Only Stones Remain (Ballad of Frindoth Book 4)

by Rob Donovan

  Whilst listening to all of you today, one constant has not changed; Vashna is more valuable to the realm alive than dead. But I also recalled my grandfather’s book. My verdict is thus.

  Vashna will live on one condition. He will travel to Shangon, raze Kana’s home to the ground and bring me his head.”

  The room erupted as men and women got to their feet to either protest or shout their approval at the verdict. Tulber jumped to his feet and shouted above all the others, “What’s to stop him fleeing as soon as we release him?”

  The Prince turned to Vashna. “He won’t, but if he does, we will have his wife as a hostage.”

  Althalos ordered guards to seize Breshanel and escort her to a cell. She called to Vashna over her shoulder as the guards pulled her along. Vashna watched her go but made no move to protest. His eyes met Althalos’ and he gave the smallest of nods. In the doorway Hamsun appeared and did the same.

  *

  Chapter 14

  The newt ran up Tatanya's arm and then onto her other hand. It rested there briefly its throat expanding and contracting as it considered whether running up her other arm again would get it anywhere. She raised the newt to her eye line and marvelled at the bright orange skin on the underside of the amphibian. The newt tilted its head at her as if asking what she could possibly want with it. A distraction that is all. She wanted to forget about the Pit and go back to the girl she knew she was.

  The trouble was every time she tried, images of the dark cells invaded her thoughts and she could hear the prisoner taunting her. When Fyfe had found her, she had never felt so frightened but relieved at the same time. She had wrapped her arms and legs around him and never wanted to let go.

  The newt sprang from her hand and landed on the grass next to the pond. It looked at her for a second before diving into the water and disappearing into the murky depths. "Bet you're not afraid of the dark," she said to the newt.

  She got to her feet as she heard voices. Morag and a soldier walked towards her engaged in an argument. Morag was red in the face which was not unusual, as any kind of brisk walking elicited that reaction, but she also appeared flustered. She raised her arms in the air exasperated as she spoke. The soldier was not put off by this and continued to badger her.

  "What do you expect me to do?" the head maidservant said. "I have my hands more than full having to accommodate everyone at the recent trial. You would think once they had heard the verdict everyone would have gone home, but no, not these parasites. They have all chosen to stay and leech off the Kingdom," Morag said.

  "Some of them have not got homes to return to," The soldier said. He was tall and gangly, stubble covered his face but it was patchy like his short hair. He carried his helmet under one arm and unlike Morag was not out of breath.

  "Lots of people have not got homes to go to. It doesn't mean that they overstay their welcome. I have not got any room."

  "I am not asking for rooms. Just for someone to sit with them and provide refreshments."

  Tatanya stepped in front of Morag and the soldier. "Can I help?"

  The two were so engrossed in their conversation they nearly walked straight into the girl.

  "Perfect timing," Morag said and used the opportunity to put some distance between her and the man. "Make yourself useful for a change and go with Hanoi and see to the guests he has found."

  "They are not guests," he called after Morag. She waved him away without turning around and entered the kitchen.

  Tatanya wondered if Mahria was in there as well. Woe betide the other cooks if she was. The combination of Morag and Mahria was enough for anyone to want to go down into the Pit. She shuddered as she realised that thought was far from helpful.

  "Who are you?" the soldier said.

  "Tatanya,"

  "That's a nice name, I'm..."

  "Hanoi, Morag just said. What did you want?"

  "Glooms there's two of you," Hanoi groaned which made Tatanya laugh. The thought of being compared to Morag struck her as intensely funny.

  “What do you want me to do?”

  The soldier sighed. “A family arrived this morning demanding to see the Prince. That’s nothing out of the ordinary as lots of people want to see his highness, they said they had information he needed to hear; information that threatened the realm.”

  “What was it?” Tatanya asked.

  The soldier shrugged. “They would not tell me”. Tatanya regarded the man in disbelief. She was a young girl and even she knew not to bother the Prince without ascertaining what the information was.

  “They could be assassins trying to get close to the Prince,” she said.

  The soldier shook his head vigorously. “No, they are definitely not assassins. I don’t know they just appear…genuine.”

  “Come on show me,” Tatanya said. She could not quite believe she was taking the lead in this situation. It was probably nothing. If Morag had thought it was something important she would never have passed over the responsibility to someone as young and inexperienced as Tatanya. How was this man allowed such a position as a soldier of Lilyon? Surely you needed some degree of intelligence.

  Tatanya was led down corridors she had never ventured down before. The further she travelled the more frequent the sightings of other soldiers. These were not the soldiers she was used to who had hard faces and sombre demeanours, but younger men who chatted excitedly and were quick to jest.

  As she followed Hanoi, she found that she rather liked this section of the Palace. Other soldiers greeted him with genuine smiles and looked at her with mild curiosity. They passed a courtyard where a man shouted out instructions to rows of lightly armoured men. They obeyed, moving in unison as they followed the morning drills.

  “Why come to Morag?” Tatanya asked as they descended a spiral staircase.

  “Sorry?” Hanoi enquired. He appeared distracted.

  “Why come to Morag with this? We just passed a captain, wouldn’t he be a better person to raise this with. Hanoi’s cheeks coloured and he did not look her in the eye.

  “The captains are all too busy patrolling the walls. What we have here are new recruits like myself. Men who want to help but have no real experience. The captains here are far too busy accelerating the skills of the recruits to be disturbed with such matters.”

  Tatanya was not convinced. “You said this was important. Surely they should know about it.”

  Hanoi stopped and scratched behind his ear. He blew his cheeks out. “Maybe you’re right. Ok, so I might have embarrassed myself once before raising an issue with them. I was told then, in no uncertain terms, never to come to them again unless I was certain it was a vital matter.”

  “Oh, I see,” Tatanya said. Although she was not sure that she did. “What did you do?

  “A few weeks ago, I was on my first night duty and thought I saw someone skulking in the shadows. I was convinced it was a little girl with knives. She was sneaking around suspiciously so I flagged it up to my superior. He trusted me and ordered a patrol to search the shadows and they were busy doing just that for a good hour. They found nothing and due to the distraction, a drunken man murdered another after a scuffle in a tavern. Many patrons said they raised the alarm for help but no soldiers came.” Hanoi shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at the floor; his shoulders hunched. “I was so convinced.”

  “It doesn’t sound like your fault. You were only doing your job.”

  “The captain didn’t think so. I haven’t been put on night duty since.”

  Tatanya felt sorry for the soldier. He had done very little wrong and even if he had made a mistake, his actions were carried out with the best intentions. Saisko never told her off for making mistakes. She said that to make a mistake meant you tried to do something. It is always better to try than to do nothing.

  “But why Morag?”

  If possible, Hanoi’s cheeks went even redder. “She is a friend of my mother’s. I thought she could help me out.”

  Tatanya sighed as
she had seen her mother do before in situations when she was exasperated with Tatanya. “Take me to them,” she said.

  As Hanoi led her into a room littered with tables and chairs she suddenly felt important. If Hanoi had come across people with vital information, then she was lucky enough to maybe do something about it. It made a change from her being told to do various jobs as people tried to accommodate her. Hanoi must think she was someone important. She puffed out her chest as she walked and pursed her lips.

  “I wouldn’t feel too bad about alerting the captain the other day,” she said.

  “Oh?” Hanoi said. Tatanya disliked the bemused look on his face. He needed her help not the other way around.

  “Yes,” she continued ignoring his expression. “If you are right, then these people must have made it passed a number of guards and your captains to get to you. They should have been stopped and listened to as soon as they entered the gates.”

  She enjoyed the look of surprise that spread across his face. She had made a good point and she knew it. She tried not to smile as he opened a final door and gestured for her to enter a small room. A family were inside; a man, a lady and a young woman. They looked exhausted, dark patches under their eyes and their skin pale. The man had strawberry blond hair which had grown unruly, his fringe fell to his eyes and when he brushed it away Tatanya saw the silver line of an old scar above his eye. He stood in front of his wife and daughter who sat hugging each other by a table in the corner of the room. They looked alike, with blond hair and small button noses. Neither woman looked up as Tatanya and Hanoi entered the room and Tatanya got a sense of deep sadness surrounding them.

  “I wanted to see the Prince not some chamber maid,” the man said.

  Tatanya looked down at her clothing. How had he known? She wore a small apron but that could have marked her for a number of roles.

  “This is Tatanya; she is a close friend of Shana who can get you to the Prince. I suggest you treat her well if you want to speak to the Prince,” Hanoi said.

  “I don’t need to speak to anyone. I am on the verge of giving up. I have told you I have something important to tell the Prince. If he is not willing to listen then I really couldn’t care less anymore,” the man said.

  “It is not as simple as that. You are lucky you have made it this far.”

  “Lucky?” the man said. His face turned the colour of his hair. “There is no way my journey can be described as lucky. You have no idea what we’ve endured. We-”

  “I would be interested to hear what you have to say,” Tatanya said. She felt out of her depth. Only a few months ago she had not been permitted to the barn whilst her town decided the fate of King Jacquard, now she found herself deciding whether or not someone’s news was important enough to inform the Prince.

  The man stopped talking, took a deep breath and forced a smile. Tatanya asked Hanoi to bring some refreshments. He hesitated, no doubt unsure how he felt about taking orders from a young girl. He decided it was preferable to remaining in the room though and duly obliged.

  “Who are you?” Tatanya said as soon as they were alone.

  “My name is Mertyn Brooker. This is my wife Tyra and daughter Brenna. We did have a son but he was executed at the Ritual of the Stones; hanged by a King who had no control over the ceremony. Since then we have encountered rapists masquerading as heroes and seen former friends look at us as if we were a disease. Our best friends betrayed us and as a result brought out a side of us I didn’t even know we possessed. We have tried to do the right thing all along and it has led us to one disaster after another. My wife and daughter were tricked into believing-”

  “Mertyn,” his wife Tyra stopped him mid-speech. She looked over to Tatanya and then nodded to ensure her husband also looked. “She is just a girl.”

  Mertyn’s face softened and he slowly slumped down onto the table next to his wife and daughter. “I’m sorry,” he said.

  Tatanya had taken it all in and had not realised she had a hand clamped over her open mouth until she saw them all looking at her. It was difficult to understand all that had happened to this family but Tatanya knew it was very, very bad. The horrors brought back the memory of the Pit and the fear she had felt. She had struggled to rid the images from her mind and for a moment with this new task she had managed to forget the ordeal. Mertyn’s outburst had brought all of the memories back.

  Darkness…the clicking of claws on stones.

  “Oh, Mertyn look what you’ve done,” Tyra said.

  “It’s nothing compared to what we’ve been through,” the girl said.

  “Brenna!” Tyra said but the girl just shrugged and looked away.

  “What news do you have?” Tatanya asked. Her voice sounded dispassionate, as if it was not her that asked the question. Little girl, did you scream just for me? Do it again little girl.

  “It is to do with the Glooms,” Mertyn said. She did not like the way he looked at her. The way they all looked at her. It was as if they thought her fragile - One wrong word may send her crying from the room. As if on cue a tear ran down her cheek. She brushed it away furious with herself. She might have been young but she was advanced for her years. Saisko always told her she was.

  “What about them?” Tatanya asked.

  Mertyn glanced at his wife who shook her head. “I would prefer to tell the story only once. If you could see to it that I see the Prince.”

  Tatanya folded her arms. “I am not going to do that unless you tell me. Go ahead; I am quite capable of listening to what you have to say.”

  This time when Mertyn sought his wife’s guidance she shrugged. He opened his mouth to speak and then shut it again. “I am not sure-”

  “I can’t go to Shana without telling her what you know. Shana will definitely not go to the Prince without being able to tell him something. Why won’t you tell me?”

  “How old are you?” Mertyn asked.

  “Nearly nine summers,” Tatanya said. His question had confused her. “Why?”

  “Nothing, you seem older, that’s all.”

  “Finally!” Tatanya said. It had taken them long enough to realise this.

  Hanoi arrived with some refreshments; fresh orange with bread and cheese. It was not what Tatanya would have selected but then she guessed the soldier had probably no idea what he was looking for. It did not seem to matter as Mertyn and his family fell upon the food like ducks swimming to bread.

  Hanoi watched them for a moment fascinated by their hunger. “Did you find anything out?”

  Tatanya nodded. “Lots, Mertyn was just about to tell me the rest though.”

  Mertyn swallowed a mouthful of bread and then washed it down with the orange juice. He eyed her suspiciously and Tatanya tried to communicate with her eyes for him not to betray her lie.

  “As I was saying,” he said. Relief flooded over her. She could not say for certain why it was so important for her to succeed in hearing what this man had to say. He told a story of finding two other children, a boy and a girl. He spoke of a Mark of the Gloom which had transfixed the boy and seemed to change who he was. She thought it was not that different to the shadow which had clung to the King. The boy however, did not have the strength to get rid of the attachment. He was not lucky enough to have Tatanya with him like the King had been.

  She listened enthralled as Mertyn described the horror of having to leave their home town because of the boy’s fascination with the Mark. Mertyn described how he had wanted to abandon the boy for the safety of his family. It seemed a pretty logical decision to Tatanya but then she wondered how she would have felt if everyone deserted her.

  Darkness, isolation, despair. Do you like being all alone little girl?

  She forced the images from her mind and focused on Mertyn.

  “The creature we saw at the Watchtower was as if from a nightmare. It was clearly a Gloom but it was so humanlike. It was huge, covered in fine hair and had horns. When it killed the boy, he thanked him for being the first sacrifice. He ca
lled himself Xandamon and he moved quicker than the Gloom did at the Ritual. It seemed like the boy had been waiting for his arrival in Frindoth and now that he is here, something terrible is about to happen,” Mertyn said.

  “Terrible how?” Hanoi asked. He was as engrossed as Tatanya in the story.

  “I don’t know, but the fact that all the other Glooms left the buildings alone with the Mark on them and the fact this Xandamon seemed to summon the boy to him through the Mark, suggested to us that this creature might have control over the Glooms.”

  Tatanya shuddered. The King had rambled in his sleep once about the Gloom at the Ritual. It had sounded horrific. The fact that there were many of them and the idea they could be controlled was deeply disturbing.

  “There’s more, not much. But we were told a story by our Mayor of how the Glooms seem to be working together now.”

  Tatanya suddenly felt claustrophobic. She needed to escape this room, to be out in the gardens where the air was not so oppressive and she could see the sky. She edged backwards fumbling for the door handle behind her back. Finding it, she turned and yanked it open.

  “Where are you going?” Hanoi asked.

  “To get Shana,” Tatanya said as she fled outside. As soon as she was sure she was out of earshot from the others, she burst into tears.

  Chapter 15

  Cody bobbed up and down on tip toes as he waited to be permitted entry to see the Prince. The corridor he stood in was lined with wooden panels. He liked the effect; it made the place feel warmer rather than cold, hard stone. A guard stood outside the door and apart from offering Cody the briefest of nods whilst his fellow guard went inside to speak to Althalos, he had not looked at the Truth Knight since.