by Suzanna Lynn
Baylin knew the news of Luana’s powers was already floating around the castle. The men were bewildered and frightened by the exchange between Luana and the mysterious sorceress. Mind you, had it not been for Luana, those men would have died. They must realize that.
Baylin pulled away from Luana enough to look at her. “So will you go visit your family? You haven’t had a proper visit with them in over a year.”
Luana sighed. “I suppose I could.”
“Shh,” Baylin urged, looking over Luana’s shoulder toward Rivermouth.
The sun had not yet begun to color a soft orange hue on the horizon, and the night’s sliver of moon had already gone down. It was the slightest glint of light that had caught the Prince’s eye. A speck of yellow against the dark purple blanket of the early morning sky. There should be no one in Rivermouth. I’ve ordered all my men back to the castle, except for two scouts. Surely they aren’t so daft as to make a fire.
Baylin stepped around Luana, walking closer to the edge of the balcony. He squinted his eyes to see through the early morning fog that was beginning to roll over the Kingdom. He saw the tiny spark of light again. It was moving. The fluttering dot of light seemed to give birth to another, and then another. It can’t be torches. A torch light would not show brightly from here.
“What is it?” Luana whispered.
Baylin strained his eyes to see through the fog. “I’m not sure.”
The bedchamber door flew open with a loud clang, causing both Luana and Baylin to start. “Baylin!” called Ferric from the room. The baby began to cry, having been woken from his slumber.
Baylin and Luana ran into the room. Luana went to the baby, scooping him up in her arms to soothe him.
“Ferric, what is it? What has happened?” Baylin questioned. It is unlike him to enter my chambers uninvited.
“Kardell ships have taken Rivermouth; they carry the Mirstone flag,” Ferric rasped, attempting to catch his breath. “Only one of our scouts made it out alive, and he is badly injured.”
“So this is it,” Baylin said, his brow furrowed deep. “For the first time in five hundred years, war will stain the Kingdom.”
“Have all the villagers been evacuated and moved into the catacombs?” Luana asked, rocking the baby gently in her arms.
“Yes, your family was the last of them,” Ferric confirmed.
Luana sighed.
“But we did not have time to complete the harvest,” Baylin said grimly. “There will not be enough food to make it through the winter.”
“What are your orders?” Ferric asked.
“Gather all my commanders,” Baylin ordered. “We meet in the war room.”
Ferric nodded and ran from the room.
“Quickly, pack your things!” Baylin turned, grabbing a large brown leather satchel, and began shoving the baby’s blankets and clothes inside. “I will take you to stay with my parents. There is a special chamber for the royal family. You will be safe with them.”
“Let me go with you,” Luana exclaimed. “My power is much stronger. I can help you.”
“Out of the question,” Baylin laughed dryly. “You can’t have imagined I would agree to that.” He hastily fastened the satchel as the nursemaid and Meg entered the room.
“Your Grace, apologies, we just heard,” Meg said with a bow.
“Do not worry on that. I have only just been informed,” Baylin said, handing the leather satchel to the nursemaid. “Make sure everything is packed for our son and Luana. Also pack items for yourselves. You will stay with Luana and the baby for the duration of… of this war. Gather items for winter.”
“Winter?” Luana and Meg said in unison, turning to him.
“Yes, winter,” Baylin sighed, pulling a fur blanket off the bed and rolling it up. “We must prepare for the worst.”
Baylin’s steward arrived, carrying the Prince’s battle tunic and chainmail. “Your Grace, your horse is being prepared now.”
“Good,” Baylin said, taking the items from the boy and throwing them across the settee by the hearth. “Go grab two men to escort Luana and the baby to stay with my mother.”
While the maids hurried to gather the remainder of clothing and blankets, Luana walked across the room to Baylin. “I’m worried for you. I will continue to worry. You can’t expect me to hide away in the mountain while you’re out there risking your life.”
He brushed a stray hair from her face, running his rough thumb along her cheek. “That’s exactly what I expect. Your job is to protect our son.”
Luana looked as though she wanted to argue, but her expression turned from one of defiance to defeat. “What if you’re hurt? What if…” Her lip trembled.
“I won’t,” he lied. Baylin knew there was no guarantee that he, or anyone in the Kingdom, would survive the attack.
“Your Grace.” The steward returned, flanked by two large guards in full armor.
“Yes, thank you. Please help the ladies carry their things. Be sure to take the cradle,” Baylin ordered. “Escort them directly to my mother. Do not stop for anything.”
“What of my family?” Luana asked, grabbing her hooded fur cape.
“I will have them sent to stay with you and Mother as well,” Baylin said, snatching up a little wooden horse he had carved for his son. What if this is the only memory my son will ever possess of me? We still have not named him. Am I to die without giving my son a proper name? He fought the sorrow and fear welling up inside him and shoved the toy horse into an overstuffed bag.
The guards and maids finished gathering up the items and were headed for the door.
Luana walked to Baylin, holding their son in her arms.
The Prince leaned over and gave the little boy a kiss on the forehead. “Goodbye, my son. Take care of your mother.”
Luana’s eyes filled with tears as she looked up at Baylin. “Why do I feel as though I will never see you again?”
“You’re just scared,” Baylin said, pulling her into his arms. “It will be over before you know it and all will be well again.”
Luana began to weep in his arms. He ran his hand down the back of her silken hair. He kissed the top of her head, taking in a deep breath. She smells of lavender and fresh air. He wanted to memorize the scent so he would never forget it.
Baylin pulled away, cupping Luana’s chin in his hand. “I love you.”
Tears stained her cheeks as she fought the onslaught of more. “And I, you.”
He leaned in, pressing his lips against hers. Her petal-soft lips were sweet as honey and warm like the summer sun. He parted his lips, slipping his tongue between them, caressing her tongue with his own.
Baylin pulled her to him as the tip of his tongue traced the inside of her lips.
When the couple finally parted, they gasped for breath.
Salty tears stained Luana’s pale cheeks as she stared up at him. “Come back to me.”
“Always, my love. Now go,” Baylin urged. “Go.”
Chapter Seventeen
Baylin arrived at the war council room, fully clothed in his battle armor. The black, boiled-leather jerkin was hot and the fine silver chainmail was heavy, but he knew he needed to be prepared to leave immediately.
The room was full of men—generals and commanders. Many of whom had seen far too many winters to be of much use on the battlefield. Their bulging eyes and sweaty brows were merely a few of the signs of their growing fear. They are scared. As they should be. We are not prepared to go to war against our own people.
Baylin went to the front of the room to address the group. The clamor of their stressed conversations quieted to a low roar as Baylin stood at the head of the table.
“Quiet!” Baylin boomed, slamming his fist on the table. “Keep your wits about you!” The room fell silent. “I understand your alarm. However, it is not as though we were unprepared for this. We have been planning for this attack for nearly two weeks.” Has it really only been two weeks? Time was a blur as the Prince tried to re
member.
“Your Grace,” Ferric said. “More scouts have reported movement at Fagin Forest.”
Baylin’s heart raced. “They mean to hit us on both fronts?”
“It’s unsure,” Ferric said, nodding his head to a steward nearby. “I’ve had one of the scouts brought so he can give a true account of what he saw.”
The steward escorted a man dressed in brown riding clothes into the room. The man was smaller than your average Keld soldier, as was the custom. Smaller men rode faster by horseback, giving them the chance to cover long distances much faster.
“Your Grace,” the rider said, bowing.
“What did you see?” Baylin asked, taking a seat.
“Honestly, there wasn’t much too see,” the rider explained. “Fagin Forest is rather dark during the noonday sun, so during the night it’s practically impossible to see without torchlight. It wasn’t so much what we saw, as what we heard.”
“Could you hear them coming through the forest?” Baylin questioned. “Horses, perhaps?”
“No, not exactly,” the rider continued. “It did have the sound of an army or large group coming through the forest, but it was not like the usual sounds you hear when an army is on the move.”
“Explain,” Baylin snapped. “And be quick about it.”
“With an army, you can hear horses’ hooves, the sound of metal from armor or weapons,” the rider explained, sweat forming on his brow. “These sounds were like nothing we’d heard before. It was like a low roar of thunder rolling through the forest toward us. The very ground beneath our feet started to tremble. Then the wind picked up, making the trees sway and bend. We barely had time to mount our horses before they spooked. It was as though a great darkness was coming straight through the forest.”
Baylin cocked an eyebrow, looking at Ferric. “What do you make of it?”
“After the incident at Black Hallows, do you need to ask?” Ferric murmured.
The Prince sighed. “Thank you, sir, for your devotion to the Kingdom and for warning us. See yourself fed and rested. We may require your services again, and sooner than you might think.”
“Yes, Your Grace. Thank you.” The scout gave a bow and the steward escorted the rider out of the room.
Baylin unrolled a large map of Grasmere and placed it on the table. “It is confirmed that Kardell has made port in Rivermouth, correct?”
“Yes, Rivermouth has been taken.” The sound of King Ashmur’s voice caught everyone’s attention. The room erupted with the sound of shifting chairs and the movement of armor as the men stood and bowed.
Baylin turned to find his father standing in the doorway. “Your Grace!” Baylin bowed.
“My son.” The King walked across the room to Baylin, embracing him. “It would appear your uncle has made good on his word.”
Baylin pointed to spots on the map. “Kardell attacks us by Rivermouth while another attack comes from the forest.”
“The forest?” the King questions.
“There is a darkness,” Ferric interrupts. “A sorceress appears to be in league with the troll hordes.”
The King’s eyes widen in disbelief. “This cannot be.”
“We’re not really sure what this presence is,” Baylin sighed. “We only know it is definitely dark and it appears to have something to do with the trolls.” The Prince went on to explain the situation that took place in Black Hallows.
“What of the girl?” General Cormag questioned. “They say she has powers too. That she fought the sorceress.”
“Girl? What girl?” the King asked, turning his gaze on Baylin. “They don’t mean… your bed wife?”
Baylin swallowed hard. “Yes, Luana was there. We had gone to get her family during the evacuation and—”
“It doesn’t matter,” King Ashmur murmured. “We have more pressing matters to discuss than this nonsense. We’ll talk on it once the threat has passed.”
Baylin knew it was a warning. His father was furious but kept a face of calm control. The thought made him feel like a child.
“What is this about the girl having power?” Ashmur questioned.
Baylin knew it would come out eventually. It was best he told everyone the truth. “Luana. She’s part… She’s a descendent of King Rydel.”
The Prince expected a sudden intake of breath, a sign of surprise or shock. However, the room was silent. The men sat with their mouths agape. He turned to his father. The King’s face was wrinkled in confusion, attempting to comprehend.
“How…” King Ashmur murmured.
Baylin quickly explained what he knew of Luana’s parentage and how King Rydel was still alive and thriving.
“You’re telling me that King Rydel is still alive after all this time?” General Cormag asked. “How can that be?”
“I don’t know, but he is,” Baylin said. “The point is, I believe we have an ally in this fight. We must call for aid from the elves.”
“The elves!” King Ashmur boomed. “Where were the elves during the Battle of Embers? Where have the elves been these past five hundred years?”
“They did what they felt was right at the time,” Baylin defended. “King Rydel has admitted their inaction was a mistake. He is trying to rectify that by training Luana. He is teaching her the way of her true people. Had it not been for the elves, we wouldn’t have made it through Fagin Forest alive.”
“We do not need these… these elves, to defend our land,” the King argued. “We will defend the castle. As long as our people are inside, they will be safe.”
“Apologies, Your Grace,” Ferric said with a bow of the head. “But the people will not last the winter within the castle. There is simply not enough food stores to feed them all.”
“Cadman knew to hit us before the harvest,” Baylin said. “He has knowledge of the Kingdom and how you think, Father. He knows the castle’s weaknesses, its secrets.”
A steward ran into the room carrying a rolled parchment. “Your Grace! At least thirty carracks have made port in Rivermouth.”
The young man handed the rolled parchment to the King as the room erupted in a rumble of whispers.
“Thirty?” Baylin murmured. “Thirty galleons, six decks each… probably four hundred men per vessel. Twelve thousand men at least. Not to mention all the supplies they are able to carry. Mirstone and Kardell could wait years and not run out of supplies.”
“We don’t know that for sure,” said General Cormag. “This could be a distraction. Carracks are fast and agile and do not require a large crew. Perhaps they mean to use it to keep us hidden in the castle. We should defend our Kingdom, attack when they don’t expect it.”
“If those thirty galleons are equipped with soldiers, weapons and supplies,” Ferric growled, “Grasmere will fall if we engage.”
“Is slowly starving or being brutally slaughtered the lesser of two evils?” spat an old general who had remained silent up until that point. Everyone stopped arguing and fell quiet. “You all seem to see no other options.”
“What would you have us do, my old friend?” King Ashmur asked the man.
General Derwen had been a grown Keld soldier before the King had even been born. However, he and the King grew close when Ashmur took up the throne at a young age. The two had long been friends, just as Ferric and Baylin. The general had a mind for strategy, even in his old age.
“I would do as the young Prince said,” Derwen instructed. “We ask this elf, this King Rydel, if he is truly regretful of his past mistakes. We ask him and his people to take up arms with us.”
The room became deafening with the sounds of shouts, grumbles and countless arguments amongst the men.
“We can’t trust the elves!”
“We must attack.”
“Wait them out!”
King Ashmur sat in a chair, shaking his head at the ruckus. Baylin pulled the map closer, studying it. Kardell is known for their ships. Their galleons are fast and agile; they would be able to make berth anywhere the wat
er touched the shore. He studied the map closer, checking for any weaknesses that he may have missed.
“Quiet!” Baylin shouted, banging his fist on the table. “Listen, thirty ships is formidable but certainly not a true show of the power Kardell has. They are an island race; they know how to defend and attack by water. They know putting all their ships at Rivermouth would not only show exactly what they have planned, it would put them too far from the castle and it would eliminate any element of surprise.”
“So what are you suggesting?” King Ashmur asked, standing and walking to inspect the map.
“Many years ago, when I was young, I used to play with Lu… a friend in Open Shaw,” Baylin explained, pointing to the forest that runs behind the fields of the village. “As the land rises, most of the area behind the wood is rough cliffs. However, farther south, the forest opens up against a shore.”
“How do we not know about this?” asked General Derwen.
“The maps don’t show of any such shore,” argued General Cormag.
“The only way to the shore is either by boat or through the forest,” Baylin explained. “However, if galleons were to drop men at that eastern shore, they could use the forest as cover and be on the castle before we would have time to counter.”
“And if we were to attack at Rivermouth, it would allow them to come up behind us,” Ferric said, pointing to an area on the map. “We would be surrounded.”
Baylin pointed to places on the map. “Kardell and Mirstone attack by ship at Rivermouth and through the forest of Open Shaw. The trolls and this sorceress attack from Fagin Forest.”
“You seem to imply that this sorceress and her trolls are somehow in league with Mirstone,” accused General Cormag.
“Whether or not the attacks are related,” Baylin said, “it would be foolish to rule out any threat.”
“You say the elves have been settled in Fagin Forest for all these years,” King Ashmur murmured. “Is it not wise to also consider them a threat? This sorceress also resides in the forest, it would seem.”
“That is nonsense.” Baylin’s words caught in his throat. I never thought of King Rydel as a threat, but wouldn’t a show of kindness be the best disguise? But to go to so much trouble to assist us when we fled Mirstone, and the way King Rydel has helped Luana to protect herself. He couldn’t possibly be… Could he? The elves possess magic like the sorceress. What if she is, in fact, one of them? Why else would they allow her in their forest?