The Shadow's Heart

by K J Taylor

  ‘Why are you here?’ said Kullervo. ‘Are you a ghost?’

  Arenadd gave a twisted smile. An evil spirit. The Night God sent me back to help Saeddryn kill you and Laela. She made me her spy and her advisor. But I betrayed her. If I hadn’t, she would have killed both of you by now.

  Kullervo couldn’t make himself look at that smile. ‘I didn’t know what Laela would do. I thought … I stood there and watched Saeddryn be tortured, and did nothing. I lied to her so she would tell us where Caedmon was. I …’

  Ah, Kullervo. Arenadd’s smile softened. You really aren’t much like me at all. You didn’t get my good looks, sadly. You don’t seem to have much of your mother in you either.

  ‘I know,’ said Kullervo. ‘I’m ugly and weak, and I know it.’

  You have a gentle heart, Kullervo, Arenadd said softly. You’re kind and loving, and you’ll never be a monster like me. But you’re not weak.

  ‘I am,’ said Kullervo. ‘I could have saved Saeddryn — ’

  No, you couldn’t have. Even if you had tried to interfere, Laela would have stopped you. She’s the one who takes after me, not you. You’re not weak. If you wanted to, you could be a leader every bit as powerful as I was. You could be a great fighter too. It’s all up to you.

  ‘I don’t want to lead,’ said Kullervo. ‘Or fight.’

  Then don’t. Arenadd glanced around at the nothing that surrounded them. I don’t know how long I can stay. As soon as my master realises what I’ve done …

  ‘What will she do to you?’

  I don’t know. There was real fear on Arenadd’s face. I don’t know …

  ‘Then leave!’ Kullervo tried to reach out to him. ‘Run away! Get away from her!’

  I can’t. You don’t understand. I can’t leave her. Arenadd hunched his shoulders. She has my soul. I’m her slave forever. And now I’ve betrayed her again, I … He shook himself. Kullervo, listen. This might be the last chance I ever have to speak to you. So before I go, I just want you to know this. He reached out in return, so close, but still unable to touch his son. If I had known you were out there, I would have done whatever it took. I would have torn the South apart just to get you back. I swear.

  ‘Then maybe it’s better you didn’t know,’ said Kullervo. ‘I don’t want anyone else to die because of me, ever.’

  Arenadd looked slightly puzzled. Why not?

  ‘Because people deserve to live. They’re good — ’

  No. Arenadd spat the word out. People are bad. They try to do good, but at the end of everything they’ll always fail. Take it from someone who knows.

  ‘And how do you know?’ Kullervo demanded.

  Arenadd began to fade. Because once I was good. His voice faded too, like his face, becoming faint once more. Don’t be me, Kullervo. Be safe … Goodbye …

  Then he was gone, turning back into the shadow that was all that was left of him, and disappearing into the darkness that had made him, and would be his home now forever.

  Kullervo woke up sharply, and for one instant he was convinced that there had been someone there with him, someone standing over him as he slept.

  But there was no-one there, and no scent in the air. He was alone.

  Misery wrapped itself around him yet again, like a predator that had been waiting patiently for him to emerge. He stood up and loped out of the room, hoping to escape, but it followed him all the way down the tower.

  On an impulse, he kept on going until he was in the lowest levels of the building. From there, he went down the sloping passageway that led to the crypt.

  It hadn’t changed much since his last visit. Someone had finally been able to retrieve the bodies of those killed by Oeka’s power, but Kullervo’s skin still prickled. In his throat, his magic gland pulsated gently in response to the energy that still hung in the air.

  Cautiously, he entered the crypt and looked around. Oeka’s hunched body lay exactly where it had been before. It looked dead, but he went closer to investigate.

  Over a year had passed since Oeka had destroyed her own mind in her mad quest for power. Her body had been left unoccupied in all that time, and that time had taken its toll. The blinded eyes had shrivelled away to nothing. The tongue, left hanging out of her beak, had turned into a strip of dried, leathery flesh. Oeka’s small body had become so thin there was almost nothing left of it but skin draped over bones, and everywhere the fur and feathers had moulted away in huge patches. She stank of decay.

  But, incredibly, Kullervo could see her flanks still move in and out ever so slightly. Each breath came after a huge interval, but it was just enough. She was alive.

  If she had still been able to use her body, she would probably have died. But by now her mind had expanded so massively that it had lost the ability to control a body, and forgotten how to return to it. Wherever that mind was now, it had no idea where it was in time or space.

  Senneck’s warnings had been right. Oeka was worse than dead.

  Kullervo stepped around the little griffin’s pathetic shape, and went to the tomb he knew. On top it was carved to look like a woman lying down, apparently asleep. Her face was sharp and savage, the eyes over-large and open in a blank glare. The hands, folded on her stomach, had little claws instead of nails.

  On the side of the tomb were the words: SKADE OF WITHYPOOL.

  Kullervo looked down on her face. ‘Hello, Mother. Remember me? I’ve grown up a lot since I saw you.’

  Of course, Skade did not reply. Unlike her lover, she had been allowed to pass on after her death, and would not return to haunt her son. Kullervo wondered if she would have bothered to try if she could have. Probably not. She hadn’t cared about him when she was alive, so why would she care now?

  He sighed and moved away to inspect the other tombs. There weren’t many.

  An odd draft led him to investigate the wall opposite the entrance. He scratched at the dirt and found a hanging sheet of cloth, disguised by a layer of dust and cobwebs.

  Behind it was another entrance.

  Kullervo shouldered his way through, and found himself in an adjoining chamber. This one was much smaller, and only had three tombs.

  He inspected the nearest one. It was topped by a carving of a man — a stocky, strong-looking one who did not have the build of a Northerner at all. His face was square-jawed and heroic, but it looked sad. His hands were wrapped around the hilt of a long sword.

  On the side of the tomb was the name: ERIAN RANNAGONSON OF EAGLEHOLM.

  Kullervo hissed to himself in astonishment. Moving quickly now, he went to the next tomb, which had been placed close beside the first. This one had been made for a woman. Her carving made her look young and thin, but she wore a flowing gown and her hair was decorated with delicately carved flowers. And the name …

  LADY ELKIN, EYRIE MISTRESS OF MALVERN.

  The third tomb also belonged to a woman, but one who looked much stronger than the other. She was plainly clad, but someone had laid flowers at her feet; Kullervo could see the dried remains.

  FLELL OF EAGLEHOLM, said the inscription.

  Kullervo sat on his haunches and stared at the three tombs. He knew all three of their occupants. He knew who had murdered them. And he could guess who had ordered for these tombs to be made, and who had brought those flowers.

  ‘He remembered,’ he said aloud. ‘He remembered Flell. Somewhere deep down, he remembered that he used to love her.’

  He stayed where he was and stared at the tombs for some time, trying to take in the meaning of them.

  Now he understood whose son he really was.

  Senneck returned some days after this, with the Unpartnered who had chosen to go with her. Typically, she went straight to report to Laela and Skandar.

  ‘I have done as you commanded,’ she said, dipping her head toward Skandar. ‘We killed every human we found on that island.’

  ‘An’ Caedmon?’ Laela interrupted.

  ‘He was there,’ said Senneck. ‘As I said, we killed every h
uman. The island burned. Nothing escaped alive. I myself killed his mate, who was carrying his pup.’

  ‘What about Saeddryn’s body?’ asked Laela. ‘Did yeh destroy it?’

  ‘I threw it into the fire and watched it burn,’ said Senneck. She uncurled her talons and dropped a blackened skull onto the floor. It broke apart with the impact.

  Laela sat back with a satisfied expression. ‘Good. Skandar an’ I are pleased. In return, we’ll give yeh the bounties for Caedmon an’ Saeddryn.’

  ‘I am pleased to have done my part for us all,’ Senneck said haughtily. ‘Is my human well?’

  ‘Griffin, at the moment,’ said Laela. She frowned. ‘He ain’t been the same since Warwick. He won’t turn human again. Won’t speak to anyone either. I’m worried about him.’

  ‘Then I will go to him,’ said Senneck. She bowed her head again to Skandar, and left.

  It wasn’t long, however, before she returned. She came back at a run, and stumbled to a halt in front of the startled Skandar.

  ‘He is gone!’ she exclaimed. ‘Kullervo has left the Eyrie! Where is he?’

  ‘Not know,’ said Skandar, irritated by her sudden arrival. ‘Ugly one is your human; you go look for him. Not Mighty Skandar’s problem.’

  Laela, however, grimaced. ‘Are yeh sure he’s gone?’

  ‘Certain,’ said Senneck. ‘His room has not been occupied in days. I found no fresh scent anywhere.’

  ‘Damn!’ Laela rubbed her forehead. ‘I ain’t seen him in at least four days either. Been too busy t’think much about it, but now … Gods, he’d better not have gone an’ done somethin’ stupid.’

  ‘I must search the Eyrie,’ said Senneck. ‘Someone will know where he has gone.’

  She darted away.

  Her search of the Eyrie towers took some time. She questioned every griffin she came across, and several griffiners as well, especially Kullervo’s Southern friends.

  Out of them, only Lady Isleen had something useful to offer. ‘Resling and Lady Della left four days ago,’ she said. ‘I think they went with Prince Kullervo, but I couldn’t say where.’

  Senneck relaxed at that. Kullervo would at least have some protection with him. She went back to her own quarters to rest. Rushing around wouldn’t help her find out where her human had flown off to.

  Kraego was in her nest, dozing with his head on his paws. He woke up when she entered, and mother and son regarded each other warily. Now that Kraego had chosen his name he wasn’t her chick any more, and her mothering instincts toward him had long since disappeared.

  ‘You are in my territory,’ she said brusquely.

  Kraego stood up as if to leave, but there was something overpoweringly self-confident in his stance and the way he looked at her. ‘You were not here, so it was my territory,’ he said. ‘Your human said I could have it until you returned.’

  ‘You have seen him?’ said Senneck. ‘Do you know where he is?’

  ‘I do,’ said Kraego. He yawned and stretched, mostly for effect. ‘He and his two inferiors have flown to Warwick. He meant to go alone, but they discovered him and insisted that they go with him.’

  ‘Why has he gone there?’ said Senneck.

  ‘He missed you and hoped that he might meet you there,’ said Kraego. ‘But you did not see him?’

  ‘No,’ said Senneck. ‘I came here directly and did not stop except to sleep. Did he say when he would come back?’

  ‘He did not,’ said Kraego. ‘You should not let him leave his territory without you, Mother.’

  His tone made her hiss. ‘You are far too bold for a humanless youngster.’

  Kraego did not back down. ‘I am not afraid.’

  ‘Be afraid,’ Senneck advised. ‘I will not kill you because I am your mother, but others will not spare you because you are a youngster. Now, leave my nest, or I will drive you out.’

  Kraego took the hint. He yawned at her again and sauntered away.

  Once he had gone, Senneck drank from her trough and lay down on her belly to think, ignoring the faint whispering in her mind as Oeka’s invisible presence drifted past, as it did every so often these days. If she went flying off frantically after Kullervo, it would make her look weak and panicky, as if she didn’t trust her human. Besides, Kullervo had left of his own free will, and with Saeddryn and Caedmon dead there was no serious danger left for him. He would return to Malvern on his own sooner or later, so Senneck would wait for him calmly, as if she had discussed it with him beforehand. Then, when he got back, she would warn him not to do something like this again. He would listen.

  Meanwhile, Kraego was feeling vaguely annoyed. He was still tired and thirsty, and now that his mother had sent him packing he needed somewhere else to sleep. It was very difficult for an unpartnered griffin like him to find a sleeping place in the Eyrie: any unoccupied nest could easily become a trap for him if its owner returned unexpectedly. As Senneck had reminded him, any adult other than her who caught him sleeping in their nest could well attack to kill.

  Of course, Kraego was small enough to sleep in places other than nests, but he was too stubborn to consider that option for long. He was a griffin, and therefore he should have a nest when he wanted one — and not one in the Hatchery, either. He had grown up surrounded by humans, and the places they lived in made him feel at home.

  With that in mind, he started to search the Eyrie, checking the nesting chambers he passed. Some were occupied, and others smelled as if they had owners. He was hoping to find one that was vacant, but unfortunately other unpartnered griffins used the same strategy, and every nest he found had been claimed.

  He had worked his way to the top of the Council Tower when he finally came across an opening he had never investigated before. It looked as if it led to a nest, but it was huge, and built right at the very top — the dominant position in any tower, he knew.

  Curious now, Kraego flew to the opening and landed on the ledge that was there. The moment his paws touched the ground, he saw the massive talon-marks that had scored the stone many times before.

  Simultaneously, an odour hit his nostrils. It was male, and adult — a sharp, aggressive stench, full of danger. Kraego instantly recognised it as his father’s.

  The nest, however, was empty.

  Kraego went in. His eyes, adjusting to the gloom, showed him a nest unlike anything he had ever seen before in his life.

  It was huge, with an elegantly arched ceiling. Colourful hides hung on the walls, and shiny stones were scattered underpaw around a golden water trough. Kraego saw — and smelled — the remains of the tenderest and sweetest-smelling carcass he had ever come across. He ripped off a strip of the leftover meat, and it was every bit as delicious as he had expected.

  Entranced, he stood by the trough and took in everything, noting the fine grass bedding and the scattered silver feathers and tufts of black fur lying among them. Only one griffin could ever have a nest this magnificent.

  ‘The Mighty Skandar,’ Kraego rasped to himself.

  Oddly enough, the thought only made him bolder. He clambered onto the soft grass and curled up in it, savouring the rich scent. No sign of danger. The Queen was usually busy all day, and Skandar would stay with her.

  Lulled by the smell of the grass and the dreams of grandeur filling his head, Kraego fell asleep.

  He woke up as something smashed into him, so hard it hurled him into the air. Shrieking in fright, he landed on his side with his wing crumpled beneath him, and before he could even wake up properly his attacker had pounced on him.

  The Mighty Skandar’s feathers bristled around his neck, and his eyes were wide open, blazing silver. ‘You go!’ he screeched, and raised a massive forepaw over Kraego’s head. The talons gleamed dully in the dusk light from outside.

  Kraego scrabbled to his paws and darted out of his father’s reach. He would have flown away, but Skandar moved to follow him and blocked the opening.

  Not knowing where to go, Kraego hid behind the water trough. ‘Do
not kill me, Father,’ he said hastily. ‘I am only a youngster!’

  ‘My nest!’ Skandar bellowed, taking a menacing step toward him. ‘Not sleep here, only I sleep here!’

  ‘I only came here to speak with you,’ Kraego lied, amazed by his own calmness. ‘I have things to ask.’

  Skandar glared at him. ‘What speak? What ask?’

  Kraego saw he had managed to get his father interested, and hurriedly took advantage of it. He bowed his head and said, ‘You are the mightiest of griffins. The Mighty Kraal was ancient and famous for his power, but you defeated him and are greater. Every griffin in Cymria must be jealous of you. I want to know how you have become so powerful.’

  The flattery worked. Skandar sat back and preened. ‘Am powerful because am very big,’ he bragged. ‘Am strong. Have never lost fights. And …’ He clicked his beak softly and looked down at his huge black talons. ‘… And had good human,’ he admitted. ‘Chose best human, cleverest human. Human set Skandar free, human save life. Human fight like wild griffin, know how to make other human obey. Mighty Skandar not become Mighty without him.’

  ‘I do not believe that,’ said Kraego. ‘Your human is gone now, but you have kept your power. I do not think a griffin needs a human to be strong.’

  ‘Then you fool!’ Skandar rasped at him, all his menace returning. ‘You humanless griffin, you unpartner. Have no human to bring food and heal wounds, and think of clever plans. Can’t go to other territory alone, can’t live in Eyrie. You weak.’

  ‘I am not weak!’ said Kraego. Stupidly, he raised his tail in an arrogant gesture and said, ‘When I am grown I will be as large as you, but I will always be more cunning. That is why I will be mightier than you, Father.’

  It was exactly what nobody should ever say to Skandar. The giant griffin’s feathers puffed out again, and a savage hiss began in his throat. ‘Am … not … stupid!’

  Despite the danger, Kraego enjoyed that moment. He enjoyed the fact that he had found a way to upset his father. Skandar was larger, but Kraego had power over him. ‘I will go now,’ he taunted. ‘But one day I will return. When I am ready I will come back and I will challenge you. And I will win.’