Delver Magic II: Throne of Vengeance, Jeff Inlo [graded readers .TXT] 📗

decisions, not out of patience but out of confusion. It seemed the longer he waited, the harder it was to decide. The elves in his camp would always look to him expectantly. He would hear the whispers - Petiole can’t make up his mind. He did not want to hear that again. And what if the dwarves did attack again? They would blame him, say he shouldn’t have waited.

Then again, what would they say if he ordered the release of the seeds? Right now they might praise him because they are afraid, but what would happen as time passed? The fear would subside. Stories of the dwarves’ fate would reach the surface. It would be a horrible tale. He might be remembered as a criminal. He continued to flounder in self-doubts.

“You do not understand.” Petiole spoke, almost pleading for compassion. “I do not want to drop the seeds, but I don’t want to be responsible for the death of more elves. The seeds seem like a horror… I mean, they are a horror, but they have kept peace among the dwarves and elves for so many cycles of the seasons. It may be they are needed again, just to bring that peace back. What am I suppose to do? Sacrifice this camp so I’m not remembered as the elf that destroyed Dunop? How will I be remembered then?”

Lief shook his head. “You’re missing the point of my request. It is not simply making a choice between using the seeds or not using the seeds. I am asking for you to wait. Let the delver Acumen find the cliff behemoth. Let them both go to Yave. How can Yave deny the word of a cliff behemoth? She can’t. The war will end before it begins. And you will be remembered for your patience.”

“Or for my indecision!” Petiole suddenly lashed out. His emotions swung like a pendulum. His indecision turned to fury and petty jealousies. An angry fire burned in his words. “It’s so easy for you to stand there and speak of how I’ll be remembered. Your place in the legends is already forged. The great Lief Woodson, the elf that stood with Ryson Acumen at Sanctum Mountain, the elf that helped destroy the sphere of Ingar and save the land. You have nothing to lose in this. No one will blame you for anything. But what about me? I have already announced my intentions to this camp. They know of my decision. What will they say once they hear I’ve changed my mind? You speak so arrogantly about our place in elflore. That’s because that’s all you have. You don’t face the weight of leadership. You have the respect of every member of this camp, but you have no responsibility. You think I’m going to stand here and let you place even more burdens on me. It will not happen. I have made my decision and that is that.”

Lief seethed. His own words flowed from him like slow bubbling lava. “I don’t think so. You don’t know what you’re doing, and I won’t have it. Would you like to see how much responsibility I’m willing to take? Would you like to see how I’m willing to take the weight of leadership?”

The younger elf stepped forward, like a stalking cat. Desperation, frustration clouded his thinking. He was tired of Petiole, tired of his inability to lead. He forgot where he was.

Petiole immediately took a step backwards. He shook ever so slightly.

Suddenly, two elf guards dropped from the trees. They took a position between Lief and Petiole. An arrow split the air and plunged into the ground at Lief’s feet.

Lief made no attempt to move other than to turn his head in the direction of the arrow’s origin. He glared into the thick branches of a blue spruce. To his sharp eyes, the outline of another guard was visible. The bow was again ready to fire. Lief shook his head and cursed. He did not look at Petiole, but he directed serious words at him. His eyes remained on the guards, inspecting their blank expressions. They would kill him if he made another move toward Petiole, but they could not stop his declaration.

“I suggest you give me the time I want. If you do not, I will call for a meeting of the full elder council. I will outline every flaw in every decision you have ever made. I will do so to prove that you are not worthy to make this decision. I realize they will do nothing to remove you from power, but because I am Lief Woodson they will have to hear me out. What do you think will happen when an elf of my standing begins to openly debate your every decision? If you think the elves of this camp doubted your word before, just wait.”

Petiole’s fear grew. “You wouldn’t do …”

Lief cut him off. “I will get the time I want. You will not be able to drop the seeds as long as I call for a meeting of the elders. You will have to wait. If I have to speak continuously until the delver has returned, I will. I will have my way at your expense. Can you imagine what I will be saying?”

Petiole’s shoulders slouched. He didn’t know how to respond. “You can’t do this to me. Do you know what this will cause? Our camp will be in disarray.”

Lief exploded. “It’s already in disarray. It has been so since Mappel died.”

Petiole recoiled as if Lief had pierced him with a spear.

Lief caught a glimpse of Petiole’s reaction. He knew he had hurt the elder elf. Not out of sympathy, but out of reason, he gave Petiole one last hope to grasp. “I will make but one concession. I will announce to the camp it was my wish to delay the use of the seeds. I will take full responsibility. That way, if we are attacked again by the dwarves, you can blame me. I don’t care what you think about me. I don’t care what this camp thinks of me. I don’t even care if I lose my place in the legends. I care about giving Ryson Acumen the chance he desires, the chance he deserves. I owe him that. We all owe him that. I’m giving you this chance to save the little respect you have left. I suggest you take it. Take it, Petiole, resign yourself to the fact that I’m not giving you any other choice. Unless, of course, you order these guards to take my life. That is the only way you can stop me. Will you go that far? And if you do, will they follow that order? They might have been ready to protect you when I was ready to attack, but what about now? I make no more advance upon you. Will they kill me just to protect your ego?”

Lief watched the expression of the guards change. The blankness dissolved. Agitation grew. They wished Lief would stop. Surely they did not want to make that decision. It was their sworn duty to protect the life of the camp elder, but would they follow an order to kill a fellow elf, a legend.

Lief persisted. “Well? What is your decision Petiole? Do you want to test the loyalty of these guards? Who will they be loyal to?”

Petiole mumbled as he directed his gaze to the ground.

Lief did not hear him. “What?”

“You have five days,” Petiole repeated slightly louder.

#

When the contingent of elf archers reached Burbon, many new defenses had already been constructed. Battlements with jagged, lowlying edges lined many a street. Barricades of barbed wire crossed most intersections. Nets of thick rope blocked alleyways. The design of each obstacle was clear, to herd emerging dwarves away from cover and into the open.

The human soldiers handled the construction of these obstacles, at least the ones that volunteered for ground duty. They would be the first to engage the dwarves during any attack, and they would need to know the lay of these obstacles. Building them helped them understand their purpose. Sy stayed with these men, his finest soldiers. He would lead them in the coming battle. As he helped with the battlements, he spoke openly of the strategies for the ground forces. Those on the ground would risk their own lives to serve as diversions.

As for the civilians, they learned the use of ranged weapons from masters at the bow. The sharp eyes and steady hands of the elves made them natural archers. Holli knew she could not teach these aspects to the humans, but she could make them far more deadly than if they were left to practice on their own. She brought the human students up to rooftops and to the heights of the wall. They learned to use the downward perspective of their higher position with their very first shot. Holli taught them to pick their targets, to reload and shoot with timed patience. She taught them the limits of their range and how to use cover to hide their own position. As the other elves arrived, they assisted in this training.

The sun set and darkness slowly crept through the streets. The air became cold quickly. The volunteers were allowed a break for a meal, but all were asked to return in order to learn to shoot during the darkness of nightfall. Every civilian complied with this request, without hesitation, without grumbling.

Holli counseled them further on how to pick targets based on movements and shadows. She advised them how to take shots which would not endanger their own forces on the ground. Most of all, she invoked upon them a spirit of togetherness as well as a will for survival. If the archers and slingers moved in concert, their attacks would be so much more powerful. If they became one in purpose with the ground forces that lured the dwarves into vulnerable positions, the dwarves would fall while they would remain relatively safe. Despite the fact she was elf, she appealed to a sense of unity for their own survival.

In the middle of such training, her focus was ripped from the humans. Upon the top of the wall, her head jerked to the west and to the clearing that divided the town from the hills. She gave no explanation to those she trained, other than an order for them to stand ready. She directed their attention to the clearing. She did not profess the object of her alarm, other than stating it was not the dwarves. She flew down a ladder with ease, a product of climbing trees all her life. She sought out the ground forces, she called for Sy.

At the same time, Enin appeared for the first time since he left earlier that day. He also called for Sy.

Sy moved away from his soldiers. Concern gripped his features. He looked to both at the same time. “What is it?”

Holli yielded to the wizard.

“Goblins,” Enin stated. “They’re snooping around the walls.”

Sy cursed as he looked to the edifice in the distance. “Are you sure?”

“I have felt them, too,” Holli confirmed. “That is also why I am here.”

“Damn.” Sy heaved a frustrated sigh. “That’s all we need.”

Holli offered encouragement. “I agree it is not welcome, but it is not a terrible situation. After all, we are prepared. At the very worst, we can use this event to assist in the training of your people.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Enin announced.

Holli looked to the wizard with puzzlement.

Enin explained quickly. “They are not here to attack.” He turned a glance to Holli. “Since you didn’t think I would be a help to you today, I spent my time working on a spell to read thoughts. I was practicing