse. That would take at least a week longer most likely. The ride to Patris took much longer than the birds sent by Itan.

The one thing that Darius believed was that the brotherhood had spawned from the revolution centuries ago that created Alwere. It was led by two immortal brothers. One was named Sordrian.

He would have to tell Orlaan, but Philip's body refused to move at the moment. Alexander had let him know that he had sent word to his mother in Etrine's castle. She was still there with Alicia helping Lord Oland after the loss of his wife and son. He knew the news would help ease her as well.

Their children were all alive and well, even if Anna had chosen to remain for a time in Solan where it might not be safe much longer. She was a wizard and lady of Malaiy, however, and her duty to save her country was apparent in her actions. Philip just hoped that she would stay safe.

She had just over three weeks to teach the other wizards in Solan the spells which they had learned since the tournament. Night shields would stop most elemental spells and absorb them. It was perhaps the most important of the spells that they could teach their fellow wizards. Since Annalicia had never heard of Tseult wizards using the darkness spells; it should give them an edge in the battle. Light magic could dissipate the darkness, of course, but then it became a chess game using the variety of magic to counter each spell used.

If the enemy had no knowledge of either darkness or light spells in their magic, the Malaiy wizards would certainly have the edge.

Annalicia had also found out about the fear magic used by the enemy. It was believed that a powerful wizard was the sole user and cause of the magic. They believed that it was a form of mind control magic. Southwall wizards broke down the forms of magic used into special categories and called this diplomacy magic.

Thanks to Sebastian, Anna had learned of this magic first hand; though it was his younger sister who knew the magic. A newly found wizard, his younger sister Katya's power dwarfed that of her brother and she was completely untrained. Her power had lashed out like a wilder's when Sebastian had visited the Sea Dragon for the first time.

Learning that she couldn't come with her brother, Katya's magic came without thought. Annalicia and nearly everyone on the dock and the ships near them were consumed by her powerful wilder magic. If not for Darius showing up when he did, Anna didn't know what would have happened to them. Sebastian had resisted the spell by shifting his mind free of his body on the winds just in time. An air spell that any wind wizard could use, if they could sense a mind spell coming; the problem had been that she could not. Using magic while riding the wind was also possible and Sebastian had proved that.

While she envied the mage's amazing ability, Anna hadn't tried to do it herself yet. Her skill was enough that she didn't doubt that she could; but it demanded a lot of strength and didn't help anyone else. The army would be vulnerable as well as any of their wizards unable to use the magic.

Darius had taught her the spell that he had used before they had left. Though she hadn't needed to use it, they believed that Sebastian might be able to access the same sort of magic. If he had no control over a spell like that, Annalicia had considered it worth being ready just in case. She hadn't told anyone else on the Sea Dragon at the time. Since it was only a possibility, she didn't want to cause any problems between Sebastian and the other wizards, both hers and his. The mage had enough to worry about between the mission and Maura initially.

"Our scouts say that the advance forces are retreating from the last of the defenses outside of Solan," Itan informed all those waiting in his war room. "Anna," he singled the girl out where she sat in a comfortable chair looking at the sky through the window. "Did you hear me?"

Nodding, even though her mind hadn't been centered on those waiting for news from the front; Annalicia glanced to her cousin and asked, "How soon should we join the others?"

Concern crossed his face and he reminded the girl, "You don't have to go to the front. As a lady of the royal house, you should be as far away from this war as we can get you."

"Humph," she scoffed and placed both feet on the floor before standing up with intent. Her royal nature was on display not only for Itan, who was actually behind her in the line of succession, but for the others in the room. "It is all the more reason that I should be there. You don't have my magic, uncle, but you would lead the army in the field if you had to. We also need commanders in the city though, and that is your place as long as our defenses hold up outside.

"I am a wizard more than I am a royal lady in this instance, Itan. You need my power on the battlefield more than you need me sitting in a tower knitting or worrying. You know it and I know it. I can make a difference out there, if I am not hiding."

Itan chuckled humorlessly, "Well, as a good uncle, I at least had to try. You'll lead the wizards?"

"Just my team. Wizard Korace is the leader of your wizards here. He can do the job better than a twenty-two year old girl, at least in the minds of most of my elders. I don't need to micromanage them anyway. Our wizards will be stationed around the defenses until we know exactly where the enemy will test our strength. We're independent enough and everyone knows our strategy."

"And this new magic from Southwall," Itan agreed. "It is a good thing that you were running late apparently. Now I just hope that it is enough to stop them here."

"Have a little faith, Itan. I have an immortal grandfather, as long as you would believe him," she said with a smile knowing that everyone believed that Darius was as old as he said. "Very few are old enough to know for sure, right? We believe it is true, so that gives our belief strength."

"Believing that Darius is immortal is hardly the same thing, Anna," he replied with a shake of his head.

"Ok, then believe in me and my magic, if that is so easy, surely you can do that too."

Sighing at the girl, Itan waved her away saying, "Fine, I believe in you. Now go do what you need to. The castle will be here if you need it."

Annalicia figured that was about as close as she was going to get from her uncle at this point. She didn't blame him. From what she had heard from the reports, the enemy had at least as many wizards as they did here and their leader was very powerful.

It was her turn to put her faith in the spells that she had brought back with her. They would have to be enough.

"The castle is in sight, Master Caldrefan," Commander Garm stated from his horse as the wizard caught up to the vanguard leader. "Our wizard scouted Solan and says that there are defenses for a half a mile or so from the castle. They're using the river to the east as an extra defense, but they have made trenches, walls and weapon platforms for archers or wizards from the ocean south."