Fire and Smoke

“We have to fight them,” Anders said bluntly. 

“Anders, unless Merglan has found a way to make fairnheir breathe fire, they don’t burn things down,” Natalia said, motioning to the smoke columns.  

“They could’ve started them to create a barrier?” Anders said as he crouched. 

“The sorcerer,” Maija said, grabbing his arm. “I didn’t feel it, but you did.” 

Anders shrugged, “It was faint. Maybe they aren’t here yet and there’s a window of opportunity that’s closing. I’m going to go to the top of the bank and see if I can get a better look.” Anders crawled toward the top of the shallow rise above the river’s edge and suddenly paused.  

“What is it?” Natalia whispered. 

Anders looked back and waved for them to join him.  

Maija followed Natalia and slowly crawled to Anders. Looking at him with wide eyes, Maija followed his hand as he pointed toward the fighting. She saw a distant dark outline of a dragon diving toward the city. A bright orange and yellow stream shot from its mouth seconds before it dropped out of sight behind the bending columns of smoke.  

“How’s your hearing?” Anders asked.  

Maija listened for a moment, but only heard the slow-moving river behind them and the wind pushing to the west across the flat plains. “It’s normal.”  

“What’s that got to do with anything?” Natalia asked, looking at her sister. 

“I have a heightened sense of hearing when Merglan’s near,” Maija told her. 

“That must be one of the spells mother cast on you before she died,” Natalia said. “And it still works?” 

“I had it when we were held captive and Kirsten and I worked near him in the castle and it started happening again once we were outside of Cedarbridge. Merglan attacked not long after,” Maija confirmed. 

“So that’s one of his elven riders from the prison,” Natalia reasoned. 

“They’re elves?” Anders asked. 

Natalia shrugged, “Usually riders are. You, Ivan and Merglan are prime examples of why elves had dominated the field for so long.” 

Maija saw Anders’ brows pinch together.  

Natalia glanced at him, “Sorry, but it’s true. Most humans bring their emotional baggage into their political decisions. In your case, though, you’re in the right.”  

“Thanks?” Anders said.  

“Natalia,” Maija nagged, tilting her head and eyeing her sister. 

“What?” she said. “It’s true. There are books about it in the dragonriders library to prove it.” 

“It doesn’t matter,” Anders said. “We need to do something before that dragon burns the entire city.”  

“What if it’s a trap?” Maija asked.  

Anders thought for a moment, then said, “If it were a trap, Merglan would be here. And if we’re right, he’s not.”  

“The other two riders,” Maija said. “They could be here, too.”  

“I only sense one. With our crystals, I think I’ll have a decent chance at taking him one-on-one.”  

“And you could recharge what you use with the dying fairnheir,” Natalia said.  

Anders nodded, “A herd of fairnheir can move faster than an army. With a dragonrider to guide them, my guess is that this is the first probe of Merglan’s attack. Hopefully, the rider hasn’t seen the Rollo Islanders. If they’re on track, they’ll arrive tomorrow.” 

“If this is the first wave of the attack, then the others will be soon to follow,” Natalia said.  

“And we can’t afford to leave. If we do, our army won’t have anything to fall back on,” Anders said. 

“If Merglan’s army gets here by tonight, we’ll lose the city and be caught in the middle of the Plains,” Maija said. “And all the people here in Aquina will die.”  

Anders looked back at Zahara, who stood with her head leaning toward them so she could hear what they were saying. “What do you think?” he asked. 

Maija turned and saw Raffa at her side, his large golden eyes also staring at her.  

Zahara spoke into their minds at the same time, I won’t let innocent peoples be burned if I can do something about it.  

“We’re going to fly out there,” Anders said.  

“We’ll come with you,” Maija said boldly. 

Before Natalia could agree, Tarron’s voice cut through to all of them, Aren’t you going to ask my opinion? 

If we said no, you’d give it anyway, Ander said, switching to mindspeak. 

If I recall from the meeting you had in Brookside, you were going to attempt to join the famous horse riders when you arrived. If they’re under attack now, what better way to gain their support than by coming to their aid and likely rescuing them. 

Yeah, that’s what we decided, Anders said. 

Not just you aiding in their rescue, Anders. The elves as well.  

But they aren’t here, Maija said. 

If one of you elves decided to run back to get them, you could bring them here before nightfall. One day’s march for a massive army is not so far for elves with their incredible speed, Tarron said. 

“I’ll go,” Natalia said to Maija. 

“We shouldn’t split up,” Maija protested. 

“Tarron’s right, Maija. The enemy army will be here and we can’t guarantee that the Rollo Navy will get here in time. If I go back now, I can bring Nadir and the others by nightfall. That’s six hundred elves that we’ll need.” 

“That’s still not enough to hold the city. If we don’t come back by tonight, they’ll come looking for us anyway,” Maija argued. 

“Six hundred elves, two dragonriders and a cavalry should hold the city until the Rolloans and the other armies arrive,” Anders said. “We can’t count on the cavalry, but we can count on the elves.”