Into the Fray: Volume 1 of The Sorcerers of Jhanvia Series (39 page)

She continued. “When we’ve finished what we need to do there, we will come back here, pick up Culain and proceed to the castle.”

“Sounds like an excellent plan,” Kaitra agreed.

“It’ll also give me some time t’ close up some loose ends ‘ere,” Culain said.

“Then it’s settled,” Kidreyli concluded. She looked over at her love, “Let’s go get our things.”

As they walked the short distance back to Culain’s hut, Kidreyli noticed a bright sparkle in her lover’s eyes. “What’s that look?”

“I’m just happy you decided to let someone else in. After what we’ve been through, I wasn’t sure that I would ever see you do that.”

“You’re probably right, but Culain seems like an honorable man and he certainly seems to have your best interest at the fore.”

“It’s good to be with him again,” Kaitra said as she pushed open the door. “His presence gives me comfort.”

As the door closed behind them, Kidreyli grabbed Kaitra’s arm and swung her back gently against the wall. She pinned her there and
kissed her with all the depth of her Valtyr passion. “When we get a little farther north, we will get a Mutral and I will bring you to such levels of ecstasy that consciousness will betray you.”

The sorceress smiled and said, “Is that a promise?”

Kidreyli kissed her again for confirmation.

“I so love it when you take command of the situation,” Kaitra spoke breathily.

The warrior called out in her thoughts, “Tyral, are you there?”

Tyral’s thoughts came back to both of them, “The Scecians, they are here.”

“What?!” Kidreyli responded telepathically. “Where did they come from?”

“I don’t know. They just came out of the trees and they’ve surrounded the village.”

“Bring Sestru and get over here now!” Kidreyli commanded.

“I don’t think that’s possible. They’ve cut us off from the village.”

“What are we going to do?” Kaitra was frantic.

Kidreyli answered, “We are going to get you out of here. Tyral, can you and Sestru get to the top of the ridge on the north side of the village?”

Tyral’s thoughts replied, “I believe we can.”

“Good. Get there and wait for us.” The warrior stepped over and cracked the door open just enough to get an eye and an ear on the events unfolding outside. She could see a large man on horseback ride up to Keril and a few of the village’s men who had gone out to greet them. Culain had walked up and stood about ten feet behind. The Scecian commander was about forty feet away, flanked by several foot soldiers, and behind him at the edge of the tree line a slender woman sat up in her saddle, intently watching the events playing out before her.

The man on horseback announced, “My name is Zakrell.”

Keril said, “Lord Zakrell, you are welcome. May we get you some food or drink?”

“No. We are looking for a young woman traveling with a Valtyr. They killed some of my men in Triami and we wish to speak to them.”

Keril and the other villagers looked at each other in silence, not wanting to betray a daughter of the king.

Kaitra whispered, “What is he saying?”

Kidreyli motioned for quiet.

“Please, gentlemen, we know that she is here,” Zakrell continued. “If you turn her over to us, we will leave in peace. If you refuse, then we will destroy this village and everyone in it. The choice is yours, but we are leaving here with her.”

Keril looked to the others for guidance.

Kidreyli closed the door.

“What is it,” Kaitra asked.

“They are here for you.”

Fear fell into the eyes of the sorceress.

“Tyral, how many soldiers are there?” Kidreyli asked.

“I would guess seventy,” both of them heard the answer.

The young Valtyr explained, “The Scecian commander told Keril that they will destroy the village unless you are delivered over to them.”

The sorceress reasoned, “This must be the village I had seen in my visions. I cannot allow that to happen on my account.”

“And I cannot let them take you.”

Kaitra thought for a moment, then put her hand over Kidreyli’s heart and closed her eyes, “Protect me,” she said as she opened the door and stepped out.

Kidreyli whispered as she followed, “What are you doing?”

“What I must do,” Kaitra looked back at her lover with a pained smile, seeing fear in the warrior’s eyes for the first time. She loudly announced, “Scecian, I am here.”

Zakrell was cordial, “Ah, dear lady, my name is Zakrell. Your presence is requested at Caerlyk. Your lord Satreka wishes to meet with you…and your companion may come as well.”

That statement sent chills up Kaitra’s neck, “I do not recognize this ‘lord Satreka’. I live in the realm of the Ardreach of Dhoya, and I recognize only his authority.”

“But he is not here, is he? He has ceded this territory to our control under the rule of Satreka, who now commands your presence.”

Kaitra stated firmly, “I know why he wants to meet with me, but I have no desire to meet with him.”

“That’s unfortunate,” Zakrell sardonically smiled. “You see, I’ve been given strict instructions to bring you to him.”

“Then you should return to your master with the message that I have declined his offer.”

“If that is your decision, then I must respect it. However, I’m afraid that my orders were quite specific. I am not to return without you, one way or another. I would prefer that you come willingly, but if I have to destroy this village and take you by force, then I shall.”

Keril looked over at Culain with a deep sense of fear in his eyes.

A chill shot up her back when Kaitra looked to her right to see a young father with his arms around his little boy, the same boy who died in her arms in the vision she had seen while in the temple. “I must go with them,” she said softly to her lover whilst staring at the big man on the horse. A tear fell to her cheek, “I cannot let them kill these people because of me.”

Kidreyli opined, “My love, they will kill them anyway.”

Kaitra called out to Zakrell, “If I accompany you willingly, your soldiers will leave the people of this village unharmed?”

“Yes,” was his answer.

Kaitra turned and gave an impassioned kiss to Kidreyli that she held for several moments. She whispered, “I love you more than life.”

Kidreyli whispered back, “And I love you. Please, please don’t do this.”

Kaitra looked through her love’s deep blue eyes, “Save me from them.”

“I promise you that I will,” the warrior replied, consigned to the choice she had made.

Kaitra held the touch of Kidreyli’s hand as long as possible as she turned and walked toward Zakrell.

Kidreyli watched as her love stopped a few paces in front of the warlord’s horse. A few of his soldiers took their places beside her.

Tyral called out to her, “Kidreyli, you cannot let her fall under their control.”

She whispered, “I know.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and then called out, “Zakrell, I will not let you take her.”

He scornfully laughed, “I don’t see that you have much choice, Valtyr.”

Kidreyli pulled out two throwing knives, one in each hand, and backhanded them, striking both of the soldiers flanking Kaitra in the chest and killing them. Having garnered his attention, she called out to Zakrell, “I propose that you and I do battle. If you prevail, she is yours. However, if I carry the day, then she stays with me, and you and your men leave this village in peace and go back where you came from.”

“Kidreyli, no…,” Kaitra pleaded.

The Valtyr looked her in the eyes, and the sorceress heard in her mind, “Forgive me, my love. I cannot let you do this.”

Zakrell rubbed the side of his face in contemplation and then said, “Your offer is intriguing. I haven’t killed a Valtyr in a long time.”

“And today your failures will continue,” Kidreyli smiled as she taunted him.

He grinned widely at the challenge and dismounted, unbuckling his cloak and tossing it over his saddle. “This is the best entertainment someone has suggested in an age.” He drew his sword and took his place in facing his opponent. “I agree to your terms.”

Kidreyli drew her sword and stood at the ready several paces in front of him.

Zakrell said to Kaitra, “Stay back, girl, we don’t want you injured.” He continued, “So, Valtyr, you must really love this woman.”

“What’s your point?” Kidreyli tersely responded.

“Just that this is such a great risk to take for someone not of your race.”

Kidreyli didn’t see the need to reply. “Let’s just do this, shall we?”

In all the small talk, no one seemed to notice that one of Zakrell’s lieutenants and a small contingent of his men had closed in behind Kidreyli.

Zakrell took a few steps forward and Kidreyli lunged toward him, their blades coming together in a great ring that echoed off the surrounding forest. Over the next several minutes, they alternated driving each other back with flurries of parries and thrusts in an effort to discover their respective talents. And talent they both had.

“Your very impressive, Valtyr,” remarked Zakrell as he backed away and paused to catch a few breaths. “But by now you must realize the futility of your efforts.”

“Actually, I’m feeling quite good about where this is headed,” Kidreyli smiled.

As the Valtyr took the fight to her opponent once again, the constant rhythm of the blades clanging together gave Kaitra great consternation. She was certain that her mate would have dispatched her opponent by now.

Zakrell was surprisingly fast and agile for such a big man. A few passes of his blade nearly caught Kidreyli in the stomach. She in turn marked him once on his shoulder when he stepped in a little far on one effort.

As the battle continued, it was taking its toll on both of them, each pass became more difficult as the weight of the swords taxed their muscles. They were both struggling for air when the Valtyr finally was provided an opening and her sword sliced the skin on his left side, from his hip half way to his armpit. He collapsed down to one knee, grimacing from the pain that shot up his side to his arm.

Kidreyli took a step toward her defeated opponent with the intent of finishing the battle, when she heard Culain call out, “Behind you!”

Kidreyli turned slightly to her right in response to his voice just as she felt a burning pain in her back.

Kaitra took a deep breath and placed her left hand on her rib cage as her mind was flooded with her lover’s pain—pain Kidreyli had yet to realize. She was so stunned that nothing would come out of her mouth.

Kidreyli looked down to see a sword’s bloody blade protruding a foot or so out from the left side of her chest below her breast. She glanced over her shoulder to see Zakrell’s lieutenant holding the hilt of the sword. She looked up at Kaitra, dropped her sword and fell to her knees. The soldier pulled his sword out of her, and she fell face down on the grass.

Kaitra ran as fast as she could and landed on her knees next to the warrior’s face. She pushed her love’s hair back over her ear and caressed her cheek. “Drey, can you hear me?”

No response.

Tears fell off the girl’s nose, “My dearest, don’t leave me, please.”

There was no response from the Valtyr, nor any indication that she was still alive.

Culain watched from afar, wiping a few tears from his eyes. It was awkward for him, as he had not cried in years.

“Kidreyli, talk to me.” Kaitra shook her gently, again no response. She began to realize in her mind that Kidreyli was lost to her as tears fell off her cheeks to the ground. “No, no, no…you can’t leave me! I love you so much. I will never be able to live without you.” She shook her anamhra’s shoulders again and felt within their link fading. She grabbed at her chest as waves of pain began pulsating through her. She let out a piercing “Nooo…!” that echoed off the surrounding trees and shook everyone in the village to their bones.

Zakrell grimaced as he stood, motioned to his soldiers and commanded, “Bring her.”

Two soldiers approached the sorceress. She directed her magics with her right hand, flinging them through the air some twenty feet. One of them bounced off a tree and landed unconscious in a patch of ferns. The other landed on a rock, hitting his head. He was dead within moments. Other soldiers who were approaching hesitated for fear of a similar fate.

Kaitra ran her fingers down her lover’s lifeless cheek one last time, then stood and faced Zakrell. Her eyes filled red with grief, and the green tendrils of her magics bouncing from her shoulders to her fingertips amplified her imposing image. She grabbed at her chest again with her left hand and collapsed to one knee as a wave of pain seared through her heart. It only lasted a moment this time, and she quickly gathered herself, stood and faced Zakrell once more. Her deep scratchy voice announced, “You killed my love…and now I will kill you.”

She extended her right hand, directing her magics to close in around his throat, marked by a bright green energy that was slowly crushing his windpipe. He stood gasping for breath as she walked toward him. She said, “Don’t worry, Zakrell, it will take a while for you to die in excruciating pain and anguish.”

He fell back to one knee and dropped his sword, struggling for air.

Dubhni rode up and threw her magics in Zakrell’s defense, directing a deep blue pulse of energy toward Kaitra. It deflected off her defenses and high into the air, but it was just enough to diminish her magics, so that the hold she had on the big man was released.

Kaitra failed to sense the lieutenant, who came up from behind and hit her with great force on the left side of her face with the back of his hand, still holding a firm grip on the hilt of his bloodied sword. She fell unconscious to the ground.

Zakrell stayed down for a few moments, sucking in as much air as he could as he quickly recovered.

Dubhni was immediately off her horse and dropped to her knees next to him. She asked, “Are you all right.”

Through a pained breath he answered, “She cut me deeply.”

She looked under his arm, gently pulling his shirt away from the wound, revealing a rather deep laceration that was bleeding profusely. She touched him along his spine near his shoulder blades and closed her eyes. Her magics summoned up, noticeable by the light golden glow emanating from her fingertips.