Abuud: the One-Eyed God (2 page)

"If what you have to report is similar to what I have seen," stated Charl, "Tice will not be able to withstand the attack. There are thousands of them out here."

"And more still arriving," scowled Damon. "Let's get back to the city. I prefer to die among friends than out here in the forest."

***

Brilliant stars studded the predawn sky as Arik sat gazing upward. The meadow was peaceful with the distant sounds of unicorns starting to move about. Arik detected soft footsteps approaching and turned his head to see Tanya walking towards him. She approached wordlessly and sat on the ground next to him.

"You couldn't sleep either?" Arik asked.

"I am refreshed enough," smiled Tanya. "What are you doing?"

"Just admiring the sky," replied Arik. "I don't think I will ever get used to seeing it. It is quite beautiful."

"Yes it is," agreed Tanya. "Every time we get to see it though, it is time to move on. Have you tested the Sword of Heavens to determine which way we will be going?"

"The next bead came out when I placed the Unicorns' Opal in the sword," responded Arik. "I did not throw it into the fire yet. I think we should all be present to see the image that will be revealed. If my hunch is right, we will have plenty of time before we need to seek our direction."

"Why is that?" queried Tanya.

"I sent Prince Midge out to determine how large a hole the Sword of Heavens blasted from the Darkness," answered Arik. "He should be back by now. I think he will find that the new area of clear sky will match what we saw in Cordonia. If it does, we will have a long journey south before we get close to the Diamond of Edona."

"So you think you have this prophecy figured out already?" chuckled Tanya.

"It is not a matter of figuring out the prophecy," corrected Arik. "We have already determined the order of the gems, and the Sword of Heavens appears to be removing pieces of the Darkness with each gem we find. The sky should be clear over all of the northernmost portions of the land now. It is logical that we must head south."

"Yes it is," smiled Tanya. "You have changed a great deal since we first met. You were so unsure of yourself then. You were impressive last night when you were up on the Rock of Ages. You accepted the fealty of the unicorns gracefully. Are you beginning to accept the rest of your destiny without hesitation?"

"I have little choice," frowned Arik as he watched the sky lighten with the coming dawn. "My path is not one that I would have chosen for myself, but I must accept it for the good of all. Sometimes I feel trapped by it, and sometimes it scares me, but I can no longer ignore it and wish it were someone else's problem. I will do my best to fulfill what is required of me, but I worry more about the other part of the prophecy."

"Sarac's descendant?" mused Tanya. "I worry about that too. I cannot see Niki killing Sarac. She has the mind of a child."

"Perhaps that is what is needed," posed Arik, "but I cannot help but worry about it. I do not like the fact that she is separated from us. As much of a bother as she has been, at least we could keep an eye on her and protect her when she was with us."

"Even that was a task at times," sighed Tanya. "You are using the fairies in Tagaret now. Do you plan to use the unicorns as well, or did you just accept their fealty because it was required of you?"

"I do not like the responsibility that comes with these proclamations of fealty," frowned Arik, "but I now know what is at stake. I will use the unicorns in our struggle. I only hope that I can use them wisely and not cause them any more harm than is necessary."

"You could just leave them be," responded Tanya. "They are beautiful creatures."

"That they are," nodded Arik. "How did you manage to team up with Frea?"

"What do you mean?" questioned Tanya.

"You still seek to be mysterious," chuckled Arik. "The others did not notice because they were watching me, but I saw Frea behind you when I was on the Rock of Ages. Her horn was clearly visible. I do not believe that you found her by accident. Why do you hide the fact that she is a unicorn?"

"I don't know," admitted Tanya. "I guess I am just used to keeping things to myself. When Chaco was chosen to accompany you, I noticed Frea looking sad. I approached her and found out that she is Chaco's mate. She wanted to stay with Chaco, so we schemed a way to make it happen."

"So your horse did not get loose by accident?" inquired Arik.

"No," Tanya shook her head. "I did not secure my horse that night. Frea was waiting nearby to be found in the morning."

"Did Chaco know about this?" asked Arik.

"No," replied Tanya. "He was mad about it when he found out, but he is glad about it now. I could leave her here when we leave, but I don't really want to."

"I am sure that all of the unicorns know about it now," responded Arik. "If the Shamora has no problem with Frea joining us then I see no reason to separate her from Chaco."

"You have the unicorns' featly now," suggested Tanya. "You could request it."

"I will be asking much of them as it is," frowned Arik. "I will not place demands upon them that have little to do with the prophecy. The Shamora will decide about Frea."

"I understand. What are you going to be asking of them?" queried Tanya. "We have the Opal. What else is there for them to do?"

Arik stared at Tanya for a moment and then returned his gaze to the lightening sky.

"Arik," pushed Tanya. "What else is there for the unicorns to do? You have something in mind and you are not sharing it."

"I have not discussed it with Alex or Larastrides yet," Arik said softly.

"Discussed what?" Tanya persisted. "What can be so horrible that you are afraid to mention it?"

Arik's head snapped up at the sound of small fluttering wings, and Prince Midge settled down on Arik's shoulder.

"Hail, Bringer," chirped the fairy. "Sorry I have been gone so long, but I took the opportunity to visit with my mother, Queen Mita."

"I am glad that you did," smiled Arik. "Is the sky clear to the fairy village as we suspected?"

"Perfectly clear," grinned Midge. "The whole of the Disputed Area is under clear skies, just like Cordonia."

"I have another task for you," Arik said softly. "Do you need to rest before you can do it? It involves a journey of some distance."

"Rest?" echoed Midge with mock offense. "Fairies do not need rest from flying. I get enough rest in your pocket most days to last a lifetime. What does the Bringer require of me?"

Arik grinned and shook his head. "I wish I had your energy," laughed Arik. "I want you to fly to Tice and find out what the goblins are up to. Estimate their strength and try to determine how much time we have before they attack the outpost. Are you sure you don't need rest first?"

"Am I still here?" chirped Prince Midge as he leaped into the air and disappeared.

"Why are you concerned about Tice?" queried Tanya. "It is not like we can do much to affect the outcome."

"Can't we?" retorted Arik. "We have thousands of warriors, and we can trap the goblins between us and the city."

"You mean to sacrifice the unicorns?" scowled Tanya. "How could you even think of such a thing? They are beautiful beings. You cannot let them be destroyed by the goblins."

"Destroyed?" echoed Arik. "Do you not remember how the unicorns fought the yaki? Yes, they are beautiful, but they are powerful warriors as well. I think we could be victorious."

"You have changed more than I imagined," scowled Tanya. "Before you shunned the responsibility of the fealty of the fairies, and now you are ready to send the unicorns into battle to die. Does Chaco mean so little to you?"

"Chaco means a great deal to me," Arik answered softly. "Tanya, I would not ask the unicorns to do anything that I thought they could not handle. You are right that I have changed, though. Meeting Prince Oscar and learning of his life has made me realize my obligations. I could be happy returning to Lorgo and fishing with Konic for the rest of my life, but that is no longer an option. The fates have burdened me with the task of defeating Sarac. I cannot hide from it. I cannot ignore it. If we are to defeat Sarac, we must realize that many of us will die in the attempt. I only hope for the knowledge to make the right decisions and the courage to make those hard choices. Besides, I told you that I had not talked to anyone about this yet. I will ask Alex and Larastrides what they suggest, but I do think we can save Tice by using the unicorns."

"You are maturing into a king," Alex stated as he silently sat down beside Tanya. "I did not mean to eavesdrop, but I could not help overhearing the conversation."

"I think we need to sew bells on your boots," chided Tanya.

"It is the lessons of the elves that make me move quietly," smiled Alex. "Perhaps one day there will be time for you two to learn the lessons."

"How is your hand, Tanya?" inquired Alex when there was no response to his words..

"My hand?" Tanya smiled. "My hand is just fine. I do know a bit about healing after all."

"And I thought you would not be able to hold a sword again," chuckled Alex. "You would think that being married to a mage would cause me to realize the power you have."

"Am I wrong to think of using the unicorns, Alex?" questioned Arik.

"Not at all," replied Alex. "In fact, I spoke with Larastrides about that possibility last night. The Shamora agrees that with the proper plan we can achieve victory. The hard part will be to come up with a good plan."

"But the goblins are archers," protested Tanya. "Even if we win, many unicorns will die. They cannot carry shields and they cannot fire back."

"Speed and surprise will be the unicorns' strengths," responded Alex. "Tell me what you have planned so far, Arik."

"I haven't planned anything yet," answered Arik. "I sent Midge out to scout on the goblins. I had planned to discuss it with you and Larastrides when he returned. I was hoping that one of you would have a plan. I am not a general and do not have the experience needed to make these decisions."

"It appears to me that you are making decisions rather well," smiled Alex. "It is not an easy task for you to assume the throne of a country you have never known. The situation in Tagaret would be daunting for even an experienced ruler, but you have a wealth of talent at your disposal. You will make both of your fathers proud by the way you have taken up this challenge."

"How can you have surprise on your side when you have to charge across the battlefield to get to your enemy?" inquired Tanya.

"Charging across the battlefield is one tactic that we will not use," replied Alex. "I understand your fears regarding a slaughter of the unicorns, Tanya, but I do not think anyone here would propose that. However we decide to attack, the element of surprise will be used most wisely. The goblins will not be expecting an attack from the rear. Our goal is to save the residents of Tice and preserve it as an outpost. If we can accomplish that in such a manner that we can be sure that the goblins will not attack it again, then we will have accomplished the goal."

"You mean to make them afraid to attack Tice again?" quizzed Tanya.

"That is one option," nodded Alex. "Another is to cause them such grave casualties that they will refuse to attempt the attack again. I do not know what it will take yet. I do suspect that we will need a fair amount of magic on our side though."

"Perhaps we could make them believe the area is haunted?" suggested Tanya as she started warming to the idea of the attack. "Or a dense fog to hide the unicorns until they attacked?"

"Both are excellent ideas," grinned Alex as he watched the sun start to rise over the horizon.

"Wasn't Alexander Tork known as the Goblin Killer?" interjected Arik.

"Yes he was!" exclaimed Tanya. "He is feared and hated by the goblins. I am starting to get some ideas on how we can use that to our advantage."

Alex rose while smiling and shaking his head. "You two keep plotting," Alex chuckled. "I need to get Jenneva up and help her prepare a meal. Let me know when Price Midge returns."

"So if Alex thinks it is a good idea it is alright," frowned Arik after Alex had left, "but if it is my idea then I must be crazy?"

"I am sorry," Tanya responded. "I guess I just reacted without thinking of the possibilities. I was afraid that you would waste the lives of the unicorns just because you could. I should have known better."

"Actually I was a bit afraid of the same thing," Arik admitted. "That is why I had not mentioned it to anyone yet. I could not sleep thinking about it. That is why I was sitting here. I wanted my thoughts to be clear before I brought the subject up. Being responsible for so many lives scares me, Tanya. I don't know if I can handle it."

"Just the fact that you are unsure pleases me," smiled Tanya. "It means that you will think things out before doing something. As for experience, you are learning from a master."

"What was your thought regarding the Goblin Killer?" inquired Arik. "You appeared to be ready to explain it when Alex left."

"Prince Midge has the ability to create visions," grinned Tanya. "I am not sure how it could be used yet, but suppose he created a large image of the Goblin Killer? I suspect that the goblins would attack the image instead of Tice."

"So we could lure the goblins towards the place where we wanted them to be," nodded Arik.

"And the unicorns could be hidden in a fog where the ambush would take place," added Tanya. "I am not sure if it would work, but it a place to start planning."

Wylan recoiled from the sharp pain in his stomach. He opened his eyes slightly, squinting from the brightness. He saw a figure through the haze of sleep and stared at it. As the figure came into focus, Wylan leaped to his feet and bowed.

"Sorry, Baron," frowned Wylan as he gazed at the long pole in the Baron's hands. "I only meant to catch a nap. I fear I have overslept."

"You are the lad that I asked to watch Azmet yesterday," nodded the Baron. "Have you been on this platform since then?"

"Yes, Baron," Wylan replied promptly. "I watched them until they broke camp several hours before first light. I know I should not sleep on the platform, but I sought just a nap before returning to my home. I expected to rise before first light. I am truly sorry and it won't happen again."