by Donna Hatch
Footsteps approached, echoing on the walls of the circular stairway. Bobbing torchlight illuminated the stairway, closing in on their position. Kai drew the princess into the shadows and stepped in front of her, listening for the telltale clink of Hanoran armor. He waited until they were close before he leaped out at the Hanorans. Before the enemy even realized their danger, two lay lifeless on the floor. The motion sent a wave of pain through his wounded side and shoulder. The remaining four Hanorans attacked but he parried and countered, and they soon fell.
Kai sucked in his breath, laboring against the pain, and then straightened.
He looked back at the princess. “Are you all right?”
She nodded mutely. He took her hand again and led her down the stairway. They descended the steps to the main floor, where a few brave Ardeenes still fought the Hanorans. Kai’s instincts urged him to help them, but the Ardeenes had already lost the battle. He could do nothing for them. He must get the princess to safety.
In the inner bailey, he stole through the noise and confusion. Tongues of fire spread, hungrily licking anything in their path. The castle itself was built out of stone but everything else blazed. Glass windows shattered as fires roared inside buildings. Kai tightened his grip on the princess’s hand and picked his way across the courtyard to the gate. The head of the king was stuck to the end of a pike like a gruesome banner. Carefully shielding the princess from the ghastly sight, he propelled her through the burning gateway and the relative, if temporary, safety of the shadowy walls surrounding the castle.
When Kai whistled, Braygo appeared, his head and chest blood-spattered and his horns thick with gore. Kai scooped the princess into his arms and mounted, biting his lip in pain and stifling a groan. He settled her across the saddle in front of him and urged the duocorn to a run. Around them, Arden City had erupted into complete bedlam. Bodies lay in the streets, many of them women and children.
The princess let out a low cry of horror.
Kai couldn’t blame her. He’d known the Hanoran barbarians knew no bounds to cruelty and dishonor, but tonight exceeded everything he’d ever seen. No soldier from Darbor would have committed these atrocities.
Holding his precious charge, he fled through the streets of Arden City, dodging the chaos and fire and bloodshed. Every jolt sent searing pain through his body, but he refused to slow. All that mattered was getting the princess to safety.
Hanorans barred the main gate, but a hole in the outer wall to his right appeared large enough to ride through. He urged Braygo toward it, trusting the duocorn’s surefootedness among the rubble. A shout rang out, and by the time they passed through the breach, mounted men were in pursuit.
Kai turned Braygo off the Old Road to cut through the forest. It had snowed a few days before, but the snow had refrozen and crusted over. Hopefully, Braygo’s tracks would not be discernible. Black, naked tree limbs reached out like clutching arms, but enough moonlight filtered through the branches for the fleet-footed duocorn to bear his passengers safely through. Clouds drifted wraith-like across the two moons, making their light shine intermittently.
Kai knew wyrwolves populated the forest, but at the moment, he’d rather face them than the Hanorans. The sounds of the pursuing men reached his ears, frighteningly close, and arrows whistled by as Braygo darted through the forest. The duocorn dashed along the bank of a frozen river that shined silver in the moonlight, while the sounds of their pursuers gradually faded. A lone wyrwolf howled in the distance.
Kai could feel Braygo begin to tire, each step coming more slowly. As the princess brushed against his wounded side, he stifled a gasp and had to fight to breathe against the pain. When he could move, he shifted her more comfortably in front of him.
She craned her neck to look behind them. “How close are the soldiers?”
He had expected her to be either hysterical, or mute and passive with shock, but her voice sounded strong.
“They’ve fallen further back.” The Hanorans were out of sight, but they couldn’t be far behind.
“Your duocorn is getting tired. How much longer can he outrun them?”
“Long enough.” He hoped.
“He needs rest.”
“He can rest once we reach the docks.” With any luck, Tarvok had rescued other members of the royal family and was on his way to the rendezvous point. The princess ran her hands along Braygo’s neck, no doubt feeling sweat and the strain of their pace. The duocorn coughed and his hoof beats broke rhythm, yet he kept running.
“Do you think we can we make it that far, Captain?”
Truthfully, Braygo could not keep up this speed much longer. He had already been in the middle of a battle, and this full run had sapped him quickly. Kai drew a breath, sending fresh pain shooting through his body. “We don’t have much choice.”
Jeniah straightened, peered out at the darkness, and pointed to a large, rocky outcropping. “That’s Praying Mother.” Then she motioned to a spot slightly behind them. “The cave I took you to is over there. We could hide inside and let your duocorn rest.”
When another wyrwolf howled, much closer this time, Kai felt his options narrow. He turned Braygo toward the coastline. In the pale moonlight, Kai grew disoriented, but the princess guided him without hesitation to the cave.
His courage faltered at the sight of the darkened cave opening. “Is it high tide?”
“It’s coming in,” came her reply.
Water already churned at the mouth of the cave. Kai’s muscles clenched at the familiar, suffocating fear lurking at the edge of his mind. “And you’re positive water never fills it?”
“There’s no sign that it ever has.”
Swallowing his apprehension, Kai urged Braygo inside the darkness. The water swirled around the duocorn’s knees but the surefooted animal remained steady. Inside the cave, they slid off Braygo’s back and fought the current as they waded through the icy water to the wall.
“How long will we be trapped here by the water?”
“Only a couple of hours.”
Kai nodded. He could do this. He felt his way along the rocks and began to climb. His wounded shoulder and side sent waves of agony knifing through his body each time he used his left arm to pull himself upward. Warm blood ran down his side.
Following the princess, who climbed in the darkness above him, he forced himself to keep moving. Since wild duocorns originally came from steep, rocky mountainsides, Kai knew that his fleet-footed Braygo scaled the rocks easily behind them. The churning waves muffled the noises they made as they climbed.
At the top, Kai pulled himself up and hauled his body onto the ledge, feeling around for a place to sit while Braygo scrambled up beside him. Fortunately, the long, narrow ledge afforded enough room for all of them. Kai sat back, breathing heavily, his eyes aching in the blackness as he listened to the water rising toward them.
“You’re sure water could never reach us up here?” He hoped his voice sounded steadier than his nerves.
The princess’s voice came from close beside him. “There would be water marks, or shells or something, but I’ve never found any.”
Kai would rather go back outside and face the overwhelming numbers of the enemy than remain in the cave. Moreover, hiding felt cowardly, but he had to consider the safety of the princess. With the soldiers in such close pursuit, a tired Braygo would never be able to carry them to the rendezvous point designated by Captain Tarvok. Taking her into such danger would be foolhardy.
The initial wave of panic that always came when Kai entered a small space seeped through him. His breath caught and refused to move down to his lungs. Sweat poured down his back, and he pressed his shaking hands against his eye sockets. He found the presence of mind to run through his Sauraii mind-clearing exercises. Gradually, the dark terror faded into something manageable.
“Captain?” Fear laced the princess’s voice.
“Yes?” He sounded strangled even to himself.
“Why did the Hanorans attack us
after our gesture of peace?” She sounded like a lost child.
Kai sighed. “Making peace with the Hanorans was an unreasonable hope. They don’t want allies or trade agreements. They want power. And blood.” He heard the hatred in his voice as it echoed faintly, competing with the rushing water.
She paused. “What happened tonight? And how did it all happen so fast? I heard the alarm and then they were already there.”
“The Hanorans surrounded the outer wall. They used catapults and battering rams to break through on all sides.”
“Where is the rest of my family?”
“Captain Tarvok is bringing them to a meeting place. We’ll put you on a ship to Tirai until it’s safe to bring you back.” The queen’s homeland and a trusted ally for generations seemed the best possible place for the royal family to find sanctuary. They would be safe there until Arden could be regained. If it could be regained.
The princess breathed a sound of relief, as if she had feared the worst. “After you see me to the ship, will you go back and help them win the battle?”
Kai removed his helmet and ran his fingers through his matted hair. He let out his breath in a long, ragged, weary exhale. “The battle is lost, Princess.”
“My father would not concede so quickly. He must be regrouping his men.”
She did not understand the magnitude of the loss, poor girl.
“Captain?”
Kai hesitated, wanting to spare her from the awful truth.
“Captain, please tell me.” A touch of desperation colored her voice. She had seen the destruction and would know soon anyway. Sparing her would be impossible.
“The king fell in battle. He’s dead.” He spoke more bluntly than he should have, but he knew of no way to soften the blow.
The princess let out a low moan. Then, more timidly, her voice broken with tears, she asked, “Aven couldn’t rally the knights?”
“Prince Aven also perished. The Ardeene army was completely annihilated. There is no one left to rally.”
The slaughter that took place on the battlefield, which only hours before had been a peaceful city, would probably haunt Kai all his days. Perhaps it would have been better if he had died with them. No. Then the princess would be in their hands. Kai knew he had to live to see her protected.
“Aven,” she whispered, her sorrow growing more pronounced. “Poor Karina. She loved him so.”
Kai wasn’t certain if Aven’s wife Karina had lived either. With luck, Tarvok had gotten her and others out of the castle to safety.
“And my mother?”
“Captain Tarvok and his men are bringing all survivors to a meeting place.”
The princess sagged against Kai, crying and shivering. He shifted until his back rested against hers, in an attempt to keep them both warm. Time dragged by at a maddeningly slow pace while Kai battled pain and a pervading sense of defeat, and listened to the water in the cave rise steadily. His thoughts returned to the battle. He cursed himself. He should have done more, fought harder, trained the Ardeene knights better. He had survived countless battles without losing one. King Farai had once predicted that Kai Darkwood could never be defeated. That had ended tonight. Tonight he had failed.
He knew it was arrogant and foolish to believe that he alone could have prevented the decimation of the Ardeene army. After all, they naively believed there was no true threat and that they had plenty of time to prepare. And Lord Alivan’s duplicity only fed those beliefs.
If only Kai had known how little time they had before he had left Darbor. An army of Darborian knights could have swept away the Hanoran invaders.
The princess continued weeping silently against Kai’s back. He could think of no words that might console her. Wanting to offer her comfort, he reached toward her but halted. He couldn’t take the princess into his arms.
The image of her torn and bloodied gown, and the look of horror in her eyes, burst into his mind. His jaw clenched in anger. The thought of the barbarian’s filthy hands on her blinded him with rage. He wanted to kill every Hanoran in the land for the brutal crimes they had committed tonight. With effort, Kai pushed his hatred aside. He had to think clearly now. At least the princess was alive. And he would give his life protecting her. As long as he had breath, she would never be hurt again.
The shivering princess scooted closer and rested her head on his shoulder, apparently unbothered by the links of his chain mail. He put his arms around her and felt whispers of guilt for touching her. Yet she already had his cloak; he could give her nothing else to keep warm.
The heat of Braygo’s body behind Kai blended with the warmth of the princess against his chest. Occasionally, Kai felt water droplets splash on his face as the water churned a mere hand span below their ledge. Stale air, filled with the scent of fish and salt, made breathing increasingly more difficult. The panic threatened again, but Kai fought it back. He needed to stay calm for the princess’s sake.
Her silent weeping finally subsided and she leaned heavily against him, her breathing deep and steady. Kai wished he could sleep but didn’t dare.
When the cadence of the water changed, he straightened. The water was receding. He peered downward until he could make out the faint outline of the mouth of the cave. When the water was finally low enough to allow them to escape, he gently woke the princess.
“Your Highness, the water’s down enough. Let’s go.” She made no reply but sat up.
Kai crawled to the edge and began to lower himself down. A sudden, blinding pain in his wounded side made his breath come in gasps. He braced himself and kept moving, but finally his strength failed and he lost his grip. He only fell a few hand spans before he hit the water. Steeling himself, he struggled to stand in the chest-high icy water and fought to keep on his feet in the surprisingly strong current. Then, as the ocean’s salt water soaked through his clothes to his open wounds, searing agony ripped through him. Kai clenched his jaw and smothered a groan.
“Captain?” The princess clung to the rock wall, keeping all but her feet out of the water.
He sucked in his breath, unable to reply, and leaned against Braygo, who remained steady against the tide. The cold quickly numbed his pain enough to allow movement. He turned and helped the princess mount.
She took his hand, her face drawn with concern. “Are you well?”
He gave her a quick nod and fought the waves as he led Braygo forward. At the mouth of the cave, Kai placed a hand on her arm and mouthed, “Wait here.”
He drew his weapons and moved cautiously outside, searching for danger. The moons were still up, the grayness low on the horizon, hinting of sunrise yet to come. Kai waded through the water to the beach. After he reconnoitered and found no sign of danger, he circled back around.
As the numbness wore off, the salt began to burn the open sores again, so he pulled back the torn edges of his shirt under his damaged chain mail and poured some fresh water from his water skin down his wounded side. Once he remounted, the princess huddled against him, shaking.
They rode in silence, listening for sounds of soldiers. They backtracked several times, Kai using every tracking skill he possessed to conceal their trail, but his knowledge was rudimentary at best and he feared it would be inadequate.
Nocturnal forest creatures who braved the winter squeaked as they scurried away. Great trees stood like sentries, stretching toward the cold sky. The moons set and predawn light crept over the land.
Smoke from Arden City rose in billowing, black clouds in the distance. Kai cantered Braygo on the empty main road leading to the waterfront. Dark silhouettes of silent ships nodded in the fog as they waited at port, and warehouses stood vacant. No sign of life appeared anywhere. Everything lay in a breathless hush. Kai battled waves of pain and fatigue as the sun rose.
He guided Braygo to a small, winding street facing the bay, then slowed to approach a small tavern. All was as Captain Tarvok had described. Kai listened carefully, all senses straining. When he was sure all was still,
he whistled softly. An answering whistle sounded. Kai responded with a variation of the whistle—higher, longer.
From the tavern came a cloaked and hooded figure. The hood was lowered, revealing Captain Tarvok’s bandaged face. “Darkwood, hurry, get the princess inside.”
After they dismounted, another knight appeared and took Braygo to the stable in the back. When they were all inside, Tarvok closed and bolted the door to a room that held only a few chairs and a broken table. A darkened stone fireplace sat in the corner of the room.
“The Hanorans have already been here, so I don’t think they’ll be back right away.” With obvious disappointment, the captain of the guard glanced at the princess, who sunk into a chair by the fireplace. “No one else?” He kept his voice barely above a whisper.
Kai shook his head.
Tarvok’s mouth tightened. “They’ve taken control of the port. Getting her to a ship for Tirai is out of the question. You’ll have to take her to Darbor.”
“Travel to Darbor will be risky,” Kai said quietly. “They will be looking for her when they realize she’s missing. Aren’t there any other harbors we can use?”
“This is the only safe harbor for a hundred miles in either direction. There are too many cliffs and off-shore reefs anywhere else.”
“You didn’t get anyone out?”
Looking defeated, Tarvok shook his head. “I was too late. They executed the entire family and most of the nobility. Even Lord Alivan. I guess they no longer found him useful.”
“He was stupid to think they’d actually fulfill their bargain with a traitor.” Kai ran his fingers though his hair, letting his breath out slowly. “I should have come to you or the king as soon as I suspected Alivan’s treachery.”
“We cannot waste time laying blame. You must take her away now while you can.”
Kai glanced back at the princess. She sat curled up, staring at the wall. He considered the length and difficulty of the journey they faced. He had traveled on the highways during good weather without anyone else’s needs to consider, and it had still taken him nearly two weeks to make the trip from Darbor to Arden. A flight during winter, dodging the enemy all the way, would make the journey much longer. And without any comforts, such a trek might prove too much for someone of the princess’s delicate breeding. But there were few options.