Battle SeerChapter 15: The Journey to Corinn Ada
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Table of Contents Chapter 15, part 1 appears in this issue. |
Alysses’ shoulder throbbed. The bolt was imbedded deep into his chest. He could feel the puncture wound like cold fire. But he didn’t care about that right now. He knew he would survive.
His mind raced with other matters. Soaked and caked with mud, he raised himself off the ground. He tried not to grunt from the pain, but he couldn’t hold it back. Discipline, damn it! Staggering over to his sword he looked around the battlefield. No one lived. Five hundred men dead!
If it wasn’t for his sword, he would be dead, too. He had found that sword on a man a long time ago in the Raven’s Reach mountains. It had been an old mining settlement that had been over run by dremions and the light knows what else. He had come across the skeletal remains of an old warrior while traveling there with a group of Light Bearers.
The sword was all that was left of the skeleton’s belongings. Alysses always felt the weapon had been there waiting for him. Upon discovering the blade, he had tested it against the very men he traveled with. When they tried to use their powers on him, he and the priests had been shocked beyond all comprehension. Of course, his was a more pleasant shock. All of the five men died that night at his hands.
He ran a hand through his wet, matted hair. They had let him live. The woman had ordered them all to back off. He didn’t care why. The fact of the matter was that she had let him live. It would be her undoing, he vowed. And the prince, what could he say? He had defeated Palance without effort. He would have to go back and finish the job.
He heard a slight rustling behind him and he spun around. He was barely able to lift his sword. The rain had lessened considerably and he was barely able to make out the two shapes heading towards him. He relaxed considerably when he realized who they were. Both of the shapes were hurt; one limping, the other holding her side.
“The rain won’t go away, Alysses,” said the smaller shape. “We’re sitting ducks out here. The three of us are hardly enough to take on raindogs.”
“Especially in the shape we’re in,” growled the big man.
“I know, Weorlin,” replied Alysses. It was time for a plan. “we’ll follow the entourage as far as Corinn Ada. The raindogs will be focused on them for a while. We can trek south and out of the rain. From there, we can trail them to Cienda Falls.”
Sounds like a plan,” said the red-haired woman. “Except how are we going to get across the border. Ramendae and Corinn Ada aren’t exactly allies. There will be guards posted.”
“Sherelyn, guards have never been a problem for me,” growled Alysses. “Leave those fools to me.”
“They are all dead, Alysses“ reported the big man. He looked around at all the scattered bodies. “I checked them all out when the enemy rallied here at this hill. There are no survivors.”
“I know,” replied Alysses.
“Let’s get on the move, Alysses,” Sherelyn peered into the darkness. “It should be midafternoon right now. All this rain gives me the creeps. I’ve read of raindogs before. But I’ve never encountered any. I didn’t even think they existed. Eliana wouldn’t believe it if she were still alive.”
Alysses regarded her with cold eyes. “Do you want revenge, Sherelyn?”
The woman nodded.
“Good,” said Alysses. “Stick with me and I’ll get your revenge. I’ll give you that prince’s most prized possession. You can have his Seer and I’ll have the prince. We’ll shock the Nations and the Seers at Stonegate as an added bonus. Besides, it will make our employer respect us and fear us. It will please him, too.”
The woman didn’t respond, but by the look in her eyes Alysses knew she would follow him to the Gulf of Ghe’yon.
“What about all that nonsense that Seer said about needing you alive?” she asked. The previous subject was dropped which meant she accepted his offer.
Alysses considered a moment. “It doesn’t matter what she said.”
“But it does,” interjected Sherelyn. “She’s a Seer. For all you know, she’s Seen something about you. It could mean...”
“Shut up, woman,” spat Alysses. “I’m an intelligent man. I know what it could mean. But I’ll be a puppet to no one. Much less some common wench who thinks she’s a Seer. Let her See her damn visions. We’ll show her. She’ll See why they call me the Falcon. I’ll ask her what it all means if you wish when I strike her down.”
Thunder rumbled in the distance.
“I think it’s time we get moving,” he instructed. “Let us get out of this damned rain first.”
With that, all three wary companions by greed shuffled away into the dark.
* * *
Andina heard the howling and barking of the raindogs outside, but she didn’t pay them any attention. In her lap she held the love of her life. She caressed Palance’s soft lips and brushed his dark hair out of his face. His skin felt cold and his breathing was coming in quick, short breaths. He was badly wounded.
Andina held Palance close to her. She trembled slightly from the excitement of seeing him again. She was almost complete again. A year and a half of hard training at Stonegate had not diminished her love for the prince.
Wet and muddied beyond belief, she ignored her aches and pains. The wound where the arrow the arrow had pierced her throbbed fiercely. Renson’s magic had brought her back and also healed her miraculously.
“Oh, Palance,” she cried. She bent over and kissed his cold lips. With shaky hands, she caressed his face again tracing his features with wet fingers.
“I told them to protect you,” she barely felt the words leave her mouth. She felt him stir for a moment and felt her hopes flare. But he only moaned and breathed a sigh before falling silent. “You will meet the hunter of wolves again,” she vowed. “I will see to it. He will pay, my prince. I swear to it.”
Blinking away tears, she pulled her wet clothes off one by one. She had to strip away her leather armor piece by piece. Once she was done, she sat there and meticulously took all of Palance’s armor off. She literally stripped his pants off. His shirt was shredded and tattered beyond all repair. His wounds were open and slightly bleeding despite the soldiers’ best efforts to bandage him.
She unwrapped him. Behind her, she reached for her bathtub before it filled with water. Even now, it was already half full with clean water. Despite all their traveling, she still didn’t know how Renson did it. She had little trouble getting herself and Palance cleaned after that. She took her prince and wrapped him in her softest robes. Then she put on undergarments and clothed herself in battle gear once again.
Feeling cleaner and healthier, Andina sat down at Palance’s feet and watched him rest. It gave her time to reflect, as well. Despite their long time together, Renson had never displayed his true might to her until now. The wizard was indeed powerful. As far as she knew, he was the strongest. She had spent many nights and days with the Headmaster of Stonegate and even his mage had never showed or displayed feats of power like her mage.
LeHigh Adabele was a stern teacher. He wasn’t ruler of Stonegate by mere chance. The man was a disciplined ruler, and as far as anybody knew he had the strongest mage bonded to him. Gason Du Pree was powerful indeed. The mage was blind but he was hardly handicapped. So chances were Renson wasn’t the most powerful. But either way, she was very young at being a Seer. Why would LeHigh Adabele allow her to be bonded to someone so powerful?
Unless the Headmaster didn’t know about Renson’s full potential.
But even Renson’s power had not been enough to defeat the hunter of wolves. She had Seen it in her vision. She had Seen the power of his magic sword. According to Renson, there were only a few of those items left in the Nations. Andina found it odd that her would-be assassin would have one, especially if they were as rare as Renson made them out to be.
Her vision had not prepared her for what she would see during the battle. Renson had blasted the entire landside with sizzling bolts of energy and air currents so strong he had knocked men off their feet. The mage had set fire to the land itself and this hunter of wolves charged right in without so much as a scar. His fighting prowess kept him alive when her men and Palance’s men charged him all at once. Both he and his sidekicks proved to be too much for her men.
When his sword started glowing blue, she and Renson began to worry. With him powerless against this man, Renson and Andina were sitting ducks waiting for the tidal wave to blow them away. But the wave never came. Somehow, she was still alive, Renson was still alive, and she was with Palance once again.
It was a bittersweet reunion.
Now they were on their way to Corinn Ada. Andina shivered slightly. Corinn Ada would prove to be a challenge for all of them. In Corinn Ada, Alishandre Armestaad ruled, and the man was known as the Schemer. In Corinn Ada was the city of Cienda Falls, famous for the greatest waterfall in all of the Nations. Men from all the Nations feared stepping into Corinn Ada soil. They always came out owing or paying dearly. Palance would have to apply all his diplomatic skills to the test if they were not to be imprisoned.
In Cienda Falls, the last of Andina’s visions would come to completion. Alysses would be there. He would be there waiting for them with his magical sword and his devilish plans. He would come after her. This much she had Seen. In Cienda Falls, they would learn what this was about. They would learn who hired Alysses and his army of thieves. This she had Seen already and more.
Outside, she heard a man shouting a halt. Had they reached the Corinn Ada border?
Andina went to the carriage door and opened it. She was overcome by the sounds of the outside world. Not much reached the inside of the carriage. Men were milling around, trying to keep their horses in order. Kendel and Eliath were discussing something up ahead. Above, Renson still held the rain at bay with his power.
The guard known as Larson came up to her. “We have reached the Corinn Ada border.”
She nodded. “Good. Any sign of the raindogs?”
He shook his head. “No, they have not been seen for quite some time. When they couldn’t get to us, they charged off north. They haven’t been seen since.”
“Okay, help me out.” Once out, she turned to Renson. “What’s holding us back?”
Renson didn’t respond. He was deep in concentration. Powerful was the only correct word she could think of at the mere sight of him.
“Ma’am,” came a voice behind her. She turned to find Eliath heading towards her. “It seems that we have come across a problem. The guards don’t want to let us through. They say that we have made an illegal crossing into Ramendae and therefore cannot possibly come up with a good reason to let us through.”
Andina thought for a moment. “Have you told them you have a Seer with you?”
Eliath nodded. “Yes, the gate only lies about half a mile east from here. They don’t want to let us through because to do so would be to invite war with Ramendae. They think our having you along is a breakage of treaty among the Nations pertaining Seers. They believe we have kidnapped you.”
Andina would have none of it. “Lead me to them.”
Eliath only nodded. “Come then.”
By the time they reached the border, Andina could see the small outpost of guards waiting there for any signs of trouble. Outside of Renson’s bubble it still rained and she was soaked by the time she walked up the two twin towers that stood to block her way. Torches were lit to shed some light in the deepening darkness. There should have been a road where she walked, but the rain had washed it away.
“Hold!” cried an officer as she drew near. “State your business, or begone.”
Andina waited patiently. “My name is Andina Lerouse, Seer from Stonegate. Under permission of LeHigh Adabele, I was given charge to one hundred horsemen and a powerful mage. On my way to isolation, as stated in the treaty of Seers by the Nations, I was beset by bandits. The Prince of Acrene Tarrynth was at his border and saw the horrible transaction. Being a just man, he came to my rescue.
“Under the law made by the Nations, it is a crime to attack a Seer. So I hereby employ you to protect me and those that have fallen taking care of my men and upholding the law.”
Andina waited while the men at the two towers scattered around and discussed what she had just said. After a long while, a man stepped forward. He was wearing a broadsword strapped to his back. His armor was polished but his white cloak and blue shirt were soaked. “I’m Officer Ultrathar. By the power invested in me, I now proclaim you under the protection of Corinn Ada. You will be escorted to Cienda Falls, where Alishandre Armestaad will decide upon your fate.”
With that, men on horseback rode forward and surrounded her. They led her back and surrounded her little army. Many of the soldiers looked ready to fight even though they were in no shape to. Reluctantly, Renson dropped his shield and the rain came pouring down once again. This time it was only a slight drizzle.
Eliath and Kendel rode in front with the Corinn Adan soldiers. Larson and Soulcryst didn’t leave her side. She didn’t leave the carriage’s side. Together, a united band, they crossed over into Corinn Ada. Andina hoped it wasn’t a mistake.
She thought of her last vision. The one she truly hated.
She gritted her teeth at the jealousy she found in her throat.
In Cienda Falls, Ria Cervannes waited for them. That lady awaited a far worse fate than any of them, but not before she ruined Andina first.
To be continued...
Copyright © 2005 by Julian Lawler
