King Jarvis Dagnolir stood and bowed slightly as the druid entered the king's council room. Lord Nariko stopped where he was and returned the show of respect. He was the king's most trusted friend and confidant. They would be able to decipher the truth of the message and generate the appropriate response. Reasoning together had always yielded the best result in the past, and it would not be any different this time.
'Mighty king, this warrior hawk brought us this letter from a General Yukio Ibreshri. He is the general of Queen Daria's armies and the husband of the newly crowned queen of the high elves, Kira Tiranidrol. They say that the guardian Kana inspired the break from King Ciel's people and the formation of their new nation. They also believe that the union of this man and this elven princess was blessed by this Elemental. However, I sense that there is treachery on the part of this particular guardian,' explained the master druid. Of all the Elementals, Kana is by far the worst! She is up to no good. I can feel it.!
'You feel that this particular Elemental does not have the blessing of the other guardians in this matter? What does that mean?' wondered King Jarvis aloud. He knew that by reasoning together that they would discover what the real intent of this message was, even if the sender did not know the real intent.
'The beasts of Tuwa have warned me that there is a rogue Elemental about. They say that the other guardians are working right now to defend themselves and the people of the different races from this dangerous threat. There is much activity across the west lands that we are not aware of,' explained Nariko darkly.
'So, you believe that Kana is the rogue Elemental. I sense that you have hit the mark in this matter. We must not ally ourselves with the wrong side if there is to be a war involving the guardians. It is clear that this intervention by the Mistress of Fire and Air was not something the guardian council consented to,' the king said while stroking his long, silver beard. 'We will reject the claims of this letter and decline in joining in their treachery. After I have written our response, please give the letter to the messenger bird. Once the hawk has left, I need you to gather more intelligence for me. I will prepare the fortifications of our people so that we could withstand a lengthy siege. I do not want to be caught off guard,' explained King Jarvis.
'I will go and do everything within my power to accomplish your command. I may be some time while gathering information, but I will send the usual messengers to you to give updates. I recommend gathering food, water, and other supplies to last for two years. Also, command those that live topside to come within the protective walls of the fortress.'
'You are truly wise, my friend. I will do as you have suggested. Go now; speed will be our greatest ally.'
The druid bowed as the king handed him the finished letter and departed. He took the note and tied it to the leg of the warrior hawk. The hawk had not left his arm the entire time. Nariko probed the mind of the beast to see if it had understood anything that was said. It had, so he was forced to alter the poor creature's memory. After he had done this, he released the bird into the air, and it immediately flew west toward King Kasim. After the visitor had departed, he changed back into his bear form as he exited the fortress. He knew what was required of him and that he would have to be quick in fulfilling his mission.
CHAPTER 8
General Yukio led the massive army of Queen Thejar's men at a quick pace along the trail he had established between the Nairi Canyons and Mount Quang. He had not seen his hawk for many days now and was beginning to worry. He had sent scouts ahead of the army to watch for possible traps or ambushes. So far they had discovered nothing, but they said that there was an ill wind blowing down the side of Mount Konane. There seemed to be a gloom gathering around its peaks, and strange sounds echoed down the mountainside. When Yukio continued to receive this same report from his scouts, he picked up the pace. He left a sizable force along the road as he had previously planned and instructed them to act as a rear guard while they crossed in front of the ominous mountain.
As the main body of the army passed into the shadow of the mountain, a shriek ripped through the air. It was not an echoing sound from Konane; it was from the skies above them. Yukio's head snapped up as he recognized the call of his warrior hawk. He was descending rapidly to where his master was at the head of the cavalry units. The bird came up abruptly to land on his arm. There were two notes on its legs. He quickly removed them and read their contents. His face flushed red with anger as he finished the last note. He turned his attention to warrior hawk as if he were reading the bird's thoughts.
'Bronwen, may I have a private word with you?' asked the general while trying to remain calm.
'Of course you can,' replied the chairman of the High Council. He spurred his horse on to catch up with Yukio as he headed off the road to the north. It was clear that the general did not want to be overheard.
'What did the dwarven kings say?' asked Bronwen hesitantly.
'They rejected our plea outright. King Jarvis politely reminded me that they do not interfere with other races' affairs. King Kasim vehemently refused to side with elves of any kind,' Yukio explained furiously.
'Well, it is up to us then to defend the high elves from all potential threats,' replied the chairman confidently.
'There is more to this than what was in the letter. My hawk was able to tell me more about what took place than what is in the letters,' explained the general. 'He informed me that there is a massive gathering of people and beasts on either side of the Blaine River as far south as the dwarves. He could not tell for sure which races were gathering, but their intent was that of war.' I bet the dwarves are too afraid; that is probably why they have turned their backs on us.
Bronwen sat on his fidgeting steed in stunned silence. He had the sinking feeling that there was more bad news to come. He simply did not believe that the dwarves would refuse to help them when the most revered guardian of the dwarves was on the high elves' side. He did not understand why they had rejected the plea. There had to be more to this than what he had heard thus far. He nodded for the general to continue his report.
'King Kasim seemed to have no other reason than to refuse assistance based on their laws and traditions of isolationism. He does not particularly like elves, so it was not difficult to see why he took the stance that he did.' Yukio was not smiling as he was explaining all of this to Chairman Bronwen. 'King Jarvis, on the other hand, had a great deal more wisdom and put more thought into his answer. He really believes that there is an all-out war brewing and is investigating the buildup of armies in Tuwa. His reasoning makes a good deal more sense than King Kasim's reply.'
'So, did King Jarvis consult with Lord Kromnog? If so, we should take this information very seriously,' Bronwen said while trying to sooth his mounting fears.
'Yes, they counseled together about our request and the reports of an impending war,' answered Yukio.
'Then we must make haste back to our queen so we can prepare for the worst!' the chairman said excitedly. This trip had been much more difficult than he thought it would be. He knew that something was coming and that it was not going to be very pleasant. He just wanted it to be over so they could truly make a fresh start in their new home and build up an enlightened civilization.
'You are right, of course. I am going to send you on ahead to pass on this information to the queen and the council. Have them convene at once to deal with the claims of Princess Kishi so we can be done with that issue. We will need absolute unity to weather the coming storm,' Yukio explained. He knew that if any division occurred that his army would have to work twice as hard to protect the high elves. The cost maybe too high for him to ask of his men. They could fight a war easily in their homeland of Nairi, but in a foreign place it would be very difficult. They would be successful in the end, but many lives would be lost in the cause.
Bronwen nodded his agreement and departed with the high elves that had accompanied them on their journey. The general then addressed the men to give them an update and to alter their orders. He knew that his army was powerful and could withstand the coming battles, but he wanted to make them aware of the difficulties that lie ahead.
'Men, we will have to be on our guard at all times from here on out. I have received intelligence that an army is gathering in the south and will be heading this direction very soon. I take comfort in your abilities and in the support we have from the mighty Mistress Kana. She will aid us in our cause of freedom and in the defense of our
