Dragon Alliance: Rise Against Shadow (18 page)

“Gallanth is sleeping; Michen,” Mkel said, “and you should take a nap too.” He and Annan carried the boy to his crib. “Janta, can you fill his bottle for me?” he asked the little halfling nanny.

“Got it already Mkel, sir,” she quickly replied.

“Don’t call me sir, Janta,” Mkel jokingly scolded her.

Janta was a middle-aged halfling widow whose clan’s caravan was ambushed by an orc raiding party in the unsettled lands. She was one of the few who weren’t killed or taken captive. She stood about three and a half feet tall, which put her just a couple of inches above Michen. A ranger patrol brought her and a handful of others from her clan back to the Weir after they tracked and killed the dire wolf-mounted orcs. They were then offered work either in the Weir or in the town for as long as they needed. She had a very gentle nature about her, and Mkel and Annan needed a nanny for their son, since Annan went with the support corps if Silvanth wanted a rider. She loved to take care of the large two-year-old, even though he could be rough at times.

Mkel put Michen into his crib and handed him the bottle of milk. Drake the elf hound then moved by the entrance to Michen’s chamber. He was the ever present guardian of his son. “Do you need to go out on the ledge?” he asked the large canine. The dog shook its head and lay down. Elf hounds could sleep eighteen hours a day if they were allowed, but they were always vigilant, even when asleep. No better guardians existed.

“I let him out right before you came in, sir,” Janta explained.

“All right, are you ready, my dear?” Mkel said to Annan as he closed door to Michen’s chamber.

“Yes, just need to get my shoes on,” she replied.

Mkel grabbed his sword and hooked it on his belt; he also grabbed his crossbow from the wall just inside Gallanth’s ledge and slung it over his shoulder, along with a small skin of water.

“You need all that?” Annan snapped.

“Yes dear, just in case. Shall we go out the back and walk through the forest or go down the front entrance?” he asked her.

“Let’s go out the front to the river,” she replied.

“Hey, why don’t we take Michen with us and give him a later nap, that way Janta can get a little break?” he asked.

“All right, that sounds good. Go get him while I finish getting ready,” his wife replied.

Mkel walked back into Michen’s room and asked him if he wanted to go for a walk.

“Walk, Daddy,” his son replied.

“All right, my son, let me get your seat on Drake ready,” Mkel said as he grabbed the rig from the wall and called over the elf hound. He fastened the harness on the two-hundred-fifty-pound-plus dog, placed Michen in the seat, and secured him in. “Let’s go boys,” Mkel said as he directed the large canine out into his chamber. “Annan, are you ready?”

“Yes my love,” she said with a sarcastic smile.

They both walked to the ledge and down the stairs into the entrance of the water counterweight-powered elevator, which took them down to the landing level. They then walked over to the archway exit of the Weir and through the one-hundred-yard-deep opening as a pair of griffons with their ranger riders soared in. The riders had their mounts dip their near wings and gave Mkel a salute, which he returned. Michen laughed and smiled at the golden brown creatures slowly soaring overhead. They walked out of the stone entrance of the Weir, and Mkel looked up at the carved dragon head that protruded from the top stone, or keystone, of the archway. The two dragonstones embedded in the eye sockets were giving off a low red glow. These stones provided magical protection for the Weir by emanating a spell shield that protected the mountain from offensive spells and catapult missiles, as well as preventing anyone or anything from teleporting into the Weir. They also set off a loud alarm if any evil creature or humanoid tried to enter, as well as controlling the internal temperature and ventilation for the large mountain fortress as if the Weir itself were alive.

The guards in the two watch towers that stood on each side of the archway waved and saluted Mkel. “Just going for a walk along the river and edge of the woods,” he yelled up to them.

“Take care sir,” the guards replied.

Mkel and his family headed down the smooth stone path that edged between Draden Forest and the Severic River. The immense doors were opened and closed by the stone dragon head guardian at the request of any member of the Weir council or on its own, if it sensed the Weir was in danger. The head stone had a moderate level of intelligence, basically a small step above Mkel’s sword and crossbow. The strength of the massive doors had never been tested in a siege, but they would likely be very difficult to breach if ever attacked.

Mkel and Annan, with Michen on top of the fastened seat on Drake, walked along the smooth stone-faced path that snaked along the river bank at the edge of Draden Forest. The forest was a beautiful old stand of various hardwoods and oak. The river moved at a moderately quick pace at this point, but Draden was the farthest point north and east that the large boats or barges could proceed up the river from the capital. Beyond Draden, the river was too shallow for anything but smaller rafts and canoes. This made Draden an important trading town and distribution point, not to mention the key defensive area in the only substantial break in the Gray Mountains for caravans and ingoing and outgoing armies.

The path was opposite the broader road on the other side of the river which horses, oxen, or even retired land dragons would pull the barges up the river from the towns and cities in the western portion of the Alliance. Sometimes sea elves were paid to pull the ships up the river with their killer whale mounts. The only ships that could make it up the river under their own power were the rowed/sail long ships of the Freiland raiders or the rare ship that had a dragonstone-powered or magical source of a wizard with a gust of wind spell. Another major road was built on the western side of the Weir and Draden Forest for ease of traffic ability and in case the southern road was compromised.

As they walked the path, Annan asked about the trip to Battle Point. Mkel assured her that it was only a routine visit, adding that Jodem was going to be joining them. It was all about keeping contact with the legion garrisoned there and addressing their concerns for the plans of their reinforcement by Gallanth and the Weir’s garrison if needed, as well as the whole Draden legion.

The forest was beautiful during the late summer. The tall oak and various deciduous trees offered excellent shade and were very visually appeasing. The river’s waters, while not crystal clear, were serene. As they were walking, Drake raised his wide head and looked into the forest. “What’s the matter, boy?” Mkel asked the hound.

“Is there something in the trees?” Annan asked her husband.

“It is probably just an elf on a patrol,” he replied.

Dekeen always had at least two patrols of two elves that walked his portion of the forest, scouting to make sure there were no trespassers and to gather the many different types of rare plants, herbs, and mosses that the elves made into the many products and medicines that they were famous for.

Kershan’s dragonstone was not glowing, so Mkel knew there wasn’t any magic or danger in the immediate vicinity. He did hear a feint whistle of air, but it quickly faded.
The elf patrol is sending a message by signal arrow,
he thought to himself. The elves, being rudimentarily telepathic and having excellent hearing and eyesight, could rapidly send signals by arrow and whispers, for an elf could hear a whisper at one hundred paces and actually echo it off an arrow in flight. They did this versus using seeing crystals to keep in practice with this technique.

His curiosity about why the elves were signaling was answered when Kershan’s pommel dragonstone began to glow in a low light, which meant it detected another dragonstone weapon, for it didn’t signal him of danger. This meant that Jodem, Dekeen, or Beckann was teleporting in. Just then, the air twenty yards in front of them began to shimmer, and Beckann and Dekeen blinked into position, mounted on Desiran, her unicorn. The magical white horse was as impressive a sight as a dragon.

Unicorns were the powerful horned horses that epitomized all that was good and pure. They were gleaming, large white warhorses, with a flowing white mane and a three-foot golden spiraled horn that protruded from their forehead. They were extremely fast and possessed superior magical properties. Their horn did incredible damage to evil creatures, being able to fell an ogre with a single hit. The horn had the same strength as a dragon tooth, capable of piercing any armor, even dragon hide. They projected a strong spell shield with the same strength as that of the most powerful holy sword. They could also teleport at will without error and detect all evil in their presence. They were immune to all charm, sleep, and death spells and to all poisons. They would only let human and elven women of pure heart ride them, defending their riders to the death. Unicorns also had pronounced healing powers and could neutralize any poison.

Dekeen jumped from the magical horse and gave a hand to his wife as she slid down the unicorn’s pure white flank. Beckann, wife to Dekeen, was a very distant relation to Mkel from hundreds of years past, when one of his ancestors was married to her grandmother for the short life span of a human.

Beckann was a very powerful elf wizard, being only slightly behind Jodem in magical ability. She was extremely beautiful, with only Jennar, the elusive nymph of Draden Forest, being more stunning. Beckann’s long golden hair and blue/violet eyes, along with her stunning features and statuesque figure, all added to her radiance. She and Dekeen oversaw the elf clan in Draden Forest. When she didn’t travel with the Weir’s forces, she took up the defense of the Weir in the absence of Mkel, Gallanth, and Jodem. Beckann and her powerful unicorn mount made her respected among elves and feared by evil forces.

Her long green and blue silken dress flowed elegantly over her slim figure, and her pointed ears barely protruded from her golden hair. “I heard the son of Mkel and Annan was walking past my woods,” Beckann said in her soft but smooth voice as she walked over to Annan and Michen.

“Your elves are getting sloppy, my friend; Drake was aware of their presence,” Mkel said as he gave Dekeen a greeting hug. This show of emotion was unusual for elves, but the two were close friends.

“It’s hard to fool an elf hound. We breed them too well,” the dark-haired, emerald green-eyed elf replied. “The drill today went well; your archers were even loosely accurate,” he continued with a smile. “It was an impressive display. I assume Gallanth is sleeping now.”

“Yes, you know dragons, either sleeping or philosophizing. You and your elves were on the mark, as usual,” Mkel replied.

“Enough with the serious talk, you two. Annan, how is the little sprite?” Beckann asked. After scolding Mkel and her husband, she leaned down to pick up the young boy, and she and Annan walked away from the two men.

“All right, my lady,” Dekeen said to his elven wife, as he and Mkel strolled along the river bank. “My friend, I have a couple of things I need to talk to you about before you go to Battle Point. Both Beckann and Eladra have had disturbing images of a growing threat to the east and the plains. With the increased enemy activity around Battle Point and these images they’ve been experiencing, I just wanted to warn you to be on your guard out there.”

“I know, Gallanth has been experiencing increased visions and dreams as well, and they are growing with intensity,” Mkel answered.

“These are bad signs, but only time will tell for sure. The sea elves told one of my patrols that they killed three Saragwin about twelve miles downstream, and that they were scouting a cargo barge. This is the farthest up the Severic River that they have ever been seen. Haldrin has also reported greater activity along the Gray Mountain border, as well as more frequent attacks in the non-Alliance villages and settlements in the mountains,” Dekeen said with concern.

“Yes, Slidess and Colonel Lordan have reported the same from both High Mountain and Eladran Weirs, as well as raiding parties of orcs, grummish, and gnolls performing probes along our borders. Granted, they’re not getting very far with the rangers and Haldrin’s elves patrolling there, but that along with what Lupek discovered about the giants says something is going on,” Mkel commented.

“Your trip to Battle Point might provide some insight. I give you our prayers for your safe return,” Dekeen said.

“Thank you, my friend. I will have the most powerful dragon in the world and a master wizard as companions; how could I be safer? However, I will take extra bolts and gems for Gallanth’s synthensium. We also have a backup, just in case,” Mkel said with a wry smile.

“You could take an elf with you,” Dekeen shot back.

“You are needed here, more so if Haldrin calls for help or if something happens; the Weir can count on you and your clan,” Mkel answered.

“One elf would be hardly missed,” Dekeen said.

“Yes, but Elm and your leadership would be,” Mkel replied quickly.

“I understand, but I would still feel better if I went.”

“Next time I will talk to General Daddonan to allow an elven envoy to accompany me on a goodwill visit to ensure the ancient alliances between our peoples are maintained,” Mkel said.

“I will hold you to that, my friend. Beckann, have you had enough bothering lady Annan and their son?” he asked as he turned to his wife. The elven couple had two daughters, which was unusual, for elves had an extremely low birth rate. This was likely due to Beckann having a distant human trace in her family, also rare for an elf.