The Dawning of Truth--5

    Elise opened her eyes.  Above her leaves from the trees wove a delicate lace like pattern.  “Vaender?”  Sitting up, she glanced around.  Nothing.

    Her muscles screamed a complaint as she stood to her feet.  They were not used to the vigors of sword fighting with another human.  The grass grew freely beneath the trees, covered in places with a small layer of leaves.  Flowers dotted the carpet here and there.  Through the trees glimpses of a drop off could be seen.  She ran towards it.  Perhaps that was where Vaender waited.  As she cleared the trees, she could hear the clanging sound of metal against metal.  Below her, in a large meadow a heated battle was going on between the Viskens, and her people, the Matrecks. 

    “Well?” Sike landed on the ground next to her.

    Her eyebrows shot up.  “How did you get here?”

    “Vaender told me, but that is beside the point.  Elise, you can’t wait any longer, you have to decide now.  The Matrecks are losing, badly.  If we are going to help, it will have to be now, right now.”

    She shook her head vigorously.  “I can’t.”

    “Arg!” Sike shot a flame of fire from his mouth.  “You can.  You just have to decide on whether you are willing to forgive.”

     The turmoil had built within her over the years and now she was about to lose it.  “You,” she threw her hand out.  “You don’t understand.  I hate this country.”

    “No, you don’t, you hate the king, the king that is now dead.  You must get past this Elise!  You must!  Everything could be counting on you!”

    Lips quivering she whispered, “If I let go of the bitterness, I don’t think I will be able to live any longer.  It is the only thing that made me fight to live.  If I let go, I won’t care anymore.” 

    Sike flapped his wings till he was on her level.  “If you let go, you can still live.  You are just too afraid to try.”

    His firm words made her cringe.  He was right.  Yet, how could she just let go.  It wasn’t that easy.  It would take months for her to fully let go, and even then she wasn’t sure she would be healed. 

    Come to me.

    Elise jerked.  Where had those words come from?

    Lay all your burdens on me.

   Who are you?  Her brow wrinkled.

    Come to me; lay your burdens down, the voice repeated.

    She moaned in confusion and fell to her knees.  I don’t know how! 

    Let go.  Forgive.

    Help me. 

    Eyes closed tightly, she whispered, “I forgive him.”  First she was warm, then she was cold, then like a fountain bursting up joy sprung out of her heart.  She laughed.  “It’s gone!  I forgave him!”  The laugh turned into a giggle as she threw herself back on the grass.  “It’s gone!  And, even more, I-I feel like new!”  She opened her eyes.  Above her the sky shone a deep beautiful blue.  It too seemed to be rejoicing at her new found joy.

    “Ahem.” 

    “Oh,” she jerked upright biting back a giggle.  “Sorry, I forgot about you.  Yes, yes, we must help.”  A wide smiled burst across her face.  “Can you get the other dragons?” she scrambled to her feet.

    “I think, actually, we are already ready.”

    “Vaender!”  she threw her arms around the dragon’s large scaly neck. 

    He laughed.  “Shouldn’t we go now?”

    “Yes, of course.  I wish I had dressed in something more suitable for battle,” she glanced down at her long green dress and the braided belt that she wore around her waist.  A perfectly suitable outfit for most things, but not for fighting.  “Oh well.  Sike, do you want to ride with me?”

    “That would be nice.”  He landed on her shoulder and looked at her with kingly pride.

    “Alright,” authority entered her voice.  “Let’s go.”  She scrambled up on to Vaender’s back.  Up in the air dragons of every color size and shape, numbering close to two hundred, waited for her to lead the charge.  As Vaender gained altitude, she shouted, “The large dragons will go in first and spray the Visken’s ranks with fire.  Then you smaller ones will come in and take out as many as you can.  Make sure you use fire breathing skills sparingly.”  The length of time a dragon could breathe fire varied depending on their size and age.  The large dragons, like Vaender, could do it almost none stop for hours, but the smaller one’s endurance was much less.

    Roars of agreement filled the air.  She drew her sword and pointed forward.  “Attack!”  As with one voice, the dragon’s roared then dove towards the ground.  Veander twisted around a few times as they headed for the battle.  Behind and around her, the others followed. 

    Adrenaline pumped wildly through her veins.  Some of the Viskens were turning, eyes filled with fear.  “Attack from the rear!” the cry carried through the ranks.  A burst of fire from the dragons silenced part of one side.  Some of the smaller dragons plunged into the ranks, then lept out before a sword or spear could touch them.  Elise readied her sword as Vaender swooped down and landed in the midst of the soldiers.  They stared, mouths open, faces pale.   Elise hesitated, then swung her sword injuring one.  The falling of one of their own jolted them into action.  They rushed towards her.  She blocked their blows as Vaender used his tail to disable others. 

    One brave soldier dodged Vaender’s head, grabbed Elise’s leg, and jerked down onto the ground.  She threw a wild blow at the soldier before a large wing quickly covered everything from view.  Thanks Vaender.  Even while he was fighting he thought only of her protection.  A spear stabbed through the wing bringing a roar.  Yet, his wing stayed firmly in place. 

    Elise ran out from beneath his protection and began swinging wildly.  The soldier in front of her jumped backwards as a black object flew into his face.  Elise quickly cut him down.  Sike grinned at her and flew at another soldier.  They repeated the same process over and over.

    “Elise!” Vaender’s voice pierced through her concentration. 

    She turned.  Oops.  The path she had taken had brought her far away from him, almost to the edge of the clearing.  She held up a finger then turned and looked for Sike.  “Sike!”  she blocked a man’s blow then swung her sword low and cut him on the thigh.  Another person appeared beside her she turned to face him as Sike flew at his face.  The man didn’t hesitate.  With a blow from his sword Sike lay limp on the ground.  “No!” her eyebrows drew together as she prepared to fight him. 

    He twirled his sword, “M’lady, I hope I did not upset your plans any.” 

   She glanced at the crest on his breastplate and nearly groaned.  He was a general.  She didn’t stand a chance.  Perhaps it was time to take a different tactic.  Run!  “Not at all, I was hoping for some more refined company.”  With one hand she scooped Sike up while keeping an eye on the general.

    “That’s good because you may be with me for awhile.”

   “Doubtful.”  She jumped backwards and turned to escape.  One hand grabbed her arm that held the sword while the other hand firmly removed it from her grasp.

    He smiled charmingly at her.   “A little lady like you should not be carrying around such a big knife.  Perhaps I-”  A horn blasted through the air sounding his army’s retreat.

    “General, a horse.”  A very nervous man ran up leading a gray horse while he glanced cautiously at the sky. 

    The general sighed.  “I don’t have to time to deal with you,” he muttered, shoving her away.  He leapt onto the horse’s back and galloped off.  Elise almost crumpled in relief.  The Viskens were leaving.  Her people had won.

    She was alone now, standing in a corner of the field.  The air was filled with dragons that had taken flight during the retreat.  Half of the Matreck army were chasing the Viskens while the rest were gathering up weapons, horses, and helping the wounded.

     Vaender was nowhere in sight.  “Perhaps he’s chasing the Visken’s,” she rubbed Sike’s limp head.  She needed to fine Loar.  Loar would know how to help the poor little fellow.