Forest Fighters

Aedric leads his group into the forest to suppress the Faesidhe rebellion.

45.

Forest Fighters

 

An hour later, Aedric led a band of Elves across the snow and through the eastern entrance into the great Faesidhe forest.    They didn’t look back at Westmark, but a sense of impending doom came over them as the forest closed around them.     All of them knew that they were in the Faesidhe Elves’ element now.   

“They won’t attack us with any spell or device that will destroy the forest.”   Aedric had briefed them earlier, “Fireball or Lightning Bolt spells won’t be used against us.   But anything that can target and kill an individual can be expected, so stay close together as we enter the woods.   Bows are their favorite weapons and they are masters of concealing themselves in the forest.    Ambushes from several sides are always a threat to us.”

They had heeded his words and all of them rode in a tight group, even when rendezvousing with Linel and Bieo Demmet and their men, a mile into the forest.

The two brothers and their loyal Faesidhe Elves had been harassed, but only with mild injuries, and they felt that a larger force of rebels were waiting for their advancement deeper into the woods.

 

The snowfall within the forest was scant, due to the cover of the majestic trees, and even in early winter much of the sky was blocked.    They rode through the gloom, noticing very few animal sounds.

All the while, they felt as if baneful eyes were cautiously monitoring their progress.  

After two hours with no resistance being encountered, Aedric grew tired of the wary stillness of the air and decided to try something to flush them out.    He motioned for Carn to join him at the front.

They had managed to find a very large draft horse for the Bugbear, and thankfully the horse was not bothered by its rider.   Carn looked like he was riding on a large pony, but the horse kept up with their pace.

Amala rode beside him when he came forward and Aedric halted the advance to discuss his plan with his companions.

 

A minute later, the sound of Nitthum’s Lament flowed beautifully through the still trees and as Carn and Amala played their instruments, Aedric, Snoe and the Faesidhe Elves in their party sang solemnly along.   After a few minutes of listening and learning, Mattleos, Mathlyn and Nansea joined in with them.

 

The song in the stillness of the winter forest seemed to bring life to it, and for a short while they continued on in song.

 

Suddenly the trees all around them seemed to come alive and move.   Branches reached out and lashed at them, pulling them from their horses.    Arrows began to fall upon them from all sides and even the mud underfoot seemed to grasp and pull down on their feet and the horses’ hooves.  

But in the middle of the chaos, Mathlyn stood up in her saddle and quickly chanted  a spell, holding her hands above her head and moving them in a circle.     For a moment nothing happened, then the trees stopped moving and the mud no longer tugged at their feet.

Yet the arrows kept coming.   Carn, who was the largest target and easily stood out the most, was hit several times.   His chainmail tunic deflected all of them except one that lodged in his forearm.

With a grimace, he pulled it quickly out and abruptly began a chanting song:

“Arrow shaft, Elven bow, hear my voice, in weight you’ll grow,

Massive weight, far too great, drop to ground, all around.”

 

The arrows ceased at once and from various hidden places behind trees and underbrush, the sounds of dropped bows and the startled reactions of the archers filled the air.

“Quickly, it will only give us a few moments!”  Carn warned.

 

The group sprang into action at once.    Their archers sent volleys toward where they estimated the rebels were hiding, and two hit their marks.    The Faesidhe Elves fled through the trees, scattering in all directions.    Aedric called their group back from pursuing them.  

“Let’s tend to our injured.”   He suggested, and they did just that.   A few of the Sylvan and loyal Faesidhe Elves of their group had been hit, but none were seriously injured.  

Both of the rebels that had been hit by Sylvan arrows were moderately injured and they tended their wounds along with the others.   The two rebels looked very fearful surrounded by those whom they just attacked.   Aedric and Snoe knelt down beside them as Mathlyn chanted a healing spell over them.

“Do you know who I am?”  Aedric asked one of the rebels.

“No.”   He replied warily, his eyes darting back and forth between Aedric and Snoe.

“I’m Aedric, King of the Sylvan Elves, and this is my wife, Queen Snoe.    I was known as Prince Ordric while I grew up in the royal household.”

The rebel’s eyes widened, “Ordric?!   King Neberordric’s son by the Sylvan princess?!”

“Yes.”

“You have betrayed your father’s name!”   He bravely chastised Aedric.

“I am trying to save all of you from certain destruction.”

“By invading the Faesidhe Kingdom?”

“It is no longer a Kingdom.   I am the last of Neberordric’s sons and I have acknowledged that Duke and Duchess Dullerm are the rightful rulers of the Faesidhe.”

The wounded rebel scowled at this, but did not say anything.

“Listen to me.”  Aedric continued, “They do not seek to interfere with the forest or the people.    They have not levied any taxes nor caused any harm.   When the Great Tree was destroyed, it was destroyed by a demon that controlled a Great Dragon.    The forces of the Southern Empire are behind this - there is a huge army that is, at this very hour, mustering in the south.   They intend to invade Northmarch, and then they will invade the Faesidhe Kingdom as well.”

“Preposterous!  They wouldn’t dare!”

“Oh, they are coming - in fact they had a separate army that was being pushed by the Dragon to eventually come to the surface and destroy Tarmard and then invade the forest.    Like it or not, the Faesidhe people are in as much danger as Northmarch faces.”

“Our only danger comes from Westmark!”   The rebel growled as the Sylvan guards pulled him and his companion to their feet.

“You will ride with us as our prisoners.” Aedric told him, “I do not wish to harm or kill any Faesidhe, but order must be restored here quickly.”

Aedric didn’t bother to question him further, for he knew the ways of the race - they would rather die than give out information.

“We should check on Carn.”  Snoe suggested as the rebel prisoners were led away, and they found him seated a short distance away, his arm being doctored by Nansea while Amala looked on, trying to appear collected, but closely watching the Sylvan lady’s work.

“How is he?”  Aedric asked his cousin.

“It’s not serious.”   Nansea replied, “He’ll be fine - from the sounds of his song-casting, he probably has healing spells that he could use.”  

“I do.”  Carn replied, “But we face a more difficult struggle ahead, and I would rather save those spells for serious injuries.”

“You need to teach them to me, so we’ll both have them.” Amala said to him.

“In time; they require a foundation of lesser spells to be mastered first.”

Mattleos joined them at that moment, “I’ve surveyed our forces and I think we weathered that battle quite well.  Everyone should be ready to resume our advance soon.”

“Good.”  Aedric replied, “I hope those rebels that fled will consider the song we were singing when they attacked.   I want them to understand that this solution is best for them.”

“It took you a while to be won over.”   Amala said to the young King.

“Yes, and that was in no small part to my lovely wife’s kindness to me.   So they will be more challenging, I fear.”

“What was that spell you cast, Carn?”  Snoe asked the Bugbear.

“It was a brief mind controlling spell.    I planted the suggestion that their bows and arrows weighed greatly and they dropped them.   It only lasts a few seconds, but sometimes it proves effective.”

“You don’t know any teleportation spells, do you?”   Snoe joked.

“I do.”  It was Queen Mathlyn, who had joined them, “Well, it was much like a teleportation spell.    My sisters and I used to use it when we were the guardians of the forest.   It is called ‘Pass Oak’, and it enabled me to pass through an oak tree and then out through any other oak tree that I knew of, in another location.   I know there are many oaks in the Clearing of the Ages… or at least there used to be.”

“They’re still there.”   Aedric replied, “We saw them when we were there with Alleania.”

“Well, it doesn’t really matter.”  Mathlyn shrugged, “The spell will send only the one who casts the spell and who knows of the destination.   So only I could go there.”

“It would’ve been a great way to avoid more ambushes.”   Amala mumbled, looking down at Carn’s bandaged arm.

Carn looked up suddenly, “Queen Mathlyn - this Pass Oak spell-  was it taught to others, or did only the Inion Sidhe possess it?”

“I don’t really know, Carn, we all used it, but we never taught it to anyone that I knew of.   But even if it could be taught, we couldn’t teach all of our force the spell and not everyone knows of the destination.”

“That might not be necessary.”  Carn stood up, “There is a Bard spell called ‘Empathy’.   It was used before the telling of a great tale or the singing of an important ballad.    When cast on someone about to speak, everyone around him would see in their mind what he saw and would know what he knew.    By casting that spell, the listeners would have greater understanding of the tale or ballad.”

“So how would that help us?”   Aedric asked.

“Well, Queen Mathlyn said that the Pass Oak spell requires knowledge of the spell and of the destination oak that she would pass through.    I think if I were to chant the Empathy spell on her first, then we all gathered close to Queen Mathlyn and she cast the spell, we would all journey with her through the Pass Oak.”

“Has it been used like that before, to amplify a spell?”  Mathlyn asked, encouraged.

“I have not heard of it being used for a teleportation spell, but it seems to me as if it would work.”

“We’ve not got anything to lose.”  Mattleos commented, “Amilyo, if it were not to work, would you be able to return here?”

“Yes, as long as I don’t step completely out of the Oak.   If I did not sense any of you with me, I could return.”

“Then why don’t we try that?”   Mattleos asked, “Can we take horses with us?”

“We can as long as we are mounted upon them before I cast the spell.   We would sometimes ride steeds and pass from place to place with the Pass Oak.”

 

That settled it for all of them, and so they gathered all of their forces together as closely as they could in a circle around Mathlyn and Carn.    They explained what they were going to attempt and then Carn cast the spell on the Inion Sidhe lady.   Immediately all of their minds were filled with an amazing collection of memories, thoughts and knowledge.   It would only last as long as the spell lasted, but they all were staggered by all that she knew.

Mathlyn began chanting the Pass Oak spell as soon as Carn’s spell song ended.    As she thought of trips to the Clearing of the Ages, all of them could see her memory in their mind.  

The spell ended and she rode over to a nearby Oak tree and touched it.   There was a flash of white light, a sense of falling, and then another flash of white light.   

Glancing around their new surroundings, they heard the screams of startled women and shouts of alarm.    Aedric knew the place at once.   The spell had worked and they were all standing in the Clearing of the Ages.

Reviews

[Elina]

"...and chanted quickly a spell, holding her hands above her head and moving them in a circle over her head." Perhaps switch "chanted" and "quickly." Also, "...in a circle over her head" is a bit redundant, since you mention that she is holding her hands abover her head. Maybe get rid of "over her head." ?

[Eddie Davis]

Thank's Elina.