The Elder Blood Chronicles – Book Three(172)

“And yet we won,” Jala pointed out coldly, her eyes narrowing.

“Against an army of rabble. That was nothing more than show. They will send true soldiers against us now. Before, they were just bluffing. Now they will attack in truth,” Jexon snarled back in disgust.

“Then I suggest next time you actually fight,” Jala returned, then turned toward Jail. “Take my husband to the healers, Jail. I have no energy to spare to heal his wounds,” she ordered and turned back to look over the battlefield. “Father, have our dead and wounded cleared from the field. I will see to them as soon as I have the prisoners situated,” With one final glance at Valor she moved to stand in front of Cassia once more. Looking down, she stared at the woman and shook her head slowly. “This isn’t salvation, Cassia. This is a delay. Valor stopped me this time, but if you so much as whine in my presence, he won’t stop me a second time. I promise you that,” she whispered, her voice pitched just loud enough for Cassia alone. “Valor, set your own guards on the prisoners and Jail will question them when he has time. I don’t want any of Jexon’s guards watching them at any point.”

“As you say,” Valor agreed with a sharp nod. “Jala, are you truly planning to raise all of the fallen?” he asked as she moved toward her horse.

“Every last one of ours. Death will get nothing from Merro,” Jala promised as she swung into the saddle once more. Her eyes fell on the dragon’s corpse once more and she paused before turning to tend the dead. “Valor,” she began as she calculated the exact size of the beast.

“Yes?” Valor asked, glancing back from his place beside the prisoners.

“Are dragons edible?” Jala asked thoughtfully.

“What?” Valor and several of the knights echoed the word their voices filled with disbelief.

“It’s that or horse meat. We are low on meat and the army could use the protein. I’ll leave it to Arovan to decide what is in the stew tonight,” Jala said calmly as she turned her horse and rode toward the waiting dead.





Chapter 28





The Greenwild





Rain poured down from the sky in steady waves. Glancing to her side, Jala gave Valor a suspicious look. The knight was drenched from head to toe, his fine cloak hanging from his back like a wet rag, and yet he had a smile on his face. He had been a steady companion of hers since the first battle, and that had been days ago. Now, finally, they had the Avanti forces pinned down again and Valor was in the best mood she had seen since before Finn’s death. She wasn’t entirely sure why, either. It was pouring down rain and the Avanti had the higher ground.

“It’s not me,” Valor said casually as she continued to watch him. He didn’t bother to look her way. She had been giving him glances all morning and he knew well enough she was wondering if the weather was his doing.

“Well, can you at least stop it?” Neph demanded from her other side. The Delvay was doubtless more uncomfortable than either of them considering his leather armor and lack of a cloak.

“Does leather armor shrink when it’s wet, like boots do, Neph?” Valor asked in a voice that was far too innocent.

“I would guess Neph’s is enchanted, isn’t it, Neph? Oh, wait, that’s right, the Delvay put the wards of protection on themselves, not their gear,” Jala said slowly as she grinned at Valor.

“I’m not amused,” Neph grumbled, his gaze shifting past them to where Jexon and his officers were discussing the pending attack on the Avanti. “Think he is actually going to fight this time?” Neph asked with a sigh, his gaze slowly moving to the hillside where the Avanti waited.

“In this weather, I doubt he attacks today. Only a fool would rush uphill in a rain storm to attack enemy forces. The footing alone would guarantee defeat,” Valor said with a sigh.

“Maybe you could do something about the weather then!” Neph snapped, a bit sharper this time.

“It’s not a weather spell I can simply break, Neph. This is a natural storm. If I alter the weather it is going to be a major casting on my part and I’d rather not waste the energy until we know what is going to happen with the Avanti,” Valor replied with a sigh.

“It looks like they’ve finally decided something,” her father said from behind her and Jala looked up to see Jexon riding toward their group.

“He is smiling. That isn’t a good sign,” Jala muttered sourly. She had done her best to avoid Jexon over the past few days, but in the evenings it was impossible. For the first few days after the battle she couldn’t even bluff him with a threat of magic. Everyone in the entire army knew how drained she was after raising the dead. It had taken her wearing the veil once more to hide the bruises and keep her friends from killing the bastard. She couldn’t afford for Jexon to die now though. She needed his soldiers and she wasn’t sure if Ash had strong enough loyalty to take control of the forces entirely.