Chapter XXXV - Message

Ten days passed; a week and a half of long days, short nights, and ever building tension. Zoe swiftly fell back into her previous role at the Hunter’s camp and threw herself into helping train the younger members for their role in the coming battle. She was skilled enough to assist them with their weapons practice and often went hand-to-hand with Geoffrey or his friend Richard to show them how to best acquit themselves. The two young men were very responsive to her instruction.

Lance worked closely with the troops as well, which meant he and Zoe were together a great deal. He was still acting a little odd, in Zoe’s opinion, and twice she had been certain he had just been staring at her for no apparent reason. But for the most part he was busy, or she was, and there was not too much time for her to analyze his behavior.

Tancred was very busy going back and forth from his camp to the Aerilyans, meeting with the king and his generals often. Zoe had hardly seen him since the first meeting with King Jaeger over a week before. Since then, tactics had been fleshed out, troops were organized differently, and official orders dispersed among the men.

By now, everyone knew where their units had been assigned and where they would be attacking from. Three different flanks had been formed. The largest group of soldiers, often called the main-battle, would directly face the oncoming eastward traveling Elangisan forces. They were formed primarily of infantry and all of Aerilya’s knights. The smaller vanguard, or forward, would come from the northeastern direction and penetrate one of the Elangsians sides. The soldiers in the vanguard were primarily archers. The third and last group—the rearguard—would come from the southeast and attack the opposing flank of the Elangsians. Much of Aerilya’s light cavalry was stationed in the rearguard.

Tancred had already mentioned to Zoe in passing that the Hunter’s men were to be stationed with the main-battle, the large formation that was squaring off with the approaching Elangsian army.

“You look tired.”

Zoe turned and was met with Lance’s appraising gaze. “Thanks, Lance,” she returned dryly. “You look...calm. What have you been doing today? I haven’t seen you much.”

“I was out with the scouts. I just got back.”

“What news?” she inquired.

“Ricald has fallen back.”

Zoe grew instantly alert. Captain Ricald, she had gathered over the last few weeks, had been stationed near Mairbrac for many months now, where he sent his men out to attack Aerilya. Everyone at the Hunter’s camp had been waiting for word that he had left his position and headed in the direction of Elangsia. Zoe assumed he and his men would be joining with the main body of the army. It was the general consensus that when Ricald left, the Elangsian troops would soon be arriving.

“Why don’t we stop him?” she asked Lance in an undertone. “How many men does he have with him? We could intercept him; keep him from joining with the Elangsian forces.”

“He’s got a couple hundred men or so,” Lance replied, his expression serious. “We conceivably could take them, but the problem with attacking them is that Ricald is not retreating in the direction we expected him to have gone. He’s not cutting cross-country to meet up with the Elangsian army which must surely be on its way. He’s heading straight back, back toward deep Elangsian territory.”

Puzzled, Zoe cocked her head. “What is he doing? Not joining the army? Why?”

Lance shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

What could Ricald be up to? Zoe frowned. Is he gathering more men from Elangsia’s outer territories? If so, why would Brastus send Ricald, especially now? Ricald was an important leader in Elangsia. Besides that, the army had been gathering by Ruma for a long time, so even men from far away would have had time to travel there if they were going to volunteer their services. Ricald should not have to gather more soldiers this late in the game.

“I haven’t seen you smile for a few days now.”

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Zoe glanced back at Lance. “It’s hard to smile when things are so tense,” she said quietly. “Have you seen Tancred lately? He’s stretched so thin he’s going to snap if he doesn’t get some rest soon.”

“Yes, but he can handle the pressure,” Lance said. His quick dismissal of Tancred surprised Zoe, but not as much as when Lance reached forward a moment later and gently touched her hair, pushing back a strand that had fallen into her face. “I’m more concerned about you.”

She felt uncomfortable but hid it with a small laugh. “I’ll be fine,” she assured him. Tilting her head slightly, she managed to get him to remove his hand.

“You’ll be fighting in the battle?”

“How could I do anything else? All my friends here shall fight; I cannot abandon them at the very end, when victory and defeat are so closely intertwined that one sword may make the difference in the end.”

Lance shook his head. “You are a most unusual woman.”

“And you are just now realizing that?” she teased.

“No, I think I knew it since I first met you. It is merely coming out stronger now that time has passed.” He looked at her and added after a second of hesitation, “I...I’ve enjoyed working with you this week, Zoe.”

She cleared her throat, feeling a little self-conscious. “It’s been good,” she said brusquely. “We got a lot done.”

He smiled. “I think we make a pretty good team.”

Zoe opened her mouth to reply but than stayed her tongue and instead studied Lance’s face. He was young, perhaps twenty-three or twenty-four. His clean shaven face was handsome, but Zoe considered it still rather boyish. His long hair continually flopped over his forehead; she wished she could push it back. Right now, his gray-green eyes glowed brightly down at her, seeming to be communicating something that both irritated and interested her. What is it? What do you want, Lance?

“So...” he took a deep breath and broke the spell that seemed to have settled over them both. “If this battle comes out well for Aerilya, what do you see yourself doing afterward? Are you planning on staying here?”

Her brow furrowed. “I don’t really know,” she said. “I have no place to go. I could travel more, I could stay for a while...” she shrugged loosely.

“You have no place to go?”

She glanced swiftly at Lance. “The place I originally came from is no longer home to me,” she said flatly.

“I see. Do you like it in Aerilya?”

She was surprised he did not pursue the topic of her old home more. With a start, Zoe realized that she was simply used to Tancred pushing her for more details and information. She was not used to people stopping after she sent them a message to back off. Tancred merely stabbed past her refusal and struck her at her core where it hurt the most; and always in such an effortless manner that it never ceased to alarm Zoe. He could penetrate her heart, the place where all her passion and secrets lay with seemingly no exertion at all.

“...Zoe?”

Shaking herself free, Zoe blinked. “Oh, yes,” she murmured, feeling flustered. “I’m sorry, what was—”

“Ho there! A message for the Hunter of Mairbrac!”

Zoe whirled, cutting herself off and ran across the camp to the edge. A leather-armored rider had galloped and slid off his panting horse, which was coated with a fine sheen of sweat.

“What is it?” she demanded, pushing past a few of the Hunter’s men to reach the rider.

The rider pulled off his helmet, his golden hair unkempt, and drew in great draughts of air. “Where’s the Hunter, m’lady?” he gasped out, his brown eyes flashing up to meet hers. “My companions and I...just back from the western hills beyond the meadow’s edge...have news for Hunter...and the king!”

Zoe spun around and ordered, “Geoff, go get him.”

Geoffrey sprinted off, his lanky limbs serving to their advantage. He skidded to a halt not ten paces off, however, as Tancred jogged around a tent and headed toward them, accompanied by his mother. Geoffrey fell into step with them and Zoe could hear him explaining what had happened as they swiftly approached. Zoe could see Tancred’s brow lower, even in the steadily deepening darkness of dusk. Pressing forward through the men, Tancred stopped beside Zoe and looked at the rider, who was bent over and breathing more evenly.

As soon as the rider caught sight of Tancred, he straightened as quickly as he could and saluted. “My lord!”

“Easy, man,” Tancred said in a calm voice. “You name first, then your message.”

“I’m called Jorim of Bryndor, Lord Hunter. The Elangsians have advanced to just beyond those hills at the far side of the meadow,” the rider said, his voice steadier. A loud murmur arose from the men around, and Zoe felt her heart palpitate oddly at the thought of the approaching enemy army. “They’ll be here by tomorrow morning, no doubt.”

“Are the Wild Men with them?” Tancred’s next question came without hesitation.

Jorim shook his head. “No, my lord.”

“Does King Jaeger know of all this?”

“My three comrades rode to him with this same message, my lord,” said the rider with a nod. “He should know by now.”

“Good man.” Tancred clapped him on the shoulder. “Come, we will give you a draught of wine and some food.”

With a grateful expression, the rider followed the rest of the men into the center of the camp and accepted the sustenance given him. Zoe broke off from the rest of the group and hurried over to him. “Well?” she asked in an undertone.

He looked over at her. “Well what?”

“Are you going to speak with the king?”

“No. He knows the plans we have made. The Elangsians will not attack tonight, I am sure. They will top those hills, spot our army, and settle down to make their own plans. It is the way of war. Before the storm is the agonizingly long day of nothingness.”

“What about the Wild Men?”

He looked over at her as they walked. “They’re not with Elangsia’s forces yet,” he said in a soft voice, “which means they’re still out there somewhere. Marching in this direction, most likely.”

“Is there still a chance of stopping or slowing them?”

“Perhaps.” Tancred looked down at the ground, considering. “We still do not know their position or where precisely they are marching from, however. And tonight may be our last chance to send men out for such a mission. It’s unfortunate our information is so lacking,” he muttered to himself.

Zoe frowned and opened her mouth to respond when Tancred stopped stock-still and raised his hand.

“Shh,” he said, shooting her a quick glance.

She shut her mouth. What is it? Cocking her head, Zoe listened intently but could hear nothing other than normal camp noises. Wait. She closed her eyes, concentrating. A faint clacking noise could be heard carried on the wind toward them. It seemed vaguely familiar but she could not place from where.

“Egan.”

Zoe opened her eyes and glanced at Tancred, but he was already searching the skies. “Remember him?” he absently asked her. “The pseudo-dragon?”

“Oh, yeah,” she nodded. “Kind of a reddish color, stuck up attitude?”

He grinned faintly. “That would be Egan. There he is.” He pointed and Zoe followed the line his hand and finger formed to spot a fast approaching dot in the sky. Tancred dropped his hand and said in a voice that seemed foreboding, “He must be upset about something if I can hear him talking from that distance.”

“Where is he coming from do you think?”

“Last that I knew, he was with my sister,” Tancred said grimly. “I have not seen him since before I went to Ruma, though.”

Zoe knew Tancred’s sister was a huge vulnerability of his. Deus, keep her safe please, wherever she is, Zoe found herself praying. She had never met Kristalyn Ralyn, but she wagered the two of them would probably get along very well, judging by what she had been told.

The pseudo-dragon flew lower and closer, and Zoe could pick out his form and his furiously flapping leathery wings. His golden eyes were glowing and his spiked tail flicked back and forth in his wake. The sound of his clicking language that she could not understand was growing steadily louder. He had a message.

Zoe could only hope it was a good one.

è è è è è è è è è

Tancred raised his arm and Egan made a beeline for it. He unfurled his wings as widely as he could in order to slow down his descent, and his landing on Tancred’s arm was quite steady. Scampering up toward Tancred’s neck, Egan began clacking and hissing furiously, his chameleon-like proprieties kicking in and causing his scaly skin to change from reddish-brown to gray to a sort of green-black.

“Calm down,” Tancred ordered him, trying to calm himself at the same time. “I can’t understand you when you’re talking so fast. First: is Kristalyn all right? Did she send you?”

With a huff, Egan paused for a moment and then began speaking, his hisses and grunts coming slower this time. Tancred concentrated hard. “Kris is safe,” he said aloud with stark relief. “Where is she?”

Egan hissed.

“Here in Mairbrac?” repeated Tancred, a little mystified. If his sister was here, why did she send Egan ahead with a message rather than coming to convey it herself?

Egan clacked affirmatively and added something else.

“What is he saying?” murmured Zoe, her green eyes trained on the pseudo-dragon.

“She’s positioned close at hand but wants to know what is going on,” Tancred translated in a low tone. “Kris was not expecting to see Aerilya’s army...but is pleased we are ready...and wants to know what she can be doing.”

The pseudo-dragon paused to take a breath and exhaled a puff of smoke from his nostrils. “Easy,” Tancred told him gently. “Take it slow. Where have you and Kris been all these months?”

The dragon hesitated for the barest second but that, combined with the increased gray hue of his scales, told Tancred the creature was lying. He listened to Egan’s story for the next thirty seconds with skepticism. “Ah. So you two have been working along the edge of Mairbrac,” he stated dryly. “She’s been freeing slaves within twenty miles of Aerilya’s border, hmm?”

With a nod of his little head, Egan snorted in agreement.

“Did you think up that story or has Kristalyn taken to lying?” asked Tancred, his mouth setting in a firm line. Kris did not lie to him. Then again, neither did Egan. Something was wrong here.

Egan bared his front teeth and hissed defensively.

“Oh, don’t even try defending yourself. I can smell a lie a mile away and you are wallowing in one right now. What important mission has Kris been on these months? How far into Elangsia has she been?”

Egan remained stubbornly silent.

“Look, I’m not going to change my position until I hear the truth,” Tancred said firmly. “Tell Kris to get over here. I want to see her. She arrived just before the battle started—perfect timing.”

The pseudo-dragon snapped out a few choice syllables.

“Enough,” Tancred interrupted sternly. “Get some food and drink if you need it, then be on your way back to Kristalyn. Understand?”

With a sharp little nod, Egan slunk down Tancred’s arm, his wings quivering with indignation. Quickly he took flight across the camp toward the provisions tent. Zoe watched him go, her brows raised, then looked back over at Tancred. “What was all that about?” she asked mildly.

“He’s hiding something,” Tancred said with a furrowed brow. “Or Kristalyn is. For what purpose, I’m not sure yet. Once Kris gets here I will straighten it all out. But,” he added after a moment, his tone almost regretful, “if he gave the correct coordinates of Kristalyn’s position, that adds another complication to this situation.” He rubbed the back of his neck, considering.

“What were the coordinates?” pressed Zoe.

“She’s positioned west of us, not far from where Ricald just withdrew.” He hesitated, glanced at her, and added, “I haven’t discussed this with the others yet, but I think Ricald is withdrawing merely to join up with the Wild Men.”

“Why do you think that?”

“A couple scouts told me he’s not falling back in the direction of the Elangsian army, which seems strong proof that he’s not joining with them,” Tancred began.

With a nod, Zoe murmured, “Ah. So instead of falling in with Brastus and the rest of the army, you believe he’s heading toward the Wild Men.”

“Right. His orders are likely to keep the Wild Men in accordance with their orders from Brastus. There is a very tenuous thread of trust holding the Wild Men and Elangsians together; I suspect Ricald was commanded to join his men with Naard and Jaquin’s to see to it that the contract is completely upheld—in other words, that the Wild Men make it to the battlefield without causing other mischief on their way there.”

“So...” Zoe crossed her arms. “Kristalyn is close to where Ricald was stationed. You think Ricald is falling back to join the Wild Men, not the Elangsians. And that means you know exactly where the Wild Men are coming from.”

“We would know,” he corrected, “if somebody were to follow Ricald and his men.”

“And if Egan spoke truthfully, Kristalyn is in the perfect position to do that,” she finished his thought for him.

“Exactly.”

They looked at each other for a moment, not speaking. Finally Zoe asked quietly, “Would you send her on such a mission?”

He paused. The idea of not just allowing but commanding Kristalyn to lead a small band of men directly at the enemy with orders to harass them in any way possible and basically place herself in an extremely dangerous position was going against every protective urge he had toward his sister. Clearly Zoe had picked up on that. Subtlety concerning Kris and Mom never was my strongest suit, he admitted to himself with a trace of ruefulness.

However, he could not ignore the fact that Kristalyn was in the ideal situation to follow Ricald and from there, slow or even stop the Wild Men. More than that, she was capable.

Tancred sighed. “I don’t want to send her,” he told Zoe in a quiet tone.

“That wasn’t my question.”

Their eyes met; her gaze challenged him. He pivoted away from Zoe and crossed his arms over his chest. Deus, have You brought my sister so close to me only to have me send her off on another blasted mission before I’ve seen her? Lines of frustration marked his face. What would You have me do? He disliked the confusion he felt. His heart felt torn—between family and duty. Kristalyn would do what it took for her country; he knew she would follow Ricald and work day and night to keep the Wild Men away from the battlefield. She would do her duty.

Could he?

He loved Kris. Protecting her was not just difficult, it was next to impossible. He wanted his sister back with him. Back where he could see her, hug her, and know she was safe.

But this was war. Wants came secondary to needs. Keeping the Wild Men away from the battlefield between Elangsia and Aerilya was a need; seeing Kris was a want. Tancred exhaled, slow and controlled. He lifted his chin.

“As much as it goes against my desire to keep Kris as far from danger as I can,” he began at last, his voice extremely quiet, “I would send her, yes.”

He turned toward her. Zoe was studying him carefully. There was a trace of something in her gaze that he was surprised to find he could not decipher. He had not had that problem for some time now. Was it worry? Sadness? Wistfulness? It was impossible to tell, especially when Zoe deliberately transferred her gaze from his face to the ground a moment later. Obviously she was not about to let him read her eyes at his ease.

“If you would send her after the Wild Men, shouldn’t you give that message to Egan so he can convey your orders to Kristalyn?”

Slowly he nodded. His mind began churning. “I’ll begin gathering the men for the mission. Twenty-five of the best will go with her.”

Still keeping her face from his view, Zoe nodded. “Send Warrick.”

“Aye.” He took a deep breath and added, “I’ll find Egan and tell him what is going on. Will you fetch Warrick for me?”

“Yes,” Zoe murmured. She slipped away and Tancred jogged off toward the provision tent, where Egan was likely still gorging himself on the army’s supplies. He raised the canvas flap and ducked inside.

With a croak, Egan’s head whipped around, shredded meat hanging out of the corners of his mouth. His golden eyes narrowed at the sight of Tancred and he sucked in the meat strands with a distinctly ticked-off hiss.

“Egan,” Tancred said softly. “Listen. I need you to give Kris an important message.”

Egan huffed.

“I already told you the message to give to her? Yeah, I did, but this one is different. Forget the first one. And cut out the attitude; it isn’t needed or wanted.”

Shooting Tancred a guarded glance, Egan reluctantly turned away from his dinner and looked up.

“She might know this already, but first tell Kris that she is close to where Captain Ricald was recently stationed.”

Egan growled angrily.

“Yes, it’s the same Ricald who killed Father,” Tancred said, his throat tightening. Egan had not forgotten past offenses that had been inflicted on the Ralyn family. “Tell Kris I’m sending men for her to command. Their mission is to follow Ricald to the Wild Men who are advancing on Aerilya. After that, they must keep the Wild Men from coming any further. Harass them, raid them, kill them, whatever it takes to stop them.” Tancred paused and looked keenly at the pseudo-dragon. “You got all that?”

Egan clacked twice affirmatively. He hesitated, and then quietly added something.

Tancred frowned. It had almost sounded like the pseudo-dragon had said companion. “What companion?” he asked slowly. Was somebody accompanying Kristalyn? If so, who?

Egan’s scales lightened to blue-gray and his eyes glowed. After a prolonged silence, he finally gave one dismissive clack that signified he was finished with the topic.

Tancred was not. “Is someone with my sister?” he demanded in a low, harsh voice. “Egan, look at me!”

The little dragon grudgingly lifted his head and clicked three times.

“Kuroiden?” Tancred’s eyes narrowed. “That’s her panther. He’s supposed to be there. Is there anyone else?”

Egan hissed negatively.

Hmm. Tancred was still not sure he believed the creature. Unfortunately there was not time to cross-examine Egan. “Well, just go on,” he said. “I’ll be sending Kris’s men soon; don’t forget to tell her that.”

With a flick of his tail, Egan slithered out from the tent, closely followed by Tancred. Soon after, the pseudo-dragon’s wings whirred and Egan flew off.

Tancred watched him go and had the strangest impulse to follow the creature to his sister. Instantly he dismissed it, but the ache was still in his heart. He had made the right choice to give his sister this mission, and yet...somewhere to the west, there was a beautiful green-eyed girl whom he fiercely loved; a girl he was once again forced to remain separated from.

“Fly hard, little fire,” he murmured to the pseudo-dragon, who was now a speck on the horizon. Deus, give Kris strength and courage; protect her with Your strong arm of justice....