“He’s very stubborn and stuck in his ways. He has a closed-minded view of the way things should be and doesn’t listen to suggestions from people who don’t align with what he believes,” Britt said, clearly frustrated.

“He really didn’t like your view of treating your crew as equals,” Max added.

“No, he thinks it weakens the role of the leader. But take a look at my crew,” she swept her hand across the ship. “Every person here would not hesitate to put my needs before their own. It’s their choice to do that. I don’t make them. Everyone on Red’s crew has to be ordered to do so; not one of his men would sacrifice themselves for him. Sure, they fear him, but they don’t respect him.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Max said calmly.

Britt looked deeply into his eyes and Max felt his heart quicken. “Red will try to remove me from my command and perhaps banish me from the Navy for running against him.”

“He wouldn’t?” Max protested. “Surely he knows how much of an asset you are to the Rollo forces. He wouldn’t be so blinded to relieve you of your duties.”

Britt looked back down the length of the ship again, “I feel it in my heart. He will try to get rid of me as soon as he can.”

For the next several weeks the weather was superb for sailing and they rode a steady wind along the coastline. Max and Bo pointed out Brookside to Thomas and Kirsten as they passed by. Max recounted the shipwreck resulting from one of Red’s decisions that set them on land for several days before they were able to reunite with the Rollo Navy.

At last, after six weeks at sea, they saw the town of Grandwood. Kirsten and Thomas took note of the wreckage that still scarred their hometown. People could be seen milling about the town. As they drew near in their shuttle boats, Thomas pointed to black and gold banners that hung from the buildings.

“What are the banners all about?” he asked Kirsten.

She shrugged, “I don’t know? I’ve been gone just the same as you.”

“They weren’t here before?” Britt asked.

Thomas and Kirsten shook their heads and Britt groaned, making them feel uneasy.

When they arrived at the docks, the greeting they’d expected didn’t come. The people passing by hardly turned their heads and quickened their pace as the people kidnapped from Grandwood stepped off the skiffs and onto the docks.

Thomas frowned slightly and said to his sister, “Not quite the welcome I was expecting.”

They walked along the dock looking more closely at one of the black and gold banners hanging near the shore.

“Who is that man painted on them?” Thomas asked.

That’s Merglan, Kirsten thought to herself.

Chapter 24

Elven Speed and Seeds of Doubt

Anders and Maija sat together, looking out at the Marauder’s Sea as the last of the Rollo Islander’s fleet sailed toward the horizon. The late spring air blew steadily off the water, ruffling Maija’s long amber hair. Anders could sense Zahara’s presence as she flew toward camp along the Eastland Mountain front.

Anders turned, pausing to look at Maija’s beautiful face. She saw him staring at her and said playfully, “What?”

“Oh, look,” Anders said, pointing across her toward Zahara in flight. Her scales glinted different shades of green against forested backdrop behind her.

“What do you think your training will be like?” Maija asked, watching intently as Zahara approached.

“I hope it’s not too much bookwork,” he replied looking back out across the dark blue sea. “I never really liked to read things that I was forced to.”

“But you do like to read?” she asked, twisting her head sharply to see his reply.

He nodded, “I like choosing the things I read about, and getting through them on my own schedule.”

“I love reading. Anything my grandparents gave me or suggested that I read, I devoured.”

“Kirsten’s that way, too,” Anders said holding Maija’s gaze. “I was always jealous of her aptitude for learning from books,” he paused, glancing at Zahara as she glided over camp. “I can get along with bookwork just fine if I need to, but I’ve always been more of a hands-on learner.”

“Well, I’m sure your training will involve a lot of hands-on learning.”

“I just hope I can absorb it all as quickly as they need me to,” he said with a tinge of worry. “It doesn’t seem like we’ll have much time before Zahara and I will need to face Merglan head on.”

“I don’t envy you, Anders,” Maija replied leaning back on her elbows against the grassy hill.

Anders laughed, “I don’t either, Maija. I didn’t ask for any of this to happen. It just has. I’m not sure the path I’m following is meant for me. I feel like I’m the least qualified person to have been handed this responsibility.”

Zahara circled above them spiraling lower with each turn, eventually landing softly on the grass next to them.

In his peripheral vision, Anders could see Maija observing him as he did her earlier. She wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder as she whispered, “I wish we could go back to the first time we met and stay there for a while longer.”

Anders met her brown eyes, streaked with golden brown flares, and said, “Me, too. Me, too.”

“Did you find something to eat?” Anders asked Zahara as she sat down behind them. He spoke aloud so Maija could hear their conversation.

Yes, I did, she replied, switching to their telepathic link. There was this lovely flock of white furry creatures just down the mountain range. They were the most satisfying meal I’ve had in my life. She then let out a belch that included a puffed ring of smoke. Her forked tongue swiped across her razor-sharp teeth. Purring, she added, They almost taste as good coming back out as they do going in.

Anders and Maija rolled on the ground laughing.

“Oh, Zahara,” Maija said. “You’re so funny.”

Zahara cocked her head sideways and looked at Anders, Ivan’s telling us to get ready to leave. The elves are about to begin their return home.

Anders sat up, “I guess it’s time to face reality.”

“One more minute,” Maija said pulling Anders back down to the ground.

“Okay,” he said feeling the surprising strength of her grip.

They wrapped each other in their arms, holding one another close and feeling the warmth of their bodies against the oncoming evening.

Anders could see the elf horde beginning to move across the valley toward the mountains, “We’d better catch them. They’re leaving now.”

Anders and Maija ran down the hill toward Ivan and the others who’d remained behind waiting. Zahara glided low to the ground next to them as they ran. Maija seemed to be maintaining a faster pace than Anders with ease.

When they stopped, Anders could see that Ivan, Nadir and Natalia were still waiting for them. Ivan was the first to speak, “Anders, you and I will ride with Zahara. Maija, since you probably haven’t figured out how to run like an elf during your years of living as a human, you will travel with Natalia and Nadir. Natalia’s still recovering from her injuries and will be going much slower than the others. Nadir’s agreed to stay behind and help. Anders, Zahara and I will follow along from the air. If anything should go wrong, Nadir and the three of us will be quick to come to your aid. Is that clear?” Ivan concluded in a commanding tone.

“You want me to run all the way to the Everlight Kingdom?” Maija half shouted in surprise.

“You’re an elf,” Natalia said. “It’s in your blood to be able to sprint and for great distances. Since your memory was wiped and you were living with humans, you weren’t taught the proper way to tap into this skill. I honed this skill as a young adult. Now that I must relearn it, we can go through the steps together.”