Sons of Ironstorm - Book 4: Griffon's Stand

Ovstath

It was as they all stepped forward, the Covenant talking animatedly and excitedly amongst themselves with Shawn in their midst that Shawn caught sight of Aerulin's ovstath. It had embedded itself into her armor when she summoned it and was visible as a darker red glow beneath the wolf's head embossed on her breastplate. The young Wielder's eyes narrowed as a thought suddenly occurred to him.

Each adult member of the Wolf clan was given the crystal only after they proved themselves worthy through a series of tests and trials, though only Lusinorans were known to openly wear theirs. The ovstath were a heritage of ancient magic passed down through the Wolf clan Houses that managed to survive the depredations of the Crimson Empire. As a daughter of a Wolf clan High Lord, Aerulin would've been required to pass her tests as soon as she was of age, thus earning the dark red crystal now embedded in her Wielder armor.

The cry of Colonel's Valescu's griffon high overhead on her patrol pushed Shawn further along his train of thought. A griffon on the wing had almost unlimited visibility in any direction. Such a vantage point would be useful in spotting the advancing Shadow forces who, as yet, had managed to elude their scouts. Since he couldn't ride a griffon himself, he needed some other way to gain that vantage point, perhaps fly himself. And the only way he would be able to fly would be to become the very eagle the Abysslords had exiled his body to so very recently.

A thought and a spun rune and a copy of Aerulin's ovstath was in his gauntleted hand. If the ovstath could transform a Wolf clan elf into a dire wolf, why couldn't it be modified to change him back into an eagle?

****

Ri'im was just beginning his descent into the west, Rimnor already filling most of the evening sky, easily outshining the two small moons that climbed into the velvety overhead vault to lend it their company by the time Shiana took a break from working on the walls with Patrik to find the mess for some food and rest. Unaware of her twin's consideration of ovstath crystals and how best to work them to their advantage, she obtained a portion of food from the servers working the meal line beneath the canopy protecting the converted stable. Food in hand, she slowly eased down onto the small stool at the end of one of the tables in the midst of the outdoor mess.

That portion of food, now sitting on the table in front of her was a steaming bowl of lentil soup, several slices of thick, dark bread baked fresh that morning by a number of the Gorgon Port women, and a wedge of a hard, pungent cheese the locals called zirr. Despite its smell, it went well with the black bread and the thick soup. Thankfully the mess was preparing for the end of the next watch and the influx of hungry soldiers that had stood guard or ran patrol duty of the latter part of the day, so she got the food hot and without question or comment.

<<A little late for supper, don't you think?>> a smooth elven voice asked, carrying the locution of Elvenfast. At the sound, Shiana looked up to see the Ben'havid general, Ashengar, step from some nearby shadows. And she immediately smiled to see him carrying a tray of food almost identical to her own.

<<A question I could ask of you as well, general,>> she quickly replied, her Vanje carrying the accents of the Sovun'chul, where Shawn had learned how to speak the elven language. She took hold of a piece of bread and dipped it into the soup.

<<I thought you and Lady Inureah's paladin ensconced in your little swamp holes waiting for the Shadow to arrive.>> She paused to take a big savory bite of the bread, half closing her eyes as the delicious taste filled her mouth as she chewed. <<Shards, that tastes good,>> she murmured almost against her will as long-anticipated sensations filled her mouth and belly.

<<We were,>> Ashengar admitted as he approached, not reacting to the princess's murmured words if he had heard them. <<However, since our scouts report no enemy movement up to five leagues distant, I decided to let the paladin out to grab a bite of hot food.>>