by K J Taylor
‘Because my dad killed him, that’s why,’ Red blurted. ‘My dad killed Arren Cardockson.’
Kullervo started. ‘He what?’
‘Killed him,’ said Red. ‘Everyone says that ain’t true, like he got away somehow, but Dad said he died, and he knew because he was the one who killed him.’
‘How?’ said Kullervo. ‘Why?’
‘He got out of prison,’ said Red, ‘an’ ran away. Bran an’ my dad chased him with some other guards, an’ they got him at the edge of the city. Dad said when they got there he gave himself up. Said he surrendered. An’ then Dad shot him. He shot him in the heart. Sent him off the edge of the city.’
‘Why?’ asked Kullervo.
‘I dunno,’ said Red. ‘Dad said he didn’t know either; he just did it without thinking. But he said afterwards he never felt good about it. Said he felt like a murderer, and he felt like what happened to Eagleholm was his fault, like if he hadn’t done it then the Dark Lord wouldn’t’ve come.’ The boy looked as if he were struggling for words now. ‘So he told me, “Son, don’t do what I did. Do yer duty instead. My duty was I should’ve arrested the bastard, not killed him. I ain’t had nothing but bad luck since then.”’
‘Your father sounds like he was a wise man,’ said Kullervo.
‘Yeah, he was real clever,’ Red said proudly. ‘He told me a good an’ honest man does like what a guard does, an’ serves his home an’ the people in it first. I’ve been thinkin’ about that a lot since we left Withypool.’
‘And what did you decide?’ asked Kullervo.
‘I’m gonna stay here,’ said Red. ‘’Cause I’ve been around now, I’ve seen lots of different places, but I always knew I was gonna come back here. Liranwee’s my home, an’ I’m gonna stay an’ serve it an’ the people in it, like my dad said.’
‘So how are you going to do that?’
Red squared his shoulders. ‘I’m gonna join the guard. Every city needs good guards. But first, I’m gonna join the workers here an’ help build the city. Then when I’m older I’ll be a guard. My family’s always been guards, you know. For generations.’
Kullervo smiled. ‘That’s a good plan. You’d be more use here than in Malvern, I think.’
‘Yeah, an’ who wants some kid who’s not a griffiner over there, anyway?’ said Red. ‘Anyway, I’m a Southerner. They wouldn’t like me much!’
‘No, probably not,’ said Kullervo. ‘But maybe one day we’ll change that. I’ll do my best. Promise.’
‘You already are,’ said Red, quite seriously. He grinned suddenly. ‘Come back one day, Kullervo. Come back to Liranwee when you’re done with your war an’ looking after your sister. I’ll be a big strong man by then, like my dad. You wait an’ see!’
‘I’m sure I will come back one day,’ said Kullervo. ‘And if this alliance with the South works out, I’ll probably have to come back here for more negotiations. You’ll see me then, for sure.’
‘Promise?’
‘Yeah, I promise.’ Kullervo held up a hand in a solemn gesture. ‘On my honour as a Taranisäii.’
It seemed the others had been expecting Red to leave too, because none of them showed much surprise the next morning when he told them so. And of all of them, aside from Kullervo, only Senneck’s son cared much.
‘You were good to play with, red human,’ he said in his chirping youngster’s voice.
‘He said he liked playing with you,’ Kullervo translated.
‘Me too,’ said Red. He petted the small griffin on the head — ‘small’ was a relative term by now, since Skandarson had grown bigger than he was. ‘I wish you’d chosen a proper name while I was around.’
‘I have chosen.’
‘You’ve chosen a name?’ said Kullervo, partly for Red’s benefit.
Senneck rubbed her head against her son’s flank. ‘Tell us your name then, little one, before we go back to your rightful home. It will make an adult of you.’
The youngster raised his own head proudly. ‘My name is Kraego,’ he said.
‘Kraego!’ said Red. ‘It’s a good name.’
‘It means “thunder”,’ said Kullervo. ‘A perfect name for a griffin as big as you, Kraego.’
‘It is,’ said Kraego, with typical griffish modesty.
‘Goodbye then, Kraego,’ said Red. ‘I’ll miss you too.’
‘Maybe one day we shall meet again,’ said Kraego.
Red shared a farewell hug with Kullervo. ‘Don’t you forget!’ he said. ‘Come back one day. You promised!’
‘I will,’ said Kullervo. ‘And you take good care of yourself until then.’
‘I will,’ said Red.
‘Come, Kullervo,’ said Senneck. ‘We have waited too long.’
‘Just a moment.’ Kullervo pulled his shirt up, and plucked a feather off his chest. He handed it to Red. ‘Here. Something to remember me by.’
Red took it eagerly. ‘Thanks! I’d better not tell anyone where it came from, or they’ll want to put it in a temple or somethin’.’
‘Good idea,’ said Kullervo, smiling. He got onto the impatient Senneck’s back and gave Red a final wave. Nearby, Kraego prepared to take off after his mother.
Red took a few steps back as Senneck took to the air, with Lady Isleen and all the others following. Kraego went among the flock, flying just beside his mother, and before long they had gone beyond the city’s walls and were off over the plains beyond.
Red watched them until they had disappeared from view and felt very alone. But he was glad that he had finally told Kullervo the truth. Or at least, part of the truth. He carefully tucked the feather into his pocket and walked back toward his father’s tent.
With the help of the same griffiner who had kept his belongings safe while he was away, he sold most of what his father had left him, except for the tent itself. He would need that to live in until he could buy a house. He only kept a handful of other things, including the sword and armour, which he stuffed into the old chest. He took the money he had made and walked away, off toward the city wall, where a gang of builders was hard at work.
A tent had been set up close to the worksite, where the overseer had made a temporary office for himself. Red went inside, following a couple of other new arrivals.
The overseer sat behind a small folding desk, with an open book and a pen in front of him, and the two men already there spoke to him one after the other, giving him their names. Once the overseer had written them down, he sent them out to start work.
Red waited patiently for his turn. When the overseer nodded to him to come over he stepped up to the desk, dumping his bag on the ground.
The man eyed him briefly, then picked up the pen again. ‘Name?’
‘Er, Red.’
The overseer gave him an impatient look. ‘Not good enough. Give me your full name.’
Red hesitated. ‘Why?’
‘Just give it to me, or get lost,’ said the man, looking past him to the group of others who had already started arriving.
Red set his jaw and stood a little taller. ‘My name’s Kearney Redguard.’
The overseer blinked. ‘You what?’
‘You heard me,’ said Red. ‘It’s Kearney Redguard.’
‘I thought the Redguards were all dead.’
‘Not all of ’em,’ said Red. ‘I’m the last one.’
The overseer frowned as he wrote the name down, while the other men who had heard murmured among themselves. ‘I’d have thought you’d change your name rather than call yourself Redguard. I mean, aren’t you ashamed, being related to that traitor?’
‘Uncle Bran wasn’t a traitor,’ Red snapped. ‘And my dad wasn’t either.’
‘Wait,’ one of the new builders behind him interrupted. ‘Aren’t you Danthirk’s boy?’
‘Yeah,’ said Red. ‘But my mum was Finna Redguard, so I’ve taken her name.’ He gave the man a fierce look. ‘You got a problem with that?’
Nobody argued, but he saw them giving him odd looks
. The overseer took his name down and shooed him away.
Red left with his head held high. Even so, he could hardly believe what he’d just done. His father had always warned him not to mention that he was a Redguard on his mother’s side. Once it had been a proud name — not any more.
But Red had learned. Kullervo’s heritage was even more shameful than his own, but Kullervo never lied about who he was, and he refused to be ashamed of it. Red only wished he had told the man-griffin the whole truth about who he was.
Even so, Red knew what he had to do now. He went out to where the wall was being built and took his instructions from one of the supervisors. As he started work, he made himself a promise. He would never lie about who he was again. His friends might call him Red, but he would be Kearney Redguard, now and forever, and he would never apologise for it. And he would find a way to make the name of Redguard a proud one again. He’d show everyone.
Red smiled to himself as he lifted a heavy stone block onto his shoulders and started to carry it to the wall. ‘Thank you, Kullervo,’ he murmured.
TWENTY-EIGHT
READY TO STRIKE
Kullervo travelled back through the North with his new companions, and was relieved to see that nothing had changed much. But even though the people he spoke to along the way all claimed that Laela was still alive and on the throne, his tension rose steadily higher as he grew closer to Malvern. He had been away for nearly nine months, and there was no way of knowing how much things might have changed in that time. Had Laela kept herself safe, and the others as well?
When he finally saw his home again, however, he started to feel better almost before Senneck had flown over the walls. Malvern didn’t look the same as he remembered — it looked better. People had clearly been at work on it while he was away; he saw numerous buildings that had been restored, including the brand new Temple, which positively glowed in the sunlight.
The Eyrie itself looked even better. Brightly coloured banners hung from the walls, most of them decorated with the animal totems of the four tribes. But others had griffins, and others, the most striking, were pale blue with a black triple spiral device. Kullervo thought he had seen it somewhere before.
At the top of the Council Tower, the plants and small trees that grew in pots and half-barrels were more numerous and healthy.
The Eyrie’s inhabitants had long since spotted the large group of intruders, and a second group had gathered among the plants to meet them.
At their head was Laela, with Akhane by her side, both protected by Skandar and Zekh.
Laela wore the thin silver circlet she had inherited from Arenadd, along with a rather nice new gown. But those weren’t what first caught Kullervo’s attention. She was also heavily pregnant.
Kullervo, who had travelled the last leg of the journey as a human, jumped down from Senneck’s back and approached his sister with a kind of wonder on his face. ‘Laela,’ he said. And then, again, ‘Laela!’
Laela looked back at him, smiling. But behind the smile she was almost shocked. Was this really her brother? He looked even bigger than she remembered, easily the tallest of all the people there. His wings hung down from his shoulders, fully feathered in mottled grey, and almost beautiful. She could see his tail too, furred and feathered, trailing uselessly down the back of his legs.
But the biggest difference she noticed was in how he carried himself. He looked taller because he was standing straighter, without the apologetic hunch she remembered so well. His wiry hair had grown a little longer and taken on the hint of a curl. He had a scar now too, thin and twisted, starting at his eye and ending near the corner of his mouth. She had only known one other person with a scar like that.
‘Kullervo!’ she exclaimed, forgetting formalities for a moment. ‘Ye gods, for a moment I thought you were our dad!’
Kullervo frowned slightly. ‘You look more like him than I do, Laela.’ He didn’t sound as if he were completely happy about it.
Laela shook herself. ‘I’m so glad t’see you again,’ she said. ‘Those diplomats you sent back here told us you was all right, but I knew I wouldn’t feel right until I saw you myself.’
Her speech had improved even further, Kullervo noticed. ‘It was the same for me,’ he said. ‘But I should introduce my friends …’
Laela nodded formally. ‘Please do. Excuse me for not speakin’ to you first, Lords and Ladies, but my brother and I haven’t seen each other in a long while.’
They looked suitably impressed by her good manners, and were polite enough themselves to stand there quietly while Kullervo made the introductions.
Now Skandar came forward. He was as huge as Kullervo remembered, and unlike Senneck, whose feathers had begun to show a hint of white around her beak, he didn’t look as if he had aged at all.
He approached Senneck first. ‘You back now,’ he said. ‘Back to bow head to me?’
‘Yes,’ said Senneck, and bowed her head to prove it. ‘I am honoured to be back in your territory, Mighty Skandar.’
‘And you?’ said Skandar, thrusting his beak at Kraego. ‘Who you?’
‘Your son,’ said Senneck, ushering the youngster forward. ‘Kraego, this is your father.’
Skandar sniffed his offspring suspiciously. ‘Big chick,’ he said. ‘Big and dark. Must be Mighty Skandar chick!’
Kraego faced his father boldly. ‘I have come back here to live in your territory, Father.’
‘Not have human,’ said Skandar. ‘Humanless griffin not welcome.’
‘Then I will fight you,’ said Kraego. ‘For my right to stay.’
Everyone there breathed in sharply, even the Southerners. Horrified, Kullervo hunched down, ready to jump in and protect the youngster if he had to.
Skandar lashed out, but with the side of his beak, not the point. The blow sent Kraego flying. He landed against his mother’s legs and lay there in a heap, shrieking in fright.
‘Little warrior,’ Skandar boomed. ‘Come fight Mighty Skandar another time and maybe stand longer!’ He chirped to himself and moved on, and Kullervo relaxed. If Kraego had been an adult he might have been killed. But a challenge from a youngster was a joke to Skandar.
Satisfied, Skandar moved on to speak to each unfamiliar griffin and intimidate them in turn, and all of them sensibly retreated and promised to accept him as the dominant one.
After that, Lady Isleen was allowed to go forward and speak to Laela.
‘Queen Laela,’ she said, ‘my name is Lady Isleen, Eyrie Mistress of Liranwee. I have come to accept your offer of a peace treaty between our territories, and would like to ask if I and my companions can stay here while the negotiations take place.’
Laela inclined her head. ‘Welcome to my Eyrie, Lady Isleen. You an’ your friends will all be welcome to stay for as long as you need to. Tomorrow we can start discussin’ the terms of the treaty.’
‘Thank you, my Lady,’ said Isleen. She sounded quite satisfied.
The Master of Law from Withypool spoke up. ‘Excuse me, my Lady, but I’d like to say something as well.’
‘Go ahead,’ said Laela.
The old woman coughed. ‘My name’s Della and I’m the Master of Law from Withypool. But I’ve retired now and decided that I wanted to come here with your brother, Lord Kullervo. I’m not here to negotiate a treaty.’
‘Then what are yeh here for?’ Laela asked, suspiciously.
Lady Della shrugged. ‘To see Malvern, which I’ve always wanted to do. But I count myself as Lord Kullervo’s follower now, so if he needs anything from me I’ll be ready to give it. The same goes for my friends here.’
Laela looked thoughtful for a moment. Then she nodded brusquely. ‘That’s fine. In fact I think he might soon have a use for you. But I’ll leave him to tell yeh about that later on. For now, let’s go inside.’ She nodded to her own companions, who took their cue and headed back inside. Then she turned to Kullervo. ‘Come with me. We’ve got some catchin’ up to do.’
Kullervo went wit
h her and Skandar, back toward the audience chamber. Senneck, of course, came too, and Kraego followed along beside her.
As for Akhane, he came with them for most of the way, but at the entrance to the audience chamber he said, ‘I have duties elsewhere, so I will leave you and your brother to speak in private.’
‘Thanks, love. See yeh later.’ Laela kissed him on the cheek and let him go. ‘Now, Kullervo, we’ve got a lot of stories to tell!’ She smiled sweetly at her brother.
The moment Akhane was out of sight, however, the smile disappeared. Laela reached up and grabbed Kullervo by the ear. ‘Get in here,’ she snarled, and dragged him into the audience chamber.
Kullervo shuffled along beside her, protesting. ‘Ow! Laela, what the — ? Let go!’
Inside the big marble-lined chamber, Laela let go of him and gave his head a violent shove in the process. ‘You great git!’ she yelled at him. ‘What where yeh thinkin’, bringin’ that crowd here! Have you lost yer head?’
Kullervo stood there, clutching his ear and looking blank. ‘What? Laela, what’s wrong? Why are you so angry?’
Laela ripped off her crown and looked about ready to throw it at him. ‘What? Oh dear gods, he really doesn’t get it. I said send back diplomats, Kullervo. I didn’t say, “Come back with sixteen bloody griffiners we don’t know an’ who’ve got no business bein’ here.” Who the blazes are they?’
‘They’re my friends,’ said Kullervo.
‘Friends?’ Laela repeated, calming down slightly. ‘I sent yeh on a peace mission, not to make friends. Why’d they come here?’
‘Laela, please, let me explain,’ said Kullervo. ‘It’s just … it’s because of these.’ He indicated his wings.
‘Yeah, an’ another thing,’ said Laela. ‘Why’re you walkin’ around with them things hangin’ out? Yeh want people to stare or somethin’?’
‘You said to use my wings,’ Kullervo said sharply. ‘So I did. And that’s what happened. People started wanting to follow me, and I let them do it.’
‘Why let them?’
‘Because Senneck said I should,’ Kullervo said stupidly.
Laela glared at her. ‘Oh yeah?’