Elf Lords: 02 - Last of the Elf Lords (11 page)

The six riders spurred their horses into a charge. Landis kicked the downed rider in the face and spun about, readying the Sword of Alexon to face the attackers. He watched as one of the riders was felled by another arrow.

A battle cry erupted from the forge as Weslocke Blademender ran out into the opening, holding his battle axe high over his head. He hurled the blade, sending it flying end over end until it struck the rider closest to Landis, knocking the man off of his horse. Trevor Kahn appeared, galloping in on his horse from his place of hiding to join the fray.

Jordan stared at his injured daughter, unable to fathom how she was still on her feet after being struck by the arrows. Then he saw her eyes. Megan was seething with anger. She screamed in rage as she charged after Jordan, only to be stopped by a ball of fire that struck her; exploding in an instant and sending her tumbling to the ground.

“That is not your daughter!” Natis shouted.

Jordan was stunned to see both Natis and Weslocke, but after seeing what Megan had already survived, he did not have to be told twice to believe that this was not his daughter.

Landis stepped to the side of a charging horse just before being run down by it. He swung his sword, slashing the rider’s stomach open. Another rider dropped to the ground after an arrow pierced his neck.

“We have to get out of here!” Natis yelled, as he watched Megan struggle to her feet.

Landis grabbed one of the horses and flung himself into the saddle. He passed Weslocke—who had just retrieved his axe—and bent over to grab the dwarf. It was not easy, but he managed to swing the dwarf up onto the horse behind him.

Natis was on a black horse. Landis was not sure where the mage had appeared from, but he was happy to see him here. Natis held his hand outward and spoke a few words that none of the others could understand. When he finished, a string of bluish colored lights shot forth from his fingertips, striking the remaining horses and killing them.

“They cannot ride after us now.” He announced.

“What about Jaylen?” Jordan called out.

“He knows where to find us!” Landis yelled.

Trevor Kahn was already leading the way down the muddy street. Landis—with Weslocke behind him—rode in the rear, with Jordan and Natis ahead of him. He looked back at Megan. The girl’s features were changing; her skin was becoming scaly and her eyes black as night. She raised her arms as if attempting to cast a magical spell at them; then she stumbled forward as an arrow struck the back of her skull.

* * * * *

“How did you know that it wasn’t Megan?” Jordan asked, as he rowed.

Landis, Jordan, and Weslocke were all in one of the row boats that they had stashed along the riverbank the night before. Trevor, Natis and Jaylen were in the other. Jaylen had appeared out of the woods just as they began to cast off.

“A number of reasons, really,” Landis began, “when the man in charge looked at the sword, he turned back, as if he was seeking approval from someone. I could clearly see that all six of the other men were simply waiting on orders to act upon. Then I looked at Megan. She was grinning; not the ‘
I’m about to be rescued’
kind of grin either. She then made a motion in something very similar to
thieves cant
to the man who appeared to be in charge. I somehow doubt that you and Petra ever taught Megan how thieves secretly communicate with hand gestures.”

“The other warning I had came from Weslocke.”

“Weslocke?” Jordan asked.

The dwarf was holding on to both sides of the row boat so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. “I was sending Landis a message with the hammer I was using in the forge.”

Landis continued his explanation. “I heard an oddly familiar tapping pattern coming from the forge. When I saw the blacksmith, I knew at once that it had to be Weslocke.”

“I was counting on your elven eyes to see what the humans could not.” The dwarf added.

“I made out the code that Weslocke and I had used for the word
trap
many years ago. That had me suspicious at first. Seeing the Megan imposter’s reaction convinced me. When she fooled you, I knew that it had to be magic. So I signaled my father to kill the imposter.”

“How did you signal that?” Jordan asked.

“He used the words ‘
shoot the girl in the back with an arrow!
’” Jaylen yelled from the other boat. “I told Landis to signal any target that he wanted taken out by name in some manner. When he said ‘
the girl’
instead of ‘
Megan
’ as part of the comment about shooting her with an arrow, I knew that he was giving me my first target.”

“Otherwise I would have never used the word ‘
arrow
’.” Landis added.

Jordan paused to wipe the rain off of his face. “How reliable is this information about Megan’s escape?”

“It comes from Eric’s operative.” Natis called from the next boat, “I believe that what happened back in Cathaar proves that they no longer have her.”

“Too bad that we did not get that agent’s message beforehand,” Landis commented, “we could have bypassed this event entirely.”

“How are we going to find her?” Jordan wondered out loud.

“We travel to Ducaine and begin our search there.” Landis decided.

Trian snapped at Marlow, “Do you not think I already know that, you fool? Need I remind you that if you kept your house in order, instead of drunkenly frolicking with wenches, the princess would still be under lock and key? I have already sent messages to that bitch queen of Alexon, putting the blame for her daughter’s kidnapping on the Empire. I cannot risk having word reach her that we are the ones responsible.”

Marlow begged forgiveness from the Warlord, demonstrating that it was Trian who controlled the strings of the puppet rebel leader.

McRawl spoke up, “I will continue the hunt for her.”

Trian had other plans, “Have search parties continue looking, although she is probably safely hidden in the Tilsaw by now. I have another task for you, Captain McRawl.”

“What are your orders?” McRawl requested.

Trian provided them, “We must prepare for General Kadoola’s arrival. It is too late to stop the summit. I will continue to hunt for the Sword of Alexon, but first I will return to Ducaine. I need something from the wizard to assist us.

“While I travel back, locate your best archer. We are going to set a trap for Kadoola. I will provide you more information when I arrive.”

“What do you have in mind?” Alister Marlow asked.

Trian smiled for the first since before the failed attempt to capture the sword, “We will see to it that General Kadoola is assassinated in Kutur. Without their general, the Libertines will be forced to unite with us.”

“We cannot permit even the slightest hint of our involvement in Kadoola’s death.” Marlow reminded his Warlord.

“I assure you that
you
will be the last person that anyone will consider complacent in his death.”

McRawl changed the subject. “I heard that you were injured in Cathaar.”

Trian rubbed his chest, “Somehow that blasted half-elf saw through my disguise. They had to have some kind of dragon magic to use against me. I was injured by simple arrows! Seriously injured, I might add. That should be impossible. Never mind my wellbeing, see that my commands are handled promptly. Then wait for my return.”

Trian waved his hand, causing the crystal orb to go dark.

* * * * *

“Oh dear.” Seebaul said, as the light vanished from the green crystal orb that he was using to eavesdrop on Trian’s conversation. He lifted the green staff that was leaning next to the orb. “We must not permit them to murder Kadoola.”

“How did you do that?” Megan asked the Elf Lord.

Behind the princess stood Seth, Doogal and Reldoor, the latter remained by Megan’s side as often as possible. The princess was either oblivious to Reldoor’s constant presence, or simply did not mind. Tessa was off taking care of the orphans living in Seebaul’s hidden Sanctuary.

Seebaul answered her question, “These orbs are instruments created by the Dragon Lords, and bestowed to my brother Elf Lords and me, as a means of communicating. We each had one; each coincided with the color of our pearl. Mine is green. The others are black, red, and clear: it must have been too difficult to actually make it true white. There was another one, a silver orb that was used by the Dragon Lords to communicate to us. That one was destroyed. I saw it shatter myself. I kept mine, but the other three were lost. Somehow, Trian has discovered them. That is how I have been keeping track of him. With my orb, I have been able to monitor Trian’s conversations with those who were using the other two orbs. Thanks to Seth, I now have the red orb too.”

“If they see each other, then how is it that they do not see you?” Doogal asked.

“One of my brothers discovered that if we place our pearl beside the orb—like you saw me do just now—that it masks your use, making you an unseen spectator.”

“Is there any way that I can communicate with my mother using that?” Megan asked.

“The orbs only communicate with each other.” Seebaul explained. “Now, we need to find a way to warn General Kadoola that he is walking into a trap.”

“Who cares,” Megan objected, “if the rebels are evil, then let them fight among themselves.”

“Kadoola is not evil,” Seebaul corrected the princess, “indeed he is a fine man. He took part in the rebellion because of his opposition to the empire’s slave trade, and their mistreatment of the lower classes and the elves. If he could unite the two factions, then perhaps the empire can be overthrown and slavery ended. It was Kadoola who named their side The Libertines.

“By comparison, the Lardashens are mostly landowners who oppose the Emperor for political reasons. Alister Marlow was a corrupt general who displeased his cousin somehow and was exiled. He is a great military strategist, but he is no friend of the people. If he were to take over, then nothing would really change.”

“Marlow is a puppet.” Seth commented.

Seebaul agreed, “Yes, Trian is the true power behind the Supreme Commander. In fact, his desire is not to overthrow Roole. This is just a means for him to get what he wants: the Pearls of the Elf Lords. With those, he plans to restore the Dragon Realm.”

“What about my father?” Seth asked, “Trian plans to hunt him down too.”

Seebaul stood up. His body swayed back and forth slightly as he spoke, “Yes, we must not permit that to happen either. Oh dear, there is so much to do and so little to do it with. I must protect the children, but we need to protect Kadoola and Landis.”

The Elf Lord snapped his finger, “I have an idea, call for Tessa.”