Read Online The Mage of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen - Free Book Online
Authors: Michelle Knudsen
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that’s gotten through.”
Meg’s stomach tightened in worry. This was bad. They needed those reinforcements!
“How —?” Serek started, but Captain Varyn broke in, seeming to know what he was asking.
“A Kragnir scout managed to climb down from the mountains off the main road. He circled around, stole a horse, and rode south with Lourin soldiers chasing him the whole way. He ran straight into Captain Halse’s company and was able to deliver the message just before the Lourin soldiers caught up. Luckily, Halse has a good head on his shoulders and sent men back to the castle with the news while the rest of them stayed to fight. Otherwise, we still might not know.”
“We’re discussing possible courses of action,” the commander continued. “We don’t exactly have men to spare with the fighting here as bad as it’s been, but we can’t hold out much longer on our own. We need Kragnir, and soon.”
There were other kingdoms, of course, but they were either too small to be able to help or too far away, or both — like Prolua, where Meg’s eldest sister, Morgan, had gone to live when she married the prince there. They’d received letters from her and from the royal family she was now a part of, expressing sympathy and concern, but Prolua’s lands were very tiny and very far, and they barely had an army at all. Kragnir was the only ally Trelian had who was close enough and strong enough to make a difference. And now they weren’t coming.
Stop it,
Meg told herself firmly.
They will figure something out.
But they didn’t. The discussion went on and on, without any clear progress toward a solution. Meg tried to sit quietly and listen; she knew full well that the others were far more experienced in war than she was.
But she had never been very good at sitting quietly.
“Father,” she interjected finally, when she couldn’t take one more round of
here are all the things we cannot do,
“perhaps it’s time for Jakl and me to fly out with the rest of the company? Surely the seriousness of this current crisis —”
“We appreciate your willingness to help,” he said, “but we are not yet at that point.”
Judging from their faces, Commander Uri and Captain Varyn didn’t entirely agree. But they didn’t speak up to support her, either.
“But —”
Her mother squeezed her hand. “Meg, please,” she said. “You need to be patient. When the time comes, I’m sure —”
“The time
has
come!” Meg said, pulling her hand away. She was speaking too loudly, letting too much emotion show, but this was infuriating. “What are we waiting for? What’s the point of having me train to fight if you’re never going to let me do anything?”
“I am not putting you in danger unnecessarily,” her father said. “There may still be a way —”
“I’m
already
in danger,” Meg countered. “We’re all in danger! We’re losing this war, if you haven’t noticed! You promised you would let us help. Was that just — just a lie? To placate me? Jakl and I are ready; you can ask the captain —”
“That’s enough!” the king shouted. “If you cannot hold your tongue
and
your temper, then I suggest you remove yourself from this room.”
Meg stood up. “I suppose I’d better do just that, then,” she said coldly. “Because I can’t continue to sit here and listen to you make excuses for why you won’t do what obviously needs to be done.”
“Meg!” the queen said, clearly scandalized that Meg would speak that way to the king in front of the commander, the captain, and the mage.
Meg turned on her heel before she could say anything worse, and stormed out.
Stupid,
she thought at herself angrily as she stomped her way down the hall. They would never listen to her if she couldn’t stay calm and speak in reasonable tones. She knew that. But she couldn’t help it when they were being so stubborn and foolish!
Jakl was stirring, feeling her anger, and she had to send him the now-familiar
Meg’s stomach tightened in worry. This was bad. They needed those reinforcements!
“How —?” Serek started, but Captain Varyn broke in, seeming to know what he was asking.
“A Kragnir scout managed to climb down from the mountains off the main road. He circled around, stole a horse, and rode south with Lourin soldiers chasing him the whole way. He ran straight into Captain Halse’s company and was able to deliver the message just before the Lourin soldiers caught up. Luckily, Halse has a good head on his shoulders and sent men back to the castle with the news while the rest of them stayed to fight. Otherwise, we still might not know.”
“We’re discussing possible courses of action,” the commander continued. “We don’t exactly have men to spare with the fighting here as bad as it’s been, but we can’t hold out much longer on our own. We need Kragnir, and soon.”
There were other kingdoms, of course, but they were either too small to be able to help or too far away, or both — like Prolua, where Meg’s eldest sister, Morgan, had gone to live when she married the prince there. They’d received letters from her and from the royal family she was now a part of, expressing sympathy and concern, but Prolua’s lands were very tiny and very far, and they barely had an army at all. Kragnir was the only ally Trelian had who was close enough and strong enough to make a difference. And now they weren’t coming.
Stop it,
Meg told herself firmly.
They will figure something out.
But they didn’t. The discussion went on and on, without any clear progress toward a solution. Meg tried to sit quietly and listen; she knew full well that the others were far more experienced in war than she was.
But she had never been very good at sitting quietly.
“Father,” she interjected finally, when she couldn’t take one more round of
here are all the things we cannot do,
“perhaps it’s time for Jakl and me to fly out with the rest of the company? Surely the seriousness of this current crisis —”
“We appreciate your willingness to help,” he said, “but we are not yet at that point.”
Judging from their faces, Commander Uri and Captain Varyn didn’t entirely agree. But they didn’t speak up to support her, either.
“But —”
Her mother squeezed her hand. “Meg, please,” she said. “You need to be patient. When the time comes, I’m sure —”
“The time
has
come!” Meg said, pulling her hand away. She was speaking too loudly, letting too much emotion show, but this was infuriating. “What are we waiting for? What’s the point of having me train to fight if you’re never going to let me do anything?”
“I am not putting you in danger unnecessarily,” her father said. “There may still be a way —”
“I’m
already
in danger,” Meg countered. “We’re all in danger! We’re losing this war, if you haven’t noticed! You promised you would let us help. Was that just — just a lie? To placate me? Jakl and I are ready; you can ask the captain —”
“That’s enough!” the king shouted. “If you cannot hold your tongue
and
your temper, then I suggest you remove yourself from this room.”
Meg stood up. “I suppose I’d better do just that, then,” she said coldly. “Because I can’t continue to sit here and listen to you make excuses for why you won’t do what obviously needs to be done.”
“Meg!” the queen said, clearly scandalized that Meg would speak that way to the king in front of the commander, the captain, and the mage.
Meg turned on her heel before she could say anything worse, and stormed out.
Stupid,
she thought at herself angrily as she stomped her way down the hall. They would never listen to her if she couldn’t stay calm and speak in reasonable tones. She knew that. But she couldn’t help it when they were being so stubborn and foolish!
Jakl was stirring, feeling her anger, and she had to send him the now-familiar
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