Adventures of Jessa: the Adventures Continue

32

It wasn't until that evening that Ellen had a chance to go against Jessa. She knew immediately that Jessa, for all her lack of age, was the  better fighter. Now she understands why so many of the deities made Jessa their champion. 

"Jessa, I want to apologize to you." Ellen says once Jessa comes into sight as evening starts to fall. She hadn't understood why Jessa disappeared once the caravan started or why she didn't ride her horse. It took one of the guards to take pity on her and explain everything. This was the first time Jessa had been seen since she left to go ranging.

Jessa looks blankly at the silver queen in front of her. It was something new for her to have one of the overly proud dragons apologize. Most of them never accept that they are in fact in the wrong even when it's obvious to everyone else. "What are you apologizing for Ellen?" Ellen doesn't take offense at Jessa not using her title. Other than Dhiren none of them use titles, especially this close to the enemy.

"For not believing the stories about your abilities. For not understanding why so many have asked you to be their champions. I just didn't think there could be any one that good." Ellen shakes her head at her disbelief. "You are what I've heard and so much more. If there is any one that can make it possible for us to survive it will be you."

Jessa  thanks her for her kind words but holds back the chuckle she wants to let out. "Ellen, I am just one of many. No matter how good I am, I won't be able to take down all the enemy. Especially since we have no idea just how many there are. We fear that they are four to five times our size even if we can get the stuck up sun elves to fight with us. Everyone is so woefully under prepared to fight I have no idea just how we'll possibly win against the better odds. It took me years, years Ellen, to get the guard up to my standards and they still are no where near where I would prefer them to be. No matter how you cut it, this war will depend heavily on the humans that will be even less prepared than the elves or dragons. There is no way to know if we and our allies will be sufficient to keep the enemy away from Silva. If we aren't," Jessa stops and looks away.

"We don't have reinforcements. We will have to make them pay in blood heavily for each step they force forward. We will have to take a pound of flesh for every scratch they give us and still it likely won't be enough.

"The Chromatic kings are dead. That is to our advantage. The blue I have dealt with the majority already. The others though, how many other blue dragon kin are there still left? How many for each of the dragons? I would be nice if the fairy and prismatic dragons would return and start giving us reports. But in truth, I dread what they will have to say. Someone other than the dragon kings are leading this. Someone very strong and powerful was able to teach the chromatic dragons spells that they never were able to master before. This has been planned for some time, we have no idea just how long. We have no idea how many possible kin the kings were able to make. 

"We hope it was just the kings that were able to master the spell so that means fewer kin for each of the dragons. But if more of them were able to master it, just how many made kin? The one thing we know for sure is that most of the female chromatic dragons didn't survive the last war. So there won't be that many young full dragons to deal with.

"But we don't know what the leader has taught them or given them. It's the not knowing that makes things hard. I don't like surprises, I don't do well with them. I have a tendency to lash out when they are presented to me. If the little ones can give me information I'll do so much better even if it is only to say goodbye to my loved ones." Ellen nods solemnly with Jessa's words.

Jessa stops her before she leaves. "I would like to see how you fight. Would you be willing to spar myself or Dhiren?"

Ellen raises an eye brow at the invitation. "Of course. I would be honored to go against either of you. Which would you prefer me to spar against?"

"Honestly I would prefer you to go against Dhiren and then me. I want to see what you need to improve beforehand and then teach you once I spar against you."

"Really?" Ellen says a bit annoyed at the assumption.

"Really. Jessa has improved even my fighting abilities. Allow her this and you won't regret it." Kallen tells the miffed silver queen.

Not saying anything just nodding Ellen takes her position in the newly made sparring area. Dhiren and Jessa have a low voiced discussion before he nods and goes to face Ellen.

"I will start off easy and steadily increase things as you show me that you can handle it. We will continue until either you or Jessa calls it." Dhiren tells the slightly upset queen. Once more she just nods and prepares herself for the attack.

Ellen ignores the whispers of the crowd as they watch her go against Dhiren. The sparring match goes on for some time. Ellen hadn't even noticed that the sun had set and the moon had risen.

"Very well done, Ellen. Very well done." Jessa says then whispers words of instruction that she knows that Ellen won't listen to.

Jessa sighs silently preparing to show the queen how to improve even when she doesn't want to believe that she needs to.

Jessa makes sure that she doesn't go full out. They are far too close to Lexin for her to want to give away her full abilities just yet. That and she doesn't think that Ellen would be able to follow her sufficiently well if she did.

It doesn't take nearly as long for Jessa to take down the proud queen but she is pleased at how well she did. "You did far better than any one else I've ever partnered before on the first time. It took Dhiren years to get to that point you are starting at with me." Although Ellen still feels the sting of losing to the baby dragon she takes comfort in the fact that not even Dhiren did as well as she did the first time round.

Jessa had felt the unseen eyes watching her but ignores it. She motions and her guards double up around the camp. The secondary guards not looking like they are guarding.

Once all the caravan is settled for the night Jessa and Dhiren give in to the call of the moon as it is a full one and it's song is very loud to them.

Those that are awake watch in awe as the two dance for possibly the last time before trouble begins. Silently they fall asleep to the hauntingly beautiful silent dance the two perform.