Rodderick answered, “I do, My Lord.”
“Is it possible that they could have been here once—many centuries ago—this far north? To the west of the Raklyn Mountains?”
Rodderick shook his head. “I do not know, sire. I am not sure they even exist. Did not the fables indicate they originated from Dess?”
King Pallan made a perplexed look. “Yes, I think so. That is an ancient land to the far south of Paladia that no longer exists.”
Jaegar looked worried. He turned to King Pallan, then to Rodderick, whose expression conveyed more thoughtful musing, slight as it was, than any real alarm. Garan was as he always was … taciturn, though apprehension could just be made out beneath the hardened exterior of his rugged looks.
King Pallan paced in slow circles with head down as his men watched him. He remarked after a while, “Dess … an ancient land. The Sandessaan … perhaps they do exist. We shall be on our guard.” He raised his head. “Rodderick, take the dagger; it is yours. If you glean more meaning from it, notify me straightaway.” He gave the ancient artifact to his young weapons expert/historian.
“I shall notify you at once, My Lord, if I uncover anything else. A pity we do not have Avryn to study it …”
“Yes, a pity; we will have to make do without our linguist.” King Pallan started for the centre of the camp but stopped abruptly. With his head turned slightly back at Rodderick, Jaegar, and Garan, he said, “And now there is the matter of the prophetess. Come, Garan and Jaegar, let us sup. The day is spending itself before us … and I shall want to discuss our plans for the coming days. And weeks.”
Jaegar acknowledged, “Yes, My Lord.” Garan bowed his head at King Pallan, and the two men followed their king once more through the camp, to the place where they were to take the morning meal, a meal rustic but hearty, for the Paladians were a clever people, making the best of their predicament.
The day passed like any other. It was toward evening, after a large portion of the camp had been set up, that King Pallan ordered a meeting with the council, regarding the mystic they had encountered on the trail.
King Pallan paced for a bit before the council (Hadara, Olish, and Yarek). With them were some soldiers and elders from the camp. Jaegar, Garan, and Jardarah were among the soldiers. In a short while, he said, “I have summoned the council to discuss the matter of that woman, Evidynd, who displayed many magical powers and a discernment that revealed many a hidden thing. To the council; to distinguished elders. Thank you all for coming.”
Hadara and Olish responded, “Quite so, quite so.”
King Pallan smiled gently at those gathered. “So, we have come to a new place, similar to the old one, changed in subtle ways, after our flight from the ancient buildings to the east. That we needed to be rid of them goes without saying. We now have before us a new dilemma. The dilemma of one who purports to be a prophetess, an emissary of the Mighty One, Xon …” He gave a look around at his attendants. “Can she be trusted? Is what she revealed to be considered? Are we to find what we are looking for at this castle? A castle, I must add, that is quite a distance from here, in a strange land, with still stranger terrain—perhaps, foes.” He scanned his audience for a time. “And what shall we do? Shall we remain here, where we are, living out our days under the canopy of the trees, as permanent outcasts, people led by a castle-less king? Or are we to pursue the course we had originally set out for, to find the Stone of Ayren? Does it even exist, the Kaiper Stone of Ayren, or is it a fable? Can this woman be trusted, an Evidynd whom none of us had encountered before, of whose land none of us know? How she was able to change from a wolf to a person … such magic is beyond me. That I can tell.” He surveyed his attendants again for a brief time. “And now we have found a dagger, in a brook round about to here, Jaegar, Garan, and I, that could be connected to the ruins we summarily destroyed.” He took a few steps toward them. “Some of us believe the dagger could be from the nomads of fable, the Sandessaan Wanderers, a people to be feared, to be sure …”
There were some gasps among the attendees and a mutter, “That cannot be.”
“If so, if they exist, it may be dangerous to remain where we are—if the ruins are their handiwork. Even so, they may have left here, these woods, long ago … and we may be safe still. We have many riddles to ponder, and our kingdom strives each day for freedom from heartless oppressors, the menace of an ever-present threat to their safety from a curse. We must decide. But which course are we to take? The burden of command, of the critical decisions, lies with me; but I depend upon each and every one of you for the more mundane decisions that are so vital to the safety and survival of our group.” He fell silent.
The assembly of elders, soldiers, and councilmen appeared to give thought to what he had said. After about a minute, there was some discussion among them. An Aderrin, a man of fair age, and of significant wisdom, soon said, “Sire, what you have put forth is most worthy of consideration. I and my fellows have pondered the matter of our course, and we conclude that the quest to discover the stone must continue. We are prepared to follow you, wherever that may lead.”
There were a few hear-hears from the assembly.
King Pallan responded to Aderrin, “Thank you, Aderrin. I must confess that I feel as you do in the matter; but I am not sure of others. It is, at this point, too much to ask of them to continue our journey. Though I could command it, I feel it too heavy a yoke for many of you to bear. The decision to resume our quest shall be the people’s—not mine.”
Aderrin gave a weak bow back to him. In a voice wavering from old age, he replied, “Thank you, My Lord; we are with you. Know this. Whatever you decide …”
Hadara spoke up. “Sire, the matter with the prophetess is an interesting one; that is certain. I and my colleagues have discussed it a length in the evening hour before the glow of a campfire and have mixed opinions.”
“As do we, My Lord,” several soldiers announced from the corner of the assembly, near a tree.
King Pallan looked over at them. “In what way are you divided?”
The soldiers seemed reluctant to reveal their stances.
Hadara interceded for them. “We—the council—believe the woman to have gifted insight. On that we agree. However, it should be noted that some of us think her a charlatan, a new-age wizard proclaiming false hopes.”
King Pallan retorted, “But her power was manifest.”
Hadara nodded. “Yes, my good king, but whose power? From whence does it flow?”
There was some grumbling among the members of the assembly of soldiers and elders. King Pallan gazed at Hadara with an expression of subdued amazement and slight irritation; he looked away.
Hadara raised his voice. “We have set out to find the Kaiper Stone of Ayren. In that we ought to continue. My brothers and I are in agreement with this.”
King Pallan looked back at him abruptly. “So, you are in agreement with this …”
Hadara bowed his head to the king solemnly.
King Pallan challenged his elders, three men and three women of great standing, their resolve. “And you? Are we to continue to search for the mystical stone, knowing all the dangers?”
A timid Aderrin stood up after conferring with the other elders and said in a raspy, unsure voice, “We believe as the council does, in the matter.” He then sat down gingerly.
King Pallan bobbed his head a few times. “Very well. It has been noted—I have my own opinions on the matter.” He faced the soldiers standing by the tree; Jardarah, Jaegar, and Garan were slightly off to the side from them. “And you soldiers; what is your answer to the quest for the stone?”
They argued among themselves for a short time. A Jelland spoke for the rest, coming forward a degree. “My Lord—we are divided evenly in the matter. Of course, your decision reigns …” He made a bow—“My Lord”—and returned to his group.
King Pallan took in a long, slow breath and let it out gradually, in evident frustration. “To quest, or not. To search,
or to stay. To stagnate, or to risk … in these lies the truth. But which is it?”
Hadara said boldly, “To search.”
Some cautious hear-hears emerged from the assembly.
King Pallan faced Hadara, who was still standing, and asked, “And you, Hadara, are you willing to risk the safety of the young ones, of our wives, to reach this stone? Your own life?”
Hadara replied without hesitation. “If necessary, My Lord. I am reaching late age; my home is no more. I have forgone many comforts to quest with the group—as many of you have. What matters is the seeking of truth, in all our ways. As to the young ones and our wives … that must be addressed.”
King Pallan lowered his head somewhat and took a few steps before the assembly.
Hadara said, “The matter of the Eye of Kotar’ray is more problematic.”
King Pallan waked from his sombre musing. “Yes, that is a problem. What shall we do? Shall we go to this castle, in Vadaal, and attempt to take this sacred relic? Evidynd seemed of an honourable nature; I find it hard to accept that she would be leading us to plunder a foreign land’s treasure.”
“A reasonable notion to ponder, sire.” Hadara bowed and sat down next to Yarek, who appeared slightly perturbed at his fellow councilman’s boldness.
King Pallan then put this question to his soldiers, including Jaegar, Jardarah, and Garan. “What do you know of this castle where the Eye of Kotar’ray is allegedly to be found?”
The soldiers were silent for a few seconds. Jelland looked over at Jaegar for permission to speak. Jaegar nodded to him very gently. Jelland then came forward and said, “We know little of this castle, My Lord. We know it is the lair of the Sisters of Rune; many say the castle is guarded by dark powers. Few who have gone to it were ever seen again …”
King Pallan turned to Jaegar and pressed, “Is this true?”
Jaegar seemed a little startled by the question. Clearing his throat and unfolding his arms, he answered, “It is true what he speaks. We could be walking into a trap. Moreover, we are light in men—but not arms. Sire, we may not have enough soldiers to storm the castle in case of trouble, or to flee it in the event of attack. We could all be slaughtered there …”
King Pallan’s eyes grew large. He appeared alarmed at what his chief soldier was saying. After Jaegar had finished, King Pallan dropped his head to the ground and puffed out his nostrils. After a few moments, he lifted his head abruptly and challenged Jaegar. “Possible outcomes to be sure—but I do not believe Evidynd’s intention was to mislead us. To bring us unnecessarily into danger.”
Hadara scoffed, “All well and good, My Lord; but what will she have us do? Will they, the Sisters of Rune, just hand the relic over to us, in good faith?”
There was some laughter among the attendees, but it was checked in an instant.
King Pallan grumbled at him. “Perhaps they will give it to us—our quest is a noble one.”
There were some cheers of agreement.
Hadara made a faint smirk as he folded his arms and tilted his head.
King Pallan looked directly at Hadara. “Hitherto, my council has provided no insights as to where the Kaiper Stone of Ayren might be.”
All eyes shifted to Olish, Yarek, and Hadara, who squirmed in their chairs.
An elder named Mara stood up. “My Lord, the quest is a noble one, indeed. Of that you can be sure. It is true—we know little about the Castle of Tears, in the Valley of Kreven. To remain here, there is risk. To venture out, there is risk still—but perhaps less than to remain where we are. To find the stone we must. Perhaps it is better to send a delegation to the castle instead of all our troop, in case it is a trap. That way we will not all be apprehended, and our Rear Vanguard can assault the castle …”
Though it began in a measured tone, a vigorous discussion broke out among the members of the assembly. Mara’s idea was a good one. The votes of confidence soon came pouring in.
“A rational course!” exclaimed one elder. “A clever tactic,” remarked a soldier. And so on.
King Pallan listened to them all and nodded. When they had finished, he said, “Yes, Mara—a most judicious use of our limited resources. Barring dispute from our council members and my lead soldier, we shall pursue the course you have laid out.”
The council all agreed. Hadara declared, “We have regarded Mara’s tactic and believe it a good one, sire.”
Jaegar came forward a little. “As do I, My Lord. Mara’s wisdom benefits us all.”
King Pallan looked at the commander of his troops. “Indeed. It has been decided, then.”
Jaegar nodded to him, then stepped back.
King Pallan made a quick sweep of the assembly with his eyes. “So, we are to pursue our course, in search of this magical stone, the Kaiper Stone of Ayren. And, we are to go to this castle in the Valley of Kreven, to seek a holy relic …”
No one said anything in response. King Pallan walked quietly back and forth in front of his assembled servants. He said in a moment, “A vote shall be put forth to the people, to discover their opinion on the matters at hand.”
There was some whispering among the attendees. A vote was unprecedented.
King Pallan said, “They have already been through enough. And this stone … it eludes us at every turn. We have made no progress in discovering its hidden fortress. The castle in Vadaal; it may prove too costly a journey.”
Olish stood up. Giving a slow bow to King Pallan, he remarked, “This Evidynd; are we to take her word, regarding this, relic?”
The assembly turned to Olish.
King Pallan gazed back at him with reserve.
Olish began to add to his misgivings about the prophetess. “The one who calls herself a prophetess is not known by any of us—nor whence she comes, nor whom she may be in league with. Perhaps she spoke in self-interest, deceit, when she revealed to you what the Denaveive spoke to us in riddle before the time of the castle’s fall.”
King Pallan did not make any answer.
Olish made a weak half-turn to his fellow countrymen and continued, “This woman appears to have otherworldly powers, frightful ones at that, to simple folk like us, and she seems intent on leading you somewhere, My Lord. Where, I cannot tell. When I say we are all with you this is true; but it is dangerous to trust without proof. And hitherto, this Evidynd, assuming that is her proper and real name, has provided little in the way of proof of her claims and assertions, save for some alleged revelations of private affairs and the summoning of some butterflies to entice the children.”
King Pallan countered, “And the matter of her inexplicable transformation from a wolf to a person—like us. Like you and me, Olish. How can you explain that? Or her ability to know of very private things, in perfect detail.”
Olish winced very faintly. He seemed to cower a degree at King Pallan’s questions. “I do not know, My Lord—a sleight of hand, perhaps. Or illusions to lead us off, to entrance our wanting eyes.”
King Pallan derided him. “Sleight of hand; illusions to lead us off. You are a blind and untrusting man, Olish.”
Olish made a vague bow of his head. “That may be true, sire—but I am a cautious man as well.” He sat back down.
King Pallan observed him with evident contempt. But his dislike for his councilman seemed to vanish just as quickly as it had appeared, and his councilman’s understanding of the interplay between him and his king equally sound but fleeting. “A vote shall be put forth on the morrow, determining our next move. The people shall decide …” He added under his breath, “For me.”
An elder stood up and complained, “Sire—but if they decide to stay here? What then?”
King Pallan had made moves to head for the safety of nearby mylburry bushes but was stopped in his tracks by the question put to him. He turned to the elder, venting, “Then, we will remain here; in these mountains. Until the time we or I decide, otherwise, to move on …” He then stormed away.
The assembly began discussing in groups w
hat had happened. Tomorrow would decide their course, perhaps forever.
The next day, a vote was put forth to the people, as envisioned by their enigmatic king. After the morning meal, the entire camp was summoned before the council; King Pallan was nowhere to be found. The council explained to the people why the vote was considered necessary, its implications, and exactly what they, the people, would be voting on. There was confusion among the people, but Hadara, Yarek, and Olish helped to calm them, and reasoned that it was necessary for their survival and well-being, and that they should be thankful in the fairness of their king. This settled the people much, and they each went off to vote in solitude (those of an age to do so).
The votes started coming in; it was almost unanimous. By the noontide, all the people who could vote, did. The tally was carefully reviewed by the council, the elders, and designates of the soldiers. There was to be no chance of falsehood, of misleading or misrepresenting the people in any way. The soldiers scrutinized every move of those handling the voting parchments. Within an hour or so, the items deemed worthy of vote were broken down and displayed before the people, with for and against alongside each item. The results were read out loud to the people. They went like this: one hundred forty-three for the search of the Stone of Ayren, seven against; one hundred twenty for the expedition to the castle in Vadaal, thirty against; one hundred for the belief in the prophetess’s prophecies and virtue, twenty against, with some undecided; the belief that the Eye of Kotar’ray, whatever it was, could help them in their quest, seventy-five for, forty against, with many opting not to vote on the matter.
The vote’s outcome was immediately apparent. They were to resume the search for the Kaiper Stone of Ayren, and they were to head for the Valley of Kreven to seek the relic there, in the Castle of Tears. As to King Pallan and his opinions regarding the vote’s results, they were known only to him. True to his word, he was informed of his people’s intentions and ratified their decisions. He then retired to his tent.
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