Avandor's Gift
The Iron Lady

I searched the mist-filled cavern until I found the place where we last met. I could feel the pull of magic that told me that this was indeed the right location. The magic was weak though, which meant that I didn’t have much time.

“Gildarren, show yourself we need to talk.” I said calling out.

At first there was silence and then I heard the sound of thousands of metal plates rubbing against each other. The ground shook as if an entire mountain had moved. The mist shifted and I was staring into a giant gold eye. “You are here again Evander.” said the dragon.

“I have done as you instructed me to do but it is not enough. I still need answers. When I was last here you said that you couldn’t tell me the name of who was brought back, but you can tell me how I brought him back.”

“We do not know, but someone else does.” He blinked.

“Who? Who should I seek?” its form was disappearing and it was beginning to recede into the mist.

“Seek the iron lady and she will let you know. The iron lady knows it all.”

........

I shifted slightly in the shadows and watched as she finished brushing her hair. She continued looking at her reflection in the mirror.

“That was the last I saw of the dragon and that is what brought me here Lady Geshra.”

She bowed her head slightly and then spoke. “My son was brilliant. Cold, but brilliant. With that brilliance came arrogance. I told his father that he inherited that particular trait from him. He thought I lied, but I did show him that I was right in the end.” She said turning to me. “A race created by a goddess and yet a society who thought women were unfit to rule.”

“What do you mean?”

“The title of Grey Mage has never been held by a female. In fact it is forbidden for us to enter the race. We were too weak they said. I showed them that we weren’t.”

“So you brought him back.”

“I did.” She said turning to look in the mirror once more.

“You usurped a clan to prove everyone wrong, but you didn’t think of the consequences.”

“I did think of the consequences. Equality for all changelings regardless of gender. I never saw what else could have followed.”

“But your husband did. He allowed you to hijack the leadership of the deer clan and then he ripped the control from your hands as soon as he could. He saw the opportunity to start a clan war and he did.”

She smiled. “He used me to accomplish his will and as a gift mocked me by giving me the name, the iron lady. Not many except my guards know that I am called this because I am bound by chains. I am nothing more than a distraction to hide the real mastermind behind this plan.” She got up again and walked over to the wall. The heavy manacles on her feet clanged with each step.

“You sound angry.” I stated.

“I am, the beautiful plan I had for this country has been corrupted.”

“Perhaps I can help you then.”

“How can you possibly do that?”

“I am the Grey Mage.”

“And if you had the staff, I would believe you, but he has all your magic.”

“Even so I still need to know how you managed to bring Ballahad back from the dead, because it is he you did bring back to accomplish your plan.”

“I didn’t bring him back Grey Mage, you did.”

“Me? How?”

“When you gave me his ring. You should have brought nothing that you didn’t own back when you climbed down from Llyn Morir. You brought his essence back with you. Do you remember what you told me after you handed it back to me?”

“I told you that he didn’t die, that he was here with us in some form or the other.” I whispered.

She nodded. “It took me a while to understand what you meant. I formed a hypothesis and then went on to prove it.”

“So you called forth the spirit of the helksinc and separated him from the others.”

“Except he was not the only one who wanted to come, brothers from the deer also joined him.”

“And through them you managed to claim their clan.”

“It was a good plan.” She smiled slightly but it soon disappeared. “My husband saw me when I was speaking with the claimed. One night when I was sleeping, he stole the ring. Ballahad and the others deserted me then and followed him.”

“So if I regain the ring and destroy it, this would all be over then.” I said.

“If you could get the ring it would be.”

“Thank you, Loa. You have told me what I needed to know.”

“They are powerful.” She warned.

“And so am I.” I said as stepped out of the shadows and allowed her to see me for the first time.

“Silver Mage,” she gasped and fell down on her knees. “Forgive me.”

“If we win this war, I will.” I opened a portal and left her alone in the keep.

Stepping on the other side I found Noran and Nivraél waiting on a mound on the outskirts of Huma. “Did you replace her?” asked Noran.

“Yes.”

“And?” he prompted.

“Now we go to end the war.” I said to him.