The Elf King (44 page)

As Slina continued talking
herself into turning back, she noticed the black smoke billowing
north. Tannindell.

She looked back. The Lyyn
Forest was a blur in the distance. She sighed heavily, knowing that
she needed to investigate the matters before returning. It was
probably nothing, she hoped. But even as she thought it, looking at
the dark mass of clouds told her otherwise. She grimaced, lowering
her head closer to Xtalt’s neck, feeling her stomach
churn.

The sun was fully visible
now, its glare shining across the waters of the Upper Krune in the
distance. Slina held her reins steady, keeping Xtalt moving swiftly
as they neared the great city. Even from miles away she could tell
the city was in ruins. Black and grey smoke billowed out from every
part in rolling streams. Something terrible had taken place, she
realized. She could make out small flickers of light from buildings
and structures that were still ablaze.

Slina’s body raced with
chills. She decided not to venture any further. Whatever had
befallen Tannindell would surely doom her if she was caught. She
yanked on Xtalt’s leash with her right hand and he veered sharp,
turning east. She rode towards the morning sun for a while longer,
finding nothing. It would not be long now before she would have
made her way back home. So far, the trip was fruitless.

Almost an hour went by
before she turned south. If anything was north, it would take a
week to reach the Lyyn Forest, she thought. She could scout again
in a day or so, if needed. Right now, she ached to be back, to
start her search for Bim. She promised herself she would not think
of him in a bad way until she knew differently. Bim was a fighter,
a skilled tracker, and could survive on his own. He would be fine,
she thought.

Slina was still miles away
from the Krune’s water, miles from the destruction of Tannindell,
and even further from home when she saw the black horde Terill had
warned her about. She jerked back on the reins, slowing Xtalt,
lifting her head off his, sitting upright immediately. Even
blanketed in the sun’s warmth, she went cold.

Spread out across the Shyl
like spilled ink marched the demons, moving directly towards the
Lyyn Forest.

“
No!”

Slina whispered into
Xtalt’s ear and their pace quickened drastically. As she stared
down the black pool, she saw no end to it. It was massive; she
could not even guess its number. It must have torn through
Tannindell and destroyed everything. Just like it would do to the
Ailia Court. There would be no stopping an army of this size. It
was a juggernaut. Elves and Men would be swept into a fiery death,
she thought. Nothing would survive.

“
Faster!”

She swung Xtalt wide right
and headed back towards the Ailia Court. At a blinding speed, Xtalt
tore through the sky, its passenger clinging to the leather
harness, lying flat across its back. The wind kept Slina’s eyes
dimly open, and at this speed she was scared to move her head far
off his back in fear of being sent flying herself, but she eased
her head in the direction of the
Takers
army, wondering just how long
it ran. By the time she could not see them anymore, she decided
that it must have been a mile long.
Thousands
.

Slina kept Xtalt on his
frantic speed the duration of flight. She guessed that the demons
would arrive near the Lyyn before nightfall. As she reached the
Lyyn herself, she passed overhead at treetop level, eyes scanning
the ground below for Bim. She would not leave without searching.
For several minutes she took Xtalt down beneath the leafy canopy,
making large sweeping circles for him. With Xtalt flying as fast as
it was, it did not take very long to find Bim. He was still at the
eastern tip, struggling to make his way home. Xtalt landed near
him, Slina jumping down to help Bim onto its back, anxious to get
him home. He was bleeding badly about his waist; his hands covered
in blood, his face pale and sweaty. He had been shot by two arrows.
Slina’s heart ached wondering what would have befallen him if she
would not have found him. Holding onto him tightly, she told him
that it would be alright.

Speeding above the treetops
now, Xtalt flew without slowing, heading straight for the Ailia
Court. As it came into view, she made way to the Estrial’s home,
landing again alongside their plush garden in the side yard. As
Xtalt’s legs touched down, and Slina began to dismount, she heard
Terill yelling, running outside with Dornawee.

“
Slina! Slina, what did you
find?” Terill was dressed in all green.

“
Bim?” Dornawee saw Bim’s
wounds. “He’s lost a lot of blood. Get him inside.” Slina carefully
slid Bim down to Terill and Dornawee. Terill beckoned towards the
house, and immediately two more elves came rushing over to them.
They carried Bim away into the house.

“
I found them!” Slina was
in such a hurry, she stumbled off Xtalt and landed awkwardly.
Terill helped her stand. Her face was flush with the horrible news.
Her eyes were watery from the windy ride.

“
They are coming?” Terill
asked what he already knew. “How soon? How many?”

Slina nearly cried. She
shook her head. “So many. They are heading down the Shyl now. I
think by sundown we will see them.”

Terill held a look of
unpleasantness for a second before he stiffened. He would not let
her be afraid, he told himself. “Do not worry, Slina. Light always
follows darkness. And right now there’s an elf traveling into the
belly of the night, carrying the brightest of lights.”

Slina nodded, but she was
still scared. “But there were so many.”

Terill gave her a
reassuring look. “Slina, I need you to do something. Something
dangerous. Something for the war.”

Slina was eager to help, no
matter how dangerous. “What is it?”

“
I need you to release the
Blooders. Bring them to the war.”

Slina felt cold shivers
race down her body.

T
he
sun was shining down overhead as
Ern Dwull raced away from the fiery hailstorm he was conducting,
searching for Lon Ruell. He was bothered now that he had not
confided in Lon the way he should have. He was not sure that he
would be able to do so now, not with the current status of the war
and everything else going on. But maybe after the war they would
talk and he would share his secrets. Nevertheless, Lon had been
gone all morning with the Queen, and surely she would have passed
on by now.

Ern wanted to make sure she
was dead.

He had a flashback then of
how she looked in the castle’s passage, the last time he saw her.
Chills danced down his neck to his feet. He regretted not telling
Lon right away. It was something that he should not have kept to
himself.

But who would have
believed me?

He reached the medic’s tent
and stormed in expecting to see Lon still standing over the dead
Queen’s body. Instead, he saw Sienna wrapped in a blanket. Two
doctors stood next to her, preparing the body for transfer to the
castle. Ern walked over to them, his eyes holding a suspicion that
would not leave until her body was underground.

“
When did she pass?” he
asked quietly.

“
Some time ago, commander,”
one of them replied.

“
Captain Ruell?”

The two medics
shrugged.

Ern walked closer to
Sienna’s body. He pulled back the wrap from her face. The sight was
disgusting. Her face was sunken in as though she had been deceased
for several days. The smell was horrific. Ern backed away quickly.
He left the tent without a word to the doctors, intent of finding
Lon Ruell.

He marched back through the
linesmen, to the secondary captains serving under Lon. “I am
looking for Captain Ruell. Have you seen him?”

“
He was asking around about
some sword,” one said.

“
We have not seen him
since,” another added.

Ern was confused. “I need
to speak to him urgently. When you see him, send him my words,
captains.”

Ern reined his horse again.
He would continue to launch the aerial assault until the Elves
showed. Then the real fighting would begin. He squeezed the pommel
of his sword as hard as he could, his knuckles turned white. He
began hoping that Lon would return before then.

As he turned his horse
back facing the troops, he saw a wagon-carriage leaving with an
escort. It was Queen Sienna’s ride home, Ern knew. She would be
taken back to the castle and disposed of.
Buried
, he corrected his
thinking.
Have respect; she was after all
the Queen.
He felt melancholy now,
watching the last of the House of Andelline being wisped away
deceased. No one was left. The King should have been here, Ern
thought angrily. His death would be avenged.

As he watched them leave,
something caught his eye. He could hardly believe what he was
seeing. Yelling and cursing, he cleared the way for his horse as he
made way for the departing carriage. Keeping pace with it, he eyed
one of the men guarding the dead woman’s body inside the carriage.
Ern’s face was a mask of complete puzzlement.

“
Lon!” Ern Dwull cried.
“What in the name of glory are you doing?”

Lon turned idly. His eyes
were cast dark, lost in deep thought. Ern yelled again, but Lon
didn’t answer. He simply sat next to the Queen’s mummified body,
oblivious to Ern’s intent.

“
Where are you going? Lon?
You can’t be serious! Lon!”

Ern Dwull could clearly
tell that something was wrong with Lon. Surely Lon could see that
his place was not with the dead Queen, but at the front with his
men. Maybe watching her die had been too much for him. Maybe he
thought that by protecting her now, he was making up for not being
able to when it had really mattered.

“
What’s wrong with you? You
cannot leave, Lon! We’re at war! Lon, answer me! Lon!”

Lon stared blankly. A
second later, something happened to him, as if he finally became
aware of Ern’s presence. He stared into Ern’s eyes
coldly.

Ern slowed his horse,
watching the wagon drive steadily away. He reeled back his horse,
and raced away to the war. Whatever was on Lon’s mind, it had
nothing to do with winning the war. He hoped that once the Queen
was buried, Lon would return to his senses and come
back.

Chills were still running
across his skin from the look Lon had given him.

Chapter 25

“
C
ommander! He’s here!” voices
yelled in a chain as they sought to grasp Ern Dwull’s attention.
Through the swordsmen and bowmen, past the thunderous creaking of
the firing catapults, their words rang out until they reached the
front line. Atop his black horse, Ern Dwull caught word and turned
away from the action. He stared into his sea of men as they looked
back in the direction the word had spread from. A cloaked figure
stood some fifty yards away, walking towards the army.

Ern squinted, unsure of the
stranger. Lon was his first thought, but was quickly taken out of
equation due to the other’s physical stature. With his sword in one
hand, Ern turned his horse and made way through the army towards
the approaching figure.