Chapter 5

The creature that came through the brush brought a smile to Luria's lips. She stood, tall and strong, as it came toward her, the ground under her feet shook from its massive weight. He stopped just inches from her, his long but supple trunk coming out to caress her face gently.

"You know what I wish," she said softly, her eyes meeting the beady brown ones of the elephant. It squealed in answer, wrapping its trunk around her waist and lifting her easily.

Graeme stepped forward, his blue eyes shining with concern. He held his bow at his side but an arrow was notched and ready in case the beast should try to hurt the lady he'd come to respect as even more than what the prophesy had proclaimed.

It lifted her gently, putting her upon its back and then continuing on to where Balor sat upon his massive stallion. Luria rested her hand against the big elephant's head, bending to whisper in his wide ear.

The elephant lifted Balor quickly before he could think to draw his sword, holding him up and away from his body and turning him to the side. Luria slid off the elephant and down onto the saddle of Balor's horse.

Balor cursed, his arms flaying as he tried to free himself from the trunk that held him securely. His huge fists lashed out and smashed into the fragile trunk, roaring his anger at the trickery the wench had performed upon him.

"Take him on to Tindale," she ordered the startled elephant. "Do not mind his fits, he has been lost to the madness of the poison."

"How will they know what to do?" she called to Graeme, easily controlling the huge stallion that was startled by the large beast as well as by the lessening of his master's much heavier weight.

"I've thought of that," Graeme said, rolling up a parchment and strapping it to the elephant's foot with a belt. "That will let them know who Prince Balor is and what was done to him. As long as your animal can get him there..."

"He can." Luria turned to the elephant, stroking his thick gray hide. "Run with all swiftness. Get him there as quickly as you can," she ordered. "GO!"

The elephant took off, blaring with a trumpeting noise. Balor still struggled against the massive beast, but even as strong as he was, he was no match to Luria's commands. He cursed her loudly, causing her cheeks to flush as he made crude comments to the things that happened between them.

"Come, Lady. You should go with him."

"No, he'll be fine. We need to do something and we will." She turned the big horse, not even touching his reins and let him have his head. Reaching out with her mind, she had Graeme's horse walking along beside her, keeping pace with her own.

"You are amazing," he said softly, his eyes admiring her.

"How about you be amazing and come up with something that'll keep us alive and them dead?" she said, ignoring his compliment and nodding ahead of them. "I'd like to make it alive to the elf city."

"If we do, I'd love for you and Balor to be the guests of my wife and myself. Our home isn't the biggest in the town but it is very comfortable. My wife, Marka, is the town healer."

Luria nodded, never realizing how regal she looked. Her bright hair had been braided and then wrapped around her head like a crown, giving her a royal look. With her fair features and even fairer skin, she was amazingly beautiful despite the men's clothing she wore.

"Oh," he said suddenly. "Luria, I have an idea."

He leaned across the distance between them and speaking softly, explained what he wanted to do.

Luria crept closer to where the small wagon train had been stopped. The wagons had been cleared out and their owners herded into a small group held off to the side as the beasts went through the wagons, searching for gold and whatever else of use they could find.

As she lay in the grass, she heard a scream and saw one of the beasts pulling a girl, not too much older than herself, from the wagon. The beast's snout was held high in the air, one fist raised in triumph. "The master shall be pleased," he cried, quickly tying the girl's hands behind her back.

Luria felt a tiny twinge deep in her belly as she remembered her time with Magnus and knew what the girl would be up against. She saw two people in that small group try to move forward only to be pushed back at the tip of a pike.

"Lady?" she heard Graeme's harsh urgings and scooted even closer. She didn't know exactly how close she had to be, but she had called the elephant so she knew she didn't have to touch the animal to have control over them.

"I'm going," she hissed back, moving as quietly as she could. Even as she did, she could hear the heavy grass swishing loudly against her cape. If she was noticed, it would be pretty easy to figure out where she was headed. She had to try it now.

Closing her eyes, she reached out to the lead stallion of the first wagon, calming him as he startled just a bit from her sudden presence. She whispered to his mind, showing him pictures of what she wanted him to do, urging him with kind words and sweet compliments. Then she moved to the next horse, and the next until she felt the telltale trickle of blood running from her nose and the dizziness that sometimes came along with the gift. She made it to the last horse, giving him instructions before going to the first horse once more. "Now my princely one," she whispered loudly. "Now!"

The wagons took off with a sudden lurch. The brakes that had been set quickly broke off under the pressure of the horses' movements. The horses circled around, smashing through a small throng of Magnus's evil hordes, crushing them under flailing feet and heavy wheels. Luria knelt up, bringing her bow and arrow with her in order to lend her strong shafts to the carnage in front of her.

Graeme dispatched the guards around the people and the ones holding the girls that had been chosen for Magnus's own personal harem—his arrows struck sure and deep. One girl was grabbed, her body used as a shield until Luria's arrow plowed through the thick skull of the beast, freeing her from its grip.

Between the churning hooves, the heavy wheels and their barrage of arrows, only a few of the beasts were left standing. Most were running, unsure of where the arrows were coming from. As Luria watched, Rowan rose from the heavy weeds next to one of the beasts, quickly killing it with one quick swipe of his four razor sharp claws.

He dug his teeth into the guard's throat and ripped a huge chunk of flesh out, blood spurting into his face and covering his fur, giving him a more terrifying look than before. He dropped the dead guard and sprinted after another, making a strange grunting "huh" sound deep in his throat.

Luria gasped as she saw a female lion rise from out of the grass also, chasing another of the guards and dragging the body to Rowan. She probed the she-lion's mind, seeing her affection for the big male. She smiled.

"Did you know he was mated?" Graeme added from next to her as they watched the two lions finish off the rest of the guards.

"No, but he's a handsome lion. I shouldn't have been surprised." Luria looked up at the sky, noting the position of the sun and the quickly passing clouds. "We need to get these people to safety. Magnus will not take this defeat well."

"You're so right, Lady. And maybe we can catch up with your elephant and Balor as well." He stepped from the high brush and onto the road stopping to reach back for her hand to help her through.

Luria jumped nimbly to the road, stringing her bow across her chest and throwing her arrow quiver across her back as well. She stopped at the beasts she'd killed and pulled her arrows free, wiping them free of blood upon the tunics of the dead before replacing them in her quiver. Arrows were scarce and these had plenty of destructive use left in them.

One of the men disengaged himself from a pretty brunette and made his way over to them. "We owe you our lives," he said, dropping to his knees in front of Luria.

"Get up," she said softly, feeling the blood rise to her cheeks. "Get up, we were just passing by and thought we could help. You must find shelter before nightfall. Magnus will not take this defeat well and could take it out on you."

"Where were you heading?" Graeme asked, moving up next to me.

The man looked at him, noting the pointed ears and the pale skin. "You're an elf," he said in a voice that was half accusation. His mouth turned down in disgust and he started to turn away.

"That elf just helped to save your life," Luria said, stepping between the man and Graeme. "Change your tone if you want to show your gratitude."

"Gratitude to an elf?" the man asked. "I'm supposed to show gratitude to a member of them that forced us out of our homes?"

"No, you're supposed to show gratitude to the man that saved your weasely neck," Luria growled, her face turning red with anger. A few yards away, Rowan lifted his head from his meal, roaring his displeasure and bounding to his feet.

He padded over to Luria, nudging her hand with his big head until she scratched at his ears. His blood soaked fur rubbed against her leg and he yawned, showing off huge fangs. The man's eyes grew larger as he witnessed this and he hastily turned to Graeme, offering his apologies.

"Who is she?" he whispered in awe.

"Lady Luria. She holds the mark," Graeme whispered, enjoying watching the man almost turn slavish in his desire to appease Luria.

"Then it is true? The prophesy has come to pass? The dark lord has gained his powers?"

"No. But only because Prince Balor rescued Lady Luria at the expense of his own health. Now, you must be off. Gather your things and your families and flee this area. The dark lord will be here come nightfall and he will want answers for what has befallen his troops. You do not want to garner his wrath." Graeme gently pushed the man back toward his people, who were already gathering their things and returning them to the wagons. The horses were calmly standing now, though blood spattered their bodies and the wheels of their wagons.

"There is a stream just over that rise," Graeme said. "You can stop their briefly and wash off your animals and your wagons so that you don't drag the scent of blood to your next camp. But go, and do so quickly, nightfall grows near and we also must be away from here."

He turned to Luria who was now scratching the she-lion's chin. "We should go," he said in an undertone.

Luria nodded, stopping to give Rowan and his mate orders. "Will they be welcomed at the elf city?"

"If they come in with you, the elders will have no problem, as long as they can be controlled." Graeme only hoped he spoke the truth. His people had become more wary as the years passed and more and more humans pushed into their lands. A loud cry from above caught his attention and he smiled as the beautiful golden hawk Luria had called to her before swooped down to land with care upon her shoulder. Its razor sharp talons barely grazed her skin.

"We must go," Luria said suddenly, a tone in her voice showed alarm and he stood straighter, his eyes searching the area behind them where the hawk had come from.

"What is it?" he said.

"Oro has seen another troop of Magnus's soldier-beasts. Graeme, they move to attack Tindale. We must go."

Graeme whistled and his horse burst forth from the small grouping of trees they'd left them in. He was quickly followed by Balor's stallion that raced to Luria's side, his body quivering as he felt her anxiousness. Graeme leapt into the saddle, his hands reaching for the reins as he thought of his wife and his friends, unprepared and unknowing of the danger that raced their way.

"Will we have time to get there?" he shouted to Luria.

"If we hurry," she said. Her butt had barely touched the saddle before she gathered the reins, spinning the horse on heel and kicking him hard. The stallion, used to such demands, gathered himself beneath her and sprang forth, running fast as Luria bent low over his neck. The lions growled and took off after Luria, following her with Graeme close behind.

They raced through the area, following Oro, the hawk. When the horses tired, they slowed to a walk, letting them breathe before taking off again. Without stopping for rest or food, the highest tower of Tindale could soon be seen upon the horizon.

Built close to a huge, heavily flowing river, the city was enclosed by a white wall that looked to be made of ivory. The outward facing side of the wall was smooth, but the inward one was etched with beautiful carvings of battle scenes showing great victories and even terrible defeats. Marriages showing beautiful brides and handsome grooms were also carved into the wall, along with flowers, birds, trees and wood sprites.

Luria wished she had time for a better look but Graeme took her across another bridge and then up a long curved walkway before finally stopping his horse and helping her down.

"Balor?" she asked him, and he nodded, handing their reins to the elf that came up to them.

"I will ask, Lady, but first we must warn my elders of what forces come forth."

Rowan and his mate butted their heads against Luria's legs, not happy to be enclosed in this city of elves. Luria quickly calmed them, her hand resting on Rowan's mighty head as Graeme led her up a set of stairs and into an antechamber. A huge golden bell sat in an alcove near two wide doors and he took up the tiny clapper, hitting the bell three times.

The sound had a happy ring to it, and Luria couldn't help but smile. Graeme had barely reached her side when the double doors opened slowly, allowing them to enter.

Six elfin men sat at a long table on a dais. Others sat at tables set at angles to this main one. All stared as Luria entered, her hand upon a huge male lion, a female following at her heels, Graeme at her side. Before the doors could close behind her there was the sound of a hawk screeching. Luria half turned, holding up an arm as Oro landed upon it. The bird flapped its huge wings almost angrily and Luria stroked its feathered head, calming it.

"You are the lady with the mark?" one of the elders asked, rising from his seat. He had hair as black as night, braided much more intricately than Graeme's and eyes that were so light blue they seemed unreal.

"My name is Luria and I'm no lady," she answered. "I am a lowly mayor's daughter who was stolen from her home by one of Magnus's evil scouts."

"But you do bear the mark?" the elf demanded.

"Yes, I bear the cursed mark," she said. "You are in danger. Oro," she nodded at the golden hawk that rode upon her arm with a regal air, "has seen a mighty force coming here. They will not stop until they have killed you all."

The room suddenly buzzed as all the elfin males began speaking at once. The older elf who had stood up previously, held up his hand and the sound stopped as suddenly as it started.