Chapter 14 (coda)

Those who had been watching saw Ralahur seem to explode into pieces of flesh as a noise of indescribable tone went rushing past them and then into the sky, leaving them in wonder.

With the priest destroyed, his followers turned and ran.  The men that remained were so disheartened they laid down their weapons and asked for quarter.  The very few that remained willing to fight, mostly the wild men, were quickly dispatched.  The prisoners were rounded up until the council decided their fate.  The wounded were taken to the healers, and the dead were lined up for burial with honor.

After Aldren had destroyed the evil priest, he had fallen to his knees.  Ameni came over to him but didn’t get any reaction from him.  She reached out to Balroth and the great dragon told her that when Aldren had released the inner dragon that was his essence.  It had taken over and was now in control.  He was no longer a man, but was not a dragon either.  The conflict would soon consume him and he would die.

Ameni was frantic now.  In saving the rest of the world, her lover had sacrificed his own spirit and would soon pass into the Hero Halls.  She couldn’t let this happen.  She needed him even more than the rest of the kingdom did.  She could feel her heart longing for him, for all that they had shared, and all they still had to share.

She had not wept since that day in her family’s hut.  But now, the tears were flowing freely as she felt the loneliness that came upon her.  She was trying to think of anything she could that could bring him back when she suddenly remembered the words that old Belwin had told her.  “To you, I pass this book that contains those magics.  Learn them well for they may save you or those close to you some day.”   She had studied and learned every spell that was in the book.  She was now proficient in almost every one.  But which one would serve the purpose that she now so desperately had.

Rubbing his brow, she felt him slipping further away from her.  She had to get him back somehow.  That was it!  She would enter his mind and call the essence of the man to return and take control.  Placing her fingertips on his temples and bringing her thumbs together at the bridge of his nose, she began to let her mind enter into his.  

She immediately felt the chaos as the essence of his human/elf side fought the dragon side for control.  His spirit was so scattered and confused, she could not separate the two.  In frustration, she called out once again to Balroth for assistance.

The great dragon glided to where the two figures were.  His shadow covered them as he brought his head down to hover above them.  “I can help you to find his essence as a man once again, but it will be up to you to call it back and place it in control.  Just follow my mind and grasp on to his core when we find it.  Your feelings for him and his for you will be the only thing that will accomplish what you wish.”

Ameni agreed and soon felt the dragon’s mind lock onto hers.  It was then that she felt even briefly, what is was to be a dragon, and understood why Aldren had never been able to explain what he had felt.  She pulled her thoughts back to the task at hand and went with the dragon back into the swirling chaos that was Aldren’s mind..  It took some time for Balroth to locate what he was looking for.  Ameni felt it as a dimly glowing spark, but she felt his humanity there and she clung onto it with all her might.

She started calling out to him, to his human essence, telling it to listen and remember.  There was a query from that spark as if it was trying to recognize who was calling to it.  She continued to call to him, bringing him slowly back to the surface.  The dragon side fought for control, but she kept repeating that he had to come back to her.  That he needed to feel the love she had for him.

The shadows of the evening crept onto them as Ameni kept working.  Balroth kept watch on both of them and kept away all the curious with the exception of Kiran.  Mirgan had been wounded and she had stayed with him until she was sure he was alright.  Word had come through the healer’s area as to what was happening and when it was getting dark, Kiran decided that the couple, still on the field, would need food and drink.  Balroth growled as she approached but recognized her and allowed her to proceed.  She set the food and ale near Ameni and backed up until she bumped into the dragon.  He bade her to sit and wait on the chance that the elf would need her support.  As she sat there watching the motionless figures, she found herself musing how strange and wonderful that she would be leaning against the creature that most people knew of as only a myth.

It was the waning hours of the night when Ameni finally stirred.  She sat back feeling her stiff muscles complain about being moved after being stationary for so many hours.  But she had done it!  She had coaxed that spark that was Aldren’s human/elf essence out of the chaos and back into control of him.  Once he began to come back to himself, he took over and coaxed the dragon spirit back under control.  It had been a near thing, and what had finally done it was getting him to remember their bonding and their love and devotion to each other.  He would awaken soon, weak but back to his own self again.

Ameni finally glanced around and saw Kiran watching them with huge eyes.  Ameni’s smile was the reassurance that he would be whole again.  Kiran wrapped her arms around the elf and they cried tears of relief.  Then Kiran thought of the food and pressed Ameni to eat.  Balroth took one more sniff of the still prone figure and then moved back.  Both women thanked him for his assistance.  He told them that the dragons would leave before dawn to return to their territory in the mountains.  Then he launched himself and disappeared into the night.

When Ameni had eaten, she asked the young woman to send a litter so they could get Aldren into the fortress where he could rest.  With the dragon gone, Reavers were starting to gather to feast on the fallen.  Help soon arrived and the leader of the Dragon Clan was carried back to the fortress.  Not to lie among the dead, but to the quarters where he would recover.

It took a few days for Aldren to regain his strength for it was not only his mental capacity that had been overloaded.  While he was recovering, Vabryn took charge of the troops and started to organize things.  There was not much more to do other than start the repairs of what had been destroyed, and to bury the fallen.

There had been so many deaths between the two opposing forces that it was impossible to bury them all in separate graves.  Instead, the bodies of the dead were cremated with all the honor they deserved.  Songs were sung and speeches were made recalling the actions of these men.  Their names were placed in a book that would forever be kept in the fortress.  Later as the walls were being rebuilt, those names were carved into the stones being used.  Visitors could come and read the names of ancestors and recall their part in the war.

The other big problem was the wounded.  Most were able to get around within a few days.  However, there were enough serious wounds that small group of healers headed by Isowan could not keep up.  Isowan sent out a call for healers and supplies and within a few days, elven and dwarfish healers came to assist.  After that, there were very few who did not come away fully healed.

Once Aldren was able, he once again took charge.  He reduced the troops to manageable levels, sending the volunteers home with all the thanks and blessings that he could bestow.  Patrols were sent to clean up any pockets of resistance.  There were very few of these and once word had spread of the defeat of the High Priest, they surrendered and were sent back across the river. 

Special honor was bestowed upon the troop of women that some had laughed at.  During the battle, a troop of enemy soldiers had tried to come around a breach in the wall to attack the fortress and kill the wounded there.  These women had met the soldiers and held their ground preventing a possible rout.  Afterward Horrand, who had ridiculed the women, walked up to the group.

“Ladies, I am man enough to admit when I am wrong.  Even after the demonstration in the tower, I still thought that when you were confronted with the horror of battle that you would collapse.  I am proud to say that I was completely wrong.  Your ferocity in battle and the way you still fought even with some of you were wounded startled me.  I have seen seasoned warriors who would have given up faced with what you were.  I would be proud to fight with any of you beside me.”  He then gave them a low bow.

Aylene, one of the leaders spoke for the group.  “Captain, we all appreciate what you just said.  You are an honorable man to admit that you were wrong.  And I speak for all of us when I say that it would be a privilege to fight alongside a man such as you.”  Then the women returned the bow.  They all went their separate ways, each with a new respect of the other.

Another sevenday had passed when a scout came riding in to say that a company of soldiers was approaching from the east.  It was Isray coming to speak with the Lord of the Northern Kingdom.  Aldren sent orders for them to be escorted in as honored allies that they were.  When they arrived, a feast was held in their honor.  Aldren and his captains found out that Isray and his men had kept many companies of soldiers from reinforcing the main battle, saving many lives.  The two men clasped arms for the first time, sealing a bond that had until then been held through messages only.  

Isray had proven to be honorable and Aldren was more than happy to leave the eastern lands under his protection.  He had a strong personality and had taken a group of exiles and undesirables and formed a formidable force to be reckoned with.  Talk among his men showed him to be fair with people and brutal to those who opposed him.  He would be perfect to keep control of that area.

Isray stayed for two sevendays more enjoying the friendship he had found with the leaders of the North Kingdom.  Emissaries had been sent to King Gisbard inviting him to a conference.  Aldren and Isray, along with the captains of the tower, went to the field near the ford of the great river to meet with the king.  There, they set tents and waited for him to arrive.

A few days later, the representatives of the king arrived.  He could not come himself..   After hearing of the defeat of his armies, he had went completely mad and launched himself off of the tower heights to his death.  He was an ineffectual king anyway, having allowed Ralahur to control the kingdom in his stead.  Now, there was no king to control the court and the barons were fighting against each other in their own struggles of power.  Those that came to the conference were the most powerful of the barons and understood that they could not afford a protracted war with the free races in addition to the struggles they already faced.

After dismounting, the four barons were led to a tent where the representatives of the free races sat.  The terms of their surrender were simple.  The kingdom of Morgorne was divided; Isray would rule the desert in the east to the Evenskill Mountains.  Everything north of the great river was declared for the free races to live in harmony, ruled under a council of representatives.  The south part of the kingdom would be left alone to rule amongst themselves.  As long as the borders were adhered to, they would be left alone.  

The barons left in a better mood than when they arrived.  They had lost more than half the land of the old kingdom, but they could see where Aldren had been fair.  He could have declared he was seizing the entire kingdom, as would have been his right as victor.  It had been made clear to them that it was their responsibility to enforce on the other barons these restrictions.  That would take some work but this outcome was far better than the alternative.

It was getting well into the autumn of the cycle when Aldren finally felt things were settled enough to begin his trek back to the Tower of the Guard.  He was still Lord of the Tower and he needed to get back to his home.

Before he left, he appointed Vabryn and Dulca keepers of the fortress.  Together, they would protect the surrounding areas up to the river.  Many of the men who had been with Vabryn from the time he had been in the King’s garrison elected to stay on as border guards and farmers or what other trade they decided on.

To his surprise, Peryn requested to stay as well.  Isowan was staying here as the healer and the two of them had come to an understanding shortly after she had nursed him back to health.  Aldren gladly gave his blessings on them and reminded them any time they could come north, they would be welcome.

Mirgan had been badly wounded during the battle, but was now up and about.  He and Kiran would accompany the Lord and Lady back to the tower.  Before they left, Mirgan spoke with his mother for a long while, then set her hand into Vabryn’s, signaling his blessings on their union.

Their journey was slow for they were often stopped as they would pass a village and the people would beg for the travelers to join them in a meal.  Across the lands , the harvests had been good that year and the people were grateful.  

One place they scheduled to stop at was the village where the trial of the priest had been held after the battle that had freed Kiran and Mirgan’s mother.  As they rode up, the blacksmith was still at his forge.  He turned and recognized them and came out to greet them as old friends.  He bade them to settle at the Inn and he would let the people know that there were visitors.

The innkeeper and his wife were overjoyed to see them, offering them the same rooms they had occupied long before.  The tavern part of the inn was filled to capacity that night and tales were told and plenty of ale was consumed.  In all, they stayed three days resting their horses as well as their riders.

The main body of troops had been sent home shortly after the final battle and the small troop that were with the Lord and Lady consisted of a total of ten riders.  They had still been on the lookout for any trouble from robbers, but they saw no one of that type.  After they left the smith’s village, they picked up the pace and were soon enough in front of the gates of the tower.  They entered the tunnel to shouts that the Lord and Lady had returned and by the time they came out the other end, the population of the tower seemed to have dropped what they were doing to come and cheer for the return of their leader.

The crowd followed them to the steps of the tower proper.  Kal-angurr was standing a few steps from the bottom.  Aldren and Ameni dismounted and came to the bottom.  The old man signaled for silence from the crowd.  “Welcome home, Lord and Lady of the Tower.  You will find all the same as when you left.  Through battles of sword and magic, you have forged a land where all the races can be free and live in harmony.  Now, take again the mantle of leadership.  Long may you rule in justice and peace.”

Kal-angurr bowed and stood aside.  The couple walked up the steps and into the great hall of their home to begin their rule over the now freed lands.

As they turned in for the night, Aldren was watching Ameni from the bed.  He was used to her routine, but this night she was standing at the foot of the bed looking at her abdomen.  As Aldren looked closer, he noticed that her tummy seemed a bit more round.  He stared at her as a smile moved across her face.

In answer to his silent query, she whispered to him.  “Yes I am with child.  You will be a father and the dragon clan will grow.”

Laughing he pulled his mate onto the bed with him.  He smothered her with kisses to show his appreciation of her carrying their child.  Then he showed her just how much he loved her.

After Ameni had fallen asleep in his arms, he thought back to earlier times.  He had never wanted the path that had been placed before him, but he knew in his heart that he would not have changed it at all.  His life was complete.

-------FINIS ------