(eng) Michelle L. Levigne - Zygradon Chronicles 04 by Lady Warhawk

Author:Lady Warhawk [Warhawk, Lady]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Meghianna was heartily glad to take Ilianora under her wing and whisk the scholarly, quiet, black-haired girl through the tunnel back to Lygroes. She was so relieved to get away from the political maneuvering and pageantry that she only felt a few flickers of guilt over depriving Lycen of his sweetheart's company. She felt no guilt whatsoever at leaving Mrillis the task of watching over the newly married couple.

Master Deyral and the scholars of Wynystrys gave their approval of her son's sweetheart, when the two stopped at the hidden island to search for scrolls for Athrar's library. Ilianora missed Lycen greatly, until Meghianna gifted her with a thick torque of woven star-metal, fashioned to look like a wreath of summer flowers. It boosted the girl's imbrose to reach over long distances through the Threads and converse with Lycen whenever she wished. With that small complaint attended to, Meghianna filled the girl's mind with wonders and impressed her with the scholarly delights of the Stronghold.

She and Ilianora had only been in the Stronghold a little more than a moon when Lycen and Mrillis called to them through the Threads with news that war had broken out. The royal wedding journey had to be cut short. The Encindi barbarians had been concealing their numbers ever since Athrar emerged from hiding, and now they had exploded into action, spilling across the landscape from the wastelands of the Wayhauk Mountains. Like a wave of locusts devouring everything in their path, they entirely decimated villages and strongholds like twigs tossed into a fire, and the people were scorched grains, trampled underfoot.

Lorkin's fortress, the jewel of the entire mountain range, was entirely destroyed. Not a stone was left on top of another, and everything was char and blood and rubble when the Encindi forces passed through. Not enough could be found of Lorkin, Megassa's husband, to be buried in his own grave. Those who came through after the devastation found the pommel of his sword, but they were forced to bury all the burned bones of the defenders in one mass grave.

Meghianna and Ilianora hurried through the underground tunnel from the Stronghold and raced to the Vale of Bo'Lantier. They reached it the day Mrillis led Athrar's traveling party up from the tunnel below the sea. Meghianna ignored everything and everyone, to find her sister. Despite the breaking of their childhood bond years ago, she felt the throbbing ache and emptiness in Megassa. She cried out in actual physical pain when she saw the pale, too-still figure who rode stiffly upright, surrounded by her sons, staring straight ahead with empty eyes. Megassa's hair had turned gray. Dark smears underlined her eyes, her cheeks were hollowed as if by starvation, and her mouth had thinned to a hard, flat line.

Megs. I am here. Hold onto me. Don't leave us. Your boys need you. I need you, Meghianna said, over and over, as she guided Megassa down out of the saddle.

Indreseen became Megassa's anchor. She didn't indulge

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