“I thought Avanti was all farmland,” Jala said as they stopped at the top of a gentle rise and stared down at the beginning of what looked to be a rather large sized forest.
“The Lord’s forest,” Sovann said from just behind her. Pushing his horse forward he gazed down at the trees for a long moment then looked over to her. “If not for the trees you could see the walls of the city, Jala. We are less than a day out now.” His voice was quiet and his gaze returned to the forest the moment he had finished speaking.
“Are you all right, Sovann?” Wisp asked, her voice filled with concern. It was no secret that the Fae had grown very close with Sovann and Jala was amazed the two weren’t already sharing a tent with the way they acted.
“My mother and sisters are in the city,” Sovann said softly.
“Will they fight us?” Valor asked from Jala’s other side. The knight had been riding beside her all morning and though there hadn’t been much conversation between them, his company alone had been enough to keep Jala’s spirits up.
“My mother and sisters?” Sovann asked in shock, and then quickly shook his head. “No, they don’t fight. My little sister is only ten, and my older sister has never fought a day in her life,” Sovann explained quickly.
“Then there is nothing to worry about. If they don’t fight. We won’t kill them,” Valor assured him, though Jala doubted the words did much to ease Sovann’s concerns.
“Can you form a mind link with them and tell them to get out of the city?” Wisp asked hopefully.
Sovann shook his head with a frown on his face as they continued down the slope at a slow walk. “My mother is a ward of House Avanti. She wears a slave chain because the High Lord didn’t trust her to obey him when she arrived. She can’t leave the city or he will kill her with it. My father tried to sneak her from the city once when they were young, or so my mother says, and she nearly died from the punishment.” Sovann let out a harsh breath and shrugged.
“That explains why your father serves House Avanti. I had wondered about that,” Jala said quietly, her eyes moving to the forest once more. She wished she could offer him some solace, but the memory of how many she had mistakenly killed during the attack on Sanctuary kept her mouth closed on the matter. Less than a day and she would break House Avanti. Less than a day and Sovann might watch his family die. Shaking her head at the thought, she resisted the urge to gaze behind her to where her own family rode in the supply wagons. Her mother, her little brother, and her son all as safe as she could make them. If she were in Sovann’s place, could she still fight, knowing those she cared for would die if her spells brought down the wrong building.
You think too much, Marrow scolded gently.
Jala smiled faintly and her attention turned to the two Bendazzi that were ranging in the field beyond the horses. I don’t think I could do it, Jala admitted through the link.
The ones that truly matter to Sovann are riding beside him. He may love his mother and sisters, but he loves Wisp and his friends more, Marrow said firmly.
Jala glanced to her side long enough to watch Wisp take Sovann’s hand as they rode and smiled. You may be right, she told Marrow and let the mental link fade between them.
A deafening roar rose in the distance ahead of them, sending birds scattering from the forest ahead. Jala pulled her horse to a stop beside her friends and looked over to Valor. “What the hell was that?” she asked.
Valor frowned, his eyes on the distant horizon. Lifting one gauntleted hand he pointed toward the distant sky. “Dragon,” he answered quietly.
Jala stared in the direction he indicated and frowned at the tiny dark shape in the sky. “Are you sure that’s a dragon? Surely we couldn’t have heard it that loudly when it’s still that far away. If that little speck is a dragon it must be thirty miles from us,” she objected, then turned in her saddle at the sound of quickly approaching horses behind them. She recognized Nigel in the lead of the small group of riders, but the others she had never gotten a chance to meet. His small group had hid themselves among the camp followers in the guise of merchants and she had never sought them out personally.
“Dragon,” Valor repeated with a wink as she turned back in her saddle to stare once more at the quickly approaching threat.
Nigel pulled his horse to a stop beside the company of knights that rode behind her small group and Jala watched him dismount and casually toss his reins to one of the Arovan. Walking forward he stopped beside Jala’s horse and smiled up at her. “I believe this will be an issue that would best be dealt with by me and mine,” Nigel said with a tight smile.
“Margundrak,” another man said as he approached, his eyes on the distant sky. He was dark haired and tall with broad shoulders. The black suit he wore nearly matched Nigel’s fine clothes in appearance and looked more appropriate for a fine dinner in the city than riding to battle. Like Nigel, he wore the dark sunglasses to hide his draconic eyes. Raising a hand slowly to his jaw he ran a hand across his neatly trimmed beard and glanced over his shoulder. “Girls, I believe this might require your help as well. Vosha, you may stay and wait with the High Lady in the event that there is trouble here.” He spoke with calm authority and at his words, three beautifully gowned women approached. Jala stared in amazement at the jewel toned dresses they wore and wondered how they had managed to stay so perfectly clean.