�������� �� The tiger and the elf held thier breaths as the approached the surface of the ancient ward that surrounded the Lyeazic training ground. Storm marveled at the simplicity of the magical barrier. It was mirror. To keep itself hidden it merely reflected its surroundings, making it from a distance almost completely invisible. There was some more complicated trickery Storm noted. Something in the spell kept it from reflecting the sun.
��� ��� Storm looked to Kavnir. ''So how, do we get through?''
��� ��� Kavnir held his hand out almost touching the shield. He closed his eyes as if he was meditating. Storm waited patiently as the elf was obviously seeking out a weakness in the ward magically. Finally he opened his eyes, and brought his face towards hers.
��� ��� ''Well,'' he spoke softly, ''We find the back door.''
��� ��� Storm couldn't help but smile despite, the direness of the circumstances. ''We find the back door. Why didn't I think of that? I thought you were doing something magical.''
��� ��� ''How do you know I wasn't?'' Kavnir said, keeping the smile from his lips but not from his eyes. ''Our best hope is finding where the bring in supplies and slip in there.''
��� ��� Storm nodded, ''We'll find it faster if we split up.. But I don't think I like that. How big around do you suppose this thing is?''
��� ��� ''Three, four miles? I'm not sure.''
��� ��� ''Lets get started, maybe we'll get lucky.'' Storm sniffed the air. She detected the faint scent of fresh overturned earth, from a westerly direction. ''We'll try around this way.'' Storm lead the way moving swiftly and silently. Kavnir, kept up without problem, moving like a breeze through branches, and leaving less evidence of his passing. The two traced the ward's perimeter until they found hoof prints and wagon tracks. Storm looked down on the tracks and pronounced them to be a few days old.
��� ��� ''A few days,'' mused Kavnir, ''Odd. I'd imagine a place like this would take in some sort of supplies everyday.''
��� ��� ''Maybe this is only a side gate. We could keep going. See if we can find another entrance,'' Storm consided, ''Or maybe a light traffic gate is just the place to sneak in.''
��� ��� ''But we have no way of knowing when it will be used.''
��� ��� ''Let's go on. We can always back track.''
��� ��� They tracked the perimeter of the ward for an hour more when they began to hear voices. Kavnir climbed into the boughs of a tree to see what was going on as Storm found a place to hide. A platoon of 14 Lyeazic soliders armed with swords and bows and carrying large backpacks were marching out out of the mirror shield. Thier commander, at least what Kavnir thought was the commander, was mounted on gray charger. His horse marched flanking the first foot soldier. The commander shouted a command and his charger broke into a trot and the soldier's along with them. Soon they were down the trail out of sight. Both Kavnir and Storm held still for serveral minutes after they were gone. Kavnir climbed silently back down.
��� ��� ''What did you see?'' Storm hissed in a whisper.
��� ��� ''Looks like newly trained soliders off to their post. Looks like that's the main entrance.''
��� ��� ''I'll have a better look hmm?''
��� ��� Before Kavnir could protest Storm shifted into her full tiger form and bounded toward where the soldiers were. She quietly crept to the site and looked toward the ward. It had to be the main gate. There was an archway in the shape of an eagle with its beak wide open in the ward. Through the raptor's maw Storm could see activity within the citadel. There was no guards, least none she could see. Once she'd seen enough she returned to where Kavnir was waiting. Storm's body shifted back into her furred human form and promptly began pacing.
��� ��� ''Well?'' the dark elf promted.
��� ��� ''Well...'' Stormy began, ''I can't case a place I can't see.''
��� ��� ''Case?''
��� ��� ''Are you sure you're a Shadow Manta? I can't tell where the best place to go in or when.''
��� ��� ''So I am a pirate, not a thief,'' Kavnir muttered. ''This mean's we are going in blind.''
��� ��� ''Half right. I'm going in blind.''
��� ��� Kavnir beared his teeth and hissed, ''You expect me to wait here after guiding you all this way?''
��� ��� ''If I said yes, you'd be angry wouldn't you?'' Storm didn't get quite the reaction she expected ''Kavnir you're a pirate not a thief. You got me here. Without you I wouldn't have had a chance of finding this place.''
��� ��� Kavnir shook his head, ''You're not going in alone. If you go in without me I will follow.''
��� ��� Storm sighed, ''Alright.. Alright.. But if you get me caught...''
��� ��� ''Your giving up too easily.''
��� ��� ''True, and your just going to be stubborn.''
��� ��� ''True,'' The elf finally grinned. ''When are we going in?''
��� ��� Storm thought a moment, ''Twilight,'' Storm said finally.
��� ��� ''Why then?''
��� ��� ''I'd like a break, wouldn't you?''
��� ��� Kavnir smirked, ''A break, is that your idea of a distraction? Really Storm your getting entirely too predicable.''
��� ��� Storm's comical look of shock sent Kavnir into a fit of chuckling.
��� ��� ''You think I'm predicable,'' Storm said smoothly, putting an arm around Kavnir's shoulder. ''Really.. You ought to know better than that.'' The elf's jaw dropped slowly as he saw the amazingly sneaky expression on Storm's face.
��� ��� ''Tell them I'll be back shortly.''
��� ��� With that Kavnir's vision went black. He's stomach left him as if he were falling. With a jolt it caught up with him. There was a roar in his ears. He felt the ground soften under his boots. He smelled salt on the air. Finally his vison cleared. A beach? Wood creaking... Ships?? He looked as a ship swayed on the waves. Atop the main mast, a flag, with tigerskull with crossed thunder bolts in the eyes.
��� ��� ''The Tempest,'' Kavnir said breathlessly, ''Seaward. Predictable? Feh....''

Return to the Hearthfire

''Into the Hive, part 2'' Copyright � 1999 Crystal Franklin