first of the Dark One’s minions even get close. I understand the urgency now, but you must buy us time. Many of those we will recruit are past their prime years. They can still fight, but they will make better officers and trainers for whatever young we can induct.”
“We will buy you whatever time we can,” Garth responded, “but every day we delay increases the risk to our party. Make haste with your efforts, General.”
Duke Everich was enraged with his Sergeant’s report. General Gregor and Sergeant Trank had disappeared from sight. His dungeon guard had been dealt with by children from all accounts, children! He picked up the paperweight from his desk and hurled across the room.
“I want those three guards hung in the morning,” the Duke screamed. “And I want it done in full public view with the entire Palace guard in audience. I want those children found and brought to me, all five of them. Now get out!”
Duke Everich’s words echoed through his head. There were five children running around his Palace as if they owned it. His face turned red at the thought of him falling for the child’s story about being a Lord. It was obviously a ruse to gain them access to the dungeon to free the General, but why? He was sure the three whom he had seen were not Targan. They were as Sordoan as any he had met. Why would Sordoan children want to free the General of Targa’s Army? Or should that be Alcea’s Army?
Unbelievable as it was, Duke Everich knew it was something that had to be reported immediately, but it had to be reported in such a fashion that his Master would not realize that the Duke had been tricked himself. He wasn’t about to lose his rank because of one slip. There would always be someone else he could blame.
Chapter 21 Elves
The seven Alcea Rangers left the campsite at first light and headed northwest as the Sword of Heavens demanded. Garth had spent most of the night speaking with General Gregor and his three men, but showed little signs of fatigue. Niki had raved for an hour about her major role in the plot to free the General and Garth caught Tanya’s wink during the dissertation. Tanya revealed that Niki talked in her sleep and that the redhead had been feeling mischievous about not having a major role to play. Garth changed the plan for the escape to include Niki’s participation and Tanya had built up the importance of the role. Niki had been so wrapped up in her own importance that she seemed unaware of the efforts the others put into the plan. That Fredrik had found a way to get into the Palace or that Arik had found a way to signal Tanya that the time to approach the Palace had arrived seemed of little importance to Niki. Most of the Rangers left the campfire during her boasting, but she did not seem to notice. She had continued to retell her tale to the four captive Targans.
When the forest path widened slightly, Garth dropped out of the lead and signaled to Tedi to take over. Garth brought his black stallion alongside Kalina’s white mare and talked softly to Kalina. “How sure are you that the cloak she wears was Aurora’s?” he asked.
Kalina looked over at her mate with a wry grin. “Positive,” she answered. “There has been only one Empress of Sordoa and the symbol on the cloak is the one Aurora chose for the position. Also, the burn marks are magical in nature, but the most telling of all is the stitching of Aurora’s name on the inside of the hem. I doubt that Niki has ever noticed it, or if she did, the name meant nothing to her. It was a good idea of yours for me to check it out while they were inside the Royal Palace. Why are you so concerned about it?”
“It is not the cloak that I am really concerned about,” confessed Garth. “It is Niki that I am concerned about. She is so childish and unpredictable. It is hard for me to picture her wielding the Sword of Heavens against Sarac. Right now, she cannot even hold the Sword, never mind use it. So much depends on our ability to control the Children that I worry about Niki being uncontrollable.”
“Garth, you worry about things that you cannot change,” smiled Kalina. “We do not get to choose the Prophecy Children. We can only work with whom the Prophecy has delivered.”
“That may be easy for you to accept,” Garth returned, “but a warrior must make plans for all contingencies. Have you tried asking her where she got the cloak?”
“Several times,” sighed Kalina. “She always reacts the same, as if I am trying to steal it from her. She insists that it is hers and refuses to discuss it further.”
“Well, at least Tedi is controllable,” Garth said changing the subject. “You are fairly certain that he is the heir?”
“I am positive that the necklace belonged to either Prince Oscar or Princess Callie,” Kalina corrected. “As with Niki, he refuses to discuss it except to insist that it was his mother’s. It seems unbelievable that Princess Callie ended up married to a fisherman in Lorgo, though. That would mean Prince Oscar died and we know from the General that he survived the Collapse.”
“Not necessarily,” Garth interjected. “General Gregor said that Prince Oscar was last known to be searching for Princess Callie. Maybe he never found her and she somehow survived the sinking of the Princess Lydia. Maybe this fisherman rescued her and married her.”
“It is as plausible as any other story,” mused Kalina. “Certainly, the Children do not know the truth themselves. Tedi’s description of his mother does not make her sound like Princess Callie, but I am sure about the necklace.”
“Well, perhaps it was the child who was rescued by the fisherman, then,” continued Garth. “I guess there is no real way of knowing. You are right. We will just have to accept what the Prophecy has given us and go from there.”
Arik whistled softly and caught Garth’s attention. Garth dropped back to Arik’s position to see what was troubling him.
“We are being followed,” Arik said nervously. “I can’t see anyone, but I know they are there.”
“Elves,” Garth simply stated. “You have done well noticing them. They are known for their silence in the forest. We are traveling a line that cuts between the Kingdom of Klandon and Elderal, Land of the Elves. They should not bother us if we continue traveling in this direction; still, you shall keep a close watch and let me know of any changes.”
Garth rode to the front of the procession and came in alongside Tedi. Tedi looked over at him quickly and returned his eyes to the path ahead.
“So, you have heard them, too,” Tedi stated. “They seem to be curious more than threatening. I just wish that I could get a glimpse of them so I would know what they are.”
“They are elves,” declared Garth. “We travel the edge of their homeland. They should not bother us if we do not stray to the right of the path. The left side of the path is the Kingdom of Klandon, but their patrols seldom come out this far. If you have to diverge from the path, choose the left side.”
Tedi’s eyes opened wide in amazement, but they never left the path ahead except for quick darts to either side. Garth dropped back behind Tedi and rode in silence. His mind wandered from pride at the incredible level of skills most of the Children had obtained to the dismal feeling he got when he thought of Niki as Sarac’s descendant. As far as Garth was concerned, Niki was a child in a woman’s body. Before he was aware of the passing of time, Tedi had led the group into a clearing on the left side of the trail to camp for the night.
The Rangers quickly divided up the chores required to get the campsite set up. Garth volunteered to hunt so that the rest of the group could practice. Spring was already turning into summer, yet the forest felt cool. He remembered a time when the cool of these woods would have been a welcome relief at this time of year, but those memories were not recent. Of course, there were no elves nearby then and they were the reason Garth volunteered to do the hunting. He told the boys that the elves would not bother them, but he wasn’t too sure of that himself.
Garth was dressed in his blacksuit and the darkening hour brought little light into the forest. Quietly, he moved away from the camp and deeper into the forest on the left side of the trail. After moving about a mile along the parallel of the trail he turned and crossed over the path into Elderal. He quietly plunged deeper into the woods, moving away from the trail and then doubling back towards the direction the Rangers originally came from. When
