Kingdom's Quest

by Chuck Black

  “I am pleased that you are here with Weston and Marie. They will take good care of you,” he said.

  “Yes … I am grateful.” She looked briefly into Gavinaugh’s eyes.

  “Farewell then, Keanna,” he said and bowed his head slightly.

  “Farewell, Gavinaugh.”

  It was the first time she had spoken his name, and as he rode away, he could not help replaying their parting in his mind many times.

  How ridiculous! he thought. I have a mission to fulfill and no time for such silliness.

  He set his course toward Penwell, but the memory of her voice speaking his name accompanied him for many miles.

  Gavinaugh journeyed through various towns and villages, carrying the story of the Prince to all who would listen. There was no mediocre welcome at any of the towns—he was either received heartily or rejected most fiercely. It seemed to Gavinaugh that the Prince created great division among all people.

  Having finally arrived in Penwell, he discovered that the people there were most irritated by his words and his presence. He had managed to recruit a dozen men as Knights of the Prince, but the leadership of the city was quickly becoming hostile toward him. In spite of this, Gavinaugh found one young recruit who inspired him, for he was zealous for the Code and the Prince. Sandon at first seemed quiet, not because of shyness, but because his words were well thought out before he spoke them. On serious matters, he preferred to listen first and then speak. Gavinaugh also discovered a keen sense of humor in the young man, which often surprised those who did not know him well. Sandon’s hair was dark and his jaw was strong. Gavinaugh sensed his loyalty to the Prince and to him.

  The regional governor had issued numerous edicts ordering Gavinaugh to cease his activities and leave the region, but Gavinaugh continued. One day, Sandon stood beside him on the main thoroughfare and boldly petitioned the people to listen to the words of the Prince. When a crowd had gathered, Gavinaugh once again shared the story of the Prince and His life-changing message. What he didn’t realize was that a force of guards was gathering nearby to end what Governor Thurman saw as a threat to his power and to their way of life. Within moments, they were surrounded by an overwhelming force and bound in fetters.

  Gavinaugh and Sandon were briskly taken to the office of the magistrate, where the governor looked on, and the trial and sentencing was conducted in less time than it took to eat an apple. Sandon was sentenced to six months in the dungeons, but Gavinaugh was to be beaten and cast outside the city limits. The sentence of beating was really a sentence of death, since the thugs executing the sentence often would not stop until there was no sign of life in their victim.

  “Do not lose heart, Sandon,” Gavinaugh called to his companion as they were separated.

  “Nor you, Sir Gavinaugh,” Sandon called back, but there was sadness in his voice.

  Four burly men took Gavinaugh to a rock quarry beyond the surrounding hills of the city. His bonds were not loosed, so his unprotected body bore the full blow of each fist and foot. When he could no longer stand, he fell to his knees and the rocks beneath him turned red with his blood. The pain of the beating began to fade until it seemed his body was completely numb. He fell facedown with nothing to soften the impact and could vaguely feel the jarring of his body across the jagged rocks beneath him as the beating continued, but the pain was nearly gone. A dark cloud descended from the sky and enveloped his mind, giving him a final escape from the brutality of the thugs.

  “There are so many people, my Lord … so many,” Gavinaugh said as he walked beside the majestic Prince along the shore of a beautiful sea that shined like clear crystal.

  “Do not be discouraged, my friend. For every one you reach, My words are multiplied a hundredfold and will not return empty. Rise up and carry on.” The Prince stopped and placed a hand on Gavinaugh’s shoulder. He smiled a gentle smile, and Gavinaugh felt the warmth of the Prince’s glory empower his soul. His words felt like sweet water to his lips.

  “I will, my Prince. With all of my strength, I will!”

  The Prince left him, and Gavinaugh began to feel very tired.

  “What do we do now?” a voice asked.

  “There are other Followers in nearby villages. I think we should find them. Even though Gavinaugh is dead, the words of the Prince are not,” another voice responded.

  Gavinaugh felt a hand on his forehead, and with that touch, the pain from his entire body crashed upon his consciousness.

  “He brought us such hope. Dare we go on without him?”

  Gavinaugh now recognized this voice. It belonged to Fredrick.

  Gavinaugh opened his eyes and heard the exclamations of his fellow knights as they gasped in shock. He slowly pulled himself to a standing position.

  “Of course, we go on,” Gavinaugh said and tried to smile through his swollen face. “The Prince expects no less.”

  The four men surrounding him looked as though they had seen a ghost and even backed away from him slightly.

  “You were dead, Gavinaugh. I felt your chest and there was nothing. How … how can this be?” Fredrick said in disbelief.

  Gavinaugh felt as though he might faint, but Jonnas reached out and supported him. They leaned him against a large stone nearby.

  “To live for the Prince brings hope to the kingdom.” Gavinaugh labored to catch his breath. “If I should die in that service, my end will be in honor. Either way I gain. My life is in the hands of the Prince, not the brutes of Penwell.”

  The men were still amazed as they searched for a cloth from their packs to wipe the blood from his wounds.

  “What I don’t understand is why they left this water flask when I am certain they also thought you were dead,” Jonnas said as he handed the flask to Gavinaugh.

  He took a drink from the flask, and the water was sweet, like the words of the Prince. He felt the cool sensation in his stomach. Although his body ached, the healing had begun. He looked across the rock quarry and into the vast kingdom beyond. The words of the Prince would bring healing to a land in pain, and the forces of the Dark Knight would one day be crushed by the heel of the Prince. Of that he was certain!

  THE DUNGEONS OF PENWELL

  After a few days of healing, Gavinaugh resumed his training with the Knights of the Prince in Penwell. He also continued to recruit, and their numbers grew steadily. Under the most severe persecution, Gavinaugh had found the strongest devotion to the Prince. Those who chose to join them did so with full knowledge of the possibility of hardship, so none came halfheartedly.

  As the haven of Penwell grew, so did the regional governor’s anger. Eventually Gavinaugh was again arrested and thrown into the dungeon.

  “You are alive!” Sandon exclaimed. Gavinaugh had been cast into the cell across the aisle. Sandon stood at his cell door and smiled broadly.

  “Sandon, it is good to see you!” Gavinaugh said.

  “Quiet!” barked the guard as he turned and left.

  “Don’t mind him,” Sandon said. “He’s just having a bad day. I made Followers of the last two guards, so now they won’t let me talk to them anymore.”

  Gavinaugh laughed. “Somehow I’m not surprised, my friend.”

  The two men rejoiced at their reunion and encouraged each other greatly.

  Three days later, the guards brought a third captive into the dungeon and cast him into the cell next to Sandon.

  “Weston? What in the kingdom are you doing here?” Gavinaugh asked.

  “Well, I heard there was trouble in Penwell, and it didn’t take me long to figure out that you were in the middle of it, so I came to see if I could help,” Weston said.

  “I see that you are doing a fine job of helping,” Gavinaugh said. “Sir Weston of Cresthaven, meet Sir Sandon of Penwell.”

  The two men shook hands through the bars of their cells.

  “The governor here was not very tolerant of me once he discovered I was associated with you,” Weston said. “At least he released Keanna, though.” />
  “Keanna? You brought Keanna here?” Gavinaugh asked.

  Weston nodded. “When word came to us that you were in trouble, she insisted on coming with me and would not have it any other way.”

  Gavinaugh was not happy that she was in a city that was so hostile toward the Followers.

  “I thought that perhaps since she found it no longer necessary to kill me, she wouldn’t care to ever be near me again,” Gavinaugh said.

  “You know, Gavinaugh, you seem to have that effect on a lot of people,” Sandon said with a grin. “Now you have a woman who wants to kill you as well?”

  “Yes, what is it about you?” Weston joined in.

  “That would be quite humorous, gentlemen, if it weren’t for the fact that tomorrow we may all be sentenced to death.”

  It was a sobering thought, for they knew that the governor was extremely concerned about their influence in the city.

  Two more days passed, and their only connection with the outside world was the guard and a small barred window at the far end of the aisle. By day it gave enough light to see the rotten food they were fed, but at night the dungeon cells became black with darkness.

  One evening, the darkness came early to their cells as they heard a storm building outside. The occasional crash of thunder echoed down to them through the corridor. The door to the dungeon opened, and a guard entered with an oil lamp. Behind him followed Governor Thurman. The governor was pompous and carried himself with an air of arrogance. He stopped before Gavinaugh’s cell.

  “You are a persistent fellow, aren’t you?” he said with a sneer.

  Gavinaugh stood and walked to the cell door.

  “I like to consider myself a peaceful ruler in this province, and you have brought great unrest to my people.” The governor spoke with a condescending tone. He took the keys from the guard. “I could easily have you sentenced to death, but my reputation has already been tarnished by your apparent inability to die. And unfortunately, the people seem taken with you.”

  He took a step closer to Gavinaugh. “Why don’t we make a deal? How about I have you all whipped and released, and you promise to never come back to my city again?” He dangled the keys in front of Gavinaugh as if to tease him.

  Just then a current of air flowed through the dungeon. The guard’s oil lamp flickered and went out, leaving them in total darkness. The governor muttered a curse beneath his breath.

  “Don’t just stand there. Get another lamp!” he shouted to the guard. Gavinaugh could hear the guard stumbling down the aisle and up the stairs to the guard room.

  A powerful lightning bolt flashed, and its light was bright enough to momentarily illuminate the cells. What they saw in that instant shocked them all. Two massive warriors stood one pace away from the governor with their swords drawn and a visage of fierceness. The governor choked on his own exclamation and fell to his knees in terror.

  “Release them!”

  The voice was deep, and the sound of it shook one’s bones. Gavinaugh could hear the governor’s whimpering in the dark.

  A moment later, the guard hurried back to the cells. As his light invaded the darkness, Gavinaugh could not see the warriors anywhere.

  “What is wrong, Governor?” the guard asked, alarmed at what he saw.

  The governor was cowering on the floor, and his face was white with fear. The guard helped him stand, but his knees could barely hold him up. He fumbled with the keys and finally found the one that opened Gavinaugh’s cell. His hands were shaking so violently that he could not place the key in the keyhole. He finally gave them to the guard.

  “Release them,” he whispered.

  “What?” the guard asked.

  The governor looked at him and then shouted. “Release them!” He looked around as though a monster were coming to devour him.

  The guard moved with great urgency and opened the cell doors. Gavinaugh, Weston, and Sandon exited their cells.

  Gavinaugh approached the governor, who looked as though he might run.

  “This isn’t about you keeping your power intact in the region, Governor. It’s about the King destroying the powers of darkness in the kingdom.” Gavinaugh turned, and the three men left the dungeon.

  They went to the haven, and there was great rejoicing among the knights. Keanna looked relieved to see them, and Gavinaugh was pleased to see her.

  In the days that followed, the persecution of the Knights of the Prince all but stopped, and they were free to recruit, build, and train without threat of imprisonment. The haven quickly became a strong force in the region in spite of the challenges that had hindered its beginning.

  Gavinaugh looked for opportunities to spend time with Keanna. He was careful to temper his actions despite his growing fondness for her, for there were times when he feared she still held hiaaaaaaaaam in contempt. At other times, she responded kindly but always remained quite reserved.

  One evening, Gavinaugh went to check on Triumph and found Keanna caring for him. There was a connection between her and the animal that he did not fully understand, but he didn’t mind.

  “How’s Triumph tonight?” he said as he approached and stood on the opposite side of the horse.

  “He is a magnificent horse. I’ve never seen another like him. Where did you get him?” she asked.

  “He was a gift from a stranger my mother showed kindness to.”

  Triumph nickered as Gavinaugh stroked his neck. “He seems quite taken with you.” He smiled at her.

  Keanna stopped her grooming and came to the other side of Triumph’s neck. She looked at Gavinaugh across Triumph’s nose. Her eyes gleamed in the evening night, and Gavinaugh drew strength from her gaze.

  “I have always been able to connect to some degree with the horses I’ve cared for, but Triumph is different.” Her eyes diverted to the steed.

  “It’s almost as if he chose to connect with me first. I can almost sense his thoughts … and I suppose he can mine,” she said. Then she looked away, as if she wished she hadn’t said it.

  “Is that so?” Gavinaugh said, resisting the temptation to tease her. “What does he think of me?”

  She looked at him as if she were trying to decide if he was sincere. “He thinks you are quite headstrong and a bit too impulsive at times.”

  Gavinaugh smiled. “Well, in your next conversation with him, tell him that I’ll try to work on that.”

  As if on cue, Triumph snorted.

  “Oh, and he says that you don’t feed him enough sweet apples,” she said without cracking a smile. Now it was Gavinaugh’s turn to try to discern if she was sincere. But then she grinned slightly, and he laughed at himself. Gavinaugh looked into her eyes, and she paused at his gaze before turning aside.

  “I should be getting back,” she said quickly and took a couple of steps toward the haven.

  “Keanna.”

  She turned and looked at him. He wanted so much more than to exchange just a few words with her.

  “I … I just wanted to thank you for taking such good care of Triumph,” he said, looking for some sign from her that they might eventually become friends … and maybe more.

  “You’re welcome,” she said and proceeded on her way.

  Gavinaugh watched her disappear into the haven and then lingered with Triumph a bit longer.

  “Well, Triumph, what do you say she thinks of me?” he asked.

  The animal snorted and jerked his head from side to side.

  “Yes, I suppose you’re right.”

  “Talking to horses, are we?” came a voice from the darkness behind him.

  Gavinaugh was startled—only a Silent Warrior could come upon him so stealthily. The owner of the voice stepped out from the shadows of the trees.

  “Porunth!” Gavinaugh exclaimed. “It is good to see you!”

  The two embraced. “And you, my friend.”

  They talked briefly, and then Porunth became quite serious.

  “I am on a mission and have a message for you. You are
to travel to Thecia and take the word of the Prince to that city. You must be vigilant, Gavinaugh, for we have received information that the forces of the Dark Knight are plotting to kill you. It is difficult to predict more than that, so you must be on guard at all times.”

  Gavinaugh looked at Porunth and nodded.

  “I understand. Thank you,” he said.

  Porunth looked as if he needed to say something more, so Gavinaugh waited.

  “This Keanna you have discovered …” Porunth paused and looked intently at his friend. Gavinaugh began to suspect that words of distress were soon to be spoken.

  “She is apparently important to the kingdom in some fashion, for the Prince has commanded that you are to continue protecting and training her.”

  Gavinaugh was relieved and pleased.

  Porunth put his hand on Gavinaugh’s shoulder. “You must help heal her sorrow, for there is more to come,” he said.

  Gavinaugh wanted to ask more, but Porunth ended the conversation and prepared to leave. They exchanged farewells and parted.

  Gavinaugh found it difficult to sleep that night. His mind flitted between thoughts of Keanna, Thecia, and the Dark Knight. Only when he focused on thoughts of the Prince did he find the peace and elusive rest his body sought.

  The next morning, Weston looked at Gavinaugh and seemed to know what was ahead.

  “Where to?” he asked.

  Gavinaugh was a bit surprised by Weston’s discernment.

  “You don’t hide your thoughts very well,” Weston said with a smile.

  “Yes, where do we go now?” Sandon asked.

  Gavinaugh and Weston looked at Sandon in surprise.

  “Penwell is not large enough to contain my enthusiasm. Please let me travel with you, or I think I should wither to nothingness.”

  “I was hoping as much.” Gavinaugh clapped his friend across the back. “Tomorrow we leave for Thecia.”

  COURT OF THE LORDS

  The road to Thecia was long, hot, and dusty. There were smaller villages along the way that Gavinaugh found it impossible to pass through without proclaiming the Prince. Some of the men from Penwell who were contrary to his words about the Prince had brought testimony to the village leaders against Gavinaugh, and they had stirred up great dissension. On two occasions, he and his companions found it necessary to flee the villages in fear for their lives. Others, however, received Gavinaugh’s words with great joy, and more knights were added to the order.