The Fall of Belvedere

by B Cameron Lee

  “I alus thought there was somat special about you young Arwhon and looksee, you got yoursel a beautiful woman to boot.”

  Shiri’s eyes twinkled in delight as she replied.

  “You look like a man without a care in the world.”

  Captain Belmar scratched his head with his pipe stem then replied.

  “With what ‘is Grandmother is paying us, I could near buy another ship and pay the crew a hefty bonus. If this Trade thing works, Cristal has promised me the running of the fleet. Why should I have a care? Please sit with me.”

  Shiri sat near Captain Belmar on the long seat under the stern windows while Arwhon used a chair with carved arms and a padded seat.

  Drinks were poured for all and Arwhon talked to the Captain about The Broken Lands. In particular some of the denizens they had met and their similarity to Belmar himself. The Captain was coy at first but eventually admitted to having Broken Land blood in his veins.

  “How’s my cousin the King these days?” he asked Arwhon.

  Arwhon, although surprised, tried not to show it as he answered Belmar’s question then had to provide more information regarding events in The Broken Lands. The good Captain said very little more about his origins, shying away from any questions regarding how he had come to be the Master of a ship. It was a story for another time. Right now they discussed events in the world as they knew them and the talk ranged far.

  Although just a ship’s Captain, Belmar had amazing knowledge of what was occurring in Encarill, particularly events surrounding King Jerome.

  “At bastard don’ be no good. You mark my words. He’s a shifty sort who can’t be trusted. Puts hisself first and the people last. I hear ol’ King Rickard’s still alive but ailing. The word on the street is only Rickard knows where Encarill’s gold is hidden. Only reason he’s alive I’d bet.”

  The talk flowed back and forth as Arwhon and Shiri partook of the Captain’s hospitality before the daylight began to dim. It was finally time to go. They went up on deck with the Captain and found Cringe sitting cross legged on a coil of rope listening to crewmen’s tales of adventure on the high seas. Arwhon and Shiri left with the Captain’s invitation to come aboard anytime, before they set forth for Cristal’s. All the way back, Cringle was excitedly jabbering on about his first time aboard a real ship. Jalwynd had impressed him.

  The next few days went by in a rush. There were so many people wanting to see Shiri and Arwhon while Raleen and Kuiran were busy with their last minute preparations. Arwhon spent a little time each day with Cringe and the youth showed a quickness of mind which his appearance belied. Self defence was another matter entirely, Cringe seemed clumsy and once when Arwhon swung a slow blow at him, Cringe just fell to the floor cowering. Arwhon picked him up and after dusting his Servant off, found a couple of sticks to use as practice swords. They went through a parry riposte exercise until Cringe stopped flinching. Arwhon was satisfied.

  Over a pleasant dinner that evening Arwhon drew Cristal aside and whispered to her that he and Shiri couldn’t stay long as they still had work to do. Cristal was downcast but in her usual, pragmatic way, quickly saw Arwhon’s point.

  “We all have our work to do and no one knows yours better than you. I shouldn’t be greedy, you did come to see me as soon as you could and I appreciate it Arwhon. Isn’t Sihron’del beautiful?”

  Arwhon agreed, looking to Shiri chatting with Raleen. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Lareeta in her usual place, keeping an eye on the room. One more thing still to do.

  “Cristal, I’d like to take Lareeta with us when we visit Chalc. Could you manage without her now?”

  “I was going to suggest it myself Grandson. Go and give her the news.”

  Arwhon rose to approach Lareeta.

  “Lareeta, Cristal is safe now and I feel it’s time for you to accompany Shiri and I again, as Kuiran is going away with Raleen and a little extra protection would not go amiss. We have business which includes you and we need you with us.”

  Intrigued, Lareeta asked if Cristal had agreed to her absence. Arwhon’s positive reply was noted and Lareeta then asked when they were leaving. The answer was, the morning after tomorrow.

  It was a sad occasion, having to say goodbye to Raleen again so soon and it was also hard parting with Kuiran, his Arm but Arwhon could see they were an ideal couple and both were thrilled at the prospect of the coming voyage. With favourable winds they would be at sea for at least eight weeks, far more if they struck dirty weather. Captain Belmar was hoping the southerly would blow true for quite a while longer.

  It was time, the tides waited for no man.

  Jalwynd was eventually backed into the harbour and the rowers in the longboat strained to pull her into the current. The tide had just turned and the last Arwhon saw of his sister’s excited face was as Jalwynd raised sail for the tack down Moreland Bay.

  It was a slightly sombre meal they ate that night and Arwhon was loathe to remind his Grandmother he and Shiri would also be leaving in the morning with Lareeta. However, she surprised him as always by throwing off her sad feelings on loosing them all, for who knew how long? She raised her glass and enjoined them to be thankful for Fate’s good hand in keeping them all safe and well. They must begin the next stage of their journey and she had the rebuilding of Belvedere to occupy her days, cared for by her faithful household retinue.

  It was late morning by the time Arwhon, Shiri, Cringe and Lareeta set off. Cringe was in for a shock when the mounts were led around from the stables by the grooms. Cringe looked in vain for his little donkey which was nowhere to be seen. He was starting to panic, thinking he was being left behind with Cristal’s household while his Master and Shiri took the Barsoomi woman and went off without him. When everyone was mounted, Arwhon looked down on the youth from Duran’s back and asked.

  “Coming?”

  There was only one horse left unmounted, a sturdy little mountain pony with a comfortable looking saddle complete with its own bedroll and saddlebags.

  “For me? Mine?” Cringe’s face was a picture of conflicting emotions; wonder, hope and doubt. No one had ever given him anything and here was a saddled and provisioned pony standing quietly, waiting for him.

  “What’s her name?” Cringe asked.

  Lareeta smiled, because she knew more about horses than any of them, the task of finding the lad a suitable mount had fallen to her. She had gone for durability over looks.

  “Vixen. Watch her, she’s got a few tricks of her own.”

  Cringe took the reins from the stableboy, put his foot in the stirrup and started to mount. Vixen whipped her head around and nipped Cringe on the bottom. He shot into the saddle.

  Lareeta laughed.

  “That’s one of them. Don’t give her too much rein when you mount.”

  After one more round of farewells, they left. Cristal standing on the mansion steps with Mendle, waving until they were out of sight. Dabbing an errant tear from the corner of her eye, Cristal turned to Mendle.

  ‘Time to get on with things Mendle. There’s a whole city still needs our attention. Now where did I put those plans for…...”

  Once across the Wandering River, the small band headed due east, riding toward Graswyn. Arwhon was curious to see the lay of the land to the east of Southland and on into Graswyn. He also wanted to see for the first time, the harbour of Talhaven. They decided to ride unglamoured and Lareeta, taking pity on Cringe, dropped back to give him a few riding tips. Vixen was proving a handful for him but Lareeta soon showed him how to take charge of the pony. The lad quickly picked up on instruction and after a day or two was riding more like someone who knew one end of a horse from another although his backside was sore from adjusting to a saddle. The time passed quickly and after two weeks leisurely riding they entered Graswyn.

  It was Swift River Riders who picked them up first and Arwhon and Shiri needed no introductions. All of Barsoom knew the young man with the Barsoomi horse, a sword on his back and a M’Herindar
princess for a travelling companion. An escort was provided to take the little group to Talhaven where they were led to an encampment of the Black River Tribe of the Barsoom. Lareeta knew all of them and disappeared for a day to spend time with her own people. Arwhon and Shiri, with Cringe in tow went to see the remaining Council members who ran Graswyn and were gratified to see they were getting on with the job of running a country. The Council honoured Arwhon with the Keys to the City as a token of appreciation at what he had engineered for them.

  After almost forty years, Graswyn was free of Dominion at last.

  Arwhon though Talhaven a fine place. The hills behind the town provided a wooded backdrop to the shops and houses built along the foreshore around the curve of the bay which provided a natural harbour. It was a pretty spot and Arwhon found he liked what he had seen of Graswyn so far.

  After three days in Talhaven it was time to press on as they still had things to do, so on the morning of the fourth day they rode out early to start up the mountain road to the plateau of Tarkent. Arwhon thought Lareeta may have caught on to the reason why she was along by now but she didn’t show it and he didn’t discuss it.

  It was uphill all the way to Tarkent. At first the road rose in a continuous gentle slope but after a few days it became gradually steeper. The surface of the highway was in fairly good condition as the Dominion had used it frequently and there were flat areas aplenty for camping, most cleared beside streams which cascaded down from above. Each afternoon, well before dark, they found themselves a spot with a stream where they could comfortably overnight.

  After a week of travelling they came to a place where the road was cut deep into the cliff side, winding up through the majestically fissured mountains which eventually merged into the Tarkent Plateau. The higher they got, the more precipitous the drops to the river beds far below. For three full days the road they were on wound up the mountains at a gradient laden carts could use and the scenery unfolding before and behind them was magnificent. Cringe was agog with wonder, at one point he had turned in the saddle and found he could see the sea way off in the distance. For him the road ended too soon when it finally levelled out in Tarkent.

  Once in Tarkent, they could see for miles across the nearly flat ground of the plateau and soon they came upon farmland and people. The story of Arwhon must have spread throughout Tarkent, as the workers in the fields stood and waved as the group went by. Cringe was curious.

  “Is evry one what lives in Tarkent like those un’s?”

  Arwhon nodded which made Cringe think.

  “They looks a lot like me Master.”

  Arwhon nodded again with a slight smile on his face.

  “I believe you are from Cheshwon but we’ll leave it up to Chalc to talk with you on that matter.”

  Back to travelling. It took three more days for the little group to reach Kyto. News of their coming had preceded them and the city was hung with decorations and packed with people hoping to catch a glimpse of the heroes of the revolution. The small group of travellers followed the opening the crowd cleared for them, entering Kyto itself and riding up to the Royal Palace. It was a totally different experience from the previous time. The crowds were happy, with noise and bustle and colour everywhere. Krissi, who was better trained and larger now, strode ahead of them. Everyone immediately noticed and fell back out of the way respectfully but not fearfully, bowing as the four of them rode past. Shiri’s green armour and the young man with the gryffon and the Tarkenti sword were legend already.

  The gates of the Palace compound were open and the repaired doors to the Royal Keep were thrown wide. The King and Queen, along with Mindayo, stood on the top steps dressed in all their royal finery while Chalc, bedecked in his official gowns and armed with his swords, stood one step below. Before the horses had come to a halt Chalc hurried down the stairs in his long sleeved silken robes. No longer a blacksmith, he helped to run a country now as Chief Advisor to the King of Tarkent. His gaze struck Lareeta and stopped on her. A woman he had secretly admired for her strength, will power and courage but he thought himself too old to be considered for a match. Her gaze searched his, the man she had admired from afar but was too shy to approach. As their gazes locked, something passed between them and Lareeta swiftly and effortlessly slipped from her saddle and ran toward a waiting Chalc, his arms held wide open. He caught her and swung her around to the amazement of the Tarkent royal family. They had never seen Chalc so uninhibited before.

  Arwhon and Shiri dismounted and bowed to the King and Queen before warm, sincere embraces were shared. Cringe stood uncertainly beside Vixen until Arwhon motioned his Servant to join them and soon they all passed through the doors into the Royal Keep. A feast had been prepared for them and all of them, including Cringe, were led to seats at the King’s table. Before they sat, Shiri and Arwhon stood hand in hand before Chalc as Arwhon told him of their betrothal. His former Servant’s eyes lit up with joy and he hugged them both with feeling. There was a sense of rightness about it.

  After taking their seats, Arwhon and Shiri were soon deep in conversation with the King and Queen who were most interested to hear firsthand of the fall of the Dominion and the demise of the Empress Martine. It was a tale which would never age, unlike Martine herself who aged eighty years in a matter of minutes once the Dark Mage was dead. Cringe sat quietly and ate all that was placed in front of him as he absorbed everything being said and filed it away for future reference. Much merriment and story telling went on for most of the afternoon.

  At one point, Arwhon took Chalc away from Lareeta for a few minutes.

  “Chalc, I want to ask you a favour. The young man with us is a lot more than he appears to be and talked himself into being your replacement. As if he could be. I need to find a way to unlock his potential. He said he doesn’t quite know where he comes from but I said you would talk to him of Cheshwon a little. Would you mind?”

  “Mind? I’d be more than happy to. Arwhon, look around, my country is free and you made it happen. Nothing ever will be too much to ask of me.”

  “Ah, but Chalc I have already asked much of you. I seem to remember someone picking me up off the road and doctoring and caring for me after I was shot by a crossbow. Chalc, you made me what I am today!”

  Later, servants showed them to their rooms and Cringe was amazed to find he had one of his own.

  True to his word, Chalc took Cringe off to one side the next day. They talked of Cheshwon and how much Cringe looked like the people from there. Then Chalc started to talk of Arwhon, from when he first met the young man and the care he needed. He warned Cringe his Master was too trusting sometimes and needed help to get out of the odd tricky situations his trust resulted in. Cringe was cautioned as to the huge responsibility which went with being Arwhon’s Servant and took it all on board. He had a purpose in his life now. He was Arwhon’s Servant.

  In all they stayed three glorious days in Kyto before it was time to travel on. Before they left, Lareeta shyly asked Arwhon and Shiri if they minded travelling without her.

  “Not at all Lareeta. It was the real reason we invited you to come with us. We were hoping for sense to finally come to you both.”

  He grinned and kissed her forehead.

  “You were the one thing the man who first put his trust in me truly wanted. I simply put you in his way. Take care of him; I know he’ll take care of you.”

  They left the next morning, now three and Krissi, riding down the mountains toward Goristoum in Debrishar. Once again they were travelling some of the roads they had used before but this time there was little risk of being set upon, especially when Arwhon decided it would be better if they travelled without the glamour. However, Arwhon was a little concerned about what he would find in Goristoum when they arrived but he needn’t have worried.

  They reached their destination to find that Verita, daughter of King Daveed of the Barsoom, had already been crowned Queen of Debrishar and was fighting off suitors left, right and centre and having a wond
erful time of it. Arwhon was her personal hero as was Shiri, both responsible for freeing her and her brother the Prince, from Martine’s bondage when they were abducted.

  Verita immediately monopolised the pair and demanded they tell her of their adventures both in Tarkent and Belvedere. The stories took time to relate, even though Arwhon had by now got his narration down pat. The evening feast was brought and eaten and wine and beer were drunk to lubricate dry throats and still the story went on, including tales of Verita’s father, King Daveed, who had freed Graswyn and the bravery of the four Barsoomi Riders who had accompanied Arwhon into Tarkent.

  The next day Arwhon took the time to renew his acquaintance with Chamberlain Agmar and once again met with the three Army Captains, who had all been promoted and carried a lot more braid on their shoulders now. There was a feeling of peace and ease in Goristoum and it was clearly written in the residents faces. The city itself even seemed a lot brighter. When Arwhon commented on it to Agmar, the sly old Chamberlain grinned.

  “Amazing what a bit of whitewash can do for morale, isn’t it?”

  Cringe, content in his role as Servant, moved around in the background caring for Arwhon and Shiri but he didn’t miss much. In fact he found people generally ignored servants and used this apparent anonymity to glean a few extra facts here and there. Not everyone was pleased the Dominion had gone but the majority were happy to have shaken off the shackles of fear. He reported so to Arwhon, who suspected as much himself.

  After a further three days of feasting and merry making, it was time to depart. It was another haven to reluctantly leave but Arwhon knew his work wasn’t finished yet. Krissi was equally reluctant to go as she’d been thoroughly spoiled, once the kitchen staff became used to the strange beast camped in the kitchen courtyard. Arwhon was itching to get to The Broken Lands, a place he liked the feel of and the site of his own, as yet unseen, farm. A reward from the grateful King of The Broken Landers.