Merl paled and shook his head.
“You asked about the Avatar of Fire’s sword…” Conlan continued, as if Eleanor’s outburst had never happened. Merl nodded, a look of polite interest on his face; Conlan gave him a warm smile.
Starting from pretty much the beginning, with Alaric and the first Avatars, Conlan gave Merl the abridged version of what they were doing and why they were doing it. He had just got to the part about the Talismans and how many they had and where they had been, when Eleanor felt an energy string brush against her.
Why is he telling Merl all this? Will asked. Eleanor was surprised by the emotionless look he had on his face compared to the worry in his voice.
Merl is risking his life being with us, he deserves to know why.
He must really think Merl can be trusted.
Eleanor thought about it for a moment. Or he doesn’t think it matters.
Will gave her an odd look as he pulled his energy string back.
“You are looking for Talismans, which were hidden by Alaric’s servants centuries ago, so that you can recreate the power of the Five, overthrow the Lords of Mydren and declare yourself king?” Merl was asking in wide-eyed disbelief, food forgotten in his hand.
“Yes,” Conlan confirmed.
“What do these Talismans look like?” Merl asked.
Conlan looked at Eleanor. “Do you have Gregor’s book?” he asked in Dwarfish. Slightly taken aback, Eleanor stared at him for a moment, before answering in English.
“Are you sure Merl can be trusted?”
“Yes, I think he can be trusted, but even if he can’t I don’t see the problem with him knowing what we’re doing. If he’s with us, who’s he going to tell?” Conlan said.
“OK, but we need to be careful, Conlan. The people who attacked us, they were ‘People of the Horse’, I’m sure of it. It might just be a few people within the tribe working with Daratus, or it might be that the whole tribe has a deal with the Lords of Mydren. Whatever the case, Merl needs to know that the book is to be protected.”
“You realise that Merl could be working with Daratus,” Freddie interjected, hard eyes on Conlan.
“Yes, the thought did occur to me,” Conlan said mildly.
“Then is showing him the book a good idea?” Freddie asked.
“He’s risking his life to be here, Freddie. I trust him, and even if I didn’t, as I said, I don’t really see how reading the book is going to do any damage if Merl is with us,” Conlan said.
Freddie huffed. “You’re in charge.”
“Thank you for noticing,” Conlan said, a sardonic smile on his face. Freddie gave him a mildly insolent smirk in return.
“Is there a problem?” Merl asked. Conlan shook his head as Eleanor pulled her bag towards her, rummaging until she found Gregor’s book carefully protected in its piece of cloth. She handed it to Conlan and he sat next to Merl, opening different pages and showing him pictures of the different Talismans.
Eleanor sat next to Freddie, who automatically put an arm round her and then seemed to remember himself and withdrew it. Eleanor grasped his hand as it slipped over her shoulder, pulling it back around her and pushing a string out to him.
Freddie, am I hurting you?
Confusion filled his face. No, Eleanor, why would you think that?
Letting you hold me. I feel so guilty for doing it. Doesn’t it hurt being this close and knowing it won’t go any further? Eleanor asked, dropping her eyes, her shame making it impossible to look at him.
Eleanor, if Conlan allowed you to hug him, would you care what his motivations were? Eleanor’s mind immediately provided her with the memory of Conlan’s arm around her, holding her close as night fell around them. She had shut her mind down and simply enjoyed the moment.
No. If Conlan wanted me to hug him, I’d try not to question it. I’d just never want it to end.
Exactly, Freddie said softly. Eleanor felt a surge of affection and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him close to her. He hugged her back fiercely, resting his chin on her head. Eleanor felt another string brush against her.
Are you listening to what Merl is telling Conlan? Will asked. Eleanor turned slightly, giving the two men her attention.
“… are sure you have seen the crown before?” Conlan was asking.
“I am certain, yes, although this picture does not do it justice; it is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship,” Merl replied.
“Where? Where did you see it?” Conlan asked, the excitement in his voice hard to miss.
“In a glass cabinet in the main reception room in the Central Tower,” Merl said. There was silence.
Do you think he’s telling the truth? Will asked, once he had translated what Merl had said for Amelia and Freddie.
I’ve no idea, Eleanor answered.
“How do you know what is in the reception room of the Central Tower?” Conlan asked, suspicion creeping into his voice.
If Merl noticed, he ignored it. His response calm and measured. “I went there a few times, with Gregor, on some of his attempts to reclaim custody of you and Jarrick.”
There was another lengthy silence.
“Reclaim custody?” Conlan asked, softly.
“Did Gregor not tell you?” Merl asked. “Did you think he just let you go? Gregor spent years and a small fortune trying to get you back. He spoke to any Lord who would listen, tried threats, bribes, even blackmail, but nothing worked. At the time, your father was held in very high regard and he looked set to make it all the way to the Central Tower. You turned sixteen, became an adult and Daratus lost control of you. In my opinion the man was an idiot for thinking he could control you in the first place, you have your mother’s stubborn streak. You started speaking out against him and ridiculed his decisions, showing him up as the weak, foolish man he is. He tried to discipline you, but having you flogged did not shut you up, so he took what he thought was the only step left to him and disowned you. Another mistake, if he had been smart he would have had you quietly killed. Gregor thought you would return home then, come back to him, he was hurt when you stayed away. He persuaded Lord Harris, you remember him? He persuaded him to officially acknowledge you as his heir, despite Daratus disowning you. Gregor wanted to leave his estate to you when he died. He has never stopped loving you and never stopped fighting for you.”
More silence.
“I did not return because I did not want my father using it as an excuse to declare Gregor a traitor,” Conlan said quietly. Eleanor shuddered as his pain washed over her. Freddie pulled her closer.
“Your grandfather is a powerful man, Conlan, more powerful in many ways than your father. Daratus would never have risked taking him on, but you were not to know that,” Merl said sympathetically.
Silence again.
“How am I supposed to get the crown out of the Central Tower?” Conlan wondered out loud, with just a hint of despair in his words.
“I might be able to help you with that,” Merl said, giving Conlan a mischievous smile.
“Really, how?” Conlan asked, desperate hope in his voice warring with the suspicion in his eyes. His hope appeared to be winning.
“Well, I might be able to convince someone to sneak the crown out... for a price,” he said.
“That would be great, Merl. Would we need to go back to the Central Tower?” Conlan asked, clearly trying to control his excitement.
“No, I could send a message to the person I am thinking of and we could meet them halfway. Katadep would be a good place – there is a Protector stronghold there and my friend could find a reason to visit,” Merl said thoughtfully.
What is Merl saying? Freddie asked.
Will translated again.
That sounds a little too good to be true, Freddie said carefully.
Eleanor nodded, seeing Freddie’s concerned in Will and Amelia’s faces. But what if Merl can provide us with the crown? she asked.
And what if Merl is working for the enemy? This could be a t
rap, Freddie answered.
Freddie, seriously, Merl loves Conlan, treats him like a son. You’ve seen it, do you really think he could be working for Daratus? Besides, if the crown is where Merl says it is, we’ve got very little chance of getting it ourselves. It might be worth springing a trap, just to get our hands on it.
You want to purposely walk into a Protector trap? Amelia asked, a little horrified.
We’re Avatars, Amelia, we’d be more than a match for whoever they sent, and springing the trap would bring our enemies into the light, make them easier to fight, Eleanor reasoned.
Avatars have been killed before and Amelia has come close to losing her life – we are not invincible, Eleanor, Will said quietly.
Eleanor nodded. We were taken by surprise when Amelia was hurt, and maybe the other Avatars got careless, made mistakes.
What? Like knowingly walking into a trap? Freddie asked. Eleanor shot him an irritated look, but he stared back passively. He was serious, Eleanor realised, he was really worried.
I trust Conlan, he knows what he’s doing, Eleanor said stubbornly.
Will nodded slowly. I trust him too and Merl is growing on me. I say we give him the benefit of the doubt, but we need to be more aware of our own limitations.
They dropped into silence again, listening to Merl and Conlan’s conversation.
“How would you send a message?” Conlan was asking.
“Your grandfather is part of a large network of spies, so get me to a reasonably sized town and I can send the request,” Merl said. Conlan nodded, looking thoughtful.
“Your Avatars are very quiet,” Merl commented.
“They will be talking in each other’s heads,” Conlan said, giving them a brief glance.
“You are in charge – should you not know what they are saying?” Merl asked, his soft voice full of concerned confusion.
“I am sure they will tell me if they are discussing anything important,” Conlan said.
Merl nodded. “It must be very difficult for you, not knowing what they are thinking or saying, especially when they hold all the power.”
Conlan stared at him for a moment, but said nothing, moving to hand out blankets in silence instead.
Eleanor lay underneath hers, unable to sleep. At Merl’s request, Conlan had handed Gregor’s book over to him to read and they had held sporadic conversations about Avatars, Talismans and Conlan’s shield as Merl had asked questions. Freddie turned over in his sleep, throwing his arm over Eleanor’s waist and pulling her towards him, sighing softly as he rested his head against her back, his snoring starting up again. Conlan said goodnight to Merl, and Eleanor heard him lying down next to her, the rug underneath them not being big enough for him to get any distance. As he placed his blanket over him, Eleanor felt it cover her outstretched arm. She was just about to withdraw it, not wanting to invade his private space, when under the blanket she felt his hand close over hers. Surprised, she opened her eyes. He lay on his side, facing her. A small smile lit up his face and spoke of victory. They were so close, the sword and the crown were within their reach. His look gave Eleanor a warm glow. He stared at her for a moment and then closed his eyes to sleep. Her hand remained comfortably enveloped in his.
It was long before dawn when they were woken by the bolt on the door to their gaol being pulled back; the sound was so loud and grating that Eleanor sat up with a start, waking Conlan and Freddie as she did. Will opened his eyes but did not move, as Amelia was still asleep in his arms. The door was pulled open. It was dark outside and chilly air blew in, but it appeared to have stopped raining. Nials entered, staring at them with tired disinterest.
“Urerla wishes to speak with you, Conlan Baydon,” he said quietly.
“In the middle of the night?” Conlan asked in a thick, sleep-clogged voice, underlying the Dwarfish with suspicion. Nials raised an eyebrow, looked at him coldly but said nothing. Rolling his eyes in annoyance, Conlan got to his feet and without looking back followed Nials. The door closed and bolted behind them.
“What was that about?” Freddie asked.
“Urerla has asked to see him,” Eleanor said, noticing Will and Freddie giving each other a strange look.
“What?” she asked.
“Just a little odd, that’s all,” Will said, looking back at the door.
“Maybe the woman doesn’t sleep much,” Eleanor suggested. Freddie and Will gave each other another look she did not understand. Irritated, she glanced from one to the other.
“What?” she asked again.
Freddie gave her a wicked smile. “Think about it, Eleanor, why do you think a woman might be asking a man to join her in the middle of the night?” Embarrassed at her stupidity, Eleanor felt her cheeks turn crimson as Freddie’s words fitted the pieces of the puzzle together.
“She wants to have sex with him?” she asked, wanting to be very sure that she had the right idea before she said anything else.
“Perhaps,” Will said, giving Freddie an irritated glance.
Freddie sniggered softly. “Oh come on Will, you saw the look Urerla gave him, she was practically undressing him on the spot,” he said, his grin getting wider. Eleanor felt her stomach twist and was angry at her body’s response. She had no claim over Conlan. He could do as he pleased, but the thought of him in the arms of the stunningly beautiful Urerla made her physically sick. She was going to have to work hard to hide this feeling, she realised. It was unfair; if Urerla could make him happy, who was she to deny him or make him feel bad?
“As I recall, she gave you much the same look,” Will retorted quietly. The smile on Freddie’s face grew wistful, his eyes glazing slightly as he remembered.
“She is really beautiful,” he said softly.
Will rolled his eyes and then closed them, pulling Amelia closer as he tried to get back to sleep.
Eleanor smiled at Freddie’s expression. “You really liked her.” Her voice snapped him back to reality and a guilty expression flashed across his face.
“She’s very beautiful, but she has nothing on you,” he said in a very serious tone.
Eleanor giggled. “Freddie, she has a lot on me! Height, curves, big breasts… manageable hair…”
Freddie reached a hand out and ran his fingers gently over her head and through her dark hair to her shoulders. “You have beautiful hair, but what makes you special is in here,” he said, laying a hand over her heart for a moment. “And in here,” he continued, gently tapping the side of her head with two fingers. Embarrassed again, Eleanor dropped her eyes.
“I guess I should be grateful that something detracts from my physical shortcomings,” she muttered.
“Short being the operative word,” Freddie said, smiling at her. Seeing his attempt to keep the conversation light, and to distract her from her embarrassment, Eleanor smiled back, slapping him playfully. Freddie groaned, grabbing his arm in mock agony and collapsing back down to the rug. Eleanor giggled again and lay down next to him, pulling her blanket over her.
“Freddie?” Eleanor whispered, her eyes fixed firmly on the cracks in the ceiling.
“Yes?”
“Do you think Conlan really would sleep with Urerla?” she asked.
There was a long pause.
“Honestly, Eleanor, I’ve no idea,” Freddie said. She closed her eyes as thoughts of Conlan and Urerla together ran through her mind.
“And you just let him go?!”
It was a furious voice, yelling in Dwarfish, that woke Eleanor with a start. Her eyes shot open. Merl was standing inches from Will, glaring at him and jabbing his finger angrily into his chest. Will was staring back calmly.
“What would you have had me do?” he asked mildly.
“Stop him, protect him,” Merl snapped.
“He is quite capable of taking care of himself,” Will said, the hard growl he put through his reply implying that Merl was being an idiot.
“If he was, do you think his grandfather would have sent me to protect him? That boy has
a truly astounding ability to get himself into trouble, he always has had. You are his Avatars, you should be defending him,” Merl said, ignoring Will’s unspoken insult. Will continued to hold Merl’s angry glare with a cold, calm one of his own, but he said nothing more. Freddie gave Eleanor a questioning look.
“Merl thinks we should have stopped Conlan leaving, tried to protect him,” she told him.
“Where did he go?” Amelia asked, watching Merl and Will with apprehension.
“Urerla asked to see him,” Freddie said.
Having nothing to fight against, Merl backed off, moving to sit back on the rug. Pulling Gregor’s book back into his lap he started to read again in hostile silence. Will sat back down next to Amelia, pulling her into his arms.
“Do you think we need to rescue Conlan?” Eleanor asked, looking at the worry in Will’s eyes.
He shook his head. “No, we’re trying to make them allies, remember? I’m sure he’ll be fine – I can’t figure out why Merl was getting so upset about it.”
“He’s just worried about Conlan,” Eleanor said, fully understanding Merl’s feelings. Will nodded, but he did not look convinced. Before they could discuss it further, the nerve-grating shriek of the bolt being pulled back and echoed through the room. Her attention flicked to the door as it was flung open, dawn’s weak light flooding in. Conlan was shoved inside with enough force to send him sprawling. The door was slammed shut again, so quickly that Eleanor did not notice who had pushed him. His hands were tied behind his back, so he landed gracelessly, his head bouncing painfully off the floor. Will moved to help him, but Merl beat him to it, flashing an angry scowl. They watched as the older man untied the restraints. Conlan sat for a moment rubbing feeling back into his wrists; he had obviously been tied up for a while, perhaps since he had left their cell.
“What happened?” Merl asked.
“Long story,” Conlan said, raising his head to look at Merl. As he did so, Eleanor noticed the bright red mark on his face in the very noticeable shape of a hand.
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