Chapter 3

The loud banging of a large metal gong snapped Tama awake in an instant, causing her to jump from her sleeping pallet and assume a fighting stance before her eyes were even open. The Green Brothers had been teaching her this technique for the last year for her own safety. She had also received a few basic lessons in advanced meditation from an Iksar monk that stopped at the village during the winter the previous year while waiting for the roads to clear a bit. He knew the Monk that had helped her father, so he helped her to deepen her mana control and focus.

Along with the clanging, was a man shouting to get on their feet, hit the jakes, and dress out for PT. It took Tama a few seconds to realize where she was now and what was going on. She quickly slapped the locks back on her abilities, took several deep breaths, and stretched her arms and back to get a few overnight kinks out.

One of the other girls though did not have her control as solid as Tama and nearly burned herself trying to settle herself down from being so badly startled. Tama glanced at the matron and saw her writing on a clipboard, taking notes on all the reactions of the girls to the sudden wakeup call. She turned and headed to the outhouse as she thought of it. It was clean and neat and she had a sneaky suspicion that one of the duties they would be assigned would be cleaning and maintenance of the barracks and all the areas associated with it.

She quickly finished her morning ablutions then returned to her pallet and made it according to the book. She had spent months practicing this along with all the other skills listed that she was able to learn on her own. She donned her PT cloths, Grey rough woven shorts, and a rough spun grey over tunic that was just a little bit large and loose on her. She figured that if the school worked her as hard as she worked herself, she would fill it out in no time. Before she could put the tunic on though, one of the other girls saw how well Tama's body was all muscled and cut.

"Would you look at that, she looks like some of the guys that work at hauling rocks and lumber all day, solid muscle. Are you as strong as you look Tama?" she asked.

"I would think it depends on your definition of strong. I can lift a fair amount of weight, and I am a trained wood worker to apprentice level, and a trained Bowyer to Journeyman's level. I do need upper body strength to do that. Do you have a name?" Tama asked finally as she finished dressing and slipping into the issued running shoes.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I am Mara T'ren, and I lived over near the Fay nursery on the north side of the valley, how about you? Where are you from Tama?"

"I lived at the Upper Pass Village at the Butcherblock Mountains border." As they dressed they made their acquaintances, and Tama showed all of them the proper way to make their sleeping pallets. She explained to them the need to follow the standards in the books or they would be forever in trouble. Shera was a little reluctant at first until the Matron returned along with the instructor that was to be their master in the arts of self-torture and pain for the next year. They called the girls to attention and Tama quickly returned to her place, stood in the proper position, and waited for morning inspection. The PT instructor introduces himself as Senior Sergeant B'rill.

"Well little girls, sadly enough, it is my assigned duty to be your lord and master for the next year. You will ask for permission to speak, you will address me as Sir, or Sergeant B'rill. I am not mister, not hey you, nor any thing else. AM I CLEAR?" he roared at them.

The girls, including Tama sounded off with a half hearted "Yes sir."

His face turned a shade deeper in the red as his anger grew. "That has to be the most sorry and weak excuse for sounding off I have ever had the displeasure of hearing, NOW SOUND OFF YOU SKINNY LITTLE MAGGOTS!"

This time they did it with slightly more gusto, except Tama, She opened her mouth and let loose a "Yes Sir" that turned his head. "You, cadet, what is your name." Tama could almost feel the finger poking her chest with each word the way he said them.

"Cadet Arrowmark SIR!"

"Well Cadet Arrowmark, you so far are the only one here that seems to understand what sounding off means. Now, as for the rest of you, SOUND THE HELL OFF OR I WILL HAVE ALL OF YOU DOING PUSHUPS FOR THE NEXT SIX HOURS, Is that totally clear cadets?"

"YES SIR!" they yelled as loud as they could, Tama included.

"I don't know matron, I just don't know. This sorry bunch will be the death of themselves, not me mind you, just themselves because they can't SOUND OFF like they mean it." He looked at them for another minute then yelled to fall out outside and get in formation for PT. Tama gave the other girls a look that said we have to move now, and she was nearly running by the time she was out the door.

Once outside, she saw markings on the ground were they where to assemble in formation. She grabbed Shera and placed her on one mark, then going through the rest as fast as she could, she had everybody lined up at attention. That book had she spent so much time studying would either save her or get her in more trouble, she hoped for the former.

Sergeant B'rill came out and opened his mouth to start his normal first day ritual of lining the girls up for a million and two pushups, when he stopped at the sight of the lineup already completed. He stalked over looking at the line of young girls lined up and standing at attention, nervously awaiting his orders. He was sure he knew who was responsible, but did not want to berate her for doing the job he had planned assigning her anyways for being able to sound off. He read her dossier and was more than a little bit afraid of this Cadet Arrowmark.

"Ok ladies, since you are all so gung-ho and ready to go about this, double arm interval, move," he called. For a second nobody moved, then Tama quickly raised her right arm out to her side. Shera raised both and stepped away from Tama until they just touched fingertips. This went on down the line until all the girls had wide spaces between them. "Matron, why do I get the feeling that there is a joker in this deck that I am going to have a lot of fun breaking?"

She grinned at him and went back inside to trash the girl's bunks for not being correctly made and their lockers for not being up to standards. Only one made it even close to what was expected of them, as she expected it would be from what she had seen the night before, but she tossed it as well.

Back outside, Sergeant B'rill began the lessons in pushups. He got them down into the proper position and with much yelling and insults got them to do the exercise correctly. He worked them over for two hours with assorted exercises then the short run from hell began. Without a heavy pack to add to the strain, Tama felt like she was floating and had to hold herself back. She found the entire exercise period just warmed her up but did not work her out very much. The rest of the girls though, they sounded as if they were about to die from exhaustion. They stayed on the flats for the most part so she was not even breathing hard at the finish and she had a huge grin on her face over how easy this was.

Sergeant B'rill noticed this very quickly and decided he needed to know what Cadet Arrowmark thought was so funny and easy about his program. Just as he was about to get in her face, Tama felt a cold splash of water on her face.

Tamalain woke with a start when another large drop of water hit her on the forehead. It had clouded up and started to rain while she and Silor had slept. Even though she was annoyed by this new turn of events, she was grateful for the escape from that particular bit of memory. B'rill had been more than a little upset with her when she convinced him to take her to a weight room so she could show him what she considered a workout to be. No, he had not been pleased at all, thinking back at how her muscles felt after he got through with her later that day. He taught her what a real work out was and it hurt like hell.

Tamalain and Silor quickly packed their gear and got back on the road for the last leg of the run. Silor avoided singing the words, in any way he could by sticking to a lower power level of humming only. They arrived at the downwards sloping path that went along the cliff face down to the docks and the small city that followed the curve of Butcherblock Bay.

It took another hour of careful maneuvering the narrow path down the cliff face to reach the shoreline. Silor told her, "Follow me Captain Arrowmark. I will escort you to the council building."

"Thank you courier Silor. Why so formal all the sudden, is something happening I am not seeing?"

"Something seems a bit off here today. It is the guard's, they are not armed for city patrol. They are set up for combat or riot control duty, I wonder what is going on. Tama, change of plans, we are going to reception first. I might be able to get a few answers there."

"Yeah, that might be a good idea Silor, Good thinking. This week just keeps getting better and better doesn't it," she asked rhetorically.

At the bard reception center, the day supervisor saw them enter and asked Silor why he was back so soon. "We didn't expect you back in for at least three more days Silor, what happened up there."

"Major emergency at the Upper Glenn's Boss, a Drakota invasion has busted out. Yes I know, they are supposed to be extinct, but Captain Arrowmark went several rounds with the dominate male and barely escaped in one piece. They are coming with blood in their eyes. Now what is the deal with the guards being suited up and ready for war, no others were ahead of us with word on this."

"You must have just missed the road blocks coming in then Silor. A bunch of high level Kobolds have tunneled in under Kaladim and done the impossible. They drove the Dwarves out of their home city and took it. Once most of the dwarves were out, the Kobolds collapsed the tunnels in and out."

Tamalain felt her heart sink, she had been hoping to enlist the aid of the Dwarves to fight the Drakota threat as it would be a danger to them as well, this news dashed that hope. "What of the council, what is their stance on this turn of events."

"Ha, a worthless lot they are lately, all bowing scraping to some new guy that just showed up and took over a few weeks ago. He kept it quiet until the Dwarves issue came up. Now he is claiming the right to rule over all Elven kind."

Tamalain frowned, taking on a look that spelled death coming and Silor saw it and started backing away from her, he started looking for a safe place to hide before the storm hit. She looked at the head of the station and asked, "Is it a member of the Thornbreak family?" The way she said it made even this older Elven want to slip away and hide as well.

"No Ma'am, not a Thornbreak, we are all glad of that, believe you me. We are not sure who he is or were he came from. It is just that nobody is able to act against him. Any that have tried come away all dreamy and loopy for a few days."

"This is just insane," said Tamalain. "A courser has taken the over the council and nobody has been able to resist him?"

"That is about the long and short of it Ma'am."

Tamalain put down her pack and opened it, then she opened a side pocket looking for a gift given to her by Elder shortly after the last attack on her by Mayong. She found the amulet and slipped it over her head. "This is a resist everything mental amulet that Elder gave me. He said it would keep me from being controlled by outside forces for a short time. Let's hope it does what he said it should, or this city is going up in flames by sundown."

"Silor, take her to the council chambers, I will ready the fire brigades if they are needed."

Silor gave the older Elven a dirty look, "Yes sir, I love you too sir. Come on Tama, let's see what mischief we can cause today."

"Now that is the Silor I know, lead on screecher of bad songs," Tama said smiling.

Silor saw that smile and shivered in fear, he had seen it before and feared it greatly. People are about to die, and she will simply be doing her duty in the process of it all. "Tama, try and not kill any more than you must, I hate trying to get the blood stains out of my cloths."

"No promises Silor, you know how this song and dance goes as well as anybody. To be honest, I don't want to have to kill at all on this one unless I have no choice. I just want to mobilize the Elven people to take down this threat and get our homes in the wood back. Not that you and I have one anymore." She saw the pained look on her friends face and knew hers mirrored it.

They moved out at a steady jog, not a full run as there were too many people out now and the roads were getting busy. It only took Silor ten minutes to lead Tamalain to the councilor chambers. It was the road blocks of aides and secretaries that stopped them in their officious and annoying way. Tamalain managed to not lose her temper for the most part. When she had finally decided enough was enough, she pulled out her sword and brought it down hard on the desk of the Dwarven that was her current headache.

"I am going to go in and see my old friend Council President Jordan right now. From this point forwards, anybody that gets in my way loses a hand, got that you parasites?" Silor wanted to hide, but he stayed with her.

The parasites as she called them all became indignant that somebody would dare oppose them in their realm of power. One got up to call for the guards, but was stopped by a hand of a older guard sergeant that had followed them in. "I know her, she goes in now, so out of her way." His gravely, worn voice caused all the underlings to cringe and return to their desks and paper piles.

Tamalain opened the doors to the council chambers and was glad to see her friend at the head of the table. She stopped instantly though when only one of the men in the room reacted to her arrival. He glared at her and made a hasty gesture. She immediately felt the amulet grow warm against her skin as it did its job and deflected the mesmerize spell. "Stay outside Silor, this person will ruin your mind if he can see you."

She heard him step back away, so she hoped he was clear of immediate threats. She decided a direct approach would be the only answer to the problem before her. In a single motion, she pulled and threw a small dagger at the courser. He was fast enough to dodge the attack, but he was off balance from trying to get out of the chair he was sitting in.

"Slaves, defend me from the witch." He ordered the sitting councilors. They all slowly started to rise up, but they were not fast enough on their current mind numbed state. Tamalain jumped on the table and quickly crossed over, then jumped again, flipping over the courser, landing behind him. He was not able to dodge away as his chair and the table block his escape route. She pulled out another dagger and had it to his throat and his arms bound with several long leather ties before he could react.

"Release them evil one, release them and you might live to see trial, refuse, well, I haven't gotten to kill anybody yet today, so I am overdue."

"I don't know how you resisted me witch, but I bow to no one, especially your kind." He tried to twist away from her grip only to feel the dagger bite into the chain around his neck. The tight chain could not be removed, but it could be cut. The amulet it held was important in several ways, as Tamalain and the rest of the council were about to find out. "No, stop, you can't remove the chain, if you do I, and everybody I control dies."

"Then release them Dark Elven, that is what you are. I have been taught many things over the years Inky, including how to recognize your smell."

He was startled at the accusation she had made, and she was correct in it. "My Emperor gave me this mission to break the Elven and Dwarven alliance. I will complete that mission witch."

"No, I don't think so dark one. You have failed your mission, your emperor, and what ever god you worship." she replied in a cold voice that singled his end. She shifted the dagger so that it sliced cleanly across his exposed throat, missing the chain entirely. The last words he heard before death took him, "You also talk to much."

She released the corpse and it dropped to the floor with a wet thud. Once the Dark Elven brain was dead, the spells released and everybody else in the room slowly started to wake up.

Tamalain looked over at Jordan and smiled, "Why is it if I leave you alone for a few years you have to go and get yourself in to even more trouble than even I can manage. Men, they are always getting in trouble if a woman isn't there to keep them in line."

Jordan looked around, still dazed from the extended mesmerize spell effects. "Tamalain, why are you here, What are you doing here? I don't recall calling for you to leave your post in the Upper Glenn's."

"Well, if the Courser ever did one good thing in its life, it was to have me relieved of my command and sent to head the scouting teams back into the Faydark. Speaking of which, we have several big problems to deal with." She had taken on a broad smile and seemed a bit to happy about the bad news.

Jordan suddenly had the look of dread everybody gets when Tamalain gets cheerful over bad news. "What have you done Tamalain Arrowmark. How bad is it and how many have died so far because of what you have done."

Tamalain huffed at him, "Well oh high and mighty council president, as yet I have only killed four bandits not counting the inky there. Jordan, this is serious. Drakota Jordan, Drakota. Several hundred of them are nesting in the old Upper Pass crater. They also have several thousand eggs incubating. How's that sound for a problem that needs dealing with right away."

Jordan just stared at her for a few seconds in disbelief, "You managed to piss them off, didn't you. You went up here and managed to get an entire nest of dragon kin pissed at you." He shook his head in disbelief at her.

"Well, it was him or me, and I preferred to go on living. The main dominate male won't be flying again anytime soon with the damage I did in escaping, but he is really ticked at me regardless. In fact he hates the Elven kind in general."

Council President Jordan looked at Tamalain with a cold, angry expression. "You and your arrogance have endangered all of us Arrowmark. Why can't you leave well enough alone. Why do you think I put you on that desk job. You are a threat to everything that is girl, and I am trying to protect the Elven people from you. But No, You have to go and stir up the Drakota, adding more problems on top of what we already have."

"You think I deliberately went up there to cause this?"

"YES!"

"Shows how much you know you arrogant son of a bitch, I was scouting, trying to find what had every Kobold in the region running away. It was the male that found me! I defended myself and escaped so I could report the presence of this new threat."

"You abandoned your post girl!"

"Like hell I did!" She pulled a scroll tube out of a side pouch and slammed the release papers down in front of him. "Read these, it is your signature and seal, so don't get high and mighty with me. I have put up with your being in the way of my chosen life path long enough, either accept you are still under control of the dead thing there, or try to have me arrested. Your guards and the city will not enjoy the trying. Just so you know, the fire brigades are already on standby alert."

Jordan saw that her hands were still on the table and had not gone near her weapons yet, that was a good sign to him. She was not in a killing rage, but she would defend herself and her bard friend if attacked. "Ok Captain Arrowmark, stand down, you have passed the test."

"A test, a gods be damned test? I come with a warning, trying to save our people and end up saving you, and you want to play games with me? You Jordan, have forgotten the warning Master Greenheart once gave you. DO NOT PLAY GAMES WITH ME!" This last was a fully enraged roar, her hands were now on hilts of her swords and Jordan realized he had finally pushed her to far. She would not hesitate to kill him if he pushed her any further.