by R. J. Grieve
Goradis looked up attentively, his eyes as cold as a wintry sea, waiting for the Prince’s reply.
“As Your Majesty is aware, a Turog army of a magnitude not seen since the fall of the Old Kingdom is encamped in the forest to the north of the Harnor facing Eskendria. Some time ago my brother, Prince Sarrick, and I led a raid across the river and inflicted damage to that army, but still it grows. My scouts report that bands of Turog are coming out of the Forsaken Lands in huge numbers, swelling the ranks of the army to massive proportions. My brother guards the Harnor with all the forces we can muster, determined to prevent their crossing, but still their preparations continue. Day and night the forest rings with hammering as they forge ever more weapons. In short, Eskendria cannot face such a horde alone. I have come to you to ask you to re-establish the old alliance of the three kingdoms. I ask this not for the sake of Eskendria but for the sake of all mankind. If the three great kingdoms of Eskendria, Serendar and Kelendore cannot defeat this army, then all the petty kingdoms to the south will fall and the Destroyer will have achieved his aim of sweeping mankind from the face of the earth. We must stand together as brothers against this darkness which threatens to overwhelm us all.”
Relisar thought that the Prince had spoken well but a discouraging silence was all he received in response. Andarion was tempted to say more but he held his peace, knowing that he had not told them anything that they were not already aware of.
Finally, Goradis spoke: “The Turog have not threatened Serendar,” he remarked softly.
“The Serpent’s Throat protects Serendar to the north, the sea to the west and Eskendria protects your eastern frontier. If Eskendria falls, the Turog will sweep around the Westrin Mountains like an evil tide and Serendar will not be able to prevent them.”
“We need no protection from Eskendria,” the King snapped.
Goradis frowned a little but said: “Indeed. Few Turog get past Celedorn in his mountain stronghold. He may be a nuisance but he has his uses. The Turog are terrified of him. Perhaps the irony is this - that it is Celedorn, not Eskendria, who protects our eastern border.”
The Prince began to have an inkling why the King had been so reluctant to join in the attack on Celedorn.
“Celedorn is a bandit with perhaps a thousand men under his command. He may excel at surprise tactics but he has not the military might to repel a concerted attack. If the Turog direct their power against him, Ravenshold will fall and your eastern flank will be exposed. But if you combine your forces with ours, the Turog will be defeated without ever setting foot on Serendarian soil.”
“Even if we combined our armies, the Turog outnumber us three to one. Victory is by no means certain.” remarked the King, betraying his knowledge of events beyond the mountains.
Goradis leaned forward, his eyes hard. “Why do you assume that it is inevitable that the Turog will attack Serendar? Perhaps they will be satisfied with Eskendria.”
A stab of anger shot through Andarion, so intense that for a moment he could not reply. Before he could gain command of himself, Relisar had intervened.
“The Turog are not capable of independent thought. Their actions are governed by the will of the Destroyer acting though his captains, the Great-turog. It has always been his avowed aim to annihilate the Children of Light. All of them. He draws no distinction between nationalities. We are all to him a festering wound that he will cauterise by sword, or fire.....” he paused, then added softly, “or cunning.” The old man’s eyes held those of the Lord High Counsellor steadily and without blinking. It was a battle of wills, a contest of strength. Strangely, it was Goradis who looked away first. Relisar continued as if unaware. “The Destroyer will not rest until he has achieved this aim, for it is so written in the Book of Light.”
Goradis smiled mockingly, clearly keen for revenge. “Legends, myths, bedtime stories for children. Does Eskendria allow her future to be directed by such things?”
The Prince looked shocked. “You must not say such things!” he exclaimed. “The Book of Light contains the words of Yervenar, the Creator. It is blasphemy to speak of it with such derision.”
“Perhaps, or perhaps it is just a fable like the Chronicles of the Old Kingdom or the Lays of Tissro.”
“It is no less than the truth,” said Relisar.
Goradis shot him a pitying glance. “It is not difficult to deceive a fool.”
Andarion leaned towards him, a dangerous look in his eyes. “Relisar is the last of his kind, the last with the gift of discernment. You will treat him with respect.”
“Indeed? No doubt the Champion will vouch for his abilities. Oh, but I had forgotten, there is no Champion, only one insignificant girl who has now probably been fed to the ravens by Celedorn. You tolerate failure too easily, my lord Prince.”
Andarion was by now furiously angry. A crushing reply rose to his lips only to be checked by Relisar who gripped his knee warningly under the table.
In a calm voice, the old man brought the discussion back to the point. “You say, Lord Goradis, that you have no reason to think that the Turog will attack Serendar if Eskendria falls but have you any reason to believe that they won’t? Or is that just wishful thinking?”
It was Goradis’s turn to look nettled. He and the King exchanged a glance loaded with significance. Andarion observed it with disquiet.
Finally the King said: “The old alliance of the three kingdoms included more than just Eskendria and Serendar. The Isles of Kelendore were a significant part of that alliance. If you can convince the Lord Protector of Kelendore to sign such a treaty, then you may return to me and I will consider your request again, in a - shall we say - more favourable light. However, if the Lord Protector refuses, then so too will I refuse. I do not wish to alienate Eskendria, for our two countries have been traditionally friends, but I must put Serendar’s interests above all other considerations. I would fail in my duty as King if I did not. I’m sure your father would understand what I say. I do not think that it is in her best interests to stand beside Eskendria to be annihilated by the Turog. If we send our army to you, Kelendore’s powerful navy must protect our coasts. Do not forget that the Turog are masters of the art of ambush. Indeed, I know of only one man who can beat them at that game.”
“Celedorn,” replied Andarion between his teeth. “You appear to have a great regard for him.”
The King laughed. “If I catch him, I will hang him, but one must give the devil his due. Go to Kelendore and persuade them to join you and I promise to consider your proposals in a favourable light.”
The Prince inclined his head. “Would you care to alter that to a firm promise to join the alliance if I can persuade Kelendore?”
The King smiled and shook his head. “Circumstances can change, young man, I will not commit myself until I am certain. That is something you will learn when you are king. Besides, if I am not mistaken, it was your intention to go to Kelendore anyway. Her navy is too great an asset to be ignored.”
“The Lord Protector may enter the same caveat as you have done.”
“Tell him that I view your proposal favourably, indeed, I will emphasise the fact that your mission has my blessing by sending you in our fastest warship. Allow me to place it at your disposal. There has been a rather...er....frank exchange of views today but I wish to assure you of our continued regard for Eskendria. Accept this small gesture of goodwill.”
The Prince appeared to consider the matter, but in truth, he had already determined to travel to Kelendore and his prevarication was more for the sake of appearances.
“Very well. I accept your offer.”
When the Prince and Relisar returned to their apartments, Relisar remarked: “King Orovin seems very keen to get rid of us.”
“I am aware of that. “
“Goradis is behind this, I am sure of it.”
“Behind what exactly? What is going on, Relisar?”
“I don’t know,” the old Sage fretted, “The King has made no commitment.
This is all too vague to be reassuring, but as it was part of our plan to travel to Kelendore, I see no reason not to do it. At least we won’t have to travel in one of those horrible little merchant ships. It would make one seasick just to think about it.”
The Prince smiled perfunctorily, his mind still on serious issues. “We cannot return to Eskendria empty-handed. We must succeed, Relisar, we simply must.”
For three days Celedorn and Elorin travelled northwards before reaching the edge of the forest. During that time they had several near brushes with the Turog but Celedorn’s watchfulness and woodcraft outmatched his enemies and kept them safe. Elorin unconsciously grew to depend on his skill to keep them from harm and softened her hostile attitude towards him a little. She was particularly glad of his company at night, for unexpectedly her sense of being watched had not abated. The feeling was nebulous during the hours of daylight but once darkness closed in, the impression became more acute. Twice during the night she awoke with a start, convinced that something had touched her, but her eyes, frantically searching the darkness, found nothing but trees and the reassuring form of her companion. She had edged closer to him in the darkness, unaware that he too was awake, that he too was uneasy.
Consequently they were both relieved when the trees began to thin and then stopped abruptly, as if ruled by a line, at the top of a slope. Below them stretched the Meadowlands, undulating plains clothed in tall, gently billowing fronds of grass. The wind, unshackled by the trees, mischievously swept across the plain, setting the grasses waving and glittering in the sun. Celedorn shaded his eyes from the harsh light and directed his gaze northwards across the sea of grass. In the distance a dark line marked the edge of the Wood of Uldor. He pointed it out to Elorin.
“Once we are down amongst the grasses without the vantage-point of this hill, we won’t be able to see the wood, so it is best that we take our bearings now.”
Elorin looked over her shoulder at the dark, silent trees behind them. “I’ll be glad to leave this forest. It watches us. It’s strange to think that in the days of the Old Kingdom all this,” she indicated the plain by sweeping her hand towards it, “was fields of wheat; acres and acres of golden corn. The sense of space and openness is so liberating after the constriction of the forest.”
“Perhaps, but it does not give us cover from the Turog. Out on that plain, anyone standing on a vantage-point such as this could see us easily. There is no cover, nowhere to hide. I think it best that we cross it with all possible speed.” He lifted his face to the clear sky. “There should be a moon tonight, so I think we should keep travelling by night.”
As they wended their way down to the plain, an amusing thought crossed Elorin’s mind and she could not restrain a chuckle.
He looked over his shoulder, raising an enquiring eyebrow.
“It has just occurred to me that we should be celebrating a momentous occasion today,” she informed him gravely.
“Oh?”
“Indeed. Do you realise that we have spent three entire days in each other’s company without falling out?”
A muscle twitched at the corner of his mouth. “It must be the soothing influence of my good nature,” he remarked provocatively and was rewarded with a hoot of laughter in response.
“I feel as if a weight has been lifted from me since leaving that forest,” she said, drawing level with him. “The only drawback is that in the full light of day, I can see that we look a disreputable pair. I’d give anything for a bath and clean clothes - and your shirt is badly torn. How did you do that?”
“I got caught in the brambles by the Harnor.”
“Me too,” she said, showing him her torn sleeve. “I haven’t even needle and thread to mend it with.”
“What I would like most is a razor,” he said, rasping his hand over his chin. “This beard itches like the devil.”
“You had a beard when I first met you,” she observed.
He shrugged. “I think you know the reason for that, but you were kind enough to point out that it didn’t work.”
She was silent for a moment, conscious of his acute sensitivity about his disfigurement, unsure whether to let the matter drop.
Finally, a little tentatively, she ventured: “I.....I didn’t mean to be hurtful. If I was, I’m sorry.”
He looked at her in surprise, opened his mouth to say something, then appeared to change his mind and looked away.
“I think I hear water,” he remarked, brusquely changing the subject, unaware how much he had revealed to her by so doing.
They had to locate the stream by its sound, as the tall grasses completely hid it from view. In the end Elorin almost fell into it, so unexpectedly did it appear. A spring bubbled up from beneath a large rock, its crystal waters almost immediately disappearing into a tangle of watercress and kingcups. Celedorn immediately helped himself to a mouthful of the rather peppery watercress.
“I’ve got a bit tired of oatcakes,” he explained.
To Elorin’s amusement, the Brigand of the Passes, the Terror of the Turog and the Scourge of the Westrin Mountains pulled off his boots, rolled up his trousers and sitting down amongst the watercress, plunged his feet into the cool water with commendable panache.
He looked up grinning, quite aware of what she was thinking. She sat down beside him and followed suit.
“You’re different away from Ravenshold,” she remarked, trailing her feet gently through the water. “Back then, if anyone had told me we would be sitting here side by side paddling our feet in a stream I’d have thought he was mad.”
But for once he didn’t smile in response, instead his gaze became distant. After a long pause he said softly but implacably: “Be under no illusions, Elorin, I am every bit as black as rumour would paint me.”
They journeyed without break across the unrelenting plain for the rest of that day. The sun reached its zenith, uncompromisingly picking out the two dark figures threading their way across the rolling sea of grass. By the time dusk was falling, the dark line of the Wood of Uldor seemed very little closer. They stopped briefly for a strange meal of oatcakes and watercress, but Celedorn would not allow a longer halt as he was anxious to obtain the cover of the trees as soon as possible. The openness of the plain made him feel vulnerable. He knew that in such bare surroundings, if they were spotted by the Turog they had very little chance of surviving the encounter. Their luck had held during daylight but he did not intend to strain their good fortune by spending another day in the open. To Elorin’s chagrin, he soon rose to his feet.
As the moon began to rise, replacing it fiery cousin with its cool, serene presence, Celedorn quickened his pace, wading with determination through waist-high grasses rendered diaphanous and ghostly by the pale light. A little after midnight he became aware that Elorin was flagging. He set down the basket he had been carrying for her and waited for her to catch up.
“Are you tired?” he asked, realising the moment the words were out of his mouth that she would deny it.
“No, I can manage.”
“Well, I am,” he declared mendaciously. “We’ll rest for a while but we must get going again shortly. Look, the wood is much closer now. I think we might be able to make it before sunrise. Once we are within the shelter of the wood we can find somewhere secluded enough to snatch a few hours sleep.”
She sat down suddenly. “It’s a pity that we have nothing to carry water in,” she complained. “I’m parched and there are no streams here.”
Celedorn, who was also thirsty, listened intently. “No, I hear nothing. Your friend Kerrea said that there were many streams on the way, did she not? We must hope her information was correct.”
He had been standing looking back the way they had come, able to faintly make out in the moonlight the dark mass of the Great Forest brooding on the hill now some distance behind them. Suddenly he stiffened. A light, rendered tiny by the distance of the intervening plain, appeared at the edge of the forest. Then another and another appeared until a
bout a dozen could be seen. He watched them intensely for a while, then looked down at Elorin. She was fast asleep at his feet, curled up with her cheek resting on her hand.
He bent and gently shook her shoulder. “Elorin, wake up.” She opened her eyes sleepily. “We must be on the move again. We cannot rest here. I have just seen Turog watch fires at the edge of the Great Forest. I am not sure whether they are travelling in this direction or not, but we dare not take the chance. We must gain the cover of the wood before daybreak.”
She groaned and rubbed her eyes wearily. “I was dreaming that something was following us. Something black. I thought it couldn’t cross the plain but it only waited until the sun went down and now it travels under cover of darkness.” She shivered a little.
“It was just a bad dream,” said Celedorn reassuringly. “Besides, Kerrea said that it was me who was following you.”
She shook her head. “No, she didn’t. I just assumed it was you but I’m beginning to think that perhaps I was wrong.”
“I don’t know about that, but the Turog will most certainly pursue us if they see us. We must not be caught in the open. If it comes to a chase or a fight we will stand a better chance amongst the trees.”
She got wearily to her feet and they resumed their course. Celedorn was more wary than ever, stopping frequently to listen, every sense sharpened and alert. Elorin dragged along behind him, determined to keep up, but beginning to flag as the hours passed.
Celedorn glanced at her in concern, but realising that sympathy would be wasted, he tried another tack. He drew his brows together in the semblance of annoyance.
“I wish you’d try to keep up,” he snapped. “Pull yourself together and stop feeling sorry for yourself.”
Anger instantly flared in response. “I’m doing my best,” she replied acidly.
His old mocking sneer swiftly reappeared. “If that is your best, heaven help us. We might reach the wood before one of us dies from old age.”
Her eyes darting fire at him, she picked up her pace and strode past him. “Well? Are you coming?” she flung over her shoulder at him. “Or do I have to carry you?”