Forces Collide by Jamie Wilson (ap literature book list txt) 📖

and I knew she loved him more than his father did. “Is this her?” she asked. Her blue eyes turned to look at me, and I could see there was nothing more than friendship that she wanted from me.

I smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Soora,” I said.

“As it is to meet you, You Majesty.” So she knew did she about who I was? Well that could only be expected and I noticed that though she was a lot gentler in personality than Wistari, he did not even be bothered who he was seeing. His eyes were as harsh as they always were when it came to me.

With my thoughts I said, ‘We are going to have to talk about your father,’ to Drannor.

He sighed, not at my words though. “Must you really think those things around me, Wistari? You know those thoughts are really insulting!”

“I’ll think what I want, thank you. Get out of my head!” his father replied, his tone filled with anger.

I gulped as Drannor hissed. Obviously something in his fathers head was starting to infuriate him. I was certainly glad he was not thirsty. Then I looked at Wistari’s eyes and gulped.

They were black.

Soora put one hand out promptly and caught her husbands shoulder. She sighed as she looked at me and Drannor. “I’ll be back to talk later on. He needs to hunt!”

I nodded. “Go!” I did not want him trying to bite into me. I knew that meant a fight, since Drannor had unmistakably marked me as his.

The two elves hurried off, well it seemed the Soora was forcing Wistari back after a while. Once they were out of range of me, I turned to look at Drannor. “That all but turned bad!”

“Yes, and I’ll be having words with my father about that head of his. He certainly was not thinking things that I can handle when it comes to you.”

I smiled at him. “As long as they stay in his head I really do not worry about what he thinks of me.” I stretched up and kissed him. “Time to be on the move. Can you tell how many we have assembled?”

Drannor looked around at each of the camps. Then he said, “I count at least twelve thousand elves, Gem.”

“There are more of us remaining than I thought,” I said. It pleased me that so many had answered my call. Though why so many of us were left I could not understand. We’d been fighting on and off for the last ten years. I thought my army would have been greatly reduced.

“It seems we had many in training this year. More than we all thought possible. Not often do all the warriors gather together.”

Overhead I saw Gaelira winging her way towards the other wyverns. She would give them my orders and then they would take over. It was not long before they all parted, telling their riders and going to their places. Then I saw the three groups split off. One larger group stayed behind, at least five thousand warriors.

“Time!” I said. Gaelira soared up high into the air. I knew what she was doing. It was time for our challenge to be said.

Up she floated, and then she roared loudly. This was unlike the calls I usually heard when it came to any of them. It was a loud sound that said only one thing, “Rhothilion! Our time comes!”

Then she landed beside me.

“Do you think he got the message?” I asked.

“Only a fool would not realize what I meant by that,” she growled.

I laughed and my group started off.


Chapter 21

Gaelira kept close to me now that we were starting to really move into the human territory. She would not take wing, though she was awkward on her long two legs. I smiled at her as we walked; she always stayed by my side now.

We stopped for the night in a wide open area between two hills. It would be good to stop here; Ackron could effortlessly scout ahead at night time. Gaelira was of no use at night regrettably.

When the sunrise came though, she took off into the sky. She would do a quick check before we left, like the dawn wyvern’s she could use the rising sun as a camouflage.

“Nothing bad for many miles around us,” she said when she landed once more.

“Move out!” Drannor called through the last minutes of the sunrise.

Everyone mounted quickly and I laughed as we continued on. Today we would reach the wide bend in the Mirah River. There we would camp for the night; there were several patches of forest we could conceal ourselves in.

One time though that day, Gaelira said, “Wyvern incoming! No ally either!”

We all gulped and darted into the trees, hiding in them. Gaelira kept watch, she was watching the wyvern. I saw the green scales and knew what it was. If the wyvern spotted her it could only mean a fig…

Luckily, the wyvern passed right over us. Gaelira growled softly and we all continued onwards.

The sun was already setting when we heard the stream running full and strong. The sound made us all move faster, we wanted to get there.

Once we got there, a few of the elves set up camp while I walked to the river to see where the other groups were.

“Quendi a' amin Uruohtar’s,” I commanded, visualizing Jhaer and Nuala.

They appeared moments later.

“Gem,” both said.

“Ngwawa hae are lle yuuyo?” I asked.

“Wanwie Domethdura,” Nuala said. “N’uma er Eluma lye.”

“Wanwie telk,” Jhaer replied. “Two cites burned to the ground. Tel and Kheleskii.”

“No wonder it was a red dawn this morning. That was you,” I said. “How long until you both reach Nuduien? I only have Quinahiroo to deal with then I will be there. It will take me at least another three days to get there. Gaelira nearly had to fight today.”

“What!” both of the others exclaimed.

“A dusk dragon flew by. Not Rhothilion, but an emerald green like my father’s.”

“That is not good information. He obviously got your challenge,” Jhaer said. “He’s on the watch now for any elves.”

“There is no doubt in my mind that he will be. We have the upper hand now. Nuala what happened with Domethdura?”

“They are not going to send any more warriors to Lindan Marcos. They’ve barred the city; no one goes in or out. They value the fact you override Lindan Marcos. They will not be of assistance to him now.”

I nodded. “Aa' lle lema beina arauka,” I said in farewell.

They nodded and I ran back to Drannor to tell him what I had leant.

As soon as I had we moved out again, this time we would spend no time hiding. When we reached the walls, I was unsurprised to see they were shut.

I sighed. It would be a gory battle this time. “Shall we, Gaelira?” I asked.

She crouched. She knew what I meant. We would have to utterly obliterate this one. Haemir leapt up onto Ackron, as Drannor mounted Neldor.

Then Gaelira was soaring towards the town, her body buzzing with liveliness from the sunshine. Despite the fact that she was followed by a twosome of moon dragons, they trusted her.

This town would fall and fast.

Down we went, and Gaelira, aimed straight for the huge house in the center that could only be where the Lord lived. She roared. Then she was floating in the air, ripping at the roof with her legs, tearing it to pieces. As soon as we saw the humans watching her in fear she snarled.

“You brought this upon yourselves by barring your gates against us,” I called to them. Then Ackron reared back his head ad Gaelira flew out of the way as black flames torched the buildings closest to us.

Her head went back and white fire flowed from her jaws. Together she and Ackron set the town alight.

I felt sorry for the people there.

“They chose this fate, remember that, Gem,” Gaelira said sympathetically.

“The children did not,” I replied in her head. I did not like the thoughts I was having. As she finished setting the buildings on fire, we saw our army on the move once more. Neldor remained to help finish the job while Ackron flew ahead to guide our people to Nuduien.

I saw the understanding on Drannor’s face when he saw me.

“It’s hard to believe so many must depart this life because of one man’s mistakes,” I said as we flew to catch up swiftly, for fear that a dusk dragon see Gaelira.

“A man who will in next to no time cause any more anguish to these people,” Gaelira reminded me.

We kept on the move, though I knew that what we had done was not right. Too many children had just died and I knew that they would have been horrified. Then again, my hand had to be strict when it came to all of them.

Gaelira carried me that whole day, she was getting used to walking with me on her back, she said. After all my weight was nothing to her. This surprised me, I was not exactly as light as a feather.

To me what we’d done was murder, but I knew that the others agreed, when it came to the children and women. All the soldiers though deserved it, and to a point that was very accurate to me. They should not have been trying to force the boys to join the army; everyone had a choice in the matter. Or so it used to be in these lands. Not anymore, it seemed. This was not right for them.

That gave me yet another reason to kill the human traitor. By now he would aware of us coming, not that I cared. There was no chance that he would be able to bring together a huge group since we had obliterated several of his towns.

I knew he would find that out fairly soon, but I did not really care. He had to learn a lesson and he was going to get one from us this time. There was no room for pity now that I was actually active in his lands.

We would not stop until he was dead. He started this war and I would be the one to finish it, not him. There was no way I would lead my people into defeat, we would not fall to the humans. They came here after us and that was a good length of time ago.

If they would not abide our rules, then we would force them into submission again, no matter the cost. It was a good chance he thought it was time for a change, but I certainly disagreed, he had to be dealt with, like my mother and grandfather