At a word from his queen, Alembord departed to begin preparations. When Connell offered to serve as Dally’s guard and liaison, the group seemed to have already accepted it as fact.
The medic fretted over Dally, but mostly in silence. Even so, Shona finally sent him away. When he departed, Shona said, “You repeated one other phrase.”
“Over and over,” Meda said.
Dally nodded. She remembered now. “The road. You must begin building it immediately. Connecting Three Valleys to Falmouth Port. The Earl of Oberon must start from his end. Today.”
Meda protested, “This place is separated from Falmouth Port by a full month’s trek.”
“Nonetheless, the concept makes perfect sense,” Edlyn said. “If the enemy is indeed seeking to divide us and defeat us parcel by parcel.”
Shona said, “In that case, a road from our Falmouth stronghold to this deep inside the realm would cut through the heart of his plans.”
Meda shook her head through all this. “You don’t know what you’re saying. To forge a road directly between here and Falmouth means battling against mountains and wilderness and a dozen principalities allied to Port Royal.”
“Allied to them now,” Edlyn corrected. “Who knows where their allegiance would be if we were seen to offer a genuine defense.”
Dally repeated, “The work must be started. Immediately.”
Meda demanded, “But why?”
“I don’t know.”
“Enough,” Shona said. “We have the message. We must discuss this with the Oberon council.”
“And the Elves,” Edlyn added. “We will need their permission. And their help, since it will cut through their forests.”
Shona stared at the dimming light beyond the western wall and murmured, “I should be with Hyam.”
“No, my lady,” Dally replied. “You should not.”
Edlyn asked, “Was that another of your impressions?”
“Stronger than that,” Dally said. “Yes, it was.”
When Shona continued to stare at what only she could see, Edlyn told the young queen, “This is no doubt the purpose behind the attacks on Hyam. Weaken our forces from the center.”
Shona’s only response was to wipe her face with trembling hands.
Edlyn reached out and draped an arm around the young queen’s shoulders.
They stood there in silence until Connell returned and said, “We are ready to depart.”