Sons of Ironstorm - Book 4: Griffon's Stand

Mamrans

By the time the longboats had reached the beach, the downpour had become a monsoon's torrent, the sluicing rain washing the colour from the sky and cooling the swamp's verdant green to a paler imitation. His bright blue eyes hard, Caedin slowly eased himself over the lead boat's gunwales and into the waist deep waters of the bay, its warmth touched little by the rain's chill. In his right fist he clutched the hilt of his massive highlander claighmore, the blade glistening as rain ran down the length of its blood groove. On his left arm was strapped a battered but very serviceable shield of fine Mamran steel, leather and iron.

"Our advance, milord?" whispered the broad-shouldered commander of the marines Caedin had brought with his task force, a capable major with not a few scars marring his tanned and chiseled features a pace behind the muscular prince. He too had his claighmore unsheathed, shield ready as the marines in the longboat slipped silently into the water after him as they drew their weapons and prepared themselves.

"Cautious, major," Caedin whispered back over his shoulder. "While we saw our nation's colors flying from a pole upon approach, none have come forth to greet us. And last word from this place indicated the garrison was under attack. Until we can prove otherwise, we advance as though that fortress is held by the enemy."

Nodding his understanding, the major twisted slightly at the waist to find a couple of marines close to him with his hard, obsidian eyes. A silent exchange followed and they sheathed their weapons and slung their shields over their backs with understanding nods of their own before they slipped ahead of the slowly advancing Mamran company, quickly reaching the beach to disappear into the jungle just beyond.

With the masses of the four Mamran ships-of-the-line a felt presence behind them, Caedin slowly and silently began to count to ten as soon as the scouts were dispatched into the jungle ahead of them. Upon reaching ten without hearing anything other than the hiss of the rain and its splashing impact on the bay's unsettled surface, he turned to nod to the major, who twisted and made a quick gesture for his command to hasten their advance.

A few strides and the Mamrans were on the beach, eyes keen as they raked the dense foliage ahead of them. Breaking the company into skirmishing squads, the major then had the marines continue up the beach, leaving the longboats in charge of the handful of sailors Douglas had sent along with the Caedin's vanguard.

Caedin had almost reached the tree line when he heard a rustling in front of him. Tensing in readiness, even as he tautly gestured to the major, he paused and took a renewed grip on his massive weapon. Thankfully so, for he almost dropped it from surprise numbed fingers at the sight of the figure that calmly walked out of the jungle to confront him a heartbeat later.

"Hello," the strange, pointed eared newcomer greeted him with a friendly smile. "My name is Halen. Welcome to Gorgon's Dagger!"

"They are called elves, nephew," Ephram quietly explained some time later as he and Caedin watched Caedin's marines march into the Dagger's southern gates under the watchful eyes of no less than a full regiment of Chain Islands soldiers. His voice was so low, the Mamran Crown Prince could barely make it out over the hiss of the rain on the cobblestones beneath their feet.

"A people thought long lost after the Cadremoor defeated the Crimson Empire in the Wizards War."

"So why have they returned now, uncle?" Muscular arms folded across his chest, the Mamran Crown Prince frowned as his eyes moved from Chain Islands soldiers, to his marching men then over to the handful of elves standing near the gate conversing in low tones as they too watched the Mamran troops arrive. While ultimately happy and relieved his uncle and the greater part of his Gorgon Port garrison was safe and sound, Caedin was unsettled that not only had an ancient ruin been rebuilt on the bay's northern shore, but it was being defended by a force of unknown intentions in the Chain Islanders and the mysterious elves which, according to his uncle's own words, had been missing from Reutha for countless cycles. Until now, that is ...