Knight Rising

by Jason Hamilton

  It was a simple phrase, but it carried a lot of weight. Yes, Vivien was a woman now, no longer the bumbling girl she had once known. This woman had seen hardship, though Gloriana did not know the specifics. Whatever it was, it had matured Vivien, and honed her into a formidable weapon.

  They parted, and Gloriana took her trek back to the Faerie land. The journey was short, it always was, no matter where you were in the forest of Arden. It wasn’t long before massive tree trunks signaled their proximity, and Gloriana could hear the music again.

  She closed her eyes and let the joyous sound wash over her. Yes, there was still good here. The darkness hadn’t reached them yet.

  Using a spare tunic to cover up her shoulder wound, she rode across the bridge into her kingdom. Nymphs, dryads, and other woodland creatures stopped their gaiety to bow as she entered the gates. She smiled and gave them all an acknowledging nod before continuing on.

  “Tom,” she said as they rode. In answer, the little man swooped down on his sparrow to alight on her shoulder. “Yes, my lady.”

  “Go on ahead and tell all in my court to leave. I need to use the mirror. Meet me there alone.”

  “At once,” he said before flying off to do as she commanded.

  By the time she reached her throne room, a giant hall with pillars of living trees covered in greenery, it was completely vacant. Tom had done his job. Yes, it was time to give the small man a bit more leeway.

  She approached the center of the hall where a wide pool lay in a stone circle, its surface completely still, despite a light breeze that flowed through the hall.

  Tom stood on the stone surrounding the pool, his sparrow off somewhere in the trees. “What did you want to see me about?” he asked as she drew closer.

  “I need you to help me find potentials,” she said, staring pointedly at the watery surface of the mirror.

  “You would let me go on my own?” he asked, his face brightening.

  “You have proven yourself before today. And I’ll need someone to repeat my instructions, should they not harken to their dreams. I cannot be everywhere at once.”

  Tom saluted. “I will do all I can.”

  Gloriana smiled, a rare occurrence these days. “Thank you, Tom.”

  “And what of the mirror?” he asked, turning to stare down at the black pool.

  Gloriana waved her hand, calling on a thread of magic to touch the surface of the pool. To their eyes, it rippled slightly, and its color changed. In an instant, they were looking at a completely different scene. Through the ripples she could make out a knight sitting by a fire, next to his horse, warming himself.

  “Ah,” said Tom. “I’ve seen that one before. He is one of the few that seeks you.”

  “Yes, and it’s far time I revealed myself to him.” Gloriana continued to stare at the man’s comely face and beard. “His show of temperance is perhaps taken to extremes at times, but we need all the help we can get.”

  She waved her hand and the water rippled once more, this time showing another knight.

  “Is that one female?” Tom cocked his head at the image.

  “Indeed,” said Gloriana. “And one of the best too.”

  “Is she another knight you are considering?”

  “Perhaps,” said Gloriana. “I’ve followed several knights for some time, but Merlin has already taken an interest in this one, so I do not know if my advances would be welcome.”

  “It is like you say, we are desperate for others.”

  More than you know, Tom. Gloriana didn’t say the words to her friend, but instead dabbed a finger along the outside of her shoulder wound. The cut had swollen, and small black lines spread from the fissure. She would need more than just knights if she was to face what was coming. And with Duessa already here, she had to assume the other Sins had come through this or another breach as well. They would be difficult to stop. She would need more than knightly prowess…

  Blinking, she brought herself back to reality. “Tom, I want you to go to the first knight. Tell him of our plight and bring him here if you can.”

  Tom nodded. “And you will go after the woman?”

  Gloriana shook her head. “No, not yet. There is another I wish to visit first.” She waved her hand one last time, and the mirror shimmered again. This time, another knight appeared, riding his horse in only his padded armor, his face shining in sunlight. At his side was a shield bearing a red cross.

  “That one?” asked Tom. “He doesn’t exactly seem the type for the Order of Maidenglory.”

  “That may be true,” said Gloriana, gazing closely at the knight. “But looks are often deceiving. And besides, this one is close to another individual. One who might just be the salvation we’re looking for.”

  1

  For the first time in over a year, the bolt to Una’s cell crunched through rust and dust as someone took off the lock. Una raised her head from where she lay in the corner. A trickle of light came from a barred window at the top of her cell, through a hole that led all the way down, but since she was in the deepest part of the dungeon, it was barely enough to see by. Despite that, she knew the city of Londinium bustled just outside.

  Yet even in the low light, she could make out two forms entering the confined space, their heads ducked to avoid the low ceiling. The first had to be her jailer. He held the keys and looked decidedly like a rat from the way his teeth stuck out from his scrawny face. She rarely saw the man, other than the times when he brought her food, and he had already done so today.

  He was new, hired by the Romans after the other had apparently run away in a fright. But, Una knew the truth about the previous jailer. He had tried to take advantage of her. She had made sure he could never take advantage of a woman again. And of course, he couldn’t report her behavior, as jailors were strictly forbidden from consorting with prisoners, especially women like her.

  The second man was taller, broader in the chest, with dark hair and beard, and piercing blue eyes that fixed on Una the moment he entered. Apart from his ears that seemed to stick out just a bit too much, he was actually quite handsome. He wore padded armor, common trousers, and a sword hung at his belt.

  What persona should she use on this man? She had several that she liked to use, like guided personalities to help her get what she wanted out of people, especially men. For a handsome man like this, perhaps she should go with something more helpless. Men like him always responded to helpless women. Yes, best to play the timid, frightened card, put the tall man in a false sense of security.

  She pushed back her short brown hair, kept short by the jailor himself. Apparently long hair was a liability in a cell, though she had no idea how that worked. As the two men considered her, she tensed her muscles and prepared to move. She had managed to keep her muscles lean enough, and most men seemed to find her attractive, even when covered in dirt. Hopefully she could use that to her advantage.

  She scrambled to the back of her cell on her hands and knees, huddling in the fetal position. Whatever he wanted, it probably wasn’t good. Like the previous jailor, other men had tried to take advantage of her before. It had been a year since the last one, mostly because her reputation for mayhem. And word had gotten around as to the initial reasons for her imprisonment. The advances had mostly stopped after that. She would show this man that he was no different than all the rest.

  The jailor picked up her dinner plate which sat, scraped clean of food, next to the door.

  “Don’t give her anything,” he said in a rusty voice. “She’s been denied all amenities save for this plate and those rags she’s wearing.”

  “Why is that?” said the second man. His cheerful tone contrasted starkly with that of the jailor.

  “She’s resourceful. Tried to pick the locks with the eating utensils once. We let her use her hands now.”

  “Well then, I shall refrain from giving her anything.”

  “And be sure to check your pockets when you leave,” added the jailor. “So she doesn’t swipe a
nything from yeh.”

  “Indeed.”

  “And be careful when she talks.”

  “I’m sorry, when she talks?”

  “Yeah, she’s been known to charm some of the other guards into thinking she’s innocent. Even had a few petitions for her release. They were reassigned, obviously.”

  The tall man looked hesitant for the first time, but nodded as the jailor retreated, closing the door behind him so it was just Una and the newcomer. She remained tense.

  “Hello,” said the tall man in a polite voice.

  Una frowned. None of the other men ever tried to say anything.

  He looked up and down the length of the cell, his torso still bowed to avoid the low ceiling. “I understand you’ve been in here for a while.”

  She remained silent, only narrowing her eyes at the man. What was he getting at?

  “I’m a knight,” he said, though he shrugged after he said it. “Well, sort of. I’ve been trying to get you out.”

  “Get me out?” Una rasped, her voice a bit dry. She hadn’t spoken in some time.

  “Yes, you see, I need your help.”

  “So get me out,” she said, remaining where she was and hugging her knees, continuing to look as vulnerable as she could.

  “Ah,” said the knight. “It’s, uh, unfortunately not as easy as I hoped.”

  Of course it wasn’t. Una breathed out and went back to staring at the ground. A part of her was...disappointed. Had she really allowed herself to believe that today would be the day? And with barely any time to consider the idea? The ‘sort-of’ knight’s good looks must have thrown her off.

  “Mm, but I wanted to see you,” he said, taking a step toward her before stopping as she caught his eye with one of her more dangerous looks. He stopped advancing. Instead he glanced around the cell, as though suspecting eavesdroppers. Idiot. No one could hear them here. Then in a hushed tone he said, “It’s about Castle Silene.”

  Her hazel eyes locked on all-too soft brown ones. “What about Castle Silene?”

  “You’re from there, yes?”

  Her heart chilled, and she rose to her feet, all pretense of weakness gone. No one knew of her connection to Castle Silene. No one. If they had, she might have been executed or neglected to the point of death in the dungeon, rather than locked up for three years.

  “I’ve never been there before,” she lied. She couldn’t let this man spread rumors. What was he playing at? If he knew who she was, why would he reveal himself to her now? Was this his way of smugly informing her that he knew, and that her life was about to become a living hell the moment he told someone of influence?

  But the man didn’t look smug. His brow furrowed in confusion. “That’s odd, I was told…”

  “Who told you?” Una prodded.

  “That’s...not important,” he said, abruptly. Was he blushing, or was his face always that red?

  Una let a moment of silence pass between them. “Why did you say you need my help?”

  “Well, it’s the dragon at Castle Silene,” he said, still looking flustered. “You see, I need to kill it.”

  “Ha!” Una stopped herself from laughing after her initial outburst. But even so she found herself leaning against the cell wall, covering her mouth. If it were possible, the tall man’s face only reddened further.

  “You? Fight the dragon?” It was common enough knowledge that there was a dragon at Castle Silene, though few knew more than that. None had any context for its arrival and subsequent habitation of the castle. Apart from her, that is, but she wasn’t about to share.

  “I’m stronger than I look,” said the knight, unconsciously puffing out his chest. “I’m capable.”

  She couldn't help but scoff from the way he squared his shoulders in indignation. “Look, I’m sure you’re very good. But this is a dragon we’re talking about. There’s no going up against it with brute force and winning. I’m sure plenty have tried.”

  “A few have,” the knight confirmed. “I’m going to be the first to succeed.”

  So there had been people visiting her hometown since she was locked up. That was useful information. She didn’t get a lot of that down here. “You do know that the castle only appears for one day of the year, right?” she asked. “It’s enchanted.” That was common enough information, but she had to be sure he knew.

  He nodded, “On the mid-summer solstice. That is only three weeks away.”

  Three weeks. That wasn’t a lot of time. Though it wasn’t as though Una could get there anyway, locked away as she was.

  “Well I’m not sure how much help I can be to you down here,” she said. “And I don’t know more about Silene than the next girl. But you’re welcome to tell me your plans for vanquishing a dragon,” she grinned at him. Despite the knight’s delusions of grandeur, it was actually nice to have someone to talk to. She hadn’t had a good conversation since old grumpy Geralt had passed away in the cell next to hers nearly a year earlier. He had rattled off various tales of his own heroics and chivalry as well, each story more extravagant and entertaining than the last. The man had been wrong in the head, but he had kept her from going insane.

  Because even for her, or perhaps especially for her, it was hard to be alone.

  “I’m afraid I can’t stay,” said the knight, taking a step back. “I...I’m sorry for bothering you. Perhaps I had the wrong person.”

  He knocked on the cell door, waiting until the jailor would come to open it.

  “Wait,” she called out, taking some steps in his direction. “You can’t just ask me questions like that and just leave me here.”

  “I’m sorry I cannot explain,” he said as the bolt sounded from the other side of the door. “Uh...official knight business. You understand.”

  “No, I don’t understand,” she said as the door swung open. “Why did you want to get me out and what does that have to do with Castle Silene?”

  But the tall man did not respond, only left the cell in a hurry once the door was open, as if worried that she might run up behind him and try to escape. She half considered it too, though there was no way she would make it up the stairs before the jailor or someone else managed to restrain her.

  As the door groaned shut, she slid against the wall till she sat on the padded straw that made up her bed. Stupid. She should have said something more, something to keep him from leaving. Maybe she should have told him something of Castle Silene. Not everything, just enough to keep him interested.

  But that chance was gone, and she was once again stuck in her cell, probably forever. Her chance at reaching Castle Silene in the next three weeks was all but gone.

  What had the knight wanted to know about Silene? And how had he known to come to her? From the sound of things, someone had tipped him off about her connection to Castle Silene. But no one knew about that, except one. And despite her problems with that young man, she was pretty sure he wouldn’t have revealed what she had confided in him three years ago. She had been a fool then. Her trust had landed her here, in this dungeon.

  She had to get out.

  It was a thought that had not occurred to her in some time, not since before her cell mate and only source of conversation had died. While she told herself that she was still young, and there was still a lot of time left, part of her wondered if she was just going to die here, like Geralt. She had even grown somewhat resigned to that fact. What had changed?

  Her questions continued to follow her into the night, until she dozed off into restless dreams involving herself becoming lost in a forest, searching for something. Whatever she was searching for, she couldn’t find it, or them, or whatever they were. She was lost, and the forest was closing around her, punishing her for not finding her goal. It was becoming harder to breathe, the world closing in around her until...

  Clink.

  Her eyes opened, and she was brought back to reality. She wasn’t in a forest, she was in her cell, almost completely dark now that night had set in, and no more light filter
ed in through the ditch that connected her tiny window to the sky above.

  What had woken her? Something had. She had been consumed by dreams just moments before, but now she was alert, attentive, listening.

  Clink.

  There it was again? A sound of metal hitting metal, and it was coming from her window.

  She was on her feet in an instant, reaching up to touch and feel the cool metal bars that made up her only connection to the outside world. She felt around, searching for the source of the sound.

  It didn’t take her long to find two small pieces of metal lying in the ditch just beyond the bars. They were tiny, smaller than eating utensils, and one was bent at the end, while the other bore a little hook.

  A chill swept over her as she realized what they were. These were lock picks.

  2

  Despite the absence of light, she tried to peek out of her window and upward to see who had thrown them down. But she could barely see anyone out of that window even on a good day, much less a night like tonight. Based on the level of light, she doubted even the moon was out.

  Regardless, she had a pretty good guess of who might be helping her. It was too much of a coincidence for a knight to show up saying he was looking for a way to free her, and lock picks falling into her cell later that night. But he had seemed so flustered when she told him she knew nothing of Castle Silene. She had thought him gone for good. What had changed? Or was it someone else entirely?

  She felt at the picks once again. These might work. She had used far less promising instruments to nearly escape before, though the noise of her past attempts had ultimately brought the jailor.

  Could she do it?

  She covered the distance of her cell until she could gaze outward and to either side. There was no one else there. She was the only prisoner in this section, and the jailor rarely came down here, preferring to stay at a higher level. The truth was, he didn’t need to watch her, as there was only one way in or out of the prison, and he could keep a watch on that from upstairs.