"No. They attempted but I kicked a few of them."
"Thank the Spirits. I would have torn the whole place down if they violated you." He gritted his teeth and turned his face away from me.
"How much farther?" Now that I was out of the prison I didn't want to imagine what might have happened in the dark cell. The dried leaves of the oak forest crunched beneath us like bones, but the sun began to fight the winter's chill and was warming my skin through the branches of the trees.
"The camp is a quarter of a mile past this river and through more trees. My father will want to hear this news." I looked at the water. It flowed quickly but didn't look that deep from up close. It was almost a stream. "I'll carry you across again?" I nodded and he scooped me up in his arms and forded the river while the remainder of the group followed us.
Before we arrived at the camp, another set of sentries met and escorted us the rest of the way into the perimeter. I was surprised at the organization and activity of the army. Tents were set up strategically, latrines built on the far corner of the settlement, and all the soldiers either worked on equipment or trained. I would have guessed that morale would have been lower and the camp a quiet reflection of the despair the men must have felt at their hopeless situation.
In the center of the cantonment stood a large tent flying the orange and purple colors of Nia. Maerc stepped out of the canvas flap and his blue eyes lit up when he saw me. He wore his informal chain armor and the polished links caught the first rays of the sun's descent.
"Duchess Nadea is present! Salute, you dogs!" he yelled. Everyone within earshot stopped their activity and saluted me at full attention.
"Come inside, Duchess." He turned to his son after I limped in and sat down. "Can you bring her some food?" Runir looked at me with concern and then darted out the flap. I realized that I had lost Gerald and Inada, but then I relaxed when I recognized their voices outside the general's pavilion. They were given rations and directions to the medical tent where they would help with the wounded.
"I thought you died, Nadea. When Runir found you in the dungeon it was the first piece of good news we have had in a long time." Maerc never smiled and the movement split the lines of his face like the rain carved furrows in ancient granite. I nodded and grinned back, but my expression was forced. Runir's father was a stoic general and I had never seen him smile. He may have been happy to see me, but he'd just lost his kingdom and the king, so I doubted he felt any real joy. His grin made me feel uneasy.
Something was wrong.
"Tell me of what happened after the meeting. That was the last time we saw each other." He sighed in sadness.
I recounted the same tale I had told Runir. Halfway through my narrative, the blonde man returned to the tent with a bowl of broth, bread, and a chunk of cheese. I took a few small bites of each and sipped the soup. The food warmed my body and made me long for sleep. I noticed the two men seemed impatient, so I set aside the tray and continued with my story. After it was over, and I explained to Maerc that Nanos had betrayed us and was keeping me alive so that the empress could interrogate me, I picked up my food again.
"I'm going to kill that fucking runt," Maerc finally spat after his face had regained most of its color. "I always cut him too much slack because of his father. I never thought he would do something so cowardly. The king and I believed his behavior would mature as he aged and grew used to small doses of responsibility." Runir opened his mouth to give his opinion but I interrupted him.
"How did you two escape? Did you see my father?" The questions had been bouncing around in my head since my dream. I assumed him dead and almost didn't want to ask the question.
"Last I saw of him was during the meeting. He split from me to go gather the Council. Once the Losher army invaded the interior of the castle I tried to rally our troops to make our defensive perimeter in the hallways. We had anticipated the possibility of that scenario and had procedures for where we would fall back. Unfortunately, the Loshers knew exactly what we were going to do and stopped our maneuvers. I suspected that we had a traitor, but I didn't think it was the prince." Maerc put his head in his hands.
"The call went up that the king had fallen and by that point the Losher warriors were so entrenched in the castle that they actually defended it from us," Runir continued for his father. "We called a retreat and fell back to our secondary location. Then we moved around the perimeter of the city for a few weeks until we ended up here. We have almost two thousand loyal troops."
"We have to find out if my father is alive and rescue him," I said. The Ancient from my dreams had made one thing clear in her cryptic messages: I had to find my father.
"It is too risky." Runir shook his head. "We need to retreat, regroup, and plan a way to take the castle back."
"You were just about to charge back in through the sewers to save Nanos, but now that it is the duke you don't want to be 'too risky?’" I saw him wince at the words. I should have regretted them but I didn't; if my father was alive, he needed me.
"It's not like that, Nadea." He frowned.
"I agree with Runir. We were ready to go free Nanos before we knew that he betrayed Nia. Now that I have heard about the deal he struck with the empress, I do not think we are safe here. He will comb the countryside trying to find you. We must fall back to a safe area where we can resupply and work with another country to strengthen our tactics. Brilla is the best choice for us. Surely you see the validity in our plans?" Maerc's face looked similar to Runir's as he tried to convince me of their decision.
"Let me consider for a moment." I leaned into my chair, food forgotten, and struggled against the overpowering emotion that ran through me. If my father was alive, I couldn’t leave. He would have knocked down the walls of Nia's capital to save me. There was no way he would let Maerc convince him that they would be better served by retreating. But how would I rescue him? I didn't even know if he lived or where they had him captured in the castle. We didn't have enough troops to siege the massive fortress. The situation seemed hopeless. Weight bore down on my shoulders and I felt exhausted.
"I have a question for you, Maerc," I said softly. He leaned in to hear me better.
"Yes?"
"Are you still sworn to Nia?"
"Yes of course!"
"And to the royal family of Nia?" I continued.
"Absolutely, but you know that this is the best decision!" He tried to convince me again.
"I agree with you at this moment Maerc, but I need more time to consider. Do you believe my father to be dead?" The older man hesitated and looked to his son. I couldn't understand the glance they exchanged.
"Yes, Nadea. I feel that he has perished. It pains me to think that Beltor is gone, since we grew up together much like you, Runir, Jessmei, and Nanos. He is my best friend and I swore and oath to protect his family." He leaned back in his chair and wiped the stress from the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "The prince obviously kept you because of the empress, but he would have no reason to keep your father alive." I nodded and tried to swallow my tears.
"Then I am the last living member of the royal family," I stated. The two men paused and looked at each other again. "Jessmei is a prisoner of the Ancients, the king is dead, Nanos is a traitor, you believe that my father is dead and the queen was never part of the line. Am I correct?" They nodded.
"We . . . are at your command, Nadea," Maerc agreed. "But please understand your position. There isn't much of Nia left and we must do what we can to preserve it."
"I understand your reasoning. As I said earlier: I will need time to plan our next steps. Your counsel is welcome though, and I will consider what you have told me today." Maerc's face went white as he realized that I was taking control. Runir looked flabbergasted.
"Where will I be sleeping?" I rose on one leg and reached down to cradle the half-finished tray of food and soup. I didn't believe Maerc would challenge my authority, but I wanted to be alone so I could strategize.
"Wait," the
general said as he stood. He glared at me. I met his gaze and didn't back down from the icy blue stare. He was sworn to the royal family, and if I needed to muscle him into submission, I would. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I prepared to fight.
"What is it?" I asked and was surprised at how calm I sounded.
"Sit down, Nadea. Before I turn what remains of our army and kingdom over to you, I would like a few questions answered. Questions everyone has had for a while, but the king and your father instructed us to keep to ourselves." His mouth twisted into a sneer and I felt my body suddenly get cold.
Oh shit.
"Can it wait until tomorrow? I am exhausted from your son's rescue." I forced the words out as confidently as I could, but they lacked the strength of my earlier commands.
"No. This will only take a few moments. Sit." I sighed and returned to my seat. I had wondered how many people knew of the circumstances surrounding my research of the O’Baarni. I did not realize that it had been my father and the king who had kept others from prying.
The bowl of soup rested in my free hand and I lifted it up to my lips and took a long sip. I was still hungry, but I also wanted to buy myself even a few more seconds. I wouldn't lie to Maerc, but the truth would be something he may have a hard time believing.
"I'll get to the point." He cleared his throat and suddenly looked nervous. The sun began to set and its orange glow was softened by the white canvas of the tent. It reminded me of lazy autumn days spent exploring the keep on the eastern border. "How did you find the ruin that housed Kaiyer? Explorers, treasure seekers, and historians have been looking for hundreds of years for any evidence of the O'Baarni. You took four. Granted, you are an exceptionally intelligent girl, but many of the generals and nobles wondered how you were able to do it." He smiled a bit to soften the question. I noticed Runir shuffle uncomfortably to my left.
"I don't understand what this question has to do with anything relevant at the moment. Kaiyer is dead, the king is dead, Nanos has betrayed us to our enemies, and we are trying to pick up the pieces and put the kingdom back together. Why are you so interested in the methods I used to find the ruins?"
"People talk, Nadea. Your father's soldiers told us stories of you. Maybe it was because you lost your mother so young, but rumors were that you locked yourself in your study and carried on conversations with imaginary creatures. Some wonder if you have dealings with demons or the Ancients."
"Stop right there." I held up my hand. "Have I ever demonstrated any sort of odd behavior around you?"
"No, but that--"
"How about you, Runir? Do you think I strike bargains with demons?"
"No! Absolutely not." The blonde man smiled and shook his head.
"So there isn't anything else for us to speak about. I found the ruin that housed Kaiyer's body by researching ancient scrolls that were previously undiscovered. It is as simple as that."
"Documents that no one has seen but you," Maerc argued back.
"They are fragile and could not be moved or they would disintegrate."
"Where are they stored now?" the general asked earnestly.
"In my father's keep. In my study. I still don't see why this is so important to you."
"It is important because I don't believe you," the general said flatly.
"Fuck you, Maerc. I don't have to explain myself to you. I'm leaving. Where is my tent?" Anger grabbed hold of my brain and forced the words out like a waterfall. I struggled to my feet and tossed my bowl aside. I had finished all of my soup so it didn't make much of a mess on the rug.
"Sit down, girl!" Maerc shouted as he slammed his fist on the table and stood again. I smirked back at him and crossed my arms. I could argue with Greykin all day long. Runir's father was half of the old warrior's size and a quarter as intimidating.
It took all of my focus and strength, but I managed to take a step closer to him without limping or wincing in pain. I drew myself up as straight and tall as my leg would allow and glared at him.
“I am the commander of this army, by law and by blood. You do not give me orders. You do not call me ‘girl,’” I seethed the words.
"This is why I suspect you, Duchess." The general reached into a pocket and withdrew a folded piece of yellowed paper with the purple royal seal on its opening. I held my breath and counted to ten, it allowed my swimming vision to right itself. "I wanted you to come clean, but I should have suspected you would just lie. You've been lying your whole life, haven't you?"
"I don't know what you are hinting." I couldn't bluff this. The letter was probably from the king, and he knew everything. I looked over my shoulder at the flap of the tent and saw the shadows of guards posted at the exit. There was no way to escape past them with my injured leg. I wondered if I would have been better off with an interrogation by the empress.
"Maybe I should read this letter to you," Maerc opened it carefully and cleared his throat. "You'll want to sit back down for this, Nadea." He eyed me over the rim of the paper. Runir shuffled again and I glanced over at him. His face contorted in agony and I guessed he must have known what the letter said.
"You need not read it," I said as I sat down, my body shivered like it did when the temperature suddenly changes. "I can guess what is written there. It is from the king, correct?" Maerc nodded his head. "How did you get it?"
"He gave it to me a few days before the siege started and made me swear never to open it unless he died. I believed it would be instructions for protecting his family, the kingdom, or maybe knowledge of a weapon that the ancient castle might hold. I never thought it would be about you."
The blonde man finished speaking and I sat in silence for a few minutes. My father and I almost never spoke of my secrets. I understood why the king might want Maerc to know; I wished it hadn't come to this.
I wished I did not have to tell anyone.
"Why don't I begin by reading his letter and then you can comment on it." The general cleared his throat and began. I was sure that Runir already read it, so Maerc probably wanted to recite it to destroy any ambiguity I could use as a defense with his son.
The coldness of fear gripped my stomach as soon as the first words of the king's letter left his mouth and my secrets were laid bare before both of them.
Chapter 10-The O’Baarni
"What brings you here, human?" the old Elven's voice sounded like paper being slowly torn.
"I am seeking someone, one of your kind," I said. My hand strayed down to my belt to rest upon the hilt of my mace, but it had been countless years since I wore the weapon and my palm met with empty air.
"If you have come here to kill me then be done with it." The Elven resembled a gnarled gray tree, the kind that grew out of hardened cliff sides and didn't realize that they were dead, even after the wind has twisted and ripped all their leaves away.
"No, Old One. I mean you no harm, and I apologize if my movement may have convinced you otherwise." I looked down at my hand, slightly ashamed that it seemed to have a mind of its own. The venerable Elven grunted and turned back to his task. We stood in an ancient temple, buried hundreds, maybe thousands of feet under the earth. I followed her trail down here and it had been three days since I felt the sun or wind on my face.
The man shuffled away from me and slowly brushed off the top of a long stone platform. It almost looked like it could serve as a bed. Perhaps his robes were once blue, but they had faded to a gray that matched his hair, skin, and eyes. He reminded me of a statue, both in appearance and in his slow, jerky movement.
"I am seeking someone, one of your kind. I believe that she has come this way." I repeated. He seemed to remember me again and then the decrepit Elven turned around with suspicion.
"What is your business here?" he said again. I sighed. How old was this husk? I had never seen an aged Elven, but this man looked like he may have sired the rocks that built this temple.
"Has anyone passed here recently? A woman with copper-colored hair?" His eyes lit up for a second
. He had seen her; even this befuddled golem couldn't forget her beauty.
"Yes. She passed this way, two months ago, I think, but it is hard to tell time. It may have been years." I nodded. It wasn't years ago. I spied her in the distance almost three weeks ago as she crossed one of the mountain passes twenty miles from me. I thought I had been gaining ground, but then I lost her when I missed the descending path she took to this place.
"Did she say where she was going next?" I jarred him out of whatever reverie he was experiencing and wondered how long it had been since he conversed with someone living besides me.
"She used the Radicle," he said plainly. I waited for him to give an explanation, but his tone seemed to infer that I should understand the word he spoke.
"What is the Radicle?" I asked. He was the first person I had talked to in the last half of a year, but I wanted to finish the conversation so I could continue with my pursuit. He smiled at me and closed his eyes.
"How the knowledge has been lost. Even amongst our masters, time destroys all. Will you sing one of our songs of the world with me Human?" His voice began to rumble softly and alter in pitch every few seconds. I wanted to snap the old man's body into three pieces, but I wouldn't get what I wanted from that course of action. Besides, I wanted to be done murdering Elvens.
"No. I won't sing with you. Answer my question." I tried not to let anger infiltrate my voice. He obviously didn't care if I killed him.
His baritone voice grew louder and erupted into a song. It did sound beautiful, and although it lacked words, his voice reminded me of tree leaves blowing in the wind. His face seemed to lose much of the age by the time he finished. He smiled at me and took a huge breath before he addressed me again.
"The Radicle is how we got here, human." He looked down to his task and continued to polish off the top of the stone table. Yellow and green light bounced off the strange metallic walls and illuminated the massive dome. This temple contained dozens of them, filled with too many stone tables to count.
The Destroyer Book 2 Page 13