Evil Within

by Richard S. Tuttle

  "Umal went to Odessia to get fresh mounts," explained Prince Antion. "We spent some time in a small town to wait for him."

  "That still leaves days unaccounted for," frowned Prince Derri. "Were you wounded?"

  "No," replied the Arin prince. "We are traveling in the company of a merchant. His wagon moves slowly."

  "Ah," the Salacian prince nodded in understanding. "That explains a great deal. You may want to leave the merchant behind on your return to Anatar."

  "I will not abandon the merchant," Prince Antion shook his head. "I made a bargain with the man to be his warrior, and I will not renege on it."

  "I will provide the merchant with a full company of soldiers to protect him," offered the Salacian prince.

  "That will not be necessary," declined Prince Antion. "I cannot go to the palace in Anatar. I will not bring such havoc to my people."

  "You must," pleaded Prince Derri. "Your father has sent runners around the world to locate you and order your return. Borunda knows your identity. You will not be safe outside the confines of Anatar."

  "Borunda is already showing my picture around the world," retorted Prince Antion, "and that has not helped them to find me. If I can move around in Kyland, and I am sure in Anatar as well, without being discovered, then I am safer not showing up at the royal palace."

  "Then how do you explain the ambush?" questioned Prince Derri. "Surely, you do not think that was an ambush for a merchant?"

  "No," agreed Prince Antion. "One of our group slipped up in Caxon. He let our destination be known. Prince Zinan was in that city at the same time we were. I saw him in a tavern."

  "And he did not recognize you?" inquired the Salacian prince.

  "He did not," answered Prince Antion.

  "Still," pondered Prince Derri, "there are only two major roads out of Kyland. One would have to be a fool not to think that you are heading south from here. The Borundans will try again."

  "There is truth to what he says," interjected Prince Umal. "Perhaps it is time to end your wanderings."

  "No," the Arin prince shook his head vigorously. "I will not become a prisoner in my own castle. I will escort Kerzi back to Capri and then search for the killers of Jared's father. That is what my future holds."

  "Jared?" questioned Prince Derri.

  "He is the one I told you about," answered Prince Umal, "the one who looks like Prince Zinan."

  "His father was killed in Capri about a year ago," explained Prince Antion. "I need to find out why he was killed and who killed him."

  "Why?" frowned the Salacian prince. "How can you get so distracted when you are being hunted?"

  "I am not sure," admitted the Arin prince. "There is something special about Jared, and I don't mean just his resemblance to Prince Zinan. There is a bond between us that I do not understand, and I am filled with this urge to solve the mystery of his father's death. I cannot explain it, because I do not understand it, but it is something that I must do regardless of the danger. Can you understand that?"

  "Absolutely not," smiled Prince Derri, "but I will support you in any way that I can. Tell me what I can do to help."

  "There is nothing that you can do," Prince Antion smiled in return, "but I greatly appreciate your words. I cannot imagine what life would be like without friends such as you and Umal."

  "So what happens next?" asked Prince Derri. "Will you at least visit your father as you pass through Anatar?"

  "I would like to," said Prince Antion, "but I cannot risk being seen entering the palace." The Arin prince sighed and placed his hands on Prince Derri's shoulders. "The merchant will choose a load in the morning, and we will depart this fine city. I do not know when we will meet next, but I hope it is under circumstances that will bring us both much joy and time to spend with one another."

  "I have a thought," Prince Derri responded after a moment of awkward silence.

  "I hope it is not a request to come with us," interjected Prince Umal.

  "Of course not," chuckled Prince Derri. "I already know what that answer would be if I asked the question. You mentioned that your merchant had not yet chosen a cargo. Is that correct?"

  "Prince Antion is trying to get him to carry stones," laughed Prince Umal. "The merchant is not taking too kindly to the suggestion."

  "Arin is in desperate need of weapons and armor," declared the Salacian prince. "Salacian forges are working night and day to help them with their needs. I could easily arrange a shipment for your merchant, and the remuneration would be greater than his usual profit on such a journey. He would also be helping Arin to get ready for the coming war."

  "That is the type of help that I am happy to receive," grinned Prince Antion. "Can it be done in such a way as to not call attention to us?"

  "Easily," nodded Prince Derri, "and it will also get you into the royal palace in Anatar without anyone suspecting anything. I will send a runner on ahead of you with a personal message for King Caedmon. He will arrange his own security for the meeting with you."

  "I would like that very much," smiled Prince Antion, "but what will you say in the message?"

  "I will let you write it yourself if you wish," offered the Salacian prince.

  "That will not be necessary," Prince Antion shook his head. "Just make sure that he is aware that not all of my party knows my true identity. It is simpler if things stay that way."

  "Are there some that you do not trust?" frowned Prince Derri.

  "No," answered the Arin prince, "but I fear the Borundans' ability to reach into others' minds. The fewer people who know about me, the safer I feel."

  "All will be taken care of," promised Prince Derri. "I will leave now and wish you both a safe journey. You two remain here for a few minutes to make sure that I am not followed."

  The Salacian prince embraced each of his friends and then slipped out of the stables. In seconds he was gone, but they stood watching for movement in the dark for a few minutes longer.

  "I am surprised that he did not try to join up with us," commented Horst. "We sure could use his sword when the Borundans find us next."

  "We could indeed," nodded Gunnar, "but it is better this way. The others might not think anything strange, but I am sure that Kerzi would be suspicious if someone joined us in Kyland. He already thinks Monte might be a prince in disguise. Your joining with me has really made him curious."

  "He no longer thinks that of Monte," laughed Horst. "We had a long talk one night when I was on sentry duty, and he had awoken early. The man treats me as he does the others when we are in view of anyone, but in private he is still in awe of your having a prince for a friend. I cannot imagine what he would think if he knew the truth about you."

  "I don't even want to think about it," chuckled Prince Antion. "Let's get out of these foul stables before I lose the evening meal."

  * * *

  The merchant and his five warriors were having the morning meal in the common room when two soldiers entered through the rear door of the inn. Their eyes scanned the common room and one of them walked to the center of the room and spoke loudly.

  "Who owns the wagon out back?" the soldier asked.

  Kerzi raised his hand and both soldiers converged on the table. Kerzi rose as they approached.

  "Is there something wrong with my wagon?" he asked anxiously.

  "Not at all," replied the soldier. "We are looking for merchants heading towards Anatar. Would you be going that way?"

  "I am," nodded the old man. "I am leaving this morning as soon as I get a load. Why?"

  "We need to make a delivery," answered the soldier as he handed a paper to the merchant. "This is the request form. If you take it to the armory, they will load your wagon with goods bound for Anatar. You will be paid in Anatar when you make the delivery."

  "This is most unusual," frowned Kerzi. "I usually buy my own goods and resell them at a profit. What will I be paid for this delivery?"

  "You will be paid handsomely," answered the soldier. "I am told that the tr
ip is more profitable than most merchants are used to, but I do not know the exact amount. Should I extend the offer to some other merchant?" the soldier asked as he reached for the paper.

  Kerzi looked at the other members of his group for some sign of acceptance or rejection of the proposed offer, but no one appeared to have strong emotions one way or another.

  Kerzi held the paper close to his chest and shook his head. "I will go to the armory," the merchant agreed. "Thank you for this opportunity."

  The soldiers nodded and retreated from the inn.

  "What do you make of that?" Kerzi asked his group.

  "Sounds like they need to get something to Anatar and don't have the wagons to accomplish it," shrugged Monte. "Whatever it is, it sounds like they will load the wagon for us. That can't be all bad."

  "The armory indicates that they are shipping military goods to their neighboring country," offered Horst. "I suspect they will be generous with their rewards."

  "Then we have a load," grinned Kerzi, "and it is not rocks. Let's get whatever it is they want us to take, and get on the road."

  "I will go with Horst to retrieve our horses," offered Gunnar.

  "I want to make a last run through the marketplace," said Monte. "Where shall we meet?"

  "The armory is near the market place," replied Kerzi. "Let's meet just outside its gates. It should not take a bunch of soldiers longer than an hour to load the wagon, seeing as they are in a hurry to get their goods out of the city."

  * * *

  As Prince Zinan rode through the gates of the palace in Tarent, his eyes scanned the barracks area and the training grounds. While there was a great deal of activity going on, it was not nearly as much as he had expected. His dour mood deepened when he saw that some of the recruits were training with sticks instead of weapons.

  The dark prince stormed into the palace and made his way directly to the throne room. As expected, he found Prince Garrick sitting on the throne, but Naveena stood beside it issuing orders. She looked up as he entered and then immediately dismissed everyone. The people hastened out of the room, and the dark prince approached the throne.

  "It is nice to see that you have returned safely," smiled the regent. "Was your trip successful?"

  "Much more successful than what I see on my return," scowled Prince Zinan as he locked eyes with the Crown Prince. "Was that supposed to be an army that I passed on my way in?"

  "The army is growing," answered Naveena. "It will be ready when the time is right."

  "When the time is right?" echoed Prince Zinan. "And when will that be?"

  "We spoke of three years," reminded Naveena. "We are only just getting started. These thing do not happen overnight."

  "Overnight?" balked Prince Zinan. "I have been gone for months, and I see little sign of a great army upon my return. What have you been doing while I was off seeding our enemies' cities with spies?"

  "Garrick has had trouble raising the armies," declared Naveena. "Be patient with him. Everything will fall into place."

  Prince Zinan saw the Crown Prince glare at the regent, and he began to understand that there was a problem in Tarent, a problem he planned to rectify.

  "Leave us, Mother," Prince Zinan said softly. "I must speak with my cousin alone."

  "Leave?" balked the regent. "There is nothing to be said to the Crown Prince without my knowledge."

  "Leave us!" shouted the dark prince as he glared at Naveena.

  Naveena's mouth fell open and she stared in disbelief at the boy she had raised as her own. She was of a mind to stand and argue with him, but the contortions visible in his angry face told her that he was beyond reasoning. She huffed and exited the room without a word. Prince Zinan walked to the throne and perched on one of its arms. He put his arm around his cousin and spoke softly.

  "Tell me what the problem is," Prince Zinan softly commanded.

  "The people do not respect my authority," confessed Prince Garrick. "They still see me as a boy instead of a king. I have tried everything that I can think of, but nothing works."

  "How do the generals treat you?" asked Prince Zinan.

  "The same as the people," answered Prince Garrick. "Oh, they pay me the proper respect in their mannerisms and protocol, but I know what they are thinking. I am still the boy, and my wisper is still raising me. I do not think we will be ready in three years."

  "The three year pact that I made with Naveena is over," declared Prince Zinan. "The other countries of the Land of the Nine Kingdoms are not going to sit idle while we build our armies. Already Arin is increasing theirs so fast that they have to import weapons and armor."

  "Already?" gasped Prince Garrick. "How dare they? Don't they know that is a provocation?"

  "They are careful to conceal it," shrugged the dark prince, "and we are hardly in a position to complain about it. We can claim to be merely enlarging our army because we have three major cities to defend, but that excuse would grow tiring rather soon. "

  "What are we going to do?" asked Prince Garrick. "We cannot let them build up an army to resist us."

  "As long as Arin is isolated," mused the dark prince, "they will not present a major problem to our plans, but we must accelerate our own schedule. We cannot afford to wait for three years."

  "Naveena will not stand for acceleration of the schedule," Prince Garrick shook his head. "She is very much enjoying the headiness of her new found power."

  "Naveena is of no concern," Prince Zinan replied dismissively. "The question is, are you ready to be king?"

  "Of course," brightened Prince Garrick. "I despise just sitting here watching someone else run my country."

  "Do you think you have the ability to raise the armies that we require?" asked the dark prince.

  Prince Garrick quickly answered that he was capable, but that was to be expected. Prince Zinan needed to know the truth, and he used the Talent to probe Prince Garrick's mind.

  "Stop that!" shouted the Crown Prince. "Naveena is always doing that, and I forbid it. Do not ever do that to me again."

  Prince Zinan was taken aback at his cousin's reaction. He slipped off the arm of the throne and stared at the Crown Prince in amazement. Prince Garrick had always been so easily manipulated that he thought his cousin had no way of feeling it.

  "For years you have done that to me," sighed Prince Garrick, "and I never took it to mean anything other than your way to help me, but Naveena has unwittingly helped me to understand things differently. I will not have either of you entering my mind for any reason. Do you understand?"

  "I am sorry," bowed Prince Zinan. "I have always used it to help you, and that is only what it should be used for. It would appear that Naveena has overstepped her bounds. I merely wanted to ascertain that you were indeed confident enough to build the armies. So much depends upon that happening."

  "I understand, Zinan," nodded Prince Garrick, "but I will no longer allow it. You will advise me because I value your advice, not because you think you can control me."

  "I understand," Prince Zinan replied, his mind seething with anger over Naveena's bungling.

  "Remove the regency, and I will raise the armies needed to vanquish our foes," promised Prince Garrick. "Do what you must, but get her away from me."

  "As you wish, Your Highness," bowed Prince Zinan.

  The dark prince left the throne room and marched angrily to Naveena's chambers. He burst into the room without knocking and closed the door.

  "You seem to have lost your manners while you were away," Naveena replied, trying to seize control of the coming confrontation.

  "I learned much while I was away," Prince Zinan said softly. "I learned that the mystery bodyguard was Prince Antion of Arin, and I learned that he has gone into hiding. I also learned that Arin is preparing a large army to defend against us. It is only a matter of time before they convince other countries to join with them against us."

  "No," frowned Naveena. "This can not be allowed. Those despicable Arinites will be the first to fal
l before our armies."

  "Somehow," smiled Prince Zinan, "I thought you would see things that way."

  Naveena smiled at the compliment.

  "Unfortunately," continued the dark prince, "that is exactly the wrong way to attack this problem. I will not lose a third of our army to crush only one country. The Arinites are only a problem if they manage to unite the others. I will make sure that never happens."

  "We can discuss strategies another time," smiled Naveena. "Let us not get into such arguments upon your return. This should be a joyous occasion for all of us."

  "You have failed me, Mother," Prince Zinan said softly. "There are no great Borundan armies forming. The men do not have weapons to train with, and worst of all, you allowed Prince Garrick to understand that we were probing his mind."

  "I thought that he could not feel anything," frowned Naveena. "You told me that you had been probing him for years."

  "I had been," nodded Prince Zinan, "but one must be careful when doing so. He thought I was trying to help him, but your manipulations proved to be rather crude. You have only succeeded in making our tasks more difficult."

  "I have done the best I can," defended Naveena.

  "That has not been good enough," declared Prince Zinan. "This afternoon you will call a meeting of the king's advisors."

  "For what purpose?" balked Naveena.

  "To announce that Prince Garrick is ready to take over control of the country," replied the dark prince. "You will demand that he be coronated as soon as possible."

  "I am not ready to be just the king's advisor," scowled Naveena. "We made an agreement."

  "I am breaking it," declared Prince Zinan, "and you will not be the king's advisor. I will be."

  "Inconceivable!" shouted Naveena. "I raised you from a newborn and I did not do so to be treated so brashly. I will not call the meeting, and I will not step aside."

  "You will do as I say," threatened Prince Zinan, "or you will not be the advisor to the king's advisor."

  "Your advisor?" balked the regent. "Oh, you place yourself too high, Zinan. If you think I will stand for this behavior, you are wrong. I am the regent and regent I shall remain. Perhaps I will even extend my rule beyond the year that we agreed to."