Chapter Nine: An Elven Army Sails to Argan
Tranith Argan: Book 2
Learning that Vélakk has sent an army to invade Tranith Argan, and with no word from the guardian, Ravesfel, or Alessa’s father, the elf leader Llarand, it is up to Felanar to lead an elven army to meet the crisis.
The next few days raced by in a bustle of activity. Felanar’s desire for a gradual preparation to be king had been forcibly replaced by a sudden call to arms. He knew he must act; a king would do so, and he was king. How sorely he missed Ravesfel’s counsel at this time! No word had yet been received from either the guardian or Llarand, so he requested Alessa to send the hawk Tassair on a mission to Argan to find out what news he could. Three days hence and there was no sign of Tassair, although Alessa assured Felanar that this was not unusual for such a lengthy journey, even for one as swift as her hawk.
Heléste had summoned the three elf lords to counsel. For the better part of a day they had met with Dalonír, Bren, Felanar and Kara. The elf lords were sympathetic toward Felanar’s plight, and agreed to supply legions of Findáran knights to accompany Felanar to Argan. Surprisingly, even Llafála supported this action. He seemed to be offended by the idea of an invasion of Argan. He may not have been fully in favor of supporting the Argan regime, but the thought of Vélakk overrunning the land was more distasteful. Choosing the lesser evil, he pledged his full support.
Word soon came from the Erenár. As predicted, they had no interest in going to Argan to help, but also as predicted were intent on punishing any ship that dared to sully their waters. Even so, in addition to a fleet of ships that was even now rushing to meet the invasion force, the Erenár agreed to supply enough ships to quickly transport the Findáran force across the Straits. However, the Erenár would not fight on land.
At the end of the fourth day, the Findáran army was ready. The knights of Findára grouped themselves into bands of four. Each band joined with three other bands to form a unit. The sixteen members of a unit formed one of four units in a legion. All told, the three elf lords had gathered twenty-five legions – sixteen hundred elves in all. Seeing the size of this force gathered near the docks of Melanaré, Felanar felt tremendous confidence. He vividly remembered the attack of the few Erenár upon the saarks. He could only imagine the fighting power of a thousand-and-a-half of them!
Dalonír was appointed to lead the legions, but under the overall orders of Felanar as this matter involved Argan. Erenár ships were lined up ready to dock and transport the army . Felanar, Kara, and Bren were to board with Dalonír in the lead ship. As weapons and armor were being loaded, and legions were lining up, Alessa approached Felanar near the dock. She looked unhappy.
“Tassair has returned, Felanar,” she said. “He has news of my father and Ravesfel.”
“Tell me the news, is all well?” he asked anxiously.
“Tassair had but a simple message: ‘Fly! Argan is in need. Don’t hesitate.’ He says these were Ravesfel’s very words.”
Felanar nodded vigorously. “Then I have done the right thing by preparing this fleet. Good, my mind is easy now. What does Tassair say of their condition? Where did he find them?”
“In the palace, and they seemed well, but anxious. He had no message from my father, other than to say he was in good health and with no need.”
“Then this is good news, Alessa. Thank you for telling me this before we left. I feared we would not hear in time. But tell me, are you not joining us? Why do you look so sad?”
She sighed and said, “Mother has refused my request to accompany you.”
“I see,” said Felanar softly.
“I don’t see, Felanar! I can be a warrior, for I have trained long and hard for such a day as this. What is the point of learning these skills if they cannot be put to use?”
“Did you explain this to Heléste?” he asked.
“Yes, and her response is they never wanted me to learn these skills in the first place. Oh, if only my father were here! I know I could convince him.”
“Alessa, I would have you by my side, even as I see your spirit yearns to do so. But I would not defy the wishes of either of your parents. They have wisdom and years of history, and I have little of each.”
“Yet you would have me join you, so I judge your wisdom the higher. Maybe if you spoke to her you could convince her.”
“Even though I understand the love of a parent toward one as precious as you, yes, I would speak with Heléste on your behalf. However, she is a half-day’s ride away and I have no time to plead on your behalf. I must fly, as Ravesfel urged. Do not be saddened, Alessa. I consider it a great honor that you would sail by my side. It is not something I should forget. But be heartened by the sight of this army, and know that I will be well-protected.”
Alessa’s eyes brightened. “Did I not tell you there would be support?”
“Yes, you did tell me, and I see you were right about your people. Alessa, I feel uplifted by this sight. I know we sail to triumph. I will honor the elves to the end of my days for their great support. Now, let me go, but do not sorrow overmuch. I will see you soon, I promise.”
“Go in the triumph that is your right, Felanar,” she said with confidence. “Now the world will see what I have always known: you are a great king and a leader of men. When I see you next, you will be hailed before all as the ruler of Argan!”
She leaned forward and gave Felanar a long, tight hug, though not as long as he wished. Then she backed away and called out to Kara as she waved goodbye. Kara rushed over, embraced Alessa, and thanked her for her friendship and help. Then Alessa was gone, too discouraged to watch the fleet set sail without her.
By nightfall, the last of the legions had boarded and sailed off. As darkness descended over the water, it became difficult to see the land on either side of the narrow channel, but Erenár navigators could see better than men and they sailed on smoothly and rapidly. With such swift progress, by morning they had cleared the channel and sailed into the open sea.
Early that morning a meeting was held below deck. The Erenár captain wanted to sail straight across to the westernmost shores of Arenar, drop off the Findáran army, and then sail north to aid his brothers against the ships of Shanaar. However, Dalonír and Felanar pressed the point that by now the enemy must have made landfall. Besides, they argued, time was critical, and they could arrive in Tranith Argan much quicker by ship than on foot. The captain agreed reluctantly and gave orders to the other ships to sail across the Straits of Arenar and into Larmoth Bay. The army would be dropped off at Lookout Point, a mere fifteen leagues from Tranith Argan. Dalonír pointed out to the captain that this was most likely where the Shanaarian ships had docked, a thought that pleased the captain immensely.
With another day of sailing ahead, Felanar planned his strategy with the others. Bren discussed the likely attack points of the invaders and what defenses would be mounted against them.
Tranith Argan was a city built on the side of a mountain, as were all the Tranith cities. Situated near the base of Mt. Han (elven for “sun” and named after the way the sun gleamed off the perpetual snowcaps), it was built on the southern side of this northernmost peak of the Lofty Mountains. To reach it, one had to approach from either the east or west, as the northern and southern sides were too steep to march. Approach from the west or east was possible along the Royal Highway that was cut even across the pass of Mt. Han. Neither way would be easy for an army to march. The narrow passes along the eastern approach would make it strategically difficult for any army traveling that direction to march in a wide formation. On the western approach, any invaders would have to climb the foothills leading up to Mt. Han and then take the road up through the mountain pass. It too was narrow. The city was closer to the east, but no direction gave invaders easy access.
The city itself had four thick reinforced walls cut into the side of the mountain, with plenty of hidden arrow slots cut into the sides. Defenders could stand on the wall’s parapets and throw rocks and projectiles at the invaders below. Meanwhile, archers could rain down a hail of arrows while being protected by the narrow slots. The gates to the walls were made of reinforced iron and were noted for their thickness. Each of the four walls had these features and gates, and each was higher and thicker than the one before it. An invader had to advance up the side of the mountain while fending off the missiles from above. Constantly fighting uphill, against heavily reinforced walls, in a narrow mountain pass – it was no wonder Tranith Argan had never fallen to invaders. The very elements conspired against any who tried.
It was decided that if the attackers had laid siege to the city, the Findáran forces would split up. Half would follow Dalonír around the northern face of Mt. Han and take the eastern approach along the Royal Highway. Felanar would lead the rest directly up the western side, and thus trap the enemy in the middle. With armies on either side, and arrows flying down from the mountain, they hoped to overwhelm whatever force Vélakk had unleashed.
Word was spread from boat to boat with the plan of action, and the rest of the day was spent in quiet contemplation and rest.
“Why do you think Vélakk chose now to invade?” asked Kara of Felanar, as they sat alone below decks. “Do you think he has armies enough to overwhelm the defenses Bren told us about? Can he be that strong?”
Felanar said nothing for a few moments while he closed his eyes. Then he said quietly, “I don’t suppose anyone knows the strength he has, Kara. This is what we will find out soon, along with the whole of the free world.”
“But he never could defeat Argan in the past, not completely,” she objected.
“No,” Felanar slowly said, “not completely. He has tried in the past, but that was long ago. In recent centuries he has satisfied himself with isolated actions, to the periphery of the realm.” He smiled slightly. “You and I wound up in Brindledown as a result of one of those actions.”
“I think of that, brother, all the time now. How I wish I could know our real parents! Maybe there are records in Argan that will tell us about them. I want to spend a year in the royal library, reading about nothing else but our past history!”
“Aye, Argan is ours,” he said, “ to do with what we will. That is what scares the regent, I think. He is afraid of being thrust aside and reduced in importance. What will our reception be like, I wonder?”
“I think the people will rally around you, Felanar. You are their king. From all Bren tells, they have affection but no strong love for the regent and his rule. He is old now, and thinks of the past. Who wouldn’t want a youthful ruler, and the rightful one at that? Someone who can make changes and has energy to see to the needs of the people.”
“No doubt these are thoughts the regent has had, too,” Felanar said. “He thinks them and trembles at my very mention.” He laughed heartily for a moment and said, “If only he knew how tentative I feel, he might dare to rise up and strike me down if he so wished to hold onto power!”
“Then he would find me in his way,” said Kara, “and I wouldn’t give much for his chances.”
“You and me, Kara. That’s how it will be now. You and me against any who would oppose what is right. There, that’s not much of a task, is it?”
Kara laughed with her brother.
As the afternoon progressed, sea gulls arrived at the ships with news of the enemy fleet. They had landed, though with heavy damage and casualties from Erenár attacks. The enemy numbers were too great for the Erenár, however, and the elves had had to retreat until reinforcements arrived. Hearing this, the shipboard elves grew agitated. They felt they should have gone directly with their brothers to the fight, instead of waiting around to transport Findáran troops. Now it no longer mattered, for they were sailing to the spot where the enemy landed and there would be more fighting to come.
After that it seemed to Felanar and Kara that the ships cut through the water even more swiftly, though they could not tell how. It was as if the sea itself wanted to propel them along quickly.
Nightfall came and soon they saw the distant lights along the coast of Arenar. Felanar and Kara slept as early as they could in preparation for the landing the following morning. The captain told them they would land before sunrise. Felanar gave orders to be awoken an hour before landfall.
When they were roused, it was still dark. Getting up and going above deck, they met Dalonír, who pointed out landmarks to get their bearing. Behind them he pointed to the distant lights of Riverton. Off the starboard side and ahead, lay the lights of Brinham. Ahead lay Lookout Point, with its lighthouse piercing the night.
“And there you can see the ships of the enemy,” he told them.
“Where?” asked Felanar, for he could see nothing but darkness in the direction Dalonír pointed.
“Below the light of your lighthouse, just to the right and in the darkness where the shore meets the land. You may not be able to discern the details at this distance, Felanar, but I can make them out clearly . There are fifty-three ships in all.”
“Fifty-three!” said Kara. “That is a serious invasion force.”
“Aye, lady, it is of significance, but not enough to prevent our aim. See, over to the port side and almost parallel to us. The other Erenár ships sail to meet up with us.”
Felanar and Kara peered intently in the pre-dawn air and could barely make out the sails of twenty elven ships bearing down on their position. With the dozen ships transporting Findáran troops, more than thirty Erenár ships were now in the fight.
“The enemy will not get away, not by sea at any rate,” continued Dalonír. “The Erenár will make sure that the enemy has no escape this way. I think we will have the harder task on land.”
The captain approached and they discussed where to land. Given that the enemy troops had already disembarked and were at Tranith Argan, it was decided to land to the north of Lookout Point. There the Findáran troops could follow the plan of splitting into two groups in order to approach Tranith Argan from west and east simultaneously. Once the Findára were on land, the Erenár ships would continue south to destroy the enemy ships.
As the ships approached the shore, Felanar and Dalonír went over their strategy. Each would lead eleven legions, with Dalonír going to the east of Mt. Han while Felanar went directly up the west side. The other three legions would strike down to Lookout Point in case enemy troops were still stationed there on land, and to see if the Erenár needed assistance. Then, once the threat there was dealt with, those three legions would head south and west to aid in the fight for the city.
With typical elven efficiency, the ships of the fleet drew close to shore and the Findáran troops went overboard and lined up on shore. All the ships emptied in this manner in just a few minutes.
Dalonír called out his thanks to the Erenár captains and with that the ships set sail. The legions were assigned to either Dalonír or Felanar. Felanar asked Dalonír to do this assigning, still unsure of the amount of authority he held among the elves. Bren and Kara would march by Felanar’s side. In a few minutes the legions were assigned and the march toward Tranith Argan began.
It would take several hours of hard marching before Mt. Han was reached. A normal foot journey from Lookout Point to Tranith Argan would take a full day. Proceeding at elven pace would cut the time in half, but that still meant they wouldn’t reach the city until early afternoon. The sky was even now turning pinkish with the first light of day.
Felanar looked behind him and marveled at the sight of so many elven soldiers. He felt exhilarated and marched with confidence now. Never having known war, he anticipated a glorious victory, simple to obtain with such a fighting force behind him. As he marched along he looked at the land around them. This was the first time he had ever been in northern Arenar and he hungrily took in every detail. It was still a new enough thought that all that his eyes could see was under his dominion. His to command, though the idea seemed foolish in the face of such powerful mountains. Who could command a mountain?
The Lofty Mountains in the distance seemed very great to him. Majestic and ancient, their peaks topped with snow and ice gleaming in the dawn light, it seemed a timeless sight. Peak upon peak, this backbone of the land extended far into the southern horizon. His ancestors must have seen the mountains in the same light and felt the wonder of ruling such a land. He turned to Kara, marching to his right, and expressed his feelings of awe. The look on her face showed that she had been deep in thought herself, but clearly on an entirely different matter.
“Mmm... yes, they are majestic, aren’t they?” she said kindly. In so saying, she had smiled at her brother, but then her face turned back to the same serious look she had before. Felanar didn’t notice and turned to his left. Next to Bren was the leader of one of the Findáran legions. Dalonír had introduced him earlier as Dérevel.
“What do you think of Arenar, Dérevel?” asked Felanar with pride.
The elf looked at Felanar and said, without changing his expression, “It suits men well, and is a handsome land for them to rule. Though I mean no disrespect, Felanar, it is not a land that speaks to my heart. Not now, not after all these years.”
In saying this, Dérevel kindly but subtly reminded Felanar that all lands had once been theirs, and the young king’s pride of ownership was understandable, if a bit insensitive under the circumstances. Felanar felt himself blush and he stammered out something about acknowledging elven history. He was trying to think what else to say when Dérevel broke in softly.
“Your meaning was understood, Felanar, and I take no offense. You are right to cherish what is yours, and I begrudge you not. May your rule prove prosperous and wise.”
Felanar blushed again and nodded deeply in response. He sighed and turned to Kara again.
“I have so much to learn, Kara. Even my feelings are immature at times.”
She nodded and said only, “Something true of us all.”
The sun was shining steadily upon them and Bren commented on the growing warmth. It was much colder here than it had been in Elaria and the pre-dawn air felt very much the winter season it was. Now the sun made the air more comfortable. It was a clear day, with a deep winter blue sky. Bren loosened his covering and breathed deeply the air of his home.