The Duke and the Dryad (Elemental Series) (14 page)

“Good luck, Lord Wolf
e,” said Sir Braden, coming to his side loyally as he’d done so many times before. “And I would have your back, my lord, so do not worry.”

Wolf
e nodded, and pulled on his helm and raced forward with his men following. He’d never been worried about a battle before, but this time was different. He had a sick feeling in his gut and couldn’t shake it. And he prayed to God he’d survive this war because he couldn’t even think about never seeing his little sprite again.

* * *

Rae couldn’t stand still, she was so worried for Wolfe’s safety. She promised him she wouldn’t go to the castle, but she needed something – anything to occupy her mind while she was waiting for him to return.

She walked outside
her forest hut into the glorious summer air, raising her arms above her head and twirling a full circle. She breathed in the essence of the trees, the leaves, every rock and twig. She became one with the wildlife and also every animal there. The birds chirped happily from the treetops above her, and small animals scurried across the forest floor at her feet. The smell of sweet wild roses and foxglove drifted to her on the breeze.

Then she leaned against the giant oak,
and heard its whisper that the druids had returned. She knew she’d find them in the stone circle. And she also knew she needed to be among others who understood her at a time like this.

She made her way to the standing stones, seeing the druids sitting in a circle within. They wore their hooded white robes as always. They were all men at this time, though it wasn’t a rule not to include women. They’d accepted her into their circle, but she knew that the druids
preferred their own kind instead.

“Chief Humphrey
,” she said, kneeling at the entrance to the stones and bowing her head.

“Rae-Nyst,” he answered
, rising to meet her, speaking in a whisper. “We are so happy you are back. So the evil duke has set you free?”

She stood and joined the man and gave him an embrace. The other druids chanted softly, holding hands. In the middle of the circle atop the sacrificial stone was a large crystal of the earth. So large ’twould take three people to move it.

“The duke is not evil,” she assured him. “And he has not set me free, rather he is away at battle.”

“Aye, we know,” he answered with a nod.

“How do you know this?” she said. “Did you overhear us talking?”

“Nay, we saw it in our crystal. Come. Join us, goddess of the land,
and you can see the battle taking place as well.”

Curious to know of Wolf
e’s safety, Rae accepted his offer, sitting in the circle and holding hands with the rest of the druids. She felt the disturbing presence of battle immediately. She closed her eyes and joined in the chanting.

“We are p
raying to the god, Lugh,” Humphrey whispered. “Pray with us so you’ll attain ‘raven knowledge’ from the god of destruction. With this gift, you’ll be able to see into the future, the past, and beyond the veil of death. Look for a raven, for that is Lugh’s messenger.”

Rae focused
within herself, thinking the god of destruction reminded her of
Duke the
Destroyer
. She tried to still her mind, and immediately she felt the strong power flowing through the group. Then she heard the cry of a bird and opened her eyes to see a raven sitting atop the huge crystal in the middle of the circle. She saw a vision in the stone beneath the god of destruction’s messenger.

Wolf
e fought like a madman, as the troops against him were too large, outnumbering his army. Death reigned all around him, and she could see he was not wearing his protective armor. Then she saw an arrow strike him, and he fell to the ground. He wasn’t moving, and looked to be dead. Then she saw the veil of fog part to the other world. There stood her mother, smiling at her. There also stood two people whom she somehow knew were Wolfe’s parents. The raven flapped its wings and flew through the parting mist. She saw Wolfe, arm outstretched to the departed ones, walking through the veil to join them.

“Nay!” she screamed aloud, breaking the connection of the group and jumping to her feet. She fought back her emotions and mentally connected with the raven, asking it to help protect Wolf
e instead of lead him into the next world.

The raven hissed and took off in flight, and she did not think it was going to help her.

“Rae-Nyst, we’ve seen the vision too,” said Humphrey softly. “There is naught you can do. His time has come and he will now enter through the veil and be reborn again in another lifetime.”

“Nay, I won’t accept it. That is not true!”

“Please, sit back down,” he told her. “Do not break the druids’ focus.”

She shook off his hand from
her arm and ran through the forest. She came to a stop before her ancient oak, laying her hands upon it and closing her eyes. She had to help Wolfe, but she didn’t know how. There was only one thing she knew how to do, and she had to try it. Though she knew if Wolfe survived, he would not agree with her action.

* * *

Wolfe led his men into battle, his war-like self now coming to life. He’d pushed the thoughts of Rae from his mind, and instead focused on doing what he knew best – killing – destroying – bringing the enemy to their end.

His sword
clashed with those of the Dolmars, and he managed to take down two men from the back of his horse alone. His knights and soldiers fought bravely at his side, the sickening sound of battle axes, and maces thudding into flesh echoing in his brain. He heard a shout from behind him and turned to find Sir Braden on the ground and in danger. Wolfe’s horse reared, taking an arrow to the side, and he knew it was about to go down. He dismounted quickly and rushed to Sir Braden’s aid on foot, thankfully managing to stop the man with whom his knight fought.

“My thanks, Lord Wolf
e, though ’tis I who is supposed to be watching your back.”

“You’d do the same for me, Sir Braden.” He turned to raise his sword just in time
to block a killing blow. “Actually, you have done the same for me many times in the past.”

“There are too many, my lord. Why
doesn’t Lord Clive and his men move in? We could use their help.”

Why indeed, he thought as he too
k down another attacker and glanced to the trees where Lord Clive sat still atop his mount, his men ready for battle at his side, but not giving the command for them to move forward.

“This isn’t right,” he called over his shoulder to Sir Braden. “This isn’t our war, ’tis Lord Clive’s.” He then noticed above the he
ads of the soldiers atop the hill, the banners of both the warring leaders, Lord Solomon and Lord James, signifying they were on the field as well. They were not far off, if he could just reach them, possibly he could stop this damned war before it took the lives of every one of his men.

“I’m going to try t
o make my way up the hill and talk some sense into these opposing sides. If I can get them to call a truce, we can walk away from here with our lives. If not, this may be the end, good friend.”

“Aye,” agreed Sir Braden. “But I cannot let you be killed, my lord.” The knight quickly removed his metal gauntlets,
then took the protective metal chest-piece off as well. “I give my armor to you, Lord Wolfe. Now don it to help protect your life.”

“Put that back on, you fool, before you’re killed,” warned Wolfe, ignoring the chest-piece Sir Braden held out to him.

“You cannot die, my lord, or Rae-Nyst would never forgive me for not doing something to save you.”

“I have no intention of dying this day,” he told him, heading up the hill. “Now if you really want to do something to save me, then let’s get the hell over to Lord James and Lord Solomon and see if we can do something to stop this battle.”

Lord Clive watched Wolf
e making his way toward the sparring leaders. He knew he wasn’t going there to kill them, but rather to probably talk them into a truce.

He couldn’t have that. He’d worked so hard to turn the two sides against each other to begin with
, just waiting for an empty throne to claim as his own. And now, Wolfe was going to stop the war somehow and with it, ruin his plans.

“Shall we move
in to help him, my lord?” asked his archer from atop the horse next to him. “If we don’t, they are all going to lose their lives.”

“So be it,” he said. “I never meant for us to help in the first place. I just wanted to witness
Duke the Destroyer’s
demise.”

“But he is your son, my lord.”

“Nay. He’s been reared by me but was my fool brother’s son. He means naught to me, and I would not miss him when he’s gone. Now raise your bow and shoot him in the back as he’s headed for the rulers’ pennants. I cannot allow him to convince both sides that they should call this a truce.”

“My lord?” the man hesitated and looked to him in question. “You mean for me to kill him?”

“Are you addlepated, not able to understand or take a command? Now do as I say or I’ll slice your head from your body before you can move that horse.”

“Aye, milord.” The archer
readied an arrow and raised the bow. He hesitated, letting the tip dropped slightly.

“Give me that damned thing, you stinking coward!” He reached out, snatching the
bow and arrow from the man, and sinking his blade into the archer’s chest in return. “I cannot have loose ends,” he muttered.

Raising the b
ow and aiming the arrow, he realized he had a clear shot. He chuckled to himself, thinking how easy it’d been to convince Wolfe he didn’t have time to don his protective armor. He’d be able to kill him easily from the top of his horse with one clean shot. Wolfe was making his way up the hill, with no one behind him but that fool captain of the guard.

He let loose the arrow, but at the same time a limb from the tree he was under broke off, hitting his hand.

“Damn,” he cursed, as the arrow went off course and instead embedded itself into Sir Braden.

He went to
nock another arrow, but a vine shot up from the ground, winding itself around his wrist. The more he pulled, the more the vine tightened. He cut it with his dagger, but two more ends popped out from the severed part.

“What’s happening my lord?” came the scream of one of his men. He looked ov
er to see all his knights on the ground, no longer on their horses. They were dodging falling branches and vines were wrapping around them tightly in just the same manner as himself.

“’Tis trickery. Witch magick,” he growled. He’d seen something similar to this when he’d stolen the wood nymph years ago.

Then to his surprise, ravens and raptors dove from the sky, buzzing around the heads of every man on the battlefield. Instead of fighting each other, they took to fighting the sky attackers. And as the vine tightened around his neck he saw Wolfe clasping the arms of first Lord James and then Lord Solomon in what looked to be a truce. A horn sounding for retreat split the air and that’s the last he remembered before falling to the ground unconscious.

Chapter 12

Wolfe rode through the gates of Manterra Castle just as the sun set on the horizon. His men were beat, and he, himself, was feeling weary. He rode Sir Braden’s horse, as his own had perished on the battlefield. He pulled a make-shift stretcher of wood behind his steed, Sir Braden strapped to it with an arrow pierced through the back of his shoulder, very close to his heart.

The man was close to dead and he could only hope the old healer could save him. Sir Braden fought bravely, always watching Wolf
e’s back, and hadn’t he removed his armor, thinking of Wolfe’s own safety, he wouldn’t be in this position right now. Though the man said he hadn’t purposely taken an arrow for him, Wolfe couldn’t help but feel that the arrow was not a stray, but intended for him instead. By right, he should be dead right now, and Sir Braden should be pulling his body back to the castle.

The
servants as well as his reeve and bailiff rushed up to greet him.

“My lord,” said Waylon
. “We are so happy to see you were not killed. Then the battle is over?” he asked.

“They called a truce, thanks to Lord Wolf
e,” said Sir Norman, slipping off his horse and handing the reins to a squire.

“A truce?” asked the reeve
. “Is that customary in battle?”

“Nay,” said Wolf
e, dismounting, bending down to untie Sir Braden from the pallet. “’Tis not customary, but then naught about this battle was normal.”

“My lord?” asked Baxter
, confusion showing in his eyes.

“We were attacked by the forest as well as birds from the sky,
” explained Sir Theodore, coming to join them.

Wolf
e was glad his best knights survived, but he mourned the loss of over a dozen foot soldiers today. All for naught.