A Marriage of Friends (The Inner Seas Kingdoms Book 8) Read online

  “It appears everything is going well,” Kestrel commented, anxious to avoid the dangerous subject. “Tell the troops to fall into column, and we’ll go to our home for the evening.”

  “Inside the humans’ city, my lord?” Pierodot asked nervously.

  “Yes, and they’ll prepare a meal for us as well,” Kestrel confirmed. “You can follow me, and I’ll take care of everything.”

  The elves formed up in their column, with Lucretia in the rear to provide translation if needed. Kestrel led them to the road, where the human traffic scattered to put space around the elves.

  Kestrel led them at a stately pace along the road, and then through the city gate, past the guards who had observed him enter earlier with Ferris, and among the crowds of humans who were startled to discover the quiet invasion of their city. He held his powers just below the surface, ready to employ them at any instant to prevent harm befalling any of his followers.

  Three blocks into the city he met Ferris. “I’ve come to provide an escort,” he gestured to a dozen uniformed guards. “To make everything easier.”

  The trip to the empty barracks near the palace took only ten minutes, and the elves sighed in relief when they left the busy human city streets and entered the relative isolation of the barracks yard.

  “Her highness would like to come visit your people, if she may,” Ferris told Kestrel, as the elves and their human escorts looked curiously at one another.

  “Please bring her; that would be a delight and an honor,” Kestrel said.

  “We’ll have your food delivered, and the princess will be by soon afterwards,” Ferris assured Kestrel.

  The elves relaxed once the humans were gone, and they set about unpacking and relaxing inside their accommodations for the night. A wagon of food soon arrived, and soon thereafter, a flourish of horns announced the arrival of Yulia.

  “Makes me wish our own princess would come out and visit her elves once in a while,” Kestrel overheard one elf mutter to another as they lined up to receive Yulia. Her escort of guards came in, and then Yulia arrived. She walked down the line, Kestrel by her side translating, saying pleasantries to each of the elves she saw, and waving up to the imps overhead.

  “This is a great beauty,” Yulia said to Kestrel when they reached Moorin.

  “Thank you, your highness,” Medeina spoke for herself, surprising the princess who had not expected her words to be understood.

  After the visit, Kestrel, Lucretia, and Medeina were invited to join the princess for a dinner with members of her court.

  “This will be delightful; thank you, Kestrel,” Medeina told him as they strolled through the palace. “It’s interesting to see that elves and humans fight sometimes and don’t other times.”

  “When did you see humans and elves fighting?” Lucretia asked.

  “While we were running here, the humans in one city attacked us,” Medeina said matter-of-factly.

  “I’m so sorry to hear that,” Yulia said apologetically. “Were many of your people injured?” she looked from Medeina to Kestrel.

  “None. None at all,” Medeina said. “Kestrel protected them all.”

  Ferris and a member of the court looked at her expectantly, waiting for some further explanation.

  “You know – he has powers. He created a shield that covered them all, then he flew the attackers down to the ground and lectured them,” she addressed them.

  “He is the favorite of the goddess,” spoke up Kaana, the chief priestess of Kai. “It’s not surprising that if she’s going to lend her powers to anyone these days, it would naturally be Kestrel. Have you forgotten that statue he created?”

  “Did the goddess give you protection? We haven’t seen a sign of her in months,” a minister who sat nearby spoke up.

  “The goddess and the other gods have some trouble right now,” Kestrel explained. “The imps explained it to me. A few months ago the sun had a bright flash, and then grew the red spots on its face,” he saw the others around him nod in remembrance. “The imps call that Rishiare Estelle, and they say that it lasts for a year. It disrupts the world in a way that makes it difficult for the gods to act or communicate with us.

  “I believe that when it ends, everything will go back to normal,” he said. “We all just have to wait until next spring.”

  After the meal, Kestrel, Medeina, and Lucretia walked slowly back towards the barracks where the elves and the imps had remained. They all spoke in elvish, safe from being overheard by humans.

  “What do you plan to do, Kestrel?” Lucretia asked.

  “We’ll go north, skirt around the foothills of the Water Mountains, and arrive at Firheng. If they need help, we ‘ll provide it,” he said calmly.

  “And what are you going to do about the real problem? The princess has become a tyrant,” Lucretia pressed the point.

  “We’ll go to Center Trunk,” Kestrel said firmly. “We’ll set free the ones who are imprisoned, and we’ll make the princess cease. I don’t know yet what we’ll find, but we’ll make it all better.”

  They reached the barracks entrance, and saw that the elves inside were playing catch with the imps, throwing objects the length of the long, open barracks as they called the names of imps who flew forward to catch the targets before they hit the floor. There was laughter and frivolity that warmed Kestrel’s heart.

  “I’m going to walk Lucretia to her embassy,” Kestrel told Medeina. “I’ll be back soon,” he promised.

  “You’ll kiss me good bye, won’t you?” the goddess in disguise asked in a quavering, timid voice.

  Kestrel saw the studied neutrality on Lucretia’s face, then he leaned over and kissed Medeina lightly on the lips.

  “I’ll wait up for you,” the goddess further played the role of patient lover, as Kestrel and Lucretia walked away.

  The two were completely quiet for two minutes. Neither said a word as they walked across the palace grounds, until Kestrel finally spoke.

  “It isn’t what it seems. That’s all I can say right now,” he said emphatically.

  “I’m not asking any questions,” Lucretia said firmly. “Who you, or how you, or what you do – it’s not my business.”

  “Really, it’s just not like it appears,” Kestrel felt flustered and confused, but didn’t know how to rectify the misunderstanding without breaking his promise not to reveal the goddess’s identity.

  “So, can you help me with the shipments of supplies from Hydrotaz to Oaktown?” Kestrel asked.

  “What do you want me to do?” she answered. “I’ll help any way I can.”

  “The shippers are going to need a translator to accompany them through the Eastern Forest to Oaktown, and then back. Can you do that?”

  “I’ll do it,” she firmly agreed. “But you have to do something for me.”

  “Anything,” Kestrel instantly said, sincerely.

  “Bring Giardell back to me safe and sound,” Lucretia put her hand in his and squeezed it as they walked.

  “Do you want to come in and talk?” she asked as they reached the door to the embassy. “Since you seem to not want to be with your companion.”

  “No, I’m going to go to the temple,” Kestrel blurted out.

  “That’s why you walked me home!” Lucretia lightly slugged his shoulder. “You didn’t worry about my safety. You just wanted an excuse to go see your goddess’s temple.”

  “I wanted to be with you, of course,” Kestrel protested. “I meant what I said about the first time I saw you!” he grinned. “I remember what a blessing it turned out to be when you saw me with Dewberry, and we went to the shrubbery together.”

  “And got pulled out by Sylvan’s guards together!” Lucretia laughed. “We had about five seconds of romance before they found us.” The door behind her clicked open.

  “Go along. Go see your goddess statue. If anyone can get a response from her, it’s you, I’m sure. Come see me in the morning when you go to the market, and we can make arrangements for transp
orting your supplies to Oaktown,” Lucretia told him. She pressed the door open, then leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the nose. “There, now go!” she laughed, and she disappeared inside the embassy.

  Kestrel waited only a second, then turned and walked back along the street, hurrying towards the temple to Kai. He wanted to see the statue of the goddess, the statue that was a reminder of how much the goddess loved her followers – its very appearance spoke of affection and a maternal desire to protect and nurture. And it was a reminder of how much he loved the goddess, and wanted her to be strong and beloved.

  He entered the dark doorway of the temple. Inside there were only a few lanterns lit to provide minimal illumination, and only a pair of moving shadows to indicate that anyone else was even in the building. Kestrel moved into the sanctuary, where the upper half of the statue was nearly lost in the shadows. He stood in the center of the stone arched entry and looked at the flowing lines of the statue. It was astonishing in its beauty, even with the shoulders and head hidden in the dark, and Kestrel felt suddenly moved to tears just by the sight of what was dimly visible. It did show how extraordinary Kai was, and the sight both rocked him and comforted him as he realized that the creation of the statue had originated within his own soul, and been borne to completion by the powers within him.

  He focused, and let his energy arise, making his hand glow brightly, so brightly that it filled the chamber with illumination, and brought the marble face of the goddess’s statue into view. She was as lovely as he believed. Happier, with the sight of the goddess available for the first time in many months, he walked over to the statue, hopping over the barrier around her feet, and he placed his glowing hand upon the cool, smooth surface of the ankle.

  Thank you, my beloved, he heard the dulcet tones of Kai’s voice weakly echo in his head.

  “My goddess, is that truly you?” he asked in breathless wonderment.

  Can you doubt who I am? No mortal knows me or loves me better than you, sweet Kestrel, she answered.

  “I am so happy to hear your voice!” Kestrel cried. “I miss you so much.” His cheeks were wet with tears.

  Just a few months more, my dear, just a few months more, she counseled. This inconvenience happens from time to time, but then it passes.

  She seemed very philosophical about the effect of the Rishiare Estelle, and Kestrel reflected that the eternal goddess had experienced it many time before.

  You did so well, Kestrel. I have seen that Krusima is back in our realm, her voice whispered in his awareness.

  “We killed the god of the Viathins; really killed it this time,” Kestrel told her. “And Krusima and Morph are free. I sent them back here, with others from my party. Do you know if the others made it safely? Are they headed to their homes?” he asked.

  I cannot tell while the Rishiare Estelle exists. I am strained to talk to you now, dear champion. Please know that I must warn you, he did not hear her voice any longer.

  Three times, she faded back into his awareness.

  “What? What is the warning? What happens three times?” he asked eagerly.

  There was silence. He stood and waited for several seconds, but no further words came forth.

  Upset by the incomplete end of the conversation with the goddess, he let the glow from his hand fade, then turned and left the temple. He strolled silently through the evening, and returned to the barracks in the palace.

  “What have you been up to?” Medeina asked suspiciously. “There’s something about you.

  “You’ve seen another deity!” she screeched, making all heads in the barracks turn to look at the couple.

  “I did,” Kestrel freely admitted. “For a little while. I went to her temple and we were able to talk.”

  “You should have taken me,” Medeina said in a quieter voice.

  “It was a personal moment,” Kestrel replied defensively.

  “A personal moment with a goddess?” Medeina asked suspiciously.

  “Yes,” Kestrel confirmed. “I’m very close to her.”

  “What did this goddess tell you?” Medeina asked, as the others in the barracks went back to their own conversations and activities.

  “I couldn’t be sure. She tried to warn me about something, but the Rishiare Estelle interfered,” he said.

  They spoke no more, and soon thereafter, the residents of the barracks settled in to sleep for the night, with a guard of elves and imps watching over all.

  The next morning began with an early awakening by the imps.

  “We’ve spent enough time here, friend Kestrel,” Odare told Kestrel as she sat on his shoulder and tickled his ear. “We wish to move on.”

  Kestrel awoke groggily, and looked around, at where the imps were awakening several of the elves. A faint glow of sunlight was visible through the windows, showing the start of the new day.

  Minutes later he led the column of elves out of the palace, and through the awakening streets of Hydrotaz, startling passersby as they went to the elven embassy, when Kestrel pounded on the door until Lucretia herself opened it.

  “What in the name of the trees and the leaves are you doing here this early?” she asked crossly.

  “The imps wanted us to start early. We’re going to go to the market to see if any vendors are there. Come join us when you can,” he told her, then led the quiet group away from the embassy and on to the next stop of their itinerary.

  “Everyone unload your purses,” Kestrel called out hoarsely when he had all his followers gathered around him in one corner of the public square where the vendors were setting up their stalls. Elf after elf, one by one they came past him and emptied out the portion of gold and silver each had carried. The riches that had been recovered from Kestrel’s manor had been divvied up among the numerous carriers, and taken over the road to Hydrotaz in multiple small quantities, to be reassembled at last so that Kestrel could buy the quantities of supplies needed in Oaktown and the Marches.

  He was glad Lucretia would be willing to accompany the supplies to the Eastern Forest. Not only would the shippers need translation services to carry out their delivery, but the elves on the receiving end would require some amount of direction on how to cook using the human food stuffs.

  “What are all those elves doing in the city?” Kestrel heard one of the merchant’s workers ask another as the sky overhead continued to brighten.

  “Elves? What about the imps?” another one asked in equal amazement.

  Kestrel invited his people to follow him, and they all walked over to the space where the merchant and his employees were setting up their display of goods.

  “Do you ship goods for buyers?” Kestrel asked the dumbfounded trio who stood openmouthed in amazement.

  Kestrel spent over an hour simply convincing the first merchant that he truly wanted goods shipped to the Eastern Forest. When Lucretia arrived, he immediately sent her to the palace to awaken Ferris and bring him to the market as a testimonial to the legitimacy of the request. The crowd in the market square was at first uneasy about the presence of the large group of elves, then grew accustomed and came to adopt a festive atmosphere as Ferris and a small squad of palace guards provided reassurance to the populace that the elves were a safe intrusion into the fabric of the city. After that first merchant was persuaded to send wagonloads of goods – with Lucretia’s accompaniment and a small squad of Hydrotaz soldiers to provide security, other merchants slowly agreed to make shipments as well.

  Kestrel found that the merchants charged far more than he had expected to pay, and by midday he ceased his efforts to procure supplies, his mobile treasury nearly depleted by his purchases.

  “We bought enough to take care of folks back in the Marches,” he told Lucretia, as the whole group started to walk back through the streets to the palace. “But I would have liked to have bought more.”

  “The harvest will be underway in just a couple of weeks,” Lucretia reminded him. “The acorns and hickory nuts will come down soon; walnuts are
already starting to fall, I imagine. They’ll do fine,” she comforted him.

  “Are we going out of the human city now?” Odare swooped down to ask on behalf of the imp contingent. “We wish to leave this place and move out into the countryside. The sooner we thrash the bad elves on your behalf, the sooner we can return to Blackfriars.”

  Kestrel looked over at Lucretia. “Would you lead the troop out of the city and onto the road going to Trace? As soon as I say farewell to Yulia I’ll be on my way to catch up.”

  “Kestrel, you woke me up early, and now you’re sending me out of the city?” the ambassador replied in mock indignation.

  “Yes, I’ll take them out of the city. I’ll see you there, soon?” her last word was a question.

  “I hope so. I shouldn’t take long in the palace,” Kestrel replied.

  “We shouldn’t take long,” Medeina corrected him. “I’ll go to court with my dear Kestrel, of course.”

  “Dear?” Lucretia mouthed the word silently to Kestrel, as she stood behind Medeina’s back.

  He shrugged, and then departed with his human escort and his disguised goddess companion, on his way to the palace.

  “You were going to sneak out!” Yulia declared in simulated outrage.

  “The imps were impatient with our extended stay in the barracks,” Kestrel replied mildly.

  “His visit to the market made several merchants very happy,” Ferris reported. “It was good for everyone that he went.”

  “You’ll provide some token escort to the merchants’ wagons,” Kestrel told Yulia. “Ferris agreed to make the merchants feel secure.

  “But I must be off; my troops are waiting north of town. And your merchants have left me with virtually no money to spend anyway,” he told the princess.

  “I hope you and your lovely companion will arrive back in the spring in plenty of time to enjoy the city before the wedding. The merchants would love to see you again!” Yulia laughed before she hugged Kestrel and shook hands with Medeina.

  An hour later Kestrel was back with his group of warriors, Lucretia was returning to the city, and the advance on Firheng resumed.