The Elder Blood Chronicles – Book Three(212)

Blue stumbled and Jala thought she would fall but the bard straightened and stood staring across the field at them. “Kill them all, Valor! Make them pay for what they have done! Do not trust their words. They are liars!” Blue called loudly, her beautiful voice still clear and proud despite the torments the woman had obviously endured.

The Rivasan rode forward quickly and kicked the woman to the ground. “If you listen to her you, will die Lady Merrodin. I give you until morning to surrender. If you try to flee during the night my men will hunt you down with pleasure.”

“Kill them, Valor! Punish them!” Blue screamed, her voice breaking as the soldiers drug her roughly to her feet. Jala watched in helpless torment as the woman disappeared once more into the enemy’s camp.

Turning to face Valor once more she slowly released his arm and stared at the agony written clearly on his face. Silently, she canceled the spell that amplified her voice and cleared her throat. “We will make them pay, Valor, I promise you, but it will be on our own terms, not his,” she spoke softly and kept her eyes on him until he nodded his understanding. Turning, she looked to Neph. To her surprise the Delvay wore a look of outrage on his face as well, and his eyes showed glassiness she never would have expected from him. He hadn’t even shown pain at the news that his own homeland had fallen.

Swallowing heavily, Neph met her gaze and nodded his head. “We won’t win, but I’m with you, Jala, till the bitter end,” Neph said quietly.

Nodding, Jala smiled faintly. “Bring the others to my tent, Neph. I’ll be there shortly,” she ordered and turned back to Valor as the Delvay rode off. “We aren’t going to surrender, Valor,” she said softly. Raising her hand she brushed a stray curl from her face and let out a soft sigh. “We can’t win, but maybe we can hold them long enough for Arovan to prepare for them. I won’t run here, even if I thought I could. I’d rather die fighting for what I believe in than die with an arrow in my back, running.”

Valor nodded slowly and pulled his tormented gaze from the body of his brother. His eyes were filled with tears as he met her gaze and he simply nodded and took a ragged breath. “Then this is it,” he said softly.

Jala nodded her head slowly, her own throat tightening at the thought. “At least we face it together,” she whispered, and to her surprise there was comfort in the thought.





“We are not going to surrender,” Jala began as her eyes traveled across the faces of everyone in the tent. They were all here. Neph and Valor, the dragons, the officers of the Arovan knights and archers, Ash, Vaze, Sovaesh, and not a single one of them showed surprise on their face at her words. “We will make our stand here unless anyone has a better suggestion,” Jala said, her eyes scanning their faces once more.

“There are dragons among the Rivasans as well. I cannot see them, but I can smell them,” Nigel said quietly. One of the women to his right nodded her agreement and Jala sighed.

“I suppose they don’t want us to get any illusions about a possible victory,” Jala said with a rueful smile. “They must have heard word of us from Avanti,” she added and slowly shook her head. “I will not force anyone to stand with me. I plan to inform the soldiers of that when I leave this tent.”

“I don’t think that is wise, Milady. With such obvious defeat looming, I don’t think you should give them the opportunity to run. We will lose many from our numbers that we desperately need,” Bridgette objected softly, her gaze flicking to the others at the table for support.

“I will offer it, nonetheless. I will not command those that have stood by me and fought for me, to die against their will,” Jala insisted, her expression making it clear that she wouldn’t change her mind. “If you all would please gather them outside my tent now. What I have to say should be heard by everyone.” She watched them all start to rise with her words and held up a hand before they could leave. “Valor, Vaze, Sovaesh, and Neph, please wait, I need to speak with all of you privately,” Jala said.

With a deep breath she watched them sit back down and waited until the others had gone before speaking. She felt tears beginning in her eyes and forced them back. She didn’t have time for that now. Clearing her throat she pulled a scroll from her cloak and sat it down silently on the table. “This document names Sovann Sovaesh as the regent of Merro until my son is of age to rule,” Jala explained as she pressed her hand to the worn paper. “I wrote it not long after I married Jexon, though until this morning I never truly thought that I would need it. Vaze, Neph, I would ask that you both sign it as witness.”