Dark Alliances (standard:fantasy, 3036 words)
Author: Knightmare	Added: Jun 06 2005	Views/Reads: 3283/2292	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Darkren is King of the Vanid and is hoping to finally end a four year war that has taken him and his people far from their homes. His last enemy though does not plan to make it an easy victory.

The Nightlord had chosen a good place to make his last stand against the
Vanid and Vinir armies.  He had kept his army on the Vinir side of the 
river and had chosen a bend in the river to place his army so that the 
attacking force would not be able to use their larger numbers to such 
effect has in earlier battles.  He was buying time for his people to 
get across the river and to safety in Hadec with whatever they could 
carry.  His plan had worked at first, but now his lines were bending 
and would soon break and the war would be over. 

Darkren observed the battle from a hilltop close enough to allow him to
issue orders to his men, but not so close as to put his camp at risk.  
He shook his head as he watched the Hadecians die in the hundreds and 
still refuse to surrender.  He knew that the Nightlord would only allow 
those people across the river who were carrying what plunder remained 
from the failed invasion.  The Nightlord himself could not return to 
Hadec and live, for his own people would turn on a coward who fled the 
battlefield.  Darkren glanced over at the sound of someone approaching 
from behind him and smiled at the haggard looking Thyra. 

“You look like you had fun down there your Majesty.” he said with a
smile. 

Thyra was dressed in brown pants with a green tunic in the fashion of
her people the Vinir.  Her gray cloak was thrown back showing the short 
swords, one worn on each hip, while carried her short bow in her right 
hand.  Her red hair was tied back in a braid, but during the day of 
battle some of the hair had come lose. 

“I always have fun when I get the chance to kill some of those
bastards.” she said coming up next to him.  She looked down at the 
scene below with a small smile.  “Why did you call me back from the 
front?” 

Darkren pointed over at the setting sun and Thyra smiled. 

“So it is your turn to have the fun my lord?” 

“I don't think that ridding your land of these madmen is fun, but it
does make the days far livelier than before the invasion.  I need to 
change before I lead the attack tonight, so if you would excuse me.” 

Darkren turned and headed back into his tent where he changed his white
shirt for a black one that he had laid out earlier.  He began to pull 
his hair back when someone walked into the tent.  Turning, he saw Thyra 
standing next to the entrance while she watched him put on his sword 
belt and reach for his coat.  When he reached for his hair tie she beat 
him to it and put a hand on his shoulder to guide him down to a chair. 

“You need to get more rest than you do.  What would happen if you died
because you were too tired to lift your sword tonight?” she asked. 

Before he could answer she began to pull his long black hair back out of
his eyes and tied into a tight tail.  Coming around in front of him she 
looked into his red eyes that matched the red of her hair.  Her green 
eyes did not flinch when she looked into his eyes, but they did soften 
a bit.  Putting his hand on her cheek he pulled her to him and they 
kissed. 

“Silver would never let me die here against these fools my love and you
know that.” he said invoking the name of the moon god.  “He has other 
plans for us than to give me a young death in battle so far from my 
home.  Don't worry about me, I will be fine and back when the sun rises 
again.” 

Turning he left her in the tent alone.  She reached into her cloak and
pulled out a small gold talisman. 

“Lar, please ask Silver to keep him safe.” she asked the sun goddess. * 
                     *                       * 

Darkren and those with him seemed to blend into the night like the
shadows themselves.  They were all Bladedancers, the best the clans had 
to offer against any opponent.  There were two groups of Bladedancers, 
the gold and the silver.  The gold's led the army while the silvers did 
the more dangerous task of attacking the enemy at night.  There were 


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