Eleanor

by S. F. Burgess

  “Look at the blade,” Remic said softly. Eleanor released the clasp; it gave easily and she drew out the blade. The wickedly sharp edge tapered to a needlepoint, making it good for slashing or stabbing. While the blade had been cared for, it was obvious that it had been well used. There was decoration on the blade, etched into the metal near the handle; the symbol looked like a mountain with a diamond within it. Eleanor ran a finger over it.

  “Look for that symbol in any of the larger towns you visit. If you need to get a message to me or you need immediate assistance, go into one of these shops and mention my name, show them the dagger and they will help you,” Remic said. Eleanor stared at him in stunned silence as the implication of his words clicked rapidly through her head.

  “Spies... you have spies, a whole network of them, which is how you know about the world, how you have watched Alaric’s bloodline,” Eleanor whispered in awe.

  Remic nodded, smiling. “Cander made a good choice in you.”

  “This was all Cander’s idea?”

  Again Remic nodded, his grin widening. “We are more than friends, we are like brothers, but Cander is in charge, his birth and position will always make this the case. He likes to give the impression of quiet deference, always standing to the back, but he is more than capable of leading our people, and all will follow him when the time comes.”

  Eleanor smiled. “I did not come here expecting to make such good friends. Thank you, Remic, thank you for everything.” Remic pulled her into a tight hug, then turned and walked back towards home without looking back. There was no need; they would see each other again.

  It took them a week to reach the foothills of the mountain range, but the time seemed to move faster than it had on the journey in. It helped that the further they walked, the easier it got to breathe – their lungs, conditioned to the thinner air, began working overtime, meaning they could push themselves harder and faster. The acquisition of the diamond seemed to have impressed on them all that what before had been nothing more than an idea, was now a very achievable reality. Eleanor looked around her friends’ faces and detected a happy glow; even Conlan joined in with the laughter and jokes. She had examined in some detail the diamond that now hung at her neck, discovering that she could send an energy string out into its lattice. She had been surprised when she found there was energy already held in the lattice, trapped and bouncing endlessly within the refractive structure. Who had put the energy in the diamond in the first place? Eleanor decided the only logical assumption was that the energy had been left by the last person to use it, the murdered king’s Avatar of Earth, seven hundred odd years ago. Eleanor was aware that energy could not be destroyed, but it was still impressive that the energy trapped in the diamond had not dissipated in seven hundred years. She had attempted to add her own energy to the diamond. It took her a few tries to get it right, as the energy string had to be carefully woven into the lattice structure to make sure the energy was trapped. She had nearly exploded a rock face down on top of herself while figuring that out, but once she was able to safely add energy she decided to see how much the stone would take. Pulling energy from the earth, using her own as a conduit, she transferred it directly into the diamond’s lattice. Despite the hours she spent doing this, she never got the impression that the diamond had reached its capacity. She could feel the stone vibrating against her skin, but strangely the massive amount of energy could only be felt with physical contact; to look at it, it was nothing more than a large diamond on a chain.

  Her conclusions were that, firstly, this was a way of secretly storing energy, but she could think of absolutely no situation when having this ability would be necessary because she was always connected to the earth, and there was no scenario she could imagine when that energy would not be available to her. The second, more worrying, conclusion was that the diamond had nothing to do with getting the connection to work. While the book made it very clear that they needed the Talismans, whatever they had been created to do, getting rid of Conlan’s shield was not it. This thought pushed Eleanor into a bleak pit of despair, made worse by the fact that she knew she could not share her thoughts. The others were happy and hopeful; more importantly, Conlan was happy and hopeful, and she could not take that from them and most certainly would not take it from him. Maybe the hunt for the Talismans would take long enough that they would work out how to get rid of Conlan’s shield. With this in mind, she made a massive effort to laugh and smile, pushing her dark thoughts to the back of her consciousness and hoping that Will would not have to go into her head any time soon. At night, though, her dreams turned to nightmares.

  Judgement

  The map and advice Remic gave them brought them out on the east side of Mydren’s central mountain range. They then turned south, keeping to the less populated foothills. For several days Conlan’s good humour vanished. After he snapped twice at Amelia for no reason at all, Eleanor had asked him what the problem was. When he refused to tell her, she voiced her good-natured but loudly spoken theories that ranged from them being close to some poor woman he had jilted, to haemorrhoids. The others had listened to her badgering him with amused interest. Eleanor was fairly certain that Will and Freddie had a bet going on just how long it would take for Conlan to break. Eleanor had actually been quite impressed with his control, but eventually he had cracked, his gaze practically nailing her to the ground as he grabbed painfully at her upper arm, shaking her, demanding she stop. Despite his livid expression and the bruises she could feel his fingers creating in her arm, she had stood her ground. So he had explained, through gritted teeth, that less than ten days’ journey from their position was a tower, in which were the Lords of Mydren that ruled the north, his father being one of them, and that he did not enjoy being as close as he was to the man. Eleanor could plainly see his discomfort and felt sorry for him. It must have shown on her face, because Conlan had taken a very threatening step forward and told her, in a bitter snarl, that he did not want her pity; he just wanted her to shut up. Not wanting to upset him further, and feeling genuinely ashamed of her behaviour, Eleanor had agreed.

  They settled into a routine as they travelled, with everyone having their own chores and responsibilities. Conlan was not pushing their pace, estimating it would take them several months to reach Drent. They made camp in the late afternoon, giving them time to practice their fighting, to talk and to generally enjoy each other’s company. Eleanor started reading the book Conlan had given her, and when Freddie discovered it was a book about battle he begged her to read it to him. So every evening she read him a chapter and they discussed it, which had the twofold purpose of getting them thinking about battle strategy and helping Eleanor’s translation. After several nights of listening in serious silence, Freddie commented that he had read a book much like it, before he died, called the ‘Art of War’. Eleanor was amused that two totally different worlds could produce the same book. Freddie laughed, pointing out that human nature and the basic elements of battle did not change, as no matter where they were, humans were motivated by the same emotions. Freddie had a quick and imaginative mind when it came to fighting. Eager to push him to think further, Conlan set up battle scenarios for them, which Eleanor and Freddie spent hours trying to work out. After a few weeks Conlan ran out of set scenarios and began to invent his own. Eleanor found this much more interesting, as his battle plans and ideas were much more intricate and detailed with more complex variables. It was like playing a very involved game of chess.

  The further south they travelled, the higher the temperature rose. Eleanor had gone through the clothes that Callie had given her, finding a few tight-fitted, short-sleeved shirts; she had also found a draw-string purse full of thick, heavy coins at the bottom of the clothes bag, with a note from Remic telling her to buy anything Callie had forgotten to pack. Eleanor had smiled at the sweet gesture, especially as she already owed him so much. Conlan had not been happy about her wearing her new shirts and had demanded that she wore something to hide her
Avatar brand. Eleanor had ignored him, refusing to back down even when he had tried to back up his argument with violence, by shoving her to the ground. She was becoming less and less inclined to hide what she was, especially out in the wilderness, where their only witnesses were lizards and snakes. Conlan’s behaviour, however, was beginning to worry her. She knew she pushed him on occasion, but in the past he had usually been able to resist the urge to actually hurt her. Since their visit to the Dwarfs, more and more of their arguments ended in Eleanor gaining bruises. There was no brooding silence; he was mostly fine with the others, so it was just her he had a short fuse with. The others also seemed to have noticed, as Will and Freddie seemed to materialise near her whenever she and Conlan started arguing.

  They were several days away from Drent. The landscape had begun to change, becoming barren and flatter, the sky melting into the horizon. There were no trees, sparse vegetation and cracked dry earth; water became harder to find. The temperature climbed, and Rand began to struggle in the heat, making it necessary for them to walk at night when it was cooler. Skirting several small border towns they saw a few people out on the roads, but nobody gave them so much as a second glance. As they got closer to Drent the traffic on the road became a little heavier. Eleanor had reluctantly agreed to wear a shirt to cover her brand, and it was sticking to her body in the sweltering heat. There was a small breeze, but it came from the desert and it felt to Eleanor like she was being dry baked. Will and Rand looked as miserable as she felt. Amelia and Conlan just appeared to accept the situation with stoicism. Freddie, on the other hand, had a big grin on his face.

  “Enjoying the weather?” Eleanor asked, jogging up to his side and feeling the sweat running down her back.

  He nodded enthusiastically. “It’s wonderful, isn’t it? I was getting so sick of the rain and cold – this is brilliant! There is so much heat in the air that I can actually take energy from it.”

  Eleanor looked at him in surprise. “Really? What does it feel like?”

  Freddie looked thoughtful for a moment. “Not like fire – it’s subtle, heavy for some reason. I like it.”

  “Each to their own,” Eleanor muttered as Freddie laughed.

  Drent was a walled town – as Baydon had been – but unlike Baydon, Eleanor got the impression that the towering battlements were kept in good repair for a reason other than civic pride. As they walked under the shadow of the city gate, in the early afternoon, the three bored guards gave them nothing more than a cursory glance. They were wearing uniforms, but they were not the grey of the Protectors – these guards wore red.

  “Are there no Protectors here?” Eleanor whispered to Conlan.

  “No, this is a disconnected town; the men in red are the town guard. Drent is a town too threatened to be worth the Lords’ trouble taking it.”

  “Threatened by whom?” Eleanor asked.

  “The Elves,” came Conlan’s terse reply.

  Leading Rand, Conlan walked through the busy, sweltering streets. Eleanor looked around her. Unlike her trip to Baydon, she no longer felt out of place, she understood the conversation around her and could hear shopkeepers and street traders yelling their wares. It did not feel as threatening as Baydon had. The people here did not seem to be overly poor or overly rich. The city smelt very different to Baydon: dry and dusty, the air filled with the scents of spice and sweet fried food. Eleanor smiled. She liked Drent, despite the heat, it felt exciting and mysterious; she wanted to explore. Conlan led them to a large inn off one of the main streets. Its long, three storey, white-washed front looked clean and crisp next to its shabby, sand-blown neighbours, balconies drawing sharp lines across its front.

  “We’ll stay here for tonight and set off for the Elves early tomorrow morning. Will, can you get us rooms? I need to find stabling for Rand; we can’t take him into the desert with us,” Conlan said, his voice soft and not wanting to draw attention to the fact he was speaking English. He took a small sack of coins from one of his bags and gave it to Will. “There should be more than enough, so get us baths and a meal.” Will nodded, disappearing into the inn as Eleanor helped Freddie and Amelia take their bags and equipment off Rand. Eleanor considered the bag of money Remic had given her; it was easily three times the size of the one Conlan had just given Will. Maybe the coins in my purse are worth less. Will came back out of the inn clutching a room key just as his fellow travellers finally managed to shoulder all the bags Rand had been carrying.

  “I got us a suite, it was easier. Room twelve,” Will said. Conlan nodded, putting the coin bag in his pocket and leading Rand down the street towards the sign that said ‘Stables’. Will showed them to their room. He unlocked the door into a large, airy living room. Its white-washed stone walls and brightly coloured mosaics made Eleanor think of Moroccan interior design. There were several low tables, comfortable chairs and colourful, cushion-strewn sofas, with lamps scattered around. On either side of the room were double doors leading into two further rooms, in each of which Eleanor could see a large double bed covered in brightly coloured throws, along with more comfortable furniture. On the opposite side of the room was a slatted wooden screen that caused stripy light to hit the cool, blue-tiled floor in front of it. Unceremoniously dumping her bags, Eleanor moved to the wooden screen and pulled it; it concertinaed apart to reveal a long, wide balcony that overlooked the street. Eleanor sat, cross-legged and ignoring the heat, watched the life bustle around her. Amelia came to join her. They sat in companionable silence for a while, until eventually Amelia spoke.

  “Sometimes I feel so detached from this world… I would love to go shopping. Will and I have been together for three years this summer, and I want to buy him something.”

  Eleanor reached to squeeze her hand. “I have money. Let’s shop!”

  “Where did you get money from?”

  “Remic gave it to me,” Eleanor shrugged.

  “I knew that Dwarf had the hots for you!” Amelia said, her voice a little too loud. Eleanor heard Freddie sniggering behind them; she turned to glare at him and he returned to the bag he was rooting through.

  “He was just being sweet.” She was blushing – she had really liked Remic and Cander, but there was nothing more than friendship involved. She rose to her feet. Walking back to her bags, she dug around until she found the heavy coin purse and brought it back to Amelia, who stared at it with wide, surprised eyes.

  “This is a lot of money, Eleanor.”

  “How much is a lot?” Eleanor asked.

  “You could buy a nice house with this,” Amelia replied softly, weighing the purse in her hand.

  “Would Will like a nice house?” Eleanor inquired, in a conspiratorial whisper.

  “I was thinking of something a little easier for him to carry,” Amelia said, smiling.

  “Then let’s go and find him something.”

  Eleanor had been forced to bribe Freddie with the promise of presents so he would cover for them, but they had finally managed to get away, moving through the streets, looking in shop windows and at the wares of the traders in the stalls they passed, with Amelia asking endless questions in Eleanor’s head about what they were saying and selling. Drent was not a large town, and it did not take them long to find the main shopping street. They moved from one shop to the next, Amelia looking dispiritedly at the items for sale but never actually choosing anything. When they had viewed the shops on both sides of the street, Eleanor began to wonder if there would be anything she would think appropriate.

  Amelia, do you have something in mind? It might help us find what you are looking for.

  I don’t know what to get him, I don’t know what he would like; there is nothing he really needs and he won’t want to carry useless knick-knacks around…

  Eleanor could feel her distress. Would you like some advice on what to get him? she asked, allowing some of Will’s stronger hopes and dreams to drift to the surface of her mind from the dark corner she had shoved them after Earth had rifled through his mind.


  Amelia nodded slowly.

  He always wanted to draw, Amelia, so get him a sketch pad and some pencils.

  Amelia looked at her blankly for a moment. Really?

  Eleanor nodded. There’s a shop at the far end of the street, it sells that sort of thing. Taking her hand, Eleanor pulled her towards the shop. Inside it was cool and gloomy. Giving the stock a brief inspection, Amelia picked a medium-sized pad, full of thick, creamy paper, held together by a soft, red-brown leather cover, a long leather thong firmly attached so that it could be wrapped around, holding it closed. The shop sold paints and coloured pencils, but mindful of the weight Amelia selected six beautiful handmade pencils, with lead of various softnesses and a matching red-brown leather case to keep them in. Eleanor asked the shopkeeper, an older man with a friendly smile, to wrap the items, as they were a gift. The man carefully wrapped the items in colourful cloth and ribbon, handing them to Amelia.

  Thank you, Amelia said as they exited the shop.

  You’re welcome. Now we have to get something for Freddie, and I suppose Conlan would be hurt if he’s missed out… Is there anything you’d like?

  They wandered through the shops again. Eleanor commissioned a new bridal, saddle and saddlebags in red leather for Rand, conscious of the fact that it was her fault the original ones had been lost. She paid the saddler, giving him a description of Rand and telling him which stables he could be found in if he needed to take measurements, hoping it would be finished before they got back from visiting the Elves. She bought Freddie a new sword – she knew she had paid over the odds for it, but it was beautiful, well-balanced, sharp and sleek. Freddie took great care of his old cast-off of Conlan’s; he deserved something special of his own. Not wanting to walk the streets holding a sword, she had paid extra to have it delivered to their hotel. She bought Amelia some lavender-smelling soap in a little case and some perfume that had reminded her of Conlan’s mother’s garden. She bought herself a soft leather wrist cuff so that she could wear short sleeves and still cover her brand. Walking past a jewellery shop, Eleanor noticed the symbol of the mountain with a diamond within it on the corner of the sign over the door, and she thought of Remic and Cander with a smile; she must remember to thank Remic for the fun they were having. She bought Will a pack of what looked like playing cards after noticing that the four suites were diamonds, wands, chalices and swords. Eleanor doubted this was a coincidence.