Champions of Serenity :Gathering the Circle

Chapter 30

Smoke from many campfires filled the evening sky and drew the falcon. She circled the camp a few times and then flew into the trees. Once she was deep in the trees, the falcon changed shape into a fly and went back to the encampment. Perching on the ridgepole of the command tent, Tris watched and listened carefully.

A folding table was placed to one side of the tent around which stood three men; one wearing the Elite uniform of Greshinea, the other two in leather armor. On this table were several parchments, each containing a drawing and Tris recognized each of them from her dreams.

“Emperor Greshinea wants all five of them captured. He has something big planned for them. So wound them and then we’ll cart them off to Hades.” The captain in the Elite uniform was saying.

“I don’t mean to be rude, Captain, but why send two hundred mercenaries after these five people? Couldn’t one of your patrols take care of them?” One of the two Mercenary captains asked, looking through the pictures. “Hell, we have two women and three men, one no more than a boy. Isn’t this sort of overkill?”

“These five have been responsible for the death of close to three hundred of the Elite, Captain. That is why we are taking in an army of two hundred. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I could survive odds like that.”

The two mercenary captains exchanged a look over the Elite captain’s head. “Okay, what is our plan then?”

“They are less than a day from here and they don’t know we are here. We rest now, get a hot meal, and then kill the fires. When the moon rises, we will march and take them while they are sleeping. It saves us having to lose men in battle and gives us the element of surprise.”

The two men nodded, it would work and as a reward, their mercenary bands were to be given Elite status and pay. The three leaders left the command tent to inform their men of the plan and compare notes on possible outcomes of the surprise raid.

Tris took to the sky and once clear of the camp, turned back into the falcon. So, they thought they were going to get the element of surprise? What fools human were, Tris thought as she streaked toward the five that were hunted by the army of Greshinea.

Shægnek sent a gray dove to Chaos to inform him that the five were about to meet with the First. Then she sat back to watch. If the past encounters were anything to judge by, this would be a fight worth watching.

It was a small campsite, on a hill surrounded by trees. A black haired woman sat by the fire, feeding twigs to the flames. Next to her sat a bear of a man who stirred a large pot hanging over the fire. He would taste whatever was inside and then add something from a pouch at his waist. A tall man with red hair was chopping wood for the fire, his tunic on the ground beside him and muscles rippling across his back and shoulders. To one side of the fire sat a half Elf, playing a lute and at his feet was a tiny woman with dusty blond hair.

Tris circled this small camp once, making sure they were truly alone. As she started a second circle, she opened her mind to broadcast danger, hoping at least one of them was empathic.

Both the man by the fire and the man playing the lute looked up. “What is it?” Shrina asked, looking around as both Jehro and Fini started scanning the trees.

“I don’t know….” Fini started, still trying to find the source of his unease.

Airidon carried an armload of wood to the fire and picked up his twin blades, pulling them free of their scabbards. “We should be ready for anything, Fini doesn’t get spooked easily.” His voice carried to the falcon.

“There, that bird.” Jehro pointed up at Tris. “That bird is projecting danger. I don’t know how or why, I just know that is the source.”

“That bird is a falcon, Jehro. And falcons don’t project danger, it would frighten their prey.” Fini said, but he joined the shorter man in watching Tris circle them.

Tris let a single screech of warning fall before diving straight at Jehro and Fini. She landed softly on Jehro’s shoulder before any of the others could react.

“Fini…..” Jehro said, trying really hard to not be afraid of the heavy bird on his shoulder. Then Tris bobbed her head and rubbed it against his cheek.

“Well I’ll be hanged. I have never seen a falcon do that, not even one trained to serve humans. They just aren’t that affectionate.” Fini dared to reach out and gently caress Tris’s breast feathers. “Gods, what does this mean?”

Once she had physical contact with the one called Jehro, she was able to project much clearer images into his mind; the falcon brain wasn’t able to be as complex as a person's. She showed him the army, just hours away. Then she showed him the army creeping through the forest to this hill in the dark to capture all of them.

“Jehro?” Airidon asked, shaking the half elf to get his attention. “Jehro, are you okay?”

Nodding slowly, Jehro kept eye contact with Tris in the falcon form. “How?” He projected to the bird, wondering how a mere creature could understand such a complex message.

Tris then showed Jehro the falcon changing shape into a woman. She dug her talons into his shoulder to keep from being thrown off in his jerk of surprise. Knowing that he understood, she took to the air again and flew into the trees.

“A friend of yours, Jehro?” Fini asked, still awed at what he witnessed with the falcon.

“You could say she’s a friend to all of us. It seems that Greshinea has sent an army after us and they are just a few hours march away. Their plan is to take us in the night, while we are sleeping.”

“How do you know this, Jehro?” Shrina demanded, still not understanding what the big deal was with the falcon.

A flight of quail took to the air just inside the forest edge and the whole group turned to face the trees. The flash of a bright blue gave them a point of reference. They all watched as the blue movement resolved into a blue tunic, green leggings and golden red hair.

“He knows, little Siblen, because I told him.” Tris said, staying in the shadows so they couldn’t see her face clearly. The shock of actually being this close to those she had been dreaming of was almost as powerful as when Debra had joined her. She knew that these people would know her, unlike Meckin, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to face the waves of emotion that would wash over her. Tris was already getting surface thoughts and feelings from all of them but the one she had contact with.

Giving Jehrones a thoughtful look, Tris sent a questioning probe to touch his mental shields. She felt his surprise and then felt his shields tighten closer around a secret he didn’t want known. Tris respected that, she had her own secrets and it didn’t have the vile feel of Greshinea’s touch about it.

“Who are you? Where did you come from? How do you know all of this?” Shrina again demanded a dagger in each of her hands. She started to say something else when she felt Airidon’s hand on her shoulder, quieting her down. He stepped around her, standing slightly in front of the others.

Tris pushed the curiosity, jealousy, and mistrust the Siblen was feeling to the side. It wasn’t a surprise that the assassin was mistrustful or curious, but the jealousy was something Tris didn’t understand. Then she felt her blood heating as she saw Airidon and knew he would be trouble for her later on if she wasn’t careful. He didn’t say anything, he didn’t have to; his very presence was enough to draw her out of the shadows.

“It’s her.” hissed Fini. Tris walked to the fire calmly. Kneeling she laid her staff down next to her and held her hands out to the warmth of the flames. She then looked up at the group who still hadn’t moved.

“I’m not sure how to take that.” She said softly, knowing exactly what he meant. Tris had learned in her time with Jonas’ caravan that most people didn’t like it when you told them exactly what they were feeling or thinking. “It could be that I was expected, but for that to be the case you would have put away your weapons when you saw my face. It could also mean that you know of me and are not happy to see me, in which case you would have your weapons at the ready, which they aren’t. I think I will take it as you don’t know of me, but I am familiar for some reason and my being here is a shock. Am I close on any of these?”

Tris picked up the discarded spoon and stirred the pot, mentally reaching out again to Jehrones using him as her compass. When she felt him relax a little, Tris knew she had chosen the right approach. She then made as if to taste the broth, smelled the meat and changed her mind. “Someone is burning your dinner.”

Fini moved then and walked to Tris, holding out his hand for the spoon. When she gave it to him, he looked at it like it was a foreign object. But Fini’s movement had broken the spell.

Shrina put one of her daggers away, but kept the other out and closed in on Tris. “You still haven’t answered my questions, girl. Who are you and how do you know what you told Jehro?”

“I am her, as Finbrahner said.” Tris nodded to the surprised Fini as he finally moved the stew from the flames. “Now, just who “her” is, that is a story we don’t have time for at the moment. Perhaps, if we live through the battle we are about to face, I can tell it.” Tris took the dagger, point first, from Shrina. She tested it against her thumb and then handed it back, not showing any emotion at all. “I was a falcon when I came to you; I was a fly on a ridgepole when I learned of the plans.”

Tris stood, leaving her staff on the ground and walked to Jehro’s side, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Jehrones….” A half smile echoed in both of their faces. He opened his shields to her and let her see everything he was, waiting for her reaction. “Thank you.” She said simply.

Opening her mind to Jehrones, she let him know his secret was safe with her. She also let him see as much of her past as she could without letting him know about her dreams and her Demon heritage. It took but a fleeting moment yet two lifetimes had been shared.

“I am Trisinda Jaqukwen, and just as Finbrahner knew me, I know you.” Tris said to them all, turning to face Airidon and Tyra, mostly Tyra. “I have seen you in dreams for almost a year now. I know you are a warrior, Tyrandeannah. I know that you can use any weapon placed in your hands, Airidon. I know that you are the queen of your people, Shrelannasha. I know Jehrones for the bard he is and Finbrahner for the Druid he is. And I know why we are hunted and why our families have suffered at the hands of the self-made Emperor.”

Airidon reached out, touching her shoulder until she met his eyes. “Why?” It was the question they all wanted the answer to.

“Finbrahner, I bring you greetings from Glenrose and Greenbough.” Tris said simply.

“Greenbough? He spoke? Tris, you must tell me every word he spoke.” Jehro grabbed her arm, almost yanking it from her socket in his excitement. “Greenbough is the eldest of the Dryad, he holds the wisdom of the world they say, but he won’t talk that often and not to anyone that isn’t important in some fashion. His last words were a prophecy saying that a time would come when all Dryads would leave our world against a time of great darkness.” Jehro explained to his companions. Fini looked troubled, he knew of them as well, was kin to Glenrose.

“What do you think is happening now, Jehrones? The Dryad have faded, I was the last person they spoke to. Glenrose and the other Druids have gone with them. Greenbough spoke of a prophecy in the keeping of the Temple of Serenity. We, along with two others, are in that prophecy and that is why we are all hunted.” Tris looked up at the darkening sky. “The army will be here within two hours. We should prepare.”

“That wasn’t what I expected.” Chaos said. “That time with the Wer must have taught her a few things. I half expected her to choke the Siblen, I know I would have.”

“Tris has learned a great deal in her travels, Chaos, as well as from listening to Debra. I think that Tris will surprise you a lot more than you think.” Shægnek replied.

“We shall see. The battle is coming up, that will be the telling.” Chaos stood back, leaning against the wall next to the window. “When do you think she will let them know? And what will their reaction be?”

Worry made Shægnek frown. “I don’t know, Chaos. The very nature of these heroes makes it harder and harder to see where fate will lead them beyond the prophecy. Maybe that is why Serenity chose as she did, so that we couldn’t tamper with them too much. But I believe, when they learn Tris’ secret, it will be the darkest time in her life.”

Chaos nodded, and then turned back to the window.