“And so,” Aldrick reasoned, “my father, unable to retrieve the artifact himself and knowing you are traveling to Karkerech, asked you to go after Jahann?”
“Yes, though he thought you…” Garrick let the thought hang.
Aldrick stood in a rush. “You want me to go with you!”
Garrick nodded. “The truth is I need you, Aldrick. I can’t explain it, at least not in any way you would believe. Let’s just say I feel it’s very important you come with me.”
Aldrick was caught off-guard and began to argue with Garrick half-heartedly, even though he knew from his dream the king was likely correct. “I can’t leave Jelénna and Adrias now! You shouldn’t be going either. The country needs its king!”
Garrick was prepared for his arguments and answered quickly. “Paden and his men have generously agreed to escort your wife and son back to Akkadia. They will be in good hands in the safety of the palace with Tiberius.” The king drained his wine glass and set it back down on the table. “As for my leaving, believe me Aldrick, the country is better off with Tiberius running things than me. I was not born to do paperwork. If I didn’t get out of that palace soon, I was going to lose my mind.”
Warren chuckled. “He does not like paperwork.”
Garrick continued to smile, but asked with mock-seriousness, “Did I not just say that?”
Aldrick sat back down, and was quiet for some time. The others respected his need to think, and remained quiet while feigning interest in the general furnishings of the room. Although his instinct was to argue and deny the request, it was clear from his dream––if indeed the prophetic images could be called merely a dream––that he was meant to stand by Garrick for some purpose, even if he did not understand the imagery of the long-dead Sargon.
After some time, Aldrick sighed. “I will need to talk to Jelénna.”
Garrick grinned. “I have a feeling she will understand.” Glancing around the dining room, he asked, “Now that’s settled, where do you keep the rest of that wine?”
Chapter 8
The next morning, Aldrick was whisking eggs when Jelénna stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes and yawning.
“Coffee,” she managed to say.
“Good morning to you too,” Aldrick chided, but one side of his mouth was turned up in a half smile.
Jelénna was too tired and bleary-eyed to respond intelligently, but she smiled after Aldrick handed her a steaming cup of coffee.
Aldrick tried to sound nonchalant. “I had an interesting visitor late last night.”
“Oh? Who was it dear?”
“It was none other than our new king.”
“Gilmoure? What did he want?”
Aldrick picked up his spoon. “Apparently Illyrian troops are gathering near our border for a possible invasion.”
“By the All Father, that’s terrible! Is he certain?”
Aldrick nodded. “After many long Summers of peace, we may now be facing war. The king is leaving for Karkerech to gather information on this army encampment.”
“Is it wise for Gilmoure to go himself?”
“I doubt it.” Aldrick smiled and paused in stirring the eggs. He proceeded to tell her of Gilmoure’s true identity, why he had gone into hiding, and how Tiberius was acting as regent while the king was away.
She sat in stunned silence for several long moments, before asking the inevitable question. “Why did he come all this way to tell you about all this?”
Aldrick hesitated; this was the part he had been dreading. “Because I have to go with him.”
“Absolutely not!”
Aldrick rapped the spoon on the pan. “Now hear me out…”
“No!” Jelénna shouted. “Why in the name of the All Father would he want you to go? You are an investigator Aldrick, not a soldier. Certainly this is a job for soldiers!”
Aldrick took a sip of his coffee. “It’s a reconnaissance mission, not a battle. Besides, there’s a very good reason for me to go.”
“What possible reason could there be for you to go? This Prince Garrick, he is Illyrian; this could be a plot to take over Asturia!”
“I trust him,” Aldrick argued. “I don’t believe either he, or the Illyrians truly want a war. This man who murdered King Zabalan is the driving force behind this invasion.”
“Is there proof of this? I respect your beliefs Aldrick, but what reason is there for you to go?”
“You remember when I told you about my special dreams?”
When his wife nodded, he told her of his dream from the night before, and how he believed it represented his need to accompany the king north. Jelénna listened patiently, although her face reflected her disbelief. When she spoke, she did not sound convinced. “I understand you believe in this dear, but how can you make this decision based solely on a dream?”
Aldrick considered for a time before answering. “I am starting to believe these prophetic images are more than simple dreams.”
“More than dreams?”
“I can’t believe I’m going to say this,” Aldrick grimaced. “But I believe these dreams are actually…visions. I cannot explain how that could be, but there has been far too much evidence of their truth and prescience to disregard them any longer. Whatever is causing them, they are real, and I can no longer ignore them.”
Jelénna was still dubious. “I’m not going to be able to change your mind, am I?”
“I’m afraid not. I didn’t want to believe it either, but I am convinced I must go.”
“I wish there was another way,” Jelénna worried. “I don’t want to lose you Aldrick!”
Aldrick put down the pan and took his wife in his arms. “You are not going to lose me, my love. I will return, I promise.”
They embraced until Jelénna pulled back and looked into his eyes. “Where is…Garrick now?”
“They stayed at the Lake Parime Inn last night. There were too many to stay here, and I needed time to talk to you alone.”
“They?”
Aldrick went back to the eggs. “His friend Warren is with him of course, along with Paden, the man who works for my father. He has come to escort you and Adrias back to Akkadia to stay with Tiberius.”
“I don’t want to go to Akkadia,” Jelénna argued. “I want to stay here in my own house.”
“Without me here, I would prefer you had the protection of the palace. Khelvar may be dead, but we cannot be certain there won’t be another attempt.”
From the look on her face, Jelénna clearly wished to argue the point further, but took a deep breath and nodded in resignation. “I suppose you’re right. I don’t like it though.”
“No, I don’t suppose you do,” Aldrick chuckled. Putting the eggs aside, he took his wife in his arms once more, just because he felt like it.
Garrick and the others had returned by the time he had his family packed and ready to leave. Jelénna grumbled the entire time, but she helped him prepare and secure the house, until she and Adrias stood in the kitchen with their belongings.
Adrias, who had awakened to find them preparing to leave, asked, “Father, why do you have to leave?”
Aldrick tousled his son’s hair. “I have to go and help the king, son.”
“But I don’t want to leave now,” Adrias pouted. “I’ll miss school and my friends.”
Aldrick considered how to explain the necessity. “I know you will Adrias, but I need to make certain you and your mother are safe.”
“I guess,” Adrias sulked, before giving his father a suspicious look. “Are you going to kill some more men?”
The question surprised Aldrick, but considering all that had occurred since their journey to Akkadia in the spring, perhaps it was not that unusual. “Don’t worry son, nothing bad will happen, I’m sure.”
Adrias nodded, but he still had a petulant look. “I want to go with you!”
“I’m afraid not son.”
“But why? I want to go on an adventure,” Adrias moped.
; “I need you to stay and protect your mother while I’m gone,” Aldrick kissed his son on the forehead. “You are a big boy now, I’m counting on you.”
“I am,” Adrias smiled. “I guess I could stay to protect mother.”
The front door stood open, and Garrick strode in with a quick knock. “Ready to go?” Seeing Jelénna, he swept a formal bow and added, “And how are you this fine morning? You look as lovely as ever.”
She gave the slightest of curtsies. “King Garrick,” she said with a particular emphasis on his name. “So nice to see you again.”
Garrick roared with laughter. “You lie nearly as well as a used wagon dealer, my dear. I expect you aren’t overly fond of me right now.”
Her expression softened by a very small margin. “I am not happy about you taking my husband.” Looking into his eyes, she added, “But I believe in him, so if he thinks he must do this, then I will support him.”
Garrick smiled, looking completely unsurprised. “I had a feeling you would understand, but I still truly appreciate your tolerance and patience in this matter. I cannot begin to tell you how important this is.” With an uncharacteristic guilty look, he added, “I will return him to you as soon as I can.”
“I would appreciate that.”
Adrias interrupted the conversation. “You are the new king, aren’t you?”
With an amused look, Garrick nodded. “That’s right Adrias.”
Adrias nodded with a serious expression. “Are you going to kill some more men?”
“Adrias!” Jelénna scolded.
Aldrick interjected. “Adrias, neither the king nor I want to kill anyone unless we absolutely must to defend ourselves. Isn’t that right, Garrick?”
Garrick nodded in confirmation. “Yes, that’s right.”
Adrias looked a little confused, but he seemed to understand. Aldrick quickly changed the subject and asked his wife, “Are you ready to leave my love?”
“Yes dear, if I must.”
After introducing her to Paden and his men, Aldrick said his goodbyes, and helped them onto their horses. He stood for a long time watching as their horses trotted away with a slow gait towards the edge of town, and the road to Akkadia.
Garrick put a hand on his shoulder. “What’s wrong my friend?”
Aldrick sighed. “I don’t know. I’ve not felt this lonely leaving her before. This time seems different somehow. I wish we could have accompanied them to Akkadia and taken a boat directly to Karkerech.”
“We wouldn’t be able to take the horses on the boat,” Garrick replied. “And I didn’t mention it before, but there is another reason we must go this way. Obviously, we are not going to be able to simply stroll into Karkerech. I have a plan, but it requires assistance from Warren’s family, and so we must travel through the Kannes Region.”
Aldrick sighed. “I’m still going to miss her”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Chapter 9
Aldrick, Garrick, and Warren mounted their horses along with two of the king’s guards, named Lewin and Elior, and together they trotted north through the lake town of Ubarra, towards the Kannes Road. A great deal of Asturian trade was along the Tianna River, but land routes also existed for the inland areas of the country. The Kannes Road allowed merchants to travel between Ubarra and Erimar, the main city of the Kannes region. A great deal of fish from Ubarra and ports along Lake Parime went north on this road, in exchange for grain, fruits and vegetables from the fields around Erimar, along with a variety of other trade goods.
They rode at a comfortable pace to preserve the horses, which allowed for conversation. Unfortunately for Aldrick, that consisted mostly of Garrick and Warren bickering about anything and everything. They argued about the weather, when they might arrive, and what the best type of horse was. At the moment, they were arguing about how long their rations would hold out.
“I’m telling you, the food we have will not last until we reach Erimar,” Warren insisted.
Garrick sighed. “Why do you insist on worrying about everything? We’ll be fine. If we have to stop to hunt or fish, we will. Relax!”
“But that will slow us down.” Warren whined.
“And?”
“Well I…I sent that letter to my parents. They will be expecting us to arrive no later than six days from now.”
“So it might take an extra day, no big deal.”
“You don’t understand,” Warren stammered.
“I don’t wish to understand,” Garrick retorted, trying his best to sound innocent. Warren rode ahead in a huff, ending the conversation.
Aldrick pulled his horse up next to Garrick. “Why do you provoke him? You know how upset he gets.”
“Yes I know,” Garrick said with a grin, looking like a cat that had gotten into the cream.
Aldrick changed the subject. “Has Brodan said anything more?”
Garrick lost his smile. “Not much. He admitted to obtaining his Triad from Jahann, but claimed to know nothing of the artifact, or whom Khelvar and Jahann might be working for. He would only admit that Jahann had promised to help him win the Tournament and secure the kingship, in exchange for full access to the King’s Sanctum. I took a look around the Sanctum, but found nothing of particular interest. Of course I have no idea what he was looking for.”
“Since he left town, I imagine Jahann sought the very artifact we unwittingly handed over to him,” Aldrick said in a voice full of regret.
“That was not your fault. Tiberius told me what happened. He may have been searching for something completely different, for all we know.”
“Perhaps,” Aldrick admitted. “But then why did he leave almost immediately after taking possession of the artifact?”
“Good point,” Garrick agreed, scanning the road.
They rode quietly for a while, lost in their own thoughts until Aldrick broke the silence. “You must have also questioned Brodan in regards to the invasion.”
Garrick paused before replying, “He was questioned.”
“And?”
Garrick shrugged. “Either he doesn’t know, or would not speak of it. I ordered he be questioned thoroughly, but not outright tortured for your sake.”
“Thank you,” Aldrick sighed. “He was a good man once. He is arrogant, but underneath that bravado he was always a bit insecure. I’m certain that’s how Jahann was able to gain his confidence.”
“You may be right,” Garrick said. “I’m hearing whispers now that a growing segment of the nobles are pushing for his trial to finally take place.”
“I’m not surprised,” Aldrick said. “He may not have murdered the other finalists himself, but he gave the order.”
“Not just them. His father, King Hermanus.”
“What?” Aldrick exclaimed. “There is evidence Brodan is responsible for his death?”
“Not that I know of, but with the news of his crimes during the Tournament spreading and with his father’s murder still unsolved…” Garrick left the thought hanging.
“It would be very convenient to blame Brodan,” Aldrick agreed.
“You know it is possible…”
Aldrick held up a hand in protest. “Anything is possible, but I don’t believe Brodan could have gone that far. He loved his father.”
“The evidence we have is enough to convict him of treason and murder. The investigation is complete, and I’ve held off the trial as long as I can. When I return I will be forced to make a decision. The nobles will call for action eventually.”
“I will need to return with you anyway to get my family. Maybe I can get him to confess.”
Garrick said nothing, but he looked skeptical. After that, they rode along the Kannes road for some time in silence.
They continued for another four days, riding at a leisurely pace. Much to Aldrick’s vexation, Garrick and Warren never seemed to run out of things to argue about. He did notice that they never seemed to debate about anything important, such as the trouble in Kishen, o
r what had happened to Garrick’s father. But after awhile, Aldrick found he was able to tune out most of their now familiar bickering.
On the fourth night they finished the last of the dried meat, as Warren had predicted. Sitting around the cook fire as dusk approached, Lewin suggested they do a little hunting before dark to supplement their supplies, but Warren emphatically rejected the idea.
“We can’t go into the wilderness in this area, it’s haunted!”
The Key of Creation: Book 02 - Journey to Khodara Page 6