Ashley Somers and the Hidden Dimension (Ashley Somers Book 2)

By H. Lynn Bowers

Ashley Somers and the Hidden Dimension is the second book in the series about a brave young girl who battles an evil witch and her demons. During her journey, Ashley discovers her own magical powers. In the Hidden Dimension, an invisible shield that blocks magic is advancing across Pargola toward Wichen. Searching for the origin of the magic shield, scouts discover that General Arred has left Baaden with an army bound to destroy all that is good. Ashley and her parents must protect the citizens of Wichen at all costs. Without magic, how can they stop the largest army Pargola has ever seen?

• Language: English
• Publisher: H. Lynn Bowers
• Release date: Sep 2, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370002962

H. Lynn Bowers

Hello,My name is H. Lynn Bowers and I reside in beautiful eastern Tennessee.I began writing a long time ago but my first publication was a poem in 2006. I went on to write this book which I first published in 2009. Now I am releasing Ashley again with a new cover and to more outlets. To those of you who have read the first Ashley, the pure sweet story has not changed.You might like to try another Ashley Somers adventure that will soon be available at all the usual great retailers. Please check with me on my personal Facebook page or my author page and be sure to like Ashley Somers and the Journey to Wichen Facebook page.Watch for Barkey Tales where my wonderful old dog will surprise you with his humor.My Poems and Stuff will be out soon for your reading pleasure.Thank you again for reading The Journey to Wichen and be sure to watch for Ashley Somers and the Hidden Dimension.

Book preview

ASHLEY SOMERS

And

THE HIDDEN DIMENSION

BY

H. Lynn Bowers

Copyright 2015 by H. Lynn Bowers

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any retrieval system, without the written permission of the author unless otherwise permitted by law.

Dedicated to Mother

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to thank all of you who enjoyed my first endeavor and gave me a reason to continue the series. I thank my wife for her loving patience and the support of my friends. I thank my mother for her wondrous tales and I wish she were here to share mine.

Ashley Somers and the Hidden Dimension is the second book in the series. Ashley Somers and the Journey to Wichen is available at Amazon and all other major retailers.

Magical Contents

Acknowledgements

Cry for Gouden

Wichen

The Borgen Village

Willie in Baaden

General Maad Moves

Search for Mother

Arred Attacks

Mystery Cave

Tragedy and Tears

Oryl

The Hidden Dimension

Tears for Gouden

About the Author

Cry for Gouden

The scout stormed through the bivouacked soldiers outside the town of Gouden. He sped by the encamped army sleeping in rows of white tents. He had run for miles by the moonlight to deliver the news that General Vaark needed. This is his first mission where his news would not be what the general wanted. He had seen the future of Gouden and only the general would know if it was as scary as it had seemed to his young eyes. He spoke to the guard and entered.

General Vaark turned as the scout shot through the doorway. Parlow, my favorite scout, and son of my brother, what news do you bring, he took the scout’s hand and placed the other over his shoulder. There’s no doubt, Arred will be here by daybreak, blurted the young scout with his chest heaving from the exertion. The general released Parlow and turned back toward his desk and stopped. How many troops does he have? Vaark asked with his head bowed and his back to the scout. Sir, I counted between seventeen and eighteen hundred human soldiers and about five hundred Goblins, Parlow waited patiently for the response from his general.

Twenty-one hundred bloodthirsty madmen against fifteen hundred farmers, hunters, and militia, he turned to look at the scout. Doesn’t seem to be a fair fight does it? No sir, answered the young scout, but our men are good fighters, you have trained them well. General Vaark digested the words of his scout. He wondered if he had trained his troops well enough to stand against these thugs. Thank you, Parlow, you are dismissed, his brother’s son saluted and exited the building. Vaark paced the well-worn dirt floor of his tent as he carefully planned his next move.

The general sent for his officers as he thought of some great plan to save his town. Gouden was no stranger to trouble. Located between the city of Daax and the cesspool of Baaden, the town has seen the worst of both cities. Murdering bands of Goblins from Daax under the rule of Witch Rella had to be dealt with and as long as anyone can remember the town had long been the target of thieves from Baaden. General Vaark had built up the army at Gouden and trained them well. They were mostly farmers but they were definitely fighters.

The officers filed in one by one until all were inside. There was little movement and several minutes of silence before Vaark spoke. Arred will be here at daybreak which is less than seven hours from now, he offered. Colonel Bruud will muster a company of the oldest men and begin the immediate evacuation of Gouden, the general placed his hand on the shoulder of his oldest and most trusted officer. Take the women and children to Daax, their lives are in your hands move quickly old friend, Bruud saluted then left quickly. Colonel Craten, place your archers on the roofs of this first row of buildings here and here and when they attack send your arrows in volleys as long as possible then pick individual targets, he motioned for the Colonel to go.

He watched his remaining officers for signs of fear and was relieved to see none. We will build up our fires at the encampment and hide on the flanks, he said. Maybe they will think they have surprised us. We know they will come through the pass straight into camp, he paced back and forth as he spoke. Colonel Victor how many men can you field? he asked. I can have eight hundred men ready to fight sir, replied the colonel. Good, keep them on the right flank and wait until Craten’s archers have softened them up, the general said. Captain Fox place your scouts between this first row of buildings and protect our archers, he faced his remaining infantry officers.

William, you old dog, he smiled at his good friend, are you ready to fight? The big blonde colonel grasped the hand of Vaark and smiled broadly. We will drink wine and sing over their bloody corpses, growled the brawny warrior. Colonel Malvern you will move your troops along with William on the left flank, the general slapped the shoulders of both officers. Craten will strike first with his archers then Victor will cut through them like a knife, your infantry will dispatch those who turn to run, smiled the confident general.

The strategy was simple and all knew what was expected of them. Colonel Bruud had begun the evacuation and there was already a long line of refugees heading for Daax. General Vaark’s men were in place and the fires of the encampment had been stoked and were blazing high. The night passed slowly and the thoughts of the next day’s battle weighed heavily on these brave men. These farmers, hunters, and clerks had been bloodied in battle before; they were not afraid. They were fighting for their homes and their family and friends. They were determined to crush this evil threat at all costs and they knew some would give all.

Once the pink hue of morning outlined the horizon at the pass, all eyes were searching for the expected enemy. Gouden was silent and still as daybreak neared. No one spoke for they knew enemy scouts would be watching and they wanted them to think they were sleeping. The women and children were well on their way to Daax by now and should the battle go badly they would all be safe. The soldiers had no time to hold their children. They could not kiss their wives’ goodbye. They could only wait for the enemy and hope their families would reach the safety of the nearby city of Daax. Every soldier knew what lie ahead and they were ready to do battle. They were tired of waiting and ready to deal with these attackers.

Before the sun appeared and just as the first weak ray of light broke through the eastern pass the soldiers spotted movement. They saw the first of many rows of spears on the horizon. Bobbing spears were all they could see and they could see hundreds of them! This was the first sign of Arred’s invaders and time stood still as soldiers clenched their swords tightly and braced for the charge. Anger for these attackers and anticipation of the unknown raced through their minds as time passed so slowly.

To appear as a normal encampment General Vaark had asked for volunteer guards to patrol among the empty tents. These were courageous men who knew they would probably be the first to die and heroically offered their lives to give their comrades a better chance for victory. The guards could see the spear tips of the enemy but ignored the urge to turn and fight hoping they would come ever closer for their archers. They had to wait until the last minute to dive for cover from the friendly fire of their comrades.

Seconds became minutes and still they came. They could now see the heads of those in front and eventually the entire rider and horse of the advancing horde. The only sound from Vaark’s troops was a stifled cough or two and sounds of swords clearing the scabbard. The sun is now just on the horizon and you can clearly see the attacking army. Only a few meters away from the first tents they break into a full charge with their spears lowered and forward! The guards dive for cover as Arred’s soldiers attack the tents. It is working! They are taking the bait and believe they have surprised their victims!

It only takes seconds to realize their mistake when Colonel Craten’s archers sent hundreds of arrows in a blizzard of death. Almost every one of the first few lines of attackers fell with the first volley. The second volley did as well as many more of the oncoming Goblins fell. The sound of arrows driving into flesh was drowned out by the screams of those being hit. Most of the third volley was deflected by shields and fell harmlessly to the ground. The archers now began to pick individual targets and more enemy died. This was the signal for Colonel Victor and his men to charge in from their position on the right flank.

The battle was on; Victor was wounded almost immediately and fought bravely until an enemy arrow found its mark. The main body moved around the front to completely flank the attackers on the right and extended the line nearly a quarter mile. The dust kicked up and the sun’s rays shining on a thousand flashing blades painted a surreal picture. Men fell on both sides and the losses were heavy. The line surged against the enemy at first but then buckled and threatened to break. Soldiers waiting and cheering behind their comrades could not yet join the fight. They were spattered with the blood of friend and foe alike.

General Vaark knew if he did not order in the remaining fighters soon William would break on his on. When the general gave the signal to engage there was a scream from the men that triggered fear in the enemy and hope in the quickly diminishing first units. The charging warriors hit the attackers like a sledgehammer. The enemy fell in great numbers from the brutal savagery of the fresh troops. The archers continued to pick off many of the mounted enemies. The Goblins fought beside their human mates and died hard. The screaming of dying Goblins was the most horrible sounds you will ever hear and a lot of them were dying.

The first thirty minutes of the battle went badly for Gouden. Colonel Victor and half of his warriors died in the first half hour. They took as many of Arred’s men with them but they were outnumbered and therefore would lose a battle when the losses were equal. The great advantage for Gouden had come at the very beginning. General Vaark’s surprise and the initial blow by his archers took three to four hundred of the enemy before he lost a man. This advantage was lost and regained three times before it turned for good for the general. It took hours for the two armies to kill three thousand men and Goblins. Blood was standing ankle deep in the battlefield when the last of the attacking army went down.

The silence was broken only by the screams and the groans of the injured and the dying. General Vaark cried as he saw what remained of the men of Gouden. What would he tell their widows and fatherless children? William was still standing though bloody from head to toe and so exhausted he could barely drag his sword. He and Colonel Craten were the only surviving officers. The bodies were laying where they fell, goblin over human and friend over foe. Almost thirty-six hundred combatants met in this field and less than five hundred had survived!

The victorious soldiers of Gouden walked and limped across the field to where their officers stood in silent triumph. They left a lot of their friends on the field but they left twice as many of their enemies. It was a victory but the price was too high. There would be no celebration in the town of Gouden; only tears for those departed. William embraced the general and sobbed on his shoulder and a lot of the men also wept. It was a terrible battle but now at least these men could think about living again and bringing their families home.

The soldiers heard the noises at the same moment and all eyes turned to the pass. In an instant, the horrible truth came to every soldier. The pass was filled with tens of thousands of soldiers armed to the teeth and moving toward the town of Gouden. In the lead were uniformed trumpeters and color bearers carrying the flags of Arred! General Vaark called to his young scout Parlow to take a final message to Daax.

Son, go like the wind and tell our families that Gouden is no more, the general spoke as the young scout wiped away his own tears. Tell them we defeated Arred’s advance troops but died as we tried to slow his main force, he took a breath, Warn them a hundred thousand men are marching for Daax. He hugged the young scout then turned to his men. The soldiers raised their swords and faced the ever widening river of men. They sang the song of soldiers until the enemy was upon them. General Vaark and Colonel William led the troops as they made their final charge.

Wichen

Wichen is happy again! The royal family is back on the throne and Witch Rella is no longer a threat. I could be no happier. I stood in the upper window of the central tower of Pargola’s finest castle and everything was perfect. I watched as a carriage passed below. The clatter of hooves and wheels on cobblestone had sounded so foreign at first but now it was a welcome everyday street noise. Two beautiful black stallions pulled the elegant carriage and its cargo on around the corner. There were only white horses when I arrived in Wichen and I showed them the beauty of other colors.

I thought of my old home in that other world and of my friends I had left behind. Indiana is such a beautiful place with good people and we lived in a normal, quiet community. There were lavish homes and sprawling malls and all the modern conveniences like every other city in that world without magic. They would have never dreamed of such a place as Wichen. Heck, I never dreamed of such a place. Witches, wizards, brownies and dwarfs and magic were things I had read about and seen in movies but like everyone else I thought they were just stories.

There you are, mother walked quietly behind me and slid her arm around me, a penny for those thoughts. I kissed her on the cheek and turned back to the window. I was just thinking of home and the outside world, I said with a hint of sadness. Ashley, honey do you miss it so? she asked caringly. She turned to look into my face for the answer. No mother, I have more friends here and I have you and father, I smiled as I spoke. But I would like to see Cassie and our old place, I added. She nodded as we turned and walked together down the beautiful spiral staircase. We left the tall center tower and the giant crystal prison that held the evil Witch Rella.

What are your thoughts general? asked Bruce. The Chief Counsel to Wichen was meeting in secret with his old friend Maad. General Maad had been selected by Bruce to command the Army of Wichen after the defeat of Witch Rella and the army of Daax at Caldora. It is rumors Bruce, bits, and pieces here and there but it all points to Arred, said General Maad. Arred was a warlord from Baaden, an evil kingdom bordering Pargola. Move half of the army to the Borgen Village, ordered Bruce, we will give the impression we are accompanying the Queen on her visit. Bruce turned and placed his hands on the general’s desk. Send training patrols to Daax but send the Brownies toward Baaden, he spoke then turned. Learn all you can and keep me informed, we must prepare for the worst, Bruce left the office and walked toward the castle to warn King Hawk.

Ashley would you let Pox know that we will be leaving shortly, said mother. She turned right at the end of the staircase and disappeared down the corridor. I imagine she has gone to say goodbye to father. They have never been apart since their reunion and their love is apparent to everyone. I am so lucky to be their daughter and I feel their strong love for me and I could not love them more. It was a shame for them to be apart for so many years and now they have to make up for lost time.

I had a big part to play in reuniting my parents and it was not an easy journey. I didn’t know the pendant I had worn on a chain since I was a baby would be my light and protector here in Pargola. It kept me safe until I learned of my growing magical skills as