The Call Of Shadows

Chapter Nine

The Queen pinched her fingers on the bridge of her nose, right between her eyes. Her head was throbbing and the stress of trying to keep the kingdom calm while everything in the political landscape changed around them was a daunting task that she wasn't succeeding at. On the one hand, the mages in the outlying districts were extremely pleased at the ability to practice freely again. The older ones especially, who were alive before the kingdom split, were granted permission to set up schools to train the younger fae in how to control their magic and use it for something other than destruction. However, for the fae who didn't want anything to do with their inherent magic were furious with her for allowing this, "blight upon the lands" and were threatening to relocate permanently to the Horn of Peace. She knew that it was impossible to please everyone, but the problems seemed to outnumber the solutions these days.

One fourth of her army was already inside the Elven Step, bulking up the elves' forces and keeping an eye on the Western slopes. So far they had spotted six different scouting parties of roughly ten men each, making their way up and down the mountain ridges just beyond the border of the elves' land. Another fourth of her army had been devoted to helping halt the expansion of the Wall, the magical barrier that separated Me-Ree's kingdom from the rest of the civilized world. Half of her forces remained in their homeland, tucked away and waiting for their orders. After Mynn and her had reconnected, her daughter had been instrumental in keeping their people level headed. She had allowed Mynn to take several small trips to the towns and cities in World's Edge, mainly to keep them updated on how things were progressing with the elves, mages, men etc.

One of the many worries she had was spreading her army too thin along the Wall and making things worse. The area inside the Wall was dangerous to anyone with magic, but more so for fae specially trained to fight with or without it. She needed to get her people back to safety without leaving the elves vulnerable. There was a sharp knock on the door to the throne room. She called out tiredly, "Come in!" And Seflek appeared on the threshold. "Can I help you?" She asked, slightly exasperated with the interruption. This was the first hour of silence she had gotten in nearly a week, and she was enjoying it. "You called me to discuss something I believe?" He replied patiently. His voice was gentle, and kind. Almost speaking in the way a parent would comfort their nervous child, fragile syllables hanging in the air by a silken thread of fear.

"Forgive me Seflek, it's been a long few weeks. I need your help to get the fourth of our troops out from near the Wall. I'm concerned that the magic there will pose a danger and do more harm than good to the elvish people in the long run. I know that as one of the long practicing mages in my kingdom you have certain texts at your disposal that would otherwise be inaccessible to my council. Do you have anything that would help us keep the Wall from advancing from afar? Is it even possible for someone other than an Earthen Fae to do?" Seflek gave her a long, piercing gaze before asking her a question. "When was the last time you actually rested?" The Queen looked up and stifled a laugh. "When was the last time it rained instead of snowed?" She retorted. Seflek didn't laugh back and replied sternly, "Forgive me for saying so your majesty, but you are in no state to rule in your present mindset. You're coming undone at the seams. You need to sleep."

She sighed deeply and closed her eyes, hands resting on either side of her face. "You don't need forgiveness if you speak the truth, Seflek. I'm so tired..." A single tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm tired and I don't know how to lead my people anymore. I always knew this would happen. I always knew my brother would come for me." Her voice shook as she spoke, fear mixing with regret to overtake her normally calm demeanor. Seflek walked up to her from where he had been standing just inside the door. "Let me help you sleep, my Queen. Just for a day. While you rest I'll begin my search. I believe I know where I can find something that will make the Wall problem a little easier." He spoke softly, his voice a timid lullaby of slowly building magic. "Ok." She said as her shoulders slumped. Seflek helped her lay back into the bed and he called forth the magic within him, thin icy blue flames covering her in waves and soothing her conscious mind back into the nothingness of sleep.