Shadow Helm of Glory
Elizabeth Klein
Contents
Also by Elizabeth Klein:
Prologue
1. Shrieks
2. Bitter News
3. Imaginings
4. The Dream
5. Navarre’s Cave
6. A Difficult Departure
7. Disturbing Words
8. The Sylph
9. Bridge of Butterflies
10. A Close Call
11. Howls of Pursuit
12. Jaycob
13. The Checkpoint
14. Safe Passage
15. Mouse
16. Change of Plans
17. The Diversion
18. Rumours
19. Abandoned
20. Ghostly Army
21. Captured
22. Ethan
23. The Bath House
24. Rory’s Spy
25. In the Mad Queen’s Court
26. Caiwen
27. Evil Behind Locked Doors
28. Trust
29. Ferals in the Wood
30. Pursuit
31. The Stone Garden
32. The Golden Song
33. Melenor’s Wounding
34. Elimas’s Treason
35. The Vagabond King Returns
36. New Day in the Kingdom
Epilogue
Afterword
About the Author
Shadow Helm of Glory
Bethloria Book 4
By Elizabeth Klein
Copyright 2020 Elizabeth Klein
This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters and events portrayed in this book are a product of the author’s imagination. Any similarity to persons, living or deceased, is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book and cover image may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author and copyright owner.
Title: Shadow Helm of Glory
Author: Klein, Elizabeth
Series: Klein E., Bethloria; 4.
Target Audience: 12 +
Subjects: young adult fiction,
high fantasy, quest.
Cover design by Eerilyfair Design
Website: www.eerilyfairbookcovers.com
Created with Vellum
Also by Elizabeth Klein:
Dreamscape series:
Looking for Altheda (Book1)
Rescuing Pancrates (Book 2)
Bethloria Series:
Firelight of Heaven (Book 1)
Greenheart of the Forest (Book 2)
Ice Breath of the Earth (Book 3)
Shadow Helm of Glory (Book 4)
Jock McLock series:
Jock McLock’s Piratical Adventure (Book 1)
Jock McLock’s Alien Encounter (Book 2)
The Gryphon Key
Doorway to Adventure
Max, the Intrepid Mouse
Non-Fiction Books:
Comedy Theatre for Upper Primary:
Teacher Resource Book
Student Book
Prologue
A wry moon grinned above the shoulder of oaks as a dark, hooded rider emerged from the woods at the edge of the camp. His horse, a fine black with strong legs, trotted into the clearing, its hooves crunching over the gravel. The jingle of harness and bridle lifted Ewarn’s head as the man guided his steed towards the fire-pit. A dozen others flanked him, converging around his horse in a protective barrier. Someone important?
The riders halted inside the pool of firelight, saddles creaking as they dismounted. Two Elves hurried from the shadows to meet them and led their horses away to fodder and water at the communal stables. Tallest of the men Ewarn had seen that day, the newcomers carried a generous cache of weapons strapped across their backs and around their belts.
Good. They’ll need plenty.
All around him, a camaraderie of Toggles and Elves and Men were gathering. He was even surprised to see a few Dwarves, unearthed from old mining regions in the west—some may even have come from Galfane in the north—lumbering forth from hidden places under the earth. All had arrived with a common purpose: to eradicate Morgran and his filth from Bethloria.
Some had travelled far, skirting the treacherous coastline in derelict ships under the cover of darkness. That couldn’t have been easy. Frequent squalls and storms shifting in from the Westward Seas tossed naïve pilots and their vessels upon unseen rocks. Nevertheless, the downtrodden were assembling in this ragamuffin army, now fattened to numbers that not even Morgran could ignore. They had heard the call to war and had answered it, wanting to reclaim what was theirs and to oust the deceiver king from their shores.
But had they come in time?
Ewarn stared at the approaching men as they removed gauntlets and swept back long, dusty cloaks from their well-built shoulders. Rubbing cold hands together, they took their places around the campfires just as a light flurry of snow began to float out of the black sky.
Ewarn glanced at them out of the corner of his eye as their boisterous laughter ruffled through the camp. Other travellers lifted their heads but lowered their gaze just as quickly, not wanting to lock eyes or incur an offensive word. No one trusted anyone, not even here.
The loudest stranger, a raven-haired man, turned to look at Ewarn. The corners of his mouth twitched in a scornful grin; his black eyes cold as winter’s heart. Ewarn looked away and stared at the leaping flames, though he still sensed those hawkish eyes boring into the side of his head like an awl.
So, this is the King of Gardenia! At some point in his young life he, too, had been deceived by the glitter of Morgran’s magic. Now he had come to align himself and his people in the struggle against its destructive influence upon the lands. Won’t these fickle monarchs ever learn?
‘Ewarn!’
He turned to face the speaker, a tall Elf with forest-green eyes and long, straight hair the colour of midnight. He carried a silver studded wine flask in his right hand, which he handed to Ewarn.
‘Thanks.’
Ewarn uncorked and drank the cool liquid that filled his stomach with fire. Nothing like Elven mead on a frosty night. Passing back the flask, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
The Elf rested a hand on Ewarn’s shoulder. ‘I am glad you are here, my friend. I do not know if you have heard, but something wondrous is happening in the lands west of here. Lands once sickened by the rot are once more flourishing and green again. Stagnant, dead rivers are flowing with fresh water—and fish!’ His hand dropped from Ewarn’s shoulder and he held his palms towards the fire. ‘My people have begun hunting them again after an age. Jungles are clear of monsters that once inhabited them and dust plains are now fertile fields. Where this wondrous bounty comes from, I cannot tell, for Morgran has not left Bethloria. It can mean only one thing.’
Ewarn gave him a dubious look. ‘I’ve heard the tales, Echo.’
‘Then surely you must believe them? They all point to Rafem; he has finally come. Can you not see? The world is regenerating around you. The signs all point to him being here.’
Ewarn sniffed. ‘So are Morgran’s hordes. And the Abyss has not yet been sealed.’
The Elf gave him a thoughtful look. ‘Then he is searching for them because they are still alive.’
‘But for how long? How long can two boys elude the Black Arm of Morgran’s untaming magic? You don’t know how powerful he is, Echo. No one has a clue.’
Echo grasped his arm. ‘That may be true, but you forget one important thing: my daughter is with them, and I know Belle. She is as valiant a warrior and tracker as ten of Morgran�
�s soldiers. It is no accident that she has gone with them, perhaps as their protector. There is more to this than we here can see. The Morning Star shields them from Morgran’s gaze and will continue to do so.’
Ewarn didn’t possess the Elf’s certainty or his conviction in divine protection. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs, allowing the warmth of the fire to thaw the frigidity of his soul. It had been a long, protracted search and he was weary from all the disappointments he’d faced. Whenever the trail had warmed and he had sensed the boys’ nearness, events had hindered him from locating them. Frustrated, he had begun to believe he would never find them—or Arabella, his wife.
When he was at the point of giving up altogether, Echo Song and his Elven trackers had stumbled across his campsite in Gardenia. The Elf had been searching for his daughter and he had good reason to believe from his scouts’ reports that she had accompanied the boys.
‘I have heard much about you, Ewarn Skylander!’
The voice belonged to the King of Gardenia. His face, whiskery and youthful, reflected the fierceness of a lion. ‘Were you not Morgran’s Chief Magician?’
Ewarn shut his eyes tight. Yes, a thousand times yes. Memories of Morgran’s shadowy courts darkened his thoughts. Places so evil that no earthly light could penetrate their granite walls. And Morgran? Was he not a terror twisted and torn from the blackest heart imaginable, an entity woven from nightmares and unspeakable terrors? Yes, he had been the warlord’s adviser and Chief Magician.
An aching chasm opened up in his heart as he remembered he’d once interpreted Morgran’s dreams with pinpoint accuracy, helped the mad sorcerer in his conquests. And for almost a decade, he’d plumbed the mysteries of his black magic, a skill forbidden to all others.
Heartsick, he turned and looked at the king. ‘And are you my conscience?’
A cold, mirthless grin curled the king’s mouth. He spat on the ground. ‘What if I am? What if I am sent to ferret out all Magic Men, those in Morgran’s service?’
‘Then you are wasting your time with me.’
Fool. Only magic can halt Morgran.
The king’s face twisted in scorn. ‘You do not look very great, Magician. Come, perform some of your cheap tricks for us so we can see what you can do!’
Harsh laughter erupted from his companions. Others around the camp turned away; some hurried off into the night, sensing trouble.
Enraged, Echo started to rise but Ewarn caught his arm and he sat down again with a dark frown. ‘No, he’s right. Much of this is my fault. I take the blame.’
‘But you have also done much good.’
‘By concealing the true king and his people?’ Ewarn shook his head. ‘You forget, Morgran has Arabella. She also knows where they are, but she is not strong enough to withstand him. Already she may have fallen to his enchantments. I cannot see her anymore.’
‘Anything could be blocking your perception of her. I think she is still alive. Do not fear.’
‘Magician! Are you so ill-mannered as to ignore a king?’
Something hard struck Ewarn between his shoulders with a stinging pain, sending him sprawling onto the ground. Uproarious laughter burst from the young king and his entourage.
Had he struck him with a rock?
Echo was as angry as a she-wolf who’d lost its cubs. He rose with lethal swiftness, long sword in hand in the blink of an eye. The king and his men rose to meet him, their blades glimmering in the firelight. With a sharp cry, Ewarn struggled to his feet and hurried to intercept before blood was shed.
‘Enough!’ He glared at the king, who grinned like a fool. ‘What is your problem? I thought you, of all people, would be grateful to be set free of the curse?’
The king straightened to his full height and swept his cloak back over his shoulder. Well-built and intimidating, he was a head taller than even the slender Elves. He stepped towards Ewarn in three long strides.
‘Oh, but I am grateful, Magician. I am grateful to be alive, no thanks to magic. Would it do any good if I told you how long I was forced to stand and watch the world pass by?’
His voice was full of scathing bitterness. ‘Year after year after year I waited for someone to come and rescue me, but no one came. I waited for Rafem, the great Saviour of the Age. Oh yes, I grew up hearing those stories, too, like everyone in Bethloria.’ He paused and sniffed. ‘You know who I did see? Two boys and a She-Elf!’ He gave a short laugh, his eyes razor-sharp, ready to slash Ewarn’s throat. ‘Two boys and a She-Elf—with stoles! Yes, they’d found stoles—and what’s more, a bagful. All I could do was watch them enter my ruined kingdom whether I liked it or not. So says the curse.’
Ewarn was aware of shadowed movement around the perimeter of the camp as Elves hurried to encircle the men. Bows creaked as they nocked arrows and took aim. The young king gave a mocking grin as he glanced around with raised hands.
‘Ah, no harm done gentlemen! Just a friendly discussion among fellow travellers, that’s all.’
He turned and strode back to the campfire where he sat down in a tight huddle with his men. Ewarn let out a long breath and faced Echo, still tense and grasping his sword.
‘Is this what it’s like here?’
Echo sheathed his weapon and pulled him aside. ‘Some, who know the old stories, are sympathetic. Others—’ He shrugged with an understanding smile. ‘There is something else.’ He pulled a folded sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it to him. ‘One of my scouts came by this a week ago.’
Curious, Ewarn unfolded it. It was a wanted poster with a rough drawing of his face and a large sum of gold coins offered for his arrest. It was not a good drawing, he had to admit, but the likeness was unmistakable. He chuckled.
‘No one will see this gold. Morgran will dispose of any bounty hunter as he will with me.’
‘Nevertheless, my friend, do not trust anyone. Bounty hunters will come after you.’ Echo placed his hand on his shoulder. ‘I must go and check on some things, but I will be back later on. Stay close to the fires. And do not let King Zarin intimidate you. He is still wet behind the ears and knows nothing.’
His friend hurried away and disappeared through the trees. Ewarn crumpled up the wanted poster and threw it into the fire. It flared up, curling in the flames. He was holding his cold hands towards its warmth when he sensed a small figure standing beside him. It was a Toggle.
Wary, Ewarn stared as the creature adjusted a stained yellow bag around his shoulder and sat beside him on the ground with the log at his back. The bag looked empty and Ewarn couldn’t see any concealed weapons about his grey fur. Except for rumours, he was unfamiliar with Toggles. The solemn face appeared almost human when he looked at him. Faded white fur rimmed large, black eyes—friendly eyes.
‘Pardon me for eavesdropping—not that it could be helped out here in the open with everybody listening—but are you looking for two boys and a She-Elf?’
Ewarn shifted uneasily. It was no secret. Many at the camp knew about the search, though no one knew the intense longing which drove him hour upon hour, day after day.
The Toggle gazed at the fire, his long ears moving from side to side, as if listening to the night sounds. ‘I’ve seen them. Had the misfortune of travelling with them through his kingdom—’ he threw a quick glance at the young king.
Suspicion more than interest made Ewarn look at the Toggle. ‘Go on.’
‘Not more than a few weeks ago that was. And let me tell you, I had many misfortunes while in their company...but I did see them off over the river.’
Did bounty hunters come this size?
The Toggle gave a deep sigh as he slumped forward. Then, looking up at Ewarn with those dark, gleaming eyes, he grinned, showing a neat row of pointy teeth.
‘We travelled through Gardenia before its curse was lifted, before the spiders were vanquished. I helped Robbie—’
Ewarn started at the boy’s name. The Toggle went on, oblivious to his reaction. ‘I found him on the river
bank; he’d fallen in of all the daft things. Why he did such a stupid thing I’ll never know!’ He shook his head and his fur stood up before it settled again. Flakes of snow flew off. ‘Never understand you humans, as long as I live.’
The Toggle appeared to enjoy deviating and Ewarn had to quell mounting irritation. ‘What happened?’
‘Well, something terrible happened, that’s what! Something I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy—well, actually, I probably would wish that.’ He gave a wicked little giggle. Then, as if remembering his listener, he gave the front of his fur a quick flick with his paw, sending snow flying off and went on in a dramatic voice. ‘The silly nut ran smack into Queen Shara’s web!’
For dramatic effect, he clapped his paws together. The fur muted the sound he had hoped for and he gave Ewarn a sideways glance before continuing.
‘Well, then I went looking for Dougray and Belle. Found them under a shelter tree—smart move that, taking cover under one of them trees. Very smart indeed. Morgran’s monsters can’t get under their leaves. The tree’s oils seem to repel them. That’s what my kin believe anyway.’ His long, pink tongue flicked out and moistened his snout. ‘It was Belle who wanted to go after the spider. For a She-Elf, she was brave and wasn’t afraid to use that sword of hers. To cut a very long story short by more than half its length—possibly three quarters or even more—we eventually rescued Robbie from being eaten and we found the first crystal.’
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