Baltheis.  The hybrid looked at him strangely.  The man waved a hand.  “I’ll explain to you later when we return.”

            “Wait,” said Balto.  “Take me along also.  There might be a chance that my mate might be with this envoy.”

            “The chances of that are very slim,” said Curn. 

            “I’m going whether you like it or not.”

            Curn opened his mouth to reply but the Dragon captain silenced him with a glance.         “You can come.” He said.

           

            Long green grass flowed in every direction and the scents of many different flowers were in the air.  Birds flew in the sky singing their songs and the bright sun added to the beauty of the plains. 

            The envoy smiled enjoying the delights of the journey.  Nothing was like this journey.  A dozen soldiers on horseback accompanied him.  Each armored and armed just in case of an ambush or some kind. 

            Suddenly, a strange feeling went over the envoy, a feeling that they were being watched.  He turned in his saddle and few soldiers followed his gaze but saw nothing but flowing plains.  He shook his head but he couldn’t get rid of the feeling. 

            Just then he ducked his head as an arrow whistled through the air and struck the horseman who rode behind him.  The man fell to the ground and was still.  War cries filled the air and all the soldiers rallied drawing their swords.  Then the attackers revealed themselves.  Men dressed in black garments rose around them from the long grass that had concealed them.  The envoy’s widened.  There were at least two hundred that surrounded them.  Screaming their war cries, the bandits attacked.  Then one of the guards took command. 

            ‘Protect the envoy!” he cried.  He threw his lance and caught a man in the throat.  Then he drew his sword and galloped to meet a whole group of sword wielding men.  The other ten horsemen formed a semicircle and began to defend the envoy.  The envoy grabbed his bow and arrows that he carried with him.  With deadly accuracy, he began to rain whistling shafts at the men who dared to try to break through the semicircle of knights. 

 

 

 

 

            The Riders of When came to a halt beneath an oak tree.  June breathed in the fresh air from the gallop from When.  For a hour they had ran at full gallop.  This rest was well deserved.  Lyon walked up her, his muzzle was covered with a steel plate and his whole mid-section was covered with mail; Curn’s battle provisions swaying slightly in the saddle.

            “What I wonder is why Curn insisted in armoring me as if we were going to war?” He said.  “All I know is that it is very annoying and it tends to be very heavy.”

            June shrugged, her mane and tail dancing merrily in the breeze.  “Maybe he’s trying to tell you that he cares for you.  Baltheis always shows that he cares for me.”

            “By nuzzling and playing with you,” said the stallion.  “You are a mare and that’s why he cares for you so.”

            “Curn cares for you.”

            “I know he does,” said Lyon.  “But he just has an odd way I expressing it.”

            June laughed and lowered herself down amongst the green grass.  She looked where the riders were assembled.  Everyone was there except for the hybrid that came with them.  What was his name?  Balto.  His name was Balto. 

            She surveyed the scenery around her until she found him walking over a hill.  Where did he come from?  He said he came from a different time and place.  The mare shook her head.  If he did how would he go back?  Only Jenna, the goddess of all knew.

            Just then Balto came running back over the hill shouting, “A battle!  A skirmish!”

            Baltheis and Curn heard the hybrid and came running drawing their swords.  Knowing that she would be needed, June pitched to her feet and galloped to Baltheis’s side as he ran.  Not far behind, Balto ran effortlessly along with the charging riders.  Seeing the riders’ capes flutter behind them as they waved their weapons aloft was an awesome sight to see.   Curn and Baltheis drew their swords, Jerec and Larkan flashed in the sunlight. 

            “Russshhh!” cried Curn.

            “Charrrge!” roared Baltheis.

            Immediately, the two dozen horsemen split themselves into two groups, and formed two triangles behind the dragon captain and his shoulder-friend.  Baltheis raised a horn to his mouth and blew. 

            Balto’s ears perked at the sound that erupted from the horn.  It almost sounded like a wolf’s howl except it was mellow and it echoed farther and longer in the air. 

            “Lances!” ordered Curn.  All the horsemen lowered their lances.  Now only a few yards remained between them and the skirmish.  Balto could see that five knights were still fighting though many suffered from many wounds.  Then upon seeing the new arrivals, hope and life filled their faces. With renewed energy they attacked their attackers. 

            When the When riders were ten yards away from the fighting, Baltheis raised his hand as Curn raised his sword. 

            Gightling! Cried the Dragon Captain.

            Adar! Cried Curn. 

 

 

 

            Lightning flew from Baltheis’s fingers and flames flew from Jerec and struck the first line of bandits that stood in their way.  Lyonskewered a man on the headpiece that he wore. Balto flew at a bandit who was about to murder a weaponless soldier and tore out his throat.  After spitting out the taste of flesh blood, the hybrid flew at another attacker.

            Now the formation that the When riders had formed had broken up and now each rider went fighting each ambusher one on one, either on foot or on horseback. 

            The envoy ducked as his attacker swung at him with his sword.  Taking an arrow he stabbed the bandit with it like a sword through the head and then with graceful swiftness, shot it through three bandits, twenty paces away.

            Baltheis and Curn fought as one warrior, one used magic and the other used his sword.  After a while of fighting single warriors at once, it became evident that the attackers were avoiding the two the best they could. 

            Then it was over.  Any survivors of the attackers had either surrendered or had fled. Despite their skills in fighting, the When riders had lost eight of their comrades, most of them killed with either arrows or with spears.  Balto spat more blood from his mouth that wasn’t his. 

            War, He thought.  It always tends to be very disgusting and revolting

            Which was true for now most of the men who fought on foot were covered with blood and gore.  Even the horses were bloodied with either their blood or somebody else’s. The hybrid watched as Lyon jabbed his bloody skewer into the ground and pulled it out clean. 

            “Killing a man up close is something I hate seeing and doing,” he said to Balto and June, who stood nearby.  “Unfortunately, I am a war horse and am expected to kill.”

            June nuzzled the stallion, comforting Lyon, and Balto turned his attention to Baltheis and Curn who were helping the envoy and the survivors of the dozen horsemen who accompanied him from Jenika.  The Dragon captain nodded to the envoy

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