After examining the situation, it appeared that virtually every angle was blocked to them, except one possible route. Normally, the commanding officer would return the message, saying that the Elves were going to uphold their alliance with the humans. but if Legon stated that he and House Evindass were in full support of humanity, then…
He broke the connection. “I don’t get it. I am more than willing to tell the Iumenta that I plan to fight them, but how will that affect this fight?”
Sydin spoke. “Because you are the head of a great house and you are coming out in opposition to Hoelaria and her control of the Cona Empire for the first time, if they hit with their full forces and you die, then the rest of the great houses may declare open war with the Cona Empire and the Iumenta country-the Impa Empire.”
“But isn’t that what all of us want?” Sasha asked.
“They want it, but on their terms. if they send in a small force then the great houses won’t be as apt to go to war,” Sydin stated.
Legon thought about it and decided it was worth a shot. they prepared a reply and at the end he signed it, adding that the House Evindass supported humanity. They gave it to Barnin.
“What do you think will happen?” Legon asked Iselin. she smiled. “I suspect that they will not attack us with their full army, but I don’t know.”
Legon smiled in return. “So I guess we get to wait.”
She placed her hand on his shoulder and smiled again.
Barnin rode toward the Iumenta envoy. he glanced up at the gray sky. It was rainy this time of year, leaving the sky in a state of perpetual gray. oftentimes it would rain or drizzle all day, but today was just cloudy. That meant that there could be someone of importance waiting for him. he squinted, looking into the distance at six figures on horseback.
“Iumenta,” he thought. He was thankful that even the Iumenta adhered to the “don’t-kill-the-messenger” code of conduct, but he still didn’t want to talk to them. He didn’t see the army. they would be kept far back from the border so as to not interfere with negotiations. that wouldn’t stop them from slaughtering innocents with small bands of soldiers, though. “But hey, who’s counting?” he thought.
A chill ran down his spine as he reached the Iumenta. The one with long silver hair was Parkas, Hoelaria’s chief warlord. not a good sign. Next to him was a man with black hair. His clothes had Hoelaria’s crest on it. Barnin wasn’t positive, but he was pretty sure that this was her Senashow-also bad. He raised his mental shields; you never knew what they might do.
He was the most nervous about the Senashow. A boy and his brother, former servants of the queen, had joined the resistance not too long ago. The boy had delivered the queen’s dinner late, and the Senashow was there at the time. The boy had dropped the plate and was missing a tooth as a result. After that the Senashow had blinded his brother as punishment. the boy had been there when he did it, with the Senashow laughing the whole time and calling them apes.
“Focus Barnin,” he thought.
“I come bearing a message from the Pawdin Empire,” Barnin said.
“They send a dog to deliver the message?” the Senashow said coldly. Legon had given him permission to speak his mind. indeed, the Iumenta would make a lot of assumptions about Legon from this encounter. He needed to be rude. they needed to think House Evindass unstable and reckless. He was good at being rude, but he didn’t care to get killed. Still, you don’t kill the messenger, right?
“Did you think of that all on your own? Here is the message. Should I read it for you, or do you think you can handle it?” Barnin taunted.
Iumenta didn’t flush, but if they did he was sure they would have now. “What did you say to me you worthless little ape?” the Senashow asked.
“I thought I was a dog? Ok, I’ll read it to you. it’s ok.” He unrolled a scroll that had the message. he didn’t want to look at them anymore. He could feel the Senashow’s anger.
Parkas spoke. “Do not get angry, old friend. He is a messenger, and one that is terrified. No doubt he was told to be rude. Give me the message, I can read it.”
He got off Poison and walked to Parkas, handing him the message. He tried not to walk back to his horse too quickly. When he got back on he saw Parkas looking concerned.
“House Evindass has no head.”
“Yes, it does. His name is Legon,” Barnin said with pride.
“There is no heir to Evindass. He was killed in Salmont,” the Senashow responded.
“No, he wasn’t. and he wasn’t killed by any of your men over the last few months either. now which one of you was that?” he said, looking the two over and pointing a finger.
Parkas glared at the Senashow. Barnin pointed at him. Now was the time to deliver his real message.
“It was you? Tsk, that won’t go over well. could have taken out the Everser Vald before he was an Elf. That’s rough. Oh well, do you have a response?”
The Senashow started to talk but Parkas held up a hand. he could tell that Parkas was now just as mad as the Senashow, but not at Barnin.
“We will continue our campaign. tell Legon that I look forward to discussing his surrender in the gardens of Manton, if he lives that long,” Parkas said.
With that they turned and rode off. it had worked. He knew it. Parkas would not send his full force without finding out more about Legon. He relaxed and started back to the Precipice. he had just insulted two of the most powerful people in Airmelia. he didn’t drink, but he might start tonight.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“There are two halves to every coin, and together they make one whole that is capable of doing something. If you were to find a way to separate that coin, to take the two halves and set them on their own, you would destroy the worth of both. It is this that I need, but it is also what I fear.”
Sasha followed Legon and Iselin into a room deep inside the dome that was called the preparation room. Along its walls was an assortment of weapons. there were several doorways leading from this room into practice areas, including an indoor archery range.
“Legon, now that you are an Elf, you need a new bow. Your old combat one will not do,” Iselin said.
She handed him a bow that appeared to be plain oak with a simple clear coat. No intricate leaf work ran along its length. it was a simple and uncomplicated design; indeed, it was its simplicity that made it a beautiful weapon. It oozed a refined power. Legon balanced it lightly in his hand.
They walked into the adjoining archery range. The room was a hall that didn’t seem to end, with targets placed at different distances. Each archer stood at a marker indicating the range he or she was shooting at. Sasha saw Elves firing rounds at speeds she never before thought possible. she didn’t even see the arrows fly down the range. In one instant an Elf was drawing the bow and in the next the arrow was somewhere far down range, sticking out of a target.
Legon was standing in front of a sign that read “One hundred yards.” he knocked an arrow and drew back, then hesitated and spoke.
“Iselin, is this the right bow? I can shoot a 200 pounder, I promise.”
She chuckled. “I would hope so. remember, you’re stronger now and I’ve been doing research on humans that translates into Elves.”
