Forces Collide - Jamie Wilson (ebook reader macos .TXT) 📗

do.”
“So when you lay a white egg, you know you are going to die?” I asked in shock.
“Unfortunately.” She did not seem too pleased with that thought.
“That makes no sense though. Bjart was your father, and yet, he was a dusk wyvern. You would not fight him.”
“That’s because I could never do that to my mother.” She chuckled. “He may have been one, but I did not see him as an enemy. That was never going to be possible.”
I grinned. It was good to hear that from her. I knew my wyvern had a lot of sense, though the fact she was the Sun Wyvern worried me.
'Don’t worry, I live longer than most wyverns,' she informed me.
That made me chuckle. Then I turned my attention to the ground below me. Adurna was within sight. “Let’s land!”
As soon as we had I dismounted from her. Then I whistled and my horse cantered over to me eagerly. “Haemir, Hycis, Taeron, with me!”
Drannor’s mind brushed mine. ‘And me?’
‘Stay here and keep everyone else here. It wont take much to ensure they’re still my allies.’
I saw Drannor nod.
I swung up onto my horses’ bare back and motioned for the others whose names I had called to follow me. It was strange seeing Hycis again. Everyone had thought she was dead, until she turned up with many of the elves from Taror.
I knew that if I happened to be in danger, the few elves I was taking with me would fight to keep me safe. That was their job and they knew it. Haemir in particular had that responsibility; he was the leader of my precious Hawkblades. It was only right that out of all of them he was the one to come.
Soon we reached the gates. The wooden gates were already open, admitting us in. my banner, a silver hawk flying in front of a black moon, flowed in the light breeze, the long white oak pole it was attached to held by Hycis.
We passed through and I saw many of the humans watching as we trotted through the streets. I took the lead now, I knew where to go, and the others did not. I was more than prepared for anyone who thought they could attack me.
I smiled as we trotted; I knew where the different streets led. As we got closer to the massive white hall that was home to the lord of the town, we had to slow down, as more and more humans were crowded there.
Just as we reached the open square at the other end of which the white house stood, I was surprised. The whole square was packed with people. We slowed to a walk. In the few years since I had been gone, Adurna’s population as almost tripled. I had no idea why though.
The humans made a path for us as we moved towards the hall. When we were about three quarters oof the way across I noticed that most of the human’s were female that were around us.
“Manke cael ilya I’ apanonar wanwa?” Hycis asked her surprise showing in her voice.
“To tu Lindan Marcos,” I replied. I knew it in my gut that they had been taken to serve in his army.
We when reached the white marble steps that led to the front door of the house. I could feel all the human’s eyes on me as I dismounted.
As I did, the door opened and a man entered. His brown hair was rather bushy and his grey eyes were stern. Though upon seeing me as I walked towards him, my friends behind me he stopped in his place. My eyes smiled at him and I knew that we were welcome here as long as we did not wrong. I could see it in his face.
Then when I stopped, he walked forwards, a grim smile on his face. My eyes did not leave his face as he came closer.
I knew that Haemir, Hycis and Taeron would be watching the other humans as I dismounted and walked up the steps to greet him.
“Lord Arren,” I said.
He looked surprised I knew his name.
I laughed. “I lived right under your nose for about ten years.”
He looked stunned. It had been an exertion to keep myself hidden. “Welcome to Adurna, My Lady,” he said at last. “What brings you?”
“My people march. I know that you are no longer dedicated to Lindan Marcos and I decided that here, my army would congregate,” I said, my voice was serious.
“Very well, you are forever welcome in this area, m’am,” he replied.
I smiled. “Thank you. We won’t linger too long, only until tomorrow. There is someone you should meet, while I’m here.”
Gaelira had told me it was every town’s right to meet her. After all she was the one and only sun wyvern.
He nodded.
‘Come on down, Gaelira,’ I said in my head.
An answering roar came from above. Then down she came, the sunlight glinting weakly off of my dragon. I grinned at her. There was no way that anyone could not be interested in seeing the hope she brought.
She landed nearby and turned to look at me. “I am Gaelira!” she said in a proud voice.
Lord Arren dipped his head to her. “I never thought I would meet a sun wyvern more promising. Isn’t she gorgeous,” he said. “Rhothilion stands no chance against her.”
She turned to look at him. “Thank you,” she said. “We hope the same. He’ll get no mercy from me.”
“Nor from me, Gaelira may have to exchange blows with the dusk wyvern, but I have the Rider to fight,” I added. Not that I cared in the slightest in relation to that.
“Well we won’t miss the chance to see him over thrown,” the lord said after a few moments pause. “Congregate your army here, you will have no harm come whilst you are all here.”
“Thank you.”
“Not to mention that I think it is about time that he fell. We have been too hard done by for too long.”
I nodded. “That I agree about. While I lived here, I was a good deal disappointed with the way he was treating you all. It’s as if he does not care about you.”
“That he did not. I asked him for help not long ago, orc’s have been raiding us of late,” the man replied. “No help did we get, he said we deserved the trouble they caused.”
That would explain the masses of farmers in the walls now, I thought. Gaelira growled. He had much to answer for and we both knew it.
Sure Lindan Marcos was my uncle, as he had wedded one of my mother’s sisters, Ava Berilan, but there was no family connection linking us. Never would there be either.
I turned and remounted my horse. The crowd slowly parted as we started to move off. I wanted to take a look around and see if there was anything we could do to improve this place before we marched on.
Some of the spell weavers would be helpful, I could see that. There was not much we could accomplish in one day, but I was sure we would be able to do a bit at slightest.
When I reached the army I smiled as Drannor ran to greet me.
“Ikotane?” he asked. Well?
“Lye are creoso sinome,” I replied. We are welcome here.
He nodded. My warriors started to ran out, making camp.
“I’m going into the town again, there is a person I truly wish to thank for all her kindness,” I said.
“Oh? And how do you plan on doing that? Who?”
“The lady who cared for me those not many years ago,” I replied. “I want to improve that orphanage a bit.”
“I’ll come,” he said.
I nodded. “She would probably like to meet you, as would I am sure what friends I still have who are there,” I said. Then I spotted Collin, Sam and Gemma coming over.
“Are you going to visit the orphanage?” Sam asked.
“Yeah. Want to come?” I asked. I knew they should not miss out on seeing their friends who were still there. “Only, there are not many boys and men in the town. Many have been taken by the soldiers to the army encampment.”
This time, I knew that I did not have to worry about time when it came to going into the town. We were free to come and go as we pleased, whether it was night or day. We had the gate well protected, so it was able to stay open.
We started the walk into the city and I smiled as I remembered the walls. Sure some of the humans looked out with conical eyes, but none of them would try anything. It would not take us long to disarm any one of them. Sam, and Gemma did not have their weapons, Gemma was still too youthful.
Gemma was simply with us for the reason that Tiatha was one of the healers who would have their hands full when the battle started. She wanted to help Tiatha.
I smiled as I walked, a few of the humans seemed friendly still. If their lord allowed us in the city, they would not attack any of us. Soon we reached the orphanage. As we did, a group of young children playing on the street who lived there gasped at the sight of us.
Then one darted inside, returning minute s later with Mrs. Glassby.
The human’s olive eyes looked straight towards us in surprise. “Is that you, Greta?”
I grinned at her. “Yes, but that is not my name any longer. You have no idea who you looked after for all those years.”
“Come on in and we can talk,” replied the older human. She led the way inside and I laughed as I saw several former bullies looking with terror at the long covered curled blade attached to my side, plus my powerful longbow on my back.
We moved into the dining room, where a lot of children were eating. All of them looked up as we followed Mrs. Glassby past all of them, to a table I knew was generally only hers.
More children followed us, it seemed they were only really starting their meal.
After we had all taken a seat, Gemma had run off to find her friends, she’d come later.
“So what brings you all back here?” Mrs. Glassby asked, after we’d all picked something to eat.
“We’re mobilising against Lindan Marcos.” All the children were suddenly quiet at my words. That did not stop me from continuing. “It’s time he learnt that the elves are not the blinded fools he thinks we all are.”
Drannor smiled. “He will fall; a sun wyvern has finally linked with Gem, the queen of the elves. Rhothilion has no choice but to fight her when he sees her.”
Mrs. Glassby looked confused. “Gem? Who’s that?”
I chuckled. “That was my greatest of all secrets while I was among you.” I shifted my hair so my ears were hidden. “Recognise this face?”
“Of course I do, but what has this to do with anything?”
“My identity was hidden from you the whole time. I am Queen Gem Hawksong, Sovereign of all Nuban and unquestionably higher ranked than Lindan Marcos. Gaelira Whitescales, the one and only sun wyvern is my wyvern.”
“I do remember a white wyvern in the town, but she was so small in comparison to the one seen in the square today,” Mrs. Glassby said.
“That I can understand. It was several years ago that I left here. Though I thought