Ravs Are Rarely Wrong: The Kinowenn Chronicles Vol III Read online

  “Justin and I haven’t formalized a plan yet. I’m sure we’ll think of one.”

  “In time? You don’t have much of that left either.”

  “We are aware of that!” spat back Lucy.

  “Are you? Are you really?” he almost shouted at her.

  Just then, Lucy felt an odd, tingling sensation. It momentarily distracted her from their argument. What was it? She felt it again. The Rav was looking at her questioningly, frowning. He knew something was going on, but not what. The leash. That’s what was going on. They had reached her first marker.

  “They’re coming!”

  “Yes, I know. We were in the middle of discussing what to do.”

  “No, they’re coming. I mean they are really coming. No more preparation, they’re marching now and moving faster than we thought they would.”

  “Wait, you mean it. How do you know?” he asked looking at her curiously.

  “It’s a long story involving Ishalla, another lesson, and a leash.”

  “A leash? You leashed yourself to a coming army of nightmares?” he started to laugh. “I bet he loved that,” the Rav nodded towards Justin.

  “Justin wasn’t happy. However, he doesn’t have to like everything I do; he just has to accept it.”

  The Rav snorted.

  “Can we end this soon? There is an army coming. Justin and I have things to do.”

  “No. Justin has things to do and so do you, but not together. You need to come with me.”

  “I thought we already figured this part out. I’m not coming with you.”

  “Together we can weaken them enough that your army might be able to stop them. I can’t do it on my own. I need your power.”

  “Well, I’ve got that power, so I’ll use it how I see fit. Thank you.”

  “You need direction. I can give you that. He can’t. To defeat the Shadow Weavers and their army, you need to come with me.”

  “I don’t want to.”

  “Then everything you have worked to save will fall,” he said simply.

  “We can win, but only if I come with you?”

  “That is my assessment of the situation.”

  “What if you’re wrong?”

  “I may be many things, but wrong is rarely one of them.”

  “I don’t trust you.”

  “You don’t have to. You just have to help me. After we do what I need you for, you can return to your friends and fight the remainder of the battle with them. You’ve proven you can travel quickly. You can try to save your friends or you can die with them.”

  “What lovely choices.”

  “Yes, but they are choices,” he smiled. “Will it help if I promise not to seduce you?”

  Lucy glared at him. His smiled deepened.

  “Do we leave now?”

  “It’s best if we do. The army is on the move, the sooner we act, the better our chances of survival are.”

  He let out a low whistle and two horses approached.

  “Two?” Lucy asked, suspiciously.

  “I’m rarely wrong,” he said wryly. “Shall I unfreeze him now?”

  “You’d better wait,” sighed Lucy. “He’d try to talk me out of it. Then, he’d try to accompany or follow us. He’s needed here. Let’s get a few miles between us first.”

  “As you wish,” he nodded deferentially.

  They both mounted up and moved north at a trot.

  “Are we crossing the mountains? Horses aren’t good in the mountains.”

  “Traditionally, no. I know the right paths to travel.”

  “Are you sure they haven’t been booby trapped by Kinda?”

  “I’m sure,” he laughed. “The paths I know are known by few others. Who’s Kinda?”

  Having nothing better to do for the next few miles, Lucy told him about Kinda.

  “I’ve unfrozen your friend.”

  “Thank you.” Lucy was sure his use of the word friend was going to get old, but she didn’t want to rise to the bait.

  “He’s probably worried.”

  “I’m sure he is. I’ll take care of it.”

  “Now?” he looked confused.

  “If you’ll be quiet and let me concentrate.”

  “You can speak to him with your mind,” he surmised. He looked impressed, but composed himself quickly and said, “I wondered why you didn’t seem scared or surprised when I spoke in your head outside the inn. I determined you were putting on a front. It didn’t occur to me you could speak with your mind, too.

  “You shouldn’t underestimate people.”

  “I usually don’t.”

  The Rav looked quietly ahead and continued to travel. Once she was sure he was going to leave her alone for a minute, Lucy concentrated.

  “Justin?”

  “Where are you? What happened? Are you okay?”

  Even his thoughts sounded anxious. Lucy felt horrible. Maybe she should have stayed to explain. They didn’t have much time though.

  “The Rav wanted to talk to me.”

  “You’re with the Rav?” Justin asked and surmised at the same time.

  “He says he needs me to stop the army.” Lucy could sense anger and frustration on the other end of the mental communication.

  “You believe him?”

  “I do. He also pointed out that if I want to leave at any time, I can.”

  “You think he will simply let you go?”

  “I don’t know, but I have to try. I’m not as good as Maya at reading people, but I can tell he believes he needs me to stop the army. I don’t know what he will try after that, but right now stopping the army is the priority.

  “I suppose so,” Justin acknowledged.

  “I mean it. The leash moved. They’re coming Justin, faster than we thought. We’re out of time. I need to cooperate with the Rav, and everyone else needs you. Find Kinda. Tell her they’re coming. Then, mobilize Joss.”

  “Lucy, I don’t like this.”

  “I don’t either, but I think it’s what we have to do.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  “Remember, I’m only a thought away.”

  “Thanks.”

  Lucy could tell Justin wasn’t pleased with the situation. She sighed. She wasn’t thrilled with the situation either. In fact, he was probably throwing some kind of tantrum right about now. If their situations were reversed and she had awakened to find him gone, she would probably be throwing a fit right now, too.

  “Done with your conversation? Your friend pacified?”

  “He’s not happy.”

  “He doesn’t have to like it, just accept it, right?” the Rav threw her words back at her.

  She glared at him.

  “Okay, let’s get a thing or two straight. I’m here to help. When we finish what we’re here to do, we’re done. I’m not yours. I’m not staying with you. I’m not your protégé. I have no intention of becoming part of the Grand Delusional Unraveler Society.”

  “Agreed, provided you keep an open mind. Once you see what we can do together, you might change your mind. You might want to stay with me. There are things I can teach you that your friend can only dream of.”

  “I’ll keep an open mind, but I still think you are delusional. If we’re going to spend some time together, you need to remember that my friend, who I love, has a name. It’s Justin. Use it. You can refer to him as Justin or not at all. I would prefer not at all. Speaking of names, what’s yours?”

  “Herman. My name is Herman.”

  “Herman?” asked Lucy laughing. “Seriously?”

  “Yes, what’s wrong with Herman?”

  “You’re seduction incarnate and your name is Herman.”

  “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

  “Herman is the name of a skunk in a children’s book. I don’t know if I can call you Herman.”

  “My dad had a dog named Lucy, and I’m having no problems calling you Lucy.”

  “I bet you aren’t.”<
br />
  “I still don’t see a problem. If you don’t like Herman, continue to call me Rav.”

  “I might have to,” said Lucy.

  She wasn’t sure she could even think about calling him Herman without laughing. So, there she was with a Rav named Herman heading out to confront and whittle down an army of nightmares. She didn’t have a warm, fuzzy feeling about the situation. Instead, she did her best to ignore her misgivings and continued riding.

  Chapter 42

  As the sun set over Lerramorre, Maya and Joss sat on the balcony adjoining Maya’s room discussing the looming war. A light breeze fluffed Maya’s hair and whirled around her goblet of red wine. Joss swirled the liquid in his glass while he contemplated the vivid display of reds, pinks, and purples in the clouds. Beyond those clouds and the mountains was an army preparing to annihilate them.

  “Do you think we have a chance?” asked Joss.

  “Yes, I think we do. Your army is training as hard as they can. The Elven contingent will be effective, and I think more are coming. The rest of the Salmatinians have arrived and are camping to the north of the Elves. We don’t know how Lucy and Justin fared with the Dwarves or Giants, but the Ostrakan army is half a day’s march away. That is reassuring.”

  “I know we have support, but will it be enough?”

  “How can we know until we fight?” asked Maya. “Are you referring to something specific?”

  “You’ve seen Lucy’s images, what we’re up against. Here’s my problem. We see an aerial view in a cauldron. Yes, it shows us how scary some of those creatures appear, but the actual size and scope of the army is still a mystery. It hard to get a true impression staring at a picture in water a foot in circumference. I’m usually focused on using what she has to show as proof to pompous, unbelieving individuals. I’ve never tried to count how many there are. She sweeps over the army to show there are numbers, but how far does the army really extend around the keep? What is the actual size of the keep? If it’s as big as our castle here, we are in trouble. Are there even more inside the keep than we know about? We don’t look in every room on every level. More importantly, is that the only gathering site? I don’t think we’ve even looked for others. They found this one and concentrated on it. What if there is an army as big as this one gathering elsewhere as well? Why didn’t we think to ask any of this earlier?”

  “You’re worried that we are severely outnumbered even if we have more skilled warriors?”

  “Aren’t you?” asked Joss.

  “I hadn’t thought much about it.”

  “It’s one thing to talk to Sharna or Dessa and watch them spar on the practice grounds. It gives me hope, too. They are amazing. I’d like to see the two of them take on Gavin. I watched them give a workout to a group of thirty cadets that was impressive. I’m sure either of them could take out fifty each at least. How long before they are killed? After killing three, will the enemy gang up on them? How about after killing five or ten? How many can they kill before they are too tired to fight anymore? One hundred? Two hundred? How many are coming against us? How many can the Elven archers shoot until they are out of arrows? What happens when we’re out of energy, arrows, inspiration, and hope and they are still coming?”

  “I don’t know. Honestly, I’m hoping that’s where Lucy comes in. The women I’ve been training and I will try to heal what we can with potions. Hopefully, that will free up Justin to work together with Lucy.”

  “Will she be enough?”

  “I don’t think we can afford to ask ourselves those questions. We have to believe we can be enough so our soldiers believe, too. We have to be strong and confident for those who follow us.”

  “You’re right,” sighed Joss. “Some good news has come from this. The ministers have agreed not to pressure me about accepting Kithra as a wife until after the army has been defeated.”

  “Silver linings,” smiled Maya.

  “Although, the marriage would have to be delayed anyway, as she is in mourning for her brother,” Joss announced with a sidelong look at Maya.

  “Rixton?” asked Maya, sounding and looking genuinely surprised. “What happened to him?”

  “He was found in his bed yesterday morning with his own knife in his back, a pile of gold coins surrounding the knife.”

  “That’s both interesting and ominous.”

  “Exactly. You didn’t have anything to do with it, did you?”

  “Me?” asked Maya, surprised. “No. I certainly don’t spend my time scheming about stabbing people. Why are you asking me?”

  “I didn’t think you had actually done it physically. It’s not the kind of thing you would do. You do know some interesting people. It might be the kind of thing you could arrange. Especially if you found out he sent the first assassin.”

  “I didn’t arrange anything. You know just as many nefarious people as I do. Did you arrange it?”

  “I wouldn’t be asking you if I had.”

  “Good point,” agreed Maya. “Did he send the first assassin? Can you be sure?”

  “As sure as I can be. There are few things these days we can be sure about,” Joss’s voice was tinged with frustration.

  “True. I guess he finally made a mistake. We didn’t get to catch him at it, but we don’t have to convince others of his guilt this way.”

  They shared a look of agreement.

  “I’ve been thinking,” started Joss in a less dismal voice, changing the subject.

  “I’m sure you have.”

  “Having people trying to assassinate me or you is annoying and potentially fatal.”

  “For us or them? So far, any who have attempted have died,” pointed out Maya.

  “Such a favorable outcome is not guaranteed.”

  “You have an idea on how to end this predicament?”

  “Of course,” Joss sounded too innocent and Maya raised an eyebrow in his general direction. “It’s simple really. Once my succession is secured, fewer people will try to replace me as king.”

  “That does make sense. So, you’re saying you need an heir?”

  “Yes, preferably a wife before that,” Joss looked at her with wide-eyed innocence.

  “I thought Kithra was in mourning,” replied Maya sweetly.

  “You know I didn’t mean Kithra,” Joss said.

  “You certainly couldn’t mean me,” said Maya.

  “It would be the safest option for both of us.”

  “No one’s ever tried to kill a queen before,” mocked Maya.

  “Most people give up trying once there’s an heir,” reassured Joss.

  “Yes, but you’re not the one giving birth.”

  “I heard a yes in there. Does that mean you’ll marry me?”

  “Does that mean you’re proposing? I thought you were talking hypothetically again.”

  “Certainly, being my queen must have some appeal.”

  “What girl doesn’t dream of being the queen of a land at the focus of an approaching army of nightmares?” asked Maya, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

  “Well, when you put it like that, I’m surprised I’m not married already.”

  “That’s an excellent point, are you sure you’re not?”

  “Quite sure,” laughed Joss.

  “No pregnant farmer’s daughters have a previous claim on you?”

  “Only you have a claim on me,” he said seriously, but with a smile.

  “So does an army of nightmares.” Maya smiled back sadly and took another sip of wine.

  It was good wine. She stared out at the clouds as well. They were losing their color, but it was still beautiful. She reached out and took Joss’s hand. They didn’t talk anymore, but watched the rest of the sunset in melancholy, and mutual comfort.

  Inside Maya’s room, Taran was working with Dulcie. He didn’t have Justin’s magical skills, but he had an imagination, patience, and encouragement. Her shields had improved. She was proud of them. Taran threw rocks at her while she avoided what she could and
blocked what she couldn’t avoid.

  “Now, use air to try to stop the rocks mid-flight. I don’t want you to direct them to either side. That could be a bad habit. It could hurt others. Stop the rock or direct it down.”

  Dulcie nodded. She stopped the next three rocks with success. Then, Taran threw two rocks at once. She was only able to get one.

  “When they are close, don’t try to stop them separately. Expand the shield rather than creating two smaller ones.”

  Dulcie nodded, and they continued. She was panting hard when they were interrupted. One of the Golden Retrievers bounded happily into the room, tongue hanging out.

  “You have a visitor,” he said happily wagging his tail.

  Taran looked up as a young woman walked in. For a minute, Taran didn’t recognize her. She was lovely, slight with delicate features, overly large, dark eyes, and long black hair. She was dressed in a long tunic and trousers, both pale green in color. She smiled tentatively. It was the smile that made his memory click. He took another look at the dark, depthless eyes to be sure.

  “Ora,” Taran greeted her warmly. “I’m very glad to see you here.”

  “I am glad to see you as well,” she smiled confidently now. “I wasn’t sure you would recognize me.”

  “I never forget a smile. This is Dulcie. I’d like to introduce you to Maya and Joss,” Taran took her hand and led Ora out to the balcony.

  Ora smiled politely as introductions were exchanged. Taran gave Ora’s name but left out her longer name and didn’t mention her many talents. For some reason stories including Ora had not been mentioned before. The army was the important news. Now, that seemed odd. Taran wondered if they had been magically inspired not to mention her.

  Taran was glad Ora had chosen to appear older than a ten-year-old. Apparently, she could appear to be any age she wanted. It would be easier for Joss and others to take her more seriously as a young woman. Taran was afraid they would all have to take everything Ora said very seriously. She wouldn’t be here if she thought they could do this without her. That worried him. Introductions over, Ora turned her attention to Joss.

  “You have gathered many together; now you must move. The Shadow Weavers’ army is marching. You must get into position. I will help you find the right place to meet the nightmare army.”