A E Johnson

by alice johnson

  and his wrongdoings, he knew that Brenin defended

  his actions, he had made it abundantly clear that he

  would not have a bad word said against the great

  Harris Bearwood, rather than weaken his reputation

  with Brenin, Connor slowly left the room.

  Connor stood on the mezzanine; councillor Ryan

  awaited him. “Will he attend?” asked Ryan as he

  walked with Connor.

  Connor sighed. “His new boy has arrived, the man

  is dangerous to our cause.” They turned towards the

  stairs and slowly made their way down. “A frightful

  thing to have in the palace, I feel that our efforts could

  be for nothing.”

  Ryan spoke low, he feared being overheard as he

  replied, “I believe that our efforts will pay

  handsomely, the commander will slip up, and when he

  does, we will be waiting.”

  Connor feared Harris, but he feared his knowledge

  the most. “I know he will make a mistake, however,

  that mistake could cost us our lives, the man plays with

  creatures of the darkness, did you hear what he caused

  in Marrion as he left?”

  Ryan looked to Connor with furrowed brows. “I’ve

  heard nothing,” he was curious to know more.

  Connor whispered, “His concoctions have caused

  uproar in the camps of the dark army, his farewell to

  his soldiers, was crude and immoral…”

  “What do you speak of?” asked Ryan, annoyed at

  Connors inability to speak openly.

  “He gave them all an erection!” he loudly

  whispered. His mouth drooped at the sides, “each one

  of them hit by the commander’s arrows, ran from the

  field with a pole between their legs, within minutes

  they were dead, it was a horrendous way to leave this

  life.” He disapproved greatly of the commander’s

  tactics, even if councillor Ryan did see the amusing

  side.

  As the door closed, Brenin held his hand up to

  one of the guards at the door. He stepped outside and

  insisted that no one to be let in, until ordered

  otherwise.

  “That will take care of the interruptions,” said

  Brenin as he relaxed at his desk. The scrolls Harris

  held were soon joined by several others, as Librye

  began to search through those left.

  “You’ve still not told me, what my duty here is,”

  said Harris. Sitting back, he placed the scrolls on the

  floor beside him. The floor below the chair was slowly

  becoming piled with scrolls as Librye continued her

  hunt. Harris pointed to Librye with a thumb as he

  glared at Brenin. “And you’ve still not told me about

  this one.”

  Brenin leant his elbows on his desk and placed his

  chin on his hands, he moved his head as he watched

  Librye scurry about the desk, still finding the correct

  papers.

  “She is different, Harris,” his eyes softened

  towards Librye, he sat up straight and entwined his

  fingers across his front, “she is believed to be the child

  of the stars.”

  Harris sat up straight, his eyes widened. “As in the

  prophecy?”

  Brenin narrowed his eyes and twisted his head. His

  hands relaxed onto his lap. “How do you know of

  this?”

  Harris shook his head and puffed his cheeks out.

  “As I say, I’m educated.”

  Brenin slowly shook his head, he gave an

  unconvinced glare towards Harris. “That’s not part of

  any education.” Librye stopped her search, she slowly

  stood and observed the two.

  “I wasn’t in a normal setting,” replied Harris, his

  smile was lost, he had a resentful glare in his eyes, his

  mouth drooped, “my mother taught me all she could,

  but certain members of the Xencliff palace…”

  “You’re from a palace?” Librye excitedly

  interrupted.

  “I was,” said Harris, he smiled towards Librye, his

  eyes filled with memories, much better than the ones

  he had left with. “I was in the Xencliff palace, I have

  no title, but I used to enjoy finding out where the best

  hiding places were.” Librye seemed to brighten

  further. “I remember hiding in the caves of the over-

  pass, there you could hear every conversation, coming

  and going from the palace hall, every secret would pass

  over there, directly to me.” Librye lit further, her smile

  began to widen. “Including Waron’s ever growing

  need for the prophecies.” Harris looked back to

  Brenin, wide eyed and questioning. He leant forward

  in his chair and held his hands at the front of him.

  “Now, I know you didn’t just bring me here to send

  orders to the commanders and chiefs.” He glared

  towards Brenin, who was feeling increasingly

  uncomfortable. “What is the real reason I’m here?”

  Brenin sat forward, he glanced towards Librye.

  “Librye, could you give us a moment, please?”

  Librye sat back in her chair. “No, I can’t do that,”

  she softly replied, “this is far too interesting.”

  Brenin dropped his head, he would not argue with

  Librye, he knew she would eventually know what the

  conversation was about. Lifting his head, he looked

  into the eyes of the commander.

  “I have brought you here, to help end this war, that

  means more than giving orders to commanders,

  although that will be your duty,” Brenin stood from his

  desk, “use your tactics, spread everything you know to

  every battle we have.” He walked towards Librye.

  “The other reason you are here. Mord is Librye’s

  attendant, she is the one who will look after her basic

  needs, she does, however, need to learn.” His voice

  lowered, Harris glared towards him, frozen in his

  chair. “Your arm, is what she needs, teach her to fight,

  for that will save many lives.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Harris, narrowing his

  eyes.

  Brenin took a slow blink. “She was born with an

  ability, the star child, as you must know,” he said,

  derisively, “has a power unlike any other, to end

  someone with a sword, would be kinder than what she

  could do.”

  “You’re suggesting,” said Harris as he sat forward,

  a cynical smile grew, “I teach Librye how to fight, at

  her age? Lessons never begin before fifteen.” Harris

  seemed disgusted with Brenin, having suggested that a

  child so young would take lessons to kill.

  “She is practically an adult,” said Brenin, he

  walked back towards his chair, “she knows Malgron,

  and everything in the books in this library.” His brows

  raised and eyes softened, “besides, this world needs

  fighters now, not poets.”

  Harris sat back; he was unsure what to say. “I

  suppose.” He struggled to think, but knew he needed

  to do something. “I can teach her somethings, but this

  isn’t a short process.” He looked to Brenin, having

  seen so much in his young life, he did not want to

>   plague Librye with the same past as he had.

  “Brenin,” Harris stood, he walked around the desk

  and sat on the edge, “look at me,” he held his arms

  out, “just look,” his smile twisted, he looked forward

  and shook his head, “I’m not the man to make any

  mother proud.” His voice was soft. “The weapons I

  wear, cover up the years of hurt,” he leant close to

  Brenin, “you’ve heard of the berserker, The

  Commander, The Shadow, The Wolf, would you like

  that for your daughter, the things you’ve heard said

  about me, would you want those same things said

  about your own daughter, your Librye?” Harris sat

  straight, he looked to Librye, who sat silently, her

  hands placed on her lap.

  Brenin looked to Harris, slowly he stood, “I would

  be proud to have a daughter with such a record, you

  are no berserker, Harris Bearwood, you are a loyal

  fighter, at any time you could’ve joined the Atlanti

  forces,” he walked to the side of the desk to a drink’s

  cabinet at the side, “they would’ve paid handsomely

  for your knowledge, but you chose your kin, you

  fought, and often nearly died, protecting Cronnin, that

  is why you’re here.” Brenin poured two glasses of

  moonshine and walked back to the desk, handing one

  to Harris. “I can honestly say, if Librye has you on her

  side, to teach her your morals, your life, Harris, that is

  the lesson she needs, it is a lesson we cannot give her.”

  Harris drank his entire glass of moonshine. He

  looked to the innocent face of Librye. “My regrets,”

  he croaked as the moonshine burnt his throat, “is that

  what you mean?” as he narrowed his eyes to Brenin.

  “I know little of your regrets, Harris, but if those

  are what have set your moral compass, then very well,”

  Brenin took a sip of his drink, “the dragons can teach

  her nothing, the fey can teach her nothing, even the

  pooka will struggle.”

  “Then what am I to teach?” asked Harris with a

  deflated tone.

  “Harris, I know you’re well versed in poison,

  tactics, creatures of the shadows.” He sat back in his

  chair. “You had a pet, at the palace of Xencliff, I

  heard that when you left, she killed fourteen guards

  before she was found.”

  “It was an accident,” said Harris as he stood, he

  walked back to his chair, “Daru was my only friend in

  that place, and they just crushed her, they didn’t feed

  her, that was the issue.”

  “What was she?” asked Librye, intrigued.

  “Daru was a spider, no larger than a coin, a little

  brown thing which I found among some of the fruit

  brought from Thrasia,” he explained with compassion,

  “she could kill within hours, but the skin around the

  bite would rot, awful thing to deal with,” he said with a

  shudder, “but she was my pet, she never bit me, but

  that was because I wouldn’t let her, I respected her,

  they killed her, poor creature never stood a chance.”

  Brenin was further enthralled with Harris. Leaning

  forward he softly said as he pointed to Librye, “She is

  a different kind of creature.”

  Harris shot to his feet. “She isn’t a fucking

  creature!” he spat, “never refer to her as that again.”

  Brenin sat back, he looked to Librye, the word

  creature did not seem cruel to begin with, but as he

  saw Librye with her head low he realised it did bother

  her. Harris walked towards Librye. “And what about

  you?” he asked in a soft tone, “would you be willing to

  learn what the most broken man in Cammbour has to

  offer?” he asked with a wide smile.

  Librye laughed as she stood, she reached for

  Harris’s hand and held it with both her small delicate

  hands. “I think you’re less broken than you believe,

  one day, I hope to help teach you that, for today,

  though, I would be honoured to learn from The

  Commander.”

  Harris had never been one to show emotion, he

  struggled to show a soft side when not in the company

  of a woman, or in a tavern. His hardened form slowly

  began to melt as he looked into Librye’s eyes, the

  sweet innocence of her offered him a chance to

  redeem himself, he did not want to go easy on her, but

  he knew, somehow, he was being given the most

  difficult challenge of his young life so far.

  “But that isn’t all,” said Brenin as he opened his

  hand upward towards the seat where Harris had been

  sitting.

  Harris dropped Librye’s hands and walked back

  towards the seat. He gave a firm look towards Brenin.

  “I will be busy then,” he commented as he sat.

  Brenin nodded. “I know of your lineage now, the

  might of Cronnin needs reinforcing, plans are in place

  to aid in finding fighters.” Harris began to narrow his

  eyes towards Brenin. “However, these plans are in the

  future, we need fighters now, that is where you come

  in, and your lineage.”

  Harris sat back with his mouth gaping. “Don’t you

  dare do this, Brenin,” he warned with a low grumbling

  tone.

  “I have to try,” said Brenin with a cynical look as

  he sat back. “We need Xencliff on side, Waron,

  predominantly.”

  Harris replied, “I’m horrified to even think of what

  that would do to Waron’s already massive ego.” He

  sat back and caught his hands in front of him, before

  he replied further, he leant forward again and reached

  over the desk, he took Brenin’s drink and drank the

  lot in one go. “I took myself away from that place for a

  reason, I don’t want to go back there.”

  Brenin looked to Harris, he could see the hidden

  fear Harris held. “What are you so afraid of? Waron

  will speak to me, but he needs convincing to join this

  war, I cannot do that, he believes I sit behind a desk

  and have no real idea of the danger the coast is in, he

  needs someone he trusts to tell him that.”

  Harris sat back, he looked to his hands. “He

  already knows the danger they’re in,” he softly replied,

  he began to stand, “but if that is the reason you want

  me here; the answer is no.” He was firm with Brenin.

  His voice seemed to quiver as he spoke. “I will have

  no part in it.”

  Brenin narrowed his eyes. “What happened,

  between you and Waron?”

  Harris looked to the door, he glanced to Librye

  and back to Brenin. “It’s not something I wish to

  speak of.” He stepped towards the desk. “I will do all

  it takes to ensure the safety of Cronnin, but not that, I

  would never do that.”

  Librye slowly stood, a strange look caught her eyes,

  as they narrowed, her head tilted towards Harris. “You

  will,” she strongly said. Harris shot around to face her.

  “Not today, certainly not tomorrow, but eventually,

  you will.” She slowly made her way towards him.
“You

  have a need, you want to be known, and that will get

  you known, as the man who united the kingdoms, you

  won’t stop there, Harris, the merrow have heard of

  you already.” Harris stared towards her with his mouth

  gaping.

  Slowly, he shook his head, his eyes were wide.

  “The merrow are my family, so why would you say

  that?”

  Librye looked to the floor, a sense of regret

  seemed to overwhelm her. “Because my secrets told

  me.” Harris looked to Brenin, searching him for

  answers. With tight lips Brenin held his fingers up and

  sat back.

  “I know it sounds wrong to you now, Harris,” said

  Librye as she came closer, “but one day, it will all

  make sense.” She looked into Harris’s eyes, the

  swirling pools of green seemed so strong to everyone

  else, but she could see the fear behind his eyes. “In

  the darkest of corners, the hottest of fires, the screams

  of hope will rise,” she quoted Malgron. “I know you

  see it, Harris, but you won’t find it, until you stop

  hiding.” Her words seemed to wound Harris. He

  wanted the fame of a lord, without the heavy title, he

  wanted to be recognised, like the great heroes of war,

  but he no longer wanted the scars. Secretly, he did not

  want to admit it, but Librye was right.

  The smell of rain drifted in on the breeze, Harris,

  Librye and Brenin had spent the day looking through

  the different papers Harris would need, to begin his

  campaign. The afternoon began to dull as the summer

  rain drenched the roads. The sounds of splashing

  seemed to flood the office, the shouting and calling in

  the city became silent, the rain had given the summer

  a break.

  Following Mord, Harris made his way towards the

  lower west corridor. The halls were now silent as

  dinner was being served.

  “You’ll be pleased to know that the dining hall has

  been set out for you,” said Mord. Harris had

  remained silent so far, her attempts to make small talk

  seemed to be failing. Scurrying past the fountain,

  Harris’s eyes searched the halls. “I’ve heard you have

  an acute sense of awareness.”

  Harris simply grumbled in response as he glanced

  towards the kitchens. “What’s that way?” he pointed

  to the corridor to the left of the stairs.