Prophet of Moonshae tdt-1

by Douglas Niles

  "Aye," Brandon agreed, squeezing her hand. "This I feel, too-and more." He stopped and turned to face her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "My Lady Princess, I know that I love you!"

  "But I-"

  He silenced her with a finger to her lips.

  "Enough," said Brandon softly. The northman's lips smiled, but his eyes were sad. "I have come to know you, too, my princess-and in knowing you, I see many things differently than I did before. You're not a bride to be given like some prized treaty or diplomatic coup. Your father is not the person I should ask for your hand."

  She smiled, grateful for his understanding.

  "And so I ask it of you yourself. Will you marry me and be my queen?"

  "No, Brandon-I won't. At least, not yet." She tried to speak gently as his face fell. "That's not to say I never will. If you still feel the same way about me, we'll talk about this again in the future. But for now, too many things have changed too quickly. What the future holds I can't imagine. I need to find out."

  He smiled feebly, restored to some measure of hope. "I had promised, I recall, to carry you to Callidyrr in the Gullwing. I should still like to see your home, but I no longer have the ship to carry you."

  "I think we should all go back to Callidyrr," Alicia agreed as they rejoined the others. "Perhaps the new Earl of Fairheight would provide us with horses."

  Hanrald, accompanied by Danrak, had returned to the group after burying his father's body. Now he started, as if the thought was new to him. "If my lady will have it so, I would like to accompany your party to the castle, there, perhaps, to make my claim to the queen!"

  "Of course!" exclaimed Alicia. At the thought, she turned to her sister. "And how is mother?" she asked. "Well, I hope!"

  The younger princess stared at her sister. For a moment, Deirdre thought of the truth-of the state in which their mother had lain for all these days. Of course Alicia knew nothing of that.

  But then the knowledge came to her, like a presence on the wind, that the danger was past-that the High Queen of the Isles was healthy again, and vital. There would be time enough to tell the full tale later.

  "Yes," she replied simply. "She's very well."

  From the Log of Sinioth:

  Talos welcomes the return of me, his special pet. My master's vengeance is harsh, my soul wracked by fire, tormented by the justly deserved fruits of failure. But in the end, knowing that they did not learn my name, he graciously allows me to survive.

  And with that survival comes strength-the power to return and work my lord's will. Soon the tools of that dream will fall into our hands. We have been bested for now on the land, but always, as we reach for these island lands, we have the pathway of the sea.

  I know not the form nor the shape that my being shall take when Talos sends me again into the world, but once more I shall go namelessly and work my evil in his cause.

  Coss-Axell-Sinioth

  Epilogue

  High Queen Robyn welcomed the Crown Prince of Gnarhelm as a royal guest of her court. Brandon's presence amplified the already sumptuous festivities surrounding the ascension of Hanrald of Blackstone to the Fairheight Earldom.

  Feasting on boar and beef, dancing-highlighted by a new ballad from the Greater Bard Tavish of Snowdown-and revelry lasted far into the night. Wrestling matches between champions of the Ffolk and Wultha of Gnarhelm provided entertainment, though the great northman bested all challengers. The tale of his match against Keane was greeted with amused skepticism by the Ffolk who knew the royal tutor.

  It was after midnight when the great doors opened to admit the agitated figure of the city harbormaster. He hastened to the royal table and leaned over to speak to Robyn. The raucous celebration faded to a roar around them.

  "Tidings, Your Majesty, from a ship just in from the Sword Coast." The harbormaster looked at the floor, the walls-everywhere but at the queen.

  "What is it?" Robyn's face had gone pale.

  "I fear to tell you, My Queen, so grievous is the news!"

  "Speak now!"

  "The dying gales a few days since-they swept around the south of the isles, whipping for the mainland. There they caught a galleon in their fury, capsizing the vessel in moments. She sank like a stone, my lady, with loss of all hands."

  "Finish." Robyn, pale but upright, gestured to the man to speak. The gaiety slowly faded around them, stricken faces all staring at the royal wife.

  "It was a ship bound for Callidyrr, Majesty, returning King Kendrick to his home!"

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