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“Show me this place.”
He dips his chin and I spread my wings, readying to take off, but stop at the sound of Freyja’s voice. “Where are you going?”
I explain to her what Brovyn found, and she nods. “It’s a good strategy. Arganth can remain undisturbed by the battle.” She looks between the two of us. “I want to go with you to see it.”
I would argue with her, but I can already see the determined look in her eyes, and I think better of it because I know she will win. Sighing heavily, I shift into my Dragon form and carefully grasp her smaller form in my left front paw, holding her close to my chest as we ascend into the sky and head out over the forest.
CHAPTER56
AURDYN
The cold wind claws at my form as we circle over the clearing a few times before landing. It is strange to find such a wide-open space in the middle of the dense forest, but Brovyn is right. This is where we should meet the Mages and the army of Ruhaen in battle.
Carefully, I set Freyja down in the snow, waiting until I am sure she is secure in her footing before stepping back and shifting into my two-legged form.
Awareness prickles my flesh when I detect a small vibration in the ground beneath my feet. I eye the snow cautiously. “There is something beneath this.”
Freyja’s brow furrows as she scans the clearing. Tall trees, their branches heavily laden with snow line either side. Without warning, she drops to her knees in the snow and begins to dig away the top layer until she hits something solid. “It’s ice.” She lifts her gaze to mine. “There is a river under here.”
I peer at the ice, noticing slight movement as water flows underneath it. I note that it is very thick, however, so I am not concerned about falling through.
“This is perfect.” She looks between me and Brovyn. “We can lure the Mages onto this and then use fire to melt it beneath them.”
“How will that take care of the Wraiths?” Brovyn asks. “They are able to fly.”
“Yes, but if we drown the Mages, there will be no one to control the Wraiths.”
A smile tugs at my mouth. My T’kara is very clever. “Without someone to control them and coordinate their attacks, they will be easier to pick off.”
“And Ruhaen’s army will no longer be under their enchantment,” Freyja adds. “So all we’d need to worry about would be taking down the Wraiths.”
“But what will we use for bait?” Brovyn asks. “How will we get the Mages into the clearing?”
Freyja’s eyes light up. “Let’s go back to camp. We need to speak with King Davin. I have an idea.”
CHAPTER57
AURDYN
When we return to Arganth, we go straight to King Davin’s tent. Two of his generals stand on either side of him as they stare down at a detailed map spread out on the table before them. I notice the line they’ve drawn next to Arganth to symbolize the newly constructed rock wall that separates the city from the forest.
Carved figurines sit on the map. Several of them formed to look like a shield bearing King Davin’s banner and others in the shape of a Dragon, representing both the Dwarf and Dragon warriors.
He lifts his head to us. “Ah, I’m glad you are here. We were just going over where to fortify our defenses along the wall. We—”
“The battle will not take place here,” I state firmly. “We will intercept them here.” I point to the clear space on the map, where we just came from. “This clearing is where we will meet them in battle.”
One of Davin’s Generals studies the area with a piercing gaze before returning his attention to us. “According to our scouts, their army will be there tomorrow, around mid-day.”
“Good.” Freyja studies the map. “That gives us plenty of time.”
“For what?” Davin asks.
She pulls the shade stone necklace from her tunic pocket. I had no idea she had brought it with us, and I eye it warily as everyone else gapes in wonder, recognizing the precious stone immediately.
“Is that what I think it is?” King Davin asks, licking his lips as if eyeing a tasty meal. “Is that truly a shade stone?”
“Yes,” Freyja replies. “And we’re going to use it to trick the Mages, but first I need to know if you can manipulate the stone’s magic with your singing.”
