“Adesina…is…”
The young queen of the L’avan felt
her cheeks warm. She suddenly felt self-conscious. “Perhaps we can discuss my
journey later. For now I would like to know where we stand in preparing for the
upcoming battle.”
L’iam seemed to do his best to
recover and led the group into the tent, where a large table displayed various
maps and documents. Everyone gathered around the table, including the three
Rashad. Adesina stood by her husband and put an arm around him unconsciously.
Their desire to stay close and connected automatically transferred into action.
“There are almost fourteen hundred
L’avan soldiers training day and night. I would say that only half of them have
any real experience fighting, but all of the inexperienced soldiers are
receiving extra training.”
“Who is in charge of the training?”
queried Adesina.
“Your father, Me’shan,” answered
L’iam. “He has been working closely with Ri’sel, Than’os, and Mar’sal. It seems
they learned much on their journey to the desert.”
Adesina’s thoughts turned to the
two men who had accompanied her during the search for L’iam. In the flurry of
her return to Pevothem she had not asked how they were. She did not even know
what had happened to her friends after she had crossed over the Threshold.
However, like L’iam, Adesina set
her curiosity aside to focus on the matter at hand.
“What of the refugees?”
L’iam referred to the most recent
report. “There are almost a thousand refugees that have come to us for
protection, but we believe that we will see many more as the Shimat forces
travel north.”
Adesina rested a hand on the table.
“I am surprised that there are so many, but I am pleased. It shows that the
L’avan are gaining the trust of Seharans.”
L’iam nodded in agreement. “I do
not believe that any of them would have come to us if it were not for the High
City refugees.”
Adesina looked at her husband with
a smile. “They are here?”
“Yes,” he confirmed. “At first it
was just a small group of them who joined us in the settlement. Then, as the
Scepter of Cha-sak became more active, the rest of the High City refugees from
Emerald Harbor came to us. Rumors spread that we were offering protection from
the Scepter, which brought even more people to us as we travelled to Pevothem.”
Adesina found this information to
be heartening. “Are there any among them who are willing to fight?”
“Around three hundred,” K’eb
answered readily.
Adesina stared hard at the map in
front of her, focusing on the breadth of the Thieves’ Forest. The forest was
wide, but not deep. It formed a band that covered the gap between the eastern
mountain range and the western coast of Sehar. It was the only way to reach
Pevothem by land. In the past it had only been visited by thieves and other
unsavory characters, which kept most of the population away from the borders of
L’avan territory. Rumors of ferocious beasts had kept the criminals from
venturing to the grasslands beyond the forest. It had been an easy way to
ensure privacy for the northern magic-users.
Now the forest had been deserted by
the criminals, due to the increased L’avan activity south of the borders of
Pevothem. It was up to the L’avan to protect themselves and their homes—not
just from marauders, but from an army of highly trained assassins who were set
on the destruction of the L’avan race.
The numbers of their allies were
not what Adesina had been hoping for. “Not all of the Northern Tribes came with
us,” she said slowly. “There are probably only sixteen hundred volunteers among
them. So that brings our army up to three thousand three hundred soldiers, most
of them practically untrained. That is not enough to defend the borders of
Pevothem.”
L’iam smiled mysteriously. “We do
not need to man the entire forest.”
Adesina furrowed her brow. “Why is
that?”
“Do you remember how we returned
home after
The young queen of the L’avan felt
her cheeks warm. She suddenly felt self-conscious. “Perhaps we can discuss my
journey later. For now I would like to know where we stand in preparing for the
upcoming battle.”
L’iam seemed to do his best to
recover and led the group into the tent, where a large table displayed various
maps and documents. Everyone gathered around the table, including the three
Rashad. Adesina stood by her husband and put an arm around him unconsciously.
Their desire to stay close and connected automatically transferred into action.
“There are almost fourteen hundred
L’avan soldiers training day and night. I would say that only half of them have
any real experience fighting, but all of the inexperienced soldiers are
receiving extra training.”
“Who is in charge of the training?”
queried Adesina.
“Your father, Me’shan,” answered
L’iam. “He has been working closely with Ri’sel, Than’os, and Mar’sal. It seems
they learned much on their journey to the desert.”
Adesina’s thoughts turned to the
two men who had accompanied her during the search for L’iam. In the flurry of
her return to Pevothem she had not asked how they were. She did not even know
what had happened to her friends after she had crossed over the Threshold.
However, like L’iam, Adesina set
her curiosity aside to focus on the matter at hand.
“What of the refugees?”
L’iam referred to the most recent
report. “There are almost a thousand refugees that have come to us for
protection, but we believe that we will see many more as the Shimat forces
travel north.”
Adesina rested a hand on the table.
“I am surprised that there are so many, but I am pleased. It shows that the
L’avan are gaining the trust of Seharans.”
L’iam nodded in agreement. “I do
not believe that any of them would have come to us if it were not for the High
City refugees.”
Adesina looked at her husband with
a smile. “They are here?”
“Yes,” he confirmed. “At first it
was just a small group of them who joined us in the settlement. Then, as the
Scepter of Cha-sak became more active, the rest of the High City refugees from
Emerald Harbor came to us. Rumors spread that we were offering protection from
the Scepter, which brought even more people to us as we travelled to Pevothem.”
Adesina found this information to
be heartening. “Are there any among them who are willing to fight?”
“Around three hundred,” K’eb
answered readily.
Adesina stared hard at the map in
front of her, focusing on the breadth of the Thieves’ Forest. The forest was
wide, but not deep. It formed a band that covered the gap between the eastern
mountain range and the western coast of Sehar. It was the only way to reach
Pevothem by land. In the past it had only been visited by thieves and other
unsavory characters, which kept most of the population away from the borders of
L’avan territory. Rumors of ferocious beasts had kept the criminals from
venturing to the grasslands beyond the forest. It had been an easy way to
ensure privacy for the northern magic-users.
Now the forest had been deserted by
the criminals, due to the increased L’avan activity south of the borders of
Pevothem. It was up to the L’avan to protect themselves and their homes—not
just from marauders, but from an army of highly trained assassins who were set
on the destruction of the L’avan race.
The numbers of their allies were
not what Adesina had been hoping for. “Not all of the Northern Tribes came with
us,” she said slowly. “There are probably only sixteen hundred volunteers among
them. So that brings our army up to three thousand three hundred soldiers, most
of them practically untrained. That is not enough to defend the borders of
Pevothem.”
L’iam smiled mysteriously. “We do
not need to man the entire forest.”
Adesina furrowed her brow. “Why is
that?”
“Do you remember how we returned
home after
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