Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 09

He threw it out before it got to his heart. He started chain casting healing from the wand. Lucian came over, "They are falling back. They said now there are fewer than 100."

He nodded, "Those bolts don't just chew. They try to make their way to your heart. I just cut one out before it could succeed."

She nodded, "I saw you doing it. Looked painful."

He sighed, "Better pain and blood than death. I am so glad the Duchess does not have a Moon Blade. Maybe that is why she is such a bitter shrew."

Lucian cringed as he heard from the stone, "This shrew of a Duchess wants you back at my Keep."

Mercian smiled, "I just helped to save your ass. I need to rest before doing battle with you."

Mercian walked over to his horse. He took them to the fourth floor of the inn and opened the portal. He looked at Lucian who followed him, "You can get rest, or talk with her."

---

He walked inside. Lucian talked with her, "From what I can see, I believe we are in an inn, I can see the battlesight on the road out of the window. He has a secure shelter here. I am going to keep an eye on him."

Duchess Strong Oak growled out, "I know where to send my guards to arrest him!"

---

He took his horse to the falls and started brushing her down. She came inside. "Seal portal to all but me and the Silvertree blade holder."

Lucian looked at Mercian, "Really?"

He smiled, "I am not letting that stuffed cow in my home. I did not want you to give her access to this place to watch people die. She would be stupid enough to send armed guards against a champion. She should not be a Duchess.

She has no tactical skills to deal with troops. Hereditary titles were done away with and they still appointed her for no fucking reason other than she was a Wood-elf and the eldest. At least her family blade wielder has common sense but note she did not bring him back for that battle."

He walked out and sat down and ate. She did as well. She looked at him, "You really hate her."

Mercian shook his head, "I hate it when people are put in a position of power that they are ill-equipped to handle. Then tie the hands of those who can get the job done. She brought back 30 battle mages or sorcerers. For a group of 400+ Drow. No fighters or rangers, or arcane archers. Then she restricted the spells they could use.

She lost half of her 30 battle mages to those fucking bolts. I understand protecting the woods but the road was wide enough across that area to stop them. The only spells I threw in the woods were storm based. That changed the direction of them going to Porzcosa and Silent Falls to heading for the Keep.

That means they have been scouting this area freely! As a champion, I throw these things out there and when investigated they prove to be true. That is the case for all champions. Check history. I am grabbing some sleep."

She nodded as he went into his room and crashed onto the bed. He was back at the falls and Corellon Larethian was there. Mercian kneeled, "I wanted to hunt deer, elk, or bear and instead I am helping to destroy an incursion of drow and killing my first champion. Something needs to be done about that Duchess."

He sighed, "Stand champion. Duchess, aside you did outstanding work today. I know it and the King will know about it when I visit him shortly. The Duchess is a problem the King will have to address. Expect to be called to go see him so he can mediate this dispute. Rest now."

---

King Goldeagle found himself at the falls for the second time in two days. His Great Grandmother wrote about being brought here in her time, but not back-to-back visits.

Corellon called out, "Remain standing. You have a drow problem on your southern border. Your Duchess Strong Oak has issues with the champion and is not focused on the elven people.

She will contact you as she wants to arrest him and bar him from her duchy. She does not have that right. Bring them in together and settle the dispute. Listen to what the champion is telling you. Listen to what she tells you.

Like your Grandmother and every Royal before you who has had to deal with a Champion, you are being tested as well. You did not fare well with Charlus in his final years. There is room for improvement as Charlus told you yesterday."

The King woke to the sound of a buzzing crystal. He knew by looking at it that it was the Duchess's crystal. He sighed and worked his way out of bed.

---

Mercian awoke and prayed to get his spells back and prepare for his day. He went out and saddled up his horse and brought her to the table and ordered up food for her and himself. Lucian came out and chuckled, "Sharing your table with your horse."

Mercian looked at her, "Ranger remember. Anama'Losgadh is more than a horse. She is a friend and ally if combat arises. She helps to shoulder the burden and I help to see that she is fed and taken care of."

She nodded and raised her hands, "I give up. I see your point. It is just unusual."

Mercian laughed as Lucian was a Gold-elf, "City girl. Little to no time in the woods, even though you used a moon-elf name with the dragons."

She nodded, "True, which is why I was surprised you asked for me. I am in a silver house but my father was half silver and gold in that house and his wife was a gold elf, one of them...the other a Silver. I know muddies the waters."

Mercian smiled, "I asked for Overwatch support, not you specifically when I spoke with the King. The King sent you as I suspected he would. You are the only one I know with direct access to Overwatch. Expect a trip to see the King. To mediate the dispute."

She looked at Mercian, "The Gods tell you this?"

Mercian nodded, "Yes."

He mounted up, "Unseal and open the portal. Mercian had 11 battle mages come rushing in. He looked at them, "I hope you have food. Shelter cut off food. When I leave here there is no telling when I will be back. Get out of my home. Before you force me to turn on the home defense and skewer a good portion of you."

One of the mages looked at Mercian, "We are supposed to arrest you."

Mercian nodded, "Did she say to enter a death trap to do it? There is only one way out. You have no reason to be in here other than to die. Everyone note where you are standing and step outside. I will give you a free lesson in these secure shelters."

Lucian interceded, "He has already told me the Gods are having the King mediate the dispute."

He looked at her, "How did he know the King wanted him?"

Mercian smiled, "You don't listen very well. Did the King order my arrest or the brain-dead Duchess? I am the champion of Corellon Larethian. I answer to the Gods and the King in that order. NOT an incompetent Duchess. She lost half of the battlemages that she pulled from the front.

30 against 400 in the woods and she did not bring a single fighter, ranger, paladin, or battle cleric. She is a fool and I will prove it for those that fought beside you and died because she restrained you. Step out!"

They moved out of the shelter. Mercian looked over, "Remember your locations. Activate briefing room security."

The three-foot spikes shot out of the floor and ceilings. "This was an early design. You should see the one in 64. Anyone tries to put manacles on me better be ready to fly. I can cast a teleportation circle from my sword. Like yesterday for the 2 still alive who went with me for the storms. I just had to think about it."

They backed up more and Lucian stepped out. Mercian called back, "Close portal to all but me or the blade wielder. Lucian would you contact the King. Find out if the Duchess and I are traveling together or separately to come and see him?"

She pulled out a crystal, "Your Majesty, the champion wished to know if you want him traveling with the Duchess or separately."

The King sighed, "She can travel here herself, but I want you in my audience chamber."

Mercian looked at the men," Unless you wish to travel to see the King I would recommend backing up."

They moved back. Mercian teleported to the main gate and sighed, "I wondered if she ever turned it back on. Just proving my point."

Lucian shook her head, "Alright, I can see your point in this matter."

He walked inside and teleported them to the palace gate. Walked through and then teleported to the front of the palace. He walked in with Lucian in tow and headed straight to the King's Audience chamber. The door opened and the King looked at Mercian and sighed, "Is everything a fight with you?"

Mercian looked at him, "She was told there was a force of 'hundreds of drow. 400+ drow.' She brings in 30 battle mages and then ties their hand to not use area of effect spells because of the woods. I agree. Do not target in the woods. Where were the ranger, paladins, arcane archers, and battle clerics?

She brought NONE of it from the line and lost half of the battlemages she brought in. We have not driven them from the woods. They retreated back. Probably to gain more numbers. That was not a full out assault. That was a probing attack. No casters in that group that I could tell except maybe the champion.

I did not see her cast anything. I teleported her out before she exploded and removed a champion from the field. Ask her how many times she got hit by a bolt or how many arrows she used. You will find that she still had almost half a quiver of arrows on her back.

She is ill-equipped to handle the problem and you need the army to push them out of the woods and find their new exit point. She is focused on the woods, not on the people of the duchy. I got hit by 6 of those bolts and had to cut myself open to get one out before it got to my heart. Lucian witnessed that.

She is playing at being a protector of the woods. Those woods have people in them that need to be protected as well. Her title is for protecting the people. She failed. Not everything is a fight. I do not walk away from a fight. I went and got sleep. Like last night when Corellon Larethian talked with me. Where is she by the way?"

The King grabbed a crystal, "Duchess, where are you? We have been waiting for 15 minutes!"

She answered. "At the palace gate now."

Mercian nodded to the King, teleported to the palace gate, found her, and teleported her into the King's Audience chamber. She glared at him, "I was getting here!"

The King looked at her, "When I summon you to the palace, I expect to see you in three or four minutes, tops. You could have had an arcane bring you all the way to the palace door. I asked you if you needed the Champion to bring you and you said 'hell no!' I want to know what you did in response to this threat."

She looked at me, "I had him interfering at every turn. I recalled 30 battle mages from the front line to drive the invasion back. First, he wanted to use weather spells. Then he wanted teleport turned off in case he found a champion. He did and killed her without destroying my woods, Your Majesty."

He looked at her, "How many bolts hit you?"

She looked at him, "None."

He looked at her, "How many quivers of arrows did you go through?"

She looked at him, "A little more than half of one. I have yet to restock."

The King looked at her, "How far back into the woods did you pursue them?"

She looked at the King, "Their champion was off of the field. They turned tail and ran."

He asked her, "Did you restrict your caster's spells?"

She nodded, "Of course we have to protect the woods. We opened up when they got on the road."

Mercian looked at her, "After I pleaded with her to take their fucking manacles off, Your Majesty. I got hit by 6 of those bolts."

She interrupted, "That was because you are reckless."

Mercian looked at her, "What spells did I cast that harmed the woods? Remember I am a ranger as well."

She looked at him, "None that I know of, but I have yet to send any scouting parties to check for damage."

Mercian looked at her, "Checking for damage? How about checking where they went? How many spells did the Drow throw at your defenses? How many teleported or dimension doored into your Keep?"

She looked at Mercian, "I did not want scouts led into a trap by tracking them. I want to get the woods checked for damage. I did not see them casting spells. I figured that was a good thing. They could not cause damage to the woods."

Mercian asked her, "The woods are your primary goal of protecting."

She looked at Mercian, "Damn right it is and it should be yours too."

The King jumped in, "You are a Duchess with over 1,000 troops and you brought back only 30. How many did you lose?"

She looked at the King, "14."

He asked, "Why no other troops?"

She looked at him, "Because I did not want a battle in the middle of those woods."

Mercian looked at her, "Your Duchy was given Billions in gold by my family. How much was used to get magical gear for your militias?"

She looked at Mercian, "That money is for the Keep and the army, not the villages."

The king shouted, "ENOUGH! I am stripping you of your title and responsibilities over that area. I will appoint someone new."

Mercian looked at the King, "She has a brother who carries his family blade and was not brought in. He understands the military aspects of this better. If memory serves he was overseeing part of your military daily during the last conflict. As a Blade wielder, he has the oath to protect the elven people. NOT JUST the woods that we are both working to protect."

The King nodded, "Your brother will become Duke over that Duchy. A Duchy is more than woods, it is the people and creatures living there. A tree gets struck by lightning. Damage happens in nature. Battlegrounds can only be chosen if you know where they are surfacing.

Without going in and pushing them back into the hole they could report back minimal resistance. Then send 50,000 against us who would give a shit if a tree is destroyed. Champion, step out of the room."

Mercian bowed and walked out and Lucian followed him. Mercian looked at her, "You were told to shadow me as much as possible, weren't you?"

She nodded, "Yes."

They waited 30 minutes and he saw her brother with 3 Mages walk toward him. Mercian nodded to him, "Hello cousin."

He sighed, "How much trouble did you get her in?"

Mercian looked at him, "Duke, you should ask the King that."

His eyes went big and he went into the office. 30 minutes later she came out and looked at Mercian, "You bastard."

Mercian looked at her, "You are a fat shrew bitch who had no business leading any sort of defense force. You neglected the people. You just told him how incompetent you were. You did not even realize it was your own words that stripped you of that title. Not once did you mention the people."

She looked at Mercian, "We have too many now!"

Mercian shook his head, "Thanks to your move we will have a lot less when they send a real invasion force. The woods in that area are now fucked because of you. Check your abilities. Make sure you are on the right side with the Gods that grant your abilities. You have the vision of a human in these matters."

She growled and stormed off. She thought to herself, "I am going to find a way to kill that bastard! He is a failed ranger in my books as he fails to protect the woods over the people." She noted her ranger abilities were no longer functioning after thinking that and blamed Mercian for that as well instead of herself.

The new Duke came over, "He said you recommended me for the position."

Mercian nodded, "I may hate your sister but she is still family. You have your work cut out for you. I was out with a hunting party. For animals, not drow. I saved them and then organized the storms that drove them toward her instead. Now they will come in force and those woods will be fucked unless you can bottleneck them where they are coming out at. That means finding the opening or openings they have."

He sighed, "The King will have half of the northern army sent to our location. He is taking this seriously as will I."

Mercian nodded, "That was why I recommended you. Your Blade judged your heart and determinization to protect the PEOPLE. She was solely focused on the woods and how the 'fact' that we have too many people now. She said that. That worries me. You need to get your militia armed to help defend their homes."

He nodded, "There is still 2 billion-plus in the Duchy coffers. We will need enchanters."

Mercian pulled out his crystal, "Get the patron for me?"

A few minutes pass, "Mercian, I heard you were causing trouble for the Duchess."

Mercian sighed, "It is Duke now as she has been removed for incompetence. He requires enchanters to outfit an army. He is family technically. Can we get our enchanters to work on his projects at family rates? It is over the town and 2 villages our ancestors helped to build and protect."

The Patron laughed, "An army's worth?"

Mercian smiled, "The militia does not even have minor enchanted weapons and armor these days. They are in a bad way. No telling what he wants for the other stuff."

The patron sighted, "Twenty percent over cost, the distant relative discount."

Mercian looked at him, "Beat double the cost from other enchanters and we have a couple hundred at various levels of ability."

He nodded, "I will get you a list and have the base items sent to you for enchantment."

They heard a chuckle from Patron Silvertree, "That will make a lot of enchanters here very happy. I will work on farming out the work, or one of the other elders. We will work quickly."

The King called Mercian back into his chamber, "She was telling me to institute birth control again because we have too many people."

Mercian chuckled, "We still have land to the south we have not expanded into as we have held that wall with no attack for some time. We need to speed up the dragons on the Alliance. We need the Alliance Overwatch backup so we know where they are coming in from. Do a targeted attack on the breach. Break their access to the surface. That is where I can be of the most help. If we can get them to agree."

He nodded. He wrote out a diplomatic order, "Go back and talk with them. Both of you. I would like the Alliance Overwatch house with the other overwatch."

Mercian shook his head, "Single-target to take out so much capability. I do not want future generations to have the argument over ownership again. We will need people to man the Alliance Overwatch but it is in a very secure environment right now controlled by me. It is also more capable in most areas. Abjuration being the exception, Your Majesty."

He sighed, "You get them back into the alliance and we will take it as it is."

Mercian sighed, "I will get it but it is not moving from that cave. There are defenses in there that ensure its protection and it is still my property, your Majesty." Mercian bowed to him and they left the King.

---

The King sighed and thought to his sword, "The gods do not want me taking his property and he is not wanting to move it as he sees it as a power grab to control the property."

His sword responded, "It would be a power grab and the next King may not have the sword to advise him. The gods have spoken to you already that he needs the system. Not you. He uses it for the people. For the Alliance, once it is established.

See what comes of his work. He is a champion and champions often surprise. You should read more of those journals. You are not the first ruler to argue with a champion over a given course of action. You are being tested to be able to take advice, from a Champion, your 'advisor' blade, AND the Gods."

---

Mercian looked at her, "I ever get married, and are you going to send the King a report on my activities? Favorite positions? Critiques on my approach and methods?"

She laughed at him, "I am not monitoring you THAT closely. You planning to get married?"