Eleanor

by S. F. Burgess

  “Who slapped you?” she asked in English.

  Conlan looked at her, rubbing his face.

  “Urerla.”

  Eleanor smiled, she could not help it. If the woman was slapping him, Freddie and Will’s suspicions seemed unlikely. “I thought we were trying to make them our friends, why did she hit you?”

  Conlan shrugged.

  “So, is she going to give us the sword?” Will asked, also sticking to English while sitting back down next to Amelia.

  “She doesn’t have it,” Conlan replied.

  “Then who does?” Freddie asked him.

  “A rival tribe.”

  “Rival tribe?” Freddie spluttered. “We got the wrong ‘People of the Horse’?”

  Conlan nodded. “Many centuries ago the ‘People of the Horse’ fractured into eight separate tribes. In the beginning these tribes fought almost to the point of mutual annihilation for control of the others, but realising they were going to destroy themselves if they didn’t stop the fighting, they found another way to deal with the problem. Every year they hold a ‘meeting’, where all eight tribes get together. Alliances are strengthened, marriages are arranged and trade deals are made, but the main purpose of the ‘meeting’ is to decide who will hold the ‘Heart’ for the coming year,” he said, getting up and moving to sit next to them on the rug, Merl following.

  “What ‘Heart’? There are hearts mentioned in the poem from the book, but why is holding it important?” Freddie said, asking the questions spinning round Eleanor’s head before she got the chance.

  “The ‘Heart’ is what they call the sword, although to be more precise it’s what they call the large heart-shaped diamond that’s the sword’s pommel, and it’s important because the tribe holding the sword has ultimate control of all the tribes for that year,” Conlan said.

  “How do they work out who gets the sword?” Amelia asked.

  “I wasn’t able to get all the details on that,” Conlan admitted. “But they have some kind of competition, a test of strength, courage and stamina between man and horse.”

  “They’re not going to give up the sword easily, are they?” Eleanor said quietly.

  Conlan shook his head, frowning. “No, I don’t think they are.”

  “Is Urerla going to release us so we can find the tribe that does have the sword?” Will asked.

  “Urerla doesn’t have that kind of authority. That would be her mother’s decision. Her mother is the leader of this tribe. I assume we’ll be meeting her soon,” Conlan said.

  “So did you tell Urerla why we needed the sword? Did you explain that we’d like them to be allies?” Eleanor asked.

  Conlan smiled. “Yes, but I think getting them to be our allies could be a little difficult.”

  “Why?” Freddie asked, beating Eleanor to it again.

  “Because the ‘People of the Horse’ make alliances through marriage; they don’t seem to recognise there might be other ways,” Conlan replied.

  Several thoughts lined themselves up in Eleanor’s head, giving her an amusing insight, and she giggled. “That’s why she slapped you – she offered you an alliance of marriage and you turned her down!”

  Conlan dropped his head, looking embarrassed. “Something like that,” he muttered.

  “Was that wise?” Eleanor mused. “She’s a beautiful woman, she could make a good queen and you would gain another army.” Conlan raised his head, green eyes locking onto hers.

  “You think I should marry Urerla?” he asked, disbelief in his voice. Eleanor shrugged and smiled at him. It took effort, but her voice was calm when she answered him.

  “Conlan, you’re going to be a king, and your choice of wife will therefore be very important. I don’t think you should discount Urerla out of hand.” There was a brief silence as Conlan stared at her.

  “I don’t want to marry her.”

  “Kings do as their kingdoms require,” Eleanor said. “They marry to increase their lands, to strengthen their support, to turn enemies into allies or to strengthen their own position through having children. So she’s worth considering.” Conlan flicked his eyes to Will, Eleanor could not read the look that passed between them.

  “She’s right Conlan, that’s the way kings and queens have done it for centuries in our world. If we manage to survive all this, who you end up marrying is going to be of great importance,” Will told him. Conlan stared in hurt consternation, moving his gaze back to Eleanor.

  “I’m not going to marry Urerla. Think of another way to get them onside,” he said flatly.

  Eleanor shrugged again. “I think you might have to,” she said. “The poem spoke about a ‘gift beyond measure’ and ‘a heart for a heart’, plus finding yourself a queen would be thinking of the future.”

  “Eleanor, I’m going to say this once more and then we won’t discuss this again. I’m not going to marry Urerla,” Conlan said stiffly from behind teeth clamped tightly over his obvious anger. “And frankly, I’d have thought you’d be the last person suggesting that I should,” he added. Eleanor smiled, knowing there was a large amount of hurt in it that she could not hide.

  “Why?” she asked softly. “Because I love you? Do you not understand what that means? It means that you are more important to me than anything else in existence. I want you to be happy and I want you to find a queen who will support and protect you, be your companion, someone you can trust.”

  “That’s what I have the four of you for,” Conlan said, not taking his eyes from Eleanor’s as she slowly shook her head.

  “You need to have offspring, Conlan, and we can’t help you with that. An heir will consolidate your throne, stop civil war breaking out when you die and bring stability to your rule. You’re going to need a wife,” she insisted.

  There was silence. Conlan stared at her with another one of his enigmatic looks. Eleanor felt as if the others were holding their breath and waiting for something. It was Merl who broke the silence.

  “What is the matter?”

  Conlan turned to look at the older man, irritation marching across his face. “Nothing,” he said coldly.

  Merl looked from Eleanor back to Conlan, his eyes full of sympathetic concern.

  “So what happened? Where have you been?” he asked. Conlan turned and repeated to Merl what he had learnt, leaving out the bit about Eleanor thinking he should marry Urerla.

  Eleanor tuned him out, trying to calm down her churning mind. She had meant what she said – she wanted him to find a queen, be happy and have children – but that did not mean the thought of him happy with someone else did not hurt. However, she was not going to make him hesitate in his choice because he was worried about upsetting her. She knew she had shown him some of her pain, but he was not going to see it again. The others left her in peace, talking amongst themselves and wondering what the ‘competition for the sword’ might entail. It took a lot of effort, but Eleanor took all her hurt and shoved it deep inside, down to the bottom of a deep pit she kept for such thoughts – those she could not deal with. The bolt being pulled back brought Eleanor’s musings back to the present. The door opened and Eleanor was blinded by the strong sunlight that illuminated their gloomy gaol. Several men entered, removed the remnants of the previous night’s meal and deposited fresh food. They also replaced the lanterns, two of which had run out of oil during the night. Nials stepped forward.

  “Urerla wishes to speak with the Avatar of Fire,” he said in a carefully neutral voice, staring at Freddie who squirmed uncomfortably, a look of apprehension on his face.

  “What did he say?”

  “Urerla wants to see you,” Eleanor told him. Freddie looked at her, eyebrows raised in surprise.

  “If she can’t have Conlan, maybe she’d settle for you instead?” Will said quietly with a smirk.

  “It would be nice if someone did,” Freddie muttered, giving Conlan a reproachful glance.

  “The Avatar of Fire is going to need an interpreter,” Eleanor said to Nials. The
man nodded and smiled at her.

  “Urerla is aware of this and has asked for you to accompany him.”

  “How am I going to speak to Urerla?” Freddie asked of nobody in particular.

  “Eleanor is going with you as an interpreter,” Will told him. Freddie stared at him in open-mouthed horror.

  The others’ laughter followed Eleanor and Freddie as they left the building and stepped out into the hot, bright sun, the door closing behind them. Eleanor squinted, as the light was disorientating. Firm hands took her wrists and tied them behind her back again. Her shoulders protested, but she did not resist. Freddie was likewise restrained. Eleanor felt an energy string brush against her. She pulled it in, feeling Freddie’s hot, agitated presence fill her head. He said nothing, as he did not seem to know what to say; he just sent her his feelings of discomfort and fear. Eleanor smiled, sending him understanding and her confidence that they would be fine. She felt him calm slightly, but he did not withdraw his energy. They followed Nials in silence through the village. Now the rain had stopped there were more people walking around. Black eyes regarded them with a mixture of curiosity and distrust. Eleanor noticed nearly everyone they saw carried evidence of ritual scaring, and even the children who ran past them had the raised dots under their eyes; she wondered if it was painful having them done. At the far end of the village was a large enclosure with horses milling around inside. To the left of this paddock was another mud-built, single-storey building. It was far bigger than any of the other buildings they had passed and it looked as if it had been added to over time in a very haphazard way. Huge wooden double doors that reminded Eleanor of the gate they had entered the encampment through stood open to reveal a dark, gaping hole. Eleanor could see nothing within. On each side of the door stood a guard, black eyes endlessly sweeping the environment in front of them, alert to danger. Nials walked towards the doors.

  “Urerla has asked to see these two,” Nials said as he approached. The guards looked Freddie up and down, before doing the same to Eleanor.

  “I assume they have been stripped of weapons,” one of the guards asked.

  Freddie, are you still carrying any weapons?

  No, they found them all. Why?

  I just don’t think it would be advisable to enter this building armed, Eleanor replied, eyeing the guards warily.

  “They have been searched, they carry no weapons,” Nials confirmed. The guard nodded and Nials continued forward into the building. Freddie and Eleanor followed. Once through the door, Eleanor stood still for a moment, allowing her eyes to become accustomed to the dark. Nials noticed her stop.

  “Are you alright?”

  Eleanor nodded and continued forward again.

  Are you OK?

  Yes, Freddie, it was just the change in light, it’s dark in here.

  Yeah! And creepy, Freddie agreed.

  At the far end of the room, against the back wall, Eleanor could see a huge cage; it stood the full height of the room and would easily have housed ten men. Her eyes still adjusting to the dark, Eleanor walked a little closer, curious about what was inside. Freddie followed her.

  Up there, on that perch, he noted. It looks like that bird Amelia caught.

  Eleanor followed his gaze to the top-right corner of the cage and saw what he was talking about. The bird was identical, and even the speckled golden-brown feathers appeared to match perfectly with the image she had in her head of the eagle Amelia had caught. Without warning, the corrupt file in her head suddenly swam into sharp focus and she remembered, the shock strong enough for the images to crash through her defences and into Freddie’s mind, too.

  “Osser,” she murmured.

  Well that explains where the green bottle came from, Freddie said, his voice a little shaky as Eleanor’s memories faded. Eleanor realised that Nials was stood at her side; he had a strange scrutinising look on his face, an eyebrow raised in suspicion. Eleanor wondered what she had done.

  “This bird is called Putt. She is normally livelier, but her son, Osser, is currently missing. She is lonely,” he said, looking at Eleanor as if waiting for her to say something. The implications of his look charged through her head. He thinks I had something to do with Osser’s disappearance. I’m an idiot. Having no idea what she should be saying, and worried about saying the wrong thing, Eleanor turned back to look at the bird, which stared at her with malevolent yellow eyes, reminding her of the dragon.

  “Poor bird,” she said softly in Dwarfish, layering the words with sympathy. Nials regarded her for a little while longer, giving her the chance to speak. When it became clear she was going to say nothing more he gave her one last glare, turned away from the cage and walked on, expecting them to follow. Nials led them through a door at the back of the entrance hall, walking into and down a long tiled corridor. They passed several doors, but Nials took them through the one at the far end, which led out into glorious sunshine. Once again, Eleanor was momentarily blinded. When her eyesight returned she found herself in a beautiful garden. Not quite as impressive as Conlan’s mother’s, but it was close and a lot bigger. There was a riot of brightly colourful flowers and the smell a familiar intoxicating scent that brought back strong memories of Conlan’s smiling face. Several large trees housed in enormous earthenware pots offered dappled shade in various places, benches beneath them. Tiled paths wove through the plants, leading to larger squares of tiles with tables and chairs set out.

  “Wow,” Freddie breathed, looking around him. Nials smiled – no interpretation was needed. Like Jarrick’s courtyard, the garden was boxed in on all sides with buildings which all had doors and windows opened to the stunning view before them. At one end of the garden was a tall water fountain, a large pond underneath it to catch the water. Urerla was sat on the lip of the pond, her hand making lazy circles in the water beneath her. She had changed her clothes and now wore a simple, loose-fitting, sleeveless white dress that seemed to be made of many layers of delicate, see-through material. She still had the heavy gold belt at her waist, and it jingled as she stood to greet them.

  “The Avatar of Fire,” Nials said a little stiffly, his face strangely emotionless. Urerla smiled, and the already stunning woman became instantly angelically beautiful. Freddie stared at her, wide-eyed and open mouthed.

  Freddie, close your mouth, you look like an idiot, Eleanor said, amused when he jumped and snapped his jaw shut.

  “Thank you, Nials, you may leave them with me,” Urerla said, her eyes focused solely on Freddie, who had recovered enough to grin inanely back at her. Nials left the garden, Eleanor thought he closed the door with a little more force than he had needed to. Urerla took her eyes from Freddie for a moment to glance at Eleanor.

  “And who are you, child?” she asked with a condescending little smile. Eleanor smiled back at her. If they could make allies with these people without having to marry Conlan off, all the better. Being friendly might help this cause.

  “My name is Eleanor and he is Freddie,” she replied nodding at her friend, who was still grinning, transfixed by Urerla.

  “Is he really the Avatar of Fire?” she asked. Eleanor nodded. Urerla’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.

  “Can he prove it?” she asked.

  Irritated on Freddie’s behalf, Eleanor nodded. “Yes he can. Do you have fish in this fountain?” Urerla shook her head. Eleanor smiled grimly and turned to Freddie. “Freddie, Urerla wants you to prove you’re the Avatar of Fire, could you please heat the water in this fountain?” Eleanor asked. Freddie broke eye contact with Urerla to look at Eleanor with a bemused expression and shrugged. Urerla jumped back as the water in the pond under the fountain began to boil gently; moving forward again, she held her hand over the water, feeling its heat.

  That’s enough, Freddie. Nice control by the way, where did you get the energy from?

  You sound like you’re praising a dog. The fire baskets on the walls of this place burn day and night.

  Eleanor giggled. Not a dog, more like a monkey.
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  Freddie smirked at her. Urerla had turned back to look at Freddie, a strange look in her eyes that Eleanor did not understand, but she felt the tension in Freddie’s body.

  “Would you both like to come and sit with me for a while?” Urerla asked.

  “She wants you to sit with her,” Eleanor told Freddie, whose eyes were firmly riveted back on the beautiful woman in front of him. He nodded emphatically. Eleanor nodded too, not that Urerla seemed to notice. She led them through the maze of tiled paths that meandered through the garden, Freddie watching her hips sway as she walked, the gentle sound of her tinkling belt filling the air. She led them to a small bench under a weeping willow, whose branches offered a screen to prying eyes, giving them some privacy. The comfortable-looking sofa underneath was only designed for two, and Urerla guided Freddie to one end; her light, delicate fingers brushed against his chest, pushing him to sit. She sat down next to him, very close, their thighs touching. Eleanor huffed and with difficulty sat on the floor at Freddie’s feet. They both ignored her.

  “I need to tell you some things,” Urerla said. Eleanor translated. Freddie nodded.

  “I am getting older, and my mother has been insisting for a while that I find a husband. Unfortunately the choice is less than encouraging, as I want someone special,” Urerla said, leaning into Freddie, her fingers running gentle circles around his chest as she looked into his eyes. Eleanor translated her words.

  “Was Conlan not special enough for her?” Freddie asked with a sneer. Urerla heard his tone and looked questioningly at Eleanor, who faithfully repeated what Freddie had said. A pained expression passed quickly across Urerla’s face before the angelic smile returned.

  “I approached Conlan first because his was a higher status than your own, not because I found him more attractive. I thought it would be easier to convince my mother if my choice was high-born. But you are an Avatar and I was unprepared for just how impressive that would be,” Urerla said in soft, silky tones. Eleanor rolled her eyes and translated in flat monotone.

  Please tell me you don’t believe this, Freddie.