In The Beginning, Gail Daley [red white royal blue .TXT] 📗

The Shahen's ships, already fighting the wind, were tossed around like children's toys, many of them flipping upside down as the waves rushed inland.

"Drake Logan, you should come inside," the soldier told him. "This wind will tear you off the heights."

"No," Logan said. "I need to be able to see the storm. Perhaps I can divert some of the tidal swell so part of the village can be saved."

When Andre sensed Logan releasing his hold on the Leys, he concentrated on rebuilding the Wards around everything covered by Ironlyn's influence, this time instead of a wall, he shaped the Wards as a clear, overturned bowl. Seeing the damage about to be wreaked on the village by Logan's hurricane, he molded the Ward into a wedge shaped bubble over the village and the harbor, attempting to channel the flooding waters around it. Andre could feel Logan adding his will to the Wards. The huge waves split around the Wards, surging past them and up onto the shore, flooding inland and drowning anything in their path.

On the viewer, Andre and Rebecca could see pieces of the wrecked ships and bodies of drowned men already flung up on the shore in the wake of the tidal stream.

"We will need to reset the Wards around the village as soon as the storm moves away," Rebecca said.

Andre nodded in acknowledgement. He turned to Lewys, "The Shahen may be more amendable to our terms now."

"Right," his new grandfather in law said in a stunned voice, "I'll just go and see if Shahen Rupert is willing to talk now."

Andre turned back to Rebecca, who was looking at him with shining eyes. "Defender of Ironlyn, indeed," she said, with a proud smile.

"You were wonderful," Selene added.

"That was fantastic," Tyrel agreed. "I can see I need to concentrate more on my swordplay."

Andre just smiled. "I did tell you swordplay is a useful skill, didn't I kid?"

"You certainly proved it today," Rebecca told him coming to give him a victor's kiss.

A Wary Victory

WHEN LEWYS RODE OUT of Ironlyn's gates after the battle, he closed his eyes in pity at the carnage he saw. The dead and dying lay everywhere. Men sobbed or moaned in pain; some lay unconscious. Broken pieces of the colorful wagons mingled with blood of severed body parts from men and animals were strewn across the landscape like scattered pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The action had been necessary for victory, but Lewys knew he wouldn't have been able to carry out so much death and destruction.

As he rode up to the edge of the wards, a man limped up to Lewys. "Help us," he whimpered.

"I will do what I can," Lewys told him. "Where is the Shahen?"

"He is here," said a second man wearing the Shahen's colors, gesturing to a man resting against a broken wagon wheel.

Lewys hardly recognized the Shahen. His face was smeared with dirt and blood, and his colorful silk garments were rent and torn.

"And you are?" Lewys asked the man who had spoken.

"I am Jeffrey Simple, Squire to His Majesty."

"May I speak to your master?" Lewys asked.

Simple straightened his posture. Being accorded the courtesies of rank obviously restored his composure somewhat. "I will ask him. Who shall I say wishes to speak with him?"

"Lewys Mabinogion, Dracon of Ironlyn."

Simple turned and knelt by his master, speaking in a soft voice. After a moment, he helped the other man to his feet, and brought him over to Lewys, who hastily dismounted.

"What do you require, Dracon Mabinogion," asked the Shahen.

Lewys bowed. "I wish to offer medical treatment to your wounded, shelter for your men, and a place to stay for you and your nobles, Sire."

The Shahen looked around at the chaos surrounding him. "Upon what terms?"

"Only that my healers be allowed to move unmolested among your wounded. Any Magi passing through the Wards should be aware they will have their magic automatically bound. For yourself and your nobles, I offer the services of my granddaughter, Ironlyn's healer. When you have rested enough to consider matters, I would like to be able to talk over altering the laws concerning Magi, but you and your men will receive any medical treatment  needed, regardless of your agreeing to any discussions concerning the laws. "

"Thank you," Shahen Rupert replied. He turned to Simple, "Who is left alive among the nobles, Jeffrey?"

"Severenson, Tobari, Quinlin and Masterston, Sire."

"Pass the word they are to come to the keep."

"May I offer you the use of my unicorn, Sire?" Lewys asked, deferentially.

"Thank you," Rupert said. After some difficulty, and a boost from Jeffrey Simple, he mounted. Lewys led Sunrise in through the tunnel. Catrin met them at other end with two of the footmen. She told them to form a chair for the Shahen and take him up to the room Rebecca had prepared. When he attempted to protest, she told him firmly. "Do not argue with your doctor, Sire."

The Shahen was a trifle startled, but Lewys said, "Aye, she's a bossy one where her patients are concerned. You should see how she treats me, and I'm her grandfather!"

Unwillingly, the Shahen smiled. Once upstairs, he allowed Catrin and Lela to strip him of his dirty, torn garments and settle him into a tub of warm water in the bathing chamber. After he was clean, Catrin anointed his bruises, provided a gown for sleeping and a warm cup of soup. He ate and settled in the big bed, dropping mindlessly to sleep.

He woke somewhat refreshed some hours later when he heard a tapping on his door. A manservant entered with clean clothes. After he was dressed, he was told supper was being served downstairs if he cared to come down.

Upon entering the dining room, the Shahen found his nobles already filling plates at a buffet set out against one wall. They immediately set down their plates when he entered. A slight, dark-haired woman approached. Giving him a small bow, she said, "Welcome to