A Tale That Dawned [Book 4 of Selvina's Tale series]

Chapter 33: Accolon

The final three words had a double meaning, Selvina discovered, as she gazed out the window and gasped. For miles around were tents of red, black, purple, blue, and green with thousands upon thousands of soldiers gathered all about. Many different types of banners and flags flew about but most of the camp was dominated by the full moon and raven of Noyr. At the fringes of the massive camp were huge, hundred-foot huts that appeared to made of trees all strung up together in a crude conical shape. Gathered around those were giants that made the swamp giants Selvina had encountered seem like children. They resembled gargantuan humans with sloped foreheads, eyebrow ridges, and wide jaws. Out in the fields beyond were scores of horsemen racing about in various formations, switching from tightly grouped to loosely formed and back again. Sometimes they split off in many units of a dozen or so and then joined together as one huge mass. The coordination was impressive, Selvina could not deny.

At the corner of her eye was movement and Selvina looked up, gasping once more as she spied creatures that resembled King Arthur's gryphons but were black-feathered, slimmer, and more of a mix between crow and panther than eagle and lion. A formation of ten soared over the camp, their riders raising longbows in salute at the sight of the empress's carriage.

"Corvugriffs," Rhiannon explained, watching Selvina's reactions. "They hail from west of here and are far smarter than any gryphon and thus, more difficult to train. I've only a handful of them but they have served me quite well."

"Is this your whole army?" Selvina asked, awestruck at the size of it all. This camp was many times larger than King Arthur's which, Selvina believed, was most of Avalon's forces.

"It is a sizeable fraction of it, but not even half of what I can muster. I rule an empire, Selvina, which means several kingdoms of, for instance, Avalon's size."

Selvina gulped. Her quest against The Writer didn't have her play any parts in Faeryum's wars but after having known King Arthur, she deeply worried for him. There didn't seem a way possible for him to win against the Empire of Noyr. Its army was simply much too massive for anyone to defeat.

Finally, after passing into the tented camp for several minutes, the carriage stopped in an open area and both women stepped out. A horn sounded and Selvina gazed about in fascination as every soldier in sight knelt to the ground in respect of their empress. Even a nearby giant lowered himself to one knee, his great bulk casting a shadow over the tents and soldiers around him.

Rhiannon spread her arms wide and bowed slightly. "A good morning to you all, my wonderful warriors. I am only here to supervise so please, carry on with your business. Unity and Pride."

"Unity and Pride," was repeated by every mouth in the vicinity. The sound was so sudden and deafening that Selvina stumbled back in shock. She gazed about, taking in the sights, sounds, and scents of the unbelievably huge camp as everyone resumed their tasks. The giant walked away, its booted feet making the ground rumble with every step.

A man in dark armour approached, the red cape at his back sweeping from side to side. Under one arm he held a crested helm and in the other hand a plank of wood, a quill, and an unrolled scroll. At his waist was a sword with a silver hilt. His hair was long and white, his eyes a shiny amber colour, and his rather long ears pointed like daggers. He stopped before Rhiannon, gave her a bow, and then turned his long, angular face toward Selvina.

"Found yourself a new handmaiden, your highness?" he asked in a soft yet clear voice.

Rhiannon sniffed and smiled lightly, eyeing Selvina. "Not exactly, Legatus." She emphasized the title with a wink and then added, "She is a friend and someone whom I wish to introduce to you, but, preferably, in private."