Even with the wariness he felt, he couldn’t help marveling at the beauty of the forest. It was ancient and magnificent. The evergreen trees soared into the sky and radiated such rich and beautiful colors that Alexander began to feel a deep sense of connection to the web of life all around him. He tried to soak it in and open himself to the simple goodness of it while at the same time keeping his guard up. He found it was a difficult balancing act but well worth the effort. Through it all he found his mind returning to Isabel.
He was the son of a minor noble and he’d been of age to marry for several years, so he’d had women express interest in him. But he’d never had any real interest in them. He found a few of them attractive enough but none so much that he was willing to give up working his father’s ranch and marry.
None of them had any real substance.
They were daughters of other minor nobles who grew up indoors and didn’t want to get their fancy clothes dirty. He knew he wanted a wife and family eventually but always figured he would wait a few years. He was still young and he wanted to do more before he settled down and started a family. He recalled his father’s advice on the matter: “You’ll know it’s time when you meet the right woman and she tells you it’s time.”
As the morning wore on, Alexander was able to put the terror of the past few days behind him and focus on the beauty around him and the possibilities that lay before him. He didn’t know what Glen Morillian would bring but he did know it would give him the opportunity to spend some more time with Isabel and for some reason that seemed more important than anything else, even the fact that the most powerful wizard in all of the Seven Isles was trying to kill him. He almost laughed at the absurdity of it.
They stopped for lunch in a little clearing with a freshwater spring bubbling into a shallow little pool and running off in a rivulet that flowed into the trees. The grass was green and lush and there were plenty of bright green shoots sprouting up all around. It looked like the little meadow was optimistically trying to get a jump on spring. The place made Alexander smile.
They sat around a campfire enjoying the peaceful setting while Lucky prepared a camp stew. There was something about cooking that always made Lucky light up like a little kid. He was in his element when he had a chance to make a meal for someone. Of course, he enjoyed sharing the meal even more than he enjoyed preparing it.
The horses lazily cropped at the grass while the ten of them talked amongst themselves. Isabel’s brothers and Chase sat in a little group and recounted the battle with the nether wolves. They commented on the fact that no one had reported even seeing a creature from the netherworld in nearly two millennia and wondered aloud at the implications. They were young soldiers mentally preparing for the war to come. Anatoly sat quietly sharpening his axe while Lucky worked on the stew. Abigail sat with Jack, listening raptly to one of his stories about an incident at the court of New Ruatha that had her laughing.
Alexander walked with Isabel on the edge of the meadow, talking quietly about their childhoods. By an unspoken agreement, neither of them brought up the coming war or the danger that surrounded them. Instead they spoke of simple things. They compared their experiences growing up. Each had been raised in a different setting, Alexander on a ranch and Isabel in the forest, but they found that they both had similar experiences. Both had very strong ties to family. Both had grown up more outdoors than indoors and both loved life and the world around them. Alexander felt a kind of simple joy in her presence that he never really knew he could feel.
They moved on all too soon and reached the road leading to Glen Morillian by midafternoon. The road was wider and well maintained so they could make better time, but they were still a day and a half away from the safety of the mountain city. And they still had the Reishi to worry about. Alexander renewed his vigilance by frequently scanning the path ahead with his second sight. Even with his caution, it was Isabel who saved them.
Chapter 20
“Erik, stop,” she called out. “There’s an ambush a mile ahead. Looks like about twenty men and that wizard.” She closed her eyes and tilted her head back as she looked through Slyder’s eyes. Alexander still marveled at the simple power of such a thing.
“They’re lined up on Flat Top Rock with crossbows. Their horses are picketed in the meadow just the other side of the cliff.”
To Alexander the description meant nothing but he could see that Erik and the other Rangers knew exactly where she was talking about.
Erik shook his head. “They’re in a perfect position. If we try to get through on the road, it’ll be a blood bath.”
“Is there another way?” Alexander asked.
“Not on horseback,” Erik replied. “We could go on foot but it’ll take three days from here. Still, that might be our best option.”
“What about at night? We could slip by in the dark. They wouldn’t be able to see us well enough to hit anything,” Chase offered.
Now it was Alexander’s turn to shake his head. “That fire wizard can light up the sky like it was daylight. I’ve seen him do it.”
“Is there a vantage point we can attack them from?” Anatoly asked with a look of coiled menace.
Erik shook his head again. “They’ve definitely picked a good spot for their ambush. Flat Top Rock is the highest ground in the area and the road wraps around it with a drop-off on the other side. If they catch us there, we’re as good as dead. Plus, the only way to get up on top of it is from the far side.”
“What about through the forest?” Alexander asked. “Is there a way to go around Flat Top Rock through the forest on the side opposite the road?”
Erik nodded. “We could make it on foot but there’s no way we could get our horses through there. Once we’re on the other side, then what?”
Alexander smiled and looked at Anatoly. “Isabel, can they see their horses from where they are?”
“No,” she said shaking her head, “too many trees in the way.”
“How many men are guarding their horses?” Alexander asked innocently.
“I only saw two,” Isabel answered. “What are you thinking?”
Anatoly regarded Alexander with a hard look. “You wound up with a crossbow bolt in your shoulder the last time you tried this. Are you sure this is a good idea?”
Alexander shrugged. “The sooner we get to Glen Morillian, the better. Who knows what Phane is busy conjuring for us tonight? It’s either this or we go the long way.”
“What exactly are you talking about?” Isabel asked in a tone that said she meant to have an answer.
Alexander smiled, “We’re going to sneak through the woods and steal their horses. We’ll be on our way before they know what happened.”
Isabel’s mouth opened for a moment before she started laughing. “I like it,” she said at the same time Chase said, “Are you crazy?”
Erik started laughing as well. “All right, but there’s no sense in losing our horses and I don’t want the Reishi to find them wandering along the road. Chase, Kevin, and Duane will take our horses back to the meadow we had lunch at and wait for reinforcements. The rest of us will steal the enemy’s horses and ride for Glen Morillian.”
Jack added, “We have a friend, probably with a wagon, traveling alone and following a few days behind us. If you see him, please give him safe passage. His name is Owen.”
Kevin nodded, “We’ll keep an eye out for him.”
Chase frowned, “Are you sure this is a good idea, Erik? If you get into a fight, you’ll need all the help you can get.”
Erik nodded to his Second. “Chase, we’ll be fine. The whole point is to avoid a fight in the first place. When we reach the fortress gate, we’ll send a strike force to clear the woods of the enemy and escort you home. Just keep your guard up and don’t engage the Reishi unless you have to.”
They dismounted and repacked the things they needed from their saddlebags into their packs, strung the horses together for the three Rangers to lead back to the meadow, and headed off into the woods with Erik in the lead. He moved through the forest with silence and ease. Alexander watched how he placed his feet when he walked and tried to imitate him. He didn’t understand why Erik stepped the way he did until he tried it, then he discovered that his footing was quieter and left less evidence of passage. They moved slowly to stay as quiet as possible. The distance that would have taken them less than an hour to cover on horseback took the better part of the afternoon, but they made it to the edge of the meadow on the far side of Flat Top Rock without being noticed.
Isabel reported that the Reishi were still on Flat Top Rock, waiting to spring their ambush, and there were still only two men with the picketed horses. Alexander and Erik unslung their bows. Erik pointed to a place where they could get a good angle on the two bored-looking guards who were sitting at a small cook fire.
They moved quietly into place and took aim side by side. On the count of three, each released an arrow. Both had flawless aim from countless hours of practice reinforced with real world experience. Both of the guards slumped over dead with an arrow through the heart. Alexander relaxed his vision and scanned the meadow. They were alone with the horses. For a moment he thought that it had been too easy, but then he reconsidered. Forewarned is forearmed. Isabel had told them about the enemy. Without her warning, they would have walked into a hail of crossbow bolts and liquid fire. He remembered another of his father’s lessons: “Knowing more than your enemy knows usually leads to victory.”
Erik whistled like a bird and Alexander heard the birdcall answered from the place in the wood line where the rest of the party was waiting. They emerged and made for the horses.
Quietly and carefully they traveled up the road in the growing darkness. After a mile or so they lit a few torches so they could keep moving in the early night, hoping to put as much distance between themselves and the Reishi as possible. They pressed on until they were confident that they couldn’t possibly be followed before stopping for the night.
They had a cold dinner and made camp. Isabel picked a spot near Alexander to lay out her bedroll. She laughed quietly in the darkness as she worked.
“You should have seen the look on that wizard’s face when he discovered his horses were gone.”
Alexander stopped. “You were watching?” It still amazed him that a person could see through a bird’s eyes.
“Of course, I wouldn’t miss that for the world. I kept checking back to see when they’d notice. That wizard with the bandage on his arm was furious. He actually lit a tree on fire.” She giggled again, delight and mischief all wrapped up together.
Alexander chuckled, “Without your warning, today would have turned out much differently. I still have a hard time imagining how it must feel to see through the eyes of another creature. What’s it like?” Alexander asked as he lowered himself down onto his bedroll and lay back to look up at the stars.
“Well, I can see a lot better through Slyder’s eyes than I can through my own. He can see farther and clearer than I can even explain. And sometimes it makes me a little dizzy when he’s flying and I’m standing still.” She lay down on her bedroll and got comfortable.
“Your forest is so beautiful and so filled with life,” Alexander said. “Glen Morillian must be a truly magical place.”
Isabel paused. When she spoke she lowered her voice to be sure only Alexander would hear her. “It has dangers all its own, Alexander. There is often intrigue, deception and betrayal at court. I fear your arrival will only magnify the webs of lies the courtiers spin. Be careful who you choose to trust.”
He rolled on his side but couldn’t see her in the dark, so he relaxed his vision and let her colors become visible. He hadn’t looked at her with his second sight for more than a moment. Now that he did, he saw her true beauty. Her colors were clear and strong and revealed a quality of character, strength of spirit, and basic goodness that he’d seen in precious few others. And there was absolutely no fear.
He smiled gently into the dark and said, “I choose to trust you.” He couldn’t see her face but he could see that her aura swelled.
“Good night, Isabel.”
“Good night, Alexander.”
Morning came quickly. Alexander felt like he’d just gone to sleep when he woke to the first light of day. Isabel was curled up in her bedroll a few feet from him. He opened his eyes and lay quietly watching her sleep. He realized in that moment that he was falling in love with her. Maybe he already had.
Her eyes fluttered open. She saw him looking at her and gave him a smile that was as clear and beautiful as the dawn.
They rode hard all day. The horses they’d stolen were in worse shape than their horses but they still made good time. They had two horses each plus a few extra, so they were able to switch mounts throughout the day. They ate while they rode up mountain switchbacks that wound ever higher toward the fortress gate of Glen Morillian. The air grew thin and cold and they began to see snow packed heavily on the sides of the well-cleared roads. There were no trees growing out of the steep mountainsides. Still the road took them higher, until late in the day, just after dusk, they came to a stone fortress built right into the side of the mountain.