Terin, Avin, Riani, Elen, Teransir, Sil, Hirn and Jan stood in a line blocking the Dortch road.
Just behind each of them a group of seven warriors stood ready to defend them from simulation attacks.
Behind them two lines of mages stood alert to heal and support.
Amassed behind the magicians and their warrior support were Gant, Alena and the rest of the troops,
some five hundred warriors.
The Wishmakers were walking along the lines, shaking their rattles and chanting.
When they reached Riani they bowed, similarly when they got to Elen and also to Sil.
“What’s that about?” Alena asked Gant.
“No idea. Looks good though.” he commented with little curiosity.
Alena’s guard were equipped with various items of detection and also the machines that nullified the shields.
They were the ones with experience of using them and Alena knew that being quick with the button pressing on
those devices was going to be essential.
“Do you think they know we’re waiting?” Jan asked Hirn.
He nodded. “The last report was that they’d be here in an hour. Like any predator they’ll start to sense the food.
If they’re taking even minimal precautions, they know we’re here now.”
Scouts were standing lookout around the forest on either side of the road.
Though it would be difficult for warriors to march through it, it wouldn’t be impossible.
Gant had given orders that any warrior coming in that way be detained if at all possible without injury and their
mistake explained to them. Just when it seemed to them all that there would be no confrontation,
a wave of black robed mages turned the corner about a half a mile a way followed by their own legion of warriors.
Now they could see them marching towards them Riani couldn’t help but think of the tide on Minthrall at the
foot of the tower.
Two hundred didn’t sound likemany, but they made fifty rows of four as they moved closer.
At the head rode Arrin, also robed in black, and next to him what must be Danid.
Riani began to hear the Faery voices singing in her head, and hoped this didn’t mean that she was about to faint.
“Heal our weave, cleanse our love.”
“I’ll try my best” said Riani, Sil and Elen in unison.
They looked at each other in wonder and smiled in recognition of this shared communication.
Arrin halted the company about a hundred yards away from them.
“What are you playing at Terin?” he shouted, sounding understandably annoyed.
“You killed my father Arrin, your own brother, and you plotted to have me killed too.
You and your Leeches aren’t treading another step into my Dukedom.”
Arrin and Danid turned to each other and laughed.
“Your Dukedom is it now? …and this bunch of circus clowns are going to stop us are they? “
He indicated at the mages.
Terin gave no answer. The “circus clowns” had hands on swords and were ready for what might come.
Danid raised a hand, and all the Elite mages visible seemed to be casting something, and then it seemed as if the road was
crawling with hundreds of serpents. The greenish brown colour that Sil knew and detested so well, and writhing
towards them at a fast pace, each one seven to ten feet of deadly poison for someone.
“I think he likes those.” Sil said to Hirn, “He’s always throwing them at people.”
“Yes, I think he has a definite affinity with them.” Hirn agreed, nodding his head.
Almost routinely the warriors, and also the front line mages hacked and chopped until they were gone,
stepping back into position when the threat was ended.
“Injuries?” shouted Alena.
Five warriors raised their hands and the healers attended to them with spellings.
Derel was amongst the healers. He’d never seen anything like this and was thankful for his short sword.
If any had gotten past them he would have needed it.
He could see that others from the school were thinking similarly, as hands moved towards hilts for reassurance.
“I see you’ve thoughtfully brought a snack” shouted Danid, seeing that Hirn and Sil were standing there clothed in
their pre Order of the Elite appearances.
They both smiled as they felt his attempt to absorb a glamour spelling that didn’t exist.
“Sorry” Sil shouted, “you’ll have to work harder than that to feed from any of us.”
Danid was visibly shaken. How was that possible? How had they reverted?
“I did it” shouted Riani, seeing his momentary confusion, “I can heal you too if you want me to.”
Avin swore under his breath at her rashness. Now she would be a target.
Then he realised that it was far to late for that.
Everyone standing against Arrin and Danid’s Order was a target.
“That’s right” Terin added.
“We can all do it. Any of you that don’t like looking like the inside of a carcass, come over here, and we’ll put you right too.”
Terin was trying to protect her. Avin suspected that a few of the Elite mages may well have been tempted,
had they not been surrounded by others who had embraced their condition gladly.
They had moved slowly closer. Now they were about fifty yards away.
“We are simply going to walk right through.” Arrin said. “We have no desire to hurt anyone.”
Alena guessed this meant shields.
She signalled and her people tried to render them useless.
From the look on the faces of most of the opposing mages the equipment had been about sixty percent effective.
“Missiles” shouted one of the healers. For the next ten minutes Avin and the others were displacing the egg shaped bombs.
One landed at Derel’s feet. Without thinking he tried the spelling that Jan had taught him, but that he
had not yet made work in practice sessions.
Fear concentrated his effort, and it vanished.
“Next time yell” Gant bellowed at him, seeing what he’d done, and knowing how many wounded would have resulted
had he failed. Then realising that Derel had just demonstrated that he belonged there, he shouted
“Join Jan and the others on the front line, you‘re idiot enough to be there.”
Derel grinned at him and walked confidently to stand next to his friend.
“Draw your weapons Elite mages” Terin yelled. “There is no food for you here, None of us are stupid enough to
provide it, and in a few minutes we will have rendered all your shields useless.”
The black sea had receded a little and Riani was reminded of Minthrall once again.
This time because a tidal wave of water about thirty feet high and the width of the road was heading straight towards them.
“Mine” Teransir called
“Ours” Elen corrected
The two of them converted the water into mist with a huge fireball.
“That was great Dad, its just that neither side can see each other now! “ grumbled Avin.
Teransir shrugged and dissipated the mist with a heat spelling.
It was just as well because it seemed that Arrin had heeded Terin’s words in a second hand way, and simulations of
about fifty demonic looking warriors wielding scythe-like weapons were riding towards them on horses that
looked like they’d been recruited from hell.
“Oh my! “ Elen gasped.
“Warriors to the front” Alena commanded, and the front line was overtaken by fifty warriors hurrying into formation.
“Get out of the way, Avin’s line. Stand back and stop hogging the action.” Gant shouted.
The front line did and joined to healers to assist where they could.
So far Gant had lost no warriors, and he didn’t intend to.
This assault was powerful though, and the simulations were well constructed.
When the attack was over there were four warriors for whom nothing could be done.
Riani tried to heal each one using the new magic that she’d learned, but to no avail.
It seemed that it needed the recipient to have some ability for magic.
There were tears in her eyes when she realised that there was nothing that she could do.
Wishmaker Ern touched her face, then seemed to be tasting her tears on his fingers, peering into her eyes.
“We too can heal. Leave this for Wishmakers.”
They surrounded the dying men and Riani resumed position with her group, hoping that they could succeed.
They were chanting and making coloured smoke from small candles with their powders.
Gant signalled to a group of warriors and they closed a circle around them to protect them whilst they worked.
It was apparent to Arrin that the tactics that Danid had assured him would have any opposition running in a few
minutes were not working.
He decided to improvise and ordered the legion to march on the rebels.
Danid was furious to have his plans usurped, but the order had been given, and the warriors already on the move.
He didn’t trust warriors. They often had strange ideas about fighting.
Most of the ones he’d known had a code of honour that seemed to make winning as he understood it almost a sin.
Left to himself he’d have disbanded the lot of them.
This was what Gant had most feared.
Strant warrior fighting Strant warrior.
Terin looked at Riani and she nodded and took his hand.
They walked hand in hand to stand alone in front of the oncoming warriors.
Avin fought with every cell in his body to stand his ground and not interfere.
This was worse than the serpents or anything else he’d seen today.
Riani and Terin looking small and defenceless in the face of five hundred seasoned fighters.
He could hardly bear it, but he had to.
Gant caught his eye and acknowledged his understanding. Avin was letting her do her job.
All the soldiers had known Terin, and most of them Riani her since they had been children.
Some of them knew him.
Gant sighed and walked forward to join them.
Standing twenty feet away from the rest the three of them stood, their weapons remaining sheathed.
Alena signalled for the warriors to stand at ease, offering no resistance.
Avin signalled to the mages, albeit reluctantly, to do the same.
The commander halted the warriors. Finn was his name.
He had no wish to kill a member of the Ducal family, or Riani and…was that Gant with them?
“Give this up, my Lord. You can’t win here.” He reasoned with Terin.
“Arrin killed my father, Duke Harol. You served under my father, Finn. Your oath binds you to me, his heir,
not to my father’s murderer.
“The King is sending three legions to catch you up Finny.” Gant said, using the name he’d always called Finn when
they had served together all those years ago.
“It would be a pity if when they did you had to explain that you’d followed the orders of a murdering, lying
scumbag, who is also a wielder of pretty nasty forbidden magic by the way, and killed us all, wouldn’t it?”
Legions were always sworn first to the King, and then to any Duke or third party that hired them.
Finn was in a predicament.
“How far behind?” he asked.
“Half a day by now.” Gant answered.
“I’ll report back to Duke Arrin and inform him that I have grounds to hold off this Legion’s attack until the
King’s wishes are known. “
“You do that, and watch your back. That crowd you’re with are ruthless. They aren’t what they seem.”
Hirn stepped forward to join them. “I think you know me commander?”
“Yes Mage Hirn, of course.” Finn was surprised. What was Arrin’s pet toady doing here?
“ Then believe me if not these.
If you march your men back up that road now, Arrin and Danid will assume that you have defected.
They have no interest in your moral dilemma and no love for your King. They can, and will kill you.
Await the King’s legions in Strant. March past us, and leave us to deal with this.
Surely you don’t think that Arrin is bringing two hundred mages capable of mounting the attacks you just saw here for a
carnival demonstration?”
Finn had to admit to himself that he’d long been concerned about some of the actions of Duke Arrin.
The curtain opener of serpents had certainly surprised him, also the wall of water.
The ravenous brutality of the warrior simulations had made him afraid, and he had seen many warriors in action
simulated and real in the course of his service.
Two of his lieutenants moved forward.
They spoke to Finn privately, but it was obvious that they were not for slaughtering their sister Legion’s
warriors this, or any other day.
“As you suggest.” Finn acquiesced, after hearing what his seconds had to say.
“Lord Terin, We will await the King’s wishes in Strant.”
“I wont forget this Finn. You’ve saved a lot of lives today.”
Terin thanked him and Finn marched his Legion onward to Strant.
As they marched past they were saluted on Gant’s order by his Legion.
Gerard would explain everything, and with any luck if things went badly here, Strant would no longer be defenceless.
Gant could think of no better outcome.
Now there were just two hundred force suckers left to deal with.
“Resume positions” Gant ordered.
Avin joined Riani and Terin as did the others on the front line.
One of the Order of Elite was approaching alone.
He waited half way between the two lines for someone to join him.
This was perhaps a negotiation. Avin moved to go, but Riani stopped him.
“Let me. I may be able to heal him and cause some of them to question what they are doing.”
“No. I’ll go, You‘d be too close to cast a glamour without them simply taking it.” Sil said.
“ Remember I know their ways, and their tricks also. “
It was agreed that Sil go.
Now it was Hirn’s turn to hold down his emotions.
He was wanting to go in her place, but he knew that this was hers to do.
He owed her the chance to take more than just magical power back from the Order of the Elite.
They had raped her soul, and he had helped them, engineered it.
This was hers to do. To show that she was intact and unafraid.
To show that they had not beaten her.
Still however, he watched her every move, and that of the mage she approached.
He would not abandon her to them again.
If she needed him, he would be there for her this time.
“What is it? “ she asked the man. “What do you want?”
“Give this up and you and your renegades can go free. This is none of your affair.
Resist and we’ll overcome you. Who knows better than you what that will mean for you, your brother…his lady?
Give us the rest and go free.”
“The next time you try to weave a compliance spelling on someone at a higher level of mastery than yourself,
you should remember that there is a side effect on the caster when it fails.” she said with genuine sympathy.
The side effect being that it bounces back, rendering he caster compliant and unable to lie.
“Yes Mistress” he said flatly.
“Are you happy being an Order of the Elite mage?”
“No Mistress.”
“Do you want to be released?”
“Yes Mistress.”
“Come with me.”
The man followed her and she brought him to Riani.
“I’ll need to take him a bit further away from them. It’s a glamour spelling I’ll be casting remember? They can eat it."
Riani went with the man to a safe distance and asked him to revert to his usual appearance.
She constructed a glamour and took his hands.
“May this heal you, and may you be free.”
Jan confirmed that the man was clear. She felt no ill effects at all.
He recovered from the rebound of his own spell, remembering everything.
“Thank you” his eyes earnestly did thank her.
“They’ll expect an answer. Should I go back?”
Sil shook her head. “Never,” and motioned for him to stand with their healers.
She then returned alone to the mid point where she’d met him.
“I don’t know who that was Danid but he’s no longer yours, he’s his own man again now and staying with us by his
own choice. If there are any other people hating what you’ve made them, let them come forward.
We’ll do what we can for them.”
Without warning Sil was lifted ten feet up into the air and suspended there.
Danid stepped forward and caused the magical trap to slowly turn.
Underneath he began a small fire spell.
“Let us pass and give us the nourishment we came for, or I will roast her alive.” He demanded.
Avin and Gant as one stepped forward to where Hirn was standing horrified, and about to run at Danid.
Sil shook her head at them and motioned for them to stay where they were.
She fixed her mind upon the image that had come to her and imagined herself to be standing on the meadow land that
it had shown to her. She heard the singing of tiny voices very far away, and suddenly Sil was gone.
Avin also drew his sword to rush Danid, Gant had already drawn his and Hirn‘s face was full of fury as he made ready
to charge, but he held back when he noticed something strange happening around Riani.
“Wait.” he shouted to Avin and Gant. “Look at Riani.”
Riani was laughing. “Sil sends her love, she’ll see us at the castle.”
Riani was glowing, a blue sheen enveloping her. Small rainbow coloured lights seemed to dance around her.
“Its not debatable.” she said. “They want back what is theirs. They want it now.”
The mages sent all manner of simulations and castings at Riani but she just carried on laughing, the blue aura
becoming more and more defined and extending further and further out towards the black robed throng.
Nothing that touched it sustained. The simulations just disappeared into the azure light.
It spread to touch Danid first and from him washed across the whole two hundred of them.
Little lights dancing across a sky suddenly fallen to earth.
Jan almost screamed at Avin, his eyes on the energy monitor.
“She can’t hold all this alone! This will kill her. It would kill thirty of her!”
Slowly Avin freed himself from Gant’s grasp, and walked carefully towards her.
She held out her hand to him and he touched it. The moment he did he understood, and shared her smile.
Teransir and Elen also moved slowly forward, Elen taking the hand of her son and Teransir Riani’s.
The glow was now almost neon and the small lights dancing in millions around the four of them.
Hirn moved forward and took Elen’s hand.
Jan gave the machine to Alena “Write it all down, and when we’ve all fried, someone might find out why” he said,
and then went to join his friends, taking Teransir’s hand.
Gant also moved forward to join the chain, and Terin, and then all of the mages from Strant were joining hands
in the startling blue light, smiling a smile that was gifted from the waters of a blue fountain in a little
piece of green meadow where Sil was laughing and singing with the lights that surrounded her.
The warriors watched in amazement as the black robed army simply dropped to the ground.
Danid was shrieking his fury for a few minutes, fighting the blue light that surrounded him will all of his will,
but at the last also fell unconscious to the earth.
Alena gave a long sigh of relief as the readings on the machine in her hand returned to a level that she could understand as fairly normal.
Well, they were staying blue and not spiking in red flashes over the top of the scale now at least.
Riani was showing a strong blue line near the top end.
She was curious and aimed it randomly at some of the others.
Exactly the same reading from all.
The blue light became a glow and then a haze and then a memory. All that had joined hands also fell to the ground.
Alena looked at the warriors now under her command.
“See to our people and make them comfortable until they wake up.” she ordered, denying in herself the
possibility that any of them might not.
“Then do the same for the other side.”
This was going to be tale for the Inns and barracks for a long time, was her thought,
alongside the thought of, “please, let them wake.”
She sent two messengers. One to let Gerard know what had happened, and Finn of course.
One she sent towards the oncoming legions of the King.
She knew that Gant had played and won a desperate hand over that.
None of them knew what those legions were doing. Maybe it was nothing to with them at all.
Maybe Danid had already won them over.
She just had to deal with not knowing.
There was nothing left to do now except wait.
For Strant’s mages to wake, for the King’s men to arrive, for someone to explain what had happened here.
Alena decided to wait with Gant.
After all, who else could she expect to put up with his snoring?