Sons of Ironstorm - Book 3: New Alliance

Promises and Portents

It wasn't until Seamus, Lawrence, Colyn and Will were all settled into a sitting room just outside of Seamus' high admiral's office, a fire roaring in a corner hearth and food, still warm from the admiralty office kitchen, sitting on a table in front of them that the blond king finally let Lawrence have his say. And quickly sat back, a thoughtful expression on his face, the rerolled Utterance scroll in his hand as he pondered the big Ironstorm prince's suggestion, voiced at the end of Lawrence's relation of what had happened since the coup in Tal Morun. He left out nothing, save the mysterious sword he had rescued from the Gyren and his brief dalliance with the dark elves. That, he would keep for a time Seamus would need to know about it.

"So, you say this Weapon of Power has the ability to transport you over vast distances?" the Mamran king mused out loud, his burr nearly hidden by the force of his mind hard at work.

His mouth full of savory bread and cheese, Lawrence nodded, working to empty his mouth and speak. Washing down the cheese and bread with a swig of cold water from the pewter tankard sitting on the table beside his food, he cleared his throat.

"The weapon's avatar, an intelligence magically crafted into the staff itself, indicated a portal would take me all the way from the great ring sitting by your palace to distant Muraan in the wink of an eye, saving me long moons of travel by sea. Considering what I felt about something transpiring to the south, haste has become my watch word."

Seamus grimaced.

"Well it should," he said heavily. "I received word from my younger brother Ephram, governor of our very strategic colony of Gorgon's Port to the far south, that two powerful forces have been battling just outside of the town. One seems intent on coming ashore, using powerful magic with devastating effect towards that end. The other was equally intent in keeping them from doing so, sending a good number of the attacking fleet to the bottom of the bay." Seamus frowned. "Unfortunately I don't know the end of it. That was all Ephram could scrawl onto the parchment the messenger bird had on its leg. I've dispatched a battle group from Second Fleet, four ships of the line with over a thousand marines going along to reinforce Ephram's position."

Gorgon's Port; Lawrence paused in taking a bite from the smoked fish he had piled high on a second piece of bread, his thoughts whirling. It was certainly south of just about everything on Reutha. Could it be the site of the conflagration he felt taking place several days ago? And the source of the incredible pain that left him helpless?

Seeing the big Ironstormer pause, Seamus nodded.

"I see you suspect the two are related. Your sensings and this event my brother speaks of," he said. "I just hope what you felt isn't an indication of something greater in play. My eldest son Caedin accompanied the fleet at his insistence."

The look on Seamus' face clearly indicated he didn't approve of Caedin's decision.

"He wanted to personally go to his uncle's aide. Well educated in the ways of war is my boy, but if it's something enough to worry a Wielder of a Weapon of Power, then I'm not so sure I want him in the middle of it."

Lawrence agreed, though he didn't say so out loud, choosing instead to put his food down to mull it over a brief moment. At this stage there was only supposition, but the Tree's admission that his brothers, both unknown to him yet Wielders of Weapons of Power, had been captured was troubling in the least.

Even without the Tree Staff physically in his possession, Lawrence had proven a difficult man to defeat. Yet two Wielders, in full possession of their Weapons, were currently in the hands of the Deceiver and his minions. And now Seamus revealed his eldest son traveled into the heart of that explosive situation. If Wielders were taken in such a place, what greater risk would ordinary humans face?