Henry didn’t respond at first, a little taken back by Alk’s bluntness. “Well, man!” Alk blasted. Feeling a little intimidated by Alk, Henry stood to his full height, now towering over him. “I’ve never had any intention of asking anyone for help… I’ve no idea myself what’s going on… So how am I supposed to convince you or any other of the elders to help me when I don’t even know what’s expected of me?” Henry replied aggressively. Alk went red in the face. Being old-school, he had always believed that prompt action was the only way to resolve any issue long before they could get out of hand. But hearing the host master, of all people, the so-called victor of so many battles past, state that he had no idea what he was doing… it totally set him back.
“What do you mean, man…? You have a plan of action… surely,” he said angrily. “No,” Henry replied, “none… I have no idea of anything… I didn’t even know that elves existed until yesterday.” Alk looked livid: he paced away from Henry and then back again, about to say something, then changed his mind and paced away again. He then turned back. “We can’t tell them that…” He bellowed, making everyone in the hall stop and look in their direction. Leaning closer to Henry he said in a quieter tone, “If they hear you say that… Well, they would just wish you luck and send you on your merry way… We can’t have that happen now, can we…? Not when all our futures depend on you,” Henry didn’t respond. “Without help, you and your friend are surely going to suffer a horrid death and so will many others…You need our help… and we certainly need yours.” After a moment’s thought, he then said, “This is what we’re going to do…You will tell the elders what you can and leave the rest up to me… Whether they know it or not, we are at war… and you, boy, are right in the middle of it all.”
Just then the young elf came back out from one of the side doors. He bowed to Alk and then said politely, “Lord Alk…The elders are ready to speak with the host master now.” Alk nodded and led Henry to the main door. Henry looked up again, still fascinated by the writing over the door. “It reads… honesty, strength and endurance… a code of practice we all try to live by.” Henry nodded and gave Alk a nervous smile, and then followed him through the large door. The rounded council chambers were a lot smaller than Henry had anticipated. There was one roll of old, high-backed, red leather seats elevated a few feet from the floor which presumably was to give them an air of authority. The floor was covered in brightly coloured tiles and at the centre was a mosaic of the King’s arms. In all, there were only twelve seats, one of which was unoccupied. Presumably Lord Alk and, unsurprisingly, all the lords were colourfully dressed and wearing tall hats of all shapes and sizes. They also wore medallions held by yellow ribbons around their necks, except for one: he sat at the centre and was wearing a red ribbon.
Henry felt all eyes on him as he entered the chamber but he managed to keep looking forward, trying unsuccessfully not to be too intimidated by his onlookers. Both he and Alk walked over to the centre of the chambers where the lonely figure of Mylon was standing. As he got closer, Henry couldn’t help but notice the concerned look on Mylon’s face: not a good sign at all. “Most welcome, Henry,” a voice shouted from the centre of the assembled seats. “I’m Frandal… Lord High Councillor of these chambers… The people of Koh-Panyee welcome you as our guest… I hope you have been treated well since your arrival.” Henry couldn’t help but notice how carefully he chose his words and the unconvincing tone in his voice. Henry nodded. “Thank you… My friends and I have been made most welcome… And thank you for taking the time to meet with me today,” he continued.
“Commander Mylon has completed his report to council regarding the circumstances surrounding the loss of two of our men,” Frandal stated. He paused to size Henry up. “We must start by saying that, as you are welcome as an individual… we are not happy having the host master in our realm… And we hear that you also host the Aelfgar.” He paused and looked around at his fellow council members. “Many here fear you… and the spear… we have already lost two lives in the short time you’ve been here.” He paused again, making sure that Henry would pick up on his accusing tone, then continued. “Many will see your presence as a threat… to them… and a threat to our way of life.” Again, he paused to see if Henry reacted. Satisfied that he had made his point, he continued. “The council would like to hear what you have to say about recent events… and just as importantly… what you ask of us.” Henry’s mind was racing as he tried to find the right words to say. He knew for sure that he needed help but the fact remained that he had no idea of what lay ahead, and so in turn had no idea of what kind of help he needed. He gave Mylon and Alk an uneasy look and at first didn’t respond. “What do you have to say, host master?” Frandal asked, trying to intimidate Henry.
After a few awkward seconds, Henry managed to find the courage to reply. “I would like to start by saying that I came here with no intention of asking anything from you, other than your hospitality,” Henry said, attempting to regain control of the situation and trying to sound more confident. “My friends and I came here to shelter from the dangers we currently face and to rest up in safety for a few days… But unfortunately, it seems that the very things we wished to shelter from are already here.” Henry allowed the statement sink in before he continued. “The attacker didn’t follow us here… it was already here… I had no intention of involving the elfin nation in our fight… And to be honest, I didn’t know this realm existed until yesterday.” Henry could see the looks of concern on Alk and Mylon’s faces, but felt he should speak as he saw fit: no longer was he going to be told what he should or shouldn’t do.
“My lords… the shadow master is getting stronger by the day. He has many followers… one of whom attacked your men yesterday…The questions you should be asking yourselves are firstly, how did a ground wromp get its powers…? How many more are there here among you…? And how long have they been here?” It was clear to Henry that he had now got their full attention and he also got the reaction from the council he wanted. Some whispered to each other, while others just twisted awkwardly in their seats. Henry took one step closer to the council. “I ask nothing of you… I ask nothing for myself … or for my people… But what I do ask… is that you, the council and the king take this threat to your people seriously.”
Henry walked over to where Alk and Mylon were standing and stood behind them, placing one hand on each shoulder. “If you don’t wish to hear it from me, then listen to two of your own… One has the foresight to know what lies ahead.” He was now looking at Alk. “And the other has already witnessed the horror that threatened you.” He then looked at Mylon. “The shadow master has already shown its hand by giving a ground wromp the power to kill two of your best in your own backyard… and I’m sure that it was strong enough to do much more… If it were not for the power given me by the Wyvern.” He paused as he pictured the carnage. “I have no say in what you decide for the future of your people.” Henry looked from face to face then said in a firm, confident voice. “If I ask for help… which I haven’t as yet… I would ask that you consider your own interests first… and see what would benefit your nation… There is no point in my asking anything of you or your people until you as a council can understand how important it is for you to take prompt action in protecting them.”
Henry was now on a roll and decided to hit them with the big one. “I experienced for myself the horror and fear generated by the shadow master and its followers… I have met with the shade of Alfwald and barely lived to tell the tell,” he announced, shocking everyone in the chamber, including Mylon. Lord Frandal was now on his feet and visibly shaken. “Alfwald!” he shouted nervously. The whole council was now in an uproar. “Leave us!” he shouted. “Leave us now… we will speak again tonight.” With that, Alk took Henry’s arm and quickly lead him from the room.
“That was a rather large haystack you dropped on us all back there, boy,” Alk said, leading Henry through the hall and out into the busy market square. “Thoug
ht poor old Frandal was about to drop dead on the spot.” Alk laughed. “You surely got their attention now… Whether it will help or hinder… we’ll have to wait and find out.” Henry pulled his arm away from Alk’s grip. “Will you stop calling me ‘boy’…? And just for the record… I’m fed up being told what I should or shouldn’t say or do… I’m the host master and I’ll make up my own mind… not you… not Alfwald and definitely not that council of old farts.” He felt a burning deep inside him, allowing himself to get angry with the Wyvern lurking just beneath the surface wasn’t the wisest thing to do. However, he did manage to hold most of his anger back.
“You need help, Henry,” Mylon interrupted, “and you’ve said a number of times that you have no real idea of what is expected of you… And if what you say is true… which Alk and I believe is… and if you have to face the shadow master… as well as the shade of Alfwald… well… you’re going to need more than a little help, my friend.” Henry turned to face him red-faced, and was about to say something but Mylon continued to speak. “I have seen for myself a little of the power you command… and I believe in you, Henry.” Stepping forward, Mylon placed both hands on Henry’s shoulders. “I believe in you as a man… and it’s about time you started believing in yourself as master of the Wyvern.” They locked eyes for a second, then Alk blurted out in his usual manner. “Let’s go find someplace less… well, less public to talk.” Henry looked around and noticed the looks they were getting and nodded in agreement.
A few minutes later, the three were making their way through the narrow, busy streets of the city, dodging this way and that to avoid bumping into anyone. Henry still felt a little like a freak: he towered above most of them by two feet or more and wasn’t that surprised by the number of strange looks he was getting. They continued pushing through the hustle and bustle for quite a while until Mylon led them down a quieter side alley which was a lot narrower than the others, but Henry was just relieved to be out of the crowds. Although he was behind Alk, being taller, he could see over his head, and he noticed that the alley opened out into a large park ahead of them. They stopped once they reached the end of the lane and after a brief moment to ensure that the park was empty… they stepped out into the open.
Henry was stunned to see how wonderful this place was… It was almost breathtaking, flowers of all colours and sizes neatly groomed within their borders and the trees… Well… Henry had never seen anything like it. Again, they were in all shapes, sizes and colours, some nearly as large as the old oak, others short with odd, twisty branches covered in yellow and orange leaves, with thousands of tiny, fairy-type creatures fluttering in and around the branches, their rainbow-coloured wings catching the light as they did so. The place was absolutely amazing. “Lovely, ain’t it?” Alk said, not speaking to anyone in particular.
All Henry could manage was a nod. “Let’s find somewhere to sit so we can continue our chat.” Alk headed towards one of the large trees covered in purple-coloured leaves and white flowers. “We’ll sit over here… There’ll be no chance of anyone overhearing us.” Without waiting for a reply from the others, he continued to walk over to the tree and slumped down on the ground and rested his back against its large trunk. “My favourite spot, this is,” he announced. “Been coming here since I was knee-high to a grasshopper.” Henry smiled. “I can see why.” He sat next to him. “This place is amazing.” Alk smiled and slapped Henry on the knee. “Are you gonna join us or what?” Alk blurted out to Mylon who seemed to be preoccupied with something.
“Something’s not right,” he said, almost in a whisper. Alk was now up on his feet and looking around, but nothing seemed out of place to him. Mylon had never be wrong before: if Mylon felt that something wasn’t right… then something wasn’t right. However, there were no noticeable changes: the tiny fairy things were still happily flying around, and there was still birdsong. He was about to say as much when suddenly everything changed, the birdsong stopped and the tiny creatures suddenly disappeared into the cover of the tree canopy. Henry was also now up on his feet. “What is it?” Mylon put his finger to his lips whilst studying an area just behind the tree where they were sitting and was about to say, “Let’s get out here,” when a red ball of fire launched past his face, just missing him and slamming into a small tree and shattering into pieces. “What the…?!” Alk cried out just as another passed him and hit the large tree behind him, sending splinters and chunks of wood flying in all directions.
Henry felt the creature inside instantly react to the threat. Having no other options, he allowed it to do so, then immediately leaped into action. First, he threw up a defensive shield around both Mylon and Alk, which was just in time to deflect another of the fiery balls. The impact on the shield sent Alk flying backwards, hitting his head on the tree. Henry then turned to see where the attacks were coming from: he could see only two ground wromp, one kneeling in a flower bed, the other partly concealed by one of the smaller trees. Henry raised his arm and released a succession of small, yellow flares, hitting the standing wromp squarely in its chest, knocking it off its feet and sending it flying backwards, landing in amongst the flowers. The second wromp attacked again but this time Henry caught the fireballs in a net of yellow flames and sent them back to the wromp, striking it in the head, which immediately exploded.
What Henry did next shocked both Mylon and Alk. Instead of finishing off the remaining wromp, he calmly walked over to it and knelt down in the flower bed next to the partly unconscious wromp, and after a second or two studying it, he placed his hands on its chest. A yellow glow emanated from his hands and into the creature. It immediately screamed and arced in pain, a high-pitched sound that reverberated throughout the park. But Henry was unperturbed and remained leaning over the wromp, with his hands on its chest. Alk and Mylon watched as the yellow glow flared up so brightly that they both had to shield their eyes and look away. Seconds later and as quickly as it came, the flare faded, slowly retreating back into Henry.
With the yellow light gone, Alk glanced back to where Henry was still leaning over the now dead wromp. “What in Olaf’s name was that all about?” Alk muttered, not knowing how to react to such an experience. Henry stayed kneeling over the dead wromp, and replied without looking up. “These things are being forced to live in a great deal of pain… Whatever gave them the magic and desire to kill also made them suffer.” Mylon was now by Henry’s side. “How do you mean, made them suffer…? They tried to kill us.” Henry got back onto his feet. “They were driven half-mad with pain… and the only way they could release their pain was to do the bidding of their master… And that was to kill… And these two are not the last… there are more… and they were not sent to kill me.” Henry looked directly at Mylon. “They were here to kill you.” He paused as he saw the shocked look on Mylon’s face. “Once they had taken care of you… they were then to kill the council… the entire council.” Again, Henry paused. “I can understand the reasons for eliminating the council… but you…” However, Mylon didn’t seem to be too surprised, which disturbed Henry. “Why should they wish you dead…? I thought they were after me, but…”
Mylon paced away a few steps and then turned back to face him. “I’m not just a commander in the King’s Guards… I’m also his son.” Alk walked over to Henry and placed one strong hand on his shoulder. “See, lad, it’s not in everyone’s interest to know that… and only a few trusted members know Mylon’s true identity… But why they should be targeting him… Heaven only knows.” Henry stepped out of the flower bed and away from the lifeless body of the wromp. “Are you the only heir?” Mylon nodded. “Then that’s why…Whoever is behind the attacks wants the heir to the throne dead… It’s obviously someone who knows your identity… someone you trust.”
Alk wasn’t too pleased to hear such a comment, but it made perfect sense… It had to be someone in the know. Then something suddenly dawned on him. “We must go to the king… We go now,” he announced, looking at Mylon. “If you’re in danger, s
o must your father… it’s clear that we’ve been betrayed and are now under attack from within… Steps must be taken to protect your father while we try to find out who or what is behind all this… and…” Mylon placed a hand on Alk’s shoulder, stopping him in mid-sentence. “Steady now, my friend… You’ll have us all at war in a minute,” he said mockingly. “I agree we must warn my father and find out who’s behind the betrayal… But I feel it’s too early to start a panic… Let’s keep this to ourselves for now.” He looked over to Henry first who nodded in agreement, then to Alk who seemed unsure to agree, but then reluctantly nodded.
Bree had reached the strange, thorny, impregnatable tree that stood as a boundary between the two realms of humans and the elf kingdom. She was unsure about whether she should go any further, knowing that Alfwald was aware of her every move. She knew that once she passed over, Alfwald would be unable to sense her or follow; but she also knew that he would be waiting for her when she returned, with or without Henry and the outcome wouldn’t be pleasant. However, she had to go, she had to see her precious Henry, but more importantly, she had to warn him. She could try and reason with herself all day, but the fact remained: she couldn’t bear being apart from him and had to find him whatever it took.
Between Darkness and the Light Page 19