The Letter for the King

by Tonke Dragt

  “But recently, glad tidings started to spread throughout my land. It was said that the King of Eviellan finally wanted to make peace, even that he would surrender Eviellan and travel to the City of Unauwen to be reconciled with his father and his brother. It is true that he sent messengers to his father, the king, and that the king in turn sent envoys to Eviellan. It is also true that those envoys were sent to negotiate a peace, and that they went on their way with good wishes. One of those men was Sir Edwinem, the lord of Forèstèrra.”

  Evan stopped.

  “And what happened?” asked Tiuri.

  “I have told you all I know,” said Evan. “I was in a joyous, hopeful mood when I left my country, to take a message from my king to King Dagonaut. I could never have expected that I would soon exchange my white shield for a grey one and that I would be travelling this land looking for vengeance.”

  The room was silent.

  It is strange, thought Tiuri. Here we are, sitting together, and we are embroiled in the affairs of a country that is not our own – all but for Evan, who comes from that land.

  Tiuri was about to say something but, to his surprise, Bendu raised a hand to silence him, then stood up, without making a sound, and walked to the door at the back of the room. Then, very quietly, he slid the bolt and whipped open the door.

  A man came tumbling into the room. It was Leor, the manservant.

  Bendu grabbed hold of him and dragged him to his feet. “Got you!” he cried. “Why were you listening to us?”

  “Help! Ow!” wailed the manservant. “I wasn’t… Ow, ow, let me go!”

  Bendu grabbed him even more firmly. “Out with it, eavesdropper!” he barked. “Why were you spying on us? And who ordered you to do so?”

  “No one!” said Leor. “I was just about to knock and ask if you needed anything.”

  “That is a lie!” said Bendu, shaking the manservant. “Come on, answer me!”

  “Ow!” cried Leor. “You’re hurting me! I don’t know anything, I tell you. Ow, ow!”

  He was wailing so loudly that the innkeeper came to see what all the noise was about.

  “Sir knights,” he cried in dismay. “What on earth is happening?”

  “Did you tell your man to listen at the door?” asked Bendu.

  “No, of course not!” said the innkeeper. “What do you want with Leor?”

  “Let him go,” said Ristridin to Bendu. Then he turned to the innkeeper and said, “Your manservant has been acting very suspiciously, Foram. I am sure you will not object if we ask him a few questions.”

  “Not at all, Sir Ristridin,” replied the innkeeper, looking in astonishment at the knight, who now stood before him without a helmet.

  Bendu released Leor, who started rubbing his sore arms. “I’ve done nothing. And I know nothing,” he muttered.

  “You had better answer these gentlemen, Leor,” said the innkeeper sternly. “I am ashamed of you!”

  “So, then,” said Ristridin, “tell us what you know about the Red Riders. Because we know that you have seen them!”

  Bendu said nothing, but he looked so fiercely at Leor that the manservant soon backed down. “Yes… yes, I saw some riders,” he said reluctantly. “Night before last. But they weren’t in red.”

  “They were not in red?” cried Bendu.

  “Not all of them, at any rate,” said Leor. He seemed to have forgotten his pain and a grin appeared on his face. “The one who spoke to me was black – dressed in black, I mean – and there were others who weren’t in red. I don’t know what they looked like. It was dark.”

  “They spoke to you?” said Bendu. “What did they say? How many were there?”

  “They rode by,” said Leor. “I don’t know how many there were. Ten, maybe twelve… I was awake and I saw them through my window. My room’s at the front. They stopped a way past the inn, and I got up to take a look. I thought maybe they wanted to come in. So I went outside and then they saw me. They didn’t want to spend the night, but they asked me to bring them some beer. So that’s what I did.”

  “And what did they say?” asked Ristridin.

  “Nothing much,” replied Leor.

  “So why were you so keen to find out what we were talking about?” asked Ristridin.

  “And why, sir knight, are you so keen to find out what they said?” asked Leor. “Not that it’s any of my business, but…”

  “Answer the question!” shouted Bendu.

  “The Red Riders have committed a murder,” said Ristridin. “We are knights of King Dagonaut and we must punish them.”

  “Oh, really?” said Leor. Ristridin’s words seemed to have made quite an impression on him. “Please forgive me, sir knight,” he continued. “Well, they asked about you. They wanted to know if I had seen four Grey Knights and their squires, travelling from the direction of Castle Mistrinaut. I hadn’t and that’s what I told them. They asked about…” He paused for a moment and glanced at Tiuri. “About a young man with a beautiful ring on his finger. I haven’t seen a young man matching that description as yet.”

  “And?” said Ristridin. Tall and stern, he stood before Leor, who was unable to resist the knight’s piercing gaze.

  “They said I should watch for the Grey Knights and the young man,” he continued. “And that I should let them know if I saw them.”

  “And how were you to let them know?” asked Ristridin. “How were you to contact them? Where are they now?”

  “I don’t know. I truly don’t. They said they would return here, to ask me.”

  “Is that the truth?”

  “Yes, sir knight,” replied Leor. “That’s the truth.”

  Now the innkeeper chimed in. “You must believe him, Sir Ristridin,” he said. “Of course it was wrong of him to listen in on your conversation. His curiosity will be the end of him. But he wasn’t to know that the Red Riders are murderers.”

  “Of course I didn’t know,” said Leor indignantly.

  “It is a pity you cannot tell us where they are,” said Ristridin. “But we shall find them anyway. Go, Leor. But one last thing: you must alert us if they should return.”

  “Yes, sir knight,” said Leor meekly, as he shuffled away.

  “Is there anything else I can do for you?” asked the innkeeper.

  “Yes, Foram,” said Ristridin. “Please do not use my name again, as long as I am wearing this grey armour.”

  “As you wish, sir knight,” said the innkeeper. “I shall keep a close eye on Leor, although I do not believe that he knows any more than he has told us.”

  “Good, Foram,” said Ristridin. “We shall retire to bed. We intend to depart early tomorrow morning.”

  After the innkeeper had left, the members of the company sat together for a while, discussing the situation.

  “I for one believe this Leor knows more than he has told,” said Bendu.

  “That is possible,” said Ristridin thoughtfully.

  “And is the innkeeper to be trusted?” asked Arwaut.

  “If he knew anything, I am sure he would have told me,” answered Ristridin. “I know him. He is a good man, but not very bright.”

  “What do we do now?” asked Evan.

  “Nothing,” replied Bendu. “Let us go to bed. But I think we should take it in turns to keep watch, so that no one may enter or leave the inn without our knowledge.”

  “That sounds like a good plan,” said Ristridin.

  They divided the watch, with Ristridin taking first turn, along with Tiuri, at Ristridin’s request. They were to stay in the main room and occasionally patrol the inn. When an hour had passed, they would wake two of the others.

  Soon Tiuri was alone with Ristridin. With only one candle burning, the room was in almost complete darkness.

  “I asked to keep watch with you,” said the knight, “because it gives me a good opportunity to talk to you about something.”

  “Are you not concerned that someone might be listening in?” asked Tiuri.

  “
Leor? What I have to tell you is no secret. Leor is welcome to hear it, even if he is a spy for the Red Riders.”

  “Do you think the Red Riders are nearby?” asked Tiuri. “And that they plan to return here?”

  Ristridin shrugged. “I am certain they are nearby,” he replied.

  Tiuri fell silent for a few moments. “I think they are looking for me,” he said quietly. “And if they know I am in your company, they will probably come to us.”

  “Let them come,” said Ristridin. “The sooner, the better. As long as you are with us, you are under our protection.” He stood up, walked over to the door and looked outside. Then he returned and sat beside Tiuri, but left the door open.

  The hour passed quickly, as Ristridin told stories about Sir Edwinem.

  Tiuri listened. Later, he would often think back to this night. And he would picture the quiet room once again, by the flickering light of the single candle, and the darkness through the open door, and hear the sound of the river and the soft voice of Sir Ristridin as he told his story. And he would see Sir Edwinem, not dying and defeated as he had been in the forest, but riding proudly and valiantly through the world on his black horse, with the sunlight glinting on his white shield.

  3 EDWINEM

  Sir Ristridin spoke about his friend, Edwinem of Forèstèrra. He told a tale of adventure and great deeds, a story whose end Tiuri already knew. But now Tiuri heard more about Edwinem’s last adventure, even though Ristridin’s story was incomplete. He made no mention of the letter for King Unauwen, and yet that was most surely the cause of Sir Edwinem’s flight – and his demise.

  This is what Ristridin told Tiuri.

  “In the spring of this year,” he said, “I was with my brother at Castle Ristridin by the Grey River. Bendu and Edwinem had also promised to come; the three of us were to go together to the Wild Wood, where we had never ventured before.

  “One day, messengers arrived with news that knights of Unauwen were approaching. I set out to meet them. They were few in number, but the small procession looked very fine. All of the knights were in full armour, in white plate, with white shields and rainbow-coloured cloaks. At the front, on his black horse, rode Edwinem of Forèstèrra, who owned a magnificent estate in the Kingdom of Unauwen, but who, like me, was a knight-errant. The other knights also bore names of renown; I shall mention only Andomar of Ingewel, Argarath of Fardale, Marcian, and Darowin. They were on their way to Eviellan as envoys of King Unauwen. At Sir Edwinem’s request, they were passing through our land, so that he could tell me in person that he would not be able to join us on our expedition for some time. His king had given him a more important task. As you know, the King of Eviellan had sent messages to his father and his brother, expressing the wish that they might make peace. That is why King Unauwen had sent the best of his knights to Eviellan.

  “The knights stayed for one day and one night as guests at my brother’s castle. They were full of joy and hope… all but one of them. Sir Edwinem was silent and withdrawn. That afternoon I stood with him on the tallest tower of the castle and we looked out over the plains of Eviellan, on the other side of the Grey River. Then I asked him why he was unhappy. At first he would not say anything, but finally he sighed and said, ‘I do not know! Everyone is joyful and hopes for peace with Eviellan. But my heart is held captive by a dark foreboding. Sometimes I grow angry with myself and wonder if I have become too suspicious and distrustful. But I have never felt this way before, not even in moments of danger.’

  “I told him he had no reason to fear, but he replied, ‘I know that as well as you, Ristridin! And yet still I cannot shake off this feeling.’

  “Then he turned his face to the west and said, ‘Far from here, by the forest and by the shore, lies my castle, Forèstèrra. I love my home and, when I wander far, my heart is gladdened by the thought that one day I will be there again. But now I am only sad when I think of it, and I believe I shall never see my home again.’

  “I asked him if he feared treachery.

  “‘Do not speak that word aloud,’ he replied. ‘The King of Eviellan has long been my enemy. I have fought against many of his knights and never has one of them been able to defeat me. But none of them has ever behaved towards me in an unknightly manner. So I cannot imagine that treachery is afoot. And yet – and it is only to you that I would say this, Ristridin – I do not believe that the King of Eviellan truly desires peace. I know him; he is a wicked man.’

  “‘But he may have changed,’ I objected.

  “‘God grant it,’ replied Edwinem. ‘I certainly hope so. Yes, I hope so, Ristridin! Perhaps, when I see him, I will forget my misgivings. The King of Eviellan has a most winning way; he looks so like his brother, the crown prince, that all who meet him find it hard to believe in his wickedness. And that is precisely why he is so dangerous.’ Then he shook his head and said with a smile, ‘And now I shall remain silent on this subject, Ristridin! Do not concern yourself about me; let me go where I must. And you must do as you have planned: head into the Wild Wood. The idea is a sound one, for very few people have ventured there before, and a knight should know his own land.’

  “The next morning, he and the other knights took their leave and rode on to Eviellan. Edwinem’s squire, Vokia, stayed behind at Castle Ristridin, although it had taken considerable effort for his master to persuade him. The journey would have been too arduous for the old man, who was not in good health. The knights intended to stop off on their return journey and take him with them.

  “After their departure, I found that Edwinem’s fear had infected me. So I decided not to leave for the Wild Wood until they had returned. Bendu arrived and he waited with me, as he did not wish to travel without my company. We crossed the Grey River and entered into Eviellan, but we heard nothing of interest. There were rumours of peace and reconciliation there, too, but we also heard that the armies of Eviellan had greatly increased in number and that they were closely watching the border of the Kingdom of Unauwen.

  “Summer was approaching by then. It would soon be time to leave for the City of Dagonaut for the four-yearly gathering. We knew we would not be able to go to the Wild Wood as planned.

  “Then came the day when I saw Sir Edwinem for the last time. It was a peculiar day: it was raining and yet the sun was shining at the same time, and old Vokia was anxiously pacing, muttering about a dream he had had, and lamenting that he was not with his master. As the sun set, a strange knight knocked at the gates of Castle Ristridin. He wanted to speak to me, but would not give his name. The gatekeeper believed it was a knight from Eviellan. I went to the gates, followed by Vokia, who was convinced that the unknown visitor had something to do with his master. There stood the knight; black was his armour, black was his shield, and black was his horse. But even without that horse, I would have known who he was, although he did not raise his visor and acted as if he did not know me. I let him in, but I did not speak his name. Only later, when we were alone, was our greeting warmer.

  “‘What has happened, Edwinem,’ I asked, ‘that you have come here alone, and clad all in black, like a knight of Eviellan?’

  “‘It was the only way to escape from that land,’ he replied. ‘I detest this black, but the white is concealed beneath it and soon it will reappear.’

  “He was unable or unwilling to say what was going on, and his arrival had to remain secret. I gathered that he had fled for some reason and that he was in a hurry. If it had not been essential for him and his horse to rest, he would not even have come. He wanted to ride on after a few hours, and travel along the Third Great Road to his homeland. However, when I told him there were more troops on the border, he abandoned that plan.

  “‘They will be watching the border,’ he said. ‘Much of the south of the Kingdom of Unauwen is in their power. The Forest of Vorgóta is safe, but Eviellan’s warriors are lying in wait in the Southerly Mountains and there are sure to be more men there now than a couple of months ago. No, I shall take a detour to reach the King
dom of Unauwen; first to the north and then along the First Great Road.’

  “I asked if I could help him, but he shook his head, ‘This matter concerns my kingdom and my king alone. But that may not always be the case.’ Then he smiled and added, ‘This must be the most peculiar of all my adventures! I am travelling in deepest secrecy, fleeing as though death itself were on my heels, dressed in black like some servant of the night. But it may well be the most important mission of my life. God grant that I may reach my goal!’

  “And that was all he said. A few hours later, he rode away, but he was no longer alone; his old squire went with him.

  “I remained behind, full of fear, worry and doubt. The next day, a group of riders in red crossed the river, heading northwards. My brother and I stopped them and asked what business they had in the Kingdom of Dagonaut. They replied that they had been sent by their king to pay homage to King Dagonaut in honour of the festival on midsummer’s day. We could do nothing but let them go; after all, recent relations between our kingdom and Eviellan had been good. Back at the castle, I consulted with Bendu and my brother. I knew what I wanted to do: follow the Red Riders and keep an eye on them. Bendu wanted to come with me, and Arturin, my brother, would remain at Ristridin to keep an eye on the border. We quickly made ready, and Bendu and I left that same day.

  “As we travelled, we heard that a strange knight had joined the Red Riders; he wore a black suit of armour and a red shield.

  “Oh, that journey to the north, in hot pursuit! We were following the Red Riders, and we feared that they were following the lord of Forèstèrra. We heard news of them in a village by the Green River. Two black knights had come to blows there, one with a red shield and one with a white shield. So we realized then that Edwinem had taken the black from his shield. The Knight with the White Shield had defeated his opponent, but he had not killed him. A band of Red Riders had arrived and chased the victor into the forest, after which they had all disappeared. Later, however, the old man who had accompanied the victorious knight had returned and ridden at full tilt towards the City of Dagonaut.