by Brad Clark
“I have patrols throughout the forest," Neffenmark answered. "They ride in groups of four as there have been more and more Thellians coming across the mountains looking to scout or spy, or to just cause havoc. As the story was told to me, one of my patrols came upon a man fighting a group of Thellians. One on five. Before they could arrive to help, the man was felled and his body thrown into a deep gorge. The patrol drove off the Thellians and when they scouted the area they found the swordsman’s weapon. It is the weapon you know hold.”
King Thorndale held the sword in front of him, gripping it tightly as if he were about to use it. Death was not unknown to him. He had fought in many battles and had seen good men, close friends, fall in battle. But they’ve had some semblance of peace for so many years, he forgot the pain of a friend’s death.
“The swordsman was described in detail,” Lord Neffenmark said softly. “The description reminded me of someone.” He paused, allowing the king to gather his thoughts for the lie that he knew would come. “Was it really your Knight Captain, Sir Brace Hawkden?”
The king would not lie, but he also knew that there was a limit to the information that he was going to reveal to Lord Neffenmark. He was in pain, but his wise mind still spun quickly and sharply. “Yes, it was," the king replied.
“I do not wish to pry at such a moment, but I have to ask why he was in the mountains, heading north towards Thell.” Neffenmark tried hard to keep a smile from spreading across his face. He knew he had trapped the king and he was about ready to pounce on any lie or deceit that was spoken.
“He was carrying a message for me,” the king said. He surprised himself for being so forthright. “Lord Neffenmark, I have been communicating with the Thellian king for some time. I have been trying to arrange a peace agreement with them.”
“Sire!” Lord Neffenmark exclaimed with a loud, surprised shout. He knew why Brace was there. He just had not expected the king to admit it, so his surprised response seemed genuine. “They are our sworn enemy, how could you! And behind our back! Who else is in this with you?”
King Thorndale tried to keep himself from getting angry. He tried not to let his past experience with Lord Neffenmark affect him. Calmly, he answered, “I am the king. I do not need to ask permission for anything I do.”
“But I am on the front lines. If there was to be an invasion, it would be my land, my men, my villages who would be attacked first. Do you not think that I should be kept abreast of what is going on? Especially when it directly affects me?”
The king stood up, standing as tall as his aging body allowed. With as firm a tone as he could muster, and without showing anger, he replied, “Peace affects all of us, Neffenmark. It is this response of yours that demonstrates why I kept this a secret. Our kingdoms have been at war for as long as there has been a history. But for the past few years, conflict has settled down. It is time for us to meet together and try and at least be civil. I am not asking for us to be friends, but for us to at least exist together without fighting.”
“It seems your message is falling on deaf ears,” Lord Neffenmark replied dryly. “The Thellians who attacked your man, they were not just mountain raiders trying to make trouble. They were described to me as soldiers, clad in armor and bearing the crest of the king himself. Maybe your message was not to their liking. They have never liked us. They are jealous of us. We have fertile land, while they can barely harvest enough food for themselves. We have grand castles and gardens, while their cities are dirty and smell of garbage. They have led you to your demise. I can only guess that they are gathering their army and getting ready to invade as we speak.”
“I have brokered peace,” King Thorndale said firmly.
“You have brokered nothing!” Lord Neffenmark shouted back, sensing a chink in the king’s kingly armor. “They slaughter your emissary, the one who delivered your message of peace. And you can still not see through it all?”
The king was speechless. For a moment, his anger was about to boil over at the tone that Lord Neffenmark was using with. But the words somehow sunk in. They actually made sense. There could be no other explanation for Brace’s demise. It had to be deceit. Their king had promised him peace, while he was preparing his own kingdom for war. After a long silence of contemplating Lord Neffenmark’s words, the king said, “We must gather the counsel of the lords."
“And then it will be too late," Neffenmark replied calmly. "With your knights and my army, we can field enough men on the battlefield to deliver a severe blow to them. But only if we act now and attack before they march through the mountains. And while we march, the other lords can build up the army so that we can finally drive a stake through their heart! We must attack now!”
The king was silent as he gathered his robes and sat back down upon his plush chair. He looked around him, at all that he had. There was not a luxury or a desire that he could not obtain. His walls were draped with tapestries purchased from merchants that had traveled thousands of miles to deliver them. He drank from finely wrought goblets, filled with the finest of wines. There was not a day that went by that he was hungry or even thought of eating. His attendants were constantly putting food in front of him. He did not have the unlimited wealth of the emperor, but it felt like it.
And yet, for all that he had, he could only focus on the one thing that had eluded him and those that had come before him. True lasting peace. It was true that they were not currently actively at war, but there was always the threat of it. Until recently, not a season went by without a messenger from the mountains describing a Thellian raiding party sweeping through one village or another, terrorizing the villagers, stealing whatever they could carry. Rarely were the raids truly violent, but on occasion, innocent lives were lost.
But he had done it. He had brokered peace. It had been almost six months since he had last heard of a raid. The Thellian king was doing his part. The words of their communication had always been sincere. He had to believe it. But now, there was this. His messenger. One of the greatest knights who had ever lived killed by treachery. His confusion and shock slowly morphed into anger. He became hot under the collar as he thought more and more about the Thellians and their lies and deceit.
Lord Neffenmark did all he could to not smile. He could see the change in the king. It was time for him to add fuel to the fire. “Sire, I acknowledge that we have not always been in agreement.”
The king looked up, wanting to respond, but he could not find the words. Not being in agreement was a true understatement. But he let Lord Neffenmark speak.
“We have had our differences, but I have always been loyal to the kingdom and to your rule,” Lord Neffenmark said slowly, as if he were choosing his words carefully. But in reality, they were words that he had spoken in his head many times over the past few days. “But regardless of those differences, we must work together. You as the leader of the kingdom, and me as your humble servant.” He lowered his eyes, and then his head in dramatic fashion. “I have not always treated you as such, and for that I beg your forgiveness. But the past few days, with the threat of the Thellians upon us, I have come to realize the need for your strong rule and leadership. We are a small kingdom, but we have great men all around us. The Knights of Karmon could stand against any army. We have wealth greater than nations many times our size. This city is the grandest that I have ever seen. We live and thrive as a kingdom because of strong rulers like yourself. But that means that others will be jealous of us, and we must be willing to fight for what we have rightfully earned.”
The king, still seething with anger from the thought of the treachery of the Thellians, did not realize how powerful his emotions were, and how dangerous they were. Riding the wave of those emotions, he said, “I accept your apology, and hope that we can finally work together to rid the world of the Thellians. At first light, I will send messengers throughout the kingdom to call the men of the kingdom to arms. But in the meantime, the festivities are making their way to the great hall where the dancing and me
rrymaking is going on without me. We will have one last night of celebration before I shall call the knights together and we march northward.”
The king straightened his robes, puffing out his chest, and let out a long, slow sigh. “Lord Neffenmark, we will prevail once and for all. Shall we proceed to the great hall?”
“Your majesty,” Lord Neffenmark said with one last bow. "You must excuse me as I need to get back to my castle as soon as possible. If my men are to join yours on the battlefield, I do not have a moment to spare. Plus," Lord Neffenmark added with a smile. "Dancing really is not my thing."
***
Conner walked through the shadows of the courtyard. The sounds of the celebration echoed all around him. It was a mumbled mess of sound from the laughter and shouting of merrymaking to the stringed instruments playing their music. He wasn’t interested in joining in the fun. Dancing certainly wasn’t something that he wanted to attempt. Watching through the open doors of the great hall, he could see the nobles and knights and squires spinning and moving about the floor. He tried to follow the moves, but they did not make any sense to him. But it was clear that they had all worked hard on it, as they all moved in unison.
The Princess was in the middle of the dance floor, her long blonde hair tied up in a bun, tight against the back of her head. A wide smile was on her face as she danced arm in arm with the skinny Mayfair. He too, had a smile on his face. They spun and turned to the music, following the dance steps that they had been taught since they were barely able to walk. It was the perfect place for her, Conner thought. She was in her element, with her people.
He stood in the darkness, in the shadow of a tall hedge where the light of the nearby torches couldn’t reach. While the music continued to play, he watched her and smiled. She was who she was and he was who he was. There was nothing that was going to change that. He felt happy for her that she was able to enjoy the festival and have fun with her friends. He finally felt okay with it. He would be her champion and he would protect her. He hoped that he had proved that he could be there for her if she needed him.
After some time, the musicians took a break and the dancing stopped. The Princess got lost in a crowd of people, so Conner decided it was time to move on and find Master Goshin. Conner found him in his chambers carefully placing his delicate scrolls into leather cases. But that was clearly not the only thing that he had been doing. His chamber was as neat and tidy as it had ever been. All the weapon making tools were neatly put away. Even the floor was swept.
Goshin looked up as Conner approached. “Conner, it is good to see you.”
“And you, Master Goshin,” Conner replied wearily. He suddenly realized what Goshin was doing and asked, “You’re packing them up?”
“Yes, I am.” Goshin lowered his eyes. “I was hoping that you would spend more time at the festival. There is not a ball for the squires and knights and the ladies of the castle?”
“Dancing is not my thing,” Conner said coolly.
“You are the Princess’ champion. It would be good for you to be at her side. Or is it that you don’t know how to dance?”
“I…”
Goshin stood up and grabbed Conner by the hands. “I shall teach you, then!”
Conner pulled away, slightly irritated at first, then when he realized that Goshin was not serious, he laughed with the old man. “I think I would do better on my own.”
“That is wise. I do not know how to dance, either.”
Conner looked closely at the leather cases and then realized there were also two saddle bags stuffed full sitting on the floor. “You’re not just packing up, you’re packing to leave?”
Goshin let out a long sigh. “It is true.” He waved his hands at the scrolls. “These are just the start. I must find a library to complete my research.”
“Research?”
Goshin nodded. “There is an ancient prophecy of my people that foretells our future. King Thorndale has discovered what could be one part of that prophecy. If true, then the world as we know it could end. Or change in a way that will not be good for us. If this is the case, and if indeed the prophecy is about to come about, then King Thorndale would like to prepare his kingdom. And if this discovery means nothing...Well, King Thorndale would like to know that as well. But I need to find more information on the prophecy and I need to go to the Great Library in Taran to continue my research."
“Why you? Why now? My training…”
“Your training is complete," Goshin declared. "Well, at least as much as I can teach you.”
Conner shook his head. “No! You have so much more to teach me. I only know a little of being Sak’hurai or even Kin Shan! Who is teach me everything that I need to know!”
Goshin stepped to Conner and put both hands on his shoulders. “Sak’hurai is more than being skilled. It is here.” He tapped Conner on the center of his chest. “It starts here and it ends with the sword. You have it. And you proved it on the field today. I have given you what you need. Now you need to hone it. To forge it on your own. Sak’hurai have learned the same skills for centuries. The moves have not changed. The fighting stances. Even the weapons have not changed.”
“And you haven’t taught me all of it yet, there is so much more to learn!”
“You will take what I have taught you. What you learned as a squire. And what you will learn from the other knights. And you will be more than Sak’hurai. You can become a swordsman of such skill that no one can stop you.”
“But not without you.”
“I will only hold you back. I have taught you what I know, but it will be not enough.” Goshin squeezed Conner’s shoulders and stepped back. “I was to leave in the morning, after I talked to you. But since you are here, I will take my leave now.”
“Will I see you again?”
Goshin nodded his head. “I do have more to teach you.” He tapped Conner on the side of his head. “Next time for head to learn, not muscles. I only wish there was more time. But time is gone.”
He tucked his scrolls under his arms and picked up his bags. “Good bye, Conner. You are a great young man. Do not let the world change you. Ever. Be who are. Be who you are supposed to be.”
"I don’t..."
Master Goshin smiled. "Do not worry that you don’t understand now. You will. I do not know how long I will be, but I will try and return by next spring. Until then, take care of the princess, and take care of yourself." The he turned and walked away.
Conner watched him leave in silence, confused at the suddenness. The day had started exactly as he had planned, with him able to finally show the king, and the princess, the skills that he had been learning. But when he had hoped that the squires and knights would treat him better, they had not. They weren’t mean to him, they simply ignored him. Not even those who had been friendly to him before acknowledged him. And now, his master, the man who had made him who he had become, was gone. He felt as alone as he ever had. He sat on a stool and buried his head in his hands and wept.
“Conner?” the soft voice broke him from his trance.
He had no idea how long he had been sitting on the stool with his head in his hands. He lifted his head with what little strength he had left. The voice came from the darkness and Conner could only make out a shadowed form standing in the doorway to the barely lit chamber.
“Elissa?” Conner asked.
“I have been looking for you,” Princess Elissa said softly. “We missed you at the ball. And...I wanted to talk to you."
“I didn’t think you want to talk to me anymore,” Conner replied sharply. The humiliation that he had felt out in the woods, when she and her friend and treated him like he did not exist had morphed into anger. The tone was really harsher than he had intended, but he felt relieved when he let it out. They had been friends, talking and sharing their thoughts and feelings. But something had changed.
She had dropped her head at his words and looked down at her feet. “I did not think that you wanted to be my champion anymo
re.”
Conner was even more surprised. “What? What are you talking about? Being your champion is the only way that I can even be near you!” His emotions and thoughts suddenly became perfectly clear to him. The moment the words came out of his mouth, it all made sense. “We spent so much time together, running for our lives, and I liked being with you. But I’m a peasant boy. You’re the princess of a kingdom! How can I compare to that! How can I compare to the other suitors? The other lord’s sons that hang out at the castle spending their entire day doing nothing but eating and merrymaking. And me, I clean pig pens, horse stalls, and let myself be pummeled by arrogant little kids that I could whip in a second. If it weren’t for being your champion, then I would have been sent back to my village, to live out the rest of my life hunting and fishing and just being. But being your champion, I can be with you. Be with someone I really care about.”
“Conner…” tears had welled up in her eyes. “I like you, too, but…But you are…”
“I look at you and my heart stops. I see you laugh and have fun with someone like that skinny jerk Mayfair and I burn with jealousy.”
“I cannot…” Her words got lost in her sobs.
“You cannot what?”
“I am a princess. I have duties, responsibilities.”
Conner let out a forced laugh. “Really? Responsibilities? You play dress up in in your fancy gowns. You parade around the gardens. What responsibilities do you really have?”
“Someday I will rule the realm.” Princess Elissa declared.
“Rule? As queen? And who will be your king?” Conner countered with a sneer.
“I don’t need a king,” she replied, lifting her chin.
“The gods gave your family this kingdom, but only a man can rule it.”
“Well, maybe the gods are wrong!” she shouted back. “I do not need you or anyone else to tell me what I can and cannot do!”