by Tom Burton
The soldier who had threatened Aaron earlier shouted, “I thought we made it clear last time—go away!” While Aaron pauses to catch his breath and raises his hands to show he means no harm, Daniel and Sam catch up to him. They follow Aaron’s lead, and the third guard sets aside his spear and shield to roughly search the young men. Daniel complains at the rough treatment, and Sam grunts in pain, but Aaron doesn’t flinch.
The third guard quickly searches through their bags again as well. Pulling out the book in Sam’s bag, he sneers. “Why do you have this?” Not waiting for an answer, he throws it to the ground at Sam’s feet.
Having finally caught his breath, Aaron says, “I have been having visions of fire and death, of women and children lying on the floor while a flaming building collapse around them. One night, I received a message telling me to come to the capital to find out more.” The guards remain silent, staring at Aaron like he is crazy.
Aaron points at the book that Sam has carefully picked up from the ground. “I think that the mad man shouting in the streets, the one whom everyone ignores, might actually be right!” After a tense moment, the guards glance at each other. With a nearly imperceptible nod from the leader, the man who had threatened Aaron, each guard takes one of the three travelers by the shoulders.
The leader turns toward the keep and shouts, “Open the gate!” One of the massive doors opens slowly, just wide enough for a man to pass through. As the guards drag the three into the courtyard, they see that three men are now pushing the heavy wood and steel door closed. They also see about a dozen more soldiers in the courtyard leading directly into the castle.
The lead gate guard, gripping Aaron’s arm tightly, shouts again, to no one in particular. “Summon the king!” One of the soldiers immediately runs across the courtyard and through the doors into the main keep. Sam and Daniel exchange a quick look at each other, and then they begin to tremble in fear. Aaron looks up at the square walls surrounding the courtyard, seeing soldiers atop the wall, some looking down into the courtyard, crossbows held loosely but aimed generally in their direction. Other soldiers are facing outward, standing guard with spear and shield.
The guard who ran inside to summon the king reappears at the tall wooden doors to the main keep. He unlatches the second door, so both heavy doors stand open. As soon as the three guards and the three travelers pass through the arched doorway, the guards on the doors immediately slam them shut. The heavy thud of the thick doors echoes around the great hall, and the three young men shudder at the noise. As his eyes adjust from the bright afternoon light to the candlelit hall, Aaron sees hearths lining both sides of the walls. The walls themselves seem to shine like gold in the flickering light of chandeliers hanging from the bronze ceiling. Aaron looks ahead again and sees two thrones, one considerably larger than the other. The larger throne is gold, with a red lining at the top. The smaller throne is silver with a golden lining at the top. On either side of the throne, Aaron sees four men standing guard in shining armor.
The lead guard stops, and the others stop with him. He steps in front of the three young travelers and whispers harshly, “Once he arrives, kneel down. When you rise, stand up straight, and speak only when spoken to.” The guards then take a step back from Aaron, Daniel, and Sam. There is a silence in the room, the only sound the heavy breathing of frightened young men and the slow footsteps moving closer toward them.
As the footsteps get louder, Aaron sees a shadow growing at an entryway to the left of the thrones. Then the guards arrayed around the hall snap to attention as the king enters. A herald in a castle uniform calls out, “King Edmund, son of King Edward, Ruler of Neroman, and Leader of the Kingdom.” Aaron, Daniel, and Sam all go down on one knee, as if they had practiced synchronized kneeling. The king is wearing a formal clothing of bright red velvet, and a thin golden circlet can be seen on his head. He slowly walks toward the throne.
King Edmund sits upon the golden throne and looks at the three young men down on one knee. In a slow, deep voice, he asks, “Why have I been summoned?”
One of the guards replies confidently, “My lord, the man in the middle,” pointing toward Aaron. “We think he may have the cold visions, your grace.” Aaron and Daniel look at each other in confusion.
King Edmund looks at Aaron for a moment, appraising him. “Rise and approach, friend.” Aaron looks up toward the king, and then stands, hopeful because the king called him “friend.” He takes two tentative steps toward the thrones. The king then asks, “What’s your name?”
Aaron takes a deep breath, then says, “My name is Aaron Silver, and with me is Daniel Rane and Sam Woodgard.” Aaron’s nerves remain high, but he manages to speak loud and clear. The king nods at Daniel and Sam, who both remain down on one knee. The king lifts his arm, and Daniel and Sam take this as a sign to stand up. The king then looks back at Aaron.
“What do you see when you sleep?”
Aaron looks down to the floor with his eyes closed, seemingly upset at the thought of reliving those moments. He takes another breath, and begins quietly. “At first it felt like paintings on a wall—”
One of the guards’ snaps, “Look at your king when you’re talking to him!”
The king lifts his hand to stop the guard, dismissing the man’s command. Focusing again on Aaron, he gently says, “Carry on, friend.”
Aaron slowly lifts his head, and looks at the king. “It…well, it lacked focus, and I could not make sense of it. But night after night, the same sequence of events appeared, like the clouds moving away to show the blue sky above. I saw houses, stables, and shops, burnt to the ground. Women and children, unresponsive on the floor. Up until recently, I also saw broken swords, split right down the center, scattered everywhere.”
The king nods slowly, then suddenly looks at Daniel. “And why are you here?”
Shocked at being addressed by the king, Daniel hesitates for a moment and then steps up to Aaron’s side. Daniel’s voice wavers a little as he says, “I’ve been friends with Aaron for years. We’re almost brothers. It would be wrong of me to abandon him at his time of need.” Aaron smiles in appreciation. Daniel continues, “But also, your grace, I’ve come here to ask something of you.” The king looks at him with intrigue, while Aaron turns to Daniel in surprise. “I wish to become a member of the Dellmoor Army.”
The king looks on with slight nervousness, and asks a simple question. “Why?” Daniel thinks to himself for a moment and replies, “I’ve seen everyone around me live a less than ordinary life, and then on their death beds, they always say they wish they had done what they wanted to do, not what they were asked to do. I’m here today asking this of you, because this is what I want most in the world.”
The king nods knowingly. “You don’t know what you’d be giving up.”
Without hesitation, Daniel replies, “I do, your grace.”
The king nods again, acknowledging Daniel’s response without answering Daniel’s question. Instead, he turns his gave toward Sam, who immediately ducks his head and stares at the floor.
“And you, Mr. Woodgard?” Sam looks up at the king, like Daniel, stunned that the King of Neroman is speaking to him. The king continues, “What are your intentions here?”
Sam then slowly stands up and steps forward to join Aaron and Daniel. His voice shaking even more than Daniel’s, he says, “I’m a student of history, your grace. I’ve traveled from the East to learn more about our rich history. I am in the company of Aaron and Daniel because they saved me from a tavern brawl, which resulted with the tavern being burned to the ground.”
The king looks intrigued, leaning forward slightly in his throne. “What brawl is this? What tavern burned down?”
Sam exchanges glances with Aaron and Daniel, who look back at him and shrug. Sam looks back at the king and says, “The tavern was called ‘The Three.’ When I walked in, everything was normal. After a little while, Aaron and Daniel
approached me. We talked about a book I was reading, and they were a bit excited when I said I knew the way to the capital, but…well, we were all careful of each other. Strangers on the road and all. As we were talking, a group of Dellmoor guards walked in. Some of the folk from the area—farmers, I guess—were well into their cups and were disrespectful to the guards. Well, one thing led to another, and they started to fight. Somehow in the commotion a fire broke out, and the tavern burned down with men from both sides still in there. We…we tried to save as many as possible.” Sam’s voice quavered again, but this time not in fear, but in sadness at the memory.
During Sam’s story, the king looks more and more distressed. He waits patiently for Sam to finish, and then he stands and gives his orders.
“Guards, return to your positions, and speak of this to no one.” The guards around the hall salute the king and then march out of the great hall in all directions. As they leave, the king looks back at the young travelers.
“The same applies to you, no word of this to anyone. Relationships between the Capital and the Western houses are strained enough as it is. Unless you wish to start a civil war?” The three young men shake their heads emphatically.
“Follow me.” The king walks back through a small door in the far corner of the great hall, and the three nervously follow him. King Edmund walks quickly through the corridors, and the young men hurry to catch up with him. Aaron falls into step with the king, wondering if this was acceptable. The king notes Aaron’s presence, but says nothing. Taking advantage of this closeness, Aaron asks, “What are the cold visions, your grace?”
“It’s a legend, a myth. People have said that it is an aggressive dream, others say that it’s the person’s destiny that the person will see it in his or her dreams until it comes true. They say it’s called a cold vision because they’re warnings of a dire future.”
The king indicates that their destination is near, and they see a single wooden door. Aaron reads the placard on the door. “Medicine chamber?” The king nods as he enters the room. Aaron, Sam, and Daniel watch as the king slowly scans shelves full of bottles of all sorts of liquids, of all variations of color and size. The king lets out a satisfied grunt when he finds what he is searching for. He plucks a small bottle from a low shelf and tosses it toward Aaron.
“Take this medicine, one drop before you rest each night, and you will sleep easy. It is designed to stop this sort of affliction.”
Aaron looks at the bottle skeptically. It is a tiny bottle, and he can hold it with just the tips of his index finger and thumb. Aaron asks, “If the cold visions are a myth, why do you have medicine for it?”
King Edmund looks at Aaron, making no reply. His face is like stone, and Aaron can’t tell what he is thinking. The King abruptly brushes past Aaron and steps out of the chamber. He steps a window overlooking a small courtyard and calls Daniel over.
Daniel joins the king at the window. He sees straw-stuffed sacks on sticks, roughly in the shape of a man, each with a wooden sword next to it. At the opposite end of the courtyard, he sees several archery targets, a bow, and a quiver of arrows next to each.
“If you want to be an archer in my army, it may be wise for you to train,” King Edmund says. He indicates a stairwell a short distance down the corridor. Daniel simply smiles, and runs off to the courtyard. Sam begins to follow him but is stopped short by the king.
“Hold on, Sam.” Sam then stops as if frozen. The king chuckles and says, “Further down the corridor, there is a private collection of rare books. Take what you wish. It should keep you occupied for a few hours.” Sam smiles and heads in the opposite direction as Daniel.
With Daniel and Sam occupied, the king steps back into the medicine chamber and shuts the door behind him. Sighing gently, Edmund says, “I suppose you have a lot of questions for me?”
Aaron nods, but pauses a moment to collect his thoughts. “Why do you have medicine for the cold visions, when they’re supposed to be a myth?”
The king seems to consider his answer, then he looks Aaron directly in the eyes and says, “Because I have them, too.” Aaron is stunned at this, and the king continues. “Back when the wizards ruled Neroman, having these visions was still rare, but it was more common than now. They were common enough that the people who had these visions were called ‘Pioneers.’ These Pioneers often counseled the wizards by telling them of their visions. Their visions occurred just as ours do today, coming most nights if not every night, waking up in a cold sweat. The only way I know of to get rid of these visions is to wait for the actual event to happen.”
Aaron takes all of this in, and then asks, “What happens in your visions, your grace?”
The king again pauses, as if considering whether to answer this question. Making up his mind, he says, “At first I see total darkness. Then a small orange circle appears, and it grows larger and larger by the second. I hear screaming next to me, and that grows as well until the orange circle overcomes all of the darkness, and then I wake up.”
“Do you still have these visions, your grace?”
“I do.”
The king steps to the door and opens it, gesturing for Aaron to step out first. King Edmund joins Aaron in the hall and locks the medicine chamber. King Edmund then leads Aaron through the corridors, walking slightly ahead of Aaron.
Aaron wonders where they are going, but he asks a different question instead. “Your grace, do you know why you are experiencing the visions?”
“No, Aaron, I do not. The Pioneers died out long before they taught the children of the world how it all works, so here we are today with no explanation.” The king pauses as they descend a staircase, and then he continues. “Long ago, when my visions started, I had people search for other men, women, or children who also had the cold visions, but there was no luck. The only other person who has admitted to having these visions is you.”
Aaron is glad the king can’t see the look of complete disbelief written all over his face. Swallowing hard, Aaron says, “Your grace, it’s not just the cold visions I have seen. One night, I saw a man at the end of my usual dream. I couldn’t see his face because he was surrounded by flickering light, like lightning. He told me to come to the capital, to learn of the cold visions. He told me to find him soon. I had hoped it was you, but I guess I was wrong.”
King Edmund considers what Aaron has told him, then says, “This man must have sent you here for a reason. Is there anything else you need to tell me?”
“Your grace, have you heard of mad men raving about the coming doom, a fire in the North?”
The king nods. “Of course I have. There seems to more of them every day. Merchants and trademen complain about them all the time, they say it interferes with business.”
Aaron looks at Edmund uncertainly. “I think its Mutaro, your grace.”
King Edmund scoffs. “Mutaro? The wizard who fought against Azdus and Goras, and split the Kingdom in two?” He shakes his head at this absurdity.
Aaron presses on. “Your grace, in the story, he didn’t die! Sam found a book in your public library that says he escaped to the North and no one has seen him since.”
The king remains unconvinced. “It’s been an age, Aaron. I think someone of his power would have made a move by now, or he would be dead. We’ll speak no more of Mutaro.” His tone made it clear that he would not tolerate any more talk of Mutaro.
As they walk through the corridors of the castle, the king then begins to ask questions of Aaron.
“Where are you from, Aaron?”
“Greyshore, your grace. I’m a dairy farmer, following in the footsteps of my father, Robert Silver. My younger brother, Thomas Silver, is learning also.” A genuine smile lights up the king’s face. He says with a small laugh, “I hear that many people in the villages near you are demanding a rebellion against the crown. Is that right?” The king searches Aaron’s face for a response, but
only sees a stubborn silence. The king’s smile fades.
“I’m sure you are loyal to your people. But you’ve never seen war. You’ve never had to kill a man who was trying to kill you, had to endure torture from your enemies, or watch as your family falls in front of you.” Aaron looks up at the king, surprised by the emotion in his voice. “Our history is proof that we cannot allow our country to be torn in two. You know that, don’t you, Aaron?”
“Your grace, with all due respect, they will not change their beliefs or their general way of life for the sake of an alliance they don’t need.”
The king looks at Aaron, disappointed at the young man’s words.
King Edmund leads Aaron onto a balcony overlooking a small courtyard. Aaron is surprised to see Daniel practicing with a bow and arrow. As Aaron and the king look at the targets, they see that the arrows have hit in and around the bulls-eye. They watch as Daniel lines up another shot and releases the string. The arrow whistles through the air and sinks into the target just hairs away from the bulls-eye.
Stunned by Daniel’s accuracy, Edmund quietly asks Aaron, “Did he ever have much practice at Greyshore?”
Aaron’s response is simply a slow shake of the head. The king makes an approving sound and resumes walking across the balcony to another doorway. Aaron hurries after him.
Daniel hears footsteps above and behind him, and he turns in time to see Aaron following the king back indoors. A voice from behind him startles Daniel, and he drops the bow.
“Why did you stop?” asks a woman, the question asked quietly yet sternly. Daniel turns back toward the practice area, and taking in the woman in light brown armor from shoulder to ankle. She is leaning casually against a wooden column, slightly shorter than Daniel, but powerful none-the-less in his nieve eye.
“You’ve been hitting the mark every time,” she says. Daniel’s face turns bright red at the idea that she had been watching him for some time now. The woman walks toward Daniel, smiling kindly at his discomfort. “Well, there’s always room for improvement, especially in this line of work,” she says with a playful grin, her brunette hair tied back, offering a cute look to Daniel.