‘So dungeons first – then treasure chambers?’ asked Saxon.
‘Dungeons first,’ echoed Ethan.
‘Quiet as mice,’ warned Lily.
‘Quiet as rats,’ agreed Saxon, with a flash of white teeth from his blackened face.
Once again, everyone picked up their packs, squared their shoulders, took a deep breath and set off in single file, heading to the north and the guardroom.
After a few minutes walking up the straight tunnel, they caught a murmur of muffled voices and laughter, and the flicker of a light.
Saxon held up his hand to stop the others, then crept forward on his own to reconnoitre.
A few moments later he crept back.
‘There are seven guards playing a game of cards around a table in the guardroom,’ Saxon whispered. ‘A circular passage rings the guardroom where the weapons are stored, and the various tunnels lead off that. I think if we are very careful and very quiet, we might be able to sneak past the guards through the weapon passage.’
Lily kept her hand firmly on Aisha’s collar to remind her to keep silent. They all crept forward to the outer ring passage, which was hung with shields, swords, daggers, chain mail, bows, arrows and helmets.
First Saxon then Lily slipped into the passage and crept on hands and knees, neither looking to left nor right. Aisha followed like a shadow.
They slipped down the passageway past cold dark tunnels opening on their left and two brightly lit doorways on their right. At last they reached what they guessed to be the westward tunnel, where they crouched in the shadows to wait for the others.
The Sedah guards continued to laugh and shout uproariously as they played a noisy game of gambling cards. Roana crawled down the passage close behind the others. Her heart sounded impossibly loud in her ears. She could not believe the guards did not hear it. She crawled past one doorway and caught a glimpse of the table full of guards, weapons leaning against their chairs, but did not slow down.
Roana crawled on down the passage and then had to crawl past another doorway that led into the guardroom. She did not dare to breathe. At last the agonising crawl was over and she was safe in the west tunnel with Saxon and Lily. Panting, she leant thankfully against the wall, her heart hammering in her chest.
Ethan set off last of all. He saw Roana disappear around the curve and then he set off crawling as fast as he could, past one door, then past the other. He crawled past a suit of chain mail and his pack swung against it, making it jingle softly. His heart stopped and then he crawled faster. Had they heard him?
They had.
‘What was that – did you hear something out in the passage?’ called one of the guards nervously, jumping to his feet.
‘I’ll take a look,’ called another. ‘I’m closest.’ Ethan panicked and stood up and ran as fast as he could. He slammed round the corner of the west tunnel and pressed down into the shadows with the others.
‘No, there’s nothing here,’ called the faint voice of a guard. ‘Must have been those accursed rats again. You’re just too jumpy, Sharik – afraid of a few rats.’
There was a loud guffaw of laughter from the other guards, and the game resumed as noisily as before.
The four children walked quickly down the west passage, away from the guard room. They passed a series of heavy wooden doors, heavily barred and padlocked. Each one had a peephole, so prisoners could be observed. Inside each cell a lantern was burning so the guards could easily check on the prisoners.
Everyone took turns at peeking through the spy holes, on either side of the passage, to see if they could spy any familiar faces. Each cell was crowded with prisoners, from all walks of life.
Bodies lay curled together, moaning and tossing in the confined spaces. Aisha ran ahead, sniffing at the cracks under the doors. She stopped at one and started wagging her tail furiously, whining softly and pawing at the crack.
Ethan ran to the door and peered anxiously into the gloom. He gestured excitedly to the others. In a moment all four were huddled around the peephole.
There were less people in this cell. In one corner lay a group of three court ladies, still wearing the silken gowns of the hunting ceremony, although they were badly stained and torn now. Four gentlemen-in-waiting lay stretched out in the centre of the cell, one snoring loudly.
In another corner lay a crumpled couple, sleeping with their arms entwined. The woman cried out in her sleep, tossing with the hidden grief of endless nightmares. Her husband curled closer and soothed her with gentle strokes down her arms, so she settled back to a deeper sleep.
‘Mama and Dadda,’ whispered Lily, her voice choked with tears. ‘They are still alive.’
Roana scowled furiously ‘And look there, my poor mother, the queen of Tiregian, sleeping on a bare cold stone floor. How dare they! Even our dogs slept better than this! Those Sedah devils will pay.’
‘Ssshhh,’ soothed Saxon gently, rubbing Roana on the shoulder. ‘First we need to wake your parents so we can talk with them, and then we can decide what to do.’
Ethan tried the door, but of course it was bolted and padlocked with three large locks. He opened the small shutter in the door, which revealed a barred window through which food and water could be passed to the prisoners.
He gave a shrill bird whistle that his father had taught him while hunting in the forest. No-one stirred. He tried it again, a little louder. This time Willem stirred in his sleep and rolled over. Ethan whistled a third time.
Willem sat up yawning, rubbing his eyes and peering around the cell in astonishment. Ethan whistled again more softly. Willem stood up and tiptoed over to the door. He looked haggard and aged since they had last seen him. His clothes hung loosely from his once strong frame.
‘Ethan, by the mighty Sun Lord, is that you?’ he whispered incredulously. ‘But you’re dead. They told us you were taken by a great sea beast. And Lily too? What miracle is this? Or are you ghosts come to haunt us?’
Ethan gripped his father’s hand through the narrow opening.
‘No, Dadda – we’re not ghosts. It’s true. We are all alive, as you are – thank the Moonmother.’
‘What are you doing here? Have the invaders been defeated? Praise the Moon Goddess. I must wake your mother and let her know,’ Willem whispered. ‘I thought she would die of grief when they came to tell us you were all dead. And your mother too, Princess Roana. The queen has taken it very hard.’
‘No, Dadda,’ Ethan shook his head. ‘The invaders have not been defeated. We crept into the dungeons through a secret passage Roana showed us. We crept past the guards playing dice in the guardroom.’
Willem blanched.
‘You must go,’ Willem said urgently. ‘They will be here at any time. The soldiers check on us every hour. They wake us all through the night taunting us with tales of their misdeeds throughout Tiregian. They must not find you here. It would give us great strength if we knew you were out there, alive and free.’
‘No, we came to rescue you all, Dadda,’ Lily murmured. ‘We are not leaving without you.’
‘No,’ Willem cried, ‘it is impossible. There are three padlocks on the door. The key to each lock is carried by a different person – the Head Duty Guard, Captain Malish, and Governor Lazlac himself. All three must be here together to open the door.’
Willem smiled grimly. ‘They said that they weren’t taking any chances with the queen, after the escape from the hunting lodge barn and the rescue attempt on the ship. We have you children to thank for that! So you see it is impossible. You must go and get as far from Tira as you can.’
‘All right, Dadda,’ said Lily soothingly. ‘But first can we please talk to Mama?’
‘Also we need to talk to you about our quest,’ Saxon added. ‘We must find the royal Sun Sword.’
Willem agreed to wake Marnie and Queen Ashana, in return for the story of their adventures since Goldcoin Cove.
There were many tears and whispered endearments as the two families reunited thr
ough the dungeon bars.
‘Is it really you, my dearest Roana?’ begged Queen Ashana. ‘I would scarcely have recognised you. Your poor hair, what have you done to it? Oh, my poor darling. This is simply dreadful!’
‘Mama, at least I am free and alive. It does not matter about my hair – it will grow back. That is, if I want to grow it back. I quite like it short. It is certainly much easier,’ Roana cried rebelliously with a toss of her shorn head.
‘We thought it was best if Roana could not be recognised,’ Lily explained defensively.
‘It is a mighty undertaking you have pledged yourselves to – to find the different parts of the Sun Sword and bring them together again,’ Willem interjected, tactfully changing the subject. ‘Why would the Sedahs want to dismantle the Sun Sword?’
‘It is a symbol of our people, a symbol of the royal family and the faith which underpins Tiregian,’ Queen Ashana replied gravely. ‘The ruby and the pearl are both gems which bestow great power.
‘The Sedahs do not believe in the Sun Lord and the Moon Goddess. They believe in a malevolent deity called Krad. Lazlac says their priests are even now embarking through our country to spread their dark religion through Tiregian.
‘Our people will be punished and persecuted for following the daily rituals that their families have observed for generations. The Sun Sword is an icon that unites our people and will give them the impetus to band together and fight the Sedah invaders.
‘Without it, we are a humble rabble of farmers, foresters, fisherfolk and mountain tribes. But with the sword before us, we are a cohesive community of Tiregians. Some call it magic, others symbolism, but whichever way you look at it, Tiregian needs the Sun Sword.’
‘It is all right, Mama,’ soothed Roana. ‘We will find the Sun Sword and we will make it whole again. We have already come so far. And have you had any news of my brother? Where is Caspar?’
Queen Ashana’s voice caught in her throat. ‘He has been taken to the north, to Bryn. Lazlac taunts me that he is learning the culture and religion of the Sedahs, ready to travel to Emperor Raef’s court. Lazlac says he is happy, that he no longer asks for me, that he is a willing student …’ Queen Ashana stopped, her voice faltering.
‘I wouldn’t believe a word that snake says, Mama,’ Roana retorted angrily. ‘After all, he also told you I had been eaten by a sea monster!’
Queen Ashana laughed. ‘You speak the truth, my beautiful daughter. We pray you are right and that he only seeks to taunt me with his tales. You have grown up so much, my little princess, but your brother is still so young and all alone.
‘I comfort myself with the thought that Caspar is integral to the Sedahs’ insidious plans, whatever they might be, so at least they will take care of him. He is safe as long as they need him.’
She took Roana’s hand through the bars. ‘But Roana, you must also be protected. You must leave these terrible dungeons and make your way to the forests. We have heard that some of the Royal Guards are living there and are training Tiregian rebels to resist the Sedahs. You will be safer there.’
‘Yes, you must go,’ urged Willem. ‘The guards are due to check on us again soon. It would do none of us any good if you were to be discovered.’
‘What have we here?’ purred a silky voice, from the back of the cell. ‘Beggars’ children seeking to steal our jewels and fine food? Let them have it all, I say!’
A proud courtier reclined his head on his crooked arm, for all the world as though he lay on a velvet couch, not the stone floor of a prison cell. His lip sneered in disdain.
‘Lord Mortimer, look – it is the Princess Roana with Willem’s children. They have found their way here,’ Queen Ashana cried. ‘They are hoping to find the Sun Sword of Tiregian and restore it.’
Lord Mortimer laughed mockingly. ‘I imagine the Sun Sword is safely in the treasure houses of Emperor Raef in Sedah by now, my dear cousin.’
Lord Mortimer stood and languorously wandered over to the door to inspect the grubby gang of children crowding there. He smiled at Roana and bowed with a grand flourish.
‘So … it is my pretty little kinswoman – Princess Roana. I would never have recognised you, my dear. How fortuitous that you survived the Sedah’s attack. Although I am rather distressed to find you are keeping such common company now, my dear, that really will not do. What would your father have said about running around the countryside like a hoyden?’
Roana smiled back, but her eyes glittered with irritation. She swept a quick curtsey, her head held tall and proud. Her bearing was every inch a royal despite her cropped hair and stained breeches.
‘My dear cousin, how delightful to see you again,’ Roana replied with her best court manners and sweetest voice. ‘I too had difficulty recognising you in your current situation. By the blessed Moon Goddess, what a calamity! My dear cousin, it looks as though you have broken a fingernail! No, several. Oh, how devastated you must be. I know how much time it usually takes your man to dress you in the morning. And your hair! It looks as though this dreadful incarceration has made the roots of your hair turn grey. How odd that it should only be the roots. I am inconsolable, my poor cousin.’
Willem seemed to have developed a nasty cough and nearly choked. Ethan bit his lip to stop himself from laughing and Lily became very interested in fussing over Charcoal inside her pocket. Lord Mortimer flushed angrily and turned away.
‘As you say, Princess – this incarceration has taken its toll on everyone,’ he spat in annoyance.
The children all noted that Lord Mortimer did indeed have long glossy black hair, tied back with a riband, yet a half-inch strip at the top of his crown was streaked with grey.
Willem stopped coughing, his eyes watering, and winked at Roana, suppressing a grin.
‘So will you please leave now?’ asked Queen Ashana, trying not to smile.
‘And may the Moon Goddess light your footsteps every step of your travels,’ added Marnie, squeezing Lily’s hand through the bars.
The four friends turned and ran back up the dark passage, with Aisha at their heels, their hearts feeling lighter.
Before they reached the central circular passage, Ethan stopped.
‘I think we should separate to reduce the risk of getting caught,’ he whispered. ‘Saxon should take Roana around by the south passage. That should be quieter and safer for Roana. Lily and I will go the northern route with Aisha. We will meet at the main eastern tunnel, the entry to the treasure chambers. By the Sun Lord, be careful.’
The other three nodded and breathed deeply, their hearts thudding. Then one by one, they crept off, two turning right and two turning left. Only a moment later three guards marched out from the guardroom and down the western corridor to begin their checks on the prisoners.
Ethan and Lily tiptoed along the passageway, bows at the ready, ears straining for any sound. They passed two smaller tunnels that were completely dark, then a wider tunnel intermittently lit with lanterns. This must be the northern tunnel, which lead to the wine cellars, pantries and food stores.
Ethan’s stomach growled at the thought of food but they kept going. They crept carefully past the open doorway into the central guardroom. The remaining guards were still chatting noisily and playing cards.
‘Stop,’ yelled a voice from the guard room. Ethan and Lily froze in fear. ‘You’re cheating. You can’t put that card down!’
‘Yes. I can,’ insisted one of the other voices. ‘You’re just a bad loser!’
The shouting continued as Lily and Ethan ran down the passageway, past another two darkened tunnels to the left, until at last they reached the wide well-lit tunnel to the east, the entry to the treasure chambers.
Ethan, Lily and Aisha arrived at the tunnel a few moments before Saxon and Roana. They were just starting to get nervous that the others may have been discovered when the two scurried into the tunnel behind them.
The tunnel stretched away to the east. On either side every few paces were stout timber doors,
reinforced with iron bands and securely padlocked.
‘These are all full of treasure?’ gasped Ethan.
‘Well, these outer chambers hold the silver and gold tableware for the royal banquets – you know, cutlery, plates, goblets and serving dishes,’ Roana explained.
‘Your family needs dozens of locked chambers to store their gold cutlery?’ Saxon exclaimed.
‘Well, some of our banquets seat a few hundred people,’ Roana explained defensively. ‘Not all of them eat with gold tableware, of course!’
The next few doors were open and the chambers were empty. Only bare shelves and a few splinters of smashed timber on the floor remained.
‘The invaders have begun taking the treasure back to Sedah,’ Lily said. ‘Oh, I pray we are not already too late as Lord Mortimer said.’
‘Lord Mortimer is a pompous fool,’ snorted Saxon. ‘But why do you think his hair has started going grey? The shock?’
‘No,’ laughed Lily. ‘He must have been dyeing his hair, and it is his natural colour growing through. I nearly died trying not to laugh, Roana, when you talked about his fingernails breaking and his hair growing grey. I thought he would have happily hit you. Luckily the bars were between you!’
‘I would have liked to see him try to hit Roana,’ Saxon added. ‘Ethan and I would be a match for that foppish fool.’
Lily laughed again. ‘I think Roana dealt with him rather well on her own, don’t you?’
‘I do not quite like Lord Mortimer,’ Roana replied. ‘Even though he is my father’s cousin, there is something unctuous about him. I cannot bring myself to be wholly civil to him, much to my mother’s despair.’
‘Well, he is safely locked up in a dungeon so I don’t think he will be troubling you again,’ Ethan said. ‘Roana, where do you think the gems could be, if they are still here?’
Quest for the Sun Gem Page 17