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

before me had thought.

The terrain between the Mirah River and Quinahiroo was very open. The land rose and fell, some was very rocky indeed. The horses often sent rocks moving as they found their paths down those rocky flats. Then we reached a huge valley and I knew we were almost to Quinahiroo. This was the first of three adjoining valleys. Quinahiroo was in the second one, I knew this much. This first valley was full of trees which we would camp in for the night. Then tomorrow, we would go into Quinahiroo.

The night passed us by very quickly. None of the humans in the next valley seemed to know how close we all were. Even if they did, there was no stopping the fury I was bringing against them. Not that I cared for them all right now.

We took little time to all be ready and on the move once more. There was no red dawn today, but tomorrow there may be one. I knew this city was in opposition to us, and so, we would have to obliterate it.

Just as we entered the sight of the city guards, I heard their warning bells ringing out instantly. Uproar was heard too, men rushing into position.

I sighed and Gaelira roared, taking to the skies, with Neldor and Ackron. They circled above as my army fanned out, surrounding the city. Horse after horse fanned around the city, I was just in front of the ranks they made. My stallion whinnied.

‘Now Gaelira, break down that gate!’ I said.

‘With pleasure!’ she replied. All three massive wyverns dove, Ackron and Neldor protecting Gaelira as she set about throwing her entire weight at the gate to bring it down.

It did not take very long and the group I had converged on the city. Gaelira then proceeded to take out the western, eastern and southern gates, letting in the elves stationed at those.

Magic shot from the elves. Archers took each other on. Fire torched buildings. Drannor and the others of his kind hunted.

The city was ruined within the hour.

Dawn had not even fully finished.

Now there was a red tinge to the sky and I knew it was from our attack. No one spoke as we left the ruined city to continue on.


Chapter 22
Roars rang in Nuban from the wyverns as all of the elves met in a valley not far from Nuduien.
What I was not anticipating was the news Jhaer had for me.
“We found Elanil,” she said.
“Where and how?” I exclaimed.
Goldberg snorted. “The town’s name is insignificant. She was enslaved in the town. Jhaer and I put an end to that.”
“Where is she now?”
“She’s in our tent. She was asleep when we joined you.”
I gasped. How poorly had she been treated? Elves never slept during the day. If they did, well it meant something was wrong.
She smiled at me. “Go ahead, Gem.”
I nodded and walked to where I knew her tent was. When I got there, I was capable to hear the sound of someone’s peaceful breathing as they rested.
A smile was on my face as I entered and she looked up at me. “Hello Elanil,” I said happily.
She looked at me and then finally smiled. “Gem?” she asked.
My grin widened. “Yes it’s me, little sister.”
“I suppose that since you are the Queen nowadays that our mother and father have both passed?”
She seemed used to the knowledge. “Regrettably, yes.”
I sat down on the bed beside her and smiled at her. “They were killed thanks to the man that I will with any luck destroy in two days time.”
“It’s good to know that they will be avenged.”
I chuckled. “I don’t think I’m going to let you fight. I want you to stay back here and help the healers,” I said.
“I think that is the thing I would rather be doing. Fighting is not something I am of a mind to partake in, even if it is no more than practice.”
I smiled. “I’m glad you agree, Elanil.” I noticed that the only difference between the three of us were our eyes. Mine were the same blue as the sky. Hycis had grass green eyes. Elanil had steel grey eyes, darker than our mothers. “I’ll see after the fighting is done with, alright? One way or another I will see you again. For now you need to rest, you still look very tired.”
I cared a lot for my younger sisters. For once our mother had said, “Look after your sisters; they will need you to help them one day.”
“I plan on doing just that,” Elanil said. “One thing though, are you and Hycis both wyvern riders?”
“No only I am,” I said.
“Can I meet your wyvern?” she asked in curiosity.
“Sure,” I laughed. “Come on, I’ll show you her.”
‘I look forwards to meeting your other sister, Gem’ Gaelira said in my head.
‘Of that I am glad,’ I replied back to her.
Then Elanil and I walked out to where I had left Gaelira.
She turned her long head to look at me and Elanil. Her orange eyes glowed as she looked at Elanil. “Greetings Elanil,” she said.
“Hello,” Elanil said shyly.
“Elanil, this is my sun wyvern, Ga…”
“My name is Gaelira,” Gaelira cut me off.
Elanil and I both laughed. For a few seconds Gaelira also laughed. I knew that she rarely laughed at anything, and to hear her laugh at her own words was a bit amusing. She’d laughed in a while.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Elanil Hawksong,” Gaelira continued. “You look much like your sisters and mother.”
I smiled at my dragon. She was always so scrutinizing of the others. No wonder I loved her, she was just like me. I’d noticed the same similarity between my mother and Elanil.


Chapter 23
The sky was cast into brilliant different shades of orange, intermixed with faint rays of pink when I woke up. The weather seemed good for flying as I looked over where Drannor had gotten to while I was asleep. This would be a good thing.
We would not siege Nuduien today. Instead we would scout the surrounding plains and set up a camp a good distance from the fighting. That way we would have a place to rest that was away from the danger.
Or so that was my plan anyway .
Drannor was all for trying to convince Lindan Marcos to come out alone, but I was not sure that he would do that. Sure I was willing to give it a shot though. But instead I said, “I think we should send a few people in to try and persuade him. He won’t come out otherwise.”
I kept my thoughts hidden that I would go in there myself. I knew Drannor could not argue with me at all. He knew that unless it was matters to do with our army, my words always over ruled his.
I knew he would argue about it, but there was no doubt that I would be able to convince him. After all, could Lindan Marcos have the courage to decline an audience with me?
After all, he would know when we meant no harm. He knew the white standard that currently blew in the breeze from the pole attached to my horses saddle meant that no blood would be spilt today. Else he’d have attacked already.
“Who would you send?” Drannor asked. He seemed curious already.
“You have things to do out here. I plan on going in, but with a small party of elves. My most well trained Hawkblades will go in with me.”
“No you are most certainly not going in there, Gem!” he argued. “You’re not going to be in safe hands in there.”
“I know that by going in I am risking that. Do you think for a second Gaelira would let them harm me before she attacks them herself?”
A deafening bellow rang out, it was Gaelira. It was not really her challenge to Rhothilion, but a word of warning to Lindan Marcos; a caution against doing anything unwise.
“I guess not,” Drannor said, knowing that what I said about my dragon was the truth. “Are you really sure he would not try anything?”
“Right now, I cannot see the future as there are too many decisions being made. So many that I cannot tell what will affect us and what won’t.” The idea did not worry me; I knew that I only had to focus on him, no matter how hard that was. It was starting to give me a headache, but that was nothing really. “You just focus on getting our soldiers ready for battle. If I fail at getting him to come out unaccompanied, then tomorrow we will attack.”
He nodded slowly.
I smiled and moved to his side, and kissed him. “I will be back here before you know it,” I said. “I shall not be an easy one for him to beat with words.”
“I know you won’t,” he sighed in defeat. “Get going. Be vigilant!”
“I will be.”
I turned and hurried out to where I knew the Hawkblades were camped. They all leapt to their feet as I approached and bowed. I chose ten of my warriors and then lead them towards the humongous city.
The gates swung open when they saw the white emblem of harmony to admit us into the city.
“Be on your lookout,” I said to my warriors as we entered. They all nodded. We made our way through the curved streets and I knew that this was no easy town to find one’s way around in. We soon got lost and I had to stop and find someone to ask. There were not many civilians on the streets, and all around us, lining the streets were soldiers.
Sighing I looked down a rather young faced human and asked, “Could you tell us the way to the keep please?”
He shuddered as I spoke and I wondered what foul words Lindan Marcos had used to describe me. A man a bit older answered, “Follow this street and do not take any of the others. It will take you directly there.”
“Thank you, very much,” I said. I smiled at him, but his eyes were carefully looking away from me.
I sighed. It was obvious that Lindan Marcos had swayed these men not to show any politeness to me. I knew Lindan Marcos hated me, but why his men as well? For a few moments I wondered why. Then I came to the conclusion that he thought I would steal men from him if they were polite.
Not likely, I had no need for humans in my forces. They were so very weak in comparison to us. I knew that and he obviously did not.
How many men are we really up against? There seems to be a lot of men here, I wondered.
Occasionally I saw a man lurking behind the soldiers, a hungry gleam in his black eyes. About ten men like this I spotted, even at one point seeing something that convinced me of what they were.
I’d seen one of these strange men, with the hungry eyes pull a soldier from the line and a little further away. The gap where the soldier had been was filled by those on either side of the gap.
The man, who’d been pulled away, was struck once in the chest by the man who took him away. The soldier fell to the ground and the other man crouched. Was he still alive, or not? There was