Wizard's Call

by Luna Lais

  Chapter 51

  "Where did you get this?" the man said harshly as he drew his sword.

  "I told you," Horace said not looking at the man. "Sir Cate gave it to me along with a message for the king." The palace guard continued to eye the suspiciously. "Sir Cate has several men at his disposal, why would he send a mere boy with a message for the king rather than one of them?

  "I was the only one with him at the time," Horace said hanging his head. He was failing. Sir Cate had placed his trust in him and he was failing. Maybe he should leave and search for Darien on his own. He knew the king was not here, but this is where Cate sent him.

  "What is it Pitt," Both the guard and Horace turned at the sound of the voice. Horace stared in awe at the sight before him. It was a boy not much older than him. Horace had never seen clothes so fine. Horace wondered who this boy was. He wore no adornments that would proclaim him a part of the royal family, but at the same time he spoke to the guard as if he was in charge.

  "This Sir," the guard said handing the ring Horace had given him to the other boy. Karegh looked wide eyed at the ring then turned to Horace. Karegh had admired the ring many times on Cate' finger during the more boring council meetings. "Where did you get this?" Karegh asked Horace as he examined the ring more closely. He had never seen it off Cate finger before.

  Horace was frustrated having to repeat the same thing over and over again. He quickly tried to explain to the other boy how he had come by the ring and of the message he needed to deliver. Karegh studied the boy as he listened. The boy was exhausted and obviously frustrated with the guard. He definitely was not a threat to the castle, Karegh thought looking at the boy. If his story was true he should have been escorted in immediately. This boy was terribly thin and had traveled far to deliver a message from Cate to the king. What good would have been done having him pass out at the Castle gates? Karegh turned his eyes to Pitt. "You should have let him enter rather than holding him here until I came. Raven's do not fear young boys," Pitt looked uneasy under Karegh's glare.

  "Of course, Sir," he said somberly.

  "Rest easy Pitt. You are a fine guard and if a threat does come to the castle gates there is no other sword I would rather have answer the call." The man relaxed under the boys praise. He understood that Karegh would speak more to him later on the matter, but not in front of the boy.

  Karegh had been placed in charge of the royal guard at the city gates, the castle gates and on the wall. Darien had insisted that Makren move the responsibilities to Karegh. He wanted him conditioned to leading men should the need arise. The first few weeks he had been a tyrant while asserting himself as the commander of the guard. Now he was more relaxed, but no less vigilant. He wanted to instill in his men the belief that their brains were the best weapon they had, not their swords. Karegh had learned this from the other council members. All were strong and capable. Most had fought in more battles than they could count, but each chose to find solutions without using their swords first. Fighting was a last resort. Karegh's men, who were technically soldiers, did not fight in combat. They had the more difficult job of diplomacy. With all the changes in the kingdom and the upcoming war more and more citizens were coming to the castle.

  Horace watched the boy standing next to him in awe. He seemed so strong and powerful. The guard had actually looked distraught over his displeasure. What kind of place was this Calandoria? Here in this land a boy could be equal to a man. Horace looked at the boy again; maybe this was no ordinary boy. Perhaps he had a gift like he had heard about from the priest back home?

  "Come," Karegh motioned to Horace. "I will see that you are fed and bathed. The king is not here at the moment, but Lady Lissandra will be able to help you. I am afraid that she is indisposed for the rest of today, but I will see that you have an audience with her as soon as her schedule permits." Horace followed Karegh into the castle, saying nothing as they walked. He was to busy taking in his surroundings. In all his life he had never known beauty like this existed. He remembered Darien, the man he had met on the road months before. The man who had listened to him and saved his life. That man lived in all this beauty. To Horace it seemed right that he should be rewarded such a living. King Darien surely was the greatest king that had ever lived.

  Lissandra slowly opened her eyes, but made no movements. She had heard something. A soft quiet sound, almost like a footstep. She lay still in her dark chamber listening for any noise to pierce the silence of the night. From her position in bed she could see a small amount of embers still glowing in the fire place. Not enough to give off adequate light in the vast room.

  She had retired early in the evening not feeling well. Her day had been consumed with plans for the upcoming war. She had allowed herself only a few hours respite that morning to sit in her mother's rose garden with Kiala. Makren and Kiala had left before the midday meal telling her not to expect them back for at least three days. It was left to her alone to go over the troop distributions. She had also started organizing a supply line to be sent to Darien and his men fighting in Pearoandorn. By dinner time exhaustion and a throbbing headache forced her to seek the shelter of her chamber.

  Perhaps it was close to dawn. The servants began walking the halls hours before the rest of the castle woke. She was just about to roll over to look out her window when a faint creak from the hall caused her to once again halt her movements. She lay completely still in the dark straining to hear another noise from the hall. After only a few moments she heard what sounded like a footstep just beyond her door.

  Lissandra was sure now someone was in the hall outside her door, but who? Anyone who belonged in the hall would not have tried so carefully to mask their footsteps.

  Certain that whoever was in the hall was not a member of her family or one of the castle servants she silently rose from her bed. She quietly crept across the room to stand behind the door. Her mind already preparing for the encounter. She watched as the knob slowly turned and the door opened no more than a crack. She only had to wait a moment before it quietly swung open allowing the intruder to enter her chamber. Lissandra paused just long enough to determine the back she was staring at was unknown to her. Once she was satisfied she released the power she had been holding at the ready.

  "Lady Lissandra," Lissandra shook her head slightly at the sound of the voice calling her name. Her body ached and was pressed against something cold and hard. She tried opening her eyes, but a blinding light forced them closed. "Lady Lissandra," the voice repeated. This time she recognized Karegh's voice. Suddenly remembering the intruder she opened her eyes fully. Karegh was holding a lantern next to her face watching her closely.

  She gently pushed the light away and slowly righted herself. She had been lying on the stone floor of her room. It was becoming more and more common for her to black out after using her power.

  "Are you alright?" Karegh asked with relief. He had been afraid she was dead when he had first entered her chamber and found her lying motionless on the floor.

  "Yes," she said taking his offered hand and pulling herself up to her feet. "I am alright," she said gently rubbing the side of her head. She was going to have a bump where her head hit the floor.

  Karegh seeing she was fine took a few steps towards the middle of the room. He had noticed the large block of ice upon entering, but his concern for Lissandra's well being had prevented him from investigating it more thoroughly.

  "What is it?" he asked moving the lantern closer. Lissandra watched as he slowly approached the ice.

  "The question is who is it?" Lissandra replied. She glanced at the floor and saw no puddle of water had formed from the melting ice. She must have only been out for a few minutes before Karegh found her. "He came into my room," Lissandra said softly. "I awoke as he tried to quietly enter. I did not wait to see what his intentions were. I merely acted." Now that it was over Lissandra realized the enormity of what she had done. She had killed a man for no other reason than he had opened her door.

  "H
is intentions were not good," Karegh said motioning toward the man encased within the ice with the lantern. Lissandra moved closer to see what Karegh was speaking of. Clutched in the frozen man's hand was a knife. He had entered her room with a knife in his hands and he had been walking towards her bed.

  "I do not like this," Karegh said solemnly.

  "Neither do I," Lissandra whispered. If she had not awakened when she had, she may have very well been dead by now.

  "How did he get in the castle? Where is he from? I have never seen armor such as this." Karegh was asking the right questions. The problem was that Lissandra did not have any of the answers. Karegh moved from the block of ice in the middle of the room to light the lamps around the room. Once the room was full of light he closed the chamber door and lowered the latch securely locking the door.

  Lissandra was only half aware of Karegh's actions. She was studying the man encased by ice. As the light flooded the room she was able to make more of his features. He was a tall man with a strong build. His hair looked almost white beneath the ice. His blue eyes stared blankly towards her bed. The empty stare sent a chill down her spine.

  Karegh rejoined her next to the ice. "This confirms a decision I made earlier this evening," he said softly. "It is time for you leave." He turned his face towards Lissandra's and found her starring at him with a confused expression.

  She followed him as he walked to one of the dainty blue chair in front of the fireplace. He turned a serious expression towards her and motioned for her to join him. "We do not have time for this Karegh. We need to find Makren and then,"

  "No," Karegh's voice echoed through the room, cutting her off. "Please, for his sake. Please speak with me for a few minutes before you do anything else," he added quietly. Karegh was scared. She could see the fear in his eyes. His skin was ashen and he kept clinching his hands into fist to keep them from shaking. "Things are not what we thought," he whispered. "Please sit with me."

  "What do you mean?" she asked concerned with his strange behavior. She moved to the other chair and sat down.

  They sat there for several minutes before he spoke again. The hollowness of his voice was barely audible.

  "The Acumen," he cast a blank stare at the embers in the fireplace. "We have been holding them for weeks, yet not a single one of them has died."

  "Then none of their prophecies have failed yet." She reached out and took one of his hands with her own trying to comfort him.

  "Do you forget that Molly and I have recorded each of their visions? Over half of them should have died by now." He turned looking into her eyes. "Instead, they receive a new vision." He slowly pulled his hand from Lissandra's. He glanced towards the figure still encased in ice before speaking again. "There is also the temple. You destroyed it, yet the Moon Arts have not left us."

  "I am sure there is an explanation," her response lacked the conviction she had intended.

  "There is," Karegh nodded in agreement. "Everything we believed in was a lie."

  "It could simply be the will of the Gods," she said softly. "Do you think they would allow mortals to take their power in this world away?"

  Karegh shook his head at her words. Perhaps he should have gone to Makren. Makren never took things lightly. Makren would have understood the significance of what he was saying. "It is time for you to leave," he said again. "You are no longer safe in Rorgrim."

  "I am just as safe as any of the rest you," she said looking back at the frozen man. "He could have just as easily entered one of the other chambers."

  "True," Karegh said turning his eyes back to the dying embers in the fireplace. "But your door is at the very end of the hall right across from Darien's. All the other doors are before yours, but only your door was tried."

  "How do you know that?" she asked straining to keep the fear from her voice.

  "I followed him from the time he entered the castle," Karegh began. "He walked directly to this door. Once I saw him enter the room I turned to go for help, but a strange noise brought me to investigate. I found you lying on the floor and the man entombed in ice. Had I not already been on my way to see you, I might have missed him."

  Lissandra wished Eranen was with her. Absently she placed her hand to her abdomen. "Why would he want me dead?" She asked herself. It was not until Karegh answered her that she realized she had spoken out loud.

  "The pretender can not reign if any Raven survive. Makren is destined to die in the final battle. Darien will die when the pretender is defeated. Rachel and Jimreth have already been killed. You are the only one that remains a threat." Karegh felt relief wash over him. He had only heard the prophecy that morning and since then he had been trying to find anyone he could tell.

  "It does not make sense," Lissandra said shaking her head. "Descartes is the Destroyer and Darien is the Pretender. We have been through all many times."

  "No," Karegh said before she could say more. "The Acumens we hold tell things differently. If you wish to see your child born safely you must leave and head south immediately."

  Lissandra starred in shock at Karegh words. She had told no one she was with child. "Karegh, how did you know?"

  "I did not know anything until the Acumen told me this morning." He said softly. "Before you leave I need you to speak with someone. A boy name Horace arrived this morning with an urgent message for Darien. It is from Lady Alli."

  "Horace," Lissandra repeated. She had heard that name before. Darien had once told her and Eranen about a young Acumen named Horace. He was the one who first lead him to Eranen's farm. Lissandra rose and quickly walked over to the chair next to her bed. She grabbed her robe from it and quickly put it on. "Take me to him," she said turning back towards Karegh.

  Several hours later Karegh was handing Lissandra the reigns to the black stallion Eranen had left behind. "Use caution, trust no one." He reminded her as she mounted. "I will have Eranen meet you at his farm when he returns. Remember whether he meets you or not you must head south before it is to late. The baby must be born in the south."

  She could only nod at Karegh's words. She was trembling. She grasped the reigns tighter with her hands. A shadow greater than war had been cast upon them. Horace's words truly frightened her. Lissandra took a deep breath to calm herself and turned the horse towards the castle gates. She desperately tried to hold back her tears at the thought that she would never see her beloved home again.

  Chapter 52

  "Are you cold," Makren asked covering Kiala's body with his own. He pulled the large fur he had brought with them tighter around her shoulders. "You are all the warmth I need," she said taking his lips with hers. Laughing he pulled back starring into the depths of her velvety brown eyes. It had been two days since they left the castle and ventured to the meadow deep with in the King's forest. Two days of absolute happiness and bliss. Makren hated to have to leave her, but it was time. He had never meant to stay gone this long, leaving Lissandra behind to manage on her own. He knew if he didn't leave now he never would. Having already made the decision to leave Kiala, if they stayed any longer he knew his resolve would falter.

  "I could lose myself looking into your eyes," he softly whispered. "I'll miss the way you look at me the most," he sighed. "The way you gaze lovingly into my eyes just after we have made love. It's the look that will bring me back," he said gently wiping a tear from her cheek. "It's the look that will keep me going while were apart."

  Kiala felt silly crying at his words. He had said much sweeter things to her before, but he had never said goodbye to her before. She supposed that was the reason for her tears now. She thought she had moved past the sadness of his leaving and had accepted it. Now that the time had drawn near she wasn't sure if she could let go.

  She gave him a little shove, just enough so she could sit up and look at him more fully. She let the fur fall from her shoulders exposing her breast to his gaze. He moaned as desire coursed through him. He had just made love to her and already he needed her again. She smiled, that special smi
le that belonged only to her. "Will you return with Descartes or before?" she asked caressing the two long braids hanging over his shoulder between her fingers. "Before If I can," he said watching her closely, "but only if I find what I am seeking. If I return without the knowledge I seek my leaving will be for nothing."

  She nodded and let her hand trail down her chest. "I love you," she said looking into his eyes. "I love you too," He wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. "By the gods if there was any other way I would not go," he softly whispered. "I know," she gently kissed his neck, "I know."

  An hour later after they had finished with their goodbyes and packing up their belongings Makren turned to her and threw the fur they had used as a blanket around her shoulders pulling it tight. "Kiala," he said brushing her hair behind her ear. "I think it best if we part ways here." She started to protest, but Makren held a finger against her lips. "Duncan is camped less than a mile away," Makren said tilting his head towards the trees. "Lissandra sent him to watch over us. I guess she understood there would be times when we might be too distracted to notice approaching danger." He took her hand with his and gently brought her fingers to his lips. He kissed them gently. "I will take you to him and he will escort you back to the castle."